DISCLAIMER: I do not pretend to own any of the works by Jenny Austen or any other author and their characters. I am but a lowly servant.
AN: The school that Eleanor teaches at is in fact co-ed, just thought I'd mention it.
It was Will Darcy on the plan that day, he had to take a flight back to Eleanor's home city to take a transfer to England. He'd been away from home too long, he reasoned. It was time to take a break and leave the location search to Laura who didn't mind it at all. He hadn't seen Gina in weeks and needed to be back for her birthday, he'd promised and he couldn't not go.
He sat in his first class chair and would have fallen asleep, but She kept swimming around in his head. The way she had reacted to her sister's 'rejection' for lack of a better word. It was as if she really cared…of course she cared, how could she not? It was her sister and come to think of it, if it had been Gina he would have probably reacted the same way….
Stop! What was he thinking? Was he making excuses for her? For the way she told him that she hated him? He mustn't be thinking straight, it must have been the plane air or something.
Than again, maybe he was the one being unreasonable.
The transfer landed in England the next night after about 24 hours on a plane Will took the waiting car back to his home. Pemberly loomed up at him, just as it always did. Some might say it looked empty and that it could be turned into apartments or something, Will wouldn't hear of it. It had been in his family for years and that was how it was going to stay. He always saw it as…well…homely, it was warm to him, friendly, to him. Especially when his younger sister Gina would run down the front stairs and into his arms.
Gina Darcy was sixteen, "almost seventeen" she would say just for the sake of it. Until the 'situation' with Johnny Wickham, Gina had been a fun loving girl who wasn't afraid of anything. Then Johnny came back. Gina was slowly returning to the young girl from before, but Will still worried about her. As usual, as the car drove up the drive to the house and Will saw his sister run down the stairs and just managed to close the door before she leapt at him. "Will! I didn't think you were coming until tomorrow!"
"Change of plan," Will told her as they walked up the stairs and to the grand house. "So, what are you going to do for your birthday?"
Gina was quiet, "I wasn't thinking of doing much, maybe just the traditional?"
Will smiled and hugged her close, "wonderful." He told her, knowing that that was what she wanted to hear.
Later that night at dinner Gina asked him why he came home early, and after much skirting around the topic he gave in. "I was sort of rejected."
"Is she that teacher from the school?" Will nodded while Gina smiled simply.
"I'd like to meet her someday."
"Sorry Gin-gin, but I don't think that's going to happen sometime soon."
Gina smiled at the use of her pet name and nodded though disappointed. "Maybe you just need to show her what I see."
"What do you see?"
"Not what the tabloids do." Gina smiled and refused to elaborate.
Eleanor sat on her suitcase watching as the students waved farewell to their parents and the parents worry and fret that there was only one teacher going with them. None of the students seemed to mind of course but that didn't seem to matter. The chaos in that area was unimaginable. The call had just gone out that they needed to board the plane and people were falling over other people's suitcases and tripping into each other and basically it was a mess. A mess that is, until Eleanor took charge, stood up and called for attention. "Ladies and Gentlemen, don't worry about your kids, they are perfectly safe with me but I'm afraid that I must ask you to please stand back so that I can briefly talk to them all." As the parents hesitantly stepped back, Eleanor turned to the kids in front of her. Six girls, Lucy being one of them and four boys looked eager and happy to be there basically. "Now, guys, a few things. Firstly, you all realise that you know, basic rules apply here right? You know, do what I tell you, don't go anywhere without telling me first etc etc. Okay?" they all nodded, eager to get away and Eleanor had to agree with them there. They said one more farewell and were off. Eleanor just as nervous as anyone as they sat in their seats watching movies and playing games.
Lucy sat next to her teacher and they talked like there was no difference between them, that was one of the miracles of Eleanor Bennet. The students saw her as a friend not a teacher rather than the other way around. "What was his name?" she asked.
Eleanor turned around and looked at her, "what?"
"You've been kinda sad lately, I assumed it was a guy."
Eleanor smiled and laughed a forced laugh that Lucy noticed. Lucy's 'friend' Andrew was sitting next to them both and laughed. "You're in love Miss." He told her casually.
"Thank you for that Andrew," Eleanor smiled and rolled her eyes. "You are as well you realise?"
The comment had the desired effect and caused the two of them to shut up and blush.
This is going to be a long trip, Eleanor smiled and placed the earphones on her head and relaxed into the movie's calming opening score, or however calming "Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirate's life for me" could be
They reached England tired, but no worse for wear. Eleanor had organised a bus earlier and they all piled inside grateful for the warmth. The bus ride was traditional including a rousing rendition of "9999 Beers on the Wall" which Lucy and Andrew lead.
Eleanor rolled her eyes and when they reached the hotel they all ran into the rooms, the three girl ones and the two boys ones, and dived under the covers. Eleanor went to her own room and placed her clothing in the compartments and checked over her schedule. They were in London for two weeks and then would travel by boat to Paris stay in Paris for three days and would then spend several days between Paris, Germany and Turkey studying the first and second world wars. But tonight was a 'bludge' day, as one of the boys had so eloquently but it and they weren't meant to do anything in particular which also meant that they would rent out movies and have a movie night with Pizza in Eleanor's room. Lucy and another girl, Nicky helped her set out mattresses on the ground as the others all came in with their pyjamas. The boys were initially worried that their 'reps' would be ruined if people heard that they had done this, but then Nicky and Lucy drew up a 'contract' stating that what went said Miss. Bennet's room stayed in Miss. Bennet's room. Everyone signed and then the boys settled down and stopped complaining after the first movie, Grecian history made entertaining, finished and didn't even complain when someone begged for a Pirate movie.
They stayed up late, using jet-lag as an excuse and when Eleanor finally ushered them to bed everyone agreed that they would have the 'anniversary' of that night every year.
The next day…or afternoon depending on how exact you wish to be, they all set out for the famous British Museum.
Eleanor handed them all booklets, a treasure hunt a-it-were with the prize being that the winning pair decided where to go out to dinner that night, and set them off at a run.
She wandered around, watching them for an hour or so, it's a big museum therefore a bigger booklet. She came to Lucy and Andrew and followed them for a while, smiling as they begged her for answers.
"Queen Mary," Lucy muttered searching the display, "when the heck was she born?"
"1516," a young woman said walking up to them pointing to the date on the board in front of them. Lucy thanked her gratefully and introduced herself.
"Gina," the woman said happily. "Gina Darcy."
Eleanor looked at the woman, the same grey eyes, the same nose. "This is our teacher, Miss. Eleanor Bennet," Lucy said smiled and pointing to Eleanor.
Gina looked shocked and delighted. "My brother's told me all about you," she told her.
"He has?"
Gina smiled and nodded, "Yes, it's all good, I promise."
"Your brother isn't here is he?" Eleanor asked getting interesting looks from Lucy and Andrew.
"Of course he is, he's just coming."
Gina turned to the doorway and there he was. Just like she remembered him, but something was different, lighter, and brighter.
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