Most of you want Darcy to earn Lizzy's love, hope this fills your request.

Waking up in a strange bed was not something that happened often to Lizzy, at least since she turned ten. However, the day after Thanksgiving Lizzy woke up disoriented until she realized what room she was occupying. It seemed so strange waking up in a room that was considered the guest room her entire childhood, yet it was even stranger when she remembered what had happened the night before.

Looking at her surroundings, Lizzy remembered the feel of Darcy's arm and the gentle kisses he had bestowed on her during the night. It seemed like a wonderful dream, especially since she woke up by herself. Getting up, Lizzy wondered where Darcy was until she smelled the smell of French toast and sausage.

"It smells good!" Lizzy said, the moment she entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, sweetheart. I hope you don't mind me using the kitchen." Darcy smiled.

"Are you kidding? When have I said no to food? Where did you get all this in the first place?"

"I went shopping this morning. No, I did not get lost. Meryton is very small compared to LA and people are very nice," he replied, expecting Lizzy's question.

"Isn't that sweet! You must have woken up very early." She moved to stand in front of the kitchen island.

"You did bake yesterday and seeing how…"

"How I am useless in the kitchen you thought it would be best if you cooked instead," she finished.

"That was not what I was going to say but yes."

"Be quiet and finish cooking the French toast before I starve to death." She looked at the grocery bag and took out the syrup and orange juice Darcy had bought.

"We barely went to sleep a few hours ago and that was after we ate almost all the things you baked."

"That is beside the point and everyone knows I can eat at all times," she and laughed.

"How many people live here anyways? It seems like everyone knows each other."

"Let's just say that everyone went to the same school and we were probably all in the same class."

"Really?"

"How big was your senior class?"

"I don't remember. I think we were about two-thousand students, why?"

"I thought so. My senior class was a whopping two-hundred students. We all knew each other and I am not exaggerating when I say they all came to spend at least one night at my house."

"All at once?" he said seriously but with a small smile.

"Very funny! I meant individually. It was fun when we were older but almost everyone leaves for the universities in the big cities. Once they get their degrees, some of them come back and make their future here."

"Did you ever think of coming back?" Darcy questioned. Finishing the French toast and putting everything on plates so that they could sit down and eat.

"When I was younger yes. My father always liked the idea of me coming back and finding a job here in Meryton. The Lucas's have a business and when I told them I was majoring in business they told me I was always welcomed there. But after the accident, I never found a reason to come back."

"This is your first time here after…" he trailed off.

"I came back a year or so after but I found it too painful and finished staying at the Wickham's."

"Then why did you come back?"

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea. I was going to go back to the apartment but before I realized it, I was on my way to Meryton."

"This is a beautiful house. It really seems like a place your father would live in."

"My father loved this place. When he first came to Meryton, he was actually just visiting and he fell in love with the house. It was fortunate the owner was selling otherwise he wouldn't have had a wedding gift for my mother."

"Is it yours?"

"Yes. They finished paying for the house five years before they died and I got it after the accident. I was very close to selling the house but I just never got the right buyers."

"Why were you going to sell it?"

"I was eighteen, had a part time job at the local supermarket and I had to pay for the funeral of three people. I was never going to make ends meet, especially with all the debts my parents had."

"What happened? You did not sell the house so how did you get the money?"

"When I first asked Mr. Wickham about selling the house he informed the neighbors and they started having fundraisers to help me out. They said the house was part of the community and that they liked remembering my parents there."

"That was nice of them."

"It was. It made me appreciate them more than before but this house still brings so many memories. They wanted me to live here and make it seem as if nothing happened and I just gave it up," Lizzy said sadly.

"Don't say that!" Darcy moved to hug her. "Even though I don't know them, I can tell you they understand because they care about you."

"I love this place, it's a part of me that I don't want to forget but it is also the place that makes me remember my parents and Cindy. I'm glad I didn't sell it."

After a few minutes of silence, Darcy asked the question that was on Lizzy's mind the entire night and morning.

