A/N: So im sorry its taking me so long to get these chapters to you its busy in my world at the moment! I hope you enjoy this next chapter please review and tell me what you think.
Nixy
xxxxx
Sorry Ever After
Chapter 6
It was about four in the afternoon by the time Sue settled down in the lab. After dressing and being force fed by Ben she spent the majority of the early afternoon with her head down a toilet. After showering again and changing again she had finally slumped into the large leather chair and pulled herself to a computer.
The blur of the television in the front room played in the background and Sue found herself subconsciously listening to Johnny's stupid T.V show as she worked.
The small sample of armor still rested on the side from the last test Johnny had ran and carelessly left outside of a container. She sighed pushing herself away from the work top and lifting her glasses to rest on top of her head. When Johnny had first brought the sample back it looked like nothing but a half melted piece of thick tin. It was cold and smooth under her finger tips. She glanced around the lab looking for a container until her fingers ran over a small dent in the metal. She glanced down, her blue eyes squinting at the dark silver colored sample. She pushed her glasses back down to the bridge of her nose and brought the metal closer to her face. It looked like some kind of engraving that had been half melted. She silently cursed Johnny and his higher body temperatures.
Looking around the lab she caught sight of Reed's microscope and practically ran towards it. Her breath was shaky as she placed the metal underneath the glass and pressed her eye to it. It took her seconds to get the view into focus and study it. She changed lenses, magnifying the image even more. She exhaled loudly through her nose, her eyes growing wide as she took in the engraving. It was in Roman text the letters V and O were visible before the shiny metal turned into cooled melted material.
She exhaled, straightening herself and carefully picking up the metal from under the microscope. She could hear Johnny constantly changing the channel from the living down the hall. She looked around the empty lab for a moment before turning on her heal and heading to find her brother.
"So it looks like it has been a very lonely five weeks for our Invisible Woman Susan Storm as word on her fiancée's disappearance still remains a mystery. Police are becoming restless in their search for Mr. Fantastic as it boarders on five weeks with still no suspects and no evidence."
Sue paused at the sound of the news reader's voice, anger coiling in her stomach as she came face to face with the T.V screen. Johnny was no where in sight, the sofa still dented from where he had been sitting.
"It seems it may be up to the remaining Fantastic team to find their lost comrade but it looks like it could be a while before any one finds a lead."
Sue stood frozen in the doorway of the living room, her large eyes glued to the television set. Despite herself she listened, fresh tears pricking the corners of her eyes. She never had been able to ignore day time news since the Fantastic Four ha become the hot topic of the century. She looked around the empty living room wondering where Reed was to switch off the T.V for her. The remote control was no where in sight and the news reader's voice seemed to fill the small room. Her knuckles tightened on the small, only piece of evidence she had and a new sense of determination seemed to wash over her. Her mind raced with rage at the thought of families sitting at home listening intently to the blonde woman on the screen, pitying and sympathizing for her, it was almost embarrassing. The fact that every person in the city knew her business and her pain almost turned her fair cheeks pink with anger.
She couldn't seem to maneuver herself to turn the television off, her bare feet glued to her spot on the cream carpet. Her ears filled with the woman's voice who kept talking about the lack of evidence on Reeds case and how hope was dimming and that the citizens should pray and then next on would be an intense look on the Invisible Woman's fashion clips.
The tears spilled down onto her cheeks, her wrist gripped so tightly around the shard of metal that its edges cut into her palm. Suddenly all she saw was red. She was so angry with this woman and with the rest of the city. Mr. Fantastic who risked his life on a daily basis to save all their sorry asses and all they were doing was sitting on their back sides wondering if he was ever coming back. She didn't feel herself pick up the large china vase from the small coffee table beside the door way and she didn't see herself launch it with new found strength at the television set. Suddenly all that filled her ears was the loud smash as the vase collided with the television screen and the fizz of electricity as the screen crippled into broken glass.
Footsteps sounded from the direction of the kitchen and suddenly Ben and Johnny appeared beside her. The two men looked gob smacked at the mess at the end of the living room and at Sue who stood silent and not blinking beside them.
"What happened to the T.V?" Johnny screeched running towards it, his eyes taking in the broken glass and china. The batch of sunflowers that once occupies the vase lay scattered around the television in a pool of cold water. He looked up at his sister and Ben, his face almost in mourning.
"Why'd you break the T.V?" Johnny pressed again not taking in Sue's tear stained face or her watery eyes.
"I'm sorry Johnny, have I made you miss your favorite T.V show?" Sue spat, her voice going up a semi tone.
