Trials and Tribulations

Elizabeth and Darcy talked intermittently and saw each other even less. They were still uneasy around each other, but tried not to let it show. Elizabeth so much wanted her friend back, but knew that it would take time. Darcy desperately wanted to be more than friends with Elizabeth, but was willing to show her how much he cared for her with his friendship.

Darcy hadn't checked his messages when he returned to school, as he had other plans and chose not to be deterred. So, this morning, after breakfast, Darcy checked his answering machine. There were so many congratulatory messages from friends and classmates; he ended up spending an entire morning listening to them. Intermittently, there were a couple of other messages and what he heard made him angry; he paced, cursed, paced some more, and eventually called Elizabeth.

"Lizzy, what have you done?" he tried to sound nonchalant, not wanting her to revert back into the apparent hatred she had for him, just prior to his visit with her last week.

"What are you alluding to, sir?" she spoke in French in an altogether lighter mood than was her want as of last week.

He relaxed. "Some guy called me to say that he's my new French partner."

"Oh, I thought you knew..." she again spoke in French.

He didn't respond in the same. "I didn't know a thing! Why couldn't the Dean see that we're great together?!"

"We tried, Will. There's nothing we can do about it."

"I don't believe this!" he paced frantically, almost dragging the phone out of the wall. "How am I gonna get through this semester?!"

"You have nothing to worry about. Maybe you've become too dependent on me?"

"That's not it! Why fix something that's not broke?!"

"I can't answer for the Dean. If you want to know, I suggest you ask him."

Darcy paced and a long pause ensued. "What do you know about a William Collins?"

Elizabeth bit her lips to hold in a laugh. "Uh, um..."

"I knew it! I knew it! They set me up with an idiot!"

"Will, he's not that bad."

"How bad is he, Liz?" he finally said calmly.

"He, um, he, uh... takes some getting used to."

"And?"

"Well... I suppose that he's good in French. But I think he's much better in the written word rather than oral dissertations," she tried to suppress a giggle.

Darcy heard the slight mirth in her voice and groaned. "You'll still help me, won't you? You know how frustrated I get sometimes."

"Yes, Will. I'll continue to help you."

Darcy felt better and they talked a few minutes more.

The last few weeks went by pleasantly enough. Elizabeth had not seen or heard from Wickham ever since Darcy came back to school, however, she was hounded by Caroline and the goof troop who used the same old tired threats; but unflappable as always, Elizabeth ignored them. They did not have many opportunities to taunt her as Bingley kept his promise and tried to always be near by.

Billy Collins followed Darcy, like a puppy dog follows his master. He was always on his heels, calling him constantly; it was enough to make the sane, insane. Billy had a plan, since this was the guy that Elizabeth was obviously dating from last semester, he would learn all his faults and gloat over them to her. When Darcy finally realized that Billy Collins was the same guy that Bingley chased away from Elizabeth, he was furious, almost to the point of pounding him into the soil, but he resisted.

Elizabeth sat studying when a knock came to her door. "Who is it?"

"It's me, Will."

"Hi," she said as she opened the door.

"I'm not going to stay long," he said as he closed the door and followed her into the living area. "I just wanted to bring you this and wish you a Happy Valentine's Day," he handed her a small package.

"Oh, Will! You didn't have to..."

"You know how I feel about you Liz, regardless..."

"I don't know what to say," she whispered and blushed.

"Don't say anything, just open it."

Elizabeth opened the gift and found a little gold locket inside, she gasped when she opened it. In the locket was a picture of her and Darcy walking in the gardens of his home in L.A. "How... Where did you get this?" she whispered.

"We have surveillance cameras all around the outside."

"Oh!" she whispered again.

"I just wanted you to have it... To remember us, when things were good between us."

Her heart sank at that moment and she wanted to cry. "Things are better aren't they?" she asked as she searched his face.

"I hope so." And with that he left.

Elizabeth just stood there, as he closed the door; she wanted to run after him, but didn't know what she would say or do, so she just stood there.

Finally, after recovering, she looked down at the locket and over to the flowers she received earlier from Billy Collins and then back to the locket. Then she walked over to the flowers and proceeded to the kitchen to throw them in the trash. She had only kept them because she thought they would be the only Valentine's Day gift she would receive this year, but now she found comfort in the locket and needed no other mementos of that day.

Elizabeth had not heard from Darcy once in the past seven days, but today she saw him hanging around outside of the building of her next class.

"Liz, you gotta do something about Billy Collins!"

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know! He's worse than Caroline!" She laughed at him and he glared at her. "Please?! Before, I kill him!"

"I'll see what I can do," she sighed and went into the building.

Elizabeth went to see the Dean of Arts, Mrs. Catherine de Bourgh; instead of pleading Darcy's case, she appealed to Mrs. de Bourgh's vanity.

"Dean de Bourgh, I appreciate your offer of furthering my career here at U of M. I am indeed, honored, by it..."

"But."

"But I have always wanted to work for the U.N. and I have already secured an internship there in September."

"Miss Bennet, you leave me in a preposterous position. I was expecting your acceptance and made plans."

"I'm sorry, I had no idea. I appreciate all that you have done for me and if I had known that I had any chance of being under your tutelage for the next 2 years, I would've jumped at the chance. But I must do what I have already committed myself to do."

Mrs. de Bourgh rolled her eyes in indignation. "Where does that leave me?! What am I going to do?!"

"Well, I've heard some fine reports about a William Collins. I've heard that he speaks many languages, is always willing to help tutor and such, and he is pleasant and friendly."

"Really?" she frowned. "How come I've never heard of him?"

"He just transferred here last January. He makes excellent grades and..."

"Who have you heard these reports from?"

"Well, Will Darcy told me that he's indispensable."

"Thank you, Miss Bennet. I will interview him at my earliest convenience."

"No. Thank you, Dean de Bourgh. I will never forget the opportunity I have just missed."

"Good day, Miss Bennet. You are dismissed."

"Good day."

It took all Elizabeth could muster, not to burst out into hysterical laughter in front of the Dean. She waited until she was in the stairwell, 2 flights below, to lean against the wall and relieve herself. The mere thought of working for the dragon lady and being at her beckon call was enough to make the most powerful, cower into submission. Only someone with no backbone could manage her, because two very opinionated ladies could never get along for an extended period of time. And when Darcy asked her to help him, she had just received the offer letter a few days ago. It had said that it was an opportunity of a lifetime. To be sure, thought Elizabeth, but not in her lifetime. Therefore, it was the perfect remedy for her and for Darcy. She was sure that the simpering obsequiousness of Billy Collins would appeal to Mrs. de Bourgh, in more ways than one. And as rumor had it, Dean de Bourgh had a carnivorous sexual appetite and spit out the bones of young men as she gobbled them up whole. Elizabeth wondered what the lady had intended for her, she stood still for a moment, shuddered and dismissed the vile thought entirely.

"Will, it's all taken care of," she smiled as she saw him on campus later that day.

"What is?"

"Billy Collins! You asked me to help you, didn't you?"

He smiled, then pinched his lip so he would not break out in laughter. "What did you do?"

"I turned him over to the proper authorities," she giggled.

"What?" he raised an eyebrow.

Elizabeth then told Darcy the whole story. He did not laugh, as she thought he would, he chuckled, well actually, he groaned and slapped his forehead.

