This is my first shot at a fanfiction, so lets see what happens!
Disclaimer: I don't any parts of Pride and Prejudice, sadly enough
Lizzie told herself not to be scared. It was only Pemberley Digital, and she was here to finish what she started. She could do this. Besides, with Lydia settling back in at home and Jane once again in LA, this seemed like the right thing to do. She could feel everything sliding back into place, well that is, except for one thing.
William Darcy.
A small part of her brain wondered if she had ulterior motives for wanting to return so soon. She told herself it was for her thesis, but looking up at that big, reflective building on the sidewalk on a sunny, spring Monday morning in San Francisco, she wasn't so sure anymore. She found his office quickly and imagined him looking down at her, so small outside. She shook her head of such silly thoughts and tried to focus.
"He's the CEO, he's not going to be staring out his window on the off chance I come back." She muttered to herself. She didn't even know if he knew she was back, since she had only called two days ago and figured everything out with Dr. Gardner.
Bracing herself once again, she walked through the doors she had once thought of has home and walked toward the front desk. The receptionist was just as pleasant as before as he handed over her old badge and gave her the keys to her new office. She thanked him and headed over to the elevators, her memory of how to navigate the vast halls of Pemberley Digital quickly coming back.
Once inside her new office she simply collapsed into the chair behind the desk; apparently it took more effort to look calm than she had originally thought. While she calmed herself, she fired up the computer and fished out her ever present camera and tried to find a good place to put the tripod.
She had been in the office maybe 15 minutes before a knock was heard on the door and Gigi Darcy came bursting into the room.
"Lizzie! YOU'RE HERE!" Lizzie quickly found herself enveloped into a lung crushing hug from her wonderful friend.
"Yeah, I just got here actually! I was wondering how long it would take you to figure out I was here!" Lizzie said with a smile.
"Well, you know how finely tuned my Lizzie senses are!" Gigi's voice took on a serious tone as she asked "How are you holding up, Lizzie, seriously?"
Lizzie looked into Gigi's eyes and saw the sympathy there, but she also saw the pain of having been through the same experience reflected back at her. She gave a small, sad smile and replied as best she could.
"I've been better, but I think I'll be okay. I think we all will be, in time. That's why I wanted to get back here so quickly, I mean, I figured nothing could distract me better then finishing my thesis and graduating."
Gigi smiled and placed her hand on Lizzie's arm. "Well, if it's a distraction you want, then I have just what the doctor ordered!" Lizzie had gotten good at recognizing Gigi's trademark mischievous smirk, and was slightly guarded when she asked what she had in mind. Gigi's response was just what she expected.
"It's a surprise! Just keep Saturday open, and we will take care of the rest!" she finished with a flourish.
"Who's 'we', Gigi?" Lizzie inquired with a raised eyebrow. Gigi's smile faltered slightly and her eyes dropped to the floor, staring intently at her boots.
"Oh...you know..." she trailed off, unable to meet Lizzie's eyes.
"Gigi" Lizzie gave a warning. Heaving a sigh, Gigi looked up and met the fiery red head's unwavering stare.
"Just Fitz and me...and William." At the sound of his name, Lizzie felt heat rush to her cheeks. She wondered how long she could avoid any more match making schemes from Gigi and Fitz. She could begin to imagine the plans they had set up- maybe a nice picnic where her and Darcy end up getting stranded by themselves or a museum tour where they both get locked into a gallery, or God forbid, another closet. Almost as if she spoke the words aloud, Gigi spoke again.
"Don't worry, no schemes. William made Fitz and I promise that if we wanted to make plans and hang out we had to be on our best behavior and stay out of yours and his lives." She stated with a nod of her head. Slightly taken aback by the outright confession, Lizzie could only manage a weak mumbled reply.
"So, I'll just let you get settled, and then we can get lunch later?"
"Sounds wonderful, Gigi" Lizzie smiled at the retreating girl, and turned back to her camera. She needed to film her next video and finish her interview with the CEO, along with getting some background information from other departments. She thought about emailing Darcy's secretary to set up another meeting, but then she thought she could call Darcy himself and ask when he as free. Her hand froze halfway to her phone as her thoughts took over.
