Norrin Radd the Silver Surfer's P.O.V.
We have stopped our group hug and I see them all look towards me with a question in their eyes.
"I want to return to that house. The one with the brave child and his two guardians. I also want to introduce my other friend. The one who awoke my heart." I find myself saying just from them looking at me.
"I agree." Reed states.
"Count me in!" Johnny exclaims.
"I can get cured then we can party!" Ben says with a happy tone of rejoicing.
"Of course we have to return there. We need to let them know what has happened." Susan states with tears in her eyes.
"Maybe I can contact Uatu the Watcher after I pick up my other friend that I made." I stated.
"No need to contact me Norrin Radd. I will see you all there when you get there. Know I am always watching." We all hear a voice from the surroundings.
"Thank you for your help Uatu, and I look forward to meeting you again." I state out loud.
"Okay everyone party at that house after we cure Ben." Johnny states. Then he says, "FLAME ON!" He starts to fly away when I hear him shout, "LAST ONE THERE BUYS THE BOOZE!" As he flies away.
"That little cheater!" Ben exclaims sounding both angry and happy.
"Oh Johnny, just you wait till I get my hands on you." Susan says with what seems to be a tone foreshadowing a punishment that is coming for young Johnny. He is my friend and I want to say something, but then I see the look in Susan's eyes and it makes me close my mouth. On second thought I will go pick up Alicia and not get involved in that.
"Let's grab the Fantastic Car and catch up with him." Reed says.
"You three go on ahead. There is someone else I want to grab and introduce to you all." I say as Ben, Reed, and Susan start to walk away. They turn back towards me and for a moment there I see love and concern in there eyes. It makes me again feel better.
"Go on and head to that house. I need to pick up someone special. I will see you all there soon." I wave to them and take off. It takes me a few seconds to reach her place. I see her there sculpting away. She is Alicia Masters. A blind sculptor who talked with me and spoke to my heart. It was through her I realized my feelings. She is someone special to me. I approach her slowly and call out to her.
"Alicia, it is Norrin do you have a moment." I say hesitantly.
"Norrin, you came back. Of course I have a moment for you." Alicia says with a smile on her face.
"Alicia, I told you I would be back when I finished the task I had to do, and here I am now." I tell her.
"Yes, you did. Forgive me for ever doubting you. Many have said similar things to me before but never returned. I am truly happy to know you came back." She turns to me with a smile on her face.
"Alicia I want to ask again will you allow me to cure your blindness? I want to show you my friends I made and the places I have seen." I say to her.
"Oh Norrin, it touches my heart that you want to cure my blindness just to show me your friends, but I will have to decline. I prefer my blindness. It let's me see the real truth of people I meet. It allowed me to see your beautiful soul. So while the offer is VERY tempting. I would rather stay blind." She tells me with a sad smile.
"Then would you do me the honor of accompanying me to meet my friends. I swear no harm shall befall you. They are all wonderful people. There is even a little one who is amazingly courageous and loveable." I ask from my heart.
"Of course I will. I would love to meet the people someone like you call friends." She replies.
"Then if you will allow me I shall carry you to where they are at. It is a cozy little house out in the country." I say as I approach her.
"Okay." Is all she says. She reaches out her arms and I approach within her grasp. She places her arms around my neck, and I place my arms one behind her back the other behind her knees and I lift her up. Her body is now pressed against mine and I generate an energy barrier to keep her warm. For some reason my heart starts beating faster as I hold her close. I don't want to ever let her go. Something inside me wants to protect her and surround her within my warmth. I want to always be with her. I hold her as close as possible without hurting her. My senses trained in on her and I also sense her heart beat faster.
"Is everything okay?" I ask her. I see her cheeks turn a bit redder. Then she answers me.
"Yes, everything is fine. As a matter of fact right now everything is perfect." She says while looking at me. Her cheeks are flushed, but she has a beautiful smile on her face.
"Then hold tight for we are taking off now." I tell her as I begin ascending into the sky.
Alicia Master's P.O.V.
It has been hours since I spoke to Norrin Radd. He told me he would be back after he finished his task. I want to believe in him. His soul felt pristine. I could feel his truthfulness. His desire to protect. He told me he had special powers, powers that could cure my blindness. I turned him down. Part of me wanted to accept. It wanted to see the man who has such a beautiful soul. I wasn't born blind. I have memories of what colors and things look like. However, I never saw the world so clearly as I do now. My blindness has gifted me the ability to see and feel the soul of things. I really hope Norrin returns. His soul made me feel warm and cozy. He was a light for my darkness. I want to believe a soul like that wouldn't lie. I want to believe he will not be like others and never return.
