Thank you again for reading and/or reviewing - I really appreciate it! :) If you haven't already, please go on Twitter and tweet #HuluBringBackUglyBetty - the entire cast was on board for doing a 2-hour movie on Hulu when asked at the ATX Festival last night. They need the fans to help make it happen. Thanks! :)
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Six weeks later, a lot of progress had been made. Daniel and Betty had found a spacious three-bedroom apartment in Manhattan. It wasn't nearly as large as his mother's, but it had plenty of space for the three of them. All of their belongings had been packed and shipped back to New York. Alexis and DJ were kind enough to come to their apartment in London and supervise a set of movers.
Their new magazine, Focus, was coming along as well. It was a combination of style for real women and men, pop culture, and meaningful topics. The construction on the offices had finished a week ago. It had a hidden room between Daniel's and Betty's offices for Scarlett, and a separate hallway connecting all three rooms. That way, either one of them could look in on Scarlett during the day. A nanny would be watching her when they weren't able to. This set up also allowed them to easily come and go into each other's offices without disturbing Scarlett if she were asleep.
Daniel and Betty were currently in the process of interviewing candidates for staff positions.
"What did you think of Madelyn?" Betty asked, handing Daniel her application.
"She choked on her interview! Do you honestly think she could handle herself in the workplace?" Daniel skeptically questioned.
"A lot of people 'choke' on their interviews, Daniel. They can be very intimidating even with the best of interviewers. Not that I'm expecting you to know anything about that . . ." she remarked with a patronizing kiss and pat on his cheek as she got up to throw away their coffee cups.
"Hey, that's not fair! I can't help that I didn't have to interview with anyone until a year ago," he defended. "But I'll admit that wasn't much of an interview either. Lindsay basically asked me when I wanted to start and we spent the rest of the time watching the game and drinking beer with our burgers and fries."
"You went to a place that served burgers and fries for your interview?" Betty asked in disbelief.
"Lindsay wanted an American to have a taste of home," Daniel explained. "Plus, his wife had him on a strict diet and it was an excuse for him to cheat a little."
"Oookkaaay . . ." she raised her eyebrows and made a face. "Now, as I was saying, Madelyn's resume is incredible! She spent five years as Anna Wintour's assistant. And she graduated from Yale with a degree in journalism."
"She spent all those years at a fashion magazine. What makes you think she has any knowledge of world views, politics - all that crap you insisted we incorporate into our content?" Daniel questioned.
"Just because you're not that interested in it doesn't make it crap, Daniel. I once worked for a strictly fashion-based magazine. And as you recall, fashion wasn't exactly my passion or my expertise," Betty replied, sitting next to him on her comfy yet stylish new office couch. "So maybe Madelyn was in the same position I was in. She needed a job in journalism and even though fashion wasn't her first choice, she stuck with it because she needed an in. And even if that's not the reason, we still need someone as our Fashion Editor, right? What better candidate do we have?"
"You've got a point," he agreed. "So how many positions do we have left to fill now?"
"Six – CFO, Senior & Associate Features, Senior and Associate Fashion, and Reception," she looked at the list.
"Can we stop for a while? My head is spinning from all the resumes and interview notes," Daniel groaned.
"Yeah, why don't you work some more on your office? I think I saw Brandon carry in a few boxes of supplies and you can set up your new laptop," she suggested, rubbing his back.
"I'm getting kinda hungry – you wanna go get some sandwiches?" he suggested.
"Sure! I'm going to go to MODE and see if Marc wants to have lunch with us," Betty agreed. "But we have to get back in time for Scarlett's 1:00pm feeding."
"Okay, I'll meet you there in fifteen," he agreed as she kissed him 'goodbye'.
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"Chunky Monkey!" Marc exclaimed seeing Betty come out of the elevator. "Bienvenidos! Now, Adios!"
"Marc, what's going on?" Betty questioned.
"Cray-cray designer! Bright colors will blind him! Observe the whole monochromatic theme? Go back to your rainbow, Toto!" he explained shoving her back to the elevator, forgetting that the doors had closed.
"Ooooowww!" Betty shouted as her head slammed against the metal door, and she slid down to the floor, unconscious.
"Chimichanga! Bonita! Chiquita! Don't die on me – I can't go to jail! Orange will never be the new black and they'll eat me alive!" Marc panicked, shaking her.
"What in the hell is going here!" Wilhelmina yelled as the elevator doors opened again. "Marc! Get this hot pink and yellow blob out of here before GG finds her! We need him for our September issue."
"I think . . . I killed . . . Betty!" Marc breathlessly explained, pulling out his inhaler.
Recognizing the face, Wilhelmina bent down and took her pulse.
"Oh, stop hyperventilating! She's fine. Just drag her into the elevator and find Daniel. GG will be here any minute and I can't have her loud colors and peppy attitude destroying his mood," she instructed.
