Title: In the Arms of An Angel Part 1

Author: Lanaraofearth

Summary: What happened with Betty, Daniel and Alexis after the scene shifted to Wilhelmina?

Rating: T (for now)

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters associated with this story, they are the property of ABC, Touchstone and whomever else. I am just borrowing them for a bit. Also, the title of the story is borrowed from Sarah McLachlans song "Angel".

Note: I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed; it means a lot to hear what you guys think. It also pushes me to keep writing. Enjoy!


Betty yawned softly, as she slowly drifted back into the waking world. She blinked tiredly, vaguely noting the light peaking through dark curtains.

Betty shifted slightly and that was when she became aware of the fact that she was not alone in bed.

A strong arm was secured around her waist, holding her against a solid chest and one muscled leg lay between her own. Warm breath tickled her neck and she sighed slightly at the sensation. Her right hand came up and touched the arm holding her, brushing lightly over the hand attached to it.

The fingers of the man holding her threaded through her own and pulled her closer into his body. Betty sighed at the feel of contentment that came over her. Then, she remembered, Bradford…the hospital, taking Daniel and Alexis back to the loft…falling asleep with Daniel…in his BED.

Daniel was holding her. She was in Daniels arms, in his bed, pressed very intimately up against him, her butt resting right up against his…oh my God!!

Betty took a deep breath to calm herself.

Although, when she stopped hyperventilating, she realized that she wasn't quite as freaked out as she felt that she should be, because it should NOT feel this right to be in her friend's arms…not when she was supposed to be in a doomed love affair with Henry.

But, for some odd reason, it felt ok…good even, comforting and…stimulating.

Alright Betty, stop right there…this is Daniel…Bachelor extraordinaire, millionaire, hot shot editor of Mode magazine, lover of models and super stars.

Whereas she was Betty; just Betty. Daughter of Ignacio and Rosa Suarez, sister to Hilda and Aunt to Justin…assistant to the Editor of Mode magazine, simple, quirky…NOT model material at all.

Betty sighed, which apparently caused a reaction in the man behind her. Daniel moaned softly and she felt his nose brush across the very sensitive area where her neck met her shoulders. She stiffened, and her eyes practically bugged out when she felt his lips graze over her skin, kissing the aforementioned area.

"Betty"

Betty swallowed nervously at the sensual way Daniel spoke her name against her skin. She jumped up when she felt his hand move higher, practically cupping her breast.

Betty hadn't realized how close she was to the edge of the bed and she promptly fell into an ungracious heap onto the carpeted floor beside the bed.

"Ompfff…"

Daniel bolted upright in bed, having been woken from what felt like a very pleasant dream, by a loud thump.

He blinked rapidly to clear his head which seemed to be muddled, and was aching slightly.

Wait…something was wrong….something was missing

"Oww…"

Daniels eyes widened almost comically as Betty stood up beside his bed, rubbing her behind.

"Betty?"

Betty whirled around, her eyes squinting slightly in order to focus on Daniel.

Daniel couldn't help the smile that came to his face, Betty stood before him, without her classes, her dress rumpled slightly, her hair falling almost widely about her face her cheeks were dusted with a lovely flush…she looked like she had just been ravished.

Daniel swallowed at the thought, a vague memory of holding onto soft flesh, pressing intimately against it, soft skin underneath his lips…

"Daniel, oh god, I 'm sorry I woke you…I fell out of bed…did you sleep ok? Good, I'm just going to go and make breakfast…ok? Bye…"

With that Betty practically ran out of the room, quickly grabbing her glasses before she went; leaving a slightly confused Daniel in her wake.

Daniel fell back into bed, rubbing his hands over his face. It must have been a dream...but..with Betty in it? No…no…ugh…his head was so messed up.


Betty busied herself scrounging up food from Daniels fairly sparse kitchen. She found some eggs, and the makings of some pancakes…she vaguely remembered having brought over groceries a few weeks ago.

