A/N: Well I said weekly and I've only just managed to get this in before the week is out! Apologies for the slight delay, I had last minute back-to-school shopping to do. Enjoy!

Chapter Twenty-Two

Thomas Bennet loved his wife. They had the kind of relationship where they would drive each other mad and in their younger years that had been a passionate thing they had shared. It was mostly the small things, like he would leave his plate on the kitchen side rather than putting it in the sink. She would obsessively clean the skirting boards in each room which made the room stink of disinfectant which aggravated his sensitivity to smells. And when it came to parenting their three girls, Thomas had always taken a laid-back approach, allowing his daughters to make their own mistakes whereas his wife would like to be in control of their daughter's lives.

Of course, he had not exactly been thrilled when his eldest daughter had announced her pregnancy, but it was not due to not wanting to be a grandfather. It had been because he could not stand the person who had gotten Jane pregnant. He had allowed George Wickham to live with Jane under his roof because he knew that his daughter was saving for a deposit on a mortgage and for the first two years of the twins' lives, they had lived under his roof too. He had watched Jane struggle to raise them alone because George never did his part. Even when Elizabeth had wanted to marry David so quickly, he had not been thrilled but accepted that it was what his daughter wanted at the age of twenty. He was a firm believer in letting your children learn their own way, however his wife had different ideas.

Thomas had always known that Francine liked to stick her nose into other people's business. He had watched her do it to several people over the years and despite his insistence that she should just leave people be, Fran persisted. He had watched Fran do it to Jane and George by insisting that they get married so the twins would not be shamed. He had watched her try to influence Jane's parenting to the twins, he had watched her help Elizabeth plan her wedding and watched her try to push Lydia towards a career which Lydia was not interested in. But after finding a receipt for several places in London that were located by David's flat, Thomas knew instantly that his wife had been trying to interfere with Elizabeth's divorce. They had argued about it continuously and the matter still had not settled.

As he sat in his garden chair reading the Saturday newspaper, Francine hovered over him holding a glass of juice for him. He looked at her over the top of his newspaper and then poured his attention back into a local story.

"The girls are still out. Elizabeth is spending a lot of her free time with that boss of hers." Francine gossiped.

"Whatever Elizabeth is doing with Will and his daughter is none of our concern." Thomas reminded her.

Francine sighed heavily, placing the drink down on to the table in front of him. Her blue eyes begging him for some acknowledgement so they could continue their argument.

"Thomas, we need to discuss it." Fran pleaded.

Thomas rolled his eyes as he folded his newspaper and placed it on the table. He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, his green eyes looking at his wife intently.

"Go ahead, my dear." Thomas said icily.

"Yes, I went to see David because I was concerned that he and Elizabeth were giving up too quickly." Francine said meekly.

"David was the one who started the divorce proceedings and as for his reasons why, I feel that he's a coward to divorce Lizzy over her infertility. However, it's now done with and Lizzy is moving on with her life. And she has my full support to do so." Thomas stated firmly.

"But David told me-"

"What could he possibly have to say? Just let it be, Francine!"

"I can't just 'let it be' Thomas! Oh, you're so quick to just let things fall apart! After the money I paid-"

Thomas narrowed his eyes as he watched the expression on his wife's face turn to panic.

"The money you paid? We paid for their honeymoon and that was it." Thomas said, feeling confused.

He watched his wife gulp, her face as white as a sheet. The moment's pause between husband and wife only made Thomas more suspicious that his wife was hiding something.

"I uh…the money that we gave to them…before they were married…yes it paid for their honeymoon…" Francine stuttered.

"What did you do?" Thomas sighed, his fingers massaging his temple.

"Nothing." His wife said quickly.

A little too quickly.

"Francine." Thomas said warningly.

"I uh…the money…I told David to use it for the honeymoon…"

"Yes. I already know that part. You told me that you transferred it to David's account because you wanted that to be our gift to them."

"It was supposed to be between David and I." Francine pleaded.

Thomas tapped his foot impatiently against the table leg, his face expressing that he was not going to let go of her little slip up.

"I…uh…well…when it became apparent that Elizabeth felt seriously about David…I wanted to prevent any mistakes from being made…I didn't want Elizabeth to be tied down with a child and not have a husband…" Francine rambled.

"Go on." Thomas pressed.

"So, I met with David privately and expressed my concerns. He assured me that he loved Elizabeth, but I wanted him to show me with actions instead of words. So…I offered to give him a few grand if he would marry Elizabeth…" Francine confessed quietly.

Thomas felt his eyes widen as his fists banged on the table, causing a vibrating motion and a loud bang which startled Francine.

