Red Bears and Polka Dots

By Becca

Jump to new as of June 26, 2002

Chapter One

Posted on Tuesday, 19 February 2002

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a science major in possession of a full schedule must be in want of down time. And so it was for Elizabeth Kala Bennett. Liz, as she was known to others, was a junior Genetic Engineering major with a schedule full of lectures, multiple labs, and her own research. In addition to her academics, Liz was both manager and a player on the tennis team and worked as an instructional assistant in the biology department. On the rare occasion that she was actually in her room, her roommate Luci was almost sure to be there. Much like on this day in early-October, Liz was coming in from the GE lab at 10:00pm on a Friday night. "Liz, when are you gonna learn to live a social life on the weekends?"

"Luci! I was working on my research. And I do live a social life on the weekends."

"Um...since when? I mean, granted, the year's just started and all, but you haven't been out once yet unless you're going to a match."

"Well I just don't have the time."

"Okay. Well, when is your match tomorrow?"

"Four...why?"

"All right then. Tonight or tomorrow? Pick one."

"What!?"

"Just pick!"

"All right! All right! Tonight, I guess."

"Good, you have one hour to get ready, hon. Let me make a few phone calls." Liz threw her bag on the floor near her desk, checked her computer for messages, then grabbed her shower stuff and took off to get ready for the night. By 10:45, Liz was ready to go. She wore jeans and a red 3/4 length sleeve shirt. Her hair, still wet, was twisted up into a bun and secured with a pen. Luci was nowhere to be seen. Liz was putting on her garnet and silver cross necklace when Luci walked in. "Liz! You look fantastic! Who would have guessed you clean up this nicely?" Liz tried to look offended.

"Whatever you say, Luce, whatever you say. So what's the plan for tonight?"

"Well, we're headin down to Char's room for food, movies, and fun. That's all I'm saying."

Waiting for Liz and Luci with a pizza, an assortment of Chinese food and plenty of ice cream stored in the lounge freezer were her best friend, Charlotte Lucas, Liz's sister Jane and Jane's roommate Anne. Charlotte, by some fantastic strike of luck, not only had a single room, but the largest room on campus. Her room also happened to be near a very seldom-used lounge with a very seldom-used freezer that now held ice cream. A bed and futon fit comfortably in the room, along with the standard issue tiny three drawer dresser, and desk. Her television sat where everyone would have a perfect view. Luci closed the door behind Liz and plopped down on a beanbag against the closet. "Lizzy!! You look so nice!"

"Shut up, Jane. You know very well that this is the standard when I'm forced to dress up." The last comment from Liz sent the other girls into peals of laughter. Liz smiled and began her search for vegetable fried rice and a fork. On finding it she settled comfortably back into her spot on the floor leaning against the bed. "So what are we watching?"

"Well, we thought a little Hugh, some Rupert, Jeremy, and some Paul, too. Nothing too serious, you know. Just a night of food, movies and fun," replied Charlotte as she pulled out the movies. "So what first?" It was decided that they'd watch Someone Like You with Hugh Jackman first, as Liz had to get to sleep at a decent time in order to be ready for her game the next day (not that it mattered as they watched all the movies anyway). Commentary throughout the movies resulted in rewinding multiple times. Not that it was a problem for any of the girls. After the movies were over, Liz got up to leave.

"You know, we should do this more often. Like once a month or something."

Charlotte was the first to respond, "Hey, you got it girlie. You know my room is always open to you all. Isn't your birthday a few weeks from now, Annie?"

"Well, yeah...."

"But?" Charlotte helped.

"But Mom will probably insist on a family dinner with myself and my cousins. It'll probably include some of her "high society" friends. I'll let you girls know when I know what's going on."

"Well," started Liz, "your mother sounds like a bundle of fun."

"Oh, she's quite a woman," Luci said.

"You know her mom, Luce?"

"Oh yeah. My attendance at those parties was mandatory for a while. Of course, I wasn't treated as well as our dear Annie or the cousins, but that's just Lady Cat for ya." She stopped to laugh with Anne at the very confused looks on the faces of the other girls. "Well, off to bed with Liz and me. We have things to do tomorrow. Remember girls, Liz's game is home. See ya at the courts around 4. Oh and Jane, feel free to bring your new boy." Jane stared open-mouthed at the door and was then forced to tell the two remaining girls about the new man in her life.

As promised, the girls showed up at Liz's match the next day, all but Charlotte who had a previous engagement for that day. Liz played well and won both her singles and doubles matches. After meeting with the coach to go over a few managerial things, and congratulating the girls on their great effort and wins on the courts that day, Luci suggested a place for dinner and Liz agreed to meet the group there. Jane was bringing Charles, Anne asked if she could bring three guys along, which went over very well with the other girls. The girls took off and Liz headed back to her room to shower and dress for dinner. Since the restaurant was a bit on the upscale side, Liz wore a long black dress. The dress had a small brown flower pattern and was both high-necked and sleeveless, and hugged in just the right areas. Liz let her hair down from the bun that had been secured since the night before. Her chestnut brown hair fell in large, soft waves to the middle of her back. To dress it up a bit, she pulled back small sections from the front and secured them in the back with a small clip. One coat of mascara and an application of lip gloss and she was out the door.

