Lizzie and Darcy go on a date and Lizzie officially moves away from her hometown.

Lizzie and Darcy spent a lovely week in Lizzie's hometown. Lizzie spent lots of girl time with Lydia and her mom, and Mr. Bennet even took Darcy fishing!

Also, since Darcy had almost always refused to lower himself by going out with everyone back in the Netherfield days, Lizzie was now able to show Darcy around town. There were two cars at her house- her dad's car and another family car that everyone else used- so Lizzie would take the other car and go exploring with Darcy and Lydia.

On one particular day, Lydia said she had made plans with their cousin Mary, so she asked Lizzie to drop her off before going off with Darcy.

"Sure thing, Lyds. I haven't seen Mary since your birthday party last year. It'll be nice to see her."

When Lizzie, Lydia, and Darcy arrived at the other Bennets home, Mary was already waiting for them outside. She was sitting on the porch, reading a book.

"Hey, guys!", Mary said as she got up to greet her cousins.

"Sup!", said Lydia. Besides her sisters, Mary was her best friend.

"Lizzie! I saw your video! Congratulations!", Mary said as she hugged Lizzie.

"Thank you, Mary! Oh, and you already know who he is, but let me formally introduce you: Mary, this is my boyfriend, William Darcy. Will, this is my cousin, Mary Bennet. My dad's brother's daughter."

That was the first time Lizzie had ever introduced Darcy as her boyfriend in real life. It felt really good to be able to say that.

"Ahh yes, the baby-daddy. Ha ha. Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine.", he replied as they shook hands.

"Is that Elizabeth? My, my! A lot has changed since the last time I saw you! Congratulations! Tommy called me and told me the good news.", said Henry Bennet, Mr. Bennet's younger brother, as he opened the front door.

"Thank you, Uncle Henry!"

"And I'm guessing this is the young man we have to thank for the newest addition to the Bennet family?", he teased. The teasing really did run in the family.

"Well when you put it like that, yes, I suppose so.", Darcy said with a smile. "William Darcy. Nice to meet you, sir."

"Would you all like to come in? It's been a while since we saw you girls."

Mary interrupted, "Actually, dad, Lydia and I have plans. Lizzie just came to drop her off. We gotta go."

"Oh okay. Maybe the next time you're in town, Elizabeth.", he said with a hint of sadness. He was just like Mr. Bennet when it came to family. He loved his daughter and his nieces.

Darcy noticed and said, "Well, Lizzie and I live together in San Francisco and I don't know if you knew, but she has big plans over there; she is starting up her own business. It might be a while before she can return... I don't think we would mind visiting with you for a little while."

Lizzie looked over at Darcy, surprised.

"Alright then. Come on in! I'll ask Margaret to make some iced tea.", said Uncle Henry excitedly as he led the couple into the living room. "What's the name of the little critter, again? Isabelle?"

"Isabella.", said Darcy and Lizzie as they corrected him in unison, causing them to smile.

They had spent about an hour visiting with her relatives and when they were in the car on their way to their original destination, Lizzie said to Darcy, "Wow, babe, that was really nice of you to visit my aunt and uncle. I actually did want to spend some time with them but I didn't think you'd want to. You were great with them. They absolutely loved you!"

"It was no bother at all. I'm curious about your family. They were really wonderful people. And I could definitely tell that he is your father's brother. They have the same sense of humor."

"Yup. Sarcasm and wit run thick in the Bennet bloodline. And if you're really curious, wait until you meet my mother's side.", Lizzie said with a laugh. "But seriously, thank you. I appreciate your willingness to meet my family. You've come a long way."

"You spent time with my aunt after she'd been awful with you and managed to make her love you. It's only fair that I do the same. And in regards to having come a long way, I have. Thanks to you, my love, I am no longer 'Snobby Mr. Douchey'."

They were at a red light, so Lizzie surprised Darcy with a quick kiss on the lips. "Mmhmm. 'Snobby Mr. Douchey' would've never gotten one of those."

Lizzie and Darcy decided to go do something they'd never done, so the pair went to an artsy little sweets shop, called Color Me Mine. There, Lizzie and Darcy picked out blank mugs and plates, painted them, had the store fire them up, and then took home their personalized pieces, along with some cupcakes.

"Okay, Will. I'm gonna make you something, and you're gonna make me something. But it has to be a surprise. No peeking."

