Chapter 2-
Reed left his niece's room wondering if he should have taken her to his lab with him. Lisa looked slightly scared of something. The thought crossed his mind that it might have been him she was afraid of. Of course that was silly. The poor girl had never seen him before in her life and she had just lost her father. She was probably still grieving over it.
Of course she had the Richards' way of dealing with grief. For as long as Reed could remember if anyone was sad in his family they never talked about it. They would mourn quietly. It wasn't the best way, but old habits sometimes died hard. Maybe that was another reason why Reed's girlfriend, Sue Storm, decided to breakup with him.
Ben came down the hall with a broken piece of machinery. "How is she, Egghead?" Ben asked. Ben had been Reed's best friend for years. Ben had even taken the place of Scott when Scott had stopped being Reed's little brother.
"Ben, she's so standoffish. I can honestly say it's like looking at Scott the last few years before he disappeared," Reed said, looking toward the door he had closed to his niece's room.
"It probably has nothing to do with you. If I had just lost my father and some cold, uncaring woman told me I had to live with an uncle I didn't know or even met, I'd be scared too," Ben said as the door to Lisa's room opened gently.
Lisa stepped into the hallway and looked up at Reed. "Where's your bathroom?" Lisa asked her voice tiny in the hallway.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Come with me and I'll show you," Reed apologized. He walked towards her. Lisa got this scared look in her eyes and backed away quickly. Then Reed knew. She was scared of him, but why?
"Lisa?" Reed asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder gently. The little girl looked at him. Her brown eyes were full of fear. Reed then thought of his brother. Scott had a temper problem and could get abusive. He wondered if that had been the case with Lisa. Having your father beat you would make you scared of anyone if they were trying to help you.
"Lisa, it's okay," Reed said calmly and in a soothing tone. It was a trick he had learned when talking to a frightened animal. Talk calmly and the animal wouldn't be so afraid. It was terrible that he had to put his niece in with animals, but she looked like a frightened rabbit about to bolt.
Lisa took a few hesitant steps toward him. "It's okay, Lisa. No one's ever going to hurt you again," Reed said, wrapping his arms around her thin shoulders and hugging her tightly. Reed then noticed that she was crying, but for some reason they were not grieving tears. Lisa wrapped her arms around his neck and just bawled uncontrollably.
Reed didn't have much experience with kids, but he knew a frightened little girl when he saw one. No little girl or boy would cling to him as tightly as this one was doing. "It's all right, Lisa. I know this is scary for you," Reed said, trying to keep his voice soothing for the child.
"You're not gonna send me away?" Lisa asked, raising her head from Reed's shoulder, her nose dripping like a faucet.
Reed took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. "Why would I? You are my niece," Reed said, moving the handkerchief to wipe her nose.
"Daddy said he never wanted me around. I heard him," Lisa said in a tiny voice.
"That's a terrible thing to say to such a pretty little girl like you. Why would he say something like that?" Ben wanted to know.
"Because it's my fault that my mama-" Lisa started to say. Reed hugged her tightly before he could finish.
"That was not your fault, Lisa. Your father was wrong to tell you that. I never met your mother, but it isn't your fault that she died," Reed said, stroking her dark hair gently. Reed knew he was angry at his brother. What kind of man blamed an eight-year-old for her mother's death?
"Uncle Reed, I like you," Lisa said, looking up and sniffling. The feelings that he felt towards this little girl was new and foreign to him. The only person he had ever loved besides his mother and, maybe Scott when they got along was Sue Storm. This little girl brought out his loving nature.
"Thank you, Lisa. I like you too," Reed said. Her attention turned to Ben, who had been following the conversation.
"What do I call you?" Lisa asked. Ben smiled at her gently. Ben looked tough, but underneath he was gentle with kids and all kids liked him.
"I'm your uncle's friend. How about just Ben, Sweetheart?" Ben asked.
"My daddy said it's rude to call men and women by their first names," Lisa said politely.
"Normally it is, but if someone says you can it's okay," Ben said, a small smile tugging his lips. Reed and Ben looked at each other, amused. Having Lisa around should prove interesting. This kid was honest.
"How about I call you 'Uncle' too?" Lisa asked, cocking her head slightly, reminding Reed of his brother. Scott often cocked his head like that when they were small and Scott was thinking.
"Uncle Ben? Sounds like the rice," Ben said, apparently thinking about the name.
Reed heard Lisa snort at that suggestion; the closest to a laugh that he had heard from her since she had arrived. "You know he's right," Reed said, tugging on one of her dark braids gently.
"I know, but it's better than calling him by his first name or last name," Lisa said, with a logic that couldn't be argued with.
"You know, she's right, Ben," Reed said, looking at his friend as he stood. Reed looked down quickly as he felt Lisa's hand slip into his. Already the little girl had become attached to him and him to her.
"Okay. Uncle Ben it is," Ben said, raising his hands in defeat. Reed then pointed out the bathroom and Lisa all but ran to it. Apparently she had forgotten she had to use it until now.
"Reed, are you sure you are up to taking care of an eight-year-old?" Ben asked quietly.
"I don't know that yet, Ben. All I know is that Lisa has been hurt by her own father and I never want her hurt again like she has been. I want her to know that I love her already," Reed said.
&
Two years later...
Lisa Richards came into her uncle's lab after the doorman picked her up after school. For the last two years whenever her uncle or Ben couldn't pick her up the doorman or Ben's fiancée, Debbie, picked her up.
