10 Minutes

Author: Glorybox

Rating: Teen.

Author's Note: Ahh! Thank you everyone for all the wonderful reviews. I'd forgotten how good it feels to get them! Since the vast majority of you really enjoyed the first chapter, then I must come out with a second. I'm thinking about possibly doing Betty's perspective on the whole thing, but I dunno'. Betty wears her emotions so well it should be easy to figure out what she's thinking…. And I want this to be about Daniel, so…But, whatever. Anyway, so here's chapter two. I don't know how often I will be updating, I'm still a student and homework, life, and probably writer's block will be getting in the way of creativity. But, I'll try not to catch the extremely-long-hiatus-syndrome. And for the Benry shippers who are reading this—wow! I wasn't expecting you guys to read. O.o. But, seriously, I'm gonna' try to keep this pretty realistic—so Daniel and Betty won't just be all over each other within five seconds, and there's still the factor that Betty "loves" Henry. And Daniel's not even exactly sure how he's feeling.

But, wow. Pretty long rant. That's what happens when you give writers time to write about themselves. Haha.

Well, with out further delay: enjoy!

But, I must warn you. There's quite a plot twist at the end….

10 Minutes

I came into work the next morning feeling like a hangover. My head was aching, my body was begging for a place to lie down, and any ounce of sunshine made me grouchy. The funny thing was I hadn't consumed any alcohol. Every time I got the urge to get up and drink, I'd stare at Betty's purse. Picture her smiling face, excited eyes. If I got drunk Betty would know—she almost always did. I'd just smoothed over last nights fight. I didn't want to start another one.

And then there was that factor, that one little "thing" that had been bugging me ever since last night: the kiss. The kiss, oddly enough had made me giddy, the lack of sleep had made me wistful. Getting up to see the light of day had made reality come crashing down on me. Betty…and me? Yeah, like that was ever going to happen.

And, I didn't like Betty like that anyway. She was just a friend, simply a friend whom I cared deeply about. I could talk to Betty. Becks, for the some ten or so odd years I've know him, still couldn't measure up to that. Betty was the family I never had and always wanted. That was why, I told myself, I didn't want to lose her.



As usual, Betty was there before me. She was humming a tune from last nights show, singing along quietly, and doing the choreography in her seat. I smiled; Betty was such a bright light in even the darkest places.

"Good morning, Daniel!" Betty joyful declared upon looking up to catch me starring at her. I felt dopey, and smiled at her like it was the first time seeing her in years, "Good morning Betty. You seem extra cheerful this morning."

"Oh?" Betty blushed, looking down, I noticed then she was wearing the same clothes from last night. So she had stayed the night at Henry's. The uneasiness from last night came back, and I found myself frowning.

"Betty, can I see you in my office in a minute." It wasn't a question.

Betty nodded, she looked scared. Like she knew what I was going to say, I hated and loved that I was that transparent to her.

I went into my office, tossed my coat and briefcase onto my desk. Rolled up my shelves and set my hands on my hips, waiting. I watched Betty though the fishbowl glass. She put away the work that was on her desk, and pushed her glasses up. She stood up, gracelessly stumbling over her own shoe, and strode with confidence into my office, closing the door behind her. My heart started to beat like a drum roll, and I found myself fiddling with the hem of my jacket sleeve. I didn't look at Betty.

"So, um…Daniel…what was it you wanted?" She stuttered, a clear indication she was nervous.

"Last night did you….?"

"Did I what?" She feigned cluelessness, a clear indication she was lying. It surprised me that I knew this much about my assistant—no, my friend.

"Did you…." This was proving to be more difficult than I originally thought. I decided to beat around the bush.

"Did you patch things up with Henry?" I asked, running a hand through my hair and sticking the other in my pants pocket. Betty looked confused, as if she were expecting something else; boy had she been right.

"Oh, yeah. Actually…we did," and then she grinned, like a school girl with a crush who had gotten her first kiss. Oh, no. Was this Betty's first time? I found myself becoming defensive again, picturing Henry as a wolf who had simply taking advantage of her vulnerability. Henry may have been a nice guy, a perfect gentleman in fact, but even nice guys were men. Men who, like myself, could do anything to get the woman they wanted into bed.

"Did you sleep with him…?" I muttered, under my breath. Scared of what Betty would say. Part of me knew Betty was smarter than that, but then there was part of me that was just so worried 

and so convinced that I needed her to tell me otherwise. Say, no Betty. Please. I begged. Please say you didn't sleep with him.

"Oh my god, Daniel!?" Betty gasped, "Is that what you've been trying to get at this whole time?"

"Well…yeah," I said, "Do you think it was a good idea? Because I don't. I mean, Betty, you've just started dating…!"

"Daniel! I can't believe you would think that!"