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Thomas roared.

Francine started crying.

"I didn't have a choice…I didn't want one of our girls to suffer the shame…Jane wouldn't marry George, she said she didn't want to get married…I witnessed Jane struggle with the twins…I didn't want that for Lizzy…" she wept.

"So, you bribed David into proposing and marrying Elizabeth? He was a doctor! He didn't need an incentive!" Thomas scolded.

"He was only making twenty grand a year or thereabouts! That's hardly a good wage to support a wife!"

"And who are you to make that decision?! It was their relationship and it was all based on lies! How dare you get involved?!" Thomas yelled scornfully, a disgusted tone in his voice.

"I'm her mother! I was trying to protect my daughter, Thomas. It's more than you ever do for those girls! I didn't know that David was going to train to be a surgeon and be on a better wage, I thought that it was going to help them."

"You had no right to get involved."

"I thought I was doing the right thing! I wanted Lizzy to have a happy marriage and raise a family the right way!" Francine cried.

"But she wasn't happy, was she?! For the years that followed saw her sacrifice her identity and the things she loved all to make that pathetic excuse for a husband happy. And then he divorced her because she couldn't give him a child!" Thomas shouted.

"She can't know my part in it!" Fran pleaded.

"Lizzy has every right to know the truth!" Thomas growled.

There was an angry pause between the married couple, before Thomas stood from his seat, anger present in his eyes, his nostrils flaring wildly.

"You need to go and stay with your brother for a while, I can't be around you." Thomas sighed, his teeth grinding together furiously.

"Thomas! Thomas please!" Fran pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Why can't you just leave things alone?" Thomas growled, pushing his seat back and moving towards the house.

"Thomas, there's something else." Francine cried.

He turned to look at his wife, eyes narrowed and his heart thumping in rage against his ribcage. What else could his wife possibly have to say? Whatever it was, Thomas found himself feeling the need to find out. Thomas gestured with his hand for her to continue and Francine wiped her eyes and took a deep breath before speaking.

As he listened to what his wife had to say, he felt the rage boiling inside him, threatening to overload. Thomas could feel it bubbling, like a pan of boiling water on a hob, as his wife continued to explain and plead with him for his forgiveness. But this time, Thomas let out a scream of anger and turned on his heel, leaving his wife in the garden feeling sorry for herself.

ooOoo

"Dad?" Mia piped up at breakfast that morning.

"Mmmm." Will hummed as he swallowed a sip of his coffee.

"Do you have to hire someone else to look after me?" his daughter questioned.

Will looked over at his daughter and then to his girlfriend and smiled. They had decided to keep Mia informed about the upcoming changes to their lives. Of course, Mia felt disappointed about the change that someone else would be hired to be her childminder.

"Well…I can't be in a relationship with Lizzy if she continues to work for me. We talked about this. Lizzy will still be around, so you'll still get to see her." Will reminded his daughter.

"But I don't want someone else looking after me." Mia stated.

"Well you aren't old enough to look after yourself. I'm not leaving you alone." Will said.

"I'm not a little kid, I'm nine. I start secondary school in two years."

"And until then you will have a childminder."

Mia pouted as she turned her attention back to her cereal. Will sighed heavily. He had taken some of his annual leave to help start the childminding business get off the ground and he thought spending another week at home would be nice. But clearly, his daughter was having some anxiety about the situation changing. The trio finished their breakfast as Alice announced that she was going to the supermarket to get the week's food shop and bade them all goodbye. Mia finished her cereal and drank the last of her orange juice before looking at Elizabeth.

"Go and get changed, I'll take you to school in a little while." Elizabeth said softly.

Mia nodded and walked out of the living room. Will turned to his girlfriend and sighed heavily.

"I think she's going to have some adjustment issues." He said quietly.

Elizabeth squeezed his hand.

"We had to tell her what we're planning. Our relationship would only be more complicated if I continued to work for you." Elizabeth said in a hushed voice.

"It would," Will agreed, "But I don't think she's old enough yet to walk to school by herself or walk home by herself."

"That's your call to make, you're her father." Elizabeth said softly.

"I know. I just don't know how to manage it. I mean, when Alice came to me all those months ago and we had the conversation that she felt like she couldn't give Mia the attention or time she needed anymore because of her other responsibilities, I talked to Mia about hiring a childminder. I reassured her that her thoughts would be appreciated and accepted. But I didn't have to worry because she took to you instantly."

Elizabeth squeezed his hand again.

"Well, how about if you didn't hire a childminder?" she asked.

Will blinked at her in confusion.

