Chapter Twenty-Three

I blinked my eyes open slowly. The light blinded me for a moment until my eyes adjusted. My first sight was Darcy sat on a chair with his arm around Manda who sat on the chair beside him. Was I dead? How was Darcy here? The beeping of hospital equipment quickly reassured me that I was indeed living as I looked around the hospital room.

My movement quickly caught the attention of Amanda. 'Eli? Are you alright?' Manda said quietly.

'My head still hurts but I'm ok. What is he doing here?' I croaked slowly, indicating to Darcy with my head.

'The doctors stitched you up. They did x-rays and stuff and can't see any other damage. But it was a close call because of the blood loss. They want to keep you in the hospital a bit longer to make sure everything is ok. As for Darcy…' Manda stopped and gave a soft smile. 'He followed me through the door. He's apologised for being an arse and told me he loves me.'

My heart soared at the possibility that more of the characters could come through the door into our world. 'George?' I asked hopefully. Maybe he had come with Darcy. Manda just shook her head with a sad smile for me. Just like that my heart plummeted. I felt hollow without George.

'Elizabeth is out in the waiting room. We'll try and get back through the door when you are released. We have to get her back to see her father. Michael and Piranha are out there as well' Manda explained.

It took me a long time to get discharged. The doctors wouldn't release me until they were sure that I had recovered and passed all the tests for a head injury that they could throw at me. They wanted to keep me in the hospital overnight but I flat out refused. They reluctantly released me into Amanda's care with the assurance that she would look out for any further symptoms of possible head trauma.

The whole motley crew, Darcy, Manda, Elizabeth, Michael, Piranha and I got a taxi back to Manda's flat. We all crammed into the bathroom, which was a tight squeeze considering the amount of us.

'You are taking him through there right now. The rest of us will say goodbye nicely and watch you step through all that plumbing into fictional Georgian England, and that'll be it. Then we'll all spend the rest of our lives in therapy. It's going to be fine.' Amanda took control and directed Elizabeth and Darcy towards the panel that we had both entered the fictional world through.

'Miss Price…' Darcy interjected.

'No! No 'Miss Price' from anyone. You're going or I'll take a swing at you myself' Amanda stated. I didn't know what she was thinking. She was honestly going to give up the man she loved just so that the plot of the book was going to be restored?

'Amanda' I started quietly. I sighed when she quirked her brow at me. 'Even if you aren't going back, I am. I don't belong here anymore. I need to go back to him' I begged her to understand. I would be much happier if she was there with me but either way I couldn't leave George now.

'The door does not oblige' Elizabeth stated, pushing with all of her might against the panel.

'It bloody well does oblige. This is Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett coming through, for God's sake.' Amanda raged. She pushed on the panel and it swung open immediately. 'There we go' she stated but looked confused. Amanda moved away from the panel again.

'Oh!' Elizabeth gasped as the door swung open as she had tried to climb through. 'It is your need that opens it.'

'This is ridiculous.' Amanda mumbled. She once again pushed on the panel and it opened again. 'You should see this, Piranha. I'm talking ten minutes max.' she told her friend.

'Amanda, I'm black. What's more I can't live without chocolate, electricity or bog paper.' Piranha replied sceptically.

'Well they have chocolate.' Amanda tried to persuade her.

'Even for ten minutes.' Piranha replied.

'Ok' Manda sighed, resigned.

'Sorry' Piranha apologised.

'Amanda, you go through that door even for ten seconds and I'll be gone. And I will not be coming back.' Michael made a last ditch attempt to keep control of his relationship with Manda.

'Michael, please don't do this macho thing now. I'm trying to send him home so he can get married to her. I'm trying to make…' Amanda tried to get out.

'You go through there and I'm gone. This ends. One way or the other.' He interrupted defiantly.

'You walk around London like that, you'll get beaten up. Come on.' Manda stated.

'Amanda!' Michael seemed shocked at the turn of events.

'I heard you, Michael, but what else can I do?' Manda shouted.

'Michael, she loves him' I indicated to Darcy. 'You never appreciated her when you had her. Just give it up' I snapped. It had been a long day and I had reached the limit of my patience. At my response, Michael turned and stormed out of the flat and we could hear the door slam.

'Ready?' asked Manda to Darcy and I.

'Bye Piranha' I said as I hugged the girl.

'You definitely aren't coming back? Even if Manda comes back?' she questioned.

'I've found myself a good man. The best' I sighed to myself. 'I need to be with him.' Piranha smiled at me.

'Take care of yourself Eli' she hugged me again.

Darcy, Manda, Elizabeth and I all clambered through the panel and back into Georgian England. Manda made sure that the panel stayed open so that she could get back through.

'Would you be so kind as to direct me to a private room? I'm experiencing an overwhelming desire to sleep.' Darcy asked Elizabeth as they found themselves back in the Bennett's home.

I sighed to myself. At least I was back in the right time period. Now I just had to find him.