Bill Darcy was woken up out of a deep sleep with Anne Marie crying from a nightmare. He rushed to her room and found her sobbing, "Mommy, Mommy. Mommy's gone, I want Mommy."
"Baby, its okay Daddy's here." Bill soothed his daughter.
"I want Mommy." Anne Marie expression was petulant as she said again, "I want Mommy."
With the patience of a saint he said, "Sweetie, you know that Mommy is in heaven."
"No, she's not," His daughter was insistent, "She was with us at the park yesterday."
"That was not your mother," Bill sighed, "Her name is Elizabeth Bennet and she's not your mommy."
"I want her." Anne Marie pouted and looked at him with eyes filled with tears that nearly broke his heart.
"Okay, I'll do what I can." He told his daughter with a hug and dried her tears as he pulled out his phone. Elizabeth was right there is no doubt that she is my daughter.
He used his business contacts to find out the address of Elizabeth Bennet and by mid-morning he had strapped his happy daughter into her car seat and was heading to Elizabeth's apartment.
He walked Anne Marie up to the door and when Elizabeth opened the door she was in jeans and a t-shirt with her hair pulled back in a pony tail. She was disheveled but he still thought she looked wonderful.
The shock in her eyes was evident when she saw who was at her door. She smiled when she felt Anne Marie wrap herself around her legs. She bent down and picked her up.
Anne Marie looked at her with those wonderfully expressive eyes and said, "I missed you this morning, Mommy. I didn't know where you were."
Elizabeth looked over at Darcy who just shrugged his shoulders. She motioned for him to come in as she carried the girl inside while she shut and locked the door.
"David is in the living room watching Aladdin," Elizabeth told the girl, "Why don't you join him while your Daddy and I talk."
She pointed Darcy to the kitchen table and got him a cup of coffee. "I thought you were going to explain this to Anne Marie."
"I tried to but she is a very stubborn child." Bill smiled with chagrin, "Like father like daughter you could say."
Elizabeth couldn't help but giggle at his portrayal of his daughter and himself.
Bill enjoyed her laughter, "I don't know what to do about this." He sighed, "She's just so insistent."
"Do you want me to try to talk to her?" Elizabeth asked as she glanced at the little girl.
"I would be very grateful if you could." Bill let out the breath that he didn't know he had been holding.
Elizabeth went to Anne Marie, talked to her, took her by the hand and led her into the bedroom. "You really gave your Daddy a scare this morning."
"I was scared when you weren't there this morning." Anne Marie threw herself into Elizabeth's arms, "I thought I had lost you, Mommy."
"Sweetie, you know that all of that is just pretend." Elizabeth tried to be gentle, "I'm not really your mommy and I think you know that your mommy is in heaven."
Anne Marie's eyes gave her away and she said, "Yes, but I want you to be my mommy."
"I'm not your mommy," Elizabeth told her, "But I'd like to be your friend."
"I could be your friend," Anne Marie conceded, "But you could be my mommy if you married my daddy."
Elizabeth laughed, "Yes that would do it but it's not like I can just out into the living room and ask your daddy to marry me."
"You don't have to," Anne Marie jumped to her feet, "I'll go ask him for you."
"No, don't do that." Elizabeth stopped her, "The truth is that your daddy and I are not going to get married."
"Why not?" Anne Marie furrowed her brows in concentration.
"The reason is because your daddy and I don't love each other." Elizabeth said gently to the girl, "Only people in love get married."
"Oh." The child said with a sigh, "Okay, I guess I'll be your friend."
"I would say that you've made a very good choice." Elizabeth hugged her, "Let's go tell your father that everything is alright."
As they left the room, Anne Marie said, "I'm going to finish watching the movie."
Elizabeth joined Mr. Darcy in the kitchen, "Is everything okay now?"
"Yes." Elizabeth explained, "She's accepted me as her friend."
"What did you talk about for so long?"
"She tried to convince me that by marrying you that I could be her mother." Elizabeth chuckled at the thought.
"I'm not going to marry you; you're the last woman I would ever marry." Darcy said a bit more abruptly than he meant to, "I'm not marrying you or anyone else."
