Chapter 2-

Chapter 2-

Lisa was always glad to be home after being gone. To her the Baxter building was the quietest place in New York City once they got past the media. On the inside Lisa didn't have newsman hounding her or photographers trying to take pictures of "Mr. Fantastic's daughter." Of course with this being Sue and Dad's third or fourth attempt at getting married most pictures or interviews were about them.

They pulled up to the Baxter Building. The outside was swarming with policemen and the media. With this crowd protection was always needed so someone wouldn't get hurt.

After two years Lisa felt a little better about the crowds watching her every move and having cameras nearly blind her in the process. Of course people still called them the Fantastic Five; even though Lisa wasn't an actual part of the team. True, her DNA had been altered like everyone else's and everyone called her "Mr. Fantastic's daughter," but she was more or less a hero-in-training.

With the exception of Johnny they all managed to get into the building. "Welcome back to the Baxter, Dr. Richards. I trust everything went well?" The doorman asked, coming around the desk in the front lobby.

"If you call doing a rescue in the Florida Everglades and up to our knees in swamp water going well," Lisa muttered under her breath. Dad shot her a warning glance before answering.

"Yes it did. Any mail?" Dad asked. The doorman handed Dad a couple of mail sacks full of fan mail. For some reason it never stopped coming. It had been that way since they had developed their powers.

They all, except Uncle Ben, stepped into the elevator. Dad set down the mail sacks and turned to Lisa. "Lisa, it doesn't help when you complain about the missions we go on," Dad said sternly.

"I know, I know. I just feel gross. I've taken three showers and I still smell bad from the sulphur," Lisa said, wrinkling her nose.

"Awww, Shorty's just upset that I threw her in," Johnny said, an impish grin on his face.

"Yeah. Do me a favor, Johnny; don't ever do that again. I don't mind the Everglades, but I didn't want to find myself nearly drowned in swamp water," Lisa said, rubbing her eyes with her hand.

"Johnny, she does have a point. We're fortunate the chemicals in the swamp water didn't hurt her," Dad said, taking Lisa's side as he wrapped his arm around Lisa's shoulder.

"Well, we don't have to go on any missions for awhile. Your dress should be in now, Lisa," Sue said, changing the subject as the elevator doors opened.

"I hope so. You're getting married in a few days," Lisa said as she tossed her carryon on the couch.

"Lisa," Dad said as she went to the kitchen, warningly. Dad hated when she did that, but Lisa often forgot about it and was fussed at often.

'I'll be back for it. I just need some water," Lisa said, grabbing a bottle from the refrigerator. The living quarters at the Baxter had been redone in the past two years. It looked more like a home instead of a bachelor uncle's house.

Lisa picked up her carryon and carried it to her room. Lisa collapsed on her bed and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. She had been up since five this morning and she was feeling worn out!

&

Reed was busy at his work station as he heard Sue and Lisa's voices. Reed was trying to work on a new project and was trying to pinpoint the weather. It used to be easier when Lisa was younger to work. She knew how to entertain herself.

"Hey, Honey," Sue said as the two women in Reed's life came into the lab.

"Honey? You sound like a married couple already," Lisa said. Knowing his daughter she was probably rolling her eyes.

"Very funny, Lisa. But all joking aside, the city's trying to charge us for three squad cars they say we destroyed. It was during that armored car robbery, but I only remember two cars getting thrown," Sue said.

Reed grunted his agreement as Lisa wrapped her arms around his shoulder and kissed his cheek. "Mm-hmm." Reed was so busy trying to type on his data pad it took him by surprise when it disappeared in his hands.

"All right, all right, all right. I'm putting it away," Reed said with a smile as he put the data pad down and it became visible. "You were saying?" Reed asked, turning to Sue.

"I have a fitting in half an hour, the musicians after that, and I haven't even picked out place settings or flowers. There's just too much to do," Sue said forlornly.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm sure between the two of us, we'll get it done," Reed said in a comforting tone as he held Sue's hands in his.

"And what were you doing when Lisa and me just walked in?" Sue asked in an accusing tone.

"I was inputting my to-do list," Reed lied. He heard Lisa choke slightly behind him. His daughter wasn't stupid. She knew when he was being less than honest.

"Really?" Sue asked.

"Scout's honor," Reed said, making his face innocent and raising his hand.

"Hey guys, new uniforms just showed up. This one's yours, Shorty," Johnny came into the lab, holding up a uniform Lisa's size. "What do you think?" It had all the endorsements that sponsored the Fantastic Four. It was the most awful thing Reed had ever seen.

