Swelling with love Chapter Six: Announcements

 

Created Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Last Updated Wednesday, July 09, 2008


 

  
In which Reed Richards and Susan Storm are honest with themselves and others.
AN: Still haven't gotten any comments/reviews via email, makes me wonder if its an issue of something wrong with my account or if nobody is reading this.  Reiterating, it's iwfan53@yahoo.com in case you feel the need to tell me what you think of my work.



"Ben, there's something I want to talk with you about..."  Ben was just a little bit surprised at seeing Reed waiting for him to return to the Baxter Building since most of the time it seemed like Reed was busy either working on stuff in his lab, with Susan, or a combination of both.   But since Ben had just gone on a quick flight around the city and seen that nothing was glaringly wrong he decided he might as well hear him out.

"What?"  "I was wondering if you could teach me how to fight."  Ben had to admit it, it was hard for him to hear the end of that sentence over how it started, the part about Reed Richards, the man knew everything, was coming to Ben for help learning something.  Once he finally managed to wrap his mind about how improbably that was, looking at the sentence as a whole, it did make at least a modicum of sense.

Of course while he was thinking about that, Reed was continuing to explain his request.  "You see Ben, it recently occurred to me that you're the only member of the Fantastic Four who has had actual hand to hand combat training, and while in theory we should be able to use overcome any obstacle we face through the right mix of teamwork, powers and inventions, sometimes a fight seems to come down to just that, a fight. 

I know you can't exactly teach me everything you know over the course of a week or even a month, but I figure at least trying might be a productive use of my time."  Ben raised an eyebrow very slowly.  "You seriously want to learn how to fight?"  Reed nodded, Ben could just imagine what his face should have looked like back in his original body. 

Benjamin Grimm had a theory, so he decided the only thing to do was test it.  He sucker punched the man who was probably his closest friend in the world.  Reed let loose with a  sound that would have sounded more appropriate coming from a dieing fish, grabbed hold of his stomach and doubled over.  Though in his favor, at least he didn't fall the floor the way Ben had half expected him to. 

"What was that for?"  Ben shook his head and sighed, this was going to be a long slow process, but then so had been the time he'd gone to Reed for help with calculus.  "Reed, you can install whatever kind of deflector shields you want into that fancy suit of armor, and I'll admit Vic managed to do a real number on us with it and you've doubtlessly only made it more powerful, but it can't change the basic principle of how a fight works.  If you get into one, you're gonna get hit, and its gonna hurt. 

I'm sure you've got the brains for learning moves, but your guts are another matter.  So you tell me, do you still want me to teach you how to fight?"  Reed drew in a deep breath and then straightened up, most of the way at least.  "Yes." 

"You must really love her."  It was a really nice karmic touch to finally see Reed Richards look at him like he had no clue what they were talking about.  "Who?"  "Who do you think I was talking about Reed my Aunt Petunia, Susy Q!  I mean come on, there are only so many reasons why a guy like you would take a punch like that and stick around knowing that he's going to end up taking more. 

So I gotta figure that means you're just crazy enough in love with her that you don't mind the prospect of me beating crap out of you, and that's.... that's just fine with me.  Now why don't we head over to the gym so that I've got some padded matts to toss you around on?"

----


Johnny walked into his sister's room and found her to all practical appearances just standing around doing absolutely nothing.  That was pretty weird in and of itself considering that given her condition he'd expected her to be either laying in bed or doing something with her powers.  Not to mention there was a look in her eyes that suggested they weren't actually focused on what was in front of her, but instead where thinking about something else entirely, it was a kind of look he was much more used to seeing in Reed's eyes than Susan's.

"Hey sis, can we talk?"  Susan twisted her neck around about 90 degrees and nodded, though below the neck her body was motionless.  "I'm a little busy exercising at the moment, but I think I can manage to divide my attention, why?"  Curiosity got the better of Johnny (as it was prone to) and for a moment he forgot all about his main purpose in coming here.  "Really?  Cause you don't seem to be doing anything, and I thought last time Reed checked you didn't even have muscles to tone.  Unless you were doing some kind of special subtle body stretching that I haven't notice yet." 

Susan shook her head, an odd sort of smile on her face, it was too smug for the Susan Storm that he remembered growing up with.  "Actually at last count, well just between the two of us I really don't have a clue what Reed was telling me other then it couldn't hurt to try.  As for what I'm doing at the moment, it's Kegels."  "What now?"  "A type of exercise Reed suggested I look into, they're typically done by pregnant women, and they help strengthen certain muscles in the pelvic region.  Which is something I should be rather concerned about, given how much weight my belly is going to be making it support in a couple months.

Anyway, doing them help prevent the incontinence that occur during pregnancy among other things..."  Johnny would swear that he could feel a "does not compute" message just waiting to leap into his field of vision.  "Right then, sorry I asked.  I just came in here to say, you and Reed aren't in this alone."  Susan squinted at him slightly.  "Of course not, if we were then it'd be the Dynamic Duo or something else like that instead of the Fantastic Four."

Johnny sighed very deeply, turning his gaze in the direction of the small bludge in his sister's midsection, knowing that it was only going to get larger as time went on for the next few months.  God that thing freaked him out.  There were any number of reasons for it, to pick his current "favorite" (and one he least liked reflecting on) the sight of it was physical, undeniable, proof that his sister and Reed Richard were doing it, a mental image that was much more disturbing then anything he'd seen fighting crime as the Mandriod.

"Not like that, I mean with your kids.  I know I wasn't the best brother growing up, especially after what happened to mom and dad.  You had your own issues to deal with, and it didn't help that....."  Johnny couldn't help it, he burst into laughter that apparently awoke Susan from the almost trance like state she had achieved while listening to him.  "What's so funny?"  Johnny wiped a tear form his eye and sighed.  "Sorry, it's just I was going to say that it didn't help that you had to be constantly looking over your shoulder to keep track of me.  And then I realized that right now you're literally looking over your shoulder at me."

Susan's eyes glanced down, and then she let out a delicate chuckle at the way past and present events overlapped one another.  "I see your point.  If a girl can't have eyes in the back of her head, having a head that can twist 360 degrees is the next best thing.  But getting back to what you were saying...?"

Johnny gritted his teeth, it was now or never.  "I realize that even for a Susan Storm with superpowers, six kids is a lot.  So I just want to say, when the kids get here, I'll try to be an uncle who helps you look after them instead of a brother you need to look after...."

