"It's just so romantic!" Anna-Marie smiled as her Tante Merci handed her mother's letter over to Tante Mattie who was busily knitting for the baby growing in her aunt's gigantic belly. They both sat in rocking chairs on the back gallerie of the Lebeau home enjoying the spring sunshine, "I've always said something happened up there to Remy."
Mattie snorted and started another row, "Dere ain't a ting wrong wit a boy leavin an havin a man come home in his shoes. Now you go fetch Tante Matte's spectacles pischouette. "
Hopping up Anna-Marie was more than happy to comply; when she came back she sank down to Mattie's feet while the old woman read the letter. Occasionally she'd let out a snort or a small chuckle letting Anna-Marie and Merci know where in the letter she was. Feeling impatient Anna-Marie stood again and paced over to Merci's rocking chair where the tiny blonde woman had both her hands over her massive girth while rocking. Wordlessly she drew Anna-Marie's hand to hold it over the baby within; both smiled when the baby kicked.
In her dreams when Anna-Marie pictured her mother she always made her look more like Merci; no one in the world was more mother like than her tiny, blonde aunt. She always had a smile ready for Anna-Marie and her own son Tee-Jean who was only three months older than Anna. Unlike other adults she was also eager to get on her hands and knees to play-when she wasn't a 'beached whale' as she put it. Secretly, Anna-Marie thought having a baby made her Tante even more beautiful.
"Well Honeychile," Mattie set down her glasses and the letter, "It seem dat we got ourselves a quest here."
Both Anna-Marie and Merci clapped their hands together with glee; it was no secret amongst the Lebeau women that they thought it was high time Remy remarried. "Oh Tante Mattie…Where should we begin?" Merci was grinning like a small child.
"First tings first hein?" The old woman's mahogany face twisted into a smile, "We gots to be sure de Rogue still works with Xavier non?"
"How we gonna do dat?" Anna-Marie frowned looking to the adults for guidance.
She was startled when an evil look flitted across her Tante Merci's angelic face looking completely out of place. "Wanda. De Scarlet Witch will know."
Anna-Marie couldn't hold back her excitement and jumped up and down; of all of her father's friends she adored Wanda and John the most. Especially since John would make little fire puppet shows for her; Anna-Marie supposed she should be too old for things like that but John was AGES older and he enjoyed it all as much as she did.
"Oooh…Can I talk to Tante Wanda?" Anna-Marie pouted.
Laughing Merci nodded, "I can't see why not pischouette."
Tapping his fingers on his desk Remy couldn't believe he was doing what he was about to do. Long ago when he'd married Bella he'd made himself a promise; he'd broken it only once after she'd died eight years ago and here he was getting ready to do it again. He was going to ask about Rogue. Sure, over the years he'd stayed in very close contact with both John and Piotr; they'd been through the hell that had been working for Magneto together. It was a bond stronger than anything else. For the most part though Remy had fallen off the face of the world to the people he'd known in Bayville.
He kept telling himself it was for the best any way. His life in New Orleans was full between his duties to the Guild and raising Anna-Marie. There really wasn't a lot of time for idle chatter. Or regrets.
Of the two the best to pump for information was always John; the firebug never realized what you were really getting at unless you spelled it out in big fiery letters. It didn't hurt that John was still dating Wanda. The Scarlet Witch had always been one of Rogue's few real friends. They had bonded over having evil megalomaniac super villains for parents. And again…unlike Piotr there would be no inquisition over why he wanted to know how Rogue was doing. For the strong silent type the Russian liked to ask far too many prying questions for Remy's taste.
Picking up the phone Remy dialled the phone number he'd been given and forced to memorize. He tensed as the phone rang.
"This is the Avengers, Pyro speaking;" John's heavy Aussie accent hadn't changed, "For saving the world press one…for super powered kitty cats stuck in trees…"
"You saving a lot of chatons mon ami?" Remy couldn't help smirking.
A chuckle floated over the line, "Well mate superheroing isn't what it used to be I'll have you know."
"Desole mon brave," Remy smirked and sat back in his chair, "Mebbe dat's cause you work for de government now? Remy told you bein de Man would get borin."
"Oy! Thanks Da." The sarcasm in his friend's voice clearly evident, "Speakin of how was the little bit's birthday?"
"Same as every other year," Remy sighed remembering having to corral a group of twenty sugar laden eight year olds with a shudder.
