A Thief's Heart

(in flashbacks) (out of flashbacks)
Henry-18
Remy- 14 Remy- 19
Marie- 12 Marie- 17

(translations)

A/N: In this story Remy and Rogue are mutants. Rogue was taken into the thieves guild not long after Remy was and they grew up together and the moment her mutation showed up she bolted.

Rogue looked around cautiously as the darkness engulfed her. Her mind was set on her past instincts. Pain raced through her as she tried to move her body. They had captured her days ago and they were experimenting on her due to her mutation. At times like this she wished she had never left New Orleans. Wincing she laid back against the wall and let her mind wander to the past and the family she left behind.

Flashback

A small girl walked down a dark street in New Orleans. The sound of scuffling made her start and head towards it. Peeking around the corner she saw some boys fighting. It looked like an odd numbered fight, one against five. For some reason anger raced through her at the thought of this boy being picked on. Without a thought she moved forward and yanked one of the other boys backwards and punched him square in the jaw sending him stumbling back.
"Ya'll leave him alone."
"Back off fille," the boy she pulled back snapped.
"Make meh."
She stood in a fighting stance. The other boys stopped beating on the other boy to watch the impending battle.
"Don' mess with me fille. This is between me and him."
(these five boys are from the assassin's guild, if you haven't guessed that.) She still had a fighting stance ready to kick some ass. The boy walked forward and tapped his chin telling her without words that she'd get the first hit. A smirk crossed the girl's features. Leaping forward she slammed her fist into his jaw. The sound of something cracking resonated through the silence. The others stared wide eyed at the girl. Blood dripped from the boy's lip.
"Another day Lubeau. Come on."
The five boys took off into the crowds. Shaking her head she turned to walk away until a hand on her arm stopped her.
"Where did you learn to fight like dat?"
"Street fighting in Mississippi."
She turned to face the boy she had saved. A gasp escaped her as she saw his eyes. He blinked and turned his head to the side thinking she would run away from him like the others.
"Thank ya' chere."
"Yah welcome, sugah."
He dropped her hand.
"Can I learn ma chere's name?"
She smiled softly.
"Marie. An yah?"
"Remy."
"See yah around Remy."
He watched her walk away. A soft whistle escaped him as he watched her hips sway. Some deep instinct told him something wasn't right so he followed her at a good distance away. His instinct told him right the five assassin thugs were following her. Pushing through the people he finally reached her side and tugged on her shirt.
"What do yah... Remy?"
"Dem boys followin yah."
She looked around and spotted the boy she clocked.
"I see em'."
"Come on."
He dragged her behind him trying to figure out where to go. Looking around he tried to find familiar territory. Hoping to find where he left his older brother. He saw him thankfully.
"Henry!" Remy called out.
The older man turned to see his smaller brother running towards him dragging a girl behind him.
"Remy?" the older man questioned.
Looking past the two he saw assassin children. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw him.
"Another day, Lebeau."
The boys ran for their lives. Henry just stood there blinking for a second at the scene.
"What was that 'bout?"
He noticed the roughed up look of his brother. "Neva mind. I see what was goin on. What's yoh name petite?"
"Marie," she admitted as she looked at Remy for reassurance before telling him.
He took her hand and kissed it.

End Flashback

Rogue was brought out of her musing by the sound of footsteps coming down the tiled hall. The soft whispers of the doctors coming her way made her edgy. Her past made her on edge ready to fight. The doctors passed her cell not even glancing her way. Sighing heavily she sat back and allowed her mind to drift again.

Flashback
(Rogue had been adopted into the clan. She's been there two months)

"Come on, Remy we need to get goin'! We're gonna be late."
"Comin' chere."
The slightly ruffled Cajun came running through the door and skidded to a halt beside her. Marie shook her head and began to run down the hall towards their weapons training class. The two of them had developed a fast friendship, and they trained together constantly. One was never seen without the other far behind. That was until Remy met Belladonna.

(break in the flashback)

Rogue cringed at this memory as it resurfaced. This was the most painful thing she remembered. Not one of the physical pains that she went through could compete with the way her best friend treated her when Belladonna came around. She let a tear fall before she sunk back into the memories. It had been two years after they met.

Marie sat beside the small fish pond in the garden of the mansion grounds. The various gold fish swam around lazily even when she trailed her fingers through the water. Her thoughts were centered upon a red headed Cajun. She finally admitted to herself that she cared more about him than a friend. Hearing footsteps she watched him approach her with a blonde headed girl on his arm. They were laughing together. Marie felt her heart break at that moment. The blonde reached up an kissed Remy's lips softly.
"Marie!" Remy called to his best friend. "I want you tha meet my fiance Belladonna."
"It's nice tha meet yah."
Marie held out her hand for the girl to shake, but the girl looked at her hand as if it was something not to be touched. Shaking her head she turned to walk away.
"Marie aren't yah happy for me?"
She stopped in mid stride at his voice.
"Yea, real happy."
Without another word she walked away. Only to be followed by Belladonna. The blonde stopped her forcefully with a strong grip on her arm.
"Now listen here you tramp, Remy's mihe. Keep yah grubby hands off of him."
"Take you hand off of my arm before I remove it."
The blonde glared daggers and stormed away.
"Marie?" Henry called softly.
"Yah heard didn't yah?"
"Oui."
"I'm leaving."
"Don't."
"I have ta. The treaty has to be completed, and I'm just a distraction Remy."
Henry understood the girl's intense need to leave, but it was running from her problems.
"I'll tell pere that you'll be leavin'."
"Merci," she said softly as she retreated to her room packing some clothes and gathered some money.
Henry stood in her door way watching her pack. His girlfriend stood beside him until she noticed Marie crying softly as she shoved clothes in a duffle bag. With grace she walked into the room and began to whisper in French. That made Marie cry all the more.
"I hav ta go."
"I understand petite."
The older girl let the younger go once her stuff was packed. Marie scrubbed her face with the but of her hand to get rid of the tear stains. With a brief hug from Mercy and Henry she left the mansion to begin her own life. A life filled with trials and hardships.

