"What?"

"Elizabeth Bennet will you marry me? He repeated his question.

"Chris, what the hell? If this is supposed to be funny it is most certainly not!"

"I'm not trying to be funny, I want to talk to you seriously; I really think you should marry me."

"I don't understand! What are you talking about?" Lizzie was growing angry and upset. "This must be some bizarre joke; you're in love with Georgiana."

"What? No I'm not!"

"Christopher."

"Elizabeth." He looked back at her with equal seriousness.

"Oh for god's sake, get up of your knees; I am not going to marry you!"

He grumbled but stood up and, shut the box with a slam, putting it deep in his pocket.

"Now you're going to sit down." Her voice was stern.

Chris sat meekly.

"Have you suffered a serious blow to the head? Have you taken any mind altering drugs? Has anyone paid you a ridiculously large amount of money to do this? Are you in fact not Christopher Bingley but his evil twin?"

"No."

"Then what exactly is going on? Answer me Chris!"

He avoided her gaze.

"Fine, I found a potential solution for the leukaemia but it's in America. New York. The thing is we have amazing health insurance and therefore I would, most likely, be able to get a place with you on this program and you would be covered."

He spoke quickly and it took her awhile for her to work out exactly what he had said.

"Right."

"But it would be insurance fraud and I thought that if you didn't know my full intentions then you couldn't be accused for trying anything."

"That is incredibly sweet and unbelievably stupid."

"Yeah well I had to try something. I've got all the details of the program and I think you should really think about it. And I know it looks illegal but it's pretty much a white collar crime that no one will look into, and think about it, no one's gonna care if it saved your life. So what do you say?"

"Hmm, let me see the ring again."

Chris handed it over and Lizzie pretended to think about it, admiring the thin band with nine small diamonds set into it.

"No Chris, it's not going to happen." She had been joking about the ring but Chris seemed so earnest and serious, "Talk to me about this procedure."

Chris produced the paper work and began to talk through it. It was a new medical trial in New York that had produced some very encouraging results. It wasn't the first trial but the drug was still only available in the United States.

Lizzie leapt forward and hugged him. "Oh Chris."

She leant back suddenly aware that he had just asked her to marry him and that this simple sign of friendship could be misconstrued.

"But that's great, that means there's a cure. I mean look at these numbers, they're brilliant. I certainly don't need to marry anyone."

"Look at the number at the bottom, Lizzie."

"What's that?"

"That's how much I estimate that it will cost you to do all this. That is if they accept you. They're not taking many people and how on earth will you pay?"

"Oh."

The number at the bottom of the page was larger than she would have expected. Much larger.

"Still it's got to be do able, perfectible do able."

"Really?" He looked at her sceptically but then caught her expression, "Oh no, I'm definitely sure it's do able, completely, totally manageable." He was still talking in that nervous, very fast, repetitive manner.

"I'm not going to tease you now, because I'm exceptionally grateful for you finding this but why, Chris, why?"

It was clear to both of them that she was referring to the proposal.

"I didn't want you involved in a crime, I explained that."

"And you really thought that I would say yes? Without knowing anything about your plan?"

He sighed. "I had to try anything Liz, surely you understand that."

"But an actual genuine ring? Did you seriously go out and buy one?"

He pulled the ring out of his pocket and shrugged sheepishly, "No, actually a company gave us one to do a design for, it was in the safe and... well I thought if I was going to propose then I might as well have a ring. Apparently there was a slight error when it was hallmarked and so they are more likely to lend it out."

"So you didn't even get me a proper ring? Hmm..." she smiled and shook her head feeling as though she had just been caught in a complete whirlwind, not quite believing that what had just happened had happened.

There was a pause between the two of them as they both thought over it. The hospital was not particularly warm but both of their cheeks flushed.

Lizzie realised what she would have to do and didn't feel particularly good about it. "Uh, do you realise that I am probably going to have to tell Will what happened."

Chris closed his eyes momentarily.