Susan just staired at him, her mind evidently being pulled in several different directions at the same time.  "Thanks."  Johnny nodded very, very slowly, as if to remind himself that the conversation at hand, really was taking place.  "I promise that I'll at least try to be a bit more mature, so that when the time comes, I can be someone who helps you with the kids.  I mean I figure I owe it to you all things considered. 

Cause I'm sure if I hadn't been so gungho about the possibility of going into space on your boyfriend's rocket ship then you wouldn't be in your current situation.  I mean, why else would Susan Storm have wanted to get on that ship if she didn't feel like she needed to make sure her immature brother didn't end up pushing the wrong button during the flight and accidentally getting everyone sucked out into the vacuum of space?

Yeah you weren't turned you into some kind of monster, and you seem to be enjoying yourself, but still, if Reed could have turned into a floating brain there's just as odds were probably more or less evenly split between you turning into Ultra Woman, and growing an extra pair of arms, or suddenly having your ears grow out of the top of your head and your body covered with fur... you know what I'll just skip to the end of this speech.  It's that there are some risks that you shouldn't have had to take on my account, and the best way I can think of making up for all of that is to try and at least help you deal with having so many kids underfoot."

For a moment Johnny seriously though  that his sister might be dealing with her own blue screen of death, but then in all fairness he probably would have had trouble believing that such words could come from the mouth of Jonathan Spencer Storm as well, so he decided not to wait for her to actively respond before continuing.

"I'm not saying I'm volunteering to help you change diapers or feed them, but when the time comes, the two of you won't have to look very far to find a baby sitter, and I don't mean Ben."  Apparently it was taking Susan just as long to properly realize just what her brother had said as it was taking him to realize how to properly say what he was thinking.  "Thanks, but you do realize that since my kids have my powers, you're gonna have your hands full, trust me they'll be able to show you a thing or two about being hard to keep track of."

Johnny chuckled, he was sure he had  once heard Karama defined as having your kids do to you whatever you'd done to your parents, apparently for him it was having your sister's kid do to you whatever you'd done to her.  "Well if all else fails, I'll just armor up and with any luck they'll flock to something shiny like bees to honey."

There was a slight twitch in Susan's eyes.  "I'd be careful about that, remember they'll be Reed's kids as well.  I think he managed to find a way to blow up his parents garage and burn off his eyebrows before he turned ten.  So anything shiny and mechanical in their vicinity might be quite likely to find itself pulled apart and then put back together with whatever 'improvements' they can think of."

Johnny just shrugged.  "Trust me, I'm sure they'll be wonderful kids, and I'm sure I'll get along great with them.  I mean think about it, you just keep doing the maternal thing you did with me, Reed will be, well Reed, and I can be the crazy cool uncle who doesn't have a problem hurling them off the roof to see who bounces the farthest."

"Johnny!"  Johnny just shrugged.  "Hey, if they're anything like me with your powers then they'd get a kick out of it.  Anyway, just saying, whatever happens, you can count on me to be there for you, though I suppose its up to you to figure out what exactly that's worth to you.  So unless you've got something else to say I'll just be leaving now..."

Susan nodded, and as Johnny left the room he took a moment to wipe his forehead, if he'd been in Mandroid form there probably would have been droplets of oil running down his head.  "I can't believe I just said all that."

----

Susan Storm fell backwards onto her bed looking up at the ceiling.  "I can not believe my brother just said all that."

----


Reed more or less stumbled into Susan's room looking like he had been through hell.  Of course because he was wearing an unstable molecule uniform that covered his entire body from the neck down and his bland facemask from the neck up, it was impossible for Susan to tell the extent of the damage that he had suffered, but he was certainly walking with a very pronounced limp. 

"What happened to you?"  Reed wordlessly made his way over to a chair that was closer to the door then their bed, and sank into it.  Only once he'd done that, did he turn his head towards her and respond, as if whatever he'd just been through had made it impossible for him to multitask.  "Ben..." 

Susan's entire body tensed like a spring, ready to leap into action with only the slightest provocation.  "What do you mean?  Did the Puppet Master take control of him again?"  Reed shook his head slowly as if he was barely able to move his neck.  "It's nothing like that, I asked him to.  I wanted him to give me some training me in hand to hand combat..... and he's a very good teacher..."

Susan relaxed slightly.  "You know Reed I don't exactly need you to be the most masculine, manly man on the face of the Earth to make me fall in love with you."  Reed blinked, slowly, as if even doing that hurt him. 

"Would you feel better if I said I was doing it for myself?"  Susan just sat there and pondered for a moment.  "You know I actually think I would, considering that its your body and I guess you can do whatever you want with it, though I'm still a little surprised." 

Reed let loose with a half sigh, half moan.  "Well, like I said to you, teamwork and experience in battle are important tools in our profession.  With your powers you probably would achieve the best results just doing whatever feels most natural.  I on the other hand, considering myself lucky to once again have at my control what amounts to more or less your average human body, probably could gain quite a lot by looking at already established fighting styles. 

Just as a general rule for the team, we should probably try and find time to spar with one another every week or so, to help us get a better understanding of what the others are capable of, not to mention how to disable without actively harming one another in case for some reason we find ourselves fighting one another again or even just villains with similar powers." 

Susan really had to hand it to Reed, his body posture said he probably would have been in less pain if he'd just had a limb amputated, and yet he was able to put that pain aside and focus on other issues for the good of the team.  "You've got a good point.  We tend to more or less just do our own things when it comes to training, doing some together might not be a bad idea." 

Reed winced again as he nodded, and Susan's heart went out to him.  She could have gotten punched, punted, and otherwise pummelled, for hours on end, all the while happily bouncing from one blow to the next, confident that her elastic body would take it all in perfect stride. 

Ironically secure in the knowledge that her children possessed her powers as well, Susan couldn't help but feel like at the moment it was her husband much more than her children who needed to be safely enfolded within her body.  Then slowly a smile started to spread across her lips.  "It hurts to sit in that hard chair doesn't it?"  Reed just nodded, it probably hurt him to breath to a certain extent as well. 

