The storyline, new character development, new events, and new characters are my intellectual property. Glorioux

Fifteen years later

Young Lieutenant Thomas Bennet came to see Longbourn. He had had a difficult life. One day, his father was coming home, when something scared his horse, and he fell into a dangerous river. However, those searching for his body could not find it. Some swore they had seen something strange: a wolf pulling someone out of the water and, a minute later, two large wolves had walked inside the thick forest. Nobody had seen wolves since long before, yet more than one person swore they had seen the two wolves.

When he was seven years old, his mother, now a wealthy widow, remarried. Barely a year had passed since his father fell into the river. Thomas heard his mother was seeing her new husband for a while before her husband drowned, but Thomas had no way to find out. Sadly, the new husband, his mother's fourth cousin, was a bad stepfather who stole his inheritance.

His mother had a son with the new husband, and the same day the son was born, the new husband drew a will, saying what belonged to his wife was his. His mother did nothing to protect Thomas because she only cared for her new husband.

When his mother died, Thomas found out the man was leaving everything to his son and nothing for him. That day, the stepfather asked Thomas to leave his home. Afterward, Thomas went into the military after his father's friend had paid his commission, and he dropped out of Cambridge. But going into the military was mostly a cover-up, as his father's dear friend recommended.

Thomas was not destitute; he had an entailed property belonging to the Bennet. This was not all since Thomas's father, who was always a cautious man who knew his wife, had left Thomas many hidden assets, a considerable fortune, with his friend that Thomas met at his father's wake. His father knew he would not be able to be around for long since he was there for a reason, doing what needed to get done to destroy an enemy as planned and had made sure his son was protected when he was gone.

Thomas figured he had enough money for more than a comfortable life since he was quite wealthy. However, he made sure not to flaunt his wealth because of his greedy stepfather. The man would claim it, saying it was his dead wife's property, henceforth his. Thomas had heard his stepfather was a gambler and a spendthrift, which were more reasons to hide what he had.

The father's friend also gave him the deed to Longbourn and once again told him to say it was an entailed property; he gave him falsified deeds stating Longbourn was entailed to the Bennet family. It was done to protect Longbourn from the stepfather. He advised Thomas to go and check it as soon as possible and join the social life.

Thomas followed the advice. The next day, he arrived in Longbourn and attended an assembly. There he met the most beautiful young lady he had ever seen, Miss Fanny Gardiner. It was her first assembly, and was there with her parents and her older sister. She was not supposed to dance since she had just turned 15, but it did not matter because he fell in love with her forever, and she did as well.

As soon as he was out of the army, one month later, they married. His father's friend attended, but only to the church, wearing a hat and hiding his face. He was there with friends of his that Thomas did not see. Jane came early, a little less than eight months after they married. She was a tiny baby but healthy. Lizzie came a year and a half later. Her parents could not be happier; their child had made a good marriage with a gentleman who loved her. Alfred was glad to see his children's rising status.

Two years later, Fanny's parents disappeared, and nobody seemed to know what happened to them, so the authorities declared them dead. Their house was in shambles; it seemed someone was looking for something. Fanny cried for days; she was desolate, and Thomas worried about her since she was increasing.

Nobody but Thomas's father's friend suspected what had happened. The friend met him near Longbourn and gave him a pistol, a gun, and a few more things, explaining what he needed to do and always to carry the weapon, which was more than it seemed. Thomas, who understood much by now, was not surprised when he learned about himself; it explained much. He had always wondered about many things that seemed impossible. Like when he fell from a cliff and landed on his feet.

He helped to put the house in order while searching for 'something.' When he found 'the something,' he did not tell anyone, took it to Longbourn, and hid it as his father's friend told him. A few days later, new employees came to help Thomas, and he welcomed their help to protect Fanny and his babies.

Edward, Fanny's brother, one year younger than Fanny, started to run the prosperous business with the help of his older sister's husband. Edward knew his grandfather's family and made sure he stayed away from them. Edward Gardiner was also the replica of his proud grandfather, though he was much nicer. His uncles were condescending whenever they came, making him wish they never returned. But he had also met this great grandfather's relatives, who told him to seek them if he ever needed help.

