Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Additional Tags:
Language:
English
Series:
Part 1 of As the sun rises again
Collections:
GabeNath Book Club and Art Club Server
Stats:
Published:
2023-11-14
Updated:
2025-09-13
Words:
121,647
Chapters:
25/40
Comments:
114
Kudos:
194
Bookmarks:
20
Hits:
6,279

As the sun rises again

Chapter 15: Goodbye Emilie

Summary:

And Gabriel let Emilie go at last.

Thank you so much to luzbugs for being my beta-reader again on this chapter.

Chapter Text

After the incident with the press, and taking charge of placating the worst of the blow, Gabriel dedicated himself to meditating all day about the decision that sooner or later he would have to make.

It was time to let Emilie go once and for all.

Even if it ended up breaking him.

But he didn’t know exactly how. Gabriel needed some time alone to do it. If he was to follow Gerald’s advice, perhaps he should start now.

At the end of the day, Gabriel went to his bedroom, the one he used to share with Emilie. The one who was now cold and completely alone.

Gabriel opened the door, finding the room almost completely dark. Without turning on the light, he groped for his desk and sat down in front of it.

Gabriel looked for a sheet of paper that he stored in one of the drawers of his desk in his room. He prepared one of his favorite pens and grabbed one of the drawing sheets he kept on his desk.

He found himself with a blank page without knowing what to say or what to do.

Gabriel was left wondering what he could write for Emilie.

He rested his elbows on the table, wondering where to start. The dim light in the room barely lit his desk. Gabriel clasped his hands as he thought about how he could begin a letter, at least one under these circumstances.

One that perhaps Emilie would never read.

He saw the candle that was in the corner of the desk. He recognized it instantly: It was part of the candles that Emilie used to buy. These were candles which gave off vanilla essence that Emilie used to light every night to try to relax him after a stressful day at work.

Since she left, Gabriel didn’t dare touch any of the things that belonged to Emilie. And that included the last candle left. It was barely used, but it was the specific candle Emilie lit the last night she was alive.

But maybe the smell of the candle would help him clarify his thoughts and finally make the decision. Gabriel sat down in his seat. He put the candle aside and lit it with a match that he jealously guard in the corner of one of his drawers.

The vanilla scent from the candle filled the room. With the help of the candlelight and in the darkness, Gabriel looked at the empty page. Maybe he would start by talking to Emilie just like he used to do when he came down to the den to check on her.

Dear Emilie…

The pen stopped at that exact phrase. This time the words weren’t flowing. Every time Gabriel came down to the lair, he always had something to say, but this time was different.

He went completely blank for a moment. Gabriel couldn’t think of how he could begin.

But he had to try.

 

Dear Emilie,

The first in this series of letters is for you. They were recommended to me by the therapist you told me about before you went into that deep sleep you never woke up from.

Nathalie also urged me to do it.

Maybe if I had listened, I wouldn’t have found myself in the situation I’m in now.

But this time I’ll do things right. Once I finish writing these letters, I’m going to do something you made me promise that I never wanted to do.

I’m going to let you go.

You will go as you asked me long ago, before you left us. I should have done it sooner, I know, but better late than never.

I’m so sorry Emilie. I would have saved Adrien a lot of suffering if I had just let you go in the first place.

When I write the last letter, it will mean that it is time to say goodbye.

But I do it for my own good, for Adrien’s good, and for Nathalie’s good.

They already let you go, but I didn’t want to.

And thanks to that I ended up hurting them.

I’m so sorry Emilie. I know you would be very disappointed in me if you ever found out what I have been up to these last few months.

But don’t worry, this won’t ever happen again.

 

Sincerely

Your dear Gabriel.

 

Gabriel leaned back in his chair, having finished writing the letter. He had to admit that he felt better having gotten out all those feelings that he had bottled up for a long time.

Gabriel reread it over and over again in case he had forgotten something and he would need to rewrite it. If he was going to write letters, he was going to make it count.

It was his official farewell to Emilie after all. Gabriel took the letters and carefully put them in the drawer on top of the paper sheets that were inside it. He locked the drawer in case Nathalie or Adrien accidentally found those letters. He didn’t feel comfortable having anyone other than himself read what he was writing to his wife.


