A/N: I don't own Ugly Betty.

Children grow quickly, as Daniel and Betty learned. Before they knew what was happening, Naomi and Adam were taking their first steps and saying their first words. And then Ella was three and starting preschool. And Daniel was starting to feel old. "My kids are growing up," he told Betty one night shortly after Ella's fourth birthday. "I have a four-year-old and twin two-year-olds. Everyone can walk and talk. It's weird. I'm not constantly carrying kids around or anything like that anymore."

His wife nodded. "I know. We're still changing diapers but that's getting less frequent. We'll have the twins potty-trained in the next several months. And then, they'll start preschool soon. Our babies are growing up."

"We could always have more babies," he said slyly.

She shook her head. "I'm not ready for that just yet. Soon, Daniel, but not just yet; I need some more time before I can handle anymore little kids running around. And I can't handle potty-training Adam and being pregnant. I could handle just Mimi but Adam is another story entirely."

Adam Meade was an energetic little boy who was always getting into something. He loved to eat play-doh or throw temper tantrums over nothing. He was truly his father's son. His twin sister, on the other hand, was calm and mild-mannered. Naomi could patiently sit and play for hours while her brother ran around throwing tantrums and crying over silly details. Many Saturday mornings, Daniel would come into the twins' shared nursery to find Naomi sleeping peacefully while Adam was playing or throwing something or just being a very dramatic little boy in general. Adam would frequently sit in his crib and sing to himself or talk to his teddy bears while his sister slept. Daniel always scolded his son and then removed him from the bedroom so that Naomi could keep sleeping.

"He is a handful," Daniel said. "I'm not quite sure how we managed to produce that little guy."

Betty laughed. "Daniel, he's your son. He is very energetic and outgoing like you. He likes to explore and learn and play."

"And he wants to be a spoiled brat."

"Sweetie, you were once a spoiled brat too."

He glared at her. "I can make you pay for saying that."

"What are you going to do to me?"

He smirked. "I know tricks."

Once a month, Betty took her father to see his cardiologist. While she did this, she left her children with their father. And he always did the same thing with them. He took them out to lunch at their favorite restaurant and then they went to play; in the summer, they went to Central Park and played. In the winter, he took them to play in his office.

Gio Rossi looked forward to Daniel Meade's monthly visits with his children. Ella and Mimi were both warm, bubbling sweethearts who constantly reminded him of their mother. And Adam was an energetic little guy who always had a story to tell that mostly consisted of "and then…and then" but Gio loved seeing them. So when Daniel Meade breezed into the restaurant with a stroller and Ella by the hand one Thursday that June, Gio rushed out of the back room to greet them. "Ella-belle!" he said, scooping the four-year-old off the ground and kissing her cheeks. "How are you, little lady?"

"I want to go pick dandelions in the park with Daddy," she replied tossing her head of long dark brown curls.

"And how are Mimi and Adam?" he asked her.

"Mimi is a good little girl. Mommy says that she's an angel. But Adam was being bad again. He likes to hit people."

"Who did he hit today?"

Daniel sighed. "He isn't hitting people today. He has been talking to strangers, trying to sell them Naomi."

Gio shook his head. "Well, he is industrious. I'll give him that."

"Yes, he can take over Meade Publications someday. But right now, he's a two-year-old trying to sell his twin sister. And that's not appropriate."

"Not at all," Gio said, tweaking Adam's ear. "I know from personal experience that you have to be nice to your sisters."

"Don't want to," Adam retorted. "I don't want sisters."

"Oh come on," Gio told him. "Sisters can be wonderful."

"You're a liar."

Daniel sighed. "We've been hearing this for about a week now, Gio. There's no arguing with the little guy."

"So should I just get your food ready and skip it?"

Daniel laughed and nodded. "That's your best bet. Adam likes to argue."

"So he's a Meade?"

"It seems that way."

A few minutes later, Gio came back with three sandwiches, four drinks, and two bags of chips. Daniel paid him and then settled down to eat with his children. A few minutes later, Gio came back and sat down to join them for lunch. "So how is Betty?" he asked.

"She's doing well," Daniel said. "I think the kids might drive her crazy some days. But overall, she's doing well."

"Good, do you two have any plans for any more kids any time soon?"

"Not right now, she doesn't think Adam would take it very well and I agree; I think we need to wait a little bit."

Gio made a face at Adam who was eating a sandwich while clutching an army man. Naomi was seated on her father's lap eating part of a sandwich and looking up at her daddy adoringly. Ella was leaning against her father and smiling contentedly. Daniel Meade was clearly an adored father. And he clearly adored his children as well; he was not a passive father. Gio had learned that this man genuinely loved his wife and children. He wasn't going anywhere, wouldn't be caught chasing any loose skirts running around Manhattan. He was one-hundred-and-ten-percent committed to his marriage and to his children. Daniel Meade was a family man. This never ceased to amaze Gio but he was learning to accept and appreciate a Daniel Meade who wiped ice cream off of dirty faces and comforted crying toddlers. This Daniel Meade willingly wore jeans that didn't have a designer name attached to them. "After all," he'd told Gio on a previous visit with his kids. "Why should I spend three hundred dollars on pants if someone is going to spit up on them or spill something on them? Hell, why spend that much money on jeans in the first place?"

