A/N: I can not believe I did it again. It's 5am and I'm still awake. I can't help it though. Once I get on a roll I just want to keep going! And you know what? I think I lied. I think I have more chapters to go than I anticipated. I actually did a new outline and added a few things that I had initially decided not to. Anyway, I've gotta say...Thanks so much everyone for the reviews!! I'm just so glad people are enjoying this story. Like I said once before, I didn't want it to be so long readers would get bored with it. And I'm also trying to add chapters that progress the plot. I was almost afraid that this chapter would be too "wordy". Yall would let me know, right?

G&E: I hope not!

Times-Picayune: I'm trying to be optimistic about their situation. But you're right. It's not looking too good.

Just-Curious: You make me laugh. Ororo is of legal age now. I glossed over it in chapter 22 (i think). That fact is again reinterated in this chapter. Oh. And you're still so bad! We'll see though...

Zephyr: So very true.

Gator Bait: You're right. Bigotry exist. David may not have a problem with racism or sexism but classism is definitely and issue when it came to his daughter. I'm wondering if anyone would be good enough for her.

Feistygurl: Thank you! I'm going for real but I don't want it to be boring... And I see that you're updating regularly on the Dynasty! I'm a bit behind but it is top on my list to read. Usually I read fics when I get really blocked. Being that I'm wrapping this up, I haven't had any...er...blockage. lol

Breakers Mom: don't apologize! some people have lives...unlike myself. lol

Happy 1: You're right. Remy has layers upon layers. Which wasn't supposed to be the case when I set out to write this. Ororo was supposed to be the focus. However, the basis of any story is conflict I guess...Remy just turned out to be the most interesting character.

Woo! I wish I could comment to everyone! but I can't keep my bleedin' eyes open!! With that said...thanks for reading and taking the time to review.

Designated Things

Chapter 24

Remy could easily say that he was the most content he'd been in a long while. Listening to Ororo groan over his musical choices before she'd grudgingly confessed that they were romantic made his night. He'd never admitted his love for seventies soft rock to anyone. The affinity was initiated by Mrs. LeBeau who always said that there was no point to a song if no one could sing along with it. He told Ororo just as much and added how fortunate she is to have him there to sing them for her. She wholeheartedly agreed or else she didn't think she'd be able to take it for too much longer.

The couple moved their party inside the guesthouse after hearing sounds of thunder off in the distance and feeling tiny droplets of rain pelting them. Remy was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to serve her under a moonlit starry night. Instead the food that had been warming inside the cottage's oven was served on a tiny glass coffee table. Ororo was delighted to see that Camille had catered their dinner, complete with delicious gator bites and horseradish sauce. This time the food was even more enjoyable because she knew what she was eating.

She was stuffed, sitting on the floor with her gown spread out all around her looking almost miserable. She let out a pleading sound as Remy emerged from the kitchen with yet another dish.

"No. No more. Please," Ororo said as she laid her head back on the cushion of the couch.

"Non, Cherie, this is the reason for the whole evening," Remy said as he sat the dish on the table along with a container of vanilla ice cream.

Ororo looked at the pie. It was ugly. The crust was thicker in some parts than in others and the contents had spilled over the edge then burned on the side of the pan. Ororo gave Camille the benefit of the doubt. She had to have been busy preparing the other dishes of when she made this. She watched Remy cut a huge slice and placed it on a plate before opening the container of ice cream. He simply jabbed a spoon into the center. There was no point in having to clean up a bunch of dishes when it was just the two of them.

Yet with its less than appetizing look the pie smelled delicious. Even if she didn't eat all that was given to her, there was no way that she wasn't going to taste it. Ororo took the fork she'd used from the dinner and tasted the pie. Remy watched with quiet intrigue as she closed her eyes and savored the taste.

"Good, n'est pas?" He asked.

"Mmm…Oui. Delicioso."

Remy laughed at her mixing French and Spanish. "Did you mean, "Si, delicioso" or "Oui, délicieux"?

"Both. It's ugly but Camille out did herself with this."

Remy looked at her in mock insult. "It's not ugly and Camille didn't make it. I did."

Ororo swallowed heavy as she stretched her eyes, "Oh my god! Are you trying to kill me?"