Nathalie had decided to show Adrien her job. Although she was pretty sure Adrien knew a lot about it, she wanted to take this opportunity to see if Adrien would be interested in anything she did.

Nathalie was looking for a way to help Adrien find what he really liked.

“Adrien come here.”

Adrien sat next to her on the bed.

“Adrien, I was thinking about how to help you find something you like. So I thought I’d show you some things I do at my job. Would you like it?”

“We could try.” Adrien settled down next to Nathalie while she showed him her usual work. She tried to make it interesting for Adrien, so he wouldn’t get bored.

Once she finished showing him the basics, Nathalie wanted to know what Adrien thought about it.

“Is there anything that interests you about what I do, Adrien?” Nathalie turned off the computer, having finished her usual day.

“No Nathalie, nothing you showed me caught my attention.”

Gabriel had been listening to everything from behind the door. He went to check on Adrien as he used to do for a few weeks now, but he didn’t find him in his room.

Nathalie was really trying to help Adrien find what he was good at in life.

“Don’t worry Adrien, you still have plenty of time to find out. I’m going to see what else I can do for you,” Gabriel heard Nathalie say.

Should I help him? Should I show him what I do at work? That was the only thing Gabriel could think of at that moment.

He would discuss that with Nathalie later.

For now, it was time for Gabriel to write the second letter to Emilie. He has been procrastinating the task for a few days, and he knew he couldn’t keep doing it forever. Gabriel went to the kitchen to get a glass of water to start writing the letter. He closed the curtains in the room to go to sleep once he finished.

He sat down again in front of the desk to write.

He was tired.

So, so tired.

But he had to do it, he couldn’t delay it any longer. Gabriel had to comply with Emilie’s wishes no matter what.

 

Beloved Emilie.

This will be my second letter to you.

I think you should know how things are at the mansion.

Nathalie and I are in a complicated situation.

In the time you had been gone, the relationship between me and Nathalie changed. It was no longer the professional relationship that we almost always had, but she began to notice how sad I was and tried to help me even though you told her not to.

She even went so far as to use the Peacock Miraculous even though I forbade it.

You don’t know how I regret not having stopped her even knowing the consequences that would entail.

If only I had stopped her, Nathalie wouldn’t be sick and she wouldn’t be on her way to suffer the same fate as you, Emile.

And I don’t want her to die, I don’t want her to pay the same cost that I paid with you Emilie.

I was a fool.

I feel like I’m betraying you for that Emilie. Nathalie was there for me when you were gone and she was a great support to me even when I didn’t treat her in the best way.

I’m starting to think that maybe I do have feelings for her. Just as Adrien once told me

I hope you don’t mind, Emilie. I still love you, but...

Nathalie is creeping into my heart more and more, so it’s hard to deny it at this point.

And I think it’s time to admit what I’ve been avoiding for many months.

As for Adrien, I think you’d kill me if you knew what I did to him. I hurt him without knowing it and when I realized what I did, it was too late.

I broke him. I am an irresponsible father.

I’m so sorry, Emilie. I’m doing what I can to remedy it.

 

Sincerely,

Gabriel Agreste, your beloved husband.

 

Gabriel leaned back in his chair. He looked back at the source of the light, noticing that the candle had changed. The wax ran down the sides of the candle, its size reduced considerably.

Just enough for one more session.

The smell of vanilla filled the room once again. He would take advantage of his more relaxed state to rest.

Gabriel blew lightly to blow out the candle once more.


Gabriel was thinking about what he could do to help Adrien find his true calling. He supposed that since he was a sentimonster, he really wouldn’t know where to start or what to really do without him giving him a direct order. But that wasn’t something he wanted to do...

Gabriel consulted with Nathalie about what decision to make.

“Do you think I should teach him something about my job? Gabriel was looking through his old designs, thinking what he should do with Adrien, while he walked around Nathalie’s room.

“I don’t know if Adrien would be interested in learning about your job, but you could try. Do you remember that as a child he liked to draw you things?

“Yes, I still have the drawing he gave me years ago.” Gabriel remembered the drawing of Adrien that he had framed a long time ago.