"I just think that I should be honest with him, you know."

"Yeah, I know, but I'll tell him."

"Chris."

"No, I will. It was a stupid dumb mistake and I can't really explain why I did it."

She waited for him to continue sensing that he wanted her to.

"I suppose part of me just wanted to be the one to save the day, for once," his voice was bitter.

"Chris, you have saved the day, you just didn't need to do all that."

He laughed scornfully, "No I haven't, not really."

She watched him carefully, "Chris, what's wrong with you?

"What's wrong? I've just made a complete arse out of myself and I don't even really know why I did it. Oh and now everyone will know about it."

"No they won't. Will's not likely to tell people about it, I won't."

He didn't exactly look as though he believed her and Lizzie knew that. She gave him a coy smile, "I know why you don't want people to know," her smile grew slightly, "Georgiana."

"I know you think that I'm in love with her but you're wrong Lizzie, Georgiana is nothing more than a good friend, a friend of the family."

"Yeah right."

"Yeah, right," Chris spoke sharply towards her.

"If she's nothing more than a 'family friend' then why are you distancing yourself from her? Why haven't you emailed her in weeks? Especially since she's just started a new university? You know Will hasn't been there for her much and we were really hoping that you could step up and do that."

Lizzie was aware as she reached the end of this little speech that she actually sounded a lot angrier than she actually was. The problem was that she had just received an email from Georgiana, complaining about the very fact that Chris hadn't contacted her and Lizzie felt very guilty.

"Darcy hasn't been there for his sister because he's been here for you, as have I. And I don't think it's that wrong for me to be there for my best friend when I find out that she has cancer." Chris was growing angrier. "Especially as originally I was supposed to be somewhere in Asia with her right now. Which obviously isn't going to happen anymore, even when you do get better."

"Why not?"

"Oh don't be stupid, you're obviously going to go off with Darcy and get married, we're not going to go travelling together."

"We can still go travelling together if I'm with Darcy, I mean Will." Even as she said this Lizzie knew that it wasn't likely to happen. "Or you could take Georgiana."

"Lizzie, that's not going to happen, I don't know what you think I feel about her but I think you're wrong. Yes, I haven't been emailing her but that's mainly because I have been pretty busy and I'm not exactly that commitment guy. You knew that ages ago."

She sighed, knowing she wasn't getting anywhere and so deliberately baited him, "I don't understand why you're being so stubborn and ridiculous, and you're obviously in love with her. I mean can you really give me a legitimate reason as to why you're being like this?

There was a pause.

"I thought I was in love with you ok?" he blurted out suddenly. "That's why I wasn't really talking to you much this summer because somewhere deep down I knew I wasn't and never had been and that we were never going to be together. And I was still really wanted to go travelling with you because I was so sick of England and everyone and everything. And I also really really didn't want you to know how I was feeling."

"You thought that you were in love with me?" Lizzie didn't know what to say.

"Yes, well no. It's just that you were the first female friend I had, well apart from Giana.... And I obviously wasn't in love with you but part of me thought that it would have been nice. There was definitely no spark between us."

Lizzie still couldn't believe it.

"In love?"

"No I think I was just jealous of Darcy, I mean I didn't necessary want to be with you but I was jealous of the two of you. You're a great person Lizzie, and I think part of me wanted what he had. I've never stuck around this long in one place and well I found it weird. Seriously it was for like five drunken minutes if that. Men are actually a lot more complex than we're given credit for."

"I don't know. Women are definitely complicated and men and women are completely different."

He rolled his eyes slightly, "Sure, sure women are from mars men are from venus."

"Uh actually women are from Venus and men are a bowl of soup."

"What?"

"Gilmore girls."

"Huh?"

"Oh my god I can't believe you and I are friends, we so need to catch up."

"Right."

The conversation had become bizarrely light and they both caught each other's eye and laughed slightly for a moment.

"We're getting off the point here. The thing is, are you actually admitting that you are in love with Giana?"

