Beginning, Section II, Next Section
Chapter 10
Will just stood there stunned. Nobody said anything. Both Tiki and Kimmie feared that Will would do something rash. What could be done? The ransom would have to be paid because both Tiki and Kimmie knew that Wickham would do anything to get money. Will sat down and put his head in his hands. How could this have happened? Why did something so perfect have to be ruined. It was not fair. Will. once he collected his emotions stood up, but he was noticeably paler. He knew that he needed to call Jane and Charles. Perhaps they would know what to do. Will called Alethea first although and she said that she would be write over. After telling her the story he called Jane. Jane started crying and was clearly upset. Will said that he would call Charles to pick her up and bring her to his apartment. They would decided what was to be done once they were all together. Will called bank to have them prepare the money just in case. He didn't know how Elizabeth would get out of this, so he made sure that he had the money in case there was nothing else to do. Alethea arrived and was followed by Jane and Charles. Jane was shaking and still crying. Charles was trying to assure her that everything would be done to help Elizabeth, but Jane could not be calmed. It was her sister and her best friend and if anything happened to her, she didn't know what she would do. It would be like part of her dying. Will felt similarly. If Elizabeth was killed, then he would die with her. There was no question as to what he was prepared to do if it meant sacrificing everything for her. She was his life now and the most important thing to him in the world.
Meanwhile, George had returned. Elizabeth was still tied up and clearly upset. George took the duct tape off of Elizabeth's mouth. She flinched as he tore it away. "Why are you doing this to me?" she asked.
"I spent a year in prison because of you. Don't you think that I have a reason to hate you?"
"Well you have to remember that I am not the only one that sent you to prison. It didn't help that you were involved in embezzlement and using stolen passports. My testimony only put you where you belonged. Too bad they let you out so soon." Elizabeth said angrily. George slapped her and she fell to the ground. He then proceeded to kick her until she was unconscious. He untied her then strapped her to the bed. That is where she was going to stay until the money was paid in two days.
Over the next day, Elizabeth's condition worsened. She grew weaker as the hours passed with no nourishment and the loss of blood that she got from a few of the kicks that George had given her. Her cheek was throbbing and she couldn't open her one eye. There were bruises all over her body and she thought that he broke a few of her ribs. Her whole body felt like it was against her. It was getting harder and harder for her to stay conscious and her hope started to leave also. What if nobody could rescue her or what if George took the money and killed her anyway? "I love you Will. Please come and help me?" was Elizabeth's last thought before she slipped out of consciousness.
Nobody knew how to rescue Elizabeth. They were all staying at Will's apartment and everyone was upset. They didn't realize until now how much Elizabeth was a part of all their lives. She made the world a better place and without her nothing would be the same. Will had spent a sleepless night thinking about her. What was he going to do. Alethea had brought a tracer over just in case George Wickham called. Determined that he wasn't getting any sleep, he got up off of the couch where he was forced to sleep because everywhere else was taken and went to make himself a cup of coffee. He saw down to think of a plan, but nothing came. Jane came to join him and they sat together just staring into space. Neither one could live without her.
Elizabeth slowly slipped back into consciousness to find George looking at her. "Enjoy your sleep my dear?" he asked as she opened her one eye. It looks like my pretty Lizzy has a few cuts and bruises. You won't be so pretty anymore with all the scars." With that said, he slapped her again then left the room and locked the door. She was left in the darkness once again. The only thing that was on her mind was the pain. It was so strong that se couldn't think of anything else. "Be strong Elizabeth." she said to herself. Just then she remembered her cell phone. George never took her purse. It would be a struggle to get it out and call, but if she could just call, maybe Will could find her. She moved slowly, but every motion caused her greater pain. She was able to finally get her purse open by using her teeth, but dialing was going to be a problem. It would take every ounce of strength that she had left, but she knew that it was her only hope, so dialed the phone slowly using her face. She dialed the number and heard it start to ring, but she slipped back into unconsciousness before anyone answered.
Will heard the phone ring and quickly got up to answer it. When he picked it up, all he heard was breathing and he knew that it was Elizabeth. "Elizabeth!! Elizabeth!! Do you hear me? Answer me. I will help you." Jane heard Will screaming Elizabeth as well as everyone else. Alethea ran in and turned on the tracer. It traced the call and before anyone could stop him, Will ran out of the door. Alethea called after him, but it was too late. She called the police and told him what was going on. They said that they would follow him, but not make their presence known.
Will raced to the place where the tracer said that Elizabeth was. He parked the car away from the house and carefully walked closer. He was careful to stay out of sight. He sneaked up to the house and peaked went around back. He peeked in the window and saw that George Wickham was asleep on the couch, but he didn't see Elizabeth. He heard a noise behind him and saw that the police were here also. Someone must have called then when he ran out. He never thought that he couldn't do this by himself, but the police would be a great help. The police motioned for Will to move out of the way. He did because he figured that they would have better luck with their guns than he would without anything, so he went into the woods, by the house to wait for George Wickham to be taken out of the house. He heard some shots go off and hoped that it was not Elizabeth getting killed, but he was relieved when the police brought out a wounded George Wickham in hand cuffs. Once Wickham was away, Will did not even wait for the police to say everything was okay. He just ran into the house and started screaming Elizabeth. "Elizabeth where are you. You are safe now." he yelled as he frantically looked around. She did not respond to his yells, so did an extensive search. He looked everywhere and the only place left was the bedroom. The door was locked so Will went in search of the keys. He found them on the coffee table by the couch where Wickham was sleeping. There were three keys on the ring. One was a car key, so he knew that it was one of the two. He tried the first key, but it didn't fit, so he tried the second and it fit perfectly. He turned the key and the door opened to a sight that he had hoped he would never see. There on the bed was Elizabeth in very bad shape. She was unconscious with the cell phone next to her. He grew pale when he saw that she was beaten very badly. He yelled to the police to get an ambulance and then went to her side. She did not awaken when he tried to talk to her. He didn't want to touch her because he was afraid of injuring her further, but he did need to touch her once to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. How could anyone do this to such a wonderful women? The paramedics came into the room ten minutes latter and assessed her injuries.
"I am afraid that she is in very serious condition. She appears to have some broken bones and a lot of bruises, but there may be internal bleeding." one of the paramedics said as they moved her to a stretcher. Will grew paler still. He looked at her face that was almost indistinguishable because of the swelling and all the blood that covered her. He followed the paramedics out to the ambulance and followed them in his car to the emergency room. There she was rushed away and he was forced to sit in the waiting room. He called everyone at his apartment and told them what had happened. They were all on their way to the hospital. Will hung up the phone and waited for news. One of the nurses came out and told him that they had to rush Elizabeth up for emergency surgery to stop the internal bleeding and that it didn't look good. When the nurse said this, Will had to sit down. Tears that had been threatening to fall started to fall. When Jane and Charles came in and saw Will they knew something wasn't good. Will saw them and walked to them. He told them what had happened and where Elizabeth was. Jane started sobbing and collapsed onto the ground. What was she going to do.
Three hours went by and still there was no word. Everyone was restless and everyone was still crying. They had gone upstairs to wait in the surgical waiting room for word. Just then a surgeon walked in. He asked everybody to sit down. His face did not look happy and Will was afraid that something bad had happened, but Elizabeth was not dead. He knew that she was too strong to let Wickham win. She would pull through. The surgeon started to pace and everyone braced themselves for what he was about to say. They all hoped that the news was good and there was only one way to find out, so they stared at the surgeon waiting for him to begin talking.
Chapter 11
The surgeon started by asking how everyone was related to Elizabeth. When Will and Charles said that they were not, the surgeon asked them to wait outside until Jane was told everything. Jane, however told them to stay and the surgeon continued. "You are the sister correct?" the surgeon asked.
"Yes, I am. My mother and father as well as all my sisters are on their way here. They should be arriving in a few hours, but please tell me how my sister is." Jane said as tears started to fall again. Charles put his arm around her as the surgeon was about to begin.