"Maybe you could show him what your drawings looked like before you turned so boring."

Gabriel frowned at the last thing Nathalie said.

Would Adrien like to be a designer? Or work on something related?

"Just show him how you work, it’s not that difficult," Nathalie told him.

He would have to try.

“Nathalie, Is Adrien available right now?”

“Yes, he is in his room.” Nathalie answered automatically.

“By any chance, where did you put the things, I asked you to keep a long time ago?” Gabriel remembered very well that Nathalie was the only one who knew where the most recent finished sketchbooks he finished were kept.

“It’s in one of the wardrobes. I left them in a box. It is marked with your name; it won’t be difficult for you to find it.

Gabriel went to look for what he needed: his most recent design sketchbooks. Gabriel looked for the box deep in one of the wardrobes, until he found a box marked with his name as Nathalie mentioned to him. He opened it to check on the contents and took it towards the atelier in order to show it to Adrien.

Gabriel stood in front of Adrien who was sitting on his couch trying to play one of his video games, but he was moving the controller looking at nothing.

“Adrien, I need to talk to you.” Gabriel called Adrien’s attention, who left the controller next to Plagg, who was also on the couch. “I was thinking that since Nathalie showed you what she does at work, maybe I could show you what I do. Would you agree?”

“If you say so, father.” Adrien stood up.

“Then come with me to the atelier, I’ll show you what my daily life is like in my office.”

Adrien didn’t understand the point of doing all that. His father had been designing long before he was born, and he knew quite a bit about his profession.

Gabriel asked Adrien to make himself comfortable. Adrien sat on the seats in the modeling area of the atelier and Gabriel sat next to him. He brought the box he brought with him closer to take out one of the sketchbooks and show him.

“Adrien, Nathalie asked me to show you something about my job.”

Adrien didn’t seem too happy with the idea.

“Of being a designer? But Father, I’ve seen you work before, you’re in front of the screen all day.” Adrien then remembered what he was really doing during his Design time “Or at least, that’s what you do when you weren’t there terrorizing Paris.”

Gabriel took the hint immediately.

“Adrien. I’m sorry. You deserved better than the treatment I gave you.” Gabriel said regretfully. He decided to continue with what he was going to do.

“Well, how about we continue?” Gabriel turned the pages.

“Drawing is not the only thing I do, Adrien. I’m also the CEO of the company and that influences the design decisions I make. The industry requires more than talent. You must adapt.”

“Is that why you make boring designs now?” Adrien questioned.

That hurt him a little. Adrien didn’t like his new designs. And apparently neither does Nathalie.

“Oh, that. I didn’t have a choice, Adrien. The public was no longer liking my designs and Audrey advised me that I should change my designing style so that my fortune would grow.” Gabriel looked for another one from his sketchbook to give to Adrien.

So that’s why you changed so much. Adrien thought.

Maybe Gabriel should take a different perspective from that.

“Adrien, maybe you remember this.” Gabriel showed him the worn sketchbook that Nathalie kept on her desk. Adrien took the sketchbook. As he did so many memories came back to him.

Adrien returned to his childhood with that sketchbook. He remembered that it was one of the sketchbooks Gabriel used to lend him to see what was in it.

“I loved this one, I really liked how you used to draw, Father.” Adrien hugged the sketchbook to him, feeling nostalgic for better times.

Gabriel took his hand as he placed the sketchbook on the table.

“But I wouldn’t want this for you either. The life of a designer is very hard, it is full of vultures that would like to see you fall if you are very talented. That they are going to want to destroy you.”

Adrien was feeling very discouraged.

“I don’t feel very interested in this anyway, father. I feel like I don’t have any interest in anything in particular." Adrien played with the pencil Gabriel had given him.

Gabriel leaned in a little to be closer to Adrien.

“Adrien, I know I haven’t been very good to you these last few months and I don’t know if you’re going to believe what I’m going to tell you” Gabriel took Adrien’s hand “But don’t worry, one day you’ll find something you like and I will accept wharever you choose.”

“Aren’t you going to decide for me anymore?” Adrien continued playing with the pencil.