Marc did as instructed, muttering the entire time about having to do all the heavy work himself.
"Daniel!" he exclaimed in a panic.
"Marc! What the hell happened?!" Daniel asked, immediately rushing to Betty's side.
"If I tell you, there's a very big chance you'll hurt me!" he whined.
"Marc!" Daniel warned. "If you don't tell me I will hurt you – speak!"
"I-I was trying to get Rainbow Brite out of MODE before she caused a big deal with a designer to die. But you know how clumsy she is – she bumped her head on the elevator doors and passed out," he explained.
"Daniel? . . . Marc?" Betty spoke, still a little dizzy.
"Betty? Are you okay? Don't try get up, baby. Just stay there for a few minutes. Marc, get her some water," Daniel said.
"Chimichanga! You're alive!" Marc hugged Betty. "I'll be right back!"
"Daniel? Where are we?" she asked, confused.
"We're at Focus, our new magazine," he answered.
"In London?" she assumed.
"No, in New York," Daniel corrected her.
"New York . . . Right. We left London because of Millicent and the downsizing at Dunne . . ." she struggled to get her thoughts together.
"Right. Why do you look so sad?" he asked.
"I was just thinking about our flat where you told me you loved me. We had our first kiss there – although the second was much better . . . and we made love . . . and you proposed – twice. Scarlett didn't even get to use her room there," she recalled.
"Betty, you remember all of that?" he asked, hopefully.
"Yeah, I do. I remember how we danced at Hilda's wedding and how upset I was when you wouldn't talk to me when you found out I was leaving . . . I remember how nervous I was before our wedding. I kept having Marc go check and see if you were still there and hadn't run out on me. He finally had you talk to me through the dressing room door for proof . . . We argued over baby names and finally narrowed it down to three each after months of debate . . . Before I left for New York, you made sure I took an Ipod with songs you sang for the baby . . . I-I think I might have my memory back!" she squealed, in her exuberant way.
"Baby, that's amazing!" Daniel exclaimed, pulling her in for a breathtaking kiss and holding her close.
"What? What'd I miss?" Marc asked, coming back with a bottle of water and an ice pack.
"I have my memory back! I never thought I'd be thanking you for slamming me against an elevator, but thank you, thank you, thank you!" she pulled him down by his tie, hugged him tighter than ever, and gave him a big wet kiss on the cheek.
"Ulchhh . . . and seeing as you owe me, never kiss me again!" Marc insisted, wiping his cheek and helping her up with the assistance of Daniel.
"Sorry," Betty apologized.
"You slammed her against the elevator?!" Daniel asked, angrily.
"I fixed her, didn't I? You're welcome!" Marc scoffed.
Daniel grumbled and tried to refrain from hurting him.
"Now that we've established boundaries again . . . Oh my god I'm so happy!" Marc started jumping up and down with Betty.
"Careful, guys! Don't bounce so much that she loses it again," Daniel cautioned, worried. "Why don't we go to lunch and celebrate?"
"Great! I'm starving – and that's why I was coming to see you in the first place," Betty agreed, explaining to Marc as they all headed back into the elevator. "Oh, wait! I forgot my phone – I'll be right back!"
"Betty, are you sure you're able to walk without help. You were pretty shaky just a few minutes ago?" Daniel asked.
"Daniel, I appreciate your chivalrous gesture, but I think I can manage to walk a few feet without my Dark Knight," she smiled, cupping his face and kissing him sweetly.
"Hey, your memory is back. You haven't called me that since before . . ." he trailed off.
"The crash. I know . . . It feels amazing to have it all back!" Betty smiled, cheerfully.
"It's amazing to have all of you back," Daniel grinned, teasing her bottom lip.
Betty reciprocated, deepening the kiss as they got lost in the moment.
"Ahem! Hello! If you two want to keep doing that disgusting thing you're doing, then I'll skip lunch and eat those stale saltines that are in my desk drawer. At least it'll settle my stomach after witnessing that!" he gestured around them, revolted. "And I thought you had to get your phone?"
"Right. Sorry, Marc. We'll keep the PDA to a minimum," Betty apologized.
"Yeah, sorry," Daniel said.
"Okay! I'll be back. Wait! It's too late to eat out. You guys pick up the food and we'll eat it here. I need to feed Scarlett," Betty said and left for her office.
Meanwhile, a message had been left on her voicemail:
"Hi, Betty. . . I-It's Henry. We haven't talked in a long time . . . one year, one month, two weeks, and five days to be exact . . . I-It's just something I know – I wasn't counting the whole time - I just remembered the date and . . . Anyway, I heard you were starting a new magazine here. I was hoping we could have lunch tomorrow and catch up. I-I need to ask you something. Give me a call – thanks!"
