Trials and Tribulations

Elizabeth was clearly upset, she assumed that he wanted to get back in her good graces, but she also assumed that he would want to take it slow. Instead, he threw it all out on the table, served cold.

"That is not what you said to me on December 23^rd, 1989," she leaned in and sneered in a whisper. She was interrupted by the waiter bringing the food and drinks and waited until he left. "You hurt me," she snapped in a low growl. Darcy blinked. "You discarded me like I was nothing. You left me brokenhearted and disillusioned. And now you want me to jump back into the fire, head first!" She paused, leaned back in her chair and laughed. "You really need to grow up and get a clue!" she hissed. Darcy continued to look nonplussed which set her off and this time she didn't care who was listening. "My God, Will, if anything, I thought you'd at least want to take it slow, for my sake. But, oh no, not you! The great, big fucking quarterback has to take the bull by the horns and toss me around until I submit!" She threw her napkin on the table. "And over lunch no less!" Elizabeth scooted out of her chair and stood up, Darcy sat stunned. "You," she put her finger in his face, "expect my complete surrender in one afternoon! After neglecting me and ignoring me for 9 damn months?!" she said this deliberately, slowly and passionately. "And you call that an apology?! In fact, you've never said you were sorry about anything! You would either smile or just say 'I love you' to make it all better and I let you get away with it, every time!"

An embarrassed Darcy grabbed her arm. "Liz, sit down. Let's just eat and talk, quietly."

"Still trying to control me?! Burn in hell, Will Darcy!" she yanked her arm free. "I'm not hungry anymore!" Elizabeth walked calmly out of the restaurant.

Darcy scooted from his chair, threw down some money, and quickly ran after her.

Darcy watched her get into a taxicab and pull off. On autopilot, he drove straight to the Bingley's to see if Elizabeth was okay.

"Will?" questioned Jane as she opened the door to her surprise visitor. "I thought..."

"Is she here?" he rushed past her.

"Oh God, what happened?!"

"Liz? Liz!"

"She's not here Will!" Jane grabbed his arm to stop his progress, before he could wake up her sleeping son. "What happened? Where's my sister?" she glared.

Darcy whirled around and looked directly into Jane's angered-filled eyes and knew that he had now passed into eternal damnation. He was so desolated that he fell backwards into the wall and closed his eyes. It took him a few minutes to speak, for he was trying the squelch the sickening and sinking wretchedness in his stomach and his heart.

"Oh God Jane!" he trembled. "I did it... I really did it this time!" he exclaimed as he blindly felt for the couch.

Jane sobbed as she joined him on couch. "What happened?" she sniffled.

"It's, it's not important, not anymore. Just that you need to be here when she comes back... but I shouldn't be here." Darcy stood up. "Tell Chip..." he couldn't finish that one, because he knew his friend would sorely be disappointed in him. "Kiss the baby for me," he choked back tears and Jane nodded through hers. "Take care of yourself and your family," he kissed her on her cheek. "Despite what you may think of me in the future," he whispered, "I love you all." And with the threat of tears, Darcy left the apartment, post haste.

Jane quietly closed the door and sat heavily in the nearest chair; she would have her hands full this day and it was looking rather hellish. After a half-hour, the baby began to cry; he was waking up from his nap. Jane went into change and feed him and while she was doing so, she heard Elizabeth's entrance into the apartment and the closure of her bedroom door. Jane felt it wise to let her sister rant and rave for a time, then proceed with caution.

A few hours later, Jane opened Elizabeth's door and gasped loudly at what she saw. Elizabeth was laid prostrate across her bed, pillow feathers still swarming around her and all over the floor, with clothes strewn about to boot.

"Lizzy?"

"It is best Jane, that you leave me alone for a little while longer. I am not, at this time, in control of myself and I will assume no responsibilities for what I might say or do," she said curtly.

Jane quietly closed the door.

That evening, Bingley came home and Jane ran into his arms in tears. "Oh Charles!" she sobbed. "It's awful! Just awful!"

Oh God, who died?! "Jane! Jane! What happened?"

"It's Lizzy!" she cried some more.

"Oh God, Jane! Tell me please? Was there some sort of accident?"

"No," she sniffled. "Will and Lizzy... major fight... She... She won't talk to me!" she muttered through hysterical tears. "Her room... feathers, clothes... But she won't talk to me!"

Damn you, Will Darcy!!! "Okay, baby. Come on, sit down. Do you need something? Some water? A glass of wine, maybe?" Jane shook her head. "When you are calm then you tell me the whole story, okay?" Jane nodded.

After fifteen minutes of tears, Jane was able to tell Bingley what she knew. Bingley tried Darcy's hotel room, but found he had checked out already, so he left a message on his answering machine at home. Then all they could do was wait; wait until Elizabeth wanted to talk or Darcy wanted to return the phone call. Neither would happen this night.

Elizabeth sat in her room and did as she usually does, she wrote:

She tried to convince herself.

Jane and Bingley awoke to a light buzzing sound. They looked in the cradle and made sure the baby was all right, then Jane put on her robe and went out of the bedroom. As she came closer to Elizabeth's room, she heard the vacuum cleaner and the faint sound of a radio in the background. At least she's cleaning up!

During breakfast, Elizabeth decided to face her family. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Jane and Bingley repeated in unison.

"I know you want to know what went on yesterday, but I'm not going to tell you."

"Lizzy..."

"No Jane!" snapped Elizabeth. "There's no sense in going over it again. I'm fine. I'll get over him. I'm taking that offer and I'm moving to Japan in 2 weeks."

Jane looked toward Bingley for help, but he was in complete shock. No one said anything else during the meal. Elizabeth went to her room and Jane followed her.

"Lizzy, please don't do something in haste that you might regret later?"

Elizabeth whirled around and was ready to release all the anger she felt on her sister, but at the last moment decided against it and held her tongue. "I'll admit, it's in haste. But he can't hurt me over there," her voice wavered as tears began to fall. "He can't hurt me over there." Jane moved to hug her, but Elizabeth pushed her away. "Don't Jane! In 2 weeks, I'll be gone and you won't be there to comfort me. So why not brace ourselves for it now?"

Jane stood with mouth and eyes gaped wide open; she was in complete and utter shock. Elizabeth had never pushed her away before; she vowed she would hate Darcy until the day she died for doing this to her sister.

"Jane, please don't cry! I'll be back for Christmas. You won't miss me as much as you think you will," Elizabeth said bravely. Jane could only nod as she helped Chip Jr. wave bye-bye.

Bingley kissed her on the cheek. "I shall miss you most of all scarecrow."

"You promised," Elizabeth said tearfully.

"I know, I couldn't help it," he sniffled. Knowing that the last time he watched the Wizard of Oz was in college with Darcy and Elizabeth on Darcy's birthday.

"I love you," she embraced them all. But before she could pull away, tears fell from her eyes at a rapid pace. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," she said as her lips trembled uncontrollably. She ran towards the boarding gate, turned and waved and went inside.

