A/N: Thank you for your reviews on the opening chapter, I'm glad you seem to like it. Here's chapter two with a trigger warning: do not read past the author's note if you cannot handle the ordeal that Elizabeth has been through.
Chapter Two
The day had been just what she needed. When they had arrived back at Will's, she had been warmly greeted by Alice with a hug and then made a cup of tea by Will's housekeeper. She had stepped into the living room, noting how nothing had changed in the three months since she had stepped foot in her boyfriend's house. The layout was still the same, the various pictures of Will and Georgie and their parents littered the walls and surfaces of cabinets. Alice's DVD collection was still alphabetically lined up on the bottom shelf of the bookcase while Georgiana's music books for the piano littered the bottom of the coffee table like a typical teenager's mess. She had taken a seat on the sofa whilst Will went into the kitchen to make them lunch and Alice had brought her out the cup of tea, asking her what she and Will had planned for the afternoon. Elizabeth had been grateful that Alice hadn't brought up her kidnapping ordeal, or asked how she was coping with it; she had her entire family asking her how she was everything five minutes that having Alice just talk to her like she hadn't just been held captive by a psychopathic stalker made her feel normal for the first time in weeks.
Will had made them some cheese and pickle sandwiches which he had placed on a large plate on the coffee table before setting the Mario Kart game up on the Wii. Alice had gone back into the kitchen to pull the freshly cleaned and wet clothes out of the washing machine before heading upstairs to put them in the electric dryer as Will handed her a controller and the two started a game.
The rest of the afternoon had flown by in a blur. After winning the first few races, Elizabeth requested that Will stop trying to make her feel better and be a little more competitive to which he accepted her challenge and played a little tougher. After several more races and evenly tied with wins, the two switched off the game and lounged on the sofa, with Will hanging off the edge while Elizabeth was tucked up against his side and back of the sofa; their feet resting against each other at one end of the sofa whilst Elizabeth rested her head on her boyfriend's chest. For the first time in months, she fell asleep with her boyfriend and slept peacefully; until she'd had a phone call from Maddie two hours later asking her if she was coming home for dinner or not.
Now that Will had dropped her off, he was planning to finish up some work emails until he would pick her up later, having both agreed that she could spend her first night since her captivity at his house. They had already made the plan of ordering in a pizza and watching one of Alice's DVDs while the housekeeper went out to dinner with some friends. Elizabeth felt a little proud of herself, although having a shaky start to her afternoon; she had made it through an entire afternoon by going outside and not panicking. It didn't matter that her outing since her panic attacks had started was only to her boyfriend's house.
Closing the front door behind her, she took off her shoes and frowned when she saw suitcases sitting on the floor; until she entered the living room and saw her older sister sitting on the sofa with her arms folded, having a sulk which she hadn't seen Jane do since they were kids.
"Jane, are you alright?" Elizabeth asked, sitting on the sofa next to her sister.
"Not really." Jane muttered.
"Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. I'm just under a lot of stress." Elizabeth apologised.
Making eye contact with her sister, Elizabeth noted that Jane looked like she had received a punch to the stomach.
"Maybe I just need to give you a bit of space." Jane said dismissively.
"Just a tad. Jane, I know you mean well, but I don't need you hovering around me all the time. Just be there if I talk, come with me to the therapy sessions, help me make progress. That's what I need from you." Elizabeth stated softly.
"I think we need some space, you don't need me getting in your way especially when you have William there for you." Jane replied icily.
Elizabeth sighed heavily. The last thing she needed right now was Jane having a go at her for her boyfriend being there. The last thing she needed was Jane having a strop because she had snapped at her earlier.
"Look Jane, I've apologised for earlier. Can you talk to me like an adult instead of a sulking child?" Elizabeth requested.
"I think you're right. I think we need some space so I'm going back to run Longbourn, you don't need me hovering over you all the time." Jane shot at her.
Elizabeth hadn't expected her sister to come out and say she was leaving Portsmouth. She had guessed that Jane would be upset at from earlier, but she thought that they could talk about it and make up just like they did with all their disagreements. But apparently, she was wrong.
"Jane, you don't have to do that." Elizabeth said quietly.