"Susie" Ben began placing a hand on her shoulder. Sue jumped out of his touch, whipping around to face her friend.
"What? Do you two not realize that Reed is missing? Cause the rest of Manhattan all do. Am I the only one who cares about finding him?" she yelled turning to her brother again who was bent in front of the television trying to see the extent of the damage.
"Relax Johnny; fly down the store an buy a new one!" She spoke at normal level this time, her voice filled with distain. Her eyes filled with anger as she watched her brother creep around the broken glass looking upset for his loss.
"And while you're at it see if their hiding Reed down there too!" she yelled as she stormed out of the living room.
The two men stood in silence, both wide eyed and open mouthed.
"Why have you gotta be so insensitive!" Ben scolded the younger member of his team. Johnny shrugged standing straight.
"What?" he asked. He fully appreciated Sue being emotional because of Reed and though he didn't want to admit it, he missed Reed a lot too but he didn't understand why the T.V had become a victim of his sister's temper.
The breeze was cold against her face as she walked briskly down the streets of New York. With no particular destination, Sue flew across the roads with her head down. Fading in and out of visibility, she kept her distance from other people, trying not to draw attention to herself.
Over head the sky was gray with endless, dark cloud blanked over a once warm blue sky. A single tear dropped onto her cheek as she walked, the cold wind not helping with her watery eyes. She wiped it away annoyingly, folding her arms over her chest to try and conserve some body heat. She hadn't realized it was going to be this cold out side or she would have made sure she had a jacket when she did her dramatic exit.
Thinking about it now, she felt foolish about what she had done. She had broken her and Reed's engagement present from one of Reeds distant relatives and broken the only entertainment source for Johnny. The vase she could get away with but with no T.V Johnny was going to be on her case all the time. She suddenly wondered when she was going to lose this mother role she had adopted. She hated having time to think after an out burst like that. She had never really been as dramatic as to break anything before or rather launch an exceptionally heavy vase all the way across a room. Instead of stewing and getting even angrier, she felt sorry and slightly stupid. This walk would usually be followed by a sheepish entrance and a quiet apology.
With people walking passed her and not stopping to look and cars driving passed without sounding their horns, Sue wondered if she was invisible or not. It seemed when she was only in a baggy mans jumper and jeans with her hair lazily pulled back into a messy pony tail people didn't seem to take much notice.
A few more meters down the pathway and she came to a large greenery with a small park in the centre. Due to the cold, dark weather it was empty. It didn't take her long to trek across the grass and set up camp on a swing. With her feet still firmly on the black rubble she pushed herself back and forth.
Opening up her palm she found that she had still been keeping the small shard of metal at death drip. Tiny clumps of dried blood fell from its sharp edges as she lifted it to her eye. This was her only thing to go on. She had to find out what the rest of the embossed writing was. She looked down at her hand and down at the small cuts on her hand which had already started to scab over.
"Vo…" she read as she took on last glance at the metal before slipping it in her jean pocket.
"What the hell does Vo mean?" she asked aloud. A gust of wind blew hard across the park causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. She swallowed slowly feeling suddenly creeped out. The low breeze almost howled through the swing chains, the vacant swing beside her slowly swaying in the wind.
Sue looked around the empty park wondering how far she had walked. Not that far at all but she hadn't realized how creepy this park was.
Another cold wind blew, wrapping her body in its harsh breeze. She shivered wrapping her arms around herself.
"Sue…"
She wasn't even sure if she had heard correctly as the sound of her name seemed to be carried by the loud wind.
"Susan…"
Sue laughed nervously wondering if she had finally crossed the line into complete insanity. She had always joked that Reed was the only thing that kept her sane but she had never actually imagined it to be true. Well not completely anyway.
Was she totally crazy to admit to herself that the weak whisper of her name sounded just like the voice in her bathroom?
"Sue"
She gasped, her name ringing loud and clear in her ears this time. Her head whipped around automatically towards his voice. Her mouth remained open, her eyes wide and not blinking. Her grip tightened around the chains of her swing, her feet slamming on the rubble forcing herself to a halt on her swing.
"Reed…" her voice was horse, partly out of fear and disbelief. The frail silhouette of her fiancée now occupied the swing next to hers. He sat slumped, his back curved as he hunched forward slightly, his skin pale.
"Susie…" he spoke, his voice sounding like something out of a 80s horror movie.
A hand flew over her mouth in shock and her eyes once again filled with tears.
