NOTES: Lizzy's POV. Kind of a check-in chapter, phone call with Jane. Next will be making up the angst ❤️ so look forward to that. Also, please leave a review if you liked anything in particular! They always make my day to read :)

~Vinny

Lizzy wasn't accustomed to having a fever, but she was pretty sure it wasn't supposed to make your stomach upset. And yet there she was, curled up on Fitzwilliam's bed, clutching her stomach and trying to figure out what was wrong with her.

It.. it hadn't been her fault! Fitzwilliam had specifically left her a note with the times on it, and the meeting should have been over! And even if that was wrong, and she had embarrassed him, it wasn't the end of the world. He shouldn't have stormed into the bedroom like that. He shouldn't have acted like she was the one in the wrong.

But.. it- it wasn't a big deal! She was just being silly!

Lizzy rubbed a hand over her belly, trying to convince her body that it was true. But the bad feeling in the pit of her stomach just lingered there, festering.

Something buzzed against her leg, causing Lizzy to flinch. With a relieved breath as she checked her phone, she saw it was only Jane calling. She answered it.

"Hi, Janey."

"Hi Liz," her sister's smiling voice answered her. "How are you? Felt like we haven't talked in a while and I missed you."

"Yeah, no, sorry about that," Lizzy tried to laugh. "I've been… okay. Good..! I've been good."

There was a pause. "I'm sorry if I'm wrong," Jane said, hesitantly, "but… you don't sound sure."

This time, Lizzy did laugh, but it was a dry, bottle sound that ended with a cough. "I'm.. not sure," Lizzy said, finally. "I just got in a fight— well, a kind of a fight.., with my… my…"

She cleared her throat. "Haha, bad connection. Anyway, how are you?"

Jane hesitated again, just for a second, but then let go of it out of politeness. "I'm.. wonderful, actually. Is it ok if I tell you something… kinda strange?"

"Yeah, of course! You can tell me anything!"

"I… I think… Ijustmettheloveofmylife."

"...pardon?"

"I think I just met the love of my life," Jane breathed, with a sound like rustling grass. "Actually, I met him a few months ago (sorry for not telling you, it was kinda out of the blue), and he's… perfect. In every way. I… I love him, Liz. I want to spend my life with him."

Lizzy sat for a few seconds with her mouth open. Then out of it came an ungodly squeal. "OHMYGOD TELL ME LITERALLY EVERYTHING!"

She could practically hear her sister blushing all the way in New York. "Well.. his name is Charlie, and he used to work at a big studio/firm thing, but now he's a free-lance photographer."

"Sounds perfect for someone in the fashion industry," Lizzy grinned.

"He is. But really, just perfect in general. He's… so nice, and sweet, and funny, and… and makes me happy. I love him, Liz. I really do."

Lizzy was smiling, but there was something in her sister's voice that made her wary. She wrinkled her brow. "Is there… something else?"

There was the unmistakable sound of Jane chewing on her perfectly manicured nails. "Well…..," she took a deep breath. "We're engaged."

There it was. Lizzy's brain.. had… officially exploded.

"Are you okay?" Her sister's voice asked softly, "You're— You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad?" Lizzy almost shouted, "Are you kidding?! I'm DELIRIOUSLY HAPPY FOR YOU!"

Jane laughed, "Oh thank gosh. I was worried you would be mad you didn't get to meet him first."

"Oh, I'm gonna meet him," she promised, "But honestly Janey? Any guy that managed to get YOU head over heels just by being NICE? Wins my seal of approval, that's for sure."

As her sister laughed again, Lizzy's own smile faded slightly. She bit her lip. "And.. uh," she coughed, "You wouldn't be mad if.. I didn't tell you about a relationship.. would you?"

"Lizzy. Did you secretly get engaged in the three weeks we've been out of contact?"

"No! No, just…," she breathed deeply. "I have a boyfriend."

Jane let in a short intake of breath: her equivalent of a dramatic faint. "You.. do? You aren't pulling my leg?"

"No, I really am dating someone," Lizzy laughed softly.

"Well— I-," Jane sputtered, before exclaiming, "LIZZY! That's WONDERFUL! I can't believe you found someone!"

"You did too!"

"Yes, but this is different," she giggled. There was the noise of someone laying down on the floor. "So… do you wanna tell me about him?"

"Sure," Lizzy shrugged. "His name is Fitzwilliam, but most people just call him by his last name— Darcy."

"Oh! I- I've heard that somewhere before, recently!"

Lizzy raised her eyebrows, even though her sister couldn't see it. "Well, he is a CEO of some big company here."

"Oh, it must have been the news then."

"Must have been. All I know is, is that his house is A MANSION. LIKE, CASTLE. IT'S CRAZY."

Jane paused. "And… you're good with that? I know, what you've said before, about rich people being—"

"—rich people being more predisposed to be asses, I know," Lizzy laughed. "And I actually thought that about him at first! But then… I… don't know, just.. something changed."

"That's good," Jane said helpfully.

"Yeah, it is. He's.. sweet. And awkward, very awkward, but once he's comfortable he's… one of my favorite people in the world to be around. He's funny, and goofy, and sarcastic— and handsome as I'll get out too— and also.. just smart. Good at what he does. But.. I like him most when he's sweet. And I really do like him, Jane. I really do."

"Well," she replied, slowly, contentedly, "That's very very nice to hear, Liz. I'll have to tell Charlie; he's heard so much about you from me, that he's been planning to set you up with a friend of his who lives in the same city!"

Lizzy laughed. "I dunno if this Charlie guy is right for ya, sis, he sounds like a bad influence!"

"Oh, stop it, you," Jane said with a smile.

"Yeah— but seriously, tell Chuck to cancel his plans. I'm…" she paused. She looked down. "I'm… happy where I am."

Her sister (who must have had telepathic powers) asked, softly, "Sure?"

"Yes," Lizzy said, mustering a smile, "I'm sure."

After that, they said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Lizzy put down her phone, curled in a ball, and pressed her eye sockets into her knees. "God," she whispered to herself, "I really wish I was."

From the half-closed doorway, there was the sound of an ice pack hitting the floor. A second later, a very somber, very guilty-looking Fitzwilliam pushed open the door.

"...hi," he said.

Lizzy wasn't sure what to say back. But she said Hi anyway.