"Your sister had some internal bleeding as well as many broken bones and bruises. She must have been through a lot. There were some complications during the surgery, but we were able to stop the bleeding. She is still in critical condition, but the next twenty four hours will tell us her fate." the surgeon said. He saw many people in bad shape, but he could not imagine how a man could do something to such a pretty young women.
"What other injuries does she have besides the internal bleeding?" Charles asked the surgeon.
"Well, she has a few broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, he hand is broken in three places, and her face is badly bruised as well as the rest of her body." Will could not stand to hear what the surgeon was saying. How could anyone do this to Elizabeth. She was such a wonderful person.
"Can I see her doctor?" Jane asked.
"Yes, but only family members and only one person at a time. I am sorry, but she is in intensive care and that is the rule." Will started to protest, but it was hopeless He wanted to be the one who was there when she woke up. Even all of his money could not buy back what George Wickham had done to her. If only he had insisted that she stay home with him. None of this would have ever happened and Elizabeth would be fine. Deciding that he could no longer stay in the waiting room he stepped outside to get some fresh air while Jane was with Elizabeth. He called Georgie to tell her what had happened and then went to see what happened with George Wickham. He was brought to the same hospital and was under strict observation. There were guards all around his door. He had been shot in the shoulder and in the leg, but was going to be fine.
"Why is it that Elizabeth is in such terrible shape and George Wickham will be perfectly fine." he wondered to himself. He walked back upstairs to find Jane in tears with Charles trying to comfort her.
"How was she?" Will asked. He had tears threatening to fall as well.
"Jane calmed herself a little and said, "I could barely recognize her. She was so pale and she was all bandaged up. There are so many tubes and wires that..." Jane could not talk anymore due to the fact that she started sobbing again. Will sat down next to her and Jane put her arms around him. They both started to cry and just held onto each other. They were not going to lose her.
After a few minutes they separated and decided to walk to the cafeteria to get something to eat before the rest of the Bennets arrived. If anything happened while they were gone, they would be notified. They sat in silence at one of the tables. Everyone just pushed their food around on their plates. It was going to be a long twenty four hours and Will was determined to stay at the hospital until she was out of danger. He would not abandon her again. He could not help but blame himself for everything. If only he had told her to stay with him, this would not have happened. Everybody decided that nobody was going to eat anymore, so they went back upstairs to check on Elizabeth. Nothing had changed in her progress and Will could see the worried looks that the doctors gave when they told them that nothing had changed.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet came followed by the rest of the sisters. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia were all in Maryland together, so it was easy to find them all. Will had never met Elizabeth's parents before, so he was shocked to see Mrs. Bennet so different from Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennet was loud and overbearing and he could see Jane trying to calm her down. Mr. Bennet looked as if he was in pain. Elizabeth had mentioned that she was very close to her father, so this must be very hard for him. The doctors came out when they heard the commotion in the waiting room. They took back Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and told them what was going on. Will stayed in the waiting room and observed. All of Elizabeth's sisters were there and he saw that they were all different. Jane was the sweet and kind one, Kitty looked to be plain, yet pretty, Mary looked like she was very bookish with her glasses and plain clothing, and Lydia looked as if she didn't care about Elizabeth and was more worried about how her hair and make-up were. He could see her smiling at the young doctors as they passed by. Hew was disgusted with how she was acting. Her own sister was in critical condition and she had men on the brain. It was if she cared nothing for Elizabeth.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet returned and told them that nothing had changed with her condition. "Oh my darling Lizzy. How could anyone do this to her. Well at least she will be around some nice rich doctors."
"Mother!!" Jane said with a horrified look. She looked at Will who looked as if he was about to hurt Mrs. Bennet. "How can you say such a thing when Elizabeth is in danger of dying."
"Oh Jane, you misunderstood me. Anyway, who are these nice young men we have here? I know one of you must be Charles Bingley."
"Yes, Mrs. Bennet that is me." Charles said as he stood up. Will still had an angry look on is face. He understood why Elizabeth did not get along very well with her mother.
"Ah yes, Jane has told us all about you. I would like to welcome you to our family.
"Thank you." Charles then sat down next to Jane.
"And who is this over here?" Mrs. Bennet asked
"This mother is Will Darcy. He is Elizabeth's boyfriend." Jane said as she tried to give a look of warning to her mother.
"Are you the Will Darcy of Darcy Corporations?"
"Yes, Mrs. Bennet I am." Before Mrs. Bennet could say anymore Mr. Bennet interrupted.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Thank you sir. I am pleased to meet you as well." Will responded. He could see that Mr. Bennet was fed up with his wife and that all he wanted was some peace in quiet.
"Fanny, why don't you go back to the hotel with the girls. There is nothing that you can do here and I will call if there is any change." Mr. Bennet said and Mrs. Bennet decided that she would leave for and return tomorrow morning. Mr. Bennet tried to get Will to go home, but he refused.
"I will not leave until there is a change. I left her once and see what happened. I am never going to leave her again." Mr. Bennet saw that his mind was made up. Charles said that he would go and get some coffee for everyone and that he was sorry, but he had to get home. His sister Caroline was expecting him and he had some business to take care of, but that he would be back tomorrow morning. Jane said goodbye to him after he brought the coffee then he left. The three that were left remained in silence. Mr. Bennet and Jane fell asleep, but Will could not sleep. Not when the women he loved most in the world's life was on the line. He roamed the hallway and finally at 3:00 in the morning went back to the waiting room. After a few minutes, a nurse came in and asked if there was anyone by the name of Will. "My name is Will, why"
"Ms. Bennet keeps calling your name. The doctors think that if you come and talk to her, it will help her rest better. She is delirious, so she is not awake yet, but the fever is making her restless. Please follow me and I will take you to her." Will had to prepare himself for the sight that he was about to see. He saw her right before they took her to the hospital, but nothing could prepare him for the way she looked now. There were tubes everywhere and she had many bandages. There was a chair by the bed that Will took. Elizabeth was restless he could hear her murmuring something.
"Will," she said softly. "Please help me. I am scared please please, no stop get away from me. Will where are you?" Se moved her head around and Will wanted to help her, but there was nothing he could do, so he took her hand and started speaking in a soothing voice.
"I am here Elizabeth, don't worry. He can never hurt you again." Elizabeth seemed to calm down and sleep more peacefully. Will just remained by her side with her hand in his. He would no t leave her side.
The next morning, Will woke when a nurse came in to check on Elizabeth. "How is she?" he asked.
"I am afraid that there is little difference from last night. Her fever is still high and her pulse is not very strong. The doctors will be in shortly and they can tell you more." Will looked at Elizabeth. She was no longer shaking and she had quieted down.
"Elizabeth, can you hear me? It is Will. Please don't leave me. I can't live without you? I love you. You are my life and if you die, I will die with you. You have to come back to me." Will put his head down. He could not stand to look at her with all the tubes.
"Will, is that you?" Will shot his head up. Elizabeth's eyes were open and she looked scared.
"Yes, Elizabeth it is me. Oh, I am so happy that you are awake."
"Where am I?"
"You are in the hospital, do you remember anything that happened to you?"
"I remember up to right after I was trying to call you." Two doctors came in and saw that she was awake. They rushed over and checked all of her vitals. Will looked at them and saw that they had smiles on their faces.
"Mr. Darcy, it looks like she is going to be fine. It will take a while for her to recover, but she is out of danger." Will could not believe what they just told him. He knew that she wasn't going to die all along, but hearing it from them was different. He looked over at Elizabeth. The doctors were telling her what had happened.
"I will go get your sister and father." Will said.
"Will, please don't leave me. Can someone else go get them." A nurse said that she would and Will sat down again and took her hand. He could tell that she was very shaken up still and very tired. It was going to be a long recovery, but he knew that Elizabeth was strong.
Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and Jane came into the room. Jane rushed to her side and Elizabeth and she talked. Elizabeth could not talk for long because of her sore face from the numerous slaps that George had given her. Everyone saw that Elizabeth was trying to stay awake, but was having problems, so they said that they would leave and let her sleep. "Will," she said as he got up. "Please stay with me until I fall asleep." Will was so happy to be wanted and he would stay with her for the rest of his life if need be.
