Rapid Revelation

DISCLAIMER: "Pride and Prejudice" will forever be beyond my reach, whether it is Ms. Austen's delightful novel or Joe Wright's 2005 film adaptation. This is merely a humble tribute.

NOTE: 11-11-11

This is just another whimsical crack fic I've had on my mind for quite some time now. I have to warn you that it is extremely random.

It's not going to be long, probably just a couple of chapters. I've always felt like the setting for the first proposal in the movie was exceedingly dramatic and could have easily been the setting for a bit of adventure. Thus, this idea was born, silly though it is. This is another one of those stories where a small but well-placed event could have altered the entire story.

It's been a while since my last Pride and Prejudice story so I decided to take advantage of this historic date. 11-11-11!

Happy reading!

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"Miss Elizabeth!"

The startled lady stared incredulously at the man she had been trying so hard to avoid. She had run out into the rain particularly to escape his presence and to collect her conflicting thoughts about him and yet there he was again, imposing his company on her for some incomprehensible reason. Lizzy did not know what to expect from this sudden meeting so she simply looked at him wordlessly.

She had never seen him in such a state. He had always looked so calm and composed, so sure of himself. But as he stood before her, he looked agitated and uncertain. He was also completely soaked in the rain. It seemed like he had followed her directly but she could not imagine why.

"I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer," he began breathlessly, "these past months have been a torment. I came to Rosings with the single object of seeing you, I had to see you."

Lizzy listened to this strange speech in astonishment, her curiosity overcoming her dislike for the man. What was he trying to say?

He paused to catch his breath and was about to continue when a loud cry interrupted their tête-à-tête.

"Help!"

At this, both Darcy and Elizabeth started. Being so abruptly interrupted in a speech he had been preparing for so long, Darcy was at a loss as to what to do next. For her part, Lizzy was torn between relief that the strange confrontation had been cut short and slight annoyance that she didn't get to hear what he had to say next. For a few moments, they looked at each other in puzzlement when a second cry jolted them back to their senses.

"Somebody please help!"

It was a pitiful cry, the voice of a child. The two strangers knew that they could no longer ignore it. After another anxious glance at Elizabeth, Darcy sighed and turned around to seek the source of the cry. Lizzy followed right behind him.

After a few moments, they found a young girl crying frantically on the banks of the river right below the bridge Lizzy had just ran across. She and Darcy approached the child immediately. The girl was soaked through by the rain and she kept pointing helplessly at a part of the river, whose current was moving at a fearsome pace.

"My dear child, what is the matter?" Elizabeth asked the frightened girl.

The girl pointed to the river where the small figure of another child was visible. It was a little boy, splashing and sputtering as he struggled to stay afloat. Lizzy gasped but couldn't just rush to help since the current was too small.

"Oh, please, please help us," the girl said tearfully, "my brother has fallen into the river but the current has carried him away and he isn't a very good swimmer. I told him not to play near the water but he wouldn't listen and he slipped on the muddy banks. Please help us; my brother is such a small child…"

At this the girl could not continue because she burst into tears. Lizzy took the trembling child in her arms and tried to comfort her while thinking of a way to be of assistance.

She suddenly remembered that Mr. Darcy was there with them as well. As loathe as she was to ask him for any favors, Lizzy turned to suggest he find someone who can help.

To her astonishment, she saw Mr. Darcy quickly and wordlessly take off his coat and drop it unceremoniously to the ground. Before Lizzy could say anything, Darcy glanced at her briefly before addressing the young girl.

"Don't worry," he said in the gentlest tone Lizzy had ever heard him use, "I'll get your brother back."

And with that, the gentleman walked briskly to the riverbank, took a deep breath, and dove in.

Lizzy and the sobbing girl stared at the spot where Darcy had plunged into the water. The latter was still so worried and afraid for her brother and Lizzy was still reeling from the latest of Darcy's surprising actions. The man had not ceased to baffle her in the last hour or so. And she was no longer sure of what to think of him.

For those few moments, she had forgotten his involvement in the affairs of Bingley and Wickham. All she knew was that he had taken it upon himself to help a complete stranger and she could find no fault in that, even if she tried.

He had disappeared into the dark depths of the river. Lizzy and the girl watched and waited in fearful suspense. It wasn't until Darcy resurfaced somewhere in the middle of the river, supporting the little boy as he floated, that the two girls realized that they had been holding their breath.

"Henry, Henry!" the girl called out her brother's name in joyful tears, "Oh, thank God!"

Lizzy heaved a sigh of relief. She and the girl ran quickly but carefully to the muddy riverbank and waited as Darcy struggled to swim towards them. The gentleman noticed an ancient tree whose massive roots protruded from the ground into the river. He swam towards it and grabbed a firm hold on one of the roots with one hand and with the other hand he held the boy by the collar and gently pushed the latter towards the shore.

"Hush now," Lizzy whispered reassuringly to the girl, "you're brother is out of danger."

"Thank God, thank God!" the girl kept on exclaiming in between tears.

The two girls saw where he was heading and followed immediately. The sister walked shakily, so distressed had she been moments before and Lizzy found that she had to steady her as they rushed to the old tree. The girl also could not stop crying.

Lizzy saw that the sister was in no state to do anything so Lizzy walked ahead and leaned on the tree root so that she could extend her hand to Darcy and the boy.

"If you please, Miss Elizabeth," Darcy instructed her, "please take the child first."

Elizabeth nodded and extended her hand to the sobbing and shivering boy.

"Come here, Henry," she said warmly, "it's all right, you're safe now."

The boy grabbed Lizzy's hand and with Darcy pushing him forward and Lizzy pulling him out of the water, little Henry was able to step on land once more. Lizzy could not help but give the child a quick, comforting embrace before sending him to his sister who threw her arms around him hysterically.

"Thank you," the girl said earnestly, addressing Lizzy and Darcy, who was still in the water, "thank you so much."

Lizzy smiled at her quickly before turning to help Darcy out of the water. He was still holding on to the tree root.

"Mr. Darcy," she said simply, reaching out her hand to him.

She was more confused than ever. Her previous objections to his character seemed to have been overruled by this development. She was full of admiration for his undeniable heroism that she wasn't quite sure of what to say. Was he determined to be a constant enigma to her?

"Thank you, Miss Elizabeth," he said with a smile, extending his hand.

But just when their hands were mere inches apart, the root Darcy had been leaning on suddenly gave way. And before he could grab hold of anything else, Darcy felt himself being carried off by the force of the current.

Elizabeth stared in horror as the river conveyed the man farther and farther away. And at that moment, for some reason she could not explain, Elizabeth Bennet was more worried and afraid than she had ever been in her entire life.

"Mr. Darcy!"