When the Hurlyburly's Done, Part I
Rating: T
Summary: LBD Post Ep. 93 and after Pemberley Digital Ep. 6 – In their separate spaces, Darcy and Lizzie think on the close call and on what happens next. This one is Darcy's POV.
I don't own anything, including the song I mention – be like Darcy and not sue me.
Gigi had suggested Darcy take a swim, but he wasn't sure that should be the first thing he should do. Sleep sounded pretty appealing, and while a good meal could help him get back on his feet properly, the warm shower might soothe his sore muscles. He was trying to figure out the order he should do things: sleep, swim, shower, meal? Or should it be meal, sleep, swim, and then shower? Perhaps swim, sleep – forget it, he thought to himself. I'm going to sleep and no one is going to stop me.
Darcy found that he really needed a shower before he could let himself sleep. He slipped into a pair of pajama bottoms, tied the drawstring into a loose knot, and then cocooned himself underneath the sheets and blankets. He fluffed his pillows a little, put his right hand underneath the top pillow, rested his left hand on his left rib and drifted to sleep. It was there he found much-needed refuge.
He could see Lizzie walking through the lobby of Pemberley Digital wearing a sleeveless plum dress ending just above her knees. She wore simple black pumps with a low heel and her hair flowed loosely around her shoulders. The sunlight streaming through the windows caught the red highlights in her auburn hair, causing Darcy's breath to catch in his throat.
There was so much he wanted to say to her, but he knew their relationship was in a precarious state. He wanted to pick up where they had left off, to ask her to attend the theater with him with the hope that she would say yes to his invitation. But would she even be in that place now? Her family had just dodged a bullet; they had nearly been humiliated on a global scale thanks to the antics of its youngest member, who had fallen prey to a notorious cad. Lizzie was on an even tighter deadline now to complete her degree, and she might feel as if she has no time for evenings with a man who was more comfortable with the inner workings of social media than real-life social interactions.
As she boarded the elevator, Darcy had to say something.
"Lizzie, how are you today?" he asked as he pushed the button to the floor where her office was.
"To be perfectly honest, I'm a bit tired, but I'm glad to be back here," she said looking up at his face.
"Of course. I'm sure you're eager to finish your shadowing so you can wrap up your master's thesis," Darcy replied.
"That's not the only reason," Lizzie said with a smile right before she exited the elevator and made her way to her old office.
That little exchange caused Darcy to hope that maybe they could resume their relationship without awkwardness.
Right after 2 p.m., Gigi called her brother and told him that she had just had lunch with Lizzie to welcome her back to town and find out how the family was coping.
"Why didn't you tell me that Bing had returned to Netherfield?" she asked.
"I wasn't aware that he had," Darcy said.
"Did you suggest it? Is it because he wants to resume his relationship with Jane?"
"I am trying to get the bugs worked out of Domino and I can't really keep track of all my friends' whereabouts," Darcy said with a huff.
"I totally know what you're doing – you're trying to make up for interfering with Bing and Jane in the first place! I see your plan big brother. You're playing the long game – you want everything to be just perfect before you make your move with Lizzie. Smooth William, smooth."
"Don't you have tennis practice to get to?" Darcy said.
"Yes, and just because I'm hanging up doesn't mean I'm dropping the subject completely. To be continued."
"Bye Gigi."
"Bye William."
As Darcy hung up the phone, he thought about what he could do to work his way completely into Lizzie's good graces. He stepped out of his office and leaned over the desk of his personal assistant so the people in the surrounding area would not hear him.
"I need to know if there are any shows playing tonight that might be of a more lighthearted nature."
"Are you thinking of a musical, perhaps?"
Darcy chuckled to himself thinking about a moment he had shared with Lizzie regarding musicals. "Actually, a musical might just be the ticket."
"I'll see what I can do," the assistant smiled at him, having an idea of what her boss might be doing.
An hour later, the assistant came in with a less-than-satisfied look on her face.
"What is it?"