"What are we? I mean are we boyfriend girlfriend or are we still friends who…"Darcy trailed off.

"I don't know. I'm not ready for a serious relationship and I doubt you are."

"Why not? Because of Caroline?" he yelled but took a big breath to calm himself.

"Don't you think it would be insensitive of us to start dating the day after you broke of your engagement with her? I would hate to be in her position and I hope you understand that."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you but I will wait as long as you need, Elizabeth."

"I don't know how long I will need. There are moments when I think I am ready but then I… then there are times when I know I am not ready," she apologized.

"And I will be waiting all the same," Darcy assured.

"Will, I am damaged, you must see that!" Lizzy yelled out knowing she had to talk to him before her heart was completely his. "I don't want you waiting for someone who might never be ready for a real relationship. What happens then? You will come to despise me and we can't work like that."

"Who says I will? Who says we will not make it? What if we do this: We will be co-workers at the company but just let me show you what it is like to be with someone. Someone that won't take advantage of you but will treat you like an equal," he begged trying for her to look him in the eyes.

"I can't let you do that!" she looked straight into his eyes. "I need to get my act together before I even think about my future. For the first time I am…me. What I did last night was wrong and I regret it because I led you on when I shouldn't have. I really want to believe there is a future for us but I need to figure out where I stand, not only with us but in life in general." She seemed sad but she did not want to make a mistake twice.

They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity trying to figure out what the future held. Darcy knew he had to give Lizzy time; that if he pressured her he would lose her for good. However, he also knew that if he gave her too much time, she could meet someone that would steal her away from him.

It had been a week since Thanksgiving and Lizzy was having the most unpleasant week of her life. Not only was Caroline around the office at all times, making her life miserable, but Lizzy was also at a standstill with Darcy. They had both decided it was the best thing to wait until they knew exactly where they stood in the relationship. Darcy did not want to be a jerk and enter a relationship right after he broke off his engagement. Lizzy, on the other hand, had just felt herself for the first time since the accident and she knew she owed it not only to herself but also to those around her to be as strong as before.

"They're having a meeting in an hour," Lydia said as she entered her office. "As it turns out Mr. Darcy has to be in New York next week he wants to have everything ready before he leaves."

"He's leaving? But nobody's told me anything about it," Lizzy said surprised.

"As it turns out it was unexpected. He just found out this morning, can you believe that?" Lydia gossiped, "His aunt called him up telling him he had to be in New York because his branch in the city was being handled by an incompetent."

"Who is managing the branch? Wait, we shouldn't be gossiping in the first place."

"Come on Lizzy! You know you want to know and I am dying to tell someone. Kitty, you know, Mr. Darcy's secretary, told me this just a few minutes ago. Nobody really knows who heads the company in New York but from what I heard the boss's aunt hates him because he won't take crap from anyone."

"So he is going to… what exactly?"

"I guess to shut his aunt up but I think he just wants to get away from Caroline as much as possible. I mean, she is Charlie's sister but who is pathetic enough to come to their ex-fiancé's work and make everyone's life difficult? Only she would think it right to be here every day! Anyways Mr. Darcy wants all the CEO's to be there since he doesn't know when he will be back."

"Thank you Lydia. Just remember: not a word to anyone," Lizzy warned.

"Me? Say something? Oh, Lizzy I thought you knew me better than that." Lydia laughed.

"Liz you're finally here! I thought your secretary forgot to tell you," Richard said the moment she entered the conference room.

"You know Lydia always tells me more than what is necessary. So, what is this about Darcy leaving to New York?"

"As it turns out our aunt wants him to fire the CEO from the New York branch but Darcy won't budge. It has been going on for some time but it got to the point where our aunt told the security guards to not let him in his own office."

"Does she even have the right to do that? I thought that was your job."

"It is my job and no she can't, which is why Darcy is going. Our aunt or the Wicked Witch thinks just because her late husband was the head CEO she has the same right as him."