He sighed, frowned, stood up and turned his back to her with his hands on his neck. She waited. Eventually he turned back to her.

"I think so," he said in a small voice.

She smiled. "So what are you going to do about it?"

"I can't believe you Liz. I've just basically made a total arse of myself and crapped everything up, you're dealing with cancer and everything and here you are trying to sort my love life?"

"Actually I'm trying to sort Giana's but hey if you fit in it, which I think you do, it works for me."

"And you think I fit in to Giana's life?"

"Do you?"

"Does her brother know that you're having this conversation about her?"

"Why do you care what Will thinks?"

"Because it's his sister."

Lizzie exhaled. "You need to stop seeing her as little Georgy Darcy, otherwise I'm going to question your feelings for her."

"I don't see her like that. It's just that I used to and it's strange. She was always Darcy's little sister and he and Charlie wouldn't let me hang out with them so I spent time with her. Then she was my friend and someone I would email whilst I was travelling and now I don't know. It seems to me that there are so many more reasons for me not to try than there are to. It could all go so wrong."

"Yes, you could try and fail. Or you could never try and never get what you want and spend life wishing that you had tried."

"You always make it sound so simple."

"That's a trick I learnt from you. I mean look at this," she held up the paper that he had shown her earlier. "You didn't have to do this. You didn't have to try. You probably knew that it wouldn't work out but you still tried. And even though it didn't work out as you had planned it has still worked."

"Yay for the pep talk!"

She gave him a glare. "I'm not the one about to tell Will Darcy that I proposed to his girlfriend."

"Oh God. I have to though, don't I?"

"You're the one who suggested it."

It was at this point that the nurse Sarah Barnes walked into the room, realising that there was no point in delaying giving medication any longer. She bustled into the room, smiling cheerfully as though she was unaware of the fact that the young man had just proposed and seemed to have been turned down.

Chris tried to stay with Lizzie but it wasn't long before Jane showed up and he realised how cowardly he was being and left to find Darcy.

As he was running the potential conversation that might happen between himself and Darcy he realised that the one he might have with Georgiana could be far worse.

He didn't bother ringing Darcy, as he felt that he couldn't do it over the phone but that if he heard Will's voice he might chicken out completely.

Besides, he knew where he would be; at the office.

Darcy had far better medical contacts than himself and he would probably be booking the flights right now ensuring that Lizzie would get the best possible care. He wasn't jealous but Chris had come to that realisation that he just wasn't that guy.

Chris was proven right. Darcy was still in his office and as the lift doors opened Chris was given the distinct impression that Darcy had not only been there for several hours but also quite possibly several days.

Clothes were folded in a pile next to a sofa with a pillow and a blanket. Chris smiled a little at this; Darcy was always going to be the type who folded clothes. He knew Darcy had a shower built into his office, so he was obviously clean but he could see a tray lying on the floor with an empty but dirty plate.

Darcy himself was leaning against a desk, his brow furrowing as he frantically read the screen.

Chris unsure how to begin, Darcy secretary had just smiled and said he could go on up, coughed.

Darcy jumped and knocked his hand against a cup that was lying next to him. Coffee started to pour over the table.

"Shit."

Darcy started to mop it up and Chris realised that this was not exactly a promising omen of things to come.

It was moped up relatively quickly and Will looked up properly to talk to Chris.

"Hi."

"Oh hi, sorry about that," he gestured to the mess.

"Not my fault. I wasn't expecting anyone that's all."

"Yeah well I convinced your assistant to let me up, I need to talk to you."

"Right." Will was a little confused and impatient, he did have rather a lot to be getting on with.

"I uh went to see Lizzie." There was a pause."She's doing well." Another pause and Chris cleared his throat and continued. "I wanted to talk to her about a trial that I found in New York."

"The Rushton trial?" Darcy was irritated.

"Uh yes?"

"The Rushton trial that is in New York and that she has almost no hope of getting into? The rushton trial that I have been working my arse off trying to find more information about? You told Lizzie?"

