A/N: So this was a big chapter for me to write (almost 6000 words and a lot of significant plot stuff happening) so it took me awhile to figure out the right way to handle it all. I hope you guys like it. It was probably the hardest chapter to write so I really would love some feedback!

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William needed to sort through the difficult afternoon with someone. He hoped Professor Gilpin was in his office. He knew he wouldn't rest until he talked this through with someone and given confidentiality, the professor was truly his only option.

He walked up the stairs into Griswold Hall and headed to the Professor's office. William noticed a light on in the office and saw that the door was slightly ajar so he knocked quickly and walked in to the dimly lit room. The professor appeared to be sound asleep, reclining back in an old, high-backed leather chair. William debated his next step, 'should he wake the professor or leave him be?' The deliberations were moot as William accidentally bumped a pile of books sending them tumbling off a table onto the floor. The professor jumped awake, quickly adjusting himself in his chair when he observed William in his office.

"Mr. Darcy, you seem to have caught me," the professor said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you Sir." Darcy quickly responded while trying to place the tower of books back on the side table.

"Oh please don't apologize. I'm glad you woke me. I've been known to doze off, only to wake when my Rebecca calls looking for me because I'm late for dinner," he said with a smile breaking across his face. "Now what brings you to my office this afternoon?"

"Oh, yes. Well, I accompanied Miss Benetez to her home this afternoon and thought I would speak with you about it, if you have time."

"Very good. Help me up from behind this desk and we can sit and have a chat about what you've learned." Professor Gilpin returned. After the two gentlemen were settled in matching arm chairs the professor asked, "So tell me about your visit with Miss Benetez. Was it helpful? Does she have a better sense of her parent's plans?"

Darcy was grateful that the professor had started by asking a question because he still couldn't figure out where to begin. "To be honest professor, I am still trying to determine what happened during the visit. Her parents were nothing like I expected. Her mother, well, her mother doesn't seem to be a decision maker in this. It's what you might call, a traditional household." William started.

The professor started chuckling trying to imagine the contrast between William's own upbringing and what he likely experienced this afternoon. He remembered enough of Anne Darcy to know she wore the pants in the Darcy household. "Oh, I guess that's not too surprising for many Latino households. Although, you should never underestimate the power a woman holds in the home. Often there is just the appearance that the men have the power."

"Yes, well, Lizzy's mother was pretty quickly dismissed and the real conversation, or at least the conversation we made the trip for, was with her father alone." William added. "Personally I found the conversation completely nonproductive. Her father seemed to dismiss our concerns from the beginning saying there was no need for lawyers and that everything would work out fine. He didn't seem to be concerned at all about the risk to himself or Lizzy. What was more baffling was that he kept saying that Lizzy would figure it out and if she didn't it was no big deal. They'd just wait until her younger sister was of age to take care of it."

"Hmm. Interesting. How did Miss Benetez react to all of this?" the professor asked.

"Not particularly well, I think. She seemed kind of stunned when we left. She was very respectful to her parents throughout the visit. I swear at one point I wanted to shake her father but she maintained her deference and equanimity the entire time. Then, on the way back to campus, she barely spoke ten words. Professor, I'm not sure she's going to show up at the clinic on Tuesday." William responded.

Professor Gilpin sat up straighter at this final comment, "Why would you say that?"

"Well, Lizzy strikes me as a person who's pretty loyal to her family. Think about it, throughout college she's gone home every weekend to work in her family restaurant, she didn't challenge her parents today when they said things that were, quite frankly, ridiculous. Her family has no plan if they get caught. Will she put them at risk for her personal goals, especially when all we've offered her is a chance at a student visa? I'm not sure she'll challenge them." William shared.

The professor seemed to be pondering these comments. Trying to figure out how this impacted their next steps. "Do you think her parents understand the consequences if she tries to regularize her status?" the professor asked.

"Yes, at least now they do. I may have upset Lizzy but I did tell her father that if she did try to become legal then they're at risk. I just felt like I couldn't leave without saying it. If she's going to be a martyr, he should know why." Darcy said shaking his head with frustration.

