Chapter 3

Night fell as Sue made dinner and Reed watched over the young girl. Ben had gone into his room. The small mess in the hallway of the elevator had been cleaned up, the evidence gone. The last of the Fantastic Four came in through the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Hey Sis," Johnny Storm said as he came up from behind her.

Sue turned and smiled at her little brother. Steam rose up behind her.

"That smells good. What are you cooking?" Johnny asked.

"Chicken noodle soup," Sue replied.

Johnny made a face. He didn't like chicken, much less in soup.

"I already ate."

"I figured," Sue smiled wanly.

Johnny noticed her smile.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Sue sighed and pulled out some bowls for the soup. He waited as she spooned the food.

"Do you remember yesterday?" She finally asked.

"Yea, Ben went to save the girl from the van, but it passed through them. Why?"

"She's here. The girl from yesterday," Sue said as she handed Johnny a bowl.

"I don't understand sis. You're telling me that the girl from yesterday is here? In this building?" Johnny asked.

Sue nodded.

"Then where is she? I want to know how she…" Johnny trailed off at the look on Sue's face.

Tears welled up in Sue's eyes. Johnny set the bowl on the table behind him and pulled her towards him. He hugged her as she cried. He waited for a good few minutes before he spoke.

"Sue, what happened?"

She sniffled as she lifted her head from his chest. "Somebody stabbed her, Johnny. Somebody hurt that poor girl and probably left her for dead!" Sue cried.

Johnny tightened his arms around her.

"Is she…" Johnny couldn't finish the sentence.

Sue shook her head, "No, she's fine. She's sleeping right now."

"Where is she now?"

"She's in the medic lab with Reed," Sue replied. "I was gonna give Reed his dinner."

"I'll come with you," Johnny said as he picked up the bowl from the table.

Sue grabbed her bowl and led the way.

They walked in silence in the short hallway. Reed looked up from his desk when they walked in the doorway. Johnny handed Reed his dinner, and walked to the sleeping girl. He gazed down at her. The girl's red hair seemed to fan out on her shoulders and pillow. Her pale skin seemed to clash against her pink lips.

"She's beautiful," Johnny whispered as he touched her hand gently.

He cleared his throat when he realized he had spoken out loud and hid his hands into his pants pocket. Johnny turned away from the girl. He looked at Sue and Reed, and cleared his throat again.

"Where's Ben?" he asked.

"Right here," the voice came from the doorway as Ben stepped into the room.

They looked at him as he went to stand next to Johnny and look at the girl.

"How long will she…sleep?" Ben asked.

Reed set aside his uneaten bowl of soup and stood up from his desk.

"Not long, I don't think. Perhaps by morning. She lost a lot of blood," Reed replied as he walked around the bed to look at the machine again for the fifth time.

Silence ensued as Reed pressed a few buttons on the machines.

"Have you figured out how she was able to do what she did yesterday?" Ben asked.

"I did actually. I analyzed her blood sample. She seems to have the same properties as we do. As If she was hit by the storm," Reed said.

"How can she be like us if she wasn't hit by the storm? Since it's unlikely that she stowed away on the ship," Sue asked.

Reed opened his mouth to respond.

"Rock," a small voice whispered.

The four looked down to see the girl awake.

"The rock…in my pocket," the girl said as she tapped the side of her right leg.

Sue stepped in between Johnny and Ben, and lifted the blanket to snake her hand under it. She reached inside the pocket and pulled out an orange rock which she handed to Reed. Reed took the rock from Sue and went over to his desk where there was a microscope. As he looked into the scope, Sue smiled at the girl.

"Hey sweetie, what's your name?" Sue asked.

"…Lily…" she whispered tiredly.

Lily licked her dry lips and Sue noticed.

"You thirsty?"

Lily nodded.

Sue looked up, "Johnny, would you get her some water?"

Johnny nodded and left the room. Sue looked back down to Lily.

"…Where am I?" Lily asked.

"You're in the Baxter building," Sue replied as she stroked Lily's forehead.

Johnny came back in with the water and gave it to Sue. She lifted Lily's head and she drank. Lily stopped drinking and closed her eyes. Sue laid her head back down just as Reed let out a exclamation of surprise. Lily opened her eyes, startled.

"Go back to sleep, sweetie," Sue said.

Lily closed her eyes as Sue watched.

"What is it Reed?" Ben asked.

Reed pulled out the rock and joined the group, his eyes never averting away.

"She was hit by the storm," Reed said.