Forte didn't expect Cherry to come over next week. He had a picnic basket ready, but he decided to play at his organ alone since he told Cherry that there would be no lessons today. However, to his surprise, as he played, he felt a tap on his back, he then looked behind him to see the young perky goth.

"Cerise, what are you doing here?" Forte asked in surprise.

"You wanna have that picnic or what?"

Forte visibly smiled to her. "What brings you here?" he nearly snorted at first. "Your electricity go out?"

"Nah, I really had nothing better to do," Cherry shrugged, then picked up the basket and grunted as she nearly hit the floor with it. "Geez, what's in this thing, rocks?"

"You wish," Forte teased as he picked it back up with her as they went for the door before he locked it after them. "There's chicken cordon bleu."

"What's that?"

"Oh, Cerise, it's absolutely wonderful... You would probably love it... There's chicken with melted fromage and jambon."

Cherry smiled a little hungrily for a change since she was starving herself these days, she used to eat obsessively before he came back into the picture because she was so painfully lonely. "Ham and cheese..."

Forte blinked at her, then smiled. "You remembered your French..."

Cherry's eyes widened. "No, I didn't..."

Forte laughed as he carried the basket with her to the neighborhood cemetery, even in a deathly place like this could keep him in a good mood. Cherry and Forte kept walking and they tried to find a nice spot. Cherry found a familiar burial name, in fact, it had her birth name on it.

"Who's this?" Forte couldn't help but ask.

"My great-grandmother," Cherry explained as they sat down together, getting comfortable for their picnic. "She was Daddy's favorite... They decided to name me after her..."

"Interesting... I actually once knew a girl with that name... She was with 'Uncle Claude' when Maman was too poor to take care of us on her own... She was the most wonderful friend I could ask for..."

Cherry was surprised to see Forte in a good mood. She then took out what was the chicken cordon bleu and looked curious of it, unsure if she should try it, since she believed the French ate snails and frog's legs. Forte told her to try it and assured her it was just melted cheese with smoked ham inside of chicken. Cherry was still hesitant, but she got a small piece and tried it and her eyes lit up.

"I guess le petite mademoiselle enjoys it..." Forte said in his exotic French accent, even if he wasn't naturally French himself.

"I don't get it..." Cherry said, though she did enjoy the chicken and didn't expect she would. "If you're English, why did you live in Paris?"

"Maman had to move us," Forte explained from his childhood memories, even though he was very old and weary now, he could still remember it like it was yesterday. "France was the first place she could think of... But, because of this, I'm strongly bilingual. Do you know what that means, child?"

"Yes, it means you speak two languages..." Cherry slightly rolled her eyes, unable to keep herself from doing so.

"Very good... You're a smart girl... That'll come more in handy than looks..."

"Don't remind me, I know all about what a girl needs... I evolved from middle school..."

Forte and Cherry then decided to eat a bit and take a talking break. Forte poured himself some of his drink as he gave Cherry some sparkling apple cider like on New Year's with her parents.

"Is that wine?" Cherry asked.

Forte glanced at her. "Oui..." he said rather suspiciously before he took a large sip.

Cherry wondered why he did that, but she just kept eating and drinking. This proved to be a much better picnic than anticipated. Forte was really enjoying his time with the girl and it seemed as though she completely lost her fear of him and so did he. He wasn't so much afraid of the girl herself, but more afraid that she would flat-out despise him for all he had done to her. They were indeed becoming friends, Forte just hoped maybe they would perhaps become something more. While Cherry ate, she started to feel like Belle with the Beast, she felt like there was something there in Forte that wasn't there before.

Forte felt the same way, even feeling what Adam had felt toward Belle when they were slowly becoming a couple before their first dance together on the ballroom. She glanced this way, he thought he saw, and when they touched, she didn't shudder at his touch. No, it couldn't be, he should just ignore, but then she had never looked at him that way before. Cherry wasn't exactly in love with Forte yet, she was blind towards his feelings for her. He didn't expect her to be in love with him back, but he was just flattered that he was able to spend this time with her. They even became more than student and teacher.

Cherry and Forte still educated each other on what they could. Cherry was getting skilled enough on organ that she could even make up her own songs and Forte would sit by and listen to her. She was learning a lot better than she used to and was giving him better respect, even when he came as an unexpected substitute teacher her for her school. She wasn't pleased at first, but they managed to work it out. Forte even rested a lot more peaceful than he had in years.

The pain that Forte went through years ago seemed to cease and desist. Cherry even surprised him by visiting on times or days when she wouldn't be forced to come over to be educated by him. They were now friends. Cherry was filling the eternal empty void Forte has been having for years and years on end. And she was the only one brave enough to go see him before leaving. Forte did think of Belle and Adam, but he kept it to himself most of the time, Cherry didn't even seem to mention them, she was more focused on her new life as she was slowly going to become an adult.

Forte felt older than Cherry's parents, well technically he was, but still... He knew Cherry since she was 10-years-old and she would be an adult pretty soon. Forte was also debating on whether he should tell Cherry how he feels or not. Right now, it might seem creepy if he does since he's so much older than her. Maybe he should wait until she's legally an adult, he was invited to her birthday party and high school graduation after all.