Darcy stormed out of the elevator towards Mrs Reynolds, his eyes were black as midnight and a terrible scowl knitted his dark eyebrows together "Reynolds did a brown haired woman with deep brown eyes come to see me today?"

"Yes, Mr Darcy."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?"

"Well, you see she didn't actually come to see you, I didn't know who or what she came to see she never told me; I don't even know how she got through security."

"Did she leave anything, her name, a note anything?" He was speaking quieter now, his initial anger had ebbed and in its places was the familiar confusion.

"No, the lady paced back and forth by the elevators for a while, she seemed quite irritated so I offered her a drink and tried to find out why she was here but she just said that she shouldn't have come and turned to leave."

"Right well thank you, if she calls again please send her in directly." Reynolds gave a small smile and nodded, she had never seen Mr Darcy in this much disarray; she had never seen a woman affect him like this before, she dared not tell him that Richard had been the one to leave with her number.

Just before Darcy stepped into his office, he left one more direction "Oh and can you get Charles Bingley up here, urgently."

Today had not gone to plan, sitting in the coffee shop down the high street from Darcy's building Lizzie thought about how she had planned to go into Darcy's office, ask him to join her for coffee and tell him the whole truth; well not the whole truth but enough for one day. Unfortunately, it all became too real when she couldn't see Darcy straight away as planned, it gave her more time to think and talk herself out of it. Then there was her impulsive decision to give Richard her number; that she had not been expecting, his green eyes had made her stomach do funny things and she was living to regret hormones.

Chewing on her lip, she stared into her half empty coffee cup and began twirling one of her curls around her finger.

"There's something wrong with this scenario." Lizzie jumped, looking up to see Richard smiling down at her with a take away coffee cup in hand. "I think your stalking me!"

"Is you cup hot?"

"Umm . . . yes?"

"Well mine's cold therefore, I've been here longer hence it is quite obvious that you are stalking me."

"Touché mademoiselle, is this seat taken?" He gestured to the seat opposite hers and he slid into it when she shook her head. "So, I was going to call you later and ask you out but since you and I are both here, why wait, I have the rest of the day to kill and I was hoping you might be able to keep me busy."

"Richa . . ."

"I know it's risky, I should really allow a certain amount before calling you, in order not to appear too eager but I figured hey we've already cuddled publicly so what the hell, let's make it official, go on a date with me today." Richard relaxed back into his chair, surveying her face hoping for some affirmation.

"Richard, thank you but I can't . . ." Lizzie looked away.

"Not tonight or not ever?"

"It's just not a good time for me."

"Again with the vagueness, I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve here and not even an explanation. Come on what is it you can't because . . . . you already have a boyfriend, no wait that can't be true because you gave me your digits," he held up his hand as evidence to support this claim "how about divorced or oh wait I have it . . . overbearing stepmother who only lets you out until midnight?"

Lizzie chuckled, pushing her hand through her hair to give it more volume and disguise her nervous twitch "how about a 15 month old son that requires his single mother to look after him."

Richard abruptly stopped teasing her; he swallowed loudly causing his Adam's apple to quiver. Lizzie just sat quietly, she had been ready for this reaction, and it had been the same reaction that every man had given her when she had told them she had a son; just imagine what it would be like if she told Darcy and then dropped the additional bomb on him that he was the father. After several minutes of awkward silence, Elizabeth started to rise from her chair gathering her things when a hand stopped her, she looked down to see Richard, resting her hand on his and a soft smile playing across his lips.

"Don't go . . . so I'm an ass, I just . . . wow you have a son!" Elizabeth still continued to stand, ready to take her leave.

"Richard, I honestly don't blame you, I don't expect you to okay with it but I wouldn't want to pretend William doesn't come first."

"William, is that his name?"

Lizzie nodded, her eyes smiled as she thought about Will and what he was probably doing now; he was no doubt causing chaos for Alison (his nanny) chewing every last thing he could get his hands on and refusing to rest even when his eyes could hardly stay open, Lizzie knew Alison despaired at times but no one could stay mad at Will when he turned on you with those big brown eyes.

"Lizzie, please sit, let me buy you another drink. I'm not going to lie this does change things but given the chance I would still like that first date."

Viewing him sceptically she hesitated before accepting, well at least he's passed the first test, he didn't run away screaming or make a terrible excuse like how his cat needed to be brushed (yes that one had been used before). Giving it some thought, she reluctantly smiled, "Vanilla Latté, extra foam please." Richard instantly got to his feet and walked off to get the drinks in, leaving Lizzie to watch Fitzwilliam Darcy exit the dArta Software building and step directly into a waiting chauffeur driven black Bentley.

The sight of Darcy made her stomach cramp and her head go all woozy, she felt her airways constrict and her breathing became laboured she had to get out of here. Grabbing her coat and handbag she raced out the front door without even a backwards glance, she needed her own house with William in her arms, safe and warm. Lizzie didn't even remember Richard until she was half way home, 'damn-it I haven't even got his number to apologise. Its official I am completely un-dateable what man would want a single mom with an inability to tell the truth and stretch marks; I'm going to die alone with cats, lots of cats, I hate cats right now but I'll have plenty of years to learn to like them when William leaves home." Unfortunately, the panic attack just got worse when she thought about William leaving home, this truly was ridiculous how could one man affect her so much.

