Posted on Sunday, 30 December 2007

Chapter One

She'd forced him to watch it again. Whenever she was down in the dumps she would have the desire to watch Cinderella and sing along with the music. It had only been on for a short time when Georgiana broke into singing "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes."

A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartache
Whatever you wish for you keep.

Have faith in your dreams and someday
Your rainbow will come shining through
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true.

Even though he'd seen it numerous times, particularly in the past three months, he couldn't get used to the singing mice. The high pitched noises that equated for singing in the old Disney movies did not agree with his brain. He found himself grimacing every time the girl mice started singing along with her. Oh geez, here they go again..

Who really believed that anyway? If you just dream about it, eventually it'll happen. But don't tell! Because then, it won't. He didn't believe it. You had to work to get everything you wanted. That everything being success.

Of course, this girl, she was dreaming about something else completely: Love. You couldn't just dream about love and wait for it to come true. You had to go out and work for that too. If you had the time. But who had that kind of time anymore? He certainly didn't. Nor did he have the inclination.

The movie finished, the prince and his lady kissed in their carriage and the choral chords signaled the happy ending. He immediately turned off the home theater system, kissed his sister goodnight and headed to bed.

A hand stroked his face as he watched twin boys chase each other around a park playground. The boys both had curly dark hair with hints of auburn in the sun and flashing green eyes. They were no more than five years old, yet one already sported a pair of glasses. They happily circled the swingset, occasionally tagging each other and switching direction, when they suddenly started to terrorize a younger girl with lighter hair but the same eyes and nose. He had a strong desire to stop the lads, as he somehow knew that it could easily get out of hand and she would run crying to him due to one of them making her fall down or hurt herself in some way. Yes, all three of them were prone to injury.

How did he know that?

The stroking hand asserted a bit of pressure and he turned to face the same green eyes that flashed in the faces of the children he'd been watching. He broadened his vision and encountered a face that somehow was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. She wasn't usually his type, but those flashing green eyes, the same eyes that shone in the three children he somehow knew to be theirs, had drawn him to her constantly.

"What are you thinking, my love?"

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was thinking of how wonderful my family is and how very much I love you, my dear."

"Liar," she laughed. "You were dreading one of the boys making little Bella fall and having to kiss it all better again."

He laughed with her. "Now why would I dread something like that? I have no problem kissing either of my girls to make them better."

He kissed this woman---his wife, the mother of his children---with all his soul, and knew indeed what made life divine.

Chapter Two

Annoyed at having been brought to another boring holiday party by his supposed best-friend, Will stood in a corner nursing an amber liquid of some sort and disparagingly watching his "companions." He didn't have time for this. He had to work. Yes, here Charles would say "You always have to work, have some fun for once." That "for once" had been at least four times in the last two months. Of course, there was one aspect of each of those "for onces" that appeared every time: Jane Bennet. Every time, she had been there, and Charles and she would stupidly look into each other's eyes, smitten with each other and Will would feel the familiar gag that needed to be repressed. Tonight, however, two sisters that would likely annoy him to no end were here. The first, Charles' older sister Caroline, he had dealt with before---he could handle the woman approaching cougar status easily enough. But Jane's younger sister would be something different altogether. Charles couldn't speak anything but good about her all the time, which indicated that he wanted this Elizabeth and Will to hook up in some fashion.

I don't really have time for anything else.

He looked around the room, festive with red, green, blue, white, silver, and black decorations all over the place and couldn't help but wonder what kind of girl she was. Thinking upon Jane's coloring, he knew she would probably be blonde. What color were Jane's eyes? Would they have the same color eyes? Jane was a natural blonde, right? He didn't know, but was guessing she wasn't the type to dye. Besides, her hair was a darker blonde, almost strawberry with a hint of auburn.

He glanced around the room to see if anyone he could see resembled Jane in coloring. He assumed he could count out anyone over 5'6" as Jane was rather petite in stature. He imagined that this Elizabeth---unlike other people's siblings---would be younger than thirty. Probably younger than 25, judging from what he knew of Jane's age. Would she be anything like Jane? Jane was probably the sweetest defense attorney he'd ever met. He wondered what she was like in the courtroom, saying "this person could never do anything wrong, look at him! He's such a dear!" He wondered how she had become as successful as she had, she who seemed to not have an argumentative bone in her body.

Well, perhaps she's incredibly different in the courtroom. Else, she would never win a case.

Shifting his gaze to return to his earlier acts of seeking out this Elizabeth, his eyes met with the most beautiful green gems he'd ever seen grace the planet.

I've seen them somewhere before, haven't I?

