|
  |
*
Drunken visitors, especially of the actress variety, are never quite the overnight guest that one expects. Drunken unexpected actress visitors are definitely not the guests that one expects. It was a long night, no doubt, for certain members of the Fantastic Four, with Trish snoring away on their couch, waking up every now and then with an, "Oh god…" and a pause before the snoring returns, almost instantly.
As morning arrives, Trish wakes up, laying stomach down on the couch, face squished against the arm rest, one arm resting next to her on the couch while the other hangs off the side. "Whaaa…" She slowly starts to push herself up, eyes squinting as she looks about, blurry eyed. "Where am I?" She murmurs to herself. "What happened last night?" She whispers, hand moving to her temple as she winces, finally sitting all the way up. "Frumple pumpkins! Why does my head feel like a it's been thumped like a gong? And why is everything so bright?" She murmurs softly, still seeming to talk to herself.
*
Silently, sitting on the coffee table just next to the sofa, Sue watches the other woman through slitted eyes. Her expression calculates the situation, ever attentive to the changing needs of the moment and her current role in it. When Trish sees her, Sue's gaze turns immediately downward to the large waste basket next to the couch — a tool that the eldest Storm has aided Trish with multiple times in the night.
But when Trish doesn't immediately toss her cookies, a large cup of hot java is thrust in her general direction as Sue slides off the coffee table to trail back to the kitchen. "You're at the Baxter Building. The home of the Fantastic Four. You were incredibly inebriated." Her lips purse as she walks to the cupboard to take out a small bottle of aspirin. "You need fluids. Anti-inflammatories. And coffee."
She turns on her heel and returns to the couch to hand the bottle of pills over to Trish.
*
It takes a moment for Trish to realize just who, exactly, she's looking at. "Sue…Sue Storm?" She glances to the bucket as the other woman looks at it. "Oh god…oh no. Oh, frumple pumpkins. I didn't…did I? Golly gee willikers. I am so very sorry. I just…I don't know what got into me." She sighs heavily as she starts to blush, graciously accepting the coffee that's thrusted in her direction. "Thank you, So much. Honestly."
As she sips on the coffee, she gets a flash of a memory from the night before. Groaning, she blushes even more, her face looking rather like a cherry tomato. "I didn't…please tell me I didn't actually call you 'Adorable' Sue last night?"
*
Sue's expression turns pained as she impatiently shakes the bottle of pills for Trish to take. The rattle is familiar, but common. Her expression, however, remains oddly even as her throat clears and she squints. "You did. You certainly called me Adorable Sue. I asked that you refrain from doing it again. Please."
Her lips purse. "Your sister," pause. "She's the one that attacked the building," pause. "Isn't she?" She blinks several times over and for a moment, something softens in Sue's appearance. "I'm sorry. I know what it is to have a sibling, and what it is to lose family — especially that close to you." Her lips edge into a pensive frown.
*
"Thank you." Mutters Trish, practically in defeat, as she accepts the bottle from Sue. This is certainly not a situation that she is accustomed to finding herself in. Sure, she doesn't mind some fun, but this just got out of hand! "I'm sorry." She looks up at Sue, embarrassed. "I'm so, so, so sorry. I wish there was something I could do to make up for…everything." She tells the other woman. "That's not the normal me, I swear." She says while opening the bottle and popping a couple of the pills into her mouth. With the lid back on, she passes the botle back to Sue and takes a long sip of her coffee.
"I mentioned my sister?" She furrows her brow. "I…" She looks down at the coffee mug that she's placed on her lap. "I promised I'd never reveal her identity, but, after what happened a couple nights ago." She looks up at Sue once more, her chin quivering ever so slightly. "It's so unlike her. She promised to only ever use her abilities for good. And then," She waves her free hand around. "This. She goes missing for a month, no word or anything, and this. She destroys a building, harms lives. It's not the Jewel, it's not the Jessica, I know. She can have a temper, sometimes, but she'd never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. And then there was her smile. It seemed so out of place!" Her voice takes a far-away tone to it, as she replays the night in her mind.
