To my beautiful cast!

Oh, how I missed writing that. By the time you get this email, I will already be in France and living up life as I should...well, I can dream, can't I? By the time you really get this, I will be in France and making sure everything is going to plan, and going out of my mind trying to memorize all your schedules so I can crash everyone in their interviews. Insert my evil laugh here.

All of our schedules will be packed tight, but I've made sure we all had a little time to breathe. Thanks to Laura Marano's new contract with Valentino, the label has decided to let us take over not only their yachts during our visit, but are also throwing us the best party ever. I expect all of us to party like it's the end of the world, since, you know, the movie is about the end of the world.

In other news, we are indeed closing the festival and I know a few of you were invited to some other premieres as well and I'm proud to say that our very own producer Patricia is on the judging committee. Even though we're out of competition, I'd like to think that we'd have at least her on our side.

Also, before the movie closes, we will all be treated to the first screening. Most likely this will take place inside a conference room at the hotel. We're still working out that, but be prepared to watch yourselves on screen. I can't wait for you to see the final product, and yes, I'm saying it again. You all are gonna get me or this picture, an Oscar.

Stevenson Long

+++

His eyes skimmed over Stevenson's email once more before trying to call Laura again. Her plans had been pushed around and now, instead of them both coming back to Los Angeles to pack together and then fly out to Cannes together, it was just him. Valentino had kidnapped her for a private luncheon and then wanted to shoot a few new promos with her, so that meant it was just him packing for them both and checking two suitcases and flying alone. Well, the last part was a lie. He'd be bringing Riker with him and secretly making him his personal assistant for the time he was there, but everything else was true. Looking at the email she had sent him of the things to pack for her, he didn't think everything would actually fit in her suitcase. Didn't she pack most of these things for New York anyhow?

But he wasn't just packing for Cannes. He was packing for his surprise for them - the one that he'd been planning for months and losing a ton of international minutes on his phone plan to secure their room, and transportation, and the adventure. It was for their anniversary. They almost had one year in the bag and silently, he was patting himself on the back. He'd never ever gotten this far into a relationship and if he and Laura hadn't have happened, Ross would still not have passed that mark. He was proud and so thankful she was in his life and he wanted to show her how thankful he really was - with an adventure like no other. He was crossing his fingers that she would like it, considering she was labeling herself the Queen of Peril. This adventure didn't have anything to do with diving with sharks, or bungee jumping off the tallest bridge, but it was still a big adventure. He had double checked with her and her reps and made sure she had nothing planned or of the utmost importance after the festival. It was just going to be him and her in one of the most remote locations on the planet.

There was still no answer on her phone and he was actually going nuts trying to find any type of hiking boots in her pyramid of shoes in the closet. He pulled out heels and flats and sneakers, which were the brightest neon pink he'd ever seen, but there were no hiking boots. Giving up on getting in contact with his girlfriend, Ross scrolled down his contacts to her mom. Her mom would definitely know if she had hiking boots, right? Right...at least until Ellen told him that she'd never seen her wear hiking boots. Fashion boots and caged boots and rain boots, yes. Hiking boots? Zip.

Ross slumped his shoulders and called up Rydel, hoping that his sister would help him with this. "Please, please, please," he whined to her.

"You do know that I'm in the middle of planning a wedding, right?"

"This will take an hour, tops. Please. I do not know girls shoes. I know guys shoes. Do you know how many pairs of shoes I own? Three. That's it. Three. Laura has about 16,000 pairs of heels." Ross was sure that Rydel had rolled her eyes at him and knew the exact words that would make her help him without question. "It will be a break from mom."

"You are the evilest brother ever," she paused. "And I thank you for that. Pick me up in an hour."

And pick her up he did, stealing her away for some fresh air and pulling her away from drowning in so much wedding stuff that she was actually thanking him for taking her away. They were inside REI and Rydel had piled on box on top of box of possibles for Laura and going on and on about how time consuming wedding planning actually is and rethinking their whole plan of a big wedding and just eloping to Vegas.

Ross had snorted at her suggestion and she proceeded to smack it off his face with just one look. "You don't want Vegas. You've never wanted Vegas."

"And you would know this..."

"From growing up with you for 25 years. You wanted Dad walking you down the aisle, and Mom in tears up to her elbows and this great guy doing a little dance at the altar as you walked towards him because he gets to marry you. You know that Ellington will definitely be doing that." Ross told her as Rydel sat down next to him, with another box of boots in her hands. "You," he pulled an arm around his sister, "You get to be the most beautiful bride in the most beautiful dress. You get to be celebrated by your friends and family and you get to call yourself Mrs. Ratliff after everything. If you go to Vegas, you know for a fact that all four of us will follow you and kick your butt because as much as we all love Vegas, it's no place for our only sister to get married."

Rydel laughed. "That's true. Thanks Ross." She got up then, looking at the shoes once again. "How long are you going to be in this remote location?"

"Just a week. We've got five nights there and then two in Bangkok."

"Going all out, aren't ya?" Ross winked and Rydel pulled two pairs from the stack, placing them in his arms. "Does she have any jackets or pants that would be good for hiking? And I'm not talking about just jeans or khakis. Actual hiking pants and protective gear..."