That was all the prompting Ultra Woman needed, she more or less melted out of her bed into a puddle that began to slowly ooze across he floor in his direction.  "Well then why don't I provide you with a more comfortable place to rest?"  Susan's chaotic form shot out four tendrils that wrapped around Reed and pulled him over to her.  In moments she had transformed her body into what was effectively a human mattress that encased all of Reed's body except his head, next to which she "grew" her own.

"I trust that this is an improvement?"  Reed twisted his head as best he could and kissed her on the lips.  "A vast one."  Then Reed allowed his body to go limp, grateful that the soft folds of Susan's body currently were putting precious little more pressure on his many burses then floating in water would have. 

For her part Susan was content to just full body cuddle and leave it at that, the passing euphoria of orgasms while extremely nice, but wasn't even in the same league with the unending contentment that came from knowing that not only were you in love, but you were loved back.


----


As Susan Storm woke a smile came to her face.  It was surprising at times how the little things in life could be so important, like just waking up and hearing the sound of someone else in bed with you gently exhaling.  Granted, it was also things like that which reminded Susan that first off Reed Richards was no longer just a bodyless brain (it'd been a condition that had persisted for half a year so it was understandable if even after three months she still sometimes had nightmares about him being that way again) but once again a living breathing man who happened to also be the father of the six three month old children growing within her womb. 

For a moment Susan just laid there, trying to figure out exactly what had awaked her, and if she was about to have another less than exhilarating bout with morning sickness.  But as she took the time to interpret all the signals her body was sending her, it turned out to be something much more mundane.  Susan slid out from underneath the covers and landed on the floor, she had discovered through trial and error that this was the best for her leave the bed if she didn't want to disturb Reed's sleep.

Of course as she reformed her body shivers began to run up and down it due to the fact that she no longer had those nice warm blankets (or Reed's nice warm body) to protect her nude form from the cold.  That might be overselling it a bit, the Baxter Building was hardly freezing, the sudden shift in temperature just came as a bit of a shock to her.  Luckily it was also an easily dealt with problem, while Susan liked to casually and carelessly fling her garments any which way they cared to go before sex, Reed had other ideas. 

After being woken up a handful of times by the sound of her searching the room for a particular misplaced article of clothing, he had suggested that she needed to develop a system.  That idea still sounded fairly ridiculous and utterly unromantic, but on the other hand Susan had to admit that it worked.  Bra and panties hung neatly over the same bedpost they where every night, unstable molecule shirt, pants, gloves, belt and boots all waiting on in the same drawer of the nightstand for her to either put on like a normal person or simply slide her body into.

She decided for the latter option, for one thing it was faster and while time wasn't exactly at a premium, the sooner she took care of certain needs the better.  Secondly, though she'd never admit such things aloud, (especially where her brother might hear) sometimes it was just fun to frivolously use her powers in a way that didn't really help or hurt anyone.  If nothing else, it was a nice little way to remind yourself that no it wasn't a really long, really strange dream, you actually did have superpowers. 

Though she could have doubtlessly multitasked and used her upper body for something else while the lower half or so of it was indisposed, Susan didn't particularly feel like it.  Once the need that had awakened her was dealt with, she flushed the toilet, washed and dried her hands, then finally took a moment to examine herself in the mirror.  Her face at the very least didn't make the fact that she was pregnant all that obvious, (well Reed said she was glowing she didn't really notice a difference) though all things considered she probably should have been rather disturbed if it did. 

Of course as she directed her eyes downward she couldn't help but admit that if she was looking in a full length mirror she would have seen pretty undeniable proof of her condition reflected right back at her.  There was a rather painfully noticeable bludge in the belly of Susan Storm, and it didn't sag enough for it to have been fat.  Oh well, pregnancy was the price a woman paid to bring her children into the world, and all things considered by skipping the instalment plan Susan was going to end up with quite a lot to show for this nine months of her life. 

At least it hadn't proven more then her legs felt comfortable supporting yet, even if she was already starting to notice how her normal walk was slowly turning into waddle.  For a moment Susan thought about grabbing a brush and then using it to get her hair in proper working order, but ended up shaking her head.  She did it again and again, and after about five good shakes her hair had improbably (at least to someone who didn't know the full extent of her powers) changed itself from a somewhat severe case of bed head to what was Ultra Woman's currently established hairstyle. 

Having elastic hair not only let her change styles on a whim, but also made dealing with knots a snap.  Feeling suitably pleased with herself, Susan returned to bed slipping back under the blankets.  She just laid there for a few moments, enjoying the slow steady rhythm of Reed's breathing, then gave into temptation.  She began to twist her body around his and after completing a couple loops the sensation of his skin rubbing up against her outfit awakened him. 

Reed tried to preform those traditional stretches that just about everyone did upon first waking up, but Susan playfully restrained him, keeping his body a prisoner of her pliable form.  Of course it didn't take long for Reed to realize exactly what was going on and join in the fun, a reaction that was born of a mix of his genius and experience at finding himself in situations that were close enough to this one. 

"You know waking up like this Susan I sometimes can't tell if you're the suppose to be Eve or the serpent."  Various references to snakes where quickly joining ones made about amoebas as another running bedroom joke between the two, and for equally obvious reason.  While the way Susan's body worked might be amoeba like, the way she frequently stretched it into long coils like the ones that currently held Reed doubtlessly gave her an occasionally serpentine appearance. 

"I suppose whichever way you want to follow the analogy that makes me your downfall doesn't it?"  Reed just chuckled, and managed (mainly due to Susan's consent) to work and arm free, placing it on her belly which for all the other stretching her body had done, still remained more or less its "orrigional" shape.  "Fair enough, but only in one way does it mean I love you.  Granted this hardly feels like a culch of eggs about to be laid." 

Susan began to slowly throw another loop of her body around Reed's.  "It isn't, that's what's left of my last meal.  Care to be my next?"  For an answer Reed turned and looked her straight in the eyes, and Susan felt herself melting.  The expression was almost completely literal, at the very least her previously hard and firm coils turned into loose rubbery bands that Reed had no problem stretching outwards until he was able to escape from them. 

He climbed out of bed and began to get dressed while Susan kept right on melting until she was nothing but a puddle of blue on the bed, at which point she was finally able to shake her head clear, regain control of her body and reform herself.  "Heh, there aren't many men who can make a woman's heart melt with a glance the way you can Reed."  Of course what went unsaid was that Reed had recently been starting to once again get a handle on his old psychic tricks. 

