One Great Love Chapter 1, a pride and prejudice fanfic

AN: The canon characters do not belong to me. They are the creation of the lovely Miss Austen, to whom we all owe a great debt.

Elizabeth Grace Bennet is a popular romance author...read the interview as she talks about her one great love.

This was also published under mrsdarcy2032 at AHA.

"Good afternoon and welcome to WTOK's Heartbeat, with Chloe. This is the hour we spend dishing with your favorite romance authors about their newest books, newest looks and of course their newest loves. Today we're chatting with Chicago's own Elizabeth Grace who's newest project, Two Hearts, One Love just landed on the romance best seller list. Good afternoon, Elizabeth and welcome."

"Good afternoon Chloe. Thank you for having me."

"Elizabeth, I finished Two Hearts just last week and I can only say…WOW. I don't want to give anything way here, but you have out done yourself this time."
Elizabeth laughed as she answered, "Well, Chloe. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Where do you get your inspiration?"

"Romance is all around us, if you know where to look. For example, today I stopped by my neighborhood coffee shop and as I was waiting in line I watched an elderly couple sitting at a nearby table. At first glance there was nothing particularly special or different about them. He was reading the paper, she had a book and they didn't appear to be talking. But on looking closer I noticed their feet were always intertwined and each time he reached for his coffee his hand would stray to caress hers. They left while I was still in line. They were holding hands and smiling and laughing together. Another time, if I didn't have an appointment, I would have asked them to tell me their story. Since I couldn't do that, I'll have to give them a story of my own making."

"That's great. Inspiration from every day life…tell us, did that couple inspire you to start another book?"

Elizabeth laughed again. "Perhaps, but I think we'll let Tom and Miranda have their time in the spotlight before I talk about anything new."

"Fair enough. Elizabeth, you specialize in tales of epic love. Love that endures across centuries and lifetimes, like Emma and Mr. Knightley, Margaret and Mr. Thornton or Jane and Mr. Rochester."

"I do not know that I belong in such esteemed company, but yes, I enjoy a good love story and I've always been a fan of the happily ever after. Oscar Wilde said it best in The Importance of Being Earnest, the good ended happily and the bad unhappily. Fiction should be better than real life and this is what I aim to give my readers."

Across town in a penthouse with sweeping views of Lake Michigan, Fitzwilliam Darcy silently thanked his agent for keeping him apprised of Liz's publicity schedule, discretely closed his office door so his staff would not disturb him and adjusted the volume on his radio. Sitting in his leather chair with his long legs crossed loosely in front of him, he could close his eyes and hear the laughter in her voice. He could see her bewitching eyes sparkle as she spoke. He knew that when she answered her lips would be twisted in a half-smile and she would shake her head at being compared to the authors of classic literature. Good grief, I can't believe I'm doing this. Hiding from my staff, listening to this ridiculous station. But I need to hear her voice…just this once, just for a few minutes. For just this hour I will pretend she is here, talking to me and that we're still together and she still loves me. For just this hour, I'll be Will and she'll be Liz and there will be no Caroline, no George, no Lydia, no misunderstandings or hateful accusations.

Somewhere on Michigan Avenue, Caroline Bingley cast a baleful glance at the speaker near her table. Oh for the love of God. Can't they change the station? Surely there must be music, any music. Anything that isn't Liza Bennet! It's like I can't get away from her. Even once she was out of the picture I wasn't enough. I hate her. I hate her. I hate her!

"So, Elizabeth, do you believe in epic love or does it belong only to the realm of fiction?"

There was silence on the air for several seconds before Elizabeth answered, "I do, Chloe. I think love like I write about does exist. Some people are fortunate enough to find such a love and hold on to it, others never find it at all, and some are so unlucky as to not recognize that great love until it's too late." Elizabeth's voice was soft and introspective as she spoke. Perhaps no one else would recognize it, but Darcy knew. He knew she was thinking of them and he told himself he could hear regret in her voice.

"What about you Elizabeth? Have you found that love, or is your story still waiting to be written?"

"I thought we were discussing books." There was a smile in her voice. Darcy could hear it.

"Well, we were. But this is Heartbeat, so we want to know all about you, not just your work. So spill….what's your love story? Have you found your love?"

"I haven't spoken of this in years…but, yes, I've met my one great love."

"Ooo….telll us more!" Was it Darcy's imagination or did the radio host sound like an older version of Lydia? He knew it wasn't Lydia, she was out on the west coast with George, but the attitude, the flighty, gossipy tone was just like Liz's youngest sister. He wondered what Elizabeth would say and had a moment where he was in equal measures hopeful and afraid she would give his name.

