IF YOU THINK I NEED YOU/CH 4

"Tell me again what your lawyers actually said. They really think that it will help you from having to go to court to keep DJ if we go to France and prove to his grandparents that we're all one big happy family? I mean, where do I fit in? I say to these people, oops, sorry, I guess it was actually me who accidentally knocked up your daughter fourteen years ago, you know, back when I was still a man.

Either way, you're still his uncle, but since I obviously can't BE his father anymore because now I'm a woman, so, technically, I guess I'm DJ's biological...sperm donor? I know the French are far more understanding and liberal-minded than Americans but...that's a lot! How did DJ take it? Does he hate me?"

Daniel shrugged, as he fussed with his tie in the mirror, "Is this tie okay? Oh, yeah, I mean, no, he doesn't. He's fine with it. He said it's like you're sort of his step-mom or something. Which I'm not sure I like all that much, since I'm his dad. Let's just keep calling you Aunt Alexis in public."

"That works for me. In a way, DJ's 'biological father' is dead, so we are his uncle and aunt and our 'brother, Alex' is gone, that much is true. That tie is awful! It's too bright. Are you blind? I think either I should never have sent you down to Player or maybe you really have been hanging around Betty too much! Here, try this one." she smirked as she picked out a much more conservative, monotone color blue tie to hand him.

He shrugged off the one his sister found and decided on a purple one instead, "Betty likes purple. And so do I. It makes my eyes pop. As far as the French family court is concerned, it doesn't really matter that you were the...sperm donor. If the couple is married, the husband is always presumed to be the father. But even without Lucy and I being married, she did name me as DJ's father both in her letter and on his birth certificate.

And since I accept him as my son, the DNA test is basically irrelevant in this case. As soon as Lucy died, I had every legal right to raise DJ, unless I was found to be unfit or unwilling to take him and then his grandparents could pursue getting custody. But since DJ said he prefers staying with me, they probably won't feel the need to do that as long as I let him still visit them. Of course, you could always change your mind and claim biological paternity, but…"

Alexis shook her head, placing her hand on her brother's shoulder, "It would be stupid and unfair and I would never do that to you or to DJ, Danny. I swear to you. Trust me, I know I've been a shitty big brother and sister to you so far. But this is where I draw the line. I fired Wilhelmina and this time, I'm NOT even letting her back into Mode.

IF she does have dad's baby, she has to prove it's his first, and until then, she doesn't own anything. I've definitely learned my lesson in letting that woman come between us. Mom was right about her. So were you. I'm sorry I let her convince me to fire you from Mode in the first place."

"Thank you. Did Betty put you up to that?"

"Betty? No, Mom did actually, why? What's going on with you two, anyway? Obviously, I walked in on something the other day. And now she's coming on this "family trip" to France with us? I mean, it's your life, but...Betty, really? You're sure that's a good idea?"

"Yes, Betty! Why not her? She's a great friend, my best friend. She's an amazing woman. I've known her for over two years. I trust her with my life. She's helped me a million times at work and personally. She single-handedly got Mom released from murder charges, after she helped sneak her into the hospital so she could say goodbye to Dad before he died.

She convinced me what an ass I was being to you when you first showed up, to DJ when he first showed up, and Dad actually hired her not only to get me to do my job for a change, but because he recognized that she was the only person on the planet who could keep me from screwing up!

So, yeah, maybe I'm...starting to see how much I owe her, how lucky I am to have her in my life. And maybe I finally see how pretty she really is, inside and out. What's it to you?"

"Nothing. I couldn't agree more. She's brilliant and a very sweet person. And I saw how different you were around her the first time I met her. You always treated women, especially ones you slept with like shit before she straightened you out.

Now, she's got you wrapped around her little finger. It's about time. I think Betty's the best thing since sliced bread as far as you're concerned. I'm just worried about you and your shitty track record with women, that's all. Don't go breaking her heart, okay, Romeo? She's a good girl. She deserves better than you."

"Haha! Thanks a lot! Finally something we can agree on at least. She does. I know. But for some reason, she sees the good in me."

"Don't get her pregnant! She's got big dreams. Mom said she's on a career path to own her own magazine someday and she's determined to help her do just that. Betty has the drive to do it for sure. She's definitely smart enough to be your boss!"

