Moments of Christmas Part 4 (First Christmas after Series ended in April 2010)

Daniel took one more look over the "flat" to see if he forgot anything. Tickets, passports, bags…he patted his pockets to make sure that the most important thing was not forgotten. He had been waiting for this moment for too long for him to mess it up now. He took everything downstairs and loaded up the waiting cab.

"One stop before the airport," Daniel said as he got into the cab.

Betty rushed around her office. Daniel would be there any moment for their flight home. She hadn't been back to New York since she left in April, and she hadn't seen her family since he had them flown over in August for the launch of Inspired. Now she was anxious to see them again, especially for Christmas and New Year's. Daniel was off from his graduate courses, and she had just signed off on the final proof to be sent to the printers for her February edition. Betty grabbed her coat and felt her cell buzzing in her pocket; a text from Daniel. She had five minutes. She typed a quick, "OK," pocketed her phone and made her way to the lift.

Once on it, she had a moment to think about this trip. Until then she had been too busy with work to really think about what this trip would mean, for her and for Daniel. People had suspected. People in the publishing industry had an idea. Their friends and families knew to some extent, but this was it. This was the first time they were going to publicly make it known that they were a couple. Betty's heart raced. Could she handle it? Could she handle what people would say? Could she handle the paparazzi? A soft giggle came out as she remembered running down the street years ago, telling Daniel to check for the paparazzi and how she kept saying the word because she liked the sound of it. "Yes," she tried to convince herself, "I can handle this." She smiled as she stepped off the lift and saw Daniel waiting in the lobby for her. She moved into his waiting arms and accepted his kiss eagerly. When she finally released him, she looked up into his surprised eyes.

"Not that I'm complaining, Betty, but what brought that on?"

"I just wanted to remind you that I love you." She hooked her arm in his and gently tugged him towards the door.

He laughed. "What did you do that would make me think otherwise?" he questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," she smirked as she got in the back seat of the cab. "Well, not yet."

Daniel climbed in after her. "Okay, we're ready. Take us to Heathrow," he said to the cabbie before turning his attention back to Betty. "What do you mean, 'not yet'?"

Betty began to play with his tie, avoiding eye contact. "Daniel, I don't know how I'll react at tomorrow's party."

Meade Publications was throwing a huge Christmas Eve party in the large lobby of the building. The year had been good for the company. Claire and Wilhelmina had done extraordinary things with the company while Daniel was in school. He had flown back a few times to deal with some crucial decisions that couldn't be handled over the phone or via email, but the two women had come to find a mutual understanding for the betterment of the company as a whole. Because of this and the fact that Claire wanted to show off Daniel and Betty as a new power couple, the Christmas Eve party of the year was being thrown that Friday night. Daniel understood why Betty would be nervous. This was a big deal for both of them, more than she even realized.

"Betty, honey, look at me," Daniel softly spoke, but she still didn't look up completely until he reached out and lifted her chin. Eventually her warm brown eyes met his deep blue ones. She loved when they changed that color. His eyes were like mood rings that would let her know when he was about to say something completely from his heart. Daniel continued, "Betty, it doesn't matter what anyone says or thinks. I know that I love you and you love me. That's what matters." His eyes twinkled as said, "You could trip and fall or walk into a glass door…"

"Daniel!" Betty tried to push at his arm, but he caught it and pulled her close.

"Nothing could make me stop loving you or doubt that you love me." He grinned. "I know you don't give your heart that easily."

Betty smiled back. "You got that right. I made you work for it."

Daniel kissed the top of forehead. "Yes, you did, from the day I met you until this April when I took you to dinner my first night here," he laughed.

"Oh, so you haven't had to work for my heart since that dinner?"

"Nope," Daniel sat back in the cab and watched her face.

"You were so sure of yourself, were you?" Betty sat up straight and looked directly at him.

"Yup."

"Then why did I get calls from your mother, Alexis, DJ, Marc, and Amanda all asking me what I did to make you think you didn't have a chance with me after your first month here?"