Liz arrived at the restaurant to find everyone but Luci present. She sat at one end of the table, the spot reserved for her, between her sister and an attractive man she'd never met before. He was one of the three men with Anne. Jane began the introductions. "Lizzy, this is Charles Bingley." Jane said as she motioned to the good-looking blonde beside her. He had happy blue eyes, and before the end of the night, Lizzy would have found him to be as good-natured as her sister. Anne then took over the introductions.

"Liz, this," as she pointed to the man at Liz's side, "is my cousin, William Darcy, beside me is Richard Fitzwilliam, and across from me is his twin, Colonel Fitzwilliam."

"Colonel? Are you in the military or something?" Liz asked.

"No," Richard replied. "I'm the one in the military. The Marines to be exact. Colonel is his first name. We're a bit of a family joke."

"That we are. I'm actually in school. I'm working on a doctorate in Modern European History. I teach military history at the university."

"Well, nice to meet you all." The men greeted Liz, and the waiter arrived to take their drink order. They placed their orders and Liz asked Jane if she'd heard from Luci, when she replied in the negative, Liz excused herself to make a phone call.

When she returned to the table Jane and Charles were wrapped in conversation, as were Anne and Richard. William seemed to comment every now and then, and Colonel was studying the menu. Liz took her seat and William turned his attention to her. "Is your friend all right? You seem a bit distressed." Liz sighed.

"I'm sure she's fine. I tried our room and her cell phone. There was no answer on either, but I left messages. I'm sure she just got held up somewhere. She'll probably show in about 15 minutes."

"I'm glad to hear it. So Anne asked us to dinner tonight, but she didn't say why. Since you're in the seat of honor, I'm guessing it has to do with you." Liz took the time in which he was speaking to check him out. He appeared to be a well-built guy. His hair was in dark, unruly curls, and his eyes were a warm chocolate brown. Realizing he had finished speaking, Liz replied.

"Yes. I had a tennis match today. I won in both my singles and doubles matches. The single's was especially difficult. She was a good match in both skill and experience. It was a long game. Do you play any sports, William?"

"When I get the chance, I don't mind a game of tennis. I swim more of the time. That's about it. How did you get into the sport?"

"Actually, it was just a random decision during high school. One summer I just decided I wanted to play, so I took some lessons, and when the season started up, I joined the team. I just fell in love with the sport. On the team at school I'm the manager as well as a player, so it works out well." Just as Liz finished speaking, Luci approached the table. She looked tired and worn out, it was a drastic change from how she had looked only an hour and a half ago. "Luci! What's wrong, hon?"

"Ugh!" Luci walked over to hug Liz then sat across from her at the table. "My brother called. 'Can I borrow your car? Are you busy? Can I have some money?' I swear some days I just can't stand him." Luci stopped and looked around the table. "Excuse my poor manners. Hello Jane, Charles, Annie. Rich! Good to see you," she said as she eyed Richard. She then looked to her left where Colonel sat. "Col...Hi." Luci then looked around the table and as her eyes fell on Darcy; the look in them changed. "You," was all she said.

"Hello," he replied.

"Oh!! I'm so glad you remember Will! Did you know they're in school only 3 hours from us!? Just think, we can all get together more often!" Anne's comment put on broad smile on both Jane and Charles' faces.

"Fantastic." Luci replied dryly. "Can we order? I could use some food." The waiter was summoned, and orders placed. Luci kept her attention on Richard, Anne, and Colonel. She only looked toward the other end of the table when Liz called her attention to something. Not a single person could figure why Luci was so cold toward William.

Dinner went on without much of a hitch. That is, if you consider the snide remarks and glares that Luci occasionally shot down Darcy's way, nothing. After dinner, the group made their way outside where Luci promptly lit a cigarette. "LUCI!" Liz yelled.

"I know, I know, Liz." She replied. The men stopped to look, Anne sighed and Jane whispered an explanation of the situation to Charles. "Well, obviously not, Luce! You said you'd quit! You know that's a horrible habit."

"As I said before...I KNOW LIZ. Stop acting like my mother. Could you once- just once- let me make a mistake?" Luci's slight English accent became more prominent as she got more annoyed. Liz opened her mouth to speak but Luci held up her hand to stop her and walked off to her car.

"Well, that went about as well as last time," Anne replied.

"This has happened before?" Richard asked.

"Oh yes," answered Liz. "It started our first year in school. She was really stressed and after a while, she picked up smoking. She finally quit at the end of last year, then she came to visit this summer and she'd started again. She must be extremely stressed because that's the only time it happens. I don't know what's got her so upset."

Darcy had listened to Liz and had noticed Luci's behavior through dinner. He had a good idea of what had made her upset. What he couldn't figure out was why. "Will she be all right?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm sure she will. I just need to give her some time to cool off."

"I know I for one have to be back," Anne said. "I'm sure my mother's called and left messages wondering where I am, even though I told her what I'm doing tonight."

Richard and Darcy decided to head back home. Jane and Charles, still engrossed in each other, decided to continue to get to know each other over coffee, and Anne and Liz were more than ready for a good nights sleep. Colonel only said he had something else to do in town that night. Everyone parted on good terms and agreed to meet for dinner again another time.

