NOTES: Lizzy's POV, almost all dialogue. Next coming soon. This chapter is all adorable fluff and sweetness; also kind of exposition and catching us up a bit. Hope y'all like it as much as I do :)

Anyway, if you do enjoy it, pretty please leave a comment! They always make my day 💗~Vinny

"And of COURSE— at THAT VERY MOMENT— the cleaning service knocking on the door—"

"They didn't!" Mr. Bennet cried in vicious delight.

"Oh they DID," Lizzy answered, "And then poor Fitzwilliam (he doesn't know how to just not answer the door) scrambled to his feet, wrapped himself in the shower curtain, and asked that THEY PLEASE GO AWAY… and in the process, OPENED THE DOOR!"

"OH MY GOD," Mr. Bennet cackled.

"I was being polite!" Fitzwilliam defended, red-faced and laughing. "I couldn't just LEAVE them at the door!"

"Aw, sweetie," Lizzy pinched his cheek. "You're so cute when you're wrong!"

"Wait, wait— what happened next?" Mr. Bennet asked, eagerly sitting up.

"Well, then, the cleaning lady just brushed RIGHT PAST HIM and started dusting LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED!"

At this point, the hospital room was drawing attention of other nurses— a few leaned on the door frame, looking in as the elderly man (thin as a rake) hooted with laughter. Lizzy continued gleefully, trying to talk through her bubbling laughter. Fitzwilliam watched her adoringly, a huge grin on his face.

"And— and— and then," she hiccuped, "he asked her to— t-to— leave— and she— sh-she— she said—"

She put her hand on Fitzwilliam's arm. He understood, and happily finished the story in a deadpan smile.

"She said,'Honey, I'll put on my headphones and it'll be like I'm not even here. Just keep that curtain on 'til you're out of the room, and I won't bother you for the next 20 minutes.' Then.. she winked, and told me tO GET BACK TO IT!"

"Oh! Oh! Oh lord, you're going to make me bust my stitches!" Mrs. Bennet shrieked, nearly crying with laughter.

"So, of course," Lizzy chortled, "we couldn't stay in that hotel after THAT!"

"We booked the first room we could…," Fitzwilliam said, grinning. He gave Lizzy a teasing kiss on the cheek. "..after we got back to it, of course."

Both parents, and the nurses at the door, all cracked up as Lizzy gasped, and smacked her boyfriend with a red-faced laugh.

"Well," Mr. Bennet said with a twinkle in his eye, "NOW I see why you had to move hotels, Lizzy."

"Yeah," she giggled. "It was all VERY embarrassing."

"We made it through though," Fitzwilliam said, taking her hand with a smile. "And we're better for it."

"I'll say," Mrs. Bennet said with a happy sigh, "You're a much better conversationalist at least, Mr. Darcy! I'm actually glad to see you this time!" She laughed.

Fitzwilliam wilted a bit. His smile didn't falter, but Lizzy could tell the remark hit a little too close to home. She squeezed his hand comfortingly, and whispered in his ear, "Wait for it… In five.. four.. three.. two…"

Right on schedule, Mrs. Bennet clapped her hands together and smiled at the couple.

"I'll certainly look forward to having a son-in-law with such good humor! Just don't keep me waiting too long, you two!"

Fitzwilliam's mouth fell open, and, looking adorably shocked, he turned to Lizzy. She nudged him playfully, then addressed her mother. "I appreciate the sentiment mom, but.. Fitzwilliam and I are taking it slow."

"Oh." Both Mrs. Bennet and Fitzwilliam seemed to sit back in their chairs at that. "I see."

His brown eyes flashed to her, and his tongue darted out to wet his lips. "Lizzy.. I…"

"We'll talk about the future when the present's done with," she said to him softly. Lizzy lifted herself up to give him a quick peck on the lips. His face remained dazed for a.. few moments after that.

Meanwhile, Lizzy turned to her father and asked, "So! How was the surgery?"

