Thanks to FF user SOLYAHU who inspired this meeting with Caroline months ago! I finally got around to it lol. I didn't really care for P&P Caroline, but LBD Caroline I felt kinda bad for her. Almost everyone is going to have a happy ending in this fic and she's one of them. This chapter is kinda Caroline-centric so yeahh. And thank you FF user falynn07 ;)

Enjoy!

"Yes!", Lizzie thought as she turned around, "Someone actually showed up!"

"Caroline Lee?!", Aaron asked astonished. First he got to see Lizzie and Darcy together and now Caroline showed up on the very same day! "Is it my lucky day or what?"

"Caroline… what are you doing here? Uhh… hi?", Lizzie was caught off-guard. She hadn't seen Caroline since the charity event and hadn't heard from her since her congratulatory tweet.

"Hi, Lizzie. And hi…"

"Aaron! Aaron Fields. It's a pleasure to meet you.", Aaron answered enthusiastically. He had a bit of a crush on her.

Caroline smiled and said, "Hi, Aaron. Nice to meet you, too." She thought he was extremely handsome and wondered why Lizzie Bennet was always surrounded by good-looking men.

"I came to San Francisco to buy a limited edition couture dress. The boutique happens to be very near here… I saw your tweet and figured I'd contribute to your project.", she said with a hint of hesitance. She didn't know if she'd be welcome.

After a few seconds of silence from Lizzie, Aaron intercepted. "Sure! Have a seat on that bench over there. The lighting is perfect there."

As Caroline walked away, Aaron nudged Lizzie and whispered, "Come on, Elizabeth! Having Caroline on the pilot episode would be a fantastic idea."

"Of course, of course. I'm just shocked, is all. Caroline and I weren't exactly best friends the last time we saw each other…"

"Was it that time when she showed up at Collins&Collins and wanted to find out about Darcy's letter?"

Lizzie couldn't help but chuckle. He really was a fan of the LBD. "No. I saw her again after that… but we'll talk about that later. Let's go see what she has to share."

Lizzie sat next to Caroline on the bench and when Aaron signaled that he was rolling, Lizzie asked, "So… Caroline. It's been a while… How have you been?"

"I've been fabulous. I went traveling to South America to get inspiration for my interior redecoration of Netherfield. But for the last month or so, I've been in LA consulting with some new homeowners on decorating their houses. Design has always been my forte.", she answered proudly. Her mannerisms were the same: the hair flipping and animated gesturing were still present in her behavior. She didn't seem as uppity as before, though.

"Oh, okay. So do you wanna share your adventures in South America?"

Caroline sighed. "No. Actually, I wanted to share the story of my petty attitude and its negative repercussions…"

"I don't understand…", Lizzie commented.

"Well, you see, I had a friend that had been in my life for many years. We were very similar in many aspects and I thought I was in love with that friend. He had money, like me, and he was a man that didn't consort with just anybody. I thought since he was so selective and would never settle for anything other than the best, that he would remain an eligible bachelor and eventually agree to marry me. I was mistaken, however…"

She looked Lizzie in the eyes when she continued. "He found a woman that is perfect for him. And it runs in the family, too, because her sister is a real-life freakin' Disney princess!"

She paused to laugh and Lizzie laughed along with her.

"So true!", Lizzie thought.

"I was jealous of this woman's charm and of Dar-, I mean, my friend's, attraction to her. They ended up getting together despite many obstacles and my friend changed. He was no longer the man that would people-watch with me and help me ridicule others. That woman inspired him to change. She made him realize that the person he was, wasn't the best he could be; so he learned to be less proud and prejudiced and when he met the woman again, he found that she was willing to give him a chance."

Caroline paused and looked at Lizzie to see how she was reacting to her tale so far. Lizzie's face was calm. She had a look like she was intrigued, though, so Caroline continued.

"And then when I met my old friend and this woman again, they were dating. I was livid. I felt betrayed. I thought 'How could he possibly pick her over me?!'. I tried to pop their happy bubble… I convinced his aunt that the woman was using my friend for his money and that she must put an end to that relationship. That backfired on me, however because it seems as if the aunt and the woman are very close now…"

Lizzie's jaw dropped a little. She had no idea that it had been Caroline who instigated Aunt Catherine's tirade at the charity event. But she quickly composed herself.

Caroline soldiered on, thinking that Lizzie probably hated her.

"Then, I was left wondering why. What qualities did she possess? And I did a little self-analyzing… I was a total bitch. No amount of money or beauty is going to make someone love me if I'm mean. So I've been working on myself. Not only did this woman change my friend for the better, but she kind of changed me, too… I'm no longer jealous of the woman, either. Just happy for them and their little bun in the oven."

