Benedict Cumberbatch Imagines

Professor Cumberbatch~Epilogue

"A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Ben shut the the book and looked up at his class. "And that is the end of our play," he concluded. The entire class sighed in relief and slammed their books shut, as if they never wanted to see the words in it again.

"Now," he continued, "for the last assignment about our dear Romeo and Juliet, I would like you to write one paragraph about your views on forbidden love. Do you think it's good, bad, love is love, and what-not. There is no right or wrong answer, it is strictly your opinion. Any questions?"

A skinny blonde girl in the front, Gertrude, raised her hand. Ben pointed at her and said, "Yes, Gertrude." She batted her long eye lashes and pretty blue eyes at him, before saying (too) sweetly, "Mr. C., what are your views on forbidden love?"

Obviously that question had a double meaning, as she licked her bottom lip and spread her legs a bit for him. But he ignored the gestures and answered, "I believe who you love is who you love. No matter what may keep you apart, if you keep finding your way back to each other, then how forbidden should it be? After all, it is the ones we love that keep us alive, healthy, give us meaning."

The whole class sat in silence, sinking in his words. But as soon as the bell rang, they all started to get up and leave. "Remember," Ben called, "I'm here until three today in case you have any questions. Have a good weekend!"

Gertrude was the last student in the class, waiting until the final person to leave was gone to approach him. "Mr. C.," she said in her all too annoying tone. "I have a question."

Ben smiled at her as he sat back in his chair. "Of course. And what might be your question?" She twirled her long blonde hair around her finger and leaned over his desk, before asking in a hushed tone, "It's about my grades."

Ben looked at her body language and could clearly see was she was trying to get at. "Right," he breathed. "I have to leave now." He got up and started packing up his things. She rounded over in front of him and asked, "But school just ended. I thought you were here till three."

He cleared his throat and, without looking up, told her, "Yes, well, I forgot that my daughter gets out early today. The wife will have my head if I'm late again."

Getrude perched herself up on his desk with wide legs, while saying, "Aw, I didn't know you had a daughter!" She looked behind her, at his desk, and picked up a picture frame. "Is this her?" Ben glanced over at the picture and said, "Yes. That's Lily." She pointed to you in the picture and asked, "Is that your teenage daughter or something? Where's your wife?"

Ben plucked the frame from her hand and said, "That is my wife. Now, please, I really do have to go." Gertrude looked at him with her mouth agape. "She is your wife? She looks my age!" That's because she nearly is, he thought to himself.

Gertude went back to flirting and asked, "So...you have a thing for younger women, huh?" Ben ignored her and picked up his bag and coat, while saying, "Good day, Gertrude." He walked to the door and opened it, waiting for her to leave. Sighing, she got off his desk and walked out, while adding a sway to her hips. He didn't notice, so her loss.

**

"Daddy!" Ben knelt down and scooped up his daughter, while saying, "Hello there princess! Good day at school?" She nodded and told him, "I colored you today!" He playfully gasped, "You did? Well, let daddy see." She held up a piece of paper to him and he took it to have a look.