After writing an angst story, I figured it was time to lighten the mood with some fluff pieces. Getting blamed in reviews for making people cry isn't exactly the best thing to see in your mail (ALTHOUGH THANK YOU for the REVIEWS. They were very much appreciated.) First off, while this is an LBD future fic, it is not in the same timeline as Waking Up Next to You. This is another AU ending reality.
Anyways, please review and enjoy the story. Part 2 coming up soon. I'm already halfway done writing it. Domesticity (What Jane Austen Never Wrote About) is a series of related/connected but not chronologically arranged events centered mostly around Darcy and Lizzie, with the other LBD and P&P characters popping in now and then. (I DO NOT OWN LBD or Pride and Prejudice. The honor of those belongs to more fortunate people).
Care Package (Part 1)
Fitz Williams' POV
It was official. Fitz Williams was absolutely, positively bored out of his mind, which wasn't anything unusual seeing as he was in another prospective investee's meeting with Darcy and the infamous "Aunt Cathy". So now, all he was doing was surreptitiously texting Lizzie and Gigi while trying to figure why in the world Catherine de Bourgh was investing in a small salmon and halibut fishery business in Alaska. She didn't even like fish, always going on about how her "poor dear Annie-kins almost choked on a fish bone once" and therefore "Fish are evil deceitful creatures. They appear so appetizing and appealing, only to harm you and to send you to an early grave."
So, while Ms. de Bourgh was suffering from a convenient (money-making) memory lapse, Fitz had to fly all the way to Alaska during the winter season and freeze his butt off. It was a really good thing then that Darce came with him so that, when the boredom got to be a tad bit too much, he could always send the poor socially deficient man not so flattering caricatures of his aunt.
Speaking of Darcy, the man was listening as intently as always to Aunt Cathy's long, senseless prattle.
Wait no. Was that a cleverly concealed look of boredom? And did he just subtly check his watch?
The world must be ending. Because William Darcy, businessman extraordinaire was bored in a business meeting.
After successfully extricating Darcy and himself –along with the poor client, who absolutely needed funding and therefore had no choice but to bear with Ms. de Bourgh- he managed to convince Darcy that the best thing to do was check out the night life in Alaska (Was there even a night life in Alaska? No offense to anyone who lives here, but, from where they were staying now, all he could see was the sleepy suburbs, preparing for hibernation).
Well, attempting to convince Darcy….very unsuccessfully.
"I just don't see why you think it's actually better to stay in our boring and tiny apartment unit when we could be exploring this place and actually getting to see something more exciting than fish, fish…ooohhh and more fish." Darcy deigned to give him another huff of annoyance.
"It is pretty late and I was hoping that I could check my emails, or even maybe Youtube?" Darcy admitted sheepishly.
"Dude, that's why you were so eager to get out? A video. Man, it's only been one week. You sound like you haven't seen Lizzie for a year and that you're half a world apart." Fitz was exasperated and appalled. He thought Darce had it bad back then when they went to Collins and Collins, always trying to find an excuse to be in the same place Lizzie was. But this? This was a new low. Ending an important meeting just because his wife posted a Youtube video.
"One day, Fitz, you'll eventually give in, fall in love and settle down. Then you'd understand." They had arrived at the apartment complex by then and Fitz was rooting around in his pocket for the key when Darcy impatiently held his up and unlocked the door, hitting the lights on the way in.
"You, Will Darcy, are absolutely pathe-" He trailed off as soon as he spotted the gargantuan object that was currently taking up half of the apartment. "-tic. Dude, what is that?"
Darcy had already made his way to the box and was tearing open the envelope that was attached to it. By tearing open, read: grabbing a letter opener and gently slitting a hole open. Quickly scanning through the note found inside, a huge smile made its way across his face and Fitz Williams immediately knew whom the box was from.
"Lizzie just sent me a care package!" Fitz raised an eyebrow at that statement.
"Wow. I really hope this is better than what she came up with for Jane that last time." Secretly, he was already planning out how to console Darcy for the less than stellar content inside the box. While he was absorbing what had just happened, Darcy was already happily prying the box open and removing the stuffing that hid the little treasures that laid within.
The first thing Darcy drew out was a flash drive. There was a note attached to it that Fitz quickly snatched up.
"First stop: FUN! Charlotte finally finished editing our wonderful adaptation of Casablanca, complete with subtitles and captions. Enjoy! Well this ought to be fun. I can't wait to see your epic emotional scenes. Shooting the movie was hilarious." In fact, he was already beginning to laugh just at the memory of the many priceless moments and blackmail information about Darcy this movie had. But Darcy wasn't even paying attention to him anymore and had brought out what suspiciously looked like a list. His suspicion was confirmed when he saw the thick red marker that read: FUN IDEAS TO DE-BORE YOURSELVES IN ALASKA! By Lizzie and Gigi". As he was skimming over the content, noting the interesting ideas, Darcy had managed to fish out a container filled to the brim with what looked to be Mrs. Reynolds' famous chocolate chip and almond biscotti.
"Second stop: Food. Yes, I'm respecting your unnaturally food preferences. No matter how much you love all those organic junk, I know for a fact that you have a weakness for Mrs. Reynolds' biscotti, so here. Enjoy."
Three thermos jugs of apple cider followed; although he had no clue just how Lizzie managed to mail it with the taste and quality remaining pretty much the same. It was apple cider, for Pete's sake. Who mails apple cider?
Five other food packages made its appearance, including Fitz's favorite Jalapeno Nacho dip, before they reached the love stage. Grandma Darcy's famous patchwork quilt slash blanket was reverently unwrapped. Darcy loved that blanket way too much and overused it during the winter months. The note that came with it read: "I know that this couldn't fit in your bags so I thought, why not mail it to you? I know how much you love to use this during the winter months. And yes, I washed it just right so it still like lavender."
"Lizzie pampers you too much." I mean, who washes an old blanket according to specifications to make it smell like home. Okay, maybe he did too. Fine, he may or may not have a small pillow that he washed in 'Summer Breeze' scented detergent because his Mama used to wash it that way.
The blanket was followed by the usual mushy stuff. A beautiful leather-bound copy of the Pickwick Papers that Lizzie had managed to find in the tiny bookshop they always visited, two fresh rolls of film to feed Darcy's photography hobby, a Christmas playlist from Gigi, and so on until only the last item was left. He reached in, felt something soft and brought out…a teddy bear?
What was a beautiful plush toy like that doing in a care package…for Darcy? A quick glance at the man showed his confusion being mirrored. Darcy got the bear from him and read the note attached to it. He looked at the giant red bow that was tied around the bear before reaching for something at its center. He stared at it with bewilderment for a few seconds before a look of shock came across his features. Without uttering a sound, he dashed to his room and locked the door.
It was official. Fitz Williams was lost. What had just happened?