"I said the same thing." Elizabeth was losing her patience with this man.
Darcy's phone rang, "Damn, Bingley again." He answered with a snap, "What."
He stepped into the living room and took the call. A minute later he came back and said to Elizabeth, "I need to go to the jobsite." He went to his daughter and said softly, "Annie we have to go, Daddy has to go to work." He shot a glance at Elizabeth, "I'll call your babysitter on the way home."
His daughter looked up at him with a petulant stare, "I want to stay here with my friend, Elizabeth."
"But…" Bill started before he saw the stubborn look on his daughter's face and he shrugged his shoulders while he turned to Elizabeth, "Would it be okay if I left Anne Marie with you until I get done at the site?"
"It's okay with me." Elizabeth told him, "David and I were just going to hang out and go to the park."
"Then it's settled," Bill said as he went towards the door, "Give me your keys and I will put Anne Marie's car seat in your car just in case you have to go somewhere."
Elizabeth handed him her keys and he came back ten minutes later, he handed her the keys back and said, "I'll be back in a few hours."
Anne Marie wasn't watching the movie; she was watching her father and Elizabeth. She's going to be my mommy. I just have to get them to fall in love. Aunt Georgiana says that Daddy will not marry unless he falls in love. She didn't know how that happened but she knew it had something to do with spending lots of time together and kissing. She watched her daddy leave but Anne Marie knew that she would make sure that Daddy and Elizabeth fell in love. With a smile, she turned back to watch the end of the movie.
It was a few hours later when there was a knock on the door again. "It must be your daddy." Elizabeth said to Anne Marie but when Elizabeth opened the door she found her sister Jane.
"Oh it's you." Elizabeth said.
"It's nice to be wanted." Jane said amiably as she entered, "Who were you expecting?"
"I was expecting the most disagreeable man in the whole world." Elizabeth indicated Anne Marie, "She's the sweetest girl but her father is a..." She fumbled for a word that she could use in front of the children. "Doodie head." She finished lamely.
"You shouldn't use those kinds of words in front of the kids." Jane said with a smirk, "I thought you were only supposed to have David for yesterday."
"That was the plan but Lydia flaked on me and called to say she was enjoying the freedom and was making a weekend of it."
"So tell me all about the doodie head." Jane asked her sister with a wink.
Elizabeth filled her sister in on her experience with Bill Darcy while they were having some iced tea.
After Elizabeth finished her story Jane said, "He does sound like a real jerk." She shook her head, "Why do you put up with this kind of thing from him?"
"It's not Anne Marie's fault that her father is such a man." Elizabeth smiled at the child who smiled back, "She's such an adorable girl and I can't resist her."
Anne Marie picked that moment to crawl up into Elizabeth's lap. She looked at Jane with an appraising stare, "Elizabeth, who's this?" She asked.
"This is my sister, Jane Bennet." Elizabeth answered automatically.
"I don't have a sister." Anne Marie's mouth turned down at the corners in a frown and she pursed her lips, "I might be able to get a sister if Daddy got me a new mommy." Her big eyes looked up at Elizabeth with wide innocent eyes.
"Oh, she's good." Jane couldn't help but smile at the interplay.
Elizabeth laughed and tickled the girl, "You'll have to talk to your daddy about that, Sweetie."
Jane watched as her sister brightened when she played with Anne Marie. She went to the living room and scooped up David and began swinging him around in the air. He squealed with delight and Anne Marie went to Jane and put her arms in the air, "Me next, please."
Jane handed David off to Elizabeth and picked up Anne Marie and twirled her around and around while she giggled with excitement.
After a few more rounds of airplane, Jane collapsed exhausted onto the couch. The kids were still wired up and Anne Marie was chasing a giggling David around the room. When she stopped chasing, David turned around and chased her for a while. When she let him catch her, they rolled around on the floor together.
Elizabeth watched with fascination, Anne Marie is great with David and she deserves to have a sister or brother.
Jane left a short time later after an enjoyable afternoon. Elizabeth looked at the time and realized that it was after 2:00 so she called Bill Darcy to find out if he was going to pick up Anne Marie soon.
