Just when I was about to updae at 12 my sister comes over and scoops me up and I am just gettign home. I apologize for the delay and hope that you enjoy. Author's note at the end. Enjoy! =D

-NWJ

Pulling up to their circular driveway, he allowed himself to drink in the massive, stony presence that they now referred to as their not-so humble abode. 3 stories high and a million men wide. A tan horizon, shone upon by the moonlight of the sky, adding a presence to the massive edifice. He took his hands from the steering wheel and put it in park, looking back at the home once more before moving his attention to see a shiny pair of red pumps sticking out of the back of, what he recognized as, her Hummer. Taking a short look at his watch, he sighed as realized that it was nearly 2 in the morning and she was still up and even in the backseat of her own car. Exiting his, he ran up behind her and touched her leg, feeling her jump in front of him. Seeing the stack in her hand, he held her waist as she stepped down from the large truck so that she wouldn't lose her balance. She spun around upon landing on her feet and plopped the stack in his hands. She looked at him with a numbed expression, lips pouted. "Here is all of Mode's paperwork for this issue...Tell that gray rock that gave birth to you that she can take care of it since she owns Mode."

He let a small breath release from his chest after hoping that she would have gotten over it by the time he got home. She pulled a key out of her dress pocket and locked the car, advancing towards the house.

"Willie." He called out, following her with the sad stack of papers in his hands, hoping that she was not serious but telling by the fierce way she was walking, hips swinging and her face, minus emotion….She was dead serious.

She ignored him, holding the door as he came in the house and set the papers down on the glass end table in the foyer. She looked around briefly, grimacing at the boxes that clogged her living space and blocked her way to the other side of her destination. Climbing over the boxes, she trudged through them angrily, nearly tripping over some of them in her heels.

"Wilhelmina."

"You're not going to talk me out of it, Daniel." She declared from her own emotions, still stepping over the boxes.

"You're just angry...You love Mode." He pleaded with her desperately. If he lost her…He didn't know what would happen to Mode. And on top of that…It was kind of nice to have her working just a few floors down, where he could come and talk…cancel her meetings and take her to lunch or just look at her….Bask in who she was….who she really was... In his mind…he could do that if she just left Mode.

"I know that I-" She lifted her foot from a crevice between two boxes. "-love Mode...That is not the issue here...The issue is that you and Claire no longer respect me."

"Wilhelmina that's not true."

Her head became a gaff as she twisted it around to face him, getting agitated by his constant persisting. Persisting that she was wrong. Persisting that it was not true. His persistence made her neck snap around in his direction, not paying attention to the steps that he tried to carefully take... "Yes it-"

Her words fell back down her throat as she braced herself for a fall, her heel caught between two boxes but his arm soon shot around her waist, pulling her close to him. He held her back against his chest and felt the breath enter and escape her body in a dramatic fashion. She let a few second go by, yet still tugged at his arm and loosened his grip, not letting go of her anger that quick.

"Wilhelmina you need to calm down before you hurt yourself." He warned as she got to the other end of the boxes, rolling her eyes subconsciously.

"I am very calm Daniel...As calm as a pothead in the 70's!"

"Wilhelmina don't get upset just because you didn't get your way..."

She stopped, ceasing her trail to her home office. "Do you really think that I would quit just because...just because you didn't agree with me?" He had crossed the boxes as well and now stood before her, hands in his pockets. "Do you not remember what I did to get my position...What I went through...What I put you through- How dare you...Even assume that my anger stems from such a childish place?"

"Well if it's not that then what is it?" He lifted his hands from his pockets, allowing them to lift momentarily with expression of his words.

"I told you! You don't respect me...You think that just because I'm your wife...I'm soft now...like when I got married I no longer knew what I was doing when it came to business...As if you running Meade means that you know more than me!"

"Wilhelmina, you ALWAYS act like you know more than me...You upstaged me at meetings...Made fun of me in the press-"

She turned around shortly, incredulously seeing him as a giant ego. "Oh MY GOD Daniel, what the hell? How many fucking years has it been? How many? Tell me, please so I know that I'm not the crazy one here!" She yelled at him, irate that he would bring up their past that had been sworn to a dark place that they agreed would never be revisited.