"I think it's best for everyone if we all have some space for a while." Jane replied stubbornly.
"But I need you-"
"You don't need me, Lizzy. You have Maddie and Ed, you have Will and Lydia refused to come back to Thurston with me, so you'll still have a support network." Jane interrupted.
Elizabeth frowned.
"What do you mean Lydia refused to come back to Thurston with you?"
Jane stared at her moodily, her arms still folded across her chest.
"You want me out of your space, fine. But you are hardly in the right frame of mind to consider Lydia's wellbeing." Jane stated.
Elizabeth scoffed, she couldn't believe that her older sister was being so childish that she wanted to punish Lydia for their disagreement earlier.
"So, you want to drag Lydia kicking and screaming back home to help you run Longbourn B&B? She's sixteen now Jane, she knows her own mind and what she wants." She argued.
"She's still a child, Lizzy. A child that needs an adult to make the hard decisions and look after her needs. It's only a matter of time before we get that letter through to say when the appeal date is and Lydia will need a strong guardian to get her through it-"
"How dare you?!"
"Just getting my feelings and thoughts out there like Dr. Richardson said. You feel like I'm suffocating you? Fine. I'll go back home and run the business while you sit around and have your boyfriend sort out your every need." Jane threatened.
"She also said that we need to support each other, Jane. But you're smothering me. I get up to get myself a drink and you do it for me. You ask me how I'm feeling like a million times a day. You are constantly interrupting my alone time with Will that I can't do anything with him." Elizabeth argued.
"And the reason I don't leave you with Will is because the last time I left you alone with him, you were kidnapped by a psycho!" Jane shouted.
Elizabeth froze at her sister's loud declaration. She studied her sister's face, the instant look of panic and guilt she had bottled up for the last two months but had vented her frustration out on Will because she was scared the same thing would happen again. In those few minutes of silence that followed Jane's outburst of admission, she knew that her sister blamed Will for giving her those few minutes alone on that Saturday night and that Jane blamed herself for not staying with her when they had just been told about Oscar's murder.
"Jane, it wasn't your fault or Will's. I don't hold any blame for what happened against either of you." Elizabeth said quietly.
"Maybe you don't. But Will could have stayed with you and could have taken his ex-wife's notes seriously and because he didn't you could have been hurt." Jane said stiffly.
"He told you, didn't he?" Elizabeth asked.
Jane nodded.
"When we called the police he briefly told them why he thought Wickham might have taken you he told us that his ex-wife had warned him that Wickham was planning something but didn't know what and then he spent hours at the police station viewing CCTV footage and telling them everything he knew about Wickham and his dad." Her sister explained.
"But he's making up for the mistakes he made, he's here for me and that's all I need; to know that everyone is here if I need them, if I slip up." Elizabeth said quietly.
"He might be making it up to you, Lizzy. But he still hurt you and that's something I can't easily forgive." Jane pointed out.
"You don't have to forgive him, but you do have to be civil with him. He is trying so hard to be there, working at my pace and if you two are constantly at each other's throats then I'm not going to have that support network that I need." Elizabeth stated.
Jane nodded her head sharply, it was almost as if her sister were a child sulking because she had been caught out on something she wasn't supposed to be doing and in a way, she was acting precisely like that. Elizabeth knew that she needed her sister's support in a way where Jane could put her hostility towards Will aside and help her through the dark path she was walking but she didn't need her sister's constant fussing.
"I don't think it's as easy as you say it is." Jane sighed heavily.
"Can't you try? For me?" Elizbeth pleaded.
"I think I should go to Thurston, make sure that Longbourn is still standing. I just need to check in for a few days, talk things over with this manager I've hired and go from there. I think a few days apart is what we all need. It'll give us all some breathing room." Jane replied.
Elizabeth nodded, feeling nothing but disappointment that she couldn't change Jane's mind about not going back to Thurston. But in a way, she knew that she had to let her sister make this decision and she knew that they all needed some breathing space.
"If that's what you want." Elizabeth sighed.
Jane simply shrugged her shoulders.
