A Hidden Kindness

Disclaimer: Not Jane Austen, not claiming to be. Just using her characters for my own inspiration and writing. The only things that belong to me are the story plot, the title and any ORIGINAL characters.

A/N: So thank you in advance to anyone who decides to give this a read. This is a new E/D concept I've been toying with whilst I was still writing Autumn Changes and have been working on writing this whilst I was finishing up that story. This one, like NWTS, is about starting over with learning to deal with loss, how to grieve, how to see there's more to something than what meets the eye as well as other things.

In this story, I've decided to only have three Bennet siblings because I felt it crucial to my plotline. So if I decide to use characters such as Kitty or Mary Bennet for example, they aren't related to Jane, Lizzy or Lydia unless I decide otherwise; I will mention in an author's note before a chapter if I change my mind. It might be that they appear later in the story but with different last names.

Secondly, some of the characters may seem out of character than they were originally written in Jane Austen's masterpiece. Apologies if you don't like that. If this will be a problem for you, I kindly ask that you stop reading after this author's note finishes.

Thirdly, this story is another modern day, alternate universe, type story. Again, apologies if you don't like modern day, alternate universe stories, so I kindly ask again that if this proves to be a problem for you, please stop reading after this author's note.

Fourth, please let me know what you think by leaving a review and I hope to post once a week on Tuesdays but please bear in mind that this may not always happen, I'm now back for my 3rd year at uni and I have 3 kids.

And finally: Just in case I get any non UK readers, here's a little chapter terminology just in case you get confused over what certain things mentioned in this chapter mean:

GCSE's are a course of educational subjects studied by teenagers aged 14-16 in the UK over a two or three-year period. Some subjects are compulsory, such as English, Maths, Science etc. whilst other subjects students can choose to study such as Media Studies, Health and Social Care, Music, Languages, Art etc.; all dependent on what courses a school offers. GCSE's are vital for students in the UK in order to get into a further education college (ages between 16-18 in most courses at a FEC).

A-Levels are the courses that teenagers can choose to take at a further education college between the ages of 16-18. They can choose to do a BTEC course which is mainly an area of study in one course with another separate, additional course on the side or they can choose up to four A-Levels to study, picking different subjects from a course catalogue when they apply for a place. First year, where students are aged 16-17, is called AS Level where they study for a year, take an exam at the end of the academic year and then carry on into the final year, depending on grades. A-Levels are a vital course for students wanting to go to university.

A3: The main motorway linking Portsmouth to London.

Thurston: A village located just outside of the town of Bury St. Edmunds.

Portsmouth: If you've read my story Never What They Seem, then you've already been introduced to Portsmouth. But for those that haven't, Portsmouth is the UK's only island city located on the south coast, directly opposite the Isle of Wight.

Ofsted: The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. A department of the UK government whose job it is to inspect all schools across the UK and report on all aspects of how a school is run, the standard of teaching, children's welfare etc. to the government. A school is rated on a 1-5 scale with 1 being the worst and 5 being the best. The reports on a school informs the government how changes to education can be made with the inspectors working closely with underachieving schools to improve the rating they are given after an Ofsted inspection.

Now that's out of the way with, enjoy my new story.

Chapter One

As the song finished its final verse on the radio, Elizabeth Bennet sighed heavily in frustration as the traffic on the A3 to Portsmouth began to move again, only to stop a few seconds later. If there was one thing she hated about this journey, it was the traffic that she had been stuck in since passing Guildford, a good two hours of being stuck in this nightmare when if the roads had been clear, she would already be pulling into the driveway of her Aunt and Uncle's house.

She turned up the air conditioning, travelling on a hot August day and being stuck in the car since they had left Thurston that morning wasn't ideal. The drive from their old home to their new one should have only been a four-hour drive with traffic but it was now nearing six hours and her stomach was grumbling in hunger. Elizabeth turned her head to the passenger seat on her left, seeing her glum looking, fifteen-year-old sister sulking as she looked out of the window.

"Not too much longer, I saw a sign saying that we're only a few more miles from connecting to Portsmouth." Elizabeth said, trying to have a conversation with her sister.

Lydia didn't turn to look at her.