Elizabeth sat on the plane and stared out the window, she was going to cry again, but she thought about it and decided not to. It seemed to her that she had cried on too many airplanes in the past. The plane took off and eventually Elizabeth fell asleep; thankfully, she could remain on the plane when it reached L.A. She didn't want to run into any Darcy's in the airport and since she hadn't really slept well since the debacle in the restaurant, she would not waste this opportunity to relax and try to forget. And relax she did.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Darcy knew exactly what time Elizabeth's plane would be taking off from LaGuardia. At the appointed time, he sat quietly and reflectively at his loss; he was in love with her, but did he love her enough to grovel? That wasn't a question to ask at this point. He resolved to go on with his life and focus on football and his future in Dallas. And focus he did.

Elizabeth awoke refreshed in her new apartment near the American Embassy; she had intended to call her family, once she arrived, to let them know she was safe, but sleep beckoned. Today, she called her parents and the Bingley's.

The time passed quickly. Elizabeth began to get accustomed to her job and her surroundings; the Bingleys were all healthy and happy; and Darcy was focused and his coaches were pleased.

In August, Wickham failed, again, in his attempt to win a position on the Cowboys' team; he was furious. He went back to L.A. to work for Darcy's father in his same executive position, yet he vowed revenge against his old friend. He had wheedled his way into Mr. Darcy's heart so much so, that he, in some instances, replaced his own son.

At first, Bingley refused to talk to Darcy after Elizabeth left, but he decided to continue his friendship without his wife's approval or knowledge.

Georgiana began her second year at UCLA, taking up acting and dance. She excelled in both and her father even gave her her first taste of acting in one of his movies. Mrs. Darcy split time with both her children, because of the obvious separation between her husband and son.

From September to December, the Dallas Cowboys made great strides toward respectability this season; their record was 7 wins and 9 losses. In the 2^nd to last game, however, Darcy suffered a separated shoulder and had surgery to remove some chips from his right elbow. Since he was not playing around Christmas, Darcy sorely wanted to visit New York but found out that Elizabeth was flying in, so he changed his mind and went home.

Elizabeth truly adored Tokyo and she did a lot of traveling to other cities in Japan and around the world. She did come home for Christmas to kisses and hugs; Elizabeth was sorely tempted to visit the Darcy's in L.A. on her stopover, but when she found out that Darcy was there, she went on back to Japan.

The Bingley's were content in their nice little apartment in New York, until Bingley was traded to the Atlanta Braves for three players. So they uprooted just after the baseball season started and moved to Atlanta. A little while later, they found a nice house in the suburbs and there they were to stay unless he was traded again. The Atlanta Braves did so well that they played in the World Series, but lost to the Minnesota Twins, 4 games to 3, even though Bingley pitched his heart out and won 2 of those games. Caroline even managed to graduate from U of M in December.

Elizabeth was really enjoying her time in Japan; she was always moving from one dinner party to another. Elizabeth soon became such a valuable commodity to her employer, because she spoke several languages, she was even asked to translate corporate deals with other countries. She and the Bingley's and her parents spoke weekly, while she wrote to or called the Darcy's monthly. However, due to her schedule, Elizabeth was not able to come for Christmas.

In the fall, Georgiana started her third year at UCLA and was making a name for herself on the stage. She had received rave reviews for her portrait of Emma at school. Her natural talents and her youth got her audition after audition for movie roles and plays.

From September to December, the Dallas Cowboys had their best season in a long while; their record this year was 11 wins and 5 losses. Darcy sprained his right knee and missed the last four games of the season. However, he managed to come back for the playoffs and they won their first game, but lost the next. Darcy was named to play next February in the Pro Bowl in Hawaii for his meteoric rise and voted the Cowboys' Man of the Year for his dedication and service to charities, children's hospitals and such.

The Bennets visited Elizabeth in Japan in February and stayed for a month. Then they visited the Bingley's in September for another month.

Bingley won 23 games and was named the Cy Young award winner for being the best pitcher in the league, the Braves went to the World Series again, only to lose; this time they lost to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Bingley's found out they were pregnant again, expecting the baby in the spring of next year.

Caroline soon moved down to Dallas in hopes to finally snare Darcy, but he continued to ignore her and every other woman who tried their arts and allurements on him. Darcy was still mad that he allowed Caroline to come between himself and Elizabeth, therefore he couldn't forgive her and wouldn't forgive himself. He truly felt that women were his biggest problem and as long he kept them at arms length, he could attain his goals; therefore he put all his energies into leading his team.

Wickham returned to his old habits, drinking, gambling, and, well, other unseemly things. Eventually these habits caught up to him and he needed money quickly, a lot of money. He couldn't get that kind of money from his parents; his father had a stroke five years ago and wasn't writing screen plays as much, while his mother was spending their savings like it was going out of style. He couldn't ask his godfather, Mr. Darcy, without raising any suspicion, so that only left one person. Wickham needed a plan, he knew that Georgiana would not give him the money outright, but since she was attracted to him and would soon be old enough to receive her trust fund; he would do whatever was necessary. He was able to hold off the loan sharks for a while, by moving back into his parent's home and selling the car Mr. Darcy gave him.

Elizabeth had a stress-filled year. Between her position at the Embassy and her corporate dealings, she was hardly in her own apartment; they had her flying here and there, she even came to the states twice. When she flew into D.C. in August, Jane and the Bennets flew up to meet her, but they were only able to spend one evening with her. It became evident soon enough that she was not going to be coming home for Christmas, again. During the summer, the Darcy's flew to Tokyo for business, yet they were only able to see Elizabeth a few times in that month.

From September to December, the Cowboys were now near the top of the heap looking down and were heading to the playoffs in January; their record this season was 13 wins and 3 losses. Again, Darcy was voted by his peers to play in the Pro Bowl next February, he also received the Cowboys Man of the Year, and so many other awards and honors by the end of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys won the Superbowl in January and Darcy was named MVP of the game for throwing 5 touchdowns and slaughtering the Buffalo Bills. He was lauded for being the youngest quarterback to win both prizes. After a huge parade in Dallas, he then flew to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl. In March, he flew to Atlanta to see the newest Bingley baby and to make amends with Jane; he achieved some small success. During his time off, he mostly stayed in Dallas to work with handicapped and underprivileged children and his other charities. That is until he received a distress call from L.A.

The Darcy's had gone to travel in the summer and left Georgiana after she graduated from UCLA. Georgiana's grades had been slipping but she had done well enough in her previous years that her parents didn't worry too much; they just assumed that her juggling classes, stage plays, and bit parts in movies were taking their toll on her. What they didn't know, or what Darcy found out from one of her closest friends, is that Georgiana was in trouble. Darcy dropped everything and flew to L.A. with alacrity to save his sister. Her friend had been taking care of her for the last 2 days and called Darcy when she could do no more.

During that summer, Georgiana moved in with Darcy and in the fall she went back to L.A. They talked every day; Darcy wanted to keep tabs on his sister and make sure she was safe, while Georgiana needed to feel safe and know that he would always be there for her. The Cowboys, again, stormed though the season with a 14-4 record and Darcy won the same awards as last year with several additions.

Jane had a baby girl named Alicia. Bingley won another Cy Young Award. All was well with them.

Caroline persisted on Darcy's heels, but he continued to ignore her.