Chapter 2

As she drew nearer to school, Luci pulled into a grocery store parking lot. She picked up a few potatoes, and some butter. She headed back to the room, dug around for a pot, sharp knife, and a potato masher, and went down to the kitchen on the first floor to make mashed potatoes. Meanwhile, Liz was entering the room ever so carefully, in case Luci was still upset. On finding the room empty, she sighed, changed into her pajamas, and then went to the bathroom to wash the makeup off her face. When she returned, Liz turned out the light, crawled into bed, and drifted off to sleep.

Luci, who had yet to change from dinner, sat in the kitchen waiting for her water to boil and the potatoes to be ready when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and on seeing a familiar number, answered. "Hello."

"Hey you."

"Well?"

"Well...What are you doing right now?"

"Making mashed potatoes. Want some?"

"I would have to be there to have some, wouldn't I? You can't very well pass them through the phone, now can you?"

"Well, if I know you, you're either just outside my dorm waiting for me, or about to ask me for directions here." The person on the line chuckled.

"You know me too well! Come let me in."

"I'll be right there." Luci pulled the pot off the stove and went up to answer the door. When she opened it, waiting for her was a man standing at an even six feet staring down at her with blue-gray eyes. He could be described as skinny, and one could say, in need of a haircut. His shaggy dark blonde hair was a bit on the longer side and starting to curl slightly at the ends. "Hi Col."

"Good of you to invite me over, Lu." Luci nodded her head in agreement and after signing Colonel in, lead him down to the kitchen. She put the pot back on for a few minutes and sat down. Colonel followed her example and took a seat next to her.

"How ya been, kid?"

Luci sighed. "Not so well, Col, not so well." She got up and poked at the potatoes with her fork. Noting that they were done, she drained the water and proceeded to mash the potatoes. Grabbing a community fork, that luckily was plastic and still in a sealed box, Luci brought the pot over to the table they were sitting at and handed Col a fork. "Here ya go. Eat up."

Colonel looked at her and said, "What's wrong today, Lu? I mean, the attitude toward Darcy, the smoking, the yelling at your roommate and best friend? What's this all about?" Luci stopped eating her potatoes and looked at him.

"I'm just stressed, ya know? I mean, the brother certainly doesn't help. He always needs something. I can't just ignore him that'd be rude. But I'm actually trying to make something of myself, and all he ever wants is something to aid in his screwing around. I sometimes wonder how he's even still here and graduating this year." Colonel noticed she completely ignored the question pertaining to Darcy.

"Well, first of all, just because you're stressed doesn't mean you should take up smoking again. There are a lot of other things you can do to relieve that stress, okay? Secondly, with your brother, just tell him you don't have time. It's perfectly fine for you to be busy. I hate to see you get so worked up over things. It's not healthy and you know it."

"Yeah. I suppose I can do that. I didn't mean to take up smoking again, it's just that they were in my car, and well, it was tempting." Colonel reached over and grabbed her hand. "I know, Lu, but still. You're getting rid of those tonight. Tell ya what. What do you say we finish these delicious potatoes, head back to my place, watch a movie, and in the morning, I'll make you anything you want for breakfast." Luci looked up at him and smiled.

"That sounds great! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaait a minute. You go to school three hours away, and home is in New England. Both of those are pretty long drives considering the time."

"Ah! You forget. We have a cabin about a half-hour north of here. I have a key to the place because I'm the one that uses it the most often. So what do you say?"

"I say I'm in!"

"There's one condition." Luci's face fell.

"Condition? What is it?"

"You have to tell Liz that you're leaving. Leave her a note if you like, but you have to go up to the room and let her know where you're going to be and how to reach you."

"Okay, I suppose I can do that." Luci started back in on the mashed potatoes.

"Are you going to help me finish these or not?"

Shortly after Luci left, the phone in the room rang. Liz, awakened by the ringing was too tired to actually get up, so she let the machine get it. The voice she heard was one that had been running through her head all night. "Umm...hello. I guess you're out or sleeping, sorry if the latter is the case and I woke you. Liz, it's William, I uh...well, just give me a call tomorrow, I suppose. You can reach me at--" Before he could get the number out, Liz was on her feet. She grabbed the phone and stopped the machine.

"William! Hi! Sorry, I was, uh...umm...well, sleeping actually."

"Oh, sorry to have woken you. I can just leave you a number and you can call me tomorrow if that would be more convenient."

"NO!" Liz blurted. "I mean, uh...No, no, that's all right. I'm awake now; I might as well talk to you. Why'd you call?"

"You're not going to ask how I got your number first?"

"All right...How'd you get my number? Wait! Lemme guess! Anne gave it to you?"

"Yes, actually."

"Okay, so why did you call?"

"Well, I uh...I guess I just wanted to say that it was a pleasure to meet you, and I'd love to get to know you better." Liz stared at the phone in disbelief. Tall, dark, intelligent, and handsome wanted to get to know her better!? How great was her luck? She was brought back to reality by William's voice.

"Oh! Sorry, William. Umm...I'd love to get to know you better, too. So does this mean you're asking me out?"