Daniel's face turned red. It was true. Though their first dinner had gone well, he hadn't told her how he felt. Every time he had gotten ready to do so, he would chicken out. He marveled at all she was accomplishing and was afraid that being in a relationship with him would hold her back in her own life. Plus, her busy schedule made it hard for them to meet up as much as he would have liked during his first month there. Looking back on it, he realized he had been extremely nervous and emotional during that month. He must have driven the others nuts for them all to contact Betty. Daniel bit his lip and raked his fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck. "You never told me that they all called you."

"I have to have a few secrets for moments like this," she giggled.

"So is that why you finally gave me a chance? Because everyone else begged you?"

"Well, that, and I finally got my copy of the anniversary issue of Mode. I read your letter and knew what you had been struggling to say, so I decided to make it easier for you," Betty blushed.

Daniel scooted closer to her and took her hand. "So that's why you started scheduling time for me and touching me more often?"

"A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, and I've learned that I've got to touch you," she answered as she released his hand and crept both of hers up his arms and around his neck.

"And when were you going to tell me you read the letter?" he whispered.

"When you asked?" she giggled. "You never brought it up."

"Oh, you…"

Betty cut him off with another passionate kiss which Daniel reluctantly broke.

"You better stop this if we are supposed to make it home without any fun interruptions."

"Okay," she pulled back and pouted. "I never thought I would miss the Meade jet as much as I do now."

Daniel let loose a loud laugh. "Believe me, Betty. It's on the list of things to restore as Meade rebuilds. I'll make sure we're the first to christen it."

Betty covered her mouth to quiet her snickering fit; then whispered, "Daniel, that sounds dirty."

"Hey, you were the one thinking about becoming a part of the mile-high club just now," he chuckled.

"I blame it on you. I wasn't always like this," Betty said as she crossed her arms.

Daniel leaned in and kissed her neck before whispering in her ear, "Oh, yes, you were. You were just afraid to let it out."

His gravelly voice sent shivers through her body and her stomach muscles contracted in anticipation. "Remember that Christmas at my apartment, when you told me about the ice cream. You were curious then. You wanted more but didn't know what, when, and with whom."

Betty opened her eyes and looked at Daniel's, "And now I do."

"And you can't get enough." He winked.

She winked back. "That's because you know what to do with the ice cream."

"We're here," the cabbie interrupted.

Daniel placed a soft kiss on Betty's cheek. "Let's go." He stepped out of the cab and helped her out.

Betty sighed, "This is going to be a long flight."

"I told you not to start anything," Daniel teased.

Their flight out of Heathrow at 4 pm GMT landed at Newark International shortly after 6pm EST. Within minutes of their landing, Daniel and Betty were taken to a helicopter that would take them over traffic and to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport where their families were waiting.

Betty had never taken this helicopter flight, so she bounced excitedly next to Daniel. He couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Betty looked at the New York City skyline. The winter sky had already darkened, and the city was aglow with lights. "Daniel, we're home," Betty said as she squeezed his arm.

Daniel reached over and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

"I didn't realize how much I missed it," she sighed.

Daniel knew then what he had only guessed before that moment, London would not be their permanent home. New York had always called to them, and one day they would return for good and hopefully raise a family. When he went to London to try something on his own, Betty encouraged him to remember who he was and find out what fit in regards to Meade Publications and what he wanted out of his life. He knew he wanted a family with Betty, but he also knew she wanted a career and he didn't want to end up like his father to busy with work to nurture his wife and children's dreams. The more he thought about their future and what he wanted out of life, the more he wanted to run Meade Publications with Betty by his side. The two of them made a great team and could take Meade Publications to a higher level. With this in mind, he enrolled in classes at The University College of London for three Masters: publishing, business psychology, and comparative business economics. Each masters program would take a year to complete and he was half way through one. He had been nervous about whether or not she would want to move back to New York when he finished school, but her comment made him think that anything was possible. Daniel looked back at Betty as the helicopter started its dissent.

"Daniel?"

"Yes."

"Is it wrong for me to be happy in both places?"

Daniel squeezed her hand in his. "No."

Betty looked down at their families waiting for them. "I think…" she picked up their clasped hands, entwined their fingers and started again, "I think one day…"

"I know," he kissed her fingers. "We have time."

Betty leaned into Daniel as the helicopter landed. "After you finish school?"

