Beginning, Previous Section, Section XI

Chapter Twenty-Six

Posted on Thursday, 2 November 2006

"Bennet. What are you doing here?"

The startlingly loud voice of Sir Lucas scared Elizabeth within an inch of her life and it was only quick reflexes that saved her 20 ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper from spilling onto her laptop. She knew it was he without turning around---he still had a hard time remembering her last name was now Darcy. With a racing heart, Elizabeth swiveled in her seat so she was facing her boss. He did not look happy.

"I'm just finishing up some last minute..." Elizabeth trailed off as she saw the frown deepen between Sir's eyebrows. She decided on another plan of attack. "You know, you really should knock. You startled me."

"Perhaps because I wasn't expecting my beat writer to be sitting in her office on the morning of a very important court case. Or do I need to remind you of that?"

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth carefully set the bottle of soda on the back of her desk. First of all, of course she didn't need a reminder; she was not stupid...not to mention the important fact that Leah's welfare sort of did mean something to her. Secondly, even if she had forgotten, there was no way she could have missed picking up on Sir's very important clue.

"Well, thanks anyway, boss, but I actually do remember. Will and Leah are meeting me here in twenty minutes." Twenty minutes that could not crawl by more slowly...

Looking carefully into her face, Sir decided to come in and placed his big body on the corner of her desk---perilously close to the Dr. Pepper. Her desk creaked as Sir shifted his weight, trying to get comfortable. Elizabeth loved her boss, but she hated when he went into "psychologist mode", which he definitely was in now. The first sign was foregoing the chair and plopping down on the desk---which made Elizabeth fairly uncomfortable. She always felt as if it was a few seconds of collapsing; it really was an old desk.

"So why exactly are you here, Ben---ah, I mean, Mrs. Darcy?"

Elizabeth shrugged. Sir didn't let up on his stare. Sighing, Elizabeth rested her elbows on the desktop and decided to level with the man.

"I was freaking out."

There was a pause. "Excuse me?"

"I'm a bit...worried---no, I mean, nervous. I have been up since before dawn and then I dropped Leah's cereal bowl three times."

"In a row?" Sir had never seen Elizabeth drop anything---ever.

She nodded. "When I snapped at Will for absolutely no reason, he smiled and asked me if I had any work I needed to get done. So...if you want to yell at anyone for my presence this morning, you'd better find the right person. My husband pretty much kicked me out of the house and told me he'd get me later."

Sir chuckled, but quickly silenced when he saw his favorite writer's face. Placing a big, fatherly hand on hers, Sir squeezed. "Elizabeth, you are a wonderful mother to Leah. Any fool of a judge will be able to see it."

Elizabeth didn't need to ask him if he really thought so. Sir might talk a lot of bull---throwing out encouragements and endearments right and left---but he was a truthful man. He said what he meant. At that moment, it was just what she needed to hear.

"Thanks, Sir. That means a lot."

Shrugging and then tottering on the desk, her editor gave her a slap on the shoulder. "Why don't you get your stuff packed up and come to my office? I'd like you to take a look at the editorial I wrote for tomorrow."

Grinning at him and happy he was giving her something else to do with her time besides fret, Elizabeth grabbed her bag, stuffed some papers in, and followed her boss.

Right now his wife reminded him of his sister's cat, Sammy, during thunderstorms. The feline was terrified of thunder and the moment he so much as heard a rumble, his back arched, his fur raised straight up, and he quivered in nervous fear. Kind of like the way Elizabeth was trembling that exact moment. Oh, she was trying to hide it, clutching her handbag so hard her knuckles were completely white. The muscles around her jaw were tight from clenching her teeth and her back was ramrod straight. To use her term, his wife was freaking out.

Will had his hands full keeping Leah occupied in the elevator---well, keeping her from touching any button within or out of reach. He was convinced his daughter was destined to become a gymnast with the way she could twist out of his tight grip and lunge herself at the lit up buttons. Finally, they were on the tenth floor and the doors slowly opened. Will stood back to let Elizabeth out and when she didn't move, he gave her a gentle push. She definitely had a death grip on her bag. He was afraid it would have to be chiseled out of her hands.

Sighing, Will grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the foot traffic to a relatively private corner. When Elizabeth didn't look at him, he put one finger under her chin and tilted her face up. Just as he suspected, unshed tears pooled in her eyes. He smiled and she rolled her eyes and pushed his finger away.

"Sorry," she sniffed. "I don't know what happened to me. I didn't used to be a wimp."

"Hey." His tone was sharp by design and Elizabeth looked up at him. "Quit it with that. We both know you're not a wimp." He glared at her until she smiled and nodded her head.

"You shouldn't even try."

"Hmm?"

"Glaring at me. Doesn't work."

Will grunted, tucked Leah under his arm like a football, and leaned his back against the wall. "I know what we need. A Will Darcy special."

To his surprise, his wife burst into laughter. "A Will Darcy special? Well...that doesn't sound too bad, actually. Not sure if it's appropriate for a public space...? I don't know if I agree with excessive PDA and all that."

Will grunted again. "Get your mind out of the gutter. A Will Darcy special is a surefire method to relieve stress. My teammates all made fun of me at first, but before I knew it, I had ten of them joining me before the game."

