Ellie woke up with only a slight headache. She quickly decided that any thinking would have to wait until coffee was acquired. Luckily for her, it was only a room away - when she opened her door to find that Richard had ordered room service.

"Bless you!" she said as she curled up in the chair inhaling the rich scent of French roast.

"Are you going to eat something, or just make love to that cup?" Richard asked.

"Don't judge me; coffee is one of the few things in life that has always been there for me. Warm, rich, a little bitter, and just what I need." She replied smiling.

If those adjectives were filed in the back of his mind as describing something else she was very much in need of, no one was the wiser.

"So, what is on the agenda today?"

"I figured I would get the Daddy Warbucks tour, dinner, a show, some roasted chestnuts and a trip to Tiffany's." She joked.

"Do I have to shave my head?"

"You are a total nerd," she laughed, lobbing a grape in his direction. "I didn't really think too much about it; I figured I would just be your 'beck and call girl'."

"Tempting, very tempting, but I have plans this morning."

"Aww, and I thought you had gotten all dressed up for me." She pouted.

"Oh, this old thing?" He got up and took a turn about the room to show off his perfectly tailored Armani jeans and a jade cashmere sweater.

"I already told you! You look good; I feel like a diabetic looking at a candy bar, ok!"

"Ok, my ego is assuaged. Now let's make you some plans!" He said excitedly.

"I think, if you're busy, I will just kick it in the hotel; I brought my lap top and I have to do some work on my next book."

"No, I can't leave you here in the hotel, when the greatest city in the world beckons! Come on, there must be something you have been dying to see or do?" He entreated.

"Well, maybe I will check out the Guggenheim; I'm sure I could get lost in there for a few thousand hours."

"Excellent, we meet back here at five; get you all dressed up and then head to dinner at Per Se; see Wicked, and then all the chestnuts you can eat!"

"I was joking Rick; we can just grab a famous slice and watch pay per view." She replied. "Besides, I'm allergic to chestnuts."

"Nope, the plan is made. Thomas already reserved us the chef's table, and I already booked a box at the theater. You are just going to have to pick up an epi-pen while you're out." He joked.

Seeing that there was nothing to be said that would change his mind, she wished him a good day and went to get dressed for a day at the museum. Meanwhile, Richard was texting Ana with a plan. All they had to do was get Darcy to put down his blackberry long enough to charm their new friend.

"Will, you know what would be so fun?" Ana asked. Her brother didn't look up from his blackberry, only grunted in her direction.

"There is a Picasso Exhibition at the Guggenheim." She elaborated.

"That is nice." He mumbled.

"We could go check it out?" She ventured.

"I have some work…" He replied.

"Come on Will, Please?" She pouted. "We could just go for an hour?"

"Do you think you can pull that one on me again?" He chuckled. "I believe you said that in Berlin before I spent 14 hours watching you sketch Pergamon."

"I told you; you could have left me." She insisted. At this, he quirked a brow.

"Is this one of those you-will-not-take-no-for-an-answer-kind of things?" He asked sounding rather resigned.

"Pretty much…" She smiled..

Ellie took a quick shower, threw on jeans and a hoodie and quickly braided her hair. She figured Richard would be long gone; but when she opened her door, there he was lounging on the couch.

"What happened to your plans?" She asked.

"I figured I would walk you to the museum. I have some time before my engagement." He replied.

Ellie was suspicious, but she didn't exactly know where she was going, so she decided to roll with it. As it happened though, she was proved correct within 3 minutes. As they waited for the elevator, they ran into Ana and Will. Supposedly, Ana had completely forgotten about the plans she and Richard had made last night. Of course, she and Richard insisted Will make sure Ellie made it to the museum safely, leaving the oddly silent pair in the lobby as they headed on their mysterious errand.

"I'm sure I can find my way." Ellie finally said, as the shell shock wore off.

"Not at all, I would be happy to accompany you." Will insisted.

After much tossing and turning last night, Ellie was not sure how she felt about Will. Did she even want his friendship - or whatever it was he was offering? Should she tell him about the reviews she had already returned to George? What was the deal with Caroline? And Annabel? And maybe, most importantly, if he liked her as much as it seemed, why had he left that morning? In the end, though, her courage and curiosity won, and together they set off for enlightenment through art.

They were standing in front of Marie-Thérèse, both completely entranced, when she was startled by the sound of his voice.

"I have the hardest time fighting the urge to reach out and touch it."

Ellie nearly jumped out of her skin.

"I am sorry to have startled you." He said, rather surprised himself.

"No, I'm sorry; I was just too much in my own head." Elizabeth returned politely.

"I often have that problem." Will commented. Ellie flinched, slightly surprised by this admission. She thought back to Jane, commenting how alike they seemed, but shook it off.

"I never would have guessed the great Will Darcy would be caught dead wool-gathering." She joked.

"You give me too much credit sometimes, Ellie," He smiled at her, and in that boyish smile, her heart started to melt.

"So, can we talk some more?" She asked feeling a little nervous.

"Are we not talking now?" He joked.

"I mean seriously; I think there is some stuff … well I don't know, but you … or maybe it's just me and …"

"Pause, please," He asked, and she complied, thoroughly confused as he took her arm, leading her to a bench before disappearing. She blinked, gathered her thoughts, and when she looked up again, he was back with a bottle of water.

"Ok, what is so serious?" He asked. If she wasn't half in love with him before, she certainly was now. He had, in that moment, made her feel completely cared for and at ease.

"I guess I need to know what this is?" she finally asked.

"I don't understand." He replied.

"Well, I have a lot of things going on right now in my head but it all boils down to, what are we doing here?"

"Looking at art?" He asked.

"Not here, here. I mean, what are you and I doing here, together? Are we on a date?"

"I would like it if we were." He offered.

"Well, if you wanted to date me, then what was with the whole you and Caroline thing?"

"I tried to tell you; she is Charlie's sister and, while I don't enjoy her company, I cannot exclude her from my life, without also expelling my best friend. And before you ask, there is not now nor has there ever been anything going on between me and my Aunt's assistant. That is just Aunt Catherine's deluded fantasy."

"Ok, but then why did you leave?" She asked.

"I needed some time to decide how best to deal with Wickham reappearing in my life." He said.

"I didn't mean, then," she said, "But speaking of George, I took a job writing reviews for him, or rather for the Tribune, and all the books I reviewed were from Darcy Publishing…"

"Were your reviews honest?" He asked. This was not the question she was expecting.

"Of course!" She replied.

"Ok, as long as they are honest, I don't care, but then when did you mean?" He asked.

"That morning," She said, "you know, the morning after we…"

"I, well, I did not know what you wanted and I did not…" He turned slightly away, but she pulled him back.

"Didn't what?"

"I … this is not what men say, but I am going to say it … I did not want to get my heart broken." When she looked confused, he went on. "I knew that I was falling for you and I did not think you felt the same, so I thought it best to leave, before you told me it was just a fling."

Elizabeth Bennett felt like she was looking at Fitzwilliam Darcy for the first time. Gone was the aloof business-oriented mogul and here was the sweet, sensitive man she was completely head over heels for. Without a second thought, she pulled him into a passionate, toe curling, lip aching kiss, only broken up when the security guard cleared his throat the third time.

"Sorry." They both said, straightening clothing and looking abashed.

Please remember to review. We are about 5 chapters from the end so stay tuned...