Hi everyone! This chapter is kinda short but I just sent chapter 13 to my betas and I'll try to post it up earlier than usual (Don't worry, my betas are REALLY quick). Just a bit of fluff...hope you enjoy and if you do, pleeaaaasssseee review!

Thanx to my betas again, LADYAMADUN and MAB35! Can't do it without you guys!

Chapter 12

Lizzy sat with Jane in the breakfast room the morning after Charlie's party. Neither woman showed any signs that they had barely slept the night before as, fresh faced, they sat eating breakfast together. Nina came by with a carafe, pouring freshly brewed coffee into their cups.

"Thanks Nina," Lizzy smiled up at her before reaching for the sugar bowl. "I really needed this."

"Well, doesn't look like it. How you young people can stay up till all hours of the night and still function early in the morning is beyond me." Nina smiled at the two women before placing the carafe on the table and returning to the kitchen. Jane spooned some yogurt into a bowl and added some berries on top.

"So what did you think of yesterday?" She asked taking a spoonful. Lizzy popped a strawberry into her mouth and chewed carefully before answering,

"It was nice. Caroline was…interesting." She smirked at Jane, who looked reproachfully at her friend before replying,

"Well, I thought she was nice." She insisted. Lizzy looked disbelievingly at her friend.

"Are you kidding me Jane? She practically ignored you once she realized you had no family connections and she tried to deny your relationship with Charlie!"

"Okay, so we're not best friends yet but I'm sure when we get to know each other you'll find her to be just as nice as her brother."

Lizzy shook her head, "Dream on Jane. Never gonna happen."

"What's never gonna happen?" Richard walked into the room followed by his cousin. Lizzy looked up in surprise,

"Hey! What are you guys doing here?"

Richard walked to the table, kissing the top of Lizzy's head and winking at Jane before seating himself beside the latter. Darcy smiled at Lizzy before seating himself to her right. He reached over for the coffee as Richard started piling his plate with the fluffy blueberry pancakes that Nina was famous for.

"We're carrying on the tradition that has been sadly lacking in recent months. Pass the pancakes, Rich." Darcy reached over and took the platter from his cousin.

"What tradition?" Jane asked as Lizzy grinned at the newcomers.

"Breakfast at the Bennets'," Richard poured homemade blueberry syrup on his pancakes before cutting into them. "We used to eat most of our meals here anyways, whenever we got the chance but weekend breakfasts here were a given unless we were out of town." He forked a huge piece into his mouth and chewed with gusto.

"Nina's pancakes are famous and her syrup is a secret family recipe that's been passed down. Hey, no sausages?" Darcy looked around the table.

"Here you are master Will." Nina walked in holding a platter full of hot sausages. She placed it near Darcy and smiled at the group. "I must say it's nice to have everyone over again. Just like old times. Only this time I hope there won't be any throwing of food at Miss Lizzy." She stared pointedly at Richard, who swallowed his mouthful and looked at Nina with an innocent expression.

"Aww I would never do that Nina. I'm a gentleman." He smiled winningly at her as Lizzy and Darcy scoffed.

"Yeah right! Every time Nina made tater tots, you used me as target practice!" Lizzy retorted as Darcy nodded in agreement.

"My God, what are you guys, elephants? Don't you forget anything?" Richard glared at the pair as Nina and Jane laughed.

"Well eat up everyone. There's plenty more of everything." Nina left the room again.

"Oh hey, before I forget, what were you guys talking about? What's never gonna happen?" Richard asked again, biting into one of the many sausages he had on his plate.

"Caroline being as friendly and nice as Charlie." Lizzy answered. Darcy and Richard both stopped mid-bite and stared at Lizzy with baffled expressions.

"Not me, her." Lizzy pointed her thumb towards Jane. Darcy nodded in understanding as Richard spoke up.

"Yeah, never gonna happen."

"Why not? They are family after all." Jane pouted a little.

"Okay, was I the only one who noticed how rudely she was behaving towards Jane?" He looked around the table in confusion. Lizzy and Darcy shook their heads in unison.

"Well, maybe she was just having a bad night." Jane maintained. Richard stared at her in confusion.

"Well in that case, Caroline's been having a bad night for…how old is she again?" Richard turned towards his cousin. Darcy thought for a moment,

"24…no 25. Yeah she's 25." He answered before finishing off his 3rd sausage and reaching for more. Lizzy stared at him.

"Pig," She muttered under her breath but loud enough for him to hear. Darcy grinned at her and stuffed a huge piece into his mouth. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. Richard ignored their exchange and turned again to Jane.

"Yeah 25 years. Jane, she's always like that. And if you're expecting things to change, well you're in for a rude awakening. If you don't have a hot shot name or powerful connections, Caroline will never like you." He pushed his plate away and sat back. Darcy looked at him incredulously.

"You're done?"

Richard made a face at him, "No. Just waiting for my second wind. So, you ladies will be joining us for Thanksgiving next weekend, yes?" He looked between them expectantly.

"Mm hmm" Lizzy nodded, her mouth full so full of pancake that she had trouble swallowing.

"Now who's the pig?" Darcy smirked at her. His smirk grew when he saw that she couldn't even formulate a response. She frowned at him, chewing furiously.

"Shut up," she spoke up after finally swallowing. "I am not a pig, I just have a healthy appetite. Not everyone can eat like a bird." She nodded her head towards Jane. Richard and Darcy laughed as Jane shook her head at her friend.

"So what's your schedule like this week?" Darcy asked Lizzy. She shrugged.

"The usual, nothing special from what I know. Oh, I am planning on finally meeting up with Emma. I want to introduce her to Jane."

The two men looked at Jane.

"She wants to see if Emma needs a new model." Jane explained. Richard and Darcy nodded.

"I'm also going to make a few more phone calls. I want to see if I can get her any appointments with other designers. I think she'd made a great model for Louis Vuitton or Chanel." Lizzy explained.

"Lizzy slow down" Jane urged her friend gently.

"Yeah Lizzy, Jane is turning into a tomato," Richard sat up and pulled his plate towards himself. "Okay, second wind here." He began piling more food onto his plate. "So you guys up for a movie today?"

"Sure," Lizzy answered for the both of them.

"Cool, but none of your pg 13 crap, Lizzy." Richard said sternly, waving his sausage at her.

"Ok Ritchie, I'm not 10 anymore." Lizzy retorted. She stood up and began piling empty dishes together.

"Hey what are you doing?" Darcy cried out.

"Yeah we're not done!" Richard grabbed the platter of pancakes back from Lizzy's hand and placed it back on the table. She glared at him.

"Well hurry up. I don't want to sit here all day."

"What's the rush? It's not like Lion King is playing," Richard smirked at her. She ignored him and walked away to the sound of Jane and Darcy chuckling.