The next week was strained, Betty tried hard not to think about Daniel moving out but it was inevitable. She was professional at the office and when he asked what was wrong she just shook her head and said that everything was fine. The day before Hilda's wedding her father called her several times to ask if she was going to come home and help Daniel move his stuff into his new house. She stopped taking the calls after a while and immersed herself in work. She didn't even know where he was moving too. She'd been avoiding him, trying to tuck away those feelings that had creped up on her. Standing she turned to look out the office window.

Her sister was getting married in less than twenty four hours and Betty was a mess. She couldn't focus on anything and she knew Hilda's hen party had been rather lame. Shaking her head she turned to grab her jacket but stopped when she saw Claire and Alexis standing in the door smiling at her.

"Oh my God, Alexis what are you doing here" Betty said and rushed over to give her friend a hug.

"What you didn't think Hilda would let me miss her wedding did you?" Alexis said and hugged back.

"Honestly, I think your sister knows that if she invites us we'll give them expensive presents" Clair said laughing.

"Your probably right" Betty said "Now, tell me what are you doing here so late on a Friday night? And where is DJ?"

"well we went to you fathers house and he said you never come out of this office" Alexis stated

"So we are here to kidnap you and take you out for a girls night A la Meade!" Clair finished, Betty laughed and smiled at the two women.

"I wish I could but I have to help Hilda with some wedding stuff" She said and then laughed when Hilda and Amanda came striding in.

"Nope it's a girls night Betty!" Hilda said and scooped her sister up into a hug

"And the Meade's are paying so its going to be a good one!" Amanda squealed and everyone laughed.

They had stayed out until the early morning hours and when the town car finally pulled up to her home in Jackson Heights' Betty was just a little bit tipsy. As they got out of the car betty smiled at all of them. "Now Claire I told you , you didn't have to bring me all the way out here!"

"Betty dear, its no problem were staying at Daniels house tonight." Clair replied and then turned to point at the house across the street from hers, standing there on the front steps was none other then Daniel Meade.

She was so sure that house had been for sale just this morning " Oh my God, Daniel bought the house!"

"yes, now I'm going to drag this drunken party into your house while you go talk to my son" Clair said and gave Betty a shove. Betty laughed and then watched as the four women supported each other on their way into the house. Turning back around she waved shyly at Daniel and made her way over to him.

"Did you have fun?" he asked and tucked his hands into his pockets. She loved it when he did that, it made him look so shy and handsome.

"I did, But I have a feeling I know who put them up to it." She playfully punched his shoulder and they laughed.

"yeah well I noticed that my best friend has been a little down lately, and I thought I might be because of me"

"Daniel" She started and put a hand on his forearm. "I'm sorry, its just…. I got so used to you living in the same house and then when you said you were moving out it felt like you were going to move a thousand miles away"

Daniel shook his head and pulled her into a hug "I could never move a thousand miles away. You know why right?"

Betty looked up and shook her head at him, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering "Because Betty, I couldn't imagine what my life would be with out you in it. And I never want to have too"

Feeling her throat start to catch she hugged him again. She loved hearing those words from him but she knew they weren't meant the way she wanted them too. She would take it as it was though, because to her, she couldn't imagine a life with out him either.

The women, minus Betty had all woken up with hangovers and She smiled as she watched her father run around the kitchen making his hangover drinks. Soon they were all sitting in Hilda's old Salon, Christina included. "God I wish I could have been there last night!

"Well we don't want you to get the new baby started on drinking just yet" Hilda said and they all laughed, "It was a really good time, thank you so much Claire!"

"No problem" Claire said and then looked over she shoulder slyly at Betty "So I assume you and my son patched things up last night"

"Patched up? Betty!" Christina said and they all looked over at Betty expectantly.

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter, its not like that" She said and flicked a nail file at Christina "We just talked and then I came home!"

"Come on give us some details, is he still as good in bed as he was with me?" Amanda asked and then she skillfully dodged several towels that came flying her way.

"eww, I don't want to know what my little brother does in bed" Alexis whined

"No Amanda, You know I wouldn't know that! Like I said we just talked!" Said and then blushed, she tried to turn away but her sister grabbed her chair and spun her back. "Fine, he might have said that he doesn't want to know what its like to live with out me"

"Aww" the other women said but Betty quickly cut them off

"but it wasn't like that! We've been friends for a lot of years, its hard to imagine him not being around."

