Surprise! I have found some free time and thought I'd share this mid week update as compensation for the long weeks you waited for the last one. Enjoy!

Sunshine filled the bedroom rousing Lizzy out of a deep sleep. "Lizzy, I'm sorry but you need to wake if we're going to get back to Boston at a reasonable time."

"What time," she groaned, trying desperately to keep her eyes tightly shut.

"It's just past 8:30 but I'd like to leave by 9:30 if possible."

Slowly rising Lizzy had just planted her feet on the bedroom floor when the smell of coffee reached her senses. Normally a welcome aroma, the scent turned her stomach upside down and she dove blindly towards the bathroom narrowly avoiding the tufted settee at the end of their shared bed. Reaching the bathroom, Lizzy's stomach upended itself. Her cheek resting against the cool porcelain she was thankful she'd reached her intended destination and that her hair was still tied back. Small blessings indeed.

William was only a few steps behind her bewildered by the sudden dash to the bathroom. Finding her on the floor, William rushed towards her to help her back into bed.

Waiving him away, she started to stand on her own, "I'm fine, I just need to brush my teeth and have some tea and toast. My stomach's been odd lately but I'm better after a quick bite."

"What do you mean your stomach's been odd? When did this last happen?" William's arms were crossed, a concerned look on his face.

"Oh don't get yourself worked up about it," Lizzy snapped. "I'll feel fine after I eat. Actually, this is the first morning I've been sick since the chicken vindaloo incident. The other mornings I just felt a little queasy but was fine once I ate. I think it was the smell of coffee that did it to me."

Assisting her back to their bed he sat down beside her. "I thought you liked coffee in the morning."

Shrugging her shoulders, "I've been more in the mood for mint tea ever since I got sick from the Indian food. I guess my stomach is still recovering."

"Well we're not leaving this morning that's for sure. I'll see if my admin can have a doctor come and check on you. In the meantime, what can I get you?"

"Truly William. I'll be fine. Just get me some tea and toast and keep the coffee away. I'll be ready to leave at 9:30 or a little after. There's no need to call a doctor."

William kissed her forehead, verifying she wasn't warm to the touch, and cast a long glance at his wife. She looked mostly fine at this point, "I'll go get your tea and toast as long as you promise to stay in this bed."

"Five more minutes of sleep for me." Lizzy grinned and sunk back down under the blankets. She did feel a bit queasy still but was not about to mention it to William. He was already hovering about like an overprotective granny and she simply needed to clear her head for a few minutes before she started her day. She had never been the sickly sort and was not about to start being one now. Despite the insistent thought, her mind drifted off and she was quickly asleep.

10:00. Was the clock correct? Was it 10 already? The last time she'd seen the numbers they'd read 8:40 and she'd expected to be shortly munching on some toast. The queasy feeling returned and she was a bit nervous to move around too much. Spotting a tray Lizzy reached up to grab a slice of the now cold toast. It was a good thing they were leaving today or else she'd have to change the sheets for all of the crumbs she was getting in them. Swallowing down the crunchy bread Lizzy took hold of the tepid tea and sipped. A few minutes and she'd be able to face the day...and William. She knew he'd be concerned, especially when she fell into such a deep sleep so quickly and easily. For some reason a strong feeling of annoyance rose up in her and she tried to squash it down. Shouldn't she be happy to have someone so concerned for her wellbeing? A few more minutes rest and she'd be ready to brave a shower.

William had been pacing the kitchen. He'd returned to their bedroom to find Lizzy in a deep sleep. Setting the tray down he'd sat and watched her sleep from an armchair in the room. He debated whether or not to call for a doctor. If only they were in Boston and Dr. Daniels was close by. A call to him would have been made in a heartbeat but William's last interactions with the medical establishment in New York City had been when his father lay dying in a hospital room. The idea that Lizzy was sick, here of all places, was tormenting him. New York was simply bad luck and they needed to get back to Boston. After sitting and watching her for the better part of an hour he decided he should get them ready to leave. Once in Boston he could arrange things as he liked. It hadn't taken him long to get the car packed. Georgiana had woken on her own and was packed and ready to leave. Perhaps he could carry Lizzy to the car and they could get on their way.

