Uncertainties
by Dani
Chapter 11 - 20
*******************
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Somehow, Ben had managed to convince Meg to come home with him. She had been completely against it, but he had managed to get through to her. She didn't think she deserved to be with him any longer. She didn't think she deserved him...
"Can I get you something, darling?" Ben asked, mostly just to break the silence as they sat at opposite ends of the sofa.
"No. I don't want anything," she replied softly. He looked at her as she wiped another tear from her cheek. "Meg?" She glanced up at him.
"Can we talk about this?" he suggested.
"Ben, I don't know. I just don't know," she cried.
"Meg, if we're going to make it through this, we've got to talk about it. I'm here to support you, Meg. I'm not letting this destroy you and I'm not letting it destroy us."
"Ben, there is no 'us' anymore," she said quietly.
"What? What are you talking about, Meg?"
"I can't do this to you. I WON'T do this to you, Ben. You don't deserve to have to go through this. You had nothing to do with it and I know I've already hurt you enough."
Ben looked at her, amazed that she could be thinking about HIS feelings when SHE was dealing with the most unbelievable thing that had ever happened to her. "Meg, you're right. I AM hurting, but not BECAUSE of you. I'm hurting FOR you. I can only imagine how you feel right now, but I want to understand, Meg. I want you to talk to me. Tell me anything. Cry on my shoulder. That's what I'm here for. And I'm not letting you go."
Meg was still crying. Ben wiped her tear stained cheek gently with his thumb.
"Ben, you HAVE to let me go. I've already told you that I can't put you through this. Just let me go, Ben. Let me go easily. I don't want to have to fight you on this, but I will. I won't ruin your life, too."
"Meg, you COULDN'T ruin my life. You've done everything BUT that. You are the person that made me want to live again, Meg. You are the person that made me forget my past and head towards the future. And I can't imagine my future without you in it. If you leave me, you won't be making things better. You'll be making things worse. Watching you leave would ruin my life, Meg."
"But I'm carrying your brother's child, Ben. Don't you understand? I'm pregnant with another man's child. It's not yours, Ben. We didn't create this baby out of love. The baby is Derek's. This baby was not created out of love, but hate."
"Meg, please don't do this," Ben pleaded.
"Don't do what, Ben? Don't tell you the truth? Because that is the truth, Ben."
"Meg, you shouldn't be doing this to yourself. It's not good for you or the baby."
"And why are you worried about the baby? It's not yours, Ben! IT'S NOT YOURS!!"
"Meg, stop! Stop right now. I won't let you do this to yourself. I love you, Meg."
"Love? Love? Ben, how could you love me? Ben, I slept with your BROTHER. I am carrying HIS child. I betrayed you, Ben. Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you just give up?"
"I will NOT give up on you, Meg..."
CHAPTER TWELVE
But he did give up - for the night, at least. Meg refused to stay with him no matter how hard he tried to convince her that she needed to be with him, - and he needed to be with her - especially at a time like this.
Reluctantly, he let her go. She planned to spend the night with Sara at the hotel. Ben made sure she got there safely, asked Sara to take good care of her and then left. He couldn't convince her that he still loved her. It scared him...
"Meg, I think you should have stayed with Ben tonight. You need him, Meg. I can see it in your eyes," Sara said as she tried to console her sister after hearing the entire horrid story.
"Sara, I might need him, but he doesn't need me. I betrayed him and every time he looks at me or I look at him, I'm going to remember what happened in that warehouse. He doesn't need me to destroy his life. He doesn't need to raise his brother's child with me. I can't do that to him, Sara. I just can't," Meg cried.
"I'm sure that Ben WANTS you to stay with him. He still loves you, Meg. I could tell from the way he talked about you when he brought you over. There was pain in his eyes, Meg."
"Of course there was pain in his eyes. How could there not be after what I did to him?"
