Remy was in the driveway working on his car when Cyndi came running up to him, waving a thick manila envelope and smiling. It was a letter from New York University. Hopefully her acceptance letter.

"Remy, Remy, Remy!" She squealed as he got up from the ground and smirked. She looked like a mad-woman but she looked so very cute when she got all excited about something.

"Wha', Chere? Wha'?" He asked, mocking her enthusiasm by jumping up and down. She glared at him briefly and then swatted at him with the envelope. It had a good weight to it so that had to be a good sign.

"It's from NYU...open it for me. I can't do it." She replied as she pushed the envelope into his chest and he reached up to take it. Nonchalantly, he started to open it but as soon as he was about to pull out the papers inside, she grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"Wait! Not yet..." She said nervously as she chewed at her bottom lip.

"Chere..." He chuckled.

"Oh fine, do it." She sighed as she let go of his wrist and watched as he pulled out the packet of papers and his eyes scanned over them.

"Well...?" She asked, her voice getting uppity as her anticipation grew. Remy glanced up at her with a solemn gaze and started to shake his head but switched it to a nod and then smirked as he watched her expression change from depressed to ecstatic within a matter of seconds.

"I got in?!" She squealed as she started jumping up and down excitedly. Remy laughed and nodded.

"Oui, Chere. Ya did." He smiled as she threw her arms around his neck and he picked her up in his arms until her thighs wrapped around his waist and held her tightly.

"I'm so happy fo' ya, Amour." Remy laughed as she continued to freak out.

"Ohmygod! Ican'tbelievethis! Ididn'tthinkI'dgetin..." She practically hyperventilated, her words jumbling together in one hurried sentence after another.

"Chere, ya gotta breathe!" He chuckled. Once she finally calmed down enough to be understood, he let her down and watched as she did what could only be described as her happy dance...or her touchdown dance.

"Baby...I'm sooooooo happy." She smiled as she stopped and took a breather.

"Ya are?" He asked sarcastically with a smile.

"Wait...now I'm not. Baby...its New York." She sighed, realizing what that meant. She had only applied to NYU at her Aunt's prompting and didn't really believe her essay was good enough to even be considered. Now that reality had a chance to sink in...She didn't know how to feel about it. NYU offered an amazing medical program...it was prestigious and well-known...obviously a great place to go to college. But New York? Did she really want to go back? Her family was still there and she did miss them...mostly her brothers (her parents she could honestly do without), did she really want to go back when she was so happy in New Orleans with Remy?

"Ya gotta do wha's best fo ya, Chere. Remy would hate himself if ya stayed here fo' him. Ya don' wan' Remy bein' all sad, do ya?" He asked, trying to use a little reverse psychology on her.

"No, of course not. I just love being with you...we're finally together and now I'll be leaving in the fall. It's all so bittersweet. I have everything I could ever have wanted...but it's not the way I want it." She sighed as she looked over her acceptance letter with sad eyes.

"Ya t'ink Remy won' come up ta see ya?" He asked softly. She shrugged and looked up at him, the expression on her face practically killing him. She looked so very depressed and he couldn't stand to see her that way another second.

"I'll come every month." He promised as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. That seemed to cheer her up a bit as she nodded and wrapped her arms around him.

"Dis is a time ta celebrate...will ya come over later?" He smiled as she kissed his cheek and ran a delicate hand through his soft hair.

"Of course. I should go tell Aunt Di anyway. She's been dying to know. Maybe this'll get her off my ass for the rest of the week." She smirked.

"Alrigh'...come back around 6, oui?" He cooed to her as he leaned down to kiss her lips gently, his bottom lip nestled between hers and her lips caressing his slowly.

"Oui." She breathed out as they pulled apart.

"Now git, Girl." He smirked as he gave her a light smack on the butt as she turned to leave. She gasped and grinned at him over her shoulder. Remy chuckled and went back to work on his car.

Meanwhile...