"Darcy's phone." The voice answered.
"This is Elizabeth Bennet," she said, "Do you know where Mr. Darcy is?"
"Miss Bennet, what a pleasure to hear from you. This is Charles Bingley, do you remember me?"
"Of course, Mr. Bingley." Elizabeth said, "It was a pleasure to meet you. I'm babysitting Anne Marie, have you seen Mr. Darcy recently?" Elizabeth asked, "He said he'd be back hours ago."
He's with the electrician right now; I don't know how long it's going to be." Bingley told her, "But I've got a great idea, why don't you bring my favorite munchkin here. Plus, I'd love to see you again."
"That sounds like a good idea." Elizabeth agreed.
Elizabeth got the directions and loaded the kids into their car seats and was on her way in short time. When she arrived at the jobsite, she picked up David and took Anne Marie's hand.
She spotted Mr. Darcy by one of the homes and walked toward him. Charles Bingley saw her coming first and slapped Darcy on the back and said, "What a good-looking family."
Bill looked up and caught his breath at the sight Elizabeth made walking towards him. For a brief second he smiled and let himself believe that this could be his family. Get a hold of yourself, Darcy that is the last thing you need.
He strode over to them and Anne Marie threw herself on his feet. Darcy lifted her into the air for a few steps while she giggled before he scooped her into his arms for a hug. "I've missed you, Baby."
"I've missed you too, Daddy," She told her father with a kiss to his cheek, "But I had fun with Elizabeth, David and her sister Jane."
David struggled down from Elizabeth's arms and flung himself on Bill's feet. Darcy just laughed as he bounced the toddler on his feet. With Anne Marie still on his hip, he bent down and picked up the little boy who was still chortling with delight.
Elizabeth leaned forward to take David from him when Anne Marie caught her around the shoulders with one of her arms and pulled her toward them. The action made Darcy stumble a little and he grabbed Elizabeth around the waist to steady himself.
They stood that way for a minute to regain balance, with their arms around each other; Bill Darcy felt a sense of peace he hadn't experienced for a very long time.
Elizabeth stepped back when the whistles and cat-calls intruded on her thoughts. She saw the crew clapping and waving at them with obvious enjoyment.
Her face darkened with embarrassment and Darcy with the two kids still in his arms turned away from the noise to regain his composure.
"I have to go." Elizabeth said, "Do you want to pick up Anne Marie later from my place?"
"No," He said softly, "I'm just about to leave so I can take her now."
Elizabeth took David from his arms and turned to leave, "I'll see you later."
"Let me take you to dinner." Bill said with a deep velvet tone, "As a thank you for taking care of Anne Marie."
"I can't." Elizabeth demurred, "My sister Lydia should be picking up David soon so I have to get home."
She turned to leave and he touched her shoulder, "Elizabeth, thank you." Darcy said his eyes full of emotion.
"I'll see you later, Mr. Darcy." Elizabeth took a few steps toward the car when Anne Marie struggled out of her father's arms and ran to Elizabeth a wrapped herself around her legs. Elizabeth bent down to hug her.
"I love you, Elizabeth." Anne Marie said with tears filling her eyes.
"I love you too, Sweetie." Elizabeth said, "Don't cry, I'll see you soon."
Bill Darcy looked Elizabeth in her eyes and held them for a minute. "See you later."
Elizabeth dragged her eyes away from his and walked away.
Charles Bingley approached his boss and with a grin said, "Quite a woman isn't she?" There was a glint in his eye when he asked, "You're going to ask her out, aren't you?"
"She's not my type." Darcy said as he tore his eyes away from Elizabeth who was opening her car door and pulling out his daughter's car seat.
He jogged over to the car and took the seat from her. She looked at him briefly before climbing into the car and driving away from the jobsite.
"What do you mean that she's not your type?" Bingley shook his head and cursed mildly, "You're an idiot."
Bill closed his eyes and couldn't help but think that Bingley was right. I am an idiot. His mind thought back to the feeling of holding Elizabeth close. It was a feeling he would never forget. It can't be. He argued with himself. I can't be with her.