The thought unnerved him, as he was certain he'd never met this woman---who he knew had to be Elizabeth Bennet---in his life. His eyes, he discovered, were probably the only thing mentionable about her. Her features were sharp and her auburn hair held little draw. She was shorter than her sister by at least three inches, and her form appeared just curvy enough to not be mistaken for an adolescent's. After a cursory glance down and back up her person, he met her eyes once more before looking down into his glass.

Moments later he was drawn back to the spot where she had been, but she wasn't there. Where was she? He needed her.

What was that?

He needed her eyes.

Elizabeth knew the moment she walked into the party which one was Will Darcy. Not only had Jane warned her that he would be the most taciturn person in the room, but she had discerned from old Georgetown pictures at Charles' that he had striking blue eyes in comparison to his tan skin and was oddly tall. Georgetown. He looked like the type who would go all the way to the East Coast for a name. If he wanted a name why couldn't he just go to Stanford or Berkeley, or hell, UCLA like the rest of us? Dressed all in black as he was, she imagined if you put a helmet on him he'd be a dead ringer for Darth Vader. He looked like he would have one of those sexy James Earl Jones-like voices.

She only discovered she'd been eyeing him when his wandering eyes finally met with her own. There was an instance of shock, then contemplation, uncertainty, and a final sweep across her body before an unknown emotion met her eyes once more and then detached from her. Unsure what to think, she sighed at their initial "meeting" and went to find her sister. It was likely that she would see him again soon. Perhaps she could understand what that look was all about.

"Lizzie, there you are! I had almost begun to think you weren't going to come!"

"And miss the Chrismahannukwanzikah celebration of the season? Of course not!"

The sarcasm in her voice was not missed. As Jane scolded her for behaving such a way in direct hearing of their hosts, the Lucases, Will strolled over for an introduction.

"Darcy! You must meet Lizzie," at a bit of throat clearing from Elizabeth, "I mean Elizabeth Bennet. Apparently Jane is the only one allowed to call her Lizzie. I forget sometimes..."

"Yes, I bet you do! It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Vader...I mean, Mr. Darcy."

Confused at the joke as Charles and Jane both giggled, Will extended his hand and greeted her. "Please, call me William, or Will if you prefer. Pretty much anything except Billy."

"And you can call me Elizabeth," she said, taking his hand. I was right, he does have one of those buttery voices that can make a girl melt. If only I didn't have to strain my neck to look into those eyes of his---are they blue or green? Both? Concerned with having spent so much time analyzing his face, and certain that he must be greatly confused by now, Elizabeth snatched her hand back in embarrassment. "Sorry." She felt herself blushing.

When she looked back up at him he appeared to be stifling a grin by holding his lower lip in his teeth. Was he laughing at her? He had no right to laugh at her, not after what she'd seen earlier. After a few seconds he managed to compose himself and wore the same serious expression he'd countenanced before.

The rest of the night had gone relatively well, though she never got to the bottom of that look from the incredibly quiet, incredibly tall, incredibly handsome William Darcy.

Chapter Three

Will sat pondering his meeting with Elizabeth Bennet. Her eyes had enraptured him, like nothing that he'd ever seen. No, he thought, I have seen them before. But where?

Realization would not come to him that night, nor for numerous others, until he met Elizabeth Bennet again. The dream, however, constantly invaded his subconscious. He would never remember it in the morning, but he would often wake up with the image of those green eyes burned on his skull.

He hadn't seen her since that night earlier in the month, but he was sure to see her soon. New Years was around the corner and he knew Charles always threw a big shindig at his house in the hills. All of the minor repairs needed due to the most recent earthquake whose epicenter was close by had been made, and Charles simply needed an excuse to entertain again. He'd taken advantage of the need for repairs to do some expansions on his own house, which included a new sound-proof recording studio for Georgiana. Granted, when the big one came, it would all be in rubble, but it didn't hurt to have her happy for a while.

The invitation to the Bingleys' New Years Bash hadn't come a moment too soon, as he'd spent the day trying to fend off his aunt in Piedmont, who had been trying to get him to attend her annual New Year's Ball, which pretty much meant trying to get him to marry her most recent protégé.

Now he had something to look forward to---an evening, hopefully in Elizabeth's company, and perhaps even a kiss at midnight.

Elizabeth had been to Charles' a few times, but it had never been as bedecked as it was now. She knew his sister Caroline, who lived in one of the guest houses on the property, had probably planned the decorating and the course of events for the evening's entertainment, and left all the technical stuff to her brother. What else did you do when your brother was a retired dot-commer?

