Hey everyone! It is my birthday today (yay!), and I felt like writing a fluffy one-shot! Please enjoy this quick, little (hopefully good) one-shot! A review would make my birthday extra special!

And don't worry, I am working on the next chapters of Glass Roses and Blessing in Disguise!

Echoes

"Are you alright, miss?"

Her chocolate brown eyes darted up to the left of her, as she tried to speak through her now constricted throat. Her attempt was to no avail.

She pointed down to her food and then to her throat, hoping that the flight attendant would understand her plight. Unfortunately, the female flight attendant was unable to decipher that Lizzie was having an allergic reaction due to the food she had just ingested.

Fortunately for her, the woman beside her quickly understood what she was saying and yelled, "She's having an allergic reaction!"

The flight attendant's eyes widened, and suddenly she felt as though her heels were planted firmly in its place. Unable to react quickly, the flight attendant finally started to move when the woman beside Lizzie yelled, "Do something!"

As soon as the flight attendant started down the narrow aisle, Lizzie quickly felt her throat constrict and her vision started to glaze. She didn't know what was happening before her, as everyone around her was in havoc. She thought she heard the woman beside her murmur to her that everything would be fine. She honestly didn't know what to think, but all she could do was wince from the pain.

It seemed like an eternity, as she felt her entire body heat up. Suddenly, her glazed vision allowed her to see two figures running towards her with a white large box. She looked up when they were at her side, and as they opened the box. She didn't understand what they were saying or doing; however, she did manage to nod at every other second.

All of a sudden, she felt a faint sting on her left arm, which she didn't realize that her sleeve was rolled up. She felt extremely drowsy; however, her constricted throat now loosened slowly. She felt that her vision was a little better; though, she wasn't sure when she looked past the man and woman beside her on the left.

Because behind she swore she saw a wary looking Darcy. Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to process as she drifted to black almost immediately.

Slowly, she opened her eyes as she felt disoriented. It took her a minute to reorient herself, and she realized that she was not sitting in her seat from before. She shifted in her seat and looked to her right first, where she expected to see Mrs. Montgomery. However, she was faced with an aisle. Panicking slightly, she anxiously turned her attention to her left.

What met her there surprised her most, as she let out a surprised gasp. Sitting beside her was Darcy, leaned back on his seat staring at the head of the seat in front of him. His laptop was open in front of him, abandoned.

It must have been her gasp and shift in seat that disrupted his reverie, because he quickly turned his attention to her.

And for the first time in two years, Lizzie Bennet found herself staring into the hazel eyes of the very man she wished that she had never let away.

"Elizabeth." Her name escaped his lips, ever so quietly but because of her proximity, she was able to hear him.

She simply smiled and shifted, but her left arm suddenly stung. He looked down to arm which she grabbed by instinct and frowned.

"Does it hurt?" he whispered.

She nodded hesitantly as she dropped her gaze to her arm. It was rolled down, but she felt a bump underneath her thin sleeve. A bandage.

Lizzie looked to her right once again and then to Darcy. She whispered, "What happened?"

Surprised by the coarseness of her voice, she figured that it must have been the one thing that she was accustomed to. She saw Darcy's eyes soften, and she thought that she saw a small tear trickle down his cheek.

Once she saw his mouth open, she interrupted him, "I had an allergic reaction, wasn't it?"

Staring hard at her for a moment, he finally nodded, unable to trust his voice.

She fell back into her seat and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to let the information sink in. She couldn't believe what happened and how she ended up beside him, of all people.

"Elizabeth."

His deep voice resonated and tore her from her mediation on her thoughts. She opened her eyes and turned her head towards him, her head still resting on the seat.

He suddenly felt paralyzed in her gaze, bewitched by expressive eyes but somehow found his voice. "I think that you are wondering how you got here."

Lizzie nodded, definitely not trusting her voice here.

He continued, "Apparently there was peanut oil in your food, which triggered your reaction. The flight crew got a piece of my mind when I found out that you had stated on your ticket specifically for peanut free meals." He paused and stared at Lizzie, who staring at him dumbfounded. Blushing slightly, he said, "I had to look into your purse for your ticket. I apologize."

Lizzie shook her head as she muttered, "It's alright."

Darcy's worried expression softened as he continued, "After they apologized extensively, I had them move your seat to first class, beside me. That way I knew that you would be alright. It was the least they could have done, especially after almost killing you."

Still unbelieving the events that had transpired, she said, "You didn't have to. The flight crew had nothing to do with the mix up with the food." She paused, looking down at her hands, "How did I get here if I was unconscious."

Suddenly, he blushed and looked away from her. He muttered, "I carried you here. I couldn't trust anyone else to bring you here."

Lizzie also blushed as she contemplated the very thought of being carried in Darcy's arms. She didn't know what to say to the man in front of her, who should have let her there in that seat, not caring what happened to her. She would have, if she was the one rejected so abominably so many years before.

Lizzie replied, "Thank you so much."

Darcy simply smiled as he said, "It was no problem, Elizabeth."