The professor leaned back in his chair looking over at William. It was clear, given how worked up the young man had become, that he felt more than simply the care a lawyer develops for a client. He was wrapped up in this at an emotional level. "Well, we cannot force her to any particular action, we can only give counsel. That said, I'd like to touch base with her faculty advisor who first came to me with this problem. He seems quite close with Miss Benetez and I think his perspective on how we handle our next conversation with our client would be most helpful. Can I entrust you with the goal of ensuring Miss Benetez attends our next scheduled meeting?"

"Yes sir. And, thank you. I appreciate your counsel and am glad I'm not dealing with this on my own." William answered.

"Well, have a good evening. I will see you in class tomorrow," the professor answered.

William walked out into the cool evening air. It was just after 5:00 and it was already getting dark. The night was clear and William walked briskly towards his apartment to begin working on his cases before tomorrow's classes. As he walked he pondered what Lizzy was doing. He could only imagine her state of mind after the upsetting conversations of the afternoon. If he was upset he couldn't imagine how she was feeling.

It was with some relief later that evening when he received her text. He'd been emailing with his sister, confirming some plans to meet up in December, when he heard his phone buzz. Their exchange, although brief, gave him some confidence that she would come on Tuesday to their meeting.

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Lying in bed Saturday night, William kept revisiting the events of Thursday afternoon. If he was honest with himself, he had thought of very little else during his free moments. Recalling the train ride back, Lizzy seemed to have given up and he couldn't stop thinking about the maddening conversation with her parents. How could Lizzy's father be so blind to his daughter's needs? How could her mother marginalize her in front of others? The entire time they were at her home he kept suppressing an urge to simply take her away from all of them and give her the opportunities they could not. And he could do it - he could take her away and fix this. He could marry her, and in that one move, resolve their mutual problems.

He also understood that his continual focus on this issue was just one manifestation of how his feelings for Lizzy had started to become more than friendship. He didn't know where these emotions had come from but knew he was likely too late to stop them. He couldn't back away. She had captured his attention that first evening they met and the more he learned about her the more enraptured he'd become. When she was feeling strong, she sparkled and when she was weak it was all he could do to not wrap her up in his arms. And yet, he wasn't sure if these 'feelings' were a good thing right now given the crazy spot their lives were both in. Were they clouding his judgment? Was marriage the right option for either of them? Would she even consider it given the impact to her family? Was it ethical? Appropriate? Even more important to him, would their feelings be unequal?

All those worries aside, William Darcy was not someone who could ever be passive when someone he cared for was in trouble. The past two days he had resisted the urge to jump in his car and drive to JP for another conversation with Lizzy's father. He needed to make the man understand all that he was asking his daughter to sacrifice and risk. There needed to be a reasoned, adult conversation about these issues so that they could make the right decisions. It was 3:08am Sunday morning when William finally resolved to go back to JP and meet with Lizzy's father again. This time without Lizzy. He had some things to say and didn't want to have to worry about Lizzy's reaction.

William must have finally fallen asleep after having made the resolution. Rolling over he glanced at his alarm clock. 11:02. Is that right? Noticing the bright sun streaming through the windows was enough to confirm he had in fact, slept in. Damn! After running through a quick shower, William hopped into his car and entered the restaurant's address into his GPS. Twenty-five minutes later he pulled up in front of the Benetez family restaurant. The side street was completely blocked by a white moving van so William parked a block away and walked up to the home he had just left three days prior. Men were carrying boxes from the apartment above to the moving van. William stepped aside to let a group through and then entered the apartment. It seemed to be pure chaos of boxes, paper and furniture.

"Oh goodness, William. You've come back and I don't have anything for you to eat. Have you brought Lizzy? Oh, that girl should have called before bringing you by so I could prepare!" Francesca Benetez was clearly flustered, her arms waiving in the air.

"Um, no Lizzy isn't here. I had come to see Mr. Benetez. Is he at home?" William asked?

"Oh, of course he isn't. He's left me to deal with this mess. I think you can find him down in the restaurant. Just go down the back steps and they'll lead you to the kitchen." Mrs. Benetez pointed towards a door off the kitchen that revealed a narrow set of winding steps.

William ducked his head and headed down the stairs into a brightly lit industrial kitchen. He was impressed with the quality of the appliances and the professional look of the kitchen. He spotted Mr. Benetez speaking with someone in the dining room. William walked forward and, upon entering the room, cleared his throat.