"So it'll be what feels like another two hours stuck in this traffic! Hopefully Aunt Maddie won't be too mad that we'll be showing up at dinner time." Lydia grumbled.

Lizzy sighed again, "I called her when we stopped at the services, she's not angry with us so don't worry." She replied.

"That's not what I'm worried about, you know it's not."

"So talk to me. It's what I'm here for."

For the first time since they had left home that morning, Lydia turned to face her, her blue eyes red and puffy. Elizabeth instantly felt guilty, she hadn't known that Lydia had cried at some point during their journey.

"I get that we needed a fresh start, me especially. But I don't see why you couldn't have just transferred me to another local school. Instead you and Jane made the decision to uproot me from everything that I've known. We've moved out of Longbourn but Jane gets to stay and now I'm moving one hundred and seventy-five miles away to live with my Aunt and Uncle and attend a snotty nosed private school that Uncle Ed teaches at." Lydia stated, rather unhappily.

"Lydi, I get that it's scary having to start over. You aren't the only one who's doing so. Jane had to stay at Longbourn in order to get the B&B running again, it's what she wanted to do. We had to move you to get you away from everything, it's for your own good after what happened last year." Lizzy replied softly.

"So you and Jane keep saying." Lydia muttered.

"How about me? I'm starting a new job at this school, I'm taking a new job as the school nurse at your new school." Elizabeth pointed out.

"Oh boo hoo! Lizzy, agrees to take a new job. We all know you agreed to the job in order to keep an eye on me." Lydia snapped.

"Would you prefer for me to leave you with Uncle Ed and Aunt Maddie on your own? I thought it would be better this way, you still get to have one of us with you."

"I'd rather just stay in Thurston." Lydia grumbled.

Turning her attention back to the long queue of traffic, Elizabeth sighed in relief as the cars in front of her starting moving again, it seemed that the traffic jam was now over. Starting her engine again, she started driving along the rest of the A3 and was soon seeing the views of the island city where her aunt and uncle lived and smiled as it seemed they would soon be making their way to the Gardiner residence.

It had been a tough decision to move away to start over with Lydia. After their father had died last summer, Elizabeth and her older sister of one year, Jane, had been left to care for their little sister. Their father's death had been tough on all three of the Bennet girls, with Lydia taking it the hardest. So after a tough year and Lydia having reached rock bottom, Elizabeth and Jane had called their aunt and uncle, their only remaining relatives, and asked for help.

Uncle Ed worked as a history teacher at a private school called Rosings Park which was located in Old Portsmouth, the oldest part of the city. Although a private school, Uncle Ed had managed to get a scholarship for Lydia so that she could attend there and also recommended Lizzy for the school nurse position that needed to be filled. This enabled Lizzy to have a job and remain with Lydia. At first, Lizzy was unsure of whether she should take the job, she had qualified with her nursing degree at the age of twenty-two and for two years worked at the local doctor's surgery as a nurse practitioner. But, after much talk with Jane about the offer, she realised that Lydia needed a fresh start and it would be better on their younger sister if she had one of them go with her. Jane stated that she was needed to keep Longbourn running successfully, it was something their grandfather had built up and their own father had wanted to keep running. So their family business was being run by Jane whilst Lizzy was now the guardian and parent figure to the sister nine years her junior.

Elizabeth continued to drive now that the traffic had cleared up, she indicated to switch lanes and moved over the road until she was in the lane that would take them into Southsea where her aunt and uncle lived. Her aunt and uncle had lived in Portsmouth for as long as she could remember, as a child they would often visit her Portsmouth relatives in the home which had been uncle Ed's childhood home and had raised his own children there with Maddie.

They were now in the city, passing quickly down the eastern road and stopping at the traffic lights by the graveyard.

"I can take a quick detour on the way if you want to get a little glimpse at the school. Uncle Ed says that it's the oldest school in the city." Lizzy offered.

Lydia shrugged, "I've still got another three weeks before I start year eleven, I'll give it a pass for now. Plenty of time to see it another day." Her sister replied.

