Chapter 28

Thursday, August 16, 2001

Elizabeth woke up in her tent with a sense of profound contentment. Not in the least due to the strong arms that were wrapped around her naked body, holding her close to William, his breath tickling her ear.

After court the night before, Elizabeth and Jane had called their parents to tell them the news. That was fun. 'Hi dad, remember that guy that flew Lydia home when she was high as a kite? Well, he fucks like a machine and we're getting married! Isn't that great?'

It wasn't quite that bad, but it wasn't good. Jane had it even worse! Their parents hadn't even met Charles yet. But it didn't matter, she shrugged mentally. The Bennets would love William, she knew that, and anyway, she was going to be far away in Boston. She was going to sleep in the Darcy bed, and eat at the Darcy table and use the Darcy toilet paper. She grinned privately. She didn't understand William's habit of naming things, but she liked it. It was another unique piece of his personality that she could hold close to her heart and love.

The machine sighed and tightened the arm that was around her. With a purr, she rolled over to face him, and gently kissed him awake. "Morning, love," she breathed.

"Morning," he yawned and stretched, catching Elizabeth back up in his arms as he relaxed them. "What are you doing up?" he asked sleepily.

She smiled, "Just enjoying the Bennet bed with you." William grinned. "What?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's nothing, my love," he said as he drew the sheet off her and admired her body. Her skin was soft and perfectly smooth. Like creamy satin, it had a slight sheen that fascinated him. He pushed her gently onto her back and rested his head on her stomach, smiling at the twin mounds before him.

"What are you doing?" she giggled.

"Resting" he said simply, "You're nicer than a pillow. Softer." His hand reached out and gently flattened the left mound, then the right, watching them bounce slightly as he released them.

'He's playing with my boobs,' she thought delightedly. She had been with other lovers. Not too many, but enough. Nevertheless, she had never been so comfortable with a man, heck with anyone, to just relax and let him play with her body. It thrilled her with a sense of belonging and primal comfort. They were past courting. They had moved on to mating. It was a new sensation for both of them, and the discoveries were astonishing.

Her thoughts stopped as he rolled onto his side and took one of her nipples in his mouth and licked it until it was hard. Her legs parted in a silent invitation to him, and he gave her a catlike grin as his hand slid down her stomach to her sex and he returned to suckling.

Her eyes closed as she sighed with pleasure. His fingers were gently stroking her slippery center, touching her with feather light touches that made her bite her lips and whimper. William smiled; he had her just where he wanted her, as her hips arched up towards his hand. He watched, enjoying the vision of her passion. Her chest was flushing pink, as her head tipped backwards. She was trying so hard to remain silent, he observed. He inserted a finger into her tight, silky sheath, smiling with pride as a low moan escaped her lips.

She was close now, he could sense it. He sped up the motion of his hand and sucked eagerly on her tit, as a soft nasal whine started low in her throat. As he pushed her, it rose in pitch, but remained soft in volume. Her thighs locked around his hand, as he lightly feathered his fingers and brought her over the edge. The whine became a moan, but she did a remarkable job of keeping it in. When she was over, he lifted himself up on his elbow and smiled proudly at her.

She looked at him, her expression an odd mixture of ecstasy and annoyance, her chest heaving as she sucked in large lungfuls of air. "You did that on purpose!"

He grinned wickedly, "Yes, I did." He leaned down to kiss her full lips, his tongue tasting her. "You're beautiful when you come. I like to watch."

Elizabeth's body stilled as he ran a hand up her side, over her full breast and along her neck, stopping to caress the tender spot behind her ear.

"I love the way you get a flush that travels up from your chest, to your neck, to your face." he told her, punctuating his words by touching the parts of her body he named, "I love the way you screw your eyes shut and a tiny tear forms on the side," his kissed her eyelids, "I love the way your breathing slows, then you take a huge gasp and explode," he whispered in her ear. Elizabeth thought she was going to explode right then, as William moved closer to her and she opened her thighs to him. "I love watching you come," he told her as he entered her smoothly. "You're so beautiful."

Elizabeth felt beautiful. She felt loved and vital and sensuous. She arched herself to him, trying to take him as deeply as she could into her body. William moved slowly, watching her distantly, trying not to get sucked into the whirling tornado of pleasure that Elizabeth's movements around him were creating. He wanted to hold back, to observe her, to sear his mind with the sight of her impaled by him and writhing in exquisite delight.

