Chapter Five

"Whoa," Lizzy couldn't help but mutter aloud as she walked into Charlotte's diner.

On average the place didn't get that much business and Charlotte was able to waitress alone during the week to avoid paying someone else a salary. On the weekends she picked up a waitress from a nearby restaurant who wanted the extra money another shift would bring; the same restaurant that loaned Charlotte the temporary cooks for a few weeks. It wasn't strictly legal; she paid them under the table to avoid the hassle of putting them on payroll and with the added benefit of being able to pick and choose their hours. Overall, it worked out well. Every once in a while, however, the place became inexplicably packed; Lizzy just walked into one of those times. Charlotte looked hassled and some of the customers looked ready to split.

Lizzy tossed her backpack behind the counter, tied her hair back, and grabbed one of Charlotte's notepads and pens. Charlotte took the time to give her a grateful look before directing her to a table that hadn't been served yet. Lizzy did alright. Someone with more experience would have perhaps been faster or friendlier to increase tips, but the job got done and everyone left with a full stomach. As things slowed down, Charlotte directed Lizzy to have a seat at the back table and brought her a plate of chicken wings and fries.

"Wow," Lizzy said after a moment. "Charlotte, these are ridiculously good."

"I know," she said, sounding annoyed but not quite pulling it off due to the small smile on her face. She looked behind her to the counter and lowered her voice. "That arrogant cook of mine; he's really good. I think word is already getting out, and some of the customers from his last place followed him here."

Lizzy glanced over to the counter, behind which the cook was concentrating over the grill. She hadn't met him properly yet, only listened to Charlotte's complaints about his personality.

"What was his name again?"

"Collin," Charlotte mumbled back, turning once more to make sure they weren't being overheard. "If this keeps up I'll have to have someone in the weekday afternoons as well. What a pain," she sighed, chewing on her lip.

"Hire that Jasmine girl, she's good and doesn't mind the crazy hours," Lizzy suggested as she savored the food.

"I can't poach her from Frank, he'd never lend me anyone again," Charlotte replied dismissively.

Her blunt manner didn't bother Lizzy, she had known Charlotte far too long. Instead, she chewed thoughtfully and wondered how she would explain this whole mess she had gotten herself into with Charlotte.

Just as she was coming up with possible scenarios in her head, Charlotte sighed and then turned to Lizzy with a pointed look.

"So who's the guy?"

"What?" she sputtered. They knew each other well, but this level of mindreading was a bit much.

"Come on. You can't keep secrets in this neighborhood," Charlotte informed her with a knowing smile. "I couldn't believe it when I heard you were dating some dealer of Wickham's, but I'm also not blind. I saw you getting dropped off by some hottie. Are you already giving up on your detective Adonis?"

Lizzy looked sharply around to see if anyone heard her. There were still a few groups spread around the diner, but no one she knew.

"Charlotte, we have to talk, but not here. Just drop it for now, okay?"

Charlotte gave her a penetrating look but eventually nodded.

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this," she sighed once more before standing up and returning to her tables.

Lizzy spent the rest of her meal thinking. Charlotte was the only one who had ever seen Will as the detective, and if they were supposed to be a couple, there was no way he could avoid meeting her. Therefore, Lizzy would have to tell Charlotte the truth of the situation, something she was wholly dreading. Charlotte was her best friend, as close as a sister, but she was born with an innate mistrust of cops and an especially unfriendly view of anyone who ratted to the cops about someone. No matter what the circumstance, she would not have an understanding view of the situation.

If she felt inclined to tell her brother, Lizzy would be getting it all over again from him, with the added trouble of JJ interfering. She would not put it past him to take matters into his own hands when it came to the detective, and as much as she wished not to be in the situation, there was nothing to do now but trust Darcy and see things through. Besides, she was well aware of the dangerous mistake she had made, and having her two best friends tell her how much she messed up would not help the situation. Still, in Charlotte's case, it couldn't be avoided.

