Dancing, Parents and Acceptance

Ok Merc won't stay 'normal' but it's gonna be a while until everything's back and there's gonna be a lot of trouble between then and now.

"Ok now try it again." Reed said.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Merc asked. "The machine worked…I can't read your mind, I can't move things and I can't make things explode or shatter." She crossed her arms, irritated.

"Alright." Reed said. Merc had fainted just after she had stepped out of the machine and it wasn't until noon the next day that she had woken up. For the last while Reed had been trying to see if things had worked. Merc hadn't seen Johnny at all but Sue had said that he had come in after she had fainted and spent some time sitting with her before going to sleep. He was gone before Merc had woken up.

"Ok so we're done here…can I go to work?" Merc asked.

"Umm…sure." Reed said. "Why don't you have Sue go with…"

"I don't need a bodyguard, Reed." Merc said. "I'll be fine." She grabbed her bag and left.

She got to the studio and looked at her class. After dealing with Jake for what he had said to the newspapers back when the Fantastic Five first became somewhat celebrities, him and a few other people had left the class. The girls Merc had used to perform on the boat party were still there and there were a few new kids.

"Ok so I have a few announcements to make." Merc said. Everyone looked at her. "I managed to get the show rescheduled so we get another week to practice and come up with things since we've lost some people and gained a few new ones. That and I'd also like to let you all know that you don't have worry about what you think anymore."

"Huh? Why?" One of the girls asked.

"Because a few days ago Reed found out that the reason I've been getting headaches whenever I use my powers is because they're somehow….basically killing me." Merc said. There were gasps of horror through the group. "But!! I finally agreed to allow my powers to be taken away so I'm not dying anymore but I also can't move things, read minds or make things explode when I get mad."

"Oh Merc…we're sorry." Another girl said.

"It's no big deal." Merc said, lying. "It just means that someone's gonna have to go back to turning the stereo on and off again instead of me using my powers to do it." She forced on a smile and everyone bought it. So they started working on a dance and Merc took suggestions for how it could be improved. Every so often someone would forget what Merc had just told them and they would suggest that she could use her powers in someway during the show. Merc would frown every time someone brought up a suggestion that way but she didn't react in any other way.

"Now let's see if I remember where she is." Johnny muttered, walking into the studio and removing his sunglasses. He completely ignored the receptionist this time and walked down the hall. He had to look in a few rooms like the last time before he remembered which one was Merc's. He walked in and watched the group dancing. Merc was moving in and out of the lines, correcting some people, helping those that needed it. Johnny leaned against the wall by the door with his arms crossed. One of the girls spotted him and nudged the girl next to her. Soon most of the girls were looking at him.

"What are you all talking…" Merc started but then saw Johnny. She didn't smile like he had hoped she would…not even a small one. She just looked at him before looking at the ground and turning her back to Johnny to address the group. "Umm…ok guys. That was good. So…keep practicing and I'll see everyone next week. You all can go home or…wherever." Everyone started leaving. Merc turned off the stereo and put her CDs away. Johnny waited until it was only the two of them in the room.

"So…" He said. "How you feeling?"

"Better." Merc said. She wasn't looking at him. "I keep forgetting that I can't do some things…so does my class." She tucked her hair behind her ear and sat down on a bench. "I don't know how I feel." Johnny walked closer to her. "It's like…there's a part of me that's happy to not be hearing people in my head anymore. But…the other part…the bigger, louder part…it's not."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Johnny said, sitting next to her. "I guess I just thought that I was keeping you safer that way. I thought it was one of those 'what you don't know, can't hurt you' kind of things."

"You were wrong." Merc said, finally looking at him. "Just because I didn't know about it didn't mean it wasn't hurting me. It hurt more not knowing." She took Johnny's hand. He squeezed hers lightly and brushed some hair out of her face.

"I don't want you to be so miserable." Johnny said, kissing her forehead.

"There's not much you can do about it." Merc said.

"What if…I…got rid of my…my powers?" Johnny said, having trouble getting it out.

"What?" Merc asked. "No…don't do that."

"Why not?" Johnny asked.

"You love your powers." Merc said. "Remember how amazed you were when you got them? You won't be able to survive without them now."

"I won't be surviving if I know that you're going to be miserable." Johnny said.

"Johnny the team needs you." Merc said. "Don't give up your powers."

"Not even for you?" Johnny asked.

"If you want to do something for me then do as I say, not as I do." Merc said.

"Well then what can I do to make you feel better?" Johnny asked.

"Promise me something." Merc said. Johnny nodded. "Promise me that you won't keep something as big as my powers killing me from me again. If there's something big going on that could result in you, Ben, Reed, Sue, myself or anyone else who comes along…if there's something that could hurt any of us and you know about it…please don't keep it from me."

"I…Ok." Johnny said. "I promise I'll tell you if something like that comes up." Merc smiled slightly. "And…what do you mean…anyone else who comes along?" He raised an eyebrow. "Are you…"

"No way." Merc said. "Remember hot shot, I'm on the pill. No way that's happening anytime soon. I was just saying that maybe if you become an uncle and something had the capability of harming your niece or nephew."

"Oh." Johnny said. He sighed in relief. "That's good. For a second there I thought…not that that would be a bad thing but I just don't know what'll…yeah." Merc laughed at him and shook her head. "Ha…got you to smile. Now I'm happy again."

