Sorry for the delay. I didn't mean for it to take this long.

Lizzie woke Carson up at 6:00 on the dot.

"Lizzie?" He moaned.

"You wanted to see TBS?" She asked.

"Yes…" He moaned again. "But not until you went into work."

"I'm going in 30 minutes." She said lightly and smiled.

He smothered his face with his pillow. "What time is it?"

"Six."

"Too early." He sighed.

"You get up this early at home." She pulled the pillow off his face.

He huffed. "That's at home."

"Do you want to see TBS or not?" She pulled the blankets down.

He sighed and heaved him up. "Yes."

"Then," she smiled, "we are leaving in 30 minutes."

He came out of the room they were sharing in 25 minutes into the kitchen. "Coffee." She handed him a mug. "Thanks." He took a sip.

"We leave in five."

Lizzie pulled Carson into the clean, modern, lobby of TBS.

"Lizzie?" He stopped.

"Yes?"

"What does TBS stand for?" He looked at big men and strong women in black suits, the fancy key-swipes everywhere, the fancy computer monitors on the walls.

"Thomas Bennet Securities. We provide security systems and protection to companies, families, and individuals in need."

"Welcome back, Miss Bennet." A man said to her.

"Thank you."

"Hello Miss Bennet." A young lady greeted her cheerfully.

"Hello to you." She smiled back and walked to the elevator. She swiped her card and the elevator doors opened. She swiped it again once she was in and pressed the button for the top floor.

"Do you know all those people in the lobby?" Carson's eyebrows shot through the roof.

"Not all. But most." She smiled as the elevator started. He nodded.

They rode up to the top floor in comfortable silence. It binged and the two got out. She walked down the hall and Carson gasped. "Lizzie. Are you wearing a skirt suit?"

She stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"That is a travesty." He sighed. "Do you only have skirt suits?"

She paused. "I think I have a pair of slacks."

"Okay. Any skirts that come above the knee?" He motioned for her to spin.

She spun slowly. "What's wrong with these skirts?"

"One. It's the ugliest shade of grey I have ever seen. Two. It looks like something my mother would wear. Three. It has no shape, pop, or style to it."

"We can't all be the next big thing in fashion." She sighed.

He blushed and caught up to her. "I'm not going to be anything in fashion. That's just a dream and a couple of sketches. I haven't even gone to school for it. I've barely gone to school for anything." He sighed.

"You're brilliant, Carson." She said as they neared the end of the hall. "One day not to long from now everyone will see that." She smiled furtively.

"Lizzie?" He asked as she knocked on a door.

"Shhh." She smiled even wider.

"Come in." A deep voice said. She opened the door. "Ah! Lizzie!" He jumped up and squealed.

"Richard!" She hugged him. "How are you?"

"Oh. Lizzie. I thought I told you to get rid of the horrible skirts. Or at least traded them in for something at least an inch above the knee." He held her at arm's length.

"Richard?" Carson stepped into the office.

"Carson?" Richard let go of Lizzie.

"You two know each other?" Lizzie was shocked.

"He's my date." The said at the same time and pointed at each other.

Lizzie's eyes grew. "Small world."

"Yeah." Richard sighed.

"Small world." Carson smiled.

Lizzie walked over to Richard's desk and picked up a huge stack of papers. "I'm going to review the new clients." She went to leave the office.

"Wrong stack." Richard said softly, not breaking eye contact with Carson.

She smiled and went back to the desk, switching the files, and silently slipped out the room.

She went down to the first floor coffee shop and started going through the files. Individual requests for protection. All of them selfish, rich, and paranoid. All but two denied, and those two were for further review.

Then she came to the company ones. She approved some of the smaller companies that had great potential, she denied most of them.

Then her heart stopped. Pemberley Digital Media. Owner William Darcy.

Darcy wants my company to protect his company. His huge, successful, amazing company wanted mine to protect it. Why? Does he know that I owne it? And if he does, does he care? She stared at the pages of the file doing absolutely nothing.

"Lizzie?"

She jumped and looked up to see Carson and Richard standing in front of her.

"Yes?" She squeaked.

