The best thing about being a doctor, Lucy knew, was the ability to sleep anywhere, no matter what was going on around her. Unfortunately, the worst thing about being love and antsy to get her hands on the object of her affections was that it cancelled out the best part of being a doctor. Even under orders from Liv to just lie still and let herself sleep, Lucy had not closed her eyes for more than a couple of hours all night, too agitated by the thought of the storm heading for New York, and the prospect of seeing Steve again. She was annoyingly bright that morning, too - chipper and determined to get everyone up and out of bed, heading for the portal at the crack of dawn. It was just as well Liv had such stern control over her twin, or Johnny would have been dragged to the portal before sun up.
Thanks to Liv, Lucy had been forced to wait patiently while the Human Torch and his girlfriend went about their usual morning routine, insisted on feeding her a decent breakfast, and tidied the apartment before letting the impatient doctor out of Luks and into the morning streets. There was method to the madness, of course, but right now Lucy wasn't thinking about business hours and accessibility. She just wanted to find Steve before everything kicked off. Despite everything there was very little that came between Johnny Storm and sleep once his head hit the pillow, and after flying off any residual adrenalin left over from the news that the Captain America was close to becoming his future brother-in-law, he hit the bed before Liv and Lucy, allowing them time to talk alone before Lucy was due to leave Rhy'Din for the foreseeable future. His dreams, however, were less than cooperative, and he tossed and turned restlessly all night, haunted by dreams of tumultuous storms in which he found himself struggling against overwhelming waves of water that ravaged everything in their wake. He awoke earlier than either twin, moving about the apartment, as quiet as a ghost. He was up to something, but it was hard to tell what. By the time the twins were up, he was already showered and dressed for the day, his body-hugging suit worn beneath a red and blue striped shirt and jeans. He was annoyed that his favorite sweatshirt had gone up in flames, but had no one to blame for it this time but himself. You'd think he'd have learned to strip down before going to flame by now, but he didn't always think that far in advance. He'd been quiet all morning and uncharacteristically thoughtful and polite, keeping his thoughts mostly to himself, unless spoken to, feeling as inwardly anxious as Lucy seemed to be.
When Liv deemed it a decent time, she ushered them all out of the apartment, amused by the agitation that was rolling off both her sister and her lover in tumultuous waves. For herself, she had slept as well as she usually did, and had already folded a handful of dollars into Lucy's hand to replace the Giants' sweatshirt if she got the chance. Johnny didn't make much noise in his sleep, but not even she could miss the muttering about his unthinking flaming the day before. As they walked down to street level, she glanced between the pair of them and finally let out a soft laugh. "Oh, honestly," she chuckled. "Anyone would think the world was ending, the way you two are behaving."
Lucy blinked, surprised out of her maudlin turn of thought by her sister's announcement. "Sorry, Livvie," she apologised with a shrug of one shoulder, making her rucksack bounce against her arm with the movement. "I'm just ....Well, I'm nervous. I've never been to America." "What way we're behaving?" Johnny asked, either completely clueless about how quiet he'd been all morning, trying to act innocent, like nothing was out of the ordinary, or both. "Nothing to be nervous about, Luce. You'll be fine. You just go straight to Stark Tower and tell them who you are and that you're looking for Steve Rogers. Piece of cake." Yeah, right. And if you believed that, he had some swampland to sell you. "If that doesn't work, call Susie. She should be able to help." Because he obviously couldn't, and that fact irked him a little. He was glad it was early enough that the Marketplace shouldn't be too crowded yet. He really hated good-byes. Liv eyed her boyfriend warily, but said nothing, keeping her arm wrapped about his back as they walked along. Her other hand was firmly ensconced in Lucy's palm, the sisters holding onto one another tightly despite the lack of communication. They'd said goodbye to one another plenty of times before; there was nothing to say that this goodbye would be any different than those other times. They'd find each other again, one way or another.