Caroline smiled and pointed toward Lizzie's belly. The last time they met, the bump was practically non-existent. Now, it was way more noticeable; especially since Lizzie was wearing a tank top. Caroline couldn't blame her for her attire, though. Lizzie left the cardigan she'd been wearing in the car because the fog cleared up and it was really sunny. However, Caroline was wearing a black and white Chanel dress that was to die for, so she was more than willing to put up with the heat.

Lizzie was very touched that Caroline had put so much effort into her apology. She could've half-assed it over the phone or an email or twitter, but the fact that she apologized to Lizzie in person meant a lot to her. She wasn't going to completely forget what Caroline did to Bing and Jane and the horrible things she said about her and her family, but all was forgiven. They were practically family now, so over time they were sure to become closer.

Caroline asked, "May I?", referring to the baby bump.

Lizzie grabbed Caroline's hand and put it on her belly.

"Her name is Isabella.", Lizzie said with a huge smile. She loved sharing the news about her daughter.

*GASP*

Caroline and Lizzie both looked up at Aaron who had stopped recording.

"You're having a girl?!", he asked with excitement.

"Oh, I forgot! I haven't told the viewers yet! Don't tell anyone, okay?! We're keeping the gender a secret until after she's born.", Lizzie warned them.

Aaron nodded. "Of course, Elizabeth."

"Isabella is a beautiful name. How far along are you?", Caroline asked.

"Gonna be 20 weeks on Monday! I'm gonna make a video to update everyone. It's been a few weeks since the big announcement."

"What are you going to call Isabella? I doubt you're gonna be calling her 'It' the rest of your pregnancy.", Caroline wondered.

"Hmmm… I haven't thought that far ahead."

"It has to be something super cute. Like Darcybot, Jr. or something.", Caroline suggested.

That made Lizzie crack up. "Ahh that's hilarious. But that would imply that it's a boy and I want it to be a gender neutral nickname."

Aaron was brainstorming and then he took notice of Lizzie's necklace and exclaimed, "I've got it!"

Lizzie and Caroline looked at him expectantly and he blurted out, "Little Bowtie!". Lizzie was wearing her little bowtie necklace that Gigi had given her for her birthday.

The women immediately went, "Aww!", in unison. Aaron took that as approval. He was ecstatic; not only did he get a heads up on the gender of the baby, but he also got to nickname it.

"I love it! I'm gonna ask Will if that's alright with him."

"Oh, alright then. I guess I'll be seeing you around, Lizzie Bennet.", Caroline said, getting up.

"Wait, no, don't go. We should talk some more. Let's hang out! How long are you in San Francisco?"

"I only came for the dress. I have a flight back tomorrow morning."

"Oh… well, let's go say hi to William and then let's do something. Lunch and a movie?"

"I don't know… Darcy probably won't be too happy to see me."

"It's okay. Come on!"

Darcy was sitting on a bench reviewing and editing some reports when he saw Lizzie and Aaron accompanied by Caroline.

"Will! Look who saw my tweet.", Lizzie said happily.

Darcy saw that Lizzie was being friendly towards Caroline, so he thought he would act the same. Also, she was his best friend's sister and he couldn't stay angry at her forever.

"Hello, Caroline.", he said politely as he got up.

"Hey, Darcy.", she said shyly.

"Babe, Aaron and I still need a few more stories from people. Afterwards, I think we should all go to lunch together. Caroline, you stay here with William. Aaron and I shouldn't be more than half an hour. Come on, Aaron."

In the time that Caroline and Darcy were left alone, they inquired about each other's families, their jobs and pretty much anything they could think of that was not the charity event fiasco. But finally Caroline spoke about it first.

"I really am sorry, Darcy. What I said about Lizzie was all just coming from a really bad place. I'm happy for you two."

"Thank you, Caroline. Let's not mention it anymore. I can't help but still feel angry when I think about the things you said. I love Lizzie and I am very protective of her, especially now that we have Isabella to consider. "

"I feel so disgusting for having said what I did. But okay, let's just forget about it… so are you excited about Isabella?"

They were talking about the baby when Lizzie and Aaron returned.

"Did you get what you needed?", Darcy asked.

"Yes. Lizzie and I were just speaking and we decided to shoot the costume theater versions during the week. The pilot episode should be ready to premiere by next weekend.", Aaron answered excitedly.

"And now it's time for lunch! Oh and baby, how do you like the nickname 'Little Bowtie' for Isabella? Aaron suggested that name for the videos."

Darcy chuckled. "It's certainly very us. I approve."

