2013-02-07 Promises For Dinner

Wednesday. Sue's made lasagna again, which seems more reliable for getting everyone to the table than anything else. And once everyone is seated, she claims a serving for Reed, a serving for herself, then lets Johnny and Ben attack the rest. 
"How was your day, Ben?" She takes a piece of garlic bread from the center of the table.
Johnny makes a grab at the spatula and helps himself to a good sized piece of lasagna. He also sneaks a bit of garlic bread from the basket so as to push and mop up sauce. He just begins to stuff his mouth, but thankfully not say a ton with his mouth full. He looks from Sue over to the rockpile as she asks the question.
"Can't complain," Ben mumbles, shoveling a Thing-sized forkful of lasagna into his mouth and grunting his approval, "Got to learn about feelin's stuff from Doctor Phil an' found out Maria's pregnant with Rodrigo's kid. There goes the neighborhood."
Yes, being for the most part confined to quarters during the daylight hours is a pain in the patoot and Ben makes no qualms about letting people know this. He reaches for a nearby bottle of beer, dwarfing it with his giant hand, and takes a sip.
"You?"
Food, sustenance, fuel for the body and mind. All of this can be said of the Wednesday 'family dinner' night with the Fantastic Four. While Reed does his best to participate in the event he is known to 'forget' about it more often than remember. He's been hard at work the last few days. Firstly on the suit for his new intern, but more importantly on the machine that just might... oops spoilers. As he walks into the kitchen/dining area, Reed is wearing his high tech sunglasses and still working.
Sue Storm says, "Oh, the usual, Ben. Another hum-drum day at that clinic in Hell's Kitchen, though I really do think if you wanted to drop by sometime to help they'd love to have you." Johnny's table manners get little to no reaction from her, she's long since used to them. Upon noticing Reed, though, Sue leans a bit to call to the scientist, "Reed, come sit. Dinner's waiting."
"Hey! How come Reed gets to bring his toys to the table?" Johnny looks up at Reed coming in with his glasses on and working. He consols himself with another bite of lasagna and chews thoughtfully and then looking towards Ben. "You aren't going to be one of those lonely cat women shut ins that think the soap operas are real, are you?" He looks towards Sue with a fork gesturing towards Ben. "First sign of cat hair, I'm running."
“Leave me to my stories, Hothead,” Ben rumbles, not even looking up from his plate of lasagna, “'sides, I can't stand cats.”
As Sue speaks, he glances sidelong at her and shrugs his shoulders, “Those folks need medicine, not a scare, Suzie. An' I don't know the next thing 'bout medicine.”
Upon hearing Sue, Reed takes a seat before cutting off a piece of lasagna and eating it. "As always Susan, delicious meal. You have outdone yourself again." Reed says upon finishing his first bite. Reed then removes the glasses and looks to the rest of his team. "Oh." He says a bit amused. "Everyone's here." His gaze lands on his best friend. "Hello Ben."
Sue Storm smiles at Ben. "No, but since the place runs almost entirely on donations, they receive crates and pallets of supplies at least once a week, and you'd make carrying them in so much easier." She can only shake her head at Johnny, then reach over and snag Reed's glasses so he's not tempted to put them back on before they're done eating. "Reed, what's the update on your new intern. Ben, was it?"
Johnny cannot help but get a smug look on his face as Reed's glasses are nabbed. He gets up from the table and goes over to the fridge. He grabs the orange juice and pours himself a glass before returning to the table. He plops back down in his seat and takes another bite.
“Next time then, maybe,” Ben nods his head at Sue in acquiescence, though his rocky brow furrows when he hears her speak to Reed. A sigh of exasperation escapes him and he reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose, “That's gonna be confusing. You couldn't pick an intern with a diff'rent name, Stretch?”
Reed smiles as he looks to Sue. "Doing well Sue. HERBIE seems to liking Mr. Reilly and... well it turns out he has abilities quite similar to Spider-Man. Amazing right? So I've designed a suit much like other web-crawler, but to the specifications of the Fantastic Four. Typical sensor unit with some tweaks." Reed seems quite proud of this. "Sorry Ben, but Mr. Reilly was found by Susan as an intern. Oh yeah and Ben I may have found out a way to cure you." Reed adds in a matter of fact way before taking another bite of his food. 
Sue Storm raises her eyebrows as Reed mentions that Ben Reilly has powers so similar to Spider-Man's, but then he just blurts out that last and she winces. Tact, Reed. Tact. "Reed..." It's her warning tone of voice, though it's already too late.
Johnny perks up at Reed's last statement. While he doesn't say anything, his fork stops half way to his mouth. He looks around the table to Ben, to Reed, to Sue, and then back to Reed. He holds for another beat before he puts the bite in his mouth, and this time slowly chews as he is certainly paying attention now.
Ben stops eating all of a sudden, dropping his Thing-sized fork onto the plate with a loud clatter. He looks shocked for a moment before his expression is overtaken by one of skepticism, "Don't toy with me. You better damn well mean that when you say it. If this is another one of those humor experiments I'm gonna roll you up and use you as a basketball."
"No experiment in humor this time Ben." Reed says as he takes another bite. With a sound of content Reed wonders what Sue did to the recipe. She must have added something. "I'm still crunching the numbers, but if my calculations are correct, and they usually are. I may be able to swap our powers or even transfer all your powers to me and you'll be normal again. By the way Susan what ever you added to this lasagna, it's magnificent." 
Sue Storm looks from Ben to Reed. "Reed, please don't try to change the subject. I /still/ think that your transfer idea has risks that you're not considering." Like if Ben ends up with both sets of powers, or something completely unrelated to either of them is the result.
“Hell, Stretch,” Ben sighs, lifting a hand to press it against his forehead in exasperation, “Transfer my powers to you? You know I can't let that happen. Sure, might turn me back to normal but what if it turns you into me or somethin'? I wouldn't wish that on anybody. You either find a way to fix it without puttin' anyone in danger, or … “ A long pause, as it is hard for him to say, “ … or don't do it at all.”
Sue Storm leans over and puts her hand on Ben's arm in a show of solidarity. She knows only too well exactly what he's just offered to pass up. If she thought he'd not refuse, she'd give him a hug right now.
Risks yes, there are always risks in science, but Reed will make sure none Ben has to worry about. With a shake of his head he looks to his friend."No Ben I've promised you for far too long about this. I will solve this and you will be Ben Grimm again. I promise you this." Reed smiles as he stands up and looks to Sue. "Don't worry Susan everything will turn out fine. Now if you will excuse me. I have to finish some things up." with that said Reed makes his way back to his lab. 
“You've been promising that forever,” Ben says to Reed with a shake of his hand, “An' if I've been waiting this long, I can wait a little longer. Besides, not like I can trust someone else to be the Thing. You have enough time bein' Reed Richards and the Smartest Guy in the World without throwin' in super-strength and your own set of geography. No transferin' my powers to some other sap. Case closed.”
He remains quiet as he watches Reed go, sighing and shaking his head, “I think I'm gonna go for a walk, Suzie. It's dark enough.”
Sue Storm smiles. "Want me to go with you, Ben? I'll put away the leftovers when we get back."
Ben ponders that a moment before he shakes his head, grabbing his oversized coat off the hook on the wall and shrugging it on, “Nah. I got some thinkin' and some mopin' to do an' it'd probably be better to do it by myself. I'll be back before late. Don't worry your pretty head.”
Sue Storm nods, though she looks a bit sad. "All right, Ben. Let me know when you get back." She stands and starts clearing the table of dishes.
"Sure thing," Ben calls as he's already part way out the door, "See you later."
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