She may be the reason I survive

The why and wherefore I'm alive

The one I'll care for through the rough in many years

Me, I'll take her laughter and her tears

And make them all my souvenirs

For where she goes I've got to be

The meaning of my life is she

William had decided to ride his bike for just one hour and return home to his wife.

Lizzie had not looked so good for the past week, as she looked exhausted almost of the time, and he had also noticed her inability to keep her food. He had mentioned that to her and she had blamed the pregnancy. He did not want to worry but it was impossible. Just in case, he had put Dr. Weston's phone number in his speed dial.

William was putting his bike away in the garage when he heard the sound of glass breaking and then another loud noise.

"Lizzie?," he said and hurried into the house.

He was not prepared to see his wife lying on the floor, with blood right next to her upper arm.

"Lizzie! Lizzie!," he screamed as he ran to her.

She was breathing but she did not respond to his screams. He found the piece of glass that was causing the bleeding but did not know if it was safe to remove it.

In a frenzy, he took his cellphone out of his pocket and called 911. He tried to remain calm to explain the situation but he was in the verge of a breakdown. If something would happen to Lizzie and his child, he would never forgive himself.

His mind went back to the time he had found her in the bathtub of that filthy hotel and his heart almost stopped. If he had not been out, he would have taken care of Lizzie, and she would not be in the current situation.

"Lizzie, please come back to me. Don't leave me," he pled, "Please, don't leave me."

It seemed like an eternity before Lizzie stirred and opened her eyes slowly, only to close them again.

"Elizabeth…," he sighed and gathered her carefully in his arms. She blinked several times and frowned.

"Everything will be alright. Help is on his way. Stay with me," he said one more time.

"Will…," she mumbled.

"I'm here. I'm here."

"Our baby...," she said in a sigh.

William was about to respond when he heard noises in the house. Assuming it was the paramedics, he called them to the kitchen. A young woman and an older man appeared and they promptly started tending to Lizzie. They put Lizzie on a stretcher and carried her to the ambulance.

In the vehicle, the female paramedic got personal information from William and asked him what had happened.

"Mr. Darcy, did you notice something unusual about your wife earlier today?," she asked.

"She said she was feeling nauseous and a little tired. But she's been like that for days now, and she had lost some weight, but her doctor said it was normal."

"Allright. How far along is she?," the girl continued.

"Nine weeks. Is our baby okay?," he asked.

"I cannot tell right now. She needs an ultrasound," she responded, "There is no sign of abortion so that's good."

"Why did I ever leave her? I should have stayed with her," William said aloud, grasping Lizzie's hand.

"Don't torture yourself. You need to stay strong for her and your child," the paramedic said.

"But if anything happens to them, I'd never forgive myself."

"Don't think about that. We're close to the hospital and she will get the help she requires," she finished.

In no time, the vehicle stopped suddenly and the paramedic asked William to let go Lizzie's hand. He reluctantly did as told, and watched as Lizzie was taken through the ER doors.

He stood there until a nurse showed him to the waiting room. He sat down on one of the blue chairs and just stared at the white wall in front of him.

He did not know how much time had passed until the young paramedic reappeared.

"How is my wife?," he immediately asked.

"The doctors are with her right now. She was more responsive than in the ambulance," she replied.

"Oh, thank god…," William said as he exhaled loudly.

"Have you called your family yet? Or your friends?," she asked.

"I... I haven't. I was just...," William replied. This mind had been entirely focused on Lizzie and the baby all the time he had been waiting.

"That's understandable," the woman continued, "You might want to call them now."

"Yeah, I will."

"I'll be here if you need me," she said.

"Thank you…," William replied and stopped when he realized he did not know how to call her.

"Jamie. My name is Jamie," she answered with a warm smile.

"Thank you, Jamie," he said. He took his phone and noticed that he had a missed call from his sister.

"Hello, William!," he heard as soon as she answered his call.

"Hi Gigi," he said with a trembling voice.

"William, are you okay? I called you and Lizzie but neither of you answered."

"We are in the hospital."

"What happened? Are you okay?!," she exclaimed.

"Lizzie... She had an accident and... ," he started but his voice broke.

"How is she?"

"I don't know..."

"Tell me where you are," Gigi demanded and William gave her the name of the hospital. She hung up, promising that she would be there as soon as possible.

"My sister is on her way," he told Jamie as he approached her again.

"Good," she replied.

"Ah... Should I call my parents in law? But I don't know what to tell them. I don't want to worry them, but then...," William stumbled.

"Why don't you wait after you hear from the doctors? You will have more information then."

"Yeah, I'll do that."

"Okay. I'll wait with you," she offered, "If that's okay with you."

"You don't have to do that. You probably have other emergencies to attend," he replied.

