'Hey ya'll! :D How you doin'? Sad? :( Me too! :'( Ugly Betty is almost over forever! :O It's horrible! Absurd! Disgusting! :S :
Anyway...on with the chapter lol. Sorry about the wait but life is being difficult! : :( It's refusing to co-operate! :( But hey? What ya gonna do right?


Meade Publications - MODE Magazine

"Good morning Wilhelmina." Daniel Meade smiled kindly at the woman revealed to him when the elevator doors parted.

"Oh my god!" Wilhelmina Slater cried out in surprise, flinching as she stepped out of the elevator only to almost collide with the already waiting Daniel.

Daniel smirked, "You can call me Daniel." and winked at her.

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes, "Oh please." She muttered striding past him down the tube in the direction of her office. Daniel chuckled to himself as he started walking in the same direction, falling into step beside her.

Wilhelmina shot him a suspicious sideways glance and raised her eyebrow expectantly, "What the hell are you doing?"

Daniel ignored her question, turning to her with sparkling eyes, "You're supposed to say 'Good morning Daniel'" he informed her casually, "It's common courtesy, polite. Not that youwould no anything about such things." he quiped.

Wilhelmina regarded him with an incredulous expression before increasing her pace, entering her office and slamming the door in his face. Daniel froze just in time to avoid a broken nose. He sighed, knocked once and entered before she could deny him.

Wilhelmina whirled around to face her intruder, "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded again, the aggression in her voice unmistakable.

Daniel laughed, amusement dancing in his electric blue orbs, "Is that the only thing you're capable of saying to me today?" he asked with a chuckle and Wilhelmina glared dangerously, her ice blue eyes darkening as she shrugged off her coat and placed it on the rack.

Daniel held up his hands, "Okay! Okay!" he surrendered to her, not in any mood for a fight so early in the morning and knowing that that was exactly how this would end if he kept pushing her.

Wilhelmina turned to him, "What do you want Daniel?" she asked frustrated with him already.

Daniel opened his mouth but his voice failed him as he was momentarily mesmerised by the figure before him. Wilhelmina was dressed in a deep purple blouse that accentuated her breasts, as if she needed any help in that department, paired with a tight fitting, curve hugging black pencil skirt that ended just above the knee, her trade mark killer heels, black with shimmers of purple, rounding the outfit off perfectly.

"Daniel?" Wilhelmina called his name placing both hands on her hips to imply her growing impatience.

Daniel's eyes snapped to hers in an instant and he spoke as if his distraction had not occurred, "We have a problem."

Wilhelmina sighed at that not so gentle declaration, it was waytoo early in the morning for a problem, especially a Monday morning, "Alright...what is it?" she demanded, voice dripping with authority.

Daniel folded his arms across his chest as he walked towards her and Wilhelmina couldn't help but notice how his shirt seemed to strain against his obviously toned body underneath just from the simple movement.

"Our sales have dropped." He revealed drearily, the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes projecting his concern.

Wilhelmina's eyes widened in surprise, "What!" she snapped and he sighed.

"I know." Daniel agreed, "I don't know how this happened, things have been going so well since..." he trailed off, unwilling to say the truth out loud and especially not to her face.

Wilhelmina smirked when his voice drowned out. She took an intimidating step towards him, folding her arms across her chest superiorly, "Since Ireturned to Mode." She completed the sentence for him, looking him dead in the eye.

Daniel held her piercing gaze with his own, reading the dare in her eyes but holding no intention of acting upon it. He would never admit to her that she was vital to the running and survival of the magazine, despite the fact that it was true and he knew it. Instead he opted for the beloved tactic known as: 'changing the subject.'

"We need to figure out a way in which we can boost out sales. Get them back to what they were before." He moved swiftly on, smiling at the smirk that widened across Wilhelmina's flawless face as she realised what he was doing.

She nodded once, "Yes, yes we do." Wilhelmina agreed her tone taking on a more serious note. She glanced at the clock on her wall then back at Daniel, tapping her watch, "But right now...we've got a meeting to head." And with that she strode past him and strutted down the corridor to the conference room. Daniel right behind her, watching her ass the whole way there, discreetly of course.

~UB~

Conference Room

"I don't understand it." Wilhelmina sighed irately as she roughly pushed papers away from her.

She and Daniel had just dismissed the issue meeting, assignments distributed, employees scared to death and threats of death handed out: all in a mornings work. The two Editors-in-Chief were now standing alone in recently evacuated conference room going through the final layouts from their last issue trying to figure out what went wrong.

