This chapter has a lot of different stuff going on. I probably could've split it into two chapters, but I just wanted to get all this filler stuff out of the way.

Friday morning, Lizzie and Darcy got ready to go. Darcy's driver was going to take them to the airport and then drop Lizzie off at her office. But before getting out of bed, the couple just laid there quietly kissing and snuggling. Lizzie's braid came undone overnight and she teased Darcy about his lack of skills in hair-braiding. She said he'd have to practice so he would be able to do his daughter's hair one day. This was one of those moments when Darcy wished he wasn't a CEO. He felt so peaceful with his head in Lizzie's lap while she massaged his scalp and poked fun at him.

After Darcy checked in at the airport, he said, "When I get to my hotel room, I will call you, okay? Will you wait up for me?"

"Of course! My phone is going to be glued to my hand tonight."

Darcy chuckled and then sighed. "I am going to be thinking of you the whole flight. Whenever I grow tired of my laptop or the in-flight entertainment, I shall go through the pictures on my phone."

"Hey! Some of those pictures are for your eyes only!", she whispered.

"I know, my love. I shall be very careful."

Lizzie wanted to smile, but instead she started crying.

"No, Lizzie… Don't do this to me… Please do not cry.", Darcy begged tenderly as he wiped tears from her face.

"I know you're only gonna be gone a few days, but you're gonna be so far away… I'm gonna miss you, babe.", she said sniffling.

"I will miss you, too. You and our little one.", Darcy said rubbing Lizzie's belly. He bent down and gave it a kiss.

Lizzie gasped.

"What's wrong?", Darcy asked with concern.

A tear trickled down Lizzie's face, but this time she was smiling. "Nothing! It's just, I guess Izzy wanted to say goodbye, too… I'm pretty sure I just felt her kick! Like, right after you kissed her. It is the most bizarre feeling."

Darcy's eyes watered. Oh how he hated having to leave them. He blinked away the impending tears.

"Izzy?"

Lizzie shrugged and said, "It rhymes with Lizzie."

Darcy laughed. He couldn't believe how cute his girlfriend was.

"Isabella Anne Darcy Bennet, you better not give your mother a hard time in my absence.", he fake-scolded the belly.

Lizzie giggled and said, "Yeah, Izzy, listen to your daddy!"

They laughed some more, but they were just finding ways to postpone the inevitable.

"I have to get in line for security…"

"I know…"

Darcy hugged Lizzie really tight and then she tiptoed and gave him a kiss that almost made him skip the trip, consequences be damned.

When they broke away, Lizzie wiped her tears and then smiled. "Good luck on your trip. I love you, William."

"And I love you. I will be back before you know it."

He grabbed Lizzie's hand, kissed it, and then walked toward the line for security.

Lizzie waited until she could no longer see him before leaving.

On the way to her office, she cheered herself with up the fact that the weekend would fly by. Today she and Aaron would put the finishing touches on the episode, tomorrow they would upload it, and then Sunday she would spend her time going through all the feedback.

In the meantime, however, she was going to let everyone know about Isabella's kick.

She and Aaron left the office well after dark, so he dropped her off.

"Good night, Elizabeth. I'll see you on Sunday!", he said before she got out of his car.

"Looking forward to it!", she replied. She and Aaron were going to check the comments and reviews together at her house.

Lizzie dined alone and then hung out in the living room watching an interesting documentary on banned books. She would occasionally glimpse over at the lilies Darcy brought home the other night and miss him.

She decided to call Charlotte instead of moping around. Apparently, Ricky Collins was going back to Winnipeg, Manitoba to lead the first Canadian branch of Collins&Collins, which meant Charlotte would be the new head honcho.

Lizzie was thrilled for her best friend's promotion. "You work hard, Char! It's about time they- there she goes again! I feel her kicking! It's so weird, Char!"

Around 8:30pm, Lizzie received a text from Darcy.

Will: Just landed. Customs and travel to hotel will take a while.

Lizzie: I'll wait. Glad you landed safely, babe!

Will: Love you.

Lizzie: Love you, too. Hurry!

Will: ;)

It was almost two hours later when he finally called. She accepted the video chat invitation immediately.

"Will!", she said, beaming.

"Hello, my love."

"I'm so glad you're safe and sound! How was your flight?"

"I could not manage being on a plane for over 10 hours so about half-way through, I ordered a couple drinks and fell asleep."

Lizzie laughed at him. "Are you tired? You look tired.", she noticed.

"I am, actually. But here in Japan, it is a sunny Saturday afternoon. I am going to try to stay awake as long as possible so that I won't wake up extremely early. I need to look presentable for that meeting tomorrow. He doesn't usually do business on Sundays and he's making an exception for me.

"Awww, my poor baby. I wish I could give you a hug.", Lizzie said sadly.