He looked to the staircase, hoping that Izak was not waking up over the commotion. "Lower your voice, will you?"

"Lower your ego, jackass."

"Oh so now I'm a jackass?"

"You just brought up something that I have not done in 4 years' time...I let you be a man...I let you grow up...You try to make it seem like I'm jealous of you because you're successful..."

"Well?" His eye brow raised and she stepped back, laughing lightly, not out of humor or happiness but….surprise.

"Can you be any more full of yourself? How dumb would I be to convince you to take a job and then get upset because you excel at it?"

"I don't know, you tell me?"

"You know what, fuck you." Daniel touched her arm and she pushed him forcibly back. "No Daniel! Don't fucking touch me!"

"Willie."

"You don't respect me and it pisses me off—"

"Whoa-okay wait a minute..." He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, much to her fight. "This began with Mode...We shouldn't be here right now...you haven't said fuck you to me in 2 years Willie...This doesn't need to go any farther."

She didn't want him to be right and she didn't want to admit that she had gotten overly worked up but he knew that she knew that he was right...They shouldn't be there in that place...They had done too much and come too far to go back to square one.

"You're tired...I'm tired...You're upset and if you keep screaming, you're going to wake Izak...So let's go to bed...And we'll talk about this in the morning." She looked at him sternly, not wanting to submit and only wanting to be a hardass, storming away to her own recluse. "Baby, don't be like this..." He tugged at her hand, walking towards the staircase. "Come on..." She complied slowly, walking back over the boxes, his eyes watching her steps to ensure that she didn't fall. Because after all...no matter how angry they got...They were still married.

OoO

Awoken by the piercing light through their window that seemed like a magnet, attracted to his face. Feeling tiny feet press into the small of his back, Daniel turned around sleepily to see Izak, his head on Willie's stomach as his legs stretched out to Daniel's back, kicking him unintentionally. "How did you get in here?" Daniel mumbled incoherently, peaking at the clock before shooting forward in bed, waking Wilhelmina by shaking her shoulder.

"What?" She asked in annoyance, turning over to face him, Izak adjusting by snuggling close to her in his sleep. His little arm rested on her waist as she turned on her side, looking to Daniel with her eyes barely open.

"Willie, wake up we're late." He shook her shoulder lightly, getting up from the bed and adjusting the covers .

"No you're late." She corrected, closing her eyes back to a place of comfort.

"Wilhelmina, we said we'd talk about this..."

"We never talked and I'm not going."

"What do you expect me to tell the staff?"

"The truth...I quit...I already told Ariel and she is not coming in either..."

"What about Marc?"

"He knows too."

"Willie..."

"Your mother thinks that she can run Mode by herself...Let her." Her whispers were sharp, intentional. They spoke her residual anger that she attempted to subside but found it difficult and the only thing keeping her from going to round two was Izak's untamed curls brushing passed her chin as he shifted in his sleep.

"Willie what about Mode?"

"What about it?" She snapped, getting irritated by his probing to get her to cave...Something that she just was not willing to do.

"Willie, who is going to run Mode?"

"YOUR. MOTHeR."

"My mother can't run Mode."

"Obviously you think she can since you consider her opinion over mine."

"Don't be like that..." She turned her back to him, closing her eyes to feign sleep. "...You know what...Just think about it when we go to France."

She lifted a brow, face pressed against her pillow. "You still want me to go with you?" She questioned with a smirk, surprised that he wanted to travel together at this point. Her back was still to him; her face hid from him and his eyes unable to tell that the little bit of news surprised her…and delighted her.

"Of course..." He let his knee rest into the crevice of the bed before crawling over to her side, over Izak and kissing her briefly "Besides it will give you a chance to reconsider your decision."

"I'll think about it but that doesn't mean that I'll change my mind."

"Just be ready when I get back."