She was interrupted by her phone vibrating.

Finishing up here, pick you up in a few ~ Will

She quickly texted him back: Bus stop around the corner, explain later

After shoveling the last bit of fries in her mouth, she brought her plate up to the counter to exchange it with her backpack.

"I'm heading home. See you tonight?" Lizzy asked Charlotte.

"Maybe. I'll be home late; I have to do the monthlies," Charlotte replied giving her a 'we need to talk' look.

"Tomorrow morning then," Lizzy shrugged, trying to assure her they would by a look. "Killer wings, Collin," she called back to the kitchen. Collin's head popped up and he gave her a smug smile.

"You know it," he replied but directed his self-assured smile towards Charlotte.

"Please do not inflate his ego any more than it already is," Charlotte sounded exasperated as she spoke to the ceiling. Lizzy gave her a sheepish look, then headed out the door.

She didn't actually make it all the way to the bus stop before Will picked her up. "How'd it go?" she asked as soon as she was in the car.

"Well, I think," he replied. "He's going to have me selling in school."

"Are you actually going to sell drugs?" she wondered.

"In some cases, I'll have to - to people who know Wickham has a connection in the school - but for the rest, I'll turn it into my department and tell him I sold it," Darcy explained. She thought about that for a minute before he broke the silence once more.

"Why didn't I pick you up at the diner?" he wanted to know.

"Charlotte is my roommate, my best friend. She saw you that day we met and she's already heard that I'm dating a dealer in Wickham's crew, so if she saw you before I had a chance to explain." she trailed off as he nodded in understanding.

"What will you tell her?" he questioned.

"The truth, I guess," Lizzy replied.

"Do you think that's safe? She's pretty connected to the Temple gang," he pointed out.

"The Temple Families, or just The Family. No one calls it the Temple gang," she took a minute to correct him. He rolled his eyes. "And it's not like I'll have much of choice. She knows you're a cop, telling her you've quit the force and decided on a life of crime is probably not going to convince her."

He was silent for a few minutes, clearly trying to think of a better story to tell before he finally sighed.

"Alright, but do you really think she'll keep my identity secret?"

"No idea" he looked sharply at her and she put her hands up in a defensive gesture. "Look, detective, I am just being honest. I don't know how she'll react."

"Will," he said simply.

"I don't know how she will react?" Lizzy repeated confused. He actually smiled.

"You need to get used to calling me Will. What you will or won't tell her isn't going to matter if you slip up and call me detective again," he turned to give her a look. She concentrated on the scar under his right eye to control her blush.

"Okay, Will," she tried the name out. "What's your real first name?" she wondered. He looked uncomfortable. "Wow, really? I'm risking my life for you and you can't even tell me your real name?" she asked, affronted.

"No, it's not that," he countered hurriedly. He sighed, pulling over onto her street. "It's Fitzwilliam."

"Fitzwilliam?" she asked, instantly thinking what an awesome name that was. However, he looked so uncomfortable that she couldn't help but tease him. He was obviously not happy with how amused she looked. "What century were your parents living in when they named you that?"

"It's a family name," he replied shortly.

"I see," she smiled.

He scowled in response, getting out of the car and pulling his warn blue backpack with him. She wanted to ask him where he came up with the last name O'Mara, but seeing as how they were out in the middle of the street where they could be overheard and how paranoid he seemed to be about letting anything slip in public, she kept her mouth shut. For now.

He slipped his own backpack over his shoulder, then took hers from her, holding it in his left hand and taking her hand in his right. She wanted to tease him about carrying her books and holding hands as if they were high school sweethearts, but decided to back off after how perturbed he looked when she laughed after he told her his real name. Besides, it was kind of sweet.

After walking up the three stories and letting him into her apartment, Lizzy directed him to toss their bags onto the couch and asked him if he wanted anything to eat or drink. He said he was fine, so they both settled in on her couch.

"About Charlotte. Maybe I should be here when you tell her," he started.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she replied. "I've known her my whole life, I think she'll be more open to discussion without you here."