"What? You don't like what I've done?"

"No, no. That's not it. Thank you."

"Then what is it?"

"She's my aunt."

"Who? Dean de Bourgh?!" Darcy nodded and shushed Elizabeth. "Oh my God!!!" she exclaimed loudly. "She's gonna kill me!"

"No, she won't," he laughed. "Actually, now that I've thought about it. It's perfect!"

"Why didn't you ever say anything?!"

Darcy dragged Elizabeth over to a bench in the courtyard. "Promise you won't say anything?"

"I promise."

"She's my Mom's stepsister." Elizabeth gasped. "Seriously! That's how my parents met. My mom was up visiting my aunt and met my father and they fell in love right here on campus. We try to keep it hush-hush about our familial relationship, though. We told her that it would look like she was using her influence if I got good grades, but that wasn't the truth. She's a meddling, old busybody, with nothing but time on her hands. She loves to instruct everyone on everything. I only tolerate her because she is my aunt. But truth be told, she's snooty, pushy, mean-spirited, arrogant and..."

"Then why did you come here?"

"All my life, my dad praised U of M to the skies and I must admit that he was right. I had qualms about going here, well actually, the only problem was her. But when my Dad said he would fix things, I believed him. He is a man of his word."

"Jeez, Will! I'm gonna be in big trouble when she finds out about Billy Collins. I used your name as a reference!"

"If she calls me, then I'll tell her how wonderful he is and how much he's helped me. But knowing her, she won't call, she'll take all of the credit for finding him. Because believe me, he will kiss her ass and that's all she really wants." They both laughed.

The time passed most pleasantly, especially for Darcy. Billy Collins was snatched up so quickly by Mrs. de Bourgh, that he didn't know what hit him. The Dean of Students replaced Collins with another young man, Robert Elton; Darcy was disappointed, but still he had Elizabeth tutoring him on the sly.

In these days, Elizabeth and Darcy made great strides to resurrect their friendship. They were back to daily calls and easy conversation, lunch together once a week, and their smiles to each other were real.

Elizabeth and Darcy were talking on the phone.

"Liz, do you want to come with me?"

"Where?"

"To New York, of course. For the draft."

"Oh, I, I, I'm..."

"Come on?! We can fly out and see a play, go site-seeing, then fly back."

"I don't know, Will. Everybody..."

"I've already heard the rumors, Liz."

"You have?!"

"Yes. And you should be used to them by now. I am. Anyway, my parents can't come and Gigi's in school, so I don't have anyone," he pouted.

"Will, I really want to come, but..."

"Chip might come. Why don't you invite Jane and we can make it fun."

Elizabeth thought about his suggestion for less than a few moments and was relieved. "I'll call Jane, you get with Chip."

"Good! I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Elizabeth hung up with Darcy and immediately called Jane. Her sister was all excitement; she had never actually seen Bingley in person, even though they were having a torrid love affair over the phone. So, it was nothing more than a word spoken and Jane was a go. Darcy called Bingley, he was all set to go to New York, but when he heard that Jane was going also, words could not express his joy and he wished the draft was tomorrow.

It was agreed that Bingley would pay for Jane's way and Darcy would pay for Elizabeth's. The ladies would share a room and so would the men; they would stay at the 'Ritz-Carleton.'

The rest of the month, passed with nothing extraordinary. Elizabeth and Darcy continued to see each other every day and talk on the phone every night. People could really see that there was something more than friendship between them, although nothing of a romantic nature had happened yet. Everyone on campus was talking about Elizabeth and Darcy and from a mile radius, Caroline could be heard screaming whenever their names were mentioned; she was very hoarse.

There was a Spring Break Dance, before everyone went their separate ways for vacations.

Elizabeth and Charlotte were huddled in a corner, talking. Actually, Charlotte was trying to get the scoop on Elizabeth and Darcy, but Elizabeth was not talking. So, at length, Charlotte went over to talk and dance with Billy Collins. Earlier that year, Billy had cried on Charlotte's shoulder about his love for Elizabeth. Charlotte had agreed to help him, but secretly she made her own plans. Charlotte knew that Billy came from a rather wealthy family, that he was a virgin, and vulnerable. In a weak moment, she would beckon him to her bed for comfort, seduce him, and gain his love; actually, she would cajole him into a proposal. Therefore taking her away to a very comfortable living.

Elizabeth watched with disgust at Charlotte and Billy, slow-dragging on the dance floor; she watched them so intently that she did not notice someone approach her from behind.

"Can I have this dance, baby doll?"

She smiled without looking directly at her suitor. "Well, I never!" she said playfully.

"That's correct. You never did," he smiled. "Dance with me, Liz?"

She agreed as he pulled her onto the dance floor. The slow song was only half over when they came together and it was truly magical as she laid her head on his chest. It was also extremely funny to look at. Darcy was 8 inches taller than Elizabeth was and nearly twice her width, for she was thin but curvy; it looked like he was holding a rag doll. But to Darcy and Elizabeth it was pure heaven. This was the closest they had been to each other in a long time; each thought that maybe this time it would work out. However, on this night, fate was not on their side.

A little later in the evening, after Darcy and Elizabeth separated to talk to friends, Wickham decided to show his face at the party. Elizabeth had seen him enter the room and quietly crept out. Darcy saw her leaving, but could not get through the crowd quick enough to catch up to her.

Spring break; Elizabeth went home to Pittsburgh, as did Jane, and excitedly talked about their trip to New York. Darcy and Bingley went to the Bahamas, they were also excited about the trip. Earlier in the year Bingley was a high draft choice for the New York Mets baseball team and had already been to New York several times to negotiate and sign on with them.

Darcy, Bingley and Elizabeth flew to New York late that afternoon. Jane arrived an hour later, for she had decided to drive up. Since they were in a rush to get dressed, Bingley and Jane had yet to meet. When they saw each other, they knew instantly that this was it. They went out to dinner and then to a nightspot, but ended it early when Jane related that she was tired from the drive.

They all went sightseeing, ate like fools, and enjoyed each other's company.

Darcy had called ahead, using his father's name and influence, and booked tickets to the hottest Broadway show and dinner at the famous '21.' They all dressed in high society, so when the men met the ladies in the lobby, it was purely magical.

Both men had on tuxedos and were very elegant. Jane was a lovely vision; she wore a pale green gown, so pale that it was almost white. Her curly, bleached-blond hair and hazel eyes made Bingley want to carry her back upstairs and make love to her. To Bingley she looked like the statue of Venus, in all her Grecian loveliness. Darcy could not close his mouth as Elizabeth glided to him in her emerald green gown, all other women paled in comparison to her. With her dark curly hair and dark brown eyes with flecks of hazel, all those restrained urges flew back to Darcy and he balled up his fists to make himself think of other things. They walked out of the lobby to a limousine and began a journey that each was never to recover from. They all were silent on the way to their first destination, both men contemplating how to be alone with the lady of their choosing.

The restaurant was all that they had heard about, the food, the atmosphere, splendid. Darcy and Elizabeth tried to converse with Bingley and Jane, but they only had eyes for each other. The play was magnificent, standing ovations, 3 encores, etc.

In the limousine, they tried to plan what to do next.