In this case he'd managed to temporarily keep any motor signals from getting from Susan's brain to the rest of her body.  Used on someone else it would have made them topple over stiff as a board, but ironically because of Susan's unique (well considering that her children evidently had it, it might be better called exotic) biology, it'd had the opposite effect, since in her boneless body the only thing that kept it from being a puddle of pink ooze 24/7 was those particular signals.

Of course considering that it only worked at dam near point blank range, under most circumstances he would have been better off using more conventional attacks, but most was not all, and sometimes even Reed Richards enjoyed showing off just for the sake of showing off.

Susan reformed her body back to its perfectly normal (if pregnant) shape as Reed returned his attention to the bed.  "Well Susan I just think that's the universe's way of letting us know we belong together."  Susan nodded then leaned back looking up at the ceiling.  "Yep, though the one thing I don't get is why if I'm the snake, you're the one who can hypnotize me with a glance." 

Reed laid down next to her, and grabbed her neck, twisting it around so that she was looking at him.  It was stuff like that which Susan had really come to appreciate over the last three months.  Reed realizing and taking advantage of the fact that her body's new nature could let the two of them interact in ways that they'd never even considered possible. 

A year ago, doing what he'd just done would have involved Reed Richards snapping Susan Storm's neck, but to Mr. Fantastic it was just a friendly way of getting Ultra Woman's attention.  "Well life's not always perfect or fair Sue, we just have to make the best of it.  Though I'll be the first to admit that 'the best' has certainly been much better now that the two of us can really be together again." 

Normally Susan wouldn't have even thought to argue with a statment like that, but at the moment she was still feeling slightly peeved form the way he'd been practicing his powers on her without asking, or at least giving her a warning beforehand.  Granted Susan had been doing the exact same thing to him, but it seemed more a matter of intent then action, Susan had been using her powers to acquire what she'd thought of as an consensual grip on Reed, and he'd used his to make her have no choice but to lay there for what felt like the worlds longest half a minute. 

"Well it may be a bed of roses for you Reed, but remember I'm the one who has to put up with this."  As she spoke Susan patted her belly with both hands, leaving no room for interpretation what exactly 'this' was.  To her surprise Reed placed his own hands along the curve of her belly.  "Sue, can I?"  Susan didn't have any idea exactly what he was asking permission for, but she nodded all the same. 

Reed slowly and carefully rolled up a section of her outfit allowing him to place a tender kiss on Susan's swollen middle.  It was a kiss that left her extremely surprised.  Both in how good it felt, and where Reed had given it to her.  She'd heard plenty of stories about women who's husbands (and as she so frequently reminded herself one way or another, the two of them weren't even engaged yet) no longer found them attractive during pregnancy because of the what it did to their figures.

She hadn't expected outright revolution from Reed, more along the lines of a simple coldly logical acceptance that while she might be bent out of shape now, she'd get better soon enough.  Something that felt a lot like out and out affection though, that she'd never planned on.  In the end, a quick "Thanks, that feels good..." was all she was able to stammer before words became completely lost as Reed's kiss gave way to him slowly working his tongue all the way up and down the slopes of her belly. 

When he finally stopped Susan just lay there her entire body shivering with delight.  "Well in addition to your other skills, let me add that you really do know how to make a girl feel wanted."  Reed slowly unrolled her outfit once again letting the blue unstable molecules drop over and outline of her belly.  "Why would you even dream that I wouldn't want to be near you? 

Up until recently I never realized just what a scientifically fascinating progress pregnancy was."  Normally when Reed started talking in that particular tone of voice it left Susan wanting to either leave the room or fall asleep, but this time, this time to her immense surprise it making her feel not only interested, but actually sort of aroused!  "Go on..."

Reed placed his hands atop her belly, massaging it as he spoke.  "Well for one thing, I'd never considered the sheer amount of elasticity a woman's skin has to display, especially when she's pregnant with more then one child.  Of course it may seem like nothing to you, but looking at it without that particular frame of reference, what happens normally during human pregnancy seems almost like a superpower in and of itself. 

For another, the sheer convergence of so many factors that are in and of themselves interesting makes your current situation exponentially so.  Your powers, the number of children you're having, how you managed to get pregnant when you hadn't been menstruating, the fact that you're children have already displayed the ability to duplicate your powers, waiting to find out if any of those six will start showing signs of my mental powers as their minds start to develop, how exactly I might be able to tell if those powers have in fact developed....

It all adds up to making your condition every bit as worthy of study as the accident which originally granted us our powers."  Susan coughed slightly, a sly smile coming to her face.  "I can think of two more reasons that it might be catching your interest Reed, first I'm the woman you love, and secondly these are your sons and or daughters currently growing within me." 

She didn't say it chidingly as if she was upset, it was more along the lines of a gentle teasing.  All the same, Susan had a feeling that if the facemask could, it would have been blushing profusely.  "Of course, I suppose I do have a rather bad habit of missing the things that are right in front of my eyes."  Someone else might have claimed those two things were so obvious that they didn't need to be said, but for all his intelligence Reed Richards could be surprisingly open about his faults. 

"You know I've done some research on what sextuplet pregnancies are usually like, would you like to hear about it?"  The way he said it almost made it sound as if he was trying to offer up the information as a form of penance for his previous mistake.  Personally Susan didn't mind, as once again she started to weave elastic coils around her lover's body.  For his part, Reed allowed himself to be ensnared, his voice not so much missing a beat throughout the entire process. 

"Bare in mind this is all information gained from study of women who don't have superpowers, but here it is.  As you probably already know it's usually around the six month mark as a woman enters her third trimester that in a single child pregnancy that her condition starts to become obviously visible.  In your case at about that point in time you might find your belly becoming so big and heavy that your own legs are no longer strong enough to support it. 

You'll end up needing a wheelchair or some other aid to maintain any kind of real mobility.  That said, from about eight months onward it'd probably be best if you agreed to just stay bedridden until you actually gave birth."  As Reed finished that sentence Susan more or less completed her preliminary encirclement of his body and began to send what she hoped were vaguely sensual pulses of movement up and down her body. 

From the way Reed's tone became somewhat lower, his words coming out with a bit more time between she suspected that she was succeeding to at least some degree.  "At which point I'm afraid to say you'll be finding yourself rather helpless.  You'll be lying on your side just about 24/7, since laying flat on your back can leave your womb pressing down on your other organs painfully bordering on dangerously, and given the reach of your arms in comparison to the size of your belly, not only will you need your meals brought to you, but also carefully laid out if you want to be able to successfully feed yourself in any sense of the phrase. 

