Bittersweet Memories

Part 1

By Kali

Author's Forward: This is an alternate universe ficcie. Everything in italics are thoughts. Except the letter, which is also in italics. As always, feedback is greatly appreciated.

"Rogue,... I hate to be the one to give you this," Henry McCoy said somberly, holding a pale blue envelope.

"Hank? What is it? Ya look positively peaked." Rogue inquired. She was relaxing on her bed, reading a copy of the latest Mary Higgins Clark novel. Why is it, there is always some earth shaking emergency right when Ah get to the juicy part?

"This was mailed to the Avengers Mansion. Apparently, the sender figured they'd know how to contact you."

"Oh," Rogue opened the letter fearfully. There was no return address listed, just her code name in care of the Avengers address. Oh, the irony of that. Did they open this? They must have, given how somber Beast looks. He looks as if his best friend just died........ ack.... What are ya thinking girl!

Fredia,

I reckon I ought to write you about this. Figured none of your folk's family will know how to reach you. But, I saw you in a news reel some time ago with the Avengers. At least I think it was you. I don't know how common skunk striped hair is nowadays. Although, that Hope girl on Days of Our Lives has a skunk do too, so...... Anyhow, I figured this would be the best bet.

I don't know how to put this. So, I'll just come out and say it. Fredia, I'm sorry to have to inform you that your folks were killed in car wreck last week. I really don't want to give out the details. But they both passed relatively close to each other. I hope you can take comfort in that at least.

They held the funeral just a couple of days later. It was a lovely ceremony. Wish you could have been there.

I know you had problems with your folks, which is why you ran away. But, I hope you manage to come home for a spell. I mean, hell's bells, girl, they were your family, after all.

Well, anyhow, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all. Just figured you needed to know.

Sincerely,

Becca Helmke

"I'm so sorry, Rogue."

"Oh, God, Hank did ya read this?" Rogue asked horrified.

"Yes, I'm afraid I had to. They weren't sure whether the letter was safe to open or not. They figured most of your friends already knew how to contact you. Anyone who didn't.... well...."

"Ya ain't gonna tell anyone 'bout this, are ya?"

"Not if you don't wish me to, Rogue. But I think it would be best if you could find someone to talk this over with. Someone who can relate to your loss."

"Ah ain't talkin' 'bout that, Sugah. Ah'm talking about mah real name!"

"Your name? Rogue, of course I wouldn't divulge anything like that against your wishes, but....."

"Raven and Irene were mah parents, not them. They wanted a boy. An' they nevah let me forget it. Not for one instant! Nothing Ah *evah* did satisfied them! An' finding out Ah was a 'mutie' well if that wasn't the last straw, Ah don't know what was!"

"Rogue, perhaps it would be a good idea to talk to Wanda about this. She would be able to relate in regards to the dysfunctional family relationship involved."

"Hank, ya know Ah see Magnus differently than most everybody else. That ah had ...... feelings for 'im. Ah don't think talkin' to Wanda will help either of us."

"Then...... Are you sure you're ok?"

"Peachy."

"All right, then. If you need me, I'll be in my lab."

After that, the Beast had left her room, quietly closing the door behind himself.

"Ah'm just fine," Rogue whispered to herself. She clutched Cottontail to her stomach, and curled up into a fetal position. "Now if ah could only really believe that, mahself."

"Chere, we need to talk. About the upcoming maneuvers we got planned against the Neo."

"Now isn't a good time, Remy."

"Something wrong, Chere?"

"No, everything is just peachy-keen an' Ah wish people would just give me some space for fucking Christ!"

Remy just stared at her in disbelief. His reaction cleared her mind to a degree. "Chere, I know we had our problems, but....."

"Oh, God, Remy. Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't mean. Ah'm just a bit stressed out right now. Now, how about those plans of yours."

"Uh, uh. Not until you tell me what's wit' you."

"It's personal."

"Too personal, to discuss wit' me?"

"Yes."

"Stormy, then?"

"No."

"Jean."

"No, Remy this is mah problem. Ah'll work through it by mahself. The last thing Ah want is ta burden Jean with this."

"Now, ya wanted ta discuss the Neo?"

"If this be a bad time, we can discuss it later."

"No, don't be silly, Remy. Ah ain't 'bout ta let mah personal problems affect mah leading mah team."

****************************************************************************

"Rogue, mind if I come in for a bit?" Bobby Drake asked.

"He told you, didn't he?"

"He was worried about you."

"How much did he tell ya?"

"That your parents were killed. And that you seemed more worried about something else getting leaked out."

"Did he happen ta mention what that 'something else' was?"

"Uh, no. Said it was a secret. I tried tickling it out of him, bribing him with Twinkies, and promising to do all his chores for the next two weeks, but he wouldn't budge."

Rogue sighed. "Well, thank heaven for small favors."

"He felt I could relate, given my past problems with my dad."

"Ah've met your Daddy, Bobby, 'member? Trust me, he ain't nothin' like mah folks are.... were."

"Maybe your running away changed them? Maybe they....."

"Missed me? Loved me? Ah'm sorry Bobby, but all they evah gave me was cruel words of belittlement. That ain't love. Not by half."

"But you don't know that for sure. That they didn't miss you, I mean."

"Well..... Ah don't know Bobby. Ah thought about going home so often in the past. Rehearsed in mah head, ovah and ovah again what Ah wanted ta say ta them. But, every time Ah heard their put downs of me. And Ah couldn't go through wit' it. But Ah nevah stopped wanting ta. Ah guess, ah always wanted to know why. Why they had me, if they never wanted me ta begin wit'."

"And then..... When Ah was living with Raven and Irene, they treated me like Ah was special. For the first time in mah life, Ah felt like Ah belonged somewhere."

"You don't want to go back now? Just in case?"

"No."

"Why not, Rogue? They're dead, they can't hurt you anymore."

"Ah'm afraid that...... How can Ah be sure this ain't some ruse concocted by the Friends of Humanity ta nail me? For all Ah know this 'Becca Helmke' coulda contacted them after she saw me on the news."

"I could go as backup, just in case? Trust me Rogue, if you don't, you'll always wonder about it... about them. If you wait to long, any keepsakes they might have kept of you might be disposed of by then."

"Fine. Lets just get this ovah wit', okay?"

Disclaimer: All X-characters belong to Marvel Comics. This fan-fiction is meant as pure, harmless fun and as such no profit is being made from it.