Title: A Thump in the Night (1/1)
Author: Me (aka Sharma aka johnshepppardluv)
Word Count: ~2,808
Genres: Angst/Romance/Humor + a wee bit of whump
Pairing: Detty, set about seven months into their London-area romance...
Disclaimer: I don't own Ugly Betty, nor do I make money from this. I borrow for fun only.
Summary: Daniel wants to make sure that Betty's first Christmas spent in Olde Londontown is also her "Best Christmas EVAH!" Will he succeed, or will disaster strike?
Warning: Beware of uncommon sweetness, folks... *LOL*
Notes: This story is my first posted Betty fic on this site, but not my first written one. It's also a fairly long fic, especially in light of my last two for The Mentalist. So, please be gentle with me. Oh and two more things: As I'm not positive about it, I've positioned the finale timing as follows: Daniel goes to London and sees Betty (aka the last scene shown in the finale) in late May; Daniel and Betty officially start their romantic relationship in late June; and, finally, this fic is set in late December (the 24th through to the 25th, to be exact). And, lastly, all dates are set during THIS year (aka 2010).
At any rate, please ENJOY the ride! :D
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
It was her first Christmas in London and Betty was so ready for it. She had been so busy launching her new magazine with Lindsay Dunne, that she was glad to have a break. Daniel had hit the ground running with both her and his new life in London. And they'd been dating for almost seven months now. And despite her initial hesitation, it was wonderful. He was wonderful. It seemed to her like he'd grown into a real adult overnight. He was sensitive and cognizant, even doting on her. And he was constantly making her blush too...
xxx
It was his first Christmas in London, and all he was thinking about was how to make it special for Betty. In New York, there had always been trees in the Suarez household come this time of year. But, they were far, far away from her home and their former lives. He'd known that for months, and it was still sinking in. He knew she hadn't yet gotten a tree, as he'd been increasingly spending more and more time at her place than his. He wondered if she even wanted one. Of course, surprises were a GOOD thing nowadays. And he knew just the thing to get her. A tree was a good start, but it wasn't the only thing, nor was it the best thing...He only hoped he wasn't taking this all too fast.
With Molly, there'd been no real choice. He'd wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together, but they both knew it couldn't last forever. Even if he sometimes pretended otherwise. Even so, cancer was still a dirty four-letter word in his head.
So, now, he was truly seizing the day. He just hoped Betty would seize it with him...
xxxxxx
"Daniel?"
There was a weird rustling sound coming from her phone's earpiece before he answered. He sounded weird though. Distracted, maybe?
"Yeah, Betty?"
"You ARE coming tonight, right?"
"Of course, I am. It IS Christmas Eve, after all."
"So, do you think we're going to get snow?"
"You never know..."
"I really hope so. I used to love snow. You know, Daniel...umm..."
"Hey! Listen, I...uh...gotta go. I'm kind of in the middle...of...something."
Now, at least to Betty's ear, he was sounding even more odd. She also heard another, closer, background rustle coming from her cell...
"Daniel. Are you all right?"
"Yeah. I'll see you later on tonight."
"Love you."
"You too. Bye."
Click. Dial tone.
That was it?
What was going on?
Frowning, Betty put the phone down but continued to stare at it. She sighed. Was he angry at her? They hadn't had a fight in months. He'd practically moved in with her about four months into the relationship, although he still had his other place too...
She lost sight of her phone, as garish images begun running through her head in black-and-white movie trailer style. Daniel: half-dressed and in someone else's limo. Daniel: making out with some buxom blonde supermodel he'd just met. Daniel: Breaking up with her in the most humiliating way possible, like via a post-it on her flat's hallway door or via a text message sent to her cell phone after his stay-over clothes had already mysteriously been cleared out of her flat. Maybe she was duping herself into ever thinking everything was fine. Maybe he'd found someone else. London was a big city after all, full of sophesticated, beautiful women, women just looking to snag some catch like Daniel. And who was she? Just some chick from back home, who was currently running a magazine that hadn't even been fully released yet.
