Sorry it has been so long. I was working on other projects and this one got left in the dust, not because I didn't want to finish it, but because it was easier to write other things. This one has all the feels, but to write all the feels well, I have to at least partially feel them and that can be emotionally taxing. I have decided, though, that this story and getting it finished is now my number one fanfiction priority.
I had to read through the last few chapters of My Greatest Regret just to know what was going on with this story before I started writing it again, so here's the sum up for anyone who was following along and hasn't gotten an update in more than a year; if this doesn't jog your memory enough you might have to start over from the beginning. Bill's sister G.G. was abused for years by Wickham and ended running away from a therapeutic program in England and meeting up with Wickham again. She and Wickham got picked up by the police in Scotland when he was prostituting her, but Wickham was erroneously let go. G.G. is pregnant, she accused Bill and Rick of molesting her (resulting in the police questioning them like that was true), slapped Rick and threw an absolute tantrum, breaking glass and making wild accusations. Based on her actions, G.G. will probably be remanded, that is kept in a psych ward for 30 days. Wickham has been in contact with Bill, demanding money for leaving G.G. alone. Bill's been all sorts of messed up, seriously depressed (way more than he was from what Caroline did to him, how the police acted when he tried to report her, and being betrayed by Chuck), but had a really sweet video conversation with Elizabeth which helped a lot and he is due to talk to his therapist Ms. Berry over video on Monday (it is Saturday right now). Oh back in the USA, Chuck turned out to be not the person everyone thought he was, he condoned what Caroline did, completely taking her side and he was physically abusing Jane, who got up the courage to leave him. Jane has an upcoming court date to get a long-term domestic violence order against Chuck. Elizabeth, Jane, and Charlotte are all staying at Bill's place temporarily because it has security features which will keep Chuck out (he broke into Charlotte's place looking for Jane). Also, Bill's former girlfriend Ava contacted him because Caroline is saying bad things about him. Oh, and Rick likes Jane.
39.
I wanted to bask in the warm glow that was caused by my conversation with Elizabeth (or would I be calling her Lily-Beth?). It felt like that one thing right now in my life that was going right. But now that I was alert and feeling somewhat better, I knew there were things that I needed to do. I knocked on Rick's door, gently in case he was asleep. It was after midnight, after all. But he answered right away.
"Did you hear anything back from the lead investigator?" I asked as I came in. "I hope I'm not bothering you."
Rick shook his head. "There is just no way I can sleep right now. Believe me, I've tried. I called and got the guy's voicemail immediately. I think his phone is shut off. Not that I blame him, a job shouldn't be a 24-7 commitment. So I texted the screen shot you sent me. I'm not really expecting to hear from him tomorrow either. But if I don't hear from him Monday morning, I am following up for sure. Did you get that software installed on your phone?"
I admitted that I had not, and then Rick gestured for my phone. We sat down on the god-forsaken yellow loveseat, side by side, while he worked on my phone. While he was doing that, I asked "Should we really just wait until Monday, do you think? I mean, there must be something else we can do."
Rick shrugged, "Police officer and P.I., that's all I've got."
"What about Mr. McCowan, the social worker? He's been pretty helpful, and I've got his card."
"Have at it." Rick handed my phone back. So I texted Mr. McCowan, explaining what we'd done so far and sent him the screen shot.
"Now what?" I asked.
Rick shrugged and pulled out his own phone. "Do you suppose I can get a pizza delivered? We didn't eat dinner, not that I wanted to then, but maybe some food would help. Beer would be even better, but I don't think I can get it delivered. And did you know you can't buy beer at a regular shop from 10 pm to 10 am?"
"Pizza sounds fine by me, but sleeping on a stomach full of stuff like that is a sure recipe for heartburn." I turned to Rick and looked at him, suddenly suspicion, "Say, how do you know about the beer thing?"
He shrugged a second time. "Last night I woke up and thought a beer might be nice. I walked down the the closest convenience store and found out then. Of course we were busy during the day and I really didn't think about it again until it was already too late tonight."
"You know, throwing down isn't going to make anything better." I had never known Rick to just have "a beer."
Rick's fingers worked, "I'm ordering something with everything on it I can, extra large, and some sodas."
"Sounds good to me, but make mine non-caffeinated. I'm going to try to sleep after this. I need to make an effort to get on Scotland time."
"Okay, done. . . . You know, Bill, I really wasn't planning on throwing down, but I thought it might make me feel a little better, more relaxed."
"More depressed," I added, "that's what they say it does. You'd have bought a six pack at least, and I think you would have polished them all off. It would have been, 'I'll just have one more' until they were all gone."
Rick shrugged a third time. Was he going to do anything other than shrug?
"Maybe. Tomorrow is a Sunday, after all, and we aren't reconvening until Monday sometime. At least that's what I member the social worker saying. And why shouldn't I? What's wrong with forgetting for a while? This is an awful situation that we are in, and I don't see a good way out of it. I keep thinking about whether we should really have G.G. prosecuted. It keeps going round and round in my head. Yes, she should get to face the consequences of her actions, but isn't she already going to have to do that about a lot of things? And what is the end road to all of this? Keeping her in hospitals and in jail is just a temporary solution. Before we know it, that baby will be born, and it won't be too long after that until she is 18."