"Of course I will stay with you. I believe that the doctors are going to move you to a different room, butb I will come with you."
"Thank you." she said as she fell asleep. This time her sleep was a little more peaceful.
Chapter 12
Elizabeth woke up to find Will sleeping with his head on her bed. A nurse came in and introduced herself as the person who was going to be primarily taking care of her. "My name is Sania and I have been taking care of you. I will be here in during the day for your entire stay. Dr. Jeannette will be in to talk to you in a moment. I suggest you wake up your friend there." Sania said with a laugh.
"Thank you. Do you know how long I will be here?" Elizabeth asked. It still hurt her to talk, but she felt a lot better than she did before. The doctor, a nice looking woman, came in and stood at the end of the bed. Elizabeth woke Will up and they both listened to what the doctor said.
"Hello Ms. Bennet. I am Dr. Jeannette and I will be your doctor. I am going to explain to you everything, so I need you to listen closely. Don't try to talk, I know that you are still uncomfortable." Elizabeth and Will both nodded and the doctor continued. "You will need to stay in the hospital for about a week and a half to two weeks. We need to keep you under full supervision to make sure that the bleeding does not start again. Also, your broken bones need time to heal and not moving will be the most helpful. All of the castable bones are casted and I'm afraid that you will have to remain in that brace until your pelvis is healed. Your ribs will be painful for a while, but I have given you pain medication. If there are any questions please do not hesitate to ask." Elizabeth did not like the idea that she had to be in the hospital for so long, but Will promised that he would visit her everyday. He was so wonderful to stay with her all throughout everything. Elizabeth could tell that Will was exhausted which wasn't surprising since he had only about three hours of sleep in the past two days.
Dr. Jeannette left Will and Elizabeth alone. "Oh Elizabeth, I am so happy that you are awake. I don't know what I would have done if you left me. You had me very scared for a minute."
"Thank you so much for everything that you have done. I don't think that I could have made it through without you. I do not want to stay in this hospital although. Hospitals always remind me of dying. I remember when I was little and I came to the hospital to visit my grandfather. He had cancer and I was so scared to come here." Will saw that Elizabeth was tired. Jane had arrived to give Will a break and Will told Elizabeth that he would come back later. "Goodbye Will, I love you." Will felt his heart skip a beat when he heard he say that. He had feared that he would never be able to hear her say that again, but she was back.
Will drove back to his apartment to find Georgie. He told her the whole story and Georgie said that she would go visit Elizabeth tomorrow. Desperately needing sleep, Will got into bed and fell sound asleep. He slept until 5:00 and then got up, showered, and ate. He decided that he needed to call his secretary to tell her that he was going to be away from the office for a few days. He needed to be with Elizabeth and he knew she needed him during her recovery, so he went to his phone and called Arleen Leah. "Will Darcy's office, may I help you."
"Hello Arleen, this is Mr. Darcy. I just wanted to let you know that I will not be in for a few days." After talking about all the rescheduling that needed to be done, he hung up and got ready to leave for the hospital.
I turned out that Elizabeth had to stay in the hospital for two and a half weeks. She was not able to make it home for Christmas, so everyone brought Christmas to her. She was able to get up and walk around a little bit, but had to sit down after a few minutes. The police had been in to talk to her a few times, but Will was always there to support her. She was having nightmares about her experience and did not feel comfortable being alone. Her family was a great support, but it was Jane and Will that truly got her through the hospital stay until it was finally time for her to go home. Since Jane had moved in with Charles permanently, Will asked Elizabeth if she would live with him. Elizabeth agreed too, so Jane and Will moved everything from the old apartment to Will's penthouse. Georgie had taken care of Emma while Elizabeth was in the hospital, so she was already moved in.
Elizabeth was glad to see that all her stuff had been moved when she arrived at Will's apartment. Elizabeth was still all bandaged up and had to use a crutch, but her stitches were out and she was making excellent progress. Will showed her around his apartment and then told her to get some rest. She had a lot of excitement and she needed to get better. Elizabeth agreed and slept for a few hours. Meanwhile, Will fixed dinner and prepared himself for what he was going to do during dinner. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box with a beautiful engagement ring in it. He was hoping Elizabeth would want to be his wife. He loved her more than life itself and wanted to be with her always. Will had decided to surprise her with the ring before dinner, so he placed it in a bigger box and placed that box in an even bigger box, and repeated the action until the rig was inside of five different boxes. She would never guess what was inside until she got to the last box. The boxes had already been wrapped, so once everything was assembled he got back to dinner. It was going to be a night that he would never forget.
Elizabeth was awakened by the smell of food cooking. She had eaten hospital food for a long time and was ready for a real meal. Her appetite was small, but she was hungry now. She carefully got out of bed and thanked God for pain medication. In the dining room was Will. The table was set and he held out a chair for Elizabeth to sit down. He had made Alfredo and Pesto to celebrate being together. It was the same thing that they had eaten on their blind date and Elizabeth smiled at the memory of it. Everything was perfect. Elizabeth as so happy to be home. Her body was healing and George Wickham's trial was to be held at the end of January.
After dinner, Will cleared the table then presented her with the box. "Another gift Will? You are spoiling me." Elizabeth said with a smile.
"Well I hope you like this one. I dearly hope that you do." Will said. Elizabeth was curious and could tell that this was a serious gift. She knew that it wasn't a ring because it was too big of a box, but she had no idea about what could make Will look so scared at her not liking the gift. Elizabeth carefully lifted the lid of the box and found another box. After she finally got to the last box and opened it she felt like she would jump for joy. (At least she would if she had more control over her body). Will took the ring from her and kneeled down in front of her. "Elizabeth, you are my life. I love you more than words can express. I knew from the very beginning that you were the person that I wanted to marry. Please be my wife." Elizabeth started to cry as he slipped the ring on her finger.
"Oh yes, yes. I will. I love you too." Will stood up and kissed Elizabeth. He was careful not to hurt her. She had just made him the happiest man on earth and he thanked God for her.
The next few months were hard for Elizabeth, but she made a full recovery. All that was left were the scars that were slowly starting to fade. They would never be gone completely, but scars were better than death. Will and Elizabeth grew closer and closer and the time drew near for Kimmie's wedding. Both Elizabeth and Jane had decided to wait until the fall to get married so that Elizabeth had enough time to get better. Tiki and Kimmie visited her a lot and Elizabeth went back to work in March. George Wickham was sentenced to life in prison with no parole. Elizabeth was glad to be rid of him, but the trial was very hard for her. She was still walking with a crutch and still bandaged up at the time, so besides having pain, she had to deal with her emotions. Will was there every step of the way to help her and she got through it.
Elizabeth was still a little weak, so she hired a wedding coordinator to take care of her wedding. It was to be a double wedding with Jane. They all decided to be married in November. The wedding coordinator's name was Coleen and she was rumored to plan the most elegant weddings. Elizabeth liked her sense of humor and got along with her very well. She was sure that everything would be wonderful.
Chapter 13
Everything was running smoothly for he first time in a long time for Elizabeth and Will. She still had a little pain now and then, and she still had nightmares, but it was less regular. Elizabeth was permanently moved in with Will and finally back to working full time. Tiki had decided to throw a big party at her summer house to celebrate Kimmie's wedding and Elizabeth and Jane's engagement. Tiki invited hundreds of people and they were going to celebrate all the couples. It was going to be a blast. Besides, everyone needed a break from normal life. Elizabeth and Jane were being overwhelmed by Coleen and her assistant Tabbi. There were so many things to plan. Coleen and Tabbi were friends of the family, so planning was a lot of fun. The four women looked at thousands of flowers, cakes, dresses, dishes, etc. There didn't seem to be a day where the word wedding or something having to do with it come up in conversation.
Charles's family was coming to stay in New York until after the wedding. Jane had never met them, but from what she had heard, they were not very nice. Charles loved his sister's, but he warned Jane that Caroline took society very seriously. She had set her cap at Will, and she was yet to find out about Elizabeth. He was afraid to break the news to her. "Oh Charles, don't worry. I am sure that I will love her. Besides, Elizabeth knows how to take care of herself. You don't need to worry about her. Also they are so much in love that I don't think they will notice a thing." Jane said in a soothing voice.