*
There's a small nod at Trish's apology — a silent acceptance that she understands the other woman is indeed sorry. "I think," Sue starts, "we all have our moments. And we all have our breaking points." Her lips turn upwards slightly. "And," she reaches out to squeeze Trish's shoulder, "I truly am sorry about your sister. If it's uncharacteristic," pause, "it's possible she was working under an external force. I'll talk to Reed about it," despite herself, a fond smile pulls at her lips, "he's the neuro — er — brain expert among us. I think it's theoretically possible." Whether or not it's actually likely? Well, Sue will leave Reed to calculate those odds.
She sits back on the coffee table and levels another look at Trish. The smile fades, and the Korean woman's expression turns serious. "You and I, however, need to have a chat." She emits a soft sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose. "When you were intoxicated, you chose to come here." She sucks on the inside of her cheek, "Which means I have an important question for you: what are your intentions with my brother?"
*
"It really is!!" Trish winces as she speaks just a little too loudly for herself. "Uncharacteristic." She says in a quieter tone. "Reed? Yes. Please, work with him on it. I'm sure the two of you could figure it out!" Even in her wildest dreams, she couldn't imagine Sue not helping on the science side of things.
Sputtering her coffee when she's asked about her intentions with Johnny, Trish coughs a little and places a hand gently on her chest. "I…I'm sorry. My um, my intentions with…with your brother? Johnny? Your brother Johnny?" She clears her throat a little more, taking a deep breath in and letting it out slowly. "He's a really nice guy. I like him a lot." She explains. Why did this have to happen while she was hungover? "I'd like to get to know him better, really?"
*
The serious expression remains as Sue's chin drops in a nod of ascent. "Alright," she states plainly. "Joon might not seem like it," she begins softly, "but he's terribly sensitive." She chews her bottom lip pensively. "He takes things deeply personally and feels strongly for those he cares about. While he has fun and has an image as such, I know better. My brother cares about people. My brother — " her eyebrows draw together and her hands clasp lightly in front of her. " — needs people to look out for him. It would be easy for him to be callous in life. We lost our parents too early," her voice cracks. "He could be hardened by that. But he's…" a fond smile crosses her features "…good."
The smile dissipates and her throat clears. "If you have an interest in my brother, I must insist you are gentle with him. He's not a person to be dispensed of." She swallows hard. "You have a sister. You know what that bond is like. And in knowing that, I'm sure you know I will protect my brother in every way possible. I always have. I always will."
*
"I'm so sorry about your parents." Trish murmurs. Whether she knew about them before or not, she's still sorry. She can't imagine what losing one's parents is like. "As you…may or may not know, I didn't exactly have an average life growing. I was in the spotlight early on." As one would expect of Patsy from It's Patsy. "I may not have had a normal life, but I know what it is to not want to hurt. We all have those who would protect us from the pain in this world." Here comes the quivering chin again!
She clears her throat and takes a looooong sip of her coffee before looking back to Sue. "But the truth is, people can't be protected from the world forever." She says softly. "I like your brother, what little time I've spent with him. Very little time, by the way. I can't promise I won't hurt him, but it will never be my intention to cause him harm." She hopes that her answer is good enough.
*
A frown draws Sue's lips downwards, but she issues Trish a crisp nod in turn. It's the best that Sue is going to get. "I think," she starts again, "we have an understanding at least, you and I. And that may be sufficient for the time being." She pushes herself up to a stand, "Know, however, Miss Walker," her tongue rolls over her lips, "I will protect my brother in any way in my power."
She inhales a sharp breath and pinches the bridge of her nose. "There is a fine balance in our world here," she lifts a hand to gesture to the Baxter Building. "And many things hang in it. Our lives aren't normal. They're fantastic, which complicates our every action." She swallows hard. "We make sacrifices for the good of the team, and deny ourselves to keep that balance in check," she strolls to the kitchen to grab herself a cup of coffee. She pauses as she's about to pour the fluid. "But more than that, for me personally, I need to keep my brother safe. It may sound ridiculous, but it's true."
*
"Complete understanding, I hope!" Trish responds, nodding lightly and smiling. "I know you'll protect your brother. I'd do the same thing in your shoes!" Her smile fades once more. "I mean, I will do anything to protect her." She just needs to figure out what's wrong. What made her sister decide to destroy a building?
