~*~*~*Recap*~*~*~

"No problem," Remy assured her. "See you 'round." Remy placed a quick kiss on the back of her hand and walked swiftly out of Oak Room.

Anna sighed, watching him go. "That went well," she stated sarcastically under her breath.

~*~*~*End Recap*~*~*~

Anna signaled the waitress, paid her tab, and exited the restaurant. She headed back to the Daily Bugle office, silently wishing she had brought a thicker coat than her jean jacket. 'It's your own fault,' she scolded herself. 'Had to accessorize. Stupid fashion gene.' Her cell phone buzzed, alerting her to the fact that she a voicemail. Calling her voicemail, she wondered who had called her.

First new message from phone number 212-555-0436, Anna recognized it instantly as Joseph's work number, at 1:50PM.

Hi Anna. Listen, I know we said we'd meet for an early dinner but my team's deadline just got moved up 3 days. I'm gonna have to stay and work, but I promise I'll be there on Friday for our double date. Miss you sweetie.

'Great, just great,' Anna thought bitterly. 'Forced to conduct an awkward interview and now ditched by my boyfriend. Could this day get any better?' Anna reached the Daily Bugle building and raced inside to get out of the chill. 'No matter how long I live up north I will never get used to the cold,' she told herself for the millionth time since her family moved to New York state.

"Anna, you survived," Peter called from his desk. "How was it?"

"Ah don't wanna talk about it, sugah," Anna answered in a tired tone. "Ah have a lot o' work ta do an' this day just keeps gettin' worse an' worse."

"Okay then," Peter said, deciding to steer the subject back towards work. "I got the photos and I'm going to develop them today. I'll be sure to drop them off tonight. I also found the record picture of Jean-Luc LeBeau. It's on your desk. Talk to you later."

"Thanks Petey," Anna replied, gratefully. "You're the man."

"Don't I know it," Peter stated with a laugh as Anna walked towards her office.

Anna quickly slipped into her ripped jeans, a NYU sweatshirt, and a pair of sneakers, letting her hair down. After she had changed, she sat down for work. She pieced together her angle, her article; all the while Remy's word's haunting her. The girl I knew was independent an' stubborn; she would have never taken a job doing scud work f'r a prick like Jamison. 'I'm still stubborn,' she argued with herself. 'See, there's your proof. I just needed a job and I wanted to be a journalist. I mean, sure the pay is kinda crappy but at least I'm doing what I love.' She sighed. 'Or maybe I'm just rationalizing.' Around 5 o'clock Peter stuck his head in and dropped off his photos. He mentioned something about a night in with MJ. 'Lucky,' she thought. ''Least he doesn't ditch his girl.' Anna frowned but continued her work. She had always been a perfectionist. By 7, J.J. was long gone, as were most the other employees. Anna decided to order some Chinese since she had missed lunch for her interview. 'Just another way that Remy LeBeau has ruined my day,' she thought bitterly. Anna grabbed her wallet and keys to the building before preparing to exit her office. However, when she opened her door, instead of seeing the hallway, she saw Remy LeBeau. Anna stumbled back but Remy's reflexes were fast enough to catch her before she hit the ground. "Always knew you would fall f'r me, chere," Remy announced with a smirk. He took in her new outfit, allowing his mind to wander slightly. 'How does she manage to look so hot in worn jeans and a baggy sweatshirt?'

He gently placed her on her feat again and she quickly took a small step back. Anna moved towards her desk, softly inquiring, "Can Ah help ya with somethin' Remy?"

"Oh, so we're back to being on a first name basis, eh p'tite?" Remy questioned snidely. "T'ought it was forgotten."

"Look Swamp Rat, Ah'm over-worked, under-paid, an' at the end o' my rope." Anna let out a tired sigh. "Ah don't have the energy ta play this game." She closed her eyes and continued through clenched teeth, "Please, either talk or leave." Her voice wavered slightly as she spoke.

"Why're you being like dis, ma chere?" Remy asked concerned. "I mean, we weren't 'xactly friends before but," he searched for the words, "y'were never dis cold t'me."

