Revamped!

This is where you will find out why the French government sent her that letter at the end of season one and why she immediately left for France. Everything is connected.

A Study in Scarlet: Part Seven

Paris, France, The European Federation

Wolf finally breathes once he gets the address from Cress. He hails a cab and when one shows up, he doesn't bother to butcher his French by saying the address. Instead, he shows the driver the information on his phone and they head straight there.

Wolf enters the café he got dropped off at and doesn't see Scarlet right away. There's the chance that she left while he was on his way here. To make sure, Wolf decides to ask someone here. He approaches a girl with honey curls who looks about his age sitting at the bar. She turns around when he's close and her eyes pop open in an obvious attraction towards him. Wolf isn't lying when he says he's gotten that look many times before. She swivels her barstool more so that she's facing him. Wolf keeps his distance but smiles nervously at her.

"Bonjour, mon beau," she says.

Wolf isn't sure what that meant but her sultry tone has him blushing and heating up. "Uh … I - I don't speak French. Sorry. Or, pardon."

She nods. "D'accord." She clears her throat. "What can I do for you?"

Wolf feels at ease that she speaks English as well. "I'm looking for someone and I'm wondering if you've seen her. I got word that she was here."

The girl nods again, agreeing to help. Wolf pulls out his phone and shows her a picture of Scarlet, one where they're together and obviously a couple so he doesn't look like a random creep stalking a pretty girl. The girl leans in closer to get a better look and her eyes open wide in alarm as they go back and forth between the photo and him. Wolf isn't sure how to respond or react to this, but he has a hunch that she knows Scarlet. If this person didn't, then there would be no reason for her to react like that.

"Who are you?" She asks sternly, hopping out of her seat. This wasn't a good sign at all but it shows that she knows Scarlet (which could mean this was a good sign). Her voice grows hostile as she holds her bag close to her chest, ready to flee or scream to cause a riot.

"Scarlet's boyfriend," Wolf responds, putting his phone back in his pocket.

The girl is taken aback a little, grinning wildly and failing to hide it. She drops her bag back on her seat. She unexpectedly sticks out her hand in front of her and Wolf hesitantly shakes it. Now, he has no idea where this conversation could possibly be going but he wants to say the right direction.

"I'm Émilie," she introduces all giddy.

"Wolf," he replies.

She gasps a little. "Quel nom tenant."

Wolf isn't sure what that meant, but he wants to say that was a compliment … a scandalous sounding one, at least. Before he could ask another question about Scarlet, Émilie's eyes divert from him to something behind her and joy suddenly appears on her face.

"Thanks for telling me about your hunky boyfriend!" Émilie unexpectedly and sarcastically yells past him.

Wolf isn't sure what the girl was talking about. He turns around to see what she was yelling at and it's Scarlet. Wolf almost drops everything although he wasn't carrying anything. He feels as if he was about to cry because he found his Scarlet right here, looking safe.

For some reason, she doesn't look happy to see him. Her expression is a mix of confused, shocked, and angry. He finds the need to raise his hands in surrender as she storms up to him.

-o-

Scarlet went to the bathroom for five minutes and came out to see Wolf in the café with Émilie. Her first instinct was that Émilie called him but Scarlet knew that couldn't have been true because she didn't even tell Émilie about Wolf. Then again, Émilie also found her email and phone number, so finding Wolf wouldn't have been that far off. Still, she wouldn't have done this especially because of the circumstances. He showed up on his own and she isn't sure if she hates him for that.

Scarlet marches towards him and stops right in front of him. Wolf reacts as if he needs to show he means no harm because Scarlet looks as if she wants to slap him but her entire body is shaking. Instead, she pokes his chest to make sure she isn't hallucinating and she isn't. He's here.

"I come in peace," he tells her.

"Then leave the same way!" Scarlet yells back at him.

"No," Wolf argues, putting his hands down at his sides. "I've spent enough time apart from you to last a lifetime."

Scarlet opens her mouth to yell something back but stops herself. She agrees with him but doesn't want to say that aloud. She honestly missed him and regretted not telling at least him so that he could just relay the message to the others. Instead, she takes his hand and drags him outside because the entire café is staring at them as if they were a foreign drama which they are now. Once outdoors, Scarlet lets go of him and crosses her arms as she frowns up at him.

"I can't believe you found me!" She exclaims.

"Actually, Cress did but -"

"What the stars are you doing here?"

This time, Wolf fights back. "Scarlet, I should be the one asking you that question. You said you were out of town with your Grandmère but you didn't mention France."

Scarlet takes a breath. She wasn't expecting to deal with this today because she already has to go to court later. However, she has nothing else to do at this point but tell the truth. Besides, it's not like she could've avoided him for much longer.

"I'm moving on," Scarlet explains.

"Moving on?" Wolf yells. "What's that supposed to mean? Everything was going fine with us and you just disappeared!"

