Betty walked the last few blocks home from her farewell party at MODE; she needed the fresh air, time to think. It was a really great party, everyone she had known and cared about was there . . . except Daniel. No matter how many messages she had left him or how many calls she had made, she knew she had to face the fact that he didn't want to talk to her ever again. It hurt to admit the truth, but she had to move on with her life.
As she reached her family's steps, she saw a dark figure sitting in the shadows. Her first instinct was to pull out her whistle and pepper spray, but as she came closer she realized the figure was Daniel.
"Daniel!" she exclaimed, with mixed emotion.
He slowly raised his head, the saddest look in his eyes; a look similar to when she had found him after Molly had died. His dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, his sleeves were rolled up, and his hair was rumpled. He looked like he hadn't slept well in days.
"What happened?" she asked, sitting beside him.
"What happened?" he repeated, angrily wiping his tears. "You happened, Betty!"
"Daniel, what are you talking about?" she said, completely confused.
"I was fine – we were fine – until that – that greaseball showed up again and you picked him to go to the wedding over me! It shouldn't have bothered me, but it did," Daniel began.
"I thought you were over that? I-I thought we were okay during the wedding? I never meant to invite Henry in the first place - it was a mistake," Betty wondered why he would still be upset over that.
"I know, and we were . . . it's just that it, and getting bored with Trista, and what your sister said in her speech made me think – probably too much," he replied.
"What do you mean?" she said, still puzzled.
"It made me wonder if maybe I acted the way I did . . . maybe I tried to protect you because . . . maybe there's something more between us than just . . . being friends," Daniel slowly admitted.
"Daniel –" she started, wanting to assure him that he was like family to her.
"I know - it's crazy. I didn't say anything then because I thought we had time to figure it out . . . but after you said you were leaving, it hit me that – never mind . . . I shouldn't be telling you any of this. I told myself I needed to let you go – you're happy now – and that's all I've ever wanted for you, Betty," Daniel revealed before starting to walk away.
"Daniel, wait! What hit you?" she stopped him.
"I'm in love with you, okay!" he confessed.
Betty's eyes widened as if she'd seen a ghost.
"Oh god!" he ran his hands over his face. "I shouldn't have said that . . . You were fine without me there . . . you've got a whole new life ahead of you and I had to go and –"
"Hey . . ." Betty gently grabbed his hand. "It's okay . . . And I wasn't 'fine' without you – I was a mess. If you'd ever pick up your phone, you'd know that."
Daniel smiled, slightly.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I shouldn't have avoided you like that. But I couldn't face you and I thought I was doing the right thing by letting you go without knowing. You probably weren't anywhere near feeling the way I am. And even if you were, I realized I didn't want to ruin your happiness by causing you to stay."
"Honestly, I don't know how I feel. This is all new to me – us being more than friends. I've never thought about it before," Betty told him, nervously rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand. "Since we met, you've always been a big part of my life. And I do love you – only, nothing romantic ever entered my mind. Maybe because you were my boss or because we're really good friends . . . but I know I don't want to lose you either."
He meekly nodded.
"You have to leave tomorrow. I'll uh, I'll email you in a couple of weeks, once you get settled," he said, knowing she'd be too involved with her new life by then to care.
But as he tried to leave, Betty pulled his head down to hers in what should have been the start of their first kiss. Only, their foreheads awkwardly slammed into each other, instead.
"Ow!" they both exclaimed.
"Sorry! That wasn't what I meant to do," she apologized. "Can I try that again?"
Daniel smiled and nodded.
Betty slowly pulled his mouth to hers in a soft, timid kiss, then frowned.
"You didn't feel anything, did you?" Daniel assumed, trying to hide his worried face.
Betty stayed silent and determinedly captured his lips once more, this time more passionately, parting them with her own and getting lost in the moment. Afterward, her mouth formed the biggest grin.
"Much better," she shyly looked at the ground.
"Yeah," Daniel agreed.
"I can't believe that we just . . . I mean, it was amazing, but it was with you . . . I'm not used to feeling sparks like that at all . . ." Betty admitted, confused that of all people, the best kiss she'd ever had was with her best friend.
"It was the same for me too – incredible, but strange," he agreed.
"So . . . what do we do, now?" she asked.
"I don't know. You have to go to London," he said.
"I don't have to . . ." she corrected him, pondering the thought of staying.
"No – Betty, I won't be the reason you missed out on your dream. Go – we'll work it out," Daniel insisted.
She paused for a minute, thinking how hard it would be on both of them. But then she took one look at the man in front of her and realized it was worth it.
"Yes, we will!" she smiled, confidently. "I mean, how can I give up a chance with the best kisser I know?"
Daniel chuckled.
"Come on," she tugged at his hand. "We still have a few hours before I leave – let's make them count."
"Won't we wake up your family?" he hesitated at the door.
She shook her head.
"Hilda's the only light sleeper in this house and she won't care," she answered, pulling him in the door and onto the couch.
She put her purse on the floor and took off her sequined jacket, throwing it on a chair. She started to kiss him when he stopped her.
"How are we going to do this – you and me?" he whispered.
Betty rested her head on his shoulder and thought for a moment.
"We'll talk . . . text . . . Skype . . . and you could come and see me on a weekend," she suggested.
"Is that enough?" he wondered.
