A modern P&P narrative, that's all I'm about to say, you'll get the rest from the first chapter. English is not my first language so please excuse all my mistakes, I hope you'll understand what I'm writing :-)

Reviews are much appreciated and they'll help me going on.

Chapter 1

All right, darling, lie still and I'll tell you a story, a fairytale. Close your eyes and listen…

I don't remember the weather on that particular day in August but I can clearly recall how it made me feel. Do you know the mornings when you wake up, don't bother doing your hair or make-up or anything and you just take the dog leash and go jogging with your dog? All you have in your head is the happy dog who seems to want to wag her tail off and you, you just jog till you drop.

Yeah, it was August and that means holidays. I successfully finished my second year of the Longbourn University where I've been studying English literature and I was enjoying loads and loads of free time. Every morning I would go jogging and it somehow made me feel happy and I felt nothing could go wrong. Rain or no rain, Squirrel and I ran our five miles and then I would go to work. Squirrel used to go everywhere with me, she was my dog assistant at that time.

I worked at the Longbourn library – the only library Longbourn has even nowadays. Small town, you know? I love books and that's why I studied English literature. I was lucky enough to actually have my school as a hobby – and don't look at me like that, young lady! One day you will love books too.

After work I would go swimming, to a party, shopping or I just sat in the park and was reading a book. Sometimes Jane, that's your aunt, sweetheart, would go with me and we would have the best times of our lives just talking, laughing and enjoying holidays.

On that day in the middle of August after work I and Jane went to pursue another of our hobbies and that was canine therapy. Why are you looking at me like this? Oh, you don't know what canine therapy is! Well, imagine that a dog becomes a doctor – he or she goes to see the patients and spends some time with them just to make them smile. I know it sounds strange for you now but believe me that sometimes the patients don't want to talk to anyone, they're sad and ill, they look bad and feel blue – and here comes the dog who doesn't judge how they look, doesn't ask how they feel and definitely the dog doesn't bring anymore pills or medical procedures, the dog just wants to be near them, cuddle with them and maybe get a cookie. I see it in your eyes that you don't believe a dog could be called a doctor. Well, think what you want but you should see how the elderly in our hospital revived when Squirrel bounced into their rooms! She loved people and would do anything to please them. She would have been a circus clown if she hadn't been a dog, I'm sure. When you spread your arms, she jumped up and you caught her and cuddled her as a baby – she loved it! Or you made kind of a gun of your fingers, pointed the index finger at her and said "Bang!" and she would drop dead, with just one eye opened to watch you. Then you clapped your hands and she was alive again! Imagine how the patients loved it! It looked so real except Squirrel was smiling all the time and sometimes when she thought she had been pretending long enough that she was dead, she started to wiggle her tail. You should hear the laughter of the elderly. Now, tell me, do you get the whole canine therapy thing? Good, I knew you would.

When we came to the hospital, to the part where the elderly patients were, there were young medics there. They were going with Dr. Carmichael from one patient to another a he was talking in this medical terminology which a normal person isn't able to understand. Dr. Carmichael smiled when he saw us, and waved his hand for us to come nearer.

"Here, let me introduce you our dog doctor, Squirrel," said he, and the medics looked either amused or incredulous.

"And, of course, her mistresses Elizabeth and Jane Bennet," he added with a wink.

Jane, who was always the one who did most of the speaking, said:

"Well, Squirrel is Lizzie's dog, I'm here just as an interpreter."

"Right," replied Dr. Carmichael and with "See you later, girls" he and his group of medics continued in their work.

In one of the rooms, there was a lady who didn't like dogs but she dearly loved to talk. Her lips were moving so quickly that I didn't have a chance to understand her and Jane wasn't able to sign everything the lady said so while Jane sat there and listened, I took Squirrel and we went to another room to other patients. There lay an old man who never spoke a word to us but every time we came he wanted Squirrel to jump to his bad so that he could feel her fur and cuddle with her. I stood with my back to the door so I didn't notice anyone entering the room and I continued talking to the man. Even though he never said anything, he seemed to like it when I was talking about Squirrel's latest adventures.

Suddenly someone grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. In front of me there stood an angry guy in his twenties and when I focused on his lips, I saw he asked why I didn't do as he said.