"Wolf," Scarlet says, holding his arms to calm him down. "I'm not moving on from you. I'm talking about my father."

Wolf eases up a little. "What?"

Scarlet pulls out a letter from her back pocket. Specifically, it was the letter she received the moment before she left for France. Wolf slowly opens it and although it's in French, he can understand the word government and France, knowing that whatever it says, it's important and needed an immediate response. Wolf stops skimming a letter he doesn't understand and looks at her for an explanation.

"I got subpoenaed," Scarlet tells him. "Don't ask why because I'm not sure which means that I don't know how it would end. I didn't even tell Grandmère. Her going out of town on her own was just a blessed coincidence from the stars, I guess."

Wolf slowly nods, folding up the letter and returning it to her. Scarlet hurriedly puts it in her back pocket. She looks back at Wolf for him to say something because she isn't sure what to do about this conversation now. To be frank, she's still trying to process that he's here, standing in front of her, in France.

"You're so impulsive…" Wolf tells her. "You do things without thinking."

Scarlet feels tears coming to her eyes. Those words stab her in the heart because they're true but still, she needed to be strong. She still has a big day ahead of her.

"It was a subpoena," she argues softly, "I didn't have to think because it was an order."

"No, baby, it's not only that." He takes a step closer to her but she shakes her head and steps back. Wolf sighs as he stops. "Even if the letter merely suggested for you to go, you would've fled. You're like that about everything. You instantly became my girlfriend, you got a tattoo, you ran away from France as a child, and now you ran back. Scarlet, I was so worried for you."

Scarlet looks at the ground, directly at her combat boots. She repeats the thought of not crying in her head because she can't deal with her tears now. She feels them forming in her eyes but she makes sure they stay there. Scarlet looks back up at Wolf and to her surprise, he's crying for her. Scarlet doesn't remember ever seeing Wolf cry, not even at Kai's dad's funeral. Her Big Bad Wolf is crying for her. She knows that they're a couple that rarely argues but like this moment, it was a fight for love and Wolf's tears only showed her that he meant to show up here and tell her the truth. Scarlet's mouth opens a little in surprise as a tear falls down her cheek. Seeing the person she loves more than herself with tears falling down his fragile cheeks hurt her more than she could imagine.

Scarlet made those choices because she wasn't sure what she wanted, but she sure as spades knows that she doesn't want to see Wolf cry.

"Wolf, I -"

He shakes his head, cutting her off. "I learned this from some stupid French movie that was on the plane and the response made me guess what it meant so bear with me. Je t'aime, Scarlet."

Scarlet doesn't hesitate to reach up and pull his head down to kiss him. Suddenly, Wolf leans over and kisses her harder. His hands grip the side of her face and Scarlet gasps with surprise as she wraps her arms around his neck to hold on to something. It felt as if he forgot they were in public and they were the only two people in existence. Forget it, they're in Paris. City of Love. His lips press against hers and when hers parted, his kiss became gentler yet urgent.

Things were different from when they kissed the first time and every time up to now. Those were spontaneous. Now, it feels like they were kissing again because gravity demanded it. Every time they kiss, they can't deny the electricity that flows throughout their bodies. Her heart beats so fast that she thought she might faint.

His hands move downwards just to prep her up and that's where she cuts him off. Wolf grins uncontrollably, wanting to do that again but Scarlet holds him off although she wants the same.

"And you called me the impulsive one," Scarlet mutters with a smirk on her face. "Might I add that you asked me to be your girlfriend right away."

"You're tempting," Wolf replies.

"In that case, don't take my response seriously when I say yes to marry you," she teases. "It might be too impulsive."

"Then don't say yes when I ask since it might be too impulsive."

They glare at each other with grins that are about to break into laughs as Émilie steps out of the café, having assumed by what she saw through the window that their argument was done. She likely thought that when she saw the kissing. Émilie shuffles out, dragging Wolf's small suitcase with one hand and holding their food and drinks with the other (she even bought him some stuff as well). Émilie parks between them, looking alternatively between Scarlet and Wolf, mostly Scarlet so she could explain Wolf to her.

"Il est vraiment beau, Scarlet, et il a voyagé pour te trouver," Émilie tells her. "Donc, il est parfait. Pourquoi as-tu caché ce dieu par moi ?"

Scarlet gives Émilie an annoyed look. "Now's not the time. We have to be at court in an hour. Émilie, can you please call a cab?"

"D'accord." She unwillingly steps aside to do so, leaving Scarlet and Wolf alone again.

"I'm not translating a word she said," Scarlet tells him, "but that's my childhood friend, Émilie, and she thinks you're hot. You've met her and probably realized that already. But on a serious note, I don't know what'll happen later today. Will you come with me?"

"Of course," Wolf says, putting his arm around her. "Was I supposed to dress up or something?"

"Don't worry, fine boy, you look good in anything!" Émilie exclaims from nearby with a small wink.

"Arrête !" Scarlet exclaims at her.