She rolled her eyes and turned around as he got out of bed and drug towards the closet, moving slower than usual. She huffed, loud enough for him to here as she lay on her back, looking at him with the small impression of a smile on her face.

"What?" He questioned, bringing out a blue shirt from his side of the closet and laying it on the bed for him to wear.

She shook her head, turning back over to sleep, Izak clinging to her side. "You are such a baby…."

OoO

Walking into the company that he owned, that he had rightfully inherited, a path was paved through the tons of people that poured in to work and to get the job done for the day. Waiting for the elevator, he got on immediately as t was empty, not noticing the old friend that was headed in his direction "Hey Daniel!" Betty exclaimed, meeting up with him in the elevator after slipping in by the skin of her teeth.

He looked up shortly and smiled broadly. "Hey Betty!" He hugged her, seeing how it had been a while and she was just returned from her trip. "How was Africa?"

She smiled brightly, seeming to be relishing in her twenties while she still had them to be enjoyed. "It was amazing...I just felt bad that I came back to this …" She gestured at the luxury that was taken for granted in her clothing and surroundings. "…And those people...They just...They had so little…."

"If you'd like, I can donate to Matt's organization, if that helps any...I know he doesn't talk to his father as much as he used to so his funds are not as...you know..."

She nodded, touching his shoulder briefly as her smile widened. "Thanks Daniel, I...I appreciate that." She smiled, still relishing in his maturity. "So, where is Wilhelmina?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well I know you usually walk her to her office in the morning...But she isn't here...with us...right now...So where is she?"

"Oh, she uh..." He fumbled with his watch nervously, being his tell-tale. "She is busy with the move..."

"Wilhelmina Slater worked on moving couches and pointing men in the direction they were supposed to go...while you went to work?" He nodded unconvincingly and Betty lifted a brow, folding her arms over her chest before he caved completely.

"Okay, okay...She quit." Betty chuckled heartily, clutching at her ribs. He sighed, looking at her seriously. "Betty..."

Her laughter ceased and she took his pensive look as a time to recoil. "Oh you're serious...Why would she do that? Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No...Well not us exactly...She and my mom got into it and she claims that we don't respect her opinion and she's just so pissed..."

"Do you think she will get over it?"

"Honestly, Betty I don't know..." He shrugged, meaning exactly what he said. They hadn't fought that bad in a while and he wasn't willing to take that turn in that relationship...He wasn't willing to go back to that dark place...Even if it meant that Mode was at stake. His marriage meant more.

OoO

Daniel entered the house that night hurriedly, fearing that they would miss their plane if they didn't leave soon. Though his steps slowed upon seeing the fullness of the home…the fact that the boxes were obsolete and the decoration was complete. He speculated that it was out of boredom but it still got done. "Willie are you ready?" He bellowed, leaning on the staircase railing that wound at a curve in a deep mahogany. She came down the stairs slowly and a smile graced his face slowly upon seeing her dissention. She wore a chic stretch cotton dress with cap sleeves and hidden front zip that included a jewel neckline and slightly pleated skirt. Her waist was drawn to by a black leather obl belt that began where the plunge of her neckline ended...The very plunge that he couldn't seem to get his eyes off, highlighting her amply, exaggerated cleavage. Spotting her suitcase in her hands, he rushed up and took it from her gracefully, his other hand leading her down the steps. Taking the last step, her lips were met by his and the palm of her hands found his hair, leaving the job to the tantalizing touch of her fingers. He pulled away, his arms holding her close to him. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too."

"It was weird, not getting any termination slips on my desk..." He smiled and she smiled as well, holding onto his biceps as he shrugged off his feelings and urge to talk to her about her decision and decided to just kiss her cheek tenderly. "Did my mom come by?"

"No, I sent Ariel to take Izak to her house..."

"How was your day?"

"It was quiet...I got the house done..."

"I see..." He took a final look around the house in astonishment. "How?"

She chuckled. "I'm a fast worker...And having 30 horny guys at my disposal was also a great tool." Her hands found her hips and he looked at her skeptically

"Wilhelmina?"

