Until Next Time, My Lady

Seven Years

Series of raindrops started to crash into the large window in violent waves. He just stood there watching the storm take out its pain on the courtyard below. Purple lightning would crack every so often, showing him the path of its destruction. A few small branches from his wife's magnolia tree were now on the ground and her multiple flowering bushes were being pushed in various directions. The sight made him cringe.

Her garden was the only thing he really had left that kept her memory alive other than his memories. Pain sheered throughout his heart as he began to remember the one tale he'd fought so hard to forget. She'd left him and their son behind without a trace. There were no phone calls, texts, letters or even emails to say where she'd gone. The last time anyone had seen her was over 17 years ago. Adrien was the first to notice her missing. He seemed to have always blamed himself for her disappearance, but Gabriel hadn't the slightest clue as to why.

The night she'd left was like any other night. The memory was etched into his mind. She'd come to bed after making sure Adrien had fallen asleep. Her slender body cuddling up to his as he finished making arrangements on his tablet for their vacation in a few days. The smell of her rose shampoo surrounding him. Her scent was completely intoxicating. The beautiful smile that melted over her lips as she talked about what she would show them and how much they would love her hometown. For years they'd talked about going back to Tricity, but the timing was never right until then. Her eyes were glittering with excitement. He kissed her softly on the forehead, setting down his tablet, and wrapped his arms around her. She nuzzled into him, making him almost forget where he was.

Her warmth could always take away his stress. No man ever likes to admit that a woman can be his rock, but she was for him. Emilie had been the only woman who'd loved him for him, instead of his money. She stood by him no matter what. He pulled her closer and turned off the bedside lamp.

She whispered her plans of making pancakes into animals for Adrien in the morning. Then she went on about to say that they were going to plant some new flowers in the garden together as well. Maybe roses or hydrangeas? She couldn't remember what Adrien had decided on, but they were going to make it happened.

He loved that she could always be home with Adrien when he couldn't be. Working in the fashion business took away a lot of his attention, but Emilie always found a way to bring Adrien to him. Whether it was lunch visits or surprise game nights, she somehow knew how to bring the three of them together.

When he awoke the next morning alone, he suspected nothing and figured that she woke up early to get a start on the day. He didn't realize the extent of how early until Adrien burst into his office wondering where she was. No one had seen or heard from her since the night before. That was the day his nightmares truly began.

The police made him wait to file a missing person's report for 24 hours. Days turned into months, and months turned into years. When everything seemed like it couldn't get any worse, it somehow did. Adrien started to become depressed and began pushing everyone away. At this point, he needed a miracle.

After searching for countless hours, Gabriel secretly tracked down a miraculous. He'd heard of them in stories but had no idea that they actually existed. The second he opened that tiny box, his world changed forever. A small, flying creature flew out and introduced itself. That's the moment the insanity started.

Once he was transformed, he could instantly feel when someone would experience great levels of sadness or anger. Hawk Moth was his name and trying to find his wife was his game. A guardian must've known when the miraculous was activated for evil. The result of his first akuma hitting the streets of Paris was soon followed by Ladybug and Chat Noir. They didn't take him down at first, but Ladybug soon figured out what to do.