Prefix
Mr. Bennet passes away. Jane, Lydia and Kitty are sent to London.
As a result of an assault by Mr. Darcy in the forest, Elizabeth becomes pregnant.
Part 1. The Aftermath
Elizabeth ran. Her heart was pounding. Every breath she took made her lungs feel like fire. She didn't care what she looked like. Dishevelled, a mess, unpresentable, whatever other worlds come to mind. She couldn't tell anyone. Ever.
She hoped to god that no one would ever find out.
Two days ls later Mr. Darcy came to Longborne. She hid in her room feigning illness.
Her story, she had fallen into a ditch, had been accepted by her whole family no one bat an eye
He came the day after, and the day after, and the day after that. Until Elizabeth could no longer avoid him.
He entered the parlour hesitantly. Everyone else had made themselves scarce. With Jane gone in London, she had no support.
"Elizabeth," he said hesitantly by the door
She couldn't even look at him. She wanted to cry. Propriety be damned.
"What are you doing here," she said holding back her tears. She didn't know if it was her own will that stopped her tears or her anger. Whatever it was it didn't matter.
"Elizabeth," he said crossing the room. Kneeling before her. He took her ungloved hands in his. "I don't know what came over me. I swear to God."
He paused because he knew no words would ever bring him Elizabeth's forgiveness.
It felt like eons he knelt there.
"Elizabeth forgive me" he hesitantly said "please I love you. Marry me." He whispered
She removed her hands from his and slowly moved away. He remained knelt by an empty sofa cushion. He couldn't even raise his head. He knew what he did. He had assaulted the one woman he had ever loved.
He looked at her. She was as white as a sheet. Her eyes, however, told another story. She knew. And he knew. If a child were a result of his actions, she would be forced to marry him or lose all respectability.
"I think you should go " she quietly breathed and without saying another word she left the parlour.
He came every day to visit. Her mother screeched with excitement every day. Elizabeth didn't even look at him. They sat in her mother's parlour for hours every day. She didn't say a word to him.
One chilly July morning she spoke.
"I'm pregnant and I'm leaving. Please don't ever look for me" she whispered
As she tried to leave the room he grabbed her. He saw the terrified look on her face as if expecting him to hurt her again.
"Elizabeth...Marry me. If not for love for our child. Let me care for you and it. I swear... I swear I'll never hurt you" he begged. He held on to her for dear life. But she vehement refused. Over and over and over bringing him to his knees.
He cried into her abdomen for hours. He spoke to his unborn child. He promised it he would never leave them. He refused to leave. He stayed at Longborn for days. Making his bed at her doorstep.
Late one night he heard yelling. He opened his eyes. The door to Elizabeth's room was open. Her room was empty. He darted to the window only to see a small carriage turn the bend out of sight.
He raced down the path. Screaming her name. Following the carriage until he physically couldn't move. Then she was gone.
Part 2. Finding Elizabeth
He hounded the Bennets. Threatening every word in the books. But in the end, to keep their respectability he could never share. He would be known as a scoundrel but the bennet women would be cast away. He couldn't do that. not to the family of his child.
It wasn't until he searched through London he met the gardeners. They were furious. Refusing him entry daily.
He knew he deserved it. Every single punishment is known to man. But he begged every Bennet relative for information.
It was from his own cousin Richard, after beating him to a pulp did he learn about the Fields. A small Tennant family in the north the great aunt and uncle to Elizabeth.
They had been like the late Thomas bennet. Preferring the country.
Within four days he had arrived in the small village of _,
He looked out his carriage and saw her in a field of flowers. He opened his carriage door and jumped out. Running to her.
She saw him before he could reach her and ran as fast as she could to her own waiting carriage.
Off swiftly it went without him.
He followed her carriage back to a small two-story respectable home. He banged on the door just as she shut it. He could tell she was sitting blocking the door on the opposite side.
He begged her to let him in. He leaned on her door for hours.
When the sun was setting an elderly man grabbed his shoulder. With so much force he didn't expect.
"You're him aren't you" the man roughly said
Darcy without hesitation nodded.
The man then steered darcy into the house next door. And sat him in a parlour.
Darcy looked around the parlour. Frightened almost to move.
It was a simple parlour with simple drapes with simple furniture. But well made.
An elderly man and a woman entered the parlour.
Darcy stood automatically then sat down.
A doctor then entered the parlour.
"Ms. Bennet is in labour"
Darcy shot up.
"Sit down young man." the physician boomed.
"That is my child" darcy yelled back
"And I'd be damned to let a man nevertheless an attacker watch a woman birth. Now sit down."