Jean Luc watched the entire exchange from the living room window and sighed. The news was indeed bittersweet as the girl had put it. Cyndi going off to school in New York would give him the chance to bring Bella Donna and Remy together. Though his plan the last time had failed miserably, perhaps this time things would work. Jean Luc knew his son. He knew that he wouldn't fair well with his girlfriend away for so long and if she did in fact go through with medical school...she would be gone for at least 6 years if not more. Hopefully the first semester would be difficult on them and things would come apart naturally...but Jean Luc couldn't wait that long. So, he decided to aid things a bit.

Within minutes of Cyndi's departure, Jean Luc was on the phone with Bella's father and arranging a get-together that evening with Bella as a welcomed guest...promptly at 6:30. Jean Luc knew what he was doing was wrong...but in a way, it wasn't wrong. In his world, he was trying to save them all, doing it all out of his love for his precious Guild and for his boys. And yet, he knew doing this would hurt Remy a great deal.

It truly was bittersweet.

That night...

"This was so sweet of you, Remy." Cyndi smiled over at her boyfriend as he fed her a strawberry. He had put together a lovely picnic in the lush gardens in his own backyard complete with candles and a warm blanket for cuddling when the sun went down.

"I's not'in. Remy like ta make ya happy, Amour." He smiled as they leaned into each other and kissed.

"If I didn't know any better...I'd think you wanted to get some tonight, too." She smirked against his lips.

"Maybe..." He chuckled.

"Don't worry, Baby...you're definitely gonna get it...you've done good tonight." She purred to him softly as she reached over and grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled him closer to her.

Meanwhile...

Jean Luc and Kendall (Bella's father) had been heavily engaged in a conversation about cigars and it had taken Jean Luc about 15 minutes to realize that this was the perfect time to send Bella outside to check out her competition. He had a feeling that Bella was interested in Remy...more than she ever let on in the past and perhaps seeing him with another girl would give her the kick in the ass she needed to put his plan in motion.

"My dear girl...I'm sure ya don' wanna hear two old men babbling all nigh'. Would ya like ta take a look at our gardens...dey quite beautiful." Jean Luc suggested to the blonde who smiled and nodded.

"Oui, T'ank you, sir. I t'ink I'll do jus' dat." She replied as she excused herself and wandered outside. She sighed softly to herself as she walked. The night had been a bust so far with no sight of Remy all evening. She was growing terribly bored by the minute but at least she was away from the two older gentlemen. She walked along a pathway that led to the gardens and could've sworn that she had heard female giggling and the sound of kissing. Letting curiosity get the best of her (as always), she followed the sound until she caught sight of a man and a woman heavily making out under a large blanket. Though the blanket covered most of them, she caught subtle hints that both of its occupants were quite undressed underneath. She hid behind a rose bush and watched the two. The vision of them together surrounded by gorgeous flora reminded her so much of what Adam and Eve might've looked like in Paradise. They were both exquisitely beautiful and looked to be madly in love with one another. It was simply breathtaking to watch...until Bella realized who the man was. Remy LeBeau. The boy who had rejected her not 2 years ago. He had certainly grown into a fine specimen of a man and the sight of him made her insides warm and her temper flare all at the same time.

Something inside her told her to ruin this. To make him pay for what he had done to her. Sure, she had been a little bit awkward looking back then when they had first met...but she had grown out of it and into her looks. Remy would want her now. She was just as beautiful as the girl he was with. Why wouldn't he want her too? And if he didn't...she would make him want her.

Then her thoughts went to the girl who was welcoming his many kisses...who was she? What was she to Remy? It was clearly obvious that she wasn't just some girl...not with the way Remy was gazing at her and she was gazing at him. She was Remy's girlfriend. This was the girl to beat. The one to take away from him and cause him the pain that he had caused her.

She would find out everything she could about this girl.

XXXXXXXX

Thanks again to Professor Horatio Hufnagel! You've seemed to have cured my writers frustration (not to be confused with writers block lol). You give the best advice and I will certainly follow it.