Deciding it was best to leave Lydia alone, Lizzy said nothing more. She knew that it was probably for the best to let Lydia get used to the idea that, at least for the next year, they would be living in Portsmouth. A few more minutes of silence passed between the two sisters before Elizabeth drove past the football stadium and took a left on to Goldsmith avenue, continuing for a few more minutes until she was pulling up to park outside of her aunt and uncle's house. Switching off the car engine, Elizabeth saw her aunt and uncle come out of their house to greet them.

"At last!" Maddie said in relief, hugging the two Bennet sisters as they got out of Lizzy's car.

"We made it in one piece." Lizzy replied.

"Come inside, we'll get your bags after we've had dinner and you can let Jane know that you've arrived safely." Ed said with a smile, leading Lydia and his wife back inside the house.

Elizabeth locked the car up and followed her aunt and uncle, shutting the front door behind her; hoping that the decision for a fresh start with Lydia was going to be the right decision.

ooOoo

Several hours later, with their suitcases in their new bedrooms and their clothes unpacked into the wardrobes and drawers provided, Elizabeth and Lydia enjoyed a homemade Bolognese cooked by Maddie. Dinner was filled with conversation about getting used to the area, despite the Bennet girls knowing their way around Portsmouth the amount of times they visited their aunt and uncle per year, and Maddie stating that she had already ordered Lydia's school uniform which would be arriving later on in the week.

"You'll be fine Lydi," Ed said when they had finished eating, "The kids that go there are from all types of backgrounds, you won't be the only kid who got in on a scholarship."

"No, I'm sure I won't be. But I will be the only girl there who only got a 'scholarship' because my uncle pulled some strings with his boss." Lydia grumbled.

Lizzy kicked her sister under the table.

"Ouch! Lizzy!" Lydia shouted.

"Apologise. There's no need to be rude." Lizzy scolded.

"I'm sorry Uncle Ed for my rude remark. I know this opportunity must have been hard for you to arrange."

"It's fine Lydia. Why don't you go and watch some TV while Lizzy and I clear the table?" Ed suggested.

Lydia moved into the living room, slumping down onto the sofa and grabbed the remote off the side table. Maddie left the house, taking the Pomeranian dog they owned, named Trip, out for a walk. Lizzy gathered the plates whilst Ed took the glasses and the two of them walked into the kitchen to start the washing up.

"Lydia's finding it hard then?" Ed asked quietly.

Turning on the tap, Lizzy nodded and let out a sigh.

"She knows why we moved here and she knows it's all for her benefit but ever since we left Longbourn, she's been in a sulky mood. She barely spoke to me on the way down here." Elizabeth replied.

"Give her time. It's what you both need. Lydia isn't the only one who needs to come to terms with this adjustment." Ed smiled, washing the dishes before giving them to Lizzy to dry.

"I know. Jane and I discussed it at great length, we both felt it would be better if one of us came with her and when you mentioned the nursing, it was something else to move here for." Lizzy replied.

"It's a different environment, being the school nurse instead of a nurse practitioner at a doctor's surgery. You'll be dealing with all age groups but mostly you'll see the GCSE and A-Level students in the medical room."

"So the ones with the most attitude?" Lizzy laughed.

Ed smiled, "The kids at Rosings aren't that bad. The occasional class where you have to send a kid out for being a bit mouthy and a detention or two for catching a group smoking behind the girl's gym or behind the bike sheds but they study hard. They put the effort into their school work and Ofsted have always been happy when they inspect us." Her uncle said warmly.

"I should hope so. I've seen how much the fees are per term." Elizabeth muttered.

"Most of the kids are local ones, so Lydia will see a few familiar faces around town."

"I just hope that this was the right decision for her."

Ed patted her on the back.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You've taken on a role you never thought you'd have to."

"Jane and I both have." Elizabeth replied.

"And you're both doing your best." Ed pointed out.

"Playing mum to your kid sister isn't exactly what I wanted, any of us. After everything that happened after dad died, I began to wonder if I really had it in me; to parent, I mean." Elizabeth mumbled.

"You do, you've done what any mother would, you put Lydia's needs and interests first." Ed said softly.

The two washed and dried dishes and glasses for a few minutes in silence, giving Elizabeth the opportunity to ponder on what her uncle had said to her.

"What are you thinking about?" Ed asked, noticing the icy expression on his niece's face.

