Chapter 14

She met him at the restaurant, he'd chosen a small table right in the back even though there were open booths by the windows, which would have been much nicer… and had better lighting. He stood up to greet her, kissing her roughly on the mouth before she'd even said hello. His lips were not the soft, tentative ones that she'd experienced a few nights previous, and she groaned internally. The difference in their kiss should have ticked her off immediately on Saturday night. She knew what George's kisses were like, but she'd ignored the difference. That was something she'd have to analyse later.

Wickham pulled away with a smug grin and Elizabeth quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Hello George," she mumbled.

"Hello," he said back, planting himself back in his chair, while Lizzie pulled hers out and sat across from him.

She listened to him talking on about some venture he'd had with his military buddies last night, but she was only half paying attention, most of her brain was busy trying to come up with a way to let him down easy.

"You know Liz, I leave for another training camp on Sunday morning. This could be the last time we see each other for a while," he said, his lip curling up in an unsavoury grin. She responded to his smirk with a half-smile, perhaps his going away would provide a good excuse not to see him anymore.

"We should, make the most of it you know," he said, and then he winked! He actually winked at her. Lizzie leant back in her chair and tried not to cringe, she didn't respond to his innuendo.

"This lamb is delicious," she said instead, even though it wasn't really very good. When she looked back at him, she caught the beginnings of a frown but he hid it quickly and smiled again.

"I'm glad you like it," he said, and they ate in silence for a few minutes.

"Do you ever think of finding another job?" He asked suddenly, pulling Lizzie out of her thoughts.

"Why would I do that?" Lizzie asked, perturbed.

Wickham shrugged, but Lizzie just raised her eyebrows in and expression that said 'oh no, you're not getting out of it that easily'.

"I love my job George." She said again "Why would I leave it?"

"I just…" he paused, as if thinking, "I don't like the idea of you working for a guy like Darcy." He spat Darcy's name as if it were a bad taste in his mouth. Lizzie stifled a laugh, 'A guy like Darcy my left foot!' She thought.

"Well, you don't really have a say in the matter. I love my job, I'm good at my job!" she cried, she was getting angry with him now, and his attitude coupled with Darcy's warnings was a volatile combination.

"I know you are Lizzie," he assured her, but it did little to calm her, "I just don't like you being around him. He's a bad guy and I don't trust him, especially not with you," he said. Lizzie started to fume, but tried to hold it in, remembering Darcy's words.

"I know you and Darcy have your issues," she said as calmly as she could manage, "But he's been a good boss to me, as much as you may dislike him, but I'm a big girl George, and I can look after myself. I certainly don't need, or want, you to protect me!"

She stood up and grabbed her coat and bag from the back of her chair.

"I think it's time I went home, don't call me. Thanks for dinner," she said, then turned on her heel and left the restaurant, glad to be out of that man's company.

She'd wanted to confront him, to yell at him, firstly for being a terrible person, for hurting Georgiana and taking advantage of Darcy, and then for lying to her. That had been the plan when she'd left the office. To tear him down and demand he stayed away from her. But as soon as she was sitting in front of him, all she could think about was Darcy warning her to be careful, not to get him angry, and for some reason, she listened to him… for once.

She decided to walk home to clear her head, even if it would take her half an hour.

Lizzie was usually able to keep her cool under just about every situation… the past few days excluded, but after everything she had learned, Wickham's comments had really upset her. Even though she fully believed everything Darcy had told her earlier that day, she'd wanted to have a clean break with George. To make sure he got the message that it was over, and break it off with him for good. But Wickham's smug arrogance, which Lizzie had never really noticed before, had really hit a nerve, and her amiable clean break plans had flown out the window.

She couldn't believe she'd been so easily deceived by George Wickham and his charms. She was starting to think she wasn't as good of a judge of character as she'd believed. This past week Darcy had been proving her perception of him wrong at every turn, and now Wickham! Who else has she wrongfully judged and not realised it?

She'd thought she had her life sorted. She had a great job, wonderful friends, and a wonderful, if sometimes slightly ridiculous, family who loved her. Even if some were better at showing it than others! She'd finally come to terms with the fact that her boss disliked her, only to find out he didn't at all, but what did it mean?

When she'd first met Darcy she'd been attracted to him instantly, he was handsome to be sure, but the pull Elizabeth had felt had been… magnetising. She'd almost handed in her resignation on her first day on the job just so she could flirt with him without persecution. She'd thought he felt the same way, he'd been charming and amiable, and even flirted back with her when no one was around, then all of a sudden, he'd stopped talking to her! For months! And she still didn't know why.