The door opened and the noise flooded in, so Daniel nodded. Betty's face lit up with a brilliant smile. Daniel exited and helped Betty down. She squeezed his hand before letting go and running to her family.

Their families knew that they had a long flight and were dealing with a time difference so they kept their visit at the heliport short that night. Betty went off to stay with her Papi for the evening. Hilda was going to spend the night so they could talk until they fell asleep like they did when they were younger. Daniel went off to stay with his mother at the Meade mansion. It was the only night they planned to be apart. For Christmas, their families would all stay at the Meade mansion. Alexis and DJ would arrive in the morning, making this the first Christmas that completely combined the Meade and Suarez families. Daniel grinned as he entered the family mansion.

"Daniel," Claire called to him before he could take his bags upstairs.

"Yes, mom." He turned and came back.

"I know I'm probably overstepping, but I want to show you something." She walked over to a large envelope on the table in the foyer. "Here, I had these drawn up."

Daniel opened the envelope and scanned the documents. "Mom, is this what I think it is?"

Claire nodded. "The house is yours when you and Betty decide to return. I'll stay until then, but I don't need all this space. Tyler and Amanda have gotten their own apartment. I've been looking at smaller places, not too small of course, but not all of this." She waved her hand at the grandeur of the home. "This is meant for a family. May your memories with Betty and whatever children should come in the future be brighter memories than the ones your father and I gave you and Alexis." She kissed his cheek and rubbed off the lipstick she had placed there. "You both deserve it, honey."

"Mom, thank you, but it's too…"

"Too much? Who else is going to fill this old home with the warmth it needs?"

Daniel smiled and tugged at his ear. "Betty does have that way about her, doesn't she?"

"That she does," Claire smiled. "So when can I expect to start working on wedding plans and redecorating this house?"

Daniel laughed. "That's all up to her. Maybe she'll be able to tell you after tomorrow night."

"Oh, Daniel…what do you have planned?"

"Mom, I'm not telling you anything until I need to tell you," he laughed. "You have a way of giving Betty hints before I have a chance to say anything."

"I do not."

Daniel stared at his mother. "Oh, really?" He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.

"What? Because I told her I had a 'theory' about you? The girl is smart. I didn't say, 'I think Daniel's in love with you.'"

"No, Betty said it was in the way you looked at her when you said it and that you nodded when she questioned you."

"She didn't question me directly. All she said was 'No?' and 'Really?'" Claire tried her best to impersonate Betty's reactions from earlier that year.

"Case in point." Daniel kissed his mother's cheek. "I'm going to bed. See you in the morning. Good night."

"Good night, son. I love you."

"I love you, too, mom." Daniel turned, went up the stairs and found the room he was to share with Betty. It was the second master's suite in the house, but it was as large as the main master's suite. As he pulled off his clothes and headed to the shower, he realized that his mother had put him in this room on his last few visits so he could get used to being in the larger rooms of the house. Since his apartment and Molly's place had sold, the Meade mansion had been his crashing pad for whenever he had to make the business trips back to the city. Daniel chuckled to himself as he stepped under the hot water. His mother was always a few steps ahead of him on his game plan. How did she do it?

Friday night arrived. Alexis and DJ made it to New York in time to rest before getting ready for the Christmas Eve party. Daniel hadn't seen Betty most of the day and was starting to become a nervous wreck. He wanted everything to be perfect for that night.

Betty, on the other hand, had spent the day at the spa with Hilda, Elena, Amanda, and Claire, so she could be perfectly relaxed by the time she got to the Meade mansion. All of the dresses and suits for the families had been sent there so that everyone could change and travel in a caravan of cars to the event.

"Daniel, instead of pacing a hole in the floor, why don't you go and get ready?" Alexis said.

"But, I..."

"Good Lord, Danny. She'll be here soon. And she's getting changed in my room so that you don't get distracted. We want to make it to the party tonight." Alexis looked at her kid brother and remembered the first moment she saw Daniel with Betty years ago at the fashion show. Her voice softened, and she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, there's nothing to worry about. You two have loved each other a long time. I saw it the first time I laid eyes on the two of you. So don't worry."

"Thank, Alexis." Daniel glanced at his casual outfit; then at Alexis in her black evening gown. Tyler and DJ came down the stairs in their suits. "I guess I should go get ready."

