It seems like I am unable to fast-forward! Like seriously. It pained me to just skip a whole two months to get to Collin's wedding, so I filled it with some stuff.
Lizzie tries to teach Darcy to dance but that fails so he takes matters into his own hands; Lizzie meets an interesting woman but doesn't get her name; Lizzie and Darcy celebrate their 6 months anniversary.
"Is this really necessary, Lizzie?", Darcy asked as she dragged him to the living room after dinner that night.
"Yes! We are not embarrassing ourselves at Ricky Collin's wedding, of all places! Do you know we haven't danced not once since we started dating?"
"Well, we have been busy. Our relationship isn't exactly conventional. We've got things to do and dancing is not high on the list of priorities."
"Well that changes today! Come on, Will."
Darcy sighed. "Fine. But I am warning you: I do not dance."
Lizzie laughed. "Oh, you don't have to warn me, babe. I forget nothing. I remember all too well the couple of times that we've danced together."
Darcy's chin did that thing that it used to do way back when and Lizzie immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Will. I didn't mean to offend you! I love you! You are a wonderful man… it's just that your dancing kinda sucks..."
"Fix my dancing. Tell me what to do.", he surrendered.
Lizzie got out her phone and picked an online radio station that played party music. She placed it on a nearby table top and grabbed Darcy's hands.
"So dancing is basically just following the beat of the music with your body. ", she explained. "Like this."
Lizzie had her hands up in the air and she was shaking her hips to the beat of the song. She kind of forgot she was supposed to be teaching Darcy and just enjoyed herself. Darcy sat against the back of a couch and observed, with a small smile, as his pregnant girlfriend lost herself in the music. 25 weeks into her pregnancy and she was just as captivating as she had been on the dance floor last summer, if not more so.
Lizzie eventually noticed he was just watching, so she danced her way to him and pulled him to dance with her. He just stood there enjoying the show. Lizzie caught Darcy biting his lip and decided to change the genre before he decided to act upon whatever thoughts he was currently thinking.
"Since this isn't working, how about we change the song? There will definitely be a slow dance at the wedding, so let's practice that. That shouldn't be too hard."
When the slow song began, they positioned themselves accordingly. They couldn't help but laugh because Lizzie's protruding belly served as a little blockade between them.
"You're the guy, so you're supposed to lead. I'll follow you.", she said. "Step backwards and then forwards."
He was extra stiff as he stepped and eventually he reduced to just swaying.
"Okay, this works too… But this type of dancing is more comfortable like this.", she said as she let go of Darcy's hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. He moved his hands to her waist and they just rocked slowly to the song.
"This is good... If all else fails, we can rely on this.", she commented.
They were silent for the remainder of the song. They both had their eyes closed and were enjoying the ambiance that the slow music had created. By the time the song ended, they had stopped swaying and were just holding each other. Lizzie rested against his chest and Darcy had his cheek atop her head.
"This is nice, Lizzie. I like this. Let's do this more often.", Darcy suggested softly.
"Agreed.", Lizzie concurred as she backed up a little and looked up at him with a smile. "You don't have to learn to dance. It's okay. I can dance enough for the both us.", she said with a chuckle.
They locked eyes for a few seconds before Darcy leaned down to kiss Lizzie ever so softly. "No, Lizzie, I will learn to dance. I will surprise you.", he decided as they kissed.
The next day, Darcy invited Fitz to lunch so that he could tell him of his plan.
"What's up, D?!", Fitz greeted Darcy as he arrived at the table.
"Hello, Fitz. How are you doing?"
"Good. B's good, too. Everything is good, man. How's Lizzie? I feel like I haven't seen her in ages."
"She's great. Busy with her show and the pregnancy."
"Yeah, I see that! She's doing big things, my dude! Anything else new?"
"She received a phone call from Ricky Collins yesterday… Apparently, he's getting married and wanted to personally inform her."
"No way! Collins is getting hitched?! He did mention he had a fiancée… What was her name? Jenny?"
"Jamie."
"Ahh yes, Jamie. Not gonna lie, I thought he was making her up…"
"We all did. They are getting married in September and we are invited."
"That's cool. Fall weddings are the bomb."
"Lizzie tried to teach me to dance last night.", Darcy blurted out.
