A/N: I am sorry it took me a little bit longer to get this one out, but I was suffering some serious Chapter 7 slump. That and life has just kept getting in the way. Don't you hate when that happens? Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter because it was a hard one for me to get out of mind grapes.

Chapter 7: What the What?

Winter break could not have come at a more perfect moment. Nothing like my mother on her holiday rampage to get the mind away from a certain infuriating, confusing, dreamboat guy. Yet the moment I am given a moment's peace to myself, my mind always finds a way back there. It has gotten so bad that I almost dread going to bed because it just results in me attempting to count sheep that morph into little Darcys for three hours until I finally drift to sleep where I dream about him riding mini-horses and eating ice cream cones or some other trippy dreamlike scenario. It is exhausting.

I just can't figure him out. First he wants nothing to do with me and treats me like I'm a disease, then he continues to treat me that way but thinks to himself about my eyes and my smile and spending a lifetime together. And don't even get me started on the Drew thing! I can't figure them out, usually my gift helps to weed out the jerks, which is why I had written off Darcy, but now I don't know what to think. Darcy had thought about what a horrible person Drew is, but then Darcy is no Dudley Do-Right himself, he is always so furrowed like he smells something funny, but then I saw a completely different side to him when we danced together, and I'm not just saying that because he complimented me. Ok, maybe that has a little something to do with it, but it makes it hard for me to figure him out. In my previous experience, people reveal their true selves through their thoughts, but you would think that Darcy would show a little bit more of th…

GAH! SHUT UP, HEAD! See? This is what I have had to put up with and it has been like this since the party a week and a half ago.

Yesterday was Christmas and it was my only day of reprieve because everyone was in such a tizzy and we had so much family coming and going that I kept busy for most of the day, so much so that I was blessed to fall asleep Darcy-free while we were watching a movie. Best Christmas present ever.

I wake up on the couch amid the sea of leftover wrapping paper and opened presents strewn throughout our family room. As I head back to snag the shower before anyone else wakes up, I hear someone crying in what used to be mine and Jane's old room, but now acts as my mother's treadmill room. I knock on the door as I slowly push it open and find Jane crying over the computer keyboard.

"Jane, what's wrong?" Tears are streaming down her face and her eyes are a bit puffy, but this just makes her look beautifully tragic. I try not to hate her for it, because I look like a blowfish when I cry. A gulping, red-faced, snotty, blowfish. I go to reach for her arm but she pulls it away.

"Just read it." She gestures towards the computer screen and I see she has her email open.

My dearest Jane,

You will not believe it, but Charlie gave me the best Christmas news ever today! He is changing his major to Business and even better he is going to go with Darcy this semester to do an internship in LA. I am especially eager for him to get down there because Darcy's sister is attending UCLA and I just know that her and Charlie would make the most amazing couple. Since my dear housemates are going to be gone, I am going to use the semester and travel to Paris. Don't mourn my loss too much and I will try to think of you when I am being wooed by all the Parisian boys. Ooh, I got giddy just writing that sentence!

Au revoir,

Caroline

I turn to Jane to find her dabbing away tears with her pajama sleeve. "Good riddance, I say. But what did Charlie say?"

"He hasn't returned my calls in five days."

"Are you telling me that he had his sister break up with you? Over email?"

"It would seem so, yes." A fresh wave of tears comes at that.

Bastard. "Honey, I want to hug you, but I don't want to pry."

Jane laughs a little at my predicament. "How about just a little hug then?"

I wrap my arms around her.

I loved him, Liz. And now he is gone probably off to marry Darcy's rich, beautiful, talented sister.

I release her and give her my most sympathetic smile. I war with what comforting words to give her. I want to tell her that Charlie was obviously in love with her, too, which I know he was, but I also don't want to give her any false hope of him coming back. I decide to go with the classic.

"Men suck. I know what will make you feel better! While I make us some waffles with strawberries and whip cream we are going to wake everyone else up by screaming along to some blasted Alanis Morrisette. Sound good?"

Jane gives me a watery-eyed smile and nod.

"Good!"

I've never been one for ice cream, The Notebook, and wallowing when dealing with boy troubles. No, I prefer the more aggressive approach. Jane and I spent the day listening to my "Angry Girl" playlist, I took her to the shooting range that our dad frequents, and we watched The First Wives' Club as a topper to the night. When Jane was genuinely laughing as Lydia, Kat, and I danced and sang to "You Don't Own Me" I knew that I had succeeded in lessening her pain at least a little bit. I still can't believe Charlie did this to her, though. He's lucky he's leaving town.

