DISCLAIMER: I do not own Pride and Prejudice or any related material.

Cheers! Thank you for your patience and her is the last chapter! Enjoy! Also, a big thank you to all those awesome reviews!

Elizabeth could hear a rustle in her room, but decided to keep her drowsy eyes shut for the time being. Gentle voices sounded and she could feel the sun's ray penetrating the window and warming her cold hands. She had very little recollection of last night's late events. She remembered her rather awkward encounter with Mr. Darcy in the kitchen and, after that…she somehow managed the climb to her room?

She could not say for certain, however, since her memory turned into a hazy blur after Mr. Darcy, trying so hard to conceal a candelabra behind his back for some rather odd reason, wished her good night.

A few more minutes passed and Elizabeth felt a cool washcloth swipe her hot forehead. Startled, she opened her eyes to see the face of her worried sister Jane.

"Lizzy!" a smile broke Jane's frown, "You've awaken, thank goodness!"

Elizabeth was confused. Why was Jane so eager to see her sister awake like every normal human being should after a night's rest?

"Yes Janey," she reassured her older sister by using her pet name, "I have, but why the worry?"

"The worry?!" Jane repeated, "Lizzy, you've been sleeping ill fighting a fever for the past day and a half!"

Elizabeth's mouth dropped.

"What!" Elizabeth responded, outraged. She threw the thick covers to the foot of the bed and swung her legs over the side.

"Elizabeth, please! Take it slowly, you've only just recovered!" Jane tried to protest, but was no match for her sister's stubbornness and determination.

Yet, as older sisters usually are, Jane was correct. The moment Elizabeth stood from her bed, white washed over her vision and her weak knees buckled beneath her.

"Liz!" Jane shouted in concern, trying to catch her sister before she fell to the floor.

However, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders and Elizabeth was startled and thoroughly embarrassed to see a worried Mr. Bingley steady Miss Bennet and slowly sit her back down before her impact with the stones at their feet.

Jane huffed a sigh of relief, gratefully resting her hand on her future husband's shoulder.

"Careful, Miss Bennet," Bingley cautioned playfully, "You wouldn't want us to be your personal team of physicians…trust me."

There was a glint in Bingley's eye than Elizabeth could not identify the source of. Lizzy only smiled in return as her energy was quickly waning. She looked towards Jane, "A day and a half? That's preposterous!"

"The only absurd aspect of this situation is you shrugging off your own health!" Jane retorted in furious worry, "I shall never allow you to be so cotton-headed again!"

"Okay, Janey," Elizabeth tried to stifle a laugh.

"If you have some form of an appetite, I believe your mother requested an extravagant breakfast spread for the estate," Bingley said, "I'm sure we would all love for you to join us, should you have the strength."

"Yes, I believe I can manage," Elizabeth decided, "Who remains? Have Uncle and Aunt departed already? It seems the ghastly storm dissipated."

"Yes, though they have arrangements to leave within the hour. All were anxiously awaiting for you to rouse. Oh, how happy they will be to see you up and about!" Jane looked at Lizzy with caring eyes.

"Yes, indeed." Elizabeth smiled back and slowly rose from her bed to avoid the same light headedness she felt during the previous attempt.

As Bingley and Jane retreated to the door to give Elizabeth some privacy as she dressed, Elizabeth overheard Bingley mumble to Jane in a playful whisper, "I better head down or Darcy will have my arse for stranding him in the kitchen with your mother!"

Jane gigged before closing the door.

So, Mr. Darcy still remains! Lizzy thought; nervous, excited, and anxious all at the same time.

…

"Lizzy!" Mrs. Bennet screamed in her high pitch voice as Elizabeth first entered the kitchen, "You have finally awoken!"

Her mother showered Elizabeth in kisses she knew were all meant for show. Mrs. Bennet continued, "My favorite daughter! A stunning sight! Mr. Bennet, don't I always mention how our Elizabeth is my favorite daughter?"

