Call Me Mr. Cumberbatch

Happy Birthday~Part 2

Ben stared in confusion at his ex-girlfriend, who was here. In New York. In his school. What the hell was going on? "I...I needed to talk to you," she said. Ben glanced over to Cassie. He could tell she was looking uncomfortable. As smoothly as he could, he told her, "I'm afraid I can't help you with your lines today. Come back tomorrow morning and we'll work on them."

Cassie clearly got the message, then said, "Okay, Mr. Cumberbatch. See you tomorrow." She grabbed her bag off the stage, then started walking down the stairs. Once Ben was sure she was gone, he turned to Grace and asked, "You couldn't call?"

She started coming up the stage as she said, "I tried calling, but you didn't answer. Besides, I realized it's not something I can just call about. Listen, I didn't like the way we ended on Christmas." Ben let out a huge laugh and shook his head. "Maybe because you walked in on me having phone sex with my girlfriend." 

Grace blushed at the memory. "I want to apologize for that...and for everything else. Really, Ben, I am so sorry." He couldn't believe this. He was supposed to be spoiling his girl today, showering her with affection, making love to her for the first time...but instead Grace is ruining it all. 

"Grace," he sighed, "I...I can't do this. I don't want to do this. You are the one who ended things, not me. You are the one who broke my heart and shattered it into a million pieces! Now, I'm happy with someone else, happier than I ever was with you, and you suddenly want to work this out? No, I don't think so." 

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked to the ground. She slowly walked up to him as she said, "You not being able to have children doesn't bother me anymore. We can...adopt. Try treatments." Ben let out a light laugh of disbelief. 

He looked up at her and said, "Go. Get out of my theater, get out of my school, get out of my city! I don't want to see you ever again!" Grace looked appalled, but she hesitantly turned around and walked off stage. "I'll be at the Four Seasons in SoHo," she said as she turned back to him. 

He gave her a sharp look and said, "Go." Sighing, she turned back to the door and walked out. Ben was left standing on the stage alone. He let out a long breath and muttered curses under his breath. "You can't have children?" A voice within the darkened seats asked. 

Ben squinted his eyes and called, "Cass?" Cassie came out from the darkness, down the isle. His heart suddenly dropped to his stomach. She heard. She knows. He was dreading what she'll think of him now! 

"Cass, um...I...I can explain," he said. She got up on the stage and went up to him. She didn't look mad or disappointed, but rather concerned. "You can't have children," she repeated. He let out a huge sigh and looked to the ground. 

"No," he told her, "I can't." He felt tears brimming in his eyes. It was the worst news of his life when he found out all those years ago. He went to get a routine test for STD's, when the doctor told him he was clean...but had a low sperm count. 

Ben has always wanted children. It's all he's ever dreamed about, having a wife and several kids. His dreams got crushed when he was only twenty years old. The words, "I'm afraid you can't have children," has been engraved in his mind for the past seven and a half years. 

As he was trying to contain his tears, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist. He opened his eyes and saw Cassie hugging him. Hugging him. Grace left when he told her. She threw a book at him and left, then never apologized when she came back. 

But Cassie was hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight to him. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you," he whispered. She just hugged him tighter. He crouched down to where he could bury his face into her neck and started to softly cry. 

"Ben, it's okay," she softly said as she rubbed his back. "That doesn't matter to me." He brought up his head from her neck and looked at her with red eyes. "It doesn't?" He asked. She shook her head and ran her fingers through his hair. "Not at all. Obviously, it's too soon to think about it, but...if we're together that long...there are options."

Ben sniffled and asked with puppy eyes, "You won't be mad that you can't bare our children?" Smiling, she told him, "No. That doesn't matter to me. And I can't believe we're talking about having kids." They both laughed. 

"Well, I plan to be with you for as long as you want me," he said as he pressed his forehead against hers. She put her hands on the side of his face and said, "I want to be with you for a long, long time." Smiling, he pressed a kiss to her lips. 

After a few moments, they broke apart and started gathering their things. "What are your birthday plans?" He asked. She shrugged, then told him, "Going out to dinner. Nothing special." As she bent over to pick up her bag, he came over and hugged her waist. 

"When's the next time they'll be out of town?" He asked in her ear. She smiled, then told him, "Next weekend. Rob has a big case and mom has a big house to sell, both in Upstate New York. They decided to make a weekend out of it."

Ben smiled against her ear. "It's a week," he said, "but I'm willing to wait if you are." She hugged his arms around her and said, "Even though I've been waiting long enough...yes, I'm willing." He kissed her neck, then said, "Good. I promise, it will be worth the wait."

**

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Cassie...happy birthday to you!" Rob and Hannah, along with some customers in the restaurant nearby started clapping. Cassie blew out the candles and blushed at the attention she was getting. 

Hannah plucked out the candle from the free cheesecake that the restaurant gave her and said, "Happy birthday, my young adult!" Cassie laughed and shook her head. She took a bite of the cheesecake and actually moaned because it was so good. 

Rob and Hannah each took a bite, then let her have the rest to herself. "Should we grab one to go?" Rob asked. "Do you like that one?" Cassie nodded furiously, so Rob called over their waiter and ordered a full cookie dough cheesecake. It costed forty dollars on top of the hundred dollar dinner, but he didn't seem to mind. 

"Thank you, Rob," Cassie said. He smiled at her and said, "Anything for my birthday girl. Now, your mom and I have something for you." Hannah took his hand and gave Cassie a wide smile. "What?" Cassie asked suspiciously. 

"You know how U2 is playing at Madison Square Garden next week? And the tickets were sold out?" Hannah asked. Cassie's eyes blew wide. "Yeah," she said, not even bothering to chew the rest of her cheesecake. 

Hannah continued, "Well...Rob got two tickets! You're going and you can take whoever you want!" Cassie nearly spit up her cheesecake. "Oh my God," she said. "Oh my God! This is...oh my God!" Rob and Hannah both laughed as she got up and slid into their booth, hugging them tightly. especially Rob.

"Happy birthday, sweetie," said in her hair. She smiled and said, "Thank you...dad." Rob smiled widely and hugged her tightly. Once they all broke away and got their cheesecake, they got up and left for home. 

"Have any wild plans for tonight?" Hannah asked once they got inside the apartment. Cassie laughed and said, "Yeah. Sure. You know me, party party all day." Both Rob and Hannah laughed. "Well, you're eighteen," Hannah said. "Get yourself in to some trouble, will you?"

Rob chimed in, saying, "Yeah and you'll get a free lawyer if you need one." Oh, how she loves her family. Suddenly, her phone started ringing. She looked down and saw it was a blocked number. Thinking it was Ben calling from his landline, she went out on to the balcony and answered, "Hello?"

"You have a collect call from the Lincoln Correctional Facility," a robotic voice said. "Do you accept this call?" Cassie's heart leaped into her throat. Why was she getting a call from jail? Not to mention, it was the jail that Ben lived just five minutes away from.