"Excuse me, Sir, I didn't hear you." I replied and with a smirk he retorted:

"Didn't hear me? What are you, deaf? I was speaking loud enough! Now get the animal and leave the room, I have to examine this patient."

I turned to the man in the bed and with "Excuse me, Sir, we have to go now but we'll see you next time, OK? Take care. Squirrel, wave your paw!" we made our way out of the room.

In the corridor, I saw Jane talking to one of the medics, a handsome redhead boy. Squirrel immediately ran to the young man and he knelt and started to talk to her as if she was a person.

"So you're the famous dog doctor here? All the patients talk about you!" and he continued but I wasn't able to make out what he was saying because I didn't see his lips. Then he turned to me and asked:

"Isn't it true?" And I looked at Jane to interpret.

Jane started signing as well as talking: "My sister Lizzie is deaf. Please, talk clearly and let her see your lips when you are speaking, she'll understand you then."

The redhead stood up and said, facing me:

"Uh, I was just saying that it's amazing how sometimes the dogs can heal what the doctors have given up on. My name is Charlie and I am a medic. So you are sisters," he continued, looking between me and Jane.

I looked at Jane and was taken aback by her expression. She was smiling like crazy and I have never seen her blushing so much! Oh god, she liked the boy!

"Yes, Lizzie is two years younger than me and she studies English literature," Jane introduced me. Then she addressed me and signed:

"Charlie wanted to know more about the canine therapy, do you think he could go to walk Squirrel with us sometime?" She usually both talked and signed so that I could read her lips.

Oh boy, never have I seen her so excited about a boy!

"Sure, why don't you and Charlie go out and wait for me, I and Squirrel will go to see the old lady over there and we'll come in a minute?" I proposed, knowing Jane and Charlie might appreciate some privacy. No, I'm not a matchmaker, how could you think something like that? OK, I admit I wanted to help our shy Jane a bit, so what?

Jane, blushing more than before if that's even possible, looked at Charlie who seemed very enthusiastic about spending more time with her and nodded her head.

"All right, and tell the lady I say Hi!" she said I smiled, walking the other way then Jane and her new friend.

When I met Jane and Charlie a half hour later in front of the hospital, they were so absorbed in their conversation they didn't notice me at first. I kept smiling like crazy, Jane was so cute and so was Charlie! They'd be perfect together, I thought, as I interrupted their talk with a Hi.

"Oh, you're here already!" cried Jane as if I were away just for two minutes. She was so cute! Charlie asked us to wait a bit for his friend, he wanted to introduce us or what. We talked about Squirrel and the hospital, when the guy who threw me out of that room earlier came. I just stared and so did he.

"This is my best friend, Will Darcy, he's also a medic." said Charlie, and than continued: "And Will, you remember Jane and Lizzie Bennet and, of course, Doctor Squirrel."

"Of course." replied Will, imitating Charlie's voice.

"Come on, Darcy, what's wrong this time?" asked Charlie because Will's tone didn't escape Charlie's notice.

"Nothing, can't I be just tired? Let's go to our flat, shall we?" And with that he turned on his heels and went away. Charlie just shrugged and apologized:

"He's not like this all the time, believe me. I'd better go or he'll jump out of his skin. I'll see you tomorrow, Jane. Nice to meet you both, bye." And he hurried after his friend.

There was a flip of paper in Jane's hand and I stared at her with my eyes wide.

"He gave you his number?!"

Jane blushed and looked down.

"Hey, way to go, girl, he seems great! He's easygoing and friendly – and he couldn't remove his look from you!"

"Oh gosh, Lizzie, you're exaggerating!"

I rolled my eyes and as I turned, I saw Charlie and Will at the bus stop not far away. I know I shouldn't have, but I read Will's lip just when he said:

"Yeah, the blonde girl is pretty, she's your type, I get it. But what about her sister? She's chuckleheaded or what? I was talking to her and she ignored me! And she didn't say a word when I told her to leave the room."

I couldn't see what Charlie answered but he must've said I was deaf because Will froze and his eyes wandered to me. He was very handsome and his green eyes seemed to absorb me. Now it was my time to blush.

Oh, look at the clock! All young ladies should be sleeping by now! Good night, sweetheart, I'll tell you more sometime later, promise. Good night.