"What I want is to have the ability to change the past. I wish that I could go back and prevent that fire so that dad wouldn't have rushed back into the B&B to save Lydia. I wish I could go back to that night and stop Lydia from sneaking out in the first place. If I could our dad wouldn't have died, Lydia wouldn't have gone off the rails and met that predator and nearly killed herself. She wouldn't have needed to leave school and relocate, and you wouldn't have met Wickham and been through all of this!" her sister cried, her voice breaking.
She felt her eyes fill with tears as she noted how much pain her sister was in. But having the ability to change the past was impossible. Everything that had happened to them over the last two years was part of their lives.
"Jane, none of it was your fault. Or mine. Or Lydia's. Or Will's. Jamie Smith and Wickham are evil, twisted men who are going to be punished. I just hope we won't be waiting much longer." Elizabeth said bravely.
Her sister nodded her agreement and the two of them shared a hug, letting out the tears that needed to be let out.
"I just hate seeing you like this Lizzy." Jane muttered, sniffing through her nose, "You just seem like you're in an empty void, not knowing how to carry on or get out of it."
"That's a good summary." Elizabeth replied, closing her eyes as she heard her sister let out a light laugh in her ear.
Jane released her and the two met the other's eyes; both red and puffy from crying.
"I just hate feeling useless. I am so afraid of something happening to you or Lydia and I'm not here full-time."
"I know. I feel useless right now, I'm scared of the unknown, I wish I could change things too sometimes."
Both the sisters shared a moments silence, as if silently understanding each other that there was a lot that they all needed to work through if they were going to have a new beginning they all wanted desperately. Elizabeth sometimes wished she could change some of the things in her past, she wished she could have prevented Caroline from calling Oscar because if the meddling cow had minded her own business then Oscar wouldn't have come to Portsmouth with the hope of reuniting with her and thus wouldn't have been murdered by an obsessed, jealous man.
"I think I'm going to go home for the weekend, give you and William that time alone you need. I'll check in with you and Lydia and tell you what I've discussed with the manager. Then we can come up with a way so that we all get some space but still be there for each other." Jane suggested.
"Okay, but don't be a stranger." Elizabeth ordered.
Jane gave a small, assuring smile.
"I won't." her sister promised.
Before anymore could be said between the two of them, there was a knock at the door. Maddie came through from the dining room, crossing the living and stepping out into the hall before pulling open the front door.
"DC Parsons, what are you doing here?" Maddie asked with a surprised tone.
Both sisters stood up from the sofa, walking out to join their aunt in the hall. Sure enough, DC Parsons stood in the doorway with a blank expression on her face.
"My apologies for the disruption but may I come in? There is something you need to be informed about, Miss Bennet." The police offer stated.
Looking at each other, the three women stepped to one side and allowed DC Parsons to enter the house, with Maddie closing the door behind her.
ooOoo
Later that evening, Will and Elizabeth were curled up in bed together watching some stand-up comedy show on Netflix on the TV that Will had bought a few weeks ago. She sighed happily against her boyfriend's chest, causing Will to lift the TV remote and mute it before looking down at her.
"Everything okay?" Will asked.
Elizabeth looked up at him, lifting her head and supported it underneath her hand.
"This is just what I needed after today." Elizabeth replied quietly.
Will smiled, running a hand through her wavy hair.
"How are you feeling? After everything?"
If she were going to be honest, she was left feeling angry after the visit from DC Parsons. The police officer had informed them that while Shane Wickham had pleaded guilty to kidnap, possessing a firearm, aiding and abetting to the murder of Oscar and attempting to murder Sarah and would be sentenced in the next two weeks without the need of a trial, George Wickham's trial had been delayed because the judge had ruled that he needed a psychological assessment to be carried out first.
"I'm disappointed that I have to wait so long to see him get locked away for good, but I know he's locked up awaiting trial and an assessment. At least his father pleaded guilty, I just have no idea why he would." Elizabeth said.
"He'll get what he deserves. It wouldn't surprise me if he pleaded insanity, he'll do anything to avoid facing the consequences of his actions." Will said angrily.
"There's nothing you can do, Will. I need you to stay calm and let the police deal with it-"
"It's not easy for me, Lizzy. It's one thing that some independent journalists want to use your ordeal as part of their documentary, that made me angry. But now, to hear that Wickham is using every last excuse he can think of to avoid going to trial…that makes me livid…I can't just stay calm…it's hard." Will sighed.
