I had an irresistible idea and wrote this alternate ending for A Different Crisis. It diverges near the end of Chapter 17. Darcy joins Lizzie for a video. While filming, she has an epiphany about what he has done for her. And…here we go!

(Text in italics taken from the end of Chapter 17.)

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Alternate ending: You make me strong

Wednesday, February 6

Lizzie quickly wrapped up the video and turned off her camera.

"How was that?" he asked. "Do we need to refilm anything?"

"I don't think so," she said. She glanced at the window behind them, streaked now with rain. "If we did, it would have to be the whole thing. It's almost dark now, so it would be really obvious if I edited in later footage. But…I think this was really good."

He nodded, glad their effort had pleased her, but a little disappointed to be done filming. "I will be leaving soon. I know you don't have far to go, but would you like a ride?" he asked.

"Oh! Um…". She looked out at the rain again, then smiled. "That would be great!"

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Darcy's steps were slow as he approached Lizzie's office. Not because of a reluctance to see her, of course. Quite the opposite. He was eager for her presence; he just did not want his time with her limited to a short elevator ride to his car and a short drive to her apartment. With Lizzie nearby, solitary evenings were acutely unsatisfying.

He needed a legitimate reason to invite her company for the evening. An outright invitation would be too bold for now. If Gigi were free, he could simply invite Lizzie to join them for dinner and an evening's entertainment, knowing his sister would contrive to give them some private time. If Gigi had a tennis match, Lizzie would surely be eager to join him in cheering her on. Unfortunately, she had only a conditioning session tonight. Most unhelpful.

Perhaps they could discuss something Domino-related over dinner? He felt certain that she had even more well-reasoned ideas about the project than she brought up at the group meetings. It would be a conversation enjoyable to both of them…but might make her think he had only a professional interest in her. He would not risk that.

Other vague ideas were also considered and rejected during the brief walk to Lizzie's office. He sighed as he reached her door. At least he would have the next few minutes with her before dropping her off.

"Lizzie?" he said, rapping a knuckle on her door. She stood in the middle of the room, her hands clasped at her waist, while her backpack and camera bag sat neatly on her desk chair. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. But, um…do you have a few minutes? Could we talk?"

"Certainly," he replied, wanting to laugh. Gaining more time with her had been all too easy. A closer look sobered him, however. He closed the door behind him, set down his laptop bag, and joined her on the couch. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just…I finally figured out why you're doing all this."

"'All this?'" he echoed.

"Approving my videos. Volunteering to be in them. I mean, I know you said you, um, admire them objectively, but it's a lot more than that. I don't know why it took me this long to notice."

Darcy froze at her words, heart rate escalating. Lizzie had guessed his feelings for her. That in itself wasn't a problem—he was heartily sick of his indecision over when and how to declare himself again—but what were her feelings now that she knew? He searched her face, her eyes, desperate for a smile, some hint of happiness that would guarantee his own.

He saw nothing. Lizzie looked solemn. Uncertain. Tense.

"I am sorry," he said quietly, dread flooding through him. He feared that Lizzie did not return his feelings but was attempting to let him down gently this time, away from the camera's view. But a gentle rejection was still a rejection. He looked down, his voice pained. "It was never my intention to make you uncomfortable or…or impose myself upon you."

"Impose yourself?" she repeated, sounding confused. Without waiting for a response, she continued, "No, I meant…I always knew my videos might come back to bite me. You know, a defamation lawsuit, or my journalism ethics professor or a job interviewer asking what the hell I thought I was doing when I posted footage of you."

"Ah," he said inanely. Did that mean she hadn't guessed…?

"But I don't have to worry about that now, because…because you gave me legal permission to film here, and volunteered to show everyone that you're a willing participant now, and even gave your consent on camera."

This at least he could answer safely and confidently. "What happened is forgiven now and in the past. I would not have you suffer for it in any way."

"But…". She frowned still as she tried to convey her meaning. "You've gone to all this trouble, just to protect me from all the consequences of the ways I hurt you!"

"It is no trouble, Lizzie. I volunteered to be in your videos because I was—am—happy to be part of what you're doing. As for the…protection," he paused, choosing his words deliberately, "I want to see you happy and safe and successful. Anything I can do toward those ends is gladly done."

The effect of his words upon Lizzie was remarkable. Her mouth made a little soundless "Oh!," her expression softening even as her eyes lit with an emotion indefinable and intoxicating.

Then, quietly, she said, "You must be the best man I've ever known."

The best man she'd ever known. Lizzie Bennet had just said that about him. William Darcy. The man she had seen at his worst. The man she had thoroughly and justifiably hated. Her hard-won praise buoyed his heart to ridiculous heights. It was gratifying. It was humbling. But more than that…

It meant there was a chance for them now. He could not be mistaken. If her opinion of him could change this radically, surely her heart would follow. Hope went galloping through his veins, its intensity robbing his ability to speak or respond.

Then, almost in a whisper, came even more astonishing words. "I—I love you."

Darcy forgot even to breathe. Long seconds ticked by as he struggled to process her words and the joy he rather knew than felt.

At last, dimly, he became aware that her face was now painfully flushed as she looked down, that her voice was shaking as she stammered something about not expecting anything from him.

Lizzie thought he was rejecting her. The realization effectively blew away the fog of his thoughts, spurring him into action.

His hands reached out to cup her face, urging her eyes to meet his. "I love you, Lizzie," he said, his voice rough with emotion. "I have been waiting and longing to tell you."

"Really?" she breathed. "I didn't think you could, after…".

He shook his head. "I love you even more now than I did last fall."

Her tears spilled over at his words. He brushed aside the first with his thumb, then drew her close, eliminating the space between them. She came to him so easily, the top of her head fitting perfectly against his neck. He held her then, trying to soothe even as he reeled from her words.