"If we aren't sure she'll be accepting, perhaps we shouldn't be telling her. I don't want to risk all we've accomplished so far on a chance she might not approve of your involvement and tell someone- namely her brother," Will replied.

"How are we supposed to keep her from meeting you if we don't tell her the truth?" Lizzy asked. "She'll be far more suspicious if I was dating someone that she never met," he seemed to think about it for a minute. "Look, Charlotte may have grown up under the influence of the gang life, but she has also been distancing herself from it. She is focused on her diner and, maybe if you were going after someone in the Families things would be different, but aside from telling me how stupid I am to be doing this, I think it's safe to assume she'll be willing to keep our secret."

"Are you sure about that?" Will wanted to know.

"As sure as I can be. I mean, if her brother were to ask her point-blank if I was dating an undercover cop she wouldn't lie to him, but what are the chances of that happening?" Lizzy replied. Will still looked concerned, so she added "Besides, if JJ found out he wouldn't let the truth out, he would know what kind of danger that would put me in."

"What would he do if he found out?" Will asked. Lizzy thought about it.

"He would probably tell me to out you as a cop to save myself and then do what he could to protect me from whatever backlash I might receive from people who thought I was a narc," Lizzy guessed.

"Well," Will finally said after a few silent and tense minutes when Lizzy feared he would ask her what she would do if JJ told her to out him. "We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Tell Charlotte tonight, if you feel like it's the best option but text me to let me know how it goes. Remember that someone could get ahold of your phone and text messages, so keep it vague," he leaned casually back against the couch, apparently relaxed now that a decision had been made. It suddenly struck her how well he looked, sitting casually in her living room.

"Thanks, because I'm an idiot," she replied, rolling her eyes.

So far, the only defense she had against his handsomeness was a biting wit. He didn't seem to take offense; well, in any case, he always seemed to be scowling at her, so it was hard to tell when he took offense. There was a knock at the door, and Lizzy rose to answer it, grateful for the distraction even if she wasn't totally comfortable for anyone to see her together with the detective yet.

"Rob," she greeted, surprised to see him and his girlfriend Sherry standing on the other side of his door. They saw each other pretty regularly, but Rob rarely stopped by unannounced. "Come on in."

"Ah, look at that - your boyfriend is here," Sherry said, glancing at Rob. "I hope we ain't interrupting," she added, giving Lizzy a not so subtly elbow the ribs.

"We're just doing homework," Lizzy was quick to reply.

"Right," Sherry winked at her.

Rob headed over to Will, handing him a large paper bag and telling him Wickham had instructed him to deliver it.

"I wasn't sure you'd be here, but Wickham thought I should stop by and see."

Lizzy and Will exchanged a look, apparently both having the same thought: that this may have been a test to see if they were actually dating. If so, it was subtly done; Lizzy wondered if Wickham was the paranoid one or if they were, by looking too much into what could very well be an innocent errand.

"So what's on the agenda tonight?" Sherry asked, plopping down on the sofa next to Will.

"We were just going to have a quiet night in, finish up homework, and watch a movie," Lizzy offered, leaning against the small table they squeezed in near the kitchen for meals. Rob claimed the recliner that didn't actually recline anymore.

"Ugh, how boring," Sherry sneered at the idea. "You should come with us to the club."

"I've got early classes, you know I don't go out on weekdays," Lizzy replied, thinking that the last thing she'd like to do was go clubbing with Rob and his airhead girlfriend.

"I bet Will feels like going clubbing, don'tcha Will?" Sherry asked flirtatiously.

Lizzy scowled at her, her estimation for Rob's girlfriend sinking even lower than it was before. How dare she flirt so openly with Lizzy's boyfriend, and right in front of Rob? Although Rob was busy looking through his phone and apparently didn't notice his girlfriend was practically in the lab of another man, Lizzy was another matter. So what if Will and she weren't really a couple, Sherry didn't know that.

