Disclaimer: The characters of Pride and Prejudice are the works of Jane Austen, I do not own them.

Pre-chapter author's note:

To help you get into the feel of the chapter, towards the end I was listening to quite a bit of Owl City and in particular 'The Bird and the Worm' which made me write the latter part of the chapter how I did; don't know whether any of you are like me but I agree that music can influence you so give it a try, it's a very up beat tune.

"I can't believe you would do that to me?" Elizabeth motored her way across the street into Hyde Park, waving her arms emphatically, narrowly missing oncoming cyclists and runners, "Jane, how could you do that to me?" The calm and composed exterior she normally embodied was gone in its place was a shrill, emotional train wreck that had started the minute she had watched Fitzwilliam Darcy walk away, for the second time.

When the emotional stress of the situation became too great and Jane's soothing words had failed to ease her conscience she realised that now was the time to tell her beloved sister everything. For two year's Elizabeth had only told half truths to the people she cared about and as her past was creeping up on her so fast, she felt it best to reveal all before it was too late.

Elizabeth whirled in the street, causing Jane to take a sudden step back, to avoid crashing into her; Lizzie's eyes were streaming with tears, the mascara tracing a sketchy outline down her face and it took everything in Jane not to envelop her in a hug and stroke her hair soothingly.

"Lizzie, I'm sorry but I don't see what the big deal is; so Williams father worked for dArta software, the chances are he doesn't work there anymore. Lizzie this is a good thing, you can get past this and move on. You said his father was a deadbeat and wouldn't be interested and the chances are you're right but you can't hide from forever." Jane sounded meek compared to her sister but she was determined to make Lizzie see that this was a good thing!

"Jane, I saw the curious glances you were shooting Mr Darcy, the way you were studying his face as if you had seen him before and if I'm right you probably have this feeling in the pit of your stomach that you know what I'm going to say." The silence urged Lizzie on, it was all clicking into place now for Jane and she feared what her sister was going to say, so she stayed quiet begging Lizzie to continue, "His noble nose, his structured cheekbones, his deep brown locks and chocolate eyes; they are familiar because William has them too."

"I don't think I . . ."

"You know that William was named after his father well . . ." Lizzie paused, taking a deep breath that she hoped would give her the strength to finally admit the next part out loud "Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy is William's biological dad."

Knowing it was coming and hearing it spoken aloud, are two different things and as such Jane's mind was sent reeling when Lizzie admitted the truth, how could this be true? Why would she keep something like this from me? Why wouldn't she tell Mr Darcy? How could I do this to Lizzie? What will Charles think? Did Lizzie know he had come looking for her? Would it have made a difference?

But no matter how much she did or did not agree with Lizzie's decision she couldn't shake the feeling of utter sympathy she had for her sister. Lizzie had had to deal with this enormous secret alone for two years and for whatever reason she couldn't confide in anyone, even Jane. There were lots of questions she wanted to ask but she knew that now Lizzie had told her the truth she would answer everyone of them, even so all Jane wanted to do was comfort the broken woman in front of her and so she did.

Together they wept on a bench in Hyde Park for what felt like hours, hugging each other close for warmth and comfort; no words were exchanged, right now the emotions were too raw to think straight but for Lizzie it felt wonderful and yet tragic to finally share her big secret with someone else.

"What are you going to do?" After sometime Jane broke the silence, quietly whispering the words, testing the waters of conversation.

"Continue on as normal?"

"Lizzie, Darcy doesn't seem so bad; perhaps he would welcome the news he has a son."

"carelessness is something I have not been and would not want to be. How could I tell him he has a son after that?"

"Darcy made that statement on a whim, he was damned if he agreed and damned if he didn't. I bet he is not quite so bad when you get to know him. Charles was telling me before you arrived that he is a loyal and fierce friend, who has a kind heart and looks after his sister exceedingly well."

"Says the employee of the boss."

"Lizzie, that's awfully cynical!"

"and it's true. When I met Charles two years ago, he was playing wing man to Darcy and I doubt anything has changed."

"You have changed, why can't he? Darcy could hardly take his eyes off you the minute he came to the table and he directed most of the conversation at you, so tell me Lizzie why didn't you tell Darcy about Will? He doesn't' sound at all like the man, you pretended was Will's dad."

Looking up from Jane's shoulder, she smiled weakly "another story for another day Jane, I had my reasons."

"Had your reasons, do the same reasons still apply? What if I told you he came looking for you?"

Lizzie sat up promptly, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeve "he came looking for me? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm telling you now. Just after you found out you were pregnant, a really handsome man came to our old apartment looking for someone called Emily Benedict. I told him she didn't live there and until today I believed she didn't, that is until I realised that it had been you he was looking for?"