Charles, of course, still tried to do some work for his company, but spent a great deal of time at his leisure, like a modern day gentleman. She wondered if Darcy did the same or if he actually worked for his money. She could tell from his bearing---and of course, from his clothing---that he was pretty well off. Incredibly well off, when you thought of Silicon Valley comparatively. She, herself was no pauper, but he made infinitely more money than she.

But she would not dwell on William Darcy and his money. Or so she told herself, until he showed up with a Victoria's Secret model on his arm. Or at least she looked like one. Tall, with a shapely figure and startling green eyes, she was as much a shoo-in for Tyra Banks as her companion was for Darth Vader, once again dressed in all black. Looking back and forth from one to the other, her unexpectedly pounding heart relaxed. There was no way that these two were not related. And even if the resemblance wasn't there, she couldn't be more than eighteen anyway.

Had she been jealous? No. Not possible. The thought of Will Darcy bringing someone else to the party while she was alone had merely...discomfited her.

And she would leave it at that.

Will Darcy strolled into the main foyer of his best friend's home with his sister on his arm and his eyes only for her. He did not like this fascination he had with her, but he could not quell it. He didn't understand it at all. She was nothing like any woman he'd ever liked before. Had it not been for her eyes, he imagined he would not have given her a second glance. But now that he had, he could not stop looking for her. It was not long before he found her, people-watching much as he would have done had he been alone.

Was she alone? Could this possibly be his chance?

Georgiana had wandered off to find Charles and meet the illustrious Jane, and so he had been standing alone when he saw her coming towards him.

"What are you thinking, Mr. Darcy?"

Such a simple question, said in such a saucy way, could have sparked one of many reactions in him, but the jolt he'd received brought a flood of images into his head.

What are you thinking, my love?

He could see it clearly, and his eyes widened as he looked down at this precious little woman that had infiltrated his dreams in such a beautiful way. He remembered his feelings in the dream, of contentedness, and love. Heaven.

Her feelings, however, were not quite so decisive. Had she known a simple question would cause such a reaction in the man, she would have remained on the other side of the room. Steepling her eyebrows in confusion, she immediately tried to walk away as soon as possible. His stare was beginning to creep her out.

She hadn't gotten three feet when she felt his hand on her arm. "Elizabeth, please wait."

She stopped, but did not turn. To look at him would likely disconcert her again. His voice was already making her melt; she didn't think she could handle both his speech and his eyes, so confusing in their emotion, at once.

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry if I might have freaked you out. I just had a sudden realization that we've met before."

Elizabeth was understandably confused.

"Care to explain that one? Did we drunkenly make out at some bar I don't remember going to?"

Here Darcy paused. How could he explain to her that he had dreamt of their future? How her eyes were all that he needed? How he longed to hear her call him her love, merely from having dreamt of it long before they'd met face to face?

"Do you believe in fairy tales, Miss Bennet?"

Elizabeth stood on the balcony of Charles' house, watching the people wishing to escape the warmth of the party roam around in the back yard, where Charles had had tables and chairs set up under space heaters. It was nearing midnight, and she was mulling over everything she had been told. This quiet man, who had only met her twice in her life, had told her he'd been following the advice of a cartoon scullery maid. He hadn't told her what his "dream" had consisted of, saying that, according to this young maiden, if you tell then it wouldn't come true. And he'd wanted it to come true. She had to imagine that this wasn't some kind of dirty dream, as he would never have mentioned such a thing. But what could it have entailed? He merely told her that it was something he wanted dearly in his life, and she was involved. How was she supposed to react?

She hadn't really reacted, she had to admit. She had merely nodded silently and walked away.

She felt a presence beside her on the balcony and assumed one of Charles' many guests had come out for a smoke or merely a breath of fresh air.

"You're Elizabeth, aren't you?"

She turned to see the girl who had come with Darcy, though she looked much younger up close.

The girl held out her hand. "I'm Georgiana. Georgiana Darcy. I'm trying to figure out something shorter for my first album, though."

"Album? You sing? Do you have a deal?"

"No," she laughed, "not with anyone down south. But Will just built me this great state of the art studio and I'm working on a few tracks. Nothing new, just some renditions of some old big band stuff. I like that kind of stuff."

Elizabeth was fascinated with this girl, who was beautiful and apparently talented. She wondered what the story was of her and Will, who she could only assume was her brother from their ages.

Here she could find more about the sanity of this man who discomfited her to the point of interest.

"So does Will take care of you and your parents, then?"

"Well, he takes care of me, but..." here the girl hesitated. "It's just the two of us now. I was pretty young when mommy died, but daddy had a heart attack a few years ago. Will doesn't realize how much like daddy he is. Workaholics, the both of them."

"I'm sorry honey, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories. I didn't know."

"It's okay." She took a breath. "Let's go back inside, huh? It's kinda cold out here."