"Duh," Alexis said as she pushed him towards the stairs. "All the ladies will have to do is slip into their clothes when they get here. Everything else was done at the spa."

"Okay."

About a half hour later, the ladies entered followed by Ignacio, Bobby, and Justin. Alexis rushed Betty upstairs and out of sight before Daniel could see her.

As Alexis shut the door to her room, Betty turned in a hug and asked, "Alexis, what's going on? Where's Daniel?"

"Shh! He's in another room getting ready. I just wanted you to get into your dress before he sees you."

"Why?"

Hilda entered the room. "Girl, have I taught you nothing? It's all about you making an entrance," she said adding her own flair to the word.

Betty tried to get by them. "Please. It's just Daniel. He doesn't care about an entrance," Betty mimicked Hilda's gestures.

Amanda and Elena walked in followed by Justin who added, "Yes, he does."

"All men do," Amanda added.

"Okay, fine! Since you won't let me see him, I guess I should get ready and someone should explain this entrance thing to me."

Daniel, all the other gentlemen, and the two teenagers waited in the foyer in view of the staircase. Daniel impatiently tapped his foot and repeatedly checked his watch. He was about to send Justin back up the stairs, when the ladies came into sight. Claire was first as the grand matriarch of the family. She was followed by Hilda, Amanda, and Elena. Alexis walked alone as the oldest Meade child.

Finally, Daniel saw Betty standing at the top of the staircase in her royal purple off the shoulder gown. She had apparently spent time in the tanning salon because her skin was a beautiful golden brown. The soft curls of her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders and slightly bounced as she descended. She kept her eyes locked on Daniel like Alexis told her and was surprised by what she saw. Apparently, the women were right about making an entrance. She could feel the heat rise in her face as she blushed. The look of love that Daniel gave her was the same as the first time he had entered her. Tears had rolled down his face that first night together. Not like they had for Molly which was because he knew Molly was dying. He had cried because of the extreme depth of love he had for a woman who knew him better than anyone else and the reality that he had almost lost her. That first moment of intense intimacy was more emotional than either of them had ever imagined it could have been.

As Betty came near the end of the stairs, she saw Daniel quickly swipe away the tears the rolled down his face. He met her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Betty," he whispered. "Wow! Just when I thought you couldn't be any more beautiful, you prove me wrong again." He bent down and kissed her cheek, and she wiped the remaining tears from his face. He helped her into her coat, turned, and presented his arm to her. "Shall we?"

"Let's," she beamed.

The families entered the vehicles and headed to the Meade Publications building. The press swarmed outside waiting to catch a glimpse of the Meade family. This was the first event in which the whole family would be in attendance. Only the patriarch would be missing, and his name was on the building and a painting of him hung in the lobby. The first car carried Hilda, Bobby, Amanda and Tyler. The second car carried Justin, DJ, and Alexi. The third carried Ignacio, Elena, and Claire. The last carried Daniel and Betty. When they stepped out, the flashes went off.

Betty leaned into Daniel, "How do you see with all the lights going off in your face?"

"Now you know the real reason why celebrities where sunglasses?" he chuckled.

Betty's face broke into a brilliant smile as she laughed, and the photographers loved it. As the couple entered the building, only a few special press members were allowed to get close to them. Daniel and Betty were greeted by Suzuki. "Well, hello, you two. This is a new development. Would you care to tell the viewers how this happened?"

Daniel calmly answered, "We will give you an exclusive and private interview later this evening."

Suzuki waved his team away and lowered his voice. "Honestly, I kept wondering when you two would realize you were meant for each other." Then he turned to Betty. "And you look wonderful, dear. I've heard good things about Inspired. My sister-in-law lives in London, and she loves it."

"Thank you, Byron," Betty whispered.

Daniel and Betty mingled with the editors of the different magazines, greeted old colleagues and acquaintances, and met some of the newer employees they hadn't met. Sporadically they would eat, drink, or dance throughout the event. At 11:50 pm, Daniel climbed the major stairway with the large door leading from the lobby into the rest of the building. From there he could see the very place his father used to stand to oversee what went on in the lobby. It had been one of Mr. Meade's regular habits of which the employees didn't know, but his children did. Bradford used to tell Daniel and Alex to watch people when they didn't think they were being watched. "You can learn a lot about a person's character when they don't think you are looking," he would tell them. Daniel hadn't always taken that to heart. If he did, there wouldn't have been nearly as many inappropriate videos made, photos taken, or articles printed on Page Six. He had to learn the hard way.