"That's okay. My shift ended already. Besides, if I were in your wife's situation, I would not want my husband to be alone."

William nodded and thanked her again. Jamie smiled and just sat next to him, as she knew what was going through his mind. They sat in silence until Gigi arrived with Fitz.

"William! What happened?!," she immediately asked.

"Gigi," he called and hugged her. Astonished, Georgiana wrapped her arms around his brother and consoled him until he stopped crying. Seeing him like that broke her heart.

Fitz was also at lost, not knowing exactly what to do to help his best friend. He noticed the blond girl who was sitting close to William, but before he could ask anything, she introduced herself.

Jamie explained to him that she had been one of the paramedics that responded to William's call and had offered to stay with him until his family arrived. Fitz thanked her for the support and her attention.

When William finally let go of his sister, Fitz hugged him too.

"Brother, we are here for you and Lizzie," he said.

"Thank you, Fitz," William responded, still a little weak.

"Have the doctors told you anything?," Fitz asked.

"No, they haven't," his friend responded, "I´m just waiting."

"What happened?," Gigi asked again.

"She was not feeling very good this morning but she insisted that I went for a bike ride. When I came back home, I found her laying in the kitchen floor, unconscious, and she had a piece of glass stuck in her arm," William explained.

"But why? Was she sick?," Fitz asked.

"No… she's pregnant," William answered, and both Gigi and Fitz gasped.

"Are you going to be a dad?," Georgiana repeated.

"Yes… well… I don't know anymore," her brother said uncertain of himself.

"You will be. Everything is going to be okay," Fitz comforted him.

"It has to be," Georgiana added, "It will be."

"I really hope so," William responded, "I don´t know what I´d do without her."

In that moment, a woman wearing a white coat appeared and William recognized Lizzie's obstetrician.

"Doctor Weston! How is Lizzie?," he asked promptly.

"She is fine now," Lillian responded calmly, "They are taking her to her room right now, and you will be able to see her very soon."

William exhaled loudly and felt Gigi's fingers around his hand.

"And our baby?", he asked.

"Your baby is fine as well. We did an ultrasound and everything looks normal."

"Doctor. I´m Lizzie´s sister-in-law," Georgiana said, "Can you tell us why did she faint?"

"Lizzie was very dehydrated and had low blood pressure. She also told me that she had been vomiting very often these past days. So I suspect she suffers from hyperemesis gravidarum," Lillian answered.

"Is that serious?," William inquired.

"Not if she's treated appropriately. Right now she has an IV to restore hydration and get nutrients directly into her bloodstream. I will stop by her room later to decide whether or not she has to stay here longer."

"Of course," William said.

"Also, she got a couple of stitches on her arm so be careful when you see her. Now, if you excuse me, I have to see other patients," Dr. Weston smiled and left them.

"You see, big brother. Lizzie's fine and you'll be the best dad ever, and I'll be the best aunt ever," Gigi said, trying to lift the mood.

William smiled and hugged her again. Jamie cleared her throat and Georgiana, Fitz and William turned to her.

"I'm pleased to hear your wife is okay, so I think it's time to go," she said.

"Oh, right… Georgiana, this is Jamie. She's one of the paramedic that treated Lizzie and she stayed with me before you arrived," William explained.

"Nice to meet you, Jamie. Thanks for helping my brother and his wife," Gigi said and shook Jamie's hand.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad I could something more for one of my patients," Jamie commented.

"I don't know how many times I said it already, but thank you very much, Jamie," William added.

"You're very welcome. Nice to meet you, Georgiana and Fitz," Jamie said, "Please give my best wishes to Elizabeth and good luck in everything." She waved a hand and walked away.

"It was very nice of her to be here with you," Gigi pointed out.

William agreed and in that moment, he saw Kate.

After receiving the call from William, Georgiana had phoned Fitz and Kate. Since Saturday was a busy day in her bakery, Kate took some time to leave James in charge and then left for the hospital.

William informed her of the situation and Kate was both delighted and concerned by the news. Since William was a son to her, she considered herself a grandmother already. Also, given her background, she knew that hyperemesis gravidarum could be dangerous if it was not treated.

"Mr. Darcy?," a nurse called, interrupting the conversation between the group. William immediately advanced to her.

"Your wife is in room 405, you can go see her now," the woman announced.

"Go, brother. We will wait here," Fitz said.

"Yeah, thanks," William said.

"Please tell Lizzie that we are here and give our love," Gigi added.

"I will," he said and followed the nurse. As they walked to the room, he felt the beating of his heart going faster.

"Let me know if you need anything. My name is Lucy," the nurse said as she opened the door.

He barely nodded as he caught a glance of Lizzie on the hospital bed.

