Once Elizabeth had received the offer for the teaching position at Crestview Academy, she had given her notice to her boss. That meant that for the last few days she had been enjoying her free time with Anne Marie and David. She just wished that Bill hadn't been so busy and that he could have spent more time with them.
A few weeks before school was scheduled to start, Bill came home with a surprise for his family. The children were waiting for him at the door and once he had gotten them settled, he took Elizabeth in his arms and kissed her with a passionate abandon.
"You are in a good mood." Elizabeth smiled as she looked up into her husband's eyes.
"I've managed to get a week off so that we can take a short vacation before you and Anne Marie go back to school." He smiled at the surprised look on her face and answered the question he saw in her eyes, "Why do you think I've been working so hard these last few weeks."
Elizabeth couldn't hide her excitement, "So do you have a destination in mind or is that going to be a surprise?"
Bill laughed at her words, "I thought that it would be fun if we took the kids to Disneyland." His eyes sparkled with enjoyment as Anne Marie caught his words and ran into the room with David who followed closely on her heals.
"Are we really going to Disneyland, Daddy?" She asked as she tugged on his shirt.
"Do you really want to go?" Bill asked as he tried to keep a straight face.
Anne Marie jumped up and down, "Oh yes, Daddy, I really do want to go."
"Do you think we should invite Elizabeth and David to go with us?" Bill teased his daughter.
"Of course, Daddy because they're a part of our family now," Anne Marie said solemnly, "The judge said so."
Bill picked up his daughter, "I suppose you're right then."
"We also should take Aunt Georgiana and Aunt Jane too." Anne Marie said brightly.
"That is an excellent idea." Elizabeth said as she took Anne Marie out of Bill's arms, "But right now it's time for dinner."
Bill scooped up David and Georgie joined them as they discussed the upcoming trip to Disneyland.
Georgie was entertaining Anne Marie and the girl was giving her a rundown of everything that she wanted to do at the theme park.
Elizabeth took the brief moment to talk privately to Bill, "I got Lydia's last known address from my mother and I've sent a letter to Lydia with the form she has to sign for the release of parental rights." Elizabeth's eyes clouded over momentarily, "I hope that she doesn't decide to make any trouble for us." His wife shook her head, "You never know with Lydia because drama is her middle name."
Bill pulled Elizabeth into his arms and kissed the top of her head, "Elizabeth, we are a family now and I'm going to make sure that nothing comes between us."
When Bill got home the next night, he found his family all excitedly awaiting his arrival. The kids met him at the door and Anne Marie gave him a minute by minute description of the shopping trip with Elizabeth earlier that day and before dinner she insisted on giving him a little fashion show of all of her new clothes for school.
He sat in the kitchen with Elizabeth as she prepared dinner, "I talked to Jane today and she won't to be able to get away for our trip." Elizabeth smiled, "I think she might have been able to get the time off work but I don't think Charlie would have been happy to lose both of you for a week."
Bill looked up at her and lifted his eyebrows, "The two of them have become very close in the last few weeks."
Elizabeth brought Bill up to date on the arrangements she had made on their behalf, "I've booked us a suite at the Disneyland Hotel," She explained before she bent down in a conspiratorial whisper, "I've also made reservations for lunch at Ariel's Grotto so that Anne Marie will be able to have lunch with all of the Disney Princesses."
Bill's smile was immediate, "She's going to love that."
"That's the plan."
Later that evening as they were in bed and Elizabeth lay snuggled into Bill's arms, he was overcome with a sense of peace. His mind wandered for a brief moment as he thought how different this was then when he had been married to Sarah. Bill's feelings hit him like a lightning bolt as he shuddered with horror and he couldn't contemplate what he would do if he ever lost Elizabeth.
Elizabeth felt Bill shudder and she smiled up at him in the dark as she ran her fingers over the contours of his face, "What's wrong, my love?"
"Nothing," Bill said truthfully as he shook his head, "Nothing at all." He bent forward and feathered kisses along her jaw to her neck. "I have everything that I could ever want."