"No, Meg. The pain was because you didn't want him. You pushed him away. He wants to help you. Can't you see that? Remember that you told me all about how he pushed you away in the beginning? You're doing that to him now, Meg. You're pushing him away."
"That's exactly what he said," Meg replied quietly.
Meg and Sara sat in silence for several minutes - Meg crying and Sara trying to comfort her sister.
"I'm going to take a shower and give you a littletime by yourself, Meg. I'll be right out," Sara said and headed toward the bathroom.
Meg sat on the bed, taking in everything she had heard that day. She absorbed every word that Ben had said to her, but, for some reason, she didn't believe it. Maybe she just didn't want to. It would be a lot easier for them both if he didn't mean it - if he didn't love her... if she didn't love him... Meg picked up the phone and dialed a number. She waited for an answer...
"Hi. This is Meg Cummings... Yes, I'd like to schedule an appointment as soon as possible... That's perfect... Yes, I am... I, I don't know... I'll be there... Thank you..."
She placed the phone back on the receiver and laid back on the bed, crying. "I hope I can do this..."
Little did Meg know, Sara had heard the entire conversation. "What is she doing?" Sara said quietly from the other side of the bathroom door. She made a mental note to find out who she had called later.
The next morning, Sara woke to find Meg missing. "Where could she be?" she asked herself. "Ben..." she smiled hopefully. At that moment, the phone rang. She picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Sara. This is Ben. May I speak to Meg, please?"
"Um... Ben, I thought she was with you."
"No, she's not here. She spent the night with you; shouldn't she still be there?"
"She was gone when I got up this morning. I don't know where she could be."
"I'll be over in a minute. We've got to find her," Ben said and hung up the phone.
Soon Ben arrived at Sara's room.
"Do you have any idea where she would have gone?" Ben asked worriedly.
"I don't know, Ben..." She suddenly remembered the phone call the night before. "Wait. She made a phone call last night."
"Do you know who she called?" Ben asked anxiously.
"No, but I can find out. The front desk should be able to tell me the number dialed from here last night, shouldn't they?"
"I'm not sure, but it's certainly worth a try. Call them."
Sara obeyed and dialed the front desk.
"Hi. Could you tell me the number dialed from this room last night?... Uh-huh... Do you have any idea what that number is for? A business, a person... Wait a minute. Are you sure?... It can't be... She
wouldn't... Oh my God..."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Oh my God..."
"Sara, what is it? What's going on?" Ben asked worriedly.
"Um, thank you, I think. Goodbye." She hung up the phone and turned slowly to face Ben.
"Come on, Sara! What is it? Who did she call?"
"Ben, it was an abortion clinic..."
"The doctor will be with you in just a minute, Ms. Cummings," the nurse piped.
"How could anyone sound so cheery in a place like this?" Meg asked herself as she considered the nurse's tone of voice.
She glanced around the room quickly. She felt so alone... She noticed a small table full of various metal instruments, gleaming in the light from the above fixture. "That looks so... so cruel," she said quietly as she gazed at the sharp objects.
"What am I doing here? I said I wasn't going to do this. HOW can I do this? How can I give consent to kill my child? I may not love the baby's father, but how can I take a child's life away before it has even begun to live? The baby is innocent... I'm the one that's guilty... This is murder... But it's the only way. It's the only way to forget..."
Her thoughts were interrupted by the opening door.
"Hello, Ms. Cummings. I'm Dr. Warren," the man said as he neared her.
"Hello," Meg answered.
"Ms. Cummings, are you certain that you are in the correct emotional state to make this decision? You look shaken."
"No... I mean, I'm fine. I just want to get this over with. I'm nervous. That's all." She tried to sound convincing.
"Would you like a little more time alone to think about this?" the doctor asked, concerned.
Meg paused for a moment before she answered.
"Dr. Warren, I've already made the decision."
"Well... Are you ready?"
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Ben and Sara pulled up at the clinic and jumped out of the car quickly.