She kissed him and pinched his chin, shaking her head. "Don't worry...I'm a tease not a tart."

He grinned and led her to the door. "My luggage is already in the car...Our flight is in 3 hours..."

"Then let's get a move on..."

OoO

After hours of sleeping, reading and holding each other's hands in silence, ignoring the elephant in the room, they had finally made it to Paris at 2am. Slightly jet-lagged, they drudged on the elevator and to the Penthouse apartment that Daniel had leased for his monthly trips. Leaving their luggage at the door, he bent down on a knee and spoke. "Put your hands on my back."

She did so with a smile. "And I thought you were going to propose...again..."

"I knew you loved me enough to marry me twice..." He joked, working on the straps of her shoes.

"What are you doing?"

"I want you to be comfortable and that is not going to happen wearing phone poles." She lifted her foot and she stepped out of one, repeating the process with the other. He pushed her shoes to the side and rejoined her in the large foyer, chuckling at her height. "You're so short..."

"Shut up!" She blushed, swatting his chest.

"I am Jack and you are my beanstalk..."

"Doesn't that ever get old? And wouldn't it be the other way around?

"Nope...Because that means that I-" He swept her off of her feet quickly, earning a yelp from her side. "-Get to climb you."

Taking her into the bedroom, he set her down on the bed and she lifted a brow, seeing him move towards his tie and immediately remove it.

"Oh really now?"

"You said in Paris..." His hands advanced towards the front of her dress that held the zipper. "We're in Paris..." He slid the zipper down slowly, his mouth tracing over every spot of skin that he revealed. Getting to the end, he looked at her as she lay there, staring back at him. He relished in the sight of her body, the direct V down to the center of her stomach being an enticing visual of what was to come, highlighting the valley of her chest and the plateau of her temple. Toppling before her, their noses nearly touched, their breath mixing an intoxicating aroma of the other person for that opposite person. Slowly but surely, his lips moved to the side of her face, the sound waves that hit her eardrum, rumbling something inside of her. "I'm about to remind you...Just how much I love you."

And remind her, he did.

OoO

The next day, they walked the French Mode offices, stepping off of the elevator hand in hand. Daniel grinned happily, loving the stares they got when they walked by. But Willie wasn't paying attention, her focus being mainly on the decor and similarity the offices bared to the ones at home.

"Wilhelmina this is Brien Levesque….The Creative Director…." He showed her to the employee and she smiled, snapping out of her trance to greet he grinning director. He took her hand in his, kissing the back as he bent before her. . "Belle femme ... tout simplement superbe"

Daniel rolled his eyes and pulled her away, growing jealous. "Yeah, yeah she's gorgeous…Let's go Willie!" He tugged at her arm softly, pulling her in the direction of his office. She laughed at his minute immaturity when it came to her and other men as he pushed a key into a lonely silver door. "This is my office." Daniel opened the door to a near replica of his old Mode office only instead of orange, there was red.

Wilhelmina shook her head, turning back around. "Remind me to decorate your next office."

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

She raised a brow, taking another look around. -*"It looks like the devil's corporate building."

"Aren't you observant today?" He neared her, pulling at a pinch in her jacket, spinning her into his arms, pecking her lips shortly, holding her tight.

She giggled girlishly batting her eyes as her fists rested on his chest and she neared his slips, speaking near millimeters from his mouth. Well-"

"Mr. Meade..." A young voice spoke up from behind them, making Daniel step back, Wilhelmina as well.

"Yes, Francesca?"

"Francesca?" Wilhelmina's head snapped around, looking for this woman.

"Mr. Meade..." She whined, twirling a pencil between her fingers, letting her accent come out with a thick presence. "I need to speak with you about some..." Her voice trailed off when she spotted Wilhelmina, eyes hard and lips pursed, one single brow lifted in an intimidating stare. "B-But it can wait."