"So…" I said, shyly, "You didn't sleep with him?"

"Daniel! Do I look that stupid to you?" I winched at the tone of her voice, the word "stupid."

"No, Betty. No." I jumped up and grabbed her shoulders, "Look at me, Betty? I mean, I am a guy. And, if I were in Henry's position it would have been hard for me not to…."I trailed off realizing what I just said. Betty looked startled.

"Well…you know I didn't mean it like that." I finished. Betty smiled, and began to giggle. She grinned, flashing her metal braces. "I know Daniel. You were just being over protective again."

I smiled back at her, though not with as much gusto. "And, I guess you would assume that." She went on, "Given the way I'm dressed."

"Let's just keep the midnight romps something I do on week days…alright?" I said, half joking, half serious.

"Daniel Meade!" Betty sounded like a mother, and from the tone of her voice, definitely taking props from mine "Are you saying you're the only one allowed to have sex in a relationship?"

I blushed and looked away, which was odd. I mean, I was after all Daniel Meade, notorious playboy and womanizer. Yet, at the utterance of "sex" from Betty's mouth, and not just any type of sex, but sex that Betty would be having. The thought was an awkward one, something I couldn't help but shake my head at. I didn't want to be picturing Betty doing that, and not because it would be unattractive….but because it didn't seem courteous. But, then, why was the very thought sending my head into a whirlwind, like the very school boy (or in her case, girl) I had pined Betty for simply moments ago.

"I mean…I…" I looked at her, stuttering and found that she was blushing too, "Aye!" She yelled in frustration, "Look at us Daniel! Stumbling over this like we're children. We're adults aren't we? We should be able to have a conversation about sex together without it getting awkward."

I simply stared at her, and gave her a perplexed look. "Together….?" I asked.

"Aye!" She yelled again, turning the color of a tomato, "It didn't sound like that in my head!"



"You want to just talk about this later?" I asked, more than a little unhinged.

"Yes. I think I do." And with that, Betty turned on her heels and was out of my office in a flash.

I turned around to sit at my desk. No less than a minute later my intercom buzzed, "Daniel Meade." I said.

"Daniel, there's someone on the phone for you. He won't give me his name, but he says it's urgent."

"Alright, patch it through."

Betty giggled, "You make are jobs seem so dire."

I laughed along with her. I was met with a click, as Betty went off the line and the mystery guest came on.

"Is this Daniel Meade" The voice spoke, sounding like a mix of a woman, and a man; a sinister drawl that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Yes, it is. Who's this?"

"You've quite a bubbly assistant Daniel." The voice went on, "Quite a bubbly one indeed."

"Yes, Betty's really great….um? I didn't quite catch your name…?"

"You wouldn't want anything to happen to her, now would you?"

My heart began to beat faster, like a train, or car about to crash. "Of course not, wait…what's this got to do with anything?"

"If you want to keep your dearest Betty alive," The voice went on. I held my breath. "Then come to the 5th street Bridge. Alone. Instructions will be there. Tell anyone, and Betty won't be around much longer."

"Wait—is this some kind of joke?"

"Oh, it's no joke Daniel." The voice persisted, "Look at Betty, that's right—do as I say. You see that red dot on her blouse, just above her breast? That's a laser from a sniper across the street. She'll be dead before she even gets to scream, you understand me?"

I couldn't breathe, I couldn't speak. I felt my blood go cold, and my heart seemed to stop beating. I was rattled with fear. I watched Betty, watched her lips as she sung another Wicked song, I watched her feet tap as she shuffled note cards on her desk. I watched, and suddenly I was overcome with an urge to move, to shield her, to protect her from something bigger than 

myself, bigger than Henry, bigger than Mode, bigger than Wilhelmina. Before I knew what I was doing I had dropped the phone, and was running toward her.

I screamed, "Betty get down!" She looked at me like I had just announced I was gay….or something else highly unlikely, and raised an eyebrow. I dived at her and tumbled over her, knocking her back against the wall. A gun shot no one could hear echoed through my ears, and maybe I imagined it. All I remember seeing was Betty's confused cocoa eyes, widen in shock and fear and her voice calling be back, "Daniel! Daniel!"

I closed my eyes, and nothing mattered anymore.

To be continued.

Author's Note: Ohmygod, did that take a creepy turn. I didn't mean to leave you all with a whopper like that. I needed some sorta'conflict, though and I wanted to make this as original as I possibly could. Not just the usually, Daniel slowly realizes he's in love with Betty, fluffy duffy fic. Though, I can insure you there will be more fluff in the coming chapters. Just take what happened as fate that will bring the two together. That is, if Daniel isn't dead.

Oh, I'm so cruel.

P.S. Sorry for the hiatus! I was trying to avoid those. Teh. '