One Way or Another

A Winner, An Enchanted Sleep and Fate

Overhearing the whole conversation, Nathalie and Gabriel were just as fazed as Adrien at her suggestion.

"This was all meant to be," Marinette continued. "It's fate. Everything that's happened has been leading up to this. Don't you see? This is the reason why the other two babies didn't make it. I had to be pregnant at this exact moment."

"No," Adrien argued. "You're not thinking straight. Your fever is making you confused."

"I'm thinking clearer than I ever have before. It's suddenly all so obvious. I mean, do you think it was a coincidence that Hawk Moth's son was the one selected to have the Black Cat Miraculous? Do you think it was a coincidence that Ladybug and Chat Noir fell in love with each other without even knowing? Those weren't coincidences, and neither is this. Right now we have two people who need to be saved, and two people who are already dying. There's no reason to lose all four of us."

"Marinette," Nathalie said, finally stepping forward. "Don't do this. Give me the Miraculouses, and I'll make an ultimate wish to fix the Starfish. Then we can use it to heal all of you."

She shook her head. "If you make a wish to fix something, something else will break. And we don't know what."

"I don't care," Nathalie replied, full of steadfast determination. "I'll take that risk."

"And if that something to break turns out to be Adrien's heart? Or Gabriel's heart? Or my heart? Or yours? What then? You would die instantly, and no Miraculous in the world can bring people back from the dead."

And her gaze fell to the floor.

"Making an ultimate wish isn't the solution people think it is," Marinette continued softly. "But at least it can help us with this problem. Let me wake them up, and you won't have to worry about solving riddles ever again."

After listening to the back and forth, and to all of her valid reasons, Adrien came to a decision. "No."

Marinette turned to look at him. "I'm sorry, Kitty..."

"No. There's nothing to be sorry about, because you're not going through with this. We're going to keep working, and we're going to find a solution."

"Adrien..."

"No Princess. I'm not giving you my ring. And with your injury, you're not strong enough to take it away from me."

She scrunched up her face. "You're right. I can't take it from you. But I can still beg you. Please Kitty, please don't let us die in vain. Let us save your Mom, let us save Annabelle. I mean, she's only five years old. What if it takes another five years to solve the riddle? How are you supposed to explain to people why she hasn't aged?"

"It won't take five years," he argued. "We're going to figure it out real soon."

She put both hands to his face. "Please Kitty. I'm begging you."

He shook his head.

And she closed her eyes as she started crying.

"Alright," Gabriel said, stepping up to them. "Emotions are running too high right now. I think we all need to stop and take some space."

Adrien wouldn't move away from Marinette.

"Adrien, come with me," Gabriel continued.

He still didn't move away. "I'll be right back," he whispered. Then he reluctantly stood up.

"Plagg, stay here," Gabriel said as the kwami started following them. "I need to speak to Adrien in private."

With a confirmation nod from his chosen, Plagg did as he was told.

Then Adrien followed his father out to the hallway. And he sighed when they were alone. "Marinette's just confused," Adrien explained. "She's been saying strange things all day. It's from her fever. She doesn't really want to combine the Miraculouses, so we can't let her go through with it."

Gabriel moved up and put his hand on his shoulder. "I know this is a difficult decision," he murmured before pausing for a second. "But I think we should let her."

It was suddenly so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

"What?" Adrien asked, barely at a whisper.

"We should let her combine the Miraculouses to wake Emilie and Annabelle up. And then..."

Adrien pulled back from him, his despair turning into anger. "Get away from me," he seethed. "How could you say that? After everything that's happened, you'll let her kill herself so you get what you want?" He stopped and shook his head. "I'm taking Marinette home, and we're taking the Starfish Miraculous with us. Once she's better, we'll give it back to Nathalie so she can wake up Mom and Annabelle. But we're never coming back here again..."

"You can't take Marinette home," Gabriel interrupted. "She won't be alive much longer."

"Don't you say that! Don't you ever..."

"It's true, Adrien. Nathalie just told me."

And that made him stop. "Told you... what?"

Gabriel exhaled. "After we brought Emilie and Annabelle to your room, Nathalie told me that Marinette's fever is getting too high. And like you said, she's been confused all day. So the infection must have already spread to her blood stream."

"Wha... what does that mean?"

"That means that the cataclysm isn't going to kill her, the infection is. And we don't have much time left until that happens."

And Adrien stared at him, too upset to respond.

So Gabriel continued. "Let her combine the Miraculouses to wake Emilie and Annabelle up..."

"No," Adrien tried to argue.

"...And then I'll combine the Miraculouses to bring Marinette back," Gabriel finished.