Anna studied him for a moment before gently shaking her head, her strait hair swaying around her face. "Ah have ta be cold," she admitted. "Ah feel like there's all this unresolved sexual tension when Ah see ya." She smiled coyly at him. "An' Ah am torn between jumpin' ya an' slappin' ya."

Remy looked surprised for a moment, and then allowed a cocky smirk to grace his features. He moved towards her in an almost predatory way. He pulled her body next to his and whispered in a husky tone, "You feel free to jump me anytime, my little River Rat."

Anna pulled back slightly and looked deep into his eyes for a moment before allowing another smirk to grace her lips. "Same rules as befo'?" she asked calmly. "No strings, forgotten in the mornin'?"

"Dat's de t'ing," Remy said carefully. "Don't t'ink it was ever truly forgotten. I mean, you're one of de best femmes I've ever been with."

"My sentiments exactly, Remy," Anna agreed. Then she smirked, "An' what a compliment comin' from the infamous Remy LeBeau. What Ah meant was, it's only the here an' now an' we don't tell nobody. Simple as that."

"Done," Remy agreed. He leaned down, kissing her deeply. He broke the kiss to lift her up and sit her on her desk. Anna wrapped her legs around Remy's body and pulled him in, hungrily, for another kiss. When they finally broke apart to catch their breath, Remy pulled her sweatshirt off. He took a moment to admire her skimpy white spaghetti strap tank top, or rather what was under it, before he removed that as well. Anna removed his sports coat and tie. She began to unbutton his shirt as he gently nibbled on her earlobe, moving down her neck. Anna trembled slightly at his gentle touch but continued her unbuttoning. After the shirt was removed, Anna admired his well toned physique for a moment. Anna began to kiss his hard pectorals as Remy gently caressed her hair. The couple pulled apart again, and quickly rid themselves of their shoes and socks. Anna then unbuckled Remy's belt and whipped it off. She glanced at it and Remy thought he heard her mutter something about bondage but he wasn't quite sure. Anna unbuttoned Remy's pants and pulled down only to discover he was commando underneath. Anna smirked at him for a moment before gently stroking him. Remy pulled her mouth to his in another passionate kiss. Anna felt him shudder with pleasure and continued her actions, harder and with more conviction. Remy was able to remove her jeans without breaking their embrace, but just as he was tugging at her panties Anna broke away. "Protection," she managed to get out, in between breathes.

Remy nodded and grabbed a condom from his wallet. Anna fought the urge to roll her eyes as she thought, 'Always prepared for action.' Anna grabbed the condom from him and said in a sultry tone, "Allow me."

Remy LeBeau was never one to disappoint a lady. "Go right ahead, chere." Anna continued with a big smile. Soon they were both moaning and shouting each other's names. After they were through, Remy rose quickly. "Not one ta cuddle, eh Cajun?" Anna asked with a laugh.

"Non," Remy answered with a small smirk. "Plus, got places t'be."

Anna suddenly turned serious as she pulled her undergarments back on. "Why did ya come here, Remy?"

"What's with de t'ird degree?" Remy eluded her question with one of his own.

"No third degree," Anna defended quickly. "Ah just wanna know. Did ya come fo' some ass? Or maybe ta fight? Or talk with J.J?"

"Non, non, and most definitely non," Remy responded quickly. He paused for thought, "I just wanted to make sure dat we were okay." He looked at her closely and whispered, "Dat y'were okay."

"Ya worried about me, Cajun?" Anna asked sweetly. Then she rolled her eyes. "No need. Ah'm a big girl; Ah can take care o' myself."

"I know," Remy assured her. "I just couldn't leave everyt'ing between us so cold."

"Yeah, ya always were one ta heat thin's up," she joked. "An' Ah'm glad ya came ta melt the ice that grew between us."

"Oui," Remy drawled simply. "I'm glad too. I was glad on your desk, on de floor, in dat chair, next to de file cabinet…"

"My memory's not that bad," Anna interrupted with a smirk. She held out her hand, "Good ta see ya as always."

Remy grabbed her hand and pulled her close to him. He inhaled her soft vanilla scent for a final time and gave her a tight hug. "Good t'be seen," he replied softly. "Good t'hold you as always."

"Thanks," Anna responded as he let her go and turned to leave. "We'll have ta do this again in another 6 years."

