"Are you sure about this?" Elena asked as she undressed.
"Of course." Tseng replied, pulling her to him.
"You'll have to tell Rufus soon." Elena caressed his chest.
"As soon as we're successful, I plan to." Tseng kissed her neck.
"We don't have to do it this way if you're not up to it."
"I guess I'm somewhat traditional, and I'm very up to it." Tseng proceeded to prove just that.
Elena burst into Tseng's office where he was having lunch.
"It's official!" she exclaimed. "Reeve confirmed it."
Tseng threw his fork down and stood up, taking Elena in his arms and kissing her. "It's about time!"
Elena noticed the brief appearance of pain in his eyes. "When are you going to tell him now?" she asked.
"After lunch. I'll want you there with us." His voice became less excited as he sat down and resumed his lunch.
Rufus sat down in shock as Tseng finished talking.
"How long?" Rufus asked when he found his voice again.
"The doctors say it'll be a miracle if I make it out the rest of the year." Tseng answered.
"There's no treatment available?"
"There was one that was successful for a while. But even that quit working."
"You're going to leave me?!" Rufus started getting angry to protect himself from the grief that was threatening to choke him.
"Not exactly. When the doctors told me the treatments quit working, I told Elena because I needed her help. We just got confirmation that she's pregnant with my child."
"You told Elena first?" Rufus asked, glaring at her.
"Yes, I told Elena first. I wasn't going to tell you until I knew I wouldn't really be leaving you." Tseng patted Elena's stomach.
"But you are! Why didn't you tell me first?" Rufus stormed out, slamming the door.
Elena had wisely kept silent, knowing this was between Rufus and Tseng, not her. In the five years since she started joining them when they wanted some variety, Rufus had vacillated between seeming to regard her as an interloper and almost enjoying her company.
"Well, that went better than I thought." Tseng remarked.
Elena thought Tseng must have been fighting his illness up until her pregnancy was confirmed, because after that day, he got worse at a frightening pace while the babies within her grew. They were happy to find out that she wasn't just pregnant, she was pregnant with twins. She played nursemaid as best she could, and then Rufus hired a couple round the clock nurses for Tseng. Rufus never came in the room, he would just stand in the doorway looking at Tseng, and he would only occasionally go to the office, spending most of his time searching for some cure for Tseng, which made everyone happy, because he had become quite tyrannical again. He never looked at Elena's face anymore either, only her growing stomach.
One day, Tseng requested both Rufus and Elena's presence in his room. When they arrived, they were surprised to see the company lawyer there. The nurse wheeled Tseng in soon after they arrived.
"What's going on here?" Rufus demanded to know.
"Even though Mr. Bandon is a corporate lawyer, he can still legalize a will. I've made mine, everything I own will be liquidated into a trust for my children with Elena the executor of the estate. Rufus, I want you to sign this." Tseng took some papers from the lawyer.
"It gives Elena and our children legal residence at your estate for the rest of their lives, and none of your future heirs will be able to break it."
"Why should I sign this?" Rufus demanded to know.
Tseng sighed. "Please leave us for a few moments."
Elena, the nurse, and the lawyer left the room and stood outside the door. They heard Rufus' angry voice and Tseng's calm voice, but they tried not to listen. A few minutes later, a very upset Rufus stormed out with the papers in one hand and a pen in the other. He signed them there in front of the group, and then threw them at the lawyer.
"There's your damned handout!" Rufus yelled at Elena before storming off.
They went back into the room, and Tseng looked extremely worn out. The lawyer told him that Rufus had signed the papers in front of witnesses, and then put all the papers including Tseng's will back into his briefcase and left.
"Please get me back to bed." Tseng wearily requested.
Elena and the nurse got Tseng back into bed, and the nurse left at Tseng's request while Elena stayed.
"I want you to move in right away." Tseng told Elena.
"Are you sure that's wise?" Elena asked. "I think I'm the last person he wants around him right now."
"He needs you, he just can't admit it. I'm counting on both of you to take care of my children."