Disclaimer: I don't own anything

A/N: Sorry for the long break. I thought that I had updated this, but I didn't, so sorry. I didn't re-read, so sorry for any grammar mistakes.


"How would you do that?" Reed asked in curiosity as he got to his feet. He glanced down once at the love of his life and stared Von Doom straight in the eyes.

"I would use this little injection and suck out the genetic mutation." Victor opened the container and showed the four needles that were laying inside.

"How do we know that you won't just be injecting us with poison?" Ben objected loudly. "And, how will you get the needle through my rock skin?" He smirked as he came up with a valid excuse.

"Oh you wouldn't. But to answer your question about the needle, I would use this." Von Doom held up a large and thick needle. Johnny winced, and hugged Sue closer to his chest. It was a protective gesture. "Don't be ridiculous. Your needles are normal size." He smirked and held up the other three capped needles. "It would only take a second, and then you could get Sue the medical attention she needed."

"Okay, I'll do it." Reed spoke up softly, his gaze on his feet. "Where are you putting the needle?" Von Doom just laughed evilly to himself.

"Right here." He grabbed Reed roughly and shoved his head down. In one fluid movement, he had jerked the cap off the needle and pulled Reed's suit down enough to get to his neck. He stabbed the needle in roughly, causing Reed to groan in pain. Von Doom jerked the plunger backwards as he filled the vile with spinal fluid. Reed felt a weird tingle and his vision went black for a moment before it was over.

"You're done." Von Doom shoved Reed away from him like he was a pile of trash. "Who's next?"

"Me." Ben said in a gravely voice. He knelt down before Victor could shove him around like a dog. He winced as the large needle pierced his skin like nothing had done before. He gasped as he felt his body waver and change. Suddenly the normal orange of his rocky skin was replaced by the normal white he hadn't seen in years. "God." He muttered under his breath as he rubbed his neck with his now soft hand. Suddenly he realized that he was now very vulnerable to any attacks that someone threw. He couldn't just throw himself in front of a train or a bullet and stop it. They were no longer the Fantastic Four, they never would be again. That would be a small price to pay if they were able to save Sue.

"Now me." Johnny said as he carefully passed off Sue to Reed. Her head rolled back as she passed out again. He winced as the needle dug down into his neck. Victor turned for Sue. Reed had carefully rolled her on her side so that Von Doom had easy access to her neck.

"I originally wanted her baby, thinking he or she would have immense powers, but I realized, I could have more than that! Now, I have it!" Victor laughed so loudly, with the smuggest look on his face. He had everything he needed to be unstoppable, forever. "That stupid car you drive is waiting on the roof. You have exactly ten minutes to get out of here. I never want to see or hear of the Fantastic Four again." Reed nodded and made sure Sue was securely in his hands as they made their way cautiously to the stairs. They kept expecting Victor to appear before them and try to stop him, but he didn't. They were at the nearest hospital in less than five minutes.

"What happened sir?" The nurse said in perfect English.

"She, uh, she was in labor and was hurt." Reed managed to get out, his mind started to blur from the lack of food, water, and sleep. His only concern was to watch as they carted Sue through doors that read Authorized Personal Only. As much as he wanted to follow through the doors, he knew he would just get in the way. Reed's vision blurred as he saw the red droplets that Sue had left in a trail behind her.

"We are going to take care of her." The nurse said with a reassuring smile. "I will show you to a waiting area. The doctor will find you as soon as possible." The nurse led the threesome through several hallways and into a room that had a sign on it reading Waiting Area 2. The three men waited anxiously for the doctor to come. Almost an hour passed before the doctors came into the room. All three stood up simultaneously.

"My name is Doctor Ian Webster." The doctor introduced himself, frown lines creased on his forehead. Reed immediately knew that it wasn't good news and he melted to the ground. "I am so sorry." Johnny screamed in fury and anger, and threw himself at the doctor. It took all of Ben's strength to hold him back. He pulled Johnny into a hug, wrapping both arms securely around Johnny's upper chest and stomach.

