Friday afternoon at his lunch appointment, John Benet was eating his sandwich and listening to his future son-in-law with great amusement. His daughter had been right, Will really did have a flair for the dramatic, but in this situation, John completely understood. "She wants you to take a dance class," he asked incredulously. "Really, my Lizzie?" He took out of his cup in front of him. "That doesn't sound like her." He raised his eyebrows and sat his cup down.

"It's not her," Will responded. "I know it's not." His sandwich had not been touched. He had been venting his frustration for the full fifteen minutes they had been at the small sub shop on the corner of Holyoak and Central. It was good to talk to John. Over the past two years since he had started to date Elizabeth, besides Charles and Dustin, John Benet had been a close ally. John had always been there to help William navigate the shark infested waters that were the Benet women and one woman in particular. The mother. "It's Emily," he continued. "She's been on a high since the day that I put a ring on Lizzie's finger. I'm sorry but this is too much."

"Hey I'm totally in agreement with you there. Lizzie's just trying to appease her mother," John finished.

Emily Johnson, also known as the esteemed John Benet's first wife was well known. Mostly for the amount of times she went under the knife, but also for ridiculously over extravagant. She loved diamonds, and make-up, and could never have too much crystal. She was way over the top every day of her life. She lived everyday as if she was in her own personal soap opera.

Elizabeth had fought all of her life to win the favor of her mother, to no avail. And the idea of Elizabeth letting her mother control her wedding day, John couldn't take.

Elizabeth Cathrinn Benet had always been his special little girl. He loved all of his children but everybody knew that Lizzie held a special place in his heart just for her. Maybe it was a circumstance of her birth. She'd been a twin, but when Emily had been five months along she had a miscarriage. A routine ultrasound after the miscarriage had revealed one heartbeat when there had been two last week. The news was a blessing from God, for John who knew the statistics of a child surviving an ordeal such as that in the womb. Nevertheless John held his breath until the day he heard the most beautiful sound in the world, the sound of his infant daughter crying as she took her first breath.

Elizabeth had been a constant reminder to Emily of the infant lost that she would never be able to meet. Only when Elizabeth started coming into money did Emily turn her favor to her in the least bit.

Maybe the reason she was so special was the way she looked so much like his beloved mother, even as an infant, her dark, curly hair, and her eyes, the way the held his with so much trust and the unconditional love a child.

Elizabeth's first word had been daddy, and rightfully so. She was the darling of his heart.

All of his girls were definitely 'daddy's girls,' no doubt about it. Their love of school, much to their mothers dismay, and were constantly at his ranch riding horses with him. Emily found the three youngest Benet daughters to be her favorites and spoiled them to no end. He, however, cherished them as best he could, even when he knew they needed so much more.

Every time he thought of the divorce, it was like stabbing him with a knife in the stomach. He had tried to make it work, he really had. Especially for his five young daughters, but once bitten twice shy. He couldn't stay in the household any longer. And although he was now happily re-married, Emily would always hold a little place in his heart. She had given him the most precious things in his life, his beautiful girls.

Jordan Lani, also known as Jane, was named for his mother Lani. Elizabeth Cathrinn carried his grandmother's name. After her Madison Rae, Kaitlyn Briana, and Lexie Jo followed. He loved all of them so much. Six years ago God blessed him with Dustin and Olivia, and little Jacob was born two years ago. Eight kids in all, eight very different kids.

The divorce had forced his daughters to grow up much too soon, in his opinion; though he did everything he could to prevent it. Jane had been seventeen at the time making the others fifteen, fourteen, twelve, and ten respectively. Jane took a job as a candy stripper, volunteering at the local hospital where John himself worked as an attending physician. She spent so much time there, even after hours, raising the spirits of the residents, and getting some much needed quiet time away from her fool of a mother.

Elizabeth signed with a talent agency out of Indianapolis, who had been trying to get her to sign since she was thirteen. They had come every month for the time between the ages of thirteen to then, and to no avail failed to convince her to sign with them. She just didn't want to. When he got the call that told him she was finally going to sign, his heart broke. And before he signed his name allowing his consent for the minor in his care to start modeling through them, he tried to convince her not to, but her mind had been made up, her mother's constant nervous episodes, worse since the divorce, finally wearing on his witty and stubborn Italian tempered daughter.

