Don't know how it happened, but somehow I got bitten by the Danimina bug and I got it bad... So here is a fic I started writing! Hope you enjoy!

Don't own 'em. Wish I did because then Danimina would not exist only in my mind...

IMPORTANT: Spoilers up to Episode 16. Goes AU after that.

Chapter 1:

"Daniel."

Daniel looks up when Betty enters his office, looking at him almost sternly. He picks up a stack of papers, looking at her with the same old worried frown he'd been carrying since Connor had fled.

"Can you fax these to…"
"We need to talk."

"About?"

"Well…"

Betty sits down in front of him, twirling her fingers around nervously.

"It's about… Wilhelmina."

"What about her?"

She notices the steeliness in his gaze and sighs, forcing herself to push on with the conversation.

"Daniel, I just… I know you hate her and she deserves that because she's horrible and evil, but… I was just wondering if you could… I don't know, go easy on her for a while?"

"After what happened with Connor? Are you serious?"

Betty takes a deep breath, nodding quickly.

"Because of what happened with Connor. Daniel, I think she really loved him."

Daniel just shakes his head and Betty takes a deep breath, knowing that if she admits what she was about to admit, Wilhelmina would make sure she died if she ever found out.

"Daniel, when I was talking to her earlier… she was crying."
Daniel lets out a dry laugh before he can stop himself and shakes his head when he notices Betty's reproachful expression.

"Betty, come on. Wilhelmina doesn't cry! I don't think she has tear ducts. She had them removed years ago."

Betty just stares at him and he rolls his eyes.

"Come on, Betty. Seriously? This is Wilhelmina we're talking about. The woman who tried to trick my father in to marrying her, who tried to take my job more than once, who…"

"Who fell in love and got hurt."

They stare at each other for a long time and Daniel finally sighs.

"Fine. I'll go easy on her."

"Thank you. How's it going with you and Molly?"

"We're over."

"But…"

"I don't want to talk about it, Betty."

"Whenever you want to…"

"Thanks. Give Wilhelmina a call please. Tell her I need to see her right away."

One look from Betty makes him change his mind and he stands up.
"Or… you know what, I'll just walk to her office."

Betty nods at him with something resembling pride and he flashes her a small smile before walking to Wilhelmina's office.


Wilhelmina looks up coldly when there is a knock on her door, putting the pen down and running her hands through her hair quickly.

"Come in."

If possible, her eyes get even when Daniel enters and she sits back, eyeing him.

"Come to gloat?"

"No. I… I wondered whether you needed to take a few days off to be with William? And to…"

"Sit around and cry?"

"Well not exactly…"

"I don't need your pity, Daniel. I'm fine."

"Look, Wilhelmina, I know you fell in love with Connor and I… I just wanted to know if you were okay."

"As I've said… I'm fine."

The flicker of hurt in her eyes is so quick, for a moment he wants to blame it on his imagination and walk out. But something stops her and he sits down at her desk, looking at her silently. Wilhelmina frowns, trying her best to muster up her best steely gaze.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm waiting."

"For?"

"In case you need to talk."

"Okay, did you fall down and bump your little head? If I for some bizarre reason needed someone to share my heartache with, it would not be you. Now go."

The look on her face is enough to make him want to run, but for some reason he doesn't.

"So you admit that it hurt you? What he did?"

Wilhelmina stands up, pressing her palms flat on the desk and glaring at him icily.

"Do you want to hear how I spent a whole night crying because I lost a shot at happiness with someone I love? Do you want to hear how badly I wanted to go with him, how I had to make the hardest decision of my life? Do you want to know how much it hurt to give up the man I love for my son's future? Do you want to know how I still can't remember how I felt before I met Connor? Did that satisfy you?"

"Wilhelmina…"

"Daniel, go. I don't need this from you. I can deal with it all by myself."

"Fine. Deal with it all by yourself then. Just remember that we need to find a way to save Meade. And Mode."

"I've drawn up a list of possible ways to save it."

"And?"

She shakes her head, looking genuinely upset for the first time during their conversation.

"He cleaned us out, Daniel. There's no way of saving it, I have no idea how to do it. For the first time ever… I don't have a plan. Meade is… as of tomorrow going to be bankrupt."

Daniel shakes his head firmly, standing up and folding his arms.

"No. We can't allow that."

"What choice do we have? I'd clean out my own account for this company, but it won't help. It won't be enough."

"But mine will."

She frowns, slowly sitting down again.

"Daniel, what are you talking about?"

"I'm going to clean my account out. I'm going to liquidate myself and put everything I own into Meade. If I do that… then the company will be able to run for a few months. It could work."

"If I… put what I own with that…With all our money combined… We could keep the company floating. All we need then is a big issue to save us and we're in."

"You… you'd be willing to do that?"

Wilhelmina looks up into his eyes, her gaze not faltering for a second.

"Contrary to what you may believe, Daniel, I do care about this company. And my son who owns a third of it. I'm doing this for him."

Daniel nods slowly, avoiding her piercing gaze.

"So… did you want to go out? And talk?"

"I hope you are not suggesting sharing feelings, because…"
"No! No, just… talk. About business. About Mode. And Meade. So on."
"Fine. We'll talk."

"Great, I'll make reservations at…"

Wilhelmina laughs, shaking her head.

"Don't bother. You'll come to my house, I'm not leaving William with a nanny that late. Besides, reservations will be wasted on me. I don't eat dinner. I'll see you at six."

"Yeah. Sure. Six."

He turns around, leaving quickly, allowing himself one look back at her unfaltering form.