Shaking her head, Elizabeth laughed again. "I should have known it had to do with football."

"Are you mocking me?" He didn't have the chance to glare at her immediate laughter because Leah started kicking her legs and whining. Will pulled her back onto his chest and she quieted.

"Okay, Will," Elizabeth stated, trying to smother a smile, "I'm ready to learn."

"Thank you. All right, although it may surprise you, I always got quite nervous before games and---"

"That is a surprise, actually. Every game?"

Trying to silence her with his scowl, Will nodded. "Yes. Every game. Now, I would find a quiet area before the kickoff and breathe."

A serious look on her face, Elizabeth took another step closer to him. "Wow. That was deep. Thank you for that advice, Will. I do have this horrible of habit of not breathing, but thankfully my brain takes over and---"

"Okay. Stop." His wife was biting her lip to keep from laughing, but at least she was finding some kind of control. "Of course I didn't just breathe. I would inhale and exhale...What?" Elizabeth's laughter stopped him.

"Nothing," Elizabeth shrugged. "I was just under the impression that inhaling and exhaling was breathing."

He had progressed from grunting to growling and Elizabeth couldn't help laughing again. "I would breathe deeply. Deeply, okay? Take long breaths in and long breaths out until my heartbeat was back at normal and I was relaxed. Worked every time."

The smile on her face should have been a giveaway she was going to make another sarcastic remark and Will really should have stopped her---except that he noticed Elizabeth was decidedly calmer. Only a few fingertips loosely held the handbag and he figured that had to be a good sign. He supposed he could be the scapegoat for her stress. But only because he loved the woman.

"Let me guess. Then you thought happy thoughts? Let the positive energy flow? Went all Peter Pan and such?"

"Uh, no. Actually, I went through the game quarter by quarter and thought up the worst possible scenarios."

Elizabeth was taken aback. "What?"

Will shrugged and rubbed Leah's back. "You know...sacks, interceptions, fumbles, concussions, broken legs and arms--- that kind of stuff."

"And that helped you?"

"Oh yeah. Settled me down."

"Will...you're weird."

"Hey, it worked for me. So do you want to do some breathing exercises with me?"

Elizabeth smiled, stood on her tiptoes, and quickly kissed Will. "Nope. You're a good stress reliever all by yourself, honey." She stilled, but continued to look at his eyes. "I'm not really sure I want to stand here and think of the worst case scenarios, however."

The corner of Will's mouth tilted up. "Sweetheart, you don't have to. There will be no worst scenario. Wickham's not going to win."

Pulling back, Elizabeth smiled up at him and then took Leah from his arms. "Yeah, I know. He can't." She started to lift up her wrist to check her watch, but Will interrupted her.

"We've got ten minutes before we meet with Jane and Charles. Now, explain."

She didn't need to wonder what he was asking. But she was just a bit embarrassed to answer. Scrunching up her nose in distaste, Elizabeth shook her head. "It's a bit mushy. I don't think I want to tell you."

Grinning, Will put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down until his face was level with hers. "It's okay. I'll be able to stand it. I can do mushy. It can't be any worse than proclaiming your undying love for me."

Elizabeth wanted to roll her eyes; she really did. It was her only defense at times like this, when Will was so absolutely adorable she could barely stand it. The heck with worrying about mush. Elizabeth placed her hands on the side of his face, which he had so conveniently lowered to her level, and kissed him.

"Don't think you can distract me," Will joked against her lips, but then pushed her back and waited expectantly.

"Well...last time Wickham cornered me," Elizabeth started, but placed a calming hand on Will's chest before she continued, "he was arrogant enough to believe he had a hold over me. Okay...it wasn't arrogant because at that time, well, he did. But anyway, I know he can't beat me because...well---this is really embarrassing, you know? --- because I have you."

Elizabeth's gaze had gradually lowered with every word, but she dared a look at Will's face. It was...glowing. The smile on his face was absolutely dazzling. It was mesmerizing. Beautiful. The most beautiful sight she had ever seen.

"Yes, Elizabeth." Will stepped closer and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, then rested his warm hand on her neck. "You do have me."

She was smiling like a fool---but at least she wasn't blushing like one. "Yeah. I do. But I mean...no matter what happens---even worst case scenarios---we love each other, right? No judge can change that---and Wickham could only try. You are never going to let him take Leah."

Again, her eyes had only traveled up to his collar until he moved his hand from her neck to her face. He smelled like his generic soap bar---the same scent she smelled every morning when she showered---but it had never smelt better. She loved how warm and solid he was and...well, maybe she really was made of mush, because she craved his gentle touch and the sound of his voice and the way his eyes looked at her and...Elizabeth broke out of her reverie when she heard Will chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?"

Will crooked his eyebrow and gave her the penetrating look that still gave her goose bumps. "Oh, I was just thinking," he whispered as he rubbed his free hand down her arm and leaned in closer, "that I kind of like this mush thing."

"Uh..." Elizabeth managed to break in between kisses, "me, too."

Considering that Elizabeth had no real concept of time to begin with and Will tended to forget everything but his wife when she was in his arms, it would have been likely for Jane and Charles to find them necking in the hallway of the courthouse if Leah hadn't felt neglected. Her high-pitched screech, so close to both of their ears, broke them apart instantly.