"William...," she said quietly and he found himself in an instant by her side, pulling her to him, hugging her. They were no words, just tears of relief and love.

He instinctively looked for her lips and kissed her as if it was the last time. Even though she still felt tired, Lizzie kissed him with all she had.

The past hours without knowing what happened to her and how her husband was doing had been excruciating.

She raised her hand to run her fingers through his hair but she moved the IV and moaned. Immediately, William broke the kiss.

"Did I hurt you?," he asked in panic.

"No, that was me," she answered.

"Elizabeth, I was terrified," he said, wiping his tears.

"I was scared too," she replied, her own tears in the way.

"I thought I had lost you," William sighed.

"But you didn't and you won't…," Lizzie answered with certainty.

"I'm not leaving you again. Never," he said, "I love so much, Lizzie. I cannot live with you. You and our baby are my life."

"We love you too," she responded, before he captured her lips once more.

"How are you feeling?," he asked when they broke apart.

"A little weak, but not as much as before," Lizzie replied, "At least my arm doesn't hurt anymore. But most importantly, our baby is okay."

"Yes," William said and placed his hand on her abdomen. He leaned in and placed a kiss on it.

"Gigi, Fitz, Kate are in the waiting room," he mentioned as promised.

"Oh… I hope they weren't worried. Yet it's good that you weren't by yourself," Lizzie said.

"Actually…," William started and told her the story about Jamie.

"She sounds very nice, although I don't recall her. I'm glad she kept you company," Lizzie commented.

"If it wasn't for her, it would not have remember about my phone," he continued, "I only called Gigi. I did not call your parents or your sisters. Not before I knew what had happened. Do you want to call them now?"

"Mmm… I want them to know about our baby but I rather wait until we speak with Dr. Weston again," Lizzie replied.

"As you wish."

There was a knock on the door and Gigi appeared.

"Hi Lizzie," Gigi greeted, "Can we come in?"

"Sure, Gigi," she responded.

"Lizzie B! How are you?," Fitz said as he entered the room with Kate.

"Much better. Thank you for coming," Lizzie said.

"We wouldn't be anywhere else," Kate noted, "We are so happy to hear that you are okay now. And your baby. Congratulations."

"Yes! Thank you for making me an aunt!," Gigi exclaimed.

"You're very welcome," Lizzie replied and reached for her husband's hand.

"Congratulations, Lizzie B!," Fitz said, "Brandon just called. He and Victoria are happy for you as well."

"Thank you," she answered, "We were going to tell you, obviously, but we were waiting until after the first trimester."

"That's okay, Lizzie. Now, you just have to get well and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy," Kate said.

The four of them stayed with Lizzie until Dr. Weston reappeared. To give them privacy, Kate, Gigi and Fitz went outside.

Lillian checked Lizzie's chart and vitals, and also checked on the baby. Lizzie's levels had improved a little. However, not to leave anything to chance, Lillian decided that Lizzie would have to stay until Monday under observation.

"I'll stay with her," William said right away.

"Allright," Dr. Weston replied, "I'm not in the hospital tomorrow but I'll be available."

Both Lizzie and William thanked her and said goodbye.

"Okay now. How do I call my mom and tell her I'm pregnant and in the hospital without giving her a heart attack?," Lizzie joked.

William chuckled and answered, "What if we only tell her about the baby?"

Lizzie did not want to worry her family and agreed. William took his phone and found the Bennets' number. Together, they called them and gave them their happy news.

Fran was ecstatic and did not hide her enthusiasm and was already showering them with baby advice. Thomas told them that he was very glad for them and made a comment about how old he was getting because two of his children were having children.

"Are you tired, love?", William asked when they were done with the calls.

"Yes, a little," Lizzie replied, "I don't feel bad, I just want to sleep."

"Of course, we can call your sisters later. Now sleep. I'll be right here," he said and kissed her.

He took her hand and waited until she fell asleep. It was not until that moment that he finally felt a little relieved. He exhaled a couple of times to forget how helpless he had felt when he feared he could lose his wife and their child.

He heard someone knocking the door and turned to see Gigi. His sister realized that Lizzie was sleeping and signaled his brother to go outside.

"Dr. Weston told us that Lizzie is going to stay a couple of days here," Gigi said once they were in the hallway.

"Yes, and I am staying with her," William announced.

"Darcy, why don't you go home to change and eat something?," Fitz suggested, "I can stay here in the meantime."

"Thank you but I'm not leaving her," William stated.

"We knew you were going to say that," Fitz said.

"Well, first of all, you have to eat something," Kate said and gave him a sandwich, "Gigi and I will go to your house to get you clothes and more food. Fitz will stay with you in the meantime."

"That works for me," Fitz said.