He knew it was futile. Holding back from Elizabeth was like trying to hold back a river. It couldn't be done, and certainly not by him. Her motions changed, her body shifted with the arch of her hips, her slick core was grasping him and he was losing control. He let himself be dragged down by the undertow of her passion. Then he burst thought the surface and was there! Where he had always been, in her and surrounded by her as their bodies came together and the pressure that had built in him was released into her as she reached for him. He covered her mouth roughly with his own, to muffle his moans as much as her screams.

The circuit was completed and their bodies spasmed and jerked as the last of the voltage passed between them. He pulled his mouth away to see his reward, a look of pure love and joy on her face and in her eyes. A look that was his alone. He knew she could see a matching look in his eyes, and he exalted in the symmetry of it.

A few minutes of quiet resting followed. She dozed lightly in his arms while he tenderly cradled her like a child. In this moment he was once again struck by the curious combination of emotions she provoked in him: love, adoration, humor, delight, humility, possessiveness, joy. Why had he once feared falling in love? It was the most wonderful thing he could imagine. But even as he thought this, he remembered all the struggles and pain this joy had been paid with. Still, if he had to he would do it all again, in a second.

Elizabeth awoke and grinned in that slow, satisfied way that made him feel so manly. 'Oh yeah,' he thought, 'I did that!' "Ready to get up?" he asked slowly, sneaking a soft kiss on her smiling lips.

"Yup," she said as she stretched and yawned. Silently they rose and dressed, words not being needed between them. They already had a morning routine, a domestic dance of who reached for what when and who stood where, and who helped who with what. "You are skipping your shower?" she asked.

He nodded, "Yeah, there is no point with the Woods Battle this afternoon." The Woods Battle was the most fun of all the battles at Pennsic. A couple thousand fighters running wild in a heavily wooded area, playing a two hour game of 'Capture the flag' while they pounded on each other with sticks. They didn't even die in this battle. Well, they did, but then they could walk about to resurrection point (home base) and go back into it 5 minutes later. It was the the little boy battle of the war and there were no spectators, which was probably just as well.

"Oh, that's good," she teased. "That way the enemy will be able to smell you coming."

"That's the plan," he agreed, "except they will smell you on me, and they will come running, thinking they found a beautiful maiden."

"A beautiful, sweaty maiden," she corrected him

"Those are the best kind," he added with a leer. "Anyway, they will come running right into me and I'll take them out!" he said proudly as she shook her head.

"Okay," she laughed, "I'll take my shower while you are fighting. Want to go out to breakfast?" she asked as they exited her tent.

"Of course, my lady," he said, offering her his arm. When they reached the corner of their block, Elizabeth stopped him and quickly searched though her basket. "Um, we have to go to Pemberley," she told him.

He shrugged and walked her towards the nearby gate. William stopped to chat with Charles, Jane and Georgianna who were sitting under the commons having coffee, as Elizabeth ran to their tent. She returned a moment later, and grabbed Jane's mug, using the coffee to wash down something. "What did you forget?" William asked.

"My pill," she grinned, "better living through chemistry."

William nodded, while Jane rose suddenly and started walking quickly towards her pavilion. She moved faster with each step, until she was running as she entered the tent. Elizabeth shared a look with William and followed her.

Elizabeth found Jane standing stock still in the middle of the tent, her face devoid of color, as she looked at a compact in her hand. "Jane, what's wrong?"

Jane, her chin wavering, handed Elizabeth her birth control pill compact. Elizabeth saw the Tuesday and Wednesday pills in their sections where they should not have been. "I was so distracted," Jane said softly bewildered, "with Lydia and the engagement and everything! I just forgot."

"Have you been using anything else?" Elizabeth asked fruitlessly.

Jane just shook her head, looked frightened. "You have to tell him, Jane."

"Tell me what?" Charles and William stood in the doorway, looking concerned. Elizabeth gave Jane's hand a squeeze, and walked out of the tent, taking William with her.

"What was that about?" William asked as they moved out of ear shot of the tent and everyone else.

"Jane forgot her pills since Tuesday," Elizabeth answered him plainly, her voice worried. "There is a chance, although a slight one, that she might be pregnant."

"Oh," William replied quietly.

"I'm just worried how Charles will take it. I hope he's not angry."

"Charles?" William asked disbelievingly, "Elizabeth, he's wanted kids as long as I've known him. He's crazy about them." As if to emphasize his words, a loud whoop greeted their ears. "See?" William asked.

