Author's Note: First off this is the sequel to Thing's Remembered. It is not necessary to read that one first to understand this one, but you might want to check it out anyways. Also I forgot to mention it in the last one. You will see Rogue thinking a lot in this story. I do not believe that people think in accents therefore I do not write like it either.

"The things you worry about today, are the tomorrows you worried about yesterday."

Now

I cry at night. Sometimes its the only thing that gets me to sleep.

Then

She is my daughter. I tell myself that daily. It is almost a reminder I think. She is beautiful. Any mother would be proud. Truely proud. Even her own mother.

Now

Today Joseph told me how much he cares about me. I told him I was sorry. He seemed surprised. I don't know why.

Then

"Rogue you ARE going to school!"

"No Ah'm not! Ah don't care what ya'll say Ah'm not goin'!" The girl stood there with a determined look upon her face.

"Well then I suppose that if you are not going to school you can help around the house." The girl looked immediately suspicious. Mystique smiled inwardly. "Yes we really could use your help today. Isn't that right Irene?" She looked over to her friend.

"Yes yes Raven we do need help. Also I was going to bake some cookies for when you got home from school Rogue. I guess that won't be necessary now will it?" The old woman's voice was smooth.

Rogue suddenly seemed to lose her will to argue. Mystique was startled by the sudden change in the girl, but did not show it. She waited for her daughter to talk. "Ah'm sorry, Momma." Mystique loved the sound of that one word being directed soley towards her. "Ya see its just that there is this boy at school. Well Ah just don't wanna go anymore."

Mystique chose her words carefully. She knew that children's feelings could be easily hurt. "Listen child I know that sometimes things can be difficult for you at school, but you must believe me when I say that school is completely necessary part of life. So therefore you must go."

Neither Rogue nor Irene looked overly convinced by Mystique's little speech. Actually Irene looked a whole lot less convinced.

"Momma why must Ah go if it makes me unhappy? That boy makes fun o' me every day! They all laugh at me and tell me how ugly Ah am!"

"Rogue if there is one thing you must learn in life it is that you must never run away from your problems. If this boy is causing you problems then you must confront him about it. Otherwise you will be miserable for the rest of your days."

"Ya mean that if Ah don't confront him now then he will make me miserable forevah?"

"No what I mean is that if you don't start confronting your problems now then you will continue to run away from them forever. I personally refuse to see my daughter take the easy way out. Now do you understand?"

The girl nodded her head vigorously. "Yes momma Ah do. Ah suppose that Ah will go to school today. Prehaps Ah'll even give that Cody a "what for"!"

Now

I had a longer talk with Joseph today. I cannot deny the attraction that I feel with him, but I do not love him. I know that I could. But I don't. My heart belongs to another. Joseph being the wonderful man that he is, said he understood. He even smiled. I have seen the traces of Magneto within him, but then again I never thought Magneto was all that bad...

Then

Raven watched her daughter come up the driveway. She carried upon her a blackeye and several scratches. She knew that in this case she need not even draw conclusions.

"So how did your confrontation with Cody go?"

The girl smiled from ear to ear. "Ah did what ya told me to momma! I stopped runnin' and started confrontin'!"

"Well I had actually hoped that you would talk it out with him, but I suppose that sometimes things must take their own course. Well who won?"

"Well Ah hate ta say it momma, but it was kinda a stalemate. Ah don't think either of us won. But ya wanna know the best part?"

Mystique smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm. "Yes I would love to know the best part."

"Cody says that he likes me now that I showed some courage. He said that we can be friends now. What do ya think o' that?"

"Well Rogue I think that sounds very nice. Why don't you come inside. Irene made cookies today."

Now

Jean, Storm, and Betsy invited me to go to lunch today. I couldn't think of a valid reason to decline so I went. I didn't regret it. I think sometimes we all get caught up in our own sorrow that we forget that our lives must go on. We get so busy worrying about tomorrow that we forget about today. I think I was reminded today that I am alive, and that is something to be grateful for.

Then

"Cody! Where are ya?"

"Here I am Rogue! Catch me if you can!"

Rogue turned to see the boy running away from her. She grinned and began to chase after him. They had quickly become fast friends after their last conflict, and now spent their after school times together.

"Cody you are gonna hafta run faster than that if ya want to escape me!" She was almost upon him.

