Hi thank you all for reading. I am enjoying writing this and I hope that a lot of people are enjoying reading it. Thanks to Halfpastdead001 and mcabello for my first reviews. If you like the story, please leave a review on what you like, what you don't like, etc. Thanks.

Betty's phone began to ring just as she was walking down the tunnel into Mode's reception area. She took it out and looked at it. There was no name attached to the number on the screen, but that was because Betty had wanted it that way. Even without the name, she recognised the number immediately. She ducked into the photocopy room on her right and answered the phone.

"Daniel?" she whispered, making sure that no one else was around. "What do you want?"

"I want to know what's going on at Mode and how close you are to freeing my father" she heard hissed back at her. Betty wondered why Daniel was whispering as well.

"Where are you?"

"You know I can't tell you that!"

Betty sighed and looked around again before continuing. "Nothing's changed at Mode since last time I told you, and I'm still working on your father. There's hardly anyone left though, it's really difficult. I still don't know why you want me to do it. I'm the last person that I'd pick to do something like this!"

"I picked you because you are the only person that my family can totally trust. You warned us to go into hiding and you've kept us constantly updated. We need you!"

Betty hated to hear this, and then have to say what she said next. "Daniel, I think you might have to think about leaving the country without your father. There is only so much that I can do and I need to find someone soon who can help your father escape because I'm running out of people to ask!"

"Betty, you know that I can't leave my father. It's important that you find someone because I can't do it because I can't risk making a trail that leads back to me and my family!"

"Well I'll definitely keep trying but I might have to start going for less-experienced people soon. Most of the well known people who would do this are in Wilhelmina's pocket. I managed to find out that that is how she got the evidence to say that he did it in the first place, and I'm pretty sure that it's her that framed you too! Listen I've got to go but I'll let you know as soon as anything develops! Bye"

She hung up before he could argue and walked into reception. Amanda was sat at the desk and as Betty walked past she saw her smirk and wave sarcastically. There weren't many people around Mode now that Betty could call friends, as most of them that she had liked had been fired. She walked straight into Wilhelmina's Office since the door was open and began sorting through the mail on her desk. She was still doing this when Wilhelmina walked in with Marc and Christina.

"Betty?" she asked with what Betty could see was actual surprise to find her there. "I've just been looking for you, but before I tell you why I must tell you that now only I sort out my mail and I don't want anyone else to see it. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Wilhelmina"

"Good. Now, I've just been talking to Christina about an article that I want her to write about a hostage situation in the Eagle State. I would have sent Sophie, since she was the official reporter whenever we needed one, which isn't very often, but I fired her yesterday so Christina agreed to do it. I want you to go with her as my personal representative."

Betty didn't know what to say. She could see right through the lie and knew that Wilhelmina only wanted her to go so that she could get her out of the way, but she had promised Daniel before he had left that she would stay at Mode and keep an eye on things.

"I don't think I'm the right person for the job" she said, which was actually the truth. "I think someone like Marc should go". She made a mental note to apologise to Christina later about suggesting Marc should go with her, as she knew that she hated him.

"No, this is a job for the assistant of the Editor-in-Chief" she answered. Her face left it obvious to Betty that there was no chance of her getting out of it.

"Fine. When are we leaving?"

"I've booked you two tickets on a plane leaving JFK in three hours. You have my official permission to leave work now and pack your bag. I have a car waiting outside to take you to both of your homes and then to the Airport. I want updates on how it's going. You may go now".

Betty and Christina looked at each other and walked out of the room. She thought of telling Daniel about this. No, she decided that he didn't have to know as it would only make him worried that she wasn't there. She smiled at Amanda as she walked out, who despite the intrigued look on her face at the early departure of Betty and Christina, still managed to smile back sarcastically though a mouthful of chocolate.