"I'll keep that in mind. I mean I am a really good kisser and so is she. But it's hard to get someone pregnant just from kissing them one time! But yeah, you're right about how smart she is. I'm sort of thinking I don't want her to come back to Mode only as my assistant again. She deserves a promotion. Maybe to a magazine she enjoys more. Although it would be really hard not seeing her every day."

"You just don't want to be her boss anymore so you can sleep with her! OH, so you really haven't already, huh? Wow, you actually do respect her! That's a first!"

"Yes, of course I respect her."

"YOU waiting to have sex? I think hell just froze over!" she teased.

"YOU are so not funny!"

"You're an idiot! You're really in love with her!"

"No, I'm not! All we did was kiss one time!"

"What the hell? Why? What is this; seventh grade? Why did you stop at one kiss? That's definitely not like you? Did she slap you or something? Or knee you in the balls? Wow, I just thought of another reason I'm SO glad I'm a woman now!"

"I KNEW it! There really is nothing that hurts as much as that for women, is there?"

She shrugged, grabbing her coat, "Hell if I know! From what I hear, cramps and childbirth more than make up for getting kicked in the balls! Now let's get going. I told Mom we'd meet her at home. You dropped DJ off there this morning, right? Did you talk to her then?

When I went by there a little while ago, you'd think she was packing to go live in Paris! I'm just sort of glad this is helping distract her from being embarrassed and depressed about falling off the wagon, though. Maybe this is a good thing to...Danny? Are you even listening to me? Oh…"

She smiled, as she saw Betty at her "old desk" outside, going through papers, and messages. Daniel was clearly distracted from listening to his sister, watching Betty intently.

Alexis elbowed her kid brother, teasingly, "Do you want me to go talk to her and see if she likes you, too? Maybe you guys can do seventh heaven in a closet somewhere later before we have to leave? Wait...I know exactly how to make things square with us. Leave it to your big sister."

She practically pushed him out of his office, "Go say hello to the girl, then let me talk to her. Tell Mom I'll be there shortly. I'll bring Betty to the house in a little while. We need to have some girl talk before we leave for Paris."

Daniel hadn't taken his eyes off Betty, clearly not listening to a word, and merely mumbled to his sister, nodding, "Uh-huh. Okay. I'll see you later. Bye."

She shook her head, laughing as she watched him walk towards the young girl, who clearly needed a fashion intervention. She looked down at herself in her Dolce dress, finding it sweet and slightly amusing that her brother, the big woman-chaser, would fall for a girl so...fashion-challenged to put it nicely!

She thought of all she had personally gone through to become Alexis Meade and all the pain and self-doubt she had endured to be a beautiful woman. Yet, she was still lonely, still trying to figure her own way in the world in many areas.

She couldn't help but envy this young, clueless, naive, yet very smart and ambitious girl. A girl who in spite of her outward faults had obviously captured Daniel's heart and soul. Alexis saw the change in him, the gentleness, the kindness. He had shown it to her, too, many times recently, even after she tried to kick him out of Mode. He was no longer the selfish manchild she had grown up beside and remembered. Betty had turned Daniel into a man. A good one.

"Hey."

Betty looked up, her cheeks immediately flaming at the sound of his distinctive, gravelly, yet tender voice and the way he was looking at her so sweetly. All she could manage was a meek, "Oh, um...hi!"

He grinned at her and took her hand in his, "So...are you ready to go to Paris? This'll be your first time there, won't it?"

"Uh-huh. Yes. It will." She nodded, looking down at his shoes, then stopping on their intertwined fingers, then fluttering her eyes up to meet those incredible blue ones of his, that were currently seemed to be boring a hole through to her very soul, trying to read her actions and determine where her head was.

Enough was enough! Alexis rolled her eyes, trying not to burst out laughing at these two idiots. She grabbed Betty's wrist away from her silly brother's grasp and pulled her behind, "Come on, Betty! We're going shopping! See you at the house, Danny! Say goodbye to your little girlfriend. Make sure you pack some decent clothes. This may be a personal trip, but you still represent Mode, now. No more track suits! Especially not in Paris!"

Daniel frowned, and narrowed his eyebrows at his sister stealing Betty away so abruptly, and mouthed, "Are you okay?" silently to her. Betty smiled reassuringly and nodded, although she secretly wondered if she was.

