Lizzie lays in bed, staring at the ceiling.

It's late— really late— and she really should be sleeping but she can't. Not after what Lydia shared with her today. She is over joyed to see her sister head back to her natural overbearing and bubbly self. Although she is not altogether herself yet, Lizzie sees progress and can't help but thank God for this turn of events. God and...others...she quickly reminds herself.

She can't help but wonder why? Why had he done it? Why did he take it upon himself to help out her family?

A part of her (a part which she tried incessantly to push down and out of the way) hoped it was for her. Hoped that he still cared for her and could not stand her to be so upset and went out of his way to help. But she couldn't be so narcissistic. Plus, she probably squashed any feelings he may have had for her with the way she had acted.

As nice of thought (or fantasy) as it was, she sided with the idea that, as he had been in a similar situation with GiGi, he felt for Lydia.

Regardless of the reason, it was the nicest thing anyone has ever done for her…or, um… for Lydia. Nevertheless it was an amazing gesture and she needed to repay him somehow. Lizzie knew that he would never take any compensation even if she could afford it, but still, she had to make it up to him.

She chastises her behaviour over the last year. How could she have been so judgmental? How could she have been so proud, so arrogant, even? She misjudged him so severely that it made her nauseous to think that she had become worse than she had originally depicted him to be.

But now… now things were different and she knew that swallowing that pride and arrogance would be no easy task. She wasn't one for admitting her faults and her wrong doings. She usually battled to the death, holding on to any shred of argument she could manage.

However, this particular situation was different. She had no straws left to grasp at and was forced to face her own shortcomings and admit she was wrong. It was going to prove difficult but a greater force within her pushed her toward the higher road. Even more than admitting she was wrong to other people, Lizzie found it difficult admitting she was wrong to herself. Once that mountain was climbed, the others didn't seem so hard.

She spent a good half an hour staring at her phone, willing herself to make the call.

She contemplated the time but knew that he would probably still be at work (she was at Pemberely Digital long enough to know that he almost never went home).

She argued to herself that maybe sleep would do her good and, in the end, help her muster up the courage that she was obviously lacking. But she knew that she was procrastinating. If she didn't do it now she would put it off for too long and that was not acceptable. After all, she had a thesis to finish and couldn't have this weighing down on her at the same time.

Lizzie took a deep, shaky breath then said into her phone, "Domino, call William Darcy". She was so nervous that Domino, regardless of its many capabilities and brilliant software, could not decipher what had just come out of her mouth.

"Shit! Come on Lizzie get over yourself", her pep talk-and the fear of looking like even more of an idiot through the camera- willed her to pull herself together and speak clear enough for the App to register what she had asked of it.

She had decided that after five rings (yes, she was counting) she would hang up and try again later.

1st ring... Okay, you are okay, you can do this.

2nd ring... What if he is sleeping...what if I wake him up?! Oh I should have waited until morning.

3rd ring... Too late now, I guess. If he is sleeping, this has probably already disturbed him and I will just look like a complete idiot if I hang up now.

4th ring...Oh my god, what if he doesn't want to talk to me and he is screening my call and I am just making a total fool of myself!

She quickly spits out something along the lines of "Domino, end call" but, once again, it doesn't register her command.

"CRAP!" she yells, putting the phone down beside her to avoid throwing it in frustration.

Half way through cursing the app, herself and her nerves (ugh, she HATED sounding like her mother) she hears a deep, tired and surprised voice come through the phone, "Lizzie?"

Stunned silent, Lizzie takes a moment to register that William Darcy has, in fact, answered her call and she is not at all as composed as she wanted to be.

So much for not looking like an idiot.

"Lizzie, are you there?" she heard him say again, this time a little more panicked.

It's now or never, she thought to herself as she quickly gained back some control and picked up the phone.

For a moment, she paused at the sight of him. It was clear he was still at work, in his office at Pemberely (She smiled inwardly at how well she had come to know him). His tie was loose around his neck and the top button of his dress shirt was undone. He looked positively exhausted, rather confused and slightly concerned.

Lizzie couldn't help noticing (and fixating on) how good looking he was. All in three seconds she noticed his slightly dishevelled nature from burning the midnight oil, how his lips parted slightly as he awaited her response and how—even through the phone— his crystal blue eyes could fixate on her and pierce through the many walls she put up as defence. Against what, she didn't know any more.

Noticing the awkward silence that had developed since she picked up the phone, Lizzie kicked herself inwardly as she forced out words.

"Hi Darc…uh… William!" she stammered, trying to sound cheery enough to let him know that there was no need to be concerned. This worked, though he still did look very confused. "I… um... I realize this is very untoward, given the hour but I was just…um…thinking about you and, well, I couldn't sleep and I... I just really needed to talk...if that's okay, I mean if you aren't too busy",

Wrap it up, Bennet, she urged herself as she continued to ramble on,

"I mean, I know you are working but... I...um, is that okay?"

Though still looking slightly confused, Lizzie noticed the corners of his mouth turn up slightly as he spoke.

William replied tentatively, "It's no interruption at all Lizzie. And, no I'm not busy at all. I always have time for you." His smile grew slightly as if to settle her, but it didn't.

Instead, his words made her nerves flutter in anticipation— He always has time for me. The thought made her heart swell but she pushed it down almost as quickly as it came up, noting that he is most likely just being a good friend.

Scratch that, a great friend.

This caused a pang of guilt in to emerge her gut once again, remembering the reason she had called.

She smiled back at him shyly as she tried to choose her words wisely. Why didn't I think this through? She thought indignantly as she searched for the right opener.

"Thanks"

Thanks? THANKS?! That's the best you can do? You are a grad student for Christ sakes, communication is your thing and the best you can come up with is "Thanks"!?

Her internal grudge match with herself seemed to show through on her face as William's eyebrows lifted expectantly. She bet he never thought he would be in a conversation where he had the better social skills.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Lizzie?" he offered light-heartedly.

"I just wanted… um... thank you, I guess?"

You guess? What are you doing, Lizzie?

"Lydia told me what you did" she stated slowly, forcing herself to look at him even though it was the last place she want to be looking right now. There was just something about the way that he looked back at her that caused her to lose focus of the purpose of this excruciating conversation.

Noting the look on his face that said disappointment and irritation with her baby sister, Lizzie quickly added.

"She kind of had to, I mean, I was telling her that I was going to watch GiGi's videos demonstrating Domino… which is excellent by the way, great work!" she added quickly with a big smile outwardly and a snarky comment to herself inward, "and she ended up telling me because she didn't want me to find out through the internet. Please, don't be mad at her."

As he considered this, she quickly added,

"I just don't understand why you didn't want me to know?"