"We've got to stop your mother from teaching her that!" Will was rubbing his ears ruefully.

Elizabeth merely smiled and grabbed his hand. "Where are we meeting them?"

"Just in front of the courtroom, I think," Will answered, leading the way.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him turn---probably the tingle on his neck---but Will discreetly looked backwards. And nearly stopped. There was George Wickham, dressed in a nice, but rumpled suit, standing next to middle-aged woman, staring right at Elizabeth and Leah. The force of the anger that hit Will almost surprised him and he was praying for control---because all he really wanted to do was attack the guy. Then the look on George's face made him pause. There was no animosity in the green eyes, but an emotion Will couldn't quite place. Regret? Sadness? Suddenly Wickham turned his gaze to Will's and he knew immediately what it was. Longing.

By this time, Will had completely stopped and he was sure the scowl on his face had given way to a look of surprise. Wickham gave a kind of rueful half smile, shrugged his shoulders, and turned his attention back on the woman next to him.

"Will? You all right?" Elizabeth started to look back, but Will stopped her.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Look, there they are."

Elizabeth dropped Will's hand to greet the two and Will made one last look back. Wickham wasn't looking at them anymore, but his hands were in his pockets and his shoulders were slumped. George Wickham looked defeated.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Posted on Thursday, 9 November 2006

The courtroom didn't look like anything Elizabeth had expected. Not that she had much experience with courtrooms, besides watching the occasional Matlock rerun, of course, but it was still a lot smaller than she had thought it would be. There was no intimidating judge or jury staring her down. It was actually a bit...quaint. She wouldn't want to spend much time there, obviously, but it wasn't as bad as the nightmarish scenes she had come up with in her head.

She had followed Jane and Charles into the hearing room, Will trailing. Jane and Charles had both given their okay for Leah to stay with them during the trial. She was not a troublesome baby and both thought it would work to their advantage for the judge to see Will and Elizabeth's interaction with Leah. The little girl did not disappoint. Sandwiched between Charles and Will, whom she couldn't help thinking were acting as a protective buffer, Elizabeth sat with a contented and sleepy Leah on her lap.

"Okay, Elizabeth, you'll be up there first. Now...I know you said that you'd be---but---I'm just not..." Jane couldn't seem to phrase her question.

Rolling her eyes, Elizabeth asked, "Could you spit it out, please?"

"Don't get snippy with me, Elizabeth. I just want to make sure you'll be okay up there with Wickham...sitting right over there."

As if her neck had a life of its own, Elizabeth tried to look over at George. Immediately, Will squared his shoulders so she couldn't see anything past his chest. He grinned at her glare and then reached out to capture her free hand in his.

"Well, it's not something I'm looking forward to, Jane, but I can do it." Turning up her nose, Elizabeth declared, "George Wickham means absolutely nothing to me." She paused, before looking at Will. "Do you think you could move so I can say that to his face?"

Chuckling, Will kissed her temple. "Why don't you do that on the stand?"

"Oh, I'm going to."

Leah was just falling asleep when the judge was announced. As she stood carefully, trying not to jostle the baby, Elizabeth felt instant relief. Judge Gardiner looked like a benevolent older uncle, peering kindly at both parties over the rim of his glasses. Judges were supposed to be fair; her first impression left her in no doubt of Judge Gardiner.

Elizabeth had definitely lied to her sister. The first part of the proceedings was lost in her mangled, scared thoughts. She closed her eyes and started imagining the worst---fainting on the stand, bursting into hysterical tears, the judge believing Wickham's lies...Okay, so this part of the Will Darcy Special was definitely not for her. How in the world had he gone onto the field and played every game after imagining all the horrors? Shaking her head, Elizabeth tried the deep breathing instead. Honestly, it didn't make that much of a difference---the scenario of Will jumping across the aisle and beating Wickham to a pulp, which granted, had its positives but certainly wouldn't endear them to any type of judge---still flew through her mind. It was after she had exhaled---deeply, of course---for the third time that she felt a squeeze. Looking distractedly up at Will, she saw his smirk.

"It's working, isn't it?" he whispered, his smirk growing into a full blown grin.

Not wanting to engage in any juvenile comebacks in front of a judge, Elizabeth settled for glaring. She completely missed Judge Gardiner asking and receiving the background for the case. Looking down, Elizabeth noted Leah was still sound asleep and had absorbed about as much of the trial as her aunt had. Which was definitely not a good sign for Team Darcy.

It therefore came as a bit of a surprise when Jane was nodding at Elizabeth to go to the witness stand. With not a little trepidation, Elizabeth stood and gently handed Leah to Will, who had a look in his eyes that gave her the strength to walk the few steps to the stand. The judge was looking at her kindly and gave her a small smile of encouragement. Goodness, she must look like she was ready for the guillotine. She was sworn in and took a seat, waiting for the questions to begin. Jane was going to ask her a few questions, then Wickham's lawyer, and finally the judge would ask the questions he needed cleared up. Jane and Charles had done well in preparing her. She could do this. It would not be so bad. After all, she hadn't fainted or cried yet. The first part was easy. Jane asked her to state her name and her relationship to Leah. Rote explanations were fine.

"Could you explain the circumstances surrounding Leah's birth, please?" Jane asked gently.