"What you said…I'm doing what any mother would do by putting Lydia's needs and interests first…not all mothers would do that. Mine certainly never did." Elizabeth replied honestly.

Ed froze and the air was tense.

"I'm sure your mother had her reasons…"

"Sadly, I doubt we'll ever know. She walked out when I was ten, Lydia was only just walking. We haven't heard from her since." Elizabeth stated bitterly.

"Perhaps you're right." Ed sighed.

No more was said on the subject of parenting as they finished the washing up. Aunt Maddie returned from walking Trip and the family settled down for the night, watching the latest episode of EastEnders. But despite wanting to stay up a little later to spend some time with her aunt and uncle, both Elizabeth and Lydia let out a huge yawn, causing their aunt to smile.

"Early night I think for you two." Maddie laughed.

"It's been a long day." Elizabeth agreed.

Lydia bade everyone a goodnight, heading up to her bedroom and seconds later, they heard the bedroom door close behind her. Lizzy followed shortly after, leaving her aunt and uncle alone in their living room.

"How were the girls when I took Trip out?" Maddie asked.

"Lydia was a bit moody but that's to be expected. Lizzy seems to be doubting her parenting skills, she's worrying whether she's made the right decision for Lydia." Ed replied.

"I believe she has, Lydia needed a change. I think Lizzy needs to have a little more faith in herself." Maddie said quietly.

Ed nodded, "I told her she was doing what any mother would do and she seems to believe that not every mother would put their child's needs and interests first." He muttered.

Maddie frowned.

"I take it the conversation turned towards Fran?" Maddie questioned.

Ed nodded again.

"Only briefly. Fran hasn't had any contact with those girls since she left Thomas." Ed sighed.

There was a moment of silence between the married couple, the only sound coming from the ending of the EastEnders episode before the sixty second news update from the BBC. Ed knew what his wife was thinking.

"You think I should tell them, don't you?" Ed asked quietly.

Maddie shrugged, "I think it might be an idea to tell them but maybe not straight away. They only moved in with us today and the two of them need to get used to the idea of living here permanently so the last thing they need to find out at the moment is that we're in touch with their absent mother." His wife answered.

"Eventually, we'll tell them. The question is, do we tell Fran?"

"Tell her what?"

"Everything. I don't agree with what she did; you know that I don't. When she walked out on the girls, I was the first one to give her a harsh telling off but Fran's always been stubborn. She said that when she had sorted herself out she would get in touch with her daughters but fourteen years goes by and the girls are now adjusting to life without their father, now might be the time to make Fran aware of just how much the girls need her."

Maddie bit her lip, trying to think whether they should get in touch with Fran or not.

"I think we need to think long and hard about whether we tell your sister or not, Ed. Give it time, see how Lizzy and Lydia adjust and maybe then we'll tell them that we're in touch with their mother and then they can make the decision on whether or not they need their mother in their lives." Maddie suggested.

Rubbing his temple, Ed nodded in agreement.

"You're right. This can't be rushed into. We need to give the girls time to adjust. Besides, if we tell Fran everything that's happened, this can either go two ways. One, she could rush in and try and be a mother that they might not want or two, she could just walk away again."

"Don't forget, Jane and Elizabeth may feel angry towards Fran if their mother did decide to get back in touch with them. They were eleven and ten when Fran walked out on the family, they were getting to an age where they really needed their mother around. Lydia probably doesn't remember Fran; she was only one when their mother left." Maddie pointed out.

Ed sighed, "If I could give those girls anything, I would bring their father back." He muttered.

Maddie smiled affectionately at her husband and cupped his cheek.

"I know you would, but sadly none of us have the power to bring back the dead. All we can do is be there as they continue to adjust to life without their dad." Maddie said softly.

Ed returned his wife's smile and looked at the clock, noting it was nearly nine o'clock.

"Shall we see if there's anything on catchup to watch?" Ed asked.

"Why not? Before we know it, we won't be able to enjoy evenings like this. Lydia will probably be wanting to watch her sitcoms in a few weeks time." Maddie laughed.

Ed chuckled as he and his wife settled back down on to the sofa in a more comfortable position before he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. The TV guide was brought up on screen and Maddie started to flick through the catchup section, all the while he wondered just how well this new start for his nieces would go.