"Hello my inferior sibling." Alexis greeted with a smirk as Daniel walked down the tunnel. He glanced up at her with a cut of his eyes, telling her that he was not in the mood.

"Hello man-sister." HE responded monotonously, stopping as Amanda approached with a notepad and a bagel.

"Your 10 o'clock with Giuseppe Zanotti has been canceled and he in the next meeting he'll only talk to you if Wilhelmina sits in."

"What?" He asked, flipping through the notepad in confusion before swatting Alexis's large hand that attempted to infiltrate his breakfast.

"He feels that you are...quote unquote incompetent when it comes to the current fashion trends of today and inept when it comes to what he wants out of Meade and Mode." She stopped, looking up to him as he rolled his eyes with a sigh, tired of people looking at his stepping back from Mode and stepping up as CEO of Meade as a deem of insufficiency in the fashion world.

"What else?"

"Well the meeting has been rescheduled to the Mode Lounge at 4:30...Besides that you have a sit-in with Player, lunch with Sofia-"

"Wait, Sofia as in Sofia Verga-Our x-CFO?"

"Yes and the press is all over it...Speaking of the press you need to review a joint statement that you and Wilhelmina are making."

"Regarding?"

She stared at him for a second until he got the message and he nodded, understanding completely. "Oh...Oh, I'll do it with her after the meeting...I mean...You know, review the statement not do it...with..." He sputtered sheepishly, trying to change the way that sounded.

"Sure, we know you'll be doing both..." Amanda winked at him before strutting off and he sighed with a smile, still remembering that the atmosphere always had a way of turning a frown upside down...Well for him that was. He wasn't an intern at the mercy of Wilhelmina Slater and her heels.

"So are you going to tell me why you're such a Debbie downer this morning or do I have to beat it out of you?"

"Body of a woman, yet always a man at heart..." The two of them turned around to face the familiar face, looking at them with a curious nature as if to wonder why in the world they were infiltrating her floor and blocking the tunnel.

"Let's not talk about bodies considering the extra luggage you've been carrying around lately Willie."

Wilhelmina proceeded on through the tunnel, throwing her head over her shoulder briefly. "No problem Alexander."

Alexis pouted as Daniel laughed before remembering just why it was on her floor. Catching up with her with Alexis close behind, she turned around. "What?"

"We have an issue."

"A budget issue?"

"No."

"A money issue?"

"No."

"A Mode issue?"

"No."

"A Meade issue?"

"No."

"I don't want to know..." She dismissed him, disappearing the white door that opened to her office. Following behind her, he shook his head, knowing that if he didn't tell her now she would complain for not knowing and blame him for not informing her.

Yet before he could do so, he was struck blind when 2 large hands wrapped around the circumference of his neck and his feet no longer touched the ground as he was lifted into the air.

"Down Dwayne." He heard her speak carelessly before releasing him to the floor, gasping for air. HE looked over to the dangerous giant only to recognize his sharp bone structure and look that always said 'I don't know'

"What the hell Wilhelmina?" He questioned, walking towards her angrily only to have Dwayne hold him back from her as she stood at her desk, covered in unorganized papers. "Let go of me!" He pushed Dwayne away only to have Justin and Alexis staring at him as well. They were all staring at him, wanting to know what the problem was.

He huffed, taking Wilhelmina by the hand and rushing her into her office restroom, slamming the door. "I say again, what the hell Willie?"

"What?"

"Is that or is that not the guy you used to cheat on my dad with."

"Well if you want to get technical-"

His hand rammed into the counter, shutting down her sentence into to an angry eye-brow raise. "Dammit Willie, don't get sarcastic with me...You bitch about me hiring Sofia and yet I find you in here with your ex-booty call?"

"Unlike Sofia, he's not trying to kill us! And I swear to God, if you yell at me again I will embarrass you in front of this entire staff, I am not kidding...Calm your ass down."

HE sighed, turning around, hands on his hips angrily. "Fine...Fine, I'm sorry...Just...Why is he here?"

"I told Justin to hire someone and he didn't know what happened with Dwayne previously and hired him accidently...It's not permanent...But of course if you would have let me talk instead of trying to haul me in the restroom like a child, you would have known and wouldn't look like such an ass."

