A/N: This is a repost of the story that was formerly in the "Jane Austen" category. Previously part of a series of modern one-shots. PREMISE: Given the opportunity to make amends ifor their behaviour, how would the story of our favourite heroes and heroines change?

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Wishes

I Wish… I knew what Lucy was really like

(Edward Ferras)

For as long as I can remember, my mother, my older sister, and some years later, my younger brother were determined that they knew what was best for me. Under their tutelage, I've done some pretty stupid things, like joining a choir as a boy soprano (because Fran wanted to join), where I was one of the two boys and joining a drama group that insisted on wearing tights (because after seeing Romeo + Juliet, Robert was determined to become an actor).

You may not consider these things stupid, but when it comes to performing in from of relative strangers, I'd much prefer to be in a bed full of insects or ingesting rat poison.

I also didn't deal well with the expectations everyone had for me. As the oldest son, I was supposed to do something great with my life, like becoming a lawyer or doctor, earning lots of money and marrying a debutante. However, I don't need money desperately, nor was I attracted to the likes of my sister, whose biggest problem was deciding what to wear. I wanted to stay in my own comfortable, little world, scratching out a novel on the depressing life led by those with old money. A little ironic, I know, considering I survived on the interest of a trust fund that I'd inherited from my family.

My first real act of rebellion against my family was by going to Cambridge, and not Oxford, where a dozen generations of Ferras' had attended in the past, and doing a measly Arts degree. Although it was still one of the Oxbridge's, the family felt scandalised by my decision. And I really didn't care, moving out of the family home to a tiny flat in an unfashionable part of town.

My next step of rebellion was secretly dating a girl from the estate. She had blonde hair, blue eyes and a mouth that would make a sailor proud. She was everything my mother and sister despised: no class with a rather crass and vulgar attitude towards a lot of things. And although I never thought I would attach myself to such a woman, she showed me more of the world than the luxurious round the world holidays ever had.

Her name was Lucy Steele.

She was studying graphic design at a community college, and we met via a mutual acquaintance that needed help with a double date.

I had been warned in the past to be weary of young women throwing themselves at me and chatting me up, but Lucy had such a look of guilelessness that I was immediately attracted to her. I tended to be more open minded than the rest of my family, whose greatest concern was family connections and being seen with the right people in the right clothes at all times.

When I was first introduced to her, the first thing she asked me was whether I was one of those Ferras', but I suppose it just was not in my nature to be suspicious of people I meet. That was one flaw my mother couldn't fix up by forcing her opinion on me.

I never told anyone on my family of Lucy, although they knew there was some girl. Despite my objections to my mother, Francesca and Robert, somewhere deep in me still yearned for their approval.

Pretty stupid, but it's the truth.

I thought Lucy and I were happy with the relationship we had. During the semester we didn't get to see as much of each other than we wanted, but during semester break, she was more often than not at my place.

About two years into our relationship, Lucy dropped the "P" bomb.

She suspected she might have been pregnant, and that freaked me out, and I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Marry me, Lucy"

She looked at me, smile on her face, before giving a shrill squeal, a "yes" and a phone call to her sister Anne.

A week later, whilst I was at my mother's, working up the courage to tell her of Lucy, my mobile beeped, the screen telling me I had a message from Lucy.

"At the Dr. False alarm, not preggers. cya at home xx L"

I could tell Mother about Lucy later.

I was delighted I wasn't becoming a father in the next nine months. However, I thought of Lucy, and what she must be feeling. Probably devastated, she was so excited about the baby, having bought books, made lists of names, produced several plans for nurseries and other things I didn't know was required for a baby. And the wedding plans- we still hadn't chosen an engagement ring, but she was anxious to make bookings for dress fittings and other nonsense a man is kept away from.

I had to prepare myself to console her. For tears, chick flicks and chocolate ice cream.

But perhaps that shouldn't have been what I prepared myself for.

I arrived home to an empty home, so I made my way to my den, intending to wait for Lucy's return. However I drifted off to sleep reading a rather dull book, and woke to the sound of voices.

It wasn't uncommon for Lucy's sister, Anne, to drop by to talk with her sister. As I shook the feeling of tiredness from my body, I caught an earful of their rather revealing conversation coming from the corridor.

"I can't believe you told him you were pregnant when you weren't, just to get a proposal out of him."

Now Anne didn't have much subtlety. She was louder, crasser and much more vulgar and obnoxious than Russell Brand on LSD. She said what she thought, had no filter, and I ignored her like I tried to ignore Fran, Robert and my mum. We all have unfortunate relations… as the saying goes, you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Whilst Lucy was witty, Anne was a dimwit. Up to that point, the only conversations I'd ever had with Anne consisted on rather half-hearted remarks on the weather on my part, and incoherent babble on hers. It was necessary to have the patience of a saint to talk to her, and I'd rather given up.

"It's a time tested method of securing a marriage proposal, Anne. You should try it. I do love Edward the way one might love a pet or a Hermes handbag. But he can be deadly dull on a Sunday afternoon when it's raining out. And the way he whines about his family. If I had the trust fund he had, I wouldn't be complaining at all."

"Yes, well, we all know that money makes up for all the flaws a person may have" commented Anne snidely.

Not wanting to hear any more, I made a point of dropping the book I had read, letting the Steele sisters know I was at home and wide awake.

Lucy rushed to the den, not a trace of guilt on her pretty face.

And it was there, without ceremony or a fancy speech, I dumped Lucy Steele.

It was possibly one of the best decisions I ever made in my life.

Because a couple of weeks later, I met Fran's soon to be sister-in-law.

Elinor Dashwood.

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