"Well good." Merc said. "Because that's what I life for."

"Really?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow suggestively. He leaned closer.

"Well I don't life for it but it's good to have…" Merc started but was cut off by Johnny's lips pressing against her own. Her eyes closed as she wound her arms around Johnny's neck. He pulled her legs up across his lap and ran his fingers along her thigh.

There was a cough and they pulled apart, neither of them noticing until that moment that they had become horizontal and Johnny was on top of Merc. They looked over at the door to see Merc's parents. Her mom looked uncomfortable and her dad looked…well…uncomfortable as well. Johnny instantly sat up, pulling Merc up to a sitting position as well. Merc bit her lower lip. In truth, she was only uncomfortable that she had been caught, not that it was her parents doing the catching.

"Well…umm…this is…a surprise." Margo said. "We just…uh…came by to see if Mercedes would…like to join us for dinner."

"I don't…" Merc started but Johnny nudged her.

"They're trying." He muttered.

"They're only here because they found out about the partial celebrity stuff." Merc muttered back.

"Well…it's a free meal. Go for it." Johnny said. Merc rolled her eyes and looked at her parents.

"I'll join…if Johnny can come too." She said.

"What?" Johnny and Bill both said.

"Well…I don't think I'd feel really comfortable in all honesty." Merc said. "So unless Johnny comes as well, I won't go."

"That's fine." Margo said.

"It'll have to be tomorrow night." Johnny said. "Remember Reed and Sue are having their engagement party…thing tonight."

"Oh right." Merc said.

"Tomorrow night is fine." Margo said. "We'll get a reservation and you two can just meet us."

"I guess." Merc said. She gave her parents her cell phone number before the four of them left and went in different directions. "Uh…what was that about?"

"What was what about?" Johnny asked.

"You were…on my parents' side." Merc said.

"I'm on your side." Johnny said. "Like I said…free meal."

"There's more to it." Merc said. "I may not be psychic anymore but I still can tell when you're holding back."

"Well…maybe what you need is…some sort of family thing." Johnny said. "After all of this. I mean…say you tell them about you not having powers anymore tomorrow. What if they stay? What if they still wanna see you?"

"What if they don't?" Merc asked.

"Then you'll know for sure." Johnny said. Merc sighed. "Come on…I'm right. You know I'm right." He poked her lightly.

"Yeah…you're right." Merc said, pushing him. "But you know that rubbing it in isn't helping you get anything."

"Merc you got mail." Ben said when he saw her come into the kitchen. He seemed a bit surprised to see Johnny follow right after her and they weren't arguing.

"Really?" Merc asked.

"Yeah." Ben said. He held up the letter with a small smile. Merc smiled and took the envelope.

"Who's it from?" Johnny asked.

"You'll see." Merc said, opening the envelope and removing the letter. Her eyes scanned over it before she squealed and bounced a bit before hugging Ben. She then ran over to Johnny and hugged him.

"Whoa…not that I don't like this but what's going on?" Johnny asked.

"I got accepted." Merc said. Johnny stared at her.

"Accepted into…wait…you applied to a college?" He asked. Merc nodded. "Aw Mercy that's great." He hugged her again. "So what are you going for?"

"Listen to this." Merc said. She looked at the letter. "They said that they've heard of me so were somewhat reluctant to grant me acceptance because of my powers. However, they read what I had written and they said that…" She looked over the letter. "That it was one of the most original things they've read in a while and so would be very happy to have me at their school."

"What you've written?" Johnny asked. Realization dawned on his face. "You didn't."

"Didn't what?" Merc asked.

"Use that story you wrote about…" Johnny said, gesturing to the both of them.

"It's the best one I had." Merc said. "I've written a bunch of stuff, you know that, but that's the best one I could think of to use and it got me accepted when I could have been denied because of my powers."

"Which you don't have anymore." Ben said.

"Don't remind me." Merc said. "God…I have to tell Bill and Margo that tomorrow night."

"Why?" Ben asked.

"Because hot shot here told me to accept their offer of going out to dinner with them." Merc said, gesturing at Johnny. "So tonight I have to sit through an engagement party and tomorrow night I have to sit through my parents probably telling me how sorry they are for not being in my life." She smiled suddenly. "But Johnny has to go through it as well because I managed to convince them to let him come too."

"You're lucky you're so damn beautiful or else I wouldn't be doing this for you." Johnny said.

"You're lucky I don't have my powers anymore so I have to do this physically and it won't hurt as much." Merc said, smacking him in the back of the head.

"OW!" Johnny said, rubbing his head. "God…what was that for this time?"

"Just because." Merc said. Johnny glared at her softly.

"I'll get you back for that." He said. Merc just shook her head but froze as she looked out the window. Frowning slightly, she went out onto the balcony and looked around. Ben and Johnny exchanged a look before following.

"What are you looking for?" Ben asked.

"I don't know." Merc said. She frowned more before shaking her head. "I guess I was just having a false sense of alarm or something."

"Maybe." Johnny said. They went back inside as Sue and Reed showed up and they all got ready for the night.

Well there's this chapter. I'm going to be updating faster because now I've got ideas so yay!!