"Willie-"

"No, Daniel it's one thing to be the CEO of Meade but don't come down here on my floor throwing your ass around like some damn dog pissing on his territory. This is my magazine, this is my territory, so back the hell off and go back to your floor before I air-lift you there by way of my foot up your ass!" She snatched the door open, Alexis, Justin, Marc, Amanda, Betty, Ariel and Dwayne toppling at her feet, after having their ears pressed up against the door.

Betty shuffled to her feet, pushing up her glasses. "I told them not to do it."

"Move." She pushed through them, kicking each one angrily and intentionally as she passed. "Whoever isn't out of my office by the count of ten is getting docked the whole week's pay." They all turned to look at her, lying on their stomach's atop of each other. "9..." She whispered and they scurried off in fear, falling over each other until the office was left barren between the two of them once again.

"Why are you still here?"

"I need to tell you something."

"Haven't you said enough already?"

"I'm not going to be here for Izak's birthday..."

Her face was stone. She didn't respond, staring blankly before taking her seat behind her desk. "Is that all?"

"Your...You're not mad?"

"Of course, I'm furious but it's not my birthday you're missing...Go tell your son that you're missing his birthday."

"Willie-"

"And just for memory's sake, just what will you be doing that is so important on this obviously inferior occasion?"

"Alexis and I have to go to Paris for a Mode France emergency."

She chuckled, shuffling the papers before her. "So that's why you tried to get me to go with you...Cover up your little slip...Don't toy with me Daniel..."

"I'm not trying t-"

"Mama look!" Izak ran into the room, a white piece of copy paper clutched in his fists as he landed in her lap, smiling broadly.

"What is that?" She pointed to the boxes on his paper.

"My pwesents!" He beamed, the excitement pouring over him for his impending birthday. "And dere goes Nana...And Mawrc...Anty Mandy...Uncly Tyler...Daddy...Mommy...Awiel and ME!" Wilhelmina looked up at Daniel shortly and he sighed, his hand washing over his face before he swept Izak into his hands, sitting him on Willie's desk.

"Hey bud...What would you say...If I told you that Daddy might have to miss your party-BUT...when I get back we'll have our own party and..." Daniel froze, seeing the tears well up in his eyes. "Buddy, what's wrong?"

"You're...You're goanna miss my party...Bu-But..."

"Buddy, it's just 2 days...And as soon as I get back, me and you and mommy...we can have our own party-We can-"

"But you promised..."

"I know Bud but-"

Izak huffed, jumping off of the desk before running out of the office and to Claire's, an abode that he found effortlessly, disappearing behind her open door. Daniel turned back around, facing Wilhelmina's scowl. "Please, Wilhelmina...I don't need to be yelled at like some kid..."

"Daniel this isn't about punishment or yelling at you...Is this how you want him to remember his childhood? A bunch of broken promises?"

"IT's ONE FREAKING TIME!"

"And it only takes one time to make a goddamn pattern...I don't sympathize with you because I know what it feels like to have my father put his own interests ahead of mine...And I'll be damned if that happened to my son too." She slapped the stack of files on her desk and stormed off in the direction of Claire's office.

Knocking on the door, she peaked in to see Claire and Izak sitting on her loveseat, each on the other side as Izak sat sniffling, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, lip poke out and paper tear-stained as Claire listened empathetically to the sobbing ramblings off a three year-old.

"Can I come in?" Claire looked up, seeing Wilhelmina standing there quietly. She nodded silently and Wilhelmina approached, kneeling in front of Izak as he sat on the couch.

"Hey...Hey what are the tears for?"

"Daddy's goanna miss my party..."

"Yeah he is...But Nana's not...Ariel's not...Auntie Mandy is going to be there...Uncle Tyler...Marc...Betty...And of course I'm going to be there..."

"But he promised..."

"I know but guess what, you promised me that you'd stop hiding in my closet and where did I catch you this morning after I called your for breakfast?"

"...Your closet."

"And after you promised to eat your carrots last night where did I find them?"

"In Daddy's sock drawer..."

"Hmmm and dare I remind you of the infamous Potty Training of 2012?" She joked, earning a weak smiled from him. "See sweetie, people make promises everyday...Every second...someone in the world is making a promise and every second someone is breaking it...You just have to remember to remember what you have now...And what you know is going to happened...Like you know that the rest of us are going to be there even if Daddy can't...And you know he wants to right...right?"

"Yes..."