Ross thought for a moment, coming to the realization that even he hadn't thought about that for himself. Looks like he'd be going on a little shopping spree for them both. He pulled out some jackets for himself, shirts, pants, everything and did the same for her, double checking that the weather predictions would be what he expected them to be. They would be there during the rainy season, which was actually the best time to go, apparently. By the time he and Rydel finished up, his trunk looked like he was a hoarder.

"I think you got enough stuff for three weeks," Rydel laughed at him as she slipped into the passenger seat.

"Or three months. I'll be making sure we use all of that there and here. Hiking up every mountain around us," he pointed out before driving back to his parents home where Stormie was clearing up the wedding stuff from the table. Ross nudged Rydel, "Guess wedding planning is done for the day."

"Yea, but tomorrow, mom and Cheryl and dragging me and Ell to venue, after venue, after venue. Vegas is sure looking good..."

"No, it's not." Ross shook his head, giving his mom a kiss on the cheek before stealing a water from the fridge. "What venues are you looking at?"

Before Rydel even had a chance to answer, Stormie swooped in and rattled off the five places they had picked out for tomorrow. Rydel and Ellington had announced their engagement to everyone, fans included, in the best way and it was the only way he could have imagined it. After all, Ellington was known for his Vines, so it was only natural after Rydel posted the picture he had taken at their New Year's party in Colorado, for Ellington to follow up with a cute Vine that zoomed in and of her ring, with his smiling face after it with only one word to label it: "Yes!"

It was a great announcement and outlets had picked it up and now their wedding was one of the most talked about for the year already. While they didn't have a set date, they had a general time and touring the venues now, would be in their favor later when they actually circled a date and made everyone clear out any other plans they potentially had.

"Are you packed yet?" Stormie interrupted her one-sided conversation about wedding things and directed it back over to her son, who was now sitting on the countertop instead of a chair at the table. "I sent Riker home earlier today to do just that. I hope you're all the way packed."

"What makes you think that I'm not?"

Stormie stared at her son, giving him the 'I know you better than you know yourself' look that always got him.

"I'm finishing tonight. I promise."

"I will make sure that you do, since Laura is not here to do it for you."

Before he could even open his mouth to argue that one, he shut it. If Laura was here, she would be doing the packing. It's what happened for Cape Town, for New York, for Vancouver and it's definitely what happened for when he truly moved in with her. Now it was his turn to pack for them.

+++

When Laura finally called Ross back it was late. Not late, late, but still late. Speaking in hushed tones as to not wake Raini and Jonathan in their bedroom, she almost felt like she was speaking to the boy that her parents never wanted her to associate with. Why she was getting this comparison in her head right now, while they were discussing packing methods of all things, she had no idea. Slipping into the biggest oversized tee from her bag that she could find, Laura switched ears, cradling the phone on her right shoulder and tried to follow along to all that he was saying...and it was about their room arrangements.

"Riker will be in my room, and I'll still be with you. I don't know why they just didn't put us in the same room in the first place, but I'm glad they didn't, or I'd be forking out more cash for him."

"Okay, let me get this straight. We technically have two rooms, but, you're giving Riker the room under your name and you'll be staying in mine. Right?"

"Right. Did I confuse you?"

"A little..." Laura bit her lip. "I don't know why I was confused. It's been a long day."

And it truly had. After the MET Gala, which she and Raini possibly had the best time at, even with breaking the no selfie rule, Valentino had convinced her to stay a few extra days for a private luncheon and then to shoot a few new promos for the new collection. Not that she minded, a few more days in New York wasn't her idea of any kind of torture...she just didn't think it would be this many days. Six, to be exact. Six more than planned and six more than Raini and Jonathan expected too. Although both of them had told her that they honestly didn't mind having her, she felt she was imposing.

"Just think, in three days, you'll be in France and get to jump into my arms and everything will all be good again."

Laura smiled at his romanticism. "Expect to be thrown to the ground. Did you pack everything we need? And it's all rolled, not folded, right?"

"Everything is rolled, as instructed. I'm still bummed you had to stay there but very proud that I did it all on my own."

"As am I," Laura laid down on the mattress she'd been occupying for the past week, letting the covers swallow her whole. "I can't wait to see you. As much as Raini's spare bedroom is possibly the cutest and most comfortable room ever, you're not here and my sleep schedule is so off, it's not funny."

"I wish I was there too. Three days."

"Three days," she agreed.

"And after that, a week away."

"Wait, what?"

"Did I forget to tell you that?" he teased her. "I'm taking you away for another week and before you go all Laura on me, I double checked with Mona and Chris and everyone else about any events or auditions or anything else and got permission."

"And just where are you taking me, Mr. Lynch?"

She heard him fall back onto their own bed. "Away."

+++

The first thing she noticed when she stepped into the hotel was not the breathtaking lobby, which seemed to be something actually out of a movie...everything was ornate and gold and made for the elite of the elite and Laura was still pinching herself wondering how the hell she made it here. It was lush and extravagant with golds and blacks brushing every corner, mirrors and chandeliers adding more sparkle to every corner with rich browns draping over chairs and sofas, inviting everyone who stepped foot into the space to take a seat and stay a while. But that wasn't what she noticed first. What she noticed first was how very French it all seemed.

