A/N: Sorry this took so long...This was a difficult chapter to write as I didn't want it to feel overly contrived. I hope I was able to strike the right balance on the challenges that Darcy has been facing while Lizzy has been dealing with her immigration woes. The next chapter will likely be a E/D chapter but am interested in your take on this one.

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It had been ages since William Darcy had waited in an airport. He was amazed at how inefficient modern commercial air travel was as he waited for Richard in the baggage claim area. He was hoping that Richard hadn't checked a bag or they'd easily be another 30 minutes in the airport. The airport was jam-packed with holiday travelers all hoping to be reunited with their loved ones on Thanksgiving. So why was it that he wasn't spending Thanksgiving with the loved ones he'd prefer to be with? This trip to Aunt Cathy's was purely made out of a sense of obligation and a need to deal with this ridiculous codicil she had put his father up to. He needed to see if it was possible to talk some sense into his aunt. Not likely but it was worth a try.

It wasn't difficult to spot the 6' tall special forces army captain weaving in and out of the other passengers. The green beret was a sure giveaway. Darcy was surprised to see his cousin traveling in uniform but then realized it probably made travel a little simpler than in his civilian clothes. Serving your country didn't get you many privileges but decent treatment in US airports was one of them. Darcy stood up and walked over towards his cousin, wrapping his arms around him in a great big hug. He was glad that his cousin was on American soil these days. He always worried for Richard when he was abroad and much preferred his current assignment at the Pentagon. "It's great to see you Rich. I've missed seeing your mug. Nice outfit by the way. Trying to impress the old lady?"

"Its really good to see you too. I figured I'd show off the beret and captain stripes. So are we going straight up to see the dragon lady or do we get a reprieve at your place for a bit?" Richard asked

"Unfortunately, your excellent father shared your flight details with our dear Aunt. As a result I've already received three messages from her, the most recent being that she'll be holding dinner for us. I think we need to get on the road. I'm going to try and reason with her over the week about this whole mess with Georgie and I don't want to antagonize her before we even arrive." William responded.

"Alright then, did you bring a bottle of scotch along? We can at least do a few shots before dinner. It might make it a bit more tolerable." Richard said with a laugh.

"You are your mother's son, and knowing that, I brought two bottles along with some wine. You know how aunt likes to have the latest vintages of D'Arcy wine so I grabbed a box before I headed out the door. Fortunately, I still have the Navigator in Boston so I have tons of space for the trip up."

They walked up to the SUV and loaded Rich's bags into the back of the truck. Sliding into the front seats, Rich looked around and joked, "So this is how the other half lives. Its been awhile since my bum has been toasted by a seat warmer. How's the sound system in here?" He reached over and started fiddling with the sound system.

"Before we get down to listening to music, I'd love to hear about your most recent visit with Georgie and the rest of the family," William asked pressing the off button for the radio.

Richard sighed. He'd been hoping to put off this report. He'd become used to giving unpleasant reports to his Army commanders but didn't relish giving similar reports to his family. Georgie had begun to regress a bit and he knew his cousin would be very concerned to hear it. Moreover, it didn't help to worry him when he couldn't do anything to help the situation. Rich still wanted to try and delay the conversation if possible. "I picked up Georgie from school Friday and delivered her to my parents home in DC. It was nice to have the whole family there. My sister was already up from Vanderbilt. I can't believe she's already mid-way through her junior year. Robert was also there with his fiancé so you can imagine my mother was in heaven entertaining her future daughter. At least he'll take some of the pressure off of me and Rachel for a little while."

"What do you think of Robert's fiancé?" William asked.

"She's pretty, nice and smart enough. She'll be the perfect political wife if you ask me. Her dad was Governor of Georgia so she knows the drill. She's no dummy either, undergrad from Emory and grad school at Georgetown. My mother loves having another southern girl in the family and I think she'll keep my brother on his toes." Richard commented.

"Good. I am glad to hear that Robert chose someone who'll help him achieve his goals and not simply stroke his ego. It'll be good for Georgie to be around an accomplished woman as well." Darcy added. "Did Georgie seem to like her?"

