Lizzy tossed and turned in her unsurprisingly luxurious and comfortable bed. She had never been a good sleeper.

Tonight however, she had something else on her mind. She couldn't get her conversation – more like argument – with Fitzwilliam out of her head. Firstly; the more she thought about it, the more she realised that she had actually jumped down his throat at a comment that wasn't even his.* But, she reasoned, he did agree with it. Then again she may have twisted his words…. Urgh she was going around in circles. Lizzy hated being wrong.

She glanced at the bedside clock – 1:30am

Throwing the bedclothes off she decided to get a drink of water, maybe some tea even.

Leaving the room she noticed his – Fitzwilliam's – door was ajar. This brought to mind the other thing that had been bothering her.

Lizzy was enjoying this little game they had going, using each other's full names. However, she had noticed that neither he nor she were willing to do so when other people could hear them… it was as it had become something private. Lizzy wasn't too sure how she felt about having something private with Fitzwilliam Darcy.

With this train of thought, her mind was flooded with images of Darcy just out of the shower…

Goddamnit! Why did someone she clashed with so frequently have to be so bloody attractive? She grimaced and pushed the kitchen door open.

There was someone already inside. Of course there was someone already inside.

Fitzwilliam Darcy was sitting on a high stool, eating ice – cream. Wearing – yes you've guessed it – nothing but pyjama bottoms.

"Why is he always shirtless?" she wondered,

"oh I'm sorry Elizabeth" he said surprised. SHIT. She hadn't meant to say that out loud. "do you want me to get shirt…"

"no no!" she rushed, becoming flustered. "no you're great. I mean good the way you are, that is, I'm okay. You know, if you're okay…" she cringed. "sorry. I'm kind of incoherent at this time of night. I wasn't expecting to meet anyone"

"Bad sleeper?"

"yeah I always have been. You?" he nodded, affirmative.

"A more recent development"

Since it seemed that was all the explanation she would get, Lizzy shrugged her shoulders, located a bowl and helped herself to some ice cream too. It was good.

Nothing more passed between the two until he finished his ice cream and bid her a good night.

"Goodnight Elizabeth"

Once he left, Lizzy's eyes narrowed in on the bowl he had left unwashed on the counter beside her. Well that says a lot, she thought wryly.

Sighing she brought both dishes to the sink and washed and dried them before returning to bed for a restless night. What an interesting, irritatingly inconsistent boy.

Rising again at a more appropriate time, Lizzy donned her running gear, surprised to find everyone, bar Caroline, already in the kitchen.

"Morning Lizzy" Jane smiled sleepily, "heading out for your run?" Lizzy replied that she was to which Charlie said.

"Are you really?" as if it was an alien concept "Well so is Will! You two should run together!" Lizzy had not even formed a reply in her head when she heard a rather aggressive;

"No" from Darcy.

Everyone turned to look at him, kitted out in Nike gear, a blush spreading across his features. Lizzy arched her eyebrow questioningly.

"I just… I um" he spluttered "I want to leave right now and um… you haven't had any breakfast" he mumbled and all but sprinted from the room.

Well, Lizzy thought, that was a pathetic excuse to avoid spending time with me. Were she not so sleep deprived, she might be a little hurt.

Outside however, Darcy was pounding it out on the pavement, having inner arguments with himself. This girl was intelligent, witty and beautiful. Everything he found attractive. Good God he felt like a moth to a flame. But it was impossible. He just couldn't pursue her. It wouldn't work. It couldn't work. He had made a resolve last night to keep away from her. In two months he would be back in England. He would easily forget about her, after all, she's only a girl.

Lizzy arrived back after her own run to find another car in the driveway. Her blood ran cold. It was her Mother's car.

She raced into the living room to see Fanny and Lydia Bennet, quite at home, screeching about God knows what.

Jane was cringing, Charlie was smiling good naturedly and Caroline was throwing wicked conspiratorial glances at Darcy, who was frowning.

"Mother" Lizzy panted as she tried to catch her breath "what are you doing here?" aside from making a fool of yourself, she added silently.

"Lizzy there you are" she replied somewhat distastefully "I called over to see if you kids were okay. Of course everyone is perfect over here" she cooed at Charlie whose eyebrows shot up "except you Lizzy!" she continued disparagingly, much to everyone's shock "just look at you" she sighed "all red and sweaty. What am I going to do with you?"

"Mother please" Jane tried "Lizzy just came in from a workout"

"I know that Jane, I'm simply saying that she looks unattractive. Whatever must poor Will here think of you?" she turned expectantly to Darcy.

Lizzy thought she would die. Darcy opened and closed his mouth, tryingnto find an appropriate response to her ludicrous mother.

"Mother!" Lizzy said rather firmly. "That is enough; I'm going to take a shower."

As she turned to leave she cringed at the sound of Fanny apologise profusely for her daughters "wild behaviour".

Lizzy was strong, there wasn't a lot she couldn't handle. However, when her own mother treated her like this, tears were never far away.

Back in the living room, Fanny had moved onto complimenting the house while Caroline leaned over to Will.

"As daft as she is" she whispered "I'm inclined to agree with the Mother. Did you see the state of Lizzy? She looked positively ghastly! I mean I know you'll agree with me when I say she has never exactly been what one would call 'good looking'" she sneered "but that appearance just tops it all off!"

"I disagree"

"What do you mean?" she spluttered. He sighed resignedly.

"I disagree with everything you just said. Firstly, Lizzy" he used her nickname for the first time, he didn't care for it "is without competition the prettiest" understating it Will "girl I've met" Caroline gasped "and secondly, I thought she looked great. She's obviously in great shape and the exercise made her eyes… sparkle"

He excused himself from the room. Leaving a disgusted Caroline in his wake.

Lizzy re-entered somewhat apprehensively to find her Mother and Lydia were just leaving. Lydia broke away from her iPhone to speak for the first time.

"Have a party" she said, almost demanded, to Charlie.

"ummm what?"

"A house warming party. But set up the garden so that people could dance"

"Lydia!" Lizzy exclaimed "you can't just demand things like that!" could her family mortify them anymore? She was suddenly glad that Darcy wasn't around to hear this, she could only imagine what he thought of her family already.

Lydia simply shrugged.

"No no, it's fine" Charlie assured her "that sounds like a great idea Lydia, we'll say it to our parents" Lizzy noticed the glare Caroline shot at her brother.

"Okay we must be off!" Fanny sang. Why was she putting on the posh accent? "Enjoy your final night here! Oh, and before I forget, when you get home your Father's old assistant Colin will be at home too, such a charming young man!"

Lizzy groaned internally, she had heard a lot about this Colin from her Father. If his reports were true, the boy was anything but charming.

A.N - *Kmart92 I used your words here, felt like a good idea.

Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favourite and reviewed, it makes me feel good!