He grimaced. "Well, to be honest, I don't really remember it… they had us heavily dosed up. I do feel sore and tender, in my stomach, and.. well, I always have a headache…"

"Oh hush, you pessimist!" Mrs. Bennet cried. She turned to Lizzy. "Elizabeth, we're fine. We're lucky. There were no complications, and the surgery went well. Just two more weeks, and we'll be back on our feet!"

"Glad to hear it," Lizzy smiled.

"If I'm a pessimist, then you're an opportunist," Mr. Bennet grumbled. He bent towards his favorite daughter, and said in a stage whisper, "She's making me watch the baking channel."

"Oh, the horrors," Lizzy whispered back, wrinkling her nose in a grin.

"Yes, yes, I'm just dreadful, aren't I," Mrs. Bennet huffed. "But otherwise how would we know how to make crème brûlée?! It's a life skill, sweetheart."

"Please," he snorted. "You still microwave your toast."

"Uhh, sorry to break up the pleasant conversation," Fitzwilliam interjected with a slight smile. "But it's nearly 10:00. I have to get to the meeting."

"Well.. then go, go, get ye gone!" Mr. Bennet waved him away with a grumpy smirk. "Let us have Lizzy alone for a while!"

"Sorry dad," Lizzy said apologetically, rising from her chair. "But I have to go with him."

"Why? It's his meeting."

Lizzy and Fitzwilliam shared a look, and both looked away grinning. "We have.. plans..," Lizzy explained, not explaining a thing.

Mr. Bennet looked like he was about to ask very intrusive questions (he had that familiar gleam in his moss green eyes), but Mrs. Bennet beat him to it. "Leave them alone, Thomas! Let the kids have some fun."

"Hmph," he said, folding his arms in a smile. "Fine. But come tell us all about it afterwards! I'm DYING for some sort of stimulation."

Lizzy laughed. "Alright, dad. It was nice seeing you too."

On their way out, Fitzwilliam looked questioningly at Lizzy. "Hey.. Where was Lydia? Isn't she usually there with them?"

"Oh, she's probably out with her new boyyyfriienddd," she replied with an exaggerated hand gesture.

Fitzwilliam lifted an eyebrow. "...why did you say it like that?"

"Force of habit," Lizzy grinned, "We like to tease each other about this sort of thing."

"So…," Fitzwilliam trailed off, looking at her with a smile. "Who is it?"

"Why, Mr. Darcy, I never took you for a gossip!"

"I take it I know the man, then?"

"Sort of," she shrugged. "She's just started going out with Joey Phillips. They seem happy together."

"Huh." Fitzwilliam poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue, and put an arm around Lizzy. "How 'bout that."

Lizzy raised her eyes up to him. "...what? You didn't…"

Fitzwilliam lifted his shoulders casually. "I.. may have SUGGESTED that his.. affections would be.. better received… elsewhere."

She laughed heartily, and patted his stomach. "I KNEW IT! You're secretly a matchmaker! And a softie!"

"I am NOT a matchmaker! It was.. just a suggestion!"

"Uh huh," she nodded with a smirk. "I notice you don't disagree with you being a softie, though."

"Only for you, Lizzy," Fitzwilliam chuckled. He kissed the top of her head as they walked out of the hospital. "Only for you."

The day was bright and sunny. A few criss-crossed clouds could be spotted above the skyline, and a trail of pigeons stood sentry on a traffic light not too far away. It was mid-morning, and the city was bustling with life. But to the pair of lovers walking on the sidewalk, hand in hand, it felt as though they were in a world of their own.

"You ready for the meeting?" The woman with cinnamon hair asked.

"I am," her tall companion answered. "Are you?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Lizzy smiled. "Should we.. go over our lines again?"

"I think we got it," Fitzwilliam replied. "But maybe.. one part… I could use a bit of reminding about."

She giggled. "I bet I can guess which part."

"Mmm, I'm sure you can.."

And then they stopped talking, wrapped up in each other's arms on a street corner, in a city where neither of them lived, sharing kisses tasting of coffee, and a moment tasting of forgiveness.

The day was bright. The future seemed like it was following suit.