Attempting to ease the mood of the conversation, Elizabeth asked Georgiana about her music.

"Oh, do you like music?" The young girl was suddenly very excited.

"Yeah, I'm a music librarian, actually."

"Oh? What do you do?" Georgiana was always interested in finding out about new jobs dealing with her passion, just in case she didn't make it big.

"Well, you know the saying ‘those who can't do teach'?" The girl nodded. "Well, those who can't teach catalog!" The two shared a giggle before Georgiana mentioned that Elizabeth couldn't possibly not be able to teach, or do, for that matter.

"Oh, I've got a musical constitution, yes, but I do everything rather ill. And I don't have the musical skills to teach, so I figured this would be the best of both worlds."

"Where do you work?"

"I'm the librarian and curator at the music library at Silicon Valley University. You should come visit sometime, you'd love our Porter collection. We've even got some originals!"

"Really? Oh, I'd love to! Thank you!"

"Really, it would be my pleasure."

After this exchange, Elizabeth caught sight of the girl's brother watching the two from near the buffet table.

"Your brother's never made something up to get something he wants, has he? He's not a little crazy or anything?"

"Oh no!" The girl cried, grabbing her shoulder. "My brother never lies, he always tells the absolute truth!"

"Of course he does, hon. I was just wondering." Then why would he tell me that ridiculous story about dreaming of me before we met?

"Elizabeth, please believe my brother if he's told you anything. He's had a tough life, running a business and dealing with my flights of fancy. He really is perfect though---well, perhaps except for one thing. He's always so busy and has never really had a girlfriend. He's lonely, I can tell, but he swears the only thing he has time for right now are work and me. I can tell he likes you and I think you should give him a chance, no matter what he's said to you. I can tell he's said something, else you wouldn't have asked me. Whatever it was, it was the truth."

Practically gaping at the girl leaning down to her, Elizabeth could only nod and turn back towards the balcony.

"I'm sorry, I think I need some air again."

Once again feeling a presence near her, Elizabeth began to turn, ready to apologize to Georgiana for walking out on her like that. However, when she turned, a very different presence stood before her, holding two glasses of bubbly liquid.

"It's nearing the hour, I figured you'd like to toast in the new year with someone."

She took the glass he held out to her, murmuring her thanks.

"Jane told me you didn't like champagne, so I brought you something a little sweeter."

"Thank you," she said, smiling. She took a deep breath, schooling her features to a more serious look. "And I want to apologize for the way I reacted to your...story...earlier. Apparently you're the most honest man in the world, and I imagine what you told me was not easy for you to tell or probably believe yourself. So I'd like to start---"

Her speech was stopped by the sound of counting down inside. She hadn't realized it was that close to midnight. Before she could consider the meaning of the numbers being shouted inside, she found herself being thoroughly and passionately kissed by the man in front of her. Her insides melted and her legs grew weak. Since when did that happen when someone kissed her?

He released her lips and steadied her glass of Spumante, which was tilting dangerously at her side. "Happy New Year, Elizabeth," he said, as Auld Lang Syne was being played by the DJ and sung by those sober enough to remember the words.

"Happy New Year, William," she said, regaining her voice at last.

It would be the first of many, and each kiss would make her insides melt and her legs weaken.

Chapter Four

A hand stroked his face as he watched his twin boys, Edward and Thomas---Eddie and Tommy---chase each other around the playground at the park near Lizzie's school. They had just taken the boys for their second check-ups of the year, and little Tommy had gotten his first pair of glasses. They happily circled the swingset, occasionally tagging each other and switching direction, when they suddenly started to terrorize their daughter, Annabella, who had been happily playing on the sliding board. He had a strong desire to stop the lads, as it often got out of hand and she would run crying to him due to one of them making her fall down or hurt herself in some way. Yes, all three of them were prone to injury. That was one of the reasons Tommy now had glasses.

The stroking hand asserted a bit of pressure and he turned to face the same green eyes that flashed in the faces of his children. Even after seven years her face was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Except perhaps Edward, seconds after his birth, sporting the same green eyes as his mother. His family. That was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"What are you thinking, my love?"

He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I was thinking of how wonderful my family is and how very much I love you, my dear."

"Liar," she laughed. "You were dreading one of the boys making little Bella fall and having to kiss it all better again."

He laughed with her. "Now why would I dread something like that? I have no problem kissing either of my girls to make them better."

"So what are you thinking, then?"

"Oh," he chuckled, "my curious Lizzie. I was thinking about how it was likely time I told you what my dream was about."

He then kissed this woman---his wife, the mother of his children---with all his soul, and knew indeed what made life divine.

The End