"I guess so, but I just hope she doesn't do anything to ruin Tiki's party. Will and Elizabeth will be there and I am afraid that she will not take to Elizabeth very easily. Elizabeth is just starting to return to her old self. I don't want Caroline to do anything that will hurt her. She has gone through enough."
"Charles, Lizzy will be fine. All that we have to worry about is us."
"You're right, now come here and kiss me." Jane kissed Charles and then they set off to meet Caroline and the Hursts at the airport. They had been in France for the past year. Charles hoped that Jane was right.
The next day, Jane, Elizabeth, Georgie, Kimmie, Tiki, Coleen, and Tabbi all went wedding dress and bridesmaid dress shopping. The wedding party consisted of Kimmie as matron of honor, Tiki as maid of honor, Georgie, Kitty, and Lydia as bridesmaids, and all four of Jane and Elizabeth's Aunt and Uncle Gardiner's children as either flower girls or ring bearers. It was a very large wedding party. The groomsmen were Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam as Will's best man, Steve Richards, John Berry, Nick Brooks, and James Blythe. There were so many things that still needed to be picked out, but the girls decided to go dress shopping and have a girls night out. Elizabeth and Jane tried on so many dresses and the girls were all having a marvelous time modeling. Jane found a dress that made her look like an angel. It was strapless with a bell skirt. Elizabeth had a little harder time, but she finally found the perfect dress. It had spaghetti straps with a tight embroidered bodice. The skirt full and it made Elizabeth look beautiful. She felt like a princess. Both women twirled around in their dresses, then were measured for alterations. Next step was bridesmaid dresses. They all decided on pale pink dresses with an empire waist and spaghetti straps. "Oh girls, everything is going to be so beautiful. I wish that you had been there to help me with my dress." Kimmie said.
"What does it look like? I got my dress, but I never saw yours." Elizabeth said happily.
"Well it has a satin princess style bodice that flares into the skirt with a short train. My hair is curled up with a tiara holding the veil. "
"Oh that sounds so pretty. I love my dress. The pale yellow is so pretty."
"Thank you. Well, I only have two more weeks until the big day then I am off to Hawaii." Kimmie had a blissful look on her face. You could tell she was thinking of a certain man in uniform. After all the dresses were fitted, the group went to a restaurant for dinner. Dress shopping was tiring and it would only get worse as it got closer to the actual day. Everyone was excited for Tiki's big party and that was the topic of discussion. They would all come up and stay the weekend. Most of the other guests were going to only come the night of the party, but Tiki invited everyone who was there to stay. They all agreed, so after dinner everyone went home to rest for the big party in two days.
Will, Elizabeth, Georgie, and Emma packed everything that they needed into Will's Mercedes for the trip to Tiki's house. They were all excited at the prospect of a weekend away from normal life. Will made sure that Elizabeth had everything she needed including any medication that might come in handy. He hated seeing Elizabeth in pain and he wished that she would never have to feel another ounce of pain, but her body was still healing, even though it had been months since the incident.
They arrived at Tiki's where they were met by Tiki, Kimmie, Steve, and Richard. This was the first time that Elizabeth was able to meet Will's cousin the Colonel. Will carried Their stuff up to their rooms while Elizabeth became friends with Richard. She liked him a lot. HE was very friendly and seemed to be very close to Will. She had heard a lot about him, but he was away with the army. Elizabeth noticed Tabbi and motioned for her to come say hello. As soon as Tabbi saw Richard she stopped. Richard also stood staring at Tabbi. Elizabeth could not help but laugh. "Uh Tabbi, this is Will's cousin Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam."
"Hi." Tabbi said as she looked deeply into his eyes.
"Hi." He said as he looked into her eyes. When Will returned he saw the two of them and laughed.
"Elizabeth, Charles and Jane are over there and they wanted me to bring you. Charles's family is here and Jane wanted to introduce them to you. I have to warn you about Caroline although. She thinks that my plan in life was to marry her. Charles told her about you and I am afraid that she is a little mad. She has been after my money for years." Will said as they started walking in the other direction.
"Oh, don't worry about me. I am sure that I can handle her." Elizabeth said with a sparkle in her eye.
"Oh, I am sure you can."
When they reached Jane and Charles, Elizabeth was blinded by a women with bright orange clothes on. "Lizzy, I want to introduce you to my soon to be sister Caroline Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst. They are Charles's sisters and brother-in-law.
"Hello Eliza, I have heard so much about you." Caroline said with a sneer. "Will darling, I have not seen you in ages. You should have come to France with us. The society is so much classier over in Europe." Caroline said this while looking at Elizabeth. Elizabeth got the hint and just smiled.
"Will darling, I am tired and I need to take some pain medication. I believe that I am going to go to bed. I will see you around later." Elizabeth said as she gave him a kiss then walked toward the house.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Will asked, looking for an excuse to get away from Caroline.
"No, no, you enjoy yourself. I'll be fine."
"Are you sure that you are okay?" Will looked at her worriedly.
"I am fine, just a little sore. I'll see you later."
"Alright. I'll see you later. I love you."
"I love you too." Caroline looked like someone had just smacked her. She hated it that her Will was taken by some woman that was not in his class. She was determined to get Will for herself and she was sure that she would be able to convince him that Elizabeth was all wrong for him and just after his money.
Will excused himself ten minutes later to get a drink. He saw Richard talking with Tabbi in the corner and he saw Tiki talking to one of the guys from his office; James Blythe. He got the drink and decided that he would go check on Elizabeth. She had looked a little pale and he wanted to make sure she was okay. He didn't realize that Caroline had spotted him and followed him upstairs.
Just outside the door Caroline caught up with him. Elizabeth was not asleep, so when she heard voices she went to the door to see who it was, but before she opened it, she heard Caroline and Will, so she decided to listen and see what happens.
"Will darling, I thought you and I were supposed to end up together. I knew that I should have stayed in America. How can you go off and get engaged. I thought that we were a couple. Everyone expected you and me to marry. What will the society columns think. You are marrying below your class and you deserve someone better. Where did you find her anyway?" Will was mad at what Caroline was saying.
"Caroline I will tell you once more that we were never and never will be a couple. I love Elizabeth with all my heart and we will be married in November."
"I heard about Elizabeth's little incident. I bet she didn't really get kidnapped. She probably planned the whole thing out." Will was about to hurt Caroline after she said this, but Elizabeth opened the door. She was decidedly paler, but her eyes gleamed with anger. She walked right over to Caroline and punched her. Caroline fell on the ground and Will gasped. Never before had anyone stood up to Caroline. He was so proud of Elizabeth and he loved her even more. Caroline got up and ran to her room. Elizabeth turned to Will and then collapsed on the ground. Will rushed to her side and she said that she just felt a little dizzy from not eating enough before she took her pain medication. Will was not satisfied, so he carried her into the room and laid her on the bed.
"Do you believe what Caroline said?" Elizabeth asked once she was in bed and Will had changed and gotten in bed with her.
"How can you ask me that?" Will looked at her. She was clearly upset and he could tell that she wasn't telling him how much pain she was really in. He decided that if she didn't look any better in the morning he was going to take her to the doctor. She had to be better for Kimmie's wedding. They laid together and Elizabeth fell into a restless sleep. She had nightmares about the kidnapping, so neither of them got much sleep.
The next morning, Elizabeth was clearly not well. Everyone was worried when they found the note saying that Will had taken her to the hospital and that he would call if anything was wrong. They all waited by the phone for Will's call, praying that she was okay.
At the hospital, Will explained to him what Elizabeth had been through. They checked her out and found that her pelvis had fractured again, but it only meant that she would be back on crutches. She had fainted from the lack of nourishment with her pain medication. "Now I want you to make sure that she eats something with the pills. I have written her another prescription and that should last her throughout the healing of her pelvis, but she should be feeling better in a few hours. Tell her to sleep and she will be fine." the doctor explained. Will took Elizabeth home and sent her right to bed where she slept all morning and afternoon. He told everyone what had happened and they were glad that she was okay. The party was tonight, but the doctor said that as long as she rested and slept all day that she would be okay for the party. Will hated to see Elizabeth like this. He wished that he could make everything better, but he knew that he couldn't so he decided to help her every step of the way and they would get through it.
