Ghosts Of Adrien's Past

Chapter 11: Emily

Marinette snatched adrien's wrist to her while he groaned.
"Why do you have the snake miraculous"
"Don't worry, I didn't steal it. It was part of the bet"

She went very quiet, her hands slightly tightened on his arm. Within a few seconds it was like all of the dizziness was gone from his head and he was sober again. He wasn't sure of much right now, but he was certain he didn't like the look on her face.
"Bet?"
She chirped, holding his arm tightly. He swallowed deeply.
"Bet? Did I say bet?"
"Yes, you did."
"Pfft, I-I think-"
"Tell me about it, Adrien. Right now"
He almost wished luka hadn't fallen asleep. So that he wouldn't be the only one in danger right now.
"W-Well, you see...there was this one time-"
Some miracle saved him, as what appeared to be the third ghost showed up. A figure walked into the room with the click of expensive heels. His heart completely stopped dead. Marinette widened her eyes at the sight.
"I...M-Mother?!"

She smiled sadly down at her son, and nodded her head at Marinette. A miraculous spirit recognising a guardian.
"Emily...you're- I don't understand"
Mari said, her words were soft and kind. As if she might frighten the spirit away. Adrien dropped his jaw.
"You can see her?"
"Yes, Adrien, she can. She'll be coming with us on this particular adventure"
Emily held out a soft hand as Adrien stood up from the bed.
She seemed to notice the fresh scar on the side of his head and gently ran her fingers over it.
"I remember when you scraped your knee when you were little...you cried and cried until Gabriel and I both held you..."
"Mother...why you? Now? Why are you here?"
It was a battle of sheer will keeping tears from welling up in his eyes, years of stoning his own emotions. She showed him another sad smile.
"I was the only one left that could help you"
"I don't need help I'm-"
"Yes, you do. You both need my help right now"

Marinette stepped forward with caution. Despite what Adrien had told her, she hadn't really believed him when he said spirits were visiting him. Being in the presence of Emily's ghost was like having a soft buzz shock your bones.
Emily held out her hands, and they both took them.
The entire world changed around them, and then they were in the future. It mustn't have been far, Adrien thought, because everyone looked almost the same.

They were in a chapel. Adrien was standing with his mother behind a priest, Marinette was in a wedding dress, looking around as if she were confused.
She locked eyes with Emily, who nodded toward the place across from her. Adrien expected to see himself standing there, black suit, combed hair, and a toothy grin. But it wasn't him.
In his place stood a man with midnight hair and strangely blue eyes.
Luka.
The scene seemed frozen, like they were standing in a photo. Marinette began gazing down at the bouquet of flowers in her hands.
"No. No, no, no! This isn't right. Not at all. Marinette you're- you're supposed to be with me! Not- him"
She lifted her eyes to his, then Emily's.
"What's going on?"
She whispered. Emily waved a hand to the scene around them.
"This is your future, Marinette. If you choose it. If you don't marry my son like you planned merely an hour ago, you'll marry luka. It was always a choice between them"
Adrien whipped his head between the two women.
"Marry me? What?"

Mari stepped toward him.
"It was supposed to be an arrangement. I thought it was going to be beneficial to both of us- business, that's all"
"Business? That's it?"
She dropped her gaze.
"You betrayed me once, I thought it would be better if I saved myself the danger by marrying you without giving up my heart again. I only just fixed it"
"That's what your proposal was? A beneficial marriage?"
She looked to the side to avoid his eyes. Emily flicked her hand, and the scene changed. Now they were in New York. On a street he didn't know, with people he didn't recognise.
The random people crowded someone, and then they were inside that circle. Mari, Adrien, and Emily gazed down at the concrete. Marinette began shaking terribly.

An older version of herself, late forty's, lay on the ground. A deep red hole in the middle of her chest.
An older version of luka cradled her, sobbing, stroking her hair out of her face. A golden band gleaming on his finger. Their three children pushed through the crowd, two girls and one boy, all remarkably similar looking to their parents. The boy- the eldest -dropped to his knees. The youngest girl fell to her hands and knees and broke down, the older stood there, stiff backed, starring at her dead mother in her fathers arms.
Emily began speaking,
"You were caught in a store robbery, you could've lived, but you jumped in front of the gun when the shooter threatened the old man who worked the register. You'd known him for ten years. You were in the store buying a book luka wanted for your anniversary, he walked out of the store for three minutes to answer a phone call from your son. But three minutes was all it took before the shooter threw your body onto the street and ran"
Adrien wrapped his arms around Marinette, stroking her back as she leaned into his chest. Wide eyed, she still shook and trembled.
"Are we done?"
He said, a little harshly to his mother. She shook her head slightly.

Next they were in a hospital. A slightly older Adrien sat on a waiting chair, early thirties, bouncing his knee.
An older version of Nino skidded to a stop beside him, alya hot on his heels. He was dressed in scrubs.
"Hey dude you...you've got doctor clothes on"
Adrien nodded, pushing his hair back. His hands shook as he held them to his mouth and stared at the wall when he spoke.
"I have a baby girl"
Nino lightly smacked him on the shoulder.
"Dude that's great! Congratulations!"
"Yeah but- but Mari lost a lot of blood in there a- she's in surgery. I don't know I- they pushed me out I don't know what's happening"
For the first time they all noticed the blood on the front of his scrubs. A lot of blood. His chest and hands were slick with red. A nurse quietly came out of the surgery room with a bundle of pink blankets. Adrien stood up so quick Nino stumbled backwards.

Adrien took his little girl from the nurses arms more gently than he'd ever handled anything. She was sleeping soundly, he bounced up and down softly.
"And Marinette? What happened when can I see her?"
The nurse looked down and blinked a few times.
"Mr. Agreste-"
"What happened? Where is she where is my wife?"
Alya quickly stepped in and softly pried the baby from his arms. He looked at her with wild eyes, almost snatching his daughter back to him.
"Adrien, it's okay. Let me take her"
Slowly, he let her take the baby. He turned back to the nurse.

Emily put a hand on her sons shoulder as he watched his future unfold. Marinette took his hand.
"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Agreste. She was a hero for us all"
Soon the nurse left, and Adrien turned back to his friends. Nino stepped forward and immediately crushed Adrien in a hug. Adrien gripped nino's shirt tightly and clenched his eyes shut. He shook horribly.
Emily waved the painful scene away and they were back in the hotel.
"These are not illusions, I can't begin to say-"
Marinette interrupted her.
"So, either way, I die? What kind of future is that?"
"It may be most accurate, but you can change it. You Just knowing that it can happen is changing the fabric of your future as we speak. But...the miraculous are rarely wrong"
Marinette sat down on adrien's bed and put her head in her hands. Adrien went to say something to his mother, but she was gone.
As if she were never there in the first place.

So he sat down next to Marinette and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She sucked in a heavy breath of air and leant into him.
"I think you should go with luka"
He said after a while, she pulled away from him and looked him in the eye. Her cheeks were stained with tears.
"What? Why?"
He cocked his head slightly.
"You saw it, and so did I. You die young with me, with him you...you have three children and-"
"And I also die bleeding out on a New York pavement, Adrien"
He gripped her arm.
"And with me you bleed out on a surgery table, Marinette. It's a matter of choosing how long you want to live, and with who"
She looked at where he held her, her expression softening.
"Once I would've chosen you even if I died tomorrow."
He knew he'd probably regret it later, but he asked,
"Why?"
She sighed and looked him back in the eye.
"Because you're my partner"