Chat Out of the Bag?

Chapter 20

I never wanted you. What a useless child. I should have never brought you back here. Such a disgrace to the Agreste name. Your mother is gone because of you.

I wish I were an only child again. Can't you sleep in your own room. Things were better when you weren't here.

I should have never given birth to you. I would rather sleep than be with you.

Why don't you talk? So weird. I don't want to be friends with you.

The last thing Lucia remembered was pushing her brother out of the way of the attacking Akuma. She was trapped in a cage, and her loved ones kept saying mean things to her. Did they really feel this way? Would they be happier without her?

The next thing she knew, Lucia was being held by Natalie. She was rocking her and telling her everything was going to be okay. The Akuma had been defeated, and they went back to the restaurant to eat lunch. She didn't feel like eating. The voices she heard still played in her head. Would her papa send her away again if she told him about the akuma? Did Adrian really wish he was an only child? Those mean words were just the Akuma, right?

Natalie was fuming. She was going to have a long talk with Gabriel when they got back to the mansion. Not only did he not come to the restaurant to be with his children on the death anniversary of Emilie, but he akumatized a person at the restaurant and hurt Lucia. She saw Lucia's fears when she touched her, and the fact that she believes her father doesn't love her broke her heart.

She met Gabriel in the atrium where Emilie's body rested.

She looked at Emilie and sighed, "Gabriel, I promised Emilie that I would protect the children no matter what."

"Natalie, everything will be better once I get my hands on the miraculous," Gabriel replied.

Natalie turned to him in a rage, "Lucia got hurt today! She hasn't spoken since she got hurt by the akuma. You weren't the one who saw her fears. What would Emilie think about you putting her children at risk?"

Gabriel put up his hands in a placating gesture. "I was not aware that it was the same restaurant," he started.

"You would have been aware if you had gone with us like I recommended! Today of all days, you should have been with your children. One of Lucia's fears is that you don't love her," shouted Natalie.

Gabriel stood in shock. Natalie never yelled or raised her voice. She looked seconds away from either yelling again or throttling him.

He had to admit that he didn't expect to hear about Lucia's fears. He was upset with the akuma for hitting her when he realized that his children were near. He had reasoned with himself that the worst she would see was the monster under the bed or some other childish thing and that she wouldn't remember once he got the miraculous.

"We are going to have a nice dinner tonight with the children and Amelie, and you are going to reassure your children that you love them," yelled Natalie.

Gabriel wanted to argue with Natalie that he was too busy to sit down for a meal, but the look in her eyes made him reconsider.

"I can not imagine why Adrien and Lucia would think I do not care for them. I make sure they could have anything a child could want, but I will attend dinner, so this misunderstanding will be resolved," replied Gabriel.