"And then you can go home. You have a baby waiting for you," Gigi added.

"If you're talking about Brandon, I think he will be fine," Fitz answered, and they all laughed.

"Thank you all for your help and support," William said with all seriousness. He was going through one of the most difficult times of his life and was grateful to have them by his side.

"That's what family does," Kate responded and hugged him. She made a short list of what William wanted and left with Gigi.

William called Catherine and told her about the pregnancy. After listening to her best wishes, he and Fitz came back inside Lizzie's room, careful not to wake her. William took his place next to her bed and just watched her sleep.

When Lizzie opened her eyes, she did not recognize where she was and it took her a second to remember what had happened. She looked around and spotted Gigi, looking at her phone.

"Gigi," she called with a raspy voice.

"Oh, hey, Lizzie!," her sister-in-law said, "Do you want some water?"

"Yes, please."

Gigi passed her a bottle with a straw and Lizzie thanked her.

"How are you?," her sister-in-law asked.

"Fine. Where is William?," Lizzie asked as she did not see her husband in the room.

"He's in the bathroom, taking a shower," and in that moment Lizzie noticed the noise of running water.

"I finally convinced him to take a minute for himself. He simply refused to leave your side," Gigi continued, "And change those sweaty bike clothes."

Lizzie chuckled and drank more of her water.

"Kate and Fitz?"

"They stayed shortly after we returned from your house and left together," Gigi answered, "we brought you a couple of things for your stay here so you'll be more comfortable."

"Thank you. To all of you."

"They will come back tomorrow morning," Georgiana added.

"That's not necessary. Fitz has to take care of Victoria and Kate has other things to do," Lizzie said.

"Well, you can tell them that tomorrow. But you know what they are going to say. We're family, Lizzie, and family sticks together," Gigi responded.

"Gigi is right."

Both women turned their eyes to William, who was coming out of the shower.

"Hi, love," Lizzie greeted.

"Hi, sweetheart. Did you rest?," he asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

William walked to her and kissed her one more time. Eventually, Gigi cleared her throat to remind them that she was there.

"Sorry, Gigi," Lizzie apologized and Gigi just shook her head and then told her that she had received a text from Charlotte.

Since Lizzie was afraid that her friend would be concerned if she did not answer, Lizzie and William proceeded to inform Charlotte, the Lee's and Lydia about their pregnancy. Everyone was very happy to hear the news and congratulated them extensively.

"Wow! It seems that Lydia gets louder every time we talk to her," William said when they hung up.

"Oh, William! She was just excited," Gigi said.

"Just like someone else I know," Lizzie added, looking directly at her sister-in-law.

"I think you are feeling better now Lizzie," Georgiana noted.

She stayed with them until Lucy came to announce that the visiting hours were over. Gigi said goodbye and promised to return the next day, despite Lizzie saying it was not necessary.

Lucy checked on Lizzie again before handing her dinner. Lizzie claimed that she was not very hungry but William insisted that she had at least to try something.

The only thing that Lizzie was in the mood of was the soup Kate had brought, and she ate half of the bowl without feeling sick.

After that, William helped her go to the bathroom and Lizzie had a chance to stretch her legs. He then picked up one of the books Gigi had brought and started reading to her. Eventually, she started to feel sleepy again and William noticed it.

"I will let you sleep now, love," he said. The truth is that he was tired as well and started to arrange the couch to sleep in it.

"What are you doing?," Lizzie asked.

"I'm going to rest here while you sleep," he explained.

"Nope. You come here," she said and patted the stop next to her in the hospital bed.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. Come," Lizzie insisted.

William shook his head in amusement, took off his shoes and climbed into the bed. He took some time finding a good position that would not disturb Lizzie.

"I don't think the nurses will approve of this," he said when he finally settled.

"I don't care. I want my husband with me," she answered as she rested her head on his chest. William tightened a little his arm around her and nuzzled her hair.

"Please, don't scare me again like this. I can't live without you, Elizabeth," he said.

"I can't live without you either. And I promise that this will never happen again," Lizzie answered.

"I'll hold you to that."

"I know. I love you, William," she said as she closed her eyes.

"I love you so much, Lizzie," he sighed and watched the love of his life fell asleep in his arms.

In the middle of the night, a nurse went to Lizzie's room to change the IV bag, and Lizzie woke up. The nurse did not look too happy to see William in the bed with his patient.

"Please, don't wake him up," Lizzie asked.

The young man furrowed his brows as he adjusted the bag.

"As long as he does not move your IV lines, it's fine," he said. He knew why Lizzie was in the hospital and understood William's motivations, but the well-being of his patient was first.

William moved slightly and Lizzie muttered "Thank you", and the nurse left.