A few minutes later, the coffee was brewing and pancakes were cooking on Daniels stainless steel, state of the art counter top. Betty had a feeling that her father would cry if he saw this beautiful kitchen so woefully neglected. It made her smile to think of her family, which inevitably brought her thoughts back to the family who had lost so much just yesterday.

Betty was in the process of flipping another pancake when Alexis appeared. She was swathed in an oversized white terrycloth robe. At Betty's gently questioning gaze Alexis remarked "I used to keep spare clothes here…during our wild party guy days."

Betty smiled warmly at the other woman and continued her breakfast preparations as the lithe blond took a seat on one of the isle bar stools.

Alexis had a faraway look in her eyes, as she recalled the days when she and Daniel had been the best of friends. She regretted now the way she had treated her brother upon returning from the dead. She only hoped that they could start to rebuild their relationship. It wouldn't be the same as before, but she would try her darndest. Of course, that didn't mean she would stop teasing her younger brother…it was just way too entertaining.

Betty finished up the last pancake and had just turned off the stove when Daniel entered the room.

He looked disheveled, his hair sticking out at odd angles, his shirt and pants from the night before wrinkled…he looked positively delectable…

NO…bad…Betty…stop…

Alexis followed Betty's gaze and quirked an amused eyebrow at her brothers appearance. "You look like crap."

Daniel stopped in the doorway, "Thanks, Alexis. You've always known how to boost a guys ego. I see you've made yourself at home."

He turned to the other woman in the room then and smiled; Betty returned it.

The sight of Betty cooking breakfast in his kitchen seemed so right. She was always doing something to help out, and cooking seemed to fit. It was something so simple, yet helpful…it completely her. That woman never ceased to amaze him.

He also couldn't help but reflect on how comfortable the two women had looked in each others company. It touched him to know that they got along so well.

As Daniel moved towards the kitchen area the seductive scent of coffee filled his nostrils. His eyes automatically sought out the coffee pot and made a beeline for it.

Betty smiled warmly at Daniels behaviour and rolled her eyes at Alexis. "I swear his veins are filled with coffee, not blood." She finished flipping her last pancake onto the waiting stack next to the stove before switching it off.

Alexis snorted, as she watched her brother pour himself a cup and was about to chug it when Betty whirled on him. She grabbed the cup in his hands, stopping its voyage to Daniels lips.

"Hey! That's hot, mister. Take a minute...jeeze"

Daniel stopped, starring at where Betty's hands enveloped his, mesmerized.

Betty was about to pull her hands back when he raised his gaze up to meet hers.

His eyes were intense, almost burning into her and she couldn't look away.

She felt lost in his gaze and she wasn't sure yet if she truly wanted to be found.

Daniels heart sped up, thumping wildly in his chest and he felt as if he had just run a marathon. Betty's big beautiful brown eyes were gazing up at him, so warm and soft, so full of love and compassion. Seemingly of its own accord, his right hand pulled back slightly and began caressing her smaller ones.

Daniel knew he should pull back, but he couldn't. His eyes shifted down to her lips, so full and inviting.

Their bodies began moving closer together when suddenly…

"Ahem…"

Alexis's loud clearing of her throat brought the two back to reality.

Betty and Daniel practically jumped apart.

Daniel coughed nervously, "Um…I was just, looking…at your neck. You…you're not wearing your necklace."

Betty's hand automatically went to the space where her necklace would have rested on her chest, "Oh. Well…I'll just go get it…from your room…where I slept last night…I'm going now" Betty blurted out before she scurried out of the room, berating herself the whole way for babbling like a little schoolgirl at an N'Sync concert.

Alexis shook her head and laughed.

Daniel turned to his sister, a bemused expression on his face, "What?"

Alexis snorted loudly, "You just don't get it, do you Danny boy?"

Daniel frowned, "Get what, Alexis?"

Alexis just smiled, "You are so dense, Daniel…it's like the whole clothing museum thing all over again."

Daniels hands came to rest on his hips and he grit his teeth in an effort not to growl in frustration, "Well, Mom said they were clothing museums…and besides that's not the point!"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Duh, Danny boy, the point is that you are totally falling for your little Latina spitfire of an assistant."