“No Adrien. A while ago I decided that I will no longer intervene in your decisions and that includes the career you are going to choose.” Gabriel reminded him “But, I want you to take your time before deciding something, do not feel pressured to make a decision if you are not sure.”

“Thank you, father.” Adrien felt a weight lift from his shoulders.

“Look, I’m going to show you what I do on the canvas.” Gabriel went up to the podium where he opened his canvas.

“Father, there’s no need for you to show me, I’ve seen you work before.” Adrien climbed up behind him.

“It doesn’t hurt to show it to you again, come with me.” Gabriel told him to stand next to him.

Adrien could notice that his father had the canvas open and that some drawings were on it. But only one person in particular was represented in the drawings. And that person looked a lot like someone…

“Who is the woman in your drawings?” Adrien pointed to one of the drawings Gabriel made. Adrien couldn’t help but think that the model looked a lot like… Nathalie?

"It’s no one in particular, Adrien.” Gabriel wanted to avoid the topic.

“But she looks like Nathalie.” Adrien was sure her father was in denial. The woman on the canvas had black hair and a red streak of hair.

Could his father have feelings for Nathalie despite what happened?

Gabriel quickly opened a new canvas to get out of the awkward moment he found himself in.

“How about we continue with what we were doing Adrien.” Gabriel looked quite nervous from what Adrien had told him.

Adrien looked at him strangely but didn’t comment further on it.

Adrien watched as his father designed. In the time it was there he realized design wasn’t something he saw himself doing for the rest of his life.  

“Father, I think don’t really have any interest in this. This is something Marinette is interested in. But not me.” Adrien said.

“And I don’t expect you to like it Adrien. But I did it to help you find your purpose in life. You can keep trying other things.”

Adrien was disappointed. It seems that finding his true calling was going to be more difficult than he thought.


The time between the first two letters and the last was quite evident, more than a week had passed, and Gabriel still did not muster up the courage to write the last one. Maybe his brain and his heart refused to accept what was coming after he finished writing that last letter. Despite the feeling of emptiness that writing the fatal final letter generated in him, Despite the feeling of emptiness that writing the fatal final letter generated in him, at the same time it gave him a feeling of relief.

Gabriel opened the drawing again and examined it more closely.

His son was right. The woman in the drawing was very similar. Was I drawing her unconsciously?

He saved the drawing again and turned off the screen before anyone else could notice.

It was already time. The last day Emilie would be with them. He hadn’t dared to tell Adrien and Nathalie yet.

He didn’t want Adrien to have to see that. He had already suffered enough.

He went to his room to write the third and final letter he would address to Emilie.

He hesitantly lit the candle for the last time. He got comfortable in his seat and wrote on the paper the last thing he would dedicate to his beloved Emilie. Gabriel read over and over again what he had written, wondering if he should change anything in that letter.

The light of the candle died the instant it touched the melted wax at the bottom. Only the remains of the wax that remained had not completely melted and it was beginning to dry at the bottom of the metal which contained the candle.

Writing that letter was truly painful for him.

He stuffed the letter along with the other three into the inside pocket of his jacket.

It was his own catharsis after a long time avoiding the subject.


Gabriel had made sure to hide the tears he had shed on the way to Nathalie’s room. He didn’t want Adrien worry about what he was about to announce to them.

“I have to speak with you two,” Gabriel closed the door behind him so that the gorilla wouldn’t hear anything. “It’s important.”

Adrien and Nathalie stopped what they were doing.

“Adrien, Nathalie, I decided that we will say goodbye to your mother officially.” He said while looking at Adrien.

“Are you sure about this?” Nathalie refused to believe that Gabriel had finally made the decision to let her go, not after the incident with

“It’s time to leave the past behind.” Gabriel sighed “And that’s what Emilie would have wanted, isn’t it?”

Nathalie doubted if it would be true this time. The last time when it happened, she firmly hoped that Gabriel had finally learned to let go of Emilie once and for all, only to be disappointed.

Gabriel continued.

“And that’s why I would like to give you the opportunity to say goodbye to her.


Gabriel took Adrien with him to stay with his mother for a moment before letting her go for good. He didn’t want to deprive Adrien of that opportunity.

