After discussing with George about her plans on becoming a bounty hunter, he had begun to give advice and suggestions on how to proceed.

"It is best that if you are looking to start out as a bounty hunter, that you go after someone that you have a better chance of handling. For instance, you can't go after a gang or a member of a gang. They would come after you, and though I'd love to help you, I'd play the coward and run." he gave a guilty smile.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "Thanks for the help."

"But, if you go after someone who is by themselves, not credited with being a gunslinger or anything truly dangerous, you might be able to catch them. Take a thief as an example. Yes, most do carry guns and shot at people, but not all of them are credited to be good shots. If you are able to sneak up on them and get the drop on the fool before he realizes, then you're good."

"I don't know. Thieves sound a little unpredictable."

"Would you rather go after murderers and rapist? It's not going to get any easier, trust me."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, curious to know how he knew so much about the subject, "Were you like a bounty hunter before all of this?"

"Me?" George laughed at the idea, "No, never."

"How come you know so much about it then?"

"I know a guy who does a little bounty hunting on the side. An old friend, you could say."

"Where is your friend now?"

"Around I'd imagine. He's always keeping busy." he shrugged.

"I'd like to meet him and ask him advice." Then a thought came to her, "Do bounty hunters work together?"

"Sometimes, but splitting the money is such a hassle that they hardly ever do unless it's a big reward and multiple people wanted."

"Do you think your friend would take me on for a time? Till I get the hang of it to go on my own?"

George gave her a smile, "It's possible, but it may take some time to locate him."

Their path took them through a trail between two boulders. Lizzie had traveled through this path several times before but George's cautious behavior and him looking around made her tense.

"What? What is it?" she whispered to him, looking around worriedly.

"Possibly nothing. I just don't like being in places where there is an obstruction to part of my view. Easy to get ambushed."

"Ambushed?!" Lizzie's eyes widened.

The sound of guns firing had her freeze in place, ducking her head near Sal's.

Riders suddenly had them surrounded on both sides. George groaned as he pulled his horse close to Lizzie's. Three riders with handkerchiefs covering part of their faces were holding guns on the pair.

"What do we do?" asked Lizzie in a whisper. She was thrilled by the whole situation but at the same time a little scared.

"Well, I assume they only want our money, so if we hand that over, they might leave us be," George muttered.

"Might?"

"They may take our horses too, or at least leave them somewhere further away and we'll have to go get them."

"Do you get robbed often?"

"Yes, and no." was his reply before the robbers began telling them to drop their weapons that they were carrying onto the ground, and to do it slowly.

Wickham pulled out his gun with exaggerated slowness, before tossing it to the ground.

Lizzie only had her knife, which was hidden in the back of her pants. She doubted they'd notice if she removed it.

"You too, boy." barked one of the men, fixing his gun on her.

Elizabeth did her best not to shiver at the barrel of the gun being pointed at her. Lifting her head slightly and trying not to be intimidated she said, "I don't have a gun."

The man looked confused that anyone would be traveling without protection. He moved his horse closer to her, gun still pointing. His eyes regarded the lack of a gunbelt or any other signs of a weapon, but as he looked closer at her face, he gave a grin.

Lizzie wouldn't show any signs of fear, though she guessed that he might've seen that she was a girl.

His hand came up and yanked her hat off. The man regarded her again with a smile that disgusted her.

"Now what's a pretty thing like you doing out here?" he said, his hand coming up to touch her cheek.

Elizabeth was about to hit him, just like she did James all those years ago, but another shot rang out, this one hitting the man in front of her.

Jumping in her seat at the man suddenly no longer reaching out for her, but was lying in his saddle dead, she bit back a scream.

The other robbers looked around in confusion, one still holding their gun to Wickham who hadn't moved, and the other trying to find the other shooter.

Another shot rang out, taking out the man on George. Once he was no longer at gunpoint. Wickham lunged to the last of the robbers and knocked them both to the ground. He began punching him until he was unconscious.

With a relieved and tired sigh, George sniffed and fell to the side, running his hand through his disheveled hair.

Lizzie's eyes roamed around in search of the person who had saved them but couldn't.

"You alright?" George asked her.

She hadn't noticed that he had gotten up and had walked over to her horse. He was now standing right beside her.

"Yeah, I think so."

A shot fired off and Lizzie tensed once more. Sal backed up on his own accord, not liking this much action.

"Move away from each other now. I won't repeat myself, Wickham." came a disembodied voice.

Elizabeth could've sworn she heard it from somewhere before.

"I knew it could only be one. No one else has your gift of being such an excellent bloodhound." George smirked as he stepped away from Lizzie's horse. He went back to his own horse and stroked its nose. Wickham watched as the man came from behind the boulders, "I didn't even know you were tracking me, but I could only assume it was you."

"Don't flatter yourself, George, I was tracking them." Darcy looked over to where Lizzie was still on her horse.

