Thunderstorm Series: Part 2 (Downpour)

Chapter 10: It's alright to cry

They jumped up onto the top of the building and slid into Adrien's bedroom, making sure no one saw them as they entered. Not that it mattered since they were superheroes, doing their job after all, but Chat noir's behavior was unstable and Ladybug knew that. She didn't want him to do anything rash.

"They said there was a secret basement." Ladybug said.

"It has to be in his office somewhere, it's where I found that one book. It's also where he spends all of his time." Chat noir said, leading the way.

Ladybug followed him and could tell he was nervous, which was understandable. She was also worried. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Gabriel was actually Hawkmoth. Firstly, why? Secondly, who was using the peacock miraculous if he was Hawkmoth? Thirdly, if Gabriel is arrested, where would Adrien go? Would Nathalie take him or would she not be considered a caretaker? Too many questions were running through her mind and all she could think of were the worst possible results. She sped up her walking and took his hand into hers and gave him a fake confident smile, trying to stay positive for him, though she bit back tears.

Chat noir opened the door and hesitantly walked inside, almost like he was terrified to enter the room. He walked over to where he found the book once before and looked around, though it still looked like a normal picture frame.

"Plagg claws in." He whispered.

Ladybug watched Plagg fly out and land in his hand as he gave him a piece of cheese. Adrien looked to Ladybug and for once he didn't joke or waiver. He was the most serious she had ever seen.

"Plagg flew in here and unlocked it, letting me get the book out. I was going to see if you could find a way to the basement." He said, waiting for Plagg to finish the cheese.

"Yeah yeah," Plagg groaned, finishing eating his cheese and then flying around the room.

It took a few minutes of Plagg flying into different walls until Adrien groaned.

"Ugh... what kid...?" Plagg asked, unenthused.

"Plagg fly downwards. It's in the basement. Go to the basement and follow a way upwards." Adrien sighed.

"Heh... oh... right." Plagg laughed embarrassingly and nodded and did what Adrien suggested.

A second later they felt a shift below their feet start to rumble and their line of vision start to darken as they were being lowered. Adrien felt a little out of balance not being in his superhero suit and shifted backward until he felt Ladybug and turned his head. His face lit up red, and she remembered what he had said about her superhero alter ego making him nervous.

"It's alright, kitty." She leaned down and placed a kiss on his cheek, smirking as she put a hand on his shoulder to keep him steady.

"You're doing that on purpose now." He let out a slight laugh. "Plagg claws out." He whispered so he would be able to face anything that came their way on the other side, but when a piercing light from the basement shined in their eyes, they both went silent.

White butterflies scattered around them, glistening in the sunlight through a huge window that overlooked Paris. Ladybug let go of Chat noir and let him walk through the white fluttering silhouettes as he made his way down the path that met to an almost garden-like scenery, centered around something resembling a coffin.

She could tell by his walking speed as he grew closer that what the police had told them was true about one of them. Ladybug zipped her way to him, catching him as he fell to his knees in front of the coffin.

Ladybug held him around his arms as he stayed silent, almost embarrassed of his feelings. She looked up and saw that it was his mother, the same woman that she saw on his desktop background. Though she hadn't aged or decayed, it was like she was being kept alive or she was in some sort of comatose state.

"Adrien? She is still alive." She whispered.

She felt his back shutter and she could tell he was fighting to break down in front of her.

"Adrien look at me!" She screamed, trying to force him to look at her.

"No!"

"Why not!" She yelled.

"Because if I do... I know... I'll break down and I won't be able to stop." His voice was hoarse.

"It's alright to cry, Adrien. After everything you're going through?" She said, pulling his face to meet hers.

"I... don't want to turn into Chat Blanc." He whispered, gripping her hand, looking up at her.

She looked down at him, tears starting to fill her own eyes. That was why he was fighting his own emotions? He was trying to hold everything inside for her sake? He was trying so hard because of what she told him earlier.

"Oh, Adrien. I'm so sorry. I will always be there to help you. It's alright to cry." Ladybug started to cry.

In that instance, she watched as his face turned from a bottled up strained smile into a gasping for breath cry. He cried into her, wrapping his arms around her. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling his back quiver with every breath he sucked in, her eyes looking up at his mother that lay inside the glass, her body so lifeless and cold. She didn't know how to help him. The only thing she knew she could do was to be there for him, and let him cry into her. She stroked his hair and lifted his head to look at him, he had tears streaming his face.

"We can bring her back Adrien." Ladybug smiled. "We can figure this out."

Those comforting words that she thought would soothe, made his heartache and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, crying into her.

"Your father has it set up to where she is safe, come stay with me." She whispered, picking him up in her arms.

"No... it's alright, I want to stay home." Chat said, letting go of Ladybug and standing up.

"Chat-"

"Go home to your family." He said, giving her a forced smile, pulling away from her.

"You're my family too remember. You've been for a long time." She said, grabbing his hand, watching his eyes look down at her hand.