Ugly Betty
And I Feel Fine
A/N: Here it is. The last chapter. I just feel like if I drag it on anymore, I'll ruin it and turn it into a clichéd romance and I don't want to do that. Thank you so much for you reviews! They have made this such a joy to write. I have a few more stories in the pipe-line so look out for them. Thus ends my self-promotion and begins the end of the story. Happy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Ugly Betty in anyway. I also don't own the lyrics to 'Warm Whispers' by the talented Missy Higgins. She is my current obsession.
Chapter Seven: Drown In a Pool of You
Your warm whispers
Out of the dark they carry my heart
Your warm whispers
Into the dawn they carry me through
And I'm weeping warm honey and milk
That you stay surrounding me, surrounding me
"Daniel?" Betty muttered. She moved her hand slightly and felt his warm body. "Daniel, my head hurts and my ears are ringing."
"Henry is the father," Daniel said in monotone. Betty blearily sat-up next to him. He looked as wrecked as she felt.
"What are you talking about?" she scoffed. "Henry the father of Amanda's baby? What are you thinking?"
"She got up on the podium and told everybody last night," he answered. Betty's face widened in surprise.
"But she wasn't even drunk. Why would she do that?" she asked.
"I believe you told her too."
"No I think she told me that he wouldn't even consider dating her or anything more than that if she didn't tell people the baby was his so no, I don't think it was me who told her to do it," Betty replied. "Was Henry there?"
"He was. She rang him and demanded he come. I don't think he was happy about his unborn child being in a bar but he seemed rather chuffed when Amanda made her little announcement," Daniel answered.
"Since when have you used the word 'chuffed?'?" Betty giggled.
"I don't know. Probably never," Daniel admitted. "Chuffed just seems to describe Henry when he's happy but."
"I'd never really thought about it but the more I do, the more I realise you are so right," Betty said.
"Betty, please stop thinking about Henry," Daniel ordered. She rolled her eyes but changed the subject.
"I'd better call Amanda later. Tell me, what happened with Christina and that boy?" Betty wanted to know.
"You seriously don't remember?" Daniel asked in aghast.
"Umm, no. Exactly how drunk was I?" Betty asked.
"How would I know? I wasn't exactly sober myself," Daniel replied. "I just remember most of it."
"Well tell me what happened anyway," Betty demanded.
"They got escorted from the building when Linden started unbuttoning Christina's top," Daniel told her in glee. "It was great. Drinks were being thrown anyway and Christina was yelling at people groping Linden's butt the whole time. It was so great. I can't believe you don't remember. You even started yelling at one of the security guards yourself and I had to kiss you to stop you."
"What's a Linden?" Betty asked.
"Christina's boyfriend," Daniel answered. "Did you hear me, Betty? I said you started yelling at one of the guard's too."
"Is Linden even a real name?" she asked, ignoring him. He looked at her and she rolled her eyes. "I highly doubt I yelled at a security guard."
"You told him that you were with the fashion police and that it gave you more power than him," Daniel laughed. He was laughing so hard at the memory that he had tears in his eyes.
"Whatever. I don't believe you," she said defensively.
"Well you did," he answered. Betty groaned and slid back into bed pulling Daniel down with her. "Betty, we can't stay in bed all day. We have to get the girls up."
"The girls are fine. They can fend for themselves. Besides, I feel wretched. I just need a little bit longer," Betty groaned. Carmen chose that exact moment to squawk and show her mother that she was not fine any longer. Betty groaned and found herself crying a little bit. She and Daniel crawled out of bed and made their way into the baby's room.
"Mummy, Carmen is awake," Iris said. She saw her father and she squealed. "Daddy!"
Daniel and Betty both winced and went to cover their ears. Iris ran at Daniel and launched herself into his arms.
"Iris, use your indoor voice please. Mummy and Daddy aren't feeling very well today," Betty said as she unfastened Carmen's nappy and set about changing her daughter. "Hey, why don't you and Daddy go and get breakfast ready."
"Okay!" Iris yelled before she remembered she had to use her indoor voice. She turned to her parents and whispered, "I mean, okay."
She scampered down the hall and Daniel followed her. He might have been the boss at work but it was easy to see who the bosses around here… were and he wasn't one of them.
Betty changed Carmen quickly and then walked down the hall into the kitchen were Daniel was standing amidst carnage and mess. Betty set Carmen down in her high-chair then walked in to survey the damage.
"Oh my," she said. "What happened here?"
"I tried to cook," Iris answered. Daniel had the same shocked expression on his face.
"I thought you were watching her," Betty hissed.
"I had to pee," Daniel shot-back. "When you've gotta go, you've gotta go."
"Not when your four-year-old is about to cook breakfast you don't," Betty replied. She sighed and shook her head. "Okay, change of plans. Iris, you take Daddy down to the shop and we'll have something yummy for breakfast like pancakes or bagels. You can pick as long as it isn't ice-cream or fairy floss."
"But Mummy, I'm in my pyjamas," Iris told her.
"It's a special occasion," Betty said, the tone in her voice telling her daughter not to argue anymore. Betty turned to Daniel and prodded him in the stomach. "Go put some clothes on and then get me breakfast. I'll stay here and clean this mess up."
"Sorry, Betty," Daniel shrugged. Betty's eyes softened.
