A/N: First of all to anyone who's reading any of my other fics, I haven't deserted them, and there will be more updates.

Secondly, I just like the idea of romy as teenagers. This is AU so no powers.

Well I hope you enjoy. Please review.

Disclaimer: X-men are not mine.

XXX

Prologue

Anna-Marie stared up at the big house she'd spent the first eleven years of her life in. It still looked exactly the same. It was a large, white, colonial style building which despite its grandeur managed to exude homeliness. The old wisteria was still entangled around the porch, providing shade from the hot southern sun. The only change she could detect over the last six years was that there was now an abundance of flowers, shrubs and other horticultural features spread across what had once been a stark, impeccably mown lawn. Ororo, Anna thought to herself. Her mother had hated flowers.

As if on cue the coffee skinned woman burst out of the front door, her long white hair streaming behind her. She ran down the steps and caught Anna in a firm embrace.

"It is so good to have you here with us Anna."

Anna returned the hug warmly.

"It's good to be here 'Ro."

They were simple words but Anna meant them with all her heart.

A strangled sound caught both women's attention and they turned from their embrace to stare at the car from which Anna had recently alighted. They were met with the rather comedic sight of a stocky, hirsute man vainly attempting to prevent and explosion of luggage from the trunk of the car.

"I think maybe your father needs a hand." Ororo said trying to stifle a laugh.

"Yeah ah think he just might." Anna replied not even trying to cover her laughter. She pranced up to her father smiling sweetly, "Hey daddy, need a hand?"

Logan merely turned his head and glared at his daughter, not fooled for one second by innocent appearance. Anna just laughed and began helping him unload all her luggage.

"Jeeze kid, I thought it was just you moving back in or did you bring the entire army with you too?" Logan grumbled as a small mountain was now forming on the front lawn.

"Haha." Anna replied dryly. "Just be glad this is all I brought."

XXX

Hours later after unpacking all her worldly possessions, Anna collapsed, exhausted, on her bed. She lay on her back looking up at the ceiling. It all still felt slightly surreal. She couldn't believe she was back in Louisiana after all this time. When her parents had divorced her mother had to drag her kicking and screaming from her home and father. She had spent the next six years of her life living in a New York apartment block, right in the middle of the city. She had hated it. She missed the space and the room to run around. The sound of cicadas was replaced by traffic and sirens. Her only highlight was the times her father would come to take her on vacation. She spent every Christmas and summer with him. They travelled all across the states. But they never went back to Louisiana. It was an unspoken agreement between them. Anna knew that if she ever went back, she'd never be able to leave again.

Finally her mother recognised how miserable she was, and although she hated Logan, she was willing to put her daughters wishes first and after all her life would be much easier without a miserable teenager to look after. So Anna packed her bags, jumped on a plane, and headed home.

Anna let out a deeply contented sigh. She looked around her room smiling. It was her childhood room, but it had been decorated. (And clearly by Ororo rather than her father). The room was a beautiful patchwork of colour; there were prints and silks everywhere. The shuttered windows were curtained by a deep red gauzy fabric that turned the room a pinkish hue when the sun shone through. The room was perfect; it had just the right balance of femininity without being sickeningly girly.

Anna marvelled at how well Ororo knew her. Her father had met Ororo three years ago, and Anna was immensely grateful to the woman for making her father so happy. She had always loved her father greatly and he loved her in return, but she knew that he had been unhappy for a long time. When he met Ororo that changed, and Anna would never forget what that woman had done for her father. They had married a year ago, and it had been Ororo who suggested to Logan that he might want to ask Anna's mother about custody. They had all been pleasantly surprised when Raven willingly agreed to the move.

Anna moved over to her window, sitting on the seat there. She sighed fondly remembering all her happy childhood memories. Staring across at the house next door one particular memory flooded her mind. A face she still thought about after all this time. The face of a young boy with messy auburn hair, glowing eyes and a cheeky grin that could disarm anyone within a two metre radius. She chuckled to herself, thinking fondly of all the trouble she had gotten into with the boy next door. And wondered absently where he was now.

As it turned out she didn't have to wonder very long, as at that moment the blind of next door's window was pulled up by a dishevelled looking young man. Anna froze in disbelief. A young man with messy auburn hair and glowing eyes. And, as recognition dawned on him, a cheeky grin.

XXX

A/N: Well I hope you enjoyed it. Sorry if it didn't quite flow in places, I wanted to get most of the back-story out of the way in this bit to concentrate on the fun stuff fully.

So, who might the boy next door be? No prizes for guessing.

Please review.

X