"Francesca wait, this is my wife..." Wilhelmina stood about 2 yards away from the woman who had now extended her hand. Daniel pushed her back lightly, encouraging her towards the young girl. "...WILHeL.." He pushed her one last time, making her step forward. "-mina."

"I'm Francesca..." The woman kept her hand out and Wilhelmina looked at it, noting the pink nail polish.

"I believe we've established that already." She retracted her hand and Daniel stifled his chuckle, feeling bad for the editor and yet tickled from head to toe. "Have you ever worked at a Fashion Magazine before?"

"No...This is my 3rd year though."

"It's obvious...Your nails are pink...It makes your hand look like 5 bottles of pesto bismol bonded together by a blotchy patch of pale...You're not a vampire you know?" WIlhelmina looked up, staring into the girl's eyes. "That's not normal..."

"Ummmm Francesca..." Daniel quickly intervened, suppressing his laughs. "My...My wife and I were just headed out for dinner...Whatever you need, can it wait?"

The insulted Editor spun around and stormed off angrily, shouting in dignitaries in French. Daniel spun around to Wilhelmina who was wearing her old Mode mug. "Babe, I know you miss crushing people's self-esteem but if you do that here, they will hate me...They'll have me deported."

"They should deport that bottle blonde no-bra wearing, walking STD..."

"She wasn't wearing a bra?" Daniel feigned innocence, questioning her wardrobe.

She pushed at his chest, exiting the devilish office. "Like you didn't notice!"

OoO

Willie and Daniel sat at a table near the window, Wilhelmina picking at her salad and Daniel devouring a hearty steak. Noticing her preoccupancy, he stabbed a fork to her plate and she looked up, eyes big. "What's up, why aren't you eating?"

"I can't...not with Bigfoot's father staring at me the whole time." She looked to the window where paparazzi was gathered, snapping photos endlessly.

Daniel motioned over to their waiter, waving him over. The young man hurried to their table, standing a firm and at their service. "Comment puis-je vous aider Monsieur?"

Daniel pointed to the window, hoping to be an aide if his French was off. "Ma femme et moi essayons de profiter de notre repas, mais il semble presque impossible avec l'imposition de la presse et leurs caméras. Pouvez-vous faire quelque chose?"

The waiter reached over and knocked on the window before drawing a blind over their window. Daniel smiled, nodding curtly. "Merci."

"Vous êtes les bienvenus monsieur."

"He's polite." Wilhelmina complimented as he walked off.

"Are you good now?" Daniel asked, realizing that she still wasn't eating.

"I-" Before she could even finish her phone was ringing and she looked at the caller I.D. "Answer it."

Daniel took the phone and looked to see that it was his mother. "She called you."

"It's probably about Izak...answer it."

"But Willie-"

"I don't want to talk to her."

Daniel huffed and answered quickly. "Hello? Hey mom...Really? No one did any work...Did you get the book turned in? You put Hot flash in?" He looked to Wilhelmina and she rolled her eyes. "What is Izak doing? Well why is he crying?"

"What did she do?"

"O-Okay mom..." He extended the phone in her direction and she shook her head. He held the bottom. "Wilhelmina, its Izak..."

She took the phone immediately, listening intently. "Wait-sw-sweetie...Mommy's right here...No mommy didn't leave you...I'll be back soon...No not tomorrow...Well you're with Grandma...Grandma does not have monsters at her house...No not under the bed...not in the closet either...She isn't one either...Sweetie stop crying...I love you...Yes I do...I'll be back in a couple of days...It's forever not fever and It won't be forever...alright...talk to Daddy."

She handed him the phone and Daniel took it quickly to see what the problem was. "What's wrong Bud? Nu-uh I'm not going to talk to you if you're crying or you'll have to go talk to the monsters in grandma's closet."

"Daniel!" Wilhelmina scorned.

"Well he stopped!" Daniel whispered before returning to the phone. "No I have not hurt mommy...She is fine...I did not take her from you...I love mommy...Was I satisfying myself with her again? Well-"

"Daniel!"

"Okay...Bud you got to go to bed...We'll be back soon...Alright...No I didn't hurt mommy...Yes, I promise...Okay...Izak...Okay."