Lizzie turned to her side and watched her husband. When William had first entered her room, she was devastated to see how distressed he was. He looked even worse than when he had found her in that hotel bathroom.

She shook her head to make those memories disappear. She was deeply in love with the most wonderful man in the world, and she was carrying the product of their love inside her. Her doctor was confident in her recovery and that her pregnancy would proceed without other issues. With those comforting thoughts she went back to sleep.

The next time she opened her eyes, Lizzie found William looking at her.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning. How long have you been awake?," Lizzie asked, sitting on the bed.

"An hour or so. Did you sleep well?," William said.

"Yes, I did. All thanks to you," she answered.

"And how are you feeling?"

"Okay. I guess the real test would be breakfast," Lizzie said.

The worst times for her were the mornings, and her increased sensitivity to smells did not help.

"You would be allright, you'll see," he replied.

Since she still had the UV lines in her hand, she asked for help to go to the restroom and freshen herself. When she came out, William was walking to the bed table with a tray in his hands.

"Lucy gave me this for you. If you don't want it, we still have some of the food that Kate brought yesterday," he said.

"Mmm, I don't think so," she replied, suddenly feeling sick.

"You just paled. Are you okay?," William asked concerned.

"I'm nauseous again…"

In no time, William put the tray as far as possible from Lizzie and helped her to bed. He gave her some water while he went out to find Lucy.

Lucy asked Lizzie a couple of questions, and after examining Lizzie's chart, she said that they needed to wait to see if the nausea passed.

When it did not, even though it was not as strong as before, Lucy then increased the dosage of the medicines, as Dr. Weston had indicated.

"Well, I think this will help. Have you heard your baby's heart beat?," Lucy asked.

Lizzie shook her head and William said, "No. Is it not too early for that?"

"No. And it's better with the new instruments," Lucy explained.

"Oh… can we hear it now?," Lizzie asked.

"Yes. Your doctor ordered an ultrasound for you, so you can listen now," Lucy added happily.

Lizzie smiled, feeling better all of the sudden and looked up to William, who was also excited with the prospect of hearing their child's heart.

Lucy brought the ultrasound machine and got started. Lizzie chuckled a little with the cold gel on her belly, and grasped William's hand.

"There is your baby," Lucy said and pointed to the screen. The fetus was bigger than the last time they had seen it, and both parents smiled. She pointed at the new developments of their baby and then turned on the sound.

"And that's the heart beat."

Lizzie and William listened with attention to the drumming sound. Lizzie gasped and covered her mouth with her free hand. She felt William caressing her hand and turned to see him. He, as well as she, had tears in his eyes.

"Wow! It's going so fast!," Lizzie finally said.

"Yes, it is," William added, "It's strong."

"You can record it, if you want. A lot of parents do it," Lucy commented.

"That's a great idea. Thank you," William said and pulled his phone out.

At the end, Lucy said that everything looked good with their child, and asked Lizzie how she felt.

She had forgotten about her nausea and definitely felt better and so ate a little without problem, to both Lucy and William's satisfaction.

That moment made the rest of her stay at the hospital bearable, as well as the company of her loved ones.

Besides Fitz and his husband, Kate and James, Gigi and Sidney, Charlotte and Ian stopped by the hospital.

Lizzie had had no choice but to tell her best friend that she was in the hospital when they spoke on the phone. Charlotte had immediately wanted to visit Lizzie when she heard the news of her pregnancy and Lizzie told her where she was.

Charlotte was obviously concerned but Lizzie explained that she was not in danger and had all the attention she needed. However, that was not enough for Charlotte and she drove to San Francisco.

When Dr. Weston returned on Monday morning, she found everything in order. Lizzie was no longer dehydrated, and her morning nausea and vomiting were greatly reduced. Lillian then decided to release Lizzie from the hospital and gave her an appointment in a week's time.

On the way to the exit, they encountered Lucy and Ben, their night shift nurse, and they promised not to come back until their baby was due.

William had informed Mrs. Reynolds that Lizzie had had a medical emergency and that they would take a week off work. Lizzie had insisted that she could get back to work, and William insisted that she stayed home, with him.

In their next appointment with Dr. Weston, they found that, despite the reduction in nausea and other bad symptoms, Lizzie was dehydrated again. With the new medication, Lillian trusted that the situation would be corrected and she suggested that Lizzie stayed home for another week and just work for there.

As he drove them back to the house, William was already on the phone with Mrs. Reynolds, asking her to rearrange his schedule again so he could be with Lizzie.

Lizzie had not even tried to tell him that he should go back to Pemberley as she knew how he was going to respond.

"Well, baby and mommy cannot wait to be indulged again," Lizzie said, "Daddy did such a good job last week."