Only one other has touched my soul as profoundly as his did. My first love Benjamin Grimm. I wonder what has happened to him. He hasn't been by in weeks. I hope he is safe. I should sculpt Norrin. His soul deserves to be immortalized in clay. I begin forming and shaping the head when I hear someone approach. I recognize that heartbeat. I know it is him before he says anything.
"Alicia, it is Norrin do you have a moment." I hear him say. I can hear the fear of denial in his voice. His desire to speak to me wars with his fear that I will turn him away.
"Norrin, you came back. Of course I have a moment for you." I tell him with a smile on my face. He returned as I hoped he would. He kept his promise to me and it makes my heart flutter.
"Alicia, I told you I would be back when I finished the task I had to do, and here I am now." He tells me with certainty in his voice. The fear is gone and I sense he is now happy.
"Yes, you did. Forgive me for ever doubting you. Many have said similar things to me before but never returned. I am truly happy to know you came back." I tell him. In my heart I am happy. He was not like the others. He kept his word. I knew a soul as beautiful as his wouldn't lie. However, I sense he has more to say so I will listen.
"Alicia I want to ask again will you allow me to cure your blindness? I want to show you my friends I have made and the places I have seen." He tells me, and I can sense the raw honesty in his voice. He doesn't pity me. He only wants to cure me so he can show me things that make him happy. It is touching my heart. Oh Benjamin, I love you but his soul is calling out to mine.
"Oh Norrin, it touches my heart that you want to cure my blindness just to show me your friends, but I will have to decline. I prefer my blindness. It let's me see the real truth of people I meet. It allowed me to see your beautiful soul. So while the offer is VERY tempting. I would rather stay blind." I tell him. He will never know just how hard it was to turn him down. Even now my heart raises at his raw offer with no strings attached but love.
"Then would you do me the honor of accompanying me to meet my friends. I swear no harm shall befall you. They are all wonderful people. There is even a little one who is amazingly courageous and loveable." Norrin tells me. I am surprised. There was even more that he wanted to share. It makes me curious.
"Of course I will. I would love to meet the people someone like you call friends." I am curious now. What the souls of others would be like that his soul is drawn to that he calls friends.
"Then if you will allow me I shall carry you to where they are at. It is a cozy little house out in the country" Norrin says with a hint of giddiness in his voice that I doubt he notices, and it makes me happy.
"Okay." Is all I say. I reach out my arms to him, and I since him approach within my grasp. I places my arms around his neck, and he places his arms one behind my back the other behind my knees and then he lifts me up. It is a princess carry. My body is now pressed against his and I feel safe and warm. My heart starts beating faster and faster as he holds me close. I don't want him to ever let me go. I can hear his heartbeat faster as he holds me close. I can feel the rhythmic thumping of his heart as it pounds in his muscular chest. I feel the vibrations from his heart go straight through my body, into my heart, then into my soul. I feel my heart, body, and soul surrender to his. In my mind I think, I am sorry Ben his soul calls to me and I have to respond. I snuggle my body as close as I can to his. I feel his warmth surrounding me like a cozy blanket on a cold night. I may love Ben, but now there is another I love.
"Is everything okay?" I hear Norrin ask me worry and love laced in his voice.
"Yes, everything is fine. As a matter of fact right now everything is perfect." I hear my voice say. I can't control myself. His heart is touching mine. His soul has conquered my soul. His very love has surrounded me, and I can not fight it nor do I want to. His beautiful light and soul warm me throughout. As I become lost in this moment I hear him say, "Then hold tight for we are taking off now." And hold tight I do. I compress my body so tightly to his I feel my breasts reshape themselves. I feel his heartbeat racing it thumps so powerfully that I feel it reverberating through my nipple. I can feel myself becoming wet from him holding me. Oh Ben I have fallen for another man. I love you and I hope you will understand. Is all I can think of as we start to fly away.
Marcus' P.O.V.
Everything has gone exactly as I said it would. This should bring Susan to me. She said they're on their way. I will let my mother know so she can prepare everything.
"Mommy, big sis Sue just told me they won and are on their way here." I call out.
"Thank you sweetheart. I will start preparing the lab. Megan how long until you are done preparing preparing the food!" My mother shouted back whole calling out to my Aunt Megan.