"So she doesn't even work there?" Lizzy asked astonished.

"No, she doesn't," Darcy said behind them. He then addressed everyone else, "Thank you for coming on such short notice but if you have been talking to either Richard or Liz you will probably know why we are here. I am going to go to New York for a few days and have no idea when I will be coming back. From what I can tell everything is ahead of schedule so I doubt anything major will happen and if it does, I hate to say this, he joked, earning a laugh from everyone, "but Richard will be in charge. I will be at the main branch in New York if anyone needs to reach me."

The meeting continued for a few more minutes until everything was in order and all the questions were answered. It did not take long for Darcy to find Lizzy after the meeting was over and both seemed as nervous as ever before.

"So you're leaving?" Lizzy asked stupidly.

"Yes…yes I am needed in New York but of course you knew that."

"I will miss you," she said, stepping closer to him.

"As it seems we will forever be meeting in your office."

"But at least we can have some privacy in here."

"I really like this privacy," he said and kissed her showing her how much he loved her. "Will you call me when in New York?" Darcy asked the moment they broke the kiss.

"I don't think it would be a wise idea."

"Why not? I know we are taking this slow but I will miss hearing your voice every day."

"I know and I will miss hearing yours too but I think it will be for the best. I will have time to know exactly what is going on in my head. Plus, I will have enough time to realize I can't live without you."

"I like the idea of that. What if I call you every other day just to hear you say hello?"

"You're not taking no for an answer are you? Fine. I think I can fit you in my busy schedule."

"Good because otherwise I will have to fire you so that you have enough time to think about me and miss me," he said grinning.

"How long will you be gone?" she changed the topic.

"I have no idea. I wish I could say less than a week but knowing my aunt it could be longer. Do you know my Aunt Catherine?"

"No, why?"

"Seeing how you know most of my family, I thought you would have known Aunt Catherine too," he explained.

"I know Anna if that is what you mean. We met almost six years ago but we haven't seen each other since then."

"That is what I mean! Do you believe in destiny?" he continued without giving her time to answer. "I never did until I met you. You have made me believe in things I never thought possible. We could have met each other in different situations but somehow you came into my life at the right moment. I will miss you every day while I'm away."

"When are you leaving? Do we still have a few more hours?" she asked sadly. Lizzy had never thought a separation would hurt so much as it did. They were still early in their relationship but Lizzy felt so strongly for him that it killed her to know they would not see each other for a long time.

"Can't part from me yet?" he chuckled. "I hate to tell you but I leave in an hour."

"An hour! I will miss you," she finally said her farewell. "You will call when you land, will you not?"

"Of course. I will be dying to hear from you," he said before he kissed her and thereby erasing all her fears and doubts.

It had been a week since Darcy left and everyone noticed a change in Liz, not only personally but also professionally. Never had Liz daydreamed while at work and it seemed that every time they needed her, she was in one of her many daydreams. What nobody knew was that they were not daydreams everyone liked to have but more like nightmares she had on a constant basis. With Darcy gone, Lizzy started to doubt every moment of her and Darcy's relationship. She knew they did not have a normal relationship but it was special to her and it was crumbling down in front of her.

She analyzed every word they had spoken, not only after Thanksgiving dinner but also since the first moment they had met. It seemed as if every conversation had a double meaning, most of which Lizzy had created, making it seem as if Darcy was only playing with her emotions. It did not help that Caroline was a constant pest to everyone. If she had not been overly present when they were engaged, she was there every minute of every day. Some felt sorry for her but most, including her own brother, were getting irritated by her presence and only wanted her gone. Yet, the one thing that bothered Lizzy the most was that she did not trust Darcy. Trust, something so precious in a relationship and something necessary for love was the only thing that was missing.

Lizzy could respect and love Darcy but she could not trust him and that was something that killed her. How could she give her heart to someone she could not trust?

"I'm sorry," a voice brought Lizzy out of her thoughts. "I was angry and I took it out on the wrong person. I'm sorry, I went too far," Caroline apologized.