Charles rushed out of his tent. "Will, Lizzy! Did you hear? My Angel's going to have a baby!" He was smiling so brightly one would think his face would split in two. "Put some modern clothes on!" he directed them. "We are going to get married right away!" Charles ducked back into the tent, while Elizabeth and William shared a look of concern and in silent agreement walked to Charles' tent. Inside they found Charles wildly pulling clothes out of a chest while Jane stood to the side, her arms wrapped protectively around her.

Elizabeth went straight to Jane and took her into her arms. Jane's face was drawn and her expression was troubled. Elizabeth gave William a glance that communicated her thoughts.

William touched Charles on the arm, breaking his internal revelry and said, "Hang on a moment, Charles."

"What?" Charles asked. He took in William's hesitant expression and his eyes flared, "Ohhh, no Will! I listened to you once and look what happened! I'm not going to let you talk me out of this!"

"Charles!" Elizabeth said, louder than she needed, but this was quickly getting out of hand. William held up his hands, palms out and stepped back. Charles turned to see Elizabeth holding a tearful Jane. "I think we need to talk," she told him.

Charles' eyes flew open in confusion as he rushed to Jane and took her into his arms, "Angel?" he asked, "What's wrong?"

Jane bit her lip and looked to Elizabeth, mutely pleading for her help. Elizabeth sighed and spoke on behalf of her sister, "Charles, I think you might be rushing this."

Charles looked from Elizabeth to Jane, puzzled. "Don't you want to get married, Angel?" he asked softly.

Jane nodded, "I do!" she assured him, "Charles, I want to marry you more than anything else in the world, it's just ..." her voice failed her.

"But Angel, if you are pregnant, I want to marry you right away." He held her hand, "I want you to be protected, should anything happen to me. I want you to be mine," he added softly.

Tears were running down Jane's face at this point. She opened her mouth a few times, then gasped, "But what if I'm not?"

"What?" Charles asked confused.

"Charles," Elizabeth explained, "the chances are very good, in fact, almost overwhelming, that Jane is not pregnant."

"But there is a chance?" Charles asked.

Elizabeth nodded, "A very slight one, less than 10 percent."

"Oh," Charles said, crestfallen.

"But Lizzy, what about Cory?" Jane choked out.

Charles looked at Elizabeth. "There is a little boy in our camp, Cory. He's the one with white blond hair." She waited until Charles nodded. Elizabeth sighed, "He was conceived when his mother was 12 hours late with her pill."

Charles swelled back up. "So, it's possible?" he asked, watching Jane.

Jane nodded, "I just don't want you to be disappointed if I'm not," she explained. "I'm probably not," she added with a shake of her head. "And I don't want you to marry me just because I'm pregnant, especially if I'm not," she added painfully, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Angel!" Charles said disbelievingly, "Jane, don't you know I want to marry you whether you are pregnant or not?" He pulled her closer and regarded the top of her head thoughtfully. "Jane, do you want to have a baby?" he asked evenly.

"Oh yes!" she assured him. "I've always wanted children," she grinned tightly through her tears. "I always have. I was just worried you didn't want them." She shrugged, and looked down at her hands, "We haven't talked about it and I wasn't sure."

Charles lifted up her hand, which was resting in his and kissed it tenderly. "My Angel, I can't think of anything I want more than having a baby with you," he grinned, "other than marrying you." He reached up and gently stroked her hair reassuringly, "It's okay, Angel, don't be sad. If you aren't pregnant this month, we can try again next month."

"No," Elizabeth said loudly, breaking their moment. "I'm sorry, but you need to know this. It's one thing if Jane accidentally conceives because she missed her pills, but if not, you need to wait three months until the hormones are out of her system before trying again, otherwise there is a serious risk of birth defects."

"Angel?" Charles asked Jane softly.

"She's right," Jane nodded.

Charles looked down, disappointment written on his face. "When will you know if you are pregnant, Jane?" William asked softly.

"Um, two weeks," Jane answered.

"And if you are not, we can try three months after that?" Charles asked. Jane nodded. Charles smiled, reassuringly, "Then that is what we will do," he said with calm certainty. He rubbed her back and put his head close to hers, their blonde hair mingling. "Would you like to get married today, Angel?"