He hung up and Wilhelmina chuckled. "What did he say?"

"He asked if I had hurt you or satisfied myself lately...Well he said saltied but I understood what he meant.."

"Did he stop crying?"

"Right up until I was about to hang up...Then he started crying for you again..."

"Why didn't you give me the phone?"

"Because he needs to learn how to be away from you."

"Daniel..."

"Willie are we really going to be having this conversation?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

"Willie, you know that Izak is attached to you...You know this as a fact and while it's great for him to love his mommy...What is going to happen on his first day of kindergarten? Is he going to cry and hold onto your leg and then you'll have to sit in his class for the whole day? Is that what you want? What if we have more kids, what then? He can't hog you."

Wilhelmina chuckled, shaking her head. "We're not having any more children Daniel."

"What do you mean? We never even discussed it..."

"Well we can do that right now..." She set her fork down, elbows setting on the tables as her fingers link with one another. "We're not having any more kids."

"Wilhelmina."

"Can we change the subject please?"

Daniel looked at her, taken by her snappy tone before complying and cutting his steak. "Fine...Mode."

Wilhelmina motioned to their waiter in a hurry. "Check please!"

"You can't keep avoiding this...You heard my mother...Nobody is listening to her...Everybody is wondering where you are...Did you see Fashion Buzz this morning? It was speculating as to why you haven't been at Mode and why my mother's name is on the masthead."

"What? I did EVERYTHING for that issue and she put HeR name on the masthead?"

Daniel spoke again, making her stare at him with an even fiercer fervor. "I knew you still cared."

"I told you that it is not a matter of caring it is a matter of respect."

"Wilhelmina since when have you ever cared about someone's respect for you?"

"Since I married the one person that I need it from..." She looked down, picking at her plate with her fork. "And I stopped getting it." She lifted her head back up, wanting to see his response

He looked up from his plate and met her eyes in an equal match, challenging her challenge. "Wilhelmina that is not true."

"Don't insult me by trying to make me feel crazy...I'm not stupid...As soon as you took the job as head of Meade, your ego got bigger and bigger and no one could tell you anything...Even me..."

"You never said anything!"

"How was I supposed to! You had finally became a man? How big of a bitch would I be if I, after pushing you there to be someone, ridiculed and criticized you when you do it?"

"So you just resented me and let me be a jerk?"

"I don't resent you...At times I didn't like you because you let the job go to your head but I always loved you."

"You're my wife...You're supposed to tell me when I'm being an ass!"

"You're a man, you're supposed to know." She retorted back with equal emotion, their voice low in an attempt to keep their business to themselves.

"So you quitting Mode is my fault?"

"Partly...But it was mostly your mother."

"And how can I get you back?"

"I don't think you can..." She shook her head, fiddling with her fork. "I fought so long for it and when I finally got it...to be disrespected like that...I'm not willing to do it again."

"Willie." He pushed their plates out of the way and touched her hand, squeezing softly. "I never meant to disrespect you and most of all, hurt you."

"I know...But you did...And the fact that you didn't notice is what tells me that if I come back it will happen again.

"Willie that's not fair."

"Daniel I'm protecting myself...I'm protecting our marriage...I'm protecting us...This might be for the best..."

"I'll step down..."

"No..." She covered his hand that sat on the table, flat in exhaustion. "You...you need Meade...It makes you happy, I know it...Besides...You don't speak for your mother and she is the main part of the problem."

"I'll talk to her."

"Daniel...For right now...Let me just take a break from Mode...See how it goes."

"Permanently?"

"I don't know..."Her protecting hand squeezed his beneath hers lightly; trying to offer some hope…Hope that she was even questioning in existence.

OoO

They finished their dinner silently, an awkward tension between them. Their ride to the apartment was awkward and their elevator life was awkward. For whatever reason, that dinner had suddenly put an awkward wrench in their French getaway. Standing at the door, her hands on his back as he unbuckled her shoes, Wilhelmina realized this and waited for him to finish. She stepped out of her shoes and he immediately pushed her shoes away, but instead of making his little snide Disney comment, he kissed her cheek and walked to the bedroom quietly, not saying a word. Worried, she trailed behind him and watched as he sat on the edge of the bed, working on his own socks.