Lizzy first doubted Caroline's apology but one look at her, Lizzy knew she was being sincere. "I…I don't know what to say. I'm sorry."

"No that is fine. I was actually expecting for you to be mad at me." Caroline moved into Lizzy's office. "May I?" she motioned to the chair.

"Of course! I'm sorry, do you want some coffee?"

"No thanks. I never liked the taste but I have found the aroma to be quite intoxicating."

"I've been addicted since high school." Lizzy laughed.

"I know what you mean. I drank so much coffee my first semester of university I couldn't sleep for weeks but I guess that was the whole point."

"Where did you go to university?"

"You wouldn't believe it but, USC," Caroline said proudly. "I graduated with a nursing certificate."

"Why wouldn't I believe it? Seeing how Charlie is also a USC alumni I would've thought you were too."

"Most people think I didn't go to college, me being a model and everything."

"Well I don't care what most people think. I like to judge people after I get to know them."

"Then you must think the worst of me. Like I said before, I am sorry but you and Will always seemed so…close. I guess I wanted the same thing," Caroline spoke sadly.

"Then I have to ask forgiveness as well. I never wanted to come between you two, I just…"

"Don't worry about it," Caroline interrupted. "If someone has to beg for forgiveness it should be Will, not you. At the end, we are both victims of a womanizer who thinks he could do anything he wants. I should have known the first time he cheated on me."

"What do you mean?" Lizzy asked, hoping for it to be a misunderstanding.

"Has nobody ever told you? I would have thought that with Lydia as your secretary you would have known all the times I found Darcy with a new model when I got back from work. You weren't the first person I found in his arms. You were just the first I found in the office, most of the times he only keeps them for a few days but you lasted." She looked straight at Lizzy. "I came to warn you about him. I was angry after he broke of the engagement but now that I have had time to think about it, I'm glad. He was ruining my life and I don't want that to happen to you. He cheated on me more times than I can count and each time I ran back to him. I was stupid to believe he was the right one for me. He may be handsome and sweet sometimes but in the end he is a man with power." She got up and walked to the door but looked back, "I am not saying it will be the same for you but just be careful how much of your heart you give this early in the game."

"Thank you. I hope this won't prevent us from getting to know each other better."

"I need time but I think we can work something out," Caroline said and smiled before leaving the office.

As much as Lizzy hoped her relationship with Darcy was different, Caroline watered the seed of doubt that was already planted in Lizzy's mind. Not only did Lizzy now about Darcy's past but she also knew it would not be hard for him to go back to his old ways. Being near him everyday helped Lizzy believe Darcy chose only her, however, seeing how he was on the other side of the continent she could not trust his better judgment as much as she wanted to.

It killed Lizzy to think he would be with someone else whilst in New York. Even during his phone calls, he would talk about other friends with some intimacy and her trust in him was lessening with each day. He would constantly tell her he missed her, but once she asked about when he would come back he would evade the question telling her he still had a lot to do in the company.

Lizzy knew she should not feel rejected, especially when she was the one that asked to take it slow but in the end her mind conjured up different situations where Darcy was an enemy who was only going to play with her heart. Lizzy had suffered so much that it was hard for her to trust anyone but Darcy was different. Lizzy was able to trust Charlie and Richard on such short notice and Gigi was like a younger sister to her, but then why did she not trust Darcy? She believed Caroline, even when she had done and said mean things to her, then what was wrong? The simple truth was that Lizzy was afraid. Darcy could be the sweetest, the most honest and respected man of her acquaintance but in the end, he was the one person who could make her happy or ruin her future forever. It was quite morbid when Lizzy thought about it, but it was the simple truth and she had no other explanation that seemed truer to her feelings.

