Title: "Como Fue"

Author: pineappleminivan.

Synopsis: A year later, Daniel reflects at Christmastime. A "what-if" soon to be made an Alternate Universe by new episodes.

Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Ugly Betty, I'm just borrowing the characters. If you find something in here you'd like for your own story, go for it; just credit me somewhere.

One more thing: "The song is called 'Como Fue.' I know. I'm sorry. I'm cheesy. Ha, well, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!

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Daniel had never been to a jail before. He didn't want to admit this in front of Betty, but internally he was marveling, even terrified, of the New York City jail system.

He had been a typical, spoiled rich kid growing up, and in his teenage years he had been busted for minor possession. And so had his friends.

What a difference a hundred-thousand-dollar lawyer makes, he thought to himself.

Betty was walking beside him, but she was used to the jail. She had visited her father there twice weekly for the past year he had been in the system. In fact, she was practically numb. Daniel put a hand to her back, walking beside her protectively. She jumped at the touch.

Daniel removed his hand quickly. Neither of them said anything.

The attorney met Betty, Daniel, and Ignacio at the phone booth-style meeting that looked right out of the movies. Daniel couldn't believe that they actually had to use the phone to talk to Ignacio, who was on the other side of the glass.

But there wasn't any other way. At one point the lawyer asked if he could have a minute with Mr. Suarez privately, and Betty and Daniel left the room momentarily.

They stood in the hallway, feeling out of place in this jail.

"It's going to be okay," Betty said, "calm down."

"Who says I'm tense?" Daniel asked.

"The way you've been pacing, and the fact you went back to chewing at your nails," Betty said.

"Oh," Daniel said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Right."

Betty smiled at this. Daniel lit up inside.

It was funny how turned around things were, Daniel thought. Here he was, standing in the hallway of a jail with his secretary, whom a few years ago he wouldn't have given a second glance.

But today, standing here, there wasn't anywhere else he wanted to be. They stood in silence, but it was a more comfortable companionship than the tense moments earlier in the day.

The lawyer came back out into the hallway.

"Ignacio would like to speak to you Daniel, privately," the lawyer said. Daniel and Betty shared a look before he headed back inside.

Daniel walked into the room and took a seat in the chair on the opposite side of the glass from Ignacio. He picked up the phone, but didn't say anything.

Ignacio looked grizzled, toughened, darkened and older by his time in the jail. But there was still a spark in his eyes that the jail had not extinguished. Daniel knew Ignacio had seen tough times before.

"You know," Ignacio said, his cadence sounding like music, "this lawyer guy of yours seems pretty confident. He tells me I don't have to worry, I can get out in a couple of weeks at most. I tell him I ran into some trouble back at home, about twenty years ago. He tells me not to worry." Ignacio shakes his head. He looked hard at Daniel.

"I tell him what I did, tell him there isn't any way I'm going to get out of here. He says, no problem. Don't worry about it. I say, how's that possible? He says, I know the judge. We play golf every month, he says."

"And he says, Welcome to America, Mr. Suarez," Ignacio shook his head.

"Top of his class at Yale," Daniel said, speaking for the first time since he sat down across from Betty's father.

"But that's not what surprises me," Ignacio said. "What I'm wondering about, is why Betty sat down and tried to make it very clear that she hadn't accepted any charity from you, how all of this—this lawyer—is on loan, and it isn't a gift, and how I shouldn't read anything into it—"

"Right," Daniel said, "it's not out of pity—"

"What is it out of then, Daniel?" Ignacio said, looking at Daniel intently. "Why all this work, why the fancy lawyer and the trip down here?"

"Look, Mr. Suarez," Daniel said, "Betty's been a great worker—"

"Too good for you," Suarez said.

Daniel shook his head. "You're right. She is. But I just wanted to do something good for her, given everything she's sacrificed to stay here, to work at Mode when everyone is against her, different from her—"

"Betty can take care of herself at Mode. That's not what I'm worried about," Ignacio said. He looked at Daniel, hard.

"But it's a really big world out there, and it doesn't hurt for someone to have your back, you know?"

"Yeah," Daniel said.

The guard came over the intercom, telling them that time was up.

Ignacio looked at Daniel again, saying more with a look than he ever could on the phone. Take care of her. He said, the sound silenced by the glass.

Daniel nodded.

He found Betty in the hallway. She was sitting on the ground, and he pulled her up, into a standing position.

"You want to get something to eat?" Daniel said.

"Actually, I have to get home," Betty said. "I'm cooking dinner."

"Oh, okay," Daniel said. They walked out to the parking lot.

"I guess I'll see you after Christmas then," Daniel said.

"I can't believe there's only 12 days left," Betty said, "it's just like the song."

"Yeah," Daniel said, "I think there's something about maids a-milking or something, and I guess there's a partridge in there too—"

Betty laughed, and Daniel felt a hundred feet tall.

"You know, you can always come over for dinner. I mean, if you don't have plans—"

"I don't," Daniel said quickly.

"I understand though, if Giselle or Tiffany or whoever gives you a call," Betty said.

Daniel shook his head. "She wouldn't eat any empanadas anyway."