Once the elevator doors slid closed she turned and her eyes at first rested on the tall woman's breasts, then as she slowly looked up, trying not to be intimidated by the glamazon, she managed, "Where are we going, exactly? Shopping for...what?" Although, she of course, already knew that she was no doubt an embarrassment to this woman, who clearly valued appearance.

Alexis shrugged, straightening her suit jacket after she released her grip on the young woman, "Huh? Oh...just...you know, I needed to get you away from my girl-crazy little brother, mainly, Betty! I don't know if you noticed, but you seem to have caught his eye lately, maybe because he realized when you left him down at Player and came to work with Wilhelmina how much he missed you and depends on you. I sure as hell don't need a sexual harassment scandal to deal with after all the changes at Mode already!"

Betty turned bright red, "Sexual...oh, no! I would never...I mean … Daniel and I didn't...we haven't...he wouldn't...you don't need to worry about that, Alexis! I was just trying to help him with this DJ thing, you know? As his...friend, that's all."

Alexis rolled her eyes, laughing as she gave Betty a look of disbelief, "Sure you were, Betty. Come on, I may not have been born a woman, but I wasn't born yesterday! And please don't try to act THAT damn innocent! It's blatently clear to anyone with a brain stem that you're just as hot for my idiotic brother as he is becoming for you. But that creates a problem if you guys are that OBVIOUS in public about finally getting your heads out of your asses and acting on what the rest of the world has seen between you all along!"

She wondered now about Daniel's whole idea of trying to use the excuse that she was on leave, and not really his assistant anymore, since she had quit Player and went to work for Wilhelmina. It sounded rather juvenile and desperate now that she thought about it with a clearer head, though. And she doubted anyone else would buy that for a second, especially not this woman.

She resigned herself to whatever Alexis had in mind for her. Was she going to offer her a payoff to leave or something so she didn't cause a scandal? The woman seemed determined and a little dangerous. But suddenly her face softened as she looked down at Betty sincerely, "You know, Betty, I really envy you in a lot of ways."

Betty didn't expect that! "Why?"

The tall woman waved her hands expressively, "Because. Look at you! I spent all this time and money, trying desperately to 'fit in', to be admired, to look the part of a woman, to try and feel what it is to be one. But you...you don't even worry about your looks and you've still got guys like my brother and Henry and lots of guys wrapped around your finger just because you're...nice!

It took...well, losing my father and almost being responsible for his death and now...well, this whole mess with DJ and Danny and...who knows what's going to happen with Wilhelmina and her devil child!

That just makes me...so mad! I can't believe the woman is so...EVIL! I mean, people look at me and think I'M BAD? At least I didn't steal sperm from a corpse! I didn't deny medication to my mentally unstable sister! God knows what else that woman has done!

But I also can't believe I went along with her...twice! And against my own brother! Thank you again, by the way. For...well, everything. For bringing me The Book and showing me that Danny did miss Mode and had good ideas. For making sure I saw those letters people wrote in support of him, and most of all, for just...taking care of him, always helping him when he needs you.

He's a very different guy than I remember! And I know you're the reason why he's changed so much. I could tell that first day I met you, when he was so nice to you at Fashion Week that you had a huge influence on him."

"Thank YOU for saying that, Alexis. But now...um...what exactly...are we going to do? Are we REALLY just going shopping? Where are you taking me?"

She looked somewhat amused and surprised, "Betty, are you...afraid of me or something? Why are you looking at me like that? Don't worry. I'm not going to...murder you or whatever, okay? Why do people always think that about our family? Just because of Fey?"

Betty giggled nervously, looking incredibly relieved, "Oh, right! Of course not! I was just...wondering, that's all."

Alexis rolled her eyes in exasperation, "I just figured, maybe if you worked for ME as a junior editor instead of for my silly brother it would...look better. More appropriate, that's all. And since I'm the one giving you a promotion, you should actually look...well, more appropriate. Is that okay with you? Right now, I'm simply offering to help you get a travel wardrobe for our trip to Paris. This is something I do know a lot about-dressing like a real woman. And maybe you can teach me how to be more like a real woman on the inside...softer. Nicer."