Elizabeth's eyes widened in shock at his sudden appearance, "Mr. Darcy?! What are you doing here?"

Darcy walked over to her horse, holding the bridle to keep the horse still, "A word, Ms. Elizabeth." he said in a low voice. He backed the horse up so that they were a little further away. Finding a good grip on her arm, he 'helped' her down from her horse and continued to keep a firm grip on her upper arm.

"Unhand me," Lizzie protested, trying to pull free, but his grip only tightened until she stilled.

"What the hell were you thinking? Are you out of your mind? First, you leave home and then hitch up with some stranger. A stranger, I might add, who is a con artist and a gambler."

"He's not a-" she looked to George who was pretending not to try and eavesdrop. "Okay, so I don't know much about him. How do you know him?"

"Childhood friend."

She groaned, "Seriously. Why is the world getting smaller and where everyone knows everyone, despite me trying to escape all of this."

"I'm taking you home."

"I'm not going back!"

"Yes, you are. I'm not about to stand here and argue with you like you're a child."

Lizzie glared up at him, not backing down.

"Not to interrupt this reunion, but is there a problem?" George finally asked, coming forward with his horse.

"Can you tell your friend," Lizzie said the word in disgust, "here that I will not be returning home no matter what he says."

"Darcy, if Elijah doesn't want to return home and marry the girl than just let him be. I don't even know what concern it is of yours." George crossed his arms over his chest with a frown.

"Eli-" Darcy rolled his eyes and caught the quick smile from Elizabeth. "You're going home and that's the end of it."

"If George says I don't have to, then I don't."

Darcy snorted and looked at the other man, "Oh really. So is your new friend George here willing to fight me on the subject?"

George looked uneasy and then gave Lizzie an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, kid. Maybe it won't be too awful."

"Unbelievable." Lizzie groaned in frustration. She finally was able to successfully pull her arm out of Darcy's grip however and she crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her head in challenge. "Fine then, I will go up against you then."

"You really think you can beat me?" Darcy snorted.

"Of course, I have beat up many boys before, don't you remember me telling you?" She gave him a threatening grin before drawing back her leg and kicking him in the shin. Darcy yelled in pain, limping as he tried to rub the pain away. Lizzie drew her leg back again, kicking him where no man should be hit.

He collapsed, a hand covering his groin while the other propped him up.

"Right in the family jewels," George winced in sympathy. He thought little Elijah ruthless for going after another man's goods, but he who lacks any other advantage...

Lizzie turned around quickly to climb back into her saddle but felt her leg give out and fell to the ground.

She had forgotten about her ankle.

Darcy recovered, slightly, enough to haul her up to her feet by her arm again. A deadly glare daring her to try that stunt again.

"It would seem, Elijah, that you forgot with all your little kicks, that you are injured. Maybe I should assist you in getting into your saddle," he growled.

With a sharp whistle, his horse Maxine came trotting around the boulder and up to her master. Darcy dragged a protesting Elizabeth with him and then proceeded to bind her hands.

"Are you serious?" she gawked.

Darcy heaved her onto her horse, having her rest on her stomach across the saddle before biding her feet.

"I'm dead serious."

"And that there, gentlemen, is the great William Darcy, the bounty hunter that put the fear in any criminal." George laughed. "You can go easy on the kid. He was only trying to live."

"And I suppose you were going to aid them in their little fantasy of becoming a bounty hunter." Darcy huffed.

"Fantasy?!" Lizzie repeated incredulously from the saddle.

"I was, but of course I'm no expert. Funny enough, I was going to refer them to you as a shadow or intern."

"I'd rather marry Collins," Elizabeth muttered.

Darcy rose an eyebrow at this.

Was he truly worse to her that she'd marry that disgusting sycophant?

"There has to be a way that doesn't include him having to go back. At least not yet. Let him live a little, man. Poor boy has barely been in a saloon. Never had a drink and didn't even know what game of chance meant. No doubt he's been with a woman before either."

"I can assure you he hasn't," Darcy muttered under his breath. Elijah has a family back home worried about him and a whole town thinking that my friend and I kidnapped him. He needs to go home."

"Your friend? Bingley? You give the man too little credit if you think he's not quick on his feet to persuade them otherwise. He has been studying law with you after all."

"While you dropped out."

"Like I said, it wasn't my cup of tea."

Darcy looked at Elizabeth, trying to decide what was the best course of action.

It was still early enough that they may make it close to Longborne is they started now, but he knew what waited for her back home.

Maybe, it wouldn't be such a bad thing to indulge her for a while.

"Fine. We can take 'em out for a while before returning him home."

George gave a playful grin as he mounted his horse.

"Wait, if you're not returning me, then untie me!" Lizzie demanded, trying to wiggle out of her uncomfortable position.

"Oh no, you're not getting sat up until you feel as uncomfortable as I felt after those kicks you gave me," Darcy said, pulling Sal's reins as he tied them to his own saddle and climbed on. "So I suggest you get comfortable."