The night of the big show.

It was the big night Susan had been waiting for; days of photo shoots, modelling and tailoring had led to Janet Van Dyne’s official fashion show finally seeing fruition. Sitting in the limousine with Reed, Ben, Jonny and with two security guards, Susan sighed and leaned back against the seat. Patting down the skirt to her silver dress and stroking the mink around her neck, the blonde woman looked anxious. “Are you feeling nervous honey? You’ve taken to this pretty quickly.” Asked Reed sitting next to his wife for emotional support, making her smile and squeeze his hand tightly from the loving attention he gave her. “No Reed, if anything, this feels like a load off what with how stressful the week had been. I’m actually pretty excited.” Looking across the limo to her brother Johnny and friend Ben Grimm, Susan smiled almost impishly when she leaned forward and rested her chin on her silver gloved hand, eyeing the two sitting across from her. “So, are you two joining the crowd to watch the show?”

“Although the place has some pretty hoty chicks on the runway, I think I’ll pass.”

Leaning back and covering her mouth in mock surprise, Susan tilted her head. “And why not? Don’t you want to support your sister’s new lifestyle?”

“Pff, and watch my sister parade back and forth with a new dress on every time? You might as well have had dragged me to go shopping with you.” The two guards in the limo gave the Human Torch an odd look before turning their attention back to outside the windows. Turning her attention to Ben, the large stone man shrugged. “Eh, to be fair I’ve got a thing at the children’s hospital later tonight, seems the kids love the ol’ rock face.” Smirked Ben, as best a smirk as he could make with his stony skin. “Nothin too fancy, a couple photos, maybe some juggling… The kids love that.”

With a warm smile, Susan leaned back, pretending to be hurt. “Well then, I guess I’ll have to do this ALL alone.”

“Well, I’ll be in the front row Susan, Janet gave me a ticket for the front seat.”

Beaming her smile back at her husband and squeezing his hand more sharply, Susan turned to look outside and see the limo stop at the red carpet of the fashion show. Stepping out of the limousine with her two sons Thomas and Kevin who were dressed in formal wear and stood to either side of the woman, Susan Storm stepped out of the vehicle behind them with her husband Reed, smiling and waving to the photographers that flanked the red carpet to the event while wrapping an arm around her husband’s down the walkway. She had trained her boys well, giving them an online tutorial on ‘bodyguard training’ they took to heart as they straitened the cuffs to their dress jackets and eyed anyone who looked like they would get too close to their mother and Queen. Walking down the red carpet in a silver dress and white mink, Susan smiled and briefly ignored the journalists calling out to her with questions.

“Mrs. Storm! Are you here alone with your husband or will your family be attending?”

“Well, the rest of my family have other things on their itinerary tonight, but I’ll be here with my loving husband.”

“Mrs. Storm! Mrs. Storm! Are you taking up modelling as a career OUTSIDE of your husband’s research?”

Tapping her chin with her gloved hand and making a coy smile back at the journalist, Susan answered. “Well, I haven’t planned that far but if things turn out well, I might just take a career in it.”

“Mrs. Storm! People have been dying to find out your diet and workout regiment, tell us your secrets.”

“Sorry, some secrets I’m not willing to share.” Susan smiled with a wink to the camera.

“Mrs. Storm! Hold still so I can take a picture, COME ON, just for one second!” The paparazzi leaned in close with his camera to take a picture of Susan’s bust that was too close for comfort before the cameraman only saw black through his lens and found a large hand envelop his camera and crush it like a soda can. “No pictures from you, get back to the other end of the rope.”

“YOU SONOFABITCH! That was my…” Looking up at the tall broad man as he flicked his hand to shake off the bits of plastic and metal still clinging to his palm, Carl gave the man a stone look that silence whatever protest he may have had and rejoined Steve and Susan down the carpet, going through the double doors and out of sight. “Geez, what the hell was HIS problem?”

*

Entering the Gala and heading towards the backstage where the others waited, Susan turned and gave Reed a loving hug and kiss on the lips. “Wish me luck sweetheart.”

“I will Suzie, no matter what, have fun out there.” Giving Reed another kiss on the cheek and heading to the back where Janet Van Dyne and her crew were busy setting up for the show, Susan immediately moved over to her dressing divider and prepared for the show. Quickly undressing, she was assisted into one of Janet’s show pieces by the staff just when Janet came in smiling and wringing her hands in excitement. “Suzie! Thanks for doing all of this, if we’re lucky, my line might actually make it into the European line.”

“Glad to help Jan, is that supposed to be so tight?” Asked Susan to one of the seamstresses helping her into her first wear for the show. The woman attempting to tie the back of the dress together tugged at the ribbons and frowned. “To be honest Mrs. Richard, this was tailored to your last measurements two days ago.” Sitting up, the seamstress felt down Susan’s back until she came to her waist and groped at her hips and thighs. “Guess this is to blame, you’ve gotten bigger.”

“What? Are you saying she’s fat?” Asked Janet with narrowed eyes, crossing her arms as she glared to the staffer who spoke out loud. “More like beefier, I think you’ve been hitting the treadmill maybe a bit too long gorgeous.” Said the woman, pinching Susan’s hip and getting no yield, showing it was all corded muscle.

“B-but I don’t have a treadmill at home.”

Snapping her fingers and gesturing for the seamstress to go to another model, Janet finished the fitting personally while Susan did up her hair. “Don’t listen to her, just about all the girls here are jealous of you and that figure of yours.” Looking out to the other models getting ready, the majority looked back at her with a mix of shy blushing and well-hidden scowls. Either crossing their arms over their busts defensively or feeling down their waist and hips in silent envy. Compared to the other women modelling Janet’s new clothesline, they all looked like budding teenagers compared to her tall, athletic and curvaceous build. “I see what you mean.”

“By the way, who are the two slabs of hotness by the door there?” Janet purred in a sing-song voice.

Looking over to where Janet waved over to with a sly smile, Susan spotted her two sons standing adjacent from the door, their hands in front of them keeping and eye on any reporters or persons trying to sneak inside the changing room. All the while several models couldn’t take their eyes off them, guarding the blushes on their faces or whispering to each other on what they’d rather like to do with them after the show. “Oh… They’re my so… My bodyguards, I hired them after I agreed to be your model, can’t be too careful now a days, right?”

Turning her attention back to the blonde bombshell, Janet rolled her eyes. “Uh huh… Girl, you’re powerful enough to turn a skyscraper invisible or levitate a tanker truck, for you, bodyguards are just for show.”

Smirking down at her friend just as she finished tying the last ribbon holding the dress together, she yelped when Jan slapped her across the rear to make her jump forward and join the models at the back of the stage. “Okay, time to get ready, knock’em dead Suzie!” Winking back at the Amazonian woman, Janet slipped through the curtains and addressed the crowd of seated photographers and patrons, waving and bowing while picking up an offered microphone from the staff at the runway to address the fashion show.

“GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO THE SHOW, I HOPE YOU’RE WELL SEATED BECAUSE WHAT I’VE GOT TO SHOW YOU WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF!”