"It was hard to tell." It was all the answer Richard could think of to say about his interactions with his mute teenage cousin.

"Well that was vague. What does that mean Richard?" Darcy insisted.

Richard sighed and rubbed his face. He knew Darcy well and he wouldn't let this go until he told him all. "Well it was hard to tell what Georgie thought, about anything really. She wasn't very interactive. I'm sure she'll warm up over the holiday though."

Gripping the steering wheel, Darcy tried to remain calm. A year ago, his sister was like any other chatty teenage girl. That girl had been gone for many months but it had seemed as though she had started to return. What had happened? "Richard, please don't dance around the issues. It's hard enough for me to be away from her over a holiday and I need some clarity. She has an appointment with her therapist on Monday. I will speak with her therapist afterwards but would like to hear what you think."

"Look Darce. She remains very, very insecure. I too thought she was getting better but when I went to pick her up I saw her with some girls and she was standing on the periphery. I asked to be introduced to her friends and she barely spoke above a whisper. Then we basically rode in silence to my parent's place in DC. She answered my questions but didn't initiate any conversation. When are you seeing her next?"

"I told her I'd fly her up to Maine for the weekend once the Thanksgiving holiday is behind us. I was thinking of the first weekend in December. I was hoping you might be able to get away as well and fly up with her. Do you think its possible?"

"I'll see what I can do. Hopefully my mother will have some luck this week with her as well. What are your plans for this weekend in Maine with Georgie?" Richard asked.

"I want to see how my meetings with Aunt Cathy go. If she won't be moved on this codicil then I have an idea as to how I might fulfill its conditions. I want you and Georgie to be on board though and need you both in Maine for that." William said cryptically.

"Darcy, the only way the to fulfill the conditions is to get married. Is that your plan?" Richard asked incredulously.

"Perhaps. Look, I'm not sure what I'll do and don't want to upset Georgie's progress, assuming she's making any, but I know that granting Aunt Cathy custody will absolutely not help her." William said in frustration.

"Nor will marrying the wrong woman Darcy!" Richard returned.

"Give me a little credit Richard. I know what I'm about." William's tone had taken a notably sharp edge.

"Don't get so defensive. I'm here to support you but I don't want you to do anything you'll regret. We'll find a way to support Georgie, whoever has custody. Ok?" Richard asked.

"I know we'll try Richard but I know in my heart that we've really only got a week to turn this around before I will likely need to take some serious action."

"Alright. We'll do what we can." Richard said with a sigh. He had always admired Darcy's loyalty but this was extreme. Needless to say the next few weeks would be eventful.

The two fell into silence and Darcy turned some music on as they headed up on the interstate. After thirty minutes passed, they returned to talking about well worn topics of family, school and service. The two and a half hours passed quickly and they soon turned down the long driveway to Catherine DeBourgh's home on the Maine coast. Unlike the other homes in the area, his Aunt Cathy's home was more reminiscent of an English Tudor mansion than of a New England coastal retreat. Their aunt had found the blueprints of her husband's ancestral home in England and had sought to recreate it stone by stone; an unfortunate choice for the setting. The home's tall, narrow windows failed to provide its' inhabitants the unobstructed views the seaside scenery demanded. Fortunately, one only needed to walk outside in order to gain access to the spectacular views.

William and Richard looked at one another, bracing themselves for the week with their aunt and her step daughter. Grabbing their suitcases, the pair headed towards the house. Before reaching the door, it swung open and Aunt Cathy's long suffering butler greeted them. "Master William, Master Richard, please leave your bags and I will bring them to your rooms. The Mistress is awaiting you in the drawing room." Grant greeted them.

Richard whispered to his cousin, "The drawing room? Where are we, 19th century England?"

Darcy attempted to stifle a laugh and recovered himself before they found their aunt sitting in the gilded living room. The high back chair in which she sat could not have been comfortable but it certainly announced to everyone the import and wealth of the chair's inhabitant. 'Subtle,' William thought.

"Finally you've arrived. I've been expecting you for hours. What could've possibly delayed you?" Aunt Cathy demanded in an exasperated voice.