Cody ran a bit faster. "Rogue you better hurry! We are almost there!"

Rogue saw she and Cody's favorite tree just ahead. Hanging from one of the top most branches was a long rope in which you could swing out into the river from. Rogue ran as fast as she could. Her lungs were burning at this point, but she has almost caught up to Cody. With a last attempt to catch him she let forth a burst of speed and managed to tackle her friend, therefore beating him in the game.

Now

Remy and I are having dinner. Something he cooked. Cajun. I smile. He always cooks Cajun food. No matter what the occasion. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter. It doesn't matter. His tastes are a bit too spicy for me, but I never complain. He does this with his whole heart, and how could I ever fault that? He is chattering away. I think he knows that I never listen to him when he does this, but he continues to talk about nothing anyways. I love him.

Then

"Cody Ah'm not sure if this is a good idea." Rogue looked at him with uncertainty.

"Look Rogue its not like we are doing anything wrong. Besides aren't you curious?"

"Well yes. Ah'm suppose." She lied.

"Well then lets do it. Besides I can't think of a girl I would rather let have my first kiss." With that the boy brought his face down and let his lips rest upon hers. It was the last physical action he would ever willingly make.

Now

Remy had a long talk with me tonight. He said that he loved me more than he ever loved anything in his whole life. He told me that his life would mean nothing without me, but he thought that he also did not deserve me. I never understood why he insists on sainting me. And once again he offered me his bare hand. This time for some reason I took it. I know what his secret is. I know why he is damned. Why he hates himself.

Why I hate him also.

Then

"Rogue dear are you ok?" Irene sat beside the girl, her voice filled with concern. Rogue was covered from head to toe in blood. She had nearly been beaten to death.

"Ah'm fine Irene. Where is momma?"

"She went out. She wanted to find the person who did this to you."

"What will she do to them?"

"That is not important Rogue. What is important is what happened to you. Won't you tell me?"

"Irene Ah thought you could look into the future and stuff. Didn't ya see this happening?" The girl's voice was little more than a whisper.

"Sometimes child fate chooses to make some paths unstoppable. In those cases I cannot see what is too happen for fate won't allow it."

"Ah guess ah understand. Cody's father came ta look for us. When he came he saw what Ah had done ta Cody, and got real angry. He thought Ah had killed him. Ah tried ta tell him different, but he wouldn't listen to me. He hit me until Ah couldn't think anymore..."

Mystique had walked in on her daughter's explanation. She had already guessed what had happened, but thought to hear more. "Rogue, my daughter, what happened to Cody?"

Rogue looked over to her mother and her body relaxed. Her momma would take care of the problem. She then let forth her explanation of what happened.

Now

He told me that he could never be sorry enough. His sin was the greatest of them all he thought. I agree. I hate him. I love him. When I tell him these things he says that he understands. He gets up to walk away, but first he looks at me and says that I hate the man he was and love the man he is now. Is there a difference?

Then

"Rogue you will survive. You must know that."

"Ah know momma, but Ah just don't feel the desire to."

"Rogue?"

"Yes Momma?" She looked up at Mystique expectantly.

"I love you."

Mystique looked down upon her daughter and wondered if she had done the right thing those four years ago. Should she have taken this girl in as her daughter? Let her grow as she has? She had no answers. But she did know that she loved this girl. And she hoped that with Rogue she could redeem her previous two failures. Mystique put her gloved hand on Rogue's forehead and kissed her own hand. No longer would this girl be able to touch a single living soul unless she learned how to control her powers. Mystique bid her daughter good night and left the room.

"Raven you cannot fault yourself for the things that have happened."

"Oh Irene, but if I could! How do I know that Rogue would not have had a better life without me?"

The old woman smiled. "Trust me Raven, you have it on good authority that Rogue's life has benefitted from knowing you."

Now

The Mutant Massacre. He is responsible for it. Oh Remy how could you I think to myself. How could you? I start to cry. Eventually I must have fallen asleep because I am awakened by Remy's soft touch. He says he is sorry. He asks me if I still love him. I can feel the tears fall down my face. I look at him though and I tell him what I feel. Besides I have found that nothing in this world can stop love...

The End

Well there it is. What do you think? Please E-Mail me at ShardNAtl with any responses. I would like to know if I should write another sequel. :)

Shard