"Ha ha! What I would've paid to see that…"
"And as you can imagine, it didn't go quite so well. Lizzie is a very good dancer and I do not want to embarrass her or make her feel obligated to sit down with me while everyone else dances… so I want to take dancing lessons."
"You? Dancing lessons?", Fitz asked with his jaw practically on the table.
"Fitz…"
"Sorry, sorry. It's just that I never thought I'd see the day…"
"How do I go about finding an instructor? I don't want anyone to know. Not my secretary, not Mrs. Reynolds, and especially not Lizzie."
"Hmm… Brandon and I used to go salsa dancing at this place near our apartment. The guy was great. Really patient with some of the more… uncoordinated people, like yourself. He does all kinds of dancing, though. I'll find out if he does one-on-one lessons."
"Really? That would be great, Fitz."
"Yeah. I got you, buddy. You're gonna sweep Lizzie B. off her feet."
Before the end of the week, Darcy made arrangements with the dance instructor. Once a week, they were to meet at his dance studio. Darcy would disguise the hour-long sessions as extra work.
"Hmm… I do not like keeping things from Lizzie… but it is for a surprise, so that is acceptable, right?", he asked himself after he hung up with the man.
A few weeks passed since the big announcement of Collin's wedding. Lizzie had long forgotten the idea of teaching Darcy to dance and their invitation had arrived. Mrs. Bennet called Lizzie as soon as she received hers and just would not stop talking about how she was glad she'd told Lizzie not to go off with Mr. Collins.
"See, Lizzie, dear? I told you not to go after Ricky and I turned out to be right! He had a fiancée all along and you would've missed your chance with my darlin' Darcy! Oh, my poor nerves. I'm gettin' worked up just thinkin' about the possibility that you might never have caught Darcy!"
Lizzie gritted her teeth and let her mother ramble on. "If I remember correctly, she practically gave Ricky my hand in marriage…"
In those few weeks that passed, Lizzie had also hired three more people to help with shooting and editing of the costume theater. Aaron had agreed to go on camera and reenact the stories that had multiple people in them, so they would need other people to man the camera and lighting and all that.
"The ladies in my viewership will swoon. Tell Caroline not to get too jealous!", Lizzie teased Aaron.
While all this was going on, Lizzie had finally reached 28th week of her pregnancy on August 12th, meaning she was now in the last trimester. She and Darcy visited the doctor and Isabella checked out perfectly.
"This is the home stretch! You need to be careful these last few months. Take it easy.", advised the obstetrician.
"Will do, doc.", Lizzie replied.
"I will make sure of it.", Darcy added.
The month of August also brought the six-month anniversary of Lizzie and Darcy's relationship. They never acknowledged any of their other monthly milestones because the pregnancy's progression overshadowed them, but this month marked half a year that they'd been together, which Darcy thought was significant enough to celebrate.
On that Friday morning, when Darcy came in from his run, he asked Lizzie excitedly, "Do you know what today is?"
"Friday?", she said sleepily. She had woken up right before he walked in.
"Yes, but it is also August 23rd."
Lizzie just stared at Darcy expectantly. "…"
"It is our sixth month anniversary today, my love.", Darcy said proudly.
"Really?", Lizzie asked with disbelief.
"Yes. I have it in my calendar. Six months ago today, I dropped you off at your doorstep after dealing with Wickham and we officiated our relationship.", he said with a smile.
"Wow. I can't believe it…"
"Oh, pardon my manners. Good morning, Lizzie. I was too excited to remind you that I forgot to say good morning."
"Good morning, babe. And happy six months! Come here!", she said with her arms wide open.
"I am all sweaty, Lizzie..."
"And I have morning breath. We're even. Come here!", she rebutted.
Darcy sat on the bed and hugged Lizzie really tightly. "Would you care to celebrate this evening?", he asked before letting her go.
"Sure. What did you have in mind?"
"How would you like to go to the theater again? It's been a while…", Darcy proposed.
Lizzie laughed. "That would be lovely!"
"I have work today, so I probably won't be seeing you again until we leave. Be ready by 6pm. We'll go to the theater and then have dinner afterwards. Does that sound acceptable?"