Chris shifted uncomfortably.

"Didn't you realise that it would be just offering her false hope that she and her family don't really have much chance of it actually happening? ."

"Well.......yes."

"Why Chris? Firstly, how did you even find out about the trial when I've been emailing people for days? You must have looked at the figures and realised. I know you might have wanted to help but I really don't think it was sensible for you to have done that. Could you have done anything worse?"

Chris realised that if he was going to be honest he might as well be completely honest and admit that yes, he could and had done worse.

"Uh well yeah I told her about the trial, I thought I could get her a place on it. I sort of asked her to marry me."

That certainly wasn't what Will had been expecting.

"You had better give me a hell of a reason as to why I shouldn't punch you in the face right now." He had been frustrated and tired before Chris had entered but this had really pushed him.

"She said no," Chris thought he might as well try this answer.

Darcy said nothing and turned away from Chris.

"I yelled at her as well."

"You yelled at her?" Darcy had whipped round to face Chris.

"Yes. But it didn't mean anything. I mean really Darcy, it was just something that I was trying.

"What the hell were you thinking? I mean, for God's sake Chris!"

"I wasn't thinking, ok? I wasn't thinking. I just wanted to make sure she was ok. I care about her and would quite like her to survive this!"

"Oh and I don't?" Wills voice was cutting.

There was no response.

"Chris," he sighed and it was as though he was about to talk again when there was a binging noise from the computer and they both turned.

Will went over and clicked on a few things whilst Chris looked around the office trying exceptionally hard to avoid all eye contact with him.

He turned his back and stared at the collection of black and white photographs of London that Will had on his wall.

There was the sound of the printer spurting into life and Will turned to him, still with a coldness in his eyes.

"Well it looks like I've managed to clean up your mess. I've got Lizzie a place on the trial. We fly to New York in three days."

"Oh, wow," Chris turned, very happy to hear that news. "That's great, really fantastic. I mean it should work, you've seen the numbers," he was smiling.

Darcy turned to him coldly. "That doesn't make what you did ok. I mean it may be fixed but it doesn't mean everything's all right."

"I was just trying to help."

"Huh, well ....you really didn't think that through did you? You know what Chris, I've got to go visit Lizzie in the hospital and tell her that potential good news but I would really appreciate it if you stayed out of my life for awhile."

He turned away, picked up the piece of paper, his jacket and briefcase and without another backwards glance, he left.

Chris sighed and slumped but then decided to once again ignore Darcy's advice. Well, it wasn't so much as ignoring as finding a way around it. He had said to stay out of his life but that didn't mean he had to stay out of Lizzie's or Georgiana's.

Lizzie had said that he might as well try and he really supposed that he should. His trying before had screwed things up with Darcy but that was only to be expected but Lizzie was going to New York.

He pulled out his phone and began dialling.

******

Will was smiling nervously as he approached Lizzie's door. He was excited by the email he had received and what it could mean for her and for him.

"Will," she smiled as he entered. She was sitting with her legs tucked up in bed plaiting her hair in a series of hundreds of tiny plaits obviously bored.

"Lizzie."

"Have you spoken with Chris?" she asked nervously, gazing at him with her head tilted trying to gage his reaction to this.

"Yes. And I don't exactly agree with the methods that he tried to do it but," he paused slightly and smiled, "I've got you a place on it."

"What?" she scrambled off the bed and leapt towards him.

He stepped back under her weight but then spun her around off the bed and hugged her.

She looked up at him, "How? You didn't pay that amount of money did you?"

He put her down, carefully. "No, I didn't." He wasn't sure how happy she would be to find out what he had actually done.

"Well, what then?" she motioned for him to sit down. "You didn't commit insurance fraud did you?"

"No." He didn't know what she was talking about. "I originally spent a lot of time emailing Professor Maurice Pledger who is running the trial, trying to see if my connections would get us anywhere but they wouldn't."

"Right."