End Flashback

Rogue snapped out of her memories then. A few days after she left the mansion her powers manifested, and she ended up at Xavier's Mansion to become an X-Men. She hadn't seen hide nore hair of that Cajun and she was grateful for it. She had been at the mansion for three years. (she's 17 now) The time there helped her dull the heartache that Remy has caused. The slamming of cell doors made her cringe. A prisoner was dragged past her cell and he was cursing in fluent french. Her heart clenched in her chest.
"You've got to be kiddin' meh," she growled out.
Getting up on her shaky legs she moved towards her door. All she saw was what stuck out the most a head of messy red hair.
"Oh gawd, Remy," she breathed.
The red head turned his head back to stare where he thought he heard his name being called. Shaking it off as nothing more than his imagination he was dragged into the lab for a day of torture. Rogue let a strangled sob escape her as she sank to the floor. The time here had made her more emotional. She could still put up her dark front, but when she was alone she cried freely. Suddenly the doctors came back and unlocked her cell. Fear raced through her guessing already what they were planning to do with her.
"No, No."
She resisted with everything she was. The last person she wanted to kill was her childhood best friend and her first love. They gave her a mild sedative. It made her lethargic but didn't put her to sleep.
"You'll do as we say girl."
The orderly that looked like he could pose as a bouncer dragged her to the lab room. Remy was strapped to the bed. His eyes were half lidded as if they had given him sedatives too. What confused her was why he was there. Then it dawned on her. It was those beautiful red on black eyes that should of tipped her off about him being like her.
"Remy," she called softly as they hoisted her up onto the bed beside him.
His head turned to the side to make eye contact.
"Chere?" he said just as softly as a familiar grin graced his features.
"Subject Mutant 1954, you will absorb the power that Subject Mutant 1666 has."
Rogue was shaking like a leaf. Of all the people they could of captured it had to be him. She struggled weakly trying to keep her skin from touching Remy's. Fear raced through her as they almost touched.
"I veuillez ne pas l'aimer," she whispered in French over and over. (please don't I love him)
Rogue's arm was forced down so she came in skin to skin contact with his. Her eyes screwed shut waiting for the rush of power and memories to come to her. Nothing happened to her shock.
"What is happening?" one doctor snarled. "Subject 1954 isn't absorbing Subject 1666."
Rogue was determined to fight with everything she had. Stopping suddenly she heard a familiar growl and shink.
"Yes," she choked out. "Wolverine."
The feral mutant busted into the room with Scott, Jean, Kurt and a few others come crashing into the room. The scientist backed up. Kurt bamphed to Rogue's side and untied her. Storm moved to Remy's side and untied him. The blue mutant bamphed his sister to the x jet and came back for the other mutant in the room. Kurt left the two of them on the jet going back to see if anyone else needed to be rescued. Remy looked at Rogue and her back at him. Moving forward slowly due to the sedatives he wrapped his arms around her. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she rested her head against the hollow of his throat. When the others returned they found them like that, though asleep. What shocked them all was the fact Rogue's skin was touching the other mutants. The only sound was the shinking of Wolverines claws as he stepped towards the sleeping pair. Storm stopped him from going near.
"Leave them be Logan. I have a feeling they'll be all right."
He muttered something dark under his breath before sitting down in his seat.

Days later...

Rogue woke up slowly. A comforting warmth was still around her. Taking a deep breath she took in the scent of tobacco and Cajun spices. It reminded her of home. The arms around her tightened as she moved.
"Marie?" his scratchy voice asked.
"Gawd I missed yah swamp rat."
He carefully ran his fingers through her two toned hair.
"Why'd you leave ma chere?"
"Ah was in the way, sugah."
He didn't have to ask why. Some time after he left he overheard Mercy and Henry talking about how Belladonna threatened Marie. That had angered him like nothing else, but the peace between the two clans stood and he was forced to attempt to marry Belladonna. It didn't work out Julian made sure of that. He had been banished from his home town. He never made it out of the city before he was captured.
"Yo' were never in da way chere."
"But ah... You were gettin married..."
"Julian made sure Remy didn't marry Belle."
"Stupid assassin..." she muttered darkly.
"Not so stupid. Remy found his amour."
"Huh?" she asked in confusion.
"Remy heard what his amour said, 'I veuillez ne pas l'aimer'."
Leaning forward he placed a light kiss on her lips. With care he pulled her closer to him.
"Swamp rat..."
"I'll never let you go."
She knew from experience when he spoke in first person that he was dead serious.
"Yah'll neva' get a chance ta leave."
"Why's dat, chere?"
"Because vous êtes la mienne. I love yah, swamp rat." (you are mine)
"Je t'aime, river rat." (I love you)
The two of them laughed softly before curling up tightly around each other to fall asleep knowing they had the rest of their lives together.