At 10.30 on most mornings of the week, my friends and I used to meet up at one of our houses and discuss that week's gossip over a cup of coffee or a game of cards. After my death, the girls continued this tradition and my empty seat was filled by the slim figure of Edie Britt. She was not there though this morning, as was not Lynette, so Susan Meyer and Gabrielle Marquez headed over to the home of Bree Hodge alone. They had plenty of things to talk about and they were soon deep in conversation about what had happened at the Supermarket. After this though, the conversation ran dry.

Gabrielle was trying to think of something to say. She remembered the new neighbours across the street form her.

"Did you know that someone has moved into Mrs Huber's old house?" she asked them.

Bree looked up from her coffee, looking surprised. "I haven't seen them, have you?" she asked Susan.

"No" she replied. "First Art Shepard and now someone moving into Martha's old place. All we need now is for someone to move into the Applewhite's and we'll have a full street again"

"It's funny that you should mention the Applewhite's house" Bree said. "I was told by one of my friends at the country club that a reporter was moving into there for a few days. Apparently it still hadn't been decided where they were coming from but that they would want to interview anybody who was there when Carolyn did what she did at the Market. Harvey hasn't been able to show his face at the club since, but I don't doubt that he'll want to be in a national newspaper; as the Manager of the shop, of course; not as the crazy woman's cheating husband."

"I love reporters" said Gabrielle. "They always have such a flair for fashion!"

"So who are these new neighbours?" asked Susan.

"I don't know I didn't see them" confessed Gabrielle, getting back to the point. "They arrived early this morning, and as far as I can tell without a removal van because I would definitely have heard that!"

"Sounds like another mystery" laughed Bree, and the others laughed too.

They decided to go over and meet them later, and the conversation turned to Lynette. She was to be picked up by Mrs McCluskey that afternoon from the Hospital. They all looked forward to seeing her.

A short while later, Gabrielle left on an errand and Susan returned home; as Bree was due to go shopping at the Supermarket with Orson. She had to travel quite far, due to their main Supermarket still been closed and cleaned. Julie Meyer had mentioned that there had been blood stains all over the floor and down a wall at the back of the shop. As she pushed the trolley down the aisles alone (she had sent Orson to retrieve a grocery from another aisle) she saw a lost-looking woman in a wrap walking along, swinging a hand-basket off her arm as she went. Bree could tell from experience that this woman was an alcoholic and was still recovering from a night (and possibly morning) of drinking. As she drew level with her, Bree felt it her duty to say something.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" she asked and the woman looked her way.

"Oh yes thank you I'm fine" she replied and her voice betrayed no tone or quiver that could give away her condition. Bree could smell mouth wash, cheap perfume and toothpaste, and she knew that this woman had gone to great lengths to cover up the smell of alcohol. In fact, Bree was impressed, and felt that nobody in the whole store except her would be able to tell that this woman had ever had a drink in her life. Of course, Bree could always tell.

"Do you need any help" she asked, and the woman smiled.

"My dear, I appreciate the gesture, but I require no special care and can manage by myself perfectly well, thank you"

She walked away and Bree walked in the opposite direction. There was only one thing that she could say she had gained from this encounter and that was a first impression on who she would later discover was her new neighbour: "Mad, drunken bitch!"

"Okay I see another person" Alexis told Daniel from her position by the window. They were making a list of all the people who lived on the street, in case they ever needed to know. "It's the pretty Latina from the big orange house across the street. She's back from shopping and it looks like she's bought enough clothes to fill three issues of Mode. Write down that she's rich and that so far we haven't seen a husband/boyfriend to speak of."

"Hmm?" asked Daniel absent-mindedly. He hadn't heard a word of what his sister had just said.

"What's your problem!?" she half-shouted at him, beginning to lose her temper. "You haven't been listening to any of that and it's important, despite what mum says!"

"I know but I can't stop thinking about mum. I hope she's okay! We shouldn't have let her go out by herself, especially in the state that she's in!"

"Relax! I covered up the smell for her with that old perfume from the bathroom cabinet upstairs and her acting could fool a judge! Anyway, she had to go because we're both too recognisable to just go traipsing off to the store and we can't live off air! It's a good job that we found all of that money in the kitchen cupboard of this house because we won't be able to use our cards anymore. How long do you think she'll be?"