"Come on, the night is young?!" pleaded Darcy. "There has to be something else we can do?"

"I'm pretty tired, Will," yawned Bingley. "You can drop me off at the hotel."

"I'm going to do the same," said Jane. When she saw that Elizabeth was about to join them, she said, "You two should just go and have fun. Will, I know you have all this nervous energy to get rid of and Lizzy you haven't seen all of New York City."

"But I..."

"Jane has and so have I," interrupted Bingley. "And this is one of the most beautiful cities in the world at night. Don't let two old, tired fuddy-duddies spoil your fun. Plus, you'll be living here soon..."

"I'm up for it, what about you Liz?" asked Darcy, inwardly grinning at Bingley and Jane's appeal for privacy.

"I've heard that Central Park is beautiful at night," said Elizabeth a little reluctantly.

"And later, we can find a nice little restaurant, sit and talk. Plus, I'm dying for some real New York Cheesecake again."

"Okay!"

Darcy pushed the button to roll down the window. "Driver... Please take us back to the 'Ritz.' Oh and how long do I have you tonight?"

"I'm at your disposal as long as you wish, sir."

"Good! Then after we drop our friends off, we'll take a tour around Central Park."

"Very good, sir."

After dropping off Jane and Bingley, the driver traversed the busy streets to Central Park.

"We'd like to get out here and walk around," Darcy told the driver.

"I wouldn't recommend that, sir. It's not safe at night."

"Oh," said both Elizabeth and Darcy together.

"What else would you like to do, sir?"

"Drive around a few more times and... Do you know any places around here with New York Cheesecake on the menu?"

"Several!" the driver chuckled. "But there's a little place a few blocks away. It's a hole in the wall, but it has the best cheesecake in New York."

"Good! Drive on," Darcy smiled.

Darcy pulled Elizabeth over to him and put his arm around her as they rode around the park. Elizabeth nestled snuggly against his chest and admired the view.

In the restaurant, they chatted happily, ate the best cheesecake they ever had, drank coffee, and left.

In the hotel, they walked hand in hand through the lobby, onto the elevator and to Elizabeth's room.

Elizabeth gasped and pointed. "I don't believe it!" Darcy smiled to himself, but tried to look shocked. "They put a 'Do Not Disturb sign' on my room!"

Elizabeth was about to bang on the door, when Darcy grabbed her hand. "Don't do that. It was pretty obvious that they wanted to be alone."

"But, but what am I gonna do?!"

"Come on? Come on Liz, I won't bite," he smiled. "I've got a suite. Come on?" he asked as he dragged her down the hallway. "You can sleep in the bed and I'll stay on the couch."

"Okay," she said tentatively, all the while cursing Jane.

Darcy opened the door. "See."

"Wow! This is much bigger than our room."

"You didn't believe me?"

No. Yes. No. I'm sorry," she looked downward.

"Look Liz... You know how I feel about you, but I'm not going to take advantage of the situation or you. You're going to have to come to me... And believe me, I'll wait."

I do want you Will, but I just don't know if I can go through with it. "You're way too big for the couch. Why don't I sleep out here?" she laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood in the room.

Darcy shrugged his shoulders and went into the bedroom, while Elizabeth sat on the couch and pouted.

After about 15 minutes, Darcy came into the living room, startling Elizabeth. "Here... you're going to need these," he said handing her a gray U of M sweatshirt and a pair of red boxer shorts.

She suppressed a giggle, but could not hide a smile as she took the garments. "Thank you."

"Why don't we watch some TV? I'm not really sleepy."

"Fine. I'll just get changed," she walked towards the bedroom. "Hopefully, there's a good scary movie on," she said closing the bathroom door. A few minutes later, she came out, still dressed in her gown. Can I do this?! What if he kisses me?! "I, I need your help." Darcy looked up questioningly. "My zipper. Would you?" she turned around.

Darcy paused, then stood up and began to unzip her slowly. He shook his head to dash away all impure thoughts and unzipped her only to mid back. "There, that should do it."

Elizabeth reached back but still couldn't get her fingers on the zipper. "A little more please?"

Darcy held his breath and unzipped her to the waist with his eyes closed. Elizabeth thanked him and went back into the bathroom, while Darcy fell back on the couch, head in his hands and exhaled a trembling sigh.

A few minutes later, Elizabeth appeared fresh-faced and relieved to be free from her binding gown; Darcy had by this time recovered, but not enough to look at her.

"What's on?"

"I don't know. I just flipped it on. I thought I'd wait for you to decide."

Elizabeth took the remote control from him and began flipping through the movie channels. Hmm, nothing but romances. The gods must be trying to tell us something. Finally, she found an action movie.

Darcy knew Elizabeth loved the old movies, but was shocked when she passed over 'Casablanca' and 'Breakfast at Tiffany's,' so he watched her curiously as she curled up on the couch and played with her feet.

"What?" she said as she saw him looking at her.

"Nothing," he said shortly and looked at the TV.

"You're driving me crazy, Will Darcy. Why were you looking at me like that?"

"I was just watching you playing with your toes. Is something wrong with that?"

"No. And I wasn't playing with my toes, my feet hurt."

"Why didn't you say that in the first place," he said grabbing her feet, swinging her around to him, and placing her feet on his lap.

"I didn't think you'd understand. Men don't have to wear high heels... Oh!"

"Was that too hard?" he asked massaging her feet.

"No," she said startled.

For a few minutes, Darcy rubbed and massaged her feet; Elizabeth was darn there relaxed out of her mind and laid her head on the pillow, softly moaning. This was the first time in a long time that Darcy had seen Elizabeth relax around him and he decided to ask the one question that had been plaguing him since January.

"Are you going to tell me why you had the knife?"

She raised up quickly and snatched her feet from his lap. "No."

He grabbed her feet again and placed them on his lap. "Fine," he said and began rubbing them again.

They watched the movie in silence. Eventually Elizabeth fell asleep and Darcy, who had long stopped massaging her feet, watched her. Eventually he fell asleep too.

Elizabeth was having a wonderful dream, she dreamt that she and Darcy were in a large hotel suite with many rooms and that they had made love in all of them; after all the tiring exertions, they fell asleep on the couch. Instinctively, she moved her hand to where his head might lay and stroked it. Slowly she awakened to find that hand was indeed stroking Darcy's head. Almost in shock, she sat up and scooted from under him, never waking him though.

She looked around at the clock to see it was 8:30 a.m. "Will," she pushed him slightly. "Will!"

"Hmm?"

"Wake up. We have to get ready for the draft."

"Okay, okay..." he said groggily.

"Good morning, sleepy heads!" exclaimed Bingley as he and Jane walked into the room. "Come on! Come on! Get a move on!"

"Chip if you don't shut up..." groaned Darcy. "And get that smug look off your face!" he whispered smilingly.

Elizabeth, not willing to say one word to Jane or Bingley, stomped past them into the bedroom, picked up her gown, shoes and purse, walked back out into the living room and out the door; Jane followed her into their room.

"Lizzy..."

Elizabeth, again, said nothing and went straight into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Meanwhile, in the boy's room. "I guess Lizzy's mad that we locked her out, huh?"

"That guess would make you a genius, Chip!"

"It's not like we planned it or anything..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me, I wasn't the one who was locked out."

Darcy went into his bathroom to get washed and dressed.