Daniel currently had mayonnaise and lettuce on his pants but didn't seem to be minding too much. He was much more interested in his children and Gio. The two had become friends by accident. Shortly after Ella's birth four years earlier, Daniel had wandered into Gio's sandwich shop by accident. He was tired and stressed and in desperate need of food. And then he saw Gio behind the counter. Gio had been tense initially but he quickly recognized the stress and exhaustion in Daniel's eyes. The two began talking and as they talked, Daniel told Gio about Ella's birth and Gio listened sympathetically. They bonded then and Daniel Meade became a regular customer at the deli, often stopping in just to talk to Gio, who would always drop whatever he was doing to talk to his new friend. He loved seeing pictures of little Ella and hearing stories about it. And after she came home from the hospital, he was invited over to Daniel and Betty's apartment to meet the little girl. And of course, he brought sandwiches with him. When Daniel and Betty got married, Gio catered their wedding-his first real catering job ever. And Daniel kept bringing his children to visit Gio. The three little Meades adored him and were always eager for their monthly visits to see Mr. Gio.

Daniel Meade looked out at his backyard and laughed. It was a beautiful summer day and his five-year-old daughter was running around in the backyard with their puppy, Mira, and her best friend, Peter Mariano. Ella was wearing her favorite dress, a light pink sundress, and her hair was in two pigtails. "She looks so happy," Annabel Mariano said as she walked out onto the back porch followed by her three-year-old, Julia, and Naomi Meade. Naomi's hair was in two cute little French braids and was wearing a bright blue sundress.

"She's such a happy little girl," Daniel replied, scooping up Naomi who just wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"You need to shave, Daddy," she announced. "Your face is hairy."

He laughed and rubbed his stubbly face against her baby-smooth one. "I know. But you know what? It's Saturday and I don't have to shave on Saturdays."

"Does Mommy know that?"

"Yes," he said, kissing her little button nose. "Now where is Adam?"

"In time-out," she replied cheerfully as she carefully examined his eyelashes and eyelids in a way that would only be charming coming from a three-year-old.

"Why is he in time-out?"

She shrugged and ran her finger along his eyebrows. "He was being evil."

"What was he doing that was evil?"

"He poured sand in Mommy's coffee and told Grandpa to go jump off the roof. But I'm a good girl. I'm like Ella. And when I grow up, I'm going to be just like Mommy!"

"That's a good goal," her father told the cheerful little girl. "What does Adam want to be when he grows up?"

"A pirate," Naomi announced.

"He wants to be a pirate?"

"Of course, all boys want to grow up and be pirates."

Daniel smiled unsure as to if he'd ever had much interest in piracy as a boy. He'd always wanted to do whatever Alex did. And as piracy had never held much of the older Meade child's interest, the younger brother never paid it very much attention either. But now he had a three-year-old son who wanted to be a pirate. Naomi wanted to be a mommy. And Ella wanted to be a princess. Halloween would be fun that year.

"We should have another baby," Betty informed her husband that evening after the Marianos had gone home and they'd put their children to bed.

Daniel adjusted his reading glasses and looked at his wife. "Oh we should, huh?"

She nodded. "I think we're ready for another baby. I'm ready for another baby."

He smiled at her. "You're still aiming for your blue-eyed daughter, aren't you?"

"Always," she replied. "I want a daughter with blue eyes. And I want more Daniel Meade babies."

"More Daniel Meade babies?" he asked.

"I like having Daniel Meade's babies. And I'm including Ella in that grouping. They're the best babies on earth."

Daniel wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. "I want more babies too," he said. "I like Betty Suarez babies. I like our family. I love you and I love our family. I love being a husband and father."

She kissed his scruffy cheek. "Naomi tells me that Daddy needs to shave."

Daniel smiled. "She tells me that too."

"So when will that be happening?"

"Monday morning," he replied, rubbing his stubbly cheek against her smooth one. "You know I only shave for work. I hate shaving."

She smiled. "It's okay. I enjoy a little stubble. It makes life a little more exciting."

Daniel smiled. "That's what I like to hear."

Unfortunately, Ignacio died a few weeks later and Daniel and Betty were temporarily distracted from their efforts to continue growing their family. Betty and Hilda were broken-hearted as they laid their beloved father to rest. "He was the best man who ever lived," Justin said the night before the funeral. He paused and looked at his uncle. "No offense, Daniel, but my dad was the best, the kindest man you've ever met."

"I know," Daniel said. "He was a better man than I could ever hope to be. But he is still what I want to be."