Mr. Benetez looked up and spotting William, patted the back of the man he was speaking to and walked over. "Hello Mr. Darcy! What brings you to our little restaurant today. Is my Lizzy with you?"

"Um, no Mr. Benetez. I came alone to speak with you. When we left on Thursday, Lizzy seemed quite unsettled and I felt compelled to come by and speak with you again."

"Oh good, good. That is good." Mr. Benetez muttered. "Let's take a little walk shall we? We can get some coffee and talk."

William followed Lizzy's father out of the restaurant. They walked for a few minutes down the street to a cafe about two blocks away from the restaurant. "It's better to talk here as I wouldn't want us to be interrupted. Now, you said Lizzy was unsettled. I can imagine she was." Mr. Benetez sighed.

This was a different man than the one William had seen on Thursday. This Tomas Benetez wasn't joking around and seemed to be wearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. "May I ask what is happening in your home? I saw people with moving boxes and Mrs. Benetez seemed, uhm, overwhelmed." William asked.

"Oh, well, you see, I've made a decision. We're leaving. It's pretty clear that Lizzy doesn't have a chance to pursue her green card or a visa if we stay here in Boston. I know my girl, she won't do it if she has to make the decision to put us at risk. So by this afternoon, we'll be gone and she won't be able to find us." Tomas said.

"You're leaving? Does Lizzy know?" William asked incredulously.

"No. She doesn't. And you're not going to tell her either." Tomas said, looking William directly in his eyes. "I'm trusting you. I think you care about my girl. I'd do anything in the world for my little Lizzy. She's a special one and deserves only the best. I am trusting you with her. Treat her right, help her achieve her dreams. Can you do that?" Tomas asked.

"I will do my best sir. But, you surely know that she will be devastated if you simply disappear. How will she get in touch with you." William asked.

"She won't be able to. She's going to be on her own for awhile. I wasn't sure I could do it until I saw you with her. You may not realize it yet, but I see it." Tomas said. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a letter. "Here, tonight or tomorrow, give this to Lizzy. It explains things. Tell her...tell her that I love her more than anything in the world." With that Tomas Benetez got up and walked quickly out of the cafe. William sat there, staring at the letter. He needed to find Lizzy. He needed to bring her to JP as soon as possible. She deserved to try and say goodbye to her family one last time before they disappeared.

William left a $5 on the table to cover the coffee and a tip and began to sprint towards his car. Maybe, just maybe, if he hurried he could find Lizzy and bring her back before they left. William punched her address into his GPS and then began the trip back to Cambridge. As he was driving he realized she might not be at her house so he quickly dialed her cell number.

"Hi, this is Lizzy, you've got my voicemail, leave me a message and I'll ring you back." Ugh. Her phone was going straight to voicemail. He needed to find her. It then occurred to him, Jane, she might know where she is. Charlie should have her number.

"Hey Darce."

"Hey Charlie. This might seem like a strange question but, I was wondering if you were with Jane or if you knew how I could reach her."

"Uh, yea, she's right here, hang on a sec,"Charlie responded. "Hey Jane, it's Darcy, he asked to speak with you. Not sure what it's about," he said as he handed his cell to Jane.

"Hello?" Jane's voice was the next to come through the phone.

"Hi Jane, thanks for getting on the line. I need to get in touch with Lizzy, its pretty urgent and I can't get through to her. Her phone is going straight to voicemail." William explained.

"Lizzy? As in my roommate?" Jane asked, completely perplexed as to why he would want to speak with someone so urgently that, as far as she knew, he had rarely spoken to.

"Yes, your roommate. I've been, uhm, helping her on a project and I just discovered something very important that I need to tell her. Do you know where I can find her?" William asked. 'Damn, Lizzy is really private isn't she. She hasn't even told her roommates about what's going on!' William thought.

"Well if her phone is going straight to voicemail, you'll likely find her at Widener Library. She turns her phone off when she is working there. You'll generally find her by the computer work stations." Jane offered.

"Thanks so much Jane. I really appreciate the help." William ended the call to focus on driving.

