"Oh.." he said, his mind starting to work out what she might be upset about. What was the last communication he'd had with Elise? He thought for a moment and frowned. Right. He had flat out refused a family trip and then hung up. He probably should have called her back at some point to apologize... But that just wasn't how his grieving mind worked. "And you're mad at me.." he stated, not quite looking her in the eye.

Iris looked up from the cake and sighed. That was not the response she wanted. She was going to have to be tough on him. Iris looked at him. "No I'm upset. I know why you did it and I want answers. Gabe, she was only trying to help. You know things could have turned out differently if you didn't pushed her out."

"I'm well aware," Gabriel said with a frown. "Elise did more than enough for me even as I started withdrawing. I didn't mean to cut her out, Iris. I was just coping the best I knew how; burying myself in my work. Then she asked me to go to the beach and I was done with that conversation so I said no and hung up.. I should have called back to apologize at some point, but I just never did and she seemed to realize I wanted to be left alone."

"Yes you should have," Iris snapped. "You hurt her you know?" She felt like a broken record, but she was going to say it again. "All she wanted to do was to help you and Adrien. Didn't you think it would have helped Adrien to see his cousins on a regular basis? And how was her asking you going to beach so offensive? That makes no sense, Gabriel."

Gabriel crossed his arms, trying to keep his voice calm as he answered. "I understand she was trying to help and you're right, Adrien could have benefited from interacting with his cousins. But I was in no mental state where that would seem obvious to me. I couldn't handle seeing them together as a happy family, so I started cancelling on them. And the beach... I didn't want to go to the beach. We were thinking about going to the beach when you disappeared."

Iris felt her her emotions going crazy. She just turned around and placed the two pieces she cut onto two small plates. "But you hurt her..." Iris couldn't help, but slam her one hand on the counter. "She was only who cared..."

"I didn't mean to hurt her," he protested, his voice raising slightly; though, he tried to keep it quiet enough that Elise wouldn't hear. "I appreciate what she did and was trying to do for me. I just wasn't strong enough. I let grief consume me and took it out on her when I should have been welcoming her help. It wasn't right. I get that. I don't need you yelling at me for it."

"Then you should fucking apologize to her," Iris said. She broke her vow of not forcing Gabriel to apologize. But she didn't care. She was now frustrated as hell. "You could have done that during your time as Hawkmoth." Iris picked up the plates and walked past him. She didn't look at him at all.

She returned to the dinning room. Iris found Elise talking to Pain. They both had concerns looked on their faces. Iris stood there for a second. She felt bad for what just happened. She let her emotions take control. Iris walked over to the table and took her seat.

"Everything okay?" Elise asked when she noticed her sister's return.

Iris handed her one of the plates with cheesecakes. "Here ya go, Elise. I made it myself." She was ignoring her question on purpose.

"Iris.."

Iris grabbed her fork and shoved a big piece of her cheesecake into her mouth.

Gabriel stood in the kitchen, wondering if it was a good time to exit and see if there was a chance to talk to Elise. He didn't want to pull her away from Iris while they were finishing their dessert, but going back to his office might seem insensitive... Maybe he should stay in the kitchen for a while and wait for Iris to cool down before he tried engaging either of them...

"Jeez, Gabe. You have a habit of making things worse for yourself, don't you?" Lycca said, floating out of his pocket.

"Stay hidden!" he exclaimed in a whisper. "You never know when Elise might decide to help with the dished."

"Relax. I'll know when they're coming," the kwami said with a shrug while floating on his back and looking almost bored with the entire thing.

"Hmph. What would you suggest I do?" Gabriel asked, returning to the topic at hand. Lycca would know if it was safe to approach.

"I think you need to stop relying on my ability to read their emotions and start figuring it out yourself. She obviously expects more from you than your current track record. You know her better than I do. You should be able to figure out the best way to make her happy." Lycca floated there for a moment longer before flying back into his pocket.

"Stop criticizing my choices if you're not going to help," Gabriel muttered. When he received no reply, he turned his attention to the kitchen door and sighed. He exited the kitchen and walked over to the table. 

"Do you two mind if I join you?" he asked. He wasn't sure if this would annoy Iris or make her happy he was trying, but it was the only idea he could think of.

Iris didn't say anything. She kept eating her cheesecake. She kept her focus on it. Iris noticed she was almost to the end of her cheesecake. She was debating about getting more.

Elise just stood up. "I should get going."

Iris shot her head up and looked at her sister. "Already? You haven't touched your cheesecake..."

"I know, but I uh just remembered I need to be home before dinner."

Iris looked upset.

"I'm sorry, Iris. I'll visit this Saturday?"

"Okay.." Iris stood up. "Let me walk you to the gate.." She waited for her sister to walk past her.

"It was nice seeing you, Gabriel," said Elise as they walked past him. They then left the room and walked out of the house. They stopped at the gate.

Iris threw her arms around her sister. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine," said Elise and hugged her tight.

"I didn't control my emotions and I yelled at him.."

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you Saturday?"

"Okay.."

Elise squeezed her before letting go. "I'll call you later."

"Bye. Have a safe trip."

"I will. Love you."

"I love you too," said Iris. She then watched her sister walked out of the gate doors. Iris turned her around and went back into the house. She could feel tears forming in her eyes the moment she stepped into the house.

Gabriel watched Iris walk Elise out, wondering if it was his fault she left. Maybe he should have walked past them after all... He considered retreating to his office and waiting for her to come to him if she wanted to but decided against it. His instincts were telling him it would be better just to talk to her as soon as she re-entered the house.

It only took a second for him to realize she was about to cry. He quickly crossed the space between himself and the door. "Iris..." He wanted to ask what was wrong but he already knew. He gently took her hand in his and squeezed. "I'm sorry. It's my fault she left, isn't it..?"

"No," Iris choked. "It's mine." She broke her hand free from his grasp. She walked off toward the stairs. Iris felt her mind racing. Tears finally escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

Their family being broken was her fault. She climbed the stairs. Why did she touched the brooch? She was suspicious of it anyway. She should have known better. Iris made it to the top of the stairs and went straight to her sewing room.

Iris walked into the room and sat down at her sewing table. Adrien's scrapbook was still laying out. She grabbed it and glanced through it. She started to cry more.

Gabriel followed her up the stairs to her sewing room, hoping he could somehow convince her none of this was her fault. She wouldn't be able to heal until she accepted that no one was at fault (except, maybe, the brothers but that was another issue). He peeked into the room and bit his lip as he saw her crying even more.

He gave a small cough as he entered the room so he wouldn't surprise her and pulled up an extra chair so he could sit next to her. "It's not your fault. None of this is your fault. You were a victim of a cursed magical object. I should have been able to hold up better in your absence.."

"Yes it is!" She nearly yelled. Iris turned away from him. "We should have talked about the chance of something happening to one of us!" Iris got up from her chair and walked to the other side of the room. She folded her arms. "I failed both you and Adrien.."

Gabriel stood and frowned, shaking his head. He took a few steps closer to her.  "You didn't fail me or Adrien. If anyone failed Adrien, it was me! And yes, we could have talked about the possibility of something happening, but knowing me as well as you do, do you really think I would have done any better? That I would have been any more ready for something to happen to you? Chances are it wouldn't have made a difference. I had 29 years to internalize avoidance and withdrawing from people before I met you. That instinct doesn't go away that easily."