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Do you regret it?
There was little in Gabriel’s life that he honestly regretted, but that didn’t stop the question from popping into his head continuously as it had done all of his life.
The moment he saw Emilie he knew she was the one.
Eyes as green as emeralds.
Hair as golden as the sun.
Smile even brighter.
He knew that no one else would hold or touch his heart like she did.
So he asked her out and they began their courtship and it was amazing.
Knowing what you know now, do you regret it?
They dated for a few years before he decided to ask for her hand in marriage. At this point, they were both rising stars in their own careers and the moment felt right.
So he took her to her favorite restaurant, treated her to her favorite meal, took her on a walk along the Seine, and sunk to one knee in the very spot they’d met.
Her answer was a resounding yes and he couldn’t have been happier.
Do you regret it?
The two were happy for years.
Gabriel became a household name as Emilie ran the business from home. Their wealth increased as did their prestige in Paris and around the world.
Life was truly amazing with her by his side.
And then it got better when, teary eyed, she handed him a picture. As he stared at the gray blob, tears trailed down his wife’s cheeks.
“A baby.” She whispered. “I’m pregnant.”
Joy filled his being and he found his arms wrapping around her as he digested it.
A baby.
He was going to be a father.
They were going to be parents!
And then it all slipped away.
The doctors couldn’t pinpoint a reason why.
Medicine held no answers.
“It just happens. You can always try again.”
So they did.
Do you regret it?
Do you regret listening to the others? To those doctors?
Gabriel felt powerless as he watched his wife sink into depression as their fourth try ended with the same results as the first three. He knew she wanted to be a mother- and he wanted that too because no one would be a better one than his love- and it was taking its toll. He would do anything for her and anything to make her dream come true.
And then the perfect opportunity fell into his lap.
As an anniversary trip, the two had gone to Tibet to get away from their normal lives. Hiking high in the mountains with nothing but snow and fresh air seemed to do wonders for Emilie’s mental well being as Gabriel saw the reappearance of her first real smile in months. It lifted Gabriel’s own spirit and, so caught up in her glow, he tripped over his own feet.
Brushing snow from his body, he was surprised to find two pieces of jewelry beneath him in the snow: one in the shape of a butterfly and the other in the shape of a peacock. He briefly had time to wonder who’d lost such items here when Emilie beckoned over to her.
It wasn’t until much later, when they were back in their cabin and Gabriel pinned the butterfly to his chest that he realized he’d stumbled upon something truly magnificent.
“Greetings! I’m Nooroo, the kwami of the butterfly miraculous!"
Do you regret it?
Do you regret the mountains? The cabin? That small bit of your spirit that jumped happily upon learning what the Peacock could do?
It wasn’t long before Emillie threw herself in studying both miraculous as he continued to grow and promote their business. She learned how the butterfly could rally followers and how the peacock could create sentient beings that could either be basic tools or legitimate sentient and independent beings depending on the creator’s intentions.
That had sparked an extreme interest in Emilie.
Gabriel watched as she fell deeper and deeper into obsession with the peacock: speaking nearly constantly with Dusuu whenever she wasn’t busy with anything else. He tried to get her to participate in her other hobbies but she brushed him off. He really started to worry about her and her well being… until it happened again.
“I’m pregnant!” She squealed happily as she waved the positive test around.
Gabriel was excited, but he reigned that in as he took her into his arms. “Let’s not get too excited, my love. We’ve been through this before.”
Her smile didn’t lessen. “I know, but I have a good feeling about this! A really good feeling!”
The excitement only grew when Emilie’s twin sister, Amelie, called and announced her pregnancy as well.
Do you regret it?
Do you regret not seeing the signs?
Both pregnancies went smoothly.
For the first time, Emilie made it to the fifth month without problems and they truly celebrated the coming of their child. They decorated the nursery and filled it with everything their child could ever want. They researched the best schools and preschools. They talked about names until they found the one they loved the most.
Adrien.
It was perfect.
And then she was nine months and going into labor the very same day as her visiting twin.
Gabriel found himself holding both of their hands as Amelie’s husband was stuck in the States due to a freak winter storm and she needed the support as it was her first child too.
As if meant to be, the twins gave birth almost simultaneously.
Felix Graham de Vanilly Fathom came into the world first followed closely by Adrien Alucard Andreas Antione Athanese Agreste.
Gabriel was filled with so much happiness that he didn’t question it when he was ushered out of the room for “mother and baby” checkups. He didn’t question it when he visited and only saw his son or nephew but never both. He didn’t question it when Emilie asked him to bring her purse to the hospital with little to no explanation.
He didn’t question anything.
Especially when he was able to bring his happy wife and sweet child home and they lived happily for years.
Do you regret it?
Do you regret not paying attention to your surroundings? Do you regret being so blinded by happiness that you didn't see the clear signs or noticing Emilie’s intentions?
It wouldn’t be until years later that Gabriel learned the hard truth all through Emilie’s sickness.
They had searched the world looking for doctors who could help her but it seemed that nothing could help. When it became apparent that the next time she fell asleep she would stay that way, Emilie had confessed that her sickness was due to the broken miraculous of the peacock.
“But we never truly used them!” Gabriel had exclaimed as he gripped her weak hand.
Looking guilty, Emilie gave him a weak smile. “I did. Twelve years ago.”
“Twelve years…” Understanding flowed into Gabriel’s eyes and he found his mouth dropping in horror. “Adrien and Felix are twelve.”
Tears in her eyes, Emilie nodded. “They are.”
The pieces of the puzzle fell into place and Gabriel felt his heart drop to his feet. “Which… Which one, Emilie? Which one of them did you create?”
Her hand tightened in his as she opened her mouth and nothing came out.
Seeing her drooping eyelids, Gabriel realized she was falling asleep and he wouldn’t get his answer.
“Emilie! Tell me! Which one of them!”
Instead of answering, Emilie’s eyes closed and her hand went limp. That’s when Gabriel realized she had left a single silver ring in his hand.
The amok.
His amok.
Do you regret it?
Do you regret not telling her you loved her in her last seconds?
Do you regret not noticing?
Do you regret not knowing if your son or his cousin is the sentimonster? That the only way to know for sure is to snap one of them from existence due to Felix's distance and Adrien's obedient nature?
Do you regret it?
Gabriel needed to wake Emilie.
He needed to know and he would do anything to find out.
That's when Nooroo told him about all of the miraculous and a plan formed in Gabriel's head.
Thus Hawk Moth was born.
And everyday he terrorized the citizens of Paris by akumatizing different people with the aim of capturing Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculous to wake his sleeping wife.
And everyday the same questions plagued his thoughts.
Do you regret it?
Do you regret any of it?
And, for the first time, Gabriel honestly didn’t know the answer to the questions.