The four of them decided to eat somewhere near the marina, so they just walked. Darcy and Lizzie were walking hand in hand and having their own conversation, leaving Caroline and Aaron walking behind them.

"So what are you doing here with Lizzie? Are you her camera-man or something? Did Darcy hire you for her?"

"No, Lizzie hired me. I'm her co-producer for the project she's working on."

"Ohhh… I see. That's nice. So then you know about her videos?"

"Yeah. I've watched them all. I'm a big fan. I was rooting for her and Darcy all the way."

"So then you know who I am?", Caroline asked embarrassed. Usually the fact that her reputation preceded her was a good thing for her, but not in this case.

"Yes, I know who you are. I had a crush on you when you first appeared on Lizzie's videos, you know. I thought you were very beautiful.", he confessed.

"Thank you…", she said, thinking that he probably thought horrible things after everything she said and did.

"But…", Aaron continued, "You seem to have grown more beautiful. Being 'nice' suits you well."

Caroline couldn't help but smile. She was used to being called beautiful and being fancied by many men, but it was rare that someone as handsome as this Aaron fellow would be interested even after knowing what she'd done.

"He's a fan of Lizzie's videos, he was excited by the baby, he has an amazing fashion sense, and not to mention he takes really good care of himself… he must be gay...", Caroline thought. She didn't let her disappointment show, however. "Thank you. You're not too bad yourself, Aaron."

"Yeah, I guess not. I mean, I've always found it bizarre seeing my face on billboards and stuff, but I do like what I see."

"Billboards?"

"I model on occasion. It's not really a big deal."

"And he's a model?! He'd be perfect!" Caroline sighed. "Wait a minute… I know your face! I saw it on that men's perfume ad at the airport!"

"Yes, that was probably me. I mostly do cologne and jeans advertisements."

"Damn!", Caroline thought sadly. He was exactly her type, but with more modesty and an interest in film.

Lunch was a pleasant affair. Darcy saw that Caroline was much nicer to the servers than she had been in the past and he came to the conclusion that Aaron was not a threat. He actually kind of liked him.

"I know I said we'd watch a movie, Caroline, but I kinda just wanna go home. Would you mind coming over to our house? We could hang out there."

"I'd have to ride with you and Darcy, though, because I didn't rent a car; I took a cab."

"No problem.", Lizzie said with a smile. "And Aaron? Why don't you come over, too? Maybe you can get Will to put down the reports and enjoy this nice Saturday."

"Really?"

Darcy answered, "Sure. Just follow my car. You will be spending a lot of time with my girlfriend and my baby, so it would be good for me to know you a little more."

"Alright, Mr. Darcy."

"Please, just call me Darcy. There is no need for all the formality."

When they got to the house, Lizzie and Caroline headed straight for the theater. Lizzie blushed every time she entered because she recalled the time she and Darcy fell asleep watching Downton Abbey. That was when she hadn't yet come to terms with her feelings for him. It felt like ages ago. "And now look at us: Living together with a baby girl on the way."

Lizzie and Caroline decided on a cheesy romantic comedy. There was ice cream stocked in the fridge inside the theater (organic, of course), so Lizzie and Caroline helped themselves.

Meanwhile, Darcy did as his girlfriend asked and hung out with Aaron. Aaron told Darcy about himself as Darcy gave him a short tour of the estate. When they reached outside, the men decided to do some running around the track. It had been a long time since Darcy competed against anyone and he was looking forward to it. Darcy lent Aaron some running shorts and the guys were ready to race.

The ladies paused half-way through their movie to laugh at the stupidity of the characters.

"Can you imagine if at the charity event, we'd have reacted like those women? I mean, throwing champagne and cake at each other? Really?", Lizzie commented.

Caroline nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that is just ridiculous. No way would I willingly get cake all over my hair. I have a strict regimen to keep these locks looking fabulous.", she joked, with a flip of her hair over her shoulder.

The mood changed a little when Lizzie said, "You know, Caroline, what you said to me didn't really bother me. I knew you were just jealous. And I also had Will to back me up, so you didn't hurt my feelings. What really got to me was when Aunt Catherine said all those horrible things about me... I was so scared that I would be a reason for William breaking his relationship with her."

"I am so sorry, Lizzie. Really. If I could go back and stop myself from being so stupid, I would."

"And then what you did with Bing and Jane in addition to the way you insulted my family…"

"I know! I beat myself up about it all the time. I guess I just didn't want anybody to take my brother away. And I knew that the only way Bing would seriously consider leaving Jane would be if Darcy corroborated my story. And he would never lie, so I had to make it look like Jane was interested in another man... I am repulsed by the things I did. I explained everything to them and they forgave me, like the saints they are. And the next time I see Charlotte and Lydia, I will apologize. And your parents... I never gave them a chance, so next time I will be on my best behavior."