Fanny's 21st birthday and Mommy's Little Helper

Jane and Lizzie were playing outside while their pretty mother watched them. Five-year-old Jane wanted to look for flowers to make a garland for her mother, who had fallen asleep on pillows on the blanket where they sat to have a small picnic. Fanny Bennet was heavy with child and easily tired, and this warm spring day was perfect for sleeping under the sun. In the basket and next to her, little Mary slept as well. So, Lizzie, a few months short of four, wanted to stay to watch Mary; her mother called her 'my little helper,' and Lizzie liked that.

Lizzie didn't want to go far, "Janey, Mama told us not to go far. She said there are still wolves in the woods." Wise Lizzie feared her mother might be right, even if her father said it was nonsense. However, he told Lizzie that there were worse things than wolves. He always carried a pistol; Lizzie had noticed and knew a funny gun hung near the door and another next to him.

"No, we won't go far, just to the garden's edge; maybe a little farther, but not much." Jane insisted.

At Longbourn, Lizzie wasn't sure, "Daddy says we must 'abbey' Mama; 'asides' I am watching Mary." She bit her lip, feeling they should stay put, remembering her Uncle Gardiner would soon be there. He had told them that Fanny, their mama, was a foundling, probably a changeling, like in the stories her papa read. When he read them, he always said to pay attention.

She remembered what her uncle had also said, "Lizzie, you must always listen to your mommy. You see, my mother told me before they, ahem," he cleared his throat. "My mom told me that my sister Fanny doesn't look like anyone in her or my father's family. Mama told me your mommy was a beautiful newborn wrapped in a tiny cloak made of fine fur. The Forest Folk must have left her next to the door on the same day that Mom had a stillborn baby. She said Fanny was not a substitution, but forest folk knew she would raise and love the baby. My father always kept a cross by the door and a loaded gun because he loved his Fanny and said, "Finders, keepers"."

Lizzie agreed, "Yes, Mama was a gift, and gifts belong to you."

Her uncle laughed when she agreed. "My girl, my father loved children, and Fanny was his; he repeated it whenever he had a chance, adding he would not give her back and would fight anyone who tried to take her away. My dear, remember nobody knows Fanny is not my parents' baby. It is an secret. Alas, I believe my parents are alive, and someone took them to make Fanny do as they wish. So, mind your mama because who knows what is out there."

That day, when Uncle Gardiner talked to them, just a couple of weeks before, Jane wasn't paying attention because she was playing with Charlotte Lucas, who often came to play with them. Jane usually did as she wished and did not listen to her uncle's warnings. But Lizzie, a young and exceptionally bright child who could already read, count, and speak well by two, listened well. Her daddy would joke, saying Lizzie would run the house by the time she was six.

So, she paid attention because she had also seen the pistol hanging from her father's belt and the loaded gun her father always kept next to him. Indeed, her uncle often said Lizzie was like her mother; though she had darker hair, she was her mama in many ways. He said Fanny had been the same by the time she was five and was ahead of children much older than her. Lizzie did not want to go with Jane on this day and remembered her uncle's warnings.

However, Jane was very insistent, "Mommy looks like a princess; we can make a flower and leaves crown for her, a present for her birthday."

Jane wanted to do as she wished, not knowing that inside Longbourn, everyone had suddenly fallen asleep. Her uncle was also sleeping at his maybe-dead parent's home, the house where he still lived with his older sister and her husband.

Neighbors

At Netherfield, the adjacent estate, the owner, the son of Alfred's father, had guests. The couple had come to see the place since they wanted to buy an estate for their younger son with the grandmother's dowry. They had come with their children and with their cousins. While the parents discussed the deal, three boys rode horses to look around and hopefully hunt.

As the riders approached Longbourn, Jane and Lizzie were walking closer to the forest, not paying attention, so they missed a large dog looking at them. Lizzie wanted to return, not knowing why, but she could feel danger approaching.

Jane said, "Lizzie, look at that old lady. I wonder what she's doing around here wearing funny-looking clothes. Hmm, she looks like a rich lady; maybe she's lost. Let's go and talk to her."

Lizzie said, "No, I don't think that's a good idea; let her come here. Mama said we shouldn't talk to people that we don't know. And our uncle says there are bad things."

