Author's note: Hi, again! I want to thank everyone so much for their wonderful feedback on my previous fic (The Dreaded Love Triangle); it's still a work in progress, but I promise I will update as soon as I can.
Description: This fic has kind of an odd premise. It's DanielxBetty of course, but in an Alternate Universe. It's set during the Meade/Slater dinner disaster in the episode "A League of Their Own," except Daniel and Betty are attending the dinner as an established couple.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Ugly Betty or any of the characters…not even Daniel. Sigh.
Chapter one: "Mommy Made Fondue!"
Daniel Meade and Betty Suarez stood hand-in-hand in front of the Meade Mansion, staring blankly at the lion-head doorknocker. "Its eyes follow us when we move," Betty whispered. She and Daniel both leaned a little to the left, as usual, both perfectly in synch with one another. Sure enough, the lion's eyes seemed to follow. "Creepy," Betty breathed.
"Okay, this is the part of the horror movie where the entire audience is screaming 'Do NOT go in there," Daniel noted. "In addition to telling Dad I lost not only the Atlantic Attire account but 52 freakin' percent of our advertisers, I also have Stepmonster to contend with."
"Then I'll be right beside you with a chair and a whip, fending her off," Betty said softy, calmly. Betty had snapped out of her own nerves-induced paralysis when she'd heard the strain in her Daniel's voice. Daniel looked down at her tenderly—she barely came up to his chin, but he had no doubt she'd be down in the floor wrestling Bradford and Wili if she thought that'd save him from his father's belittling and Wili's barbs. Their eyes met, and they conversed in their own private world.
"You're not taking the fall for me, Daniel," Alexis said, walking up behind them and startling them both out of their reverie.
"Jesus, Alex, you scared us! For a second, I thought Wilhelmina had learned how to teleport as part of her pact with Satan. And yes, I am," Daniel said, fixing his bro/sis with a firm eye. If there was one thing Daniel had picked up from Bradford, (the only thing, he'd convinced himself firmly) it was how to give that cold, stern blue eye. The only person it failed to intimidate was Betty.
Alexis shivered. "He'll crucify you and you know it. You lost those accounts because you were defending me, but he won't see it that way. Let me handle this, Daniel, or, as usual, you'll be the lamb for the slaughter."
"That's not going to happen to either of you," Betty declared in a final way, "if I have to put Bradford Meade in a headlock and force him to listen to reason."
The two Meade siblings looked at her fondly. "C'mon, let's go inside," Daniel grudgingly said, snuggling Betty. He savored the warmth of the moment because he knew as soon as they were in Bradford and Wili's presence, the evening was going to be frigid from here on out. The door opened abruptly and there Wilhelmina stood in all her beautiful, snow-white, icy glory. Oh, Christ, she's wearing an apron, everyone collectively thought.
"I hope you're hungry," she said with her white, perfect smile (how could such a beautiful smile be so fake, Daniel wondered grimly), "because Mommy made fondue!"
Daniel threw up a little in his mouth.
Feedback is very much appreciated! Thanks!