Adrien stayed for a while with his mother’s body. Gabriel gave him space while Adrien was with his mother one last time. Gabriel made preparations to deactivate the machine containing Emilie. He wanted to avoid regretting it and doing something stupid.

Adrien was sitting in front of the capsule.

“It’s time?” Adrien looked in the direction of the footsteps approaching him.

“Yes, Adrien.” Gabriel standing next to him.

Adrien stood up and looked at his mother one last time.

“Goodbye, Mom.”

Adrien returned back to the atelier.

Nathalie also came down to say goodbye to Emilie. She also had her time alone. Emilie was her friend after all, and she knew her for years. She stood in front of the capsule solemnly for a few minutes before turning around and heading back the way she came.


Gabriel went down alone to the lair. He needed to read the three letters before Emilie, especially the last one, which would be his official farewell. And he felt it was too personal to do it with someone else at his side.

He went to Emilie’s side, on one side of the pod.

Gabriel looked at her carefully one last time. Her blonde hair, her pale skin, the result of her death, her impassive face. Soon she would leave them, far away, without him.

Gabriel opened the capsule. He hugged her knowing it would be the last time he would be able to do so. He stroked her hair, just like he used to do when she was alive. He returned her to her capsule and closed the glass door.

Gabriel took out the letters he previously wrote from his pocket. He read each of the letters until he reached the last one.

Once he turned off the machine there would be no turning back.

 

Dear Emilie,

This will be our farewell. I know you would never forgive me for what I did with Adrien, and that’s why the time has come to let you go. But rest assured that I will take care of him as I should have from the beginning.

I don’t want to think that maybe I’m wrong about making this decision.

But Nathalie and Adrien need me. I know that you will be happier that I am finally going to move on and stop chasing an impossible dream, to bring you back even when that is not what you want.

I want you to know that you will always be in my heart. Even though Nathalie now occupies part of it. I hope you don’t mind.

These will be the last words I will dedicate to you. Even if you never read them, I will be very pleased that you know that at least I did the right thing this time.

If one day I meet with you again, I hope you don’t hate me for everything I caused.

 

Farewell, my Emilie.

 

Your beloved forever,

Gabriel Agreste.

 

Gabriel felt a strong pain in his left arm at that moment. He uncovered the sleeve of his white suit. It was the cataclysm. He was moving further into his arm, reaching up to the elbow.

Gabriel knelt on the ground as the pain passed. The cataclysm was acting at the worst possible moment.

But that wasn’t going to stop him.

Gabriel proceeded to turn off the machine that kept his wife’s body intact.

Gabriel stayed there kneeling there in front of her, releasing the tears he had been holding back all those months.

“I’m sorry Emilie.”

The machine shut down completely, leaving only the backup battery on. Pressing the other button on the control, Gabriel deactivated the backup power, thus shutting down the machine completely.

After a few seconds, Emilie’s vital signs were no longer detectable.

But Gabriel knew it was the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurt him.

Gabriel went back up to the upper floor. He went up the elevator and headed to the room to talk to Nathalie. It was almost getting close to her bedtime, so he wanted to talk to her as soon as possible.

Gabriel closed the door behind him. Nathalie was waiting for him to return, to see if he was going to keep his word this time.

“It is done.”

Nathalie couldn’t get over her astonishment.

“You let her go?” Nathalie put her book aside.

Gabriel nodded, looking at the floor, leaning against the door.

“You’re serious?” Nathalie wanted to make sure that she wasn’t dreaming, that Gabriel had finally let Emilie go for real.

“Very serious.” Gabriel was being honest with her “It was time to let her go. And for me to move on with my life. Just like I told you before”

So, it was true that Emilie’s path was over. Nathalie thought about how difficult it must have been for Gabriel to make that decision.

“I understand Gabriel. You did the right thing.” Nathalie congratulated him “Is there anything else?”

“I just wanted to inform you that I am organizing a funeral for Emilie and I would like to organize it as soon as possible.”

“Do you need help?” Nathalie put aside what she was doing and took the phone from her.

“Yes, Nathalie, please. Put me in contact with funeral services.”