Jane bit her lip and looked at him. Elizabeth wanted to interrupt, but she held back. Jane had to do this on her own. "Actually, Charles, I'd prefer to wait." She looked worriedly into Charles' eyes, watching for his reaction. Patiently he regarded her, waiting. Jane took a deep breath and continued, "I've always wanted to get married at Meryton, in the church were I grew up, with my sisters and my parents present." She looked into his eyes, searching for acceptance, "Would you mind?"

Elizabeth found her hand being clasped as William silently moved to her side. She felt like an intruder, and realized that she had never had this discussion with William.

Charles smiled brightly at Jane. "Of course not, Angel. I want whatever you want." He kissed her gently, "How about this? If you are pregnant in two weeks, we'll get married right away, because I don't," he paused, "I can't let you have my baby without marrying you, Angel. It just wouldn't be right."

Jane nodded in agreement. "Otherwise," Charles continued, "How would you feel about getting married in three months? Then we might have a honeymoon baby?" He smiled shyly, "Would that be enough time?"

Jane flung her arms around him. "Oh Charles! That would be perfect!" she exclaimed and kissed him.

William and Elizabeth took that as their cue and exited the tent. "Still up for breakfast?" William asked softly, his voice subdued.

Elizabeth nodded. Quietly they walked to the food court, got their meals and sat down together. It was only then that William spoke. "Three months sounds like a good idea," he said softly.

Elizabeth's eyes met his and she nodded. "We met on the same day, and we got engaged on the same day." He took her hand, "How would you feel about getting married on the same day, Elizabeth?"

She smiled warmly at him. "I think I would like it, William, very much." He kissed her gently. "Of course, we will have to check with Jane, but it would save us a lot of hassles."

"What kind of wedding do you want, my love?" he asked, his eyes warm and loving.

Elizabeth shrugged, "I don't know. Jane's always been the one with big plans." She smiled, "I think I'm more interested in being married than getting married."

"Nevertheless," he said, kissing her temple, "I want you to know that whatever you want, you can have. Anything. Go wild."

"Thank you," she said simply. "What would you like?"

He shrugged. "I want to marry you, that's all that matters to me," he told her, kissing her lips, then he frowned thoughtfully, "and nothing too tacky."

Elizabeth laughed softly, "No problem." They went back to eating, but William could tell by her silence something else was bothering her. "What?" he asked gently.

"I'm not sure," Elizabeth said hesitating. "Will, how do you feel about children?"

'Oh, no wonder,' he thought as he took her into his arms, awkwardly at the table. "I'm going to tell you what I want, and you are going to tell me what we are going to do, right?"

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "Okay," William continued, "I would very much like to have children with you. I think they would be beautiful. But I will love you and will be happy even if we don't have children." He paused, "The only thing I insist on is that if we do have any, we should if at all possible, have more than one, and space them close together."

"How close?"

"Two years, no more than three." He answered her, adding, "I was alone most of my childhood and I don't want to do that to my children," he explained. "Your turn," he said, kissing her.

Elizabeth smiled nervously. "Can you believe I never really thought about it until now?" She looked at him and lifted her shoulders. "Children were never a possibility for me until I met you." She pushed her hair back and continued. "I would like to have children, and I agree more than one is best." Then she bit her lip, "But I would like to wait awhile, William," she frowned. "Not too long, but a couple years, until we are ready. Is that okay?"

William smiled and pulled her into a huge hug. "My love," he said, his voice pleased, "It's perfect. It's exactly what I wanted." Elizabeth grinned, relief relaxing her features and then she kissed him deeply.

****

That night was the first of the large dinners Longbourn hosted for the sole purpose of using up all the food the ladies of the house had overbought. It was an annual occurrence, and the members of Pemberley were encouraged to not only attend, but to bring any other hungry fighters they could find.

A large vat of chili was simmering over the fire, a product of all the remaining meat in the camp. While not traditional, it was delicious. Elizabeth was one of the cooks that night and she kept herself busy, but William could tell something was on her mind. She had been subdued since he had returned from the woods battle, proudly sporting a huge bruise on his leg and a new story to go with it. He had asked Elizabeth repeatedly what was wrong, but each time she would merely shake her head dismissively. William had resolved to get it out of her later, when they were alone.

Immediately following dinner, the members of Pemberley made a hasty exit, leaving Jane and Elizabeth at Longbourn. They promised to return soon and the sisters waited, shrugging.

