Chapter 19- Behind the Sunshine Comes The Shadow

"Shhh..."
"Ow!"
"Quiet!"
Will rolled over in his sleep with a loud moan, stretching his neck and scrunching up his face. Lizzy giggled at the pattern etched on his face from the folds of his pillow, and the way his hair spiked out in every direction. Lizzy gestured frantically behind her, waving her hand at the squabbling Marshie and Anne standing over the top of her, desperately trying to see what she was doing. Lizzy reached forward and rested her body next to Will's to support her as she began applying the body glitter to Wills face, and with quick and easy precision rolled patterns in blue and purple glitter.

Everyone started suddenly and Will arched his body off the bed to stretch in his sleep, knocking Lizzy off balance and pulling her over himself as he rolled to the other side. With an arm tight around her waist, Will inhaled happily and snuggled into the gap between her shoulder and neck, his breath tickling her as she lay frozen in shock. Turning her head infinitesimally towards Marshie and Anne to silently beseech them for help, unfortunately both were too amused by the situation to do anything but laugh silently while leaning on each other for support. Lizzy made a small noise of frustration and Will stirred again, pulling her tightly against his body and mumbling, "No Elle, strawberries." Of course this just made the cousins laugh harder, and Lizzy glared at them though that quickly changed to horror as she saw the expression on Marshie's face change to one of mischief, akin to that look which had lead the three to Will's room at 7 am in the morning. Lizzy mouthed a 'NO!' as Marshie stood up straight and cleared his throat quietly.

"FITZWILLIAM!!!!!!!!!!!"

...Break...

Will was having a strange dream, there were people staring at him as he lay in bed, pointing and laughing at him, he shifted away in discomfort, he hated people watching him. The world shifted and Lizzy appeared, gently touching his face, her touch like liquid and he felt sleepy as she smoothed patterns on his face. He imagined her hands on his chest, his arms, his....he shifted uncomfortably, and sighed in satisfaction as the movement brought Lizzy closer and into his arms. He felt her stir, as if to move away from him and pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair. 'Mmmm' he almost groaned in his sleep, her hair smelt like strawberries, and the curls were silk against his cheek. Her body was warm against his, and it was heavenly, she fit perfectly against him, her tiny soft body curving in all the right places to tuck into his. He smiled softly into her hair as the dream began to fade. Just as Will was about to descend into a dreamless sleep again a small noise disturbed his slumber, a low rumble, almost as though someone were...

...Break...

"FITZWILLIAM!!!!!!!!!"

Will jerked awake to a bellowing Marshall, a hysterical Anne and a frozen Lizzy lying in his arms. Will blinked tiredly, fluttering his eyes open and closed a few times before he realised that he was awake and held Lizzy in an iron grip against him. With that sudden realisation he simultaneously threw himself backwards and realised his hold on Lizzy, causing her to lurch forwards off the edge of the bed. Two muffled thuds and Lizzy's indignant curses joined Anne and Marshie's hysterical laughter.

"What the hell!" Will exclaimed, rising from the floor and rubbing his hip which had shoulder the impact of his fall, "Why are you all in here? Why was Elle in my bed," Will rubbed his face and froze, "and why the hell is there glitter on my face!" Will heard a muffled giggle from the other side of the bed, and glancing over saw Lizzy trying to quench her laughter. "Well?" He turned back to glare at his cousins, Marshie who was grinning inanely in an attempt to look innocent and Anne who was hiding the recovered body glitter in the front of her yellow hoody.

"Well! It just so happens," Lizzy began, pulling herself up from the floor and straightening her green polka dotted pyjama pants and purple singlet, "that I heard a tapping on my window this morning. Unbelievable in a giant multi-storey building, I know, especially in the top floor one would think! Yet it just so happens, that the fire escape crosses three bedrooms. My own at the end of my own apartment, Marshie's on the far corner of Cathy's big place and your own, square in the middle on the other side of my bedroom wall." Lizzy paused and smiled beguilingly, before jumping onto the bed, and even with the extra height being barely taller than Will where he stood. "Marshie here," she gestured and he waved and bowed, "has trouble sleeping anywhere where his Mummy can't protect him from the bogey man, ('hey!') and having annoyed Anne into adventure brought her across to my window. Put simply, I could see that I had to get up and give the child some amusement before he used me as his amusement." Lizzy tilted her head downwards to meet Will's eye and patted his shoulder. "Unfortunately, that left only one target as your pet dragon sleeps in her fortress and I really don't need to see Charli in bed with the Toadman. That would be you!" Jumping off the bed, she leapt into Marshie's arms and he spun her gently to the ground, smirking at Will as he glared at his cousin touching Lizzy as he could not. Tapping his shoulder, Lizzy gestured to Marshie to continue.

