Ben Grimm grabbed Riley into a bear hug and she giggled loudly. "Hey you!" she said into his massive neck.

"Hey, little sister!" He rumbled, putting her down on her feet. "I feel like I haven't seen you in years."

Riley smiled up at the man she considered another big brother. "It has been. You and Reed visited me in London last year. So not years, but a year." Her dimple showed as she pulled out of his arms and showed him to the table that they'd chosen for their dinner. His fiance was with him and she was watching them curiously. "You must be Debbie." Riley said, holding out her hand. "Ben has told me so much about you." Her smile was welcoming.

Debbie's was as warm in answering. "He's mentioned you as well." She shook Riley's hand and sat down beside Ben. Riley took the seat next to her brother. "I'm so happy that we get to have this chance to sit down together before they leave."

"Me, too." Riley agreed, before they got lost in idle dinner chatter.

DAYS LATER AT THE LAUNCH

Riley was the only civilian who was allowed to attend the launch. She was allotted this glory only because she reminded Reed that he may have forgotten to add something to his 'honey do' list. She needn't tell him that she wanted a final read on those who were going into the actual shuttle. She wanted to know, as best she could, what to be anxious about.

Sue was the first person she came across. Riley wasn't completely sure which one of them was more uncomfortable, or surprised about the other's presence. It was a toss up to be honest, although, once she came upon von Doom, it became much clearer why Sue was so uncomfortable. Ah, so Sue was hoping that Riley wouldn't notice the underlying tension between those two. Suddenly Riley was EVEN more happy about staying on Earth.

Sue wasn't high on the anxiety list. Yes, things were going to happen, but it was a blip. Not a bang. Shrugging, Riley moved on. Same with von Doom. Although, he was quite charming, rich, attractive, understandable why Sue might look twice at him. Sad for her brother, really, but understandable. Sorry, Reed.

Next came Johnny Storm. Riley had never met Sue's brother while she was dating Reed. That appeared to be lucky, or at least that's how Ben felt. She could literally feel Ben telegraphing the idea to her across the shuttle, and the launchpad, and possibly the entire Earth's surface. Basically SAY NO TO JOHNNY STORM. It nearly gave her a headache. And it made it difficult to focus on him, and what was going to happen to him during the trip. She focused, and felt the heat, such strong burning fire. It took her breath away, but it still wasn't the pain she felt when she thought of Ben's fate.

Shaking her head, she turned to move on to her brother.

"You know, you didn't even say a single word to me." A voice said, calling her back to where she was. She blinked and looked around. Light blue eyes were twinkling at her and she realized she'd been standing with Johnny Storm and he was right, she hadn't said a word to him.

"Oh, sorry." She bit her lip. "Hello." She looked down at her hands, and tried not to laugh. How odd she must have looked.

"I always thought your brother was a weirdo," he was saying, and she could actually hear him roll his eyes. "I never imagined he'd be outdone."

"Excuse me." Riley said, her head snapping up. "Weirdo?"

He was standing there, in his spandex leotard, thinking he was somehow God's gift and yet she was a weirdo. Yeah, OK.

"You stood in front of me, thinking hard like you were coming up with some kind of idea, but said nothing. So weirdo is pretty much on point." He said, nodding.

She tilted her head, sizing him up. "Leotard, spandex, huge cranium, yet not a lot going on inside of it. And yet, you want to attempt to tell me that I'm a weirdo." Riley took a moment to center herself again. "Have you ever met a woman, with a pulse, who didn't fall at your feet in a heap and attempt to impress you?"

His eyes widened. Before he could answer, Ben appeared. "Lil sister, what's going on?"

She smiled, even though the darkness that had been on the fringe of everyone else was fully aroused here with Ben. Whatever was going to happen in space, the brunt was going to affect Ben Grimm and she had to warn him, but first it was time to give Johnny Storm a dose of his own medicine. "Mr. Storm called me a weirdo, Ben." She said, tattling. "Apparently I didn't faun over his overwhelming abundance of gorgeousness and therefore, I'm odd."