"Can you give mommy a hug?"

He nodded and wrapped his arms around her neck, squeezing lightly before sitting back on the black sofa. "Can I stay with Nana?"

"IF that's okay with her, I don't see why not..."

Claire shrugged and stood up, smiling. "Well I was wrong...Your maternal gene was not replaced by your bitchiness...IT was just...hiding behind it."

"Just like your beauty is still hiding behind that face we're all forced to look at...day...after day...after day...It really makes us wonder if God hates us."

"Wilhelmina get out of my office..." Claire chuckled, opening her door with a smile before the two air-kissed goodbyes. She sighed, turning to her grandson with the thought and sheer fact that this...Was an odd family...

OoO

"Marcy...I miss you." Amanda whined into her phone as she sat outside Daniel's office on the Executive floor.

"I miss you too...Well really I miss trading the Model's Diet Coke for Cherry Coke...But same diff." Marc sighed into his phone in the Editor's corner. "Plus its sooooo...eerie...I usually see you all day, what happened?"

"Well...I think Mommy and Daddy Meade had a mini-spazz so they're not talking to each other so he doesn't send me to Mode anymore."

"Yeah but when he did send you up here, you didn't do anything."

"And?"

"Mandy, We have to get those two talking again...Betty's idea of rebellion is buying Pasta on Taco Tuesday..."

"Awww...poor bambino...HEY-What if we set them up with that couples counselor again..."

"What do you mean again? Amanda did you trick Wilhelmina and Daniel into Couples Counseling?"

"Umm...No, of course not...I swear to God Marc, if you tell her it was me I will tell her who really broke the Chrystal Louboutin on her desk!"

"The one she fired bitchy Rachel for?"

"Hmmm mmm...Zip it Marc..."

"Fine, fine...Just set the appointment and get them together somehow...The models are beginning to feel safe here...We need to do something."

OoO

Daniel sat quietly in the white lounge room, finding himself in an unnecessarily large plush lounge chair that seemed to kiss your whole body if you sat in it. He would be comfortable, had it not been for Giuseppe Zanotti staring back at him in silence, clutching a black portfolio and a hard glare. They awaited Wilhelmina who, by their watches, was now 20 minutes.

Soon, she came bustling through the halls, slowing down only as she neared the door, entering gracefully with a smile as Zanotti stood immediately to greet her.

"You must excuse my tardiness, who would know Donna Karen was such a talker...The woman truly has no filter..." She joked, as he went for an air kiss as she complied before crossing over the loveseat to seat parallel from him.

"Are those my sling backs Willie?" He asked coyly as she crossed her legs at the ankle, pointing to her metallic grey-like pumps that hung to her feet, towering nearly 5 inches going on 6.

"Oh! My...They are..What a coincidence..." She chuckled and Daniel subconsciously rolled his eyes...HE hadn't been in a joint meeting with her in a long time especially considering a client in Mode. He had almost forgotten how she worked.

"They look great on you...Just be careful...From what I hear, you're carrying the next best thing in fashion."

"Yes, yes...The joys of breeding..." Zanotti laughed and Daniel cleared his throat, sitting up in the conversation.

"Can we...focus on business please?" Wilhelmina's eyes shot up and she smiled in fakery, opening up her portfolio, showing him a sample page of the ad space that he would potentially receive if he chose to advertise.

"I understand that you had previously spoken to our former CFO about the percentage..."

"Yes, she worked out an...8% deal?"

"10 pages?"

"12."

"In Mode and 10 in...Slater? Or is that still confidential?" Giuseppe looked to Daniel who looked to Wilhelmina.

"Um...We...We're just keeping quiet on that right no-" She stopped him, waving her hand at the topic. The meeting was awkward really. Mostly consisting on Wilhelmina schmoozing and Daniel having a problem with it. There was an issue on the table, an elephant in the room and they both knew it. But they both ignored it.

"Call me tomorrow." Wilhelmina nodded and Zanotti left, leaving the two of them alone awkwardly. She looked up, standing in the middle of the room as he paced the corned about to speak when he saw a familiar face.

"Can I help you?" He questioned, looking to the shorter man with a portfolio in hand, age present in his eyes.

"Wait...Aren't you the Cracker-Jack therapist that tried to get him to think that I was attracted to him?" Wilhelmina interrupted, pointing to the man.