Elizabeth took a deep breath in and out, actually smiled a bit at what she was doing, and then answered. "After her high school graduation, my youngest sister, Lydia, left town abruptly and we had a hard time getting in touch with her. Actually, we didn't get in touch with her. If she needed to talk to her family, which wasn't often, she would contact us. About six months after she left, Lydia knocked on my door. She looked...strung out and was three months pregnant, based on when Leah was born. She had left with George Wickham, whom she was living with for that time. He is the father of her baby. When she approached him about her pregnancy, she told me he had...yelled at her, hit her, and told her to get out."

Elizabeth licked her lips and focused her eyes on her sleeping niece. The story was hard to tell, but it protected an innocent. She glanced at Jane, who gave her a smile.

"And what did you do for your sister after she came to you?"

Smiling, Elizabeth recalled her hurt, yet resilient little sister. This part wasn't hard to remember. Lydia had been pretty stupid in her life, but her turnaround had been incredible and even inspiring.

"She seemed determined she was going to have her baby. Lydia knew she had to be off the drugs; she told me. I didn't know what to do exactly---what would be healthy for both my sister and Leah. I called my parents and we took her to a recovery clinic, where doctors could monitor them both during her time there. She was gone three or four weeks---I don't really remember anymore---but she was clean when she got out."

Elizabeth's voice cracked with emotion as she remembered her sister. Lydia loved her baby; there was no doubt about that. In a way, it seemed a little odd that she would be so attached. Her sister had been decidedly self-involved her whole life and putting her baby's wants before her own was testament to the mature woman the bad decisions and heartache had created. Still, Leah was loved. Lydia would talk to her unborn daughter as if she was holding her in her arms. She spent time planning what she would do in the future; she painted and decorated a nursery; she began to take a couple college courses and also worked a part-time job.

"Why did Lydia choose to live with you, Elizabeth, instead of her parents?"

Elizabeth thought about her parents and smiled. "They loved Lydia and they love her baby. When Lydia came back, they wanted her to live with them. They paid for her treatment at the clinic. Leah had a lengthy stay in the hospital and my parents were the ones to pay the bills. They were at the hospital for hours everyday, keeping vigil. Lydia told me that she was embarrassed about her choices; she told me that she had betrayed my parents with her actions and didn't want to hurt them anymore."

"In the five months she lived with you did Wickham ever come into the picture?"

"No. Never. And she actually lived with me less than five months. Leah was premature."

Jane glanced at Wickham's lawyer and then turned back to the stand. "Was it possible Wickham did not know where Lydia was? Had no way to contact her?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "We didn't think it was safe for her to be around Wickham...because of the lifestyle he had introduced her to," she started quickly.

"And why did you fear for her safety?"

"Lydia became involved in a cycle of drugs. The clinic told her she had to remove herself from situations, when all possible, of any drug use."

"Did you or your parents keep George away from Lydia?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "He was her baby's father. We wanted her away from the lifestyle, but felt okay having him around if someone was with her. Lydia didn't change her cell phone number. He had a way to contact her. He just never did."

Nodding, Jane moved on. "What about at the birth? Did George Wickham appear for the birth of his daughter?"

"Not at her birth, no. While Lydia was in early labor she called Wickham, but he did not arrive during her birth." Elizabeth shuddered visibly as she remembered the hours of Lydia's labor---the pain of her contractions, the emotional struggle she went through as she tried to decide if she should call her daughter's father, the grateful tears for her family's presence. It had been emotionally draining, but Elizabeth soon found out it had not numbed her completely. It was Lydia's death that had accomplished that feat. Until that day, Elizabeth had never really known what true grief was.

"Was there ever a written agreement between you and your sister that you would gain custody of your niece?"

Closing her eyes, Elizabeth let the hurt of her sister's death wash through her. Lydia had been so young, so energetic, so hopeful about her new future...

"No," she choked out. "There was never a formal agreement. We never expected Lydia to die. She didn't expect to die. I mean, she was so focused on living..." Elizabeth tried to hold back her choked sob that reverberated through the courtroom and took a deep breath to still her tears. A glance over at Will made her eyes water all over again. His eyes were bright with unshed tears and he was holding Leah so tenderly, almost as if finally realizing what could have happened to his little girl.

Will was thinking about how different Leah's life could have been, but for the courage of her aunt and her mother. He had not thought about Lydia very often, besides to pity her and the choices she had made. Now, however, he realized the grit it took for the sister-in-law he had never met to start living again. And the anguish in his wife's eyes and face were tearing him apart. She didn't discuss Lydia; it was another subject that was closed. She had told him a bit of her past now, but so much of Elizabeth's life was buried. It took guts for her to open up to him, the man she loved, let alone to a courtroom. He would have done anything to comfort her. Everything inside him was screaming to get up, whisk her off the stand, and hold her. Placing a kiss on Leah's downy head, he knew that wasn't an option. Leah counted on them to provide for her; there was no letting her down.

"Why didn't Leah live with your parents?"

"They were there for me whenever I needed help, but I felt...I---I felt that I owed it to Lydia to care for Leah. She had told me her dreams and hopes for her daughter and I just wanted to make sure her wishes and prayers could come true." Elizabeth glanced at Will and knew with one look that he was also thinking the same as Elizabeth. Of course she had wanted to provide for Leah, but she had also felt an enormous sense of guilt. After all, Lydia would not have even known Wickham if Elizabeth hadn't brought him into her life. Will shook his head and frowned at her. He was even trying to tell her everything wasn't her fault with facial expressions now.