"Please don't let us be too late," Ben said worriedly. "For Meg's sake, don't let her do it..."
He brushed his fingers through his hair nervously as they entered the building. Ben walked up to the front desk and spoke to the first person he saw. "Excuse me. I need to know where Meg Cummings is right away. It's urgent."
"Sir, I don't know where she is... Hold on. Let me ask someone else."
"Somebody just tell me where she is!" he demanded.
One of the other nurses spoke up. "Sir, Ms. Cummings just came out a few minutes ago. She's sitting in the next room."
Upon hearing that, Ben left Sara and immediately rushed into the room that the nurse had pointed out to him. He saw Meg sitting, alone, and crying. He walked over to her and sat down, taking her into his arms. He rubbed her back lovingly and whispered softly. "Oh, Meg. Meg, please tell me you didn't..."
"Ben, I... I... I was so scared. I didn't know what to do..." she cried into his chest.
"Shhh... Meg, it's alright."
"Ben, I don't know what I was thinking... I can't believe that I..."
"Meg. Oh, God, please tell me that you didn't..."
She shook her head. "No... I couldn't do it, Ben. I just couldn't..."
Ben sighed, relieved. "Thank God..." he whispered.
She continued sobbing and then looked up at Ben. "Ben, I couldn't kill my baby. I just couldn't... I'm sorry..."
"Sorry? Meg, what are you talking about? I'm thrilled that you didn't go through with it."
"But I thought you would want me to get rid of the baby. It isn't yours, Ben..."
"Meg, I know that I'm not the baby's biological father, but I certainly didn't want you to have an abortion - and I don't want you to get rid of the baby... Anyway, I thought you said that you wouldn't do it."
"I did... I said that, and I meant it... But I thought that if I got rid of the baby, we could goon with our lives... I thought that we could just forget that it ever happened... Oh, Ben, I don't know WHAT I was thinking..."
"Oh, Meg. Don't EVER think that you have to do something as drastic as this for me. I would NEVER ask you or WANT you to do this. I don't care, Meg. It's a child no matter who the father is."
Meg looked into his eyes and could see that he was sincere in every word that he spoke. "Ben, I can't explain it, but when the doctor came into the room, I just had the most horrible feeling. I knew that if I went through with it, I'd never be able to live with myself... Ben, I didn't love Derek, but I DID sleep with him and we DID create this child... But I know now that this baby wasn't conceived with hate, but with my love for you. I thought he WAS you, and it was you that I... that I made love to... Ben, in my heart, this baby is yours..." A tear ran down Ben's cheek as he listened to this frightened, shaking, helpless, beautiful, intelligent woman. The woman that he loved more than his own life. "Meg, in MY heart... in my heart, I know that the baby is mine... In my heart, that child will be a symbol of how strong our love is. Meg, if we can make it through this, we can make it through anything..."
"But can we make it, Ben? Can we really make it?" Meg asked quietly.
"If we both want it badly enough... Yes. Yes, we can..."
"Oh, Ben... I DO... I want this to work more than anything..."
"So do I... We can do it, Meg. You and I and the baby are going to make it... It's our baby, Meg. I don't care what Tyus said, the baby is ours. Yours and mine..."
Meg placed her hand on her stomach and looked at Ben. "You're right, Ben. This is our baby..."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
"Why don't we go home, darling? I think you need to rest a little," Ben suggested as he rubbed Meg's back.
"I think that's a good idea," she smiled weakly.
"Ben, I just want you to hold me."
"I will, darling. I will," he promised.
The two made it back to Ben's and walked into the living room. Ben helped Meg to the sofa where they sat down together. He pulled her close to him and held her tightly.
"I could stay like this forever," he whispered. "So could I," Meg replied.
"We will, Meg. Soon we'll be married and - "
"Married? Ben, I don't know if I can still marry you. Not after what's happened..."
"But, Meg, we just talked about what happened and we've agreed that no matter what Tyus said, the baby will be ours. Yours and mine. I don't need a doctor to tell me that this child is mine."
