Authors note: I know I have a few stories that need to be updated but I was inspired to write this for some reason... It's a definite Detty! It is also an A/U story at that...
"Betty, I don't want you to go to Paris..." Daniel stated softly as he stood in front of his desk staring at Betty....
"Daniel, it's a great opportunity for me... I thought you would be happy for me that I get to pursue my dream!" Betty let out as she could feel the tears fall down her smooth cheeks...
Daniel wanted so bad to reach over and wipe her tears away but thought against it..."I'm happy that you get to pursue your dream, but, does it have to be in Paris of all places..."Daniel announced as he could feel his throat start to close up...
"Daniel, this isn't easy for me either... I'm leaving my family, my life, and now my best friend whose meant everything to me... I need to do this, Daniel..." Betty said softly as she grabbed Daniel's hand and squeezed it gently...
"I know you need to do this, Betty... I'll support you no matter what, but, just know I'm going to miss you terribly..." Betty threw her arms around Daniel as more tears fell down her cheeks... Daniel gripped his arms around her tighter as he could feel his own tears fall down his cheeks...
Betty woke up with a start as the alarm went off by the bed. Her friend and roommate Pierre came into her room and smiled at his American friend. Betty came off the bed and gave Pierre a sweet kiss on the cheek...
"Good morning, Betty!" Pierre let out
" Good morning, sweetheart...." Betty loved the way her name rolled off his lips A tear fell down her cheek as she thought about leaving him in a month...
Pierre had become such a good friend and colleague to Betty since she arrived in Paris.... She couldn't imagine going back to America without him there.... "I'm going to miss you when I return to America in a month..." Pierre reminded Betty of a certain American friend that she truly missed. The only difference between the two men was Pierre was gay...
"Well let me come with you.... I always wondered what your country was like and this flat won't be the same without you anyways...." Pierre stated as he looked at his dearest friend.... Betty was the best thing that walked into Pierre life six years ago and he was going to miss her very much..... She had literally turned his life upside down in the best way possible...
Betty wanted Pierre to go with her to America so bad, but, someone needed to stay back and run Real Woman in Paris... While Betty ran Real Woman in America..... "If I could I would take you with me, but, someone needs to stay here..... I only trust you to run this company, Pierre...." She pointed out as she looked into his deep blue green eyes..... God, I miss Daniel! Pierre's green blue eyes couldn't compare to Daniel's baby blues and she couldn't wait to see Daniel's face when she stepped foot back into Mode...
Betty had changed quite a bit since she worked at Mode.... she was no longer the naive 25 year old that wore colorful clothing and had full on metal in her mouth... She was a strong, sexy ,31 year old, but, she still managed to be Betty.... She might have thrown out her old clothes for nicer designer ones but her accessories she chose were definitely Betty.... Especially her shoes.... Plus she finally owned her own magazine and that made Betty feel amazing..
Real Woman was a magazine Betty thought of three years ago. She had been working for MODE in Paris and was sitting in a coffee shop just outside of Paris with Pierre when the idea popped into her head....
Pierre thought it was a fabulous idea and told her to pitch the idea to Cal Hartley and Claire Meade....
Cal Hartley had saved Mode magazine and all of Meade publication's six years ago.....He had history with Claire and was seeing her right before Betty had left to go to Paris.... It was hard for Daniel to wrap his fingers around the idea of his mother and Mr. Hartley together but Daniel sucked it up for the good of the company....
Cal and Claire had loved the idea for the new magazine and gave Betty the capital she needed to start the magazine....Betty was so excited that she ran all the way back to her apartment to share the news with Pierre... They had been business partners ever since...
As Betty packed her bags to go back to place she once called home she thought about Daniel.... She wondered how he was doing....
Daniel sat in his office on Monday morning with a smile on his face.... His assistant Mary came in and placed a bagel with low fat cream cheese and water on his desk.... His smile disappeared as he looked at Mary... "What is this?" Daniel asked knowing that the doctor suggested he watched his blood pressure and sugar....
Mary looked at him as if he had grown three heads..."Mr. Meade, I've been your assistant now for two years... In those two years, you have almost had two heart attacks... So, that's what your nutritionist, doctor, and your mother wanted you to eat...." Mary exclaimed again even though they had this conversation everyday for the last six months...
