This is my first one shot so, I hope that you like it. I don't own Eliza or Henry, as all you might know. Anyway, enjoy!


Forever His Fair Lady

Henry honestly couldn't believe himself. How did he allow a "guttersnipe" like Eliza worm into his affections? He remembered how he told Pickering how he would NEVER let a woman in his life, and here he was thinking of a woman who had weaseled her way into his life, pondering at what recently happened. Truth was he couldn't think of her as a guttersnipe anymore. Not since the ball has he thought her as that. All dressed in flowing with and the diamonds shinning like the stars. Gracefully she walked across the floor. He marveled at her very being. Truly she was a marvelous woman fit to be queen standing higher than the highest tower. He even told her himself, but that seemed to make no impression on Eliza unfortunately, but She certainly made an impression on him. He had grown accustomed to her face and no matter how many times he told himself he could go on, he knew he just couldn't. In a way he regretted ever meeting Eliza. Maybe than he could be spared the pain he was feeling. Eliza was now gone, and there was nothing now he could do to convince her to come back.

He recalled how Eliza mentioned she would marry Freddie…of all people. Here she was fit to be queen, and she chooses to destroy all his hard work by marrying him! What couldn't she marry someone more worthy. Someone like…him. He shook his head as he realized what he was doing. All this pain and suffering was due to one woman. This was exactly why he proclaimed he would never let a woman in his life. Henry had to admit though, he wasn't impressed at the way Freddie showed his affections. What difference does it make to a woman if he writes letters everyday or proclaiming love at the right moment? Truthfully he didn't want to go everyday writing the same things over again saying how much he loved Eliza. It seemed to make a lot of difference to her though, if she considered marrying him. Women were strange beings, to be sure, and Henry figured he would never completely understand them.

He sighed heavily as he walked up the steps and opened the door walking around the house. It felt empty now, like a presence was gone. It was however; Eliza was gone, never to come back. Sighing again he walked to the room in which Eliza declared she wanted lessons. He gloomily turned on the phonograph

"I wash'd my ands n face I did fore I com I did."

Henry froze as there was a pause in the phoegraph, and thinking that there was something wrong with it, and that it would continue any minitue soon relized there was nothing wrong with it; Eliza was back. His eyes widened with confusion as he decided there was no use. He leaned back in his chair pulling his hat over his face.

"Where the devil are my slippers?" he said quite calmly.

Eliza stood a few feet smiling, and walked over to him.

"I've come back. I don't suppose that you would care and wonder why I did."

"Not really." He lied. He was dying to know, why, after their discussion, she was back here.

"Well, I'm not going to leave you in the dark. I've come here to stay…Until that is I marry Freddie."

Henry removed his hat and shot up. He was boiling mad now.

"So, you expect free room and board here? Didn't you say you could get by on your own?"

"Oh I have no doubt I could but as it appears, it's not me that needs the help how."

"Oh, so now you think I'm the helpless one?" Henry replied now leaning back in his chair scoffing. "What makes you think that?"

"Why, just noticing how you tuned on my voice on the phonograph was enough to convince me. Besides, if I didn't stay here, where would I go?"

"Back on the streets where you came from." He knew that these words hurt Eliza, and secretly Henry hoped they hurt her just as much as she hurt him.

"How, despicable! I thought that you might have changed after our encounter. I thought I would get you thinking, but apparently you seem too arrogant to realize when you need someone and when you do. To tell you the truth, I lied as to the reason I came back. I'm still marrying Freddie, but I mainly came to see you. I see that my visit was wasted on such a heartless fool."

Henry just sat there pondering what she said. Could it be that she really had no desire to marry Freddie? Could it be she was going to really come back…for him?

"So, are you going to sit down or not?" Henry said, as Eliza was ready to turn toward the door and leave. She stopped in her tracks and faced Henry with questioning eyes that were full of anger.

"How can you say that after what you told me?"

"Your words did get me thinking, and I can't bear the thought of you not here." Henry replied shocked at the words he said.

Eliza's eyes widened with surprise as well as she made her way to sit.

"Well, I guess you should have thought of that before you threw hurtful words out of that horrid mouth of yours." Eliza replied.

"I can't bear to think you the wife of that Freddie."

"Oh, so you're jealous of him, are you?"

Henry shook his head. "No I am not. You deserve better than to be a wife to him…he has nothing to offer you."

"And I suppose you think that you have more to offer me?"

"Why of course. You've been in this place for six months!"

Eliza nodded. Henry didn't know why he couldn't just confess. Why did he have to be so stubborn? He hated that now more than ever. His mind was battling ever so hard as to let his guard down once and let this woman into his life.

"I can't bear to think of you in rags and Freddie's wife, begging for food. I only picture you in this house."

"Oh, so you want me your puppet, obeying your every command like you have for the past six months?"

"No, it isn't what I meant. I picture you here…as my wife. I can't explain it more clearer." Henry replied seeming agitated.

Eliza's eyes seemed to dance with joy as she slowly got up entranced at the words he said.

"Why on earth would you say that. You said so yourself that you're not the marrying type."

"A man can change his mind, can't he?"

There, he said it all. Now Eliza knew, and he felt like a new person opening up like that. He cared what Eliza's response was but to him all that mattered was that he felt like a new man. He anxiously waited and watched her reaction.

She smiled sweetly. Never had those words come at the right time. What happiness Eliza felt at that moment. Ever since they danced when she finally began to make a break trough in her speech, she felt something differently towards him. She couldn't explain it and didn't know what it was, but she came to eventually know it as love, and that's what she felt the moment he said the words.

"Yes, they can. And so can a woman's.

"What do you mean by that?" Henry asked.

"I've changed my mind about Freddie." Eliza replied. "I know that I won't have the most charmed life with him, but I can't help but feel that I'll be happiest here in this home…as your wife."

I hope you enjoyed this one shot. I'm not sure if I did well with the characters, but I did the best I could. I would greatly appreciate your reviews! I hope soon there will be a MFL section...soon.