"Well I wanted to tattoo 'I am a loser' on your forehead but the ladies said that would be cruel, so Anne and I were going to just scribble on your face with these," he held up the permanent markers Anne used to mark her books, Will frowned, "but Lizzy," Marshie pouted at the lady in question who laughed and pecked his cheek making Will's glare darker, "said we couldn't, because you're so good looking," Will's frown changed to a smirk and Lizzy glared, whacking Marshie and protesting, "and said that if we used glitter you could look like a faery! I always thought you were a bit of a gay boy, what with a name like Fitz-"

"MARSHALL MELANIE FITZWILLIAM! Don't you dare say it!" Will pointed a finger at his cousin who blushed red to his roots. Lizzy's eyes widened and she turned to Marshie.

"Melanie? That's a girl's name!" she giggled and pinched his cheek, "No wonder you loved the glitter idea!" Lizzy smirked as she glanced back at Will before her eyes fluttered again. "Wait! I thought Marshie was just announcing himself when he woke you up, but he wasn't, was he? Because he started saying it again just then, and when Charlie introduced you when you first came to Hertforshire you glared at him until he called you William!"
Will sighed and nodded, "I'm named for my mother's maiden name, Fitzwilliam like that dolt there. I prefer Will, it isn't quite so archaic. Happy?" Lizzy nodded gleefully

"Can we go to the beach now?" Marshie asked, jumping up and down on the spot. Lizzy turned and nodded.
"Yes please! It's still warm here, we can get breakfast while the day warms up a little and then play on the beach. I'm sure will has a pail and spade for you around here somewhere..." Lizzy glanced around the room and seemed to realise that they were all in pyjamas. "But first! To our rooms to dress appropriately, lest the dragon queen find me dress so seductively in the presence of her nephews, and then on to the beach!" Lizzy leapt towards the window, and ushered Anne and Marshie out in front of her before turning to Will and winking, "Nice boxers by the way, and the glitter should come off with a warm shower." Will blushed and drew his window shut behind her, locking it securely in case of later adventures.

...Break...

Lizzy popped her head out the fire escape once she was dressed, cream shorts and a loose grey shirt covering her blue bikini. She figured that no one here would care that she had the flower tattoo or the piercing, and Will – that is Fitzwilliam – already knew about them. Grabbing her thongs she hauled herself out the window, a note lying on her bed for Charli.

'Gone for breaky with the peeps, meet us at the beach for some fun group loving. Xx'

Walking the fire escape Lizzy tapped on Will's window and peered in, blushing to see his shirtless visage still wet from the shower, he noticed her and smiled, waving her on to the next window. Lizzy didn't bother knocking on Marshie's window, she just leapt in gracefully and raised a surprised eyebrow at Will who was sitting on the bed. He shrugged and grinned.

"Breakfast anyone?" Anne asked, leading the way out of the room and from there the apartment. "We can eat at the restaurant downstairs for free since Mama owns the place, but there is a lovely place on the shore that make the best breakfast burgers."

"The best, the best, Will!" Lizzy said, elbowing him as he stood beside her in the elevator.

"Awww," he groaned, "Not Bania! He's the worst, the worst Lizzy! I mean what's the deal with Ovaltine?"

Lizzy giggled, "That's gold Will, Gold!" Noticing Anne and Marshall looking at them strangely, Lizzy exclaimed, 'Kenny Bania, from Seinfeld? You haven't watched it! Will!" She grabbed his arm and leant on him for support, "this. Must. Be. Fixed!"

All laughing, the group agreed to a Seinfeld marathon that night, since Lizzy had brought the show in its entirety with her, "It's a coffee table book about coffee tables, but the coffee table edition isn't a coffee table!" She exclaimed and Will laughed and the cousins looked on in amusement. This was the first time they had seen Will and Lizzy get along so easily, without Will staring at her like a love-sick puppy or Lizzy sitting uncomfortably around him.

Breakfast went past quickly, and the foursome ate 'the best breakfast burgers in town' while chatting animatedly, before heading right from the restaurant to the beach. Lizzy threw her bag down onto the sand and kicked off her thongs and shorts before running down to the water. Marshie followed quickly, throwing himself into the icy water and shrieking. Anne and Will walked down more sedately, and when they reached the shore Lizzy ran and jumped on Will's back.

"Save me!" ducking her head behind Will as a wave of water hit him, the source of it standing in the waves a few metres in front. Will shuddered, not sure if it was the water or Lizzy's warm skin on his that caused it. "Mush!" Lizzy cried, bouncing on his back, "we must get our revenge!" Leaning forward she whispered in his ear, "You tackle him and I'll go back for his clothes." With a snort Will nodded and they moved. Lizzy jumping backwards towards the clothes, shivering as her body lost the warm tingly feeling that Will's body had caused, and Will leaping forward and sweeping his leg against the back of Marshie's knees, pushing him backwards into the cold water. With a second quick movement he stripped off Marshie's boardies, safe in the decision to do so as Marshall has told numerous stories of being dacked at the beach and how he wore speedos under his boardies for extra safety. Lizzy's return was jolting as she leapt back onto his back to avoid the cold water. Laughing hysterically neither noticed Marshie's return above the water, or his move to push Will. Unbalanced by the weight on his back, the pull of the tide and the shifting sands, Will feel heavily, twisting to save Lizzy from his weight.

