Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel. Stan Lee (The great man he is) does.
A/n: You know the drill. NO FLAMES! Unless they come from Johnny. R&R VGxx
2nd A/n: Rayne is in Senior high here. I've jumped quite a few years. But the next few chapters include flashbacks to the years between 11 and 16; this one and the next few chapters are going to stay at this age for Rayne. So stay tuned for more chapters!
Thanks to all my reviewers so far! VGxx---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Seven: You'll Always Be My Hero, Dad"Rayne?" Johnny was standing in the doorway of her room as she looked over the photos of her and her father over her sixteen years of life so far. Rayne looked up and smiled.
"Hey Dad – you're supposed to be resting." Rayne said.
"Can't keep me down. You know what I'm like." Johnny said.
"No rest for the wicked huh?" Rayne said putting her hands on her hips.
"That right." He nodded.
"Does that mean you're wicked?" She asked turning back to the photos.
"Well – some might say so." Johnny shrugged.
"Like your sister?" Rayne said spotting Sue behind Johnny looking non-too-impressed.
"Yeah – Sue would. She's put me under house arrest for six weeks until I'm able to get out there again." Johnny said. Sue took her moment.
"And you'll be under house arrest for twelve weeks if you don't get back to the couch and rest!" She snapped, making Johnny spin around. He shot a look at his daughter who held up her hands in defense as if to say 'I didn't see her!'
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Johnny watched Rayne as she made a drink for herself and him. Rayne looked over at him and smiled softly. She put the soda back in the fridge and opened the freezer for the ice cubes.
"I would help you but the wicked witch has her eagle eyes on me." Johnny shot a glance at Sue, who was sitting on Reed's lap switching her gaze from the TV to Johnny every few minutes. Rayne laughed at his statement, and handed him his drink. Smiling she settled next to him. She sipped her drink and let Johnny wrap an arm around her. Rayne smiled and glanced at Sue – she seemed to have just fallen asleep. Rayne looked at Reed. He looked as if he'd drifted off earlier.
"Hey Dad," She whispered, he looked at her and looked at his sister and brother-in-law. Johnny smiled. He didn't move but tightened his hold on Rayne.
"I'd better do as she says. I don't want to get into trouble. And I don't want you to suffer her wrath either." Johnny said, Rayne laughed.
"I've suffered your wrath before. I'm sure I can handle Auntie Susan." Rayne said, she stood up.
"I'm not sure you could. Sue is very much a mother." Johnny said staying put on the sofa wasn't his ideal situation but he knew Rayne could handle herself. Suddenly the phone began to ring.
"Fantastic Four HQ, Rayne speaking." Rayne nodded, making the occasional 'Mmmhmm'. Suddenly Johnny jumped as a small flame shot past the noses of his sister and brother-in-law. They both jumped in surprise. Rayne was about to hang up as they looked at her. She pointed to the phone in her hand and both got up, Reed called out to Ben. Rayne hung up and ran to the balcony.
"Love you Dad!" She called as she exited the doors, "Flame on!" as her feet left the balcony, she did so, cheering she sped off to where they were needed – however there was a small problem. Wherever they had to go they were gonna need rain also – she used what power she had with her father to tell him what they'd need. Dad – we need some rain. Think about it and it should happen. Johnny told her he couldn't, so Rayne simply flamed off and made it rain herself. Running to the building. Routine – burning building. Thirty minutes into it and Rayne started to sweat and she felt tired. She was getting weaker – she wasn't used to using all of her powers to do this – she'd used too much energy. And she was feeling far too weak to complete the job. She finally for the last one out and she let her Uncle take the child, then she felt him grab her as well. Reed laid her on the pavement and she felt Sue lay her cool hands on Rayne's forehead.
"What happened Rayne?" She asked.
"I'm just tired, just let me sleep." Rayne said.
"No, don't you dare go to sleep Rayne Storm! Don't you dare!" Sue said; Rayne tried her hardest to stay awake but soon succumbed to the darkness that was exhaustion.
"Reed!" Reed touched Rayne's forehead.
"She's burning and I mean burning. We need some rain." Suddenly as if by magic it started to pour rain.
"You were saying?" Sue said looking at him as her blonde hair began to stick to her shoulders.
"That'll be Johnny I'd say. It definitely isn't Rayne." Reed picked Rayne up and put her in Ben's arms. Ben held her tightly as they flew back to the Baxter. Once inside they took her into the lab, but they did have to wait long to have Johnny find them.
"REED! WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO MY DAUGHTER?!" He yelled. Sue went out to talk to him and maybe calm him down. But it didn't work no sooner had Sue been gone ten minutes but Johnny was in there watching in concern more than anger.
"Reed – will she be ok?" He asked.
"She'll be fine. She needs to rest and get her energy up." Reed said.
"Daddy?" Johnny went to her and grabbed her hand in his.
"Hey baby girl." He whispered.
"Hey Daddy. I didn't realize the flames would take so much out of me. I'm sorry."
"No, don't be sorry, you have nothing to be sorry for you understand me? Nothing. I should be sorry. I should've spent time with you teaching you how to manage them."