Elizabeth met a nice young man that she started dating a little; his name was Richard Williams. However, when the Darcy's came to Tokyo, she found out that he was their nephew and she dropped him as soon as possible. It was too much for her to know that he was even remotely related to Darcy.

In January, Darcy suffered a concussion during the NFC Championship game, but he came back for the next game and the Cowboys won their second Superbowl in a row and against the same team. Immediately after the game, Darcy was signed to a new multi-million dollar deal making him the highest paid player in the NFL. Later, Darcy built his new home on the 30 acres of land that he purchased outside of Dallas near Plano; he also founded a local charitable organization to help disabled children. Darcy suffered another concussion in October, but with no lasting effects; he played the next game as though nothing had happened. The Cowboys were once again riding high in the fall; their record was the same as last 12-4 and all was looking well; they were once again expected to win the Superbowl in the following January. Again, the awards were piling up for Darcy, but the satisfaction in them was waning. It tore at his heart, every time his family mentioned that they had heard or seen Elizabeth. On those days when he had nothing to do, he walked about his mansion and knew that he was missing something, but what to do about it, he did not know. The Darcy's came before Christmas and stayed until the day after New Years.

Georgiana got a major part in a play that required her to travel around the country then finally settle in New York for a long run. She was indeed much happier and felt safer the further away she got. The Darcy's indeed missed their children.

Old Mr. Wickham died of an aneurysm. Mrs. Wickham played the grieving widow for a bit, then went on her merry way around the world; Wickham left his job at Darcy Enterprises and went with his mother, until the money ran out. Then Mrs. Wickham began her hunt for a new husband; at first she tried to charm the pants off of Mr. Darcy, but he rebuffed her right quick. She had always fancied herself in love with Mr. Darcy and deluded herself that he felt the same; she thought the only problem was that he was married and so was she. Now that one barrier was removed, she believed him capable of jumping ship. However, Mr. Darcy kept nothing from his wife and told her about their friend. Mrs. Darcy confronted her old friend with a slap across the face as an exclamation point, and thus ended a long friendship. Meanwhile, Wickham had made a name for himself as a schmoozer and got a job at another studio, for the present, he was satisfied with his lot in life.

The entire baseball season had been cancelled due to a strike by the players and a lockout by the owners; they were at a stalemate in negotiations. So, once the youngest Bingley was old enough, the Bingley's set about travelling.

Elizabeth decided to do only one job, so she gave up the embassy job and consulted only on large corporate business deals. Big business intrigued her, she felt more and more comfortable as she began to understand the wheelings and dealings, and she also made a lot more money that way. Elizabeth had dated a few men off and on, but never seemed confident enough to go any further than a few dates. Elizabeth visited the states twice; once to New York where she hung out with Georgiana and went to Pittsburgh for a few days; the other to D.C. where she flew down to Atlanta to see the new baby for a long weekend. On each stopover she had dinner with the Darcy's. She hid it well, but every time someone mentioned Darcy, she would almost burst into tears; she still missed him after all these years.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"Of course, sweetie! Why do you ask?"

"Well... you don't look well."

"Don't worry darling, I'm just worrying over you and... I'm glad you and your father are back on good terms," whispered Mrs. Darcy.

"Me too, Mom. Me too," smiled Darcy as he kissed her on her cheek.

Quickly changing the subject as she heard her husband's footsteps. "So, are we going to have another gaudy Superbowl ring to display this year?" teased Mrs. Darcy.

"If I can help it... Yes."

"If you can help what?" asked Mr. Darcy as he strolled into the kitchen.

"Our son wants to win another Superbowl, darling!"

"And whose gonna stop him?" chuckled Mr. Darcy. "No one, absolutely no one!

Later, Darcy drove his parents to the airport, kissed his mother, embraced his father, and watched their plane leave the bay.

Darcy and the Cowboys won easily in the Divisional Playoffs and prepared for the NFC Championship against the San Francisco 49'ers.

The phone rings at Darcy's home at 4:00 in the morning.

"Hello?" he said groggily.

"Son," said Mr. Darcy unsteadily.

Oh God! A chill shot up Darcy's spine and he immediately sat up. "What's wrong Dad?"

"Your Mom..." he trembled and bawled.

"No Dad! Oh Lord No!" he shuddered. "Please?!"

"She's gone..." Mr. Darcy sniffled. "She's gone!"

Both men cried together.

Darcy finally spoke, "Does Gi know?"

"I couldn't... Please come home?" he sniffled.

"Okay Dad... Dad? Are you gonna be okay until I get there?"

"I don't know..." They cried a little more and then hung up.

Darcy went into action; he called their parent's neighbor who was also a good friend, the neighbor immediately agreed to go over to the house in L.A.. He called his coach, who told him to go home and not to worry. He called Bingley, who said he would be in L.A. as soon as possible. He called his best friend on the team, who agreed to come over to help him. Darcy didn't want to tell Georgiana over the phone, but he feared she might read it in the morning's paper, so he needed to catch the first flight out. His friend, Emmitt Smith, drove over within 20 minutes; he helped him pack, and he called the airport, and by that time, Coach Johnson had come over. Darcy could really do nothing at this point; his friend and his coach took him to the airport and put him on a plane to New York to pick up Georgiana.

When Darcy got to Georgiana's apartment, she was sitting on the couch and staring; she refused to believe the society pages. She thought it was a bad dream and wouldn't go back to sleep until she could force herself to dream something else, until her brother came walking through the door. That's when she knew it was real and collapsed in his arms in hysterics.

Darcy managed to call home to check on his father and get his sister to lay down, while he packed some things for her. He then called the airport for the next flight to L.A.; it left in less than 2 hours.

Darcy carried both bags and practically his sister into the house. As soon as he could, Darcy went to his parent's rooms.

"Dad?" His father didn't answer as he stayed in a praying position next to their bed.

His neighbor, Mr. Wilson, who was praying with his father, stood up, walked to Darcy, hugged and whispered, "I'm so sorry Will." With tears in his eyes, he left father and son alone.

Darcy knelt down beside his father, put his arm around him, prayed for strength and spoke. "Dad... I'm here, Gi's here. We're here to help you."

"My light..." whispered Mr. Darcy. "My light is gone," and he cried until he could cry no more.

At length, Georgiana felt strong enough to join them; there ensued silence as they all sat on the floor next to the bed and contemplated their futures without their wife and mother.

Catherine De Bourgh came and so did all of the Bingley's, including Caroline and her parents. Arrangements were made, newspapers were notified. Condolences and flowers were received, the Williams arrived from Tennessee, and friends from all over stopped by. The Bennet's came and after the Cowboys lost the Championship game without their leader, they all came too. They all came to grieve for Anne Darcy.

Outside of the church.

"Lizzy!" exclaimed Jane as she ran to her sister getting out of a taxicab.

"Jane!" They embraced and held onto each other for a good long while. "How, how are they Jane?" she spoke through tears.

Jane shrugged, because she couldn't speak without crying. They walked in the church, hand-in-hand, but as they were passing through the doors, Elizabeth froze in her tracks and held fast.

"I don't think I can do this."

"You must be strong for them, Lizzy," whispered Jane.