"And Daddy will continue to do that. Just wait until she's born," William replied.

"She?", Lizzie remarked, "Do you know something that I don't?"

William laughed and warmly squeezed his wife's hand.

"It just came out," he explained.

"Do you prefer to have a daughter?"

"I don't have a preference. I want a healthy child with a healthy you. That's all."

"Me too. That's all I want," she ended, caressing her belly and imagining her child.

The following week, they returned to see Dr. Weston. After looking at Lizzie's lab work, she was satisfied to see that her patient had responded to the drugs, and told them that she could get back to her regular routine.

Lillian also told them that patients with hyperemesis gravidarum experienced morning sickness longer than other pregnant women, and that it would be normal for Lizzie to still experience it after her second trimester.

Dr. Weston scheduled another appointment and lab work for Lizzie in two weeks' time and asked them to call her if she had any more discomfort or questions. Given what had happened, Lizzie would have to be under closed medical observation for the remaining of her pregnancy.

Time passed smoothly and without any more health related complications for Lizzie. She and William finally let the news of the pregnancy out at Pemberley and everyone was happy for them.

True to his promise, William never left her side and was always on top of her needs and also cravings. However, they hit a wall when William had to leave for Sidney.

Before they knew about the pregnancy, William had been in negotiations with a digital production company in Australia. The transactions had gone well and, as he always did, William wanted to visit in person to meet with the staff. But for different reasons, the date of his visit kept been rescheduled, and now the date was upon him.

"I don't want to go, I can't leave now," he complained once more.

"You have to go, William. Remember how hard it was to get that date settled?," Lizzie said from the bed.

"I do remember, but we were supposed to go together," he replied, joining his almost five month's pregnant wife in bed.

"I can tell Logan to go on his own," he added.

"William, expanding Pemberley to a new continent is one of your biggest achievements and you should be there," Lizzie commented.

"No, my greatest achievement is right here," he responded and put his hand over her swollen belly.

"Baby knows that," Lizzie said, "And I still think you have to go."

"I don't want you to leave you."

"It is just a week, and I won't be alone. I called my parents and they are coming over."

"Oh, they are? That's good."

"Yes, I called them and arranged the flight. My dad is only staying for a couple of days, but my mother is staying the whole week."

Her parents had already visited the couple in San Francisco and were delighted to see their daughter radiant with the pregnancy. By the time of their visit, Lizzie had gotten past the morning sickness, which was good, because they still did not know about her early complications and she did not want to worry them.

"Good, someone will accompany you to the ultrasound appointment," William noted.

"My mom will. She will be more than happy to see her grandchild," she responded.

"Okay. But remember, no peeking!"

"No peeking!"

They both had agreed that they wanted to be surprised and did not want to know the sex of their child until the birth. That was the reason they kept referring to their child as "Baby".

Lizzie's parents arrived promptly and accompanied her daughter to say goodbye to her husband at the airport. He travelled to Australia, feeling a little less preoccupied with his wife's welfare.

Every day that he was in the island, he called Lizzie on Domino. The time difference had somehow made difficult to find a space to call, but that had not discouraged them.

William told Lizzie about his activities and all about the city. On her part, Lizzie showed him the new picture of Baby, who had grown a lot and mentioned all the amusing pregnancy tips that Fran was sharing with her.

As much as she enjoyed her mother's company, Lizzie eagerly awaited William's return. When they met each other at the exit of the private hangar, it was a feast of love and endless kisses.

"Oh my god! I'm huge! Huge as a whale!," Lizzie exclaimed in the middle of the street. She was in her seventh month now and she liked to have strolls around their neighborhood.

"Love, you are not!," William chuckled and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"William, look! Baby had grown so much that I think I'm going to explode," Lizzie said, extending her cardigan so her belly would show more.

"That just means that Baby is healthy. Lillian said so," William replied, "Besides, have I told you how much I love your body now?"

If one saw Lizzie from behind, one would only notice the roundness of her hips and would not guess that she was pregnant. It was until Lizzie turned that her prominent belly became evident, as well as her grown breasts.

When they were alone, William loved to caress those new developments and to show Lizzie his love and appreciation, even to the stretch lines that had slowly appeared and that she hated.

"Not today," Lizzie responded, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Well, I love your pregnant body, and I love, love, love you."

Lifting Lizzie's chin with his free hand, William deposited a sweet kiss on her lips.

"You always know how to make me feel better, even when I get all crazy because of the hormones. Thank you."

"Any time, sweetheart."

"Hey, what do you think of Edith?," Lizzie suddenly asked and grabbed William's phone from his pocket.

"Edith?," he asked a little confused.

"Yes, for Baby," she answered as she looked at the list they had made of their preferred names during the last month.