As I brush my teeth to go to bed, my cell phone rings and Charlotte appears on the caller ID. Finally! I haven't seen or heard from her since Charlie's party.

"Char, where have you been? I've called you a million times! You won't believe what happened today," I say around my toothbrush and a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Liz, I got married!"

"Or maybe you would. What do you mean you got married? To who?"

"To Liam!"

"Liam? Liam COLLINS?"

"Yeah, we got talking at Charlie's party and he invited me to come to Tahoe with him, so we left the next morning. Then we just decided to get married and found a little chapel here in town!"

My toothbrush falls out of my gaping mouth and I spit before all of the toothpaste comes dribbling out. "Charlotte, are you kidding me? You eloped in Nevada? What did your parents say?"

"Trust me, by this point, my mom was just happy that I had gotten married."

"Yeah, but LIAM? I mean, Liam?"

"Oh, stop. He's not that bad. He's a little…bookish, but I think its kind of cute. And he's already graduated and he has a good job lined up."

"So, what, you're just going to live in Tahoe now? What about your masters?"

"Well, I already have the one. And we're just vacationing in Tahoe with Ms. De Bourgh. We'll be living in LA."

I can't come up with a response and just sit in silence trying to take this in. First Charlie dumps Jane and now Charlotte marries Liam? I need to go check the news for reports of hell freezing over.

Charlotte comes back over the line. "Liz, can you just be happy for me. Please? I promise you that I'm happy."

I sigh. "Then, yes, of course I'm happy for you. Can you just allow for a little surprised?"

I hear her laugh. "Yes, that is what everyone has been. Including myself! But, listen, I had a question to ask you. Well, more a favor."

"Ok, shoot. Did you want a post-wedding bachelorette party or something?"

"No, nothing like that. I wanted to know if you would come to Tahoe? And stay with me and Liam?" When I don't immediately answer, Charlotte jumps in again. "I know that you already refused an invitation once before, but I just got thinking that since I'm moving now, this might be our last time to see each other for a while."

"Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" Even though part of me really wants to.

I explain the Jane situation and how I don't want to leave her just yet, so we make plans for me to drive up there in five days and stay for two weeks. As much as the thought of staying with Liam for this long fills me with dread, I know that I would regret not taking the opportunity to spend time with Charlotte.

After 3 hours of maneuvering my way through snow and sleet in my family's old pickup, I finally arrive at the cabin, although I would hardly call this place a cabin. More like a woodsy-themed mansion. I had no idea Liam was this loaded. Nice pull, Char. Not that I care about that kind of stuff, but still.

When I step out of the truck, Charlotte comes running out of the house and even though it has only been a little over two weeks, I realize how much I have missed her and how much I am going to miss her. We hug and I am happy to get a read on Charlotte's feelings.

Thank goodness she's here! She can lessen Catherine's fixation on me. Please don't think less of me, Liz. Please don't think less of me, Liz.

I frown over her shoulder when I hear that last part and decide to try my hardest to be as happy and positive as possible.

This is going to be a long two weeks.

I pull back from the Charlotte and begin acting on my pledge. "Char, I am so happy for you. I mean, shoot, look at this house. Who'd a thunk Liam would be a closet millionaire."

Charlotte laughs and begins walking me into the house. "No, this is Catherine De Bourgh's cabin. Well, more winter resort. But Liam and I are staying in the guest house in the back and I have personally set up your guest room."

"Look at you, little housewife. Liam doesn't know how lucky he is to have you."

"Maybe not yet, but he will." She gives a little sly smile and we reach the front door. As I go to reach for the handle, Charlotte grabs my hand to stop me. "Wait. There is something I need to tell you. You're not going to be happy."

"What is it?" A realization hits me. "Does she have cats? Like, lots of them?"

"No, she doesn't believe in pets."

"What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. But listen, I would've warned you but they only just arrived an hour ago."

"Who?"

Before she even gets the chance to answer, though, the man himself opens the door. My first thought is that now I am even hallucinating him, but he never looks that shocked in my head.

"Liz?"

And without directing it at anyone in particular, I ask, "Seriously?"

A/N: Looking back, I think I figured out why this was a hard one to write. Practically, no Darcy! But you know he's going to be around a lot in the next one. I realize this one is kind of a filler, but those need to get every once in a while. Also, I realized that I made a few Easter egg references to shows that I like. Any other fans out there that picked up on any of them?

I'm not even going to say it, because you know what to do next…