"But. . . but. . .where was I? What did he say?"

"Lizzie, the look on that man's face will stay with me until the day I die, the burning man had nothing on the pain I saw in that broken man's eyes and that's all you need to know."

That certainly gave Lizzie a lot to think about, for two years she had kept reassuring herself that she would only ruin Darcy's life if he found out that his one night stand had resulted in a child. From an early age she had vowed to never marry for anything but the deepest and most all consuming love, until she could not believe that Fitzwilliam Darcy could be capable of looking another person more than he loved himself but then why would he seek her out? He would have had to risk everything to be with her, it would have been splashed across all the rags and at the time she didn't think it would be worth the rejection and settlement scandal.

Lizzie absentmindedly traced her finger along Jane's leg, spelling out Darcy's name; she couldn't believe how everything she had believed for two year's could be so easily dashed and it would be so much easier if only she could know what Darcy was thinking. . .

A 15 month old baby boy with a mass of soft mahogany curls and deep brown eyes sat in his crib smiling at his mother, who was holding her arms out wide as she crossed the room towards him, desperate to take him in her arms. Lizzie quickly enveloped the minor in a massive hug, whirling him around, making him giggle and squirm. William had a smile that could melt a thousand hearts and he was the one person Lizzie loved unconditionally; regardless of his tantrums, screaming fits at five am and endless nappy changes she loved him, he was her son and since he was born she had tried to love him as much as two parents could and more.

Lizzie had had a lot to think about on the drive home and after dropping Jane at home had sped the last 15 minutes of the journey back in an attempt to be with her baby; she had desperately needed to feel him in her arms and know that he was real.

William sat on Lizzie's hip, giggling as she munched on the chubby fingers that he was placing across her face as she smiled at him thinking about how fast he had grown up; at nine months he had started to walk missing the crawling stage altogether and a few weeks ago he had gurgled his first attempts at speaking, he still hadn't said his first word but she didn't care he was perfect. Every time she saw him a fresh wave of joy washed over her but today when she stared into his eyes all she saw staring back at her was Darcy and spasms of pain were building up in her chest when she thought about how she had withheld this precious bundle from him; she felt guilty and she didn't need anyone to diagnose that for her; no matter how good her intentions had been Jane had a point he did have a right to know he had a son let alone that he could be a part of their life.

Pondering she swept about their home picking up stray toys, clothes and miscellaneous items; she was lucky that she could afford a daily cleaner, live-in nanny and part-time gardener. At the time her mother had suggested she take on all three she had abhorred the idea, declaring herself an independent woman but after seeing the devastation a baby caused she caved, it took a three days.

Elizabeth Bennett's home was her sanctuary; it was a modern glass fronted barn conversion with an acre of land and gravelled private driveway. It was surrounded on all sides by thick forests, rolling green fields and kind unassuming neighbours. Inside everything had been handpicked and renovated by Lizzie, it had been her pregnancy project, everyone had told her she was nesting but the truth was Jane had been sending her stir crazy by refusing to let her help set-up their business and attend meetings.

Standing at her back door with a mug of coffee in one hand and William on her hip she looked out over the fields that were lined with freshly cut grass and the spring blooms that had just started to erupt she was at peace if only for a short while.

Lizzie had not always been at peace away from London, when she had first moved-in she had felt lonely, depressed and fat, the world was punishing her for getting pregnant from one night and the punishment was self imposed exile but it had soon become clear that everything she needed was here and okay she couldn't go to a bar with friends, or walk to a nice restaurant with a date but her priorities had changed, William was her priority and he wasn't going to grow up in a city, with people like her mother.

Once the house was respectable, she settled down on her sofa with a book and smiled down at William who had fallen asleep mid-tickle on her lap. Brushing some of his hair back from his eyes, she gently pressed her lips to his forehead, inhaling his delectable scent and whispered "I met your daddy today William and you are just as handsome as he is!"

Author's note:

Sorry a bit of a filler chapter I know but you got to meet William for the first time and I really wanted to emphasise that Lizzie and William have a strong bond. I have a limited knowledge of small children so if I make any terrible errors please let me know and I will amend accordingly (I know nine months seems early to walk but I walked at 8 so hey).

Finally, in response to Smilz101, Darcy will meet William when he is least prepared, just don't know when that will be yet so if you have any suggestions they are more than welcome?

Also over the next few chapters I am going to try and introduce more of the characters, Richard in particular will be introduced in the next chapter as I know this was mentioned and I really like him, so I hope you like it :)

Thank you in advance for all the kind reviews, I really do appreciate your input and welcome your thoughts on improvements and plot ideas (don't worry guys I won't make you do all the hard work :))

Bonsoir,

Kx