"No! You got it mixed up! That's my sister! You're wrong! Go get my sister! I need you to find her! Please, she has to be okay!" Johnny screamed at the doctor, pounding at Ben's chest as he sobbed, tears pouring down his cheeks. "Ben, please, no." He whimpered and let his hands drop in defeat, his body sagging.

"Shh, kid. We're going to get through this. It will be okay." Ben said, stroking Johnny's hair, rocking them back and forth as he lowered Johnny's limp form down to the ground. Johnny wasn't in complete control anymore, sobs ripping from his throat.

"Do you want to see your new baby girl?" The doctor asked after several long minutes. The three men froze. Johnny looked up in astonishment. He used his sleeve to wipe away all the tears and snot on his face. "She is in the nursery." The doctor said, still using a very kind tone. "Do you want me to take you to see her?"

"Yes." Reed responded so quickly that Johnny jumped, but nodded in agreement. Ben let a half-smile cross his face, a little baby girl. Something that would forever be there to remind all of them of Sue. It still hadn't quite set in. Ben couldn't believe that Sue was gone. Who was he going to talk to when he had a bad day? Who was going to be there to keep them in line? Who was going to keep Johnny from acting like a fool?

"Please follow me." The doctor said as he held the door open to the hallway. The four quickly made their way to a gold elevator. The doctor pressed the button for the fourth level. Three floors later, the doors opened, but no one moved. Reed couldn't seem to make himself.

"We can do this." Ben said from where he was leaning on the back of the elevator. He hefted himself up forward and started following the doctor. He didn't look back, but Reed and Johnny could see the determined set to his shoulders. Johnny looked to see what Reed would do. Reed nodded to himself and followed after Ben. Johnny thought and he knew exactly what Sue would want him to do.

"This is Baby Reed." Doctor Webster said with a small smile as he lifted the baby into Reed's arms. Her body was just the right size to fit into Reed's arms. "She weighs five pounds and seven ounces. She suffered no ill effects from the injuries her mother suffered. She is one lucky star." He grabbed another hospital blanket and set it on Reed's arm. "She's probably going to be hungry soon."

"O-Okay." Reed managed to get out as the small bundle contoured to the shape of his arms and body. Her skin was a perfect, alabaster white, her eyes a crystal clear blue. She had three little lines creased between her eyes, but when she finally made eye contact with her daddy, they disappeared. It was like she had found a lifeline to hold onto. Reed made a silent promise that he wouldn't ever leave his baby girl. One hand had worked its way free of the swaddling blanket and was clenching and unclenching in front of her face. Reed was in complete awe of the tiny baby that had more power over him than anyone had ever had. He couldn't think or remember anything but the tiny little bundle that was his forever. It was his last remaining piece of Sue. The same blue eyes, the tiny clumps of hair covering her head were the same exact color as Sue's. The tiny baby was Sue's clone. She was identical to the few pictures that Reed had seen of her childhood.

"What is her name?" Doctor Webster asked as he pulled up a chart that had three blank spaces for her name. Other information was already filled out the chart. Reed skimmed over the chart as he rocked slowly back and forth with the little girl in his arms. Her birth weight, and height were recorded, along with her parents. It hurt to see the deceased written out next to her name, and it seemed to tear at his heart.

"Autumn. Autumn Susan Richards." Reed managed to stutter out while trying to get his act together. It had only been several weeks since they had decided on the name, although he had changed the middle name of Hailey, to Susan. Reed could see a tiny, red glow on each cheek, so he was glad her name was Autumn, it was like the color the leaves changed as the seasons changed.

"That is a beautiful name." Doctor Webster said as he scribbled the name down on the chart in his messy doctor handwriting. A nurse appeared and took the chart to a table where the nurse entered it into a computer. A brand new sheet was printed out on a specialized paper. Doctor and nurse signed it. "Alright, now lets get you and Autumn a new ID bracelet." Several seconds later, Reed felt someone grasp his wrist and he let his wrist be raised. A bracelet was wrapped around his wrist and one was placed around Autumn's wrist. "I would like Autumn to stay overnight to make sure there are no impending complications. In the morning, you are free to take her home."