Darcy sat with nothing more to say. It was true. He wanted to show Elizabeth he respected her. And if she didn't want a man in her labour room he would sit and wait.
He silently counted in his head. Just a little shy of 8 months. He became increasingly worried. Would Elizabeth die in childbirth? Would his child die?! It was too early for it to be born.
He put his head in his hands.
They knew. They knew everything. And they knew they didn't have to say anything for darcy to understand their feelings.
He silently cried.
He realized he couldn't fix this.
But he knew that he would be here in this godforsaken town for his child.
Part 3. His Child
When he entered her bedroom he couldn't help but continue to let more tears stream down his face. Everything he ever wanted laying in the bed before him.
Elizabeth sleepily held his child... their child. It was so small.
The elderly lady whispered to Elizabeth, and she reluctantly let go of the child.
The child was handed to him. He couldn't believe how tiny it was. He was worried.
A son.
She had named him Joseph.
He couldn't believe he had a son. All property be damned he'd never leave them. He would work every day to earn her trust, her forgiveness... her... love?
"Master Joseph Bennet" he heard
"Darcy" he stated.
Everyone in the room sans a sleeping Elizabeth looked at him. And then the elderly man simply said "Bennet".
He was upset, to say the least. Joseph was his son.
Elizabeth roused and asked for her son.
He walked over and sat on her bed and handed her their son.
He wanted to kiss her and hold her and tell her how proud he was. He watched as she tiredly cradled Joseph.
He remained with them for hours. He didn't beg Elizabeth that day.
He was so grateful that Elizabeth didn't keep their son away from him.
He saw Joseph every day. Elizabeth would walk with him in the mornings down the dirt path to the field that held flowers in the summer.
It was covered in snow, but Elizabeth braved it for a few minutes with their son.
She allowed him to walk with her and hold their son. He would beg her every day to be with him.
She didn't say much ever to him.
He knew he deserved every word. Or lack thereof.
He ached to have Elizabeth and Joseph safe at Pemberley. His home.
Part 4. Revelations
Darcy dreaded telling Elizabeth his news. He needed to sort out an issue with a Tennant. He would leave, but he hoped to be back in a fortnight.
Elizabeth merely nodded.
He knew she didn't care.
He wanted to beg at her knees to forgive him. To let him court her. God anything but indifference.
He returned when Joseph was 6 months old. It had been a much longer absence than he ever wanted.
He wrote to Elizabeth and Joseph every day. Her return correspondence was non-existent save for a few short updates on their son. He could sit up and was sleeping through the night, he liked the rocking horse darcy had sent him.
When Darcy returned the reality hit him like a lightning bolt. wherever Elizabeth and Joseph were that was his home.
April blossomed and he saw his son cheerfully enjoy the cool spring. Still bundled Joseph eagerly grabbed at the early shoots of grass.
He sat beside his son and looked at Elizabeth. The woman of his dreams. He could tell she was exhausted from raising their son but she was beautiful nonetheless.
"Elizabeth" he simply said, "I hurt you. I am beyond reproach. I deserve every horrible word and indifference". He looked at her hoping she'd look at him. "I have been consistent and here for our son. Please reconsider my offer again. For I will always love you. I will never ever hurt you again. I will be here for our son no matter what."
"Mr. Darcy, I could never marry the man who assaulted me. But I am grateful for your being in Joseph's life. It will be up to him should he wish for the Darcy name. But I do not wish for it."
Darcy knew that he could never win her heart but he would spend the rest of his life by her side for their son.
Darcy and Elizabeth never married. They remained on good terms. Becoming friends and remaining co-parents until Joseph was old enough to be trained as the next master of Pemberley.
Joseph for legal reasons, took on the darcy name. There was no question from the Ton that Joseph was Darcy's son. His striking blue eyes and towering height were just two obvious examples of Darcy's genes.
Joseph was 17 when he learned of his conception. He finally understood why his parents never married. Even angry arguing with his father to leave his mother alone.
Although upset he knew he had the best childhood a child could ask for, Although a little bit of a hovering father.
At 60 darcy handed Pemberley over to Joseph. He remained by Elizabeth's side till she passed at 70 years. Never married but with her always even if not in name.
Authors Note: I was tired of the forced marriage scenario, so I thought I'd try my hand at a no marriage scenario. And yes for those who are asking, I understand that Elizabeth would have been ruined had she not married Mr. Darcy. This is an AU story where I like to think Elizabeth could stay in the small village of _ and live in peace away from the ton and other judgmental eyes.