NOTES: Hiya y'all! Lizzy's POV, next will most likely be Darcy's (ive done a few too many in a row from hers, lol) Anyway, this chapter is very dialogue-heavy but also SUPER FLUFFY AHHHH— its so cute :)

I hope you guys all enjoyed it! If so, let me know in the comments. I'll be posting again very soon. have a great day y'all! ~Vinny

"HE WAS ABOUT TO— WHAT?!"

Lizzy winced, and held the phone a little farther from her ear. Who knew Jane had such good lungs.

"Uh, I- He was not doing great.. I just… there was a long going on and—"

"YOU DIDN'T THINK TO CALL ME?!" Jane's voice dropped, but the anger stayed as she snapped, "Charlie, sweetie, get out our toiletry bags, please— HURRY! We're getting on a plane."

"No, no!" Lizzy rushed, "Dad's fine now! Er— he will be. Mom.. is a match, with tissues or blood or something. I don't know the specifics. But there's really no need to worry anymore! They're both going to have a surgery, either today or tomorrow, and then— if we're lucky— the cancer won't come back and Dad'll be okay for at least a few more years! Maybe more."

There was a lingering silence. Then Jane spoke up. "So.. I don't need to book an emergency flight across the country?"

Lizzy laughed, then swallowed the sound, feeling that it might be inappropriate for the conversation. "No, you don't," she said, "it's all good. And I PROMISE— I will call you every day from now on with updates."

"Alright," Jane replied, heaving a sigh of relief. Through the phone, Lizzy could hear a quiet 'thanks, sweetie' and the sound of Jane taking a sip of water.

"So…" her sister responded after a while, "Is that all you wanted to tell me?"

"I think so," Lizzy scrunched up her face. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"How you are, maybe?" Jane stopped herself. "Wait, I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me. I'm just stressed."

"Don't apologize," she grinned softly. "You have a right to be angry at me. I'M angry at me."

"You know what?" Her sister said, pausing. "You're right! I am angry at you, Lizzy Bennet! I am angry at you for not calling me!"

Lizzy hid a smile behind her hand. "...that felt good, didn't it."

"Yeah," Jane giggled, "it kinda did."

"Soooo," she drew out the syllable, "how's Charlie?"

"He's good.. he's good… how are things with.. uh… Fitzwilliam?"

"Oh!" Lizzy cried, standing up straighter, "That's another thing I wanted to tell you! He's.. um, he's here! With me!"

"Ohh that's wonderful!" Jane smiled through the phone, "Did you two finally talk things out then?"

"Yeah… yeah, we did… and.. we're back together." As she said this, Lizzy looked up, and caught sight of him.

Fitzwilliam was walking back now. He was still half a hallway away, but he raised a to-go cup in silent triumph, a goofy grin stuck to his handsome smile. Lizzy snickered, waving back at him. God, she loved him so much.

"You sound happier," Jane said.

Lizzy bit the inside of her cheek in a grin. "I.. am. I am much.. much happier."

"Well, I'm glad," her sister replied softly. "I like seeing you happy."

"Mm."

Fitzwilliam had taken his time walking over to her; he was only now reaching Lizzy, bending down to kiss her cheek and hand her a coffee. "I don't think the barista did as good a job as you do," he whispered, making a face.

Lizzy rolled her eyes at him adoringly. "OH, You're so unbiased," she whispered back, taking a sip.

"AI!" She slapped a hand to her face and jerked away from the lid, just as Fitzwilliam said, "Careful it's hot."

"I can see that..," Lizzy half-laughed, half-groaned. She felt the tip of her tongue against her teeth. "Or, actually, feel that," she hissed, sticking out her tongue, "Ah dink ah burd off mah tatbuds."

"Burned off your taste buds, you mean?" He raised an eyebrow, grinning.

Lizzy smacked him lightly on the arm. "Oh, you know what I meant."