"Are you alright?" Carson looked concerned.

Lizzie glanced at the file. "Ah… Yes?"

"What file is that?" Richard looked over her shoulder.

"Ah… the Pemb…" She cleared her throat. "The Pemberley file." And looked up at Carson.

"No."

"Yes."

Carson and Richard spoke at the same time.

"We should go to lunch and talk about this…" Lizzie mumbled.

"I know the owner, Lizzie. He's a great guy. Seriously." Richard stated.

"Richard…" Carson spoke quietly. "We don't talk about Mr. Darcy."

"Why?"

Lizzie slammed the folder shut. "Because I told him everything and he threw it back in my face."

Richard sat down next to her. "How do you know my cousin?"

"You're…" She hesitated. "You're his cousin?"

"We grew up together." He nodded. "Whatever he did… I know he didn't mean it. Sometimes he says things… Does things... When he loves someone sometimes he says and does stupid things."

"I told him everything." She sighed. "And he… He through it back in my face."

"What exactly did he say?" Richard asked.

She bit her bottom lip. "Why would I want a freak like you? Among other things."

"Oh…" He sighed and rubbed her back.

"Exactly." Carson sassed.

"Don't ruin this." Lizzie snapped. "This should be your date."

"We already had our date. You've been down here all day. What did you think we would do? Sit and stare?" Carson sassed.

"He did that anyway." Richard whispered in his ear. Lizzie smiled. "Did you ask him to explain? Or did you do that Lizzie thing where you throw something and then sit somewhere cutting something up or stabbing a table with a knife or something like that?" Lizzie was silent. "Oh, sweetie... You really liked him, didn't you?"

She nodded.

"Okay. You two are coming with me and we're all eating chocolate."

"You are taking him out to dinner." She said sternly. "I promised that I would spend some time with the Gardiners anyway."

"Could I show you the city?" Richard looked back to Carson, who nodded. "Great! You sure you're okay?" She nodded. "Okay. Well, put the Pemberley file away, and come back to it later. Think about what he said-" She threw him a glare and he held his hands up. "Think about what he said and if he meant it. Because I know what he's been going through, and I can tell you the answer. But I won't, 'cause you need to figure it out on your own."

She sighed, put all the files in her bag, and stood. "Get him back at a reasonable time?"

"Lizzie!" Carson whined.

"Reasonable means three." She shot them both a glance. "In the morning." She turned on her heel and walked away.

P.O.V CHANGE: Carson!

They were walking out of a diner when he sighed… "Why was your cousin so… horrid that day?" He asked Richard.

"Was it on a Thursday?"

"How did you know?"

"Wednesday we had just found out that his younger sister was in a relationship with a guy his age and apparently had a shadowy past. And when I say shadowy past, I mean that this guy is bad news."

"Was his last name Wickham?"

Richard stopped. "How?"

"It's a long story… How much has Lizzie told you?"

"Everything about Collins and something about an abusive relationship." Richard put the pieces together. "Wickham was-"

"Lizzie's sleazy, scummy, moronic, ex-boyfriend. Yeah." Carson sat down and pulled out a small notebook and a pencil out of his messenger bag.

Richard sat down beside him. "So that was why Darce was so mad." He rubbed his neck. "I can't believe I told him he was over reacting…"

"He probably went there to tell Lizzie. Or ask for her help." Carson's pencil started scratching against the paper.

"Probably. What he said to her I know he doesn't-didn't- mean." After a few minutes of silence Richard looked over Carson's shoulder. "You're good." Carson blushed. "No, I mean it." Richard took the book out of Carson's hands and started flipping through it. "Really good. I know some people… one in particular. She's looking for an in-house designer. I could make a few calls."

"I don't mean to sound rude, but why would you do that for me?" Carson looked away.

"Because. It would mean that you could stay in the city…" Richard sighed. "I'm selfish. I really like you. And I don't want you to go." He handed the book back to Carson, stood and started walking slowly towards the office building.

"Wait!" Carson jumped up and ran after him, gently placing a hand on Richard's arm. "Re-really?" Richard nodded. Carson smiled and handed him his notebook. "I would love to stay for you." He said gently.