Also because your mobility will be close to nil since its unlikely that you could find the strength to shift your belly enough to even roll over, you'll end up needing someone to help you take care of several somewhat delicate maters of hygiene to say the least.  They'd have to strip you naked, assuming you could find clothes that fit, which admitting thanks to unstable molecules shouldn't be as hard as it once was, then you'd need to be given what amounts to a full body sponge bath. 

After that you'd be redressed in unsoiled undergarments and it'd probably be best if your entire belly was rubbed down with a mixture designed to help it stretch painlessly.  Then hopefully you could be shifted onto your other side as a way of doing the little possible there is to do to prevent, or at least lessen the bedsores you'd be bound to occur.  The process would have to be repeated at least three times a day most likely. 

Luckily I'd predict that because of the number of calories you'd need to consume to help your children develop properly and the lack of physical exertion you'd quickly find yourself falling into a naturally half awake state where the time would fly right by.  At that point it'd probably best if you didn't even try to feed yourself but instead simply lay there and let those people taking care of you see to your nutritional input as well." 

Susan's own voice was getting a little deeper, as she couldn't help but joyfully picture the image to her laying there like an absurdly pregnant princess while Reed (her knight in shining (technological) armor) saw to her every need.  "Well if that's what's going to happen to me, I suppose I should make my peace with it before I just wake up one day and find its come to pass.  Do you have any ideas about who we could find to look after me while I'm in such a pitiable condition?" 

"Well as you know Susan, when you're involved money is no object and I'd be glad to hire the finest people trained in such matters..."  Susan felt her grip on Reed loosening as her heart sank.  "Though all things considered, if you're willing, what would probably be best for you and the children is if I just momentarily put my other projects on hold for a month or two to personally make sure that everything goes according to mother nature's plan." 

Susan's heart rebounded faster then she would bouncing of a wall.  "You really think that'd be the best way to handle it?"  She tired not to sound too eager as she asked the question.  Reed confidently nodded, he motion causing his chin to rub up against one of her coils that was loosely wrapped around his collar. 

"Of course.  Countless studies have shown that a mother's psychological state can have a direct impact upon the health of her children, and who am I to argue with their veritable mountain of empirical data?  Now naturally finding yourself reduced to a state when you're barely able to fend for yourself any more then the children who you'd soon give birth to is a situation bound to make a woman feel anxious on at least some level. 

But with any luck, my constant presence and mental talents should do plenty to soothe your otherwise distressed mind."  Susan chuckled slightly.  "Reed the way you're saying it you almost might be describing looking after an animal rather then the woman who should be your wife by then."  At that point Susan got the distinct sensation that if Reed had possessed more mobility of limb, he would have been using his hands to stroke whatever portion of her he could reach. 

"Don't take it personally Susan, I know that however dire or distressing the situation you'll put on a brave face an act gallantly, one only need to look at the kind of threats you've faced ever since the accident to see proof enough of that.  But your children will be able to sense if you're tense or nervous or unhappy no matter how hard you try to hide it. 

Luckily the subconscious animalistic portion of your brain that will be sending those signals of fear can also be appeased by certain types of knowledge that the conscious mind only considers facts.  For example simply the sight and scent of me nearby should do your subconscious mind a world of good since it'll trigger signals that are just about universally the same across all mammals, your mate is nearby, he will provide sustenance and protection." 

Sure enough just his slow serene way he said those words managed to bring a smile to Susan's face for reasons she couldn't logically explain.  But then considering that Reed had just been going on about how logic couldn't explain everything the human body did, that clearly meant that Susan shouldn't bother straining herself trying to force things make sense.  "Of course I don't think I'll ever be quite that helpless.  I'll always probably be able to move about by curling my body into a all and bouncing from one place to another. 

Not to mention if it's all the same to you, I'll probably be stretching my lower half away from my immobile belly when nature calls so that it's only the kids we need to buy diapers for.  That said, yeah I'd like that a lot Reed.  You promise no matter what pregnancy does to my body you'll still love me?"  Reed chuckled deeply and at an unspoken signal Susan began to uncoil from around him, letting her body assume her normal human appearance, a shape which was designed for letting Reed embrace her instead of the other way around. 

"Susan, if you haven't noticed, I've seen you change physically in more ways then I can count ever since you got your powers.  Not a single way you've found to stretch yourself has made me feel any less in love with you.  I love Susan Storm no matter what shape she takes."  Susan slowly began to compact her entire body into one small sphere that Reed could fully encircle with his hands alone, which was her way of giving him a chance to physically push or pull her body any way he pleased.  Yet amazingly even reduced to something sampler then your average fully grown human lung, she still had no trouble talking to him.  "Wonderful, because Susan Storm fells the exact same way about Reed Richards."

"By the way, you do remember what you promised to do today don't you?"  "Sex you up real good?"  "Not exactly, you're three months along, and we've already talked about what that means..."  All of a sudden the spherical Susan Storm came shooting out of Reed's hands as if she had been covered in grease.  She landed on the bed, resumed her normal form and looked up at him with pleading eyes.  "Do we have to?  Can't we just stay in bed with each other all day?"  Reed apparently determined to bring her around to his way of seeing things sat down in bed next to her.  "First off all we've already set up a press conference.  So you have two choices, you can either own up to what is happening like a mature woman, or you can hide under the bed like a girl."

Susan's head extended itself, falling off her shoulders, then off of the bed, and her voice echoed upwards from the floor.  "Well I don't see any monsters hiding under here, so I think I'll just stake out a claim now while there's still room available.  I mean I'm good at fitting into small spaces, all I need is a pillow and I'm set!"

Unfortunately Reed wasn't the easily daunted type.  He grabbed hold of Susan's neck and proceed to reel her head back up onto the bed one handful at a time.  If Susan had wanted to she could have just extended her neck even further, but she didn't feel like being quite that hard to get at the moment.  "You know Susan, it's a bit surprising that the woman who talked to me about how nothing could hurt her, is suddenly discovering that the idea of admitting she's pregnant makes her want to head for the hills."

