It has been a while... sorry about that, guys! I wasn't happy with what I had written so I scrapped it. And then I sort of dreaded writing because I didn't know how to get ideas from my brain to the keyboard. That, combined with life, is why I am so late. But I hope you like this one.
Anyway, last chapter we had Lizzie and Darcy bring their daughter home. This chapter hits the end-of-the-year holidays and next chapter (whenever that gets posted) will be 2014.
The next Monday, Darcy went back to Pemberley Digital with an extra pep in his step and a mirthful spirit that couldn't be broken. Everyone knew why he was so happy and many employees congratulated him when they saw him in the hall. Lizzie's employees were also happy for her new bundle of joy and they put together a little gift basket that Aaron personally delivered. According to him, all was going well with the episodes of Lizzie's show and he suggested they go on break after Christmas. Then, they could decide how to proceed.
They were seated in the living room, with Isabella laid out on the couch on a blanket. She was looking around with her big, blue-green eyes.
"Little Bowtie here will be, what, two months old in January? Maybe she'll be big enough to tag along around the office or when we go out to gather stories.", Aaron suggested as he gently pinched Izzy's cheek.
"Yeah, maybe. Let's see. I'd have to talk to Will about it, though. But that's a long ways from now. She's not even a full week old yet."
"Of course... Well, I'll leave you to your daughter. She's beautiful, Elizabeth."
"Thanks, Aaron. And thanks for dropping by with the gift basket! Tell the guys at the office I loved it."
That week, Lizzie received visits from their neighbors, the Harrisons, and she received some congratulatory mail. Even though she hadn't met them yet, Bing's parents sent Lizzie and Darcy a lovely card expressing their joy for them. They didn't know Lizzie personally but they knew she was Jane's sister and Darcy's girlfriend because Bing told them. Mr. and Mrs. Lee already knew Darcy from their previous business dealings with Pemberley and because he and Bing went to school together years ago, so they were genuinely happy for him. Mr. and Mrs. Ricky Collins sent a nice card as well.
Lizzie and Darcy also had a big box delivered to them at Pemberley Digital. It was from Emma Woodhouse. The box held three cute outfits along with little shoes and a card that said:
Congratulations, Lizzie Bennet! And Mr. Darcy, of course!
I just found out that you gave birth to a baby girl. Mr. Knightley called the Pemberley offices to discuss some important boring stuff with Mr. Darcy and they gave us the fabulous news as to why the CEO was absent. If I had found out sooner, you would've received this gift days ago! Excuse the tardiness. Also, I had to mail it to the company building because I don't have your home address and I didn't want to ask you because that would've ruined the surprise.
Anyway, enjoy! Send me a picture of the little princess when she wears these Emma Approved outfits. You have my number!
Plenty of hugs,
Emma Woodhouse (and Alex Knightley)
Lizzie thought the clothes were so cute and really appreciated Emma's thoughtfulness. She sent her a text message thanking her for the gift and then proceeded to follow her on Twitter so she could see what the busy matchmaker was up to.
The weeks passed quickly and November 28th, Thanksgiving Day, arrived. Little Isabella was three weeks old and Lizzie and Darcy still weren't accustomed to the fact that that little person was theirs to raise and to care for. It was a lot of work to take care of such a tiny human, but Lizzie handled it well. The fact that she didn't have to cook and clean was a major relief but even so, it was exhausting. Her mother was pleased to see how well Lizzie was doing with her role as a new mother.
The Bennets joined Lizzie and Darcy the day before Thanksgiving and Gigi brought along her now-official boyfriend, Sidney Parker, the day of. Darcy was very eager to meet the young man that had been the object of his little sister's affections for the past few months. His first instinct was to grill him and find out everything there was to know about him, but Lizzie warned him to take it easy before he left to pick them up at the airport. Gigi would be very bothered with him if he treated Sidney with anything other than kindness.
Lizzie was feeding Isabella in the nursery when Darcy entered to announce that he was leaving to go pick them up from the airport.
"Be nice, Will. You wouldn't want Gigi to leave here angry with you."