Entering their room he was surprised to find their bed empty the shower running. He was about to enter their bathroom when he heard the water turn off. Lizzy returned to their room, towels wrapped around her head and body. "Oh, hi. I'm sorry I fell back asleep and ruined your schedule. I'll be ready in twenty."

"Are you sure you should be up and around? I'm worried for you Lizzy."

She heard the tone in his voice and was not amused. It came through in her response. "Yes well, I don't call you Worrywart Will for nothing so I guess I'm not surprised."

"I'm glad you can take this all so lightly Elizabeth. I've spent the entire morning concerned about your health and you act as if nothing in the world is wrong. Two hours ago you were throwing up and then once again you fell into a dead sleep. I'm not imagining things here." William's fear came pouring out. Unfortunately, Lizzy wasn't prepared for it and her own emotions were running high.

"I'm not a baby William Darcy. I have managed to guide myself to my 21st birthday thank you very much, while taking care of issues most don't deal with until their 41st birthday. If I need you to hover and fret I'll let you know. Until then, let me get myself dressed so we can get back to Boston." Lizzy huffed before taking herself off to the dressing room. Once there she stormed around trying to find the outfit she'd planned to wear only to see it had been packed away. Annoyed that William had packed her clothes leaving only an old sweatshirt and yoga pants to wear, she hastily got herself dressed fuming at the control he was attempting to exert. Returning to their bedroom she was surprised to find him still standing in the same spot as when she departed. "I presume you approve of this outfit since it was all you left me to wear for the ride home."

"I had thought you might want to be comfortable and these clothes seemed to fit that criteria. I'm happy to get your suitcase for you if you'd prefer something else to wear." William offered coldly.

"That won't be necessary." Lizzy turned her back and headed towards the door. Hopefully they had some good podcasts to listen to as she was in no mood to speak with her husband.

William was positively flustered by Lizzy's demeanor but had no time to ponder their argument. Georgiana was waiting expectantly and he was not about to air their disputes in front of his sister. Checking that the lights were all off one last time, William ushered them both towards the elevator and began to engage Georgie in some meaningless talk about the movie they'd watched the night before. Settled in the car it became clear that the silent treatment would continue. Lizzy's eyes were closed and the strains of music were filtering out of her ear buds. Georgiana also indicated a desire to listen to her music so William was left to his thoughts.

To his mind, the evening prior had been perfect. He had made it home by 7 and Lizzy and Georgiana had spent the day exploring some of the specialty food shops near their place. The pair had decided to prepare a Mexican feast and he was definitely the beneficiary. The three ate to excess while resting on the floor watching a relatively recent James Bond flick. After the movie and a rich desert consisting of caramel flan and homemade ice cream, Georgie took herself off to bed leaving the couple alone on the couch. Cuddling had led to kissing and kissing had led to much more. They were up 'til almost one in the morning making love, quietly chatting and kissing. New York had become his new favorite place until this morning. How could things change so quickly?

Recognizing this would not be a productive line of thinking William's thoughts drifted back to his two days in the office. It had felt good to be engaged in the day-to-day of Pemberley Enterprises again. His worries about whether he'd be able to be an informed participant in management meetings had been for naught. He'd accomplished most of what he'd hoped with two intense days in the office. Those years of dinner conversations coupled with his time working in the mail room and later, sitting beside his father for meetings, had given him an understanding of the business from the ground up. Every school break since he was twelve had been spent at Pemberley. The only issue continuing to nag him was the Asia receivables. He'd regretted his inattention when they'd made that pivotal hire. He'd trusted his team to hire Marc as he'd been distracted by Georgie and the challenges she was facing at the time. A trip to Asia with Marc was necessary but the urgency was still unclear to him. With Lizzy's uncertain health he was loath to leave the country. The finance team wasn't able to tie everything down in time to give him the complete picture and he had to leave the office with a promise from Louis that he would continue to direct their efforts. Hopefully he'd get a call later today to let him know that the issues had been resolved and they could send him the analysis he'd requested.