"Ben, in my heart it IS ours, but physically... Ben, it isn't yours."
"Meg, please don't do this again," Ben said, frustrated. "We've just been through this. Why can't you understand?"
"Understand what, Ben? What do you want me to understand?"
"I want you to understand that I love you, Meg. I always have and I always will..."
"Ben, you might love me and I might love you, but that doesn't mean that you love the baby."
"But, Meg, I do. I do love the baby. That baby is a part of you. How could I NOT love it?"
"Ben, I just don't think I can do it. What if you regret marrying me after the baby is born?"
"I could never regret marrying the only woman I've ever loved, Meg."
"But you're not thinking clearly right now, Ben. I don't understand how you could love me after I betrayed you. I - "
"Alright, Meg. Listen to me. I'm tired of going around in circles with you, but if that's what it takes, I'll do it. I don't understand why you're doing this because I've told you that it was NOT your fault. You didn't know, and it doesn't matter anymore, Meg. It's over now, and we can go on with our lives."
"It's not over, Ben. It will never be over because there is a child involved now. Your brother's child. I don't know how you can just go on without acknowledging that I am carrying his baby."
"Meg, I do acknowledge that you are carrying his child, but I told you that in my heart that baby is ours. Please, Meg. Just believe me."
"Ben, I want to believe you, but - "
"No more buts, Meg. If you love me as much as I think you do, you'll trust me and you'll believe me... I thought you wanted this to work, Meg."
"I do, Ben. I want it to work more than anything; I told you that. But I also want you to be happy, and can you honestly tell me that you'll be happy helping me raise another man's child?"
"Yes, Meg, I can. As long as I have you, I'll be happy... Meg, I just don't why you're doing this. Why are you trying to destroy the life that you and I could have together - the life that we've been building since you came to Sunset Beach? I don't want us to be over, Meg, because I'll never be able to live again if I don't have you..."
"Ben, I want to believe you. I want that so badly, but I can't. Maria betrayed you, and I don't want you to have to live with me knowing that I did the same thing to you."
"Meg, this isn't the same thing. It's very, very different."
"Ben, we both slept with Derek. It IS the same."
"Meg, I'm begging you to stop doing this to me. You're not making any sense. First you tell me that you can't do this to me and then you tell me that you need me and now we're back at square one. Meg, I always said you were stubborn, but this is ridiculous."
"I'm sorry, Ben. I'm really sorry."
"Meg, I love you and I thought you loved me. I thought that was enough, Meg, but maybe I was wrong."
"Ben, I DO love you. That IS enough, but it's going to take a lot of work and I don't know if I should drag you through it."
"Meg, I'm going to say this one more time - and a million other times if that's what it takes. I am NOT leaving you. I'm not letting you go. You mean too much to me, and I can't do it. I won't..."
Both Ben and Meg were full of hurt, anger, and fear. They had both become tired. Tired of arguing, tired of fighting. Meg sat back on the sofa and sighed.
"Ben, I just don't know what I'm going to do with you."
"What?"
"I said that I don't know what I'm going to do with you. This is driving me crazy."
"What's driving you crazy, Meg?"
"This. Arguing, fighting... But I love you, Ben, and as much as I try, I can't let you go either."
Ben smiled brightly. "Oh, Meg. You don't know how happy I am to hear you say that." He hugged her tightly. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Ben. More than I care to admit," she smiled.
"I noticed," he whispered. "I just want to make you happy, Meg. That's what will make me happy, and if you want to wait to be married, I'm always gonna be here."
"It's so nice to hear that," she smiled.
"Hear what?"
"That you're always gonna be here."
"Well, it's true, Meg. I'm never going to leave you..."
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
"Meg, you've got to be a little more careful now. You're pregnant, darling," Ben chided.