Lucy looked at Johnny over Liv's head, not at all reassured by his unhelpful laying out of what was, essentially, her plan. She bit her lip, squeezing Liv's hand, and sighed softly. "I do appreciate the help, Johnny," she told him quietly, almost sounding like her sister for a moment. "I just know how many ways this could go wrong. And I don't have the best track record. What if he came to his senses the minute he got back to Earth?" Despite his own confused and muddled feelings about this whole situation, Johnny glanced over at Lucy with a warm, reassuring smile. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Luce. You don't know Steve Rogers the way I..." Johnny trailed off, realizing with some irony that he was completely off base there. If anyone new Rogers, it was Lucy, it seemed, even if, for whatever reasons, the man had chosen not to tell her the whole truth about himself just yet. He halted in his tracks and pulled away from Liv so that he could turn and face them both. "Look, I know I don't really know the guy personally, but he's a stand-up guy, Luce. A man of his word. I don't think he's capable of lying. If he told you he loves you and wants to marry you, then you can be damned sure he means it." It was at this point that Johnny was privileged to witness the real dynamic between Lucille and Olivia Broderick. It was just a moment, but there it was, the true evidence of just who held all the cards in their little family. Listening to Johnny's reassurance, Lucy didn't react until her eyes met Liv's. The younger twin nodded almost imperceptibly, and only then did Lucy smile and relax, completely reassured that a man Liv trusted so much was also a man she could trust herself. "Thanks, Johnny," she said through her smile. "Like I said, just nervous." Johnny watched the barely perceptible moment of unspoken communication pass between the two sisters and for a split second was reminded of his own sister, homesickness tugging briefly at his heart. He was going to have a nephew or niece in a few months, and there was nothing that was going to stop him from going home for a visit, responsibilities or not. Family came first and foremost, as small as his was. He frowned a little as he seemed to consider something and then, he reached inside his jacket and yanked out the comic book Lucy had been reading the previous night. "I want you to have this," he said as he handed it to her, the pages warm from his body heat. Lucy's mouth fell open, and finally she released Liv's hand, both her own reaching out to take the little book as it was handed to her. "Johnny, I can't take this," she said softly, but it wasn't a denial of the kindness in giving it. "You love this book, and ....well ....He can tell me himself." His reassurances had done enough to put a stopper in the leak of her confidence for now, it seemed. Lucy bit her lip, torn between taking the gift she'd been offered and making sure he never gave it away. Her eyes met Liv's, and for once there was nothing there to guide her. Liv couldn't help here. "Lucy, I've read it a million times. I know it by heart. It's just a comic book. I want you to have it. Just take it, okay' It means more to you than it does to me." He wasn't sure why he was giving her the stupid thing. It was just a comic book, after all, but it was the story of Steve Rogers, and that story meant more to Lucy than anyone else, even Johnny. It seemed strange to him that he should idolize a person he'd never met, that he'd always wanted to meet, and he felt a twinge of envy once again, hoping that maybe if he was lucky, he'd get to fulfill an impossible dream and meet his lifelong hero someday. And though Johnny knew nothing of what Steve might have been through, he was smart enough to put two and two together. "Everyone he's ever cared about is gone, Luce. He's an orphan, just like us."
Thanks to Liv, Lucy had been forced to wait patiently while the Human Torch and his girlfriend went about their usual morning routine, insisted on feeding her a decent breakfast, and tidied the apartment before letting the impatient doctor out of Luks and into the morning streets. There was method to the madness, of course, but right now Lucy wasn't thinking about business hours and accessibility. She just wanted to find Steve before everything kicked off. Despite everything there was very little that came between Johnny Storm and sleep once his head hit the pillow, and after flying off any residual adrenalin left over from the news that the Captain America was close to becoming his future brother-in-law, he hit the bed before Liv and Lucy, allowing them time to talk alone before Lucy was due to leave Rhy'Din for the foreseeable future. His dreams, however, were less than cooperative, and he tossed and turned restlessly all night, haunted by dreams of tumultuous storms in which he found himself struggling against overwhelming waves of water that ravaged everything in their wake. He awoke earlier than either twin, moving about the apartment, as quiet as a ghost. He was up to something, but it was hard to tell what. By the time the twins were up, he was already showered and dressed for the day, his body-hugging suit worn beneath a red and blue striped shirt and jeans. He was annoyed that his favorite sweatshirt had gone up in flames, but had no one to blame for it this time but himself. You'd think he'd have learned to strip down before going to flame by now, but he didn't always think that far in advance. He'd been quiet all morning and uncharacteristically thoughtful and polite, keeping his thoughts mostly to himself, unless spoken to, feeling as inwardly anxious as Lucy seemed to be.
When Liv deemed it a decent time, she ushered them all out of the apartment, amused by the agitation that was rolling off both her sister and her lover in tumultuous waves. For herself, she had slept as well as she usually did, and had already folded a handful of dollars into Lucy's hand to replace the Giants' sweatshirt if she got the chance. Johnny didn't make much noise in his sleep, but not even she could miss the muttering about his unthinking flaming the day before. As they walked down to street level, she glanced between the pair of them and finally let out a soft laugh. "Oh, honestly," she chuckled. "Anyone would think the world was ending, the way you two are behaving."