"I'm not much of a dancer, I'm afraid," he said in a clipped voice, crossing his arms.

She shouldn't feel so relieved at his dismissal of Sherry, but she couldn't help but have it raise his estimation in her eyes. Sherry looked like she didn't understand what he had said.

"Well, it's still early," she shrugged, trying again. "Maybe we could all get dinner before the club," she suggested, finally tearing her eyes from Will to add "That's probably tame enough for you, Lizzy," Lizzy returned Sherry's fake smile with one of her own, suspecting it looked more like a grimace.

"Yeah, I'm starved. What about the diner?" Rob finally pulled his head out of his phone to chime in.

"Not the diner," Lizzy immediately replied. Rob and Sherry gave her puzzled looks.

"You and Charlotte have another fight?" Rob guessed. Lizzy shrugged, letting him form his own conclusions. "Ok, let's go to Outback. I feel like a steak anyway."

Lizzy glanced at Will to gauge his interest in this impromptu date. She didn't profess to be adept at reading his looks, but she seemed to guess he was leaving it up to her. She wasn't particularly hungry, but she knew more time in Rob's company would be good for Will; Rob wasn't Wickham's official right-hand man, but he was probably closer to Wickham than anyone, and if he and Will became friendlier, it could only help.

"Alright," she replied with a shrug. "Do you want to ride with us or take your bike?"

"We'll follow you so we don't have to come all the way back here," Rob replied. "Have I told you how happy I am that you have someone else to cart you around for once?"

"Ha, ha," she stuck her tongue out at him as Sherry and Will got off the couch.

Will stashed the bag that Lizzy suspected was filled with the drugs he was supposed to distribute into his backpack before joining them. As uneasy as she was of having drugs in her apartment, the fact that they belonged to a police detective made her a little more tolerant. They all made their way downstairs and into, or in Rob's case, onto their respective vehicles.

"Are you okay with this?" she asked once they were alone.

"Yeah. Time spent with Rob will do me good, in any case," Will replied.

"Huh," Lizzy said aloud.

"What?" he wanted to know.

"That's what I thought, too," she shrugged. He looked over at her with a searching glance, and then turned his attention back to the road and following Rob to the restaurant.

Dinner went well, for Will at least. Sherry didn't let up on not-so-subtle flirting with him, but Rob and he got to know each other better as well. Lizzy had eaten those wings not too long ago, so she ate a light meal, causing Sherry to make a comment on how she must be watching her figure now that she had someone to watch it for. Lizzy let it go, happy in the knowledge that Sherry was simply jealous, and probably still a little sore over the loss of the fifty dollars to Lizzy.

Will and Rob bonded over beer and steaks and Lizzy enjoyed the attention he paid her in front of Sherry. Not that she needed someone's attention to feel worthy; still, she had to admit the enjoyment she felt at seeing him turn down Sherry's advances and become increasingly handsy with Lizzy herself. By the end of the meal, which Will offered to cover, putting him in even higher estimation with Rob, Sherry was pouting next to Rob and Lizzy was trying not to gloat.

"Here, do you mind?" Will asked, handing her the keys to his car as he put his arm around her.

"You think I was going to let your drunk ass drive me home?" Lizzy teased, taking the keys. He grinned down at her but was prevented from replying by Rob and Sherry joining them.

"Well, we'll catch you guys later," Rob said holding a hand out to Will so they could slap palms. "Liz," he added, pinching her cheek, as obnoxious as an elder brother. He put his own arm around Sherry and led her out to where he parked his bike.

"Drive safe," she called after him, aware that he'd had just as much to drink as Will, who was leaning heavily against her

. She led them back to his car and got behind the wheel, taking a minute to adjust the seat and mirrors for her much shorter frame. Will leaned his head back and closed his eyes the whole way home. Once they were back at her place, he sunk into the couch with a groan.

"I'd say that was a success," Lizzy commented with a smile, joining him on the couch.

"He seems to want to take me under his wing," Will replied, leaning his head back.

