Ugly Betty

It Takes A Village

A/N: Again, thanks heaps for the wonderful reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Ugly Betty in anyway.

Chapter Four: Flavour of the Month

"I heard about your bun in the oven," Amanda said.

"I guess you finally have a reason to wear those ugly, I mean gorgeous, ponchos," Marc added.

"Uh, thanks guys," answered Betty. She wore a confused smile on her face. "How did you find out?"

"Oh, you haven't seen yet?" Amanda asked. She pointed towards Betty's desk. "It's hard to miss."

Betty swung around the desk and walked through the halls to her desk where a bunch of flowers and balloons sat. The balloons, in a typical New York fashion were green, yellow and purple, and said 'Congratulations on your baby.' She glanced at Daniel through the glass window and pointed to them. He shrugged at her, all the while talking on his phone. Betty looked around for a card and eventually she found it. 'Congrats, Betty. Love Henry, Charlie and Madison. xox.' She smiled softly, thinking about her friends. She had been so hurt when Henry had left her for Charlie and Tucson but they had eventually put the yuckiness behind them and the three of them had managed to become friends.

"Who are they from?" Daniel asked, standing in the doorway.

"Henry and Charlie," she answered. "I only told them last night. I was kind of hoping to keep it quiet for awhile longer though I have to say, I'm fourteen weeks along so it has taken them awhile. Can you believe that we've managed to keep it secret that I'm living with you?"

"I wonder if that is anything to do with the fact that we never arrive or leave together. I, personally, think it's stupid and unnecessary. Who cares if people know we live together?" Daniel asked.

"Umm, I do. I already had to work my arse off to fit in here and I'm just now finding my place. If people find out I'm living with you, they'll never accept me. They'll just think I'm spoilt and the favourite," Betty answered.

"You are my favourite," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Thanks. Besides, you know that people will automatically assume that you're the father and that you moved me in so I wouldn't sue you or take it public or whatever convoluted rumour the staff can come up with," she continued. "They might think we're sleeping together."

"Who cares?" Daniel asked, stretching his arms over his head.

"Daniel!" Betty cried. She picked up a pencil and threw it at his stomach. He pretended to writhe in pain and Betty shook her head. "You're such a child."

"Speaking of children, there's a huge toy-sale down at F.A.O Schwarz that I thought we should check it out," Daniel said, a huge grin spreading on his face.

"You do realise that the baby won't be playing with toys for quite a while to come, don't you?" Betty asked. "That is just so typical of a man. Only caring about the toy part."

"I know the baby can't play with them but we can still buy things and put them away," Daniel suggested.

"You are too cute but no. By the time it grows up, those toys will be outdated and we'll just have to buy new ones anyway," Betty said, over-ruling him. "If you're really good but then I might take you across the road for lunch."

"Betty, the food across the road has colour and flavour," Daniel asked.

"I think I'm ready to start eating flavour and colour again," Betty smirked. "In case you hadn't noticed, I've only thrown-up twice in a week and suddenly apples and potatoes are looking really boring."

"I wear ear-plugs to bed now," Daniel admitted sheepishly. "I can't stand the noise you make in the morning."

"I'm not so fond of it either," Betty said, rolling her eyes. "But I deal with it. I guess because I don't have a choice. Anyway, I hope I have thrown up my last and even if I haven't, I still need to eat something that actually has a taste."

"Okay, we'll have lunch across the road and if I'm a really, really good boy, maybe I can go to F.A.O. Schwarz anyway?" he asked.

"We'll see, Daniel," Betty sighed. He grinned at her and she rolled her eyes again.

"Oh my gosh. That is the nicest thing I have ever eaten," Betty cried, spooning some butter chicken onto a pappadum and chewing.

"It's really not that good," Daniel said, screwing up his nose. "I've had better."

"I haven't," Betty said. She thought about it for a moment. "No, I really haven't."

"I just have a question," Daniel said. Betty nodded at him and waited for him to continue. She sipped some water from her glass. "What if the baby doesn't like Indian food?"

"Nonsense. Who doesn't like Indian?" Betty asked. She shook her head. "Babies can't even tell what kind of food they are being given."

"If you say so," Daniel sing-songed. He ducked as Betty threw a pappadum at him. "Betty that is unacceptable behaviour."

"You're talking to me about unacceptable behaviour?" she screeched. "How about last night when you wrote on my forehead in eye-liner? That's acceptable?"

Daniel giggled to himself and Betty shook her head, trying to hide her own amusement. He was such a little kid sometimes but Betty loved that about him. She loved the way he could be fun and carefree but then in a second, he was like a pit-bull, ready to pounce and defend. He was as mature as he was immature and vice versa. That was just the way he worked. Betty was much too serious, at least most of the time. She had never taken time to relax or see the fun in things. It had always been work, work, work for her but the more time she spent with Daniel and the longer she lived with him, the more like him she was becoming. Not in the womanizing, bed-hopping, booze-hounding way but in the way she didn't mull over things and she wasn't a complete stress-head. You owe that much to yourself and to the baby he said. Let me do the worrying for you for a change.

It was nice, the way they just worked like that. They were so much more compatible than she could ever have imagined plus she thought they would be sick of each other by now but they weren't. In fact, the more time they spent together, the harder they found it to be apart.

"What are you thinking about?" Daniel asked Betty, too late remembering she hated how they perennially used that line in movies and books. She didn't seem to notice and if she did, she didn't care.

"I was just thinking about how much time we spend together and how I'm not sick of you yet," she answered. She jolted suddenly and started rubbing her belly with her hand. "Daniel, I think you might have been right about the Indian food. I don't feel so good anymore."

Daniel smiled sympathetically and stood-up. "Come on. I'll pay and we'll get out of here. Maybe you should go home for the afternoon, Betty. I'll get you a car."

"Daniel, no. I should stay at the office. You need me this afternoon with the casting for the swimsuit special and the Christmas in July spread. You can't handle it alone," she argued.

"I have a staff full of people whose job it is to co-ordinate things like this. I'll be fine and you don't look that great," Daniel replied.

"Thanks," Betty huffed. She rubbed her stomach again and groaned. "Okay, fine. I'll go home."

"Good," he answered. They quickly paid and Daniel walked Betty back over to the MODE offices and called down for a car. He waited with her out on the curb until it pulled-up and he kissed her on the forehead before she climbed in. "I'll see you at home tonight, okay?"

"Okay," she answered. "Thanks for this, Daniel. I shouldn't have rushed myself."

"You don't have to apologise. Go home and get some rest," he said. He closed the door and watched as the car maneuvered its way onto the busy street. Daniel turned around and found that he was face-to-face with Wilhelmina. She said nothing, simply raised and eyebrow at him and then turned and skulked back inside. Daniel paused for a moment and then made a quick decision there and then. What Wilhelmina thought didn't matter. Not when it came to Betty.