Susan retracted her neck to its normal length, and then began to slowly curl her entire body in a clockwise circle, but took the action past normal human limits.  "Well like you said, amoeba, no spine to speak of at all.  Come on, why can't we just keep this our, or at least the Fantastic Four's little secret?"  Susan wasn't truly terrified, but she certainly didn't like the idea of publicly admitting the fact that she was knocked up. 

After all, while it was something that was out of the public eye she could giggle to herself with amusement at the concept of how people would react when they found out, experiencing that reaction was going to be something else entirely.  It also didn't help that she'd discovered that by carefully using her powers she was able to mold her body so as to look not in the slightest bit pregnant, even if it got to be more of a stretch as time passed.  But over the three months they'd been together as Ultra Woman and Mr. Fantastic, Reed really had gotten good at knowing just how to push her buttons, which was impressive, because what buttons she had to be pushed tended to shift about as her body did.

It was complicated to say the least, even Susan wasn't quite sure exactly what her erogenous zones were sometimes, at least up until the point that Reed hit them, but then that was just one of many advantages to being married to a genius.  In this case he began to slowly run one hand through her hair, while his other worked its way along the curve of her back where spine should have been.  "First of all Susan, the repercussions are going to come out sooner or later, it's the price you pay for deciding to keep the kids, you are still sure about that aren't you?"  "Yep.  Though couldn't you just, I don't know, make a time machine and we take it a few months into the future so that even though I'm still pregnant with six of your kids I give birth to them, say ten months after the wedding?"

She expected his answer even before he got it.  "Time travel, even if possible, can't possibly work that way.  Because if we go into the future then the time line would extrapolate itself as if we vanished on the day we left.  Which means that there's no way you and I could arrive in a time period where we're already married through time travel. 

It'll be like pulling off a bandaid Susan, we go out, we do it, its over."  Susan looked at Reed with scepticism practically flowing out of her pores.  "You don't know the press very well do you Reed?  Come on, pregnant unmarried superheroine and her lover/teamate?  They're gonna be all over us like ants on honey."

Reed just kept right on stroking her body and speaking in as soothing a tone of voice as he could manage.  "Susan, when the Moleman started creating localized earthquakes that were dragging various atomic power plants, below ground, where was Ultra Woman?"  "Well thanks to your directions she was on Monster Island using her arms to lasso as many of his followers a she could find."

It felt a little weird to be talking about herself in the third person, especially considering she didn't feel like there was any sort of clear dividing line between Susan Storm and Ultra Woman.  Yes there was the Fantastic Four outfit, but she was quickly finding that whatever the occasion (especially while pregnant) her unstable molecules outfit was her favorite thing to wear.  What the hell, so long as she only did it on occasion she'd just consider it one of the occupational perks of being a superheroine.

"And when the skrulls were trying to discredit the Fantastic Four as way to clear the way for a possible invasion, where was she?"  "Well once Big Brain helped her track them down she was pummelling the hell out of those slimy shapeshifters."  "And when the Miracle Man was bamboozling the entire city out of its valuables where was she?"  "A number of places, crushed underneath the treads of the prototype battle tank he was stealing to pick a single example at random.  Not one of her finer moments all things considered." 

"Well she did manage to help the rest of the Fantastic Four find out where he hiding."  "Yeah, but it was Big Brain who realized that his 'power' consisted entirely of hypnotism and managed to effectively relay information about what was actually happening to our mind so that we could defeat him."

"Well that was just an example of getting lucky.  We have different powers, we're different people, and subsequently we're good at different things.  For example not so long after that, Ultra Woman was leaving Namor more or less tripping over his own tongue and saving the city in the process."  Susan started to shorten the length of her body slightly moving back towards a conventional appearance, with an odd sort of smile on her lips.  "So what you're telling me Reed, is that I'm so beautiful that it can be defined as a secondary superpower, like how Johnny can turn his flesh to metal and syphons energy, I'm elastic and incredibly attractive?"

"Well if my own, Ben's and Namor's opinions are any measurement to go by, I think the answer to that question is a rather resounding 'yes' Susan.  But to get back to my point, considering that the Ultra Woman has saved the city once from an invasion of subterranean nature, once from one of a extraterrestrial one, and finally once from one of an aquatic nature, not mention the Puppet Master and Victor Von Doom, though those were two threats dealt with fairly subtly before the public could realize what was going on, I fail to see how anyone should be able to look down their nose at her just because she committed a minor sexual taboo.  And frankly if there are people that petty then I have no intention to listening to anything they say, and I suggest you do the same."

Susan had to admit Reed as usual made a very persuasive argument.  "Well technically the two of us committed more then one sexual taboo, and not all of them were exactly minor, but having sex before we got married is the only that there's any proof of."  "So you'll be ready to put your best foot forward in a few hours?"  "Best foot and a few other things forward, though in all fairness my belly puts itself forward on its own just fine."


------


Sure enough there were representatives of just about every major newspaper in the city and plenty of minor ones.  Reed was in his full crime fighting outfit, not just the armor but also what amounted to an unstable molecule cloak and cape, yes it was rather overly dramatic, but if you couldn't be overly dramatic as a superhero when could you be?

/Ready to roll Ultra Woman?\  /Ready Mr. Fantastic.\  Reed coughed for a moment, tapped a microphone that he already knew was in perfect working order.  The buzz of static did a good job to make the press stop milling around just waiting for something to happen and got their attention focused solidly on him.  "As I mentioned previously, the Fantastic Four have an important announcement to make to you, and anyone else who considers it of interest.  As some of you have most likely guessed, it does involve Ultra Woman, so for that very reason I'll turn the microphone over to her."

Susan slithered out of the Baxter Building, moving in such a unique manner no one was likely to notice her condition.  She took Reed's place in front of the microphone, and because of the podium her midsection was effectively hidden from view.  "Thank you all for coming here, and I would have said this sooner but it's a somewhat delicate matter and the time we had to temporarily disband the team recently didn't help.  So I'd just like to say that what you're about to see is in no way a result of my powers."

That said, she did subtly elongate her legs so as to be able to take a step to the side more effectively, and sure enough just like she expected there was a extremely audible gasp as the crowd caught sight of her belly.  "Yeah, I'm pregnant, and let me just answer a few questions before you even need to bother asking them.  Amazing as it sounds,  I'm only three months along, but its sextuplets which is why my kids are already taking after their mother and determined to find out just how far our unstable molecule uniforms can stretch.  As for who the father is, I'll turn the mike over to him before you burst a blood vessel in anticipation of finding out."