"Mmm… Not really a fan."

"Well, what about Sophie?"

"I like Sophia better."

"Oh, pretty! I'll add that one."

For girls, Ann and Kathleen were at the top of the list. The first one, for obvious reasons, was homage to William's mother. William had suggested the second one because it reminded him of Catherine and Kate. The relationship he had with each of them was very different but both women had very important places in his life.

Also in the list was Marian. William's favorite story as a kid was Robin Hood. William Sr. used to read the story to his son before bedtime and that was one treasured memory. Lizzie was surprised at first by the suggestion until he explained why it had sentimental value for him.

Other names that they liked were Miranda, Cassandra, Emily, Natalie and Vivienne.

For boys, they had considered Frederick, Daniel, Michael, Alexander, Graham, Julien, Matthew and William. Lizzie was very aware of the Darcy family tradition and had no problem continuing it. Yet, William told her that he liked starting new traditions with her.

Lizzie liked Frederick, as it was name of one of her preferred characters in literature, and the name of her college mentor. She had learnt a great deal from him and was sad to know that he had passed away recently.

"Oh, what's that?," Lizzie asked.

"What? That sound?," her husband answered and paid more attention.

"Yes... It's like... An ice cream truck! Let's get some!" she yelled.

"Oh, Lizzie, how do I love you!," William laughed.

She pulled him for a kiss, grabbed his hand and together they went in search of ice cream.

Lizzie was lying in bed, with her feet propped in a pillow, feeling tired.

She was a couple of days away from her due date, October 6, and for the last three weeks, she had had contractions. Lillian had told her that they were Braxton Hicks contractions and had taught her how to count and identify when the true labor contractions started.

Lizzie had stopped going to Pemberley and was uncomfortable almost all the time. Between the constant fatigue, the pain in her lower back and feet, and the baby's movements, Lizzie had to be home.

William was doing his best to make her feel better, and Lizzie appreciated his efforts. At that moment, he was in the kitchen making her tea.

"Oh, Baby, I love you so much, but can you give mommy a little break?," Lizzie sighed as she rubbed her stomach, "Soon, you'll be out and then you can move as much as you want."

As answer, her child moved and poked her in the ribs.

"Well, thank you very much M…," Lizzie said and then gasped.

"Is everything allright?," William asked her. He was coming into the bedroom with a tray with her tea and some cookies.

"Yes! I just figured it out something!," she answered enthusiastically.

"About what?," he asked, a little confused and put the tray on the mattress.

"About Baby's name," she stated and reached for the cup, "Thanks for the tea."

"You're welcome. So, are you going to share that with me?," he replied.

"Nope, you'll have to wait until the birth."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Well, that could be any day now," he added as he caressed her abdomen, "Are you feeling better by the way?"

"No, still uncomfortable, but nothing else to report."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" William asked.

"The tea is good enough, thanks."

"Okay…," he sighed, "I have to make some phone calls. I'll be in the library so just call my name if you need anything, love."

Lizzie thanked him again, and she was alone, she grabbed her book from her bedside table, to pass the time.

That afternoon, Kate and James stopped by for a quick dinner and Lizzie appreciated their company but she could not distract herself enough to forget her unease.

That night, like he had started doing for the last week, William checked that the car keys were right by the garage door and that Lizzie's suitcase was still in the truck. He was ready for the birth; he had packed everything that his parenting books suggested for the newborn and the mother. He was just waiting for his wife's announcement.

When William went upstairs to his bedroom, Lizzie was already sleeping, hugging the body pillow he had gotten for her. He joined her in bed, and after kissing her temple, he felt asleep as well.

William felt Lizzie shift and change positions in bed. Knowing that she was still uncomfortable, he moved to the sofa they had in their bedroom. It was too small for him, but he did not care; he would rather give her all the space she needed.

He did not know how long he had been in the couch when he heard movement around him and his name.

"Yeah, I'm awake," he answered, even though his voice suggested otherwise.

"I think I'm in labor," Lizzie said, and this time, William really woke up.

"What? Are you sure?" William rose from the couch and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Yeah, I've been having contractions every five minutes, just like Lillian said."

"What didn't you wake me up before?," he replied and walked to the dresser where he had his clothes ready.

"I wanted to be sure," Lizzie sighed, sitting down on the sofa.

She had woken up around five in the morning of October 4, after feeling a sharp pain in her kidneys. At first, she thought it was the baby and changed positions. However, she felt it again, but this time in the lower part of her belly.

And then it happened again. Lizzie sat on the bed and looked at the clock. Around five minutes later, she felt the pain again. It was like the contractions she had had before, but a little stronger. She spent the next two hours counting how long and how often the contractions came. They did increase in intensity and they happened every five minutes. And that was when she had woken her husband up.