Again John laughed, "And we always thought you were fearless mate."
"Just you wait til Wanda starts having bébés den we see who be laughing Johnny Boy." Remy tried not to growl."
"She says I'm enough to take care of." John's tone was light, "Sides she won't even let me make an honest Sheila of her…says marriage is another way for men to control women and that if we're truly partners then we don't need that kind of convention."
Remy couldn't help but smile; John's repeated attempts to get his girlfriend to marry him had always been a source of mirth for the Thieves of New Orleans. "Dieu help men qui aimer des stubborn filles."
"You can say that again Mate."
It was too easy and the only reason Remy didn't fall into it was that John would never let him live it down. "Speakin' of de stubborn filles…how de X-Ladies doin?"
"Mate." John's voice got serious, "You said you didn't want to know."
"Remy changed his mind hein."
A sigh echoed over the line sounding like John was rubbing his hands over his face, "Wanda says she's doing fine. Old Baldy helped her out with that Carol thing…she's even leading the second team now."
"She happy?"
Silence answered making Remy feel just a little nervous, "John. Remy just wants to know de fille is happy. Remy knows she don want nothing ta do wit him no more."
"She's getting married Mate."
The phone dropped from Remy's hand.
Giggling and feeling a little nervous Anna-Marie took the phone from Tante Mattie with trembling hands. They'd tried to call Wanda Maximoff but the line had been busy. This was Merci's other idea. Just call the Xavier Institute and ask for Rogue. It was pretty easy actually.
The dial tone greeted Anna-Marie's ears as Tante Mattie plugged in the phone number she'd found in an old letter from Remy. The little girl hopped as the phone started ringing.
"Xavier's School for tha Gifted," A rich voice with a smooth Mississippi accent flowed over the line.
Screwing up her courage Anna-Marie spoke up, "Kin I speak ta Rogue?"
Laughter drifted over Anna-Marie making her feel warm and safe but making the butterflies in her stomach act up. "Ya'll are talkin' ta her Shug? What kin I do for ya?"
No sooner were the words out of the woman's mouth but Anna-Marie noticed something wrong with her hand cradling the phone. She'd seen her Papa use his powers enough to recognize the fuchsia glow emitting from them-so had Tante Mattie. The older woman slammed the phone down but the glow came from a small ball of energy making it's way out of Anna-Marie's hand. Heart racing the little girl did the only thing she could think of.
Tossing the ball out of her hand Anna-Marie let Tante Mattie wrestle her to the ground as it exploded leaving a hole in the wall it had pinged off of.
Looking at the phone gone dead in her hand Rogue shook her head; it's not as if crank callers were a rare occurrence for Xavier's. It just wasn't often she was asked for by name by someone who sounded so…young. "They're starting this whole nasty business younger and younger."
"What nasty business?" A deep voice called from behind her as arms slipped around her waist.
Leaning back Rogue rested her head against the man's chest and let him hold her trying to wipe the sadness from her face. "All this ruckus about hating mutants. I ain't ever been pranked by an eight year old before."
"Well the Professor is aiming to eliminate those boundaries," She could feel him smiling as he placed a kiss on the top of her head through her hair, "Maybe in time for our children there will be peace."
Ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the idea Rogue forced a smile to her lips as she turned to the man holding her. "Ah hope so Joseph. Ah really do."
pischouette - little one...runt the female version.
And now the shout outs!
Gul-Z : Yeah...KKHH really does lend itself well to something like this. I'm surprised there aren't more rips from Bollywood...Of course what do I know I'm just a crazy Bhangra dancing white girl with a tandoori soul. Glad you liked though the others can tell you don't get too used to me giving you what you want. I tend to be evil.
Ishy : It isn't that odd. Really. And it never stopped you before...you used to always say 'quick like a bunny on Krac' to me. sniff It's as if you don't love me any more. Never doubt the powers of an eight year old on a mission. Kids really are evil you know. And this one's got superpowers now...You do know that you couldn't have ignored this...It's the return of Krac. It's a reason to celebrate...and now you're all legal and can join in my drunken frolicks. Ahhh...fun times. I'm moving away from the plot of the movie a bit because there are some things that only work for Bollywood...other than the songs and sari changes. Hope you liked...don't stone me for introducing the clone.
The Rogue Cajun: Hehehe...I comply to your wishes...yet another chapter up and running.