"H-Home?" Reed's voice came out as a pitiful whimper. He sounded like a four-year-old who had been told his dog died. It hurt to think about going home with only one of the two who had entered. It hurt knowing that there wasn't going to be a head of blond hair tickling his nose every morning. It hurt knowing that she wasn't going to be there, a presence in his normally lonely life.

"You can do this." Doctor Webster said in a deep voice. He seemed to realize that all that Reed needed right now was a few words on encouragement. "It will turn out okay. The nurses will show you how to change a diaper, and feed Autumn. They will also show you how to give her a bath and several other things that will help you with Autumn."

"Thank you." Reed looked like a drowned cat. He sat down in the nearest rocking chair and brought Autumn up so that she was resting on his stomach and chest. She was so small, but she fit perfectly, just like she was made for Reed to hold. Reed rocked them back and forth, stroking the fuzz on her head, and keeping a hold on her back and head. He didn't want to cause even the slightest damage to his new precious parcel.

"We, uh, we are going to arrange some things." Ben said as he put a supportive and comforting hand on Reed's shoulder. "We are going to go back home, we will come back later."

"Be careful." Reed said in a tiny voice. He looked up through his curls and Ben had to restrain himself so that he didn't cry. "Thanks Ben." Ben nodded and turned to leave. He had a supporting arm under Johnny, and it looked like he was holding up the half-limp Johnny.

"Oh Autumn. You aren't going to remember your mommy. She was the most fantastic person that I have ever known. She was the most beautiful and gorgeous person that I have ever seen. Her golden hair was silky and flowed in rivets down her back. Her eyes were the most crystal blue that I had ever seen. I just don't know what I am going to do without her. You and I will have to stick together because I don't know is going to happen. I'm not sure exactly what I am doing, so you and I will be learning together, okay? You will have to be really patient because I don't have any clue what I am doing." Reed said as he rocked back and forth, holding the bottle carefully to the eager mouth of his little girl.

"She's probably done." The nurse spoke up from behind Reed. She quickly wiped the tears that were running down her cheeks away, and made sure that her makeup wasn't running before turning back to Reed and Autumn. She took the bottle and set it on a nearby side-table. She then proceeded to show Reed how to burp Autumn, tapping her back just hard enough to force the air bubbles out. Reed couldn't believe how much it was going to take to keep Autumn happy. "You are doing great!" She added. She couldn't even begin to grasp what must be going through his mind.

"Thanks." He whispered, carefully removing the bib from Autumn's neck and cradling her again as she let out a huge yawn. "You've had a lot of excitement lately. I bet you are tired." He watched the dimples that appeared on her face. He watched as her eyelids drooped lower and lower until they shut completely and didn't reopen. Her body went completely limp, but Reed just made sure his arms were extra supporting.

"You can set her in the bassinette." The nurse said as she watched the two bond together. "Um, Doctor Webster wanted to know if you wanted a moment to say uh, good-bye to Mrs. Richards." Reed's head snapped up so fast that the nurse took a step back.

"Yes!" He exclaimed, standing up and accidentally jolting Autumn. She whimpered and Reed acted instinctively, rocking gently back and forth until she quieted again. He carefully set Autumn in the bassinette and turned quickly to face the nurse. "When can I see her?" He questioned, his eyes lighting up like when the ball drops in Times Square.

"Doctor Webster will escort you to a private room momentarily. Mrs. Richards will look a little different, so be prepared." The nurse said and gave him a comforting glance. Reed sat back down, folding himself back in the rocking chair. He watched his tiny angel sleep while he waited for the doctor to come.

"Mr. Richards, are you ready to see your wife?" Doctor Webster crept into the sleeping nursery quietly. Reed looked at him, and then back at his baby girl, hesitating. "She will be here when you come back." Doctor Webster said in a voice that demanded respect and rang with promise.

Well… I decided to put Chapter 5 up in two pieces as chapters 5/6. well, sorry this hasn't even be re-read it, so yeah.