Secrets

Part 4: Party time.

They spent the whole Saturday morning getting everything ready for Tom's birthday party. The green-eyed boy was turning thirteen that day.
They had set tables at the patio that overlooked the pool so the adults had a place to talk.
The pool area also had tables, but these ones were full of snacks and food for Tom's friends. And beyond the pool Eva had set an advanced virtual reality game over the garden. The hedges were tall and were arranged in a way that they created a big maze. Neither Marinette nor Adrien were thrilled with the game's theme their kids had chosen: zombies.

"Ok, music perimeters are set and working," Gabriel said, picking up a heavy toolbox as if it weighted nothing.
"So, we'll have different music, but we won't be able to hear each other's even though we're just a few feet away?" Adrien asked impressed.

"That's right," Gabriel smiled then he yawned.
"Sweetie, why don't you go take a nap?" Marinette said.
"No, thanks. I already had one. I'm ok mom," he smiled.

Eva was behind Gabriel, working on the last settings for the VR game. Marinette noticed the way her daughter was smiling and she knew it meant troubles. Adrien and Marinette looked at each other. He had also noticed.

"Eva," Adrien said in a serious tone.

The blue-eyed blonde jumped at suddenly hearing her name. The keyboard that her bracelet was projecting over her forearm disappeared at once.

"You're not doing something funny with that game, right?" Adrien said
"Those zombie holograms already look so creepy and they look so real,..." Marinette shuddered.

"I solemnly swear I have left no prank on the game," she said, raising her left hand.
"Not on the game, but... perhaps somewhere else?" a little girl with long dirty-blonde hair said as she walked in.

"Bernie!" Eva exclaimed, taking a couple of steps back. "Why would you think that?" she said with obvious fake innocence in her voice.

"Oh, I don't know,..." the ten-year-old said, opening a vintage fan, slowly blowing some air to herself. "Maybe because we know you,... Maybe because even with your walking away from me, I can still sense that particular happiness you feel when you're doing one of your pranks."

"Ok, that's invasion of privacy," Eva stated. "Why can't she touch a different miraculous so she can get a less invasive power?"

"Bernadette is a responsible girl and she can help you and your brother keep your emotions under control so your wings and his tail will remain hidden," Adrien said.

Eva exhaled grumpily. Just then Tom arrived running from the garden.
"Eva, Eva! You are the best!" Tom said, "My friends are gonna love it!"
"See?" Eva said happily.
Together, the four siblings walked indoors.

Marinette chuckled and looked towards the sky, "Imagine what Master Fu would say if he could see the extension at which the miraculous have changed our lives."

Adrien smiled and hugged her from the side. They saw their kids talking excitedly in the living room. She sighed.
"What is it?" he asked.
"I'm scared,... I think the moment is near," she said.
"Do you think that what happened yesterday will have to do with it?" he said.
"Yes," she said.

"Don't worry my love. They are strong and,... They may have quarrels among themselves every other day, but when it comes to protecting one another, they're like a rock," Adrien said and kissed her on her head.
She turned to look at him and smiled trying to look more calm than how she really felt.

* * *
As the guests started to arrive Marinette and Adrien slowly stopped thinking about the decision they knew they would need to take soon enough.
Marinette smiled happy to see Tom playing with his friends at the pool.

"He's changed," Adrien said. "That mission to the past made him more confident and... happy."

"Yeah, I noticed," she said. "He's not the only one who's different," she added, turning to look at him.
He shyly looked down, "I'm trying to be a better dad than my father was to me."
She pecked him on the lips.

"Marinette, Adrien, come sit with us," Juleka said.
"Yes, I bet there are so many things that you guys want to update us with," Rose said.

"Oh, come on!" Chloé said, "Spill it you two. How did it happen? You know..." She briefly moved her hands mimicking wings.

"Oh," Marinette chuckled nervously as they sat down.
"Right now may not be the best moment for that story," Adrien said.
"Ok, ok. How about a short version of the full story?" Chloé insisted.

Alya smiled at seeing Adrien and Marinette nervously looking around to make sure no one else was paying attention. They leaned forward.

"Remember how Eva and Tom traveled to the past to help us out with that demon trapped in that ring?" Marinette whispered to Chloé.
"How to forget? It possessed me. Never in my life have I been that horrible," Chloé said.
"Oh yes, you have," Alya laughed.
"On the outside. I meant on the outside," Chloé chortled and rolled her eyes.

"You were unconscious when this happened Chloé," Adrien said, "Tom merged himself with Loong."

"Loong is the dragon kwami, right?" Rose asked.
"Yes," Adrien said.
"What do you mean by 'merge'?" Luka asked.
"He combined his essence with the kwami's," Marinette whispered.

"Mmm... I see. And as a result he developed some aspects from that kwami," Luka said.
"That's right," Adrien said.
"I guess this kind of missions to the past aren't without consequences," Luka said.

Slightly annoyed, Chloé shook her head and looked away. Juleka and Rose looked at each other, then discreetly at their friends. They knew where this was going.

"But, what about Eva?" Nino asked.
Adrien and Marinette looked at each other.
"Eva,..." Marinette exhaled heavily.

"She wanted to do the same, but she knew there was no way we would had agreed to that. So, before coming home they took a little detour to America and borrowed the eagle miraculous," Adrien said.

"I saw some electric sparks in Tom," Juleka hurried to say. The tension between Luka and Chloé was evident. "Guess that comes from Loong's electric powers. Then, what power did Eva got from the eagle miraculous?"

"We still haven't found out," Adrien said.
"It should be related with freedom, but so far we have only discovered how sharp her feathers can be," Marinette said.
"And that they get replaced instantaneously," Adrien added.

They all looked down towards the pool and saw Tom jumping in.

"Good thing he can hide his tail and she her wings or they wouldn't had been able to continue living a normal life," Rose said.
"It wasn't like that at the beginning," Marinette said.
"We called friends who called friends who led us to these three witches," Adrien said.
"The singing sisters. Scary trio," Marinette said.

"Perhaps we should talk about something else," Juleka said, seeing how troubled Luka looked. When he wasn't bouncing his knee nervously, he was fidgeting with his fingers, moving them as if he were playing with the chords of his guitar.

"Will you stop that? You're making me anxious. Utterly anxious," Chloé told him.
"I cannot help myself from worrying. Aren't you?" Luka snapped.
"Of course I am. But I trust her. She's resourceful. She's smart. I'm sure she'll outwit any obstacles," Chloé said.

Luka rested his elbows on the table and his forehead on his hands. They knew he was fighting not to cry. Chloé looked sad at him and pulled her chair closer to his.

"You know what I was like when I was young. I couldn't stay on anti-depressants forever to make myself a better person. I needed someone to put some sense into me," Chloé said, rubbing Luka's shoulders.
"I understand that. But did it have to be our daughter?" Luka said, turning to look at her. A tear escaped his eyes.

Carefully, Chloé removed the tear. "I remember it. It was her who could do it. Who could help me. And it needed to be done now otherwise we wouldn't had fallen in love and she would not get to be born," Chloé said.
Luka nodded and they hugged.

"Hellooo," Gabriel arrived at the table, "any requests for the music?"
Marinette saw Alya was going to say something but stopped.

"Auntie Alya? You ok?" Gabriel asked.