Thursday was the traditional night for the 'Men without Pants' party. This was a wildly popular debacle put on down in the swamp. The rules were simple: men could not wear pants to the party. Every man who attended was required to pass through a 'gauntlet' of twenty women who would check them to make sure they were pant-free when entering the party. Most men wore long tunics to cover themselves, but there were some more interesting methods of attire.

It was to shrieks of laughter and wild applause when Georgianna returned twenty minutes later to Longbourn with all of the men of Pemberley in matching kilts, their arms linked around her, leaving her looking not unlike Hugh Hefner and his harem.

The men each wore an expression that was somewhere between pride (in Richard's case) and embarrassment (in William's case). Elizabeth and her sisters traded looks of delight and insisted that they have a photo session.

Each man was photographed while receiving catcalls and admiring comments from the ladies of Longbourn, with suggestions for poses being thrown out for good measure. When the pictures were done, Elizabeth wrapped her arm around William's waist. "You aren't really going to go to 'Men without Pants', are you?"

William shrugged, "I will, for you," he kissed her quickly, "but truthfully, I'd rather not. Georgianna made these for everyone and insisted we get dressed up together."

"She needs another hobby," Elizabeth said giggling, "but I do like the look," she added, admiring his long legs.

She turned to Georgianna, who was standing with Michael, his arm draped around her waist. "Georgie, I can't believe this!"

The girl smiled, "Isn't it great? Charles talked them all into it." The pair walked closer to Elizabeth and William.

"Now you know you can't go to 'Men without Pants'." Elizabeth told her. "They card at that party."

"Oh, I know," she shrugged, "I just wanted to get them all dressed up." She smiled briefly at Michael. "Are you going to go?" she asked Elizabeth.

"No," Elizabeth answered, "the merchants are open late tonight, maybe we can do some shopping?" She looked at William.

He nodded, saying, "I'm paying," in a way that would accept no argument. "You are engaged now. No excuses for me not to."

Elizabeth held up her hands in defeat. Soon the camp emptied, half going to the party and half going shopping. Georgianna and Michael took advantage of Pemberley being deserted to have a private 'Man without Pants' party.

After Elizabeth had let William buy her an impressive amount of trim, they stopped for her fruity cobbler. "Ready to go back?" he asked.

"Yes," she smiled naughtily, eyeing his kilt. "Do you like wearing that?" she asked, using a sexy tone of voice and slipping her hand onto his bare bottom.

He returned the look, "I do. It's very comfortable and convenient."

"Convenient?" she asked, her tongue touching her bottom lip. "How so?"

"Come with me and I'll show you," he breathed into her ear. Elizabeth dumped her half-eaten dessert and gave him her hand. She suspected she knew where they were going, and her instincts proved right: the battlefield.

She didn't understand why, but it is a truth universally acknowledged that the battlefield at Pennsic was the place for late night nookie. How many children had been conceived on that sacred ground? It was unknowable, but every year there was a definite swell in the number of SCA babies born in late May.

It was full dark, and they moved slowly, mostly to avoid stepping on other couples, as they passed many in the darkness. William directed her to a huge pile of hay bales that were used to mark boundaries during the battles. Elizabeth couldn't see his expression, only his silhouette, but she knew what he would look like: hungry.

Her dark monster was back to eat this little girl. She pulled up the wool of his kilt to find him already erect as he kissed her, his mouth plundering her ruthlessly. Again and again their mouths met, their tongues darting and probing while they tried to consume the other whole. All the while, Elizabeth hands were stroking his steely hardness.

"I'll bet you've wanted to do this for so long," Elizabeth breathed teasingly, as she sucked on his throat.

"Yes," he growled, as he pulled up her skirts. She had been wearing a bodice and skirt outfit that had left William staring at her breasts most of the evening. He discarded her underwear, which Elizabeth was seriously questioning why she even bothered with, and sat down on the hay bale, pulling her up onto his lap.

Elizabeth released the tie that held her chemise closed, and pulled it down, exposing her breasts to him. He couldn't see her, but he could sense what she was doing and he ducked his head, catching a nipple in his mouth.

Elizabeth swooned as he sucked the nipple hard, rolling it around his tongue and nipping at it lightly. She wrapped her arms around his head, holding him close to her as her head flung back and she could see the stars shining down on them.

With a moan and an upward thrust, Darcy entered her, provoking a sharp cry from her. She pressed herself down against him, her knees flexing as she lifted herself up and down on his shaft. Around them, she could hear the softest whispers of others taking their pleasure as well, but Elizabeth could care less about others, all she cared about was the way his hands felt on her ass as he pulled her against him, again and again. She could feel him hardening and growing even larger.

