Disclaimers: I don't own the F4 characters, I think I will go and cry now… Scrap that, I'll just get on with the next chapter.

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Chapter 3

As the two young heroes exited the Baxter building, they were greeted by paparazzi. "Aquatica, tell us about your break up!" One reported said shoving a microphone in her face. Another just handed her a different morning paper and asked her comment on it, but she didn't even look at it. In fact she refused to read any papers that had been lying about the building for the last three days, which was how long the reporters had been hanging around waiting for her to emerge.

Maria looked at Johnny, he was always the one who did all the talking, she wasn't as good at it. "Excuse us!" he yelled, taking Maria by her gloved hand and pulling her though the crowd of reporters. He looked at her, "Ready to run?" he asked looking back at them following her.

Maria nodded, "Race you until we're safe," she said as the two took off running, the reporters hurrying after them.

They dashed down the street, dodging pedestrians until Johnny grabbed her hand and pulled her to the left down an alley, and they hid behind a dumpster. "Close call, huh?" he laughed, still holding her hand.

Maria crouched, breathing heavily. She wasn't used too this much excitement that early in the morning. "Next time," she started, "We take…your car," she finished in between breaths.

Johnny smiled, "Deal," he promised.

Maria smiled, and pulled her hand out of Johnny's. Johnny followed to where her hand was going, not noticing her smile fading. She reached to get a paper off the floor and read the headline, "Looks like Jack's already sold a 'Kiss and Tell' story," she said sadly opening the paper.

Johnny snatched it away, "You don't want to read that," he said flaming his hand, reducing the paper to ash in seconds. He stood up offering her his hand, "Come on, I know a short cut through this ally to the city centre," he said as she took his hand and he helped her up. "I like your gloves," he said grinning, giving her hand a little squeeze.

Maria smiled looking into his eyes, blinking back the tears that were forming in hers. "I need a suit made of it," she joked.

"Hmmm, let's see," Johnny mused as they walked down the ally way, "It took six months to make the gloves. Your hands are about an eleventh of your body." He paused doing the sum in his head, "Sixty six months," he said "That's like five and half years," he stated.

"Yeah," she agreed, "But it took Reed five of these six months to get the technology done properly, so it will take him about eleven months to make a whole suit, seeing as he has the method set in stone now," she pointed out to him.

Johnny smiled again, "Yeah, you're right."

The two continued in silence, and walked for about twenty minutes before they reached the turning in the ally way that led to the city centre.

"Where first?" Johnny asked.

She shrugged, "Wherever you want to go."

A huge grin instantly lit up his face, "Toy store!" he announced, leading the way the Toy Land.

Maria looked confused as she followed him, "Why do you want to go there?" she asked.

"You'll see!" he said keeping her guessing, as they entered the building.

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Maria hadn't been inside the store for years, it was bigger than she remembered. She looked around wishing she could be a child again, running down the isles making her way to the dolls, her mother always close by in case she got kidnapped. She watched with a great feeling of jealousy as a mother took her daughter by the hand, showing her the cute prams made for baby dolls. They looked at her briefly, not noticing who she was. Well how could they? She was wearing a large hat that blocked a vast part of her blue face, and she was fully clothed. She looked like any other shopper in the store.

"Maria!" Johnny shouted her name. She looked over; he was motioning her to go to him. "This way," he led the way to where a shop assistant was standing. "Excuse me miss," he said to get her attention. "Do you have any of the Fantastic Five merchandise in this store?" he asked.

The woman looked at him with intrigue. "Do you mean the figures, or the clothing?" she asked, trying her best to place his face.

"You have clothing?" he asked excitedly.

The woman smiled, "Follow me," she said leading the way.

"Johnny, this is ridiculous!" Maria scolded.

"No, it's cool!" he protested, causing her to roll her eyes.

"We have a vast range of pyjamas for the little ones," the shop assistant showed them.

"Anything with my face on it?" Johnny asked flirting a little, "Any…woman's lingerie?"

The shop assistant's eyes brightened, "You're the Human Torch!" she said excitedly, and grabbed the hat of Maria's head, "And you're Aquatica!" she added gleefully.

Taking her hat back, Maria turned angrily at Johnny, "I'm out of here!" she announced, snatching her hat back, and walking quickly away.

The Human torch turned to the shop assistant, "Sorry, have to go," he said and followed Maria as her walked turned into a run, and ran through the newly accumulated crowd of people, and exited the building.

"Taxi!" she waved at the yellow cab, tugged the door open. "Baxter building!" she ordered sternly, pulling the door closed. As far as she was concerned, Johnny could find his own way home.

"You're…" the cab driver started.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly aware of who I am, just drive if you want to stay dry!" Maria said bitterly as the cab drive took her home.

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End of chapter

A/N Ok, sorry for the long update, but I now only have one day off a week, and that's a Sunday, so I'm going to try and update both my stories at least once a week. I'm also about to begin the process of moving house, so bare with me. (If you read my other story then you already have read this note… so sorry for repeating myself) You may want to note that Johnny didn't tell her the truth about the Kiss and Tell story, but it won't be relevent for a few chapters yet...