Disclaimer: I do not own Fantastic Four. The names, movies, likenesses, etc., etc., are the property of Marvel and 20th Century Fox. I am not making any profit by writing this although I wish I did.

Meant to Be

Chapter 12-Uncertainty

As the wedding of the century drew nearer, it started to become a topic that virtually every single media outlet covered. There was always an article about it in the front page of the newspapers. There was always a story about it in countless magazines. A sizable proportion of the news broadcasts on television talked about it. Radio shows couldn't help but talk about it. Of course, it was all over the internet too.

Reed, Ben, and Sue were at the kitchen table eating breakfast on a Saturday morning. Johnny wasn't up yet. He had a penchant for sleeping in no matter what day of the week it was. However, Reed, Ben, and Sue had noticed a marked improvement in the young man's mood as of late. They weren't sure what exactly had transpired, but they weren't about to ruin a good thing by bringing it up. It would probably be in the best interest of everyone to leave it alone lest Johnny should slip back into a bad mood again.

"Reed, are you done with the front page of the newspaper? I'd like to see it," Sue said.

With a speed nobody knew Reed possessed, he folded the front page of the paper so that it was hidden from Sue's vantage point. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His fiancée arched her eyebrows at him not sure what to make of his bizarre behavior.

"What? This? Oh, you don't want to look at this. Take my word for it, there's nothing of interest in here. It's nothing but the same old stuff," Reed answered talking faster than normal.

"What's gotten into you? Why are you being so weird? Come on Reed, it's the only section of the newspaper that I haven't read yet. Now, can I please have it?" Sue asked.

Ben faked a sneeze spilling his oversized mug of coffee all over the front page of the newspaper barely missing Reed in the process. He got up from his chair, snatched the front page, and inspected the damage.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry! I got my coffee all over it! Stupid allergies! Now you can't read anything at all on it! I might as well just throw it away then," Ben remarked before tossing it in the trash can.

"You guys do realize that I can always just go out and buy another newspaper, don't you?" Sue inquired.

4-4-4-4

The alarm on Johnny's alarm clock went off. At first, there was no response. Soon, Johnny buried his head under his pillow because he was too lazy to get out of bed, walk over to his dresser and turn off his alarm.

Who the heck set my alarm in the first place? I know I didn't. I bet it was Pebbles. He knows I like to sleep in, and he is probably still a little vengeful. Yep, wide load probably didn't care for waking up from his nap yesterday to find himself covered from head to toe in honey and feathers. We'll just see who gets the last laugh though.

Johnny cracked one eye open to see what time it was. It was 10 a.m. The alarm was still beeping much to the Human Torch's annoyance. He silenced it though by blasting it with a fireball. Johnny was a heavy sleeper once he was asleep, but he always had a heck of a time falling asleep in the first place. He kicked off his covers, and decided there was no point even bothering trying to fall back asleep.

Whatever you do Johnny, do not let Ben have the satisfaction of knowing that he got the last laugh…for now. Hold on a second. How could rocks-for-brains even have set my alarm in the first place? The buttons are way too small for his ginormous fingers! Unless—unless he had help. I wonder who Ben got to help him. Surely Sue wouldn't do that to me. I bet it was Reed. After all, he and Reed are best friends. That is so unfair! Hey, maybe I can get my sister to join my side, and the two of us can give the two of them a little payback.

4-4-4-4

Johnny walked out to the kitchen and saw Sue digging through the trash looking for the newspaper that Ben had disposed of. He hadn't just placed it on the top of the contents in the trash can. He also mixed the contents up, so the newspaper could be anywhere in the garbage.

"Uh…what are you doing? On second thought, I don't even want to know," Johnny said to his sister.

"Well, well. Look who finally got up. Do you mind giving me a hand?" Sue asked.

The Human Torch wrinkled his face in disgust. Rummaging through garbage wasn't exactly one of his favorite pastimes. "Yes, I do mind."

"Aha! Found it!" Sue exclaimed holding up the front page of the paper.

Before she could even look at it, it was a smoldering pile of ashes. She glared at her brother, who rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged his shoulders.

"Why do I get the feeling that you, Ben, and Reed are trying to hide something from me?" Sue asked.

"Gee, I don't know, sis. You must be paranoid," Johnny remarked.

"Whatever. I'm just going to go and buy another newspaper then," Sue stated.

She tried to leave the kitchen, but Johnny was blocking her way. Every time, she would go to the left or the right, he would follow suit. Sue started to get impatient with her brother. She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot on the floor repeatedly.

"Will you move?" she asked.

"I need your help. Ben and I are in a prank war, and I think he's enlisted Reed's help, so I need you to join my side and kind of even the playing field," Johnny explained.

Sue scoffed. "I don't have time for your childish games!"

She trapped her brother between two force fields. When she was in the elevator, she released him. Johnny ran after her to stop her, but the elevator door had already closed.

4-4-4-4

Ben and Reed were in Reed's lab.

"So that sure was close earlier, huh?" Ben asked.

"Yeah, it's a good thing Sue didn't look at the front page of the newspaper. I don't think Sue really likes being a celebrity. In fact, I think the only one who likes all the attention that comes with the territory of being a celebrity is Johnny," Reed replied.

"Do you really think Sue will call off the wedding if she catches wind of all the attention the media is giving your wedding?"

"I hope not, but I don't want to take any chances, Ben. She can't find out. She just can't."

Ben couldn't be happier for Reed and Sue. Their wedding day was almost here, and personally The Thing thought it was a long time coming. Even when Sue and Reed saw each other for the first time in years, back when Reed and Ben went to Von Doom Industries to try to get Victor to collaborate with them on their space mission, Ben could tell that there was something still there between Sue and Reed.

"Well Stretch, it won't be long until you're a married man. "

"I know. I'm nervous. Well, more anxious than nervous. I hope nothing goes wrong. I want everything to be perfect for Sue. She deserves it," Reed commented.

4-4-4-4

Sue purchased a newspaper from a street vendor. It wasn't long before someone recognized that they were in the presence of the Invisible Woman.

"Sue Storm? Look everyone, it's the Invisible Woman! I'm such a huge fan. I love that invisibility thing you do! My kids love you!"

Sue was soon running away from a swarm of adoring fans. She saw the front page of the paper for the first time. Now I know why Reed, Ben, and even Johnny didn't want me to look at the paper. She quickly perused the article and didn't like how people were referring to her and Reed's wedding as 'the wedding of the century.' That would explain why they haven't been letting me watch television, use the internet, or read magazines and certain sections of the newspaper. Sue always dreamt of having a big wedding, but having practically the entire New York populace in attendance was pushing the envelope.

She was too consumed in thinking about the newspaper article that she didn't realize that her own personal fan club was gaining on her. She threw the paper on the ground. I can't believe I'm doing this again! She turned invisible and began removing her articles of clothing. As luck would have it, she didn't happen to be wearing her uniform, so she didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

I don't know if I can do this anymore. I don't know if I can get married to Reed. Not like this. I don't want a media circus wedding.

TBC…

A/N: I am deeply sorry for not updating in such a long time, but even if it took me awhile, the important thing is that I'm updating now. Since my last update, I've graduated from college and have moved from California to Florida. I hope you're not too discouraged by my hiatus that you don't want to read or review my story anymore. If you are still interested in this story, feel free to leave a review. No matter how mad you may be at me, please don't flame me. Last but not least, thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed this story.