Elizabeth felt like she was going to burst from the sweet pressure building inside of her. "Harder, harder," she cried into his ear. William responded by biting down on her swollen nipple. He could feel her tip over the edge into her release and he pulled her hips tighter to him, as he came with her, shooting into her hot tight core.

He held her as she leaned against him, then she began trembling. William was concerned until he heard her soft laughter. "I can't believe we just did that!"

"What can I say?" William said lightly, "You are irresistible."

"And you are insatiable!" she replied as she climbed off of him and started searching the ground for her underwear.

"You were the one feeling my butt at the food court," he smiled, as he helped her search. "Here, I found them."

Smiling broadly, they returned to Pemberley, their camp du jour, and retired for the night. Elizabeth snuggled into her spot beside him and their limbs automatically intertwined. It was only then that she sighed, softly.

He kissed her head, gently and tenderly asked, "What was bothering you at dinner, love?"

She lifted one half of her mouth in a rueful smile and rubbed her face against his chest, capturing his smell in her nose. "I'm just feeling a little down because Pennsic is almost over and we will have to go back soon."

"Don't you want to go back?" he asked softly.

"No!" she answered quickly. "I know it's impossible, but a part of me wants to stay here, where I have you and we are together and it's perfect."

"Sweetheart, do you remember how cold the showers were? It's hardly perfect," he said with a gentle laugh, which Elizabeth joined in with him. "But I can understand your feelings."

"Do you want to go back?" she asked.

"I don't look at it as going back. We are going forward, my love," he said as he pulled her chin towards his and kissed her lovingly. "We could never go back to who we were." He touched her cheek, "And yes, there will be some rough times, and yes, there are going to be a lot of big changes, more for you then me, I'm afraid," he added sympathetically. "But frankly, I'm very excited. Can I tell you something horrible?"

She smiled, "Of course you can."

"This sounds very possessive and patronizing, but a part of me won't feel like you are really mine, that any of this real, until I take you home and make love to you in the Darcy bed," he admitted guiltily.

Elizabeth's breath caught. She hadn't forgotten about that big, old testament to the Darcy line. It had been in her thoughts ever since she agreed to move in with William, but this was the first time he spoke of it.

And now that he had said it, it raised a number of conflicting feelings, about who Elizabeth was and what she wanted. Her head swam, but she tried to put them in order.

"Elizabeth?" He said softly, concerned by her silence.

"I'm just thinking," she said distantly.

William's rational mind understood this, but his heart was a bit wounded. He knew he had touched a raw nerve, and that Elizabeth needed time. He realized that if she were asking him to leave everything he had and move to another state, he would require patience and understanding, but he could not deny a part of him just wished she would throw her arms around his neck and command him to take her away. The brave knight carrying off the beautiful maiden to his castle.

But, he was willing to admit, she was here, in his bed, and in his arms. His ring was on her finger and his seed was, even now, in her body, so he had, in fact won her and carried her off. It just took some time for her to adjust to it. Time he could afford to give her, he realized with a grin.

"Will?" she said tentatively.

He heard the the need for reassurance in her voice, "Yes, love?" He replied, rubbing her smooth back and kissing her softly.

"Will, you are certain you want to marry me, right?"

He laughed softly in the darkness, "Elizabeth, my heart, if it wasn't the middle of the night, I'd have you get dressed, and I'd marry you right now." He rolled her onto her back, and laid on top of her lightly and kissed her deeply. "That is a silly question, my love. Don't you know I'm already married to you, in my heart?"

Her arms clung to him as she made soft gasping noises.

"Darling, what's wrong?" William asked, confused and not sure what was upsetting her so.

"Will, I don't know what to do," she admitted brokenly.

"Shhh, shhh, Love," he tried to comfort her, "Don't fret so. Whatever it is, we will do it together, my love."

"William, I know this sounds crazy, but I don't want to be a Bennet when I sleep in the Darcy bed." Her voice was scared. She was revealing herself to him, trusting him completely.

"Elizabeth, why is that crazy?" he asked, gently drawing her out.

"Because," she said, giving voice to her feelings, "You just don't run off to Pennsic and get married, do you? And why should I even care about what my name is?"

"What matters is that you do care," William said soothingly. "It matters to you, and that makes it important. Now, as for me, I told you before, I married you two weeks ago, right here in this bed, so I am perfectly willing to do whatever you need to feel right about this."