Elizabeth's fingers traced her husband's muscular chest as she lifted her lips to his and she heard him whisper, "I love you."
"I love you too." She responded as she felt his hands begin to wander.
The small family had fun on their drive to Anaheim. They played travel games, talked and for their listening enjoyment Elizabeth had found a set of three discs that were full of Disney songs. They sang along to Bare Necessities, I am Siamese, I wanna be like you and lots of other great songs.
They got to the Disneyland Hotel in the late afternoon and checked into their suite. There was a room for Bill and Elizabeth, one for Georgie and Anne Marie and David were sharing the third.
They spent the rest of the afternoon lounging by the pool before they went to Goofy's Kitchen for dinner.
Bill and Elizabeth woke up the following morning to Anne Marie and David jumping on their bed while Anne Marie was singing, "M. I. C. K. E. Y… M. O. U. S. E, Mickey Mouse."
"Mickey Mouse." David's small voice didn't have the pronunciation quite right but it was apparent to all what he was singing.
Bill groaned and pulled Elizabeth close, "I think that our children are trying to give us the not so subtle hint that they want us to get up."
Bill went to wake Georgie while Elizabeth took her shower and got dressed. When he got back and found her dressed, he frowned and wrapped his arms around her from the back, "Darn, I was hoping that I could take a shower with you."
Elizabeth teased as she turned to face her husband, "I guess you'll just have to be satisfied with a cold lonely shower." She arched her eyebrows before she slapped him on the bottom and said, "You had better go get your shower before we are interrupted by a couple very excited children.
"Georgie's getting them dressed," Bill winked, "We have a few minutes."
Elizabeth cocked her head to one side, "We need more than a few minutes to love each other." She had a smirk on her lips as she kissed him on the side of his mouth.
Bill groaned, "You do know what I like, my lovely Elizabeth." He sighed as he slowly released her, "But you're right."
While Bill was showering, Elizabeth went to help Georgie get the children dressed and fed.
The family's first stop upon entering the park after taking a stroll down Main Street U.S.A was to catch the Disneyland Railroad to Mickey's Toontown. Bill, Elizabeth and Georgie watched as Anne Marie took David into Chip 'n Dale Treehouse.
After a couple hours of watching the kids play in Toontown, Georgie got a little bored, "Bill, do you want to come with and go on some more adult rides?" She smiled, "You know my favorites are Star Tours and Space Mountain."
Bill looked at Elizabeth, "Would you be okay with the kids if I were go with Georgie?"
"Sure, no problem," Elizabeth kissed her husband, "Go have some fun and we'll meet you in Tomorrowland at noon to have some lunch.
Just before noon, Elizabeth was finally able to pry the kids away from all of the fun they were having at Goofy's Playhouse and Gadget's Go Coaster.
"That's was so much fun." Anne Marie chattered non-stop about all the exciting things that she had experienced. They caught the Disneyland Railroad back to Tomorrowland where there were to meet Georgie and Bill.
While they were waiting for Bill and Georgie the kids were kept entertained with a show in the plaza. Anne Marie was an outgoing, charismatic girl and she found a friend very quickly as they were watching the show.
Elizabeth had to laugh as she watched while the little girl grabbed a cute little boy with blonde hair by the hand and drag him towards her.
As she approached Elizabeth, Anne Marie said, "This is my new boyfriend, Eric."
Elizabeth let out a laugh as she realized that Anne Marie was even more like Bill than she thought. Her mind wandered back to the time when Bill had decided that he wanted her in his life and nothing would deter him from that path once he had made up his mind.
"It looks like we'll soon be related." A blonde gentleman near Elizabeth said with a smile before he offered her his hand, "I'm Scott and Eric is my son."
Elizabeth shook his hand, "I'm Elizabeth Darcy and this is my daughter Anne Marie and my son David."