Of course, he'd been much better behaved towards her recently, but that didn't lessen the sting. Her attraction for him had turned to hatred and she'd got on with her job, not giving him the time of day. Then she woke up in bed with him and suddenly her feelings had come back in full force, coupled with almost three years of disdain and enmity combining in a cocktail of confusion! And so for the past week a war had been waging inside her.

She suddenly realised she was almost home, and crossed the street a few blocks down from her building. She was still so mixed up about her feelings, and seeing the tender and human side of Darcy as he'd recounted his history with Wickham earlier had nudged her guilt back to centre stage. She was so frustrated with herself, and her muddled emotions that she cried out aloud just to release some tention.

"UGH! You just had to go and sleep with Darcy didn't you Lizzie!" she admonished herself.

Suddenly she heard something behind her and looked over her shoulder. There was someone standing in the shadows.

"You WHAT?" the person bellowed, and George Wickham stepped out into plain sight and descended on her. She jumped away from him in the nick of time, coming into contact with the brick wall of the building next door to hers.

"You followed me?!" she yelled, he was quick and suddenly had her pressed against the wall, his body up against hers. Lizzie struggled against him, but he was too strong.

"YOU SLEPT WITH DARCY?" He yelled right into her face, his breath was hot on her cheek as she continued to struggle against him. He continued to yell.

"YOU'RE JUST A LITTLE WHORE, SLEEPING WITH YOUR BOSS! WITH THAT LOSER WHO SCREWED ME OVER! YOU KNEW WHAT HE'D DONE!"

Lizzie wanted to slap him, but he had her hands pinned behind her back now, his large rough hand holding her slim wrists together, he was wrestling her sideways towards the alley way. Lizzie was about to scream, to yell for help, and yell at him for being a dirty liar when his other hand clapped over her mouth.

He had her in the alley now, still tightly in his grip he threw her against the wall again, pinning her hands between her back and the brick, she felt her skin graze as she struggled. He removed his hand from her wrists but she still couldn't get them out because he had her pinned too close to the wall. She saw that he was reaching down to his pants and she started screaming against the hand over her mouth. Her pleas for help, for him to let her go, came out muffled, unintelligible and far too quiet for anyone to hear.

"Darcy thinks he can take you away from me as well? Fuck you and win you?" He ranted, his zip was open and he was jiggling his pants down. She kept up her struggles, "I'll show him! I'll show you both!" he screamed in her face, and suddenly his weight was gone and she was freed from his grip.

Wickham was lying on the floor yelling in pain, his hands covering his face, and standing over him, was William Darcy.

"Will?" She asked, and she realised that her voice was shaky, and her cheeks were wet. She was crying.

"Lizzie!" he said, his voice was breathless and filled with relief, he was at her side in one stride holding her shoulders and looking searching into her eyes. In the dark alley she couldn't see him properly, but she stepped in closer to him for comfort.

"Lizzie, are you alright?" he asked desperately. She felt her whole body shaking but nodded numbly.

"Wha… what are you doing here?" she asked. Just then, Wickham groaned and she stepped even closer to Darcy at the sound, she was right up against him now, and he put an arm around her.

"Let's get you upstairs first," he said, quickly leading her out of the alley and away from Wickham before he recovered. A few minutes later they were standing in Lizzie's foyer and she was sliding the three dead bolts into place. Locking them securely inside.

Darcy was still silent, and Lizzie didn't think she'd be able to speak. He was still touching her shoulder and she covered his large hand with hers and led him to the living room couch. He sat beside her and let her take the comfort she seemed to need as she unwittingly snuggled into his side. She was still crying silently, and he didn't try and stop her, he just waited. When she eventually stopped crying and sat up a little, he spoke.

"Where is Jane?" he asked gently. Lizzie looked around as if she was just realising where she was.

"She was supposed to be home," she mumbled, "She was having Charlie over for dinner." Beyond that she didn't seem to know what to do, Darcy got up and went to the kitchen, returning a few minutes later with a glass of water, and a piece of paper in his hand.

He handed her the water and waited for her as she drank almost half of it in one go, and then he passed her the paper. It was a note from Jane.

"They've gone to Charlie's instead," she mumbled after reading it. Good, she didn't want Charles around to see her like this, and Jane would just worry.

Darcy sat back down next to her, and Lizzie realised she still didn't know how he'd been in the alley at just the right time.

"Darcy, what are you doing here?" she asked. He looked up at her guiltily, and shrugged.

"When you left to meet Wickham," he spat the name, the same way Wickham had done his earlier that night, "I couldn't believe I'd let you walk away again, I was worried about you. I know you said you were breaking things off with him, but I just had a bad feeling. I wanted to stop you from going, but I knew you'd never listen to me. You're too good of a person to leave someone hanging, even someone like George." He paused, she was listening to him, but she was still shaky. He seemed to sense that and toned it down.

