A/N: This chapter was really hard to write, and I'm sure that Lydia and Darcy are perhaps a little OOC. But after today, we needed Lydia to receive some more comfort. This episode was so heartbreaking. I can't wait for Darcy to get the site taken down so Lydia can start to heal. Read and review! It makes my day.

Waiting was the worst part. Darcy had spent so much time in the past week and a half waiting. Waiting for a response for his contacts about the website. Waiting to hear from the phone company. Waiting for a lead. Waiting for Wickham to take the bait. But there wasn't much time left. He had three days to stop this sex tape from being released.

Darcy woke up the next morning. He had to wait for Fitz to call.

He took out his laptop to watch Lizzie's newest video. He was extremely worried about Lizzie and her family.

It was the most painful eight minutes he had ever experienced. A million thoughts raced through his head. He wanted to get on a red eye to Lizzie's hometown so he could give her comfort. He wanted to strangle George Wickham for hurting the woman he loved and her family.

Then, an unexpected feeling. He felt a surge of brotherly affection towards Lydia. Her situation was so much like Gigi's. He wanted to protect Lydia, and he realized that he wasn't only doing all this for Lizzie, or because he was partly responsible for the situation, but because he wanted to protect Lydia. Lydia, who was so much like his own dear beloved sister.

Darcy pulled out his phone. Fitz wasn't going to be able to call him for another hour at least. That gave him time. He needed to call Lizzie. He needed to be there for her, and by extension be there for Lydia.

The phone rang a few times, but it wasn't Lizzie who answered the phone. It was Lydia.

"Darcy?" said Lydia, as she answered the phone.

"I was calling to talk to Lizzie," said Darcy, feeling inexplicably embarrassed. He could hear the pain in Lydia's voice and it felt as if he was intruding.

"Yeah, I figured as much," she said. "Lizzie and Jane went to get more tea. We drank it all last night. I can have her call you back when she gets home."

"Thank you," said Darcy. He was about to hang up, but something stopped him. "Lydia, would you like to talk about anything?"

"Umm, no. Thank you. I'm sure you're really busy."

"Lydia," said Darcy, "I understand what you are going through, or at least I do to some extent. My sister went through the same thing. George Wickham is a master manipulator. He's—"

Lydia was crying. Again.

Get a grip, Lydia. She scolded herself. Darcy doesn't want to hear about your problems. He's probably pissed at you because you took Lizzie away from him.

Yet, he didn't sound angry. He sounded exhausted, and worried, and . . . compassionate?

Lydia didn't know why, but she suddenly felt the urge to confide in Darcy.

"Lydia," said Darcy, "You can talk to me."

Lydia knew that no one knew Wickham better than William Darcy. Not only that, but his sister had gone through what she was going through now.

"I love him," said Lydia. She had said it to the entire Internet, so saying it to Darcy didn't seem too ridiculous. "I don't understand why he would do this to me. I trusted him and he is using this tape to make money."

"I understand," said Darcy. "Gigi loved him once, and perhaps a part of her still does. Her pain has not disappeared completely, but time does heal wounds."

Lydia somehow doubted this, and she began to cry in earnest again. Words tumbled out of her as she explained her feelings to a man that she didn't like. Her eyes were rimmed with red, and there was a box of tissues in her lap.

He listened in compassionate silence, every so often offering her a word of comfort.

"I feel so stupid. This is going to follow me for the rest of my life, and its all my fault because I gave him permission. All of this happened because I acted like an idiot. I trusted him and he let me down. What's worse is that I can't even hate him for it. I still love him so much. I thought I was finally good enough for someone, but I was so wrong. "

"Lydia, this is not your fault. George Wickham did this. He took advantage of you. He made you feel safe and wanted. No one blames you. This is what Wickham is good at. I've had first hand experience."

"Lizzie's viewers do," said Lydia. "I am ruining my sisters' lives, and mine too. I made it so Lizzie had to leave you and Gigi. She could have been happy. Jane lost her job because of me. It's all my fault."

"Your sisters came home because they wanted to be there for you. They didn't want you to go through this alone. They love you."

"But I still made them give up what was making them happy. Lizzie loved it at Pemberley Digital and I made her leave. Jane loves LA and now she doesn't have a job. In two days, the tape will be released and everything will be ruined."

Darcy was silent for a moment, and Lydia wondered if she had said too much. It was weird that she was talking about this with Darcy. But again, she had said all this and more to the entire Internet. It was already all out in the open.

"Lydia, I want you to know that I am doing everything I can to stop the tape from being released."

"You are?" asked Lydia, trying not to let herself sound hopeful. "What can you do to stop it?"

"I'm working on it, Lydia. I won't go into the details right now, but I will stop Wickham from releasing the tape. You can trust me."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Lydia.

"Because if I had told you and Lizzie and your family the truth about Wickham when I first came to town none of this would have happened. Lizzie wouldn't have dated him and he wouldn't have gone after you. I'm not going to let George Wickham hurt anyone I care about ever again."

Lydia could hardly believe what Darcy was saying. She had never heard him speak so honestly. "Darcy, you really do love my sister, don't you?""

"I—"

"Thank you, Darcy," said Lydia.

"You're welcome," he said, quietly. "If you ever want to talk—"

"I'll hijack your number from Lizzie's phone. You're really surprising, Darcy," said Lydia. "You're an okay guy. I can't wait to tell Lizzie."

"Actually," said Darcy, "I don't want Lizzie to know yet."

"Why?" asked Lydia.

"I don't want her to feel indebted to me. I'm not trying to buy her love. I am doing this because it is the right thing to do, and I don't want you, or Lizzie, or your family to be hurt by Wickham. Not again."

"Wow," said Lydia, amazed. "Lizzie's really lucky to have you."

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

"Oops, Looks like Lizzie and Jane just got back. It's time for more tea. I'll tell Lizzie you called. Thanks Darce, and I won't tell her what you're up to." Then she hung up.

Lydia still felt miserable, and she knew that the next few months would be terrible, as she tried to heal. But maybe things would get better eventually. Knowing that Darcy was trying to get the site taken down was a great comfort. Maybe, by some miracle, Darcy would be able to stop the tape from being released. Maybe she would be able to move on with her life.

For now, though, she had her sisters, and gallons of tea to drown her sorrows in.

Lydia went downstairs to join her sisters in the kitchen.

"Lydia, what kind of tea would you like," asked Jane, hugging her sister.

"Chamomile is fine, Jane. Thanks."

Jane nodded and started to brew the tea.

"Lizzie, Darcy called while you guys were out. I answered and told him that you cold call him back."

Lizzie looked shocked for a moment. "You talked to Darcy?"

"For like thirty seconds," said Lydia.

"Well, I can call him back later. Right now, I'm here for you, Lydia. I love you."

"I love you too, Lizzie," said Lydia, hugging her older sister. "Thanks for coming back," she added, addressing both Jane and Lizzie.