"Do you mean that?" she asked softly.

"Elizabeth, I always say what I mean. You know that," he replied, kissing her again. "Would you like to get married tomorrow, my heart?"

Elizabeth sighed deeply, "Yes, and no. A part of me wants to just get this over with and move on, and a part of me says not to rush it."

"What do you want, Elizabeth?" he tone made it clear he would do anything for her, and for once, she believed him.

"Okay," she said, venting, "I want to marry you and be Mrs. Darcy." She had to stop for kisses after that statement. "I want to go with you and live in Pemberley and sleep in the Darcy bed with you."

"I can't promise how much sleeping you are going to do, Mrs. Darcy," he rumbled suggestively.

An excited squeal escaped her lips and with a broad, blushing smile, she continued. "I want a nice wedding, but nothing ridiculous."

William was relieved she was talking to him. Since they were on a roll, he threw out, "Have you decided what you are going to do about work, love?"

"I've thought about that," she said confidently, "and I've reached some conclusions."

"Which are?"

"I want to work for a few years, but nothing that I can't put aside when our children come." This provoked a powerful reaction in Darcy, that surprised even him, as he kissed her passionately. "Are you okay?" she asked, slightly breathlessly.

"Yes, but I may have to make love to you, again. I'm sorry," he added.

"Never be sorry for that!" she grinned wickedly. "But I was saying I will need something to keep myself busy."

"Actually, you will have something to do, my love," he said, brushing his hands over her hair, trying not to think about her luscious body. "Being Mrs. Darcy is a full time job."

Elizabeth laughed, "But what will I do during the day, my love?" she teased.

William laughed with her, even as his lips slid down her neck, licking and kissing her. "Running Pemberley is a full time job, and there are our charities, that have been sadly overlooked since my father died," he said to her breast, soft and full in his hand.

"What about Mrs. Reynolds?" she asked, her voice rough and breathy.

"She's retiring soon," he told her, then sucked the hardened pink nipple into his mouth. "I'm sorry, my love, you are just too tempting."

Elizabeth moaned, and pulled his head closer, her hips twitching involuntarily. "All right, Mistress of Pemberley, I can do that. What about getting married?" she moaned, slightly incoherent.

William rose up and settled himself into her slick warmth. Her body welcomed him, grasping him tightly as he thrust into her with deep penetrating strokes. "What about . . . " he lost the ability to speak. Elizabeth was moving under him like a wild thing and his body felt called to respond to her need. He pushed himself deeply inside her, then moved in small circles, stimulating her, until her cries and and fingernails urged him on.

Then he pulled almost all the way out and picked up her knees, and placed her legs up on his shoulders, altering their angles. Elizabeth's face expressed her surprise as new sensations ripped through her. "Is this okay?" he asked, gasping.

"Oh God, yes!" she moaned, "Don't stop!"

With her blessing, he returned to thrusting her full force. She pleaded for more as he banged into her, again and again, the position allowing him to enter her even more deeply.

Her hands reached up and grasped his upper arms and he saw her, even before he felt her. Her body orgasmed, tightening around him. He was close, but he wasn't there yet, and he kept up the powerful strokes into her core. To his delight, when he did find his own release, she came with him again, her hands fluttering to her mouth to muffle her screams.

When it was over, he laid down beside her and took her exhausted body into his arms. She panted, a tear escaping and wetting his shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked her.

"Oh, yes," she answered after some time. "Thank you."

He smiled contentedly. "Thank you," he told her as he kissed her sweaty brow. "I have an idea."

"Not more sex, I hope. Need sleep now."

"No," he chuckled, "I think I'm quite done for the night. I meant about the wedding. How would you feel about getting married when we return to Meryton?" he asked. "That way, your family can be there, my family can come and stay at Netherfield, and you will be Mrs. Darcy when I bring you to Pemberley."

Elizabeth looked into his eyes and nodded, "That would be perfect, my love." She grinned and added warmly, "Just like you."

****

And so that was what they did. On Sunday, Elizabeth and William left Pennsic and returned to Meryton with Charles, Jane, Richard, Georgianna, Michael and the Gardeners. Mrs. Reynolds met them there.

After some quick arranging, Elizabeth and William were married in a simple, yet moving ceremony before their closest friends and family. They remained in Meryton for a week, closing out Jane and Elizabeth's apartment.