"Lizzy, I'm not asking you to stay on-"

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant, why don't I just carry on doing what I've been doing? Just without the wage." Elizabeth clarified.

Will shook his head. The offer was a nice one. But he was not just going to expect his girlfriend to start taking the responsibility of caring for his child. It was not fair to expect Elizabeth to do every school run and then be responsible for the business they were building together.

"I can't expect you to do that." Will stated.

"Why not? I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help." Elizabeth argued.

"Because she's my child, it's my responsibility to ensure she gets to school, and she's cared for."

Elizabeth retracted her hand from his.

"I get it. You'll let me do it if I get paid to do it, but you won't if I'm not your employee?" she asked icily.

"No, Lizzy," Will said panicky, "I just don't want to assume that you would or put you in that position like I expect you to do."

"Will, I'm offering to do it. I love Mia, I want to continue looking after her. It doesn't matter to me if I'm getting paid to do it or not, in fact, I'll enjoy it more if I'm not getting paid." Elizabeth breathed.

"You don't think it's putting a lot of responsibility on your shoulders? You're overseeing the business and dealing with your family."

"Will, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't think I could handle it."

Will smiled and leaned forwards, capturing her lips with his as he kissed her slowly but enthusiastically. They continued the pace, holding each other tenderly until Mia appeared in the dining room doorway, interrupting the couple with a cough. Will pulled away, looking over at his daughter and seeing that she was dressed in her school uniform and holding the hairbrush.

"Lizzy, can you do my hair please?" Mia asked.

Elizabeth nodded, giving Will one last peck as the adults rose from their seats. Will cleared away the items they had used for breakfast and wiped down the table before taking a seat in the living room, watching his girlfriend French plait his daughter's hair so easily and felt a little envious. When Natalie had died and left him a widower raising a toddler, Will found himself thrown into doing the things that Natalie would do for Mia. Will had to quickly learn all about how to brush his daughter's curly hair and what shampoos and hairbrushes were suited to Mia. He had to learn how to brush Mia's hair into a ponytail and how to use a hairband, but he didn't know where to start when it came to other hairstyles for his daughter. He was thankful that Elizabeth could do those little things for Mia.

As Elizabeth finished tying the plait, Mia pulled her school shoes on and grabbed her bag before giving Will a big cuddle.

"Have a good day at school sweetheart." Will said softly, kissing his daughter's forehead.

"See you later, dad." Mia said with a small smile.

The three walked to the front door, with Mia opening it and waiting on the driveway. Elizabeth leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Will, making him smile against her lips. He cupped her face in his hands as he returned the kiss, ignoring the groan coming from his daughter. As he pulled away, he smiled down at his girlfriend, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'll see you in a little while." Will said quietly.

Elizabeth nodded, giving him a smirk but as the couple stepped apart, Will's smile faded when he saw his in-laws stood on the bottom of the driveway.

"Irene, Anthony…" Will trailed off in surprise.

He didn't register Elizabeth muttering her goodbye as she led Mia off in the direction of school. What he did see was the look of devastation on Irene's face as Anthony asked quietly if they could come in. Will led them into the house, asking them to sit down on the sofa as he closed the front door behind them. When he entered his living room, he took a seat opposite Natalie's parents and twiddled his thumbs awkwardly as he placed his hands in his lap.

"I can understand if you're upset by what you saw." Will started quietly.

Irene nodded stiffly, sniffing back a tear.

"Forgive us, Will. We should have informed you that we were back in the country this early." Anthony apologised.

Will smiled and nodded. Of course, he didn't hold it against them for returning to the UK earlier than they had originally said. If anything, he thought it was great that they were coming back because it meant that Mia would have the chance to get to know her maternal grandparents. But the look of devastation on Irene's face at witnessing shook him.

"I think there are some things we need to discuss." Will replied.

"I think there is." Irene agreed stiffly.

"Will, we understand that you're going to move on-"Anthony began.

"But it doesn't make it any less painful for us to see." Irene sighed.

Will nodded.

"I understand. Natalie's death was traumatic for all of us." He said softly.

"And seeing you…with your childminder…it just reminds us of what we lost…what you and Mia should have with our daughter." Irene sniffed.

"Irene, I loved your daughter, we were together for a long time. But I can't mourn Natalie for the rest of my life. It isn't healthy." Will said delicately.

"I know." Irene sighed.

"We want you and Mia to be happy, Will. We just need to adjust." Anthony said supportively.

"Thank you, both of you. I know that it must be hard for you, but I want you to know that a part of your daughter lives on in Mia." Will said, his voice filled with pride.

"Is there anything about Natalie in her, Will?" Irene asked desperately, her eyes filled with tears.

