The next day, I was with Dad in his office, and I sighed as I leaned back in my chair and popped my gum.
"Stop!" Dad said.
I looked at him. "Dad, I really wish you would talk to me, okay?"
"Now isn't the time." He told me.
"Dad, I controlled the water in the garden today! Doesn't that warrant a father/daughter talk?" I asked.
He sent me a look and I stood up.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
I shrugged. "I think I'll go call Johnny. Maybe have a quickie before lunch. Does that warrant a father/daughter talk?"
Dad was about to say something when Leonard spoke up.
"Sir, Larry King just cancelled. Apparently, there's a bigger story." Leonard said.
Dad turned on the news and we watched Ben, Susan, Johnny and Reed on the news. They had saved people on the bridge today, and were being called "The Fantastic Four".
"I'm leaving." I told Dad as he got ready for his meeting. "I might see you for dinner at home if you're too bent on sulking by yourself here in the dark. I love you, Dad--but you have to stop being so self centered."
I walked out of the door and took Dad's limo to where Reed worked, laughing a little at the crowd, seeing Johnny waving at the cameras, his arms in the air, basking in the cheer and applause. I went over to them after they went in, and smiled a bit, waving at the doorman. I watched as Ben watched them in the elevator and walked up to him.
"You want some company?" I asked him.
He smiled. "Hey, Cammie. How are you?"
I shrugged. "Okay. I have these really wicked ice powers now, and Dad's in denial, not to mention he thinks he can suddenly play the father card after all these years of completely ignoring me and pretending I didn't exist in the first place."
Ben sighed. "Don't worry about it. He's trying--I guess that's good."
"I just want to hang out with you guys. You guys seem to be at least trying to figure it out. Dad's sulking and making lights flicker." I said.
"You think he got affected too?" Ben asked.
I nodded. "I really do."
"Is that, Cammie?" Johnny asked as Ben and I made it into Reed's place.
"Possibly." I said, smiling at him.
"I agree with your sister about him." Ben told me, gave Johnny a look, and then walked away.
"Come with me to my room." Johnny said, taking me by the hand and leading me to where he was staying.
I smiled. "Nice and homey."
Johnny scoffed. "You mean small."
I shook my head. "I meant homey."
"The bed's nice." Johnny said.
I smiled. "I bet it is."
Johnny sat on the bed and held out his hand, and I rolled my eyes, but took off my jacket and sat on his lap, straddling him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and leaned into him, my forehead to his.
"How are you holding up?" Johnny asked.
I shrugged. "Okay. I mean I love my powers, but I'm really getting fed up with Dad. It's like he started trying finally, and now he's so absorbed in himself. Of course...the company pulled out and now his stocks aren't worth anything."
"Ah, hon." Johnny said, stroking my hair. "That has to suck."
I shrugged. "Maybe. I mean Mom and I did just fine. Granted that Dad paid for my way through college already. But we lived off of what she made and saved. Dad still has savings--he just--he wants power, you know?"
Johnny nodded. "I know. That has to be hard on you, though. I mean you're trying to form a relationship with the man."
I kissed him, and though he was confused, he kissed me back. I loved when he was so helpful and sweet. It didn't happen very often anymore that he stopped being playful, and so this was nice. I even tried to pull up his shirt, but he stopped me.
"Let's just kiss a while, okay?" He asked.
I smiled. "But who says we can't just kiss with your shirt off?"
It was nice that he knew me well enough to know that I was trying to match his playfulness, and still respect his decision. He laid back, me on top of him, and I rested there, kissing him softly as he held me. He ran his hands along my back, and I rested my arms at his sides, holding him.
"I really like you, Johnny Storm." I said, not wanting to scare him with an 'I love you'.
He smiled as we made eye contact, tucking hair behind my ear.
"I really like you too, Cameron Doom." He replied.
I smiled a little brighter as we lay there just looking at each other and stroking each other happily, and then I kissed him slowly, and he returned it, both of us turning on our sides before a voice we recognized tore us apart.
"CAMERON!!" Dad called.
I sighed. "Damn, he has the worst timing."
"CAMERON!! COME OUT HERE AND COME HOME, NOW!!" Dad roared some more.
I gave Johnny a sad look. "I'll see you tomorrow."
And with that, I hopped off of his bed and followed my father home.
****
"I'm tired of you ignoring me, Dad." I said.
Dad looked at me and sighed, getting off of the couch in the house and looking at me.
"I'm not ignoring you, Cameron. I just don't know what to do yet." He replied.
"Reed is trying to--" I tried.
"Enough with Reed already!" Dad yelled, and the lights began to flicker.