"It isn't your fault. I should have known this would happen. I know what Iris is like in the kitchen. Now go! I am hungry," she said. She pecked him on the lips and then turned around to survey the damage some more. She had Carmen fed and the messed cleaned up in no time. Betty was an expert when it came to cleaning up messy kitchens. She even had time to shower and get changed and when she found herself sitting on the couch as Carmen played happily with her blocks, she decided to call Amanda.
"Hello," a male voice cheerily answered the phone.
"Henry?" Betty squeaked.
"Betty?" he asked back. "Hi. How are you?"
"I'm, um, good. Is Mandy there?" Betty asked. She wondered why she had called Amanda 'Mandy' but it was too late to worry about that now.
"I'll just go get her for you," he said. He paused. "Betty, is this weird because I know Amanda is your friend and we used to go out so if it's weird…"
"It's a little bit late for that now, Henry," Betty said lightly. "The only thing weird about this is that it is you and Amanda. You're a gentleman and she's a man-eater."
"I don't know. Deep down I think she just wants the same things that every other woman wants and I think it's kind of cool that I get to give it to her," Henry said. Betty practically felt him cringe and she smiled to herself. "In a completely non-sexual way. I meant I get to be the one who… I'll just get her."
Betty waited and hummed to herself as she waited for Henry to find Amanda.
"Well, Betty, I guess you aren't that much of a grandma after all," Amanda said as soon as she came onto the phone. Old jokes died hard, Betty knew. "I swear, I thought you were going to rip the poor guys head off."
"I don't even know what you're talking about," Betty said haughtily.
"Either you are in denial or you don't remember. Either works for me. I can tell people anything and you cant even correct them. Anyway, I know you didn't call to chat to me or ask how my feet are feeling after wearing heels all night or even to give me more fodder for the gossip monster's so why don't you cut to the chase," Amanda replied.
"Did I really tell you get up on the podium and tell everyone that Henry was the father?" Betty asked.
"No. I did that myself. You told me to take my top off and flash him because that would get his attention," Amanda answered. "Is that all you rang for?"
"I was actually wondering if this meant things were going to be a little more permanent for you two," Betty replied.
"I don't know. Maybe. I hope so," Amanda answered. "He saw me throw-up last night and he didn't leave so I guess that is something."
"I hope things work out for you two," Betty said.
"I know you do, Betty," Amanda answered, her voice softening. Henry yelled something in the background. "I've got to go. Bye, security guard basher."
Betty hung up and shook her head. Henry and Amanda spun her out. She didn't have long to think about. Daniel and Iris entered the apartment carrying bags of steaming food.
"What took you so long?" Betty asked. "I had time to do a million things while you were gone."
"I ran into someone," Daniel said rolling his eyes as he unpacked their breakfast. "They talked for ages and then we couldn't find a place that did take-away breakfast so you are lucky to have all of this sitting in front of you."
"Wow guys, this looks amazing," Betty said. "You did a good job. Now, let's eat."
So they ate their first family breakfast in a long time and the first of a great deal more.
In the years to come as the girls got older and grew-up, as Daniel and Betty changed and learned and loved, they would often look back in the time that they had almost thrown their marriage away. Every time they fought, they were determined to patch things up as quickly as they could. They would never be apart again. They would never want to be apart. They had loved and they had fought, they had been broken and they had been fixed but most of all they had loved and they had loved. In the end, love what was kept them together. The kind of love it is said most people never find but was quintessentially the kind of love that kept most people together all over the world. They had nearly thrown the best thing away but they hadn't.
-
"I don't know what I'd do without you," Daniel whispered in the dark. Betty's head was on his chest and he played with her hair.
"You'd probably be a lot hungrier and have less clean clothes," she murmured back.
"I'm serious," he said.
"So am I," she replied but he heard the laughter in her voice. "You know how I feel about you, Daniel. I am so blown away but how much I feel for you. Everyday I am blown away at how I can love you more than I already do but somehow, I do love you more."
"I think you are wonderful and beautiful and a great writer and an amazing mother and I love how you keep me on my toes and you keep me warm in bed at night and I love waking up next to you and I love making you coffee in the morning or bringing you aspirin when you have headaches," he gushed. "I even love it when you're sick because then you let me take care of you and I like to take care of you."
"I'll let you take care of me more often if you like," Betty offered. She was touched and happy, unbelievably happy.
"Just never go anywhere, okay? Stay here forever," he said.
"I'll never go anywhere," she answered.
-
One day fifteen years later, Betty Meade found herself standing outside the building that her husband had become the king of, the ruler of, the boss of.
Swish.
She stood back outside the building that had offered her the very best and the very worst moments of her life.
Swish.
She stood back outside the building that had started her career, ended it then revived it yet again.
Swish.
She stood back outside the building that had been there for as long as anyone could remember and would be there for longer still.
Swish.
She stood back outside the building that held the man she loved with all her being and the man that loved her with all his might.
Swish.
She stood back outside the building and knew it wasn't even a decision she needed to make anymore. As long as she and Daniel were alive, she would always stand outside any building he was in and she would wait as long as it took.
Swish.
The door opened and Daniel exited. He saw Betty and he smiled. She smiled back at him and they walked to each other. They met and they hugged and they kissed. After so many years, they were still so happy and still so in love.
And they felt fine. They felt so fine. They felt more fine than they ever had before.
