Author's Note: Once again I would like to thank everybody for your wonderful reviews! I also want to give a special thanks to LondonGirl27 who has been giving me so many helpful ideas and inspiring me to write more for this story. I also want to thank moonlightBuffy for her suggestion about using a better explanation for the emergency, and I hope that you don't mind that I used the coffee idea! Hopefully it works for this chapter. Enjoy!

"Daniel? DANIEL!"

Betty's stressed shout snapped him out of his daze. "What?" Daniel asked.

"I asked if you were okay."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Daniel replied, pasting a smile on his face to reassure her.

"Right… So, what was that emergency that you mentioned that couldn't wait five minutes?" Betty asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"I need some coffee."

"You need coffee? That was your earth shattering emergency?"

"Yes! Look, Betty, I'm having major caffeine withdrawal, and if I don't get any within the next thirty seconds my head is literally going to explode. So would you please go and get that coffee for me? Can you do that?" Daniel finished condescendingly, an innocent smile gracing his face.

Betty glared at him and with mock enthusiasm replied, "Of course, sir! Can I get anything else for you, sir?"

"No just the coffee, thanks," Daniel said.

Betty stood there with her hands on her hips, trying to murder him with her eyes.

"What are you still standing here for? Go!"

Betty scoffed and then trudged out of the office grumbling. Daniel couldn't help but laugh. He hadn't meant to tick her off, but at least it made her forget about the foolishness he was exhibiting earlier. He didn't want to have to explain to her why he had shouted her name at the top of his lungs down there in the lobby. He wasn't even sure himself why he did it. He just knew that he didn't like seeing her with the accountant. She looked too happy.

Daniel sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he was being selfish. Betty deserved to be happy. He wanted her to be happy, he really did. Just…not with the accountant. He shouldn't care really. It was no concern of his who she went out with. Truly. He didn't care. Honestly.

Betty stomped her way back into Daniel's office and said with a brittle smile, "Here's your coffee, sir," and then she slammed the cup onto his desk, causing the coffee to pool over the sides and spill onto Daniel's lap.

Daniel jumped up with a yelp of pain and started vigorously wiping his pants with his handkerchief. His crotch felt like it was on fire.

"Oh my god, Daniel, I'm so sorry!" cried Betty.

Daniel paused to look up at her with a fierce gleam in his eyes, then went back to cleaning himself off. "So it's Daniel again, is it?"

"What? Oh! Right, yeah, sorry. Really, I am sorry. Here, let me help you!" Betty said as she grabbed a towel and started towards his crotch.

Daniel looked at her sharply and barked, "No! No, I've got it under control, thank you. Just sit down."

"Okay," she said with a frown. Daniel could tell she was regretful. She wanted to help, to make right what she did wrong, but he didn't blame her. It was his own fault for making her angry. But, it wouldn't hurt to let her stew in guilt for a while; his extremely expensive pants were ruined, after all.

Daniel finished wiping himself off, then gingerly sat back down in his chair. Betty refused to meet his eyes, so he said, "Betty, it's okay, really, don't worry about it."

She met his eyes instantly and said disbelievingly, "You're not mad?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "I deserved it."

Betty nodded and said, "Yeah, you're right."

Daniel stared at her in surprise, and then he grinned. He was rewarded with one of Betty's bright, sincere smiles that transformed her entire face. He laughed and she looked down at her hands.

There was a long, awkward moment of silence, and then Betty quietly broke it by asking, "So, Daniel, what was the real emergency?"

"What do you mean?" Daniel asked, trying to keep innocence in his voice while he was panicking on the inside.

Betty looked up at him with a raised eyebrow and replied, "Daniel, you don't really expect me to believe that you rushed me up here just to get you coffee, do you? So what's the real emergency?"

Daniel sighed and focused on a tiny dent on his desktop. "Look, Betty, there was no emergency. I just…well, the truth is, I saw you and Henry in the lobby."

"Yeah…so?"

Daniel forced himself to meet Betty's gaze and explained, "So…I think you're moving too fast with him. I mean, didn't you just start going out with him? And already you're kissing him in public?"

Betty's eyes widened and she exclaimed, "What? You're giving me relationship advice? You? Daniel Meade? Mr. I have a different woman for every night of the week?"

"Hey! Come on, Betty, I'm just looking out for you. You barely know this guy. Didn't you just break up with that other one, the—the little whiney one…Wilbur?"

"How would you know, huh? It's not like you inquire about my life...ever, unless, of course, it affects you in some way," Betty replied bitterly. "And his name is Walter, by the way."

This wasn't going good. This was exactly what he had tried to avoid. "Betty," Daniel said in a calm voice, "I don't want a fight. I was just pointing out that maybe you shouldn't be so gung ho about this Henry guy. I just don't want you falling in love with the guy and then getting your heart broken when he doesn't love you back." Daniel winced at the look that she was giving him. Her eyes were cast with pain and disdain. He had said the wrong thing.

Betty's voice shook as she sat up straight and looked him square in the face and said, "I know I'm not beautiful, Daniel. I'm not classy, or rich, or thin, and I'm not the most intelligent or talented person in the world, but I'm me. I'm Betty. That may not be good enough in your eyes, but it's enough for Henry."

Daniel's chest felt like there was a metal clamp closing around it. He hadn't meant to hurt her, he never meant to, but he had always said the wrong things. He had to make this right. "No!" Daniel shouted. "Betty, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Sure, of course you didn't."

She sounded so broken, so completely defeated. He could see the well of tears in her brown eyes that she refused to let drop. He sighed and looked down at the papers on his desk. He picked them up and started sorting them, trying to look busy.

Betty rose from her seat and walked out of the office without another word.