I sighed. "Dad, look, I love you, and I care about your well-being, but I can't let you drag me down with you. I want to help Reed. You have to let me."
Dad shook his head. "This isn't about Reed--this is about you and Johnny."
"What about me and Johnny?" I asked slowly.
"Cameron, be serious!" Dad exclaimed.
"I am being serious!" I yelled, stomping my foot on the floor. "I love him!"
Dad looked at me blankly as I thought over my outburst, and he sighed and sat on the couch.
"No matter what I do, I can't seem to make you understand." Dad said.
"Understand what?" I asked.
Dad sighed. "Understand
that you and Johnny are becoming me and your mother."
I
smiled a little and sat down next to him. He was worried about
me--that showed some definite strength on his part.
"I'm not going to get pregnant, Daddy. I promise. I don't want to be--not any time soon." I explained. "And neither does Johnny."
Dad nodded. "Yes, well, your mother and I didn't want to get pregnant, and we were safe, but you happened. If it's meant to find a way, it will."
I took a breath. "Daddy, I love Johnny. I know that you don't, and Sue thinks I can do better, but you know better than I do that sometimes you have to chase what you can't have. You could have any other woman--I could have any other man--but we've chosen. I want Johnny, and you want Sue. We can't just switch our feelings off."
"Cameron, I don't want you to see him anymore." Dad told me firmly, standing up.
I nodded. "I know you don't want me to, but I'm going to anyways. I love and respect you, but this is my decision--not yours."
Dad sighed. "Cam, please...do this one thing for me. I know I haven't been a good father, but I don't want to see you hurt. I don't like this little relationship the two of you have worked out."
"I think Johnny's the only one that likes it." I replied.
Dad sat back down. "But I thought..."
I shook my head. "I hate it. I really, really hate it. I hate that we're allowed to see other people, but I can't. I can't bring myself to flirt with anyone else, and Johnny can. He even kisses other people."
"Then why do you take it?" Dad asked.
I shrugged. "I don't want to let him go."
Dad sighed and wrapped his arms around me. I was a little caught off guard, but I snuggled into him and he stroked my hair. He nodded and kissed the top of my head, getting up.
"I want you to tell him how you feel." Dad said. "And if he isn't willing to be with you and only you, I want you to try and move on."
I nodded--it was a reasonable request. Dad smiled and went to bed, and I fished my cell phone out of my pocket as it rang.
"Hey, Johnny." I said.
"Hey, Cammie. Can you sneak out tonight?" Johnny asked.
I nodded. "Yeah. Where to this time?"
"Just meet me in the park and we'll go from there. There's this hot club I want to try out, but not without you." Johnny explained.
I smiled. "Okay. I'll see you momentarily."
"Perfect. Bye, Cammie." Johnny said.
"Toodles." I replied.
I grabbed my jacket and I headed out of the house, putting my house key and my wallet in the back pockets of my jeans. Carrying purses, being who I am, was dangerous, and so I didn't. I hurried to the park, and then I smiled a little at Johnny as he came up to me.
"You look good, Princess." He said.
I smiled. "You too, Hot Shot."
"So you wanna take a walk around here first, just the two of us?" Johnny asked.
I smiled and nodded. "Yeah."
Johnny took my hand, and I smiled and leaned into him. He wasn't normally like this, so it was nice.
"So how's your dad?" Johnny asked.
I shrugged. "Okay."
Johnny smiled. "Just okay?"
I nodded. "Just okay. He's trying a bit more though--that's nice."
Johnny and I stopped at the docks down the path, and I sat down, dangling my legs over the side. Johnny looked up as a really attractive girl went jogging by, and I sighed and looked down at my hands. Maybe Sue and Dad were right. Maybe I had to let him go, even though I didn't want to.
"Nice." Johnny muttered.
I took off my jacket and Johnny looked at me, cocking his head to one side. I slipped off my shirt and my pants, as well as my underwear, and then slipped off of the dock.
"What are you doing?" Johnny asked.
I shrugged. "I felt like taking a dip."
I didn't know why I'd felt like it, but I wanted away from him for a moment. Then again, this was as good a time as any to tell him how I felt.
"I think we should break up." I blurted out, Johnny having just taken off his shirt to join me.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa...what?" Johnny asked.
I dunked myself under the water as he took off his pants, and then I resurfaced when I felt a rush of water, knowing Johnny was in the water too. I wiped the water away from my eyes, and Johnny looked at me. I sighed as he ran his fingers through his wet hair.
"I don't want to be one of the many anymore." I said softly. "I want us to have an exclusive relationship."
