Chapter Four: The Best Friend
Reed was a great friend, one of the greatest I'll ever know. He was the kind of friend that stood by you when you needed someone, no matter what was going on with his own life. It didn't even matter if you were wrong about it. As long as you were taking a stand, he'd stand up with you.
Reed Richards was a great friend; he was the kind of friend that stands by you when you need somebody to be there, no matter what was going on with his own life. He saved my life so many times that I can't even count them. I remember the day that Reed told me that he met a girl who'd stolen his heart. Being his best friend I have to admit that I was shocked, because at that point of our lives he was never really big on the dating scene. Who'd have guessed that the girl who stole his heart would be Susie Storm, the most popular girl at M.I.T, and the woman who's sitting right down in this front row with the kids they had together? I didn't know how I'd react to this new girl who'd arrived on the scene, but Susie's the nicest girl you could ever meet, and she became one of my greatest friends as well.
I also remember the days where I saw him at his happiest. Days with Susie, like when she agreed to marry him despite his disbelief on her acceptance, and the day they married. Susie was the reason that he came out of his shell. If it wasn't for her, I don't think he'd ever have come out of his shell enough to be the great leader he was. Susie, my heart goes out to you today. I wish that you'd had more time together to enjoy the retirement you've only just got. The other days that made him proud where the three days where his kids were born. I was out in the halls for all of them, pacing up and down with Johnny, and I can remember that smile on his face when he came out every time, once telling me it was a boy, and the second and third times saying that it was a girl. Fatherhood changed him. For the better. He was so much more confident in himself and his life. It was the ultimate goal for him.
What is it that we'll remember when we think of Reed? I think everyone who knows him would agree that it was his passion, his dedication. He was a wonderful husband and father. I can't tell you how many times I used to tell Susie and Reed to get a room when they were first married, but now, I look at Susie sitting there on her own, and I just wish I'd see all that mushy stuff they used to do together; the sweet nothings, the inside jokes…you name it, they had it. He was a brilliant husband. Whenever Susie needed him he was there, and even when she made out that she didn't need him he was still there. They had a connection, I guess that's the secret to a successful marriage - you need that connection, the spark that the two of them had. It's that spark of life and of romance that makes me sure that Reed was comfortable in his final days.
His death was sudden, even though we all had time to prepare for that day. I can remember when Franklin told me that he'd gone, I couldn't believe it, and until I'd seen him for myself. I mean, this was Reed Richards, the boy down the street that I'd grown up with. We were a team long before the Fantastic Four came along. But it slowly occurred to me that he'd lived his life wonderfully, and he'd achieved everything he dreamed of and more. He's done so many great things for this world, and I'm sure he'll do much more where he is now. I'll forever be grateful to have known Reed, and I'll forever be grateful for spending pretty much my whole life with a friend like him. All the memories we shared together will always be cherished and remembered.
Reed is in heaven now, and we are here at his funeral. He told me in his last days how he didn't wish for his family to grieve his death, but instead to celebrate his life and his triumphs. To his family; to his wife, his children, and his grandchildren, Reed asked me to remind you of that in this speech. He told me that he didn't want to watch you from the peace he went to and see you forever with tears on your faces. He wants you to be happy, and for you to look after one another. So, at this moment when we are about to lay his body to rest, I'd like everyone present to think back and remember how Reed touched our lives, either as Mr. Fantastic or Reed Richards - the real hero. This is not the moment for us to shed our tears, but we should all be thankful that we were given the chance to have known him, to have cared for him, and to have loved him.
He will be forever missed, by his family and his friends, but also by the city that he loved enough to save many a time. Reed will live forever in our hearts, because he loved us, and we'll always love him.
