A/N: I do not own any of the X-Men characters Marvel is the creator and owner. Thanks for makin' em' Marvel woohoo!

:1: Young & Carefree

Remy LeBeau picked up the emerald necklace delicately from the cold ground and looked at the engraving 'Love you always Marie'…-"Der y' are cher, m' ready t' go, can' stand dis awful smelly hospital anymore! M' afraid I migh' catch sometin'!"- she screeched. " Mon pere s'jus fine now lemme see if his driver can bring us t'de mall I got pere's plastique." –came the high pitched rich voice of BellaDonna Boudreaux as the blonde dragged Remy out of the hospital room he was napping in while she was visiting her father. As he slipped her necklace into one of the many pockets of his trench coat he wondered 'Dieu tha' fille…an' Dieu this fille, Marius is gon' have is' hands full when Belle as' er' sweet sixteen next mont'…. Feel real bad fo' dat otha' fille tho'…mos' interestin' hair…neva seen a fille like that befo'…..'

Marie Darkholme…that was her name. Before her world changed, she changed, they changed, and nothing would ever be the same. She was gone…and perhaps it was rightfully so…because in a way she was never there to begin with. Since the day she was born…Marie's life would be a long string of horrendous pain and betrayal…no, Marie was gone. Gone to preserve that innocent and fragile beauty she was meant to be…to protect that vibrant and soulful girl that should never have to endure what lay ahead. Marie was lost and eventually that name would no longer be in her memory as her, she is Rogue. Just, Rogue.

'Good bah Marie…Ahm truly sahry baby girl…truly…ya will nevah know ha much baby…nevah. Ah love ya baby ahlways.'-a shimmering sorrowful tear slid down the woman's pale cheeks as she stared off into the horizon…she took a step forward with a deep inhale, exhale as her eyes shut and she flew. The air caressing her all around and for a moment she was free…and met her watery grave at the cliff's base. Finally free.

She didn't know what to think. Her mama was gone and she had never known her real father. Abandoned…abandoned again…her father and now her mother. 'I'm all alone' She had no one, no one but him…"no…"-she whispered.

With only her step father left to care for her at the age of four there really wasn't any choice for her…there had never been a chance. He had taken a liking to her mother when she was two. She didn't know too much about her real father just that he had to go, not that he didn't want to stay with them, his family, he couldn't that's what her mama had always told her and that he really did and always will love them. Now came along this loser sweeping her mama off her feet with empty promises and false emotions. He left her broken for the past two years he had beaten her and cheated on her, but still she kept taking him back, some sick determination with wanting some kind of normal family for her baby girl I guess. Finally he had just shattered her beyond repair and she…well she had given up. But she hasn't been all there since she lost her husband so in a way she was gone long before the fact.

Now she was left alone, because her mama had…she had given up?...even at four she understood her mama had lost the fight…lost her will.

Her step father neglected her. She never went to school and was nearly starved to death if it hadn't been for her neighbor Irene. She was the sweetest lady, took time to school her at her home, feed, clothe, and bathe her, even come over to tuck her in when her step father was drunk and passed out. Irene gave her comfort and care, taught her how to cook, be respectful…and Raven, Irene's best friend made sure she was always physically healthy. Raven was with Irene most of the time but she had always been gone for short periods of time, she was stern but kind and she had even taught her how to play the violin, piano, guitar, even teach her fencing and various languages. She could speak five different languages thanks to Raven. If it hadn't been for them she would have surely died a long time ago.

It was by them she found a new her. When asked what her name was finally she had remained silent not sure if she remembered anymore, her step father never called her by her name, ever. Since her mom passed her name had been lost…smiling shyly she replied "whay I don't have one 'Rene…"-she looked down. Irene lifted her head by her chin gently and softly asked "what would you like it to be then?"-she thought about it and thought to the time she had been caught sneekin' some cookie dough from Irene's kitchen and Irene had told her she was a rogue. "Rogue."-she said thoughtfully. Irene just smiled and nodded "That you are then Rogue, that you are."

Eight years had past and the beatings were getting worse as she got older. Irene had wanted to intervene but Raven had said it was not their business. It finally took a bloodied and bones broken thirteen year old Rogue to appear on their doorstep half conscious, on the porch floor, crying and barely able to breathe, at two in the morning with her clothes ripped and torn. She had been beaten so bad her wrists were broken and bruised to being almost black, every bruise was black all of which went from head to toe. She could taste the blood on her lips that were split that she couldn't even talk, she had the side of her face from her eye to the base of her neck swollen and raw flesh stinging. She was barely even clothed, and they could see her ribs and chest had deep and long bruises. The same on her neck and around her thighs. One thing came to both the older women's minds and before a word could be said Raven found herself at Rogue's house seconds later with intent to fully kill that filth of a monster. He was already dead, apparently his face was smashed in repeatedly to unrecognizable proportions. Raven wouldn't tell Rogue that though. Sighing in relief to the fact the man had not raped her but tried before Rogue had beat him off, she quickly discarded of the body and by the time she left it looked as though nothing had ever happened.

Irene and Raven took in Rogue and moved to a small town right off the Mississippi and bordered Louisiana. Their chapter at Caldecott, Mississippi was over. Dead and Buried.