I totally forgot about a disclaimer. I'm not making any money of course. If I was, do you think I'd be posting stories up on you all my reviewers.

Chapter Three

The first time it happened it was the second night after our marriage. A clap of thunder startled me awake and I found the bed next to me completely empty. The bathroom was dark and Remy wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Frankly, I didn't care much where he was. If he was sleeping with someone else, I hoped he was having fun. As long as he wasn't expecting me to put out, I didn't care. I rolled over and tried to ignore the sounds of the storm brewing outside. The thunderstorm raged on for hours. As soon as one storm seemed to fade away another rolled into take it's place.

So I simply lay in bed, eyes closed a pillow pulled over my head to muffle the thunder.

The door swung open with a slight squeak and someone entered the room. I heard someone open dresser drawers. I slit my eyes ever so slightly and moved the pillow a little. A flash of lighting illuminated the room just enough to make out the shape of a person. Two glowing red dots confirmed that it was Remy.

He sighed gustily and rolled into bed and stretched out. He reached over and I snapped my eyes shut and tried to pretend to be asleep. Instead of doing anything to me, he simply snapped the curtain down before settling into bed. A few moments later, his breathing steadied and slowed.

I pulled the pillow off my head and looked at him. How the hell could he sleep during this storm?

I sat up, flicked the curtain up halfway and stared out the window watching the jagged tongues of lightning strike slashed across the sky. The glowing numbers of the digital clock marched on.

Ten minutes, half an hour, an hour, two and forty-five minutes.

"Chere," Remy asked groggily, his voice gravely with sleep. "What're y'doing?"

"Watching the storm," I replied. "Thundeh woke meh up."

Remy shook his head. "All right, chere, but you'd better get use to it" He pulled the blankets back over his head and he was asleep again in a matter of minutes.

"That's disgusting," I mumbled, green with envy.

Eventually the storm faded away completely and I slipped under the covers next to Remy. He smelled like aftershave and a hint of sweat and swamp. At least he's clean, I thought as I closed my eyes.

The LeBeau mansion was rarely quiet. There was always some part of Remy's family hanging around, but it was still lonely for a newbie like me. Everyone had known everyone else for forever and while everyone was nice enough there was something that didn't seem quite right.

But I thought that maybe it was just me and I was simply homesick, but it wasn't until I met Aria.

Aria was my cousin-in-law having married Remy's cousin Etienne. Like us they were way too young to forced into marriage. But unlike Remy and me, they seemed more than happy with the arrangement.

"Are you Anna-Marie?" she asked.

I looked up from the book I was reading. "Um, yes."

"I'm Aria." She introduced herself, seating herself. "I figured you were my best bet of meeting someone sane in this place."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

She leaned back in her chair crossing her arms across her chest. "Like you haven't noticed, they suddenly stop talking when you walk into room. Last night, I woke up and Et wasn't in our room. I looked for him and I couldn't find him."

I started. "Remy was gone last night."

Aria raised a black brow at me. "Remy too?"

I nodded.

"Told ya, something weird was going on."