Lisa shared that opinion by grimacing slightly. "There's now way I'm wearing that, Johnny," Lisa said, hopping up on an examination table.

"Come on, Shorty. It's your size," Johnny said in a begging voice.

"I'm still not wearing that. Anyway, how do you know my size?" Lisa asked, running her fingers over the book she was holding.

"I ordered them. I looked at one of your t-shirts and a pair of your jeans," Johnny said.

"You invaded my privacy?" Lisa yelped.

"I had to know your size," Johnny said.

"Stay out of my closet, please," Lisa said, frustrated.

"Johnny, I have to agree with Lisa. There's no way we're wearing that," Sue said, as she left the room.

"What do you have against capitalism?" Johnny yelled after his sister.

"Nothing, but, Johnny, you did invade my privacy. By the way when did you have time to do that?" Lisa wanted to know.

"You were out getting fitted for your dress with Alicia. I figured it'd be okay," Johnny said as they looked at Reed. Reed had picked up his data pad again and his fingers flew over it.

"What's this?" Johnny asked, looking at Reed's newest invention. Reed had draped it with a sheet since he wasn't finished with it.

"Just a little hobby of mine," Reed said.

"Yeah? Would it make a good toy or is it something, uh, science-y?" Johnny asked, putting his hand on it.

"A little of both. Uh-uh," Reed said as Johnny tried to peek under the sheet. Reed went faster on the data pad.

"Uh, Daddy, your fingers are going to knot if you go that fast," Lisa ventured.

"Very funny. I'm getting lip from a twelve-year-old," Reed said.

"Shorty's right. And you know, I've always been impressed and disgusted at that," Johnny said.

"Yeah, Sue says I'm addicted to it," Reed said, finally giving up on getting anything done with Lisa and Johnny in the lab. He stood up.

"I wonder why she'd say that," Reed heard Johnny mutter under his breath. Reed chose to ignore that comment.

"Hey, Johnny, Lisa. Keep it quiet, but, uh, I cross-referenced and analyzed the global disturbances," Reed said, going over to the Fantastic Four satellites he used. "They're being caused by cosmic radiation, not unlike the kind which gave us our powers," Reed said, sitting down and brining up star charts.

"Wow, that's…really boring. You think that's boring, Shorty?" Johnny asked Lisa as she sat down next to Reed.

"Depends. When I first came here I learned a very important rule; don't ever criticize Uncle Reed's projects. I got the impression that he wants us to be interested," Lisa said, causing Reed to look up.

"You haven't called me that in a long time," Reed said.

"I'm making a point, Daddy. So, uh, Flamethrower, did you just come inhere so we could see those uniforms I won't be wearing?" Lisa asked.

"So, listen, I have a very important wedding issue I need to talk to you about," Johnny said, rolling his chair over to Reed and Lisa.

"Yeah, of course," Reed said, looking at the computer he was in front of.

"Your bachelor party," Johnny said. Reed looked up quickly. Johnny was grinning like an idiot.

"No. Seriously, Johnny," Reed laughed, hoping Johnny would forget the idea.

"John," Johnny said, as Reed rolled his chair away.

"Huh?" Reed asked confused.

"Focus testing showed that "Johnny" is a little young," Johnny said, sounding like a survey.

"Seriously, Johnny, no bachelor party. It's just not my kind of thing," Reed said, all joking aside as Johnny rolled his chair over to him.

"Then do it for Ben. It means a lot to the big guy. You're gonna break his heart," Reed heard Lisa snort and laugh from her chair at that comment. "He does have some sort of rock-like heart, doesn't he?" Johnny asked.

"I've got too much to do before the wedding. Frankly, I think Sue might have a problem with it," Reed said annoyed.

"You know what I think Sue might have a problem with? If somebody told her that you were actually investigating global disturbances and cosmic radiation instead of actually focusing on the wedding like you promised," Johnny said. Reed then looked at Lisa helplessly.

"He has you, Dad. I'm not going to say anything, but who knows what Johnny would do," Lisa said as Reed rolled his chair over to Johnny.

Reed grinned slowly. "A bachelor party could be fun," Reed said, finally giving in.

"Yes!" Johnny cheered.

"But no exotic dancers," Reed said warningly. Both men then looked at Lisa.

"You won't say anything, will ya, Shorty?" Johnny asked.

"As long as you guys don't do anything that'll cause Sue to kill you later, knock yourselves out," Lisa said, walking out of the lab. For some reason Reed had a feeling he had just been conned into having this party. Suddenly weddings were very complicated.