"I know. Don't you think I'm upset? At the rate I'm going, breaking down every five minutes, Maddie is going to need some new t-shirts." Elizabeth said softly.
"I just want to get you through this. I just want them to be punished for what they did to you." Will growled.
"I know, but honey-"
Will blinked in confusion as he looked at her, a small smile appearing on his face.
"What?" Elizabeth asked shyly.
"That's the first time you've called me that." Will noted warmly.
Elizabeth let out a light laugh, realising he was right. It was the first time she had used a term like this for him before.
"It just came out…"
Will grinned at her, leaning forward to capture her lips with his own.
"I'm not complaining…" he breathed against her lips, breaking off the kiss.
She ran her hands through his hair, sharing a warm smile with her boyfriend. In those few seconds, the bad news that she'd had didn't matter, all that mattered was the two of them. For the first time in weeks, in those brief few seconds, Elizabeth felt slightly normal.
"But seriously…how are you feeling?" Will asked.
"I'm still angry and I'm upset about the whole trial thing. I'm on awkward terms with my sister. But today, with you… it's been just what I needed. I needed the distraction of spending the day with you." Elizabeth said softly.
"Anytime, Lizzy. It's what I'm here for and now we've got an entire weekend of doing whatever you need." Will assured her.
Elizabeth bit her lip nervously. What she wanted was to make the most of her time with Will. It had been weeks, with Jane's constant hovering and her nightmares she and Will hadn't been able to have some time alone together. But now, here they were in his house with no-one to disturb them. Leaning forward, she captured his lips and kissed him hungrily, straddling him and sitting over him. Will sat up, wrapping one arm around her waist while the other combed through her hair as he matched the hungry pace of the kiss. She moaned in pleasure as she felt his arousal becoming more and more evident underneath her, letting out a squeal of surprise as Will flipped them over so she was on her back.
Will broke away from her mouth, moving his lips down her neck, his hands reaching for the hem of the t-shirt she had nicked out of his drawers. He pulled the t-shirt up over her head and threw it to the floor, moving his lips back to her neck as he cupped her breasts in his hands. Elizabeth closed her eyes, feeling breathless as she felt him teasing her.
"You are so gorgeous." Will whispered huskily in her ear.
"Will…" she breathed, her breath catching as his lips travelled down her neck and along her collarbone.
She let out a cry of pleasure as he moved his attention to her breasts, smiling to himself at the sounds that were escaping her lips.
"I've missed that sound…"
Elizabeth froze.
"I can't wait to hear what sounds you make. I wonder if you like it rough? I bet you do…"
Her eyes opened and she pushed Will off her, breathing faster and faster, finding it difficult to regulate it. Fear was threatening to take her in, her memory flashing back to the basement of the nightclub where Wickham whispered all of his sick fantasies about her, had whispered all of his sick innuendos and plans for her. Will looked at her, confused.
"Lizzy…are you okay?" Will asked carefully.
All she could do was shake her head, she was far from okay. A fresh batch of tears came and she sobbed into his chest as he held her close. She hated this, the first chance at having some privacy with her boyfriend in weeks and the minute things started heating up, she bolted. All because Wickham was inside her head.
"Lizzy, its okay. I'm here." Will whispered soothingly.
"I'm such a mess." She cried croakily.
"We'll get you through this." Will promised.
She looked up at him through wet, puffy eyes and sniffed. She couldn't understand why he hadn't bolted. She was a right mess. Nightmares, panic attacks, unable to get Wickham out of her mind when she wanted to be intimate with Will and he still wasn't running.
"I'm sorry-"
Will cupped her face and looked at her sternly.
"Don't apologise, you have nothing to be sorry for!"
"Why do you put up with me?"
His forehead bumped against hers, his expression soft and his breath warm as it hit her face.
"I love you, Lizzy. I'm not putting up with you, I'm with you because I can't imagine my life without you and I don't want to live without you."
Wrapping her arms tightly around his neck, Elizabeth sniffed deeply as the tears fell down her cheeks, wishing that she could get Wickham out of her mind sooner rather than later.