Elizabeth nodded, straightened and walked on to the front of the church to view her sleeping friend, Jane went with her although she had already been up there. Elizabeth said a silent prayer over her friend and turned to sit down. As she turned, Mr. Darcy and Georgiana were standing there accepting condolences, so she walked over and they all embraced fiercely.

Elizabeth backed up quickly before falling apart, and whispered. "You don't know how sorry I am," and she blindly felt her way through the crowd.

As she walked through, she saw a familiar frame leaned over in his chair with his head in hands, weeping quietly. Elizabeth wanted to run to Darcy and smother him with kisses and make his pain go away and just as she was about to approach him, she saw something that made her stop. Draped over his back and comforting him tenderly, was woman's hand with a huge engagement ring on it. But what made her almost run out of the room was the fact that the accessorized, comforting hand belonged to none other than Caroline Bingley. At the same time that Elizabeth looked into Caroline's face, Caroline looked back; she pointed to Darcy, pointed to her ring and smiled a very wicked smile.

Elizabeth lost all comprehension then. The only thing that prevented her from screaming is that Darcy had not looked up and therefore had not known she was there. Elizabeth gathered her dignity and walked towards the back of the church, she sat down in the last pew during the service and left quietly afterwards.

On this sad day, Anne Marie Williams Darcy was laid to rest.

During the repast at the Darcy's home, family and friends were milling about whispering to each other and to the bereaved family on the dearly departed.

The family attorney, Mr. Stone, felt it the appropriate time to gather the Darcy's together in the library for a few minutes.

"Anne wrote to each of you before her passing and she made me promise not to give them to you until she was..."

"Are you telling us that she knew?!" railed Darcy.

"Yes. She knew."

Shock, dismay, disbelief, and anger were just some of the emotions flying around the room after that statement. Mr. Darcy collapsed and fainted in his chair. They all ran to his side to comfort and awaken him.

After Mr. Darcy recovered, Mr. Stone spoke. "I think these letters may explain everything," he said as he handed them out. "I'll leave you alone." And with that he left.

Each stared at their respective envelopes. Georgiana dropped hers and ran out of the room, Mr. Darcy continued to stare at his, while Darcy stuffed his into his pocket, picked up Georgiana's letter, and ran after his sister. He found her a short distance away, in another room, and there they sat and talked. Both agreed to read them that night after everyone had gone away.

Darcy had wandered back into the library to check on his father, as he looked in he saw him clutching the letter to his heart and smiling.

"Dad?"

"Your Mother is... was an amazing woman," he said as stood up, patted his son on the shoulder and walked out of the room.

Later, Darcy walked over to Jane and Bingley while they were talking.

"Where did Lizzy go?" asked Bingley.

"I don't know," shrugged Jane.

"Lizzy was here?!" interrupted Darcy. "Here?!"

"She was at the church, Will," answered Bingley.

"Where is she now?" Darcy asked frantically. Neither said a word. "Please? I, I need to see her. Jane, please?!"

Jane saw the compassion in Darcy's eyes and could not deny him. "Airport Sheraton."

"Thank you!" he kissed her on the cheek and ran off to his car. Darcy drove to the hotel in record time. "Excuse me, what room is Lizzy in?"

"Pardon me, sir?"

"Lizzy! Liz Bennet! What room?!"

"Uh, um, hold on... Room 920."

"Thank you!" he exclaimed as he ran towards the elevators.

As he waited for the ever so slow elevator, Darcy took out the letter from his mother, tore open the envelope and pulled out the single page.

The elevator came and Darcy mechanically stepped in and pushed the 9^th floor.

Darcy walked off the elevator, looked up briefly, and absentmindedly walked toward 920.

He knocked.

Elizabeth opened the door and gasped.

Darcy looked up with tears in his eyes, Elizabeth stroked his cheek as her eyes told of her sorrow and compassion, and slowly she backed into the room as he pressed inward. Neither said a word to each other; they were lost in each other's gaze; tears streaming from both.

At length, Darcy pushed the letter into Elizabeth's hand, which made her look down. Elizabeth led him to the bed, where they both sat and she read it out loud as he leaned on her shoulder.

"Oh Will!" she cried when she finished it.

"Just hold me, Liz."

She did and it was for a very long time.

"I miss you," he whispered against her ear.

God help me?! "I miss you too."

Darcy slowly slid his cheek along her cheek, it seemed like a lifetime, until his lips met hers. They kissed, tenderly, yet passionately. For both it was like their very first time; Elizabeth felt as though butterflies were having a parade in her stomach and Darcy felt as though all was right with the world.

Slowly but surely, they leaned down on the bed. Elizabeth loosened his tie and began unbuttoning the top of his shirt. Darcy ran his hand across her silk shirt and tenderly massaged her breasts. Elizabeth pulled his tie over his head and pushed off his jacket. Darcy swept his hand down her hips and felt a stockinged leg, and then he felt around for and unfastened the button on her wrap skirt. Elizabeth unfastened his belt buckle. Darcy lifted her up enough to unzip her blouse in the back. Elizabeth unfastened his pants and pushed them down as far as she could. Darcy helped her pull her blouse over her head while he kicked off his shoes. Elizabeth's lips left his and traveled to his neck then his chest. Darcy unsnapped her bra and she helped him discard it. Darcy laid her back down as he licked and suckled her breasts and her hardened nipples as he slipped out of his pants and briefs. Elizabeth and Darcy removed her stockings and panties and tossed them aside. Darcy found her lips again, wrapped his arms around her waist and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he moved her further onto the bed. Elizabeth spread her legs for him. Darcy moved in between them and guided himself inside of her wetness.

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." they both panted.

The feeling of the entry was too much for both of them and they climaxed immediately, together, before any real motion began. The instinctive releasing and contracting, the pulsing and compressing was just enough for now. There they lay for a half-hour just reveling in the feeling of being joined together once again.

Elizabeth shifted slightly under his weight and he quickly became aroused again. She could feel Darcy growing inside of her and she almost climaxed again, instead she gritted her teeth and concentrated on holding it in.

Darcy began a slow, mind-blowing thrust and parry. Elizabeth wrapped her legs tighter around his waist and grabbed his buttocks to make him go deeper.

Unhhhhhhhhhh," she breathed.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuh," he muttered.

Their tongues toyed with each other as he undulated above her.

"Deeper Will! Deeper!"

"Feed me, Liz! Feed me!"

They kissed ravenously, then he leaned up on his knees pulling her hips toward him and then pushing them back out in a rapid fire pace.

"I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeed you!"

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh yes!"

As Darcy drove deeper and pounded her walls, Elizabeth lost all sense. "Ah... Ah... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" she quivered.

"Unh... Unh... Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh!" he quaked.

And then he collapsed on top of her, both bodies trembling with pleasure. While Elizabeth was squeezing her hips, Darcy was spewing forth his last traces of orgasm.

When Darcy recovered, he grabbed her head and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Then he felt an erection again and she accepted him willingly. They made love several times that day and night, making up for lost time.

A few hours later, Darcy woke up to running water. He looked around the room, recognized where he was and smiled. It wasn't a dream! He immediately jumped up to join her in the shower.

Darcy threw the shower door open. "Hello!"

"Oh! You scared me, Will!"

"Planning on sneaking out on me?"

"I was going to wake you before I left."