"Oh my God, Reed" she whispered, her voice breaking through her tears. He weakly clung onto the chairs, his eyes looking at her from behind half closed eye lids. Still in his blue uniform, Sue could see his chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. Though his pants were weak, it sounded as if he was almost out of breath.
Sue could not longer feel the wind, the rest of her surroundings seemed to gray out around her.
"Help me" it sounded more like a demand rather then a cry for help. Sue swallowed; her mouth had suddenly gone very dry.
"I'm trying" she began, her voice at an unusually high pitch. "I miss you so much."
Reed weakly shook his head, his eyes averting to the black rubble at his feet.
"I'm running out of time" he breathed quietly. Sue found herself leaning forward slightly to hear his words better.
"What do you mean? Where are you?" a new wave of panic rising inside of her.
"Susie" he whispered, his neck straightening and his brown eyes locking with hers once more. He lent sideward on his swing, pushing himself closer to her and stretching out an arm.
His fingers were ice cold on her cheek, but Sue didn't care. Her heart beat loudly against her ribs, adrenaline surging through her. She let out a shaky breath as she lent into his touch.
"Find me, Sue" he begged quietly.
"Tell me where you are." She pressed again reaching up and resting her hand over his.
"Please Susie…" he said pulling his hand away. Sue watched as a single tear rolled down his pale cheek. It was as if he wasn't hearing her.
"I'm trying Reed but I need help. Please help me, tell me where you are." She pleaded her voice breaking as another batch of fresh tears began to blur her vision.
"Please Reed, I'm scared. I can't do it by myself." She cried quietly. She cried at his lack of response to her words. Her body ached to hold him, but his physique looked as if it would break under the slightest bit of pressure. She wanted him to help her. She had been trying for over a month and not it appeared that she was running out of time.
"Love you" he said his dark eyes locking with hers, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
She nodded silently, her tears falling freely down her face. She could feel the wind again.
"Just wait" he said quietly, his arm stretching forward as he pointed to something in the park. She sniffed, her eyes following his finger to a trash can bolted to the floor in the middle of the park.
Her name echoed through the wind again and by the time her eyes had flown back to the swing, he was gone. Color came back into her surroundings and suddenly all she heard was the wind. Looking back at where Reed had been pointing she wiped her face with her sleeve.
Had he really just been sitting there talking to her? There was definitely no one around to mistake it for. The rustling of paper drew her attention back towards the trash can. An old sheet of news paper was caught in the breeze, colliding with the side of the bin before flying towards her. With shaking hands, she caught the paper and opened the single sheet up. Her brow lowered as her eyes took in a photo of Victor before the storm, the head line reading 'Von Doom to go into Space'. Sue looked blankly at the page for several moments wondering if this was what Reed was pointing at and if so what the hell did it mean. Then something caught her eye. In the back ground of the black and white photograph was Victors name embossed into one of his large chairs. She gasped as she thumbled around into her jean pocket and pulling out the small shard of armor. Holding it against the photo she compared the two letters on the metal to the decoration on the chair in the picture.
"Miss?"
The forgien voice startled her, she didnt think any one was around. She looked up from her seat on the swing at the officer. He wore a black uniform with a black bullet proof waist coat and shiney black shoes.
"Is everything ok Miss?" he asked coming to stand in front of her, his hands resting on his hips. Sue bit her lower lip, suddenly very conscious of the tear stains on her cheeks. She looked the officer up and down, allowing a moments silence to pass between them. Slowly she nodded metting his eyes again.
"You were er... talking to some one?" he asked looking around the park in sign of a second person. He scratched the back of his head, breathing out a sigh before looking at Sue.
She cleared her throat and hook her head. The man standing before her had a worried expression written across his face.
"No, i wasnt talking to any one." she lied quietly. Her eyes widened in worry as the officer croutched down in front of her, his face only inches away from hers.
"You crying Miss?" He asked gently. Sue studied his face, wided eyed before shaking her head again. She wiped her face with her fingers and tightened her pony tail.
"Erm..." she began with a shaky voice. "Can you take me home?" she asked locking her blue eyes with his dark ones. the officer studied her face for a moment, taking in her swollen, red eyes, her pink, damp cheeks, her red tipped nose and her matted hair before nodding slowly. straightening to his full height, he held out a hand to sue which she took. He put his arm around her shoulders as be began to walk her out of the park.
Sue clutched the news paper tighter in her hand and allowed the officer to walk her to his car. She had to get home.
A/N: Woo thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this, looks like Susie has found the only lead in New York!!
Please Review!!