Twenty minutes later, William had parked by Holyoke Center and was racing over to Widener Library. He hadn't yet thought through what he was going to say to Lizzy, given his sole focus had been on finding her and getting her back to JP. He'd have to figure out something. Racing up the stairs, he paused to catch his breath while looking over the expansive room. William gingerly wove through the computer terminals looking for a curly headed girl. Finally, he spotted her. He walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.

Lizzy jumped, looked over her shoulder and removed her headphones. "Hi." Lizzy said with no small amount of surprise on her face.

"Hi Lizzy. Look, can I grab you for a bit?" William asked.

Lizzy looked up at him and noticing his agitation, decided not to question him, "Oh sure. Should I pull together my things?" Lizzy responded.

"Um, yea. If you could follow me, that'd be great." William said.

Lizzy shut down the computer she was working on and packed up her things. She hadn't thought she would see William until Tuesday and wasn't sure what he might want to discuss, especially going to the point of hunting her down at the library.

They walked outside into the chilly November day. William was still trying to figure out how to have this conversation. "I have something I need to tell you and I was hoping you could simply listen, and not react or ask questions until I'm done. Is that ok?" William started.

"I guess," Lizzy responded.

"So since Thursday, I've been thinking a lot about our visit to your house." William started. "Well, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I decided to go visit your dad again. I made the decision at about 3:00 this morning and then, unfortunately slept late." William looked over at her to gauge her reaction. At this point, she simply had a look of surprise on her face. He continued, "I drove over to your family's house today and got there around noon. When I arrived, I found, well, I found your entire family was packing the house up. I got your dad to talk to me and he said that they were leaving, not to tell you but, to give you this letter sometime tonight." Again he looked over at her. She had simply stopped in her tracks, staring at his outstretched hand with the letter in it. He knew he had to continue on, "But Lizzy, I couldn't keep this from you. I needed to track you down and try to get you back to JP to see them. They may not still be there, but I needed to try. My car is right over by Holyoke Center and I will take you there right now. I just left them about 45 minutes ago so there's a good chance they are still there." He finished.

Looking over, Lizzy had an unreadable look on her face. She was simply standing, staring at the letter she had taken from him. William walked back towards her, "Lizzy?" She looked up, squared her shoulders, and began to walk briskly towards Holyoke Center. They reached his car and he helped her in. She still hadn't opened the letter or said anything. As they started moving, he quietly asked, "Lizzy, do you have any questions?"

"Many, and I'm not sure which ones to ask first. You said they were leaving. Leaving for where? For how long? Why?"

Perhaps you should read the letter. While I don't know what it says, your father said it would explain things.

"No, I don't want to read the letter yet. I want you to explain." Lizzy replied her voice steady with little emotion.

"I'll do my best." William mentioned how he had first arrived in JP, found the moving van and the Benetez house in a constrained chaos, and her father in the restaurant below. He told her, word-for-word what her father had said to him in the coffee shop. And how he had resolved to try and find her before they left town.

"Thank you. Thank you for telling me. But why? Why did you go to JP?" Lizzy asked.

"I couldn't leave things they way they were on Thursday. You deserve more. You deserve more than you got from your parents on that visit. You deserve a chance and I needed to see if I could have a rational conversation with your father so we could come up with a plan. None of that happened, of course, because when I got there, they were packing up house." William explained.

Lizzy sat there in silence, taking those thoughts in. 'He went to JP for me. To talk to my father, for me. What would Maddy say? Think about what he's doing for you and view it in a positive light. Well, she'd say he is acting as a friend; someone who cares a lot about me. He's going out of his way to help me. Be open to it.' Ok.

"Lizzy, you're very quiet. Are you ok? Are you going to open the letter?" William asked disrupting her thoughts.

"Oh, um. Well, I was just thinking about what you said. I don't want to read the letter if I can talk to papa. I want to hear what he has to say. The letter is useful only if I can't speak to him." She said quietly. "Thank you, again. I seem to be saying that a lot but I really mean it. I appreciate you coming and finding me today." Lizzy added.

"It was nothing. You would surely do the same for a friend." William said.

They rode in silence for several minutes, with periodic interruptions from the GPS directing them to turn left or right. That little electronic voice announced that they were 'arriving at their destination up ahead'. William's heart sank when he saw that the moving van was gone. He parked the car in front of the restaurant. They both noticed a closed sign on the front door of the restaurant, unusual for this time of day. Lizzy raced around to the back and barreled up the stairs pounding on the door. William charged up behind her and grabbed her backpack. "Lizzy, tell me where your keys are," William ordered.

