Disclaimers: I own nothing, only the non-F4 characters.

A/n this fic is set after the movie. Maria isn't a part of the F4-ers, she's just normal – or is she? It's a Ben/Maria fic, exploring their relationship and stuff like that, this that I didn't delve into in my last two fics.

Yeah, sorry about the end of Fantastic 5, I thought it was cool. Unexpected, so I went for it… don't how this one will end. I have two ideas, happy and sad, don't know which one I will go for yet… This is a tribute to someone, a prize for the first person to twig (well, not really). But it will be interesting if anyone does get it…

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"Maria Grimm?" the man behind the desk asked the young girl sitting on the other side, "A relation to Ben Grimm of the Fantastic Four?" he asked.

Maria sighed inwardly, and looked at his name tag. "Well, Steven, if I were to say yes, will you accept me?" she asked.

Steven smiled, "Would he clobber me if I turned you down?" he laughed a little, but stopped when he realised it wasn't a duet. "Ok," he said. "Let's get on with the interview shall we," he asked, picking up the young girls references, and began asking her questions about her hobbies and what work she had done in the past.

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"I told you to stay away from us!" BenGrimm shouted at the other person on the other side of the phone before hanging up.

"Prank call?" he heard Johnny storm's voice behind him, and turned to see him grinning at him. "It works better if you just play along, they get bored because they don't get the reaction the want, and hang up," he said.

Ben didn't know whether Johnny was speaking from experience of being the one answering the phone, or being the pranker, either way he didn't care. That wasn't a prank call, but he didn't want to tell the young hero that. Knowing him he'd blow it out of proportion, and go and tell everyone. Everyone including Maria, and he really didn't want her to find out-at least that way anyhow. Ben remained silent, then nodded slowly, "Yeah, I'll try that next time," he sad gruffly, and stalked past the Human Torch.

Johnny shrugged, wandering if he'd ever get the bug out of him butt. He turned on his heel and walked after him, "Where did you say her interview was?" he asked, "Maria I mean."

Ben didn't stop walking, he just said "The University," he said, turning left on his way to Reeds laboratory.

Johnny walked in a different direction, making his way to his room. After picking up his car keys, the made his way to the exit.

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"Maria! Maria!" she turned towards the direction the voice was coming from and saw Johnny's red car parked in the space by the main entrance on the University.

"What are you doing here?" she asked walking up the car, seeing the passenger window open.

Johnny frowned, "Picking you up," he stated. "You know, like I always do?"

Maria rolled her eyes, "You mean like you used to," she said sounding a little down. "Before you turned into a fireball," she said.

Johnny smiled sympathetically, he knew it was true. "Doesn't mean I can't pick you up now though, does it?" he asked, gesturing for her to put her things into the car.

Maria smiled, and opened the door, sliding in.

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"You don't talk to me anymore," Johnny said. They had been driving for the last five minutes, and she hadn't uttered a word. Maria just shrugged, her head was resting against the window on her right. She'd put a scarf between the glass and her head to stop it from bouncing with the car's movement. "What, you think I'm too cool for you now?" he joked, but still she didn't answer. "How'd the interview go?" he asked another question, hoping she'd answer.

Lady luck seemed to be on his side, she did. "Yeah, it was ok," even if it was only four words, it was still answer.

"Did you get accepted," he asked, hoping to get more out of her.

"I don't know yet" she replied, again only saying four words.

Johnny didn't know if she was only using four words as a jibe at him and the other three, of if she was generally giving him the silent treatment. Either way it was really annoying him. "Ok, that's it!" he said in a voice that sparked Maria to look at him somewhat alarmed.

"What are you doing?" she asked him, noticing him hitting the indicator and turning right when they should be turning left. "Where are we going?" she asked, but this time it was her turn to be on the receiving end of the silent treatment.

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Reed listened as Ben described the phone call he had received, "So what does this mean?" he asked his friend.

Ben just stared at him, "It means it's begun…" he said simply.

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A/n – This is a repost, because I somehow deleted my last version...