In the girl's room. "Lizzy, you can't stay mad at me for long?"

"Yes I can, Jane! I know you love Chip and I didn't expect that you could keep your hands off each other for a few days, but I did expect a little warning!"

"It's not like we planned it or anything."

"I know! But you're in a hotel for God's sake! Couldn't you get another room?! I mean, you put me and Will in a precarious situation!"

"Lizzy, it's not like we left you out in the cold. You and Will are good friends and you could be more, if you wanted it. He looks at you like..."

"This is not about me and Will! This is about you and me! If you and Chip want to be together for the rest of our stay here, fine, but don't put me out in the process! I can't keep running to Will!"

"I'm sorry Lizzy. We won't be so thoughtless in the future."

The limo ride to draft headquarters was very silent. Elizabeth did not look at any of them, she just looked out the car window, scowling. Jane and Bingley held hands and made small talk. Darcy kept twisting and turning in his seat, wringing his hands, or playing with his high school ring.

At the door of the headquarters, Elizabeth pulled Darcy to the side. "Will, I'm sorry. This is your day, I didn't mean to spoil it."

"I understand. Are you all right?"

Elizabeth nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "Good Luck."

Darcy, of course, went #1 to the Dallas Cowboys; such a roar went up from the crowd as Darcy strode up the steps to be congratulated by NFL Commissioner and the Cowboy's new owner and new head coach. Afterwards, the Cowboys invited Darcy and his guests out for dinner. They all agreed and had a fabulous time. All problems earlier in the day had all but been erased; all was well among friends and sisters.

After dinner, Darcy ordered several bottles of champagne from the hotel and they all sat making toasts to Darcy, well into the morning. Jane and Bingley decided to get a room together and they left quietly, while Darcy and Elizabeth lay sleeping on the floor.

In the wee hours of the morning, Darcy woke up and carried Elizabeth into the bedroom. As he laid her down, she murmured in her sleep. "I love you, Will."

Darcy stumbled and nearly dropped her on the bed, but recovered sufficiently. He tucked her in and kissed her on her forehead, then he lightly brushed her lips with his as he murmured sweet nothings and then left the dark room.

Elizabeth had felt his kisses and heard his whisperings; she desperately wanted to stop him from leaving the room, but still could not reconcile herself to do so.

That morning the phone rang in Darcy's suite. "Hello," he said sleepily.

"Hi baby boy! Congratulations!"

"Hi Mom. Thanks."

"Did I wake you?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Everybody says congratulations! Your father wants to speak to you. The phone's been ringing off the hook here. Hold on..."

"Congratulations, son! How are you holding up? I heard you had dinner with the owner and the coach last night."

"Yes, we had a lot to talk about. Their plans, my goals, etc."

"Yes, they called me this morning. Have you decided on an agent, yet?"

"I thought I'd let you handle it."

"Well, I don't think it would be right to handle my own son's negotiations," Mr. Darcy chuckled. "So I recommend David Falk. He's the best and he represents the best. Michael Jordan, Joe Montana..."

"Okay. I'll give him a call."

"No need. He's going to call you in an hour or so. He's in town, you know?"

"Oh yeah. Duh!" he hit his forehead with his hand as the bedroom door opened. "Hold on Dad... Good morning, Liz. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning. Umm hmm," she yawned and stretched. "Who's on the phone?" she whispered.

"Mom and Dad."

"Tell them I said hello."

"Okay... Dad, Lizzy said hello."

"Uh, tell her I said hello," said a somewhat shocked Mr. Darcy. "Look, you need to get ready for your phone call. Did you bring a suit?"

"Yeah Dad. You sound like Mom... Do you have enough underwear? Did you remember your toothbrush?" They both laughed.

"All right then. Call me later."

"Okay. Later."

"Calling to congratulate their son, I see," she smiled as he hung up the phone.

Darcy nodded. "Do you have another nice outfit to wear to lunch?"

"Yes. Why?"

"David Falk, the super agent, should be calling in about an hour to talk business. We might go out to lunch. Wanna come?"

"Well... not if I'm going to be in the way."

"I wouldn't have asked you, if I thought you'd be in the way."

"Wrong side of the bed?"

"No side of the bed," he said matter-of-factly. Darcy got up stretched and rubbed his aching back muscles. "I won't be doing the couch again. At least not any time soon," he laughed and kissed her on the cheek as he walked into the bedroom.

Elizabeth went to her room to get washed and dressed. She put on the blue business suit she bought at Christmas with her gift certificate. Darcy washed and dressed in his navy blue suit also. When he went to her room, they both burst out laughing at the other.

"We're made for each other!" exclaimed Darcy.

"Like a hand and glove."

"More like Lucy and Ricky Ricardo."

They walked arm-in-arm to the lobby to wait for Mr. Falk's limo.

At lunch, Darcy agreed to retain Falk as his agent.

Darcy, Bingley and Elizabeth flew back to U of M that evening and Jane drove back to Penn State.

The last week of April went by uneventfully for Jane and Bingley; they talked for hours every single day. However, for Darcy and Elizabeth, the next two weeks were a whirlwind. Darcy was constantly on the phone with his agent and negotiations were going well. Of course, for Elizabeth, school came first; she had a heavy workload (24 credit hours), and final exams were just around the corner.

Elizabeth had only seen Darcy twice in that time period, but she saw Wickham even more. She was able to hide away from his view when she felt he was near. It seemed very creepy to her that she could feel Wickham whenever he was near; the hair on the back of her neck would stand up or her hands felt clammy, but this sixth sense always kept her one step ahead of him and out of harm's way.

Elizabeth had awakened with a renewed spirit, it was her 21^st birthday. Her family had called her early, before classes started to wish her joy and she looked forward to the rest of the day.

After classes, she rushed back to her dorm, hoping for a message from Darcy but there was none. Only one from Bingley, he of course, sang to her and wished her many happy returns, but she found no comfort in it. So she trudged onto the cafeteria, ate her dinner in quiet reverie, and went back to her room.

She walked around the living area, debating whether or not to call Darcy, but then there was a knock on the door. Instead of asking who it might be, she ran to it and flung it open in expectation of who she really wanted it to be and there he was, smiling.

"Happy Birthday, Liz," he said as he kissed her on the cheek and walked inside.

"Thanks, Will," she smiled.

"You want to come over here?" he asked as he placed the cake and gift on the coffee table.

"What did you get me?!" she asked like that of a child.

"Open it up and see!"

Elizabeth tore the wrapping off of the package. She opened up a small box with two small diamond earrings in it. "Ohhhhh Will!" she screamed and jumped to him and kissed him on the lips. "Thank you!" she repeated over and over and embraced him tighter.

"You're welcome," he chuckled uncomfortably.

"You didn't spend too much, did you?" she asked while removing herself from his person.

"No, Liz. They're chips," he lied.

"Oh this is the best birthday, I've ever had!" she exclaimed as she ran into her bedroom. After a few moments, she reappeared. "Jane sent me this comb and Mom and Dad sent me this necklace!"

"Looks like you hit pay dirt," he laughed heartily.

Elizabeth looked down at all her gifts, stopped abruptly, and looked at Darcy wide-eyed. "You talked to Jane, didn't you?!?!?!" she exclaimed as she punched lightly on his chest. He was about to deny the conspiracy. "Don't you lie to me, Will Darcy! I know you!" and she hugged him tightly. "Thank you," she whispered.