Tears were streaming down her face but she managed to croak out, "In the front pocket."

William quickly found the keys and started to unlocked the doors. Turning the door handle, Lizzy called out, "Mama? Papa?"

There was no answer. Lizzy started running through the home but, it was clear that they were gone. William followed quickly behind her and found her sitting on a bed, presumably her bed, in a room still filled with track medals and newspaper articles taped to the walls. William quietly entered and sat down on the bed next to her. He watched as Lizzy opened her letter.

Mi lucero,

I can imagine your surprise in receiving a letter from your papa. You know that, at my best, I'm not a diligent correspondent so you may want to save this one to prove that I can write one.

From your first days you have been my little bright star. You always will be. I want the world to see your light and I know they can't if we stay in Boston. I know you. Your loyalty to family and sense of responsibility to care for others has always been strong. This loyalty would prevent you from pursuing any chance at legalization if it meant that we would be found. Your friend William didn't need to remind me that we are the obstacle to your future. But you are not the papa, I am. And so I am making the choice for you.

When you receive this letter your mama and I, Katerina and Lilia will be gone. Maria will be staying with the Lopez' until she starts college next year. As you know better than me, Billy has been basically running the restaurant these past few years and so I have entrusted him to manage it. Do not worry for us and don't look for us. You won't find us if you try, but please check in on Maria.

I hope that in a few years we will all be together again. Until then, I will be reading the NY Times looking for your name and watching you shine from afar.

Love,
Papa

Lizzy folded the letter and threw it on the floor, "Dammit Papa!"

Darcy had rarely seen her angry and it wasn't an expression he wanted to see frequently. Her anger quickly turned on itself and Lizzy began to cry in earnest. This time, there was nothing to hold William back. He folded her into his arms as she sobbed. William wasn't sure how long they had sat there. Once her crying finally began to subside, she pulled away from him. As much as he didn't want her to cry, he was disappointed to feel her moving away.

"Thank you for trying. He probably knew you'd come get me and rushed everyone out of here." Wiping the tears from her face, she excused herself to the bathroom.

'Oh great,' she thought, 'I'm a mess. My face is red and splotchy and my eyes are swollen from crying. Splashing some cold water on her face, she laughed at how her mama would react if she found William sitting in her bedroom. She wouldn't want to see how her papa would react. Well, they're gone so no need to worry about that!' Returning to her room, she found that William had moved from her bed and was looking over all of her embarrassing photos and awards from high school. Squaring her shoulders, Lizzy cleared her throat to get William's attention. "I should probably go and check on Maria to make sure she's ok. If you need to get back to campus or whatever, you don't have to come with me."

"No, I'm here for you. I'll come and help you in whatever way you need." William resolved. Following her down the stairs, they walked down the same side street they had parked on passing several triple decker apartment buildings. Lizzy paused, taking a deep breath, and rang the bell for one of them. A few minutes later they heard someone running down the stairs towards the door. Swinging the door open a teenage girl greeted them, "Lizzy! I don't think mama expected you here so soon. Come on up."

They followed quickly behind her to the second floor. "Mama, it's Lizzy and a friend." the girl called out.

A moment later, a door swung open and the young girl's mother came through. "Oh Lizzy, it's such a surprise to see you soon soon. Your papa said you might come by tomorrow or maybe next weekend." she said giving Lizzy a big hug.

"Buenas dias, Mrs. Lopez. I'm sorry to show up unexpectedly. This is my friend William. He drove me over from campus to see my family before they left. It seems I've missed them." Lizzy said

"I'm afraid so. Come, you must sit down and I'll get you something to eat." Mrs. Lopez offered kindly.

"Oh, please don't put yourself out. I came by to check in on Maria. Thank you for taking her in until she leaves for college. Do you think I could see her?" Lizzy asked.

William could see that Lizzy was anxious and wasn't quite sure why she would be so. He'd have to ask her later. Sitting in the apartment, William looked around. It was a fairly spacious apartment, more so than he would have imagined from the outside. On each wall he noticed statues of the Virgin Mary, rosary beads hanging, and pictures of the crucifixion. In between were cabinets filled with small figurines, vases, and carvings. There were few spaces left uncovered. He'd heard the term bric-a-brac once and now understood the meaning. The place was filled with a mix of religious artifacts and random decorative items.