Ben glared at Johnny, and the younger man had the good sense to make haste out of their presence.

"He's an idiot, Riley, don't let him get under your skin." Ben said, his voice rumbling in a soothing way.

Riley smiled up at her protector. "I know, Ben. I wasn't planning on letting him." She turned him away from where the others were gathering. "Can I speak to you privately for a moment?" She knew her tone sounded serious, because it was, she had to warn him. The time was closing for them to go, and she needed him to know something dark was coming.

Ben knew Riley enough to understand her tone. He turned away from her brother and the others, and moved with her down an empty hallway that afforded them more privacy. Her light eyes, green where her brother's were blue, were serious and his heart clenched. Riley had an extra sense. One that he trusted even if Reed didn't and he knew that she sensed something coming.

"Ben, I know you can tell that I'm afraid." She started, keeping her voice quiet, just in case they were interrupted. "For once I'm not getting a clear vision. All I know is something dark is heading your way. All of you, in space, something is coming. Especially you. It's going to be painful, I see something, but it's so vague. Like it's not certain, but it's coming." She felt stupid but anxious all the same. "Be safe, please. Keep yourself, and my brother safe." She hugged him to her. "And I guess the others too." Sighing she released him.

Ben felt his heart flop. He knew without a doubt that Riley knew what she was talking about. He'd seen her visions come true. Even if Reed didn't agree with his sister's extra sense, even he couldn't deny that strangely there were times that she knew things that couldn't be explained. Like the time she knew that Reed was going to miss all four of his flights during one stay in England. He tried to explain it away as being forgetful, but there hadn't been a time before or since it had happened. He also knew he wouldn't be able to talk Reed out of this trip. All he'd be able to do was go along and keep him as safe as possible.

"Is that why you've come back?" He asked Riley. "To help with the fallout?"

She nodded. "I"ll be here when you get back. Hopefully I'm wrong for once." She said, knowing the odds weren't in her favor. "Just remember this, Ben, JUMP."

He looked confused, as did Riley, but he knew better than to argue. Instead he tucked it away. Like he'd always done with anything she'd offer to him as advice. "Don't worry, Lil Sis," he said, with more bravado than he felt, "we'll be back before you know, And without any issues." He scooped her up in another bear hug. "Keep an eye and an ear out for Deb, will ya? She'll need you, if anything goes wrong." He said, when he put her down, looking deep into her eyes. Eliciting her promise.

"I will, Ben." Riley agreed, turning with him to go back to where the others were making last minute adjustments for their launch. She found Reed, foundling the leotard that Johnny was certain he looked like a model in.

"You look far too interested in that spandex, bro." She said, wrinkling her nose.

Reed's eyes were lit up like Christmas lights as he started reciting all the properties that made the tights wonderful. Riley cut him off and gave him a hug. "Yeah, wonderful, amazing. They look like a onesie for grownups. I'm excited." Sue was smirking behind his back and the two women shared a brief smile. "Do me a favor and don't do anything stupid up there?"

"Riley," Reed sounded exasperated. "Our work will-"

"Do many things that are well above my pay-grade and interest, yes, I know." Riley said, smiling as she pulled back. "I'm glad we had this chat. Don't worry, the Baxter Building will be as good as new when you come home. Now I'm going to sit down somewhere safe, and watch as you launch into space. Ben, Reed, I love you both, be safe, and come home safe! The rest of you lot, peace be with you!"

She turned before anyone could see the fear in her eyes, the bleakness as the dark wave rolled over her. Because now, as the launch drew nearer, she could clearly feel it was a wave of sorts. A wave that was going to roll toward them, much like a tidal wave, in space, that they wouldn't be able to avoid. It would change each of them, fundamentally. She couldn't manage to tell exactly how each would change, it depended on where each was when the wave hit. And she still knew that none of them, barring Ben would believe her.