Will nodded, a grin forming on his face.

"She dances. Just like Natalie."

Both Anthony and Irene's eyes lit up at Will's declaration. Will continued to smile as his former in-laws took an interest in asking questions about Mia's talent and asked if it would be okay to take her to one of her ballet lessons sometime. Will nodded his agreement, after all, he wanted to be able to move forward with his life and he wanted his daughter to form a bond with her grandparents.

ooOoo

Lindsay sat up in her double bed, moving one of her thick pillows covered in a grey case up against the headboard to rest her back. Her growing baby bump was now visible underneath the duvet as her hands went to cradle the top of it. She was now twenty-five weeks into her pregnancy and ordered on bedrest for the next three weeks due to stress. The previous week had seen her admitted to hospital for a few days because she was getting shooting pains, tightness and cramps in her belly. George had taken her to hospital and had sat with her through the night before she was admitted to the ward. After spending five days in hospital whilst the doctors ran their tests, it came back that her pains were most likely down to stress but as a precaution she was required to take two weeks off work for bedrest and then come to the hospital for weekly monitoring.

As she felt her unborn baby kick against her hands as it shuffled around inside of her, her bedroom door opened. George appeared in the doorway carrying a tray of food and a cup of tea.

"Good morning Linds. You sleep well?" George asked cautiously.

Things between her and George were awkward. They still hadn't discussed the lies and deceit on George's part because both agreed that presently their baby was more important, and the next few weeks were critical to ensure their baby's wellbeing. Lindsay knew that they would still need to have the conversation, but she was determined to take the doctor's advice seriously.

"George, you didn't have to make me breakfast." Lindsay said suspiciously.

He placed the tray down on her lap and stood sheepishly at her bedside.

"I did. We have to make sure the baby is strong." George said quietly.

Lindsay decided not to question him further and ate the food he had cooked for her in silence. She tried not to think of those other times he had made her breakfast in bed, it only made her doubt if there was ever a genuine moment in their relationship. It only made her question if George had lied to her about other things aside from the twins he abandoned. Instead, she smiled as she felt the baby kicking away merrily inside her stomach

"It's nice to see you smile." George said quietly.

Lindsay moved the tray to her bedside table and gestured for George to place his hand on top of her stomach. George let out a happy sigh as he felt their unborn child kick and wriggle.

"It's moving fast." George said with astonishment.

"I think this bedrest is making the baby restless." Lindsay laughed.

"Well it's for you and the baby. Whilst you're resting do you want me to start putting any furniture together?" George asked.

Lindsay bit her lip. She knew that she still had to set up the cot and the changing table as well as put the stand together for the Moses basket. She knew that she still had fifteen weeks before her due date, but she wanted to be prepared just in case she ended up going into labour early. However, there was also a topic that she did need to discuss with George, and she knew that she couldn't put it off.

"My dad is looking at places to buy in London so he can support me and the baby." Lindsay informed him.

"That's good…the baby will need a support network…we will too…" George muttered.

"I don't know if I'm moving in with my dad yet, George. If I stay here, it will only be temporary because once the baby needs their own space, I'll be living with my dad."

"Well that's fine. I'm not assuming I'm going with you, but I do want to work out where I fit into your lives."

"George, I don't know if there is a place for you in mine. I can't trust that this is what you genuinely want." Lindsay sighed.

"It is what I want Linds. All I can do is hope you will come to trust me with time." George said desperately.

"How?" she questioned, taking a deep breath to try to remain calm.

"I have an interview this week for a permanent job at a restaurant. I'll be supervising the bar and it's flexible and full-time work. If I get the job, it pays better than what I currently earn for bartending. It's only round the corner from your office." George stated.

"That's good, George. I hope that you get the job." Lindsay said supportively.

"Look, I don't want to go into everything right now but if I get the job it could be a turning point for me. I'm going to do my best to provide for you and the baby and when things are settled, I'll tell Jane that I want to pay child support for the twins. I want to change, Lindsay, I don't want to be the irresponsible coward I've always been anymore." George said quietly.

"We'll just see how things go one day at a time." Lindsay suggested.

"One day at a time." George agreed.

With that, George took the breakfast tray back out of the room and closed the door behind him as Lindsay picked up the book, that she had been reading the night before, from her bedside table. As her eyes scanned the small text to find the sentence she had finished reading before falling into a peaceful sleep, she felt her baby shift in her womb like a small bundle of jelly wobbling. Lindsay smiled, recalling how the midwife said those movements were the baby adjusting their position. Feeling the baby move as much as she had this morning made her believe that her baby was going to be fine; no matter what the mess its parents were currently in.