But, then, the rational part of her head finally kicked in and decisively pushed such negative thoughts from her head. Old Daniel might have been that callous once upon a time, but her Daniel, Current Daniel, wasn't like that at all.
To help ease her sudden anxiety, Betty turned to her computer and her blog. Writing always seemed to help...
xxxxxxxx
Date: December 24, 2010.
Time: Evening-ish
Subject: Betty's Blog - Entry 46.
Place: London Flat.
What Am I Doing?: Wondering Where My Boyfriend Currently Is.
Hi guys,
It's Betty here. Long time, no blog. Well, let me tell you
why. I've been very busy. Who knew starting up your
own magazine could be so demanding? Not that I don't
love and thrive on every minute of it. The people are
quite friendly here and I think one in particular is being
quite sweet. *wink*
Unfortunately, London is not quite white yet, even
though it's almost officially Christmas Day.
Four hours away and counting, to be exact.
And I'm beginning to believe it's not beginning to look
a lot like Christmas. Instead, it'll just be cold and clear.
Oh well. There are worse things, I guess. ;)
Wish I could tell you more about the first issue of FYL
Magazine, but it's being released January 3, 2011, which
is also the 1st Monday of the New Year. It's going to be
aimed at everybody and is for all ages, but focuses on
telling the true stories of both women and men in their
twenties and thirties. Inspirational stories. Funny stories.
Happy stories. Sad stories. Stories that make you think.
Stories that make you feel. Stories that make you smile
and laugh.
As for anyone caring about my love life - all one of you, that
is *glances at Hilda* - it's going surprisingly well. Except...
Nope. Never gonna jinx this blog again with the airing of
potentially dirty laundry. I love him and he loves me, and
quite happy are we. :D Anyhoo, I gotta go. It's cold and I
wanna get under the covers. Got a hopefully fun day ahead...
See you mañana, fellow bloggers! :)
~Betty U. Suarez,
Co-Editor-In-Chief,
FYL (For Your Life) Magazine
xxxxxxxx
Closing out of her blog's webpage, Betty felt calmer. But, when she looked at her bedside clock across the room, she gasped. It was almost ten o'clock at night. The view outside of her window was dark and frosty by the look of the condensation on her window. Daniel should've been back by now or at least called to say he'd be late. Unless something had happened. Something bad.
A thousand and one more images started running through her brain. She saw a bruised Daniel lying somewhere after being beaten up, undiscovered by any passerby, because of the darkness of nighttime. She saw Daniel as a person lost in the cold black night and unable to find a way back to her place or find a hansom cab to hail...Plus, a dozen more equally not-fun scenerios, all involving her boyfriend, continued to spring up in sharp relief to her previous okay mood...
That settled it. She'd just have to go out and look for him.
Grabbing her much-used A-Z London Guidebook and her satchel, already packed with her cell and band-aids and tissues and mace (just in case), she shrugged into her warmest English wool peacoat and purposely started towards the door...
Only to hear a soft thump, and then a harder thump, singing out from the other side of it.
She looked through the peephole. She hadn't been expecting anyone who didn't already have a key. But, what greeted her right eye was something out of her past. The green needles of an evergreen tree. A real tree too. Not one of those fake kinds. She could tell. But, then again, she hadn't actually ordered a Christmas tree. She hadn't had the time to. And Daniel hadn't even mentioned getting one.
"Daniel?" she called out.
"Urf."
The answering quiet "urf" sounded like it'd belonged to Daniel, so she opened the door out into the hallway. The tree hadn't vanished, but she still didn't see Daniel...until she looked down and to her right. He was slumped up against the wall. Shivering. With his teeth chattering. And his eyes closed. There was snow in his hair. And ice clinging to his eyebrows and eyelashes. Upon seeing the current frigid state of her lover, Betty immediately hunkered down in front of him. He looked like a Daniel-sicle. She knew now that one of the thumps had been him falling.
"Daniel? Daniel, please answer me..."
