One
Throwing off her blankets Anna-Marie bounded out of bed the minute she felt the sun peaking through the curtains. Not bothering to make it she rushed to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth and washed her face. A little bit of water smoothed down her auburn waves before she quickly threw on her favorite pair of jeans and a Hello Kitty t-shirt. No matter how hard she tried to reign in her excitement she failed. Most eight year olds were excited about their birthdays but little Anna-Marie Lebeau had even more reason.
This year she'd get to read the last of the eight letters her mother had left her before she died. Anna-Marie hadn't really felt any lack growing up without the pretty blonde woman from the pictures her daddy and Grand-pere Marius showed her. She had her Papa, Tante Mattie, both Grand-pere's, Tante Merci and her 'Oncles' Lapin and Henri, she even had her cousin Tee Jean. Other kids just had a Mommy and Daddy-Marie felt sorry for them. Her family was big and loud but loved her very much.
Ready to face the day Anna-Marie's red and black eyes glowed as she caught sight of the pale envelope left on the stand next to her bed. Jumping on it she sat cross-legged on her bed and opened it as carefully as her tiny hands would allow. Her heart caught as she spread out the sheets with the familiar writing of a woman she had never met.
Ma Chére Marie,
Today you are eight years old; I can almost see it now. Your hair must have gotten darker to match your father's, after all you have his eyes. I know that while I'm in heaven I can brag that I have the prettiest little girl any maman could ask for. Je t'aime.
I know that by now you are getting too old for such small compliments but I do wish I could have seen you grow into a little lady. So it is as a lady that I talk to you today on your eighth birthday. Woman to woman.
It will be hard for you to understand but I never really loved your father-and I know that he didn't really love me. You're old enough now to realize that the Guilds have been fighting since the day they set foot in New Orleans. Eventually your Grand-pere's got sick of the fighting and to seal the peace agreed that I would marry your Papa. They never asked us.
Anna-Marie sighed knowing all too well from Tante Mattie and Lapin the history behind her parents marriage of convince. She found it all terribly romantic but was secretly happy her Papa would never force her to marry anyone. He loved her too much to let her go.
Your Papa did everything he could to rebel against the match even if at the time he and I were in love. He hated being told he had to do something. He even left New Orleans over it and went up north. For a while he worked for a bad man named Magneto; but soon he left and joined a team called the X-Men. You've probably heard of them by now Chere, they're those mutants up north who help protect and train others the world over. Bet you're surprised to know that your Papa was one of them before you were born.
I went up there once and met them all; quite the bunch but nothing compared to the Lebeau's. While I was there I discovered something. Your father had fallen in love with a girl up there. One of his teammates who's mutant powers prevented her from touching anyone else with her bare skin. She called herself Rogue, but I found out later her real name was Anna-Marie. I named you after her knowing that your father would love you as much as he once loved her.
I'm afraid that it's all my fault that they didn't get their happy ending. By this time the war was getting out of hand with my older brother Julian and your father's cousin Etienne being killed in the fighting. I talked your father in honoring the peace agreement to save the others. To do this though meant that he had to break his Rogue's heart even though they had never claimed to be more than just friends. I knew differently though, every time they looked at each other you could see it in their eyes. They were madly in love with each other.
Now that I'm gone I have a big girl favor for you do to for me Chére. I want you to find Rogue and bring her back into your father's life. He deserves some happiness and you deserve a mother who would love you. I think Rogue is just what both of you need. Bring love back into your father's life for me. Bring back his Rogue.
Anna-Marie was wiping tears from her eyes when she flipped the last page over to find an address in Bayville New York for a Xavier's Institute for Gifted Children. Impulsively she jumped from her bed to show the letter to Tante Mattie; the old housekeeper would know exactly what to do.
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
"Non Lapin," Remy's jaw tightened looking at his redheaded cousin as the young man tried to pull a watered down version of Anna-Marie's puppy dog eyes, "Remy don tink dat givin an eight year old an air rifle is a wise idea."
Emil got down on his knees in front of his older cousin and tugged the ends of his trench coat, "Remy! You know dat de Squirt will love it."
"Dat's de problem Lapin." Remy wished he could keep the laughter from his voice, "Ma Chére would have too much fun wit it. Remy don want to have to talk to Monsieur Gagnon at de school again."
The red head's face melted in understanding; after all M. Gagnon had been their principal in grade school as well. The elderly man really had a thing for the young Lebeaus he was assigned to care for; he seemed to think that they would be as much trouble as their parents had been. So far cousins Anna-Marie and Tee Jean were angels compared to Remy and Henri. "I don understand dat man Remy," Emil shook his head, "He only got two Lebeau dis time around…he acts as if all nine of us were there."
"Dat's because de pauvre homme never fully recovered from dat experience," The rich bass of Tante Mattie's voice rang out as she passed the cousins. "De lot of you 'most drove him to de mad house. Now you Lapin don you go tinking you can give my bébé fille dat rifle. You get back out dere and find de fille a real cadeau."
Grumbling Lapin knew better than to try and argue with Tante Mattie; he wouldn't have been surprised if she pulled him over her large lap to use a switch on-even if he was twenty-one years old now. His beaten puppy face brightened as he caught sight of a small auburn head making its way down the stairs. As Anna-Marie came into sigh Lapin made it a point ot grasp his heart in mock agony.
"Merde Remy…Where'd dis beautiful young woman come from?" Lapin asked his cousin.
"Oncle Lapin!" Anna-Marie scolded as she came to the bottom of the stairs, "Tu est fou! It's just me."
"Oh Anna-Marie," He gasped with shock, "You sure dat's you honeychile? You look so different."
Her small face serious but her red and black eyes dancing Anna-Marie looked at her Oncle and smiled. "Dat's cause when I went to bed I was only sept ans…now je suis huit!"
"Dat's de difference?" He grinned, "You getting old like Papa and Oncle Lapin…" he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Vielle comme Tante Mattie?"
"I heard dat Emil Thierry Serge Dominic Passé Lebeau." Tante Mattie put her large hands on her larger hips and glared at him, "One of dese days I'm gonna pass you a slap."
As Lapin and Mattie argued Anna-Marie took the opportunity to run to her father and wrap her arms around his legs. He grinned down at her before sinking to his knees to pick her up. Even if she was a big girl Anna-Marie wasn't going to argue; she loved letting her Papa hold her.
"Bonne aniversaire Chére," he whispered in her ear.
"Merci Papa."
"You read your Maman's letter?" Remy set his daughter down and felt that familiar tug around his heart he always felt on her birthday.
She nodded her reddish curls flying around her face making her look like and angel despite her devil's eyes. Anna-Marie had wanted to wait but she couldn't resist at least finding out from her father if the letter was true. "Maman told me about who she named me for."
Silence fell on the normally cheery group-even Lapin grew serious. Remy had to force himself to breath and to not curse Bella; it was never wise to speak ill of the dead. Amongst all the turmoil Anna-Marie seemed oblivious, "Papa why din you tell me you were an X-Man? What was it like?"
Jaw clenching Remy looked down at the little girl who looked so much like him; "Papa wanted to wait until you were old enough to know Chére. Why don you go get some breakfast hein? Tante Mattie made you biscuits and gravy."
As if by silent agreement Mattie ushered Anna-Marie to the kitchen to eat. Sighing Remy ran a hand through his thick hair pushing it from his eyes. "Why'd you go and do a thing like dis Belle?" He wondered to the heavens above.