Glancing over at Lizzy he could tell she was only pretending to be asleep. Having spent many hours watching her sleep, he knew all too well what she looked like when she was truly resting. She was avoiding him and he was still trying to figure out what had made her so angry. To his mind, he was fully justified with his concern. The bell-tones of a text message roused her from her rest. Looking down at her phone she rapidly began to type a response. Looking over at him, her eyes glaring, she asked, "Did you cancel my plans with Jane and Charlotte for tonight?"

"Given how you were feeling this morning I didn't think we'd make it back in time. Even if we did you should rest. I thought it was best to let them know as soon as possible."

"They were my plans with my friends. I think I'm old enough to manage my appointments. You are not in charge of me and I never vowed to obey. I told you before I'm fine," Lizzy spat.

While he was exasperated, William was not about to take the bait. Nodding his head he kept his eyes trained forward on the road. In reality, exasperation did not fully capture his feelings. He was hurt. How could she be so easily offended when he was just trying to do the right thing for her. She needed to see reason in this. After several moments of trying not to look, his head turned back to see she had rolled onto her side, back facing towards him, her fingers punching out a message into her phone. He heard a huff coming from her side of the car. "Do you mind stopping at a rest stop. I could use a bite to eat and a bathroom."

"Sure. Are you feeling alright?"

He could feel her narrowed eyes. "I'm fine. I need to pee and I want a snack. As you recall, I was ill this morning and didn't eat much. I'm hungry now and would like to eat. As you can likely tell I'm in a bad mood. I can't shake it and hopefully some food will help. It often does."

He'd accept this last admission as explanation for her attitude. It had to be enough right now with Georgie sitting in the seat behind them. A road sign promising food in the town off the exit caused him to leave the highway. The food at rest stops was not sufficient when compared to the offerings to be found in a town and he was determined to find a proper place to eat.

"Are we stopping?" Georgie piped up from the back seat.

"Yes, Lizzy's hungry and I thought we could all benefit from a meal and a chance to stretch our legs. Do you think this place will suit?" Peering at a local diner, stainless steel and neon gleaming in the winter sunlight.

"It's lunchtime so sounds good to me."

William checked his watch and was surprised to see it was 12:30 already. He'd forgotten to adjust his expectations given their late departure. No wonder his girls were hungry. Settling in to the pleather booth he was relieved to see Lizzy order a hearty chicken soup for lunch. At least she was eating wisely. He watched as Lizzy and Georgiana happily chatted about plans for the coming days before William took her back to school. William had decided to fly back with Georgie in order to reinforce his care and focus on her. It was one of the things he'd realized since his marriage to Lizzy. His sister still needed him and she needed to know that she was a priority in his life. Still he hoped that Lizzy would wisely rest and get herself prepared for a new semester. He might need to leave as early as Monday night for Asia and the thought was driving some of his anxiety.

"Jane! Charlotte! Oh I've missed you both so much." Lizzy squeezed each of her friends into a tight hug. She needed some time with old friends and truly appreciated how much when she thought she'd be denied their company this evening. It was so good to see them.

Even as they headed to the kitchen with their bags of takeout, the conversation started up. "How are you? William told me what happened. Are you sure you're up to this?"

Lizzy snorted, "What! Hanging out in my apartment, painting my nails, eating take out and catching up with friends? Yea. I think I can handle it."

Charlotte raised her brows in surprise, "You're certainly making light of throwing up and sleeping for hours. Since when does Lizzy Benetez sleep the morning away? The girl I know is fit as a fiddle and out for a run at 6:30, maybe 7:30 on a morning she sleeps in."

"Not you too. I've been sleeping more since I had my ski accident and had some bad Indian food that messed up my stomach. I'm not perfect but I'm getting better. William's just a worrywart who needs to understand that I'm a capable adult who doesn't require a babysitter."