"Well, yeah. How about next weekend? Next Friday maybe?"

"That'd be great! Oh...wait. I uh...I have a game next Saturday, and we're leaving here at 8 am. I can't really be out too late. I can't really afford to drive too far, either. I'm pretty much busy every weekend until the season is over."

"Well, then I'll just have to drive down to visit you. Col has a cabin only about a half-hour from where you are. I can stay get the keys from him this week."

"I'd hate for you to go to so much trouble."

"Don't worry about it. So, Friday? If you want to get an early night, how about we make dinner at 6?"

"Sounds great. Do you want me to pick a place or do you have a suggestion for that, too?"

"I'll leave the picking to you. I don't really know that area at all. How about you make the reservations, and I'll call you later this week for confirmation?"

"Sounds like a plan to me, William. Sooo...are you going to give me your number or do I have to ask Anne for it?" She asked with a smile. William willingly relinquished the treasure and they parted on good terms. Liz hung up the phone and snuggled back into her bed. It was nothing but good dreams for both that night.

Chapter 3

It took Col and Luci over an hour to get to the cabin, not because of bad traffic, but because they couldn't decide on a movie at the rental store. They finally decided on The Emperor's New Groove, and headed up to the cabin. When they arrived, Luci went to set up the movie and Col went into the kitchen to make them each a cup of tea. The first thing Col noticed as he entered the living room was Luci wrapped up in a down comforter. "Well, don't you look comfortable? You know, if you spill any tea on that comforter, I may be forced to kill you." Luci laughed, unwrapped herself just enough to accept the tea, and took a sip. Col sat down next to her and started the movie.

"HEY! You said you were gonna set this up!"

"Oh, but I did. The previews are the best part, Col, you know that!" Luci took a few sips of her tea before setting the cup on the coffee table. She then wrapped herself back up and leaned against Colonel to watch the movie. They watched in companionable silence until Luci, excited by what was happening, hit Col and said, "LOOK! Yzma's a kitten! She's such a cute kitten. This is my faaaaaaaaaaaaavorite part!" Col did the only thing he could do...he laughed. By the end of the movie, Luci had fallen asleep, which was a bit surprising, as the scene that she had so enjoyed was not far from the end. Col picked Luci up, comforter and all, and carried her into the guestroom, before continuing down to his own room for the night.

In the morning, Col stood in the kitchen frying bacon waiting for Luci to emerge from the guestroom. When she finally did appear the look on her face was a sleepy confusion. "Yes, Lu?"

"I thought you said you'd make me anything I wanted for breakfast." Her pouting was interrupted by a sleepy yawn. Col poured a cup of tea and moved over to the table where he set it down.

"You can't expect me to believe that you wouldn't have wanted bacon with your breakfast. I'll make anything else you want." Luci dragged herself over to where the bacon sat and snagged a piece. "I see you're still in your cocoon, Lu...plan on breaking out of that anytime soon?"

"Well I would if this place wasn't quite so cold. I didn't think of that, all I have is a jacket or this comforter, and the comforter is MUCH more comfortable."

"Fine, I'll go get you a sweatshirt. Sit down and see if you can actually finish a cup of tea." Colonel was already halfway down the hall when she replied that she could finish a cup. He turned into his room, grabbed a sweatshirt and went back out to the kitchen. "So, what would you like for breakfast?"

By the time they sat down to breakfast they had omelets, pancakes, an assortment of fruit, bacon, fried potatoes, orange juice, milk, water, and tea. Luci laughed as he put the three glasses and teacup in front of her. "Who are you? My grandmother?" The odd look from Colonel was enough for her to explain her grandmother's habit of forcing her to drink a glass of juice, milk and water each morning. Colonel showed a small smile and went back to eating. "What's wrong with you?"

"Me? Nothing, why would something be wrong?" Luci set her teacup down and looked at him.

"You look different. You seem, I dunno, almost depressed or something. What's wrong?" No response set the wheels turning in her mind. Then it hit her. "It's a girl!" The look of shock on Col's face was enough to tell her that she was right. "Well...tell me about her. I want to know EVERYTHING!" Col, whose mouth still hung open in shock, managed to recover in good time.

"How on EARTH did you figure that out?"

"Call it a women's intuition," she said waving a strip of bacon.

"Now spill it."

"I'd rather not talk about it." He forked some pancake into his mouth, hoping she'd not push the subject.

"AWW!!! COME ON! COLONEL RICHARD FITZWILLAM! Why won't you tell me? I'm practically your best friend! Maybe I can help you." Colonel looked up at her and sighed.

"All right...I'll talk. I'd rather tell you now than have you pester me all day. It's a colleague. She's, well, wonderful, but..."

"But?"

"But, she doesn't really know I'm alive." Luci had to stop him there. Someone not know he was alive. Now that was impossible. Every woman knew the Fitzwilliam brothers were alive, every woman. There was no missing them. Handsome, charming, loyal, considerate, friendly, it was simply not possible to not notice them.

"Wait, wait, wait. I'm sorry, that's not possible. What's the real problem?"

"That is the real problem Lu. She doesn't notice. Never. Not once."