Lucy blinked, surprised out of her maudlin turn of thought by her sister's announcement. "Sorry, Livvie," she apologised with a shrug of one shoulder, making her rucksack bounce against her arm with the movement. "I'm just ....Well, I'm nervous. I've never been to America." "What way we're behaving?" Johnny asked, either completely clueless about how quiet he'd been all morning, trying to act innocent, like nothing was out of the ordinary, or both. "Nothing to be nervous about, Luce. You'll be fine. You just go straight to Stark Tower and tell them who you are and that you're looking for Steve Rogers. Piece of cake." Yeah, right. And if you believed that, he had some swampland to sell you. "If that doesn't work, call Susie. She should be able to help." Because he obviously couldn't, and that fact irked him a little. He was glad it was early enough that the Marketplace shouldn't be too crowded yet. He really hated good-byes. Liv eyed her boyfriend warily, but said nothing, keeping her arm wrapped about his back as they walked along. Her other hand was firmly ensconced in Lucy's palm, the sisters holding onto one another tightly despite the lack of communication. They'd said goodbye to one another plenty of times before; there was nothing to say that this goodbye would be any different than those other times. They'd find each other again, one way or another.
Lucy looked at Johnny over Liv's head, not at all reassured by his unhelpful laying out of what was, essentially, her plan. She bit her lip, squeezing Liv's hand, and sighed softly. "I do appreciate the help, Johnny," she told him quietly, almost sounding like her sister for a moment. "I just know how many ways this could go wrong. And I don't have the best track record. What if he came to his senses the minute he got back to Earth?" Despite his own confused and muddled feelings about this whole situation, Johnny glanced over at Lucy with a warm, reassuring smile. "I don't think you have to worry about that, Luce. You don't know Steve Rogers the way I..." Johnny trailed off, realizing with some irony that he was completely off base there. If anyone new Rogers, it was Lucy, it seemed, even if, for whatever reasons, the man had chosen not to tell her the whole truth about himself just yet. He halted in his tracks and pulled away from Liv so that he could turn and face them both. "Look, I know I don't really know the guy personally, but he's a stand-up guy, Luce. A man of his word. I don't think he's capable of lying. If he told you he loves you and wants to marry you, then you can be damned sure he means it." It was at this point that Johnny was privileged to witness the real dynamic between Lucille and Olivia Broderick. It was just a moment, but there it was, the true evidence of just who held all the cards in their little family. Listening to Johnny's reassurance, Lucy didn't react until her eyes met Liv's. The younger twin nodded almost imperceptibly, and only then did Lucy smile and relax, completely reassured that a man Liv trusted so much was also a man she could trust herself. "Thanks, Johnny," she said through her smile. "Like I said, just nervous." Johnny watched the barely perceptible moment of unspoken communication pass between the two sisters and for a split second was reminded of his own sister, homesickness tugging briefly at his heart. He was going to have a nephew or niece in a few months, and there was nothing that was going to stop him from going home for a visit, responsibilities or not. Family came first and foremost, as small as his was. He frowned a little as he seemed to consider something and then, he reached inside his jacket and yanked out the comic book Lucy had been reading the previous night. "I want you to have this," he said as he handed it to her, the pages warm from his body heat. Lucy's mouth fell open, and finally she released Liv's hand, both her own reaching out to take the little book as it was handed to her. "Johnny, I can't take this," she said softly, but it wasn't a denial of the kindness in giving it. "You love this book, and ....well ....He can tell me himself." His reassurances had done enough to put a stopper in the leak of her confidence for now, it seemed. Lucy bit her lip, torn between taking the gift she'd been offered and making sure he never gave it away. Her eyes met Liv's, and for once there was nothing there to guide her. Liv couldn't help here. "Lucy, I've read it a million times. I know it by heart. It's just a comic book. I want you to have it. Just take it, okay' It means more to you than it does to me." He wasn't sure why he was giving her the stupid thing. It was just a comic book, after all, but it was the story of Steve Rogers, and that story meant more to Lucy than anyone else, even Johnny. It seemed strange to him that he should idolize a person he'd never met, that he'd always wanted to meet, and he felt a twinge of envy once again, hoping that maybe if he was lucky, he'd get to fulfill an impossible dream and meet his lifelong hero someday. And though Johnny knew nothing of what Steve might have been through, he was smart enough to put two and two together. "Everyone he's ever cared about is gone, Luce. He's an orphan, just like us."