Jane Bennet nearly dropped the telephone the moment she heard his voice on the other end of the line. Tired, hesitant, trembling, uncertainly. But still his, always his.

"Jane?"

'Breathe in, breathe out.' She clutched the receiver tightly with her hand, as if afraid that the voice on the other end would disappear. As if not trusting her hand to hold still, to hold on.

"Janie, are you there?" So quite now, unsure. "Jane?"

"Ch-Charles?"

"Oh, Jane! God, I'm so glad I could reach you… Listen, I – um, Jane… Just, just don't hang up. Let me speak. Th-there's so much I need to stay. My God! I'm so sorry… Janie… I miss you, Jane."

She could barely make out his ramblings. She was far too preoccupied trying to remember to breathe. And regardless – what did it matter what he said? The sounds of his voice, the subtle undulations, were already enough – were already too much – after two weeks of utter silence.

"Jane, are you still there?" He paused. Then, frantic: "Jane, please, say something! I beg you, Jane!"

"I am here."

Relieved sigh. "Oh Jane… I – I don't know what to say."

Silence. Only a mental note that she was becoming calmer now. Progress, success.

"Jane, I've been so caught up. I – I really should have called you earlier. But you must understand – I… I didn't mean to neglect you. I had to get away because of Darcy and Caroline and… damn! It doesn't even matter. I just had some business to take care of, and of course I should have told you first, but I had to leave so abruptly… and then in England, I got so caught up with my parents, and some work-related stuff, and just… Look, I'm sorry. That's all I got to say."

Silence. The initial shock was gone now. Gone also was the feeling of ecstasy at hearing his voice. In their place returned sadness and irritation – memories of tears and lonely nights.

"Jane, please tell me there's a chance you might forgive me. I've been silly, and thoughtless… But I'll make it up to you, really, I promise!"

Silence. And finally – anger. Anger at him for all he had put her through. Indignation at the nonchalant way in which he thought he could simply walk right back into her life.

"Jane, please, talk to me."

One last moment of silence. And in it – realization that she finally had the upper hand. An upper hand that she was not willing to give up too easily. A woman scorned, a woman hurt, Jane Bennet was not going to let Charles Bingley simply waltz back into her life, or into her heart.

Calmly: "Charles, why did you call?"

"I… um… Jane… I…" What could he say? The pang of pain that he felt at her icy tone was nothing, he was sure, compared to the feelings she must have felt when he had left. "I am sorry."

"Apology accepted. Have a good day."

"No!" Frantic: "No, Jane! Don't hang up. Please! Let me talk to you."

"Very well: speak."

Silence. He attempted to gather his thoughts.

"I am flying into Netherfield tomorrow afternoon."

"Have a save trip."

She could faintly make out a heavy sigh on the other end of the line. "Jane, don't be like that. You don't have to. Really. I already feel like shit."

"Charles, can I ask you a question?"

"Anything."

"Why did you suddenly decide to do this whole dramatic thing? Why now?"

"I… well…" Ashamed, he admitted the truth: "I got a call from Darcy. He told me that I really hurt you when I left so abruptly. I – I am sorry, Jane. I never meant to hurt you. I – I l-love you."

"Oh." Pause. "So it was Darcy? And until his call, I assume, you had completely forgotten all about me?"

"No! I mean… oh, Jane! It's – complicated."

She scoffed. "Complicated!"

"Jane, please. You must believe that I did not forget you – could never forget you. I thought about you every day. It's just – I needed to get Caroline away from Darcy, and there were some family issues once we got to England. Some inheritance quarrels, and Caroline's trust fund, and just… And I did try calling, as soon as I got some semblance of peace, about a week ago. But I was told you went to San Diego. But I knew I would be back in Netherfield in no time…"

"So why are you in such a hurry now?"

"I just – I just realized that I had been more careless towards you than I had thought."

"And it took Darcy to make you see that?"

"Jane, I am sorry. I don't think I should say anything else. There is nothing else I can say that would justify the way I have behaved. But I love you. And if you would only permit me to see you again when I arrive in Alabama, if you would only allow me to try and make things up to you – I promise that I will do everything in my power to win back your trust."

He spoke so tenderly, so seriously, so earnestly, that her anger melted away, and a gentle smile began to spread across her lips.

How she had missed him.

"Jane, may I please see you again?" So hopeful, so sincere.

