Anna Marie sat perched in her favorite spot along the river. High up in an old cypress tree, hidden from anyone passing by on the ground by the thick, summer foliage and watching the river dip and swirl , unconcerned with the rest of the world. She had just turned sixteen and had been living with her foster mothers since she had run away from her father and overbearing aunt eight years before. Raven and Irene had been dutiful and loving parents to her and the knowledge that they where in fact, mutant terrorists did nothing to alter her feelings toward them. Raven had begun training her a few days after Anna learned that she, was a mutant as well and declared that their little "rogue" would make an excellent addition to their Brotherhood of Mutants.
"Will you be coming down anytime soon, dear?" Irene Adler, with the aide of St. John Allderyce, AKA Pyro, had left the nearby house they all shared and came to stand beneath the tree Rogue occupied. "It is getting rather late and Raven said she would be home by nightfall."
"Ah'll be down soon," Rogue wondered if Irene had used her precognitive powers to discover her whereabouts, although it was no secret to anyone that the tree was her favorite spot. "Ah just want to watch the river for a bit longer."
"Don't be long," Irene warned. "Your mother will have a surprise when she arrives home."
"What kind of surprise?" Rogue swung down from the tree with excitement, the river forgotten.
"I'm not sure of that yet," the blind mutant smiled. "I'm not a psychic, you know."
"Yeah," St. John smirked. "Wouldn't it be nice to 'ave one a those around? Or better yet, a mutant who could see the future?"
"You behave yourself," the woman they called Destiny smiled as she pretended to scold Pyro. "I just know that Mystique will have some important news when she returns."
"She 'ad better," St. John said as he offered his arm to Rogue and led both of the ladies back to the large, cozy house nearby. "After being gone for nearly three months, you think she would have something to show for it. Been dull as tombs around here lately with nothin' ta do, no X-Men to fry. . ."
"So sorry that we were such dull company, shugah," Rogue giggled.
"Nah," St. John nudged Rogue. "You an' Renie were great. It's Fred and Dom I coulda done without."
Pyro watched Rogue as she laughed at his last statement. She had such a wonderful, sparkling laugh, so pure and full of life. Like Rogue herself. She was beautiful; curly, shoulder length, auburn hair, a streak of pure white adding to her unique beauty and eyes the color of emeralds. He felt a bit guilty, staring at her long legs in her cutoff jeans and the curves along the rest of her body, he had known her since she was a child but she was growing up. She would only get more beautiful as she grew older, he thought to himself, and with Raven Darkholme as her instructor, she would soon know how to utilize every weapon in her armory. Mystique was one woman who knew how to use her "assets" Pyro thought and chuckled to himself.
"What's so funny, St. John?" Rogue eyed him with mock-scrutiny as they reached the huge, wrap-around porch of their old country home.
"Pyro is having a few visions himself," Destiny said, wryly as she stepped through the door, the Aussie mutant was now holding open.
"You won't hold it against me will you, old girl?" Pyro smirked even though he knew she could not see him.
"What?" Rogue looked from the smirking Aussie to her blind and grinning foster mother in confusion.
"She's back," Dominic Petros, AKA Avalanche, had been standing by the front window and pointed to the sleek, black sports car that had just peeled around the dusty, county road that led to the house.
"Mama!" Rogue cried as she ran outside to greet Mystique. "Ah'm so glad you're back! I missed you so much!"
A dark haired beauty stepped out of the car and smiled warmly at her daughter. She wrapped the younger girl in a fierce hug but was careful not to touch any bare skin. Raven wasn't afraid of Rogue's power to absorb the thoughts, memories, personalities and even the powers of others but she did not want Rogue to know her news so soon. Mystique stroked her daughter's silky, untamed mane and shifted into her natural form, midnight blue skin and dark red hair. Her opaque eyes went to the house where she knew Destiny was waiting, patiently, inside for her.
Dominic and St. John went outside to collect the luggage from the car and Raven went inside to greet Destiny. They did not usually express their affection for each other publicly but after three months apart, Mystique took Destiny's hand in hers and brought it to her lips with Rogue as their only witness.
"So what is yer surprise?" Rogue asked from her perch on the arms of the loveseat that Mystique and Destiny occupied.
Twenty minutes had passed and they had all been seated in the living room, including Fred Dukes, also known as the Blob and for obvious reasons, he alone occupied one of the couches with a sandwich big enough for three people.
"Why, Irene," Mystique looked over at Destiny. "Did you spoil my surprise?
"I only knew saw that you had some big news, Raven," Irene chuckled. "I couldn't see what you had been up to."
"So I will be surprising the woman who can see the future?"
"Raven, nothing you do surprises me anymore."
"I'll have to do something to remedy that."
"Aw, come on," Rogue laughed at her foster parent's banter even through her irritation at Mystique's attempt to draw out her daughter's anticipation. "Just spill it already."
Mystique looked about the room with an enigmatic smile on her face and said: "We're moving to New Orleans."
"That's it?" Rogue looked at her mother with a slightly annoyed, slightly grumpy expression. "That was yer big news? We're moving?"
"Don't you even want to know why?" Raven was undaunted by her daughter's mood swing.
"You are going to tell us anyway, aren't you?" Rogue grumbled.
"Yes," Raven nodded and waited another moment until she knew they were all on the edge of their seats. "We are moving to New Orleans because that's where my new husband lives.