Ayo! So tonight I was working on a shot where they diagnose the youngest with some kind of chronic illness but I changed topic and decided to do a Next Generation Cartwheels and Kites, titled Snowballs and Soulmates, focusing not only on William and Elizabeth's close relationship as soulmates, but on their relationship with their children and with each other as parents. Honestly, I think this is how it would pan out, the AU being a lot different from what I imagine canon to have continued as.

But here you are! More Than My Dearest Friend is now officially complete! Enjoy, darlings, and don't forget to watch for To Be A Darcy!

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy was the first one out of the carriage, laughing loudly as his six-year-old twins Bennet 'Ben' and Anne 'Beth' Darcy tumbled out beside him, dressed gaily in blue and gold winter coats. Their four-year-old middle brother Edmund followed them gravely, assisting his next youngest sister Rosie out of the carriage, supporting her as she tripped unsteadily on the slushy snow.

A snowball hit Fitzwilliam's head, and he cried out, "Which one was it?"

"Both of us!" the twins shouted. "Snowball fight, Papa, please!"

Beth, distinguishable from her brother by the rose skirt visible under her coat, and the long dark braid down her back, packed another snowball and threw it at her father, only to crash into one of his and explode in snowy flurries.

"Let me try!" Ben called, lobbing his own snowball at Fitzwilliam, scoring a hit on his shoulder. The boy's bright cerulean eyes shone with laughter. Fitzwilliam laughed again, made another snowball, and hit his son right on the top of the head. "There!"

Elizabeth laughed as she hopped lightly out of the carriage, half-carrying the couple's youngest child, one-year-old Richard 'Ricky' William Frederick Darcy. The young boy sneezed as a snowflake lit on his nose, and his oldest brother generously offered to mind him for a while 'to let Mama play'.

"Thank you!" Elizabeth kissed her son on the cheek, and he smiled brightly. Fitzwilliam smiled. He had never quite become the exuberant boy of the park – no, he had been through far too much of both heaven and hell to be so humanly innocent again – but he laughed and smiled.

Ben flashed a grin at his father before slowly and solicitously trying to help Ricky to walk. Fitzwilliam nodded. "That boy is the knight of the pack, I am prepared to swear."

"True." Elizabeth snickered as she dumped a handful of snow down her husband's back and frolicking away to play with her oldest daughter, who roared with laughter and tossed a snowball onto Papa's coat front to top it off.

"Girls, you had better run, for I shall catch you!" Fitzwilliam only gave them a devilishly charming smile before setting off in chase, his limp barely visible.

Like that first day in the park, he was fast, and once he caught up to Beth he picked her up and tossed her in the air, making her scream with delight. "Hah! Cheeky little scamp, just like your mother, my darling!" Fitzwilliam's cerulean eyes twinkled in that eye-smile that truly communicated his pleasure. His daughter's eyes matched his exactly, with the golden ring shining.

Beth squeaked with laughter and ran to Elizabeth, who bolted when Fitzwilliam began running again, this time with a glint in his eye. Both of them shouted with laughter as Fitzwilliam caught up to her, twirled her as though in a dance, and brought her face to face with him. Kissing her in the flurry of snowballs being exchanged between the five children, he laughed, his lips chilled but nonetheless passionate.

Then he swooped down, coat flaring, and flung a snowball right at his flushed wife, hitting her square in the chest.

"Cheater!" she cried playfully, making her own weapons and pelting her errant husband with them while their children noticed and joined Elizabeth in tossing snowballs while Fitzwilliam dodged them. He noticed his children, and made a dramatic swooning motion. "My own children siding against me! How could you?" he gasped in a shrill voice reminiscent of Mrs. Bennet's most panicky tone.

Laughing, the children rushed their father. Fitzwilliam was suddenly swamped by little bodies cuddling up to him for warmth and little arms grabbing any part of him they could – the twins had each taken hold of an arm, Edmund had secured his middle quite well, and Rosie and Ricky had each seized a leg.

It was like that. While Elizabeth was the comforting healer who kissed scraped knees better, it was Fitzwilliam who smirked with that glint in his eyes and got them scraped again. And while it was Fitzwilliam who told the best bedtime stories, it was Elizabeth who woke them up with cheerful singing in the morning.

Elizabeth shouted 'Ha!' and tumbled down to join her family. The Darcys quickly rearranged themselves so that Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth were snuggled together in the center. Suddenly Beth exclaimed, "Ricky, whatever is the matter?"

Elizabeth was up immediately, followed a millisecond later by Fitzwilliam. Richard was gasping and wheezing, his face tinged blue from the lack of breathable air. Elizabeth rubbed his chest furiously, fear racing her heart and furrowing her brow.

Ricky wheezed louder than ever, his desperate gasps for air puffing the winter afternoon with clouds of cold steam. At length, while Fitzwilliam pranced anxiously on edge, waiting to see if he should look for Dr. Smith, Richard's breathing slowed down from the gasping to normal deep breaths.

Finally the blue faded out of his lips and his fingernails, and the little boy began to cry for his mother, who instantly embraced him. Fitzwilliam sat back down on the slushy snow in relief, not caring for the state of his clothes now.

"Alright…" Richard finally squeaked. "Me alright now." He grinned again, the traumatic moment forgotten in childish innocence.

Fitzwilliam smiled and got up. "Well, in that case it appears to be about time for tea." Bennet's stomach rumbled in agreement, and Beth's as well. Rosie nodded, and, taking Elizabeth's hand, Fitzwilliam led his family into Pemberley House with a serene smile and Elizabeth by his side. Equals, friends, lovers, and the closest and dearest of soulmates.