In the two years since her father's death Uncle Reed had been a good choice for raising her. He had always been there for her since he had told her that her mother's death wasn't her fault and that Daddy was wrong to say that to her, drunk or sober. Even when he was busy he made time for her, becoming a second father to her. Today he had gone to get funding for research on his latest science project.
Uncle Reed was busy putting potted plants into a box. "Uncle Reed!" Lisa exclaimed, running towards him and wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.
Uncle Reed rubbed her thin back gently. It was something he always did. The first time had been when she hadn't been able to go to sleep that first night in the Baxter Building and he had sat in the chair in her room until she had fallen asleep. Lisa slept on her stomach and Uncle Reed had rubbed her back until she fell asleep. It was as comforting then as now.
"How was school?" Her uncle asked, Lisa burying her face in his chest.
"Okay. I was a little surprised that you didn't pick me up, Uncle Reed," Lisa said.
"Lisa, you found out when you came to live with me that I couldn't always pick you up. Anyways, I got the funding for my research. Would you like to come?" Uncle Reed asked, twirling one of her braids in his hands.
"Is that allowed?" Lisa asked.
"I'm pretty sure it is. I'll just tell Victor von Doom that you're my niece and I can't leave you alone here," Uncle Reed said.
"Okay. If I'm allowed then I'll come," Lisa said. Her uncle gently massaged her face with his hand.
"Go pack enough for at least two weeks. You should get a flight suit so bring enough just to keep you busy," Uncle Reed said, kissing her forehead gently.
"Will we be up in space that long, Uncle Reed?" Lisa asked.
"If everything goes on schedule. That's one reason why I want you to come. You shouldn't stay here for two weeks by yourself without me around," Uncle Reed said.
"All right. It'll only take me a few minutes to pack my things, Uncle Reed," Lisa said, going towards her room.
It didn't take her long to pack. She crammed a bag full of books and CDs and followed her uncle outside to a waiting limo. "Wow!" Lisa exclaimed softly. Uncle Reed grinned at her.
Yeah. Victor's not that bad. He's just a little larger than life if his limo's any indication," Reed said as they got into the limo. Lisa started to giggle which caused both of them to start laughing. In the two years she had lived with her uncle they had a pretty easygoing relationship.
Victor von Doom's launch facility was in the middle of no where. Reed met Ben at the entrance. "Hey, Sweetie," Ben said, hugging Lisa and kissing her forehead gently.
"Hi, Uncle Ben," Lisa said. After two years she still called Ben 'Uncle.' She really liked Ben a lot. He looked hard and tough without the hair, but he was a teddy bear.
A few hours later Lisa was reading a book, her uncle was at his laptop, and Ben had opened his journal to a picture of him and Debbie.
"Captain on the bridge!" A sharp voice commanded, causing Ben to stand at attention and Lisa to drop her book with a thud. A sharp flash went off, temporarily blinding Lisa.
"Digital camera. 254 dollars. Memory stick. 59 dollars/ Former CO Officer's face at his junior officer. Priceless," a young man with a camera said, sitting down. Ben gave Uncle Reed a sour look, to which Reed gave a brief smile. Ben looked back, looking like he was going to hit the guy.
"Uncle Ben, don't," Lisa said, trying to diffuse the situation.
Ben reached out and zipped the guy's flight suit where it was open at the throat. "Thank you," the guy said.
"I can handle the ship. I can even handle him, but I don't know whether I should be flying or doing Swan Lake in these suits. I mean, who came up with these?" Ben asked, taking a copy of a flight suit out of the closet he was standing next to.
"Victor did. The synthetics act as a second skin adapting to your body's individual needs," a blonde-haired woman came into the room, holding a flight suit.
Uncle Reed stood as she came into the room. "Impressive," Lisa commented, touching a fold of the material on the flight suit that the woman was holding.
"Wow!" Uncle Reed said. The woman's face fell when Uncle Reed took the flight suit. The woman liked her uncle. That much was obvious. Either he didn't like her or he just wasn't observant.
"Fantastic! Material made from self-regulating, unstable molecules," Uncle Reed said. Ben and the woman looked at each other. Somehow this had happened before. "I've been working on a formula for this," Uncle Reed said, looking at Johnny and then Lisa.
"Great minds think alike. Victor told me to give your niece this. I guess that's you," the woman said, handing Lisa the flight suit in Uncle Reed's hand.
"Thanks. I'm Lisa," Lisa said by way of introduction.
"I'm Sue Storm and this is my brother, Johnny," Sue said, indicating the wiseguy.
"Nice to meet you," Lisa said, feeling her face get hot. She hated meeting new people.
"Here you go, Ben," Sue said, handing him a suit.
"Thanks, Sweetie," Ben said, taking the suit.
"Reed," Sue said, avoiding eye contact with Uncle Reed as she tossed a suit into his chest and walked over to Lisa. "If you'll come with me, Lisa, I'll show you where you can change," Sue said, walking over to Lisa.
"Will I be able to come back for my books?" Lisa asked, looking longingly at the book she had dropped on the floor.
"Of course you will. We'll suit you up and then you'll come back," Sue said, leading her to a private room. Lisa undressed quickly, trying not to look at the bruises on her arms and legs from all the times her father had hit her. Sometimes bruises just never healed. Uncle Reed didn't even know she still had bruises from that time. She had just never told him