Chapter 14
Elizabeth slept all day and Will periodically checked on her. Everyone was glad that it was nothing very serious, but they felt bad that she had re-fractured her pelvis. They all hoped that she would be able to come to the party. Will talked with all of his friends, but Richard and Tabbi seemed to have disappeared. Coleen had been looking for her, but gave up.
That night, Elizabeth felt well enough to join the party. She brought her pain medication with her so that she could take it after she ate. She hated having to use crutches. They were so bulky and always got in the way, but Will was very patient with her and stayed by her side. Besides the fact that she was on crutches, she had a marvelous time. She spotted Caroline in the corner with a drink. She had a black eye and Elizabeth was glad. Will brought her a plate of food and a drink and Jane, Kimmie, and Tiki sat with her while Will talked with Charles, Steve, and James. The ladies talked about the upcoming events. Coleen came over and sat down. "How are you feeling Elizabeth?" she asked.
"Much better, but a little sore."
"You had us all scared there." Coleen took a sip of her drink and put her feet up. "We can't have you hurt for this wedding Tabbi and I have planned for you.
"Oh I am okay now. I am sure that I will be finally healed by then."
"What happened to Caroline?" Tiki asked.
"She said a few things that were not very nice and came in contact with my fist." Elizabeth laughed and everyone joined her. They all looked over at Caroline and could tell that she was on her way to getting drunk. They just hoped that she wouldn't do anything else. It was getting late and it was the last dance. All of the men asked their ladies to dance. Will took Elizabeth to the dance floor and they just held onto each other and swayed so as not to hurt Elizabeth. Coleen was asked to dance by John Berry, Tiki was dancing with James, Tabbi was with Richard, Jane with Charles, Georgie danced with Nick, Kimmie with Steve, and Caroline just kept drinking. Halfway through the song Elizabeth had to sit down and rest. She felt bad for ruining the party for Will, but he assured her that he was happy to remain with her. Kathy and Charlotte Collins came over to say hello to Elizabeth. They were friends from college that had come to see Elizabeth. "How are you Elizabeth. I heard about what happened. That must have been awful." Kathy said as she sat down on the other side of Elizabeth.
"Yes, it was awful, but I am dealing with it. How have you two been. I haven't seen you guys in so long. I think the last time I saw you was at you wedding Charlotte to my cousin Bill. Where is Bill?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, but he couldn't make it. He is working . He works for your fiancé's aunt I believe. Catherine deBourgh?" Charlotte inquired.
"Oh yes, I have yet to meet her although. I don't know if she approves of me."
"Elizabeth I told you not to worry about my aunt." Will gave her a smile and she smiled back at him. He leaned down to give her a kiss then asked her if she was ready to go to bed.
"Yes, I am tired. I will see you guys at Kimmie's wedding I guess. How long are you in town?"
"We leave the day after Kimmie's wedding." Kathy said.
"Where are you staying?"
"We are staying at a hotel in the city." Charlotte explained.
"Well we will have to get together while you guys are here. I want to hear all the news from Maryland. I didn't get home this Christmas, so I missed all of the gossip."
"Are you still at your same apartment Elizabeth?" Kathy asked.
"No, I am living at Will's. Here let me write down the number." She wrote down the number then said her good-byes. She and Will walked slowly back to their room where Elizabeth fell right to sleep. Will laid beside her and just watched. He was not going to let anything bad happen to her again.
Will was just about asleep when he heard some commotion in the hallway. Elizabeth was still asleep, so he got up to see what was going on. In the hallway was Caroline and she was completely drunk. Her one eye was very swollen and she was singing to herself. Will could not believe the sight in front of him. He never thought that he would see Ms. High and Mighty herself in this condition. She walked over to Will and said, "Oh darling.. hiccup...run away with me....hiccup...we can live happily every after. Besides, you don't need that stupid Elizabeth. We can live in..hicupp...France and go to hundreds of...hiccup parties." Will was once again angry with what Caroline was trying to do.
"Now listen Caroline. I love Elizabeth and we are going to be married. I have never loved you and I never will. All you love about me is my money."
"Oh Will, I love you. You can have me. Take me." Caroline threw herself at Will, but was stopped by Charles who came out in the hall to see what was going on. More people started to come out and they all laughed at Caroline who went running back to her room. Will just stood there stunned and then looked at Charles. Charles looked very upset about what his sister had done. He never thought her capable of this.
"Will, I am so sorry for Caroline. I assure you that this will never happen again." Charles looked up at Will and saw that he had started to laugh. Charles gave a sigh and then both men started laughing. Before they knew it, they were both in hysterics. Elizabeth hobbled to the door to see what was causing all of the commotion and Will immediately felt sorry for waking her up.
"Oh Elizabeth, I am so sorry that I woke you. Caroline just tried to throw herself at me in her drunken stupor. I don't think she will be bothering us anymore." Will laughed and Charles went to find Jane. Elizabeth smiled and wished to herself that she had seen Caroline at her lowest point. Will went to help Elizabeth back into the room, but before she moved three steps she fell onto the ground and started seizing. Will not knowing what to do called for help. This could not be happening again. Will rushed to the phone and called 911. He told them the situation and the paramedics were on their way. Tabbi and Richard came rushing into the room to find Elizabeth seizing on the floor. The paramedics arrived five minutes later and got the seizure to stop. They took her to the hospital and Will followed in his car. He was not going to loose her. She had come too close so many times and always pulled through. She was going to pull through again.
At the hospital, Will tried desperately to find out information regarding Elizabeth's condition. After about fifteen minutes one of the nurses came out to tell him that they had rushed her to surgery. They feared that there was internal bleeding. Will informed the nurse about Elizabeth's medical history and the nurse ran upstairs to tell the doctors. Will was left downstairs helpless. Jane and Charles joined him ten minutes later and he filled them in. Jane started crying and Charles tried to comfort her. Tiki, Kimmie, Tabbi, and Coleen came joined them and went to try and comfort Will. "I can't lose her. She is my life. I don't know what I would do without her. She cannot die." Will sat down and tears started to stream down his face. They all sat in silence waiting and praying that Elizabeth would pull through.
The surgery lasted for three hours. She was alive, but in serious condition. Jane went to see her and the rest of them waited for her to come back. When she returned she told them what the doctors had told her. "The doctor told me that they are afraid that she may not pull through this time...." Jane started sobbing and fell to the ground she could not continue, so Will went to find a doctor while Charles comforted Jane. Will returned with the doctor that had operated on Elizabeth.
"I am afraid that there were complications during the surgery, but we managed to stop the bleeding. We lost her pulse for a few minutes, but were able to restart her heart. She has not awakened yet, but she should awaken in a few hours. Once she awakens we will know more, but the seizure may have caused brain damage. If she does not awaken in the next twelve hours, I am afraid that she will never awaken. If she does, I expect her to make a full recovery. All we can do now is wait. I will allow two people in at a time, but I am afraid that it can only be immediate family. I would suggest that you call her parents. You are her sister correct?" Jane shook her head.
"I called my mother and father, and they are on their way. Mr. Darcy is Elizabeth's fiancé." Jane said.
"Very well, he may see her. If there is nothing else, I must go and check on your sister.
"Thank you." Jane and Will went to Elizabeth's room to watch over her and see if she would awaken. They sat next to her bed each holding one of her hands. She looked so pale, hardly life like. They both started to cry. Will held onto Jane as they both sobbed. Neither of them could live without Elizabeth.