Later, they ate some cake, talked, drank coffee, then Darcy left, reluctantly.

Fate again would be unkind to Elizabeth. She was so much caught up in her studies for the past week that she ignored those obvious creepy signs. By now, Wickham had become desperate; he threatened Elizabeth on more than one occasion in the last two days; he had plans and they did not include her. He had been riding on Darcy's coat tails for a long time and decided he would follow him to Dallas to see if he could catch on with the team, if Darcy put in a good word for him with the coach. Those plans, of course, would be foiled if Elizabeth told Darcy what really happened between them. So one day he laid his cards on the table.

"I know you're sleeping with him!" he said as he cornered her outside the library.

"Who?" she asked calmly.

"Don't play me, Lizzy. All you need to do is keep your mouth shut and all will be well. If you don't," he smirked, "then I'll just tell him what a freak you are. I'll tell him exactly how you like it. And if he hasn't tasted you yet, then I'll give him descriptions. Detailed descriptions. I don't think he'd like it, either way."

"Look, if you want to believe the rumors, go ahead. Your threats mean nothing to me," her eyes flashed angrily, but she remained calm as to give nothing away. "We have nothing further to say to each other," she yanked her arm out of his grasp and walked away.

"Come on, Lizzy..." he begged and ran after her. "Lizzy! Lizzyyyy!"

"Am I interrupting something?" asked Darcy who had noticed the tete-a-tete, but only heard Wickham's last plea.

"What the..." Wickham jerked around angrily, ready to pounce on whomever it was interrupting him, but what he saw made him stop mid-sentence. "Uh, no. I was just trying to, uh, get those seven digits, that's all. Is she one from your stable, Will?" he cackled.

Darcy glared. "No. She's a friend. A good friend," he emphasized.

Darcy knew that it was just a matter of time before his former friend would try to steal his new friend. That's the way things worked with them; Darcy would get the girl first, but Wickham would end up with her and more than likely ruining her for any other man. Darcy knew all about Wickham's escapades and vowed a long time ago, that it would never be the other way around. No sloppy seconds for him... Not ever!

"Oh well... Check you later. See you around, sweet thang," he clicked his tongue and left.

Elizabeth exhaled.

"What was that all about?" asked Darcy.

"Nothing. He was just trying to ask me out. That's all." Darcy said nothing in return. "Did you need me for something or is this a social visit?" she asked as she rolled her eyes. Elizabeth was a bit put out that she hadn't heard from Darcy since her birthday.

"No reason," he raised an eyebrow suspiciously at her mood. "Can't a friend talk to a friend?"

"Yes." They walked in silence for a few moments. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason. Can't a friend look at a friend?"

"All right, Will! Okay! There's something you want to say to me, so spill it!"

"I think you should stay away from George Wickham. As far away as possible."

"You sound jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Well, you sound jealous."

"Look!" he sneered. "Don't push me on this okay. Just take the word of a friend and leave it at that."

Elizabeth blinked, but did not say a word or move her head in any acknowledgement. From her time in L.A., she had thought that Darcy and Wickham were good friends, or at least, friends; even though Darcy had never mentioned his name. But Darcy's reaction clearly indicated some hatred and Wickham's hasty retreat clearly indicated some fear. Elizabeth's curiosity was getting the better of her, she really wanted to know what happened between them, but she also heard the anger in Darcy's voice and so she decided not to push it.

Elizabeth had been disappointed and damn near heartbroken that she hadn't heard from Darcy since their encounter with Wickham almost a week ago. She had called and left messages, but he did not return them. She wondered if Darcy had confronted Wickham and learned the truth about her and this made her sick to her stomach.

That night Darcy called Elizabeth. "Liz."

"Yes," she said nervously.

"I, I was jealous. It's just that... It's just that I can't seem to, uh... I can't even think of you being with anybody else, especially not..." Elizabeth said nothing as tears began to roll down her face. Darcy paused and waited for her response, but received none. "Look, I'll talk to you before I leave, okay? Later." He hung up quickly.

Elizabeth, for a very long time, sat very still with the receiver still at her ear and tears streaming down her face unabated. This man had her heart wrapped around his little finger and if he wanted her, then by God, he would have her. She loved him, plain and simple. But how would she get him to come to her? Or would she go to him? Both slept fitfully that night.

Elizabeth contemplated her next move and called Jane for advice, while Darcy anguished over his jealousy and the fact that his and Elizabeth's time together was drawing short. They did not talk to or see each other this day.

This morning, a knock came to Elizabeth's door. "Who is it?" she yelled from the bathroom with a mouth full of toothpaste and her toothbrush.

"It's me Liz. Let me in," said Darcy.

Elizabeth, hurriedly spit out the contents in her mouth, splashed water where there was gunk, ran through the room. Fully aware that she only had her long T-shirt on and nothing else. Happy about her situation, she opened the door. "Hi!"

"Hi," he said as he brushed past her. Darcy didn't know how he got to Elizabeth's door, but he felt it was time to make amends, except he didn't quite know how to go about it.

"Do we have an appointment this morning?" she joked as he walked into the kitchenette.

"No. I needed some good coffee," he said as he poured himself a cup, thankful for an excuse to be near her. "And I haven't seen you in a couple of days, that's all."

"But we..."

"You don't have any milk?" he said as he rummaged through the refrigerator.

"Nope. I had cereal this morning."

"Well, I'll take it black, but..." Darcy stopped in mid-sentence, he was now gawking at Elizabeth as he could see that she had not too long ago taken a shower and her T-shirt clung to her body as though it were wet toilet paper. He abruptly turned back towards the refrigerator.

Elizabeth smiled inwardly; this was the moment of truth. "I take it you want me to change?" Darcy nodded and she could hear him gulp. "What if I don't want to?" she slid up behind him.

He tightly gripped the refrigerator door. "I think it's best that you should," he tried to calm his urges.

She slid her hands along his arm. "Do you still want me?" she whispered. He said nothing. "I asked you a question, Will Darcy. Do you still..."

He jerked around, grabbing her arms and putting space between them. "Don't do this to me, Liz!" he spat.

Undeterred, she continued. "I want you..." she looked directly into his eyes. "And I know that you want me too," she said huskily.

Darcy sighed a deep trembling sigh and relaxed his arms. "Yes... I do, but, you... I..." he shook his head and closed his eyes.

Elizabeth stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on his lips, softly... gently... tenderly. "Make love to me, Will?" she pleaded.

"Why?" he breathed. Why now?!

"Because," she whispered, continuing to pepper his lips with her kisses. Because I'll probably never see you again and I love you. "Because I want you to. I've wanted this for so long, but I was scared..."

"Damn it, Liz! Tell me... Oh, ohhhhhhhhhhh," he trembled as she stroked his already stiff manhood through his pants. Instinctively, he grabbed her hands and pushed her up, prostrate, against the wall, forcibly grinding her against it and kissing her with all his might. He was now lost as he pounded her midsection against the wall in a slow, mesmerizing rhythm. "Oh Liz," he moaned harder against her lips. "Don't, don't wake me..."