"I know that, sweetheart, but some things have just got to be done. Besides, I'm fine. Being pregnant is not anything to be concerned about, Ben."
"Nothing to be concerned about? Well, I would certainly say that I'm concerned about it - and you, Meg."
"I know, but you've got to let me do some things for myself. I think I can handle putting away my things, Ben. It's not that difficult," she laughed.
"Well, maybe you're right. I guess hanging up some clothes isn't that much work," he smiled.
"Exactly. Why don't you go downstairs?" she suggested. "I'll be down in a minute."
Ben followed her orders and headed for the living room. He sat down at his desk and picked up a picture of Meg and himself. "Oh, Meg. I'm so sorry that you have to be put through this. I wish I could just turn back time and change things."
"But you can't change things, Ben," Meg said as she walked up behind him.
Ben stood and turned to meet her. "Meg. I didn't know you were standing there."
"I just got here... Ben, you've told me that it's not my fault that this is happening, but it sounds like you're blaming yourself. It isn't your fault either, you know."
"But what if I had told you about Derek before? Maybe you would have listened to yourself when you thought something was wrong. Maybe you wouldn't have slept with him. Maybe you wouldn't be..."
"Pregnant? Ben, you can't change things now. And I've realized since our conversation yesterday that things happen for a reason. Maybe I'm pregnant for something important. Maybe this baby will help us instead of hurt us like I've thought."
"You're right. Like I said, if we can make it through this, we can survive anything." Meg smiled at him. "I hope so, Ben. I really do."
"We can do this. I know we can. I've got faith in us, Meg."
"So do I. If you and I are still going strong after everything we've been through, it must be meant to be."
"It is, Meg. Don't you remember?"
"Remember what?"
"That we're destined to be together," he grinned.
"Of course... 'When the moon rises early just as the Santa Ana winds kick up out of nowhere and the sun is just dropping out of sight, whoever you see on the far side of the pier is the one that you're destined to be with...' I think it's true."
"Of course it's true. I mean, it got us together, didn't it?"
"Well, that's not exactly what got us together, SB," she grinned.
"Oh, yes. You're right, Dorothy. The internet might have had a little to do with bringing us together," he teased.
"Yeah, maybe a little. We've both changed so much since we first spoke as SB and Dorothy."
"But only for the better. I've learned to love again because of you, Meg."
"Don't make me cry, Ben. I'm a little emotional, you know."
"A LITTLE emotional? Meg, the last two days have been... Well, frankly, Meg, it's been really horrible."
"I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I was scared... I still am, actually," she admitted.
"So am I, but we'll make it through this. I know we will..."
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
"Meg, I don't think you should put this off. I'm definitely not experienced with this, but I do know that seeing a doctor while you're pregnant is really important," Ben rationalized.
"I know, but I just... I don't know, Ben. It just makes it so much worse when I really have to think about the whole thing."
"Meg, you're pregnant. You DO have to think about it. Tyus has been calling for the last three days to schedule your appointment. You know that I wouldn't push this if it weren't important, Meg. I want you - and the baby - to be healthy. That's what I'm worried about."
"I'm glad I've got someone as wonderful as you to worry about me," she smiled. "Alright. I'll call Tyus this afternoon."
"How about right now?" Ben suggested as he picked up the phone and handed it to Meg. "The sooner, the better."
"If you insist." She dialed the number and waited for an answer.
"Hi. This is Meg Cummings. I'm calling to schedule an appointment with Dr. Robinson... Yes... Oh, he did?... I see... Yes, I'll hold..." She turned to Ben. "Tyus said that he wanted to see me as soon as possible."
"Is something wrong?" Ben worried.
"Oh, no. I don't think so," she tried to assure him - and herself.
"Oh, yes. I'm still here... That should be fine... Yes... Thank you... Bye..."
"Well?"
"Tyus wants me to come in this afternoon to make sure everything's alright with me and the baby. Just the routine things."
"This afternoon? Meg, I have a meeting this afternoon. Couldn't he fit you in earlier this morning?"