"Okay, okay, fine. She doesn't know you're alive. Tell me about her. What's her name, what's she do?"

"Well, the name on her office door is R. Mortimer. She goes by Mortie, I guess she doesn't like her name. Actually, this semester she's going by Goldie Gamwich of the Bree Gamwiches. She's teaching a course on Tolkien and Lord of the Rings, in preparation of the upcoming film. It was the most popular course this year. We're in a class together, but I doubt she knows that. Her office is right across the hall from mine, but she probably isn't aware of that, either. She's perfect, Lu, just perfect. There's no other way for me to describe her."

"Ooookay, well, can you expand on perfect for me?"

"Just perfect, that's it. Well, she'd be even more perfect if she noticed me, but all in good time." Luci sighed.

"Look, Col, if that's all you can tell me, I can't help you at all. You're on your own buddy. Let me know how it works out." Had Colonel not gone into his own little dream world thinking about R. Mortimer/Mortie/Goldie Gamwich/girl of his dreams, he might have heard Luci and responded, but as luck would have it, he did go into his own little dream world, and was there for quite some time. Luci finished her breakfast, picked what she wanted off of his plate, put her dishes in the sink, and poured herself another cup of tea. When after all of this, he was still not back from his little trip, she kindly brought him back to Earth so that he could finish his breakfast, and called her room to check the machine for messages.

Chapter 4

Posted on Wednesday, 17 April 2002

The last thing Luci expected when she called to check her messages was Liz answering the phone.

"Hello?"

Deciding it would probably be best to just to get it over with and fix things with Liz, Luci replied. "Hi Liz. I was just wondering if there were any messages for me."

"Luce? Umm...No, there haven't been any calls for you. Listen, about last night-"

"Liz, it's me that should apologize, not you. I'm really sorry. I guess the situation with my brother, and stress about this project I'm working on, and then everyone at dinner...I just couldn't handle it."

"That's okay. You are old enough to make your own decisions. I just hate to see you making ones that are harmful, you know? By the way, where are you?"

"Didn't you get my note? I left it on the mirror."

"Hmm...let me look." Liz looked at the back of the door and sure enough, there was a note written in black. "'Liz, out for the night with a friend, call the cell if you need me.' That note?"

"Yep, that'd be the one. I'll be back in an hour or two, I'm sure."

"All right then, I'll see you when you get in then. You're okay, right?"

"Oh yeah. I'm fine. I just had a wonderful breakfast and I think I'm coming home in about half an hour or so." Both girls, satisfied with the agreement they'd come to, said good-bye and hung up the phone. When Luci went back into the kitchen, Col had already started washing dishes. She grabbed a towel and began drying. The remainder of the morning was spent catching up and driving Luci back to school.

The next week was fairly uneventful for all. Jane and Charles spoke on the phone regularly, Liz and Darcy both eagerly awaited Friday night for their date, and the others lived the normal life of college students. As Friday approached, Liz began getting nervous. It was anyone's guess what had her so nervous, as she had neglected to tell anyone about the date with Darcy.

Liz nervously paced the room causing Luci to look up from her reading. "Could you puh-lease stop pacing, Liz?" Liz stopped and looked at her roommate. Luci continued, "What's got you so nervous anyway? Do you have a date or something?"

"Umm...yeah," she answered sheepishly. Luci could hardly contain her excitement.

"You have a date? With who? Do I know him? How long has this been planned? Where are you going?"

"Yes, I have a date. You do know him, or at least I think you do. It's been planned since last weekend, and we're going out."

Before Luci could ask any more questions, the phone rang. Liz ran to answer it.

"Hello? Yes...of course...I'll be right down Bye!" She gave a quick hug to Luci and scampered off down the hall. Luci settled back into her spot and resumed her reading.

Liz took her time exiting the building enjoying the fact that she could see William before he could see her. His idea of casual was apparently a little more dressed up than hers. Liz looked down at her sweatshirt and jeans and looked back out at Darcy in his khaki pants and a black T-shirt underneath a green plaid button down shirt and covered by a simple black jacket. Looking her over, William noticed she appeared taller than usual. Looking down, he discovered the cause: she had boots on. Other than that, it was casual; jeans paired with a Meryton College sweatshirt. A silver and garnet cross hung around her neck, and her hair was pull partially back. Despite the fact that she wore no make-up, he thought she looked beautiful.

"Ready for dinner?" he asked. She smiled up at him and agreed. He led the way to his car where they got in and she directed him to a small bakery. Before Darcy could ask what they were doing there, Liz explained that they would get dinner there.

"Here?"

"Yes, I thought we'd get some sandwiches and some bread to feed the ducks. We can pick up a little something for dessert here, too."

Darcy looked at her in wonder. "Bread? Ducks? Just where exactly are we having dinner?"

"In the park by the pond. Where else would we have dinner?" Darcy stood in amazement on the sidewalk as Liz walked through the door. Realizing he might not want to trust someone else with picking out his meal, he quickly followed her inside. They ordered their food and purchased a few rolls to tear apart for the ducks. Darcy paid, took the bag from the cashier and they walked back out to the car drive to the park.

