This was supposed to be uploaded before Christmas as part of the 12 Days of FanFic Christmas but I didn't have time to do it, so here it comes. It's a short multi-chapter Detty-fic!

One signal.

Two signals.

Three signals.

Four signals.

"Who is it?"

The groggy yet familiar voice made her heart jump. She had not heard it in two months, partially because of herself, but she had been so busy with her magazine that calling him had been pushed to the side. Again and again.

"Daniel?" she now said. "It's me. Betty."

The other end of the line was silent for a few moments before the reply came.

"Betty, do you know what time it is?"

"It's noon", Betty replied. "Twelve twenty-six. Are you still in bed?"

"Betty, it's... oh... you're right."

Worry seeped into Betty's mind. Daniel had not spoken like this for years, maybe not since their first year at MODE. Something is wrong. Seriously wrong.

"Daniel, are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine", Daniel replied. "Are you? How's England?"
"Rainy and grey last I saw it", Betty replied.

"Well, that sounds... wait, what?"

Something rustled in the background, the covers of his bed most likely. Betty did not have time to stop the fleeting imaginary thought of Daniel stepping out of bed in nothing but a pair of boxers.

"You mean you're in New York?" Daniel said, sounding more awake than earlier. "Or are you..."

"Yes, I'm in New York", Betty replied. "Didn't your mother tell you I was coming?"

Daniel paused.

"She... might've."

"Daniel, what is going on?" Betty demanded to know.

"Betty, it's nothing", Daniel tried to assure her.

"Yeah, right", Betty huffed. "You're going to tell me later whether you like it or not."

"Where are you?" Daniel asked.

"The airport", Betty replied. "Newark."

"I'll come and get you."

"Daniel..."

"Betty, I'm coming."

He hung up before she could protest, leaving her staring at the phone in the crowded hall. She had wanted to suggest meeting some place once she had dropped off her bags at the hotel she would be staying at, but Daniel... well, he was Daniel. And she could not help the thrilled little dance her heart did when she realized that he was on his way here.

Daniel Meade downed another glass of water in the back of his town car while they slowly made their way towards Newark Airport. His head was pounding due to the lack of sleep, yet he felt more awake than he had in the last two months. She was back. It did not matter if it was just a short visit during Christmas; what mattered was that he could see her again.

Betty had quit her job at MODE Magazine last spring, leaving him heartbroken as he had just realized the depth of his feelings for her, and he had eventually followed her to London. They had rekindled their close friendship but Daniel had at that point also found out that she was seeing someone. A Nathaniel Whatshisname. Betty had seemed happy, though, and he had eventually decided to go back to New York, take a few economics classes (and not flunk them, like he had college) and make his own life. They had talked almost every day during the autumn, whether that meant on the phone, through Skype or e-mails. And then the number of talks had lessened and lessened until about two months ago they ceased completely. Daniel did not know how many times he had contemplated sending her a message or calling her, asking her about it, but he did not want to seem too clingy. They were just friends, after all. At least according to her.

He knew he should be mad at her for calling him like this, completely out of the blue a couple of days before Christmas, but he just could not muster that anger. All he felt was happiness and a giddy excitement. Or perhaps that was last night's drinks making themselves known in his stomach. He hoped not.

The car pulled into an open slot in the airport parking lot and Daniel was out before it had stopped completely, forcing himself not to run towards the entrance marked with Arrivals. The hall inside was crowded with people coming to New York for Christmas and he strained his neck to see her. He tried to spot something colourful, something Betty-like, but at this time of the year colours were preferred to black and grey.

In the end it was her voice that caused him to spin around and face her.

"Daniel!"

Everything seemed to stop as he looked at her. Her dark hair was partially hidden beneath a black knit hat, her deep brown eyes were framed by thick black-framed glasses, and she wore a dark grey coat above simple black slacks and shoes. No colour. Even the shirt beneath her coat seemed to be a dull beige thing, no bright red tone with butterflies.

"Betty", he breathed, hardly recognizing her. Then he took two steps towards her and embraced her. When he closed his eyes and inhaled her smell he was able to pretend that everything was fine, that she was still the colourful sparkle that made his day, not this dull grey thing that was completely un-Betty-like. He knew without a doubt that something was wrong, just like she seemed to have been able to tell when they spoke on the phone that something was amiss for him as well.

"Welcome back", he said as he pulled away and straightened. "Had a good trip?"

"Yeah", Betty replied. They looked at each other in silence before Daniel managed to find his voice again and offer to take her bag. A small bag, he noticed. She would not be staying long.

"I'll drop you off at your father's", Daniel said as they climbed into the car. To his surprise Betty shook her head.

"No", she said, "I'm staying at a hotel."

Another surprise.

"Okay", he said, "then I'll drop you off at your hotel."

"Daniel", Betty said, "could... could we stop by your place first? I think we need to talk."

He hesitated before he nodded, then told the driver to take them back to his apartment. The ride home was completely silent.

Chapter 2 coming tomorrow!