"Rays' a good guy," Lizzy said, chewing her lip as she thought about how he was going to deal with the fallout of Wickham getting locked up.

No doubt he would land on his feet, as he always did. In fact, chances were good that he would take up the charge of Wickham's little crew. She didn't begrudge him the opportunity, however much she disliked seeing him in such a dangerous position. Lately, he seemed to thrive with responsibility, though.

"You're worried about him," Will observed. She glanced over, unaware he had been watching her

"I guess I am," she replied. "You're only taking Wickham down, right?"

"Wickham, and anyone else who's a major player in his operation. Rob's close to him, but I have no intention of focusing on him. I just want to get Wickham off the street before he has the chance to hurt anyone else," Will assured her.

A wave of relief went through her. He could be lying, of course, but something about him made her trust him. Despite being an undercover cop infiltrating a gang of drug dealers lead by a murdering psychopath, he seemed to value honesty. She barely knew him, but the intimacy of their situation forced them to trust each other in less time than they would have in normal circumstances.

"Come on," she said suddenly, pulling him up off the couch.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

He was lucky she seemed to be learning how to tell his true moods from his apparent inborn harshness. She could have easily been put off by the biting tone that seemed to be the default for him. Instead, she surmised correctly that he was simply tired and unwilling to move. She didn't answer, but lead him past the bathroom, where she pulled two aspirin form the medicine cabinet and handed them to him along with a full glass of water. Once he had taken them, she guided him further into the apartment until she was pushing him through her bedroom door.

"Uh, Elizabeth," he sputtered looking less like a dangerous drug dealer or menacing, no-nonsense cop and more like someone who had found himself in an extremely uncomfortable situation he had no idea how to get out of.

"Relax" she laughed outright at his reaction. "I'm not going to take advantage of you in your inebriated state," she wiggled her eyes at him suggestively. "Sleep off the alcohol; I'll wake you up in a few hours."

"But," he started to say when she interrupted him.

"Think of it this way, if anyone asks you if you've slept in my bed, you can honestly say yes. Goodnight!" she said cheerfully, closing the door before he could reply and heading back into the living room to work on homework.

They had gotten home from dinner at around seven, and Will finally emerged from her bedroom at ten. She had finished homework that wasn't even due until next week but felt better for having gotten it out of the way. Ostensibly she was watching TV, but in reality, she was imagining all the ways her fake relationship could go wrong for her. Anyone who was pissed at finding out his true identity, from Wickham and anyone higher up in his organization that may exist to people like Rob or Sherry, could take whatever retribution they were too afraid to take out on a cop-out on her. She would present an easy target; a girl with no connections, whose friendships wouldn't even be able to help her once word got out that she was helping the police send them to jail. Darcy had promised his protection, but this meant putting more faith in him than the people she had grown up with.

Was it simply his good looks that had drawn her to him? The thrill of danger had definitely been a factor, she was aware enough to be able to admit that. For someone who spent her whole life avoiding the temptation of rebelling, she certainly had her moments of, as JJ put it, walking the line of trouble. Well, she officially took the plunge and jumped it, attaching herself to a stranger and a cop. Sure, he had a good motive. He wasn't there to bust them for minor drug crimes; he wasn't even taking down a gang full of drug dealers and criminals, he was targeting a murdering scumbag who apparently had a penchant for killing young women.

She thought about the women in Wickham's life now that she knew this about him. In the five or so years she had known him, he had never had a serious girlfriend; not exactly suspicious or unusual. As the head of a crew of car thieves and drug dealers, he was in a position of power, and there were plenty of girls who vied for the money and power that would come from being his girlfriend. None of them lasted long, even those who looked the other way when he cheated. But none of them had died, either. What proof did Darcy have that Wickham had killed before? She could ask him, she supposed, knowing full well he would show her whatever dirt he had on Wickham. Did she want to know all the particulars? Would she be able to be so calm and nonchalant in Wickham's presence knowing what he was capable of? For she would no doubt be thrown into his presence a lot more as the girlfriend of Will O'Mara.