"Okay, we have some time. I'll change, you'll change and we'll call Lillian from the car," William said, putting on socks and grabbing his shoes.

"Wow," Lizzie suddenly said, "I think we have to go now."

"Why?"

"My water just broke."

"So soon?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, okay. Let's go," he exclaimed and helped down the stairs and into the car.

While Lizzie was doing her breathing exercises, William called the hospital to announce that they were coming.

When they arrived to the hospital, Ben was with a wheel chair ready waiting for them. They met Lucy again and she took them to one room so she could look at Lizzie.

"Yes, you have started labor, but you are not quite there," she said, "Dr. Weston is with another patient right now, but she will be here soon."

Lizzie tried to relax but could not, as her contractions were becoming stronger. When Lillian arrived, she was amazed by how quickly Lizzie's labor had progressed. As they had previously agreed, Lizzie was given a small dose of epidural so she would be more comfortable.

Since she still could walk, Lizzie walked around the room and William took that time to group-text his family to let them know of the upcoming birth.

He spent the next two hours by her side, trying to soothe her and getting ready himself to the reality of becoming a father.

Soon, Lizzie started to complain louder, despite the anesthetic. William called Lucy, who called Dr. Weston.

"You are going very fast, Lizzie, but that's good. You'll meet your child soon."

When the time came, Lillian instructed Lizzie to start pushing. She did thrice, used all her energy and nothing happened.

"I can't! I can't anymore!," Lizzie yelled and squeezed William's hand very hard.

"You're almost there, love. You can do it," he encouraged her.

"Yes, Lizzie. Just push one more time," Lillian added.

Lizzie breathed deeply and pushed again. She was beyond tired and just felt like sleeping.

"Very good, Lizzie. Just one more time, I promise," Lillian said.

Lizzie obeyed and focused all the energy she had left in pushing. All of the sudden, she stopped feeling the pressure on her body. And then she heard the most wonderful sound in the world.

Her child was crying.

"William," she called and turned to see her husband.

"Lizzie," was all he was able to say.

The crying continued for one minute, and then Lillian approached them with the newborn in her arms.

"Here is your beautiful baby girl. Congratulations," she announced.

Overwhelmed, Lizzie stretched her arms and received her daughter. She was indeed beautiful, the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen.

Her skin still red and wrinkled, and she had a big mane of black hair, just like her father. Her eyes were still closed because of the light, but Lizzie could not wait to see them.

"She's gorgeous," William murmured and wiped his eyes. He moved his hand, and very softly, he caressed the head of his daughter.

"Yes, she's, our little bundle of love," she said, crying as well, and kissed one of the little hands.

"Well, not so little," he noted. Her daughter was certainly big.

"Elizabeth, thank you, thank you. I love you so much," he added and kissed them both.

"I love you too," she answered, "And we love you, Marianne, with all our hearts."

"Marianne?," he asked and Lizzie smiled.

"Sorry, but we have to take your baby for a quick check up. We will bring her right back," Lucy said and took Marianne away.

Lillian stayed a couple of minutes more with the new parents to check on Lizzie, and retrieve the cord, as they wanted to store it. She congratulated them again, and then left to speak with their family who was in the waiting room.

"Marianne looks like you," William commented.

"But she has your hair. The Darcy hair," Lizzie responded.

He laughed and kissed her.

"So, Marianne, eh?," he asked.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it."

"Good. Do you remember when I told you that I had figured something out about our baby?," she reminded him.

"Yes. Did you mean about the name?"

Lizzie nodded and continued, "It is the perfect mix between your favorite name and mine. Marian plus Ann. Plus an e."

"What do you think of Marianne Kathleen Bennet-Darcy?," he suggested.

"Bennet-Darcy? With a hyphen?"

"Yes. I want to include both of our names. After our little scare, I promised myself that I'd that."

"Are you sure?," she asked.

"Absolutely," he asserted.

"Allright," Lizzie finished.

In that moment, Lucy came back with Marianne and William got to hold her for the very first time. He was in awe, and so proud of his wife and daughter.

"Hey, she has your eyes," he noted and brought her to Lizzie, so she could see Marianne's green and blue eyes.

They admired her for long, trying to guess who she looked after more.

"Thank you again, Lizzie. You have given me the best gift in the whole world," William said, and gave Marianne to her mother.

"Our precious gift and the beginning of our new adventure," Lizzie replied, with her daughter in her arms.

THE END

She - Elvis Costello

This is the last chapter! :') I will write an epilogue but don't know when.

This has been a very cool experience, and I appreciate all the readers, followers and comments I have received for this story. I really hope you enjoyed it, I know I did.

Until the next time!