"We were both very young when we met. I more so than he. I was 18, he was 22 and we hated each other." Elizabeth laughed lightly at this; across town Darcy chuckled and Caroline slugged her wine while signaling the waiter for another. She considered ordering a bottle.

"Wait. What? I thought this was your epic love." Chloe's voice was all exaggerated drama.

"The course of true love never did run true. Anyway, I thought he was an insufferable, arrogant snob and he thought I was a manipulative, opinionated, know-it-all. It was not a recipe for romance."

"Oh, my. So, what changed? How did the man you hate become your great love?"

"We had several mutual friends and acquaintances and we kept getting thrown together at social events. You know, weddings, work celebrations, moving parties, that sort of thing. After a while we each learned we had made some….miscalculations about the other. I figured out he wasn't a snob; he was shy and wary of people wanting to use him to gain access to his incredibly popular sister. He figured out I wasn't as set in my opinions as he thought and somewhere over the next year or so loathing turned first to lust and eventually to love." Darcy thought about those early, heady days when they could barely keep their hands off each other. The first kiss that had been born of an argument when they were both angry and he just wanted to stop fighting and her face was flushed and her eyes were fire there were her lips and it wasn't gentle or sweet. It was passionate and demanding and his hands were on her face and her hands were clutching at his hair. He was pushing her against a wall and she was arching into him and it was the beginning.

The radio host's voice yanked him out his reverie. "And….what happened?"

"We both needed something the other couldn't or wasn't willing to give. He had dreams and plans and was going to do great things with his life. I was still trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. We got in our own way and there were some horrible misunderstandings and in the end, there came a day when we just lost sight and we missed out." As Elizabeth spoke, Darcy remembered that last kiss, the kiss that did not demand or insist, but pleaded. It was soft and gentle and spoke of heartbreak and loss and goodbye. It was wet with salty tears and when it ended he thought he might die.

"Tragic!" Darcy thought the host sounded about as sincere as a politician on Election Day. "Where is he now? Is he pining away and wishing he'd never let you go?" Well, I'm not pining….but wishing I'd never let her go? Every minute of every day. I was an idiot, Liz. God, I was an idiot.

"I hear about him now and then. He made all those plans come to pass, he's with someone, he seems happy." Hmph. Not happy, Liz. Not since you. Darcy leaned closer to the radio.

Caroline listened with growing horror, despite telling herself she would do no such thing. He's supposed to be with me,you wretched cow! But no. Even when he was with me, he was always with you. And now that he knows I'm the one who started that little rumor about you and George he won't even return my calls. You never, never deserved him, idiot woman. He was supposed to be mine!

"So it seems you both got everything you wanted. He has his dreams and judging from your wildly successful career, you definitely decided what you wanted to be." Darcy waited for her answer with a mixture of fear and anticipation. I don't have everything Liz, and I what I do have I would give away in an instant for the chance to go back to that awful day.

"I don't know about that, Chloe. I mean sure, I've been more successful than I ever believed possible and that success has certainly afforded me a great house and more Jimmy Choos than I can ever wear, but that's all just stuff."

Caroline nearly spewed wine through her nose. Jimmy Choos? What would you need with Jimmy Choos? Ugh. It's all just window dressing any way. Underneath those designer shoes, I know you for the trash you'll always be. Man-stealing witch!

"I smell regret. What would you tell him if you could talk to him one more time? What would you say to this great love of yours?"

Darcy adjusted the volume again, focused on her voice and waited for the words that would be his salvation or destruction.

"I would tell him I was wrong. I would tell him it wasn't his fault. I would tell him I never stopped believing in us."

"I'm breathless. It sounds like you still love him."

"I do. I always will. He was, he is my one great love." Elizabeth's voice shook as she spoke.

Caroline shattered her wine glass and across town in the plush office of his penthouse, Fitzwilliam Darcy's heart began to beat for the first time in years. She loves me. After all this time, she still loves me.

Two weeks later…..

Elizabeth squinted into the daylight, rolled away from the window and propped herself up on one elbow. She gazed at the handsome man next to her. His hair curled softly against his forehead, his strong jawline sprouted the stubble of morning and his delicious lips were slightly parted in sleep. Her gaze traveled further down to the well-muscled chest, the strong, capable arms and the soft line of hair leading….well, leading to what looked to be a very promising morning. The stroke of his hand in her hair drew her attention back to his face which now revealed dark eyes and a sleepy smile.

"Good morning, Liz." She bent to kiss him and found herself flipped on her back and captured in the very arms she had just been admiring.

She laughed, "Good morning to you too, Will!" He stifled her laughter with a kiss that started out playful and very soon deepened to something more. It would be hours before the couple finally ventured from the bedroom in search of food.