"I'm already on it. It shouldn't take me much longer than 40 minutes till everything is done." My Aunt shouts back.
This has been a good day so far. I hope it continues. I think to myself.
Susan's P.O.V.
We have arrived to the Fantasticar. As Reed likes to call it. Our mode of transportation that flys those of us who can't fly on the own. I watch Ben head for the pilot seat. He has always been or pilot. I approach Reed. I want to hear his answers to my questions.
"Reed." I call out. "We need to talk." I continue.
"Sure Susan, what do you want to talk about." Reed responds back. Typical, he forgets anything I say if it isn't something he wants to deal with right then.
"I asked you a hypothetical question before our fight with Galactus. I would like your answer that you said you would give me after the battle." I firmly state.
"Oh the one about the two wives thing. How did it go again?" Reed stops and thinks to remember.
"I will remind you." I tell him.
"No need. I remember now. The choice is between having a wife early but that wife will leave me living a life of severe suffering and possible death along with my happiness. The second choice is a wife I must wait on. If I pass the waiting period then there will be little suffering, lots of happiness and I will eventually attain immortality. Did I remember it correctly?" Reed states his memory and asks me if it is correct.
"Yes you have remembered it correctly. However, my question was which future wife would you pick? I will add in 2 extra tidbits. The first wife you have known for a couple of years. The second wife you have known for a couple of days both wives love you immensely. You can only choose one wife. Which wife would you pick?" I tell him.
"Hmm. That is quite the question. Is there a reason for this question?" Reed asks me. Of course he would notice something. His mind works extremely profoundly when I cones to problems. I do not want to lie to him. He is my friend. He is my fiancé. I love him, but I also love Marcus.
"Yes there is a reason. I met someone recently. He used his powers to show me my future timelines. I am sitting at a crossroads. If I marry you we will have a lot of suffering. We will eventually fight with Victor Von Doom. Your college friend and rival. I will eventually get pregnant that pregnancy leads to many different timelines. In many of those I die while pregnant. In some of them I miscarriage and the baby and I both die. In others I miscarriage and the turn into a villainess and nearly kill you. I eventually recover my mind, but from then on I suffer a split personality. In those futures where I survive carrying our child. Our child is born as the strongest being in the cosmos. He can literally reshape reality and time runs as he wills it. He gets taken away from us by my Aunt Agatha to train him to control his powers. We rarely ever get to see him. He eventually becomes the master of Galactus and is the last survivor of our universe. When the universe is reborn he will become like Galactus roaming the universe devouring worlds just to stay alive. That is what the future timelines I saw showed. The other choice leads to a man I have to wait on. However, after waiting for him, there will be very little suffering. There will be a lot of happiness and I will have at least one daughter. She will be immensely powerful and raised in love. Her and I will eventually reach immortality and even when this universe dies we will live on as regular humans when it is reborn. I tell you the truth because that is what we vowed. I trust the person who showed me these futures. He has no reason to lie. He also has only ever told me the truth." There I barely my soul to Reed and what has happened. I hide nothing from him save who it was that showed me the future.
"Thank you for telling me the full story Susan. Your question has me seeking answers, but if you trust this person, then so be it. If it is a choice between your suffering and not suffering I choose to let you go. I do love you and the futures you saw must have showed that." He tells me.
"They did. You loved me unconditionally. Even when I lost my mind and turned evil it was you that restored my fractured mind." I tell him what Marcus told me.
"So our lives would be full of love for each other but you would suffer immensely and our very son could kill you and even if he doesn't he will be taken away from us for his own good." Reed states solemnly.
"Yes." I reply with tears in my eyes.
"Then I still choose to let you go. I would hate myself from now on knowing that your life will be full of both immense happiness and immense suffering. Especially when if I let you go you will still find that life of happiness but very little suffering. I must ask did those timelines show you anything about me?" Reed speaks to me and I can feel his love.
"Yes, they did. You will spend most of your time working on inventions but there will come times where you are called upon to save the world. You will step up and do exactly that. He asked me not to tell you to much because just knowing the future can change it. I will be safe because he has used his powers to hide me from time. You, he can't hide because you are pivotal to our reality. I am only pivotal IF I carry your child. If I do not then I am just a small part of the system in our reality so it is easy to hide me." I tell Reed.
