Author's Note: Okay, hi, again. This took me awhile because until this morning, it really wasn't flowing. Anyway, I tried to proofread, but I was reading fast and some stuff probably escaped my notice, so if you see anything (I am almost 100% sure you will), please let me know so I can correct it. I am also bombarded with other ideas (ex. yesterday I though about a colonial America Pride and Prejudice) and I don't really want to start something else right now. But maybe in the future. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you like it. I am still trying to develop a more defined writing style, and hopefully I will, I am making no promises though.

Chapter Two

Darcy felt a sinking feeling as Caroline's driver pulled up to Charlie's town house. She was donning a skin-tight royal blue dress, and her thick blonde hair was pulled into a loose bun that rested on the nape of her neck. He watched her as she walked confidently up to the front door, a moment later the doorbell rang, and Charlie rushed to answer it.

"Hey, Charlie," Caroline smiled at her brother, " I hope you kept your word," she added, hinting at Darcy.

"Yes, Caroline," Charlie sighed, "he's coming."

Charlie called out to his friend, still hiding out in the bedroom. Darcy reluctantly came to the door, and greeted Caroline. She pulled him forward, and laced her arm through his. Darcy grimaced, and looked to Charlie pleadingly, who pretended to ignore him.

The entire car ride seemed to last an eternity, Charlie had conveniently managed to snag the passenger seat, leaving Darcy to fend for himself in the back.

Caroline pressed her body up against Darcy.

"Wow, you look so good tonight, Will," she rubbed the fabric covering his chest, "is this new? I've never seen you where it before and it-"

"No, I've had it for a while," Darcy replied, opening the car door to the venue, and held the door open for Caroline.

She walked past him and greeted some of the caterers.

"Try to be friendly, Will, I'm begging you,"

"I am trying."

Darcy said something to Charlie, but he was occupied, staring off in the distance. Will Darcy followed his eyes to see a very pretty girl talking with a group of other women. The girl caught Charlie's eye and blushed.

"Introduce yourself if you're so infatuated," Darcy sighed. Charlie contemplated such an action until the group of women dispersed, and the young, pretty girl was left alone with another, slightly shorter brunette.

"You know what? I think I will," he added finally finding confidence now that the audience would be significantly reduced. Darcy laughed as he followed his friend to the two girls.

"Hi," Charlie began as the two girls looked up at him, "I'm Charlie, and you are..."

"Jane Bennet," the pretty one said demurely, she was much prettier up close; she had large blue eyes that made Charlie hold his breath, and her hair, pinned up in a partial ponytail was gold in the light of the party.

Lizzie rolled her eyes as she made her reply, clearly he was more interested in Jane than he was in her, "I'm Lizzie,"

Charlie smiled at the girl, she had brunette waves that framed her face, and green eyes, speckled with brown. Both of the girls' eyes followed to a taller man, standing slightly behind Charlie, almost as if for protection. He was really attractive, Lizzie thought, maybe LA was better than she thought. He had striking green eyes and chestnut colored hair.

Sensing their curiosity, "Oh, this is my best friend, Will Darcy," Darcy simply looked at the girls, whom he assumed were friends, as they smiled up at him, politely.

Turning back to Jane, "So tell me about yourself," Charlie implored, wanting to know more about the girl that had transfixed him.

"Oh, Jane's an amazing artist," Lizzie answered quickly, "honestly, this is the first time since we were six that I have seen her without paint somewhere on her body,"

"Lizzie, please," Jane laughed at her sister's comment, "I'm actually a graphic artist, I have a contract at the moment, but I also do freelance projects on the side; please excuse her, art in general is just a hobby,"

"Friend since you were six? Wow, you must be close," he added to Lizzie's comment.

They both laughed, "well we're the two first out of five sisters, and once the third came we knew we had to fight them together," Lizzie joked, "Mary was a handful as a baby, remember?" Jane agreed remembering the year aptly dubbed the year of no sleep for anyone in the Bennet household.

"Oh , sisters," Charlie remarked, mildly surprised, "Wouldn't have guessed..."

"Lizzie takes after our father, while I look the spitting image of our mother," Jane spoke softly, and smiled at Charlie.

No one spoke for a moment but before an awkward silence could taint the conversation Charlie added, "And where exactly are you two from?"

"We're from Montana," Jane explained, "I've been in LA for about two years, doing freelance stuff, but Lizzie just finished grad school at University of Montana, and she moved down here with me."

"Yeah, I thought a Master's in Environmental and Sustainable Sciences would've landed me more jobs," Lizzie laughed, "You can only do so much, anyway, what do you do?"

"Oh, haha, I'm an biomedical engineer at USC's research hospital," Charlie commented nonchalantly.

"Oh, wow," Jane and Lizzie said, both equally impressed.

Jane and Charlie continued to hit it off, and much to Lizzie's dismay, she was awkwardly paired with his friend, Darcy.

"So," Lizzie began, trying to make conversation with this stick in the mud, "what occupies your time?"