"Your team is fantastic. It's a great team! I actually have quite a bit of respect for each of you." She responds in kind. "You've got a lot on your plates, so to speak. I don't intend to get in the way of that." She sips her now almost empty cup of coffee. "It's not ridiculous at all that you'd have a need to keep your brother safe." She says softly. "I feel the same about my sister."
*
A small sad smile plays across Sue's lips, but she subdues it with coffee as she sighs softly towards the black fluid. "I would do anything to keep this team safe," she finally asserts. "And not because they're my team, but because they're my family. Honestly, I would do whatever needed to be done." Her lips purse lightly and she hmmms. "Johnny, however, gets a heavier hand than perhaps he always deserves." She shrugs and her eyebrows lift slightly.
"And I'm glad we have an understanding. We require that. You and I." She glances towards the pot of coffee. "Do you need a refresher, or are you quite alright, Miss Walker?"
*
"That must be nice, to have your team be so close. For the most part, it's just been my sister and I." Trish explains. Which is, perhaps, why the whole event involving Jessica was so difficult on her. She doesn't even think of her mother much any more. She'd rather keep her family as herself and Jessica.
Staring down at her cup, she shakes her head. "No, thank you. I should uh, I should probably freshen up. Do you have a powder room of some sort? Bathroom probably works just fine."
*
There's a small nod as Sue points to a room adjacent the living space, "The bathroom is just down the hall." She chews her bottom lip, "I put some clothes out for you on my bed — it's across the hall from the bathroom. Please borrow them. Return them at your leisure." There's a pause. "No woman wants to go home in yesterday's outfit. The neighbours, they talk."
*
Smiling gently, Trish nods. "Thank you, Sue…I mean Miss Storm. That's very kind of you." She gets up, places her mug on a counter, and goes to get ready. It's no more than ten minutes and she's back out, wearing Sue's clothes and looking very refreshed, as if she hadn't woken up hungover or spent all of yesterday drinking. "Ah, that's better!"
*
"People who sleep in my home," couch or otherwise, it seems, "can call me Sue," she corrects as she straightens the kitchen. "And good. The dress is actually a good fit for you," she admires quietly. There's a glimmer of something unspoken in her eyes as the dress with the pockets is given a sad once over. "You can keep it if you like," it's not like it drew attention at all.
*
Giving Sue a little curtsy, Trish smiles. "Thank you, Sue." She twirls in the dress, holding her day-old clothes close to her body. "Oh, no. No, I couldn't keep the dress! Besides, as good of a fit as it is, I bet it looks amazing on you." She tells Sue, quite seriously. "Besides, you've been too kind already. I should be giving you dresses! Let me take you shopping sometime as a thank you! Please?" She grins and, without waiting for an answer, she says, "It's settled. Now, if I can just borrow your phone, I'll call for a ride to take me home. I've been too much a burden on you already!"
*
Sue lifts a hand, shopping isn't necessary, but then, Sue has SO few female friends. She relents with a vague shrug. Sure, she will go shopping with Trish. Hopefully it doesn't spark rumours. "The phone is unnecessary. I already have a town car waiting for you downstairs. We are rather resourced here." She issues the other woman a tight-lipped smile.
*
"Ooo! I wonder if we use the same town car company! I hope the driver's Basil. He know's the shortest routes and always has the best stories about his children!" Trish babbles on, evidently in a better mood than she was initially upon waking up. Approaching Sue, she holds out her arms slightly, an invitation for a hug. "May I?"
*
Sue may be a mom at heart, but the request for a hug causes her shoulders to tighten slightly. She's not a warm and cuddly teddy bear. But the invitation, thanks to the circumstances, is heeded, and the hug is reciprocated. "Take care. I'll talk to Reed about your sister and the potential around neurological troubles. Try not to worry too much."
*
Not everyone's a hugger, Trish knows this all too well! But hey, she felt the circumstances called for one. Giving the other woman a little extra thank you squeeze, she releases and shakes her head. "I can't promise not to worry too much, Sue. It's what we sisters do best, I'm afraid. But thank you! I appreciate you, and your help!" Her heels clickity-clack toward the elevator. Ping! "Buh-bye, Sue!" She calls out, a vroom, she's gone! What does the future hold? She doesn't know, but she feels her load is just a little bit lighter.
*