"Just a Friend?" Book 1 of "Secrets Unraveled" Trilogy (MLB FanFic) |COMPLETED|

Chpt 33: What has been going on in Gabriel's absence?

Gabriel stared out the window as his car drove him toward home. The pull of his Miraculous had been getting too difficult to ignore so he decided to make a quick trip back home to see how the city was reacting to his plan. He told himself that he would just put the Miraculous brooch on to feel how the emotions were building in the city- whether the white butterflies Nathalie was releasing were doing their job of creating anxiety in the people of Paris.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the world outside the car. Very good, he thought. There was a definite tension in the air and he could feel strong emotions coming from some strong adults, not like his usual, highly emotional weak victims of teenagers, pathetic adults, and children. He shuddered remembering how often he had akumatized Mr. Ramier, the pigeon man, and baby August. Those had never gone well, but they were so easy to akumatize with their out of control emotions! Things would be different this time. He would find stronger, motivated, more intelligent victims and from the feel of things, he would have so many choices! Wonderful!

Gabriel planned to stay home for a night or two and then return to Milan. This would also give him an opportunity to check on Adrien and see how he was doing. He glanced at his watch. There was still time tonight to have dinner with Adrien so Adrien could give him an update on all of the progress he had made the last few weeks.

His car pulled up in front of the house. He got out of the car and headed up the steps. By the time he reached the top, Nathalie had opened the door for him. "Mr. Agreste," Nathalie said, nodding her head once at him. 

"Nathalie," he replied as he strode toward his office, "I will be having dinner with Adrien tonight in the dining room. Inform the chef." He opened the door to his office and went in. Nathalie nodded again. 

"Yes, Mr Agreste." When he didn't say anything more, she closed the door and went to talk with the chef.

Some time later Gabriel was sitting at the table impatiently waiting for Adrien, who was late. "What has been going on here during my absence?" he said to himself. He heard the front door open and Adrien entered the dining room.

"Father!" Adrien exclaimed, stopping abruptly. He had not been expecting to see him.

"You are late. Sit down," Gabriel ordered. Adrien took his seat at the end of the table and waited to see what was going to happen. His heart started racing.

"Where have you been? You are supposed to be here at precisely 7 o'clock for dinner," said his father sternly.

Adrien blurted out the first thing that came into his mind, realizing he was lying as he said it, but not able to stop himself. "I was studying with friends and we lost track of time. I didn't know you were going to be here or I would have made sure to arrive on time," Adrien said.

"It is irrelevant whether I am here or not. You are supposed to follow the schedule I have set for you. If you will not follow the rules, I will have to be more strict with you. I have allowed you some extra freedom while I have been away. Do not abuse my generosity!"

Adrien looked down at his hands. "Yes, father," he said. Adrien tried to calm his racing heart and get his emotions under control so he wouldn't slip up and tell his father something he didn't mean to.

"Now, give me an update on how all of your classes and extracurriculars are progressing." Gabriel looked at Adrien intently. Adrien recounted his grades on his tests and projects and gave updates on fencing. Gabriel nodded. "Very good. It seems you have been doing tolerably well in my absence." He paused and then continued with "I have decided that you will come to Milan for the weekend of the fashion show. I haven't decided whether you will wear something or just be there to represent the Agreste family and brand in the audience."

Adrien looked up abruptly. "Do you really need me to be there?" Adrien asked without thinking, panicking about leaving Ladybug by herself right now. What if more than the white butterflies happened? He wouldn't be able to help her if he wasn't in Paris!

"I didn't ask you for your opinion. I have made my decision and you will travel to meet me the weekend of the show," said his father, unmoved by Adrien's outburst.

Adrien fisted his hands under the table, struggling to get his emotions under control again before replying "Yes, father," managing it without any hint of the anger or panic he felt.

"I need to go back to work now. Enough of my time was wasted tonight waiting for you," said Gabriel. He stood up and headed back to his office.

Adrien relaxed his fists and slumped in his chair. He wondered why his father even bothered to come home to talk with him. Five minutes of giving him orders- he could have done that over the phone! Adrien pushed back his chair and stood up, heading back to his room without eating. He was no longer hungry, not that he had been too hungry anyway as he had eaten so many of those delicious snacks Marinette's parents had offered them. Talking with his father, even so briefly, made him miss Marinette and her family.

He sighed as he closed the door to his room behind him. Plagg zoomed out of his shirt, pausing in front of Adrien's face. The kwami's eyes darted about searching for what he wanted. "What, no cheese?!" Plagg exclaimed.

"No, sorry," Adrien said to him. "Anyway, you should be full! You got a whole sampler of cheese at Marinette's." Adrien sighed again. "I wish we were back there instead of here. Did you hear what my father said about me needing to travel to Milan?" he asked Plagg.

"Yeah, not the best timing for it. What are you going to do?" called Plagg as he zoomed toward the couch.

"I guess I'll have to talk with Marinette about it and see what she thinks we could do to prepare for me being gone. I have been out of the country before since I've been Cat Noir, but as far as I know we lucked out and nothing happened while I was gone," said Adrien.

"Or it was because your father is Hawk Moth and he was not in Paris either and luck had nothing to do with it," Plagg said while checking between the couch cushions looking for the cheese he lost earlier that day. 

Adrien found that he could no longer totally disagree with what Plagg was saying.