~ Love Lives On ~ TRoS Alternate Ending

Chapter Three: Surprising Results

"BEN...." Rey called out loudly, distress obvious in her voice, "can you come in here for a minute?" She was shaking, her breath coming in shallow bursts, her thoughts spinning violently out of control. Holding the diagnostics scanner in her trembling hands, she read what was scrolling across the small screen for the hundredth time, still in shock. It cycled through the usual test results: "Crimson Fever: Negative. Bloodburn: Negative. Rooze Disease: Negative," and on and on it went. The part that had her so worked up came at the very end: "Hormone Imbalance: Positive → Estrogen and Progesterone levels high; Diagnosis: pregnant."

"What is it?" Ben came running in their bedroom, out of breath. Rey's back was to him. She quickly hid the scanner in her pocket. When she turned around, Ben saw her face was as white as a sheet. "You're shaking," he said, concerned. Walking over to her he guided her to the edge of their bed and drew her down into a sitting position beside him, afraid that her knees were too weak to support her much longer. "Rey?" What in the world could be wrong?

Swallowing, Rey tried to speak. Her throat was so dry all that came out was a hoarse, "Ben..." She could feel Ben's intense, concerned stare. Clearing her throat and swallowing once more, she tried again. "Ben, I've missed my cycle twice. I didn't really think much of it the first month. I mean, I had been through a lot of trauma. I died, for crying out loud. Then I missed it again this month. I started to worry. I got one of those scanners that will take a small sample of blood and diagnose different conditions. I thought maybe I was sick or something."

Rey stopped, unsure how to continue.

"And?" Ben prodded gently, preparing himself to be strong for her. Something must be terribly, terribly wrong for her to be this shaken up.

Rey began to cry. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the scanner and handed it to Ben. Taking it, he watched what scrolled across the screen, saying a silent prayer of thanks after each negative result. Rey sat beside him in silence, her head in her hands, waiting. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard Ben draw in his breath. She looked at him. He was just sitting there, staring. Finally, he furrowed his brow and let out a "hmph." He had done the math. He and Rey had only been together for a few weeks. Scanners like the one she had purchased wouldn't read positive for pregnancy until a woman was at least two months along. They weren't even meant to diagnose that particular condition but would run the test for it if every other result was negative.

Sighing, he laid down the scanner and turned to Rey. Wrapping her up in his embrace, he gently stroked the back of her head as she let out her sobs of confusion and fear. "It's okay," he whispered in a deep, gentle voice. "Rey, I'll love you no matter what. I know we both had a completely different life before we met each other-"

"Ben," Rey tried to stop him, pulling back from his embrace.

"-but I want you to know that whoever-"

"Ben!" She said, louder this time, getting his attention. "I was never with anyone else. You are the only man I've ever loved, the only man I would ever..." she trailed off, searching his eyes, wondering if he believed her.

Rey stood up abruptly and began to pace. "I... I don't know how this could have even happened. I hadn't even... me being two months pregnant isn't even possible... three weeks pregnant, yeah, that's possible, but two months?"

Ben tried to listen to her, tried to believe her, but he simply couldn't reconcile what she was saying and what the scanner had diagnosed.

"I thought it must be broken," Rey continued, seemingly reading Ben's thoughts. "I got three more, one to do the test again, and two to have for the future, just in case we ever needed it. I ended up taking all three. All four say the same thing." She shook her head. "But that's impossible, right? I mean, I would have known if... I'm pretty sure I would have remembered... How in the...?" She took a ragged breath, fighting back another wave of tears, and looked at Ben.

Ben was still sitting on the bed. He looked at her, and the expression on his face told Rey he was still trying to decide whether or not he believed her. After all, Ben reasoned, she could simply be lying to protect his emotions. How else could you explain four positive pregnancy diagnoses?

Rey's confusion turned to hurt and then anger. "Alright fine, don't believe me. Make up whatever story you want to explain how this could have happened. Tell all our friends that I'm a loose woman, if that makes you feel better. Divorce me, if that's what you want. But I would never lie to you, Ben. I love you with my whole heart and if that's not enough for you then-" she wiped away the hot tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Rey," Ben said as he walked over to her and gently shook her out of her downward spiral. "I believe you."

After a moment of pause, Rey let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," she said shakily.

"And," he said more firmly, "do you really think that little of me? That I would say or do any of those things because... because of some confusing test results?"

"No," Rey said, "I know you wouldn't."

"You're not only my wife but your my soulmate and my best friend. We'll figure this out together."

Rey nodded. Looking into his dark eyes, she bit her bottom lip and closed the gap between them, relaxing into his strong arms as he rubbed her back.