Lizzie smiled at him, before looking out the window past him. Clouds still hovered near the airplane, as sunlight shone through. She asked, "How long till we get to Seattle?"

Darcy looked down at her and replied, "About one hour. You were unconscious for about an hour."

Lizzie nodded and looked down at her lap again. Beside her feet, in front of the side in front of her, she noticed her purse. She asked him, "Did you also bring my luggage to the front as well?"

Smiling sheepishly, he replied, "No, I confess that I didn't bring it myself. I had the flight attendants bring them."

Lizzie let out a laugh, before entering a coughing fit. She didn't realize how sore her throat was, until she coughed. Instantly, Darcy patted her back and murmured, "Are you alright?"

She nodded, before coughing again. Darcy looked up from her and yelled, "Excuse me! Can we get some water here?"

The flight attendant that had attended Lizzie before turned around and saw who had yelled. Her eyes widened when she realized that it was the man who was with the woman who had the allergic reaction. Hannah, the flight attendant, quickly nodded before running inside to fetch a bottle of water with two cups. She rushed back within a minute and passed it to Lizzie. Darcy thanked her sternly before accepting them. Lizzie felt sorry for the woman and immediately thanked her for her quick service. Hannah instantly smiled and thanked Lizzie for her kind consideration.

When the flight attendant left the couple, Darcy admired Lizzie for her sweet temperament and handed her a cup of water. She placed the cup of water on the tray after she took a few sips from it. She relished in the soothing effect it had on her throat. She then took the book she had taken from her purse and opened it.

"Persuasion?"

Lizzie looked up from it and found herself looking into his eyes again. They were now a green color.

She smiled sheepishly, before replying, "I love it."

Darcy looked at her hard before the faintest of smile touched his face. "Yes, I know."

Unsure of how to answer his brief reply, she instantly felt awkward. She finally found an area of conversation and asked, "So, what brings you to Seattle?"

Darcy looked at her surprised before recomposing himself. "Oh, I have a few court cases this weekend."

Lizzie nodded, suddenly remembering that Darcy was a corporate lawyer. Of course, how could I ever forget?

"And you?"

Her silent contemplation was broken by his question. She suddenly recomposed herself. "Oh, I live in Seattle now. I was just in New York visiting Jane and Charlie."

Something in his eyes flickered, before it was gone. He nodded, his lips pursed in a tight line. "Oh yes, they live in New York."

Lizzie definitely felt the tension in the atmosphere by the mention of Jane and Charlie. She realized that it was a touchy subject for them, especially since their last full conversation involved a dispute about Jane and Charlie.

Darcy continued, as though he forgot the tension, "So, what do you do now?"

"Oh, I'm finished my degree. I'm a prosthetist, and I'm currently doing research at the University of Washington. But I'm thinking of switching to practice."

Admiring her, he spoke with a reverence, "That's amazing, Lizzie. Congratulations on graduating."

Lizzie beamed, her eyes sparkling. "It was a lot of hard work, but worth it in the end."

Darcy nodded; his gaze hot, "It definitely pays off."

Their conversation was fine, a bit awkward, but on the most part, fine before Darcy asked, "Maybe I can see you this weekend? Just to check on you and make sure you are fine?"

Lizzie looked up at him in surprise and saw his hopeful face. She instantly felt awkward, unsure of what to say or do, in fact.

"I'm not sure if that would be a good idea," she muttered. Her lowered eyelashes clouded her vision, but instead of feeling irritated, she felt grateful for her temporary limited vision. She didn't want to see the disappointment on his face, especially after his face just seconds before – full of hope. She continued to keep her gaze averted from his, suddenly finding the crumbled napkin in her hands interesting. Despite her efforts to witness his reaction, she could feel his body tense beside hers. She almost could have heard a melancholic sigh.

Finally, after seconds of silence, his deep, velvet voice spoke. "I thought…no, forget it."

Courageously, after cowering away from his gaze like a coward, she shifted her gaze slightly to her left. His striking face was drawn towards the window, so she could not see his true expression. However, as soon as she turned her attention back to her crumpled napkin and abandoned much-loved copy of Persuasion, she felt a hot, lingering gaze on her person.

She tried to play it coy, picking up her book and opening to the page she had marked with a fold down on the top corner. Attempting to read a single world was extremely difficult, as she could almost feel his gaze. Her cheeks instantly felt warm, and she couldn't shake off this urge to just look at him. Even just a tiny peek.

Her book still opened to the page she marked, she saw him out of the corner of her eye. He wasn't looking at her any longer, but down at his own laptop. Quickly, she moved her gaze from him and sighed. Of course he wouldn't even care if she didn't want to renew…whatever it was that they had together. She realized that he must have lost any interest in her the day she accused him of serious offences to his own face.

Oh, what a mistake she made that night.

She finally let it go as she tried to concentrate on her book, but her mind continuously returned to the memory of that night. She sighed, closing her book, and she leaned back into her seat. If Darcy saw her frustration, he gave no indication of it as he continued to read whatever it was on his laptop.

