Things have been so busy lately! I'm sure I'm not alone in that respect though. I'm glad to hear that many of you enjoyed the last chapter. Despite the sadness for Jane, it is one of my very favorites. Maybe that's because of my Les Mis obsession, and the fact that I got to relive seeing that show. (I saw it again this January, at the Academy of Music, and will be going up to Boston to see it with friends next March! Yay!) I think I was also happy Will was there for Elizabeth.

Thank you so much for sticking with me for this long ride, and I so appreciate that many of you have taken the time to review. Thanks also to the best support team ever: Susan, Sophie, Mary, Linnea, Juliet, Julie, Betsy, Ashley and Amy!

Chapter 36

Elizabeth woke feeling warm and secure. How could she not with her forehead resting on Will's bare chest and his strong arms wrapped around her, his hand rubbing her back? He's awake! At the moment, she didn't even realize she hadn't slept well. In fact, the comfort Will's love and body provided may have been the only reason she had found any sleep at all.

"Good morning," she murmured.

Will swept her hair back from her face and raised himself enough to kiss her temple. "Did I wake you?" he asked.

Shaking her head, she answered, "I don't think so." She placed a kiss on his chest. "If you did, I don't mind," she added and snuggled closer.

She felt Will tighten his embrace and smiled to herself. This was perfection... at least for the few moments before her consciousness began to remind her of everything else. Suddenly she sighed.

"You okay?" Will asked.

"Yeah," she answered. "I'm just... I'm sorry." She paused to collect her thoughts better. "I asked you to stay, then I abandoned you for Jane. And when I did come to bed, you were so patient and loving, and I had nothing to give you in return... I feel like I used you."

He shook his head. "My silly Liz." With a kiss on her hair, he continued. "I know what to expect from you, and I would have been shocked had you worried more about me than Jane last night." He kissed her again. "I wanted to be here to support you... and to be perfectly honest, because I wanted to hold you and wake up with you in my arms."

Will moved back a little and reached down, raising Elizabeth's chin so she looked at his face. "So who's being selfish now?" He grinned.

The corners of Elizabeth's lips turned up a little. "I love you, Will Darcy."

"And I never knew how much I could love someone until you came into my life, Liz."

They snuggled for a while, until some indistinct noise brought them back to reality. "I suppose I should be getting home," Will said. "Based on my experience with Georgie and Tiff, I'm sure Jane won't want me in the way if she wants to talk to you."

Elizabeth nodded; he was probably right.

They climbed out of bed and dressed quickly, then tried to tiptoe along the hall and descend the stairs quietly (a feat not easily accomplished when accompanied by a 170 lb. dog).

In the kitchen, Elizabeth poured two large mugs of coffee, noticing another had already been taken, while Will opened the back door for Hamlet. She turned and saw Will wave to someone outside.

"Jane's out there?" she asked, and when Will looked at her and nodded, she pointed to the table. "Let's sit in here. She probably wants space."

As they sat, Will asked, "Is there anything I can do for her?"

"I don't think so," she answered. "At least not yet... She was too upset to think rationally last night, and I suspect that's what she's trying to do now."

Will nodded, then turned the conversation to more mundane things until he could no longer put off his departure.

Elizabeth walked with him to the front door and kissed him goodbye before running upstairs to get ready for work herself.

After a shower and quick check of her email, she pulled Wednesday's dirty clothes from her backpack and threw them in the hamper. She then turned back and looked at the bag. Hmmm... A few minutes later, she was closing the bag, which now contained a pair of shorts and a few other items just in case she should spend the night at Will's. It probably wouldn't happen, she'd most likely beg off dinner tonight and come home with Jane... but just in case...

When she reached the kitchen again, Jane was sitting at the table, eating a half grapefruit and perusing the paper. "Hey, sis, how's it going?" Elizabeth asked, trying to be a little cheerful.

"I think I'm okay," Jane replied, looking up. "I should have known better than to let myself fall in love with him. He's just what a man ought to be though, sensible, good-humored and lively. I think I was in love with him before I knew I had begun." She sighed. "I have to get over him, Lizzy."