"Aunt, it is wonderful seeing you in such good health as always. As you know, Richard's flight did not arrive until 2:30. Once we retrieved his things we came here directly, not stopping once along the road." William stated firmly.

"Of course you would be anxious to be here. And you made excellent time I see. You both look well, although Richard seems to have put on a few pounds. That uniform would fit much better if you were in better shape Richard." Aunt Cathy stated. It was a statement, and never a question, from Aunt Cathy. She never seemed to question anything really.

"It is wonderful to see you Aunt Cathy, as always. But where is our dear cousin Anne?" Richard asked seeking to divert her attention.

"Anne has become quite the favorite down at the club. She'll be back for dinner of course. She wouldn't want to miss time spent with her two favorite cousins. It truly is a shame that Georgiana couldn't join you on the flight up Richard. You know William, if you hadn't moved her from the boarding school in New Hampshire it would have been much easier for her to visit." Aunt Cathy demanded.

"The school she is attending now suits her better Aunt. And the proximity to Richard and the rest of the family is a decided benefit. If you'll excuse us aunt, we should probably get settled in our rooms and freshen up before dinner. My recollection is that on Sundays supper is served at 7:00. Is that still correct?" William asked.

"Yes, precisely. You should plan to join me down here in advance however so that we don't keep the food waiting. As you know, my chef has precise timing on each of the courses, thanks to my advice, and its best served when ready." Aunt Cathy added.

"Excellent. We will see you then." William and Richard turned to head up to their rooms. Checking their watches, Richard turned to William and said, "I'll meet you in your room at 6:30. Please have the scotch waiting. I'm already struggling to keep the eye rolls to a minimum and will need some fortitude for this evening."

"I'll be ready. See you in a few." William said with a chuckle.

It was 6:50 when William and Richard joined their aunt and cousin. "William, it was so kind of you to bring a case of your wines to us. I've had my chef pair a few of them with our meal this evening," Aunt Cathy offered as they walked into the room.

"I hope you enjoy the wine. We were very pleased with the results this year." William responded.

Anne had been sitting in a chair opposite their aunt but stood when William and Richard entered the room. "Its wonderful to see you cousins. Its been too long and I hope we'll get to spend some time together this week," Anne said.

"It is wonderful to see you as well. We were hoping to hear all about your studies and other activities." Richard said walking over to Anne in order to give his cousin a kiss on the cheek.

"I look forward to filling you in. Truly the club takes up all of my time. Mother and I decided last year there really was no purpose in continuing my academic studies. Seriously, what good will studying algebra and history do me? It's far better for me to refine the life skills that one of my position truly needs to be an excellent companion to a future husband. I'm grateful to Mother's excellent advice." Anne said as she looked over to her stepmother. It was actually difficult to determine whether she was being serious or simply pandering to their aunt.

William was very interested to hear the 'excellent advice' his Aunt had provided to his cousin. For good reason, he was more than a little curious as to what his Aunt felt were the essential life skills for a young woman. Over the course of dinner he attempted to probe this topic although his aunt surprisingly demurred from the conversation turning the direction of the conversation repeatedly back to Anne.

As William was turning in that night he reflected that the meal had been truly bizarre. Anne spoke extensively about her recent activities at the club which mostly seemed to comprise golf and tennis lessons, tennis matches, lunches with people whose names held no meaning to him and various mixers she had organized and attended. He couldn't help wondering how someone could fill their life with such activities. There was certainly more to life then hosting parties and socializing through tennis and golf and William Darcy resolved that Georgie would never define herself in such a way.

The next morning, Darcy headed out for a quick run along the water. The air was brisk and cold and eventually, the weather required him to head back much sooner than he had wanted. Both Anne and his Aunt Cathy were late risers. Darcy figured if he got out before they were awake he wouldn't have to confront them until early afternoon at the soonest. Grabbing his laptop he headed first into the nearby town to make some progress on the Pemberley Enterprises reports he had been recently neglecting. This would soon be his full time job and he promised himself he would be fully prepared when that time came.