"I just wanted you to be safe," he continued, "And since I didn't know where to find you on your date, I came here and waited outside. I wanted to make sure you got home safely. I know that sounds horribly stalker like and creepy, but I needed to see you, and there are still things I wanted to say to you before you left today, and thought with Wickham out of the way, we could talk…" he trailed off.

She didn't respond, but snuggled back into the couch, resting her head on his shoulder again.

They must have stayed sitting like that for half an hour without speaking. Darcy even thought that Lizzie had fallen asleep there, with her head resting on his shoulder and her hand on his lap. He was torn between leaving and giving her some space and staying there and indulging his selfish side for a while longer when she spoke, startling him.

"Thank you," she whispered, he smiled weakly.

"You don't have to thank me Elizabeth," he replied, and she couldn't help but notice that he was using her full name again. She liked it when he called her Lizzie, it happened so rarely, usually only slipping out when he was angry with her, or as he had proven earlier in the alley, worried about her.

"I do," she assured him, "You saved my life. Who knows what Wickham would have done to me if you hadn't been there?" she asked, "He was assaulting me, he could have easily done worse," she said shakily.

He shuddered at the thought of loosing her, especially before he'd even really got her. He lightly pressed a kiss to the top of her head without thinking and she froze up again.

"Sorry," he mumbled, "I'm sorry Elizabeth," he pulled away a little bit, scooting to the edge of the couch.

"There's so much I want to say to you," he said, "So much I need to explain…"

"Don't," she interrupted him, "Please, not now."

He nodded sadly and started to stand up to leave, but this time she pulled him back.

"No!" she cried, grabbing his hand, "Please… stay," she whispered, "I know there's a lot to be said. I know that, and we will, I promise." He sat back down again and she let go of his hand.

"But I just can't, not right now. But please, don't leave me alone…" she felt herself shudder and knew she was about to cry again,

"I just ca… ca… Can't," she cried, and he took her back into his arms, easing her down onto the couch. This time she cried herself to sleep with Will shushing quietly into her hair, stroking her back with his large comforting hands.

When she woke up hours later, the early sun breaking through the window and falling across her face, she was in her own bed and her sister was perched on the mattress next to her, tickling her left arm that lay on top of the blanket. Jane looked giddy as Lizzie groggily mumbled a good morning and pulled the blanket over her head.

"Good morning?" Jane exclaimed, "Is that all you have to say to me? How about explaining why I came home this morning to find Will Darcy sleeping on our couch?" she cried.

Lizzie sat up then.

"He stayed?" she asked, shocked, figuring he'd have left once she was asleep. It could only have been him who'd put her to bed.

"Well, he's still here!" Jane whispered back, "So what the hell happened? I thought you had a date with George last night!"

"I did, it's a really long story Jane," Lizzie mumbled, settling back into her pillows and trying to figure out this mess she'd gotten herself into.

"I've got time," she said, settling in next to her.

Lizzie relented, she was worried about what Jane would say, how she'd react, but she deserved to know. They didn't keep any secrets from each other. The number of nights that they'd spent in each other's beds whispering under the covers, even after they moved out of their parent's house, was countless.

Hence why Lizzie knew far too much about Charlie's sexual prowess than she needed to know about her boss, but this was something too serious to keep from her. So she recounted the events of last night, starting from Darcy telling her the truth about George, up until she fell asleep in his arms on the couch, and Jane listened with rapt attention, and reacted exactly the way Lizzie had expected her to.

She had finished her story and was reassuring Jane that she was fine when they heard stirring in the living room.

"Elizabeth?" Darcy's voice called out, he sounded like he was standing at the end of the hall. Lizzie climbed out of bed, straightened the clothes that she still wore from last night, and went out to meet him, Jane following a few steps behind her.

"Hi," she said somewhat timidly, not sure of how she should be acting around him now. He responded with a 'hi' of his own and a nervous smile. Jane cleared her throat pulling them out of la-la land and Darcy finally looked at her.

"Hi, Jane," he greeted her, and then looked back to Lizzie,

"I have to go," he said, "Gigi just called worrying about me, but I didn't want to leave without making sure you were alright."

"Thank you," Lizzie said, she felt like she was blushing, "You should go to Georgie."

She followed him to the door, unlocking it for him. Out on the landing he had one foot down the stairs while she stood in the doorway.

"We'll talk later?" he asked, to which she nodded an agreement.

"We will, go to Georgiana." He nodded and reached out to take her hand and gave it a small squeeze before he disappeared down the stairs. Lizzie waited until he was out of sight before she shut the door, locking all the bolts again. If she'd thought her situation with Darcy had been complicated yesterday, then she had no idea what to call it now. All she knew was that things were going to be very different from now on. But that there was a lot they both needed to answer for before any resolutions could be made.