Bill hurried to find his wife with Georgie right behind him. He was frustrated because the line for Star Tours had been huge and they were late meeting Elizabeth and the kids.
The relief that he felt when he saw Elizabeth through the crowd was tangible. He stopped abruptly when he saw Elizabeth talking animatedly with an attractive blonde-haired man. He couldn't stop the flare of jealousy that shot through him at the sight.
He strolled up to Elizabeth grabbed her around the waist and turned her around as he pressed his demanding lips against hers in a kiss the left them both breathless and wanting more.
He raised his head and whispered with desire in his voice, "I missed you."
"I couldn't tell." Elizabeth said smugly.
Bill kept his arm possessively around Elizabeth's waist when he turned to stare belligerently at the man who had been talking to his wife.
"Bill," Elizabeth introduced them, "This is Scott and his son Eric is Anne Marie's latest conquest."
Her husband did not relax his fierce stance as he looked at the other man, "I'm Bill Darcy, Elizabeth's husband."
"It's nice to meet you." The man held out his hand to Bill and he took it reluctantly.
Georgie felt the tension in the air and tried to defuse the animosity, "Elizabeth, you should go on Space Mountain it is so much fun, I will stay with the kids while you go on the ride."
"We were talking about that earlier and it sounds like fun." Scott said with a grin, "I could go with you if this nice young lady wouldn't mind watching Eric for me as well."
"I will take my wife on Space Mountain." Bill growled with impatience as he pulled her toward the ride and away from the man.
When they were standing in line for the ride, Elizabeth turned to her husband and demanded, "What the hell was all of that about?"
"I didn't like the way he was flirting with you." Bill admitted with a frown.
"He was just being friendly." Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, "There was no reason for you to be jealous."
Elizabeth saw the tense way that Bill was holding himself and placed her hand within his, "Why did this bother you so much."
"He reminded me of someone I once knew."
"Who?" Elizabeth asked as she moved closer to Bill and put her arms around his neck.
"The man that my wife, Sarah ran away with." Bill admitted, "He was my best friend from college, George Wickham." He closed his eyes, "He was the guy that everyone loved in school. He was good-looking, charming and had an easy going personality that made him a favorite where ever he went." He pulled Elizabeth tight to his body, "I know I was just being stupid but for a moment I had an irrational feeling that I could lose you."
"Bill," Elizabeth stood on her toes and placed her lips to his, "There is no way that you could ever lose me. You and the children are my life and I love you."
"I know." Bill said sheepishly, "But I couldn't bear the thought of you leaving me too."
"You have nothing to worry about." Elizabeth said with a blush as she looked around Bill and saw that the line had moved away from them and everyone in the line behind them were staring, "Let's go have some fun."
"I'm all for that." Bill said as his eyes glinted suggestively.
"Not that sort of fun." Elizabeth said with a blush as she threw her arm around him and they ran to catch up with the rest of the line.
The rest of the week went by in a whirlwind of activity. Bill, Elizabeth and Georgie took the children to Universal Studios, Knots Berry Farm, Soak City and they even spent the day in San Diego at Sea World. They had dinner at Medieval Knights and spent a lot of time at Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure Park.
Elizabeth and Bill found some private time on the drive back when the kids and Georgie fell asleep on the drive home. When they pulled into the driveway, Elizabeth woke up Georgie before she carried David into the house and put him to bed. Bill carried in Anne Marie before he went back to get their luggage.
After Bill and Elizabeth had unpacked, they made their way to living room. Bill picked out a movie he knew that they wanted to see and he settled Elizabeth against him as they watched the movie.
When the doorbell rang, Bill and Elizabeth looked at each other in confusion before Elizabeth walked to the door and opened it. Her face turned white as she saw who was at the door.
"Lydia," Elizabeth asked in a strained voice, "What are you doing here?"
"I'm here to see my son." Lydia answered.
For those of you who are (like me) addicted and obsessed with fan fiction there is a place on facebook just for you. Go search for
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Hope to see you there.
Tina Marie