"Understood."

But of course, neither one followed the rule. They were sat at opposite ends of a table and made a wall of sorts in the middle of the table from the menus, in order to cover their work. But occasionally, Darcy would get up to peek at Lizzie's work and vice-versa. Suffice it to say there was plenty of giggling and laughing. Then came the moment to reveal their creations.

"I made this for Isabella.", stated Lizzie, holding up a small square plate that she had painted lavender. It had the phrase 'Mommy loves you' painted in pink and there was a big red heart in place of the word love. There were also mini hearts painted randomly across the plate.

"That is adorable. She will love eating off of it.", commented Darcy.

"And this is for you... Please keep in mind that I majored in Mass Comm, not art.", she joked.

It was a coffee mug painted light blue, with a figure that Darcy guessed was supposed to be him in a bow-tie holding hands with a red head that he assumed was supposed to be Lizzie. There were little hearts all around them. "It's the thought that counts. Maybe I should suggest that Lizzie take some painting lessons..."

"I love it; it is beautiful. I'll drink coffee from it every morning.", he promised.

She knew it sucked, but she loved that he liked it anyway.

"And what did you make?", Lizzie asked curiously. He had taken longer to paint than she had.

"I also made something for our daughter.", Darcy said with a smile. It felt surreal to them that approximately 5 months from now, they'd be parents to a baby girl. He held up a little round plate that was painted pink and had 'Daddy's Little Princess' written on it in blue paint. Underneath the phrase he painted a little crown.

"Awww!", Lizzie said. She knew he was going to make an amazing dad.

"And I made this for you.", he said hesitantly. He had worked really hard on it. It was a mug with Lizzie's face painted on it on one side and a note on the other.

Lizzie's jaw dropped. It was beautiful. The painting actually looked like her. It never came up in conversation, but the Darcys were pretty good artists. Their mother started them on painting lessons shortly before she passed and they continued long after.

"Is this why you kept peeking? To study my face?", she asked.

Darcy nodded yes with a smug expression.

"I love it, baby, it's great. I had no idea you were so talented!", she said admiring his skills. She then turned the mug over and written in that beautiful cursive that she had first seen back when he gave her the letter explaining Wickham's misdeeds against Gigi, was a very simple note:

I love you, Lizzie.
Just a reminder.
- William

That put a really big smile on her face. That simple little note made her feel like hundreds of butterflies were fluttering about in her stomach.

"I love you, too, William."

"I know.", he said with all the certainty in the world.

Lizzie picked out some cupcakes and then went to pay. Darcy immediately objected, but she wouldn't hear it.

"I wanted to take you out for a change, Will. Let me pay today. You've paid for pretty much everything since our first date.", she argued. She wasn't completely destitute. She had some money of her own and she had recently gotten graduation money sent to her by many different relatives.

Darcy gave up because Lizzie would not budge, but he wasn't happy about it.

When they were back in the car, Lizzie gushed about what a nice date it had been.

"And all this driving around I'm doing made me realize how much I miss driving.", she said mainly to herself. But Darcy took note of it.

"She misses driving? I can fix that.", he decided.

Later that night, she went into her father's study to ask for a little relationship advice.

"What would you like to know?"

"Well, it's about money… I'd like your opinion on how to handle mine and Will's disparity where finances are concerned."

"Handle? Is there a problem?"

"Well, not really... But kind of... It's me. I don't feel comfortable with William paying for everything all the time and buying me random crap. I tell him he doesn't have to do stuff like that but he does it anyway. And then that makes me feel like he's belittling my desire to do my own thing."

"Lizzie, I'm sorry to break the news to you, but you are in a relationship and are going to be a mother soon. There is no such thing as 'my own thing' anymore."

Lizzie suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

"You know what I mean, dad."

"Have you tried talking to Darcy?"

"Yeah. But I don't think he gets it."

"Well then make him 'get it' or you two are going to have a major problem."

"Ughhhh. Not helping, dad.", she thought.

"Alright. Thanks, dad."

"Anytime, Ellie."

"Don't call me that, dad.", she complained before leaving.

"Okay, Ellie.", he replied with a smile.

Sunday, June 2nd, arrived marking the end of their ten-day visit. Lizzie had returned to her childhood home almost the same as she'd left it, but now she was leaving her house for good. She was leaving with a graduate degree and lots of hope for a bright future. She packed pretty much all the stuff that she didn't want to leave behind and was going to have it shipped to Darcy's house because that was her house now, too.