"That's perfect. See you at six!", she answered excitedly.
She gave Darcy a quick kiss on the cheek before he got off the bed. He smiled at her and then kissed the back of her hand. "See you this evening."
Lizzie sat in bed for a few minutes reminiscing about the last time they went to the theater. It blew her mind to think how far they've come since then. She climbed off the bed and noticed her big belly.
"I have nothing to wear…", she thought. "I'm taking the day off today. Ahh, the perks of being your own boss! Off to the mall I go."
She asked to be driven to the mall and was very discouraged with the maternity dresses she was trying on. She was about to leave the store empty-handed, when she spotted one that caught her eye. It was a red, knee-length, long-sleeved wrap dress. She remembered that on their previous date to the theater, she had also worn red.
"Please fit nicely, please fit nicely, please fit nicely…", she chanted as she walked toward the dressing room. And it did. Lizzie beamed as she looked in the mirror and hoped Darcy would like it.
On the way home, she got thirsty and asked the driver to pull over in front a smoothie shop. As she exited the shop, she noticed a hair salon across the street. She unconsciously ran her fingers through her too-long hair and decided that she would finally cut her hair today.
After her hair was washed, she was seated at a chair to get her hair cut. The lady next to her, who seemed to be getting the ombre style in her hair, was talking animatedly on the phone to somebody about table cloths. Lizzie thought the woman was kind of obnoxious because she was so loud, but then the woman turned to her and apologized.
"Sorry for all the noise! It's just that I'm planning a wedding and the bride-to-be is very indecisive!", said the mystery woman.
"Oh, wow! A wedding planner? That must be fun.", Lizzie commented as the hair stylist began chopping away.
"I'm not a wedding planner! Well, not exclusively, anyway."
"What do you do?", asked Lizzie.
"I help people; I fix problems; I make people's lives better!... Well, technically I run the matchmaking and lifestyle division of my father's company, but those things are part of the job." , said the woman confidently.
"Wow, that sounds interesting.", Lizzie commented. The woman looked to be about the same age as her, give or take a couple of years, and she was so accomplished.
"It is! I have successfully paired 19 couples so far. The woman on the phone is getting married next month!", she stated proudly.
"I'm guessing you see a lot of weddings."
"Yes. It's fabulous! You wouldn't happen to need my services, would you? I don't mean to be bold, but I see you're not wearing a ring…", she mentioned, eyes dashing from Lizzie's belly to her ring-less hand.
"Oh, no!", Lizzie laughed. "I'm in a relationship already. We're celebrating an anniversary today, actually. That's why I'm getting my hair done.", she clarified with a mega-watt smile.
"Hmm… a smile like that doesn't lie. You are definitely head-over-heels in love… ", said the woman with a smile.
"I am.", Lizzie admitted, still smiling.
"If I may ask, what are you two doing to celebrate?", she asked curiously.
"We're going to the theater to see a live play. That was actually our first date.", Lizzie answered. She blushed a little remembering that night.
The woman's eyes twinkled. "Yup. You two are in it for the long haul. I haven't met your guy, but I'm very perceptive about love. Congratulations! You were able to find love without any help. Oh and congrats on the baby, too.", she said before she was tapped on the shoulder by her stylist. It was time to rinse out her hair dye.
"Thank you.", Lizzie replied. "Well, with some help.", she thought and then 'Team FIGI' popped into her head. It was nice to speak to somebody new about these things; someone who didn't already know everything about her. She definitely needed to make some new friends.
Lizzie and the woman didn't see each other again. She was probably getting styled in another part of the salon. She wished they would've exchanged names, at least. "Oh well. That was nice, though."
She had left the salon with pins still in her hair to preserve the style. She didn't take them out until after she'd dressed and done her makeup. The curls were bouncy and she thought it was a nice change from her usually straight hair.
She hadn't heard from Darcy all day and wondered if he was on his way already. "He did say six, right?…", she thought, looking at her phone. As she walked down the stairs, the door bell rang. She hurried to open it and her heart raced with anticipation. She was dying to see Darcy.
She paused and took a deep breath before opening the door. Before her stood Darcy, looking handsome in a suit and tie and holding a bouquet of red roses.
Darcy swallowed hard when he saw her. "Hello, Miss Bennet."
