Yay, school has started for me and I'm bogged down with work. I should be doing my Discrete Mathematics, but I thought my lovelies needed an update and that is what I'm going to do! I mean I'll probably be working snippets on this! Or maybe a good chunk, we don't know :)! I just go with the flow. I really do thank you for the people that read this story.

Thank yous;

Agentcaroline,

Dettyislove,

TMadison,

Betty the Bonita,

kimberley926

Seems shorter this time, but oh well! I just love each and every one of you and will continue to put your name up in the authors note to show you. I appreciate each and everyone. I have three favorites also, thank you! I didn't think that I would even get any! That just makes me even more happy and willing to write! I wish I would have known that earlier, I would have tried to get it out earlier. I really am bad at writing and updating! It just takes me forever to form any semblance of a chapter! I used to be able to write quickly and have updates out like there was no tomorrow, but that is broken. It's like I can't do it anymore!

Chapter 10-

We're going down, down in an earlier round. Sugar, we're going down swinging – Sugar We're Going Down by Fall Out Boy

Daniel looked up to the woman up at the podium, they had just made it in time; he was glad that his mother got them someone who was willing to come out and fix their tires. Of course his mother had to throw money towards the man, even in London money talked. A tight, tired smile was on Daniel's face and he looked like he hadn't slept in days, which he had. He felt like his life is starting to get drained from him and each day he was getting older. He couldn't help but wonder if this was all his fault, if he and Betty weren't together would she still be under attack? His mind was trying to process everything that began to happen. He felt burdened with guilt, as if it was a cold, hard slab of stone sitting on his shoulder. These all pressed down on him and made him just want to give everything up, but Betty, his Betty, wouldn't let him or anyone else for that matter. She was so strong, she was such a positive role model and the person who gave him pep talks. The only people she hurt were Matt and Henry and Gio and Charlie. Charlie wanted Henry but he wanted Betty, even when she was carrying his child. Matt left for Africa, but he knew that Betty couldn't do the long distance relationship with him. She really didn't love him at all, same with Gio. That went no where, because she needed to find herself.

"The magazine is going to focus on real woman and their problems, real woman and everything they would want to know. There are cleaning tips, make up tips, and every other tips out there. There will be an advice column. Now with the research," Daniel's hearing trailed off as he felt like something was off.

He knew he should be listening with rapt attention, but there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach. This feeling began to intensify, and it made his stomach ache and twist into knots. Daniel knew he should stay but something was pulling at him, telling him to investigate. His head and his heart were arguing with each other, fighting for him. His heart was telling him to stay right where he was but his head and his gut were telling him to go, he didn't know which one to listen to. The fight was beginning to get bigger and bigger, until his head won out and he silently slipped out of the launch; he was hoping that Betty understood why he was doing this. He just wants her to be safe, safe with him and not worrying when the next attack will be.

He didn't know where he was going, his feet carrying him down some dark corridors, staying against the wall. His back moving against it, his hands, palm side down, sliding against him. Of course he didn't know what he was feeling for, all he knew was that he had to protect his Betty and himself, he knew this would only escalate until someone ended up in the hospital, or worse dead. With everything that had happened and everything they had been through, both he and Betty needed to be left alone. He didn't know if their relationship would be so strong to deal with the strain of everything. IT was too new and she would probably see that she is better off without him; something he knew. He knew that he didn't deserve her and knew he had to hold onto her, because if he lost her everything would just be bleak. Daniel knew he couldn't be with anyone else, sure it seemed selfish but he finally was able to call her his and he wasn't ready to lose her. No one was ready to lose her, Betty has touched more than him.

Voices began to filter into his line of hearing and he didn't know how long he has been moving with his back against the wall. He made out one voice as Dunne, but as soon as the other person spoke his eyes went wide. Alexis? He couldn't wrap his head around this, because he didn't think that his sister was in on this. He knew Alexis loved Betty as if she were her sister-in-law already. What was she doing there? That was something that was plaguing his mind as he listened into the conversation that was going on behind closed doors.

"So you think you're going to bring the Meade's down, Mr. Dunne? You know that Betty is Daniel's Achilles heel and whatever you do to her, gets to him? How could you do that to someone so innocent? Betty, nor my brother, don't deserve this. Whatever vendetta you have against my family, should be taken up with his," he could hear the passion in his sister's voice, something he had never heard in her voice, even when she was Alex.

"I plan on bringing down your whole family," he could hear Dunne say and his eyes went wide.

Betty didn't get this job by her talents, she was only pawn in Dunne's game. Who was helping him? That was the next question that he was asking himself, because he knew that Dunne couldn't have done it alone. Daniel figured that he was throwing money at people and they were doing his bidding, he never knew just how bad London could be like this. It was just like America, but with accents and a different scenery. His heart was racing in his chest as he listened some more, hearing a new voice but it sounded familiar. The voice was something he should know, but he couldn't put a name or face to it. What the hell is going on? He could tell that Alexis wasn't with them on this, so he ruled out his sister as being a part of this plot against him and Betty. Daniel knew what he had to do though, he was already planning another plan. The one thing he didn't want to do was something he had to do.