"Is there something else that we need to talk about?"

He looked up and shook his head. "Nope."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you're sleepy and your lie-dar is off." He retorted, working on the buttons of his shirt.

"Do you want me to go?"

"Go where?"

"Home."

He looked over to her as she leaned against the doorway. "Why would you say that?"

"Because after dinner your attitude changed...You acted like you didn't want me here...Like I'm intruding on your 3 days of recluse."

"Willie, I invited you here...I want you here." He stated flatly, switching out his slacks for pajama bottoms.

"You sound so convincing..." She spat sarcastically, still in the doorway.

"Well what the hell do you want me to do, sing a song and dance around. If you don't believe me then that's on you." His reply was angry, bitter and spiteful, sounding like an old man as he reached for the remote and turned on the T.V.

Wilhelmina scoffed and walked over to the closet, pulling out her suitcase. She slapped it on the bed angrily and began to pull her things from his drawers, drawing his attention.

"Wilhelmina what are you doing?"

"I'm leaving."

He sighed and got up from the bed, muting the T.V. so that the only thing heard was the ruffling of her clothes and mumblings under her breath. "Wilhelmina..." He reached in her suitcase and began to put things back. She reached in and put it back in the suitcase. They repeated the cycle for about 4 times until Daniel slammed the suitcase shut, calling her attention.

"I don't want you to leave...I came with my wife and I am leaving with my wife."

"Now I'm your wife?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know Daniel...I don't know if this is about Mode...but I thought we resolved that."

"We did!"

"Then why are you acting like you are?"

He huffed, running a hand through his hair before moving her suitcase from the bed. He then took her by the forearms sat her in the same spot. He didn't want to explode on her. He did not want to yell at her. He paced, trying to figure out a way to get it off his chest without blowing it out of proportion. Suddenly he stopped in front of her, looking dead in her eyes. "Willie...Marriage is a partnership right?"

"Right."

"I don't make major decisions without considering you and you don't make major decisions without considering me?"

"Right..."

"And if you have something to say...I can't shut you down and vice-versa."

"Right. Daniel, where is this coming from?"

"Willie, at dinner I brought up having my kids...You completely shut me down and said that it wasn't an option."

She shrugged, not seeing the problem. "It's not."

"See? That's why I'm acting the way I am...I have a say in that...I should!"

"You want a say?"

"Yes?"

"Where's your say in morning sickness? Varicose Veins? High Blood Pressure? Fainting? Oh swollen feet? Migraines? Labor?" She chuckled, reminiscing on Izak's unexpected appearance. "….Please tell me your say in Labor."

"So you were willing to go through all of that just to take over Mode but not for me?" He asked with a blunt accent, awaiting a truthful answer.

Wilhelmina stood to her feet immediately, a fire burning behind her stare. "Daniel don't go back there..."

"It's true! You had Izak to take the company away from me but you won't have a baby just for me..." He pointed in his direction, not understanding her detachment...resisting…"With me!...for our family?"

"I didn't have Izak just to take the company away from you...I had Izak because I had no one else!" She yelled angrily, a cracking heard in her voice in her last sentence. "I didn't have a legacy...My family had bailed on me and at the time Nico barely called...I didn't want to be forgotten...I felt like...If I were to die...I would not be remembered...I had Izak so that I would have a legacy...And I thought you knew me well enough to know that in everything I do...there is always a reason beyond what it looks like..." She turned away, biting her lip to hold back anger that threatened to reveal itself... "I thought you knew me better than that Daniel...Obviously you don't

"Dammit...C'mere..." She reluctantly fell into his arms that he wrapped around her securely, kissing the top of her head. "Baby, I'm sorry."

"I don't know why we're fighting so much lately..." She shook her head against his chest, finding solace in the heartbeat that matched hers."

