REMEMBER THIS IS AN AU!
Also, Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy is a real thing, and it is amazing!
Looking back Lizzie should have expected something like this.
THE PAST MONTH:
Lizzie loved Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana. She was kind, and friendly, and somehow made William Darcy seem like a better person, which was harder that she originally thought. But every time the two of them went to the movies, or lunch, or did anything together, Lizzie always had a question for her: What went on between you and Wickam?
And then Lydia's trouble started, and Darcy had saved her. Georgie couldn't keep her mouth shut on the issue that had plagued her little sister. The fact that Lydia was able to keep her mouth shut on how Darcy had helped was, in Lizzie's opinion, was a miracle.
EARLIER TODAY:
Lizzie was waiting for Georgie outside her office, and she heard the ending of an argument between her and her brother.
"She needs to know Will! She has a right, after what happened!" Georgie was pleading with her brother for something.
"Georgiana. She does not-" His voice was firm, but a braver girl there never was than Georgie.
"Do you still lover her, Will?" She sucked in her breath, waiting for the answer. She didn't hear it. "Then you have to tell her!" That means it was a yes, right? He still loves me? Lizzie released her breath.
"Georgiana, I forbid you to tell her." She saw the door open a little and she stood up.
"Well then you have to tell her! She has a right to know that legally, I'm not your sister, and if she wants to be with you, that she'll end up being my step-mother!" The door flew open, and Will stood in the door frame.
"Lizzie. I, um, how much did you hear?" His hand clutched the door frame.
"Enough." And with that she turned and ran.
NOW:
Lizzie sat curled up on her sofa with a demolished pint of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Therapy. So that's what they were hiding from me. Stupid! Stupid me! The doorbell rang. She got up and didn't even look through the peep hole.
"Darcy!" She withdrew a little into her apartment. He was standing there with a brown paper bag.
"I need to explain some things to you." He shifted his weight from foot to foot.
"Well that has to be the understatement of the century." She took a step forward, determined to to let him get the better of her.
"Uh, may I come in. To, uh, explain. I brought wine and chocolate ice cream." He held the bag out for her to inspect. Same type of ice cream, and a very expensive bottle of wine. Good taste. But you already knew that!
"Fine." She took the bag into the kitchen and shoved the ice cream into the freezer. One carton is enough! She then grabbed two glasses. "But you have to share the wine with me. I am not having this conversations with you being the only sober one here. And I have already downed a pint of chocolate ice cream, so I will just save it for later." She returned to the hall and he was just standing there, not doing anything. "Well, come on!" She pulled him into her living room and sat him down on the sofa. She opened the bottle with a pop, and poured them both a glass. He took it, with a light sip, which she reciprocated. She cocked an eyebrow and waited for him to start talking.
"My mother always wanted two children. But after I was born, the doctors told her she couldn't have another. Then one day, she and my father came home with a baby. 'Look at your new sister, William. Isn't she pretty?' I was six, and looking back, she was a very pretty child. Then, eight years later, my parents brought home George, we were both fourteen adn they thought I could use a brother to play with. But George had," he directed his gaze to the floor, "violence issues. My parents dismissed everything the schools told them, until he hit Georgie."
Lizzie drew in a breath. "So he was always like that? Always violent?" He nodded and took another sip of his wine, and directed his gaze back to her. His eyes were at the brink of tears.
"So they put him back into the system. Four years later, both my parents were dead, and Georgie would have gone back into foster care. Turns out they never officially adopted her, she was just in foster care and nobody wanted her. But Georgie thought that I was her real older brother, so in order for the two of us to stay together, I adopted her with part of my inheritance. That is why I protect her, because, even from that young of an age, I had raised her. I took her to school. I dealt with bullies and questions on homework. Our nanny could have cared less about the two of us, and my parents were always too busy." A tear slowly fell out of the corner of his eye.
"I'm sorry William." Lizzie reached forwards and brushed the tear away from his cheek. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" His head twisted to look at her.
"What do you mean? What did I say earlier?" She sighed. He really is hopeless.
"I mean when Georgiana asked if you still loved her. I assumed you were talking about me and by her reaction, your answer had to have been yes. Is that what happened, Will?" Please be what happened. Please be what happened. Will nodded.
"Lizzie, I don't know if you feel the same way you did the last time I told you, but I've changed the way I am presenting myself to you. Please stop me at anytime if I am making you feel angry or uncomfortable. Lizzie, I cannot describe how I feel about you. All I know is tha-"
Lizzie cut him off, diving over the sofa, pressing his back into the cushions and kissing him deeply. "Will, all you had to say was yes." He smiled and pulled her back to him. She pulled away again. "Is it as good as you hoped for?" He shook his head. She stood off and was about to start screaming. He sat up and grabbed her hips, pulling her close.
"It was better." She smiled and pulled him up to her. "Lizzie, will you go on a date with me?" She nodded against his lips.
It was at that moment that she realized that she had loved William Darcy longer than she had thought. She pulled away. "William, I love you."
"Lizzie, you have no idea how long I have waited to hear you say that."
She smiled. "What? I love you?"
He shook his head. "No. William."
She leaned into his body and pressed her lips against his ear. "Well then why don't you make me scream it?"
He was smiling and Lizzie knew it was going to be a long night.