This time she swallowed hard; Elizabeth had not expected so arduous and feverish an experience. As her hands were pinned back in complete surrender, she felt that indescribable pang in her stomach, like she was going to be fulfilled, finally and completely. "You're not dreaming..." she breathed.

Darcy knelt down and raised up her T-shirt to put his head underneath. His hands went under there also; he rubbed, massaged, played with, and pinched her nipples as he kissed her bellybutton, then lower and lower, and lower... Darcy took his hand and played with the lips to her special place, saw that she was wet and waiting, drove two fingers inside of her and heard her gasp. His fingers stroked her slowly passionately and he could hear her purring as she roughly grabbed his hair in her hand. Darcy's tongue licked her clitoris as his hands continued to thrust and parry within her and she undulated her hips to meet his movements.

Oh God!!! Elizabeth was losing the strength in her legs, her ability to stand up, and was about to scream out his name, as she was near the point of her first ethereal orgasm, when a knocking came to her door.

Both were startled from their revelry by the constant knocking; Darcy trembled to regain his composure and his footing, while Elizabeth slid to the floor in an exhausted, frustrated heap.

'Lizzy! Lizzy! Open up!' came three voices from outside the door.

Elizabeth was expecting a few of the dormitory residents to stop by to apply for the R.A. position for next fall, but not this early. Not knowing what to do next, Darcy gulped the last of his coffee down to calm himself.

Worse timing, worse timing ever!!! Elizabeth stood up. "I'll be right there!" she said as she touched Darcy's arm, which he jerked away unceremoniously.

"You'd better get dressed," he said not looking at her. Elizabeth ran quickly to the bathroom to put on her clothes as Darcy left, not looking back.

Elizabeth had managed to throw on her jeans and another shirt as the wide-eyed girls came in as Darcy left the door open. "I'm just combing out my hair," she called through the partially opened door. "Just grab an application on the table and fill it out."

The girls (Lisa-Michelle, Lu and Emmy) did as they were told and left. By this time, Elizabeth was completely about her wits, although not completely removed from her longings. Within the next 2 hours, 3 more girls showed up to apply (Leah-Michelle, Lise and Paula), but no Darcy.

After another hour, a knock came to the door and Elizabeth opened it without ceremony, expecting to find another applicant, but to her surprise it was Darcy this time.

"Grab your toothbrush!"

"What?!"

"Get your toothbrush and let's go!" he said grabbing the applications from the table. "I'm not going to let you do this to me again!"

"But, but what about..."

"We can put this note on your door that the applications will be at the front desk," he waved a piece of paper already written out; he anticipated her question. "Lets go!"

Elizabeth happily ran to the bathroom, grabbed her toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush and keys. Darcy had already taped the note to her door and gained the lobby, by the time she had packed up her personal items. She stood next to him as he placed the papers on the counter, he grabbed her hand and walked briskly to the car.

"Where are you taking me?"

"To a hotel, where did you think?" Elizabeth said nothing. "Do you want interruptions, or do you want me?!" he said as he drove off.

"I want you."

"Then you shall have me."

They said nothing else to each other the whole rest of the ride, which was about 25 minutes. They arrived at a really nice hotel near the airport, Darcy already had a room key, he opened Elizabeth's door to help her out, led her into the lobby, to the elevator and into a room. As she walked into the living area, Darcy pulled her close and kissed her passionately, he then dragged her into the bedroom.

"Aren't you going to at least talk to me first?"

"Talk is not what you wanted before."

Tears were stinging her eyes. "I know! Nothing's changed. But you..."

"But what, Liz?" he questioned as he unbuttoned his jeans. "I don't know why you're doing this..." He sat on the edge of the bed, pulled off his shoes, socks and shirt, his voice trembling. "But I won't stand around asking myself what could've been. Not this time!" he choked back anguish.

Elizabeth blushed at his discomposure. "Shh," she whispered as she pulled off her shirt. "Shh," she soothed as she straddled him. "Shh," she breathed as she kissed him. "Shh..." she gasped as he unsnapped her bra.

At length, Darcy maneuvered Elizabeth on to the bed. After he pulled off her jeans and panties and his pants and briefs, he began right where he left off. He massaged her breasts while he kissed her bellybutton, and lower, and lower, and lower. Elizabeth's eyes rolled to the back of head, her mouth gaped open and she writhed in orgasmic exquisiteness as he moved his fingers in and out of her creamy wetness.

At length, she pulled him up by his hair and kissed him feverishly and begged him to relieve her suffering. He grinned wickedly as he teased her with his tool, in and out, in and out, but only partially up her throbbing cavern.

Elizabeth was in delirium as he withheld the thing she wanted most in this world. "Please?!" she begged breathlessly. "Please?!"

"Do you love me?" he asked.

"Yes," she panted.

"Come with me to Dallas?"

"Yes!" she cried.

"Marry me?!" he trembled.

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

He entered her all the way and she lost all sense. Her head jerked and she arched her back to him, he almost lost his control, but didn't. He slowly moved in and out, and up and down, and around; she squealed and moaned, as he groaned and undulated. At length, his pace quickened for he was at the vortex and was about to leap to a place he had never travelled before. Finally, he exploded in her, collapsed on top of her, and silently wept. Elizabeth was already weeping for she was several times spent. Several minutes passed before Darcy concluded, she was reduced to nothing more than a wet lump of clay, waiting to be molded to whatever form he chose. He shook violently, several times, spewing out the last vestiges of orgasm.

Darcy lay on top of Elizabeth, still inside, and neither said a word to each other. He wanted to tell her that he loved her and wanted to marry her, but he knew she wasn't ready to do that and he didn't want to be disappointed.

Elizabeth was weak with joy and agony, this is what she wanted, and she knew that. To be held by him, to be caressed and fondled, kissed and loved by him, and him alone. But, how could she tell him that she loved him more than anything?

Darcy wanted to tell Elizabeth all that was in his heart; he had never been with a woman that pleased him so much and so often and he wanted it to remain like this for a good long time, but he knew they both weren't ready to discuss it. So, he tried to convey to her the only way he knew how, by showing her and hoping, against all hope, that he could convince her to be with him for the duration. His convincing continued all that night, the next day, and the next night.

They made love, exhaustingly, during those 2 days and nights; still, everything was left unsaid.

Darcy was to pick up his parents and sister at the airport that afternoon, while Elizabeth was to leave for Jane's graduation that evening. They left the hotel at an ungodly hour and drove back to her dorm, again, in silence; yet holding hands as much as they could while he shifted gears. Darcy walked Elizabeth to her door, kissed her on her cheek and turned to leave.

She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the lips. "Aren't you going to walk me in?"

"It's late, Liz," he said as he leaned in to kiss her back.

"But there might be danger lurking inside," she breathed.

"I need to get some sleep," he sighed.

"You can sleep here," she said huskily.

"You promise?" he said in between kisses.

"I'll even set the alarm clock," she smiled.

They went inside and he followed her into the bedroom.

As she leaned down to set the clock, Darcy wrapped his arms around her waist. "Umm," he said as kissed her ear.

"I thought you were tired?" she asked as she reached back to run her fingers through his hair.

"I know you didn't expect me to sleep," he chuckled and moved her toward the bed.