Once they had their emotions under control, they went back to hold Elizabeth's hands. They were so cold and there were so many tubes everywhere. Will looked at Elizabeth's face. He saw the scars that were still present and he wished that she would open her eyes so that he could see that sparkle that was always there. Instead he saw her eyelids with her long eyelashes. She looked like she was sleeping and he prayed that she would wake up, but she kept on sleeping. Will fell asleep with his hand still on hers and that is where he remained for the next few hours until he was awakened by Jane. He shot his head up and immediately looked down at Elizabeth. She was still asleep. "Will, It has been eleven hours. What if she does not wake up?" Will walked over to Jane just when Mr. and Mrs. Bennet walked in. They told them what was going on and they all sat and waited for Elizabeth to awaken. They counted the minutes. Fifty minutes went by and still no response. The doctors came in and checked Elizabeth. They remained in the room for another five minutes. Will looked at their faces he was not happy. He looked down at Elizabeth and she was the same. What was he going to do? He could not live without her. There was only three minutes left and she would be gone. All that was left was to wait.
Chapter 15
Everyone sat and watched Elizabeth. Out in the waiting room, all of Elizabeth's friends were waiting. They prayed that she would be okay. They looked at the clock and saw that there was only two minutes left and still no word. Why wasn't she waking up. She had to wake up. The world would not be the same without Elizabeth. She was a part of so many lives and without her, many would grieve. Will took Elizabeth's hand again and he didn't let go. There was such little time, but all of a sudden Will felt pressure in his hand. "Elizabeth, can you hear me? Squeeze my hand if you can." He said hurriedly. Once again he felt her light pressure. "Elizabeth open your eyes. I want to see you beautiful eyes. Please open your eyes." The doctors rushed over to her to check her. Will kept pleading with her to open her eyes. Will kept talking to her until finally he saw her eyelashes flutter. "That's it Elizabeth. Open your eyes. You can do it my love." Elizabeth's eyes flew open and she smiled.
"Will" she said with some trouble. Will smiled and held on to her hand tighter. The doctor examining her smiled.
"Ms. Bennet. It is nice to see you awake." he said. "I believe that you will make a full recovery, but I want you to take it easy. You will need to take it easy although. I don't want you back at work for a while and you need to stay in the hospital for a few days so that we can watch over you." The doctor was happy that such a pretty young women had pulled through. Elizabeth was tired, so she went back to sleep while the doctor filled in the family with everything that they needed to know. When the doctor left, everybody left to go and get some sleep, but Will stayed. He sat and watched Elizabeth sleep and he thought of how he was going to make sure that she was never in this situation again.
The next few days were filled with visitors for Elizabeth, so her hospital stay was not too terrible. When the day arrived for her to go home, she was thrilled. Will and Jane came to pick her up. Will carried Elizabeth's crutches and her suitcase, while Jane checked Elizabeth out. The nurse wheeled Elizabeth downstairs and Will went to bring the car around. He helped her into the car, careful not to hurt her pelvis. Jane got into the back seat and they all drove off leaving the hospital behind them. It was a long drive back to the city since the hospital was the one by Tiki's summer house.
By the time that they had dropped Jane off and gotten back to their apartment, it was dark. Will helped Elizabeth out of the car and they went up in the elevator. Emma and Georgie greeted them at the door. "Emma!!! Have you been a good doggie." She said as she petted Emma on the head.
"Yes, she has been a very good dog. How are you Lizzy?" Georgie said. She was happy to see her future sister-in-law looking much better.
"I am feeling much better thank you. I am a little sore, but that is to be expected." Elizabeth sat down on the couch and Will brought her a cup of tea. "Thank you." He sat down next to her and she leaned against him. It felt so good to be home. Will had been so supportive to her through everything. "I love you."
"I love you too, and I think that you should get in bed." Will helped her up and helped her in bed. He got in bed with her and she snuggled up to him. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. Will fell asleep with a smile on his face. Everything was going to be okay now.
The next two weeks passed quickly and Kimmie's wedding day arrived. Elizabeth was almost completely better and no longer needed her crutches. She was still on medication, but feeling a 100% better. The wedding was at noon, but Elizabeth had to help Kimmie get ready, so she drove to Kimmie's house and Will drove to where Steven was staying. Kimmie was running around very stressed. "Oh Elizabeth, so good to see you so well. Thank you so much for coming. Elizabeth as well as the rest of the bridesmaids which consisted of Tiki, Alethea, Kathy, Ellie, Mosylu, Shemmelle, Sarah, Tabbi, Bridget, Sania, and Asia. After everyone's hair and make-up was done they all got dressed in their pale yellow dresses. The make-up artist was still working on Kimmie so, Elizabeth and Tiki went to go get Kimmie's dress and veil ready. By the time they returned, Kimmie was done and still very nervous. Elizabeth tried to calm her down.
"Okay Kimmie. Calm down. It is your wedding day and nothing is going to happen. Even if it does, Steven will not care. He will still love you. Now let's get you dressed and ready to go." Elizabeth got Kimmie to breathe and they all helped her on with her dress.
Meanwhile at Steve's place, there was just as much commotion. Will was the best man and the groomsman were, James Blythe, Lucas Harding, Heath Ledger, Jeremy Preston, Dave Cromwell, Rob Emerson, Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam, Henry Tilney, Trevor McIntyre, Jeremy Northam, and James Rutherford. They too were all running around looking for different parts of their tuxes while Will, who was already dressed and trying to calm down Steve. They had to leave for the church in twenty minutes and there were guys still looking for their pants.
Kimmie and all of the rest of the women climbed into the two limos. The were off to the church. They arrived after the gentlemen and rushed to finish getting ready before the service at noon. It was a beautiful May day, perfect for a wedding. The church was full and all that was left was for the music to start. Steve was standing at the front of the church with Will while the rest of the groomsmen got with their respective partners. The music started and Kathy and Lucus walked down first, followed by Tiki and James, then Mosylu and Heath, then Shemmelle and Jeremy, then Ellie and Dave, Alethea and Rob, Tabbi and Richard, Sarah and Trevor, Bridget and Henry, Asia and James, Sania, the matron of honor and Jeremy, Elizabeth, the maid of honor, then finally Kimmie with her father. It took a long time for the large wedding party to get up the aisle and they were glad that Kimmie and Steve picked a large church. Elizabeth looked over to Will and they held each other's eyes both thinking that it would be them in a few months.
The wedding went by quickly and before Elizabeth and Will knew it, Kimmie and Steve were kissing. They walked down the aisle followed by all the other couples. It was time to party!!! The reception was held at a hotel and everyone was having a marvelous time. Tabbi came over to Elizabeth with Richard to see how she was. Coleen also came over with a man that looked just like Richard. "Coleen, is it the medication, or am I seeing double?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh, I forgot to mention it. This is Richard's twin brother Edward." Coleen explained.
"Nice to meet you. Will went to get us some drinks, her will be right back. Please sit down." Elizabeth motioned to the empty chairs at the table. Will came back with their drinks sand they all chatted while they waited to be called for photographs. The photographer was doing just Kimmie and Steve at the moment.
"Would the wedding party please meet for photographs." A man yelled to the room. Everyone in the wedding party got up and went to find Kimmie and Steve kissing each other. Will cleared his throat and they broke apart.
"Okay, first I need Mrs. Richards and her maid and matron of honor." The photographer said as he put them in their places. He shot a few pictures then did the groom with his best man. Next was the two small groups combined with the addition of Jeremy Northam who stood with his wife Sania. Next was a shot of the entire wedding party. They barely all fit in the picture, but everyone looked wonderful. Kimmie was full of life and the happiness radiated from both Kimmie and Steve's faces. After the shots were taken it was the best man and maid of honor's turn. "Now I want you to look at each other with adoration." This was not hard for them to do considering they were so much in love and their love also radiated from their faces. "Perfect. Now for the matron of honor and her husband. As soon as the photographer was done, everyone went back into the reception room.
The night flew by and everyone had a wonderful time. The cake was cut, the first dance danced, Elizabeth caught the bouquet, and Will caught the garter. It was time for the newlyweds to say good-bye. They ran to their waiting limo that was going to take them to the airport for their European tour. Rose petals flew everywhere as they got in the car. Everyone wished them luck and they drove off into the night. The guest went back into the room to continue the party for a few more hours. Elizabeth and Will danced a few more dances and drank lots of champagne. It was a wonderful wedding and it wasn't too long until it was their turn. Only a few more months.