"No…I shouldn't have used them. I love you Dad."
"I love you too Baby, you go to sleep we'll talk more when you're feeling better ok?" Rayne nodded and closed her eyes allowing the darkness to take her over again.
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"Daddy?" Rayne opened her eyes; she was in her bedroom, "Daddy!" Johnny was there instantly.
"Hey baby girl."
"Hey. I'm feeling better now."
"Good. You had us worried. You've been out for five days Darl, I thought I'd lost you."
"It'll take more than a bit of exhaustion to take me from you Daddy." Rayne said hugging him tightly.
"Hey…I wanted to talk to you now that I'm back in commission." Johnny said he sat on the bed, Rayne sat back and looked at him cocking her head bird-like to one side.
"Ok…I'm listening."
"I just…when I was out of commission I felt like I'd failed you or something. I wasn't fulfilling my duty to you as a father." Johnny said, "I just felt so helpless, and then you were sick and only woke up today I felt helpless Ray, I just didn't know what to do. I just want to be your hero baby girl."
"Daddy, you are my hero. Always will be." Rayne said hugging him. Sue stopped on her way to Rayne's bedroom when she heard voices and listening carefully she recognized it as Johnny and Rayne. She turned around and went back to the kitchen smiling.
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"Kid? What's up?" Rayne looked up at the large orange rock in front of her.
"Oh Hi Ben. Nothing's wrong. I'm ok." She said, wiping at her tears, only to have them replaced with fresh ones. Ben stepped closer as Rayne stood up.
"You're crying kid what's up?" Ben said putting his large hand under her chin lifting it to look at him.
"Nothing Ben really." She said snatching her face away from him.
"Now you know I don't believe that." He said, his face somewhat softened.
"Wow, most kids wouldn't know you had feelings. Being a large orange rock." She joked lightly – Ben grimaced she sounded like her father.
"Watch that mouth of yours. You know you'll start sounding like Johnny. You are already too much like him now." He told her
"Like father like daughter." She shrugged. Ben didn't like her tone; this was Johnny in girl form.
"Yeah, too much." Ben snarled.
"Oh come on Ben. Have some feeling." Rayne teased.
"That's not fair." He said, he wouldn't hit her, he couldn't but he could chase her.
"Of course it's fair! You're a large rock and I'm a girl. You can't hurt me." Rayne pointed out the obvious, if he couldn't hurt her, he could scare her.
"Yes I can." Ben said clenching is fists.
"Dad won't like it." Rayne warned.
"Are you saying I'm scared of Matchstick?" Ben challenged.
"No. But he could probably burn you to a crisp!" She countered.
"Rock doesn't burn Ray." Ben said.
"No? But bones break!" She squealed, now she sounded terrified. She started to sprint to her room, but changed direction and made for the elevator, she knew Ben couldn't take the elevator so he'd have to follow her down the stairs. So he did. Sighing heavily he started on the stairs, he was lucky he made it just after she did. She ran outside and down the street she had disappeared when Ben made it outside. He sighed and went back upstairs.
"Where's Rayne?" Sue asked as Ben returned to the top of the Baxter.
"I don't know. She ran off." Sue raised an eyebrow.
"Hey Uncle Ben!" Rayne appeared on the balcony, "given up already?" She asked.
"Rayne Elizabeth Susan Storm! How many times do I have to tell you do not tease your uncle! Unless I can tease him as well!" Johnny appeared from his room after hearing his daughter call to Ben.
"Sorry Daddy." She said.
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Three Weeks Later"Ray? Bunny what's wrong? You've been in here for hours." Johnny asked he sat beside Rayne who was looking through a photo album and she was crying.
"What was my Mom like?" She asked. She put the photo album in his lap, Johnny looked down it was a photo of the first steady girlfriend he'd had, that had lasted more than a week. Annabelle had gone on holiday with Johnny, Reed and Sue – Reed had a photo of Johnny holding both Sue and Annabelle in his arms, both girls were hysterical with laughter.
"She was the most beautiful person I ever knew. Besides you of course Bunny. She taught me things no other girl had ever taught me." Johnny said closing the album slowly.
"Not even Frankie?" Rayne asked, knowing of her father's infatuation with the female soldier.
"Not even Frankie." Johnny answered. Rayne wrapped her arms around her father's neck. Johnny wrapped an arm around Rayne and hugged her close to him. Both bodies were warm they fitted together perfectly. Johnny and Rayne Storm. Rayne gave Johnny a kiss on the cheek, he returned it. Rayne snuggled closer to him.
"Daddy?" Rayne whispered as she started to fall asleep.
"Hmmm?" Johnny replied as he held her tighter.
"You'll always be my hero, Dad. Always. That's never going to change." Rayne said quietly, she then closed her eyes and fell asleep. Johnny didn't dare move too much, he slowly lay back on the bed and he too slowly fell asleep.
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Ok There is Chapter 7. It took me a while and I'm truly sorry for that. I was really busy with the end of school, then I had to get past Christmas and New years. So here is the next update. What else do you want to know? The next thing I'll write is the Epilogue! R&R plz, VGxx