"There's nothing on tonight," the assistant sighed. "It seems like all the performing arts spaces are in transition for their next productions, and there's nothing really to do at the moment."
"Nothing? Darcy asked with incredulity.
"Not unless you want to take her to Macbeth," the assistant said.
Darcy leaned back in his chair. He had had more than his fair share of battles lately and was hoping that the hurlyburly was – at long last – done.
"Very well – I will think of something. Thanks for trying," he said. The assistant nodded and left the office.
A couple more hours passed and Darcy decided to take a walk towards Lizzie's office. Her door was open and she was typing furiously on her laptop. She glanced up and saw that it was him.
"Come in," she said with a small smile. "Let me just finish this thought and I'll be right with you."
Not wanting to interrupt her, Darcy nodded and sat on the couch beside her. He thought about the last time they were seated on this couch and how he had rubbed her back in a futile attempt to comfort her at a most distressing time. He had wished he could have caressed her under more favorable circumstances.
Lizzie saved her file and shut down her laptop. She then turned to Darcy.
"How was your day?" she asked with a bit of cheer in her voice.
"It was … mostly all right, but there was a small disappointment. Nothing I cannot recover from. And you?"
"I finished a lot of housekeeping and I believe I will be able to finish in about a week and a half if I completely focus."
This was not the timetable Darcy had envisioned. He thought he'd at least have three weeks. He realized he had better fast-track his project – namely, to woo Lizzie Bennett once and for all.
"What are your plans this evening?" he asked.
"Probably getting some Chinese take-out, unpacking, and writing more of my thesis. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I thought that since it's your first night back in town that perhaps you would like some company. I was thinking I could invite you over for some homemade chicken carbonara, a little wine, and maybe movie. Gigi will be practicing late this evening and I figured you might hate eating alone as much as I do."
Lizzie looked down at her lap and as she did so, a flush came into her cheeks. She then started to slightly nod affirmatively and looked at him.
"I haven't had chicken carbonara in quite some time. That sounds wonderful. What time should I be ready?"
"Actually we could just leave from here and I could drive you home afterward," Darcy said.
"Oh, okay. Can I meet you in the lobby? I need to stop in the ladies' room first."
"Certainly. Meet you in 10?"
"Sounds like a plan."
By the time Lizzie arrived downstairs, Darcy had his car parked in front of the entrance.
"What happened to the hybrid?" she asked, inspecting the cobalt blue vintage Mustang convertible.
"That's my everyday car," Darcy said as he held the passenger door open for her. "But given what a beautiful day it was today and no rain in the forecast, I had to break out the summer car early. It's important to take advantage of those days, don't you think?"
"I do," Lizzie replied with a slight purr as she swung her legs into the car. Darcy closed the door with enough force to secure it without jarring her.
While he deftly wove through traffic and hugged the notorious hills with well-timed breaking, accelerating and shifting, Darcy stole glances at Lizzie. She was soaking in more of the city, or at least as much of it as she could with her hair blowing around her face. The wind was running through her locks, making him jealous. That was what he wanted to do.
When they stopped in front of the house, Lizzie leaned over to survey the damage.
"Wow – that is really bad," Lizzie said as she quickly used her fingers to restore some semblance of order to her tresses. As she turned sideways, she caught Darcy's wide grin.
"What?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied. "It's just that I don't think the windblown look is all that terrible. The disheveled look reminds of me of-"
"Of?"
"I'd better not finish that. I don't want to get in any more trouble with you for what I say."
"You might very well get into trouble for what you don't say."
Darcy thought a moment before opening his door and circling around the coupe to open the door for her.
"Let's just say that, the timing might be wrong and that, if and when the timing is right, I will tell you. I promise."
Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows and squinted her eyes at him as he offered his hand to help her out of the car. She relaxed her brows and eyes while smirking at him. She then took his hand.
"I'm going to hold you to that promise."
As soon as they entered the house, Darcy led her to the living room.