"Hey there, Mr. Darcy.", she said shyly.
"These are for you.", he said, extending the flowers towards her.
"Thank you. They're beautiful.", she commented as she grabbed them.
"You're beautiful.", he blurted out. "I mean, you look absolutely stunning, Elizabeth. Red is definitely your color. And I see you finally got your hair cut..."
She smiled and said, "You noticed! And I don't think I've ever seen you looking more dashing than you look right now."
A small smile appeared on Darcy's face. "While you go put the those in water, I'll bring the car around.", Darcy announced.
When he pulled up in front of the house, he waited for Lizzie by the car's passenger side. He was actually pretty excited for this date. They'd been together for six glorious months but still, tonight made him feel extra good. They didn't really go out much and when they did, it was never anywhere with a dress code. When she exited the house, he escorted her to the car and helped her in.
The car ride to the theater was quiet. Both were thinking about the last time they did this.
They made their way inside, arm-in-arm, and sat in the same seats they'd sat in last time. They chatted a little until the lights dimmed, signifying the show would start soon. Lizzie leaned close to Darcy and he had his arm around her throughout the performance; things they weren't comfortable enough to do last time.
After the show, they left the theater holding hands and started walking in the opposite direction of the parking lot.
"Where are we going, Will?", Lizzie asked.
"I thought you might enjoy eating at the same restaurant we dined at last time.", he said with a smile.
"The Greek place?"
"Mmhmm."
Lizzie nodded enthusiastically. They walked with their fingers interlocked, stopping every so often to share a quick smooch. Last time, they were only able to enjoy the accidental clashes of their hands as they walked side by side, but this time they weren't restricted.
At dinner, they each talked about their day and enjoyed each other's company. Darcy thought it was funny how someone had told Lizzie she was in love, because the same thing had happened to him when he went to pick up the flowers. An elderly woman that worked there eyed him as he stood deciding what flowers to get Lizzie. Before he left, she stopped him and told him, "It's not every day we see a man walk in here that looks as in-love as you do…"
They walked back towards the car with full stomachs and in good spirits. When they were seated in the car, Darcy was going to turn on the engine, but stopped. Instead, he turned to Lizzie and kissed her passionately. He'd been dying to kiss her with force since she opened the door for him earlier, but decided against it so that he wouldn't just give up on the date entirely and stay at home kissing her all night. Lizzie undid her seatbelt and kissed him back with equal intensity. They were reveling in the differences between then and now. Last time, they were both dying to touch one another but didn't have the courage to do so sober. But now, they could and that fact was so overwhelming for the both of them.
They stopped kissing in order to breathe, and Darcy said between breaths, "I love you, Elizabeth Bennet… and I can't imagine… what the past six months of my life… would have been… without you in them."
"I feel exactly the same way, William… and I know dating with a baby on the way isn't exactly the traditional way to go about things… but I wouldn't change any of it… I think Isabella's brought us closer much faster than we could've gotten without her."
Darcy smiled and nodded. "I couldn't agree more."
"I'd like to go home now, babe. I'm pretty sure we can finish the night off the same way we did last time… sans alcohol.", she said with a smile as she put on her seat belt.
Because of where she was in her pregnancy, it was no longer safe to put Darcy's weight on her belly, so they had to find other positions to make love in. That night Lizzie was on top. It was her favorite because there's no pressure on her belly and she could control the speed and depth of penetration. She and Darcy were every bit as passionate and raw as they were that first time, but now they knew each other's bodies better, so everything was smoother than last time. Sure, they had to keep adjusting as the pregnancy progressed, but they wouldn't dream of trading now for then.
"Happy Six Month Anniversary, William.", Lizzie said with a drowsy smile. She had put everything she had into her performance that night and she was exhausted. She kissed him one last time and got off of him and settled into bed for sleep.
Darcy mimicked her and got comfortable. It's only been six months and he was going to have her by his side for the rest of his life. He couldn't wait.
There's some more fillery stuff next chapter: Lizzie deals with pregnancy symptoms; she decides to purchase a vehicle; she experiences a minor complication and has to stop working; Gigi comes back to town for a special occasion. Then we have Collin's wedding. Pinky promise.