Nothing.
Had he passed out?
Then, a faint whisper. Music to her ears.
"Bett-t-t-y?"
"Yeah. You all right?"
"S-o-o-o c-c-c-co-cold."
"I know you are. But, can you get up? It's warmer inside, I promise."
"Th-Th-Think so. But, don't f-o-r-for-r-r-r-get the tree...It took a lot to get that tree h-heeee-errrrreeeee."
Daniel was already moving again, coming out of his stupor and struggling upwards. Slowly, but under his own power.
Relieved, Betty turned to the tree, leaned up against the opposite wall. It was was not particularly tall, but it was taller than both her and Daniel himself. She looked back at Daniel's progress. He was standing, but already wavering. On purpose, she noted a moment later. As he shook the snow from his hair and forehead and ice from his lashes, she saw something else too. A gash - but thankfully no longer bleeding - resided above his right eye. And his lip was busted up too.
Had he gotten into a fight?
"What happened to you?"
"Uh. Ah. Almost got hit by car. Fell on sidewalk. You know, the usual. Tree broke fall. And oh yeah, it snowed. Not a lot. But enough. At least it's still not in my hair...Oh, wait..."
He shook himself slightly again and more snow fell like danduff from his head and shoulders to the carpet underneath his feet.
"At least, it wasn't a fight," Betty found herself teasing. But, inside, she was also plenty glad that he wasn't actually hit by anything. Especially by a moving car.
He responded to her good-natured ribbing with a harsh bark of laughter, quickly followed by a sudden coughing and sneezing fit.
One so powerful that it very nearly knocked Daniel backwards and back to the floor.
Betty immediately dropped the tree and grabbed at him, steadying him before he actually fell.
"Th-Th-Thanks."
"Go inside. Now."
"No arg-arg-u-ments from me. And so-o s-o-o-r-rrrr-y th-that I'm l-l-l-late, Betty."
xxxxxx
Almost an hour later, Daniel was bundled up on the sofa, wrapped up in every quilt that Betty owned and then some. She'd also cranked up the heat as high as it could go.
Despite her warning to him to go in and get warm and not to help her, they'd horizontally dragged in the tree together, top first, with the trunk dragging along behind.
A bag full of multi-colored tinsel and kooky-looking ornaments had also come in with Daniel. Surprising choices, given his usual taste level, but the uniqueness of such things practically sent Betty into one of her hugging fits. Not that Daniel minded them any longer.
Just when she thought she knew him, she did something like this to surprise her.
And what a sweet surprise it was.
The least she could do was repay him with a cup of hot cocoa. And some cuddling. And some snuggling. And maybe some other things too, later on, if he was up to it.
Hot cocoa made, she carefully set the twin sea green mugs, full of steaming hot liquid, down upon the coffee table and plopped herself down next to Daniel, rousing him from his light doze. He'd ditched his soggy street clothes for dry sweats soon after they'd stood the tree up in the corner farthest from the telly. And he was pinking up finally too, after having a hot shower, so he wasn't shivering or chattering any longer.
Awake but still drowsy, he turned then and saw her next to him and immediately smiled a tired smile at her and scooted over, enveloping her with his blanketed arms, so that she too was soon wrapped up in both blankets and him. His blue eyes sparkled with mischief, and he rubbed noses with her - an eskimo kiss, she knew - but then pulled away, seemingly feeling a bit melancholy.
"This isn't exactly how I pictured us spending Christmas Eve, Betty..."
"You bought me a tree, Daniel. A tree! With your own money, and one that you lugged back here all by yourself. And you got the decorations for it too. And as soon as you're warm enough, we can decorate it together. This can still be the best Christmas ever, you know? Do you believe me?"
Betty, ever the optimist.
"Yeah, but..."
"No buts. You'll see."
Daniel steeled himself. He still had the ring. He'd opened and shut the box all day long. But, then his fiasco with the tree had happened. And messed up everything. But, then again, maybe not everything.