"G.G. is acting just like a spoiled child right now," I opined. "She thinks she can get her own way in everything. Maybe she is just one of those people who need to learn things for herself. I keep telling myself that at some point, maybe years from now, she will look back on her life and realize this isn't the way she should be living. That there is more to life than a supposed life with George. But in order to do that, I think she is going to have to admit to herself that what George did to her, has been doing to her, it just isn't right and has nothing to do with love."
"That's the one thing I think she just can't do." Rick replied. "If she did, then her whole world would collapse. Thinking it is all about love is better for her then to think she's been a victim all these years."
"Very insightful," I replied. "Ms. Berry said something similar."
"You seem better," Rick responded. "Did you get to talk to her just now?"
"Ms. Berry? No. Someone even better."
Rick twisted his lips, "It wouldn't be a certain gal with curly, wavy hair, would it?"
"Yes, Elizabeth and I had a video call. Before that I read her whole email. I wasn't friend-zoned. We are actually going to go on a date as soon as I am state-side again. She's really great, is the one bright thing in my life right now. We are just on the cusp of something, and who knows if it can, will work out, with everything that's been going on in my life? I really want it to, I'm really counting on it, but it almost seems like it would be too good to be true. But, I can imagine it being forever, you know? Does that make any sense?"
"Now who's acting like a woman?" Rick teased me. "But all of that is great. I want that for you. God knows you deserve a little bit of happiness with everything that Caroline, Chuck, and G.G. have put you through. Don't let them mess up this good thing for you."
"I don't know." I threw my head back, against the back of the loveseat and stared up at the ceiling. His ceiling plaster was even more cracked than mine. Someone had smoothed more plaster on to try to repair it, but it didn't look like that person knew what to do, as chunks of that had fallen off, too. "You're ceiling's a mess, good thing the head of the bed is away from all that."
I spied movement out of the corner of my eye. Rick must have flipped his head up, too, "Oh, dang, I wish I hadn't seen that. It looks like it could all come down on us at any minute."
"Yup." We kept staring up, and I went back to my original thought. "I don't think I believe in happy endings anymore. It's the sort of thing you give up on when you grow up, like Santa Claus. And after seeing what happened with my parents . . . ."
"Bill, what happened with your parents was a tragedy, plain and simple, but they were great together. Knowing them, makes me believe in marriage, like really believe in it, despite the divorce rate, despite my own parents. Your parents, the Darcys, they got it right. No they weren't perfect, but they just fit. And they were so happy with the two of you. I believe in that sort of happy ending, and if it wasn't for the accident, well I think they would have grown old together and be happy overall until the end of their very long lives. I want that for you, for me, for everyone who is a genuine person, who cares about other people, and wants the best for them. The Chucks, Carolines, and Wickhams of the world shouldn't get their happy endings, but people like you and me should."
The vibe was too lovely-dovey, too heart-felt, to keep it like that. So I gave Rick a little shove and replied, "I'm not gay for you like that."
He shoved me back, "You should only be so lucky."
"Thanks, though, Rick. I needed to hear that, but there is only so much sappiness I can take. And thanks for earlier, letting me cry like that, helping me."
"No prob Bill."
We left it at that. Guys don't usually have heart-to-hearts and I think we were both feeling a bit awkward.
The pizza arrived not long after that, and I am not ashamed to say that I devoured my half and would have eaten more if Rick hadn't done the same with his. At about two o'clock local time, I went to bed and thought I might just be able to sleep. When thoughts of G.G. intruded, I wrenched my mind away from her and tried to think about Lizzy/Lily-Beth/Vethy? instead. The last thing I remember thinking about before I fell asleep was wondering what nickname she would come up with for me.
A/N: Thanks for sticking with me despite the delay. To remind you, Elizabeth is supposed to come up with a nickname for Bill, derived from his real name, that only she will use that will be private, but each has veto power. Bill came up with Lily-Beth for Elizabeth because her full name is Elizabeth Lily of the Valley Bennet; she said she didn't hate it. Bill's full name is Fitzwilliam Eccleston Elliott Darcy. She came up with "Feed," from his initials, but he vetoed it, so his nickname is up for grabs. I got votes for Will and Beth, G.B. or J.D. for the Great Brain books (but that breaks the rules they set up), Liam (with Lilybeth okay), Willie and Lily, keep Bill but have Lily or Beth, Lizzy and Will, any other name for Bill, Will and Beth. Comment and tell me what name he should have and if he should keep Lily-Beth for Elizabeth or come up with something else (and if so, what). Also, what do you want to see happen next. Until next time . . . .
Oh, btw, if you have any interest at all in Jane Austen's Persuasion (and you should, if you've never read it you should go buy the book or download it online for free and read it before you even read another line of any P&P ff), you should check out my newly finished my Persuasion variation, Tired of Waiting for You, where Anne prepares herself for the future life she still hopes for, and sails with Mrs. Croft to meet Captain Wentworth in the West Indies; it's got some good feels and adventure so I hope you will give it a try.