That was a whole other issue. His attitude at school and in front of Rob and Sherry was a perfect imitation of an attentive and caring boyfriend. She had been attracted to him since first seeing him a few days ago in the diner, something he commented on at the time and so must be fully aware of. Could she keep her head, or more importantly her heart, and remember that it was all an act, and the real Darcy was not this flirting, smiling, great kisser; the real Darcy was the scowling detective who would do anything to take Wickham down.

She caught sight of him emerging from her bedroom, rumpled and sleepy, carrying his shoes in one hand. Her heart sped as he walked towards her, rubbing his free hand through his hair. He's cute, she admitted to herself. But he isn't really Will, he's Darcy; Darcy, who looked you up and down and scoffed at your friendly greeting. Darcy, who tried to intimidate you to get information; Darcy, who, okay, won't let anything happen to you, but only because he has too much pride in his honor and integrity as a cop to put a civilian in danger.

"Thanks for the rest." His voice rumbled, deep from just waking up. He sat next to her on the couch, close enough that their legs touched. She muted the TV, not even aware of what program she was watching. "When does Charlotte get home?"

It was a perfect excuse to get him to leave; she could tell him Charlotte would be home any minute and that he better not be here before they had a chance to talk. She was jumbled with her thoughts and his appearance and she needed time to sort it all out, to be able to compartmentalize. She hadn't had too many relationships in her life, and she was finding it hard to separate Darcy the Detective from Will the Boyfriend. If for her own dignity, she didn't want to flush every time he touched her casually, she needed to be able to turn the roles on and off as easily as he did; to be Lizzy the informant one minute and Lizzy the girlfriend the next. For that she needed practice, but time as well. To get things straight in her head of how this would work.

"Um," she glanced at her watch. It was half-past ten, hours before Charlotte would be home. "Pretty soon, actually."

"I should get going," he said, yawning. He bent down to slip on his sneakers and tie his shoes. "We have class tomorrow at eight, I'll pick you up around seven, okay?" He stood, stretching his arms above his head. She glanced at the thin exposure of his stomach, then hurriedly stood as well. This is what she had to get over, but not while he was around, looking so adorably rumpled.

"Ok, Text me when you pull up and I'll come down," she followed him to the door.

He turned back just as he was stepping out, reaching around the corner until he picked up his backpack. She was glad he remembered it. "Don't forget to text me tonight after your talk with Charlotte," he reminded her.

"I know," she rolled her eyes at his commanding way. "I remember."

Her exasperated made his lip pull up in a half-smile for some reason, and then he was gone.

Lizzy sat back down on the couch to have a stern conversation with herself. She needed to separate the fake Will from the real Darcy before she made a fool out of herself and started liking the detective. The problem, as she saw it, was that she barely knew Darcy and was seeing him only as his fake persona. She knew he wasn't this easygoing car mechanic that had no priories other than getting a job and doting on her. He was an ornery police detective in a very real and very dangerous situation of taking down a drug dealing murderer by pretending to work for him to get close. Anytime he smiled at her, flirted with her, or put his arm around her, he was doing what he had to do to take Wickham down. She just needed to remember that.

For her dignity, she had to be able to turn off the girlfriend mode as easily as he switched from Will to Darcy. For that to work, she had to think of him as Darcy the detective playing a role whenever they were together. So what if she enjoyed the attention? Just as long as she didn't let it get out of hand, she would be fine. Happy she had gotten that settled, she unmuted the TV to waste time until Charlotte got home.

A few hours later, her roommate walked through the door.

"You're up late" Charlotte commented, turning to lock the door behind her.

"I thought we should talk," Lizzy turned off the tv.

"About your new boyfriend?" Charlotte questioned, dropping her things off on the counter before sinking into the broken recliner.