Remy paused at the door and smirked. "It's a date, p'tite."

Remy exited the office building with a big grin on his face. He hopped onto his motorcycle and rode to his building. After parking in his spot, he greeted the doorman with a jovial wave. "Evening Sammy," he greeted with a smile.

The doorman returned his smile and greeting, saying, "Good evenin' Mistah LeBeau."

Remy fought the urge to roll his eyes, keeping up the appearance of a gentleman. "How many times I told you, Sam? Call me Remy."

"Sure thin', Mistah LeBeau," Sam replied, good naturedly.

"See you later, M'sieu Guthrie," Remy mocked as he entered his building. Sighing, he entered the elevator and leaned against the cool metal interior. 'Fils d'une chienne (Son of a bitch), what the fuck have I done?' Shaking his head, Remy exited the cramped space. He stared at the door of his penthouse suit for a few minutes before drawing up all his courage and entering the apartment.

"Remy, mon beau, you're home!" a sweet voice yelled from the bedroom. A beautiful woman with blonde ringlets framing her angelic face. Her striking violet eyes and sweet pink lips seemed to sparkle as she made her way towards Remy, her slender hips swaying from side to side. Decked out in a white polo shirt and tennis skirt, the woman's fashion would rival that of the Williams sisters. A frown graced her features as she noticed the time, "You're late."

"Sorry, Bella," Remy apologized half-heartedly. "Work ran late."

Bella snorted. "Right," she muttered sarcastically. "Work. Is dat what you're calling it now?"

"Whatever, Bel," Remy replied, rolling his eyes. "Dis from de femme screwing her tennis instructor."

"I'm your wife," Bella shouted angrily. "Y'can't disrespect me like dat!" Remy rolled his eyes again. "I'll go t'your père," she threatened in a dangerous tone.

"Fine," Remy yelled back, his accent growing stronger with his anger. "Dis marriage isn't 'xactly a picnic f'r me eit'er, Bella Donna! Y'cheat on me too. Dis isn't one sided y'know! An' if y'go t'my père, I may be forced t'go to yours."

Bella and Remy glared at each other for a full minute before Bella threw her hands up in defeat. "If I don't leave now, I'll be late f'r my lesson," she told him calmly. "I'll see you when I get home."

"Bye Bel," Remy called after her as she exited their apartment. 'Probly be better if you didn't come back,' he added to himself. Remy glanced at the clock. '8:32, great,' he thought angrily. 'I'm gonna be working all night, I just know it.' He went over to the bar and poured himself some scotch. 'Mon Dieu, I hate my life,' was his final thought as he took sip of his alcohol and prepared for a long night of thankless dredge work.

~*~*~*~*~

Anna's mind was racing as she watched Remy leave. So many conflicting emotions raced through her. Her office phone rang, shaking her out of her reverie. Anna picked up the phone and announced in a shaky tone, "Daily Bugle office, Anna Raven speakin'."

"Hey baby," a deep voice responded in a gruff tone.

'Joseph,' Anna recognized immediately. "Hey yo'self," she stated in a sultry tone. "Still at work?"

"Maybe," he answered coyly. "I was just thinking about you…"

"Really?" she interjected, raising her eyebrows in amusement. "An', what pray-tell, were ya thinkin'?"

"I was thinking about how cute you look in your white tank top and ripped jeans," he told her as he opened the door to her office, leaning on the door frame, holding his cell phone to one ear.

Looking up at her boyfriend, Anna felt a sudden surge of guilt. 'How could I have just cheated on him? With Remy no less. I'm an awful person.' She tried to push these thoughts away as she feigned a smile. "Joseph, sugah, what are ya doin' here?" she inquired, covering her guilt with curiosity.

"Just wanted to pay a late night visit my best girl," he replied with a big grin. "Wanna get outta here?"

"Uhmm… Ah have a lot o' work," she said honestly. 'And every second I'm with you, my guilt is eating away at me,' she added silently.

"Can't you take one night off?" Joseph pleaded, hope alive in his eyes. "Please?"

"Ah'm really sorry, sugah," Anna insisted. "Ah have ta do this now otherwise Ah won't be able ta go out with ya, Petey, an' MJ on Friday." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "How 'bout a rain check until then?"