Anne looked up from her book to survey her room for the phone. Finding it on Jane's bed, she crossed the room, picked it up and punched in a number. "Hey, listen, you took Intro to International, right? Great! Do you think you could come over and help me out with something? Five minutes? Sure, thanks!" She settled back into her chair and pulled out her notes from class. Five minutes later there was a knock at the door and it opened.

"Hey Anne, what's the problem?"

"Luci! I'm so glad you made it. I figured you'd be the best person to ask." Anne proceeded to explain her problem, which Luci quickly explained and the girls fell into easy conversation.

"So I don't suppose you know anything about this date of Liz's?" Luci asked.

"Date? She's on a date!? That's great, Luce!"

Luci laughed before replying, "Yes, but do you know where she went, or who she went with?"

"Haven't a clue, dear. I didn't even know she was going out. I'd ask Jane, but I think it's most obvious that she's not here. She and Charles are out again." The two girls, quite comfortable chatting about trivial things and most definitely not in the mood to do homework, pulled the Chinese menu down from the fridge, placed an order and popped a movie in.

Darcy watched as Liz carefully tore a piece of bread off the roll and try to convince one duck in particular to come nearer. He laughed when the same duck turned and moved away. Lizzy muttered under her breath and dropped the bread to the crowd of ducks waiting just below her. She and Darcy walked over to a bench and sat to eat their sandwiches. Conversation came easily to the two, and before they knew it, the sun had set.

Chapter 5

Luci, Anne, and Charlotte looked up from their seats on the floor when Liz walked through the door. "Well that huge grin plastered to her face is a sure indication that she had a good time...do you know who she was with?"

A smile spread across Anne's face as she answered, "Yep...Will."

"Will who?" Charlotte asked. Luci looked from Anne to Liz and back to Anne. The smile on Anne's face was clearly one of victory and that could only mean one thing.

"Darcy," she replied coldly.

Liz sighed contentedly and collapsed onto her bed. "Hi girls."

Charlotte and Anne jumped up and joined Liz on her bed while Luci kept her spot on the floor. "Did you have a nice time, Liz?"

"Absolutely wonderful! He was so sweet and caring and thoughtful and gorgeous...and he took me to feed ducks!" She sighed before continuing, "It was spectacular! I can't wait to see him again."

Luci rose from her spot, threw out a small carton that at one point held Chinese food, grabbed her keys and made her way to the door. "Much as I'd love to get the details, I hardly think you're capable of rational conversation with that starry-eyed statement. I've got some errands to run. Anne, Char, take good care of her, and don't keep her up all night, she's got a game tomorrow!" With that, Luci was out the door and on her way to Militia Hall.

Back in the room Liz was spilling the details of the date to Anne and Charlotte, a most eager audience. "Oh Anne, I can't thank you enough for giving Will my number! I had such a wonderful evening!"

"My pleasure dear! Anything for the roommate's little sis! Though I wish you had told me that you and Will were going out. Luci asked earlier tonight, but I hadn't figured it out until you walked through the door. I'm so glad it was with Will!"

"I'm definitely going to have to meet this Will character," said Charlotte.

"Really, Charlotte! He's not a character, he's Anne's cousin!"

Charlotte hit Anne playfully, "You have gorgeous cousins and you never told me? Some friend you are!" Her attempt to keep a straight face failed miserably and the three girls fell into a fit of laughter.

Beeeeeeeeeeep. "Hi, Liz? It's William Darcy, listen-"

Liz grabbed the phone and waved her hand at the girls to shut them up, while trying to control her own laughter. "Will! I'm sorry, I didn't even hear the phone ring! Are you at your cousin's yet?"

Anne and Charlotte moved closer to Liz, trying to hear the other end of the conversation. "Oh, I see. Well, fifteen minutes isn't bad...I had a great time, too...You bet! Bye Will." She hung up the phone and tackled her friends. "What do you mean by trying to listen in on my conversation with Will?"

"You've only just got back, Liz! Why'd he call? Was he asking you out again? Did you forget something in his car? Did he forget something with you? Did he forget to kiss you goodnight? Did he want to come to your game tomorrow?"

Liz cracked up at Charlotte's string of questions. She tried to calm herself enough to speak, but laughter was all that came out.

"Well?" demanded Charlotte. "As one of your best friends, I think I should know why he called!"

Liz managed to control her laughter. "Actually, Char, there is no reason for you to know why he called, even if you are one of my best friends. But since the two of you are so curious, I'll tell you what he wanted. He thanked me for a wonderful evening and asked if I'd like to go out again some time." Anne and Charlotte squealed in delight. "BUT! But, he said he'll be very busy in the next few weeks and asked if he could call tomorrow night to try and figure something out."

"Good enough for me. This one gets the 'Charlotte Lucas SOA'."

"The 'Charlotte Lucas Seal of Approval,' eh? And what are the criteria for the CLSOA?"

"Well, treating you good is always on the list. Then there are lots of things I can't tell you, but the deciding factor was the phone call, and what he said during the conversation."

"Where was this process for a stamp with the last guy? You know, Creepy Crawlins."

"Liz, come on now. He wasn't that bad!" protested Charlotte.

