Chapter 18 | emilies plan

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Had Emilie technically cheated on her husband that night she kissed Nathalie? By definition yes. Since she was still married at the time. But it was clear that emotionally that marriage was long dead, so she didn't feel bad for kissing their family assistant. She'd moved on form Gabriel, and he'd clearly become lost in his own delusions at that point.

Neither Nathalie or Emilie would ever condone cheating... but... in that situation.

It was complicated, and Nathalie still thought about it till this day. All the possibilities they had, if she'd managed to survive. She could have divorced Gabriel, taken Adrien and run off with her. They could have been together, they could have lived a clam, happy life raising a son.

She'd been thinking about her relationship with Emilie a lot as she'd been planning Adrien's birthday party. He was approaching the age that she met Emilie, it was surreal to see her son grow up so fast. She'd also been thinking about how she'd break the news about Gabriel being hawkmoth to him, and she'd decided to do it a little while after his birthday. She didn't want to ruin his birthday for him, and by then he and Luka would have been together for a while. Adrien would have a solid support system if he needed it that way.

Once she'd told him, she could turn to Ladybug and Cat Noir for help getting the miraculous off Gabriel to save Adrien from any more suffering.

As she sat in bed, planning the party and getting things like food and decorations sorted out, she noticed a notification pop up on her emails. Curious, she clicked on it and almost had a heart attack when she saw who it was.

Emilieagreste@mode.com

Emilie?! But how? Had someone hacked her account?

Clicking on the email, the subject line just confused her even more.

Adrien's 16th

Dear Nathalie.
If you're reading this that means I'm no longer with you, as I'd feared from the start. I've set this up so it emails a week or so before Adrien's birthday. Currently as I write this he's 14, but as you're reading he's about to turn 16. It kills me that I can't be there to see his sweet 16, and I can't watch him continue to grow up. But I'm trusting this task with you.

I've always intended to hand down my 16th birthday present to him, and since I can't do it myself I want you to. In my jewellery box, which I'm sure you'll still have lying around somewhere, you'll find my sapphire earrings. Please wrap them up and give them to Adrien for me on his birthday. He's just had his ears pierced for a photoshoot at the time I'm writing this, so as long as he hasn't let them close up he can wear them like I once did.

If they have closed up, take him to get them re-done for me ok? I want him to have my favourite jewels that I also got on my 16th.

I know you won't let me down Nat, I love you and I miss you. Tell Adrien I miss him and adore him to bits too. Give him the biggest happy birthday for me.

Love, Emilie.

She almost cried reading that email. The fact Emilie had gone out of her way to set this up so she could give Adrien his 16th birthday present even after she was gone showed how much she loved her son. And the fact she was trusting Nathalie over Gabriel with this showed how much she cherished her best friend.

It was sad she knew she was going to die... but it was beautiful she thought ahead for Adrien. It was bittersweet overall.

Immediately Nathalie got up and went straight for the storage room where a lot of Emilies belongings had been stored after her death, and on the top shelf was the jewellery box she'd mentioned. Pulling it down, Nathalie dusted it off and opened the lid to find all of Emilies best jewellery inside.

Her designer necklaces, her fancy hair pins, her extensive ring collection. And of course, the sapphire earrings she intended to give to Adrien. They sat in a smaller box, in a display cushion. The gems shined in the light that caught in them, and they were just big enough to be noticeable without being too flashy or heavy on the ears.

It was picking up the box with the earrings in them that made the tears finally break. Nathalie sunk to the floor, looking down at the precious gems and feeling tears stream down her cheeks.

She missed Emilie so much. She missed seeing her exited over her jewellery collection, she missed seeing her care for Adrien, she missed everything about her. And the plan to have Nathalie give Adrien the earrings on Emilies behalf almost broke her heart in two. Emilie cared so much that even in the face of death, she focused on how she could make Adrien happy. There was nothing in this world that Emilie loved more, than her son. Her miracle baby, her sunshine boy.

Lifting her glasses and wiping the tears from her eyes, Nathalie instinctively put her hand over the Ruby necklace Emilie had given her, reminiscing about her love for fine jewellery. She always gave those she cared for gorgeous jewellery on special days. She did for Nathalie and now she was passing her own precious jewellery down to her son.

Adrien would love this, he was going to adore them. Maybe tear up a bit himself too, knowing his mother was still thinking of him even in her darkest days.

"I won't let you down Emilie..." Nathalie muttered to herself, closing the box and taking it with her to wrap up with her own gift for Adrien.

The party was a week away, Adrien was exited. Nathalie was enjoying planning it and she even managed to convince Gabriel to let Adrien host Luka for a sleepover that night. She argued that since Emilie had her over on her 16th, she'd want Adrien to have someone over as well. And surprisingly it worked, Adrien would have his first (non-family) sleepover on the night of his 16th, with his loving boyfriend.

Of course, Gabriel didn't need to know about the boyfriend part. Nathalie would keep quiet about it, and if she caught the two kissing late at night she'd just pretend it never happened.

Adrien's birthday was going to be the best day of his life, Nathalie would make sure of that.

Blondes and Bluenettes (Lukadrien and EmiNath) • Miraculous Where stories live. Discover now