This idea came to me after watching the reunion at the ATX Festival. Please feel free to read and review! Also, if you think the rating needs to be upped or not, please let me know. And if you haven't already, please go on Twitter and tweet #HuluBringBackUglyBetty - the cast is all for a 2-hour movie on Hulu, but they need our help to make it happen. Thanks! :)
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"Betty, I need to tell you something . . . Remember before you left, I told you that I couldn't live without you?" Daniel began, nervously, as they stood in her flat after their dinner together.
"Yeah, you told me I was really important to MODE and offered me the position as a full-fledged editor and a big raise," she recalled, not following.
"I also meant it personally," he confessed. "I offered you that position because after I said those words, I couldn't bring myself to admit how I really felt at the time. Not that you didn't deserve that position – you did. But I was afraid when I saw your eyes widen like you'd seen a ghost and I second-guessed my decision. So I covered. The job offer was a way to make you stay. It was a way to give me more time until I got up the courage to tell you the truth."
Betty could feel her stomach flip. Her eyes widened the same as that day. She should have been prepared for this. Claire had tried to warn her, she just couldn't believe it was true. Not even when Daniel had shown up that afternoon or taken her to a 5-star restaurant for dinner did she fully believe it was out of love – not that kind of love, anyway.
"Daniel -" she began.
"I-I love you, Betty. I know this is probably a shock. It was a shock for me, too. But you taught me how to love unconditionally. Because of that, I was finally able to see that I love you. I love everything about you - good and bad. Not that there's anything bad about you, but you know what I mean. I would do anything to protect you . . . anything to make you happy. All I'm asking for is a chance to see where things could go – a chance to be something more than just friends. That's why I came here. I needed a new beginning and I want to share that beginning with you," he revealed.
"Daniel, I -" she attempted to speak, but was interrupted by his lips on hers; soft and hesitant at first, then more passionate as he felt her reciprocate. His tongue grazed her teeth before entering, exploring the depths of her mouth. His hands went from her cheeks to her hair then slowly traveled down her back. God, he was good. If this was what kissing Daniel was like, she never wanted to stop. She'd never been kissed so fully or passionately by any other man. It was like his lips were meant for hers. But she had to let go. She couldn't do this – not now.
"No," Betty moaned, leaning her forehead on his, her hands weakly pressing against his well-developed chest, her eyes staring into his hopeful baby blues. How the hell did she not realize how sexy this man was all these years? Well, she'd acknowledged he was sexy, but it was more like a 'bananas are yellow, Daniel is sexy' thing. Now she was really understanding the why and how behind the fact. His sincerity, his kisses, the way he looked at her, the way she knew his heart. She desperately wanted to say 'yes' instead.
"No?" Daniel asked. "I-I'm sorry. I just had to do that. I couldn't wait one more second not knowing what it was like. You didn't act like you were uncomfortable? Were you?"
"No! I wasn't – I-I didn't expect it to feel that way, that's all. I thought for sure it would be awkward. But that was . . . amazing – more than amazing," Betty admitted.
"Amazing's good, right?" he questioned, confused.
"Of course it's good, Daniel. But we're friends – we can't cross that line. I-I can't – we can't. Not now. There's way too much at stake. I love you too much to lose you. I've got my new job and my new life here . . . I can't handle a new relationship, too – especially one that I can't afford not to put my whole heart into. And you deserve that, Daniel. You deserve so much more than I can give you right now," she explained, caressing his cheek.
"Yeah, I get it. I don't want to hold you back from your dream," he sighed, disappointed. "I, uh, I guess I should go. I've gotta make some decisions about where to live and work . . ."
"Daniel, please don't be mad at me. I'm glad you're here – I could really use a friend right now. I'm probably asking too much, but please stay – I need you," Betty pleaded.
"I'm not mad, Betty . . . just disappointed," he clarified.
"That's usually worse than mad," she sighed, lowering her head and feeling extremely guilty.
Daniel gently lifted her chin.
"Hey, we're good. I understand. I'm just gonna need a little time - a few days to re-evaluate some things. I'll call you, okay?" he said, lovingly kissing her forehead, allowing his lips to linger.
"Thank you," she told him and held him tight. Daniel's strong arms wrapped around her and for the first time she felt different in his embrace, loved in a new way. And as he tenderly pressed his lips to the top of her head then rested his head on hers, she almost wanted to tell him she'd changed her mind. But she stood firm and kept her resolve. This job was the opportunity of a lifetime. A chance at love would have to wait - even if that chance with Daniel was gone by the time she was ready for it.