Madison had nightmares, and as much as her mother favored her, she begged him every day to let her come live with him. John wanted nothing more to take all of his daughters to come live with him, he couldn't uproot their lives any farther than possible. He lived on the other side of town, they would've had to change schools, make new friends, and he felt that they needed a sense of normalcy in their lives.

Kaitlyn talked to him every night, and when Lizzie bought her first car she was at his upscale, six bedroom townhouse everyday it seemed. It was then that he decided to move his three middle daughters in with him. In the divorce he had been giving residential custody of them, so Emily could not argue with him in that matter. Jane was in college at the time in Indiana, and Lexie was doing well with her mother, and seemed to remain unaffected. She spent her weekends with them.

Lexie, he knew, was not biologically his, but she was still his baby, and treated her as his own.

When he wasn't busy with his girls, helping Jordan with biology exam or Lizzie manage her decidedly hectic schedule. Madison had her piano recitals, and Kate loved volleyball and basketball. Lexie made the varsity cheerleading squad. He was there for all his girls, as much as he could be. He spent a lot of his time at the hospital where he worked. He loved his job and it was there that he met Cora. Cora Williams was a newly hired Registered Nurse on the pediatric floor. Newly divorced herself, she had moved to Chicago to start new. With her she brought her son, who was Jane's age, Dustin, and Olivia, who was a little older then Lizzie. Dustin had been majoring in Psychology at NYU and transferred to the local college here to be with his mother, and continue his education. A year later knowing she was ok he transferred to the University of Kansas, to finish up his studies. Olivia was a star student, like Lizzie, and valued her education dearly, she could most always be found at the library.

His children became fast friends with them and they loved each other as only brothers and sisters could. John and Cora were united in marriage on a beach in Hawaii, with only their seven combined children their as witnesses.

Cora loved his girls as he loved her children, and the kids had no trouble at all calling their new parents mom and dad. She fast became the calm to the girls' otherwise chaotic lifestyle, much do to their mother.

They all loved each other and respected the circumstances that lead them to becoming a family.

John took another bite of his sandwich and swallowed. Elizabeth wasn't her mother's child and he would be damned if he let Emily ruin her special. His mind was brought back to a conversation a year earlier he had with her. "All I really want to do is go to Vegas," she had said as she looked up at the stars. "But I know how important it is for the family to be there." Of course he wanted to be there, to give away his beloved daughter to the man who she would spend the rest of her life with. But he knew if these elaborate plans continued she wouldn't be happy. That was the most important thing for him.

He wanted her to be happy.

Elizabeth had done so much for Emily. She paid her bills when Emily's alimony ran out much too soon every month. Elizabeth shouldn't have to risk her day for her mother.

"William," he started, he drew in a big sigh and continued. "Take the rest of the day off. Go home pack you two a couple of overnight bags, and take her to Vegas. That's all she's ever wanted. She's never been one for the dramatic." He folded his napkin and put it on his plate. "I can't stand to see her special day with you ruined by an overdramatic, attention-hungry mother."

William who had already considered that idea, but quickly shot it down, until now he couldn't even fathom marrying Elizabeth without her family present. Now though considering the circumstances the idea of her being his wife by the end of the day was appealing to him.

John knew he was about to argue against it, and he knew the reason why. Her family was important to him. There was nothing lacking in Will's moral character. "You have my total consent. Cora and I will throw you a reception on Sunday when you get home. We'll get the whole family there, yours too. It'll be exactly what she's wanted since she met you." He gave William a pat on the back as they walked to the front of the café to pay the bill.

Three hours later Will sat with Elizabeth in their first-class seats getting ready for take-off.

Elizabeth was completely ignoring the dozen texts asking why they weren't at the dance studio yet from her mother. Sighing she turned off her phone and laid her head on Will's shoulder, the exhaustion of over-indulgent wedding plans fast in her past.

So I wrote this chapter last night, and the first draft was so much longer, so I made some cuts and decided to put them in a future chapter. This chapter covers much of Elizabeth's past through the eyes of her father. Mr. Benet has always been a character that I've always been a big fan of, basically because of the way he loves his daughters. I wanted him to be more of an open book for my story because I want to explore his thoughts and figure out why he does what he does.

I modernized most of the girls' names and even Mrs. Benet's, so I hope that the characters are recognizable. I hope you guys like it and continue with me on this Modern journey for Elizabeth. I'm going to try to post updates often. If you like, drop a review.

Disclaimer all of them belong to Jane Austen; Baby Emma, Cora, Dustin, and Olivia are mine.