She let him unbutton her jeans and push them down, along with her panties, past her knees. Elizabeth's breathing became heavy as Darcy pushed her over to lean on the bed. She heard him fling his car keys to any unknown place, unzip his pants in haste and pull his garments down, and in less than a moment, he was inside her all over again and with such force. She could only coo as he growled and thrust and propelled himself inside and out of her. She wanted to say so much, but her breath was taken away.

Darcy held on for dear life as he moved in and out of her from behind. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh Lizzy," he panted over and over.

"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she exclaimed in succession.

At last, their passion was spent and they fell clumsily to the bed, both with their knees on the floor.

"I love you, Will!" she said silently.

"I love you, Liz!" he said wordlessly, as he kissed her neck.

At length, they began to make love again. They couldn't get enough of each other, it was like they both knew that this would be their last time together.

Later that morning, after a few hours of sleep, Darcy arose to the sound of the alarm clock. He dressed quickly and quietly, without waking Elizabeth. He whispered something in her ear; she stirred only a little, mumbling something incoherent.

Darcy felt around the floor for his keys when he found them under her dresser, where he also came across a discarded cassette tape. He picked it up as he stood, but before he threw it in the near-by trash can, he noticed his poster on the wall above her headboard, he laughed quietly, absent-mindedly put the tape in his pocket, and then he left. As he sat in his car, he felt the uncomfortable cassette tape in his pocket, pulled it out, and threw it in his glove compartment.

Darcy picked his family up from the airport; hugs and kisses all around. He took them to their favorite hotel, where they always stayed when they came to visit him. As he walked into the lobby, Darcy got a momentary pang in his stomach; it was where he and Elizabeth had been together, only a few hours ago.

The Darcy's laughed and talked, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy told him about their trips abroad and Georgiana talked of the chance of seeing Elizabeth again.

"I'm supposed to pick her up in an hour or so. She doesn't want to miss seeing you again," he smiled.

"So you two have made up, I see?" smiled Mrs. Darcy.

"Yes, Mom," he said sheepishly.

"You used to tell me everything, Will. Now I have to drag it out of you. It's like pulling teeth!" Mrs. Darcy walked over to her son and embraced him. Darcy did indeed tell his mother everything: his fears, his dreams, his friends, his enemies, and Elizabeth; well, not everything about Elizabeth. "When did my baby boy grow up?" she smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Leave the boy alone, Anne," laughed Mr. Darcy.

Mrs. Darcy whispered in her son's ear. "You will tell me all about it, won't you sweetie?"

Darcy blushed. "I have to go Mom. Liz will be waiting and she doesn't have much time." At that moment, a knock came to the door. Darcy pulled himself from his mother's embrace and opened the door. "Liz?! What..."

"I couldn't wait for you," said Elizabeth as she brushed past him. "Mr. and Mrs. Darcy, Gigi!" she exclaimed as she embraced them all.

The conversation amidst them went like an unimpeded whirling dervish; so many questions asked, so many answers given.

After an hour, Elizabeth bid her farewells to the Darcy's. "My flights leaving in a bit, so I have to go. It was wonderful to see you again, all of you. I wish we had more time together, but that's how things work out."

"Will, aren't you going to take Lizzy to the airport?" asked Mrs. Darcy.

Darcy was stunned. "Uh, yeah...Just let me get my keys. I'll see y'all in a bit." And with that he ushered Elizabeth from the room as she gave warm fuzzy hugs to the Darcy's. Once in the hallway, he said, "You're plane doesn't leave for a few hours!"

"I know, but I had an idea," she smirked as she dangled keys to room 311 in his face. "I got our room. Wanna come?"

"Liz, you devil!" he said as he pushed her up against the wall to the elevator. "You read my mind!" he whispered as he kissed her lips; she could only chuckle under his pressure.

The elevator came and they rushed into the room, tearing off clothes, kissing hungrily. Again, they spent two more hours making love like it was their last.

Elizabeth finally went into the bathroom to take a shower; Darcy followed her a few moments later.

"Can I join you?" he asked after he tore open the shower curtain.

"I was hoping you would."

They made love again.

"Come to L.A. with me?" he asked in a whisper as he soaped himself.

"I can't," she murmured as she let the water wash off the soap. "I have to go to Jane's graduation."

"I know... But what about afterwards?"

"I have to finish school."

"I want to be with you!"

"Me too! What are we going to do?" she asked shakily.

Darcy couldn't tell if she was crying or if it was the water from the showerhead. "You told me loved me and promised to marry me..."

"What?! When?!"

"Two nights ago. You also promised to go to Dallas with me."

"I did not!" she slapped him on his bare chest.

"You did! You said a lot of things when we were making love."

"You can't hold me to something I said when I was in the throws of passion!" she laughed.

"I can and I will," he smirked and leaned in to kiss her again.

Elizabeth began to back up in the shower, as she could see the look in his eyes; he wanted to make her say those things all over again.

"We don't have time," she said matter-of-factly and walked out of the shower.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Darcy happened to look out the window. "Look, sweetie, Will's car is still here! I wonder..."

"Now, now, dear. I know you saw how he and Lizzy were looking at each other?" Mrs. Darcy said nothing, but she did smile. "Come away from the window, honey. Let the boy be a man."

"Oh, I am. I was just hoping..."

Elizabeth and Darcy dressed in silence and remained so on the short drive to the airport. They held hands as they walked into the airport, but did not have much time for anything but a quick kiss as they heard her flight being called to board. They frantically kissed good-bye. Elizabeth blew him a kiss as she pulled away to leave.

"I'll call you, okay?!" he shouted to her as she waved one last time.

On the plane, Elizabeth pulled out a pencil and paper and wrote of her feelings.

She hoped Darcy felt the same.

Darcy and Bingley graduated from U of M; their family's gathered on the lawn and they had a wonderful celebration lunch afterwards. Jane graduated from Penn State with the Bennet's all cheering from the stands; they too had a wonderful celebration lunch.

"So Charles, will you be going straight to the Mets or do you have to go to the minor leagues?" asked Mr. Darcy.

"Yes, Chip tell us about your plans," smiled Mr. Bingley.

"Jane, what will you do with your diploma? Are you coming home?" asked Mrs. Bennet.

"Sweetheart, Jane may want to move to another city," smiled Mr. Bennet to his wife. "But I am curious, Jane, what are your plans?"

Simultaneously, said Bingley and Jane across at least 10 states. "I'm getting married July 1^st!!!"

Also simultaneously from all others. "What?!?!?!?!"

"Jane and I are getting married and we'd like you all to come," laughed Bingley.

"Charles and I are getting married!" exclaimed Jane.

"Oh my god, she's pregnant!" shrieked Mrs. Bennet and Caroline, again simultaneously.

"No Mom! I'm not pregnant. And lower your voice, please?" begged Jane.

"She is not pregnant," Bingley sneered at his sister.

"But why, sweetheart?" asked Mrs. Bingley and Mrs. Bennet.

"Because I love her and she loves me. And we don't want to move any further in our lives without each other."

"Because I love him and he loves me. And I can't imagine being without him, even for another two months."

"I'm happy for you sis," smiled Elizabeth as she hugged Jane. "Very happy!"

"Congratulations, Chip!" laughed Darcy as he slapped him on the shoulder.

"When do we get to meet her, son?" asked Mr. Bingley.