"She's not here right now. As soon as the truck pulled away she said she was heading over to some friend's house to study." Mrs. Lopez responded.

"Ok. I guess I'll text her and see when we can get together." Lizzy responded.

"Lizzy dear, we'll take good care of her so don't you worry if you don't hear from her right away." said Mrs. Lopez.

"Why wouldn't I hear from her?" Lizzy asked confused.

Shifting in her seat, Mrs. Lopez wouldn't meet Lizzy's eyes, "Well, um, you see, you know how teenagers are, I just didn't want you to worry."

Why did this need to be so difficult? "Mrs. Lopez, please be direct with me, I've had kind of a long day already." Lizzy said, a hint of frustration edging into her voice.

"You see, Maria is a bit upset about all of this moving business and she pretty angry with you right now. I'm sure she'll get over it in time." Mrs. Lopez said with a reassuring smile.

Lizzy lifted her brows and her eyes darted over to William. He was sitting there looking every bit uncomfortable with the setting and conversation. 'He's uncomfortable! If he only knew how I feel having my life out on display for all the neighbors to gawk and comment on. No doubt as soon as we leave, Mrs. Lopez will be out on the front stoop talking about 'my situation' with every person who walks by', Lizzy thought. "I do see. We should be going. Please tell Maria that I stopped by. If she has any interest in contacting me, ask her to call or text. I won't chase her, it's her choice," she told Mrs. Lucas.

"Don't fret Lizzy dear. Perhaps by Christmas, Maria will find it in her heart to forgive you." Mrs. Lopez offered.

With a quick goodbye Lizzy managed to extricate them from the apartment before her temper gave way. Once out of the building Lizzy took off, walking briskly such that William had to run to catch up. She seemed furious and was muttering in Spanish as she walked, her hands waiving punctuating her speech. When they got to William's car she finally seemed to notice he was still with her. They climbed in and William asked, "Mind if you tell me what that little scene was all about?"

"Oooh! They all make me so angry! Why can't I live my life without being judged!" Lizzy stormed.

"I'm sorry Lizzy but I feel like I'm missing part of the story here. Can you fill me in?" William asked.

"Fine, what does it matter how many embarrassing stories you know about me at this point! Mrs. Lopez has a son, Billy, who's been working in my family's restaurant for years. He's the person who'll be running it for Maria now that my family has left. All through high school there has always been this thing between my mama and Mrs. Lopez that Billy and I would get married and take over the restaurant. I NEVER dated him, but at graduation, Billy actually proposed. When I turned him down, mama and Mrs. Lopez wouldn't speak to me for weeks. Like I'd not go to Harvard!" She fumed. "I'm sure this whole moving debacle will just start everyone up again. If I'd stayed home and married Billy then no one would've had to leave. That's why Maria is mad, I'm sure. And Mrs. Lopez is likely fueling those thoughts. Like I'm not allowed to have my own dreams?" Lizzy was on a roll.

"Lizzy that's ridiculous. I don't know this Billy person but anyone who knows you wouldn't think that getting married at 18 and staying home to run a restaurant was the right path." William urged.

"I, of course, agree with you but they would say that if I'd married him and stayed at home, this entire immigration thing would've never been an issue. You see Billy was born here, as was his mother. I'm sure that was part of why my mama wanted me to marry him - not that I knew that at the time. And it wouldn't have been enough of an enticement for me - that's for sure. I would never want to marry just to have a solution to my immigration status." Lizzy vented.

William tucked that statement into the back of his mind. "What did your father say when this all happened?" he asked.

"Oh he thought the whole thing was ridiculous. He told me that I had big dreams and he wanted me to go after them. To be honest, I didn't think anymore about it after that." Lizzy said with a laugh.

"Good. I may not like your father's method of doing things but I'm glad to hear he has some sense and that he usually tries to put you and your concerns first. You deserve it." William said sincerely.

"Thanks." Lizzy said turning to him with a bright smile.

Comments, thoughts, all of it is soooo welcome and VERY motivating...