"I'm sure you don't want to watch me cook, so please feel free to watch TV. Dinner will be ready in about 20 minutes."
"You cook?"
"Well, yes. I mean, I didn't have to learn because we always had people to . . . but there were some family recipes the cook just couldn't seem to make the way mother did. Fortunately, she had taught me before . . ." Darcy's voice trailed off as he looked down, then away from Lizzie. She put her right hand on his left shoulder.
"Hey – it's okay. You miss her. You miss them."
Darcy looked up just enough to meet Lizzie's eyes.
"Yes." He covered her hand with his right hand and gently squeezed it. "Thank you."
He gently lowered her hand to her side, reluctantly let it go, and then returned to the skillet where he was adding the needed ingredients.
"Anything I can do to help?" Lizzie asked.
Darcy had originally intended to impress her with his culinary skills, but it occurred to him that working together and being in such tight quarters might bring them closer. Even if it was only by a little bit, he needed to take the opportunity.
"Actually, I haven't removed the bacon or chicken from the icebox. Could I trouble you to -"
Lizzie let out a soft laugh. "Icebox? Really? Is it next to the wood stove?"
"That's what my parents called it."
Lizzie hung her head low and looked at the floor for a moment before speaking. She didn't mean to be offensive by inadvertently mocking his deceased parents.
"Why do we keep doing this?" she said.
"Doing what?"
"Hurting each other, making asses of ourselves – why can't we just relax and talk like normal people?"
Darcy thought a moment, turned off the burner on which he was reducing the cream sauce, and headed for the living room. He quickly booted up the computer and cued up a playlist. A piano accompanied by Fergie's voice piped through the speakers. Lizzie immediately recognized the song: "Finally." Darcy walked back into the kitchen, removed his apron, set it onto the counter, and gently lifted Lizzie's chin.
"Please dance with me."
Lizzie closed her eyes. Darcy saw she was breathing differently and seemed to enjoy the softness of his fingertips on her face.
"Yes," she said with a small smile while taking both of his hands into her own.
He wasn't sure why she accepted, nor was he was going to question it. He led her to a part of the living room where there was enough space to dance and look over the bay simultaneously. What they ended up doing was less like dancing and more like holding each other and just rocking from side-to-side. They didn't even change their cadence when the tempo picked up. Her head rested against his chest and under his chin. He could smell her perfumed hair. Before he realized it, he pulled her closer by placing his left hand on the small of her back. She responded in kind by tightening her grip. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but Darcy knew he had to tell her everything – now.
"Lizzie?" he said in the same soft voice he used when she learned of Lydia's problem with George Wickham. "I have a confession to make."
"Shh . . . don't talk. That's what gets us into trouble," Lizzie said into his shirt.
"So does not talking effectively," Darcy whispered into her ear. "I promise it won't hurt your feelings. Please let me take you out onto the balcony." He wanted air so he wouldn't let this go too far too soon.
With one hand he opened the French doors, and with the other he led her outside. He noticed her rubbing her bare arms to fend off the chill. He saw Gigi had left a wool blanket on a chair, so he grabbed it and wrapped it around her. He held onto the ends as he began talking to her.
"Better?"
"Yes – thank you. What's wrong?"
He sat on the bench and waved his hand, signaling for her to join him. She wrapped the blanket tighter and sat down to face him.
"I told Bing to watch your videos – all of them. I admitted I didn't have all the information I should have had about Jane and told him that if he still cared for her that he should talk to her."
Lizzie didn't seem completely surprised. She bunched the blanket ends with her left hand and took his left hand into her right one.
"Thank you," she said while looking into his eyes. "That means a lot to me."
"Wait – there's more." Lizzie tilted her head to one side and furrowed her brows slightly. Darcy continued.
"I was the one who prevented Lydia's sex tape from being available via the Internet."
Lizzie's eyes widened in shock. Her hand let go of his as she covered her mouth.