"We forgive you, too, Caroline. William and I just want to move forward. I'm glad you're putting in the effort to mend things. We're family now, so we should leave the past behind for everyone's sakes… now let's go see what Will and Aaron are up to. This movie is ridiculous."

Caroline agreed and felt like the burden of guilt she'd been carrying around got a lot lighter.

Lizzie and Caroline headed outside and spotted Darcy and Aaron racing around the track. They were seeing who could run a mile the fastest. Aaron had just beat Darcy because the girls could see him fist-pumping. They decided now was the time to make themselves visible, so they walked over to the track.

"Awww, honey, did you lose?", Lizzie teased Darcy as she approached him.

"Yes. Yes, I did.", Darcy said as he caught his breath.

"Don't be too hard on him, Elizabeth. I was bound to win. Darcy works out to relieve stress and to stay healthy. I work out because if I don't, I won't get booked.", Aaron said, trying to save face for Darcy.

Caroline was quiet. She was staring at the shirtless model.

Lizzie gave Darcy a kiss on the lips and said, "Better luck next time."

"I want a rematch.", demanded Darcy with a laugh.

"Yeah, definitely, whenever. I'm down!", agreed Aaron.

"You sure about that?", Lizzie said eyeing both Darcy and Aaron. Aaron definitely had Darcy beat in the muscle department.

"Yes, I am sure! Have you no faith in me?", Darcy said before picking Lizzie up and running around with her.

"William Darcy! Stop it! Put me down!", Lizzie demanded between giggles.

Aaron and Caroline stood there watching the scene and Aaron said, "I can't believe this is happening. Is it weird that I barely know them yet love them together?"

Caroline replied, "Not at all. Watching them actually makes me really happy and it gives me hope."

"Hope for what?"

"That one day I'll be just as happy as them. That I'll find someone to share my life with."

"Wait, you're single?", Aaron asked.

"Yeah, sadly. I hooked up with some guy a few weeks ago but he had no substance. Models are the worst.", she replied. And then she remembered he was a model and she added quickly, "Sorry! I didn't mean to offend you!"

Aaron just laughed at her and suggested, "Well, how about I show you not all models lack substance. Next time I'm in LA or you're in San Francisco, maybe we could do something."

"You're not gay?", Caroline asked with surprise.

"No.", he replied amused. "One of my brothers is, though. But I like women... More specifically, I like you. So what do you say?"

"Umm sure! Let's exchange numbers.", she said with a smile as she retrieved her iPhone.

"You have a cute smile, Caroline.", he said as he put his number in her phone.

She blushed a little and tucked some hair behind her ear.

When Darcy finally set Lizzie down on the ground and the two made their way back to Aaron and Caroline, the exchange had been completed.

Caroline and Aaron enjoyed a few more hours with Lizzie and Darcy but then Caroline said she had to go check in to her hotel room before they gave it to someone else. Aaron immediately volunteered to take her and she accepted.

"Hold on! Before I go, let's tweet a picture together. I'm sure Jane and Bing would be happy to see that we hung out.", Caroline suggested.

"Great idea.", Lizzie agreed.

They took a picture on Lizzie's phone and one on Caroline's. Both posted their pictures and were bombarded with messages asking if Caroline was forgiven about Bing and Jane. Also, Lizzie's bump showed in the picture and people were estimating how far along she was and giving their opinion about the baby's gender.

Lizzie tweeted, " that_caroline is family! Also, there will be a video uploaded on Monday. Don't worry!"

"Bye, Caroline. I'm glad you showed up today.", Lizzie said after hugging Caroline.

"So am I. Thank you, Lizzie. Thank you, Darcy. Byee."

The couple watched as Aaron and Caroline drove away.

"It was a successful day today, baby.", Lizzie said as she settled into her assemblage of pillows.

"I concur. You got the footage you needed, Caroline is back in our good graces, and I will admit that I am no longer adverse to you spending so much time with Aaron.", said as he left the bathroom.

"Good; I really like him. He's awesome.", Lizzie said sleepily.

Darcy leaned over Lizzie's pillows and kissed her belly goodnight and then her lips.

"Mmm. What was that for?", Lizzie asked with her eyes shut.

"I can't have you thinking of another man as you drift off to sleep.", Darcy replied as he turned off the lamp.

Lizzie would've rolled her eyes had they been open. She felt around blindly for Darcy's hand and when she found it, she held onto it and mumbled, "G'night, William. Love you…"

"I love you, too, Lizzie. Get some rest."

Next chapter brings some trouble...