"Betty, when will you just wake up and smell the edible underwear" Amanda said, Betty and Claire grimaced while everyone else looked thoughtful "That man is head over heals in love with you!"

"You don't know that!" Betty said but couldn't help being interested.

"Betty, Darling" turning she looked at Claire, "I know my son and I have never seen him look at anyone else the way he looks at you"

"Claire, he married Molly, and I know him too. He looked at her like that all the time" Betty said and hung her head.

"No he didn't" looking back up she saw that it was Alexis who spoke this time. "I know my brother loved Molly but I don't think he was ever 'In' Love with her"

"How can you say that!" Betty exclaimed and stood "He gave everything he had to that relationship, She was the love of his life, and I know Daniel well enough and have seen him with women enough to know that was love!"

"Betty" Hilda tried but Betty just held up her hand,

"No, Look I'm sorry I yelled, but your wrong, he doesn't love me like that" turning she walked from the room, she could feel the tears coming and all she wanted to do was hide.

The wedding was in full swing six hours later. The ceremony had been wonderful and Betty was glad that Hilda wasn't upset about her out burst. Now she stood sipping a glass of sweet wine and watching as Daniel swung Hilda around the dance floor. He looked happier then she had seen him in months.

"Betty" turning she saw Claire. Smiling she hugged the motherly woman and leaned back,

"I'm sorry about this morning"

"Its alright, we all know your in love with him" Laughing Betty took another sip of her drink and shook her head,

"You all catch on pretty quick"

"Well he is a Meade, its hard not to fall in love with him" Claire said smugly

"True" Betty acknowledged

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing, there's nothing I can do, I just have to suck it up and move on. Daniel is used to super models and beautiful women, He will never look at me like that" Setting her cup down she smiled once more at her friend and walked over to the now alone Hilda "Hey, this shindig turned out great"

"I know huh?" Hilda said and threw an arm around Betty shoulders. " I'm so glad, Bobby is the best thing , besides Justin, to ever happen to me!"

"I'm so happy for you Hilda" Betty said and pulled her sister into a hug,

Hilda looked down at her younger sister and sighed, "Come on I'm going to throw my bouquet, I want you to catch it!"

"Hilda no" Betty said but made no attempts to free herself from her sister grasp.

Soon it was announced and all the single women including Alexis were out on the floor, Betty just stood there and made no attempts to catch it, but it had other plans. So when it landed at her feet and she picked it up a cheer went through the crowed, Looking around she hoped that her third cousin Wilber had not caught the garter.

"So I guess this means, your mine for the night right?" looking up she laughed as she saw Daniel twirling said garter around on his finger.

"No it means you get one dance dork" Taking the hand he offered she fallowed him onto the floor as The Dance by Garth Brooks came on. Looking over to her father she saw Claire smiling wickedly at her " I think this was a set up"

"I know, mom's been bugging me to dance with you all night" Daniel said and laughed. "I think she is trying to set us up"

"I think so too" She leaned her head on his chest as they danced and she imagined that this was their wedding and it was her bouquet that she was holding.

The wedding ended close to one am, and deciding to just come back in the morning and clean everything up she called a car. Smiling she stuck her phone back into her purse, there were perks to helping run the Magazine, she could call the company car whenever she needed it.

"Mind if I catch a ride with you?" Turning she saw Daniel come out of the hotel, "Seam's were the only ones who didn't book a room for the night"

"Sure why not, I mean its not like its out of your way anymore" she said thinking about all the times they had argued about him taking her home.

As the car pulled up Daniel opened the door for her and she could feel herself blush. It wasn't unusual for him to do it, so why was she blushing. She looked out the window as they headed back to Jackson Heights, The city was beautiful even in the wee hours of the morning.

"So what would your wedding be like" turning suddenly she gave Daniel a confused look "Come on you have to have thought about it, I know Walter and you were planning on getting married, and with Hilda's.."

"I have, but I'm not getting married so it doesn't matter"

"Come on Betty!" he said and pouted. Laughing she smacked his arm

"Fine" Huffing she crossed her arms and looked over at him. "I wouldn't want something fancy, just to get married in our home Church, a reception outside, just immediate family and friends."

"sounds nice" Daniel said and took her hand, squeezing it. "don't worry Betty someone will come along and sweep you off your feet before you know out."