Around 11am his phone rang. It was Georgie's therapist and he had been anxiously awaiting this call. "Good morning Dr. Annesley. Thank you for calling me." Darcy was quickly packing up his things and moving towards his car for some privacy.

"Good morning Mr. Darcy." the doctor responded. "It is good to speak with you as I believe we have a lot to discuss."

"Yes, I am so glad we could connect. I was particularly interested in speaking as my cousin Richard had some concerning observations regarding Georgiana's demeanor when he was with her over the weekend. Do you have any insights you can share?" William asked.

Darcy was quiet as he took in the doctor's report. She was privileged to the confidences Georgie shared but as her guardian, the doctor was able to share observations and the treatment plan with William. It sounded as though Georgie had had some setbacks recently based on some comments from the girls' at school. The comments weren't directed at Georgie but had made clear to her that most girls her age and of her socioeconomic class were quite sheltered and had remained innocent...and she was no longer the same in this regard. While she looked like them on the outside, her experiences had made her very different on the inside. This disparity only reinforced how terribly wrong her experiences with George had been, making her feel more like an outsider than her naturally shy demeanor would have made her feel. She was also suffering from some depression and the doctor recommended placing her on some medication. Each element of the report only upset William more, making him more desperate to solve the custody challenges ahead of him.

The information he had received likely did not put William in the best frame of mind for a very delicate conversation with his aunt but that didn't stop him. Hindsight is 20/20 on these things although his likely probability of success in preventing his aunt to push her rights outlined in the codicil were quite low at any time. Upon entering the house, William found his aunt and cousin still in the dining room finishing up a late lunch.

"William, how good of you to join us. Anne and I have just been discussing how lovely it is to have you and Richard here with us. Wherever have you been this morning?" Aunt Cathy inquired.

"I'm not sure what Richard has been up to but I've been to town and spent some time catching up on Pemberley work." William answered. "I have quite a bit to do and expect to be spending a fair amount of time during this holiday attending to those responsibilities."

"Of course William. You have always been so very attentive to your responsibilities." Aunt Cathy commended him. "Aren't you so relieved that I will be taking over custody of Georgiana so you have one less thing on your plate. Your father was incredibly wise when he put that codicil into place."

"I am quite surprised aunt that you are so familiar with this addendum as I am only just now becoming familiar with it. I had never heard of it until a few weeks ago." William responded.

"Oh William, your father was so worried about all of the responsibilities he knew you would need to take on. He wanted to lighten your burden. When we were speaking of ways in which he could help you, well, it seemed the best solution. Of course, l offered to take on the responsibility right away but your father was stubborn and wanted to see how things would work out first." Aunt Cathy said knowingly.

"I have to say Aunt Cathy, I don't see the necessity even now. I think things are well in hand at this time and there is no reason to upset the status quo." William's voice was measured but cool.

"Oh William, you are so kind to be worried for me but truly I live to serve my family and I take on the responsibility enthusiastically. Look at how well I have launched my dear Anne. I know my Louis would be so proud of how well I have done by his lovely child."

Settling himself in a chair across from his aunt, William leaned across the table and looked his Aunt directly in the eyes. "You are sorely mistaken if you think I will quietly go along with this plan Aunt. One way or another, responsibility over Georgiana will stay with me." William stated evenly.

Aunt Cathy looked cooly at William and then, leaning back in her chair, narrowed her eyes as she looked William over. Standing to gain some dominance in the conversation, his Aunt looked back at William, "I do not appreciation your tone William. I demand respect and your lack of it only reinforces how inappropriate your continued oversight is of my beloved niece Georgiana. Do not press me William as I will not be dissuaded from my course." Aunt Catherine departed the room her back stiff and straight. As she departed, she pushed Richard aside who had been standing in the doorway. William thought he spied a smirk appear on his cousin's face.

Richard walked over and took a seat next to William. Reaching over to place a salad on his plate Richard leaned over towards his cousin and whispered, "That went well."

So what do you think of their altercation? Aunt Cathy wants a project and some funds...She's a troublesome one.