"No, this afternoon at three was the earliest appointment."
"Meg, I wanted to be there for you, darling. I didn't want you to have to go alone."
"You ARE here for me, Ben. Every day. I can handle one appointment without you. It's nothing to worry about."
"Meg..."
"Ben, go on to your meeting and I'll see you when I get back."
"Alright." He kissed her. "Call me if you need anything, Meg. Anything."
"You might regret saying that when I 'need' pickles and ice cream at two in the morning," she teased.
"I'll NEVER regret it, darling. I love you." He kissed her again.
"I love you, too," she said as he left.
"Meg, I'm glad you finally came in," Tyus said as she entered his office.
"Ben insisted. I just couldn't tell him no," she informed him."
"Well, thank goodness for men like Ben Evans," Tyus laughed. "Without them, I'd probably be out of a job."
Meg laughed. "I guess you're right," she smiled.
"Well, all kidding aside, Meg, there's something that we need to talk about. I didn't want to alarm you over the telephone, but I found something a little strange in your test results."
"But didn't you look over them before? I thought that you had already checked everything out."
"Well, Meg, I did, but I rechecked the results and they just don't make sense to me. I'd like to do them again just to be sure."
"Is something wrong, Tyus? Is it the baby?" Meg asked worriedly.
"It's nothing to be upset about. In fact, I think that it could be something to celebrate."
"Celebrate? Tyus, you're speaking in some kind of code. I don't understand. Just tell me."
"I don't want to get your hopes up. You'll understand after I've run those tests again. Let's
just do that, and then I'll see if my suspicions are correct."
"Alright. Let's just get this over with..."
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tyus entered his office where he had left Meg waiting impatiently. He walked to his desk, sat down, and opened up Meg's chart.
"Tyus? Did you get everything checked again? Is everything alright?" Meg asked worriedly.
"Meg, I've checked and rechecked three times now just to be sure that the conclusions I'm coming to are indeed correct. And I am 99.9 percent certain that what I am about to tell you is completely correct."
"But is everything alright?" she asked again.
"Yes, both you and the baby appear to be perfectly healthy regardless of the situation."
"Situation? Tyus, please tell me whatever it is you've discovered. You're beginning to scare me."
"Oh, I'm sorry, Meg. I didn't mean to frighten you," Tyus apologized.
"It's alright. Just give me the results, Tyus."
"Yes, of course, Meg." He cleared his throat. "When I conducted the tests earlier - at your first appointment - I put a rush on the results. Unfortunately - or perhaps fortunately - the lab botched the results."
"Botched them? What do you mean?"
"Well, even with your hasty physical exam, I was convinced that the previous conclusions I have made you aware of were true."
"You mean that you thought the baby was Derek's, right?"
"Right. I was convinced that that was true until I re-examined the test results. They just didn't seem right." He took a deep breath. "So, after today's exam and tests - sorry those took so long, by the way."
"It's alright, Tyus. Just tell me," Meg said impatiently.
"Well, the baby couldn't possibly be Derek's, Meg."
Meg looked at him in complete shock. "What?"
"The baby couldn't possibly be Derek's, Meg. You told me that you were only with Derek once, right?"
"Right. Only one horrible time."
"Well, according to that date and the baby's due date, it's completely impossible for the baby to be his. You're about three months pregnant, Meg, and the numbers just don't add up."
"Oh, Tyus, this is wonderful news!" she squealed. "The baby is Ben's. This baby is Ben's!" she cried.
"Oh, Tyus, thank you so much." She jumped up and hugged him.
"Of course, Meg. I'm just happy to see that this has worked out for the two of you. You don't have to thank me."
"Oh, yes I do, Tyus. I - " She stopped abruptly. "Wait a minute. I almost had an abortion because of what you told me before! Oh my God. If I had - Oh no..."