"It'll have to be – for now, anyway . . . I don't know what will happen in the future – we could be unable to stay away or we could drift apart. But right now I want to at least try to make something work and hope it does . . . This thing that we have is something I've never felt before and you're too important to me to lose," she replied, truthfully.
Daniel kissed her forehead in agreement.
"I'll fly in as often as I can – every weekend - unless that's too much for you?" he asked, unsure.
"That sounds perfect," Betty smiled and caressed his jawline. "I'm going to miss you . . ."
He leaned down and closed the remaining space between them, capturing her lips tenderly then fervently, taking advantage of every minute they had left with each other.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Morning," Betty smiled sleepily, playing with the buttons on Daniel's opened shirt.
"Morning," Daniel smiled and kissed her.
"O - M - G! This is bigger than Naomi's latest tantrum!" Justin exclaimed as he came down the stairs and saw them. "Mom, get down here! You totally wanna see this!"
"Justin – it's four in the morning – I'm only up at this hour 'cause I have to be! What the hell is so important – Oh my god!" Hilda screamed, Bobby following behind her. "Daniel? And my baby sister? How long have you been keeping this from me?"
"Way to go, Chipmunk!" Bobby joked.
"Ay! When Papi finds out, he's gonna have another heart attack!" Hilda exaggerated.
"Que pasa? What's all the yelling – Oh," Ignacio said as he came down the stairs in his robe and realized the reason for the commotion. "It's about time!"
"Are you serious? Papi, why aren't you freaking out?" Hilda demanded an answer.
Ignacio shrugged.
"Call it a father's intuition," he smiled. "So Daniel, are you coming with us to the airport?"
Daniel looked at Betty for an answer.
"Do you want me to?" he asked her.
"Of course I do," she told him.
"I'll be there," Daniel answered her father.
"Then vámonos! You can use the girls' bathroom to wash up," Ignacio offered. "Mija, are you all packed?"
"I was packed two days ago, Papi," she rolled her eyes.
Daniel smirked lovingly at her.
"That's my Betty . . ." Ignacio shook his head. "Justin, Bobby, Daniel – I'll need you boys to help me carry out her suitcases after you get ready."
"Aunt Betty – I'll help you. You can't go to LaGuardia with Daniel Meade looking like that!" Justin insisted, taking one look at her wrinkled clothes and bed-hair and cringing.
"Come on, Mamita – girl-talk – NOW!" Hilda insisted, pulling her off the couch.
Betty looked desperately at Daniel.
Daniel smiled and headed for the bathroom when Ignacio put a hand on his shoulder.
"Be good to her," he told him.
"I will," Daniel promised. "Do you have any advice for long-distance relationships?"
"Communication. If you don't talk, things fall apart. Don't overwhelm each other, but take time every day to let her know you're still there – no matter how far away," Ignacio said. "You're a good man, Daniel. Follow your heart and you'll do fine."
"Thanks," Daniel smiled.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Boarding call for Flight 607 to London-Heathrow. 1st Class seats 1 through 15B . . ." the announcer spoke.
"That's my flight!" Betty said, feigning enthusiasm.
It was hard to be excited when she was leaving behind so many people she truly cared about - one in particular who she was growing to feel so much more for . . .
"I packed an extra converter for the electrical outlets. You shouldn't go a day without your flatiron," Justin hugged his aunt.
"Thanks, Justin. I'll miss you . . ." she held on tight. "Be good and don't give your mom too much trouble."
"I won't," he said.
"Knock 'em dead, Chipmunk," Bobby hugged her and kissed her cheek.
"Thanks, Bobby," she said.
"You'll give me updates – and all the juicy details on everything?" Hilda reminded, hugging her sister.
"I promise," Betty assured her.
"Be happy, Mija," Ignacio told his daughter, embracing her. "Te quiero."
"Te quiero, Papi," she sniffled.
As her father let go, Betty looked at Daniel.
"I guess this is it . . ." she said, dreading this part most of all.
"Let's give these two their privacy," Ignacio attempted to steer his family out of the way.
"Privacy? Who cares about privacy! I wanna see some loooove!" Hilda protested.
"Mija – vamos!" Ignacio dragged her away with Bobby's help.
Betty and Daniel sheepishly stared at each other.
"So . . ." Betty began to get teary-eyed again, causing Daniel's eyes to well-up, too.
He took her in his arms and held her tighter and longer than ever before.
"I love you," he told her as they broke, cradling her face in his hands.
Betty grinned. She got butterflies every time he said it to her. And even though she wasn't ready to say it back, she kissed him with everything in her, showing him how much she did feel for him.
"Final boarding call for Flight 607 to London-Heathrow. All passengers . . ." the voice over the loudspeaker broke out.
"I'll call you when I land," Betty said, taking his hands.
"And I'll see you Saturday," Daniel reminded her, wiping a tear from her cheek.
She reluctantly backed away and hurried through security, looking back at him so many times she ran into the metal detector.
Daniel smiled affectionately, and shook his head, thinking it was a good thing she'd checked all her luggage.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Two months later, Daniel and Betty couldn't stand to be apart for very long. Weekends turned into three or four days at a time, although Betty refused to allow Daniel to quit his job and move in with her. Luckily, a month later, the EIC position at MODE London opened up and he accepted it, leaving Wilhelmina to solely run the main branch in New York. Four weeks later, he and Betty were happily engaged, with a promising future ahead of them.