"Do you have to?" he asked as he stepped in behind her.

"Yes." Elizabeth closed her eyes and put her face under the showerhead, waiting for Darcy to demand something she was not yet willing to give.

"What time?" he asked as he closed the door.

"2 hours."

"Then that gives me enough time for a proper send off," he whispered as he nibbled her ear.

Elizabeth exhaled and giggled. "What did you have in mind?"

"A little of this..." he said as he pulled her roughly against him, one hand cupping a breast the other on her stomach. "Or maybe this..." he nipped her cheek and fondled her breast. He leaned up against the wall with her plastered to him. "Maybe a little of this..." he smiled as one hand travelled and played delicately with her clitoris. Elizabeth closed her eyes, spread her legs, and let the sensation wrap around her. "How about this..." he emphasized as his fingers went deep inside her while his thumb continued to massage her clit. Elizabeth's breathing became ragged as he thrust his fingers in and out of her. She grabbed his other hand and put it in her mouth and sucked on his fingers as she bounced and undulated to his movements. He heard her exclamations and became erect and ready as she rubbed her buttocks against him. Darcy quickly removed his hand from inside her and leaned her over; he removed his other hand from her mouth to lift her up. Elizabeth reached for the railing on the shower door with one hand and the shower wall with the other.

When he felt the situation sturdy enough, he entered her with such force, she screamed.

"Did I hurt you?!"

"Oh Yes! I, I mean, no! Keep going!"

Darcy proceeded to push and pull and squeeze and pound Elizabeth into submission. When he exploded in her, his knees buckled and they both plummeted to the floor.

At length, Darcy spoke as he held her close. "Thank you. Thank you for being there for me." Elizabeth nodded; the finality was too much for her to speak. "I needed you. I needed to be with you. I prayed for you to come. And you did."

"I needed you too," she choked. No matter what we are to each other, I still love you.

Darcy nodded. "I will always need you." I will always love you.

Soon afterwards they washed and dressed, Darcy drove Elizabeth to the airport, and they kissed and went on their separate ways.

The Darcy's slowly got over their grief, by pouring over their respective letters from Anne Darcy and delving into their work.

Caroline had thought it was a good idea to wear that engagement ring, just in case Elizabeth was at the funeral. Caroline had actually gotten herself engaged to one of the Dallas Cowboys, but only because she thought that Darcy would be jealous and confess his true feelings for her. That part hadn't worked yet, but Elizabeth got the point and Caroline couldn't have been happier. She vowed that this would be her year to finally get Darcy.

Darcy focused on getting back to the Superbowl, so he basically became a fitness junkie. However, he herniated a disk in his back when he was lifting 300 pounds and had lumbar diskectomy surgery; but he did not miss the season. Caroline still hung around, yet he still ignored her. He was no longer consumed by Elizabeth, he knew that he loved her and wanted to marry her, but this time he would wait for her to come back. He visited with his father and sister often.

Elizabeth kept in close contact with Mr. Darcy and Georgiana; this was not done purely out of friendship, it was her secretive of way of finding out about Darcy. Neither of them had even mentioned his engagement to Caroline, which she thought odd, but then she assumed that they didn't want to hurt her feelings. She still loved Darcy and would wait on him as long as he wanted her to wait. She continued to work for herself in the translating business, it became very lucrative, and although she felt homesick, it wasn't in her to go home, just yet.

"Jane!"

"Happy Birthday, Lizzy!"

"Thank you! I received the bracelet, thank you! It's beautiful! The little charms on the end and..."

"We didn't send you a bracelet."

"Oh! Hmmm?"

"Didn't it have a card or a letter with it?"

"The card just said 'Happy 27^th.' I just thought you forgot to..."

"No, honey, we sent you... Well, I'm not telling, because you'll probably get it tonight. But we definitely did not send you a bracelet."

"Well, I got Mom and Dad's, I got one from the Darcy's... So I just figured, since you know me so well."

"Not from us. Sorry darling."

"Oh well... Look I gotta run, I'll call you tonight okay?"

"Okay."

Elizabeth didn't have time to think about her mysterious gift, she had to run for a meeting with a new car company that was thinking of building a plant in America. But, that night, she figured out who sent it and wondered why.

Mr. Darcy thought it high time to visit his sister-in-law, Catherine de Bourgh. Anne was her sister too and she must be still grieving; she had called him more in the last few months than she had in several years. So without calling ahead and knowing that the school year had just ended, he jumped on a plane and headed toward U of M.

"Is Catherine here?"

"Who may I say is calling?"

"George Darcy, her brother-in-law."

"She's upstairs, sir."

"And who might you be?"

"My name is Edward Ferris. I'm her new assistant. I just started yesterday, so..."

"Don't worry about going to get her. I'm family."

"Anything you say, sir."

Mr. Darcy walked up the stairs and straight to her rooms; he knocked and waited for her to answer.

"Yes! Yes!"

"It's me, George!"

"Oh yes! Yes! Yes George! Yes! Come on! Come on! Yes! Ohhhhh Yes!"

Mr. Darcy opened the door and nearly had a heart attack at what he was witness to. He closed his eyes to blink away the impulse to gag, he heard some horrid words spoken that made him open his eyes again, and what he saw still didn't make sense. Mr. Darcy was about to interfere, but decided against it. So he backed slowly out of the room, went straight down the stairs, and out the door.

Edward Ferris watched a pale, sickly looking Mr. Darcy drive off; then he chuckled to himself. Mrs. de Bourgh sure has had her share of visitors today!

Mr. Darcy caught the next plane leaving; on the plane he was livid, on the ride home he was furious, when he got into his house he was hysterical. This was the last straw, he had listened to all those rumors, dismissed them as nonsense and even laughed at the storytellers, but now it was his time to laugh.

"Will."

"Yes, Dad."

"I'm taking George Wickham out of my will tomorrow."

Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! "Do you need me to come home and be a witness," he smiled through the phone.

"Not necessary, son."

"What happened this time?" he said sarcastically.

"This time? You sound like you know something."

Darcy snorted. "Ha!"

"Are you going to tell me?"

"How long do you have?" chuckled Darcy.

"I have all night."

"Then you'll wait up for me?"

"You don't need to come home, son."

"Yes, I do! We'll do this together. Call your attorney and tell him to expect us tomorrow evening. It's gonna be a long tale."

"Can't wait!"

"I'll call you from the airport, okay?"

"Okay."

They hung up.

Darcy relished the thought of finally getting George Wickham out of his life forever. He called the airport and found he had 45 minutes to catch the next plane. He grabbed a few items and went without delay.

"Dad, I'm at LAX."

"So soon?"

"Put the coffee on."

"Sure thing, Will. See you in a bit."

They hung up.

An hour later. "Dad?"

"I'm in the kitchen!"

Darcy walked toward the kitchen and once inside the room he and his father embraced.

"Sit down and let me pour you a cup. Still take 2 sugars and cream?"

"Yep."

"Would you like a little nip of something stronger?"

"Just a bit."

"So tell me. I'll let my bit of info sit for a while."

"Well Dad, I'll give you the brief synopsis tonight and we can go over the details in the morning."

"Fire away," said Mr. Darcy as he poured a little brandy in both mugs.