Lizzie looked out the window on her right side, as she saw the sun's brightness dim a bit. She checked her watch and saw that they had almost forty minutes to Seattle. She decided that she would need the sleep if she wanted to drive home and instantly felt her eyelids droop.

It had felt like it had only been a minute since she closed her eyes when she felt a slight tap on her shoulder.

"Elizabeth?"

She opened her eyes and found herself looking into Darcy's eyes. He looked tired, and for the first time that day, she got a real good look at him. His eyes were worn out, there were bags under his eyes; and he looked as though he did not get a good sleep in a long time. There was also something in his eyes – almost as though he lost something. She tried very hard to not let it affect her, but she couldn't stop the feeling in the deep pit of her stomach.

She noticed that everyone around her was up and retrieving their luggages. She suddenly looked at her watch and noticed that it was about ten minutes past the anticipated arrival time.

"We're here?"

He nodded, his lips still in a tight line. She looked down at her book and sighed. She took off her seatbelt and got up from her seat. She stepped aside and replied, "You could go first. I need to ask something from the attendants."

He stared at her, his eyes searching her face as though he expected her to continue. When he realized that she was not, he sighed, before standing up and took his briefcase with him.

Before Lizzie knew it, he had left the plane without as much as a goodbye.

Lizzie felt tears prick in her eyes and she furiously wipe them away before they fell onto her cheek. Well, he was always a jerk. Don't let it get to you, Lizzie.

Once Lizzie apologized and thanked each flight attendant for their thoughtful consideration, Lizzie walked towards the baggage return. As she travelled light, she had no baggage except her hand luggage. She had only visited her sister and brother-in-law's house for the Easter weekend, and decided to travel light. So then, she walked towards the exit towards the parking where she had parked her car.

She walked sluggishly towards the exit, but she couldn't help but have a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. She felt extremely stupid for letting him get away the second time, especially when she knew that he was really a great guy. She hadn't seen him since that night when he asked her out and she rejected him and told him she hated him bluntly to his face. She had accused him of separating her sister from Charlie and tricking Wickham, who had turned out to be an extreme cheater and liar.

When she thought of that night, she never felt so ashamed of herself for misjudging someone so wrongly. As Darcy laid his bare heart to her so passionately, she trampled it and accused him of things she hoped no one else would accuse him of.

But after reading the letter he sent her, she found that she was in the wrong. Wickham turned out to be a criminal, wanted for possession and fraud. When he almost succeeded in running away with Lydia, she had somehow intercepted their plans and saved her sister from a fate that had almost fallen on Darcy's sister, Georgiana.

She felt that Darcy's motives in separating Charlie and Jane were viable. However, she was really surprised when a week after that night, Charlie came back to their apartment and begged Jane to take him back. Unsurprisingly, they were engaged the following night and married three months later.

Lizzie had dreaded their wedding and every time she visited them after because she thought she would need to see Darcy again. However, she felt saved because he didn't even make it to the wedding, on the pretence that he had work. Yeah right, it was probably to avoid me.

Lizzie sighed, as she thought back to the past two hours. It was almost as if it was a dream. Just two hours, she saw Darcy for the first time in two years. And he hadn't managed to forgive her.

She felt her eyes water, and a tear drop down her cheek. Not bothering to wipe them, she continued to walk until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around and found no one behind her. When she shrugged and turned to face the doors again, she found herself standing in front of Darcy.

He didn't look any better than her, as he stared down at her. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of her tears as he set down his suitcase and used his right hand to cup her cheek and his left to wipe her tears.

She stared up into his eyes and saw that it was now a chocolate brown color.

She whimpered in his hands as she felt her tears falling down at an alarming rate. He pulled her into a hug and kissed the back of her head.

She closed her eyes and basked in his scent, engulfing his presence before he left again.

When they reluctantly pulled apart, Darcy looked down at her and asked hesitantly, "Elizabeth…"

She looked up at him, and then and there, she knew. She knew that he didn't hate her. His eyes gave it all away.

He still loved her.

Suddenly, she smiled and laughed. Darcy looked down at her in concern and was about to ask her if she was alright, when she interrupted him. "I love you, Will."

Darcy's eyes widened, as he felt as though his heart stopped. He whispered, "What?"

Lizzie felt the confidence by his expression and smiled. She confessed, "I love you. I am so sorry it took me so long to say it."

Darcy sighed in relief before capturing her lips with his. Lizzie felt his knees go weak, and if it had not been for his grip on her waist, she would have collapsed in his arms. She felt as though her body was on fire. She smiled against his lips. This feels so right.

When they pulled apart, Darcy rested his forehead against hers. He whispered, "I love you too, Elizabeth Bennet."

Lizzie laughed, before leaning into his arms. She felt as though she was always haunted by echoes of the past, of that night. However, finally she found an end to those echoes, as she now stood in the arms of the man she loved. She looked up at him and asked, "Do you want to come over? You know to check up on me and to see if I am fine?"

Darcy's smile was so bright, that she couldn't help but smile as well. "Of course, I will."

Always exploring and unleashing,

ღ 'rEd RoSe-StArFiRe-RoSeFiRe'