You know, that air that you get the moment you stepped off the plane. It was fresh and full of saltiness. The lobby smelt of fresh flowers and sunshine and she could hardly believe she was here. Getting to go to the Cannes Film Festival was something she was sure that was on every actor's list, just like The Oscars were. She was kind of jumping inside with so much joy that if she wasn't careful, it would burst out in the most embarrassing way possible.

Wheeling her suitcase just a few more steps, she was greeted by a bellhop, in full attire, who took the luggage off her hands and directed her towards the concierge desk where, again, she was greeted with friendly faces and a folder about the size of her final paper at USC. Amy and her husband, Matt, would be arriving later and hopefully, could decipher everything that was in it for her. Or maybe Jennifer was around somewhere. But until then, Laura twirled around and followed the bellhop up to her suite. The suite she'd be sharing with Ross when he got here and she couldn't wait to see him...but that was before she passed Jenna in the hallway and their reunited scream just got louder. Much louder than it was at the Vanity Fair shoot.

Promising to meet her out in the lounge in about an hour, Laura followed the porter towards the west wing elevators and up to the 5th floor. The moment he opened the door for her, her jaw dropped. She wasn't really expecting anything more jaw-dropping like that, but the view was kind of breathtaking. She bypassed him, dropping her purse onto the bed and headed straight for the small terrace that was just steps from it. It was miniature and cute and the view was definitely a background one could fall in love to. A little table sat just outside the doors, but Laura's eyes were definitely on the view. It was picture perfect - a sky that was filled with the perfect shade of blue without any clouds blocking any part of it. You could see all the boats sailing away in the Golfe de la Napoule and tourists and actors were enjoying the watersports offered at every hotel around. She made a mental note to get Ross to try one, or maybe all of them before they left.

An hour later, Laura had somehow managed to tear herself away from the view and back towards the lounge, searching over the rich sofas and tourists hanging around for Jenna. She knew she was in the crowd somewhere, but after her flight and unbelievably odd car ride from Nice to Cannes, she wasn't exactly in the mood to go searching for a needle in a haystack. Making her way outside after Laura couldn't spot her friend inside, she wandered over to the champagne bar where her mood changed in an instant. Now, with a flute of the bubbly in her hand and her phone tucked away safely in her pocket, Laura sat back in the chair across from Jenna and her longtime love Richard - who would definitely rival her and Ross in the cute department.

Jenna and Richard had been together for almost as long as Rydel and Ellington were...maybe even longer. Probably longer. They were long term and Laura remembered Jenna telling her while filming that every day was new and exciting and there was something she found out about him that she never knew before. Laura loved that. She loved seeing that two people, who weren't worried about the looks they got and brushed off any questions about marriage, still together and still loving everything about being together. She hoped her and Ross would be the same.

"So, Mrs. Lynch," Jenna kept teasing her. "Where's the hubby?"

Rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her champagne, Laura set the slim glass back on the table. "He'll be here. We didn't fly over together."

"That seems odd for you two. Aren't you like attached at the hip, or attached in some other matter," Jenna wiggled her eyebrows.

Laura quickly smacked Jenna on the arm, a little blush arising on her cheeks. "We planned on it, things just prevented us from doing so. He'll be here later and he's bringing his brother Riker. If you thought Ross was the fun one, you're going to be proven so wrong."

"They're all in the band together, aren't they?" Richard asked right when Jenna slipped her arm around his. "I really like their one song, 'Living Wild'. Nothing like a great rock song."

Laura smiled at the former Prince Charming, liking that he actually knew which song it was and about her boyfriend's band. R5 surely had grown up from being the transitioning teen band into bonafide rock stars and she smirked at the thought that she was one of the lucky ones who got to call one of them hers. "Have you even seen one of their shows?"

"Unfortunately, no. I wouldn't say no to a private concert, though."

Laura smiled even wider. "I'll see what I can do," she slipped in a wink.

"When's your first interview?"

"Tomorrow, I think. Crack of dawn. Is yours the same?"

"About that," Jenna nodded. "I think we're all booked for Le Grand Journal too. There's just so much tomorrow."

"I think I only looked at the first page of that textbook they gave me when I checked in," Laura admitted. So, it wasn't really a textbook, but it was thicker than she actually expected it to be. With Amy coming later on, she was almost afraid to read beyond the first page, not knowing what was after that. Plus, Amy always explained everything better and knew exactly what was going on and when and where she had to be. This was the reason she was still with her original publicity firm. They knew her, they knew her life and they were always on top of things.

The three caught up some more and Laura never realized how much of a music fan Richard was. It was actually pretty fun discussing music with him, versus Ross who tended to like everything she liked. With Richard, he was into everything and it was nice getting to pick his brain about different styles. To be honest, it was putting more ideas in her head and song ideas in her book. She wasn't opposed to returning to music, in fact, she actually really wanted to. It was always about timing and the moment she started on something, a new opportunity came up.