Hello people of the interweb! I've recently finished Ugly Betty, and while I realize that it's been some time since the show ended, I couldn't help but post this little one-shot. Detty, of course! Honestly, it really irks me that they didn't kiss... But I have a rant about that on my profile, feel free to read it, or don't. Haha.
This is set sometime after "In Or Out." In the first season. I don't remember if Claire was there yet, but if she wasn't, oh well. For the sake of the one-shot, just pretend she was there the whole first season. Enjoy!
WARNING: This is pretty short, sorry!
Disclaimer: Me? Own Ugly Betty? Hah, you kid, my friend.
It is said that a mother always knows best. They posses and eery 'Mother's Intuition' that, while slightly freaky at times, could actually come in handy...
Now, Claire Meade was no idiot.
She knew her son well, having bonded with him over Alex's death. She knew why he jumped from one woman to the next, dancing through life irresponsibly... He was afraid. Afraid of getting hurt.
Daniel, no matter how hard he tried to appear the complete opposite, was hurt easily. He had been hurt by Bradford, as he continued to favor Alex over him. He had been hurt by his brother's death, a wound that, two years later, had still not healed.
And he had been hurt by Sofia. He had given her his heart, only to be rejected in the most terrible way. You see, the thing with Daniel Meade was, he tried extremely hard to never show his emotions. He lived in a bubble, closing himself off from the rest of the world. When he didn't want someone to know he that he wasn't ok, he acted as if he was fine. The only true keyway to what he was feeling were his eyes.
If you cared to look, you would be able to see the vulnerability shining, between the bright blue ocean. Of course, if you weren't looking for it, you would never see it. Daniel didn't just close off his emotions. At times, he closed off his heart.
Daniel Meade, playboy extraordinaire, wasn't really all he seemed to be. Claire knew this, being the only one that did.
Well, not the only one...
The first time she had seen Betty Suarez, Claire had known that there was something about her. Betty was the only other person to even dare to look past Daniel's facade. She truly and honestly cared about him, and Claire knew that Daniel was grateful to have her in his life.
It seemed as if Betty was the only person who could pick him back up on his feet after he had unintentionally immersed himself in love, and come out losing. Especially after Sofia.
"Daniel, darling, you can't spend the rest of your life in this room." Claire told him. The blue-eyed man groaned, running a hand through his disheveled hair.
"Yes, I can." He deadpanned.
"Wilhelmina has basically taken over 'Mode.' Everybody thinks that you're in Rio, nakedly dancing with anything that has legs, while really, you're just sulking in this room! Honey, you can't just survive in here forever!" She reminded him, slightly annoyed with her son's stubbornness. Why couldn't he be this invested in keeping the magazine on it's feet?!
"Mom, I'll come back when I'm ready." Daniel huffed, enveloping himself in a mass of blankets. Knowing it was the last she'd get from him, Claire scrunched her nose in disgust, and walked out of the dirty room. She knew she had to do something, anything, to get Daniel back to 'Mode.' She also knew just the way to do it. Flipping open her phones, the blonde quickly dialed the number.
"Betty? Hi, it's Claire Meade."
She didn't know exactly what the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, girl from Queens had done to get her heartbroken son up and running again, but it was in that moment that she realized something: Daniel needed Betty.
She was like his tiny savior! Claire was delighted that they had each other. Her son had finally stopped skirt-chasing any female that walked by him, and had actually started focusing on his job.
It was all thanks to her. It seemed that, somehow, whenever Daniel was even thinking about straying onto the wrong path, Betty was there to help him see the light. They're friendship flourished greatly, as they found their own groove.
Claire wasn't surprised. Oh, not at all. She had noticed Daniel staring at his assistant through the large window in his office, on more than several occasions. He would then call Betty in and ask her to do whatever outlandish task that first popped into his brain, all as an excuse to talk to her. First, the signs were subtle.
The two friends often shared small looks, small smiles. One would look up, entranced with the other for a while, until the latter noticed, to which they would both jerk their heads down, blushing furiously.
That's when it began to get more obvious. (To Claire, anyways.)
Daniel could hardly keep from cracking a huge smile whenever Betty walked into the room, an expression shared by the brunette. Oh, Claire Meade was no idiot. She knew that no matter how many mistakes his son made (Ms. Wednesday, Ms. Friday...) fate would do it's part, and bring him back to where he longed to be. With his bespectacled assistant, who was absolutely beautiful to him, inside and out.
Of course, she was to tell Daniel this, she'd be met with a nervous laugh and quick denials. But she knew she was right.
After all, a mother always knows...
And that's all! I think I'll just stick to one-shots for now, and this particular one is pretty cut and dry! Hope you enjoyed, I'd really appreciate some feedback!
Its not much, but I hope I captured Claire correctly!
Au Revoir!
~ Rae