"I wish you were here with me.", he confessed.

They both sighed.

"How was your day, my darling? Is Isabella still kicking?", he tried to change the subject.

"Isabella has been randomly kicking all day. She's probably wondering where her father is. I wish you could feel what it feels like. It kind of tickles."

Darcy chuckled. "That's my girl."

"Oh and Aaron and I finished the episode! I'm going to upload it myself tomorrow. The channel has gotten a lot of subscriptions lately. I hope people like it..."

"They are going to love it. I can't wait to watch it."

"On Sunday, Aaron's coming over so we can comb through the comments and stuff."

"Oh, really? I am gone for the weekend and you are already seeing other men?", he joked.

"Yup. You can't expect me to shrivel up while I wait for you.", she said laughing.

"Well, alright. Give him my regards when you see him."

They continued talking for about an hour about Darcy's flight, and Ricky Collins, and her family's reactions to Izzy's kick. For that hour they forgot they were thousands of miles away from each other. But when it came time for goodbyes, the longing for one another returned with full force.

"Good night, my love. Get some rest. Tomorrow is an important day for the both of us.", said Darcy.

"Text me or call me when you watch the episode! Let me know what you think. And tell me how your meeting went!"

"I will make sure to do so."

"I love you and I'm missing you so much right now... I'm gonna sleep on your side until you come back."

Darcy smiled and said, "Great idea. Keep the bed warm for me... I love you, Lizzie."

Lizzie blew a kiss at him which he caught and held close to his heart. They waved goodbye and then ended the call.

Lizzie set up her pillow collection up on Darcy's side of the bed and concentrated really hard on imagining him there. It was of no use, though. His absence was not without notice. She missed the sound of his light snoring; the way his arms would caress her belly as he fell asleep; or how when she would get up to pee, she had to practically battle with his arms to let her go, but when she returned, they would hold her tight and he would smile briefly in his sleep.

She couldn't believe that just a couple nights ago, she had willingly left his side in a fit of rage. Never again would she take having him by her side for granted. Lizzie eventually found some consolation with his pillow, which still held a faint smell of him.

Darcy tried to keep himself busy with work, but Lizzie would slip into his mind often. Thoughts of her were a welcome distraction, however. When it was time for him to hit the hay, he also had trouble sleeping. He missed the way Lizzie curled up into him; the way their feet would intertwine; the way her hair sometimes tickled his nose. But most of all, he missed the affirmation that her presence provided. Having her in his arms let him know that their relationship was real; that it wasn't all a very long dream.

On Saturday afternoon, Lizzie held her breath as she clicked the upload button on her computer. But soon enough, the video was finished uploading and Lizzie's B.'s Costume Party was officially online. She tweeted about her video and then shut off her laptop. She wasn't going to go on social media until tomorrow with Aaron.

She had nothing pressing to do for the rest of the day and couldn't help but think that if Darcy were home, they could hang out together. Her lack of friends in San Francisco was never more obvious than now. Lizzie was saved by Fitz, however, who invited her over to hang out with him and Brandon for the day, since he knew Darcy was gone.

Darcy called Lizzie just before she went to bed to tell her the meeting went well and that her episode was great. They talked for a long time again, and their goodbyes weren't any easier than the previous night's.

Sunday afternoon brought Aaron Fields to the Darcy-Bennet home.

"Hi, Aaron! Come on in."

"Hey, Elizabeth. I brought donuts."

"You sure do know the way to a pregnant woman's heart.", Lizzie joked.

They settled down in the living room with their laptops and the donuts.

They were reading aloud their favorite comments and reviews and Lizzie was thrilled at such a positive response.

"Caroline loved the way you did her story, by the way. She said she had always wondered what her costume theater costume would be.", Aaron said randomly. For her Caroline costume, Lizzie borrowed one of Gigi's designer purses and a pair of designer shades and bought a mocha latte with almond milk and no whipped cream. She also ran her hands through her hair often.

"Oh, did she tweet me?"

"No... she texted me.", Aaron admitted.

"Oh. You and Caroline, huh? Well tell her I'm glad she liked it, lover boy.", Lizzie teased. Her relationship with Aaron was no longer strictly professional. She considered him a friend.

"Oh, please, Elizabeth. I see the way you glance over at those flowers every few minutes. Was that Darcy's parting gift or something?"

"No, but he did get them for me." She sighed.

"You really miss him, don't you?"

"Yes. I didn't think it would be this bad. The past two nights have sucked.", she said with a pout.

"He'll be back tomorrow, so don't worry."

Lizzie brightened up immediately. "I know.", she grinned.

"You know, Elizabeth, as a fan of your videos, seeing you and Darcy together makes me really happy. I get to see you guys interacting in person and it's unbelievable how perfect you two are for each other. It's a real treat to witness you two in action. And I mean that in the least creepy way possible."