"This..." Wilhelmina gestured wildly with her hand, "...was fabulous!" she cried referring to the contents scattered across the round glass table.

Daniel nodded in agreement, "I know, I know. It makes no sense." The frustration he was feeling evident in his tone, "That issue was golden, one of our best to date. The sales numbers just don't reflect that."

Wilhelmina sighed again, heavily and shifted her stance, unconsciously positioning herself closer to Daniel, this of course not going unnoticed by him. Their hands touched as they both reached for the numbers sheet. Wilhelmina drew back instantly, smoothing out the invisible creases in her skirt to hide the reaction from her present company.

Daniel froze mid-movement, watching her hands like a hawk, waiting until they were at a safe distance before snatching up the paper and holding it between them. "See?" he asked jabbing the sheet violently, "No reflection whatsoever."

Wilhelmina huffed, glaring at the offending numbers as if willing them to increase on command. Suddenly a thought occurred and Wilhelmina's eyes narrowed. "What if..." she spoke up slowly and Daniel turned to her, "...what if we're looking at this from the wrong angle?" she suggested and he frowned.

"I, I don't understand." Daniel shook his head purposefully.

Wilhelmina rolled her eyes, "Of course you don't." She snatched the sheet from his hand and threw it onto the table haphazardly turning to face him head on. "Forget the numbers." She ordered sternly, "Forget the issue itself, the contents, everything. Obviously the problem doesn't lie with the magazine." Wilhelmina decided and Daniel nodded, unable to disagree, "And the figures aren't terrible. We aren't in any danger so the magazine is clearly top notch still. Maybe the problem lies with the readers themselves." She suggested, eyebrow arching slowly.

Daniel stared at her silently, waiting for her to continue, "Your gonna have to give me more than that Wilhelmina."

Wilhelmina sighed exasperatedly and kicked Daniel's shin.

"OW!" he yelped wobbling slightly as he hopped on the one foot, "That hurt! What the hell did you do that for!"

"Focus Daniel." Wilhelmina ordered sharply with a glare, "Think. Summon whatever miniscule brain cells you actually posses and think about it." She instructed impatiently, "What is the one aspect of Mode that is constantly changing?"

Daniel frowned at the question, his brow creased in thought. Wilhelmina began tapping her foot and glaring at him, arms folded across her chest, that patronising eyebrow remaining arched and Daniel could feel the anger swell within and that's when it hit him, "Us." He answered simply.

Wilhelmina smirked, "Exactly. Our relationship varies from day to day but..."

"It's been a lot better this past year." Daniel concluded, "Since you returned and Cal left."

Wilhelmina nodded too, "I don't think the little people like it." She commented grimacing at the thought of them, "They're bored with us Daniel." she snorted in disgust.

"And we both know that's it's not just the magazine that makes the sell it's the people behind the magazine too." Daniel summarised with a sigh and Wilhelmina nodded solemnly.

"They've lost interest." She stated bluntly, "Sales were at their all time highest when we were at each others' throats."

Daniel sniggered, "Well, just tell them about the elevator and watch sales soar." He joked then froze when he saw the look in his partner's eyes, "Oh god. What are you thinking?" he asked fearfully. Wilhelmina smirked. "Willie." Daniel demanded sternly and she quickly glanced around feeling numerous sets of eyes on her.

"Come with me." Wilhelmina instructed, grabbing Daniel's forearm and dragging him in the direction of her office.


~UB~

Wilhelmina Slater's Office

"Well?" Wilhelmina asked as she casually leaned back against her desk, eyebrows raised.

Daniel shook his head slowly in complete and utter disbelief, "It's crazy. You are crazy!" he answered and she chuckled.

"But...?" Wilhelmina coaxed leaning forwards.

Daniel sighed, "But..." he smirked looking her up and down, "It's genius." He relented and she smiled triumphantly.

"Yes. It. Is." Wilhelmina agreed pushing off of her desk and sauntering over to him, "Think you can handle it?" she challenged.

Daniel laughed eyes trailing down her frame as he invaded her personal space. He looked up into her darkened eyes and smirked, their faces inches apart, "Bring it on."


'Well? Whatcha think huh? Sucky? Crappy? Complete sh** or what? lol You know the drill guys: just click on that big green button down there and share you thoughts :D

Rockstars you are! ;)

Rachel xo