Disclaimer: Every thing in this story that you recognize belongs to 
Marvel unless of course it belongs to me. What a novel concept huh?

  Well here we go again. I know that I should be working on Ties That 
Bind, but I hit a slight snag. So I came up with this little ditty. I have 
never written anything like this before and I hope that you enjoy it. You 
can send all your comments and what not to me at: 
admiraldraala@hotmail.com

A Daughter's Love

  Jean thought that it would be a good idea if I spilled my guts in a note 
or journal or something. I thought that the idea was stupid at first, but 
as I thought about it, it was a good idea. So here I am writing down all 
of my thoughts and feelings. I am not very good at this sort of thing. 
Sure I will tell some one what I am thinking or feeling if they ask, but to 
volunteer that information is something else entirely. Dad and Logan 
always told me that I should never offer up any information that is not 
important. 
  I guess that it would be a good idea if I started that the beginning. 
Mom and Dad were both X-Men. Dad always told me that they fell in 
love in the Spring, and it was love at first sight. Who could picture my 
dad as a romantic? Dad was getting over someone else when mom 
joined the X-Men. They were married on the cliffs that over look the 
lake here on the estate. It was in the Fall when all of the leaves were just 
turning colour and Storm made sure that the weather was perfect.
  I was born about two years later. I never knew my mom. She got sick 
when she was pregnant with me. Beast told me that it was the Legacy 
Virus that killed her. She managed to hang on until I was born. She died 
not even a day later. They were all worried that I would have LV, but I 
came out clean. Amazingly though I was the one that helped to find a 
cure for the virus. Apparently I developed anti-bodies and was able to 
fight off the disease. I guess mom did some good.
  Don't get me wrong I had a happy childhood. I had plenty of people 
to play with and they spoiled me rotten. I went to bed listening to 
stories about my mom. Everyone says that I look like her. Funny I 
always thought that I look more like dad. 
  Josh was always my best friend. He is Scott and Jean's oldest and he 
is only a month older than me. There are other kids too, it's just that 
Josh and me are the oldest and we tend to stick together. I don't know 
what I would do with out Josh. It's funny how things tend to change 
when you get older. Josh wants our relationship to move forward and I 
am not denying that I don't want it to. I just think that it would be 
funny, me becoming a Summers. What would you think about that 
dad?
  I used to call every one here aunt this and uncle that. As I got older I 
just started calling them by their first names. Even the Prof. who I used 
to call grandpa, I changed to Professor X. He died not that long ago. I 
think Scott took it the hardest, we all still miss him though. The X-Men, 
since I was little, was associated with life, now it seems more like death 
to me. I think that is why I tried to distance myself from everything.
  Every thing used to be so easy, when did it become so difficult. I 
remember when I was younger, life seemed so bright and beautiful. 
Now it is dark and ugly. Why do things have to change so much? I do 
understand that nothing can stay the same, that change is need and 
even wanted at times. I just wish that for a tiny instant I could be six or 
seven again.
  For me those were happy times. I went to school, dad would take me 
or one of my 'aunts' or 'uncles'. I loved it when I went on the back of a 
motorcycle. The other kids at school would be so jealous. I know that I 
didn't have a mother and I would get teased, but I didn't care I had dad 
and the next best thing to a mother, Ororo. I love her dearly. I could talk 
to her about anything and everything. Don't get me wrong, I do miss 
my mom even though I never met her. Through stories that I was told I 
feel like I know her, truly know her. 
  Dad was always great. He would let me crawl in bed with him to 
sleep if I was scared. He would tell me the greatest stories of places that 
he has been. My favourites were the ones of what he was like at my 
age. He would take me places and always tell me that he loved me and 
he would never leave me. He was my only parent and I loved him like a 
daughter should. I can remember sitting out under the stars with him 
and he would point out the star that was my mom. I would sit in my 
room before I went to bed and talk to it like I was really talking to my 
mom. It gave me comfort that she was looking out for me.
  I am alone now, truly alone and I am scared dad. I know that I will 
always have the family here, the X-Men, but it isn't the same. Ororo 
told me that you wanted her to look out for me. You died in battle 
almost a week ago. You were placed beside mom, on the same cliff that 
you were married on. I am happy that the two of you are together again. 
I just wish that I was there when you died, so I could have said good 
bye to you.
  I still think that I have more of you in me than mom. In that sense I 
will never be without you. I not only have your powers, but your looks 
as well. The attitude and everything that went with it is here to, much to 
Scott's dismay. I have also taken your code name, so I can keep one 
more piece of you alive. I don't think that the X-Men would be the 
same with out a Gambit. 
  I will always be the star that brightened your life. I will love you 
always, papa.

Renee Etoile LeBeau

XXXXXXXXXXXXX
The End