"The Trial's been getting a lot of publicity and Maurice is quite a moral man and couldn't be seen to be giving a back hand to someone he knew or for financial reasons."

"So what did you do?" Lizzie wasn't sure why but she was worried.

"Well I spoke with Professor Pledger again but I also contacted a few of my other contacts in business. You know the drug that was developed over the summer?"

"The one that's really expensive, that you haven't released yet because you haven't been offered enough money?"

"That's the one. Well we lowered our price, gave a few hospitals special access and....we'll now you have a place. There was a certain amount of I suppose you could call it bribery involved but....." he stopped talking when he saw the expression on Lizzie's face.

"You did what?"

"We lowered the price. Professor Pledger agreed that it was far better to let one person into his trial than to not have our drug on the market."

"But surely you can't just lower it by yourself? What about the board of executives?"

"They agreed," he shrugged, "That's why I haven't been here, I had a lot to arrange."

"It'll lose your hundreds of thousands of pounds, maybe millions. You can't do that for me."

"I didn't."

She looked at him.

"No I didn't do it for you; I did it because of you. It was all so political about the cost of the drug and then I realised that it didn't need to be. Sure we probably would have been able to sell it eventually for the price we were asking but what was the point in waiting whilst people were getting sick and we had the cure?"

"But you'll lose money."

"No, we won't make as large a profit margin as we had first thought. But really, does that matter? In this recession, is anyone making as much money as the originally thought? Shouldn't we be caring about what's the best for people not the best for making money? You made me realise that's what we should be doing."

She stared at him and then opened her mouth only to say, "I think I'm going to be sick."

It seemed chemotherapy was having an effect on her body.

She was. Afterwards as she was wiping her mouth, she still couldn't comprehend it.

"Are you sure you can do this? I mean haven't you essentially blackmailed this Pledger guy?"

He paused, "I suppose so, and I know you don't really approve, but occasionally this is how the world works and you're just going to have to go along with it."

She frowned slightly. He carried on.

"Look, I know this is good news but I don't think we should get our hopes up. I mean hopefully we'll go over and it'll be fine but just in case it's not, I just think we should be careful."

"Ok, I agree but I'm still really excited," she smiled and tears sprung to her eyes. To cover this up she leant forward and hugged him.

Eventually, Will had to leave. He didn't want to but there were still a few details to arrange. Lizzie called Jane who had only left her about an hour before he had arrived. They had agreed that they would tell everyone that she was having treatment in New York but that they wouldn't go into a huge amounts of details.

*******

Georgiana was tired and looking forward to curling up with a hot chocolate and a film. Perhaps the best thing about university was the freedom it allowed her. She wasn't going to have dinner and no one could tell her not to.

Dropping her keys at the door she saw the light was flashing on her answering machine.

"You have one new message." The automated voice told her.

She pressed play.

"Uh, hi Georgy um sorry Giana, if this is Giana. Is it? Sorry this is Chris."

She frowned at the machine.

"Look, I'm sorry that I haven't been in contact recently but I was thinking about swinging by this weekend to catch up. I know I've been kind of a bad friend but I would like to make that up to you. I might need a place to stay, just a sofa or something. Ring me back and let me know your thoughts. It's Chris by the way."

She smiled and pressed the save button.

********

Her brother was smiling at the same time. The flights had been arranged, medical care had been provided and planned, should Lizzie need it and it was all falling into place.

To New York, therefore, they were to go.

Anyone know where I stole and then adapted that last line from?

Thanks for everyone who's read and reviewed, hopefully this takes it off of a cliff-hanger for you. I know that a lot of this really isn't that feasible but it is fiction and I did some research and it's not completely insane, although it does seem it.

A lot of people were starting to grow unsure about Chris and I have to say I agree with them. He's great in his own special way but he is very flakey and doesn't think things through. A nice guy for someone but William Darcy works better.

Chris is also very unsure of things (mainly his emotions) which makes him a difficult character.

Would love to know your thoughts.