"That's not a bad life for me then. I know I mistreated you at times by getting absorbed in my work. This may sound cynical, but my heart hurt knowing what all I put you through without paying you the attention you deserved. If we are no longer together my heart will hurt less. I love you Susan, but my personality has put a major strain on both of us. After logically thinking about it. It is better for both of us in the long-term to go our separate ways." Reed tells me.
"We can still be friends like we were when we first met. You can still be a part of my life. I will always have a place for you in my heart. Only now it will be as my close friend instead of as my husband." I tell him.
"I would like that. What are husbands and wives without the sex and commitment? They are each other's best friends. We can be best friends with out the pressure of social norms and sex. It sounds like a thrilling adventure to me." Reed says with a smile in his eyes. I think to myself that went better than I thought it would, he is insufferably right again. Husbands and wives without the sex and commitment are each other's best friends. Still can't believe I have the hots for a two year old. What am I becoming? A pedophile? I hope not.
Ben's P.O.V.
Susan definitely needs to speak with Reed. I will let them sit and talk in the front car. While I stay back here and pilot our aircraft. I am glad everything worked out somewhat with Galactus. Now if only everything will work out for Me, Norrin, Susan and Reed. Johnny doesn't seem to be bothered at all by what had transpired. If anything I envy him, but I will be damned if I ever tell him that.
We are arriving to that brats Marcus' house in 30 seconds. It seems that Sue and Reed have had their talk and worked things out. I am not sure where that will lead, but I am glad for them. They are my friends and I want them to be happy. We land once again in the front yard, and sure enough the little tyke comes running out the door. As we start to open our doors to disembark I see the Silver Surfer come flying in with a woman in his arms. Wait is that Alicia? This cannot be happening.
"Everyone, I would like your all to meet Alicia Masters." Norrin introduces her. It is exactly who I thought it was.
"Hello everyone." She politely says. God her voice is still like that of an angel. Now this just got real.
"Alicia, Alicia let me intwoduce everyone to you." Marcus explodes with youthful energy.
"And who might you be? A bright bubble of delightfully funny soul? You must be a hand full for your mom and dad." She states. The surroundings get really quiet. We all know that his father is missing. Alicia however doesn't know.
"I'm Marcus. My daddy is missing, but Uatu said he is still alive. So when I get bigger if he isn't back I will go find him." Marcus replies quickly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought with as loving and polite as you are two parents would have raised you. Can you forgive me?" Alicia responds with solemnity.
"I do have two parents. I have my mommy and my second mommy my auntie. My second mommy is my mommy's twin so I have 2 mommies. Which makes me unique I hear." Marcus replies back.
"Oh well that answers that question. So since you forgave me for saying something that could hurt your feelings. I would be happy for you to introduce me to everyone." Alicia states with a smile.
"Okay, first this lady here is my mommy. Her name is Cassandra." Marcus introduces.
"Any friend of Norrin is welcome here." Cassie says.
"Thank you for having me."
"Next we have my second mommy Auntie Megan." Marcus continues with the introductions.
"It is nice to meet you." Megan says.
"The pleasure is mine I assure you." Alicia replies.
"What Marcus fails to tell you is that him and this lady were the first people I met on this planet. It was because of him and her that I took an interest in the beings of this planet, which is how I met you that day." The Silver Surfer interjects.
"Oh my. Then I am even happier to get to know you both." Alicia says with her smile almost glowing.
"Over here are big sister Susan and uncle Reed." He continues with his introductions not losing a step.
"Hey Marcus, why am I uncle Reed but Susan is a big sister?" Reed asks.
"You look like an older uncle. While big sister looks younger than my mommies. I cannot call her auntie when she is younger than my auntie now can I?" Marcus responds with his logic. Which I have to admit makes me laugh.
"He's got you there Reed. His logic is flawless. You do look older with white hair around your ears, and Suzy has always looked way younger than her age. There is a reason her nickname has been the invisible girl not the invisible lady." I jump in laughing out loud which was probably a mistake. Because Alicia immediately recognizes my voice.
"Ben?" She asks with a confused look on her face.
"That's right next up is uncle Uncle Ben. How did you know? He is all rock like right now but Norrin is gonna fix that for him." Marcus continues without a beat.
"Ben!" Alicia puts her hands in front of her and stumbles in my direction. Before I can react both Marcus and Norrin are there.
"Are you okay?" Norrin asks.
"Hey Alicia, are you okay. I can ask uncle Norrin to heal you if you are not he is really good at healing people. He is going to heal uncle Ben soon." Marcus' says as he holds her hand.