"Are you sure that's what you want? Maybe you should talk to him."

"I've done everything shy of telling him outright, Lizzy! I can't do any more. I just have to convince myself we'll only ever be friends."

Elizabeth rested her hand on Jane's shoulder. "Well, I think he likes you more than that. But I have to admit, I'm at a loss why you two haven't figured this out before..."

"Obviously we were both wrong. I've got to get ready now, though. He'll be on the train, and I can't have him thinking last night was his fault." Jane stood up, then hugged her sister. "I'll be fine, sis. Thanks." She then walked out of the room, leaving Elizabeth a bit dazed.

The subject didn't come up again that morning, even as the train approached Malvern. Jane sat a little straighter and seemed a bit nervous, and as the train stopped, she took a deep breath, but Charlie was met with a warm smile. By all appearances, everything between them was completely normal.

Will couldn't help but notice that Jane and Charlie were all smiles and seemed to be as comfortable as ever. He looked questioningly at Elizabeth as he sat down beside her.

With a quick shrug of her shoulders, she leaned into him and whispered, "She seems to want to put it behind her... We'll see." She then began talking about other, lighter topics.

Nothing significant affected Elizabeth's workday, and she was pleased that she and Will were able to walk around Rittenhouse Square at lunch. Thus, she was rather surprised when Jane called her at 4:15.

"I'm not going home on the train tonight," she advised her younger sister.

"Okay," Elizabeth answered. "Is there a problem?"

"Not at all. I finally agreed to go out with Ron. I've told you he keeps asking me out."

Elizabeth stared at the phone, stunned. Trying to cover, she replied, "Okay, have a good time. If I'm not there, call me when you get home."

"'k sis. I will."

They hung up, and Elizabeth mostly shifted her focus back to her computer, though she couldn't help shaking her head from time to time, trying to understand what Jane was doing. She was still trying to figure it all out when she met Will and Charlie on the platform forty minutes later.

"Is Jane coming?" Charlie asked.

"No," Elizabeth answered, trying to decide exactly what to say. She regretted not having planned for this. "She's going out tonight."

"Oh." Charlie looked crestfallen, causing an awkward momentary silence. Fortunately his natural jovial demeanor reappeared, and he asked her if she had heard much about the new iPhone hype.

She laughed. "So far, I like my Blackberry better, but I wouldn't mind checking out one of the new ones. Still, I'm not so eager as to camp out overnight to maybe get one. The closest I've ever come to that is going to a Harry Potter party at Barnes & Noble, leading up to the midnight release..." Her cheeks flushed a little. "Of course, I did stay up reading all night."

They chatted for another minute or so until the train arrived, at which time Charlie seemed to disappear into the crowd. As it was, Elizabeth had to work to not lose Will.

Once aboard, they found seats together, albeit having to sit with a third person since all of the double seats were occupied by at least one passenger. They didn't mind much, and settled into easy conversation for the duration, which continued through to their drive to Will's house.

Upon arrival, their first observation was the absence of Maggie's Prius. Given that, they did not even make it into the house before they began kissing and pawing at one another.

Moments later, they did opt to go inside, where they were greeted eagerly by Hershey. They let him out, and found a note by the door – Maggie would be out until late, vegetable lasagna could be put in the oven for twenty minutes at any time, and there were salads in the fridge.

With that information, little time seemed to be lost in finding their way to Will's bedroom, and bed. Their actions were eager and passionate as their touches, kisses and words reinforced their love; and they remained abed talking and snuggling for some time after their desires had been sated.

Eventually they put on their swimsuits and went downstairs. Elizabeth played with Hershey for a few minutes while Will waited for the oven to preheat. Once he put in their lasagnas, he joined her and they relaxed in the hot tub while their food cooked.

They dressed and then ate in the backyard, before spending the evening relaxing comfortably. Their sole interruption was Jane's phone call, but since she was home, claimed to have enjoyed herself and relayed that Hamlet had been fed and was content, it was a welcome one.

A little after 10:30, they returned to Will's room - where their lovemaking was less urgent, but no less passionate than earlier - and soon they fell asleep, wrapped securely in each other's arms.