A/N: I'm sorry... To answer the question "Why you no update?"...It's finals week (well, officially next week but most of mine are this week) so I've been a bit busy and to be honest I didn't really know how to write this part. I think it turned out fine, though.

Thanks for sticking with it. You have no idea how happy you guys make me.

Ch. 17

"So...Will Darcy..." Liz started, "What⎯no. Why did you...I" She paused, thinking of the right words. "God, I'm sorry. I'm not usually like this during interviews. I just don't know what to say when the thing we're supposed to be talking about also involves me."

"This whole thing is a little weird, isn't it? I mean it should be so easy to just say 'no, we're not is a relationship.'"

Liz nodded in agreement. "I mean, my boss wants a whole spread on this, but there's not much to say, right? It's just a simple statement: no, we are not in a relationship."

Will looked down to his hands and fidgeted a little before he looked up again. "Yea, of course."

As hard as Will tried, he couldn't stop his face from showing his disappointment. Why is it so hard for me to realize that she doesn't have any feelings for me?

Sensing that Will wasn't going to say anything else, Liz said "You know, some paparazzi showed up at my apartment building the other day."

Will looked a little shocked. "Oh god, Elizabeth, I'm sorry. I didn't think they would bother you."

"Why? Because I'm not famous like you?" Liz challenged. Will was about to defend himself, telling her she misconstrued what he said, but the sparkle in her eyes let Will know that she was only teasing him. He chuckled.

"No, I just thought that I wasn't a big enough deal to have the paparazzi chase around some woman that was in a picture with me."

Liz laughed. "Oh trust me, Mr. Darcy, you are as big as it gets."

Will smiled. "I owe it all to my parents." His smile vanished and he started fidgeting nervously with his hands again, a family trait it seemed. "They, uh, they died in a car accident."

Liz was silent, thinking that it was best to allow him to speak on his own accord. She covered her own hands with his still fidgety ones, seeming to have an immediate calming effect.

Will took in a deep breath, signaling the start of a story that he was about to tell. "It was a couple months after I moved to California. Mrs. Reynolds already told you they were big Broadway stars. They were the ones that encouraged me to act. I started doing plays at a local theatre, but after college, I wanted something new. I wanted to try movies. My parents weren't really into the film industry, They preferred live stage, they said it was more real. So they were naturally skeptical when I got my first role. The filming was is Los Angeles, so I decided to move there.

"After I finished my first movie, I encouraged my parents to come to L.A to visit because they had never been there before. After months, they finally agreed. One of their conditions was that they would drive all the way from New York to California, they were never really big on flying. They were so excited to come see me." Will paused as tears came out of his eyes.

Liz, who was sitting on the chair next to him, scooted closer and brought Will into a hug. She was never good with emotions or comforting crying people, especially incredibly gorgeous men. She pat his back awkwardly. "It's okay" she whispered into his ear.

Will nodded and Liz released her grip on Will. Will sniffled and rubbed the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand.

Just then, Liz's phone that was on a table near them rang. It was her sister, probably just checking up on her. "Sorry" she mumbled as she silenced her phone, completely forgetting that her phone was recording their conversation.

"It's fine. You know, I cry all the time in movies, but they are never real tears. I never cry. I must look like an emotional sap right now."

Liz shook her head. "No you don't. It's natural to be emotional about your parents death. You're a lot stronger then I would be in your situation" Liz offered. She knew she couldn't possibly know how he felt, but she could try to rationalize his feelings. He was human, after all.

"I blame myself for their death, though. If I hadn't moved to Los Angeles, they would have never decided to drive across the country. They would have never gotten in an accident and they would still be alive today."

"You can't blame yourself, Will. I feel like you hold such a great weight on your shoulders. Your parents death, Georgie's pregnancy. You can't live your life blaming yourself for everything that you wish had turned out differently."

"You're right." Will responded. "I shouldn't blame myself, but I do, especially what happened to Georgie."

Liz sighed, trying to think of a way to convince him. "Will, what happened to her was most definitely not your fault. George Wickham is a sad piece of shit who doesn't even deserve to be in your thoughts. There are so many things to be happy about in your life, focus on them. Forget about Wickham, for your and your sister's sake."

When Will didn't respond immediately, she spoke faster, attempting to get something off her chest that she had been thinking about for a while "I read the letter, and I just want to tell you that I feel like a bitch for what I said to you and I'm so sorry I even believed George for a second. You didn't deserve to be yelled at, but it's not your fault, you know, about what happened and I⎯"

"Elizabeth." Will interrupted calmly. "You didn't know any better back then. I don't blame you."

"But I still feel horrible whenever I think about it." Liz admitted.

"Well don't. I had been a complete dick to you."

"I have an idea. How about we both stop blaming ourselves for things that happened in the past. There will always be things that are out of our control, why dwell on them when there are better things to remember?"

"I'll try..." Will wiped the last of his tears.

Liz pat him on the back. "Good. Now how 'bout we go inside and hang out with Georgie. We can finish this later. My flight isn't until late tonight." She suggested. Will agreed. Having just cried in front of the woman he really liked, if not loved, caused him to not want to talk about relationships anymore.

Liz put her phone in her back pocket and Will held the door open for her. When they reached the living room they saw Mrs. Reynolds and Georgie talking intently. They both stopped when they noticed Will and Liz standing under the doorway.

"Oh good, you're both here. How did the interview go?" Mrs. Reynolds asked slyly.

"We didn't really get a chance to finish. We were talking about other things." Liz and Will looked at each other, silently agreeing to not speak of their conversation to anyone, especially Georgie. It would just be their little secret.

"Well you can finish later." Georgie said as she grabbed Liz and Will's hands and lead them to the family room. "Martha and I were just about to watch a movie."

"What time is your flight, sweetie?" Mrs. Reynolds asked Liz.

"Uhhh...sometime later tonight. Around eight, I think. I forgot to check earlier." Liz just now remembered that she would have to return to L.A later tonight. As frustrated as she was that she had to come to Rochester, she was a little disappointed that her business here would soon be concluded. Liz would have to write her article, she would probably just ask Will for a quote or two, mostly a fluff piece. A full interview wasn't really necessary, was it?

"What movie are we going to watch?" Will asked, bringing Liz out of her thoughts.

"My favorite," Mrs. Reynolds said. "Stranger than Fiction."

"Oh I love that movie!" Liz commented as Georgie put the DVD into the player.

And so they watched the movie in relative comfort. Liz and Will sat next to each other, not too close as to suggest there was something between but not too far as they were at Netherfield.

Little did Liz know, the silent phone in her back pocket was ringing, her older sister pleading for her to pick up.