"When do we get to meet this mystery man, my dear?" asked Mr. Bennet.

"He's coming to Pittsburgh on Saturday."

"I'm going to Pittsburgh on Saturday and she's coming back with me next Saturday."

The rest of the day passed as though everyone was on tiptoes and wading through broken glass. The Bingley's and Bennet's silently contemplated the forthcoming nuptials, although openly expressed their delight.

Caroline fumed silently in her hotel room. Great! Now I'll be an in-law to that... that bitch, Eliza Bennet! And she'll be 'oh so cozy' with Will! I have to, no, I must do something about that girl. I have to get her out of the way and soon!

Darcy and Bingley went to have a congratulatory drink near campus.

"Congrats, man! Seriously! I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Will. Are you going to follow my lead?" laughed Bingley.

"I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try..." chuckled Darcy. "Enough about me! A toast to my best friend and his lovely fiancée, Jane, wherever she may be!

Here, here!" They clinked their beer mugs together.

"So where's this all supposed to take place?"

"In New York. It's going to be a small affair. We managed to find a nice little church there. Everything's arranged. We booked hotel rooms for our family's and, of course, yours too... You'll be my best man, right?"

"Of course I will! I wouldn't miss it for the world! Hey, where's the honeymoon?"

"Well, I don't have to report to the Durham Bulls until that next week, so we'll spend the week in North Carolina at a bed and breakfast." They both smiled.

Elizabeth and Jane giggled and laughed in their hotel room.

"Lizzy, are you really happy for me?"

"Of course I am, Jane! How could you ask me such a question?!" Jane shrugged. "You know I love Chip like a brother, anyway. So this'll be an easy transition."

"I know. I'm just worried..."

"Don't let Mom bother you. She loves you. In her own way, she's just making sure you're happy."

"I am Lizzy. So very much."

"So, do you think Chip told his family yet?"

"Yep. We both agreed to spring this on our families right after graduation."

"I wonder what they had to say?" I wonder what Caroline had to say?

"They probably were shocked and they probably said the same thing as ours did."

They both laughed.

"Enough about me for the moment, what happened between you and Will? Did you?" Elizabeth smiled shyly. "Oh-my-God! I didn't think you'd go through with it! I'm so happy for you! How was it?!"

Elizabeth went on to tell Jane of her and Darcy's 3-day adventure. They talked and giggled till almost morning.

In the morning, the Bingley's, including Caroline, flew to San Diego, and the Darcy's, including their son, flew back to L.A., while the Bennet's flew back to Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, Bingley stayed at the hotel another night. He and Jane talked on the phone to discuss the events of the previous day; he also spoke with Mrs. Bennet, but only for a few minutes, because she cried through most of the conversation, however, he did spend several sensible minutes with Mr. Bennet on the phone.

Darcy managed to talk to Elizabeth for a few minutes, in between Bingley and Jane.

"Hi, Liz."

"Hi, Will." Neither said anything for several moments. "Have you heard the good news?"

"Yeah! Chip surprised everybody at lunch!" he laughed.

"So did Jane!"

"Do you miss me?" he whispered hopefully.

"Yes," she sighed shakily. "Do you..."

"Yes!" he interrupted. Several more moments of silence. "When are you going back to school?"

"Not for a few of weeks."

"Is it... Is it all right if I come to see you?"

"That's fine.... How long will you stay?"

Forever! "How long do you want me to stay?"

Forever! "As long as you want."

"Um, I left my car at the airport. Why don't you pick it up when you get there?"

"Oh, okay. Then are you going to drive it back to L.A.?"

"No. Why don't you keep it for the semester? Then when I'm out of camp, I'll fly up and we can drive it back down to Dallas."

Elizabeth definitely got Darcy's message and meaning, but all she could utter was, "Sure."

"Liz... There's so much I want to say to you..."

"I know... me too."

Several more moments of silence. "Look, it's late. I'm not going to keep you, unless..."

"No. I need to get some sleep. I'll talk to you later." They hung up the phone. "I love you, Will," she whispered tearfully to no one.

The rest of May passed with many phone conversations and plans. Bingley came to Pittsburgh and had a wonderful time getting to know Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. The Bennet's realized almost instantly that Bingley was the right man for Jane.

Jane flew to San Diego for two weeks with Bingley and was warmly embraced by her soon-to-be in-laws. Although her standing with Caroline was somewhat less than friendly; Elizabeth had told Jane about their rivalry, so Jane watched Caroline with a weary eye.

Darcy and Elizabeth talked sporadically; he went to Dallas for mini camp and Elizabeth was busy with her family.

"Hi, Will," said Elizabeth.

"Hi Liz."

"I think I'm going back to campus on the 3^rd."

"A week early? Do you have that much to do?"

"Not that much. I can probably get it all done in two or three days."

"Then the rest is for me?" he smiled, but tried not to sound too excited

"If that's what you want?" she smiled and hid her mirth.

"I'll be there on the 4^th then," he chuckled. "I'll call you and let you know where I am, okay?"

"Okay..."

"Talk to you later."

"Bye." They hung up.

Elizabeth flew to U of M and hurriedly went about her tasks of readying the dorm for the summer students; she finished in record time and waited the arrival of Darcy.

Darcy arrived late that night and called Elizabeth. "Hi Liz, did I wake you?"

"No. Are you here?"

"Yes. Did you wanna come over here now?"

"Yes. Are you sure it's not too late?"

"No. It's not too late."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few."

"Okay. 311 again," he smiled. They hung up.

Elizabeth grabbed her already packed bag and dashed off to the car. Outside the hotel, she tried to calm herself, but could not suppress her anxiety. Darcy tried to relax on the bed, but it was just a reminder of what was to come, so he paced and looked out the window and paced and looked out the window.

Finally, Elizabeth reached the room and knocked. Darcy opened the door and each stood stock still as their eyes locked.

She reached up to caress his face and he pulled her into the room, closed and locked the door. They kissed passionately, each drowning in their own feelings and the touch of the other.

"I missed you so much!" she breathed as she lifted his shirt out of his shorts.

"I saw you in my dreams!" he panted as he raised her T-shirt over her head.

They struggled toward the bed and fell on it; they wrestled with their clothing and finally in heat and anguish, they made love, ferociously.

As they lay in bed, Darcy spooning Elizabeth, he decided to speak. "Liz," he breathed in her hair.

"Yes, Will?" she answered not turning around.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she said as tears streamed her face.

They fell asleep in each other's arms.

They stayed in that hotel room, making love most day and night for the next five days, expending all their energies and only leaving when it was time to check out.

Elizabeth drove Darcy to the airport that morning.

"I wish you all the luck in the world. I know you'll be great."

"Thanks, Liz," he said as he kissed her in the terminal. They heard the boarding call. "You'll take care of my car, won't you?"

"Yes, of course," she laughed.

"I'll call you everyday to make sure she's all right," he chuckled and grabbed his bags.

"I love you, Will Darcy," she said as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Liz Bennet," he said before they kissed, deep and long. "I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay... Good Luck!"

Darcy turned and waived. "See you at the wedding!"

Elizabeth left the airport and drove back to campus, completely and deliciously satisfied.

Darcy and Elizabeth talked almost every day and confessed their undying love for each other. They also talked to Bingley and Jane about the wedding plans.