Susan elongated her arm till it Reed was easily able to take the microphone from her.  "Much as it shames me to admit it, Susan and I started, consummating our love for one another the very night that I first found myself in possession of a body once again.  So as you could no doubt guess, the two of us are very much head over heels in love and have every intention of getting married in the immediate future.  You can expect us to let you know the exact date as soon as we figure it out ourselves.  So before I open up the floor to your questions let me just say...."  "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?"  

----


Reed looked for a moment like he was about to chide Johnny for cutting him off, but it was a very quickly passing moment.  Mandroid had a good point after all, it was a green device, vaguely froglike in shape who's exact size was hard to gauge at the moment, that was currently hurtling through the atmosphere and blazing so brightly that even though it was midday it almost seemed like a second, (or at least offspring of the) sun.

Reed was the first one who finally managed to close his jaws and get over his shock.  I'm afraid that we'll have to bring this conference to a somewhat abrupt conclusion..."  Then he quickly preformed the necessary actions and in moments the Fantasticar was hovering overhead.  "Ben give Johnny a lift, I don't think we should ask these fine members of the press to clear out just so that our chosen mode of transport can land.  That said, I would be extremely grateful if you'd all take a couple steps back."  Ben nodded, grabbed, Johnny's arms and took off. 

Susan meanwhile looked down at her belly, up at the Fantasticar and then back at him.  "I take it that you want me to give you helping hand up as well?"  Reed shook his head.  "Just get up there yourself and be ready for me, it'll be easier then pulling me up in my armor."  She looked at him askance for amount an then began stretching her body straight up until she was able to get most of it into her seat at which point the lower portion of her body, pregnant belly included quickly joined her. 

Reed took a few steps back as he reminded himself that no matter how he screwed up, so long as his shield systems worked he'd be fine, and his shield system always worked.  Then he cricked both his pinkie fingers in exactly a certain manner that he had deduced as extremely unlikely to ever happen as a normal hand motion. 

The extremely powerful propulsion system Reed had careful attached to the back of is armor (it was mostly hidden by the blue cloak he wore in addition to it) went off like clockwork, one moment he was just standing there, the next he was hurled straight up like the human rocket he'd turned himself into. 

Luckily just like he'd hoped, before he had to worry about any kind of fine landing control a giant blue hand shot out and wrapped itself around him like a full body airbag.  Susan's arm pulled him into the Fantasticar and deposited him in the drivers seat where just as he'd expected his teamates were instantly commenting on what they'd just seen.  "So now you can fly too?  Way to make a guy feel appreciated..."  "Reed, what was that, and when can I get one?" 

Reed took a moment to carefully monitor the green object's decent, it was still moving through the atmosphere, which meant he had time to answer his teamates questions.  "Firstly, it's a newly designed high thrust generation and direction system, or to put it simply, a jet pack.  Secondly Ben, comparing what I just did to what you can do is like comparing your average circus contortionist to what Susan can do. 

I effectively strapped a miniature rocket engine to my back, and it only had three settings, full, low, and off.  Low is designed to break falls and as you can see in full... well if Susan hadn't been there to give me a hand, I probably would have shot right by you, and then headed right back down towards the ground at an even faster pace.

As for making you one of your own Johnny, that will have to wait until I'm confident I've worked all the kinks out of this one.  Which in turn will have to wait until we find out exactly what intentions Earth's newest guest has."  The thing apparently cleared the atmosphere just fine and the first that had been pointlessly burning around it went out. 

Reed watched it and began doing calculations, it really was quite simple.  Assuming that thing continuned not to engage any sort of forced to counteract gravity's pull, guesstimate the weight and trajectory...  "Well one small mercy is that it looks like it's going to come down in the center of a park rather then slam into some building that would need to be evacuated beforehand."  There others just looked at him and Reed shrugged before engaging the Fantasticar's engines sending team off towards where he expected the craft to touch down. 

If he was right so much the better, and if it looked like he was going to be wrong, well he'd just have to modify his calculations as the variables changed around them.  Sure enough, it didn't take long before Reed's guesses proved right on the money, expect for one small factor.  Just as the ship was about to crash into a small pond it did, something that even Reed wasn't quite sure of, and then it shifted to the left slightly and settled gently onto solid ground. 

Up close the thing was about the size of your average mobile home more or less.  A gangplank lowered from it, and then a figured emerged from it.  He was wearing some kind of strange purple outfit, though of course the more processing fact was that he had lime green skin, pointed ears, and a very, very, familiar looking chin that was cleft four times over. 

He was a skrull, a group of extraterrestrial shapeshifters, who had tried to discredit the Fantastic Four as way of making earth weaken itself before they stepped in and invaded it.  Reed had helped the others clear their names, and by impersonating the skrull strike team sent down to impersonate them, they'd managed to convince the skrulls that invading Earth would be a very, very bad idea. 

But apparently you could only fool beings smart enough to achieve faster then light travel for so long.  Still, why had they arrived in this particular manner?  Reed had expected that if they came back the skrulls would send either another subtly inserted strike team, or just invade emass.  Just one skrull arriving openly, much to his shagrin Reed hadn't really considered that possibility. 

Was he here as some kind of diplomat?  Of course the flag that this skrull slammed into the ground a few moments later made a rather convincing argument against the validity of that theory.  Not to mention the words that were obvious amplified  (and possibly translated as well) by some hidden device that came from his throat a moment later.  "Attention earthlings, you and your entire planet are now a territory of the Skrull Empire! 

Surrender yourselves peacefully and you will survive, fail to do so, and you will be firmly instructed in the error of your ways..."  Ben cracked his knuckles.  "Reed, you can set this thing down wherever you like, but right now I feel like 'instructing' a certain green man from outer space on the error of his ways!  That good with you?" 

Reed quickly began to scan the nearby areas, figuring out where in fact he was going to land the Fantasticar.  "Take a shot at it Ben, but be careful, we've got no ideas what kind of weapons that ship might possess, and this even if he doesn't look like much at the moment every skrull is a shapeshifter, don't be afraid to pull back if you need to." 

Ben nodded and sighed.  "Yeah, yeah, I get the idea.  You three be the armor, I'll be the airborne rangers who drop in first and feel out the situation so you guys know where to attack when you arrive."  With that he jumped out of the Fantasticar wings beating furiously.