...Break...

"Li.."

"El...bet.."

Lizzy struggled to open her eyes, she felt as if she had eaten cotton and then stuffed it in her ears and eyes. She could hear faint voices talking to her, and there was a bright light behind her eyelids. Finally a deep and husky voice broke through the confusion in her head.

"Elle?" Lizzy cracked an eye open and realised she was lying at the edge of the water, with the three cousins leaning over her and staring anxiously. She blinked and opened both eyes, confused at the deep concern she could see in Will's eyes.

"Dabi fewunee," was all she could manage at first, and when she saw the fear in their eyes she pushed herself to try again, and licking her lips said, "Darcy fell on me." She could hear the relief in their laughter as she closed her eyes again.

"Hey, hey, Elle, stay with us. You had me worried, you know." Lizzy opened her eyes again to look at Will. She had him worried, but he didn't like her. She frowned considering that morning, maybe he thought of her as a fun acquaintance, but nothing more, and yet the level of fear for her health she could hear in his voice didn't add up. With a blink Lizzy let it go, and smiled.

"Takes more than a big lumbering rich boy to take me down," she said, sitting up and with Will's help standing and walking over to her bag to sit on someone's towel. Will sat behind her and allowed her to lay her head in his lap.

"Best if you rest awhile before you go nuts again," he said smiling as he stroked her damp curls. Marshall and Anne, seeing that Lizzy was ok ran off back to the water, coming back every now and then to check on her as she and Will talked quietly. Lizzy let Will talk mostly, finding it interesting to see how animated he got when he talked about his sister. Will was happy to do that, as most of Lizzy's talk involved her sister and he couldn't help the twisted feeling in his gut every time he thought of Jane.

"She is very tired, but she is the sweetest girl I know. She is very considerate of other people, and just knows when someone is upset, even if no one else notices it. Her music is pitch perfect, and she can pretty much replay a song to perfection after hearing it once. When she was a baby, after Mum died, she didn't talk for a long time. Dad didn't really notice, he threw himself into work, but it really freaked me out. So there I am, this twelve year old kid trying to entice his five year old sister to talk. I tried everything, those computers that say what you type, Hi 5, the Wiggles, all those inane and annoying children's singing shows, but she refused to watch. I read her stories and tried to teach her to write, I sang her to sleep at night. Nothing." Will sighed, smiling softly at Lizzy as she stared up at him, he poked her freckled nose and laughed when she scrunched up her nose, "then one day, right before she was meant to start school, I broke down."

Will looked so forlorn as he told the story that Lizzy reached up and stroked his cheek, he choked on his next words and licked his lips, staring down at Lizzy's pink lips. One of the hands playing with her hair moved so his thumb could stroke her cheek, lightly brushing her lip. "And?" She asked, her eyes a green that matched the calm ocean just metres away from them.

"I cried, I just hugged her and cried. I was worried something was wrong, my father just pat my head and called me a good child when I tried to talk to him. I was scared that she would start school and everyone would tease her, or that she was deaf and we just didn't know it. But little Gee Gee touches the tears on my face and looks at me with her big worried eyes and I knew she wasn't stupid, but still I was scared. And then" Will paused, looking down at Lizzy, "then she sang. Do you know, 'You Are My Sunshine'?' Lizzy scoffed, 'Of course!'

'I used to sing it to her when she had a nightmare, or had hurt herself. She knew all the words;

'The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away'

'She was amazing. I asked her if she liked music and she nodded at me and jumped up and yelled 'I wuv moosik!', and I organised a music tutor for her that afternoon and she has been studying it since. She now plays piano, violin, drums, base, harmonica, clarinet, bassoon," he paused to think, "harp and guitar which I learnt with her. It was our bonding time when I was busy with school and college."

Lizzy smiled and rubbed his cheek again, "that's lovely! I always wished I had a big brother, instead I had the three stooges, but fortunately I had Janey." She didn't really notice what she was doing as she stared up at Will, rubbing her thumb across his jaw in the same way his thumb caressed her own. She was biting her lip as she smiled up at him and he couldn't stand it anymore. Leaning forward slowly he kept his eyes on her.

Lizzy didn't know what she was thinking. Scratch that. She knew what she was thinking, she wanted Will to kiss her, and he wasn't so bad. They'd had fun today, maybe he really was just shy. She blinked, she was over thinking this, and she tilted her head up to meet his lips. Will was breathing quickly, his eyes on Lizzy's which had turned a startling emerald. Their lips met.