He could feel it. It wasn't the perfect moment. It wasn't a magic moment. It wasn't even a fully festive moment. The tree was still undecorated, after all. But, the small square box in his pocket was really all that was now on his mind. Well, that and the beyond-lovely woman snuggled up contentedly with him.
"Betty?"
"Yes?"
"I know this isn't the most ideal time, but..."
"What's got you acting so nervous, Daniel?"
But he doesn't answer her worried tones.
"Daniel, I can feel you trembling. You're practically shaking."
"Listen, I-I-I know this isn't the most romantic moment. And I do still promise to wine and dine you later, but..."
"What could be more romantic than snuggling with the one mildly hypothermic person who's both my best friend and boyfriend, and is probably the one guy out there who just might know me better than I know myself?"
"I thought that was my line. You sure aren't making this easy, are you?"
"What are you saying, Daniel?" Is he proposing what I think he's proposing?
"I'm saying...asking...hoping that you'll marry me, Betty?" Way to blurt it out, Daniel. You haven't even fished out the ring, joker. Act like you've done this before, Meade!
The box, along with Daniel's right hand, finally appeared from within the cocoon of blankets and coverlets and quilts that were still covering them both.
"...I want you to be my wife."
And he opened up the box for her.
Inside was a ring.
A ring that was positively breath-taking and completely unique.
To Daniel, it represented just how he saw Betty with both his eyes and within his soul.
xxx
Shakily, Betty continued to take it all in.
And had her jaw been able to actually drop to the floor, it would've.
Instead of the usual diamond stud, there was a deep blue, center-cut moonstone, ringed by a dozen miniature, lighter blue sapphires.
This was so definitely beyond what she'd thought was afoot. And yet, in the same token, it didn't feel like that at all. It felt...right...somehow.
"So, um, Betty, is that a yes?" Daniel's face was hopeful, but wary.
Wary, because she was still not saying anything.
Wary, because she only continued to stare at the ring now in her hands.
Either way, the answer was soooo easy, soooo simple.
xxx
But, Betty already knew what she had to say.
One little word.
One little word that would forever change both of their lives.
For the better.
At least, she hoped so.
"Yes," she said, grinning into her new fiancé's lips as they happily descended upon hers.
Into a kiss of both endings and new beginnings.
Into a kiss celebrating their new official status.
xxxxxxxx
The clock struck twelve.
Midnight.
Christmas Day had finally arrived.
As had Betty's wish for a snow-covered Christmas.
And Betty's wish for a snow-covered Christmas had become a reality as well.
Yet, the happy couple giggled and kissed on, oblivious to everything and everyone but each other.
xxxxxxxx
Date: December 25, 2010.
Time: 11:00 AM, LST (London Standard Time)
Subject: Betty's Blog - Entry 47.
Place: London Flat
What Am I Doing?: Decorating OUR New Tree With My Now-Ex-Boyfriend...
Hi guys,
It's Betty again.
I didn't think I'd have anything
new to report so soon, but...
Okay, this will be short. Even for me.
I promise. Well, shortish anyway...
Yeah, well, here goes...
*takes deep breath*
I just got engaged late last night! Daniel
proposed to me and I accepted! :D Ergo,
he's no longer my boyfriend. He's my fiancé. :D:D:D
So, you are now looking at what will one day soon no
longer be Betty Suarez, but will rather be Betty Meade.
Honestly, I am so happy right now that I could
probably sweat rainbows and sunshine out of
every pore on my body! :D:D:D
Pictures and details will be forthcoming, just as soon
as Daniel truly wakes up, meaning that he has had
his cup of coffee. Men. ;) *wink*
*runs off to snuggle some more*
~Soon-to-be
Betty S. Meade,
Still Co-Editor-In-Chief,
FYL (For Your Life) Magazine
xxxxxxxxxxx
THE END
xxxxxxxxxxx
So, was it too sweet for ya, girls and boys? Or was it actually pretty okay with you and just right? Happy early Christmas, everyone! :) *hugs to you all*