"Not long I hope" he said, sounding worried. He couldn't shake the thought of his mother being arrested; but that thought went when he heard Alexis hiss from the window.

"Hey, she's back! And she looks to have got us some clothes, too!"

Daniel shot to the window and looked out just in time to see his mother step out of a taxi and pull out half a dozen bags, some of which had fashion names printed on. They could both see that they weren't really good names (not the sort that would feature in Mode), but were perfect for fitting into Suburbia if they needed to. She walked up the path after paying the taxi driver and, after looking around for people watching, put the key in the door and walked in quickly. She locked the door behind her.

Back in New York, Betty was busy packing a travelling bag while Christina waited outside in the car that Wilhelmina had lent them to take them to the airport. Ignacio and Santos were stood nearby and were talking on the phone to Hilda, who was at work. Justin was at school and Constance had finally left to get to an appointment at 9.30. Betty had already spoken to Hilda about why she had to go away, but Hilda wasn't happy about it. She didn't like to see her sister bullied by Wilhelmina and was now being calmed down by Santos while her father tried to listen in.

"Right, I'm going now" she stated as she swung her bag over her shoulder and went to hug her father goodbye. "I need to go to catch my flight. Here's the address of the house that we're staying at in case of an emergency if my phone isn't working and I'll be back in a few days. I'll call when I land". She said bye to Santos and whispered "Say bye to Hilda for me in five minutes" before sneaking out. The last thing she needed was her sister holding her up even longer. She walked down the path and got into the car, which rolled down the road and in the direction of JFK Airport. She was on her way.

"I wonder what they're like" Susan said, more to herself than to Bree, who was walking with her over to Mrs Huber's house to meet the new neighbours. Gabrielle couldn't make it due to an appointment at the Spa that she didn't want to miss so it was just the two of them.

"It might not be a 'they'" said Bree. "It might just be one woman. Or one man. They could be divorced or widowed"

"Well it definitely wasn't just one man" replied Susan as they got nearer the house. "Earlier today while you were out I saw a woman get out of a taxi with lots of bags and go inside." She thought about it for a moment. "Although, she did look a bit suspicious. She had shaded glasses on and kept looking around, as if to see if anyone was watching!"

"She could be his 'other woman'" Bree said. "Or she could be his girlfriend who doesn't live around here."

"Well, we'll know in a moment"

They reached the door and Susan knocked three times. Bree had a cheesecake in her hands that she had made to give to their new neighbours. Susan would never get used to how dedicated Bree was to her public appearance and was even more surprised that she had had time to make a cheesecake in only a couple of hours. She suspected forced labour from the entire family. Susan smiled at the thought, but was shocked back into reality when she saw the curtains twitch out of the corner of her eye. A second later, the door opened.

"What do we do?" asked Alexis and Daniel together, losing all confidence and strength which they were both so well known for. Daniel was running to the window to check who had knocked on the door, then ducking back quickly when he saw one of the women see him. Alexis was pacing the room, flapping her hands and breathing deep. Claire was the only one who stayed calm.

"Stay quiet!" she whispered to them both. "Take those" she motioned to the suit and dress that were still laid on the floor after they had got changed "and go upstairs. Stay there until I come and get you!"

They grabbed their clothes and ran quietly upstairs. Claire looked in the mirror to compose herself and went to the door. She pulled it open and looked at the woman who had knocked.

"Hi" she said to her in her nicest voice. She then looked at the other woman. The first thing that she noticed was the big cake in her arms. She looked up into the woman's face and was shocked (and a little worried) to see the Redhead who she had been rude to at the Supermarket. She smiled.

"Hello again" the Redhead smiled back "My name is Bree. I live two doors down with my husband, Orson. We've met before but I didn't catch your name in all of that unthankful garble that we exchanged earlier"

Bree smiled throughout, and Claire was immediately aware that she had met a worthy foe.