"Wasn't that bad? Ugh! Charlotte, he was just plain scary! Hanging on every word I said, peppering the conversation with 'Catherine this' and 'Catherine that.' Really, if he had so much to say about this Catherine, why couldn't he just leave me alone and bother her!"

Anne laughed "If you're talking about who I think you are, he already does, but enough," Anne said. "No fighting. Char, why don't we let Liz get cleaned up and to bed so that she makes it to her match tomorrow?" Charlotte agreed and after a quick recap of the date and a good bye, Liz was left alone.

Luci quickly entered her brother's place of residence, Militia Hall, well known for it's extreme lack of security and high population of good looking men, and made her way to the third floor. She unlocked the door to a room at the end of the hall-her brother's room-flipped on the light, and entered. She pulled open a drawer and removed a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt before changing and crawling into one of the two beds. Her fingers traced circles on the sheets as she thought about what had happened. Deciding it would be better not to think about it, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

An hour later, Luci was gently shaken awake. "Luci...Luce...honey, wake up."

Luci rolled over and opened her eyes. "What?" she asked groggily.

"Hey, what's wrong? Here," he said as he pulled her into a sitting position, "Sit up. Now, what's wrong?"

"Liz went on a date," she replied simply.

"Luce! That's great! I thought you wanted her to date?"

"I did, but not the guy she went out with tonight. I never wanted her to meet him."

"Who could she possibly have gone out with that you object to so much? I'm sure he can't be as bad as that, sis."

"But he is, George! It was...well...Oh! Maybe I shouldn't tell you. I mean, no reason for you to get involved, right?"

George put an arm around his sister and pulled her close. "You don't have to tell me anything, honey. Why don't you lay back down and get some rest? We'll go to breakfast tomorrow and if you want to tell me then, you can."

"Okay. Thanks, George."

"Of course. Now, lemme see that smile of yours." Luci smiled a very little smile as she settled back into the bed. Her brother tucked her in, kissed her forehead and turned out the light before settling into his own bed and going to sleep.

Chapter 6

Posted on Monday, 24 June 2002

Monday morning, Col sat at his desk, preparing for his lecture, or rather trying to prepare for his lecture when his phone rang. "C.R. Fitzwilliam, History. What can I do for you?"

"C.R.? When did you get so formal? Anyway, look, I was wondering if you wanted to get together for lunch today to discuss what we're getting Mum for her birthday."

"Sure thing, Rich, just meet me after my lecture, or did you want to meet at a restaurant?"

"Nah, that's okay. I can meet you after your class. We'll decide where to go from there. Oh, and by the way, you're paying. Bye!"

Col hung up the phone, looked down at his notes, then sat back in his chair and glanced across the hall. The placement of his desk was such that he could see directly into the office across from him, something he quite enjoyed. He studied the woman in the office. She was nothing like any woman he'd ever dated, at least not in appearance, but she was fascinating. What little he knew of her intrigued him. Every time he thought about trying to start a conversation with her, he got nervous. Not that attempting to start one would do anything anyway; she didn't even know he existed. He thought about what Luci had said to him about every woman noticing the Fitzwilliam brothers. That had seemed true enough in the past, but it didn't seem to hold true now. He thought about asking her to lunch one day, or even coffee. It could be a "let's get to know my across-the-hall neighbor thing," but he decided against it. She'd probably say no. His mind continued in that fashion, drawing up possible scenarios and quickly shooting them down. He hadn't realized the time until a voice shook him from his thoughts.

"Colonel?"

He looked up to see one of his students standing there. "Yes?"

"Umm...are we still having class today? You're ten minutes late and I've been in your doorway trying to get your attention for the last five."

Colonel noticed the smirk on his student's face. "Right, sorry. Shall we get to the lecture hall then? And wipe that smirk off your face, Aidan."

Aidan burst into laughter and followed Col to the lecture hall, where class promptly began after a short apology from the instructor.

Mortie looked up from her work to see the guy across the hall leaving his office. She sighed. "If only a guy like that would notice a girl like me," she thought. Sure they had a class together, and worked across the hall from one another, but that was about it. Mortie shook the thoughts out of her head and focused on her notes. She gave up after five minutes after convincing herself that she knew everything already. Unable to focus on anything else, she opened her email and typed out a message to her cousin.

Dell-

How's my fave queen? I'm doing okay. Teaching's fun-the kids are great and the subject matter is superb. I have a great office right across from an insanely cute guy. Unfortunately, he's attached to a pretty little blond chick. :( Like he'd notice me anyway. Ah, me, to be a Hobbit in an Elf world. I'll never find a guy. Other than that, things are okay.

Stipe

She waited for a response knowing her cousin would be sitting at his computer.

Stipe:

How cute is insanely cute? And don't worry about being a Hobbit-you're a v. cute Hobbit! There are few girls I'd be willing to date, and you're one of them. Coming from an Elf, that should mean something! But really, darling, you have to tell me about this guy. I want to make sure he's worthy of your attention, although if he's got a g/f he's obviously too stupid to realize how marvelous you are. Is he an Aragorn-cute or a Frodo-cute?

