Benedict Cumberbatch Imagines

Professor Cumberbatch~Epilogue

"Wow, Lily-Love, this is beautiful," he cooned as he looked at...he didn't even know what he was looking at, but apparently this is how his daughter percieves him. "It's Friday, daddy!" She suddenly squealed. "Can we get ice cream! We always get ice cream on Fridays!"

He chuckled, "I know we do and that's exactly what we're doing today! Are you going to pick out something for mummy and your little brother?" Lily nodded enthusiastically, making him laugh.

He set her down and carried her backpack, while she skipped along right beside him in the busy streets of Manhattan. He smiled fondly at his daughter, as she told him everything about her day in her New York accent that she's picked up over the years from her friends and teachers. Once she started attending school, Ben knew she wouldn't ever pick up his accent, which was normal since they are in the States.

When they entered the ice cream parlor, the owner and only worker there, Frank, greeted, "Hey there, Ben! And hello, little Lily. What can I get you two today?" Ben had to pick up Lily so she could see the choices, even though she always chose the same one.

"Rainbow, daddy!" Ben looked to her and said, "Tell Frank, and then do as we practiced." She shyly looked to Frank and asked, "Frank, may I have the rainbow please?" Frank smiled and told her, "Of course!" While he scooped some into a small plastic bowl, Ben kissed Lily's cheek and said, "Good girl, Lil."

When Frank handed him Lily's, Ben said, "And two medium chocolates please, Frank." He set Lily down and gave her the ice cream, while he paid and took the other two.

The house really wasn't that far a walk at all. It was one of those places that was side-by-side the other houses and lined up right on the street. You were both lucky to get it at the price you got it when you first moved here. It was close to Ben's work, your work, and Lily's school.

Ben opened the door for Lily and she sprinted in, heading straight for her room to play with some new toys you had gotten her a few days ago. Ben chuckled and called, "[Y/N], we're home!" He set down his bag, hung up, his jacket, and then looked up just in time to see you coming down the stairs.

"Hey," you beamed. "Ice cream?" He laughed at the fact that you'd rather taste the ice cream, than him. Actually, he also found it kind of insulting. "Right here, my dear," he told you while holding the cup to you. Just as you were about to take it, he tsk'd at you and pulled it back.

You looked at him curiously, then he tapped his lips with his finger. Rolling your eyes, you got up on your tippy toes and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, while he ran his free hand over your small, but not too small bump. Suddenly, a pair of little hands started pushing you two apart. You looked down to see Lily doing the pushing, while saying, "Stop! Mommy will have another baby in her tummy if you keep kissing!"

You and Ben both busted up laughing. Yes, she thinks baby's come from kissing, but that was Ben's fault. She asked, he answered. Now, whenever you two kiss, she tried to push you two apart because she thinks more babies will end up in your stomach.

That night, after dinner and (more) ice cream, Ben took Lily in her room to read. Her favorite story was one about a princess and how she met and fell in love with her prince. Ben would read some of it to her, but then have her read some, as well. For a five year old, her vocabulary was quite strong, but that was all thanks to the English teacher of the family.

"The end," she finished. Ben kissed her head and told her, "Good job! Maybe you can read it all to me one of these days." She snuggled up to his side and asked, "Daddy?"

"Hm?" After a cute, little yawn, she asked, "How did you and mommy fall in love?" Ben tensed up a bit. He knew she would ask one day, but he's never prepared himself. This was even worse than when she asked where babies came from!

If he told her the truth, then she'd probably run around school saying that her daddy was her mommy's teacher and they ended up getting together. Then, she'd probably grow up to think that it's okay to have affairs with teachers! And then there's the age difference. She hasn't noticed or even questioned why her daddy was nearly fourty, while her mommy was just hardly getting to her late twenties.

He was not looking forward to the more detailed discussion of this in the future.

"Um...well," he started, "when I first saw your mummy, I thought she was the most beautiful princess in all the world. Our love was...forbidden from the kingdom for a little while, but we eventually were able to be...us and we moved here to New York." Flimsy, he knows, but he hoped it would hold her over for a few years.

When he looked down, he was relieved to find her asleep. Gentlely, he slid out of her bed and made his way into the kitchen, where you were sitting and doing some work.

He sat down in the chair next to you and sighed. You looked over to him and asked, "What's wrong?" He answered your question with a question. "Does our age difference ever bother you?" Furrowing your eyebrows, you told him, "No...why? Lily asking those questions again?"

"She asked how we met," he told you. "I told her all that I could, but...I don't know. I'm not ashamed of how we got together, I'm just not sure I'm ready to explain it to our children. And the age difference is sure to throw them off at one point." Mimicking a child's voice, he said, "Oh, look! Daddy's turning fourty-two! But wait, mummy's only turning thirty!"

Ugh. You didn't want to deal with, but...you had to. Sighing, you stood up and sat yourself in his lap. "Ben," you said sternly, "you only know that I think of age as just a number. Who cares how old we are or how we met? We're happy, right? Hopefully?" He took your hand and kissed your knuckles. "Of course, love," he told you. "I'm not saying I'm not happy because this is the happiest I've been in a long time. I have you, who's given me a gorgeous baby girl and we have a handsome boy on the way. I just want to make sure that you don't think I'm some creepy old man that goes after young girls."

You gave him a loving kiss and told him, "You are a creepy old man that goes after young girls, but I'm glad you stopped at me. Speaking of which, is Gertrude still giving off signals?"

"She's giving off fire alarms," he told you. "Jesus, you'd think High Schoolers would have less of a sex drive than college students. And no matter how many times I bring up you or the fact that I have a family, she just pushes harder and harder. I may have report her. I almost didn't get this job due to what happened at the University, so I don't need this back firing at me. You know, she saw a picture of you today and thought you were her age."

"How old is she again?" She asked anxiously. He smirked and told you, "Seventeen." You sighed triumphantly and said, "Still got it!"

As you got up, Ben slapped your butt and said, "Oh yes, you do."