"Meg, you didn't. You're fine and the baby is fine and I'm really sorry. You didn't do anything foolish, thankfully," Tyus informed her.
"You're right, Tyus," she agreed. "But if I'm already three months pregnant, why didn't I realize it before now? And why haven't I gained any weight?" Meg asked.
"Well, considering the stress you've been under, I'm not surprised that you hadn't noticed the symptoms. And as far as the weight is concerned, your weight is fine for this point in your pregnancy. Like I told you before, both you and the baby are perfectly healthy," Tyus assured her.
"Good," she smiled. Suddenly, a shocking realization hit her. "The baby is Ben's and he doesn't know. I've got to tell him right away!" she said as she began the trip to see the father of her child...
Meg arrived at 1303 Ocean Avenue and entered the house. She walked in to find Ben sleeping on the sofa. She walked over and sat on the edge of the sofa near him. Meg kissed him tenderly on his forehead. Ben stirred slightly. "Meg?" he mumbled wearily.
"Is that you?"
"Of course it's me," she smiled. "There had better not be any other woman coming in here to wake you with a kiss," she teased.
He smiled. "So, shall I assume that everything went well with Tyus this afternoon?" he questioned when he noticed her cheery mood.
"Yes, it went wonderfully. In fact, there's something that I need to tell you," she smiled.
"Alright. What is it?" he asked curiously. "Ben, I'm pregnant..."
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Ben looked at her and was utterly confused by her statement. "Meg, darling, I already know that you're pregnant," he reminded her.
"Yes, I know that," Meg smiled. "But you didn't let me finish," she continued.
"Well, what is it?" Ben asked curiously.
She took his hand in hers and smiled brightly. She kissed his hand and gently placed it on her stomach. "Ben, I'm pregnant with YOUR baby," she beamed.
Ben looked confused. "What are you telling me, Meg? I don't understand."
"I'm telling you that Tyus was wrong. He did all of the tests over and he is positive that the baby is yours, Ben. It isn't Derek's. It's yours, Ben. This really IS our baby..."
Ben finally took in what she was telling him and was overcome with a wave of relief. "You're having MY baby?" he said as a broad smile appeared on his face. He looked down at her stomach and laughed. "Oh, Meg, we're having a baby! You and I are really having a baby!" he smiled.
"Yes... Yes, I know," she laughed through tears. "Ben, I'm so happy. You'll never know just how happy I am right now."
"You couldn't be any happier than me," he said and leaned over to kiss her.
Their lips locked and they kissed passionately. When they seperated, Ben took Meg into his arms and hugged her tightly, keeping one hand on her stomach.
"I love you so much, Meg," he whispered.
"I love you, too," Meg replied. "I'm so glad that we've cleared up this whole mess. I can hardly believe that I'm carrying YOUR baby, Ben. YOUR baby..."
"No, Meg. OUR baby..." he answered. They sat in silence for a moment. Meg looked up at Ben and smiled.
"What?" Ben asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking that you're going to be a father, Ben. My baby's father. I just can't believe it. It's too wonderful to be true."
"I can hardly believe it myself, but this is the most wonderful thing that you could ever tell me, Meg. I'm so glad that you're going to be the mother of my child."
She smiled at him.
"Well, how far along are you?" he asked.
"Tyus said I'm about three months," she replied.
"Three months? And you didn't know?"
"No. Tyus said I probably didn't notice it because of the stress."
"But is the baby alright? There's nothing wrong, is there?" Ben asked worriedly.
"No, of course not. He said that the baby and I are both perfectly healthy," she assured him.
"Good... I promise to take wonderful care of you for the next six months," he vowed.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine as long as I have you by my side, Ben."
"Does that mean what I think it means?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, it depends on what you think it means..." she grinned.
"Well then, I think I have something that I need to ask you..."
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ben paused for a moment, contemplating what he was about to say.
"Ben? What did you want to ask me?" Meg asked when she noticed the silence.