A minute after Lizzie left, Richard unknowingly returned to their table with two mugs of steaming hot coffee, two buns and a wafer . . . sadly there was no one there to share them with.

"You raaannnnggg?" Charles poked his head round the door, doing a Herman the Munster impression.

"Charles, do you have Miss Bennett's home address?"

"It's gonna cost ya . . ." Charles stepped through the door and surveyed the anxious man that he formerly recognised as Darcy, "What's wrong Darcy?"

"Charles, will you please give me the goddamn address!" Darcy loosened off his tie, sweating under the collar; he never meant to snap at Charles but he had a funny way of pushing Darcy's buttons and sometimes he just needed serious Charles, like now for instance.

"Sure, sorry . . ." Charles reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone, plugging in a few commands and sent the address details to Darcy. When Darcy looked to see that his Blackberry had received the details he buzzed for his car and headed for the door, grabbing his suit jacket from the coat stand by the door as he left. Without turning around he muttered "Thanks Charles" and left.

Charles was used to angry Darcy, busy Darcy, moody Darcy, grumpy Darcy and sad Darcy but in all the 10 years they had known each other, he had never once seen an un-composed and anxious Darcy. Striding over to the window, he looked down to see the man himself stride to his jaw dropping new prestige black Bentley and in sheer awe he watched until their taillights had faded in the distance. When he knew he was safe Charles sank into Darcy's Italian leather chair and rested his feet on his £15,000 veneer desk, putting his hands behind his head he surveyed the room and contemplated what it would be like to be Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy for a day.

The black Bentley swiftly navigated all the bends in the country lanes, as it sped towards its destination. The car was completely at odds with its surroundings, this wasn't a car the locals were used to seeing on their streets and as such it attracted a large number of stares when it pulled up outside the detached country house. Darcy surveyed the house from inside the vehicle; it was a 3 storey town house with a gated drive, bay windows and wisteria growing across the left front fascia. Darcy had never pictured Elizabeth living in a house like this but it wouldn't matter if she moved in with him.

"Thanks Alex." The driver tipped his hat as Darcy walked up the front path to the house, he had hoped Elizabeth would just open the door but this wasn't to be so he sharply rapped the knocker and waited for someone to come to the door. After trying a second time to no avail, he went back to wait in the car, Darcy was going to talk to Elizabeth and he would wait however long it took for her to come home.

Fate would have it that just after he stepped into the car, a black 1 series BMW pulled onto the drive and the woman that got out was Jane Bennett; well at least he had the right family. Darcy watched as she shyly walked over to the car, as he wound down the window.

"Mr Darcy, Charles told me you were coming but I can't understand why."

"I wanted to see Elizabeth."

"Lizzie doesn't live here; she lives about 8 miles from here."

"Miss Bennett would you be so kind as to provide me with her address." As she relayed the details, he noticed a familiar scar that ran across her eyebrow; she was the one at the apartment, how ironic that he should turn up at her door again in search of Elizabeth.

Finally, Lizzie spotted the outline of her house across the field, navigating her way down the drive she felt heard her phone go off in her bag again; god that was the 8th time, Jane you'll just have to wait. The tyres made a delectable sound as they crunched over the Cotswold stone coloured slate that lined her drive and she was in such a state that when parked up in front of her house she failed to espy the black Bentley that was parked to the side of her detached double garage.

As Lizzie jumped from the car, in haste she spilled the contents of her handbag across her seat; make-up, phone chargers, dummies, spare change everything lay scattered across the front seats of the car. Roughly shoving everything back into the leather bag she successfully jumped out the car this time and sprinted up to the front door, thrusting her key in and throwing it open. Hurrying inside, she dropped her keys in the bowl by the door, dumped her hand bag and laptop on the side cabinet and took her high heels off, carrying them in her hand as she hollered "Alison, I'm home . . . where's William? William, mommy's home . . ."

Hmm, they weren't in the kitchen, play room, nursery, upstairs or the living room, had Alison taken him out? No she can't of done she never told me "Alison!"

Irrational blind panic had started to set in and she frantically ran back into the kitchen, to find the house phone but this time she really looked in the kitchen. Elizabeth's whole body froze, her high heels dropping to the stone floor when she noticed the tall gentleman, with broad shoulders, shaggy brown hair and come to bed with me eyes standing in front of her.

Sure enough William was more at home than he had ever been, father & son, were both playing animatedly with one another on the conservatory floor. Mr Darcy was lying down on his back, swinging William up in the air, who was squealing and giggling in encouragement.

When Darcy looked up to see Lizzie he jumped up, automatically pulling William into a protective cradle against his side. Lizzie cautiously approached the domestic scene, scared to interrupt the short time William had with his dad. Her heart swelled when she saw the loving gaze Darcy bestowed upon Will; she never even questioned why Darcy was there because this is how it should have always been she thought.

In one final attempt to close the gap between them all Lizzie tenderly stroked William's hair as he reached out to place one of his tiny chubby hands on each of their faces.

Author's note:

THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE LINE, the mini adventure isn't over.

There you have it folks the first time Darcy meets William, I wanted to introduce it earlier to shock you a bit as I hoped you wouldn't see it coming so soon.

Darcy still doesn't know William's his son and he still hasn't talked to Lizzie, but I promise you there is lots more to come and things won't be plain sailing.

I look forward to hearing all your thoughts. :)

Kx