The following Friday, just a week later, William brought his bride home to Pemberley and made love to her, all night long in the Darcy bed.

Epilogue

Saturday, November 3, 2001

It was cold, yet clear on that day. Sixty four fighters had entered the Tournament, to win the Crown of the Eastern Kingdom. Now only two remained.

Elizabeth and Jane stood arm in arm, holding hands nervously as they watched. After fighting five rounds, the slate had been wiped clean and the two remaining fighters, Duke Gregor and the Knight from Pemberley faced each other. The winner of two out of three matches would be crowned.

The first fight had been with long swords. Massive weapons, over five feet in length which were held with both hands. The crowd had favored the larger Duke, but the knight from Pemberley had been able to use his speed as an advantage and had won the match quickly.

When it was all over, everyone would agree this Tourney had been about speed. The victor had moved with single-minded determination up the ranks, efficiently taking out all his challengers.

The next match was sword and shield. If the Knight from Pemberley won this, it would be all over. Elizabeth and Jane stood alone, unable to look away, while the rest of their household stood along the edge of the list field. The crowd was silent, the only noise to be heard was the *Crash*, *Snap* and *Bang* of the weapons hitting armor. The match had gone on for over 10 minutes and it was late in the day, yet the knight from Pemberley showed no sign of fatigue. The crowd gasped as they collectively saw an opening when the Duke overextended himself and dropped his shield slightly. With effortless ease, the knight took his shot, and the *crack* of a clean blow to the head was heard over all.

The Duke dropped to his knees and loudly said, "Well fought, my Prince!"

Elizabeth and Jane hugged each other tightly, breathless with excitement, then ran to the field. Elizabeth to her husband, and Jane to her fiancé. The King, Darius, followed them and stood before the knight, who knelt.

"You have fought well this day, my friend, and I am honored to name you my heir." He placed the crown on the knight's head and told him to rise. The new prince was then handed his princess's crown and he turned to his lady.

With tears in his bright blue eyes, Charles crowned Vivienne le Sorbonne le Argent Princess of the East. Jane stood and embraced Charles tightly as the crowd roared "Vivat, Vivat, Vivat!"

William, who had only advanced to the final eight before Charles defeated him, stepped up to the newly crowned pair. He was proud to kneel with Elizabeth before the new Prince and Princess briefly before they were snatched up into a warm hug.

"See, Darcy," said Charles proudly. "I told you that if I fought for Jane, I would make her Queen."

William nodded, smiling, "Yes, you did, my friend, you did."

William could not help thinking about how far the four of them had traveled in the seven months since that night at Coronation. They had descended into the valley of despair, believing that while searching for gold, they had lost the only treasure that truly mattered. And he remembered that moment at the Great Northern War, when he had looked into Elizabeth's eyes and seen that all his dreams had come true, and that the love he thought he had forever lost had returned freely to him.

Finally, he thought about how the four of them had gone to war, and had all returned victorious.

****

Charles and Jane were married a month later, and Jane was pregnant by the time they ascended to the crown in April. Elizabeth was kept quite busy helping her sister the Queen at War that summer.

At that Pennsic, Charles had the privilege of Knighting both Arial and Michael. Georgianna took her place as Michael's lady and placed the white belt on his waist, admonishing him to never dishonor her, while Jane performed the honors for Arial.

George Wickham received a 10 year mandatory prison sentence for dealing Oxycontin. He never again troubled the Darcys.

Elizabeth and William lived long, full and happy lives, with their son and daughter. Charles got his revenge on Caroline in exactly the manner he said he would: Jane bore him four healthy children and they were very happy.

Caroline Bingley did not live a happy life. A year after she tried to ruin Charles' happiness, she was arrested for tax evasion and fraud. She applied to Charles for assistance, but he turned his back on her. Jane, however, was expecting their first child at the time, and was very aware of the importance of family. So she hired and paid for the worse lawyer she could find to represent Caroline. Caroline served 4 years in a federal prison.

The End

Longbourn & Pemberley Go to War

A fan fiction adaptation of Jane Autsen's Pride & Prejudice by Heather Lynn

Author's notes: L&P would not have happened with out four amazing women: Saint Abigail, Saint Amy, Saint Jean Louise and Angel Dorothy. These remarkable women not only held my hand all the way through, they also listened to my rantings and corrected more typos & spelling errors than even Charles Bingley could create. They have my never ending thanks! And any praise I might receive I must share equally with them.