Ben and Meg turned to face each other. "Well, Meg, I think that you and I have nearly everything that we could ever dream of - a baby on the way, a love that will last through anything..."
"... and each other," Meg added.
"Right. And each other," Ben smiled. "Well, there's only one other thing that I could dare hope for in my life. Meg, you are the only woman I have ever truly loved, and I am lucky to have met you. We are destined to be together, and I prefer not to tamper with destiny..."
She smiled at his remark.
"You and I have lasted through everything that has been thrown at us, and I think that's a sign of something. A sign that you and I are meant to be. I love you, Meg, more than my own life, and I love this baby..." He placed his hand gently on her stomach.
"... the baby that you and I created together. Meg, having my baby is the most amazing thing you could ever do for me, and I want to do something to repay you for that wonderful gift. But it's going to take some time to repay you for something this magnificent, Meg, and I have the rest of my life. All I ask of you is that you agree to spend the rest of YOUR life with me and I promise that I'll make it worth your while. Having you to spend the rest of my life with is the only other thing I need, Meg. I know that we talked about this before, and you were worried about going through with it, but now that we know the truth, I think - well, I hope - that you've changed your mind. I love you, Meg, and I want to spend forever with you."
Ben lowered himself to the floor on one knee and took her hands in his. "Meg Cummings, will you marry me?" he asked, smiling.
Meg was in tears as she smiled back at him, mesmerized by his touching words. "Oh, yes, Ben. Yes, I'll marry you," she whispered when she was able to speak. "I love you, Ben. I love you so much..."
"I love you, too, darling," he smiled as he reached up to kiss her. They kissed tenderly.
"That was beautiful, Ben," Meg grinned as she looked at Ben. "I couldn't have said it better
myself.""What do you mean, Meg?" Ben asked, wondering what she was referring to.
"Everything you said about you and I being destined to be together and about having everything that we could ever dream of. Ben, all I need is you and this baby - and your love - and I know that I will have that for the rest of my life. And I promise you that you will have me for an eternity, Ben. You can't get rid of me now," she teased.
"And why would I want to?" Ben smiled. "I love you, Meg." He kissed her again.
"And I love you," she whispered. "You know, we're going to be rather busy now that we have a
wedding AND a baby to plan for.""You're right," he smiled. "I'll help you with all of it, Meg, if you'll let me. All you've got to do is ask."
"You might regret saying that..." Meg teased.
"No, I won't. I'll enjoy it. I enjoy doing anything with you, darling."
"Ben, you're such a charmer," Meg smiled.
"That's one of the many things I love about you."
"One of the many things I love about you is your strength. Meg, you've been wonderful through all of this, and I'm so glad that it's all over. I'm so glad that you don't have to handle all of this stress anymore."
"So am I, Ben, but I wasn't alone through that horrible ordeal. I had you by my side every step of the way. Without you, I would have never made it. If I hadn't had your support, I might have actually gone through with the - "
"But you didn't, Meg."
"I could have, Ben. It scares me to think that I even considered doing that. Even though I thought the baby was Derek's, I should have never even let that thought enter my mind. If I had gone through with it, I would have killed your child, Ben..."
"Meg. Listen to me. You didn't go through with it, and I thank God for that every day. You don't have to feel guilty about something that you didn't do. It's all over now, Meg.
"You're right. I just - "
"Shh... Let's talk about something else," Ben suggested.
"And what would you like to talk about, Mr. Evans?" Meg asked.
"Well, maybe we could talk about this, Ms. Cummings-soon-to-be-Evans..." He kissed her softly. She returned his kiss and then looked up at him.
"I like this conversation," she grinned.
"I hoped you would," he smiled. "Maybe we should carry on this conversation upstairs," he grinned.
"Maybe," she replied as he took her hand and led her towards the stairs.
"I love you, Meg," he whispered as they climber the stairs, hand in hand.
"I love you, too, Ben. I'll love you for the rest of my life..."