"Did Wickham ever show up at the hospital?"

"Yes. About two weeks after Leah was born, when she was still in the neo-natal intensive care, Wickham came."

"What did he say?"

"He certainly didn't want his daughter." The vehemence in her voice surprised even Elizabeth. The sharp staccato of George's lawyer calling out an objection surprised her as well.

"Your Honor, not only are Mrs. Darcy's comments inflammatory, this is complete speculation."

Judge Gardiner nodded. "Mrs. Darcy, let's stay with the facts."

Jane smiled encouragingly at Elizabeth. "Please just tell me what George Wickham said, Mrs. Darcy."

Elizabeth sighed. "He called Lydia many horrible names I don't wish to repeat and accused her of owing him four thousand dollars. He smelled of alcohol; George could barely stand. I called security and they escorted him out. He was yelling the whole way out, but not for his daughter. He wanted his money and nothing else. He never glanced at his daughter or even asked about her once."

"When was the next time you heard from Mr. Wickham?"

"A few months ago he began contacting me and threatening me. Suddenly he wanted his daughter."

"How did George contact you?"

"Mainly, he called me. And..." Elizabeth paused and looked at Wickham quickly, "he also caught me in person while I was working once."

"How many times did he contact you by telephone?"

"I really don't know the exact amount. Enough that I had to change phone numbers."

"Have you observed any concerns that might affect George's parenting skills?"

Elizabeth had to stop herself from laughing scornfully. What hadn't she observed?

"George has failed in every relationship since I have known him. When George and I were...closer, he could never put anyone before himself. One thing I have learned this past year raising Leah is that parenthood demands unselfishness. From my observations of Wickham, it would be hard for him to change and put Leah's needs before his own. And after watching Lydia try to pull her way out of his type of lifestyle, I simply can't imagine a young child being raised in it."

At her words, she saw the flinch in Wickham's eyes. It was surprising, really, because the George she knew would never have given any outward sign of pain. In fact, now that she was truly looking at him, Elizabeth realized that if she weren't looking directly at his face, she would not have even recognized him. His shoulders were hunched and his head was down. He was wringing his hands in his lap and tapping his foot nervously against the leg of his chair. George Wickham no longer appeared to be the same arrogant, self-assured man. Instead, he was caved into himself, meeting her gaze with a sharp, but unidentifiable emotion written all over his face.

"Thank you, Mrs. Darcy." Jane beamed at her and sat down.

Normally Elizabeth would have tensed, waiting for Wickham's shark to pounce, but she was too involved in staring at Wickham. She broke his gaze to glance at Will and he shared her look. He knew something about Wickham was different, too. But his steady gaze told her he had already pinpointed what it was.

"Ms. Younge?" The judge's voice rang through her thoughts and she turned towards him. "Do you have any cross examination?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

Ms. Younge was a middle-aged woman, with hair that was not graying gracefully. If the situation wasn't so grave, Elizabeth would have probably shared a chuckle with Jane. Ms. Younge was the stereotypical mid-life-crisis-needs-to-look-25-woman. Her suit was what the fashionable young reporters wore in her office, but it was just a bit too tight and out of place on Ms. Younge. Considering this woman looked like she wanted to chew up Elizabeth and spit her out, though, Elizabeth just swallowed and cleared her dry throat.

"You were caring for your niece when you were single, correct?"

"Yes." Elizabeth answered, but noticed Charles and Jane whispering to each other.

"You work as a writer for the newspaper here, Mrs. Darcy?"

"Yes."

"Does your job require you to be away from home?"

She stiffened. "There are times when I have to cover games out of town. Actually, I will no longer be holding that position next---"

"Please just answer the question, Mrs. Darcy. Was it hard raising Leah as a single mother, especially with a job taking you out of town?"

"Well, I wouldn't particularly call raising a child easy in any situation, Ms. Younge, but I suppose so, yes. That is why I was grateful to have the help of my family."

"Oh, of course." Ms. Younge smiled, but it was edged with malice. "I'm sure it is much more convenient now that you have a husband to help care for Leah. Does Mr. Darcy's job take him from home?"

Starting to feel quite uncomfortable at the lawyer's probing, Elizabeth shook her head. "Well, my husband is the head of his company, so his schedule can be a bit more flexible. One or both of us is with Leah at all times."

"And how long have you been married?"

"Objection." Charles announced, startling Elizabeth. "Relevancy, Your Honor?"

Judge Gardiner eyed Ms. Younge. "Is there a point in sight, Ms. Younge?"

"Yes, Your Honor. I would like the background to their marriage, which conveniently happened before this hearing."

Pursing his lips, Judge Gardiner finally nodded. "I'll allow it. Proceed. Please answer the question, Mrs. Darcy."

Swallowing, Elizabeth answered, "We were married in July."

"And when did you meet?"

Elizabeth was about to answer, but then smiled brilliantly. "We met in college, actually. I was doing an internship at Sports Illustrated and I interviewed my husband." Catching Will's eye, Elizabeth smiled as he gave her a wink. "Several months ago we met again."