"But I don't know anything about this man! How can I just allow him to date my sister?"
"You don't let him do anything. Gigi does. It's her decision. If she likes him, then he must be a good guy, Will."
"But the last guy she liked wasn't.", he said bitterly, referring to George Wickham.
Lizzie sighed sadly. "I know. But give this one a chance. Gigi seems really happy."
Darcy nodded stubbornly and let out a deep breath.
"Well, I am off, my love. Wish me luck.", Darcy said as he strolled over to Lizzie and kissed little Izzy on the head and then Lizzie on the lips.
"Good luck. No grilling. Keep the conversation casual, babe."
Darcy was half-way to the airport when he couldn't help himself and called in a favor for a background check on Sidney Parker.
On the way back from the airport, Darcy tried to make his questioning sound less like an interrogation and more like genuine interest. He found out Sidney was originally from the East Coast but recently moved to Sanditon to become assistant to the Mayor, who happened to be his cousin. He had a degree in accounting and had just finished an internship at a bank back home. He had plans to go to grad school but he had decided to start working. He didn't want to live off his family forever.
"Good, good. He has aspirations and ambition. He isn't a leech."
Darcy was impressed with him so far but he wouldn't be satisfied until he could verify everything he was told. He called back and found that aside from a speeding ticket a few years back, Sidney's record was clean and everything he told Darcy had checked out.
Izzy, Lizzie, Darcy, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Lydia, Gigi, and Sidney all shared a cheerful Thanksgiving dinner. It was the first time in many, many years that Darcy and Gigi had experienced an actual Thanksgiving dinner at home. After dinner, everybody sort of just relaxed in the living room and they all got to know Sidney a little better.
After everyone retired, Lizzie and Darcy headed to the nursery. Lizzie had been spending most of her nights in there since Isabella came home, so they had established a routine of heading up there when they were ready to settle down for the night. Darcy would take his laptop and work on the couch while Lizzie cared for the baby or vice-versa and then they would leave when Izzy was knocked out.
Lizzie was seated in her chair and asked, "So what do you think about Sidney? I think he's great."
When Darcy had finished changing Isabella's diaper, he handed her to Lizzie for feeding and replied, "I like him. Gigi smiles so much in his presence. I also did a background check on him and everything he said was the truth. He's honest. Unlike some other people…"
"Please tell me you're kidding, Will. You did not run a background check on Sidney!", she said incredulously.
"I did. No sense in denying it. I had to make sure. I do not want Georgiana to get hurt again."
"Wow, Will. You'd better not tell her about it. She'd definitely kick your ass for not trusting her judgment."
"Yes, she probably would. But you are the only one that knows. It can be our little secret."
Lizzie looked at him with one eyebrow raised as if to say, "Really?", but she just laughed and nodded her head. "Okay. But if this gets out, I will deny ever having any knowledge of this."
"Do not act as if you are above background checks, Lizzie. When our daughter starts dating, I'd like to see how you react to her first suitor."
Lizzie opened her mouth to protest but then closed it. She looked at her little angel and she felt this wave of anxiousness flow over her. "Nooo! No boys. Not for a very, very long time."
Darcy smiled triumphantly at Lizzie's silence and declared, "I rest my case."
Lizzie poked her tongue out at him and said, "Go to bed, Mr. FBI. I'll go as soon as I'm done with your daughter."
When Lizzie joined Darcy in their bedroom, she found him looking at some reports and said, "Hey, I thought you'd be asleep by now. Why are you working? It's Thanksgiving, William! Take a break."
He began to put his stuff aside and replied, "I am only working because I needed something to do while I waited up for you. It is Thanksgiving, after all. I wanted us to talk about what we are thankful for."
Lizzie slipped into bed and faced Darcy. "Alright, babe. So what are you thankful for?"
Darcy pulled Lizzie closer to him and answered, "You. Our precious daughter. Our loving family and friends. But most of all, you. You have changed my life, Lizzie Bennet. Thank you."