Remy was astounded for a half a second until Ororo began to laugh.

"I've been making that pie since I was ten years old. It's a LeBeau award winning recipe," Remy huffed. If I wasn't such a nice guy I'd…"

"You'd what?" Ororo challenged.

Remy pushed the coffee table to the side and lunged for her, tickling her sides. She'd always hated being tickled but with Remy she didn't mind as much. Ororo couldn't fight his hands away. If she managed to remove his hands from one area he quickly went on the next. She knew she wouldn't be able to overpower him with brute force. Instead she chose another way of dominating him physically.

Grabbing his face in both hands she began planting quick pecks on his face anywhere she could land them. Ororo's impromptu plan worked, his hands promptly stopped their assault. She was relieved and able to relax when he began to return her kisses. She watched the amusement vanish from his face. Replacing it was a look of seriousness that caused a shudder to run through her body.

His hands were now flattened against her sides, encircling her waist drawing her nearer as he adjusted himself to hover just above her. He showered her face with soft deliberate kisses…on her forehead, then her temple, down her jaw line, to the corner of her mouth. Finally slipping to her neck, she tilted her head giving him complete access. Again he was presented the tendon that he had coveted only a couple of hours ago. Now was his opportunity to taste it. Latching on to it with his lips he closed his eyes and began to draw her flesh into his mouth.

Ororo couldn't help the sound that escaped her lips. She bit her lower lip in an effort to restrain more gasps. Her fingers slipped from his face and entangled themselves in the depths of his thick hair urging him to continue. She felt her breathing quicken and her body heat with anticipation.

Remy was mentally scolding himself. He begged himself to stop but the fire she had ignited was driving him on. He moved his lips back up to her partly open mouth. He slipped his tongue just inside tasting a hint of the sweetness that remained from the apple pie. He wanted to devour her. Her unique flavor was enhanced by the added sweetness caused the fire in him to burn hotter. He heard his own moan mingle with hers and the sound almost drove him mad with need. He deepened the kiss zealously moving his hands to her back to pull her closer to him.

Ororo's head was spinning. She couldn't think straight. Her body was responding to his touch in a way she wasn't expecting. It reached out to him and there was nothing she could do about it. She subconsciously noted how possessively they were clinging to each other, which is why she was somewhat confused at the loss of contact. Ororo opened her eyes to see Remy staring at her, obviously flustered if the heaving of his chest was any indication.

He smiled at her when he saw the slight hint of embarrassment creep across her features. Once she returned his smile he gave her another soft kiss on her forehead before sitting next to her. He didn't want to stop kissing her but he knew that if he continued he wouldn't know exactly where the stopping point would be. They hadn't talked about how far their relationship would go physically and he didn't think that prom night should be the time to make those kinds of decisions. He wanted to be prepared when and if they decided to take the next step in their relationship. Not only that, they only had a short amount of time left together. He didn't think he'd be able to let her go after she'd shared herself with him. The pain of their separation would only sharpen. Remy decided that he would share his thoughts and feelings with her tomorrow but for now he was just content to have her there with him.

Ororo felt awkward in the silence, searching for something to say she looked to the coffee table, "Ice cream's melting."

Remy watched Ororo pop the crust of the pie into her mouth and returned the smile she gave to him. "Keep it up and I won't be able to call you "ma petite" anymore. You'll be ma grande chere."

Ororo laughed and remembered his words from earlier, "There'll be more of me to love."

"Ooo…more? That sounds good." He squeezed her. "Because I love you so much now."

Remy had decided somewhere between their first dance and their last kiss that the feelings he had for her had to be more than just infatuation. He admitted to himself that he was in love and it felt good. His heart wasn't heavy like it was with Anna. It was light and happy. He fleetingly wondered if what he thought was love was just a longing to be needed. Anna wasn't the best girlfriend but she needed him. He liked being there for her…being her hero when she needed one. However, at the same time he knew that she was never going to fully give him her whole heart, if any at all. That knowledge made it easier for him to accept that she too would eventually leave him just like the others that he loved in his life.

Ororo sat stunned as she replayed his words in her head. She wasn't expecting them to tumble from his mouth. They came so easy causing her to wonder how sincere they were. Was he sure? This was the second time love was mentioned in just the last hours when it had never even been hinted at during the last few months.

