Your Best Friend, Benedict Cumberbatch

Chapter 36

"AMELIA!" Ben shouts as he storms into the bedroom, "I told you to leave mummy alone."

"Ben." You say weakly as you open your eyes, "don't shout at her. She doesn't understand."

"I've told her she needs to stay downstairs. I turn my back for 2 minutes and she goes straight up here to jump all over you." He says frustratingly. "Millie. Get downstairs now."

Amelia stands there, disobeying Ben's rules, which only aggravates him more. "Amelia Cumberbatch, I am giving you 5 seconds to get down those stairs, or you won't be able to stay at your grandparents tonight. Instead, you'll be put to bed early. No dessert, no bedtime story, nothing."

"Amelia, listen to your daddy, please baby." You whisper, before shutting your eyes again. Ben looks over at you to see how weak you were feeling and it broke his heart. But, it also made him angrier at Amelia.

"No, I want to stay with mummy!" She strops as she stamps her foot.

"Well you can't. I told you mummy's not feeling very well." He was tensing his jaw so tightly as his anger was starting to get to boiling point. This was all too much for him. "5...4...3..."

Finally she starts to leave the room. "It's not fair, I want to play with mummy!" She continues stropping as she walks out.

He closes his eyes in frustration as she walks past him. It broke him that he had to tell his little girl that she couldn't play with her mummy. But, it broke him even more that she was too young to understand why.

"Sorry, darling. I'll try and keep her under control." He says as he walks over and kneels down in front of you. "How are you feeling?" He asks as he strokes the top of your hair. "Do you need anything?"

"I'm ok, just tired." You open your eyes to smile softly at him.

"Let me know if you need anything, ok?" He leans up to kiss your forehead. "My parents should be over soon to pick the kids up. Then I'll be here to wait on you hand and foot." He smiles sweetly at you. "I love you, dickhead."

Your eyes widen slightly in amusement. "You haven't called me that in years." You giggle softly.

"I know, thought you'd find it funny."

"Hmmm." You breathed out a laugh. "Who'd have thought at that point we'd be married with two kids."

He lets out a small smile as he brushes back your hair. "I must have prayed to God everyday, asking him for you to fall in love with me."

"Shut up." You chuckle, "you're not religious."

"True. Because if there was a God, I'd fucking hate him for what he's doing to you."

"He'd be a complete bastard, wouldn't he?" You let out a small grin.

"A complete and utter fucking bastard." He grins back at you. "I better go and see what the kids are up to. I'll be back up to check on you soon, but if you need me in the meantime, call me, ok? Your phone's on the side table here." He points, before placing another, lingering kiss on your forehead and then quietly leaving the room.

You had got back from your first chemotherapy session a couple hours ago, and it had taken everything out of you. The doctor decided after more tests that the best course of action was to do a round of chemotherapy first, then, to have surgery followed by radiotherapy. It was a long road ahead of you, but one you felt you could beat. It scared the hell out of you though.

Ben has cancelled all his work for the next 6 months. He is making sure he is right by your side the whole time. Rumours have started to spread onto gossip sites as to why Ben has dropped out of so many events last minute. Luckily, no one has guessed right.

---

"Fucking hell." Ben sighs as he runs his hands through his hair, then walks over to his side of the bed. "The monsters have finally gone." He says as he takes off his shirt and switches into his pyjama bottoms. "How are you feeling, my love?"

"Exhausted." You reply to Ben as he got into bed.

"I bet," he says softly as he pulls you into him. "I wish I could take this all away from you, El. I wish it was me going through this instead."

"Don't be ridiculous." You shake your head. "Just think, in 6 months time, the treatment will all be over and we can get back to living our lives."

"Exactly." He says as he holds you closer and kisses the top of your head. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to make you anything?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you." You say as you start to fall back asleep in his arms.

---

"What are you girls up to?" Ben says the following afternoon as he walks into the living room with Kit in his arms.

"Just showing Mills our wedding album." You say as you look over your shoulder to Ben. The kids had got back from Wanda and Tim's about an hour ago.

"Mummy pretty!" Amelia squeals as she points to a photo of you and Ben taken just after the ceremony.

"Mummy's beautiful, isn't she?" Ben replies, as he walks round to sit next to you and Amelia, and places Kit on his lap. "Just like you, Mills." Now that Amelia was older, there was no denying that she looked like you. She had Ben's eyes and face shape, but the rest was you. Kit was completely Ben though.

You look at Ben and smile, before turning back to Amelia, who was curled up under your arm. "And who's this?" You ask as you turn over the page.

Amelia shakes her head. "That's you silly. When you were Kit's age." You laugh lightly along with Amelia's giggles.

"Baby Millie." She replies.

"Yes, not like big girl Millie now." Ben replies, as he lets an agitated Kit down from his lap so he could crawl around. Amelia was at the age where she was adamant she was a 'big girl' and not a 'baby like Kit.'

"How are you feeling?" Ben asks as he curls into you, while Amelia was distracted looking through the photo album.

"Better than yesterday," you nod. "A bit sick, but nothing too awful. Just tired again."

"Let me know when you need to rest and I'll sort these monsters out," Ben replies as he kisses your cheek. "Or, if you want to go upstairs now, I'll stick the kids in front of the tv for a while." He whispers so only you can hear, as his hand starts to work its way up your leg.

You look back at him with a grin, "sounds like a plan."

His eyes nearly flew out of his head, he didn't think you'd actually agree. "Right." He jumps up from the sofa with his hands on his hips. "Mills, as you are a very big girl now, can you be in charge of Kit, just while I put mummy to bed?"

"Why is mummy going to bed? It's too early, silly." Amelia laughs as she shakes her head.

"Because, mummy doesn't feel well and needs to rest, remember, baby?"

"Ok daddy." She smiles. She loved the idea of being in charge of her younger sibling.

Ben turned the tv on, and made sure there was nothing in the room they could hurt themselves with, before closing the door and picking you up bridal style.

"We've got to be quick, we can't leave them too long." You laugh as he hurries up the stairs.

"Trust me, I won't be long."