"Where do I begin? I know in high school. George always was a ladies man, smooth-talker and all. Yadda, yadda, you know the rest. Anyway, you remember Lydia Benson, don't you? Loud, wild?" Mr. Darcy nodded. "Well, picture this, Senior Prom, Lydia was screaming on George in the hallway of the hotel. At first I thought she was jealous because he came with someone else, but no, she was pregnant. And he couldn't come up with the money to terminate it, so she would have to spend some of her graduation money to do it. Next scenario, college. I didn't know it at the time, but George used recreational drugs. One of the coaches caught him in a house of ill... ill-gotten games and such, and he got kicked off the team. That was our Sophomore Year. Not only did he get kicked off the team, but also he got kicked out of school. I didn't know how he managed to stick around and pretend he was still in school, but I didn't care. He and I had long ago parted as friends."

Darcy happily went on tell his father other Wickham stories. Of course Mr. Darcy was shocked, he had no idea what a lying, disgusting bum his godson was.

"Now will you tell me what your story is?"

"I went to visit your Aunt Catherine today... I went up to her rooms unannounced. Guess who was in bed with her and begging her for more money?"

Darcy shuddered at the thought. "You've got to be kidding me?!"

"I wouldn't kid about something like that."

"So that's how he managed to stay at U of M! Well... I don't think I can sleep now."

"Perhaps we should discuss the details in the library?"

Darcy nodded and the two men walked to library and talked for a good 4 hours. They went to bed very late that morning and proceeded to Mr. Stone's office that afternoon.

Darcy left for Dallas the next day, while Mr. Darcy flew to see his daughter; just to check up on her, of course.

Mr. Darcy paid a keen interest in his children's life after his talk with his son. He was always just popping up, without warning. Darcy knew why and didn't mind at all. Georgiana loved it and finally had the courage to tell her father her tale of woe.

The Bennet's traveled a lot this year. They visited both their daughters, their in-laws in San Diego and Mr. Darcy in L.A.

Caroline had not given up her hopes for Darcy, even though he had dismissed her thoroughly.

Darcy suffered a concussion in the mid-season, but returned the next game. The Cowboys climbed back to the top with a 12-4 win loss record and were once again, head to the playoffs. Darcy's name became synonymous with post-season awards and honors. He received a special birthday gift in the mail, guessed who sent it, and only took it off when he played.

Elizabeth had long suspected who sent her the bracelet but was afraid to ask. She wore it everyday and swore that she would only take it off, the day Darcy married someone else. Elizabeth anonymously sent Darcy a special pinkie ring, like his father's, for his birthday. Japan was beginning to wear on her nerves; she missed the states, but was wishy-washy on returning home.

Bingley finally got his World Series ring and was named MVP of the series as he pitched and won 3 out of the 4 games for the Atlanta Braves over the Cleveland Indians. However, Bingley had rotator cuff surgery in November; it was going to be a long recovery.

Darcy and the Cowboys won the Superbowl again, this time defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bennet's and Jane were torn between rooting for Darcy or their home team.

Caroline had insinuated herself in Darcy's world. She managed to get a job at his charity as a secretary, in hopes she would see him more often than she had in the past 4 years. But fate, however, was unkind to her; she shredded some important papers and was immediately dismissed; she begged for Darcy's assistance, but he refused.

Bingley was still recovering from surgery and did not play an inning the entire season. He had additional surgery in the summer to reduce swelling and other problems, but he still couldn't lift his pitching arm. In August, the Bingley's had another baby boy named, Samuel.

Elizabeth had flown home twice, in February and September, and promised herself that after that after this last business deal, she was packing her things and moving home. She had received another mysterious birthday gift and this time it was priceless. She received a gold half-heart on a gold chain; she knew it was from Darcy, and this made her resolution concrete. Elizabeth was overjoyed to see the newest baby Bingley. On her stopovers she went to see Mr. Darcy. She was quite disheartened, on her last trip through, to see Mr. Darcy so incapacitated.

Mr. Darcy had a stroke in March, confining him to a wheelchair. So Darcy stayed in L.A. until he had to go to summer camp and Georgiana quit the stage to be with him. Neither could bear the thought of losing another parent.

The Bingley's had stopped in L.A. a few days ago, after coming from San Diego, to see if they could help Georgiana out; and they did. Because after struggling these last few months with pneumonia, Mr. Darcy succumbed on this day. Georgiana was at his bedside when it happened and had to be carried away to another room; Jane stayed with her. Bingley called his friend and told him to come home, then he called everyone else.

Darcy flew home that night and went straight to his sister's room. This time he was stronger, he was prepared, or as much as anyone could possibly be for such a tragedy.

Catherine De Bourgh came and so did the elder Bingley's, including Caroline. Arrangements were made, newspapers were notified. Condolences and flowers were received, the Williams arrived from Tennessee, and friends, acquaintances and business associates from all over world stopped by. The Bennet's came, including Elizabeth, and so did the Cowboys. They all came to grieve for George Darcy.

Elizabeth sat in between Georgiana and Darcy during the service, comforting them both. She wondered about Darcy, he did not grieve as his sister did, openly; he just stared blankly, never ate, and hardly spoke to anyone other than to accept their prayers and condolences.

On this day, George Fitzgerald Darcy was laid to rest.

During the repast, Elizabeth watched Darcy intently as he sat in a corner, alone.

"Here, Will. Why don't you eat something."

"No thank you, Liz," he said not even looking at her, but pushing the plate away.

"You can't go on like this."

Darcy nodded. "I'll eat later." Then he stood up and walked outside for some fresh air.

Elizabeth was going to follow him, but Bingley stopped her. "I'll check on him."

"Thank you," she said with tears brimming in her eyes.

Later that night, as everyone had gone, excepting family and close friends who had gone to bed, Elizabeth knocked on Darcy's door and walked in.

"Do you need anything?"

"Nope."

"I'm going to bed now."

"Okay. I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure thing," her voice cracked and her heart ached. She closed the door and quietly cried to her room.

Darcy packed to leave and so did Georgiana. Elizabeth did not want her to stay in that big house all by herself, so she asked her to come to Japan with her for a while. Georgiana declined, but decided to go to Tennessee with the Williams' instead. There were no definite plans for her length of stay, since the reading of the will would not take place for another 6 months. Elizabeth tried to talk to Darcy, but his one-word answers discouraged her.

They all said their good-byes and everyone left the big mansion.

Darcy came home from practice and found a package waiting for him. He knew who sent it, but didn't open it, nor did he answer any of his messages, he just went to his rooms and celebrated his birthday in quiet reflection.

The Cowboys limped through the remainder of the season; Darcy's mind just wasn't fully on the game. They did win most of their games, but barely. Darcy still won the now standard awards and honors, including the NFL's Man of the Year for his charity work, but it meant nothing to him now. Other than his housekeeper, teammates and coaches, Darcy spoke to no one.

Georgiana was well taken care of by the Williams family, but worried over her brother being alone. She tried to call, Bingley tried to call, Elizabeth tried to call, but no one answered. Christmas came and went, but still no one had heard from Darcy personally. They called Coach Johnson who assured them he was on the mend; they talked to the housekeeper who assured them he was still alive.