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It was six years later. That night was the last time Betty had seen or talked to Daniel. She had tried to get in touch with him, but he had disappeared and changed his number. She realized that she was the one who had rejected him, only it felt the opposite by the way he had vanished on her without warning. She'd thought that they were okay, that they could get past everything. But days, then weeks, then months went by without anything from him. No one at home had seen or heard from him either.
Betty had tried to tell herself that it was better that way. Daniel was no longer around, therefore no reason for her to have a distraction from her work – be it friendship or the curiosity of something more. He was gone. Gone. Why did that word have to seem so final . . . like there was no hope for a future – ever? And why the hell would she think that there would be? Did she honestly believe Daniel would be pining away for her forever? Did she think that was fair? Of course not – it was selfish. But for once in her life was it so wrong to be selfish? She had sacrificed so much for others over the years, couldn't she just have this?
She'd had dates, but most of them were publicity related and nothing more than a way to get herself on London's version of Page 6 in the tabloids. After that brief moment with Daniel, Betty couldn't see herself getting serious with anyone else. Every other man seemed to pale in comparison. Eventually, her work had consumed her – or more truthfully she had allowed it to consume her in order to keep her mind off of Daniel. She continued to come up with enough ways to busy herself that, over time, she honestly believed that she didn't have time for a personal life anymore.
In hind sight, she realized that she had been proving Wilhelmina right. She had chosen work over love, when years ago she had been so naïve, thinking she could have it all. That resonated with her. What had made her change so much that work was more important than the people she loved? Her family? Her friends? Her . . . Daniel? She hadn't seen her family except on holidays. She'd barely had time to talk with them for five minutes a day before someone or something interrupted them. The same was true for her friends. She finally had the job she wanted, but at what cost?
Betty had heard from Marc a few days ago. According to a phone call from Alexis to Claire, Daniel had been working with her at MODE Paris. He then had started a charity foundation under Molly's name for children with cancer, once realizing there was something he enjoyed doing on his own. She was happy for Daniel. If he was happy, she was happy for him. He deserved to have accomplished something without it being handed to him.
Betty missed him. She missed his smile, his laugh, his voice, their talks, his adorable insecurities, his annoying digs, their inside jokes, his hugs, his incredibly blue eyes, his lips – definitely his lips . . . she missed all of him. Shit! She'd blown it – she'd blown a chance to be with Daniel for real – not just as his trusty sidekick or his best friend, but as his equal, his love.
It wasn't as if she'd been crushing on Daniel since she'd met him – that was far from the truth. Only he had grown so much since then and so had she. When he'd told her he loved her it had been so surreal. He was her best friend - not boyfriend material. He was just Daniel. But that kiss . . . damn . . . that kiss changed everything she thought and felt about him. She still dreamed about that kiss all these years later. She'd given Daniel up for a freakin' job? True, difficult and scary as it was, it had been the job of her dreams. But she would trade it all in a second if she could change the past, change how she had ended something that had only just begun.
Claire had given her a call earlier that week about running a new magazine at Meade. At the time, Betty wasn't sure if she was ready to go back there and face the past. However, she was now contemplating Claire's offer. It was more money and a chance to spend more time with her family and friends again . . . She'd missed them like crazy . . . Her magazine in London was running smoothly . . . Maybe it was time for her to give the reigns to someone else who she knew would take care of it and keep its integrity? She needed a break from her life in London – maybe a permanent one if necessary. She had to fix the damage she had done – if not to Daniel, to everyone else she cared about. She had to go home.
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As Betty got up the courage to enter the Meade Publications building for the first time in six years, her mind drifted back to all the memories she'd had there. The majority of them involved Daniel . . . Daniel. No matter how hard she tried, he would never be out of her heart. Betty imagined what it would be like to see Daniel again . . . to kiss him one more time . . . to feel his arms around her. She could almost smell the cologne he used to wear. She apparently drifted too far to look where she was going before she smacked right into someone.
"Oh, sorry!" Betty apologized, then realized who it was. Her eyes had to be deceiving her. "Daniel?!"
"Betty?!" Daniel said, just as surprised.
"What are you doing here?!" they both questioned simultaneously.