"How sweet, Aaron. Not creepy at all.", she said before turning back to her laptop screen. "Oh my gosh! I guess you won't be the only viewer to see us in person…"

"What do you mean?"

"I just got an email and they're offering us a booth at VidCon for my diaries and for the new show! And Pemberley Digital was offered one, too, for the Domino app! Will just forwarded me the email he received!"

"That's amazing! You're going to get so much more publicity at VidCon. All of the major names in online video content are going to be at that convention."

"You, too, Aaron! You helped make this happen. You have to come with me to promote Lizzie B.'s Costume Party."

"Definitely.", he agreed. He genuinely wanted to attend VidCon, but he also wanted to have an excuse to see Caroline again. VidCon's location was only a 40 minute drive from Los Angeles, where Caroline lived, as opposed to the 6 hour drive from San Francisco.

"It takes place on the weekend of July 19. About a month from now.", informed Lizzie.

"Plenty of time to prepare yourself for your fans' reactions when they see you looking all pregnant.", replied Aaron with a laugh.

"You hear that, baby girl? There's gonna be a lot of people excited to see you!", Lizzie said to her belly.

"You come back tomorrow!", Lizzie screamed excitedly with a grin that could out-grin the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. She and Darcy were having their last video chat before he came back. It was Sunday evening and when Lizzie woke up the following day, she would get ready knowing that she would see her love soon.

"I am aware.", he said with a chuckle.

Lizzie rolled her eyes at him. "So what time does your plane land?"

"10:05 am Pacific time."

"Excellent. I'll have enough time to get beauty sleep so I can look cute for you tomorrow."

"You always look beautiful, Lizzie.", he said honestly.

"Thank you, Will.", she said with a big smile. She was even beginning to blush; the earnestness in his voice caught her off-guard. "… Are you excited for VidCon?!"

"Not particularly. Hundreds of people wanting to meet me is not really something I look forward to. I can deal with large groups of people in a business setting, but an informal 'meet and greet'? I feel anxious just thinking about it…"

"Oh, come on, Will! It won't be so bad. I'll be there with you."

"That is the only reason why I decided to attend. I want to accompany you."

"You'll end up having a great time, you'll see. You know, Aaron said people are going to freak out seeing me pregnant in-person."

"Yes. I am sure many of your viewers will be over the moon."

"Oh my gosh, babe, we should match! You wear your newsie-"

"No, Lizzie. Please don't make me do that.", he said, laughing.

"Ugh. Fine. But can you wear-"

"A bowtie? Gladly. They are cool, you know."

Lizzie rolled her eyes again and said, "So lame."

That night Lizzie fell asleep without too much trouble because she knew that when she woke up, it'd be Darcy Day all over again.

Monday morning at 10:05am, the screen at the airport said the flight from Japan had arrived on time. Lizzie sighed with relief.

She paced around the baggage claim area, waiting for him to appear. She knew she had to wait for him to go through customs, but she couldn't contain her excitement at the fact that he was back in the same place as her. It wasn't so much the length of time that had her going crazy, but the distance. And now, he was back.

She looked at the time. Almost 10:30am.

"Where the hell is he?"

Darcy spotted Lizzie from far away. She stood out with her red hair and pregnant belly. He desperately wanted to run to her, but he contained himself as long as he could.

When he was at a near enough distance, he called out, "Lizzie!"

Lizzie looked around in all directions and when she spotted him she squealed and ran toward him. He gave in and ran to her as well.

When they reunited, he dropped his bag on the floor next to him and grabbed Lizzie's face with both his hands. He looked into her eyes for a few seconds before saying, "Hello."

"Hi!", she replied quickly and then she tiptoed to kiss him. Darcy's hands naturally positioned themselves at her waist, gripping just tight enough to convey how eager he was to have her in his arms again. Lizzie's arms automatically wrapped themselves around his neck to pull him as close to her as was possible, like they always did.

At first it was a happy kiss; an 'I miss you and I'm so glad you're back' kiss. But as the kiss continued, it evolved into a kiss that showcased all the longing and loneliness each felt without the other. It became an 'I miss you and I'm so glad you're back but please don't ever leave my side again if you can help it' kind of kiss. They stopped kissing before they gave the people around them more of a show. Had they gone on, that would've turned into a 'We haven't slept in the same bed for three whole nights and we need to fix that now' type of kiss. They just hugged each other really tight.

"Welcome back.", Lizzie said into his chest.

"It is great to be back.", Darcy said with a big, goofy smile. Lizzie's passionate kisses always left him feeling giddy.

Darcy took the day off from work and so did Lizzie.

"Another perk of being our own bosses.", Lizzie replied when Darcy announced his decision.

They were driven back home by Darcy's driver, and both rode in the back seat. They were talking about the flight, and little Belle decided to welcome her father back with a series of light kicks.