The Cowboys lost in the NFC Divisional playoffs; their season was now officially over.

Darcy packed his bags, drove his old red Porsche to the airport and flew to see his sister. He apologized for his recent behavior and told Georgiana that he was just going to travel. He left three days later.

Darcy arrived at the Bingley's doorstep. He apologized for his recent behavior and told them that he was just going to travel. He left three days later.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"It's me... Will."

Elizabeth threw open the door and Darcy fell into her arms. They stood there embracing for more than a few minutes.

At length, Elizabeth was able to pull him into the apartment, close and lock the door, and guide him to the couch in the living room. She sat next to him and held his hands in her lap; they sat quietly for a few more minutes.

"Can I get you..."

Darcy laid his head in her lap and bawled like he never did before. Elizabeth stroked his head and soothed and comforted him until he fell asleep. She scooted from under him, took off his shoes, got pillows for his head and a blanket and covered him with it.

Elizabeth had fallen asleep, sitting on the floor next to her beloved who was lying on the couch.

Darcy had awakened first and lightly lifted her head. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she stifled a yawn and stretched. "Ow!" she exclaimed as she tried to stand.

Darcy picked her up and sat her on his lap. "Will you always be there for me?" he asked as he held her tight and whispered into her hair.

"Always."

They sat there, wrapped in each other's embrace for a long while.

"Are you hungry?" Darcy nodded. "You look so thin... When was the last time you ate?"

"2 months ago," he smiled wanly.

"Oh," was all Elizabeth could utter.

Elizabeth made Darcy breakfast while he washed up. He ate ravenously, like it really had been 2 months.

Elizabeth watched him for a while. "I think I need to make a few phone calls."

Darcy's head snapped up. "I don't want anyone to know where I am!"

She startled. "Why?"

"I already said my good-bye's."

"Your good-bye's?" she asked slowly. "Will, you're not thinking of..." She couldn't finish her sentence, the thought was incomprehensible.

"No, Liz. I told Gi, Jane and Chip that I was going away for a while. That's all."

She exhaled. "Good. Then I'll just call Kia and tell them I'm taking the rest of the week off."

"Thank you."

Elizabeth left Darcy at the table, made her call, then got washed and dressed.

She re-entered the kitchen. "WOW! Did you leave any food for me?!"

He choked and laughed at the same time. "Yes."

"Good! I didn't want to have to cook again!" she giggled as she scooped the remainder of the eggs and sausage onto her plate. As she sat down at the table, she asked, "What did you want to do today?"

"Nothing. I just want to talk to you, unimpeded."

"As you wish," she began eating and he watched her. "So?"

"Not now. I'll wait until you're finished."

Elizabeth felt very uncomfortable with Darcy watching her eat. "Why don't you go and watch some TV? Your Japanese probably needs polishing," she smiled.

"I'd rather watch you... But, I'll do as you ask," he grinned and walked away.

Elizabeth ate quickly, washed the dishes in a hurry, and then sat beside him on the couch.

Darcy turned off the TV with the remote control and held both her hands in his, as he did this, he heard the jingling of her bracelet and smiled.

His looked deeply into her eyes as his thumb delicately caressed her wrist and bracelet. "I see that you liked it."

"I knew you sent it."

"I'm sure." He leaned forward and their foreheads were touching, which caused his gold chain to come out of his shirt, showing the other half of the gold heart and Elizabeth smiled. "Liz," he sighed. "I was such a jerk. I did love you... but I chose to test you and I failed. I pushed you away when you only wanted to comfort me. Then I acted like a complete idiot when I tried to get you back... You were right, it wasn't much of an apology. I wouldn't have blamed you if you dumped your entire plate on my head." He shook involuntarily. "I hurt you... I'm sorry, please forgive me."

"You're forgiven."

"I don't know how can you forgive me so easily? Every time I remember what I said then... my conduct, my expressions, my apology. It is now, and has been for many, many years very painful for me to remember it. I'll never forget your rebuke as long as I live. 'You really need to grow up and get a clue!' you said."

"Please don't go over this?!"

"No, I have to tell you all... You thought, and rightly so, that I was only thinking of myself. The anger in your eyes... I'll never forget when you told me to burn in hell. Those were your exact words. You don't know... You could hardly believe how those words have tortured me."

Elizabeth cringed. "I really didn't know if what I said had sunk in."

He sighed. "I know you must have hated me."

"Hate you?! No, I didn't hate you. I was angry perhaps... more hurt than anything."

"You had every right to be. I was arrogant, presumptuous..."

"Shhhh."

"No, let me finish. My life without you is nothing. My father... My father once told me that I would never be completely whole without you... I knew he was right, but I didn't know how to get you back at that time. And I wasn't ready." He intertwined his fingers with hers. "You complete me, Liz." Darcy swallowed hard as a single tear fell from his face. "You complete me."

Darcy leaned forward and kissed Elizabeth so softly and tenderly that she stopped breathing; Darcy ended it quickly and Elizabeth breathed again.

They sat in companionable silence until the phone rang.

"Don't answer it."

"I have to, it might be important." He let her go. "Hello?"

"Hi Lizzy, it Gigi!"

"Oh, hi Gigi," she looked at Darcy and he waved her off. "What's up?"

"I was wondering if you had seen or heard from my brother? I haven't heard from him in more than a week."

"Uh, yes... he called me yesterday."

"Is he in Japan?!"

"Uh, I don't know. He didn't say. He just called to tell me that he was okay."

"Oh... Okay."

"Is anything wrong?"

"No... Oh, Lizzy, he's been so distant, so lost!" she cried.

"Don't cry. He's fine. He just needed some time away. I'm sure he'll call you in a few days when he gets settled," she looked pleadingly at Darcy, but he just shook his head. "I'm sure he'll call."

"You're right. I just don't know what I'd do without him, ya know?"

"I know," she sniffled.

"Look, I know you're on your way to work, so I'll let you go. If he should call you again, tell him I love him."

"I will. Take care."

"You too."

They hung up. Elizabeth sat down next to Darcy again.

"You're doing it again, you know?"

"What?"

"Shutting people out. Pushing them away."

Darcy closed his eyes and nodded. "I know, but it won't be for long. I'll call her before you go back to work on Monday, okay?"

"You should call her tonight."

"I only wanted to be alone with the one person that I love beyond measure and explain to her... make her understand what a terrible mess I made of us. I'm selfish, okay? I've been that way from 8 to 28. And you should know that better than anyone... I just wanted a few days to show you how much I care for you and the rest of my life to get you to trust me again."

Elizabeth nodded and kissed Darcy so softly that it felt like the wind had touched his lips. This day they talked of all matters under the sun. They stayed up late into the night and finally went to bed; there they just snuggled until mid-morning.

When Elizabeth woke up Darcy was not next to her and she almost flew into a panic; she thought she was dreaming. She threw the covers off, grabbed her robe and flew into the living area. "Will!" She stopped running when she saw him on the phone. He continued his conversation with Georgiana as Elizabeth went into the kitchen to fix breakfast and calm down.

"I told you it would take a lifetime," he embraced her from behind.

"What?" she said as she leaned back into him.