"And was anyone a bit worried at your quick engagement? Was there any reason you felt you needed to marry so quickly?"

Elizabeth's eyes were sparkling so brightly, Will knew she would have winked at him if Jane or Charles would have allowed it. "My husband loved me. What other reason do you need?"

Will almost laughed at the way Elizabeth was twisting her words. It was obvious Wickham's lawyer was trying to defame Elizabeth---and their marriage---but his wife was getting the upper hand without perjuring herself. There was another obvious reason they married, but there was no denying Will had also married her because he was in love with her. He squeezed Leah a bit tighter and admired his wife's quick wit.

Obviously feeling the brick wall her questioning had crashed into, Ms. Younge continued on a different tangent.

"You said, Mrs. Darcy, that your sister called my client when she was in labor. Did she reach him?"

Pausing to remember a moment that seemed so long ago, Elizabeth then spoke. "No, she did not. George didn't pick up, but she did leave him a message."

"So it was possible that George never received your message and did not know about the birth of his daughter?"

"Whether he checked his messages is out of my control, Ms. Younge. However, he knew Lydia was pregnant. He might have thought of contacting her."

"So it is possible he didn't get the message, Mrs. Darcy? Yes or no?"

Not liking the answer she had to give, Elizabeth clipped off a "Yes."

"You gave your observations on why you think my client would make an unfit father. Your previous answer alluded to a prior relationship between yourself and my client. How exactly did you know my client, Mrs. Darcy?"

Briefly closing her eyes, Elizabeth took a quick breath. This was what she was dreading. "I did know Wickham well, ma'am. We dated for one year. I had a very good opportunity to observe his vices."

"If he would be such an unfit father, Mrs. Darcy, I must ask why you continued to date him for a year?"

"Objection!" Jane stood. "These questions have no relevancy, Your Honor."

"Over-ruled. I find it relevant in light of the witness' words about Mr. Wickham."

Elizabeth bit her lip at the Judges words---hard.

"Do I need to repeat the question, Mrs. Darcy?"

Trying to keep her shaking voice under control, Elizabeth shook her head. "Unfortunately, I was...young and naïve and realized too late what kind of man George Wickham is."

"You made George your manager, correct?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that he made you quite successful, even getting you quite a bit of money?"

"Yes, that is true. He did earn me money; I got what was left after he took much of it from me."

She saw Jane flinch and wondered why until Ms. Younge pounced. "Really. Can you prove that accusation in court today, Mrs. Darcy?"

"Uh..." Elizabeth glanced at Jane and she gave her a look that clearly told her to keep her attitude in check. "No, ma'am, I cannot."

"So you dated George Wickham for a year---for reasons you cannot seem to name---he earned you a lot of money, and then you fired him. Did you break up with him because he wasn't finding you enough money?"

"No!" Elizabeth shouted, hating the way this lawyer was painting her. She looked towards Jane and Charles, who both smiled encouragingly---although Jane looked a bit weak. Ms. Younge was asking a question based on what Elizabeth had said; it was simply the nature of the insinuation that appalled Elizabeth.

"Can you tell the court why you ended your relationship?"

Elizabeth stared at the lawyer in shock. Ms. Younge smiled back at her, a cocky almost daring look in her eyes. It was then that Elizabeth realized Wickham's lawyer knew all about the relationship and knew that Elizabeth wouldn't tell the real reason. Wickham must have told Ms. Young how ashamed Elizabeth was, how she had done everything in her power to hide the abuse. Literally feeling a wave of nausea hitting her, Elizabeth swallowed slowly and couldn't stop herself from looking at George. She expected the same smug expression on his face, but instead saw he was frowning, his body language screaming discomfort. He had slid down in his seat, with his head tucked into his shoulders like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. As if he felt Elizabeth's eyes on him, Wickham raised his to meet hers. Elizabeth had to actually stifle a gasp of surprise. His eyes were...anguished. There was no other word to describe the remorse in the green depths. He was radiating shame with his eyes.

"Mrs. Darcy. Please answer the question. Is it true you ended your relationship with George Wickham because you could not fulfill all his needs?" She was smiling and turned towards Wickham, probably to share the conspiracy with him. Apparently she was so sure of herself, she didn't notice Wickham's countenance. Turning away from the lawyer's self-satisfied smile, Elizabeth instead looked at her husband. Ms. Younge's words had sickened Elizabeth. They had visibly upset Will, as well; he had gone a bit pale and was hugging Leah a little too strongly. The baby didn't like it; it would be less than a minute before she filled the courtroom with her screams. His brown eyes were worried and he looked as if he wanted to grab her from the witness stand and take her far away. Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth smiled at her niece and husband and knew what she had to say---what she should have said from the beginning.

"No, Ms. Younge."

"Then why, Mrs. Darcy?" Ms. Younge still had that feral smile on her face, as if she knew she had Elizabeth trapped and was gloating over her prey. Elizabeth's disgust soon turned to anger, and soon that anger spilled over.

"All right, Ms. Younge, I'll you why I ended the relationship. The last few months, George had become abusive. He hit me many times. I was young and didn't leave him soon enough. Perhaps you could say that is my greatest observation of George Wickham as a potential father. He has a temper and when he can't control it, he uses his fists."