"And I see I was correct." He smiled, sitting down on the large lounger chair. "So...What's going on?"

"Wait a minute...What are you doing here and who invited you?"

"I'm here to fix you two and I was invited by a little birdie now please take a seat, I don't have all day."

"I have better things to do."

"May I remind you as I did before, who tends to be the weaker one in the relationship." He spoke condescendingly as Daniel took a seat on the loveseat. Wilhelmina rolled her eyes, slamming her books down on the nearing coffee table.

"Fine...but I have to make a phone call first."

"About?"

"Revoking your license."

OoO

"From what I can see...You lashed out over the fear that Izak might turn out like you because he is already so similar to you and you don't want that do you?"

Daniel and the counselor looked to Wilhelmina and she shrugged, twisting her wedding band slowly.

"Wilhelmina if you want this to work, you're going to have to say something."

"Well I don't want to do this, so I'm not going to say anything."

"Why are you so stubborn?" Daniel questioned, sitting on the opposite side.

"Why are you such a liar?" She questioned angrily, turning to him.

"What did I lie about?"

"Hello? Izak...The party...You lied to him."

"ONCE! And I have nooooo control over it."

"You don't have to go, you decided to go...You could have done a conference OovoO call, and you've done it a million times before."

"Maybe I couldn't."

"Or maybe you didn't want to."

"What are you talking about, if I had the choice-?"

"You do have the choice, you just chose wrong!"

"Okay, okay time-time-out." He cut in, breaking the two apart, both with hotheads and puffed up chests. "I think that Wilhelmina, not only are you fearful that Izak will become you, but that Daniel will become your father...You said that your father barely spent any time with your mother yet it seems like you fear the same thing happening between you two...And you, Daniel...You want a break, I can tell...You're tired..."

"Tired of what?" Wilhelmina asked with a smirk.

"Tired of everything." The counselor responded.

Wilhelmina looked to him with a lifted brow. "Is that true?"

"Somewhat."

She smiled, chuckling a bit as she scratched at her forehead, beginning to get antsy. "You're tired?! You decided to take a Paris vacation with your he-sister because you're tired...You decided to just leave Izak with me and go away because you're tired?"

"I asked you to come with me?"

"Yeah and cancel what I have been working on for months now."

"It's just a birthday party!"

"It is HIS birthday party; you don't get to invalidate his feelings and his wants just because you have something that you need to do!"

"Wilhelmina who are we talking about?"

"US!"

"No...You're...you're talking about yourself."

"Bullshit."

"No Wilhelmina, you're pissed about your father and you're taking it out on me."

"No Daniel...I'm tired." she mocked, crossing her legs.

"Tired of what? I take care of you, I love you, I'm there for you...What else do you need?"

"What the fu- I never needed you! Sure you came along eventually but I didn't need you! It's not just about you, I'm stressing too...We live in a goddamn never-ending Law and Order episode! And to top it off I'm a medical disaster to say the least...Forgot about that didn't you? The beginning stages of heart disease? Our child who has hydrocephalus? Hmmmm? Forgot about that?"

"I know about that! But that doesn't give you the right to get angry at me for no reason."

"You piss me off!"

"You piss me off."

"So?"

"So? We were fine this morning, let's go back there."

"Well fix the issue."

"How?"

"I don't know, it's not my issue. It's not my problem."

"Fine, everybody come to Paris next week."

"What?"

"Alexis, Mom, Marc, Betty, Ariel, Amanda, Tyler, You, Izak-Everybody...We'll all go!"

"Daniel that's crazy."

"No, if it's the only way you can get over this and smile then I'll take everybody. Let's just get passed this."

She rolled her eyes and turned away. "Fine." He smirked, running his fingers up her back.

"You're so spoiled, I swear."

"I told you that I always get what I want."

"So this is what you wanted all along? All of us in Paris?"

"Maybe."

"You know I love you right?"

"Obviously..." She blinked up at him shyly. "You're still here."

He chuckled, leaning in a little to peck her lips shortly only to have her hand meet his cheek, keeping him there for a moment. Within seconds, Simon Collins found himself in a compromising position as he made up his mind to slip out of the room...Or was forced.

"Get out!" Wilhelmina demanded, falling on her back to the white couch gleefully.

But he didn't mind, knowing that he had done his job. "My work is done."

OoO