----

The gust of wind Ben's wings generated knocked over the alien's flag as he landed nearby.  He hadn't been intending that, but it was a very nice touch.  "You know considering that the last group of you guys who went out of their way to mess with us are currently off grazing on grass, maybe you should realize just how large a chunk of meat you're tearing off." 

The skrull unsurprisingly wasn't backing down.  "Ahh Dragonfly of the Fantastic Four, how fortuitous.  I am a warrior of a different caliber then those who came before me.  What they hopped to accomplish by trickery, I will do through overwhelming might.  You will see and experience first hand why I am known as Super Skrull, because I have each and everyone of your powers!" 

As he spoke, a pair of purple leathery wings even larger then Ben's.  Granted if the alien though this would be enough to impress Benjamin Grimm then he didn't know who he was dealing with.  "Big deal, you've got wings, lets see how you handle them."  He beat his wings, jumped into the air and took off, and the Super Skrull followed suit a few moments later.  Much to Ben's embarrassment it also only took him a couple of moments to be able to pass him. 

"Okay, you're fast, let's check out your manueverability!"  For a response Super Skrull banked and suddenly one of his wings got longer and slammed into him.  Ben found himself randomly tumbling through the air, until suddenly a giant blue gloved hand  wrapped around his body and anchored him.  Ben shook his head for a moment to clear it, and managed a weak smile.  "Thanks Susy, next time we're running low on money you should consider joining the fire department, you'd make a dam fine net."

----


Susan nodded, glad to see that Ben had gotten his wits back about him again, she released him.  After all, they had bigger fish to fry, Super Skrull was looping around and heading towards the Fantasticar.  Without further ado she curled her body into a sphere about the size of your average basketball, bounced off the Fantasticar, and straight at their green skinned opponent.

For his part, Super Skrull was kind enough to just hover there in space, so she didn't need to make any last second adjustments in course.  Right before she slammed into the alien, she unfolded her body and firmly enveloped the alien invader.  On one hand the plan worked like a charm, because with her binding  Super Skrull's wings he started plummeting towards the ground like a stone. 

One the other hand, when they'd last shown up she'd wrestled with one of the shapeshifting skrulls, and this felt noticeably different.  The skrull had tried to shift in mid fight but even doing so it's body was soft like putty with none of the firmness that Susan's elastic frame could bring to a fight.  This on the other hand, this felt like she was wrestling with herself, and it wasn't a enjoyable sensation. 

She had to fight tooth and tail every moment, but in the end she perceived, still being on top when the two slammed into the ground.  Except that no sooner had she taken a moment to catch her breath then her captive wanted to have another go.  Susan gave all she had, but Super Skrull was too powerful, he was stronger, could stretch farther and faster then she did, and slowly she found herself in the utterly illogical predicament of being trapped within the grip of a foe who was even better at manipulating their body then she was. 

For a few moments all was darkness, and she was nothing a than a minuscule blob trapped within some portion of her foes body.  She had no idea how long it went on for, but then all of a sudden there was light and sound again.  "Get off my sister!"  Apparently the Fantasticar had landed and Johnny had made a beeline straight for Super Skrull, and the blow her brother had just dealt him created the opening she needed. 

Unfortunately as she slipped out and reformed herself she saw it was also all that he had achieved.  Super Skrull's body had slightly elongated around Johnny's blow just like her's would have, but then Super Skrull did something she never would have considered herself capable of. 

He flexed his elongated body, around Johnny's arm then twisted his midsection hurling Johnny over his shoulder like an interstellar judo throw.  Johnny slammed into one of the many trees into the park, but considering one was metal and the other was wood which one broke was a rather forgone conclusion.  Johnny stood back up, evidently taking a moment to ponder exactly the same question that she was worrying about: how exactly did they harm a foe who was apparently as tough and strong as him, while being as flexible as her? 

Unfortunately while Susan was busy pondering that question, she never even saw the uprooted tree headed towards her back.  "See how powerless you are before me?  My telekinesis allows me to strike you in whatever manner and from whatever direction I wish without even needing to lift a finger!" 

At least squeezing herself out from under the tree was easy.  In the process she instinctively and utterly inappropriately took a  moment to rub her belly, reminding herself that even after taking those blows her kids were still perfectly okay.  Though if one of them didn't find a way to stop the Super Skrull soon it was probably only a matter of time until they weren't, and considering that Johnny was currently pinned underneath another tree that Super Skrull had telikenticly ripped out of the ground it wasn't going to be him. 

"I think that's more than enough."  Super Skrull turned to look at Reed as he calmly walked forward, as if he was just going for a stroll in the park, and had chosen to wear his suit of high tech armor rather then put on suntan.  Super Skrull raised his right hand, which grew to the size of a normal person's body, Susan didn't want to think about just how much force that fist could strike with.  "Who are you?" 

Reed's eyes glanced towards the fist for only a moment.  "I'm Mr. Fantastic, and obviously you skrulls haven't been paying as close attention to Earth as you could have.  I suggest you leave now, or else."  An alien eye brow rose slowly.  "Or else what?"  Somehow it seemed like the metal mask Reed was wearing managed to smirk, or possibly Victor Von Doom had just designed it with that look in mind. 

"This armor happens to have enough concealed weaponry to reduce both you and your ship to cinders.  However, I'd prefer not to resort to such measures because of the collateral damage they'd inevitably cause."  Super Skrull scowled at Reed.  "You're bluffing..."  "This armor was designed by one oft the most brilliant and twisted men I've ever known, I've been improving on it for the last three months. 

You didn't even realize that I'd gotten a body back, and it apparently took your commanders about half a year to tell the difference between reality and clips from a couple of horror movies, something tells me that you're not in a position to tell me what humanity can and can't accomplish.  So exactly how confident are you of that estimate?"  Super Skrull turned his back to Reed.  "I don't have time for this foolishness, besides better to let the people of this city see you all slinking away like the cowards you truly are. 

I'll allow you and this city 24 of your Earth hours to realize the error of your ways, and surrender peacefully.  Fail to do so, and I'll start tearing it apart brick by brick."  With that he calmly walked back inside his spaceship, and though the ramp went up the ship itself showed no signs of moving from its resting place.  It was an utterly silent ride back to the Baxter Building that followed that announcement.

End Chapter six.