Do I want to meet with him right now? I haven't even unpacked all my stuff yet. I don't know what questions I would ask. I need to figure out how to apologize and say thank you for taking care of Lydia the way he did.
These thoughts and more flooded her brain as she tried to think of the most logical step. She decided she would wait for the interview for a time when she was more stable and could handle seeing him in person again. Though it had been a little over a month since she left him with box tickets to the theater and a broken heart, she hadn't actually stopped thinking about him. How he rubbed her back when she finally answer Charlotte's call. How his eyes locked into hers and she could see the genuine worry and care he was feeling when he asked her to 'please, just tell me what's wrong.' She watched as his face changed from worry to anger and stone when she mentioned George's name. She flinched at the memory of him abruptly standing and telling her to be ready in 5 minutes, not getting her out of his sights quick enough. Her favorite memory to dwell on during those few days of hell was the look on his face as he shut the door of the car he hired to come get her. She couldn't place her finger on what emotions flicked over his face in that moment- she figured it was dancing between relief at escaping another scandal with Wickham and sympathy for her position as it was one he knew well. She granted herself one quick glimpse over her shoulder as she drove away. The image of him standing stoically on the sidewalk would forever be imprinted in her brain.
It seemed like only moments has passed when Gigi returned to see if she was ready for lunch. Lizzie quickly grabbed her stuffed and followed the petit dark haired girl down the hallway. When they were halfway to the elevators, she voiced the question that had been lurking in the back of her mind since she had arrived this morning.
In a subdued voice she asked "will your brother be joining us today?" Gigi smirked a little at the question and quickly shook her head.
"He can't today, a new project is launching next week and he will be in meetings all day for the next few days to make sure everything goes smoothly. You know how he is, perfection is demanded, so he'll make sure it's perfect." After a slight pause, she continued "you know, you can call him William, or even Will. He wouldn't mind it, coming from you." This declaration had Lizzie blushing once again. She briefly wondered if she was going to blush every time the mere mention of Darcy- Will, she corrected- came up. She could only imagine what would actually happen when she finally ran into him again in person.
Though Darcy was scarce at lunch, another familiar face did make an appearance. A "LIZZIE B!" could be heard across the patio they were sitting at, as Lizzie turned to see an energetic Fitz headed their way.
"Fitz! Oh man, hi!" Lizzie squeals as she jumps up, "it's been way, way, way to long!"
"It has, my lady, it has. BUUUUT, that'll all be fixed this weekend on our awesome 'Lizzie San Francisco Adventure, Part TWO!" he finished with his hands waving excitedly. Lizzie just cocked her head to the side and offered a puzzled looked.
"Part TWO? Gigi, you've already shown me all of San Francisco the last time I was here. Why would we have to do a Part TWO?" Lizzie asked, placing extra emphasis on the last few syllables. She saw Gigi coming back with a retort and quickly cut her off. "I mean, I figured we were just doing dinner or a picnic or maybe just hanging out at your house...?" She slowly trailed off seeing the looks passed between the two conniving cohorts in front of her.
"Weeeellllll...you're partially right. We will probably be having dinner, maybe at my house" Gigi paused and wiggled her eyebrows "but, then again, maybe we won't be." With a nod of her, Gigi established that that was all would be said on the subject for now and swiftly changed the topic.
"So, Lizzie, what's your plan for you big return to Pemberley?"
"Well, I need to finish some background info on all the different department- I didn't have a chance to check out costume design last time I was here, and then finish my report. Oh, and I need to wrap up my interview with your brother." Lizzie prayed she sounded as nonchalant as she could, but judging from the looks passed between Gigi and Fitz she didn't think so.
"Ahh, well, good luck" Fitz said with a wink. "Be sure to go easy on the guy, okay, Lizzie B?" He added, as Lizzie blushed and looked at her food.
"Only if he'll go easy on me" Lizzie muttered to herself, as she finished her meal and headed back to the office to try and get some work done.