Being left alone for too long was making Lizzy go crazy, therefore when Richard asked if she wanted to accompany him for lunch she took the opportunity without thinking twice. Walking to the elevator they were met by Charlie, who was on his way to meet Jane downstairs. None of them talked about anything important only about things to pass the time until they went their separate ways. When they reached the main entrance to the building they saw Jane. She was talking to a stranger. None of the friends could see his face, as he was turned opposite them, but Lizzy found something familiar about him.

"There you are!" Jane spoke the moment she saw them. "Lizzy guess who came to visit?"

Even though Jane seemed excited, only Charlie sensed she was also worried about something. However, in the next minute Charlie realized exactly why she was worried.

"James!" Lizzy screamed, earning a look from people around. She ran towards him to be engulfed in a hug that lasted longer than anyone expected.

"What are you doing here? How long will you be in California? Did you go to Meryton? Did you see your parents? How are they?" Lizzy rushed, still in his arms.

"Lizzy breathe! I have been here since Thanksgiving, and yes I just came from Meryton where my parents told me to give you this," he kissed her on the cheeks, "and my plans are not fixed."

"I have missed you so much!" she hugged him again.

"And I you! I wanted to come earlier but mother would not let me leave her a day earlier and father asked for my opinion of a few plans."

They kept talking for a few minutes, completely oblivious to everyone around them, which was helpful given how they were talking about them.

"Who is he?" Richard asked Jane.

"He is James Wickham. Josh's older brother who works in London. If I have to name one person in this world who knows Lizzy the most, it would be him," she spoke with a serious but worried voice.

"What happened? Why didn't we hear about him before? They seem to get along a little too well," Charlie asked curiously.

"James has this ability to appear whenever Lizzy needs him the most. I don't get how he does it but he appeared two days before the Collin's incident and was with us the entire time. Why he doesn't stay, I don't know but I sense she pushes him away each time."

"What do you mean?" Richard questioned.

"He was always the popular kid in school. Truth be told all of the Wickham's were. When we entered high school, James and his older brother Jason looked after us. James was a junior while Jason was a senior. Nobody dared to mess with us even if Lizzy already had a reputation of looking after herself. However, James looked after Lizzy with an intensity that none of us understood. Everyone used to tease her about it, but at the end he was just Josh's older brother, nothing else. He came back from college while we were seniors.

They started dating and it seemed as if it was going to last. They were inseparable and she even told me it just seemed right. He understood her, even better than Charlotte and me. Then…then the accident happened and Lizzy started pushing everyone away. The first person to get pushed was James. He fought back but in the end, she won. He got a position in London and three weeks after the funeral he left. Since then they have only seen each other a few times but when they do it's because Lizzy needs him. I just hope this time it was just a coincidence," she finished with a wistful smile.

"Should we tell Darcy…I mean if he has competition, shouldn't he know?" Charlie asked.

"I don't think we should get involved, especially since we don't know what is going on with him and Lizzy," Richard warned.

"I think Richard is right. Let's just hope Darcy will come back sooner rather than later and everything is just a bad timing," Jane spoke before James and Lizzy joined them.

"Everyone, I want you to meet James. James this is Richard and Charlie. You of course know Jane," Lizzy introduced.

"It's a pleasure meeting another Wickham," Richard smiled.

"I will guess that you are talking about Josh," James replied. "I'm afraid I am less entertaining than him but hopefully I'm not too boring for your taste."

"How about we test that theory and have you come to lunch with us, how about it?" Richard asked politely but more curious about James than he led on.

"I don't know I don't want to be in your way." James spoke.

"Nonsense. The more the merrier," Charlie said cheerfully, making James agree.

During lunch, James and Lizzy seemed as one. Finishing each other's joke while still being considerate of what the other was saying. Both Richard and Charlie saw the similarities between the Wickham's, especially when they told jokes. However, where Josh was funny and witty, James was sometimes serious and would rather pay attention to the conversation than speak and crack everyone up. The friends came to realize that James was a mixture of Josh and Darcy, making him the ideal person for Lizzy. This last realization worried them the most, especially Richard who knew the depth of Darcy's feelings for Lizzy.