Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. I guess now Disney does! Or is it still Marvel? Never mind! Please don't sue me…

What to expect: This is a 3 chapter story. The Antarctica episode happened. Fifteen years later, his daughter longs to finally meet him. Angst/ Romance / Drama

This is my second story. Tee hee! I wanted so badly to write something more angst charged, but couldn't possibly do that in my other story Into The Wild (the apple of my eye he he) so I'm releasing all the angst and drama in this one. I hope someone out there will enjoy reading it. I know it's a short one, but I'd appreciate it if you'd review anyway. Reviews make my day.

Chapter 1 – Birthday Party

One more year of her sad young life, another birthday party, same old story. Surrounded by mutants, some her own age, but most, were older than her: her mother and her friends who were also her tutors in the institution she lived in since she was born, she blew fifteen candles and smiled shyly. When in reality, what she felt like doing was crying. Her mother would pretend with a smile everything was just as it was supposed to be. But it was not. It had never been. He was missing, the father she knew existed. Despite everyone telling her he was dead, long gone, something inside told her, they were lies, or at least, uninformed assumptions.

Ever since she could remember, her mom would always have those sad eyes and distant gaze. She thought her mom was a pretty woman but the emptiness in her soul would steal some of her original grace. The beauty of her true smile was a privilege only her daughter knew and was reserved only for very few occasions. As much as they lived surrounded by people who genuinely loved and cared about both of them, Rogue still couldn't manage to smile at them. Something told the fifteen-year-old girl that was because they knew something she, in all her ingenuity, didn't. They knew why her mother was such an introspective person and understood her pain and respected her ways. She certainly had demons in her head, anyone who met Rogue could tell.

Though she knew her mother loved her deeply, she always seemed to be lost in her own thoughts and, therefore, her absence was hugely felt. It was like she was never there for her, because something else was tormenting her and, thus, preventing her from being the mother her daughter needed her to be.

A person of few words, she was. The few times they engaged in meaningful, heartfelt conversation, she would try and ask her about her father. 'Come on, Mom! You gotta tell me! Who is he? What's his name? Do I look like him? You gotta have a picture of him somewhere.' She remembered asking her once. The answer she got that time was her mom turning her back to her and sobbing heavily. That was evidence enough that whatever it was that made her mom so sad, it was related to her father. Consequently, related to her too. Once, a strange blue woman came visiting the mansion and gasped at seeing her.

"Oh My God! She has his eyes!"

She must have been nine years old when that happened, but she never forgot it. Those words kept ringing in her head. She had her father's eyes and she'd never seen anyone with eyes quite like hers. 'A unique mutation sign.' Dr. McCoy, or Uncle Hank, as he let her call him, once said. Not so unique, it seemed. Because her father had the same eyes, she knew it. 'Did Uncle Hank not know my father?' She pondered.

Having to deal with the early signs of her mutation was confusing and heart-wrenching for her as it was for any teenage mutant. But on top of it all, she still had to deal with the burden of having a zombie like mother and a ghost of a father. So many unanswered questions… But she was determined to get some answers today. 'Maybe in the light of my birthday, Auntie ´Ro will give me some insight.'

"Hey, Auntie." The girl approached the beautiful white-haired woman as they started the post-party clean up.

"What is it, Juliette? I know you very well to know that your mind was wondering somewhere else during the whole party."

"You're right, Auntie and I wanted to talk to you about that. And don't even try sending me off to my mom, I've tried talking to her about it several times and she didn't help me at all… Can we go somewhere quiet where people won't hear us?"

"Sure, child. Let's go to my room. Is it something about boys? I can definitely picture Rogue not being able to talk to you about that."

"I wish!"

When they got to Ororo's room, the young girl sat cross legged in the bed. Silent tears rolled down her angelic face. Her waist length straight brown hair covered most of her body now. When she lifted her gaze and stared into Ororo's eyes, it made her shiver. Her eyes were his eyes; remorse filled her whole being. How could they all have agreed to that? Particularly her whom he helped when she'd needed.

"Auntie, I'm crying… it's because of my father."

"Your father, child? What about him? Haven't we all told you a million times he's dead? So that's why your mom couldn't help you! I don't believe you keep pressing her with these questions. You are big enough to understand now."

"Understand? What is there for me to understand? I know nothing about him! You all never told me how he died. If he's dead, I want to visit his grave, then."

"His body was never found, dear."

"Mmm, finally some piece of information. No one had ever told me that. Auntie, something in my heart tells me he's out there somewhere. I want answers. I have gone through all my mom's stuff and never found any clue that would take me to him."

"Oh, Juliette, are you that obsessed about it? Why do you want to know things that would only cause you more anguish and pain? Some things are better left unsaid."

"I want to meet him, that's all. Is he such a bad person that wouldn't be happy to see his daughter?"

"Ok, I'm telling you what I know. There was a fall out between your father and the X-men in Antarctica. Your mom… she loved him… but she was so confused about what she'd learned about him that she left him there to die, as punishment, just like the rest of us. We all went along with that. When she came back to her senses, she went back to Antarctica and looked for him everywhere. She lived miserably for about two months wandering around, searching for him. She never found any trace of him there. She then went to New Orleans, where he's from, and looked for him there for a while, but then she learned she was pregnant with you and came back to the mansion."

"Wow! That's a lot of information, auntie. In a few minutes, you told me so much. How did you all manage not to tell me this for so many years?"

"I guess as a child you would not understand that."

"I still don't. Why would you leave him to die?" Storm didn't answer. "So he didn't know about me…"

"No, I believe he didn't. Rogue and him, they had a long on and off relationship. It was clear they loved each other ever since they met. But, remember how your mom couldn't touch you until you were about seven, eight years old? She couldn't control her powers. So, they only consummated their love a month before Antarctica. They were off on a mission and they were rendered powerless for a few days and that's when they conceived you."

"Oh! This is so sad. Poor mom…"

"That's precisely why I shouldn't be telling you any of this."

"I know she probably made you all swear to God you wouldn't be telling me this, auntie. I really appreciate that you did so. Thank you. Thank you so much. But can I ask you one last question? Pleeease!"

Storm hesitated for a while, but the girl's pleading eyes simply wouldn't let her refuse to attend to her supplication. "OK."

"What's my father's name?"

"Le Beau, Remy Le Beau. He's a Cajun… was always speaking French words mixed up with his accented English. That's why your mom gave you a French name."

"Thanks, auntie." She kissed Storm sweetly on her cheek and ran out of her room.

That was more than she could have hoped for. She now had some information that could eventually lead her to her father.

'Remy, his name was Remy.' She thought happily. "I won't rest until I find you, Mr. Le Beau!" She whispered to herself.