DAYS AFTER THEY RETURN TO EARTH

Riley enters the clinic that von Doom had thoughtfully hired out for the groups convalescence and closed her eyes. While her first impulse had been to rush to the clinic immediately, Ben had asked her to check in with Debbie first. She had, and in trying to explain what happened, feared more for Ben's future than she cared to admit.

Debbie was weak. She wasn't going to be able to handle anything heavier than a flesh wound. And that made Riley more angry than she cared to admit. Ben deserves someone who would walk through fire for him. Instead he got some girl from Hoboken who wouldn't even go to the local deli to pick up fresh bagels.

She knew that she needed to shake off the negativity before she saw Ben. He would be able to pick up her mood. Even if he may not realize it was about Debbie, he would know she was irritable. So she needed to check on someone else first. Smiling she knew exactly who she could check out and be aggravated with first.

Taking a hard left, she turned at the nurses station, clearly empty of anyone on duty and she left her surprise outside with her patience. Hearing a giggle come from the first room on the right, she marched inside. Riley took a deep breath and held it for ten beats then called out.

"Darling?" Her voice carried and the giggling stopped. "Wherever are you, my love?"

A head with long dark hair popped up from beside the posh hospital bed. Naked shoulders, hands clawing for the sheets from that bed, then the body followed, eyes that wouldn't meet Riley's and groping for what constituted as a nursing uniform and possibly her shoes followed as she did the walk of shame out of Johnny Storm's room.

Riley was laughing out loud as she heard his loud groan coming from the floor where the dark head had popped up. She tossed herself down on the now naked bed. "Oh that was fun!" She dared a glance to the floor, betting there was at least a blanket down there. "Was it only one on one, or is there another nurse or candy-striper down there?"

His glare up at her could have melted glass. "Is there some meaning behind your visit, or did you just feel like irritating me today for fun?" He asked, gathering the blanket she was correct was thrown on the floor around his waist. She had to admit, his body was fun to look at. "I mean, I don't have a lot to do to kill time around here."

Riley pretended to consider his question as he stomped around his room, throwing on boxers. Seriously, fun to look at. "Not really. Your room happens to be the first off the elevator, and you know the nurse is PAID to work. Not screw you. Although, if you like to pay for sex, bully for you." She said, yanking one of his pillows behind her head so she could sit up against his headboard and making herself more comfortable. She continued to watch while he continued to throw on clothes.

He stopped when she insinuated that he paid for sex. "I don't pay for sex." She raised an eyebrow. "I don't. Just because I had sex with a nurse, while she was on duty-" He stopped, his brow furrowed.

"That looks like hard work," she said, getting up. "I'll leave you to it." She said, skipping toward the door. "Just so you know, if she's on duty, she's getting paid. Therefore, she's being paid to have sex with you."

She could hear him as he cursed. Chuckling, and feeling marginally better, she stalked off to check on Ben. Now that she wasn't actively thinking about how weak her friend's choice was, she felt she could face how bad of a hand he was dealt.

"Ben," Riley said, rounding the corner into his room. She knew what she was going to find, but it didn't lessen the pain of seeing it for herself. He was in so much pain and it was only going to get worse. She couldn't take it away, it was only going to get worse, much much worse. Sighing, she went in. He was sitting there and she saw that he knew. Even with her precautions. Even with stopping by Johnny's room and taking away her negativity on him, she couldn't hide it from him.

"She's not going to understand," he said, nodding heavily. His hand, always so large was immense now. She could just make out Debbie's engagement ring. How had he come to have that?

Riley's vision was blurred with tears. Somehow he'd figured it all out without her. "I'm sorry, Ben. I tried. I'm sorry I failed you." She put her head in her hands and cried, feeling like she should have figured it out sooner. She felt his finger gently touch her shoulder.

"Hey, Lil Sis, it's not on you." His voice rumbled, louder than ever. "This is the cosmos, kid." She felt him sigh. "We'll figure this out. Your brother's a genius, right?"

They both knew, even as he said it, that was the biggest pipe dream yet.