"For you to trust me again." Elizabeth was about to protest when Darcy placed one finger over her lips. "You thought I was gone didn't you?" No answer. "Didn't you?"

"Yes. Yes I did," she swallowed hard.

"Maybe it'll take more than a lifetime?" Elizabeth shook her head. "I have time to spare, if you do?" he asked.

"I do."

"Good! Gi says hi."

"You told her you were here?! She'll think that I lied to her!"

"I told her the truth. She doesn't blame you." Elizabeth leaned back and Darcy kissed her forehead. "She blames me."

They ate and planned their weekend.

Later, Darcy was unpacking his bag and hanging up his clothes.

"You didn't bring much. How long are you planning on staying?"

"As long as you'll have me," he smiled.

"Then we need to buy you more clothes," she smiled.

"Then you're not tired of me already?"

"Never!" she laughed.

Darcy walked over to Elizabeth at the window. "I love you," he said as he stroked her cheek.

"I love you too," she said as she blinked back tears. "And trust you, implicitly."

"I don't believe that... at least not yet. But I trust you with my life, Liz," he sighed. "We've talked about the present, I'm looking forward to the future, but the past between us has been good, yet bad..."

How can I tell you now?! "The past is the past," she interrupted. "And I try to remember only the good."

Darcy sighed. "Liz, I..."

She smiled mischievously and interrupted again. "Speaking of the past, when did you know you were in love with me?"

"I don't remember, it was so long ago," he chuckled.

"I know it couldn't have been after the freshman party," she laughed nervously.

"You can't expect me to remember the exact hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words? I was in the middle before I knew what hit me."

"My looks may have gotten your attention, but my behavior to you was, at least in the beginning, bordering on hostility."

"Ah yes, the beginning... Well, I deserved it, but I think I started to fall for you when you wouldn't accept my apology right away."

"I must admit, I liked torturing you, baby doll."

"And I must admit, I loved being tortured by you," he smiled and then he kissed her. Darcy pulled her close as she wrapped her arms around his waist and returned his kiss. "I love you, Liz," he whispered against her lips.

"I love you, Will," she breathed against his.

Their kiss deepened and eventually all Darcy's qualms were forgotten. Darcy grabbed Elizabeth's buttocks and guided her movements against him. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around Darcy's neck and arched her back as he trailed kisses down her chin and neck. Darcy slowly pulled up her silk nightgown to caress her skin as she swayed against him. Elizabeth shivered and roughly ran her fingers through his hair. Darcy picked Elizabeth up as his lips found her mouth again and she straddled him. Their tongues danced and darted slowly and passionately. Elizabeth gasped as his fingers stroked her wetness. Darcy carried her over to the bed and lay on top of her. He pounded and ground and she reciprocated. Elizabeth pushed Darcy on his back and unbuttoned his pajama shirt and ravenously kissed and suckled his erect nipples as she undulated on his hardness. Darcy pushed Elizabeth on her back and removed his pajama pants as Elizabeth pulled her gown over her head. They were both breathless in anticipation. Darcy climbed onto the bed, in between her legs and kissed her passionately. He entered her and all the world moved away; the only inhabitants on this desolate planet were Darcy and Elizabeth enmeshed in a wild, passionate lovemaking ride.

Georgiana moved back to New York to continue her acting career. Bingley officially retired from baseball, citing his disabled right shoulder. Darcy remained in Tokyo with Elizabeth. They called their friends and family to apprise them of their situation; all were very happy for them. Darcy called his coach and told them where he was in case they need to get in contact with him, then he called his publicist to cancel all his public appearances and speaking engagements. Darcy made a quick trip to L.A., after Elizabeth's birthday, for the reading of his father's will; it was, as expected, his father left everything to his children and only asked for discretion in charities and other matters. The Kia negotiations wrapped up and Elizabeth shut down her operations. She and Darcy spent the last month indulging in their own pleasures with promises to visit other such faraway places when his season was over.

"Liz, are you sure you won't come with me?"

"Will, I have to finish packing..."

"I don't understand why you didn't hire a moving company?"

"I don't trust them. Look, I'll be in Dallas ringing your doorbell in 3 days. You can wait that long, can't you?" she kissed him softly.

"I've waited 8 years, I guess a few more days won't hurt," he whispered in her ear.

"Umm hmmm," she mumbled as his lips found her again.

Darcy and Elizabeth were startled out their private reverie by the announcement of boarding at gate 12 for LAX. They walked toward the gate.

"I love you," Darcy whispered against her lips as he kissed her one last time.

"I love you, too. Miss me. I'm going to miss you like crazy."

"I miss you already," he smiled and waved.

Elizabeth watched as Darcy got on the plane; she watched as the plane left the bay; she watched as it rolled down the runway; she watched as it took off it the air. Her heart sang with love as she quietly blew a kiss to the man she loved.

Darcy arrived in LAX and instead of stopping off at the house, he caught the connecting flight to Dallas. It had been so long; he had almost forgot which car he drove to the airport in January. Thank God I remembered the ticket! I could be looking until next year! In the dark, led only by the lit lampposts, he found his little red Porsche, just as he left it. He threw his bags into the trunk and took off for home. When he got to the gate to pay for parking, he reached in the glove compartment where he always kept a few bills and out fell a cassette tape. Darcy didn't remember what was on it; the last time he drove this car was so long ago. It must have been as far back as college! He paid the parking amount, it was a rather large amount, and then he popped in the tape.

As he drove onto the highway, he pushed rewind to listen.

'Hi this is Lizzy, please leave a message? Beep'.

Darcy chuckled to himself and waited for the messages.

Darcy was puzzled and turned up the volume.

Darcy slammed on the brakes as he realized Wickham's voice. The car behind him swerved and the driver blew his horn and cursed as he passed Darcy, startling him and making him realize his whereabouts. So he drove on, afraid of what he might hear next, but also afraid to turn it off.

Darcy blinked back angry tears.

A teary-eyed Darcy swung off the exit from the highway toward his house. His mind was spinning; he gritted his teeth as he drove like a madman down the lane to his house.

Darcy slammed on his brakes again, swirling into a 360, kicking up dust and dirt.

Darcy sat paralyzed, except for the tears flowing down his face like a waterfall. At length, a trembling Darcy got out from his car, slammed his door and walked the next half-mile or so to his door. He left the car parked, yet still running. His head hurt, he felt betrayed, lied to, abused, misused, and all by the woman he loved. His rage continued on as he stalked into the house and ran up to his rooms.

As he entered the dark room and slammed the door, a flame flickered from a cigarette lighter.

"Where in the hell have you been?!?!" Darcy jumped back in shock, and was unable to speak. "I've been waiting for you for a whole month!!!" Darcy blinked, not believing. "Your father left me money and I came to collect!"

Darcy lunged in the dark at the smoldering flame. "You son-of-a-bitch! I should've killed you when I had the chance!"

"Mr. Darcy, you have a visitor."

"Will!" cried Elizabeth as he entered the room.

Darcy stopped in his tracks. "Take me back!"

"Will Please?!"

"You lied! I trusted you!" he shook violently. "Guard!"

"Will! Will! Will!" Elizabeth banged on the visitor's window, but Darcy just turned his back and waited on the prison guard to open the door. "Will! Please?! Will!"