Will remembered that she moaned, and that they struggled for a bit, as Lizzy twisted the right way up. He remembered that she tasted like the juice she had been drinking from a prima all morning, and he remembered that her lips were soft against his, while her tongue was...his mind fogged over in pleasure, it was good.

Lizzy was a wild child, but she was a good girl. That is to say, she had kissed some boys in her time, not a lot, but enough to definitively say that Fitzwilliam Darcy was the best kisser she had ever met. He didn't slobber, he didn't tear her lip, but he sucked and nipped her lip to satisfaction and ran his tongue across her bottom lip until she moaned.

Suffice to say, it was a kiss enjoyed by both parties...and the two giggling observers by the water. It was also a kiss that was only interrupted by the first drops of rainclouds that no one had noticed. Lizzy squealed at the droplet that ran down her back and Will grinned at her with his lips still pressed against hers. Grabbing their stuff they ran back to the hotel still in their bathers, and Lizzy and Will tried not to look awkward. Unavoidable when will kept sending her scorching looks that made her blush, or when she would intentionally catch his eye and lick her lips. When Marshall elbowed her she blushed and looked pleasantly surprised. Will couldn't help a smirk, knowing he was right about her reciprocated feelings.

...Break...

They agreed to reconvene in an hour for Seinfeld in Lizzy's apartment, lest Cathy catch them and find the show improper and immoral. Lizzy had expected Will to turn up first, but it was Marshie who let himself in ten minutes before anyone was due. She saluted him from her spot sprawled across the couch and tucked her legs in to make room for him at the end.

"So I see you have made friends with Will." He observed casually, staring at the TV where Monica and Chandler were hiding from Joey in London. "Decide to play nice did you?"

"He isn't as stuffy as he was." Was her only reply as she focused on Friends.

"He is a good bloke," Marshie said, turning to look at her. "He looks out for everyone he cares for. I mean, that's why he's here!" When Lizzy looked at him strangely, he elaborated. "He wasn't going to come this year, he was meant to postpone his visit a few months while he stayed in Melbourne."

Lizzy nodded and gestured for him to continue.

"But he had to leave the place he was staying, because of Charlie, you knew him right?" A nod. "Anyway, he got involved with this chick, some money grubber with a hick family, you might even know her! Anyway, Will could see that it was going to end badly, so he told Charlie that she didn't care for him and was just after his money. Took a couple of punches from carrot top before he came to his senses, but Will was determined not to let Charlie be taken advantage of."

Lizzy sat frozen, it couldn't be true. He'd been so fun, so sweet, so charming, so tasty...but why would Marshall make that up? "So he didn't like her because she was after his money?" Lizzy asked to clarify. Maybe it was someone else, maybe Charlie was confused, maybe Will-

"Yes, and apparently she was some kinda fembot, beautiful but emotionless. He said Charlie thought she was some kind of golden haired angel. Figures, Charles always picks the pretty ones." Marshie smiled, like he had made Will look like a saint.

"What gave...I mean what right did Will have to interfere?" Lizzy asked, picking calmly at the thread of the couch.

"Charles is his best friend, and Will looks after him."

"Right." Lizzy clenched her fists and was about to respond when the door opened again and Will and Anne entered. Lizzy was too angry to notice the jealousy in his eyes when he saw her with Marshie, and remained too furious to notice the hurt when she moved to sit alone as he reached for her. They watched the show in silence. Everyone aware of the tension but only Lizzy knowing it's root. The first season ended and Charli and Collins returned, rounding everyone up to get ready for another dinner with Cathy. The cousins scattered and Lizzy threw herself into her room, ignoring Charli's concerned glance.

...Break...

Charli knocked on Lizzy's door and opened it to find her curled up around a pillow on her bed. Having heard about her fall today, she asked if her friend was ok.

"I'm fine Charli, just a bit of a headache. I might have stay in tonight, will you send my apologises to the dragon queen and tell the guys that I'm sorry?" Charli nodded disbelief obvious in her eyes but she left.

Lizzy lay back down, she cried. She cried for Jane's broken heart, she cried for Charlie being so easily persuaded, she cried for Charli's marriage to the toad, and mostly she cried for letting herself be pulled in by Will. By the time a knock came on her window, and a figure slipped in Lizzy was well and truly upset, and seeing Will standing beside her bed renewed her feelings of anger.

...End of Chapter...

A/N

I'm not going to bed for forgiveness and I'm not going to make any promises. I'm using this as a story to add to when I need to write but don't know what to write. I hope people are still enjoying it and it will EVENTUALLY be finished.

Xx

Disclaimer: I mentioned Seinfeld, Friends and Austen Powers within this chapter. I do not own them or Jane Austen's pride and prejudice no matter how much I wish I had the literary or comic genius to create them.