Jane pouted, thinking she was older and knew better; "Silly, she's an old lady. She looks nice. Maybe she's lost, and she is rich, so we need to help." Lizzie walked slowly, allowing Jane to go in front of her. She wasn't sure they should help because she was rich.

Lizzie noticed the woman's hands looked strange as they approached the lady. They were the color of ashes, and she had scary, long, dark nails. Lizzie whispered, "Janey, I don't think that's a lady; I think she might be a witch, like in Daddy's books."

Jane was not paying attention, looking asleep, and kept walking towards the woman.

The boys, who were riding, heard a voice from a wolf before them. "I cannot do anything against her, and the children are about to be taken by the Dark Queen; only humans can stop her and take the little girls back to their house, then I will be able to help."

Fearless 13-year-old Richard declared, "Let's go to help," and he started following the wolf.

The older brother, Bartlett, said, "I believe we should ignore a wolf that talks. What if he is wicked and will do something bad to us?"

Though Fitzwilliam hesitated, when Richard started galloping after the wolf, he decided to follow, but Bartlett stayed there. Too bad Bartlett would later realize he should have gone with them.

Lizzie saw the woman's face changing; she was no longer an old lady, but somebody with very dark green skin, and her too-long arms were reaching, about to grab them. Lizzie, who was not half asleep like Jane, tried to run away, but her feet seemed stuck to the ground.

She saw two more creatures running in between the trees. They looked like the woman who was no longer an old woman, however they were uglier and misshapen. The woman who Lizzie was now sure was a witch.

Lizzie started screaming, "Someone help, someone help." The woman was about to grab them, and the two with her had large bags. Lizzie believed they would put Jane and her inside the bags. She thought they had taken her grandparents and frozen them, like in a book their daddy read them. Her father had wonderful books; he said they were his father's. He also told Lizzie that one could learn from them; he told her they were not fairy tales.

Three more of the same people were walking towards Longbourn and were about to reach Fanny and Mary.

Simultaneously, the boys saw the two nasty creatures approaching the two little girls. The creatures looked like goblins, but they could not be sure since they had only seen goblins in storybooks. Nevertheless, both boys carried bows and arrows because they were too young to have guns. Without hesitation, the boys readied their bows and aimed. Luckily, the first two arrows downed the creatures helping the dark green woman. The woman started cursing and screaming angrily when she saw humans and disappeared into a tree.

The wolf, still there, said, "Hurry, her minions are going to take the lady and the baby, and then it will be too late. They want the lady to marry the Dark Queen's son, and I promised her family, before they killed them, that would not happen. Afterward, I brought the baby to Mr. Gardiner, so the Queen couldn't get her."

Richard and Fitzwilliam jumped from their horses, picked up the girls, and ran.

Jane was asleep, but Lizzie was not. "Sirs, I live there," she pointed out and added, "I think the baby Mr. Wolf brought here is my mama. She is very pretty, and my uncle thinks she is a changeling.".

When the boys, Jane and Lizzie, arrived at a garden, they saw the three goblins that were almost by Fanny and the baby. They saw an unusually large falcon that flew down and landed on a gobbling who was about to take the baby. Jane sat looking asleep. And the gobln wasn't moving.

With humans' help, the wolf and the falcon now could fight the goblins, and they were forever grateful.

The wolf walked with the boys and turned into someone who looked like a young man, though he had light green skin and perhaps wings. When the falcon landed, it turned into a woman who looked like the man. Richard and Fitzwilliam thought they were Fairies and looked amazing, even more, when they saw the green couple carrying glowing swords.

Richard and Fitzwilliam aimed and shot the arrows, downing two of the creatures, and the man and woman attacked them with the swords, turning two of them into dust. But the goblin near the baby, stood up and grabbed Mary's basket.

Lizzie screamed angrily, "No, no, not Mary; you are bad." And just like that, she flew.

The boys saw the little girl turn into a little green beauty, with small wings resembling bat wings but translucent with colors, spots, and stripes, and small mean looking spikes. Both thought she was the prettiest thing they had ever seen.

A/n One more chapter, it is a short story. Hope you are liking it. Now, we have everyone in place.