"That sounds harsh Liz. Give the guy a break. He loves you and you should appreciate how much he cares. I thought it was sweet when he called Jane this morning. It's more than Billy would do for me. He'd be more worried I'd get him sick and wouldn't come near me if I so much as sneezed in his direction."

Lizzy decided she had enough of the William Darcy sympathy band and wanted to turn the tables. "How are things with Billy?"

"Good question. We had a great New Years in the city and he came to stay with us at the Lodge for a few days. He said some things that have me worried though. I got a vibe that he may have expectations that his career should take precedence. He's already started to question whether I really should go to med school or if maybe I should simply be a PA instead. You know, more flexibility with having children."

Lizzy rolled her eyes, "You're 21! Who's thinking about kids at this point? You'll be done with med school at 26 and residency before your 30."

"I don't know. It's a lot to consider. I'm sure he's just trying to talk it all out in advance. And that's a good sign. He's sending clear signals that he's serious about you. I'd rather go into a serious relationship with a good understanding or even some understanding of the future. I can barely get Charlie to talk about 5 days from now let alone five years." Jane nearly growled the sentiment at the end.

"Ouch. That smacks quite a bit of resentment, especially for our sweet Jane. I thought things were getting better?"

Jane flopped down onto the couch, her plate of sushi artfully arranged resting on the coffee table. Of course, everything Jane did was beautiful. Even her dinner plate. Lizzy looked up from the plate to Jane's face and could see the frustration that lined her brow. It took a lot to force Jane to express her emotions so clearly. Even if most couldn't see how frustrated she was, those who knew her well could instantly spot trouble in that furrowed brow. "Things are better." Stifling a chuckle, Jane continued, "It's amazing how much conversation we can have now that I'm withholding sex. And he's been a perfect gentleman. He's not pressuring me, even when I can tell he really wants to. With Caroline out of the picture he's a lot more focused on us and things are easier."

"That all sounds great. What's the problem?"

Jane was quiet but Lizzy could tell she was getting really worked up. Lizzy watched as Jane stabbed a piece of fish on her plate with a chopstick. This was serious. Casting a glance over to Charlotte they sent a silent message to one another. They'd work together to get to the bottom of the issue with Charlie and if he was messing up, he was out of Jane's life. These girls would protect their own.

"What I love about Charlie is his sunny outlook on everything. He loves his friends and family fully. He is a true optimist, really believing everything will work out just fine. I sometimes wonder if he's ever experienced something bad but then I remember Caroline. Maybe it's his defense mechanism against her. The meaner she is the happier he has to be." Shaking her head, Jane realized she hadn't really gotten to the problem. "He's never had to plan anything in his life. He went to Andover, Harvard, then HLS and he's going to work for his father's company. It's like he floats in this happy bubble where everything just works out. I worry when it bursts one day and he has to confront something difficult."

"At the risk of defending him a bit, it isn't easy to get into any of those schools. He's probably had to work pretty hard in order to excel at each of those schools to set him up for the next one," Lizzy reasoned.

"True. But book smarts doesn't always translate into life smarts," Charlotte offered, "We've seen more than our fair share of that here at Harvard." All three girls got a chuckle from that thought.

Jane was quiet for a few minutes before speaking again. "I want what you and William have. He takes care of you and you take care of him. When I'm sick, I want someone who will not only hold my hand but also call the doctor, check in with my friends to let them know I can't keep plans, and make me breakfast. I want to come home from a really long day to find that Charlie's fully planned a relaxing night with dinner and movies selected and maybe even taken my difficult little sister in hand to make her a part of the plan. That's the relationship I want and I just don't know if Charlie is mature enough for all of that. He can't even decide what he wants to do for Spring Break and that's just a decision between Cancun and Aspen."

It was an interesting perspective and one that Lizzy'd need to think more on. Before that however, she needed to inject some reality into the conversation. "Trust me, it's not all its cracked up to be. William's a bit of a control freak. I know it comes from a good place but before I even knew what was happening he'd ordered my day to fit with his concerns, not mine. Even tonight I'm only eating cooked sushi because William was worried I might eat some bad raw fish. It can be frustrating," Lizzy had spent much of the afternoon trying to figure out and articulate her issues. This was the first time she was voicing them out loud. She was glad she could practice first on her friends. "I know he worries but I've spent almost 21 years managing myself. It can be a bit stifling to have my life proscribed by someone else. I'm not his fifteen year old sister and I think he forgets that sometimes."