Dell

Dell-

Legolas-cute, definitely Legolas. Actually, Jon Rhys Myers in Magnificent Ambersons-cute. He's about 6 feet tall, give or take, with the most gorgeously shaggy dark blond hair that's curling a little at the edges, and he wears these adorable little wire frame glasses. He has a sweet smile and he teaches European Military History here. I hope that's enough to go on-I can't see much from my office. We've got one class together, and his voice-oh, sweet Mother of Pearl! Beautiful.

Stipe in dreamland

Ben sat back in his chair as he read the latest message from Mortie. He chuckled as he typed out a response.

Stipe:

So History Guy is a cutie, huh? And he's got a g/f. Not too bright, if you ask me

Dell-

Stop! He's gotta be smart, to be a professor. It's not like he could buy himself a job. Teachers don't make a lot of money, remember? And don't call him History Guy. I don't like it.

Stipe

Stipe:

Well, what should I call him? Lancelot?

Dell

No, Lancelot wasn't a cutie.

Stipe

What about Colonel Fitzwilliam? The guy who played him in P&P2 was hott! *grr* Oh, G-d, Colin Firth. I want to come back as his shirt...

Dell drooling

No, Col. Fitz wasn't a cutie either, and History Guy isn't Anthony Calf. I never thought he was all that cute, but that's just me. What about Colonel Brandon, or even Captain Wentworth, if you must go with Jane Austen?

Stipe

Stipe:

How about we compromise and call him Colonel? That way you can think about dishy Alan Rickman and I can fantasize about Anthony Calf. Sound good?

Dell with peace pipe

Dell-

Deal. Colonel it is.

Stipe

Glancing at her clock, Mortie hurriedly picked up her notes and headed out of her office. She had just enough time to grab something before her class.

Richard Fitzwilliam wandered the halls of the history department, searching for either his brother's office or lecture hall. He wasn't too successful with either. He'd only been by the office when helping Col move into his office, finding it now was no simple task. He finally gave up and looked for someone who looked like they knew what they were doing.

"Excuse me," he started. The woman he addressed turned to face him.

"Yes?"

"I was just wondering...uh...where the Café was." What had made him say that? He didn't want to go to the Café, though a cup of coffee would be nice. Oh well, perhaps he could talk this woman into joining him.

With a confused look on her face, the woman replied, "Uh...yeah. I was just headed there." A sudden bolt of inspiration struck. "Would you like to join me?"

A smile spread across Rich's face. "I'd love to. I'm Rich, by the way."

"Mortie," she stated simply while shaking the proffered hand.

The two enjoyed pleasant conversation both on the way to and at the Café, until Rich realize he had ten minutes until he was supposed to meet his brother, and was still unsure of where to find him. "It was very nice to meet you, Mortie. We should do this again sometime."

Mortie smiled at him and agreed. "Well, I've got a class to teach. I'll see you around, I guess."

Richard accompanied her out the door and they went they're separate ways from there. He managed to find his brother's office right on time. (Though it should be said that the only reason he found the office was because he spied his brother walking down the hall and followed him at a distance.) The two men decided on a place to eat and picked out the perfect gift for their mother over lunch.

Upon returning to his office, Col found yet another surprise. "Lu, what are you doing here?"

"Well, my classes for the rest of the day were cancelled so I thought I'd come up and see you. Is this a bad time?"

"No, no, your timing is fine. I just hadn't planned on quite so many visitors today, that's all."

"Who else stopped by to visit?"

"Rich. He wanted help picking Mum's birthday present." Col's eyes traveled across the hall when he heard voices. He sighed at the sight of a man pulling Mortie into a hug and kissing her on the cheek.

"What's wrong?" Luci followed Col's line of vision. "Is that her?"

Col nodded. "Yes, with yet another guy."

"What do you mean, hon?"

"Nothing, it's not important. Listen, I've got a lecture in five minutes. Care to sit in on it?"

Luci allowed him to change the subject. It'd probably be better to get his mind on history anyway. "Sure! What's the topic?"

"Politics in the Thirty-Years War. Should be right up your ally, I know it's a favorite of yours."

"You bet it is! This ought to be great! It's a nice day out. Want to go for a walk after?"

"Sure, Lu. When are you taking off?"

"Whenever you want to get rid of me. I don't have class until 2:30 tomorrow afternoon, so I could even stay the night."

"I'll think about it. Come on, I don't want to be late to my own class."

"So this is your office, huh?" the gentleman said, after kissing Mortie's cheek in greeting.

"Yeah, not much, but it's comfortable enough. I can't believe you've only just come to visit. Everyone else has been by millions of times and it's only October!"

"What can I say? I've been busy, but making time to see my sister was very high on my to-do list. I know I'm not around as much as everyone else, but I'm trying to fix that. So how've you been?"

"As well as usual, Cary. I finally met the guy across the hall. He was very nice. We happened to run into each other as I was on my way out the door before my last lecture."

"I take it you've been looking forward to this meeting?" Cary smirked.

"Yes indeed! I don't think I've ever seen such a good-looking man. I was amazed he noticed me, I can hardly believe I actually sat down and had a conversation with him!"

Cary glanced at his watch, looked up and said, "Well it's quite near dinner time. Can I convince you to go out to eat with me?"

"Of course! Let me just shut everything down."

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