Elizabeth was surprised to actually feel a sense of power as she spoke the words. That part of her life was never spoken of; when she had told Will that was actually the first time she had admitted it aloud to anyone. She had never thought about or talked about the abuse without crying. She wasn't going to cry now. A weight had been lifted; it was empowering to tell the truth and put Wickham in his place.

Her sister was tearing up, though, and was quickly trying to compose herself. Jane was actually gray and Elizabeth knew she was blaming herself for not seeing. They would need to have a long talk later.

"Would you like more detail, Ms. Younge? I'm sorry I don't have my medical records with me, but I know there are plenty. The medical staff was always very skeptical of my clumsiness and was always very thorough. I mean, how many times can a grown woman walk into a door or trip down the steps? They've got plenty of pictures of bruises and they even treated my broken fingers once."

She saw Wickham visibly flinch out of the corner of her eye as the lawyer quickly told the judge she had no more questions. But she actually heard Will growl. She hadn't told him about any broken bones and when she glanced at him, he looked murderous. Like he wanted to break a few of Wickham's bones.

George obviously didn't notice, however, as he was busy whispering to his lawyer.

"Mrs. Darcy, you may take a seat."

She made her way back to Will on wobbly legs and hadn't even sat down before Will threw his arm around her and held her tightly. Elizabeth was glad; the powerful feeling had quickly fled and left shakiness behind. He kissed the top of her head.

"I love you so much, Elizabeth. You are beautiful." He whispered the words in her ear for only her to hear. She realized that Will himself was shaking and that his voice had cracked. Looking up into his worried eyes, Elizabeth placed a gentling hand on his cheek.

"I love you, too, Will."

Her words seemed to be the calming effect he needed. Quickly kissing her palm, Will turned his attention back to the Judge. He had been talking and they both realized how stupid it was for them not to listen. Leah, of course, didn't have a care and launched herself into Elizabeth's lap. Kissing her forehead, Elizabeth smiled when Leah grabbed onto her ear and pulled.

When Judge Gardiner called George to the witness stand, Ms. Younge rose instead. She didn't appear happy and the look she shot George told him so.

"My client would like to address the court."

The Judge nodded his head and everyone turned to look at Wickham, standing with his lawyer.

Wickham shifted his gaze from the judge to the witness stand, and then it landed across the aisle. His eyes stared into Elizabeth's and as she uncomfortably returned his gaze, she saw that emotion stirring in his eyes again. Regret. Looking over at Leah nestled protectively on Elizabeth's lap and Elizabeth wrapped lovingly in Will's arms, Wickham closed his eyes and turned back to the judge.

"Your Honor, I no longer want custody. In fact, for the better of my..." George's words stuck and he gazed back at the baby, "daughter, I am requesting that full custody be given to William and Elizabeth Darcy. I will relinquish my parental rights so they can adopt her."

Wickham turned to Elizabeth, who looked shell-shocked and didn't even seem to notice the tears rolling down her face. "I...I---" Wickham shook his head and started over. "When she's old enough to understand, tell her everything about me, Elizabeth. Let her know what I truly was. But please...just let her know that I did this one...good thing. Please."

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Posted on Friday, 17 November 2006

No one was more surprised than Elizabeth at Wickham's announcement. She felt her mouth literally fall open. She didn't know how to react; she didn't know what to say. It was really as if she was frozen---unable to do anything even if she knew what she wanted to do.

Charles, morphing into a corporate lawyer right in front of her eyes, knew exactly what to do. "Your Honor, we have the previous paper work we offered to Mr. Wickham. We simply need signatures."

"We can proceed directly," Jane commented quietly.

The Judge looked at Ms. Younge who nodded her assent and then he rose.

"We will proceed in my chambers. Mr. Darcy...Mrs. Darcy, you are free to leave. Your little girl must be ready to go home." Judge Gardiner gave them a smile, tweaked Leah on the nose and turned a serious look at George. "Let's go, young man. It seems you have made a fine decision and I would not want anything to change it. I could have fixed it myself, but I do feel a sense of satisfaction when there is no need. There is nothing better in my life than seeing people take responsibilities for their actions."

George gave Leah another regretful look and preceded the judge into the anteroom. Charles shot them a smile and Jane quickly squeezed Elizabeth's arm, happiness obviously radiating from her lovely face. Once the door had shut, Elizabeth and Will were left alone in the courtroom with Leah.

"I have this overwhelming need to follow him. I just can't take him at his word. You two are my family. I'm not sure I can believe it will happen like this." Will was pacing and growling.

Elizabeth was silent, holding Leah close.

"How do we know he won't change his mind in there again? How do we know this isn't some trick?"

"Will..." Elizabeth started, but her husband didn't hear her; he was too busy snarling. "Will!"

He looked up in surprise at her. "What?"

"I don't think the Judge would have sided with Wickham. From what he said just now, I mean. I think he was ready to make a judgment in our favor."

"He better have after what you testified to," Will grumbled angrily. He looked up and pierced her with his gaze. "How come you never mentioned hospital visits before?"

Elizabeth sighed. "Because I knew you would get like this. I want to move on, Will. I have to."

Will paused, just looking at her, for a few seconds. The next thing she knew, Elizabeth and Leah were wrapped up inside two strong arms. "I'm sorry, Elizabeth," he apologized. "I know how hard it was for you to say what you had to say. I didn't want you to have to say it. I was hoping you wouldn't have to."