The guests started to leave, but Elizabeth and Will remained with the rest of the wedding party. They all had drunk a little too much champagne, so Will called for a limo to take them all home. They piled into the car with much difficulty due to their drunkedness and large number. The ladies were forced to sit on the gentlemen's lap, which they didn't mind except for the fact that is was extremely hot with all the gowns. Everyone was dropped off at their homes and Will and Elizabeth made their way finally to their apartment. They had some problems walking for they were both quite tipsy, but managed to make it to the room and in bed. They fell asleep still dressed on the floor in the living room.
Chapter 16
The next morning, both Elizabeth and Will woke up with terrible headaches and very stiff from lying on the floor. Elizabeth stretched and tried to stand up. The amount of pain that she felt when she stood up caused her to fall down on Will. He groaned and grabbed his head as well. He looked at his watch and saw that it was 12:30 and he and Elizabeth were still dressed for the wedding.
"Elizabeth, come we must get out of these clothes. I am going to take a shower. Do we have any aspirin."
"Yes there is some in the bathroom. Please don't talk to loudly." Will crawled off to the bathroom and turned on the shower. He took off his clothes and got in the shower. The water felt good on his aching body, but nothing helped his head. Maybe Elizabeth would give him a massage later. He would like Elizabeth's hands on him. He thought about what her massages were like, but his head hurt to much to think, so he washed up and got out. He wrapped a towel around his waist and went fishing through the medicine cabinet for the aspirin. When he opened the bottle, there was nothing left so this made Will mad. Who would put an empty bottle of aspirin back in the cabinet? He was about to ask Elizabeth when he remembered that he was the one. He had taken a lot of aspirin while Elizabeth was in the hospital.
Out in the living room, Elizabeth was still in her dress, but she was on the couch with a rag over her eyes. Will sat down next to her and Elizabeth took the rag off of her eyes. The sight of Will in a towel was more than she could handle, but also wet. Her mouth went dry. He looked so handsome and she could not bear it anymore. Her headache was forgotten and she grabbed Will and planted a large kiss on his lips. Will was surprised at first, but returned her passion. Elizabeth couldn't seem to get enough of him and Will couldn't get enough of her as well. Things got intense, but ended when they both rolled of the couch and landed on an unhappy Emma. The kissing session ended when Emma let out a howl. She did not like being woken up, especially by two people falling on her. Elizabeth got up and asked Will to help her with her dress. He unzipped it for her and she pulled it off. She stood in her slip with Will staring at her. She felt like he was undressing her with his eyes, so she went to take a shower. Will had to shake his head which was a bad idea because his headache came back and it was worse than ever. He walked slowly to his bedroom and got dressed. His stomach was growling so he went to the kitchen for some food. Elizabeth found him there after she had gotten dressed.
"Will where is the aspirin?" She asked as she sat down at the table.
"There isn't any left. I forgot to get some more. Would you like a sandwich?"
Elizabeth nodded and Will gave her the sandwich he had made and made another. He sat down next to her and they ate in silence. Neither were in a good mood. They both had large headaches and were still stiff from sleeping on the floor. Elizabeth looked at Will and tried to put on her cutest face.
"Will.." she said softly.
"What?" he answered.
"Will you please give me a massage. You give the best massages."
Will could not resist her, so he agreed if she agreed to give him one as well. After both of their massages, Will called his office. Elizabeth was bored so she looked around for something to do. She saw a pillow on the floor behind Will. She picked it up and hit Will over the head. He dropped the phone and turned around. Elizabeth could not help but laugh. Her laughter was contagious and soon Will started laughing. He tried to keep and angry face, but could not. He hung up the phone and grabbed another pillow. For the next hour and all out war raged. The phone rang and Elizabeth answered it. Unfortunately it was her mother. She sat down to listen to her mother's endless chatter about wedding plans. Will sneaked up behind her and hit her in the back of the head with a pillow. She screamed and dropped the phone. Mrs. Bennet called to Elizabeth.
"Lizzy? What is going on over there. Are you okay. Pick up this phone. Lizzy??" Will picked up the phone.
"Hello Mrs. Bennet. Elizabeth is a little busy at the moment. She will call you back later."
Will hung up the phone and went after Elizabeth. She ran out of the room and Will ran after her. Charles and Jane arrived at the apartment and Will buzzed them up while Elizabeth hit him again and again. He turned around and started hitting her back. When Jane and Charles arrived at the door, Elizabeth opened it, but left them outside while she went after Will. Jane and Charles both laughed and came in. Charles got in the way of one of Elizabeth's shots, so he dropped the bag that he was carrying. He decided that he would join Will, so Jane joined Elizabeth. The Pillow war continued for another hour until everyone was tired. They all sat down on the couch and caught their breath. Charles suggested that they all go out to eat and everyone agreed, so Will and Elizabeth changed into some nicer clothes then they all left the apartment. They went to a Moroccan restaurant where they had a marvelous time sitting on the floor and eating with their hands. They talked about their coming wedding and Jane told Elizabeth and Will that they were going to Paris and Venice on their honeymoon.
"Where are you two going?" Jane asked.
"I am not telling. Elizabeth will not even find out until we arrive." Will said with a smileas he looked at Elizabeth. Elizabeth smiled back at him and they remained in an intense stare untilCharles splashed a little water on Will.
"Hey." He said, startled by the water. "Are you guys ready to go. We can go back the our apartment for some coffee." Everyone agreed to this, so Will paid the bill after much argument and they all left.
At the apartment, Will made some coffee while Elizabeth got a pound cake out of the freezer. She defrosted it and then cut everyone a slice. She put a strawberry on the plate with a little whipped cream. Will poured the coffee and they all talked quietly while sipping their coffee and eating the cake.
It was getting late and everyone had to work tomorrow. It was Elizabeth's first day back since her stay in the hospital and she had a lot to catch up on, so, Jane and Charles left and Will and Elizabeth went to bed.
The next morning, Elizabeth went to work to find the everyone in the office clapping when she walked into the room. They all asked her how she was and they had a bagel and coffee waiting for her in her office. Tiki came over to her and gave her a hug. They walked into Elizabeth's office where everything was as she had left it. One of the other editors had taken care of her work while she was gone, so he was happy that she was back and could take her work back. She worked for a few hours then went to meet Jane for lunch. Coleen called Elizabeth on her cell phone during lunch and said that she and Jane needed to pick out a cake and dishes. Weddings were a lot to plan and they wanted everything to be perfect, so Elizabeth and Jane agreed to meet with them tomorrow night. Elizabeth hung up the phone and told Jane that she had to get back to work. At her office she called Will and filled him in with how things were going and told him that she was meeting Coleen and Tabbi tomorrow night. Will informed her that he had to go on a business trip next week for about a week.
"Where are you going?" Elizabeth asked.
"I have to go to London to talk to some clients. I am leaving on Sunday and will return on Saturday. I don't know what I will do for a week without you."
"Oh Will, I will miss you so much. Can't you send someone in your place?"
"No I am afraid not. Also, I will be home late tonight, so go ahead and eat without me. I have to go to a meeting, so I will see you later tonight. I love you."
"I love you too. Bye" Elizabeth hung up the phone and tackled the pile of papers on her desk. What is she going to do for a whole week without Will. She will get a lot of work and wedding planning in.
The week went by too quickly for Elizabeth. Will was leaving tomorrow and they had decided to spend the entire day together. They went for a walk in central park and had a picnic lunch. Emma came with them and they played with her after lunch. They had a wonderful time together. They stayed out until it was dark them went home for a quiet candlelit dinner. They fell asleep in each other's arms treasuring their time together. Will's flight was early tomorrow, so he had packed yesterday.
In the morning, Elizabeth took Will to the airport. "Oh Will, I will miss you so much." she said as tears came down her cheeks.
She ran to Will's waiting arms and he kissed her. He was such a wonderful man and she was so happy that Jane and Charles had set them up. Will held on to Elizabeth. She had brought happiness to his life and he knew that once he left, he would feel like he was missing a part of him. Elizabeth was a part of him and there was no replacing her. Will released Elizabeth then walked onto the plane.