"Oh my God," he faintly heard her mutter through her hand. "Why? How? How much did you pay? How am I going to pay you back?" she asked aloud while she turned away from him. Darcy gently grabbed her shoulders with both of his hands and turned her back towards him.
"I did it because I should have warned the world sooner about his questionable character. He had gambling debts and used the sex tape to pay them off. I did it because I knew if it got out, you'd be tainted by association and you'd be finished before you even got started in this business. I couldn't let you feel the way I felt when he hurt Gigi."
Lizzie finally looked up at him.
"What did you have to do?" she asked in a tone that made Darcy feel like she both wanted the details and didn't want the details.
"I've put him in a box," Darcy said. Lizzie sharply took in a breath and trembled slightly.
"You mean – you called some guys and he's – at the bottom of the bay?" she whispered.
Darcy laughed ever so slightly at the thought that Lizzie could even think for a moment that he could do something like that, although if there was a man on Earth who could push him to that option, it probably was George Wickham.
"No, although if he keeps operating the way he has, someone very well could. I meant a legal box. I tracked him down and had my attorney draw up papers on the spot that I forced George to sign so he would never come anywhere near your family or my family again. I paid off his debts and bought the . . . footage so no one will see it."
Lizzie sighed in relief.
"Where is it now?"
"Fitz destroyed it. George and his associates were forced to turn over all copies. They know if any were to turn up at any time that we can make their lives miserable."
Lizzie looked down at her lap again, then looked up at him.
"How much do we owe you?"
"Nothing."
"How much did you pay them – the people who owned the website, the loan sharks or whatever they were, the lawyer-"
"Lizzie, I wanted to do this. I needed to do this." He rubbed her upper arms through the blanket. "I could tell you that my feelings haven't changed since October, but I'd be lying. I thought I loved you, but I didn't know you. I loved who I thought you were."
Darcy saw tears begin to fill Lizzie's eyes.
"So you don't care for me – like that – anymore?"
"On the contrary – I care for you more than ever. My feelings are stronger, because now I know who you are. You're a lovely, intelligent, witty woman who deeply loves her family and friends."
Lizzie's eyes locked with Darcy's.
"Fitz and Gigi were right. You do look out for the people you care about."
Darcy blushed and turned his face away, but Lizzie gently cradled his head in her hands, letting the blanket fall off of her and turned his face back towards her own. The tears escaped from her eyes and lashes and rolled down her cheeks.
"When is the last time someone looked out for you who wasn't on your payroll or who wasn't a blood relation?"
"I'm not sure," Darcy conceded, wiping away her tears with his fingertips. Lizzie turned her face so she kissed his palm.
"I'd like to try," she said in a husky, low voice she didn't recognize as her own.
Their eyes met again. As they tried to move their faces towards each other, their noses bumped, resulting in momentary awkwardness and the briefest laughter on both sides. Darcy felt the softness of her lips against his five o'clock shadow. After a mutual exchange of a few soft kisses on cheeks and chins, their lips finally met. Darcy deepened the kiss by wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Lizzie wound her arms around his waist. The wind picked up and blew her hair around both of their faces. When they finally pulled apart to get some air, Darcy's face broke into a huge grin while he tried to smooth her hair.
"What's behind the cat-who-got-the-canary smile?"
"The thought I had when we got out of the car crossed my mind again."
"Well, now that I'm your girlfriend, you have to tell me."
"You're my girlfriend?"
"Yeah."
"Only if I can be your boyfriend."
"The job is yours – but only after you tell me what you were thinking then and just now."
"I was thinking how I wanted to see your hair like that after making mad, passionate love to you."
Just as Lizzie seized his face to pull him closer for more kissing, Darcy woke up. He turned towards the other half of the bed only to find it empty.
"Dammit. When will the day come when my best memories aren't from dreams?"
He decided a swim might help him get tired enough so he could have dreamless sleep. He didn't want to dream of Lizzie if she was now out of reach.
Thanks for reading! Please review, but constructively critique with kindness!