Elizabeth was still turned into Will's chest, her face pressed against the soft material of his dress shirt. He had Leah scooped safely in one arm, but was giving most of his support to his wife. Sometimes the truth was ugly and although nothing George had done was even remotely her fault, it had still brought an ugly distastefulness back into her life.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, sweetheart. I wanted to deck that lawyer of his...woman or not." Will stopped and kissed her forehead. "I mean, I'm thankful it's over...but I wish you hadn't had to go through all of that."

Elizabeth let out a breath and pulled away from Will's chest. Looking up at him, her bottom lip caught in her teeth, Elizabeth shook her head. "Maybe it was better. I was holding all that...guilt inside me. It's out now. For good or bad---it's out."

Will smiled at her, leaned down and kissed her gently. "Oh, it's for good. You don't have to hide from it anymore. I love you, Elizabeth Darcy."

The sudden grin on her face made Will feel much better. "I love you, too, Will." Elizabeth shook her head slightly, as if to rid it of spider webs. "I can't believe it, though. When we went through all the scenarios of what would happen...I never expected---who would have thought he..." Elizabeth trailed off, not able to explain her thoughts in words. Not that she needed to; Will was feeling the exact same way. She glanced up at Will, her face shining. "Will...Leah is ours."

Will shook his head and pulled the baby tighter to his chest. He was ready to go home. "No. She always was."

It should have shocked Elizabeth how quickly she and Will fell back into their old life. After all, Wickham's decision had been momentous---had been life-changing. Still, the daily pattern seemed comforting. Will got Leah ready in the morning and when she wasn't out of town, Elizabeth woke up to kiss him goodbye. It was much easier for both of them to concentrate on their jobs now that they knew Leah's future was protected. Mrs. Reynolds had heard murmurings from Will's employees that his constant smile kind of frightened them and when Elizabeth was still grinning after a dreadful 13-3 Cardinals shellacking, Bernie pinched her to figure out what was wrong with her.

Elizabeth didn't think she would not be able to smile. For the first time in several years, she felt completely free. There were no overwhelming worries or fears to weigh her down and the heavy guilt on her shoulders was gone. She could look at her life---both her past and her present---and feel satisfied. But it was when she thought about her future that Elizabeth truly felt the happiness radiating...when she felt her heart so full it could burst...when she would start spurting off happy clichés.

It didn't seem real that her life could suddenly seem so perfect. Wickham was gone, though kind-hearted Jane was keeping in touch with him. He had apparently checked himself into a clinic for substance abuse and Elizabeth truly did hope he could change his life. But that was all she wanted to think about him. It was not as if she could completely shove Wickham out of her entire life---after all, he was the father of her niece and someday Leah would ask about her birth father. Smiling, Elizabeth knew, however, that she would probably only be curious. With Will as her father, Leah would grow up in love and no matter how many clinics George checked himself into...Elizabeth just wasn't sure he could ever truly give his daughter that.

But Will could. Oh, Will definitely could, Elizabeth thought as she watched her husband dance around the living room with Leah in his arms. The baby was giggling as Will spun in a circle, serenading her with song. The adoration on his face was priceless. Looking up and seeing his wife smiling at him, Will winked and beckoned her with a wave of her hand.

"Leah wants mommy to dance, too," he said when she entered the room. As if on cue, Leah giggled and clapped her hands.

"Of course," Elizabeth told her, blowing raspberries on the baby's stomach.

"As long as you give your sacred promise not to sing." Will laughed when Elizabeth paused in her tickling to glare at him. "Hey, I'm just the messenger. Talk to your daughter."

"My daughter..." Elizabeth murmured, smiling at the word. "I can get used to that."

"Well, you better. Charles told me our adoption papers are almost processed. Soon, this girl is going to be Leah Elizabeth Darcy."

Her grin grew. "I like the sound of that, too."

Will's voice cracked as he spoke and Elizabeth was surprised to see tears shining in his eyes. "That...that makes two of us, sweetheart." Leaning down, probably trying to hide his uncharacteristic display of emotion, Will kissed Elizabeth and then leaned his forehead on hers, eyes closed.

Who knows how long they would have stayed like that if Leah hadn't kicked out with a foot that landed right in Elizabeth's rib cage.

"Ow."

Will laughed. "I guess this little girl wants to get back to dancing. We better enroll her in some classes. She's got talent."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Leah's supposed talents---sitting in Will's arms and letting him do all the work. Oh yeah, Leah definitely had her daddy wrapped around her little finger already. When Lydia had died and Elizabeth was left with a premature, sickly baby, she would never have guessed a man would come into their lives and show them so much love. She would never have imagined that she would love him with so much of herself.

Now she couldn't imagine anything but a life filled with that love and with happiness and with children...definitely more children. Elizabeth smiled as Will carefully lowered Leah upside down and she giggled her baby laugh. She wasn't going to stand around and wonder over her future. It would come. Maybe with some hard times, but nothing she---no, they--couldn't handle. Turning up the volume on the stereo, Elizabeth realized she didn't have to worry about the future anymore. Dancing over to her husband and daughter, Elizabeth realized she simply had to enjoy the present.

The End