Daniel Meade was forty years old and the father of three children. Ignacio Suarez had been many years older than him and the father of two children. But Ignacio was the best, most caring man that Daniel had ever known. And it broke his heart to lose his father-in-law, to see his wife lose her father, and his children lose their grandfather. Naomi and Adam were so young that they'd probably never remember their grandfather. Ella would probably have some memories of her grandfather but she was only five and they'd never be strong memories. And that was something that broke her father's heart. He wanted his children to know their amazing grandfather. He wanted them to know the love, devotion, and dedication that Ignacio had for his family-his daughters, his grandchildren, and other members of his family. To Ignacio, it was love that made a family, not blood. He had welcomed Daniel and the entire Meade clan into his family without question or reservation. He had been a better father to Daniel Meade than Bradford had ever tried to be or wanted to be.

At the funeral, Daniel smiled as he saw his normally hyperactive son clinging fiercely to the hand of his silently weeping mother. "Daddy," Adam whispered. "Daddy, Mommy needs a Kleenex. She's sad."

Daniel gave Adam a Kleenex to give to his mother, knowing that it would mean more to the little boy if he could give it to his mother than if his father just followed his orders. Ella was holding Justin's hand tightly with tears running down her cheeks. Justin had his free arm wrapped around his mother's shuddering shoulders. And Daniel was holding a scared and confused Naomi in his arms. She didn't exactly understand what was going on and neither did her twin brother, but both of the twins knew that something was wrong. Mommy was crying. Aunt Hilda was bawling. Justin was silent and sullen. And Daddy wasn't smiling or laughing. They knew something had to be wrong. Daddy was almost always in a good mood when he was with his children. Sometimes he argued with Mommy but generally, he was a happy person. So Naomi kept her arms wrapped around her daddy's neck because she wanted to comfort him, make him laugh and smile. She missed his smile and bright laughing blue eyes. She knew that Grandpa Ignacio wasn't waking up and she wanted him to wake up. She missed him, his warm hugs, his Spanglish that her toddler mind didn't completely understand, and his delicious cooking.

"Why won't Grandpa wake up?" Adam asked. "Mommy, tell Grandpa to wake up. I miss him."

"Sweetie, it isn't that simple," his mother whispered in his ear.

"But he's just sleeping. He's taken naps before. He always gets up and makes dinner."

Everyone in the crowded church could hear the little boy's concerns and fears. His childish questions brought smiles to the face of more than one mourner in the church. Naomi remained quiet the whole time, just hugging her father and occasionally kissing his clean-shaven cheek. She loved it when his cheeks were soft and smooth like her own. She hated it when the sandpaper of his stubble bit her cheeks and made them prickle. But she loved his warmth, the smell of his aftershave, and his hugs. "Daddy, I love you," she whispered in his ear. "Daddy, I love you."

Daniel kissed his daughter's cheek. "I love you too, princess. I love you very much."

"Tell Mommy that you love her. She needs to know. She's very sad."

At the after-funeral luncheon, Daniel took his wife aside and kissed her, first on the cheek and then on the lips. "The cheek is from Naomi. The other one is from me."

She smiled briefly and leaned her head against his chest. "I needed that. Daniel, I want my papi back."

He held her closer and kissed the top of her head. "I know, sweetie. I know. But you're strong. You're a fighter. You'll get through this. I'm here. The kids are here for you. We love you."

"I know. But he's my daddy. I lost him. It's hard."

"I know. I remember when my dad died."

She clung to him sadly, tears staining his dark blue shirt. And he just held her, letting her use the expensive shirt as a tissue. His wife was more important than his wardrobe. He just stood there and held her for a long time. This was part of being a good husband; you held your wife while she cried. You comforted her in her time of need. Daniel was learning the importance of sympathy as a married man. Making your wife happy was a hugely important part of making marriage work. But then there were little things like comforting her in her grief. He knew that his children were safe with his mother. Right now, his wife needed him to be there and just hold here while she cried.

That night, Daniel put his children to bed while their mother rested. Betty was tired and overwhelmed after the funeral. She just wanted to sleep. It had been a long day and she was very sad over losing her father. Now, she just wanted to rest. So her husband willingly put his children in bed. As if understanding the stress and sadness their parents were enduring, Ella, Naomi, and Adam went to sleep without much fuss. And Daniel was grateful for this. Ella and Mimi were both usually good at falling asleep. But Adam always had to get seventy-nine drinks of water and sell three cows on ebay and make sure that the plumbing in the bathroom still worked and write his congressman a letter about the plight of the unemployed truckers. And then he would go to bed, after checking to make sure that the family werewolf was fed. There were nights when Daniel spent over an hour wrestling his son into bed. And on those days, he wondered why he wanted to have more children. But he knew that he did.

"They're all asleep," he said collapsing on the bed next to his wife.

"That was fast. Adam didn't need to check the stock market or sell anything on ebay tonight?"

He shook his head. "He just went to sleep. I think Justin wore him out. And I think he knew I wasn't in the mood for letters to his congressman."

"I don't know why he's so hyper at night."

"He's my son, darling. I do my best work at night."

"You're beyond belief," Betty replied.

"I know. But you still love me. And I love you."

"I do love you. And I need you. I need you very much, Daniel Meade. You're a good man, an amazing husband, and a wonderful father. And I need you in my life."

"I'm not going anywhere, babe. And that's a promise."

A/N: Please review! And Happy Valentine's Day!