Lizzie loved him. Every word in that sentence would have been unbelievable only minutes ago.

She had declared that love—the import of her last words was finally sinking in—even though doubting that he could return her feelings. Her courage humbled him even more than her earlier words of praise. Darcy tightened his arms around her reflexively, as if that would give her the assurance she needed.

No. Her breathing evened before long, but he could feel the tension in her still. She needed more than his embrace. As he'd seen before, she needed his words.

"I never stopped loving you." He hesitated, wishing belatedly that he was more practiced in expressing his emotions. But there was nothing for it now but to continue. "I thought I had, but seeing you here quickly proved otherwise. Since learning of your videos, I—."

He would not have dwelled on it, but at that moment Lizzie leaned back a little, meeting his gaze with questioning eyes. She wanted to know.

"It hurt," he said simply. "You know that. I—I wished for a brief time that I could stop loving you. But," his voice became firm, "that time has long since passed. Your letter showed you were reckoning with what had happened. Your videos…they were painful at times, yes, but they also showed you, your life and relationships and growth that I knew little of, for all my previous observation. Watching them, and working through this with you these past days, has made me love you more and…better, I think."

It was the right thing to say, judging by the smile Lizzie wore by the time he finished. It was a smile uncontained, full of happiness and relief. Radiant with love. He could recognize it now, and basked in it.

"Thank you," she said softly, fingers tracing along his arm. "I love you too."

She could say that from now until forever, and he would never tire of hearing it.

"My, er, Darcybot malfunction after your declaration was from surprise. I had cautious hopes, but after our conversation Sunday I did not think you were ready to see me in that light. I have never been happier to be proved wrong."

"Sunday?"

"At your apartment, after we watched the footage. You seemed not to envision me as part of your life."

"What do you mean?" she said, brow furrowing. "I didn't say that. I wouldn't have said that!"

"Well, you said you had hoped I would never know about your videos, and I assumed that meant…". His voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Sure, because I knew they would hurt you! I didn't…I—I never dreamed you would want to be with me after you knew what I'd done. So yeah, I guess I didn't envision being with you. It wasn't possible, so I tried not to let myself think how much I was starting to want it. But," and her cheeks colored a little as she said it, "I've been falling for you ever since I came here."

Ever since she'd come to Pemberley. Lizzie had cared for him already before the saga of the last few weeks. Before the angst and guilt and gratitude. Darcy hadn't known how much he needed that reassurance. He breathed deep as he took it all in, the last of his shock and uncertainty giving way to thorough joy.

He needed to touch her. His arms still slung loose around her as they talked weren't enough after such a declaration. One hand came up to rest against her neck, her hair brushing warm and silky against his knuckles as his thumb trailed along her jaw. "And you revealed your feelings despite those doubts."

"I didn't mean to tell you. At least, that's not why I asked if we could talk. I was just going to thank you for everything, but the more we talked…well, you've been acting like you care for me, and…I just had to say it."

His voice was low as he said, "I cannot tell you how moved I am that you took that risk for me. For us."

Lizzie drew a shaky breath, then smiled sweetly and tilted her cheek into his hand. "I love that there's an 'us.'"

With that, his ability to resist her was gone. He kissed her once, then again and again, gentle, tender, exploring kisses. Lizzie's hands ran up his chest to his shoulders, pulling herself closer as she kissed him back.

Darcy couldn't have said how long they remained that way, asking and answering some of the questions that had plagued them, giving and receiving reassurance, kissing slow and heartfelt when words were insufficient.

"I was grasping at straws on my way here," he said some time later, "trying to think up some excuse to spend the evening with you."

"Did you come up with anything?"

"No, but I think an approach I rejected then might work now." She raised her eyebrows in question, and he smiled a little, loving that he now had the freedom to ask, "May I have the pleasure of your company this evening, Ms. Bennet?"

"The pleasure will be mine, Mr. Darcy," she replied with laughing formality. "I need to edit my video at some point, but other than that we can do whatever you want."

"Dinner then? And after that, might I look on while you edit? I am curious about your process."

She agreed readily, and they rose to pick up their bags.

"Hey, I know what we can talk about over dinner," she said. "I didn't film this, so you can help me decide how to tell my viewers we're together."

We're together. It was all still so new that those words loosed another burst of happiness within him. Telling her viewers could be straightforward enough—merely sitting before the camera and saying "we're together" would do the trick, though Lizzie would surely want something more dramatic—but then he caught the glint in her eye.

"And by 'tell them' you mean 'troll them?'"

"Yep. With both of us brainstorming, we're sure to come up with something good."

The urge to tease her was irresistible when she was looking so playful. "I'm not sure it behooves me to encourage your diabolical tendencies."

Lizzie, being Lizzie, gave as good as she got. "Well, if you don't want to troll, I think we should do costume theater of what happened. Show rather than tell, you know. I didn't make you be me today because it was your first time, but the next video would be your second time…".

Darcy cringed and laughed and wrapped his arms around her, all at the same time. "You are an absolute delight."

Her face glowed at his words, but she was not yet done teasing him. "That doesn't exactly discourage my diabolical tendencies."

He laughed again and kissed her forehead. "I adore you, Lizzie."

That brought her up on tiptoe, hands holding onto his arms for balance, to share a quick kiss.

"Sooo," she drawled once back on her feet, "which will it be? Troll or me?"

"Well, when you put it that way…" he teased. Then he linked hands with her and moved toward the door. "Which cuisine pairs best with trolling, do you think?"

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Thanks for reading! Can you think of any particularly diabolical way they might troll us viewers in this scenario? And which do you like better, this or the original ending?