"You may." She did not trust herself to say another word, without betraying her emotions. It would not do to jump straight back into his arms; she had to be strong. "I will see you soon Charles. Have a nice flight. Good bye."

"Good bye, Jane, angel…"

When she hung up, she nearly shrieked from joy. And wished that Lizzy were home to share her uncontrollable happiness, the nervous sort of joy that comes with relief of a weeks-long stress.

But Lizzy was on the other side of the town, in Meryton's largest mansion, hugged so tightly that she could barely breathe.

"Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy," Will murmured, pressing sweet, tender kisses all over her hair. "My Lizzy. My Lizzy! Mine at last."

She smiled into his shirt. The fleeting feeling of guilt that had overtaken her when he first asked whether she had broken up with Greg – his eyes so uncertain, so afraid, so vulnerable, so full of all-consuming love – had evaporated. In its place was sheer happiness.

"I love you, Lizzy."

And she could almost say it back. Almost.

And he could almost feel her own almost. He thought with anticipation that soon she might return those words. The words he spoke so routinely, yet with such meaning every single time.

"Will, you must let go before I suffocate," she joked.

"Oh no, sweetheart, I will never let you go now."

"Silly man." She giggled into his chest.

"Mine."

"You are crazy, Will."

"And you are beautiful."

"Will, Mrs. Reynolds said that we are having a guest for –" Georgiana stopped abruptly as she walked into the living room. "Lizzy?"

The couple finally separated.

"Giana!" With a light exclamation of delight, Lizzy ran up to the girl, and encompassed her in a bear-hug.

"Lizzy, I -… wow, just wow. Are you and Will – are you together now? Have you made up?"

Georgiana Darcy had a lot of questions for her brother and his girlfriend, and they were all duly answered – with suppression of some less flattering details – over lunch. She was tremendously glad that her brother was finally able to get his happy end with the woman whom he seemed to absolutely adore.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was relieved that he could tell his sister exactly what she wanted to hear – that finally, Elizabeth was truth and entirely his. Even though they had been, for all intents and purposes, together for over a week, Lizzy's break-up with Greg meant a lot to Darcy. That other relationship had hung like a shadow over theirs for the past week, and finally removing that shadow filled his chest with such warmth, such happiness, such brightness.

The three of them spent the whole day together. Taking a walk in the park, going out for ice cream, playing a few games of tennis, cooking dinner, curling up to watch a film.

Breakfast of Tiffany's had come to an end, and Georgiana got up to turn off the DVD. She then quietly left the room, smiling to herself as she cast one last glance at the couple curled up on the sofa. Lizzy's head was resting on Will's shoulder, and her eyes were closed. But she was not fully asleep, her hand playing idly with his fingers.

"I spoke with Charles this morning," he told her softly, while stroking her hair and smiling to himself at the brilliancy of her chestnut curls.

"Oh?"

"I told him that I was disappointed in him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the way he left – the way he treated Jane – was… It was not how a caring man would act, and not how I expected him to act."

"What did he say?" Lizzy was fully alert now, sitting up straight and anxiously awaiting the resolution of Darcy's discussion with his best friend.

"He… I don't think he had fully realized how much he was hurting Jane. He seems to have been very caught up with things, and it just sort of –"

"That's not an excuse," Lizzy snapped. Her eyes lit up with indignation and protectiveness as she thought about dear Jane.

"I know, I know! Frankly, I can't fathom how he could have been so careless. I would never –" He paused and laughed. "But then, I'm sure you have already noticed that I would never leave you alone," he whispered, and placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose.

Lizzy giggled. Then pulled her face back into a serious expression. "Don't distract me. What about Charles?"

"I think he is genuinely remorseful. Once he realized how badly he had behaved towards her, he determined to come back here at once and do everything to make things up to her. I really think that he still cares about her, that he was just being stressed and thoughtless…"

Lizzy smiled. "He's coming?" At Darcy's affirmative nod, she at last relaxed and put her head back on his shoulder. "Good." But then she added: "But I sure hope that Jane doesn't let him off easily! She should really make him work for it this time."

William laughed. "Not as much as you made me work for it, I hope?"

"Sheesh, you!" Then she looked up at him and asked half-seriously: "It wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Awful," he answered truthfully. Then gently framed her face in his hands. "But it was well worth it." And he captured her lips into a slow, lingering kiss.

Lizzy smiled under his kiss. She had her Fitzwilliam Darcy. And soon, it seemed, Jane would have her Charles Bingley. The world at last was starting to make sense.