Reed Richards Is Confused

"But—we haven't had sex!" Reed Richards said.

"I know," Sue said, a hand over her stomach. "But I visited the doctor to confirm. She says I'm six weeks along. And everything looks...healthy."

They were in their bedroom. Sue thought that might be a better place for this conversation than Reed's lab. He ran his hand over his chin, the shape of the jaw stretching like taffy, something he did when he was confused.

"I didn't have sex with anyone else," Sue said quietly. "I don't know how this happened."

"I believe you," Reed said. It was automatic acceptance, utterly credulous. She looked up, tears in her eyes.

"You mean it?" she said.

"Of course, darling. I trust you completely. What I don't understand is how someone could have impregnated you without our noticing. The date of impregnation actually helps, I can review everything six weeks ago—look for any dimensional fluctuation, any chronal manipulation. Are you experiencing any missing time, unusual periods of unconsciousness?"

"N-not that I recall," Sue said. She had seen Reed shift into analysis mode, and he was in it now. His eyes kept flicking to her stomach, as though he expected her belly to balloon before his eyes.

"I'll need to run some tests. See if there are any traces left in your body. We can't check the DNA yet, it's too soon, but—"

"Reed, while I appreciate that you're focusing on who did this to me, we have another question to consider," she said. "What are we going to do about it?"

She bit her lip. Sue had so much trouble with pregnancies in the past, there was no guarantee that this one would be any better. Neither she or Reed had planned on another child, it was why they were so careful. To go through a potentially high-risk pregnancy, at her age, and with a baby that wasn't her husband's—

Mister Fantastic stopped rubbing his chin. He stretched his arms out and wrapped them around her, as tight as a straitjacket. It was one of those private expressions of affection that most people didn't see, and fewer would understand. He sat down next to her, his butt pressed against hers on the bed.

"Do you want to keep the baby?" he said, softly.

She couldn't say it. She just nodded.

"Then we will," Mister Fantastic said, simply. "I don't know who did this, but I know that whatever their plans were, we won't let this child be a wedge between us. We've always been a family. We're just going to be a bigger one."

It was the right thing to say. Sue turned and kissed him. Really kissed him. Invisible hands peeled off his pants, and as their tongues met, she stroked him to hardness.

No condoms tonight. There didn't seem to be a need. She was already pregnant; she couldn't get more pregnant.

What no one—not Sue Storm, not Porkum, not even Doctor Doom—counted on was what Reed Richards would do next.