Lizzie smiled at him and said, "I am grateful for you, too. You seem to forget that you have also changed my life, Will. I'm happy. I feel safe. I feel supported. Not to mention, you helped me make a pretty awesome baby."
"That was fun.", he added before placing a kiss on her neck.
Lizzie giggled. "It was. And once I'm ready to have fun again, you'll be the first to know.", she said, letting him know that his kisses were going to get him nowhere tonight. Her body was still healing from the birth and still adjusting to being baby-less inside. She was in mommy-mode and love-making was the furthest thing from her mind.
"Of course.", he said after giving her a kiss on the cheek. He had no intentions of going any further than kissing. He was aware of Lizzie's state and knew not to push the boundaries but it didn't hurt to try a little.
The rest of the Thanksgiving weekend was spent out of the house, surprisingly. Lizzie hadn't gone out since bringing Isabella home and she took advantage of her parent's visit to go out with Darcy, Gigi, Sidney, and Lydia.
The week before Christmas was Lizzie's six-week post-partum check-up. Isabella got her immunizations, which Lizzie couldn't be present for. Just hearing her baby cry from outside the room broke her heart. Darcy was the one who held baby Bella while they injected her. For Lizzie's check-up, everything went fine as well. Lizzie was in the exam room alone while Darcy waited outside with the baby.
"Do you have any questions?", asked the doctor after checking Lizzie out.
"You said we can start having intercourse again, right? So I wanted to know about birth control while breastfeeding. I don't think I'm ready to have sex again just yet but I want to be protected, just in case. This baby was... unexpected... and I don't want another surprise."
She talked it over with the doctor and decided on a non-hormonal IUD.
"We just insert this into your uterus and that's it. You can remain worry-free for up to ten years. If you decide you want to have more children before the ten years are up, you can come back and have it removed."
"That sounds perfect... Can we do that now?"
She left the doctor's office feeling relieved. Her body was recovering splendidly after the birth and now she didn't have to fear becoming pregnant again until she wanted to.
Christmas brought Lizzie, Darcy, and Izzy to the Bennet household. Isabella was seven weeks old and Lizzie was terrified of flying with her and going through the whole airport ordeal, so she and Darcy decided to take their first road trip. They spent almost seven hours driving, but they made it home on Christmas Eve in the evening. Gigi was absent this time around because she decided to go back home with Sidney and meet his family.
The couple and the baby were going to stay at the Bennet house while Jane, Bing, and Mr. and Mrs. Lee stayed at Netherfield. They were all supposed to spend Christmas Day together at Netherfield so the families could get to know each other. Caroline was missing because, like Gigi, she wanted to meet her boyfriend's family as well.
It was the first time Darcy had celebrated Christmas away from his home and, more importantly, away from Gigi. It felt very strange to him but it felt inevitable. Their lives were changing.
Sitting around the Christmas tree on Christmas morning was something Darcy hadn't done in ages, but Lizzie had done it every single year and she wanted him to experience opening presents.
"Merry Christmas, William.", Lizzie said as she pulled a wrapped present out from under the tree.
Darcy was pleasantly surprised. He was used to giving, not receiving. He took the present in his hand and unwrapped it.
While he unwrapped it, Lizzie explained, "What do you get the man that has everything? It was really hard for me to think of a present for you but I finally came up with something I thought you'd like."
Darcy finished unwrapping it and it was a digital picture frame. He switched it on and before him flashed pictures of him with his baby girl, of him and Lizzie, him and his sister… all his loved ones were there. He hadn't realized he'd taken so many pictures that year. He loved it. It reminded him of how wonderful his life had become since Lizzie became a part of it.
"Thank you, my love. It is perfect. I love it.", he stated earnestly.
Lizzie grinned. "You're welcome. Oh, I also bought you a cool scarf. Here. You're such a hipster, babe."
Darcy chuckled and said, "I also got you something. Do not fret; it isn't fancy jewelry or anything like that."
He pulled out two expertly wrapped presents and handed them to her.