Fitzwilliam leaned his face forward, as if he were going to kiss her, then his eyes darted to the phone by her ear. His smile widened. Lizzy's cheeks grew red.

"Um, uh, sorry Jane," she said, hurriedly. Damn it, Fitzwilliam had distracted her again! "Uh… what were you saying?"

Her sister laughed. "I suppose I should leave you two alone— get back to your happiness."

"Thanks," Lizzy relievedly sighed. "And sorry again."

"Hey, it's no problem! Just please make sure you keep checking in over the next couple days— oh! And one more thing… though.. um, it feels a bit.. probing… to ask…"

"Ask away, sis! You know I don't mind sharing personal stuff with you."

Jane hesitated. "It's just that… Is Fitzwilliam... staying with you? I mean— I know it's a while's drive from the city, and (from what I know) he probably wants to support you…"

Lizzy's ears sort of stopped working at that point. All of her brain's energy was focused on focusing on the man in front of her, the tall one, stooped over and blowing hard on his too-hot coffee.. the one that had made her cry… the one that had made her laugh… the one that.. that…

That looked up at her from his coffee, and smiled.

"Yes," Lizzy said, almost in a daze. "Yes he is."

After that, she was pretty sure she said goodbye to her favorite sister— but all Lizzy really remembered was hanging up the phone, and turning to Fitzwilliam.

"Do you want to stay with me?"

He paused, newly-cooled coffee halfway to his lips. His brown eyes darted back and forth before settling on her.

"Um… Pardon?"

"Do you want to stay with me, while my parents recover from the surgery," Lizzy said in a rush. "The hotel room I'm staying in isn't very big, but it can fit two people in the bed, if we're okay with snuggling more, and if you don't have to miss much work we can— ah, what am I saying, you'd of course miss I work, I— I'm sorry, that was a, uh, dumb idea, I'm sorry—"

"Woah, woah, woah." Fitzwilliam set the coffee on the ground, and cupped her face with both hands. "Look at me. Lizzy. Breathe."

She was looking at him alright, but she was having a bit of trouble with that last command.

"Hey. Listen to me." Fitzwilliam's thumb caressed the spot where her cheek faded into her nose. "I.. I would love to stay with you. I- I AM staying with you. Okay?"

"Okay," Lizzy whispered, stilling a bit. Wow. He was good at calming her down.

"Okay," he said, gently kissing the tip of her nose. "Just let me call my sister, and she can pack a bag and bring it over here."

He pulled away from her, already reaching for his phone, when Lizzy grabbed his hand. "Wait!" Fitzwilliam stopped, and looked at her expectantly. Lizzy bit her lip. "What about your work? I don't want you to miss it because of.. because of me."

Fitzwilliam nodded solemnly.. then his expression lightened, and he smirked at her. "Oh, don't worry. I can call into meetings from home— remember?"

At that, Lizzy turned even redder and let go of him, groaning. "OHmygod, do NOT remind me of that."

He laughed. "It won't be like that again! I promise! But I am calling into my meetings from the hotel room— or the hospital, whichever works. The point is, I'm here for you Lizzy. And that's final."

Her expression must not have changed fast enough, because Fitzwilliam's cocky reassurance dissipated like the steam from their now lukewarm coffees.

"That— that is," he said, stammering and looking embarrassed, "If you're okay with that. I mean."

Lizzy wished she were better at controlling her face. Then, she might've been able to tease him, and get a laugh out of his bumbling and blushes.

But instead she just broke into a humongous grin, her green eyes glowing with something like love.

"Of course it is.., silly," Lizzy managed to say, before Fitzwilliam scooped her up into a ferocious kiss that had her head spinning around, and her smile bordering on breathless afterwards.

It was hard to let him go, even for a moment, even if it was just to call his sister.

Lizzy Bennet only managed the task by repeating to herself, over and over again, that however long they were apart… they would always, always, find a way back to each other again.

That was just how the world worked.

And Lizzy wouldn't have it any other way.