Dislaimer: I still don't own the X-men. But I do own this story, and Marie. Take that, corporate America.
"Marie! Get your finger outta there!"
She lowered her book and looked over to where the little girl was giggling and poking her sleeping "uncle" in the ear. The large blue man stirred slightly as the toddler shrieked with glee at the prospect of her mother chasing her away from Hank. She poked him one more time and started to run, screaming as she tore through the mansion, with her mother at her heels. She jumped into the air and took off even faster, turning the simple chase into a full-blown aerial pursuit. The little girl giggled as she blew past Kitty and Piotr, who were playing a game of chess. The whoosh of air was barely enough to disrupt their game, and they tried to ignore it. The larger whoosh that followed, however, knocked the whole board over, scattering chess pieces all across the floor.
"Sorry, y'all. Ah've got a little pest control problem."
"Rogue! I was just about to kick his ass!"
"You wish, Katya."
"You want to take this outside, Pete?"
"Da."
"Just… set up the board again."
Marie laughed as she saw the aftermath of her and her mother's wake, and she briefly took her eyes off of where she was going. As a result, she slammed headfirst into her aunt Anna.
"Oh!"
"Are you getting into trouble, Marie?"
"Non."
"I believe you." She opened the door to her bedroom and ushered the little girl inside. Closing the door with a wink, she waited for Rogue to show up.
"MARIE? Where did you go?" Rogue turned the corner, looking behind the nearest plant. She stood up and came face to face with Anna.
"Have you seen yourself lately?"
"You mean in a mirror?" She turned her head slightly to the door of her bedroom, where Rogue could hear a faint giggling sounding. Rogue cleared her throat.
"Yes… in a mirror. Your hair is a little nuts today, that's all."
"Runs in the family."
"Have you seen your niece around? She flew away a minute ago. Haven't seen her since."
"Nope. No Marie here. Feisty little one, isn't she?"
"Sure is. Ah wish that someone had told me that she was gonna be able to fly by the time she was four."
Anna grinned evilly. "Surprises can be wonderful things, Rogue."
"Maybe for you. Well, if you see her, tell her that Ah gave up looking for her and that Ah'll be in her room donating all of her toys to charity."
"Will do."
As Rogue walked away, she heard a distinct cry of "ALL MY TOYS!"
She smiled and walked into Marie's room, hiding behind the large plastic play kitchen that Jubilee had purchased for Marie's fourth birthday. Moments later, Marie came running into the room, looking for her mother.
"Momma! I changed my mind! Here I am!"
She looked around the room. "Momma?"
Worried, she started to stockpile her favorite toys so that she could keep her mother from taking them and giving them away. She went to take her stuffed rabbit from behind her play kitchen, and that's when Rogue jumped on her.
"Tickle attack!"
Within seconds, Marie was on the floor laughing hysterically. Neither of them noticed someone else enter the room.
"Well, ain't dis somet'ing?"
"Papa!"
"Remy!"
The tickling stopped, as they both literally flew over to Remy and gave him a hug, knocking him over and out into the hallway in the process. As the tickle battle grew, Anna stepped out of her room with a bag full of clothes, heading to the laundry room. As she waited for the elevator, she looked at how happy the three of them were, and smiled. Her entrance into the hallway did not go unnoticed. Before she knew what hit her, Rogue had jumped on her and dragged her over to the ever-growing pile of people, which prompted Marie to start tickling her. Anna fell over on the floor, laughing hysterically, as Marie poked her repeatedly behind her knee.
"Aunt Anna is ticklish there, too. It ain't just me. Look." The little girl tickled Anna again, and Remy laughed.
"Non, petit. It's just you. Believe me on dis one. It's just you."
She kicked the door closed behind her.
"Pizza!"
The hallway filled rather quickly with a large and eclectic group of people, all reaching for the boxes.
"Jesus! Let me put them down at least before y'all jump in on me like this!"
One of the younger people grabbing for the boxes started to giggle. Anna set them down on a nearby table and turned to her.
"What's so funny, Marie?"
"You said y'all."
Anna thought a minute, then started to laugh herself. "Now that you mention it…"
A hand reached around her and grabbed one of the boxes.
"Am Ah startin' t' rub off on ya, Anna?"
"Something like that." Anna snatched the box back from Rogue and led the way into the rec. room, where they claimed the couch and television.
"What're we gonna watch today?" Marie grabbed a slice of pizza and
"It's Anna's night t' pick."
Someone vaulted over the couch and sat in between Rogue and Marie.
"So long as she don't pick anot'er of dose chick flicks, Remy'll be fine."
"Who even invited you, Swamp rat?"
"You wound me" He grabbed his chest and pretended to collapse, falling instead onto Marie's lap.
"Père, you're such a drama queen."
Remy straightened out and raised an eyebrow. "A drama queen?"
Rogue set down her beer. "She's right, ya know."
Anna nodded. "She hit you right on the head."
Remy turned to Anna. "You always side wit' her."
Anna shrugged. "So sue me."
Rogue turned on the TV and started to flip through the channels.
"If y'all can't decide what t' watch, Ah'm gonna pick."
There were three shouts of "No!"
"Rogue, Cherie… Remy loves you, he really does… but if he has to watch 'Miss Congeniality' one more time…"
"Seconded."
"Thirded."
"Then pick."
"How about Chocolat?"
"Remy said no chick flicks."
"That isn't a chick flick!"
"Why can't we just watch a good action movie? Somet'ing like 'Spiderman?'"
The girls looked at each other.
"Spiderman works."
"Yep, fahne by me."
"Cool."
"…really?"
"Yeah, really. Now go get it before we change our minds, ya big baby."
Remy smiled and darted out of the room, and Anna pulled a small box out from under her chair.
"So… Shrek?"
"You know it."
She grinned and stood up, popping the DVD into the television. By the time Remy had returned, the movie had already started.
"Dat was a trick, wasn't it?"
"Shh."
He rolled his eyes and went to take his place on the couch, but noticed that Anna had positioned herself there. Instead, he laid himself across the three women, resting his head on Rogue's lap.
"Bonjour."
"Ah'll give you 'bonjour'…" Before she could finish her threat, Anna and Marie both turned to her and shushed her.
"Hmph." She looked down at Remy, who was grinning up at her mischievously. She returned his grin with a halfhearted glare and turned her attention back to the movie.
"Papa, my leg is asleep." Marie shoved her dad as hard as she could, and his bottom half slid off of the couch. He let out another loud snore and Rogue looked down at his face.
"Ew…he's drooling all over mah pants."
Anna nearly choked on her beer, and Rogue shot her a look. "Don't. You. Start…"
Marie was confused. "What's funny?"
"Nothin'."
"I'll tell you when you're older, kiddo."
"I'm old! I'm eight! I want to know the joke!"
"It's nothing, Sugah. Your aunt Anna's just had a few too many beers, that's all."
"Have not!"
"Ah think maybe Ah should walk ya back to your room, Anna."
"As long as we stop in the danger room on the way."
"Oh, ya wanna fight, now?"
"Maybe."
Marie watched them back and forth, before standing up on the couch between them.
"Enough, you two."
She held out her hands, stopping them from getting any closer to each other. To her surprise, her mother blinked once and passed out.
"Uh…"
Anna hit herself in the head. She had forgotten to remind everyone that her powers would manifest soon. Marie sat down, looking at her hands. She picked up a pillow, and it started to glow pink. Anna noticed it and grabbed the pillow from Marie's hands, throwing it over the couch and pulling both Marie and Rogue to the floor.
"Cover your face!"
A/N: Oh, no! Explosions! Wait...sometimes we like explosions...let me know what you think. Review. :)