"I'm sorry, Betty," he spoke as he barged into the room, making his presence known.

"Mr. Meade," Dunne spoke with a grin on his face, an evil grin that made his wrinkles stand out.

The door was shut again behind Daniel and the last person he thought he would see was standing there, it was his buddy Becks.

"Becks?" Daniel's eyes widen as he stood there stunned, seeing his former friend standing there with a self-satisfying smirk on his face.

"Hey, buddy," Becks spoke in a condescending tone, his arms crossing over his chest as he parked himself in front of the door, making sure no one can get in or out. He was sure that Alexis could pick him up, but Becks was always full of himself.

"What is going on here?" He finally was able to ask, Dunne having moved from his desk and was making his way to Daniel.

"I'm getting even for a past debt. I've been sitting back long enough and I think it's time that I got it, yeah?"

"For what?" Alexis piped up, standing her full height, which could be very intimidating but it didn't make Dunne back down at all.

"Oh that is for me to know. Your mother probably knows too, but doesn't think I have a mean bone in my body. Of course, back then I didn't but now I'm a different person. You should really never underestimate someone, they will show you a side that you never know they would have. Take Becks here, you think he would turn on his friend?" Dunne asked as he pointedly looked over at Daniel who felt betrayed by his friend, "No, you didn't think that he would. Becks was a perfect candidate for this. Of course he owed it to me, after knocking up my precious daughter and taking off. So, I think he owes this to me."

Dunne was going on and on, but Daniel wasn't having it. He had had enough blackmail with Wilhelmina and her crew, he wanted to punch Dunne but his sister was trying to signal him not to, something telling him to listen to her. He couldn't lose his cool with Betty's boss otherwise it could be spun to make him look like the bad guy; ultimately that could mean that he would lose Betty and he didn't want to do that. He needed the young woman. She was his life and he couldn't picture himself without her at all, a frown on his face as he thought about it. This only caused Dunne to smirk.

"I want you to break it off with, Betty. You can't have her and you can't have your job, it is one or the other," Dunne spoke, knowing that this would drive Daniel to be lethargic and not want to put his all into work.

Dunne counted on Claire to take pity on her son and reinstate him to MODE, which will only help him to bring it down. That was only just the first part of his plan, he needed to somehow bring Claire down, since his other plan didn't work. With Alexis having gone back to New York, in order to help her mom stay on the wagon, he had to rework that part. He knew his plan was unraveling fast and he needed to get his footing, he felt like he could do it. The one thing he was missing was the fact that the Meade's could be very powerful and he was underestimating the people around him.

"I'm not going to give up Betty, Dunne," Daniel growled, his eyes becoming a darker blue to show his anger, his hands balling into fists. His heart was contracting with the thought of even thinking about losing the love of his life.

"You will do as I say, Daniel. Do you want your job? I could smear your name. You don't know how big I am in London and how much influence I have here. I could make sure you can't get a job here or Paris, or Rome, or anywhere for that matter," Dunne smirked as he let those words sink in, "You think you are so smart? That you graduated from Harvard. You only graduated because you were a Meade. No matter what your precious Betty tells you, you aren't smart. She just was building up your confidence. You're never going to get anywhere. Whatever talents you think you possess is just beginners luck."

Dunne knew he was getting to the middle Meade, Alexis also getting pissed off. He knew that he was playing with fire and he was just stoking the small flames that were there. He wanted to make it a blaze, he knew Daniel was a passionate person and would do anything for the good of someone else. He just needed to add the last nail in the coffin.

"If you don't quit I will fire both you and Betty. I will make sure she wont be the editor anywhere. She may have talent but again, I can smear her face."

Dunne felt satisfied, but he didn't know that his words were being broadcasted to the whole party, everyone shocked into stunned silence, Claire's face going ashen as she knew why he was doing this. He was right, she didn't think that he would do this to anyone. He was a sweet guy when they were together and she had trampled on his heart. Right now would be the perfect time for her to fall off the wagon, but she was already dialing the constables, wanting to end this. Betty didn't deserve this. The girl in question stood at the podium, stunned and hurt that she didn't get this job on her own merits. Would she ever fit in anywhere?

Betty ran out of the room with tears down her eyes, feeling like her heart was stepped on, ground into the ground by someone's foot. That foot was Dunne's. He had just punctured her fragile self confidence, that she had built when she was here. Now she felt like she was just a pity case, that no one will understand her dream. How could she have been working for him? Was the thoughts that flowed through her mind as she pushed past people. The room felt very hot and she felt like the walls were closing in on her, her breathing was becoming erratic. It felt like something was sitting on her chest, weighing her down and cutting the oxygen off from her, her head beginning to swim and blackness taking over her. The poor woman had blacked out in front of everyone who was watching her.

What the hell is going on? That was the collective thoughts of the whole group.

Thank you for reading and reviewing! This one seems longer, sorry if it seems that I go too fast. I have a knack for doing that! Telling me what you think, most of everything is out in the open now!