Meeting Betty

A/N: Thanks for the encouragement babs08! And thanks for understanding about that bug. I think it's gone now hehe

Also, my gratitude to all reviewers. Much love. And for this chapter, my advanced apologies for the horrible french. I take spanish, sooo...


Apart from the distressing news from Daniel, Betty was having quite a nice time in Rome.

Oh, who was she kidding? How could she help but be worried about Daniel all the time now? Seriously. He was never far from his thoughts and it was really disturbing her holiday.

Obviously, because when she and Gio went to the coliseum and stood looking at the awe-inspiring sight, Gio asked her, smiling softly, "What are you thinking right now?"

And she replied, absently, "Daniel." Because she was. She was thinking how all these great sights here were utterly wasted for her poor best friend because of his sister. She couldn't believe Alexis could be like that. She couldn't imagine Hilda doing something like that to her, much less herself doing something like that to Hilda.

Then, feeling Gio's bewildered stare, she realised her mistake.

Oh, crap.

"Sorry," she said, turning to face him guiltily. "Oh, God, Gio, I'm so sorry. I know I should just let go."


Gio

If you take your girlfriend - (I think Betty is my girlfriend, anyway. Man, that makes me sound like a complete loser.) - to one of the most romantic places in the world and see one of the most brilliant constructions in history, and you asked her what she was thinking, you wouldn't expect her to say "Daniel," would you?

Well, obviously not Daniel. You wouldn't expect her to say the name of her boss.

Though I guess I couldn't honestly just say Daniel is Betty's boss. They're best friends, and I have to admit, as much as I try to put it out of my mind, I can't - that tinny creeping jealousy.

Get away from me, jealousy! I don't want you! It makes me paranoid!

"...I know I should just let go."

Betty should just let go. Yep, totally agreeing here. It's our time together and Daniel shouldn't be occupying her entire mind...she should be mine, as I am hers. How unfair...

Well, our holiday is hardly over yet. I guess.


Betty

I can't believe I just did that to Gio!

Betty, what are you turning into?!

Some part of me wants to blame this all on Daniel, for pushing his problems onto me, but then I remember it was me who made him tell all in the first place. And I know that he can't hide things from me when I really want to know...

But oh God. What was it he said to me when I suspected Wilhelmina might fire me for apparently leaking things to the other magazine a long time ago? You don't have to tell me everything, Betty, especially if it means I might lose you. Well the same goes for him.

Though I guess it's different, because...well, he's lost his job already.

Okay stop obsessing Betty Suarez. You started off fine thinking about Gio but now it's all Daniel. Stop it already.


Betty exhaled a long breath, and turned to Gio with a bright smile. "It's really spectacular."

He smiled back at her, and they turned back to look at the view, hands entwined.


The Daniels

"Très pretty," Daniel Jr said, smiling at the view of the coliseum.

"Yeah," Daniel said. "It's really pretty."

To be honest, Daniel didn't really get buildings. He appreciated the grandeur and all but then after that...it had been Alexis - well Alex, back then - out of the two boys (back then) who appreciated the deeper beauty.

Daniel Jr went on a mini rant, describing the view in Franglish, and Daniel smiled at his son, eyes crinkling in slight perplexity. Well in this aspect his son was...quite unlike him.

"You not listening," Daniel Jr said, with that smile-and-eye-roll.

"Hey," Daniel said. "I was, too." He stared at the boy and suddenly the gesture connected in his brain. It was like the building appreciation. He grinned at Daniel Jr.

"Que?"

"You are so like your uncle," he said, ruffling his hair. Oh dammit, he'd been thinking of young Alex. "I mean your aunt. Your tante." He remembered odd little words from his French class.

Daniel Jr. smiled at him. After a pause, he asked, "What you think?"

"I think Betty would really love this view," Daniel said. "You know, Betty. She -"

"Oui, je sais Betty." Daniel Jr. smiled. "You like her."

Daniel raised his eyebrows and stared at his son, in his stricken what? expression. "What?"

Daniel Jr. smirked smugly and turned to look at the coliseum.


Daniel

My own son is gloating over my discomfort. What kind of Dad am I, anyway? Well.

What did he mean, I like Betty. Well of course I like her...she's a brilliant assistant and best friend.

Strange though that when I looked at the coliseum it was Betty I thought of and how she'd like the view. She would, though. She probably did, probably been here with Gio already. And I only thought of her because she's here in Rome and because...you know...

Betty is here with Gio though. I keep forgetting that little nagging detail. It's annoying. She's so close yet so...far.

Man, that was such a cliché.


Daniel Jr. translated from original French

Wow - speak of the devil. Well not the devil, because she's very nice. But how strange. We talk about her and there she is...

Dad hasn't seen her yet.

That's good. His expression was so adult-y when I told him the obvious...that he liked Betty. Like, in the like like way. The crushing way. Hehe.

Maybe I can help Dad.

But annoying adult things are all messy because Betty is with that guy, who is probably her boyfriend.

Well I don't care.


"Dad, we join tour," Daniel Jr. said, tugging at his father's arm, pointing over at one of those free tour guides.

"Oh, I don't even know if that guy's licensed," Daniel said, looking over.

Daniel Jr. gave his best pout, although he was very out of practice.

"But okay," Daniel said.

Daniel Jr. grinned to himself, following his dad over to the group.


"...and ripped his arm off!" the guide said, in a dramatic Italian-accented stage whisper.

"Wow," Betty said. Gio and she were standing right at the front of the group. "That's...amazing."

She ignored Gio laughing at her comment.

"Many brave souls have perished within these walls." The guide stared around with wide eyes. "It's said their blood-covered ghosts still roam the walks of Roma."

Gio snorted. Betty elbowed him. There was the audible woah of a young boy from the somewhere at the back of the group.


"Woah," Daniel Jr. said.

"Hey, your English is really good," Daniel said, impressed. "You -"

He turned, distracted, at the approach of a heavy-browed police man approaching them. The policeman went up to the front of the group, approaching the guide.

The guide protested something in rapid Italian, to which the policeman scowled and motioned for him to come away. Daniel stepped forward, not knowing exactly why he felt the need to defend the tour guide. He was unlicensed.

"You can't just do that," he said, and at the same time a light blue coated woman stepped out beside him, saying "That's so unfair!"

He turned and stared at her. "Betty?"


A/N: I have little knowledge of Rome and the coliseum, never having been there. We'll see more of the defense next ish. Let me know what you thought please, good or bad :)