Reed Richards Is Happy To Be A Father Again

"Reed? I need your full, undivided attention for a moment," Sue Storm said.

Reed Richards was in his lab, seated at a workbench. The entire wall was full of high-tech electronic devices, and Sue didn't know what a tenth of them did. There were mechanical dials, switches, green oscilloscope screens, touchscreens, small three-dimensional holographic projections of undulating spheres and waveforms...representing what, Sue could only guess.

She didn't bother to hide the pregnancy test behind her back. She simply kept it invisible until it was time to reveal it. The heroine held it between both hands and presented it to her husband.

To his credit, one of the most intelligent men in the world didn't have trouble doing the math.

"But how? We haven't..." he said. "And we used protection."

"I know," Sue frowned. "I don't understand how this happened. But I've been feeling 'off' lately, and putting on weight, and then I tested...twice."

Reed took a deep breath.

"Well, obviously we'll have to get you into the gynecologist right away to confirm it..." he said, then his eyes drifted to his equipment. "Although I believe I could rig together an ultrasonic probe that could..."

Sue snapped her fingers, which shook Reed out of his scientific tangent.

"Reed! This is important! How could this have happened? I haven't...I haven't been with anybody else..." She shook in frustration as the words came out. Immediately, Mister Fantastic stepped toward her and stretched. His arms wrapped around her body like a mummy's shroud, and his cheek pressed against hers.

"It's okay, darling!" Reed assured her. "We'll figure this out! Perhaps its a result of your cosmic-ray-altered physiognomy. We've had reproductive issues in the past...perhaps it's a result of that. We'll have to be extra careful this time around. To make sure you're safe. Both of you. You and the baby."

He moved his head, so that he could look into her eyes.

"I'm going to be a daddy again!"

Reed's enthusiasm was so uncharacteristic and genuine that it was infectious. Sue Storm smiled back at him. A part of her hoped that he was right. That this was just some kind of freak biological accident.

She just wished that she could forget about the little worry that gnawed at the back of her head. Or ignore the way her stomach seemed to press against Reed's arms as they stretched around her hips and belly.

"Let's just...avoid telling anyone else just yet," Sue said. "You know how common miscarriages are in the first trimester. I just...I don't want to announce it before we're sure..."

"Of course, darling," Reed said. "If that's how you want it."

Reed kissed her then. On the lips. She opened her mouth and they kissed again. Longer this time. Tongues touched. Then it was she who pressed herself on him. One of his arms stretched out to lock the door as they fumbled with each other's costumes. Sue shook with excitement as she mounted him. Remembered how it had been with her earlier pregnancies. The sudden surges of sensuality that would engulf her. Reed was more responsive than normal, his body stretched to touch so many parts of her at once. She felt him, hard and unprotected, no barrier between them.

It was so perfect. Or at least it would have been, if it had happened six weeks earlier. It had been closer to twelve since the last time they had made love...and Reed had worn a condom, she was sure of it.

That surety gnawed at her like an acid, and tainted the joy of that passionate moment.