He shot her a glance, "I have a company," he said flatly.

"Ookaay, well, what kind of company?"

"Technology development,"

"That sounds interesting," Lizzie lied.

"It's not," Darcy said, not making eye contact with her. Did he read her mind? Lizzie was overly frustrated with this towering human being who apparently only grew this tall so he could easily look down over everyone else.

Darcy was so uncomfortable, why was it so hard to talk to strangers? He groaned internally. This girl was clearly trying to make conversation, and he shot her down every time, and she was really pretty. Darcy looked over at her as she began to rock back and forth on her feet. Crap, he thought to himself.

Lizzie turned toward her sister and Charlie, trying to inject herself into the conversation. Darcy wa squandering her every attempt at small talk.

Eventually Lizzie grew bored of the obvious flirting that was occurring between the handsome biomedical engineer and her sister, and she wandered over to the bar.

She leaned against the bar stool while nursing her gin and tonic. She watched as her sister was pulled from Charlie by some friends from work. Charlie and Darcy were joined by a slim woman in a gorgeous cocktail dress that made Lizzie feel a little underdressed. She had strawberry blonde hair in a loose bun, and looked somewhat similar to Charlie. She clung onto Darcy's arm, and Lizzie laughed at how uncomfortable he looked. Charlie looked up and noticed Lizzie looking at them, and motioned for her to come to him. Lizzie, pleased with Charlie's kind nature, walked toward him.

"Hey, Lizzie, this my sister, Caroline," Charlie explained, gesturing to the woman wrapped around Darcy's arm.

"Hi," Caroline had a saccharine smile, "you are so..." She glanced at Lizzie's dress, and decided it must have been from Target, "cute" she said decidedly.

Caroline was beautiful, but something about her seemed off, maybe it was the fact that she seemed to enjoy Darcy's presence.

"Thanks," Lizzie replied, trying as best she could not to seem sarcastic. Darcy squirmed slightly, trying to get Caroline off his arm.

An awkward silence fell over the group, until Lizzie finally mustered the courage to say, "Well, I need to find my sister," and excused herself from the group.

Darcy watched her walk away, brunette curls slightly bouncing as she walked. Damn, she was cute, Darcy thought to himself. He quickly pushed the thought from his head, and tried to deal with the current issue: getting Caroline off of him.

"Jane you have danced with him a billion times already," Lizzie complained to her sister in a secluded corner on a balcony that she dragged Jane to, "You need to spend time with your darling sister who you haven't seen in a year."

"Lizzie, I think he likes me," she sounded almost giddy.

"Well, duh, dumbass," Lizzie rolled her eyes, "he's either talking to you or staring at you."

Jane blushed, as two men walked out on the balcony. They didn't seem to notice Jane and Lizzie in the corner.

"Darcy just giver her a chance," Charlie pleaded, "you are so awkward, just hang out with her so you don't look so socially inept."

"Charlie, she's vile," Darcy looked at him, "You can't possibly be serious in trying to set us up."

Charlie shrugged.

"Just because you and Jane are flirting till the end of your days does not mean you have to force me with" he coughed out a word Lizzie couldn't quite make out then said, "sister."

Before Charlie could answer, Caroline marched out onto the balcony, "There you two are," Darcy felt defeated. He needed to make it as clear as possible to his friend that he was not interested in his sister.

Lizzie, however, was seething. It was pretty obvious he was talking about her, he said 'sister'. Jane looked at Lizzie, slightly afraid. The party of three made their way inside at Caroline's insistence, giving Lizzie a chance to vent.

"Me? Vile?" She fumed, "How dare he! I tried to make conversation with him, but he was beyond taciturn and unsociable. He is vile, not me!" She should up with the fullest intentions of going into the party and telling him off, before Jane grabbed her wrist.

"Lizzie, no," she said, "Don't make a scene."

Lizzie was affected by Jane's earnest expression, "Fine, but let's leave now, I can't stand to be in the same vicinity as him."

"Janey, you can't be serious," Lizzie said alarmed. It was two days after the party where Jane had met Charlie, hit it off, and exchanged numbers, "You're forcing me to third wheel at your date with Charlie!"

"No, you won't be third wheeling," Jane replied calmly, "it's just friends hanging out, he's bringing Darcy."

Lizzie groaned and flung herself onto the couch, "I would much rather endorse fracking," she paused, "or fossil fuels in general"

"Don't overreact, Lizzie," Jane sat next to her defeated sister, "you don't know Darcy was talking about you."

"Jane, you always think the best of everyone, but he said your name then the word 'sister', he was definitely talking about me."

"Lizzie, I will carpool to work for the next week, and let you use my car to go to your interviews if you go with me," Jane tried to compromise, "I don't want to be alone with Charlie and Darcy."

Lizzie rolled over onto her face, "Fine," Jane thanked Lizzie profusely, "but if Darcy and I get into an argument and ruin the entire time, you CANNOT blame me," Jane readily agreed.