"I love you." she called after him. He turned around and ran back to her.
"I love you too." He gave her another hug then got on the plane. Elizabeth stayed to watch it take off then went home to the apartment. It was so big and lonely without him, so she called Jane and she came over for lunch.
Chapter 17
Jane arrived at Elizabeth and Will's apartment with takeout and a copies of Jerry Maguire and Pretty Women. For the rest of the afternoon, the two women satin front of the TV and ate Chinese food. It was just like old times. Emma came over and sat with them. Elizabeth and Jane had a great time together, but once she left, Elizabeth got sad. Will had not even been gone for a whole day and she missed him so much. The apartment seemed so large and empty. A single tear trickled down her cheek and she decided that she should call her mother back. "Hello Mama, It is Lizzy."
"Lizzy darling. Why didn't you call me back sooner. I have so many things to go over with you for your wedding. Where is Will? He should be listening to this. Also when are you going to bring him down here so that I can show him to all my friends. They have all been wondering about how you managed to catch the head of Darcy Corporations. Oh, you make your mother proud." Mrs. Bennet didn't seem to take a breath throughout the entirety of this speech.
"MAMA!!! Will is away on a business trip. He had to go to London for a week. I am sure that we will come visit you before the wedding, but I am very busy and so is Will. The wedding isn't until November anyway. We have plenty of time. Besides, I am meeting with Coleen and Tabbi a few times this week. Everything will be ready in time don't worry."
"Lizzy, my poor nerves. You in New York and me down here. Why did you move to the city and leave me. Maybe I will come up for a few days and help you..."
"Mama, I am afraid that I will be very busy. I have to work and I can't take any time off since I was away for so long. You understand." Elizabeth said quickly. She was not ready for her mother to come to New York.
"Very well. I suppose that I can wait until you come down here. Oh, your father wants to talk to you." Elizabeth heard the phone being handed to her father.
"Lizzy darling, how are you?" Mr. Bennet said.
"I'm okay Dad, how are you?"
"Oh I am okay. Your mother's tongue; however, has not stopped running about you and your rich fiancé. When are you going to bring him down here?"
"Oh I don't know. We are very busy lately."
"Is he there? I would like to talk to him if I may."
"No Dad, he had to go to London for a week on business."
"Oh well. Please come home soon. I miss my little Lizzy. I will talk to you soon. Bye."
"Bye Dad I love you and give my love to Mom."
"I love you too. Bye." Elizabeth hung up the phone and let out her breath. She loved her family dearly, but her mother was very trying sometimes. Not knowing what to do next, she decided to take Emma for a walk. Emma liked this idea and instead of Elizabeth walking Emma, Emma walked Elizabeth.
The air was hot and Emma was panting, so Elizabeth decided to return to the air-conditioning. Elizabeth walked to the apartment complex and found Coleen and Tabbi waiting for her at the door. They knew that Will was going to be gone, so they came to go over so wedding plans. There was still so much to plan and since the wedding party was so large, they had lot of things to order. Jane was on her way back over to go over some details. They all gathered in the living room with pizza and beers. The wedding books were everywhere and they looked at thousands of pictures. When the night was through, they had the dishes and the reception hall picked out. Everything including the church was booked. They made a lot of progress that night and since it was late, the women all stayed at Elizabeth's apartment. They felt sorry for her having to be in such a large place with only a dog. Georgiana was going to come for a visit on Wednesday and Kitty had decided to visit as well, so Elizabeth would not feel so lonely. They knew that she had not lived on her own for a long time.
The next day Elizabeth went to work. She was very productive considering she did not have any distractions. She went to lunch with Tiki and Jane then went back to work. Elizabeth decided that spending her time busy would keep her mind off of Will. She met with Coleen, Tabbi and Jane for dinner and they planned more things for the wedding.
On Wednesday, Georgie arrived and gave Elizabeth a big hug. "I am glad to see that you are so much better." she said as she put her suitcase down and petted Emma.
"Oh thank you. I feel so much better. I believe that everything is behind me now and I am not going to dwell on it anymore."
"Good for you. I know you will be very happy with Will. He loves you so much."
"And I love him very much. He has saved me and for that I will always be grateful." Elizabeth hugged Georgie again before helping her to unpack. "Oh, there is something I want to ask you. I was wondering if you would be one of my bridesmaids."
"I would love to be. Thank you so much."
"This wedding is going to be very large and I wouldn't feel right if you were not involved." Elizabeth and Georgie unpacked Georgie and then went out to lunch. Elizabeth told her all about the wedding and Georgie told Elizabeth about herself and Will when they were younger. Elizabeth loved to hear what her Will got himself into when he was younger. The two women had a wonderful time together. Georgie went to meet a friend after lunch, so Elizabeth went to work. Kitty was going to arrive later that night, so she was determined to get her work done so that she could focus her attention on her guests. Everyone was very helpful to her at work, but she felt that she wanted to be treated as she once was, not with pity.
Elizabeth stayed at work until 6:00, then she went home to find the phone ringing as she walked in the door. "Hello."
"Elizabeth, how are you my darling? I have missed you so much." Elizabeth was so happy that Will had called her.
"I am fine. Your sister is here and Kitty is coming later tonight. How is London?"
"It is cool here. It rains a lot and business is progressing. I wanted to call to tell you that I will be home at 3:30 on Saturday. I can't wait to see you."
"I will be at the airport waiting my love. I have missed you so much. My family and friends are sick of me moping around, so you better hurry and get home."
"I will be there on Saturday and I will not leave your side for as long as possible."
"Good, not that you had a choice anyway. Georgie just walked in the door. Would you like to talk to her?"
"Sure, but I want to talk to you afterwards."
"Alright, here she is." Elizabeth passed the phone to Georgie who talked to her brother for a few minutes. When Elizabeth got the phone back Will told her a little about what he was doing in London and she told him what she had been doing while he was away. Will had to go to a meeting, so he said that he would call tomorrow. Elizabeth hung up the phone and started to make dinner. Kitty arrived at 7:30 and the three of them sat down to eat. They talked all about the coming wedding and what they had been doing. Kitty could only stay until Friday, so she would miss Will, but Georgie was staying until Sunday so that she could see her brother. Elizabeth was sorry that she had to work while they were here, but she met them for lunch and dinner everyday. Georgie and Kitty became fast friends. They were both very similar and decided to go on a little trip to Florida for a week later in August. Georgie had rented a condo and they were going to go down together. Elizabeth was very happy that they like each other and was thrilled that they were going to go away together.
The days went by quickly and it came time for Kitty to leave. Elizabeth and Georgie were sad to see her go and said that they hoped to see her soon. Kitty gave Georgie her e-mail address and her phone number so that they could plan their trip further. Elizabeth said good-bye to her sister then had to go to work. Georgie went to be fitted for her bridesmaid dress while Elizabeth worked. Will was coming home tomorrow and Elizabeth could not wait. She was going to make sure that he never left her for that long again. On future business trips, she was going with him. Separation was not a good thing, although it did allow her to get a lot of work done and she got most of the wedding planned. But, without Will, the world was not the same. She needed him by her side.
The day came for Will to come home. Elizabeth was so happy. She would finally be able to be held in his arms and receive his kisses. Georgie noticed Elizabeth was quite hyper and was glad to see that she was so in love with her brother. Georgie and Elizabeth drove to the airport to find out that the flight was delayed. They walked into a cafe for coffee while they waited. When the plane was announced Elizabeth ran to the gate where he was going to be. When she saw him, she ran to him and he picked her up and spun her around. They kissed each other and Elizabeth laughed with happiness. "Oh Will, I missed you so much. You are never leaving me for that long again."
"I missed you too and I am very happy to be back. Now I want to go home and just sit with you. What do you say? Where is Georgie?"
"She was right behind me. There she is." Georgie came walking over and hugged her brother.
"Let's go home." Will said as he grabbed Elizabeth's hand. He picked up his luggage and Elizabeth drove home. Georgie made dinner so that Elizabeth and Will could have some private time together. They were so wonderful together and she was so happy that Elizabeth entered Will's life. She had changed him so much for the better.