"Fine, fine," Joseph agreed. He smiled brightly. "But I expect an extra special payment for that rain check."

"Done," Anna cried, practically shoving Joseph out of the room. "See ya Friday."

"Bye," he called as he walked down the hall.

"Thank Gawd," Anna muttered to herself as she returned to her desk. Normally, the words would flow out of Anna, like a natural occurrence; however, for some reason, Anna was unable to formulate her thoughts into writing. She kept coming back to Remy and what they had done on that very desk less than an hour before. Anna didn't know what to do so she decided to get some advice. Put things in perspective. Reaching over to her phone again, Anna picked it up and prepared to call Peter. 'Wait,' she stopped herself. 'He's in with MJ. What kind of friend would I be if I interrupted that?' She considered her options, 'Betsy would probably applaud me. Kitty would probably be shocked. Jean would psychoanalyze me, while Jubilee wouldn't have any advice to give.' Suddenly it hit her, 'Ororo! Level-headed and always full of advice. She's perfect.'

Dialing the familiar number, Anna held her breath as the phone rang. '1… 2… 3… 4–' "Hello?" the calm voice of weather girl (A/N: couldn't help myself), Ororo Munroe, assaulted Anna's ears.

"'Ro?" Anna's voice came out quick and desperate. "It's Anna."

Ororo was shocked to hear the normally calm and collected woman sounding so out of sorts. "What's wrong child?" she asked, concern for the younger girl filtering into her tone. "You sound upset."

"Ah- Ah-" Anna struggled to find the words, shame and guilt overtaking her desperation. "Ah ran into Remy LeBeau."

Remy LeBeau, there was a name she hadn't heard for a while. Ororo smiled as she remembered her childhood friend and his charming antics. "What's the Ragin' Cajun done now?" the TV personality questioned.

"Do ya remember when we met, Ah told ya how Ah knew Remy?" Anna avoided Ororo's question with one of her own.

"I do," Ororo stated simply. "And?"

"An', ya know how Joseph an' Ah have been datin' fo' a while now…" she trailed off with a small sigh.

Ororo frowned, wondering what exactly had happened. "Yes."

"Well, Ah was asked ta interview Remy an' it didn't go so well." Anna took a deep breath and continued, "We parted on a sour note. Later, Remy paid me a visit in my office, ta find out exactly why Ah had been so cold ta him. An', well…"

"One thing led to another and you had a repeat performance of your graduation night," Ororo calmly supplied.

"Yeah," Anna confirmed Ororo's suspicions, allowing the shame and guilt to over take her once more.

"And now you are unsure what you feel or how to face Joseph," Ororo finished.

"Got it in one," the younger girl stated, devoid of her usual humor.

Ororo sighed, wondering how to comfort this girl who was obviously in pain. "Do you love him?" she asked carefully.

"Who? Joseph or Remy?" Anna replied. "Ta be honest, Ah don't think Ah love either. Ah mean, Ah really like Joseph, he's a good fella who is sweet an' fun. With Remy there is a white, hot passion that Ah don't feel with Joseph." She blushed at her own words. "But Ah don't think there's any emotion behind it." Ororo waited for Anna to realize what she was saying. Something clicked in Anna's mind and she suddenly cried, "OH!" She sighed. "Guess Ah have ta break up with Joseph now, huh?"

Suppressing a laugh, Ororo said, "That would be prudent."

Idly wondering if Ororo realized her own dry wit, Anna smiled to her self. "Thanks fo' the help, sugah."

"Anytime, my friend," the weathergirl assured her. "Now I must be going. I have a, ahem, friend coming over."

With laughter in her voice, Anna bid her farewell, adding, "An' tell Forge Ah say, "Hey"." Anna hung up the phone and returned to her thoughts. 'I guess I'll talk to Joseph on Friday.' She sighed and grimaced slightly. 'Then it's back to a swinging' singles life. Great.' Anna giggled slightly. 'Sarcastic, even in my own thoughts.' Feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulder, she told herself, 'A new day has come. And I'm gonna make things happen.'

So ends the second installment of my series. I'll be writing another sequel some time in the near future. Please review and tell me what you think. I love all you reviewers. Adios.