"I wish I would have listened, Dad, but I'm glad you were watching that day." Daniel thought before he grabbed the handheld microphone that the soundman gave to him at 11: 55.

"May I have your attention, please? May I have you attention?" The room quieted and focused attention on Daniel. "Wow. Uh. Thank you. Thank you so much for being here tonight. It means a great deal to my family. Meade Publications has been through some difficult situations, but we are thankful to see a change happening that is for the good of this company. To our staff and employees, thank you for all of your hard work this past year. I believe I can speak for my whole family in saying thank you for your loyalty. I especially want to thank my mother, Claire Meade and Wilhelmina Slater for all of their dedication and brilliant work after I left in April."

Alexis gathered the ladies and strategically made them stand in place. She came up to one side of Betty and Claire came to the other. Hilda and Amanda came up behind Betty so she couldn't run if she tried.

Daniel continued, "There has been much speculation about my departure. I'm here to set the record straight. I'm a Meade and that's our name on the building. I can't quit that. It's a part of who I am and I take that responsibility seriously, but I stepped down from Mode because it was time for Wilhelmina to take the reigns for the magazine and because I needed to personally pursue something that meant more to me than a magazine ever could. There was a woman who stood on these steps over four years ago. She knew Meade Publications better than I did at that time. All she wanted was a chance. She was talented and hard-working, but the HR rep turned her away because the only entry level position was to be my assistant and he didn't think she was good enough for me. That man has long since been fired." Daniel paused as chuckles came from the crowd. Then he continued: "I can't say enough how thankful I am that my father watched what happened that day. He stood up by that railing like he always did, and he saw that young lady. Something impressed him. Sure, there were horrible rumors about why my father hired her, but whatever his reasons for hiring her, my father's dying words to this woman changed all of that."

Daniel looked through the crowd and made eye contact with Betty. The ladies around her nudged her forward as Daniel spoke. "My father told her to take care of me; that I needed her because she was the only person who could keep me on my path. Every time she had left my life, whether it was because I was an idiot and she quit or I was an idiot and I fired her or I was an idiot and let her go work for someone else or travel for the summer, every time she left, I strayed off track. So I had to step down from Mode in April because my compass was gone. She left the country to pursue her dreams, and I left to pursue her. Betty Suarez, will you come up here please?"

Betty tried to escape the attention, but she saw Claire beside her. Claire whispered, "I have a theory," and grinned and hugged Betty. "One day I hope you call me mom." Betty relaxed and pulled Claire tighter before she turned to approach Daniel.

She met Daniel in front of the very door that had slammed in her face all those years ago. Daniel took her hand and knelt on one knee. "Betty, that HR rep didn't know that I needed you, but my dad did. He just didn't know how much I needed you when he first sent for you to be by my side. Now I'm asking you to be by my side for the rest of our lives." He swallowed the lump in his throat. "I meant it when I said I couldn't live without you. I love you with all that I am. Will you marry me? Please, Betty?"

Somewhere in the midst of his words, tears flowed down both of their faces. Betty choked back a sob as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

Daniel laughed, "Can I hear you say it?" This time he pointed the microphone at her.

"YES!" Betty answered, and the word echoed back louder than she expected. The crowd erupted in cheers, laughter, and applause as Daniel lifted Betty and spun her around in a hug before kissing her passionately.

Daniel handed the microphone over to the soundman and removed a robin-colored box from his pocket. He opened to reveal a small black velvet box. Pulling this out, he got done on one knee again and opened the velvet box for Betty to see flawless, clear "D", 2.5 carat, marquise-cut solitaire ring.

"Oh, Daniel," Betty whispered as he took the ring and slid it onto the ring finger of her left hand. The chimes sounded for midnight.

"Merry Christmas, Betty," Daniel said and kissed her finger just above the ring.

Betty pulled Daniel to his feet. "Merry Christmas, Daniel," she softly replied before slowly kissing him again.