"Are you SURE you have to go?"

Darcy laughed. "Yes, Georgie, I am sure."

The girl harrumphed, crossed her arms, and moved as far away from him as her hospital bed would allow. Darcy chuckled, and crossed over to the other side so he was next to her again.

"It's just a few days! And after the wedding, I'll come back and pick you up, okay? And we can have some sibling bonding time, how does that sound?"

Georgie glanced at him, then away, then sighed heavily. "I still don't see why you have to go in the first place. We don't know the groom— or the bride!"

"I know, I know, but it's important to Aunt Catherine that she has some family there. Dunno why her assistant goes along with it though; aren't there a set number of guests."

"Yeah, and you and Rich are taking somebody else's spots! You should just stay here."

Darcy laughed. "I gotta go. Pay tribute to Aunt Catherine."

Georgie frowned up at him. The big man squatted down until he was at her eye level. "Look at it this way," he whispered, "If I go now, then later, WE won't have to visit for Easter."

"Really?" Geogire asked, her blue eyes wide as saucers.

"Promise," he said, winking.

She squealed, and threw her arms around his neck. "AHHH THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU! I HATE EASTERS THERE!"

"I know, me too!" Darcy laughed, embracing her back.

"Now get going," Georgie said, shoving him away, "Don't want to be late for the wedding!"

Darcy walked out of the hospital smiling. It had now been 10 days since he had gotten the call she was there. Georgie was feeling much better; she still was too woozy to talk, and the cut on her forehead had yet to heal, but her spirits were high! Darcy sincerely wished he didn't have to go to this wedding— why Aunt Catherine's assistant was okay with strangers as guests, Darcy would never know— he wanted to go back to the hospital, and strangle Richard. He hadn't gotten a call back, so he STILL didn't have Lizzy's number. He was going crazy thinking about her!

His time at the NYC hospital had shown Darcy that his affection was not a passing one. He thought about Lizzy constantly. If he heard a song playing in the elevator, he would wonder if she would have added it to a playlist. If he saw a show, heard a conversation, he'd wonder what'd she say, what she would think. She was in his head, and somehow, it made him less lonely than before. But still- Darcy couldn't wait to see her again.

He drove home, and thought about her, all the reasons she might not have called. Maybe Richard hadn't given her his number. Maybe her phone was dead. Maybe she was waiting for him at the hospital, waiting for him to come home. Arms outstretched, her beautiful smile lighting up her face...

He pushed the speed limit, just a little.

When he arrived at the hospital, Darcy stepped out of his car to find Richard leaning against a stop sign, wearing casual clothes and night rider shades, and looking very pleased with himself.

"Sup, Darce-man!" Richard greeted with a grin. "Was worried the hospital would crash and burn without ya, eh?"

"With you in charge? No doubt about it!"

They shook hands. Darcy smiled at his cousin. "It's good to see you, Rich."

"Likewise."

The smug attitude was dissipating quickly, lost in its entirety when Richard removed his shades to reveal worried blue eyes. "Why did you lie to me?"

"What?"

"Why did you lie to me? Something's up with you, Will, I know it. Spill."

Darcy sighed. He hadn't thought he would have to tell Richard about Georgie so soon. He knew his cousin would not take being kept out of the loop lightly. "I assume this is about my.. leave of absence?"

"Damn straight."

"Well.. I…," Darcy struggled, for a moment. Then he gave in, and let it all spill out. "Georgie's in the hospital."

"What!"

"And she didn't get sick. Someone put her there. Wickham."

"WHAT?!" Richard roared, his fury pumping his face full of red.

"Calm down, she's okay now," Darcy tried to placate.

"Tell me everything," Richard growled.

So he did. He explained about how Georgie had been alone, and vulnerable to shady characters. How she had been drugged and taken out of her dorm and three blocks before the police were notified. How they had found her in an alley with Wickham's wallet nearby. How the bruises were in places polite society didn't speak of. How the culprit was nowhere to be found.

"I'm going to kill him."

"No, you're not."

"DON'T TRY TO CALM ME DOWN, DARCY," Richard yelled, his blue eyes boiling with rage, "YOU FUCKING KNEW! THAT BASTARD PUT HER IN THE HOSPITAL, AND YOU DIDN'T FUCKING TELL ME!"

He stopped his tirade suddenly. "Holy fuck. She's still in the hospital. ...I need to see her."

"No, you don't, she's fine!"

"NOW she is! But I need to see her! I NEED TO SEE HER! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!"

Richard, in a fit of rage, had been slamming his car keys into ignition and trying to open the door with clenched fists. He was prepared to drive all three hours just to make sure his little cousin was okay. Then to plan a murder.

They didn't have time for this.

Darcy wrapped his arms around Richard's upper body, pinning his cousin's arms to his side and holding him close. Richard struggled, yelling obscenities and thrashing around like a man possessed. Richard was stronger, physically speaking, but he was smaller, and blinded by his anger. Darcy was able to wrestle him to the ground, and hold him there.

"She's okay," he whispered, breathing hard, "She's okay. She's almost all recovered. We're pressing charges, but we can't do anything RIGHT now. Driving three hours to New York to sock that scumbag in the nose is not what's gonna help Georgie. It's all okay. Just calm down.."

Eventually, Richard's chest stopped heaving, and he was no longer actively punching anything. Darcy eased up on his grip, and Richard lay still on the asphalt.

"Thank you," he muttered, face in the pavement.

"No problem."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Richard asked, rolling over to glare up at his cousin.

Darcy snorted. "'Cause I knew you'd react like that. And Georgie didn't need any more drama."

"Fair enough. Still wish you'd have told me though."

"Ah, well."

"You're an asshole."

"I know."

Darcy helped him up. They walked to his car, and got in. They were silent until Darcy eased onto the freeway, at which point Richard started to laugh.

"What is it?" His cousin asked.

"I have no idea how I am going to sit still for this wedding."

"Isn't that always the case?"

"Shut up!"

"Ladies first."

And just like that, everything was right in the world for the Darcys. At least, it would have been, except for Richard's forgetfulness, Georgie's sustaining injuries, and the nagging feeling in Fitzwilliam Darcy's gut that something was about to go horribly, horribly wrong.