Mr. Bennet, paying little attention to his wife's antics and approaching Elizabeth with love and relief in his eyes, responded, "Oh, Mrs. Bennet, don't you recall that it is a sin to lie?"

She huffed in frustration, but it was quickly replaced by joy as the maids brought a few over-the-top breakfast items to the table.

The Gardiner children ran to Lizzy and each hugged on tightly to one of her legs.

"Boys!" Lizzy bent down to hug her two, young cousins properly, "How delighted I am to see you both!"

She rose to meet the eyes of a smiling Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, who greeted her warmly and with relief, but were cut short as Mrs. Bennet ushered them to sit at the breakfast table.

All seating was to be arranged by Mrs. Bennet, and Lizzy was so unluckily placed on the immediate right of the laconic Mr. Darcy. The last time the pair had spoken was prior to Elizabeth's rather ungraceful collapse in the kitchen a few nights back.

Thank the heavens Mr. Darcy wasn't there to witness such a blunder on my part! Lizzy's relief was tangible.

Mrs. Bennet heartily dominated the conversation at the table, starting with subjects as meaningless as potato recipes stretching all the way to the useless chatter of endeavoring to the Atlantic Ocean. However, her incessant conversation finally gave Mr. Darcy to silently whisper to the lovely Miss Bennet seated by his side, "Miss Bennet, if you don't mind my boldness, I was inquiring as to your current state of health after these past few nights spent ill."

Lizzy was taken aback. Had she heard correctly? Did Mr. Darcy just ask after her well being? If she hadn't seen his lips barely moving merely a second before, she would have thought it a trick of her recently fevered brain.

It took Miss Bennet a moment before she soundly replied, "Yes, quite recovered. Thank you for asking."

"Of course, as you left the whole estate in mania once falling ill and Bingley the only one to fend off your mother's tea time rambles."

Lizzy stifled a laugh, garnering a few quick glances from Mrs. Bennet in their direction, yet the mistress of the house continued her tangent.

"And what were you doing as Bingley so selflessly sacrificed himself to bear the hour of tea with Mother?" Lizzy quipped back.

Darcy's side smile was barely evident, "Brewing the tea."

She recognized the same glint in Darcy's eye that Bingley possessed this morning. What had occurred while she was submissive in her slumber?

"And how did you manage?" she asked.

Darcy turned his head to look Elizabeth directly into her brown eyes, "You tell me."

It took Elizabeth another moment to understand what Mr. Darcy meant in his response. Then, as if the tide came crashing onto the shore, hazy memories of her being carried up a dim staircase, laid into bed, and forced tea down her throat as scorching hot towels covered her limbs came flooding into her mind.

Elizabeth gasped, yet regained her composure in seconds as to turn too many heads.

"It was you!"

"Yes, madam"

Elizabeth was in disbelief, primarily because of her overwhelming sense of utter embarrassment. Her rosy cheeks turned into an even brighter shade of crimson and she played with her fingers in agitation.

"M-Mr. Darcy, I…um…I dont know what to say-"

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around her antsy fingers as if to calm them. And it did.

Elizabeth needn't be Sherlock Holmes to deduce who the hand belonged to. She lifted her head to face Mr. Darcy who was, of all things, smirking.

"What, pray tell, is the cause of your giggles?" she was slightly frustrated and defensive should he be laughing at her. She was ill for goodness sakes!

"Miss Bennet," he started, still keeping his palm locked onto hers under the table and away from keen eyes, "I will begin with dispelling any assumptions of yours that I am laughing at you but instead laughing for you."

"But, why would I-" Elizabeth was flustered in her response.

"Because," Darcy answered her question before she finished, looking at Elizabeth directly "I would like to ask you one favor."

She was deeply confused, yet more curious as to his request, "You may."

"Never, and I desire to emphasize never as greatly as I can, request the medical assistance of Mr. Bingley and I for we shall more likely kill you than cure you."

It was Elizabeth's turn to smirk.

"Noted," was her only response.

…..