Temptation

Late

One Year Later

Ben set down the last of the heavy boxes and let out a deep breath. "Well, that's the last of it," he said, as he plopped himself down on the couch next to Cassie. "I am officially all moved in." He pulled her into his arms and she hugged him around the waist. 

"Good," she said, "now you can start unpacking." He groaned, but then pushed her back on to the couch and got on top of her. She giggled up a storm and tried to push him off, but he was too strong. "Get off, you goof."

He shook his head and told her, "Nope. I just want to be cuddly and cuddle with you." He nuzzled his face into her neck and started fluttering kisses on her neck. "Ben," she giggled. She put her fingers through his hair and tugged him closer. 

She happily sighed as she combed his hair with her fingers. She could feel his weight start to sink on her, meaning he was falling asleep. It's happened many times before, so she knew the signs. 

It was then that she was hit by a sudden wave of nausea. 

As quickly as she could, she shoved Ben off of her and sprinted to the bathroom. "Cass?" He worryingly called, as he stumbled over himself to get to the bathroom. He ran in to see her throwing up in the toilet. 

"Christ, baby," he said, while holding her hair back. "You're alright, just let it all out. Don't fight it." She didn't, as she practically let her guts spill out. When she was done, he helped her up and get to the sink. After she brushed her teeth and thoroughly rinsed it with mouth wash, she made a b-line to her calendar. 

Ben quickly followed and said, "Darling, maybe you should relax for a bit. If you're ill, I'll take care of you, honey." She was too engrossed in her calendar to acknowledge him. "I'm not sick," she said, still looking at her calendar.

"What do you mean?" He asked. She slowly turned to face him. Her face looked drained, her eyes blown in shock. "I'm late," she told him. It took a second for him to register what she meant. 

When it did, his eyes blew wide. 

"Oh...oh my God," he breathed out. "You...you're pregnant." With her mouth open in shock, she shrugged. "I...I don't know," she told him. "Maybe...we should get pregnancy tests. Like right now." Ben nodded, but didn't move. "Right now, Ben!" 

He jumped and quickly grabbed his keys. They both quickly walked out the car, then drove full speed to the nearest store. They both looked nervously for the tests, until Cassie came across them. She didn't know which one to get!

While she was looking, Ben was sweating and nervously running his hands through his hair. "How are you freaking out about this more than me?" She asked. "I mean, I am the fuck up here! I can't bring a kid into this world with all that I've done! I'd be a terrible mother! And what if they end up turning out like me? I wouldn't be able to handle that, Ben!" 

She snatched up three tests and was about to walk away, until Ben wrapped his arms around her from behind in a hug. She eased back into him and let a few tears fall down her cheeks. "I want whatever you want," he told her. "I can't make you go through with this."

As she wiped away her tears, she asked, "You want to keep it?" He put his hand over her stomach and said, "Like I said, I want whatever you want. If you don't want to keep them, it's completely your choice. I'll love you and stay with you no matter what decision you choose to make."

This was putting her at ease, but also make her worried for a whole other reason. Does she want it? Can she raise this kid? Will it turn out like her? Will they turn out like her mother? What will her mother say? What would her dad think? What about Anna? How can Ben be so calm? Why is this happening? What is happening?

Without saying anything, she got herself out of his grip and went up to the cashier. Ben paid for the tests and drove calmly home. When they go there, they went straight to the bathroom. "Um...do you mind?" Cassie asked Ben, who was pacing the bathroom. 

He looked over at her and saw her sitting on the toilet. "Oh, right," he said, before leaving and shutting the door. He came back once she called for him and they decided to get inside the empty bathtub and wait until the timer was up. 

"You haven't told me how you feel about this," Cassie said, as she leaned back into his chest. He rubbed her arms and placed a kiss on her head, before saying, "I'm absolutely horrified. I've always wanted kids, but I never imagined being so close to having one would feel like this."

He put his hands on her stomach and said, "But I'm also excited. I do want this baby, but I won't force you to keep it. If there is one, of course. If you're not ready...you're not ready." She put her hands over his and sighed. 

They both jumped when her timer went off, then quickly got out of the tub. "Ready?" She asked him. He gulped, then nodded. At the same time, they looked down into the sink at the three pregnancy tests. 

Ben gaped at it and said, "They...they're all..." Cassie nodded and said, "They're all positive. I'm pregnant." They looked at each other, to many emotions running through each of them to tell how they were feeling. 

Unfortunately, Ben watched as Cassie walked out of the bathroom without saying a word. He let out a sigh and looked down into the sink at the tests. She was pregnant. He was going to become a father...possibly. He hoped so. 

He knew he had to talk to her about this. Now. So he went into the bedroom where he saw her curled up in bed. "Sweetheart," he softly called. He got behind her in bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Cass, talk to me." 

She wasn't crying, he could tell, so she wasn't that upset. Still, it was worrying him. "I'd be an awful mother," she said. He gently shushed her and said, "No, no, my beautiful girl...you would be so amazing to them. They would bloody adore you, I just know it."

He placed a kiss on her head and held her tighter. "I want it," he suddenly heard her say. His head shot up and he gently turned her on her back. "What did you say?" He asked. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. 

"I want this baby," she told him. 

Ben let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding! "Oh, thank god," he breathed out. He then started laughing and kissed her. "We're having a baby," he said against her lips. She laughed with a wide smile and told him, "We are. We're going to be parents."

They kissed over and over again, until Cassie got the bright idea to make an appointment with her doctor. "Two weeks from Thursday is the only day she can do it," she informed Ben, who immediately started kissing her stomach once she got back into bed. 

"Bugger," he grumbled. "I leave for Miami that Thursday. When's the next she's available?" Cassie grimaced as she told him, "Another month." He whined and nuzzled his face into her stomach. "Fine," he pouted. "Just call me right after. Promise?"

She placed a long kiss on his lips as she told him, "Promise."