Daniel stumbled back in shock, "WHAT!?! No way, you have completely lost it, Alexis."

Betty chose that moment to reenter the room, her Anne Boleyn "B" necklace back around her neck.

"Lost what?"

Daniel jumped, spilling some coffee onto his shirt.

"Careful, Danny boy. Why so jumpy?"

Daniel narrowed his eyes at Alexis in warning, "I'm going to go and change my shirt, I'll be right back."

Betty and Daniel both moved to let the other pass at the same time and almost ended up colliding into one another.

"Sorry"

"Sorry…"

After moving past him, Betty stopped and called out, "Don't take long, breakfast is pretty much ready!"

Alexis sighed. Unbelievable. They were so clueless. Honestly, what did a girl have to do to get the two to figure out that they loved one another? True…they weren't exactly your average couple, Betty with her odd sense of fashion and strong emotions and Daniel with his former manwhorish ways and expensive clothes, but…somehow they fit.

Weird.

Alexis chose not to tease the woman busily organizing plates and instead got up and helped her place the food and utensils onto Daniels dinning table.

The silence was not uncomfortable as the two women worked together. They both enjoyed the innate sense of companionship.

When Daniel returned, in a white t-shirt, the trio sat down to enjoy their breakfast.

They conversed about the food and Alexis and Daniel shared memories of some of their adventures and misadventures.

Alexis broke spoke up as they finished their meal, "This was nice"

Daniel nodded, smiling, "Yes, thank you, Betty. It really was great."

Betty smiled, blushing at the compliments. "Thank you, I'm glad you both liked it."

"It's nice having time with family when…" Alexis trailed off, lost in her own thoughts.

The other two understood what she meant to say.

They remained silent for a few minutes and Betty finally broke the silence. "Well, we'll just have to do this more often."

Alexis blinked, trying to clear her head. She then raised an immaculate eyebrow, "You mean, have more co-ed slumber parties? Remind me to bring a bed buddy of my own next time."

Daniel blushed while shooting a glare at his elder sibling.

Betty coughed nervously, "No. No, I mean brunch…or breakfast, or lunch…dinner…whichever meal we prefer. To enjoy a home cooked meal with people you care about. Especially, when it comes in actual sizes and doesn't cost a hundred bucks a plate."

Daniel laughed at Betty's comment, she had always complained to him about what she considered the ridiculously small portions that the pricier restaurants gave, arguing that for the price, they should have received enough food to feed if not the whole city, then at least Queens.

Alexis nodded, "It's a deal". Betty jumped up excitedly and raised her hand.

Alexis looked puzzled; Betty laughed nervously and put her hand down, "Sorry, reflex, Daniel likes to high five."

Alexis gave Daniel a look and was about to throw a sarcastic comment at him when the sound of a telephone ringing stopped her.

Everyone slowly turned their heads to stare in the direction of the sound, their faces grim. It was a signal; like the sound of drums on a battlefield, heralding the coming battle.

Alexis closed her eyes and sighed as she Daniel got up and went to answer the phone "And so it begins…" she added in a dramatic tone of voice.

Betty smiled sadly, wishing that she could make all of the annoying paparazzi disappear and allow the Meads to grieve in private. Losing a parent was hard enough without having almost all of the major newspapers in New York breathing down your neck, praying to get a picture of someone crying or falling apart etc.


That first phone call did end up signaling the beginning of a battle. The battle to stave off the media while dealing with the aftermath of Bradford Meads death.

From that point on Betty spent her time between Daniels apartment, the Mead family home and Mode, helping Alexis and Daniel organize the family business and finalize funeral arrangements.

When Betty finally arrived home, early the next morning, she was too tired to take her Dad up on his offer of his famous chocolate cupcakes. Instead, she gave him a tried smile, walked up to her room and fell onto her bed, asleep within moments.

Dreams of strong arms, blue eyes, wild hair and pancakes soon filled her head.


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