Remy looked down at her noticing that her smile was all but gone. Replacing it was one that he took as unease. 'Merde,' he thought. Her silence filled the room, speaking volumes. She didn't feel the same way about him. If she did, she would have said it back, right? At least he knew for sure now. And at least their kissing hadn't progressed into anything that she would regret later. Yet the hurt of the realization tore at his heart but he wouldn't pressure her to say something she didn't mean yet.

Ororo swallowed and decided to believe him. Her fears of his love for Anna was still there but at this moment…it was a risk she was willing to take.

"Remy…I"

Remy was relieved and a bit perplexed by the ringing of the telephone. No one should be calling the number to the guesthouse. He almost didn't answer it thinking that it must be a wrong number. But he needed a way to break the tension and awkwardness that had settled between them.

Ororo sat up automatically allowing Remy to get up. He felt her eyes watching as he crossed the room to the kitchen to answer the wall phone.

N'Dare watched David. She didn't say anything to him; it would have been pointless. She had seen him upset before but this was a side of his personality that she didn't think existed. However, she understood. Ororo was their daughter and fate had made sure she was their only child. That being the case, N'Dare knew that David would move heaven and earth for Ororo. N'Dare knew that David would forgive Ororo but she mostly prayed that he'd have mercy on the young man.

"What's taking so damned long?" David questioned out loud not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know, David," N'Dare answered anyway.

They had already been informed by the party coordinator that there were only two vessels that could take them off of the boat and back to shore and both were being used. However, one was on its way back and should arrive within the next fifteen to twenty minutes. They didn't have to know the one that had just left had Jean-Luc on board.

Ororo watched as Remy turned towards her would an alarmed look on his face. Mouthing the word "what" to him, she watched him close his eyes tightly and turn away from her as he hung up the receiver. Remy didn't say anything. He leaned his forehead against the wall his left hand still on the receiver. His right slowly balled into a fist and slammed into the wall causing the wall clock to rattle due to the force of the impact.

"Merde."

"Remy? What is it? What's wrong?" she asked as she stood getting upset at his behavior.

"They know. Your parents know. They're on their way back home."

Ororo was speechless. She plopped back down on the sofa and stared at the wall across from her. She didn't know what to do. Her parents were going to kill her.

"What am I going to do?" she breathes.

Her words pulled Remy from his stupor. She wasn't in this alone. This was all his idea and now she was going to have to pay. It was probably best that she wasn't in love with him. He was the antagonist in Ororo's life. He had offered her nothing during their whole relationship. He felt like a user. He used up her goodness, sucking it up, never giving anything in return. All he has was his love but who need that? At any rate he wouldn't let her stand alone in this. He wasn't going to abandon her. He walked over to her and sat next to her putting his arm around her.

"We're going to talk to them together. That's what we planned on doing anyway. We're just doing it tonight, chere. Don't be afraid. I'll be right there with you."

That didn't make Ororo feel any better. She didn't want to face her father's wrath. But it did make her feel good that he'd stand by her side.

"My father's on his way home now to pick us up and take us to your house," Remy said as he watched her troubled expression. "Ororo, you don't have to do this. I know I've caused you a lot of trouble with your parents and if you've changed your mind or aren't ready, then…I'm okay with that. Whatever you want to do."

"No. I want to," looking at him finally. "I'm an adult now. They can't keep me a child forever. I want to, Remy. I'm not afraid."

He knew she was lying but he smiled at her anyway. They didn't have too much longer together as Jean-Luc would be arriving soon. He walked over to his duffle bag and pulled out a disposable camera.

"I bought this so we could have pictures," he said as he sat next to her. "Try to smile."

They leaned into each other and smiled as Remy held the camera out in front of them and snapped the picture. Neither of their smiles reached their eyes. He laid the camera on the table and looked at her. Her normally sparkling blue eyes looked worried and her features were strained. He sighed as he admonished himself for getting her into this situation.

They sat in silence until they heard Jean-Luc's car enter the drive. Remy stood reaching his hand out to her. She was glad he had offered. She didn't think she'd have actually gotten up on her own accord.

Before Remy opened the door he turned her to face him and kissed her passionately.

"You ready, Cherie?"

"Yeah…"