Daniel smiled and rolled his eyes as he took his heart medication and a swig of water... He liked Mary , she reminded him of Betty when she first showed up at Mode... All gung ho about working for the Editor and Chief of Mode... The only difference was Mary wore mostly black and white were Betty was always wearing something that reminded him of a rainbow.... His pocket of sunshine that he missed terribly...
Mrs. Meade- Hartley walked into Daniel's office and smiled at her handsome son... It was a shame he didn't have someone in his life.... He was 41 and didn't look a day over 36... She knew he missed Betty horribly but she smiled knowing Betty would be here Wednesday morning bright and early....
"Hey, mom!" Daniel stated as he notice her walk in..
"Hi, sweetheart! I was stopping by to invite you to dinner Wednesday night at mine and Cal's house around 6:30.... Matt and Amanda will be there, Tyler will be there, and a guest of ours whose starting her magazine here for Meade- Hartley Publications will be there... I would like for you to meet her..." Claire suggested...
"That sounds fine... I thought Matt and Amanda were in Hawaii for the weekend?" Daniel questioned...
"Matt called Cal last night and stated that there back in town and they have news to share for us..."
"Oh, ok..." Daniel announced as he thought of his step brother, and his half brother Tyler... That was an awkward conversation.... At one point Daniel wanted to strangle Matt more than he wanted to call him his brother... Now they got along better than Alex and him did.... Tyler, was a bonus when they found out... He seemed to fit just right in.... Now whenever Daniel, Matt, and Tyler got together they always found something to rag on each other about....
Daniel was glad when Cal had found out about Tyler that he didn't get overly upset like Daniel thought he would.... It took some time for him to fully accept Tyler but now he could call him son without flinching or stuttering.... Daniel could honestly say he got the family he always wanted even though it wasn't conventional.... He even got used to Cal calling him son, though he would never take the place of his dad.....
There was just one thing missing from Daniel's life and that was Betty.... He thought about her constantly... There wasn't a day that she didn't cross his mind.... He realized when she left she was his soul mate, and he wanted her back.....
Betty stepped off the airplane and breathed in the New York City air.... She missed that smell as she walked towards the long tunnel that would lead her to her family.... She smiled when she saw five smiling faces of her family members.... She ran to her Papi immediately and wrapped her arms around him....
"I missed you so much, Papi!" Betty softly said as she kissed his cheek...
"No, Mija, I missed you..." Ignacio let out as he squeezed his youngest daughter one more time....
Hilda, Bobby, Justin , and baby Rosa who was now five stood next to her Papi... "Girl, you better get over here and give me a hug before I kick your butt!" Hilda hadn't changed one bit....
Betty wrapped her arms around her sister and smiled.... "God, Betty, you look amazing....Did you lose weight since Christmas.... I'm still trying to take off baby weight from Rosa..."
"Well, I'm always on my feet, running my magazine, so, maybe I've lost a little..." Betty shared... In truth Betty had lost a good twelve pounds since she moved to Paris but she had toned up a bit after Christmas when she knew she was coming back home...
"You look good, Chipmunk!" Bobby stated as he held Rosa's hand..." Aunt Betty, you look pretty!" Rosa complimented...
"Thank you, pretty princess! Good lord, Justin you get taller every time I see you.... How's working at Mode..." Betty asked as she gave Justin a hug...
"Fabulous as always... I love being Amanda's assistant and working in the closet..." Justin announced... He had been working for Mode now for six months and when he wasn't working he was auditioning for Broadway plays.... He hoped to make it big on Broadway one day....
"Well I'm glad Amanda is taking good care of you..." Betty stated as she thought of her blond friend...
"Daniel takes me to lunch every once in a while too..." Justin mentioned...Betty let out a small sigh as she thought of her friend. She couldn't wait to see him tonight at dinner even though she really wanted to race down to Mode right now... She kept her cool in front of her family but the excitement of seeing him again was almost too much for her...
She knew she made the best and worst mistake six years ago when she left... She just hoped he had missed her just as much as she missed him....
A/N This story will probably heat up eventually... I may and may not make rated M later on... You be the judge...