Charlotte, ever the voice of reason, counseled her friend. "Go easy on him Lizzy. Just a few weeks ago you were in a terrible ski accident, unresponsive on a mountainside. And you were throwing up this morning. If he's a bit overprotective he's got some justification."

Jane added, "You might also want to consider how nice it is to not always be the responsible one. William seems to like responsibility so you're now actually free to let go of some and be a normal college student this semester. It'll be the first time you won't have to worry about everything."

"I can see I'll get no sympathy from you guys tonight. Enough about boys already. I've spent the last few weeks with little in the way of girl talk and that's what tonight is about." With that statement, the girls turned the conversation to their usual things, shopping - the girls agreed with Lizzy's morality crisis: just because you can drop $1200 on three pairs of shoes in one day doesn't mean you should, classes and schedules - they all shared a break on Tuesdays and Thursdays and would meet up for lunch on campus, grades - Charlotte maintained her GPA despite a tortured semester in organic chemistry and finally, Lizzy's immigration status. Still no word since their interview so she was waiting on pins and needles as to whether she'd actually get her temporary green card in time for her summer internship. Both Charlotte's and Jane's parents had offered to write letters of reference on her behalf but Lizzy would only call on them if needed. She was grateful to have such good friends.

The girls finally left around 11 with tentative plans made for a triple date on Saturday night. After sending her friends on their way, Lizzy decided to find William and make amends for her foul mood earlier. Much of what Charlotte and Jane has counseled made sense and it was up to her to apologize for being such a grump. She found William in his office hunched over a stack of spreadsheets. "That doesn't look fun."

"It's not. Have the girls left?" William asked as he pushed his chair away from his desk. He'd had more then enough of the analysis the finance team sent and no matter how long he stared at it, the numbers wouldn't change.

"Yea, they um, they just left." There was an awkward pause between them and both found it unpleasant. Before William could speak Lizzy began, "I want to apologize for being such a grump today. I think I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and just couldn't shake it. I really didn't feel like myself and I took it out on you. I'm very sorry."

William stood up and wrapped his arms around his wife. He needed to feel her body close to his. She'd been so distant all day and he hated it. "I'm sorry too. I should have talked to you about your plans before I changed them. I assumed I knew what was best. I'll try to do better but I might slip up now and then."

It felt nice to be in his embrace, like coming home. Pulling her arms tighter around him, she squeezed in reassurance, "Don't worry, I'll remind you when you forget."

"Of that I've no doubt." William smiled before placing a kiss on her lips. "I need to go to bed, what do you think?"

"Very good Mr. Darcy. Thanks for asking. I think I'd like to go to bed too. Did you have a nice dinner with Georgie?"

"We had a good time. She's looking forward to being back at school on Friday. We're going to fly down in the morning and then I thought I'd spend the evening with Richard. I'll be back Saturday morning. Is that ok with you?"

"That sounds like a good plan. You need some guy time too. I've made some plans for us on Saturday night with Jane, Charlotte and their boyfriends."

"Remind me the name of Charlotte's boyfriend?"

"Billy Collins. You should likely know him. He's in his third year at HLS."

"Name sounds familiar but I can't place him. It's a big class and my knowledge of the class is a little off given the way my schedule worked out to fit in the MBA. I look forward to meeting him Saturday."

Walking hand in hand towards their bedroom, Lizzy stopped them for a moment. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Thanks for your lovely reviews and thoughts. I love it when new readers comment especially as they are making their way through the story. At any rate, as to this latest installment. Are you interested in joining the sympathy band for William. Do you think Lizzy's apology was enough? Good to see Lizzy back with her friends where she can get some perspective. You know I love your comments and thoughts. I've tried to respond to everyone who has written me so please sign in and leave a review...