"Hmm, let's see what we have here… Pajamas?! Yoga pants?! Oh babe, you are the best!", Lizzie exclaimed and gave him a big hug. To anybody else, it'd seem like a less than thoughtful present, but Darcy knew Lizzie had been living in pajama pants and other stretchy clothing since before Isabella joined them on the outside, so he took a trip to Victoria's Secret Pink store and a nice teenage sales associate helped him pick out everything.
He laughed at her enthusiasm and was glad she liked it. She opened her other present and it was her favorite perfume. The big bottle of it. He'd noticed her smaller version was running low and decided to get her a bigger one.
"Thank you! These are awesome presents. I'm wearing these suede PJ's to bed tonight. They're so soft!"
The gift exchanging continued with everyone else. Mr. Bennet gifted Lizzie a book and Darcy a bottle of an old wine he'd been saving for years but knew he'd never open. Mrs. Bennet gifted Lizzie a baby sling and breast-feeding slip so she could move more freely with Isabella and so that she wouldn't have to leave their company to feed her. It was a very joyous Christmas morning and the day only grew more cheerful when they arrived at Netherfield. There, Lizzie finally met Bing's parents and Bing and Jane announced that they were going to get married the following summer.
Lizzie and Darcy rung in the New Year with their Christmas companions, sans Lydia, who went out to a New Year's Eve party. Everyone dressed up nicely to greet 2014 in style. In the past two months, Lizzie had lost a good portion of the weight she had gained and although she wasn't back to her pre-pregnancy body yet, with the aid of some good shaping undergarments she felt comfortable wearing a shiny fitted dress and dressy shoes. She dressed Isabella up in a sequined outfit complete with a shiny little headband and Darcy donned a shimmery bowtie. Mrs. Bennet had also purchased decorative New Year's hats and party favors for them all to wear. Mr. Bennet took a picture of the new little family and Lizzie posted it to Twitter. Everyone commented on how adorable Isabella was and how elegant Lizzie and Darcy looked.
They were all at Netherfield waiting for the clock to strike twelve, and the couple was granted a few minutes of privacy when they went to change Isabella's diaper.
"It's almost the new year, Will! Isn't it crazy how quickly this year passed by?", Lizzie said as she changed Izzy's diaper.
"Yes. This year has come and gone in the blink of an eye. I still haven't come to terms with how much our lives have changed in a year. Why, this time last year, I was in a hotel room in another city doing business. And now look at me. Spending New Year's Eve with my gorgeous girlfriend and my baby… I just find it so bizarre… It was a year of firsts for me."
"That makes two of us. Last year around this time, I was getting ready to go shadow Pemberley Digital. I had no clue I'd run into you and not even in my wildest dreams, or nightmares as I would've said back then, could I ever have fathomed that we'd end up where we are today."
Darcy nodded in agreement as he stared at Lizzie holding their two month old baby girl. She was so cute and chubby and he was still in awe that she was their creation.
"Let us go downstairs before the ball drops. I need to secure a partner for the twelve o'clock kiss."
"Good luck with that. I think everyone is taken.", Lizzie joked. It was true though. Mr. and Mrs. Lee, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, the future Mr. and Mrs. Lee, and Lizzie and Darcy were the only ones in the house.
"Five, four, three, two, one… Happy New Year!", they all cheered in the living room.
Lizzie was holding Isabella, so the first thing Darcy did was kiss her little forehead, and then he kissed Lizzie eagerly on the lips. Everyone shared New Year's kisses with their respective partners.
Darcy broke their kiss and whispered, "Happy New Year's, baby. May 2014 bring you happiness, health, and success."
"Ditto.", Lizzie replied with a smile and one more quick kiss before her mother came to wish her a happy new year.
Welcome to 2014, beloved characters. Sorry if this chapter felt a bit rushed/fillery. I was just trying to usher them into the new year without boring everyone to death. Everything is pretty much gonna be smooth sailing for everyone from now on. Major events that need to happen before this story ends are Lizzie going back to work and them getting married. Knowing that I can never just write what I plan, there will be some stuff in between. And fast-forwarding needs to happen. Lots of it.
Thanks for reading!