"I'm an ass...

"And I'm a bitch..."

"You're not a bitch."

"You're not an ass."

"We agreed to leave the past in the past and when I got mad the first thing I did was go in the past...I'm an ass."

"You know what...I was being selfish..." He looked down at her and she shrugged, pulling away. "If I can sacrifice that for Mode...then I can do it for you."

"Willie I said that out-"

"You were right...I mean...maybe me being away from Mode right now is the perfect time..."

"Are you sure?" He questioned, not being able to suppress the large grin on his face.

"No...But I'm sure that whatever makes you happy...Will do the same for me..."

"Are we good?" He faced her, shirtless, they're hands the only thing touching before she stood on her tippy toes, kissing him.

"We're good..." He chuckled, tenderly pressing his lips against once more. "What?"

He shook his head, gripping her forearms. "You have gone soft woman..."

She slapped his chest, pushing him back on the bed, laying poignant kisses on his lips in intervals unto he fell back and bounced on the matress. "But not in the bedroom..."

OoO

On his last night in Paris he laid in bed, holding close to his other half as she breathed evenly, chest heaving up and down in a steady rhythm. His eyes wandered against the back of his eye lids, trying to find sleep yet it never came. Growing irritated, he turned his attention to Willie, thinking that if he watched her sleep then he would fall asleep yet all that did was distract him. He was just staring at her and had she woken up at that instant, he probably would have had some explaining to do.

Seeing a light shine on the ceiling, he turned over and saw it vibrating against the end table, begging for attention. "Hello….do you have any idea what time it is…..An emergency meeting?...What designer would want to meet at 12am?"

OoO

Daniel walked sleepily through Mode France, hoping that Wilhelmina would negate his absence as he made this last meeting for his last night in the Land of Romance. He turned the winding halls, on his way to the conference room when he saw a bright light, shining from a computer screen in a row of Editor's desk.

"Hello?" He called out, creeping past the archway to see who it was.

"Mr. Meade." He heard a thick French accent and he jumped back, not expecting it.

"Francesca?" His voice shook, fearing for the girl's life if she had called him out of his bed for something and Willie found out.

"Que ferons-nous ce soir?"

Instantly he recognized the voice behind the accent. Hearing her speak the language, the brush of her tongue against the point of her teeth. The pout of her lips pursing to form perfect little 'o's of annunciation...It drove him mad. "Willie?"

All he could see was the top of her head, the rest of her concealed by the desk and the computer. "Qui pensez-vous?"

"Wilhelmina what are you doing here?" He inched closer, trying to get a glance.

She stood up from the desk to reveal a form fitting dress that clung to her body like velvet shell. Its sweetheart neckline, strapless and sexy, made him want to jump across the table. Her hair fell in a mess of curls, messy and wild. She walked up to him, her hands running down his chest, a devious look in her eyes. Suddenly, a force came through her and she ripped open his shirt, forcing him on his back, now lying on an Editor's desk. Her hands ran in circles against his skin, teasing him when she bent down before him. "I am not always going to be here...And I know you...Francesca is your type...Is she not?"

"Willie-"

"Shhhh-" She pressed a finger to his lips and he hushed immediately. She bent down before him and played with the hair around his ear. "Rhetorical...Question." She whispered, the heat of her words sending shivers up his spine. "I am eliminating any temptation...because every time you see her...you will see me." Her hands moved to his belt and she felt a push against her elbow that was near the seat of his pants. "Calm down Mr. Meade, remember...I'm a tease...Not a tart..."She pulled his shirt out seductively, taking her sweet time. "...And every time you walk past this desk...You won't see that breast bag...You'll see me...You'll see yourself in complete submission...You'll see me..." She lowered herself to him and as her lips moved, they brushed against his and all he wanted to do was take her right then and there. "Making love to you like you're the only person...In the world."

OoO

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P.S Thank you Grace, Deslil and Addicted =D There is a special place in Fanfic Heaven for you all lol XOXO

-NWJ