"Bye, ma!", Lizzie yelled up the stairs after all their luggage was in the car. Mr. Bennet and Lydia were going to drop them off.

"Oh, I can't bare it! Just go, Elizabeth, dear! Call me when y'all get home.", Mrs. Bennet shouted back in a hoarse voice, as if she had been crying.

"I think you'd better go up there, Lizzie.", Lydia suggested.

Lizzie sighed. "Mom is such a drama queen."

When she got upstairs, her mother was in her bedroom, which was almost unrecognizable due to the lack of all of Lizzie's pictures and posters and books.

"Mom…", Lizzie said as she walked to the room and found her mother sitting on her bed.

"I told you to go, sweetie. My poor nerves…"

She joined her mom on the bed and said, "What's wrong, mom? Why are you crying? I thought you'd be happy."

"Happy to have my baby leave me? No, never."

"But wasn't that always your plan? For us to marry rich dudes and leave the house? You're two for two.", she tried to joke, but her mother just sniffled.

"You didn't cry when Janie left."

"I did. After y'all left. But it ain't the same, Lizzie. I always thought you'd stick around the longest. But look at you! All successful and in love and carrying my first grandbaby! You know, you never were predictable. Not since the day you were born. You've always kept me on my toes... I'm so proud of you, Elizabeth. I really am. And I'm happy for you, but I'm also sad for myself. Two of my babies are gone... And Lydia is probably not gonna be much longer either. And then what will I do? My life has been dedicated to raising you girls."

"You and dad can bond. Find hobbies to do together. There are plenty of things you could do. And once I have enough, I will buy you and dad a vacation to wherever you guys would like to go. I promise."

"Honey, you're daddy and I do plenty of bonding. No need to worry about that-"

"Mooommm! Ewww!"

"Oh quiet down, Lizzie! Whatever you and Darcy have done is nothing. Wait until you've been together for almost 30 years.", she chuckled.

"Not cool, Mom."

Mrs. Bennet sighed. "I'm just gonna miss you, that's all. I know you girls think I'm just a big ole fool, but I do love y'all with all my heart. I'll get used to it, don't worry. I just need to cry for a few days, that's all. I'll be fine."

"I'll miss you, too, mommy.", Lizzie said as she went in for a hug.

Lizzie hadn't called her mommy in so long. Mrs. Bennet was going to burst into tears as soon as Lizzie left.

"Alright now. Go! And don't think I won't remember that you promised me a vacation!", said Mrs. Bennet in a deceptively cheery tone.

Lizzie smiled at her mother before leaving her childhood bedroom.

They arrived at the airport and it was time to say farewell to her little sister and her father. Mr. Bennet gave Darcy a hug, shook his hand, and patted him on the back before finally going over to his favorite daughter to say goodbye.

"So I guess you and Will are best friends now, huh?", Lizzie asked her father.

"Oh yes, quite so. Darcy and I are two peas in a pod. He helped me download his Domino application to the desktop computer and to my cell phone. He gave it to Lydia, too. So I guess our Skype-ing days are over. We'll use Domino to support the family business."

"Look at you, dad! All tech-savvy!", Lizzie remarked.

"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right?", he chuckled.

"I'm gonna miss you, dad. I think you should go easy on mom. She was crying earlier."

"Don't worry about your mother. I'll handle it. You just worry about keeping yourself healthy for little Bella there."

"I will…"

"And remember that you can always come home. Not that I think you'll ever have to quit San Francisco, but just in case. You can always come home."

"I know, daddy…"

Mr. Bennet hugged Lizzie really tightly and then gave her a kiss on the forehead before walking away to his car.

"Yo, Lizzie! No sad goodbyes, here, 'kay? We'll be in constant communication. It is my duty as a baby sister to annoy you."

Lizzie laughed away the melancholy feeling her dad's goodbye had left her with. "Of course, Lydia."

"Bye, baby Belle! Peace out, Darceface!", Lydia said as she saluted them and spun around, running to the car.

"Lizzie, come on. We have to check in. Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm perfect. Let's go home.", she said with a smile and grabbed Darcy's hand.

They're gonna go back to San Fran and Lizzie's gonna start to work on her project. There will be some trouble in paradise (but it will be resolved quickly!). And then some other things. :)