"Yeah," Lizzy hesitated, having rehearsed what she was going to say and how she would respond to what she assumed Charlotte was going to say. "You remember Darcy, that detective who was trying to find Rob?"

"Detective Adonis? How could I forget?" Charlotte teased back with a tired smile.

"Well… look, I kind of vouched for him; like, I told Wickham he was a car mechanic I met at school," Lizzy blurted out. Charlotte looked stunned but didn't say anything yet. "I know it was stupid, but I kind of had no choice, and Wickham's such a sleaze ball that I…"

"Wait," Charlotte interrupted her. "You're serious?"

Lizzy winced but nodded.

"Oh, my God. I thought you were going to tell me you hooked up with him, or something, and told everyone you were dating a dealer so no one would know you were really dating a cop," Charlotte told her, putting a hand on her forehead. "I was so not prepared for this."

"I'm sorry," Lizzy replied. "And look, I know how stupid and dangerous this is-"

"Do you?" Charlotte asked, somber. "Remember a few years back when JJ found out Anthony was talking to the cops?" Lizzy had forgotten until this moment, actually, but Charlotte kept talking despite her nod. "The whole gang beat the crap out of him. He lost an eye. He's lucky they didn't kill him, and no one has seen him since."

"I remember," Lizzy replied, feeling vaguely ill. "But this isn't JJ."

"No. It's Wickham, who according to the detective has only killed women before, so he's going to have a blast killing you," Charlotte said.

"Charlotte, Jesus," Lizzy replied.

"Well, what did you think would happen when everyone finds out? Because believe me, everyone always finds out," Charlotte told her.

"He said he had a plan for that," Lizzy replied weakly.

"Lizzy, if anyone finds out you helped a cop infiltrate Wickham's gang to take him down and lose all those people their jobs and money… I mean for God's sake what's Rob going to do?" Charlotte asked.

"Look he's only interested in getting Wickham for these murders; Rob will probably take over once Wickham's gone. And there's a good chance no one will know I was involved at all," Lizzy replied, finally gaining some traction.

"Nothing good ever comes from helping the cops," Charlotte stated. "If even one person has doubt you'll be in danger, and not everyone in the neighborhood is a fan of yours."

"I know that, thanks," Lizzy sighed back. "Listen, what's done is done. I just need to know if you'll keep this a secret."

"You want me to lie to everyone too?" Charlotte asked, disbelievingly.

"No, just don't go running around telling everyone that Will is a cop," Lizzy replied. Charlotte was silent for a long time.

"Did you call that university?" she asked suddenly.

"What?" Lizzy questioned back. "Not yet."

"Call them back, set up an appointment to talk to them about scholarships, and how much it will cover," Charlotte instructed her.

"O…kay. Why?" Lizzy questioned.

"Because if you are going to be doing things that are messing your life up, then you are going to counteract these things with something that can get you out of this neighborhood and somewhere safe where you belong," Charlotte replied.

"So, you're saying you'll keep the secret of Will being a cop if I go meet with these people?" Lizzy clarified.

"Right. And when this comes out that he's a cop, you never told me his true identity. I will be as shocked and disappointed in you as everyone else," Charlotte replied.

"Well. Okay, that's fair," Lizzy shrugged.

"And make an effort to impress these college people or the deals off," Charlotte pointed a finger at her.

"Okay," Lizzy threw her hands up in a placating manner.

"Well, if that's all the shocking news you have, I'm going to bed," Charlotte sighed, standing up.

"That's it," Lizzy swore. "Hey, that cook of yours is pretty cute."

Charlotte gave her an incredulous look before turning around and heading to her room, muttering something to herself that sounded suspiciously like "lost her mind."

Lizzy smiled, then pulled her cell phone out of her pocket.

She texted Will.

You didn't really make a good impression on Char, but she's willing to give you a chance.

She waited a few minutes, turning her phone over in her hand until it vibrated with a new message.

Must have taken some convincing on your part. Thanks, sweetheart. See you in the AM.

She had a goofy grin on her face, but she found she didn't care.