"Put your hand right here.", Lizzie instructed.

"I do not feel anything. What is it supposed to feel like?"

"You'll know it when you feel it. It's like something moving underneath."

"I don't understand-", and then he gasped and his expression was priceless. He just experienced his daughter kicking from inside the womb for the first time.

Lizzie laughed at his reaction. "Now imagine feeling that from the inside."

When they arrived at their home, Darcy was welcomed back by the staff. They were all waiting outside for him. They did this every time Darcy went on a trip and he always thought it was a nice gesture.

The couple lunched at home, and then Lizzie suggested, "Let's do something we haven't done before."

"Like what?"

"Let's go to the zoo or something.", she mentioned, saying the first thing that popped into her head.

"I have not been to the zoo since Gigi was a kid. That would be fun."

"Really? Let's go!", Lizzie said while she walked towards the stairs. She had to change into something more comfortable. A tank, some shorts, and some sneakers were a must. Darcy also had to change because a suit is not a very suitable for a summer day at the zoo. He changed into a casual t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Lizzie loved Casual Darcy. It made him look almost normal and not like a man who has too many responsibilities. "Not to mention he's so handsome!", Lizzie thought excitedly as he stood before her with one hand making a thumbs up, and the other a thumbs down. Lizzie smiled and gave him two thumbs up in approval of his outfit.

When they parked at the zoo, Lizzie and Darcy spent a few minutes in the car bathing each other in sunscreen. She was one of those people that tanned easily… if you considered turning tomato-red tanning. He applied her sunscreen and she applied his. There was lots of tickling and giggling and, unintentionally, the innocent task of putting on sunscreen became a very sensual experience. They didn't do anything R-rated, but just the action of touching and being touched was enough to get them all stirred up.

They enjoyed their 'welcome back' date and stayed at the zoo until closing time. There was plenty of kissing, hand holding, belly rubbing, and pointing at animals. Darcy insisted that if Lizzie wasn't pregnant, he would have had her ride an elephant. She was glad to use baby Isabella as an excuse, because she was terrified to ride that thing. At one point, Lizzie was watching a couple enjoying the zoo with two toddlers and she couldn't help but think of her unborn daughter. Darcy noticed Lizzie staring at them and hugged her from behind, gently rubbing her bump. He kissed her shoulder and said, "That will be us soon enough."

That night, Lizzie and Darcy had no reason to hold back, so they were finally able to express how much they had missed each other. They each had their other half by their side and felt whole once again. Darcy lay satisfied with his head on Lizzie's bare chest listening to her heart, and one hand on her belly, gently tracing it as he fell asleep.

Lizzie was not exactly wide awake, but she wasn't as close to dreamland as Darcy was.

"Will?"

"Hmm?", he mumbled sleepily.

"I've been thinking…"

"Hmm…"

"I don't wanna be your girlfriend anymore."

He halted his tracing and looked up at Lizzie with a confused expression.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to word it like that. What I meant to say was, I don't like the title of girlfriend anymore. I'm not just your girlfriend. We're beyond that, I think."

"Yes.", he said lying his head back down.

"So what do we call each other? Life partners? Soul mates? Those titles are so… I don't know. How do we introduce each other? I'm tired of saying, 'Hey, this is William Darcy, my boyfriend.'"

"Hello, allow me to introduce you to Elizabeth Bennet, the love of my life; my other half; the mother of my children.", Darcy replied sleepily with a smile.

"Willll. I'm being serious.", she said as she jokingly slapped his back.

"And what makes you believe I am not?"

"That's a mouthful."

"Well then, boyfriend and girlfriend must suffice for now. We know we are more than that and that is what is important."

Lizzie sighed. "When we get engaged, it will be so much easier. Hi, this is my fiancé, William Darcy."

"And when we are finally wed, it will be even easier. Less syllables. Allow me to introduce you to my darling wife, Elizabeth Darcy- or however you choose to be called.", he said with a big smile. He had never said those words aloud but, boy, did they sound amazing to both their ears.

"I haven't decided yet whether I'll take your last name or do the hyphenated thing that's all the rage among celebrities. But that's a conversation for another time."

"Indeed. Now stop talking, Lizzie. It is time to sleep. We both have work tomorrow."

Lizzie sighed in defeat. She motioned for Darcy to get off her chest, so she could get into sleeping mode on her side. Since her back was toward him now, her hair did that thing where it tickled his nose and he smiled as he nuzzled his nose into her neck.

"I love you, Lizzie.", he whispered drowsily.

"I love you, too, Will. Welcome home.", she replied with a yawn.

So yeah. Fast forwarding to next month, where our favorite pregnant couple will attend VidCon and meet some fans. I had that idea months ago and finally was able to work it into the story. After that, more fast forwarding to try and get us closer to the due date.