Ugly Betty

It Takes A Village

A/N: I am so very sorry I haven't updated lately. My computer broke down and I didn't have it for a very long time. You don't realise how immobilised you feel with no computer, haha. Plus with Christmas coming up, work has been hectic and so has life so I apologise. I will try really hard to get a new chapter up soon but this is my Christmas present to you all. Merry, Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays, to those of you who don't celebrate Christmas!

Thanks to: Glorybox and Laura8881 for giving me the correct name. I just drew a blank.

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

Chapter Seven: Red Hair, Purple Ottoman

She spotted his red hair first then the khaki coloured pants and jacket next. It had taken him a full month and a half but he had come, just as Betty had known he would.

She was eating a chicken pie when he walked into the office looking mildly uncomfortable and completely out of place and when she looked up she spilt part of the steaming insides onto her fresh white shirt.

"Damn," she muttered to herself. He hurried over and looked at her sheepishly.

"I guess I should have called first," he said. He pulled some tissues out of his cavernous pocket and handed them to her. "Are you okay?"

"It's brand new," she sighed. She no longer fit into any of her old clothes (which she had suddenly decided were horrible anyway and she was throwing them out) and Daniel had swiftly rushed her off to buy her new clothes. In a very sweet gesture, he had taken her to all the outlets she normally shopped at but Betty had decided to go a little more classic, a little more upscale. She still bought a few patterned sweaters and some outlandish skirts but her work and play clothes were generally a little more refined these days.

"I'll get it dry cleaned," Gabe offered.

"It's just chicken pie. It'll wash out," Betty sighed. She looked around for an escape. She did not want to be talking to him, not here, not now. "What can I do for you, Gabe?"

"It's just that my name has been splashed all over the papers lately and I've been feeling kind of bad about ditching you and I thought maybe we could talk about it," he admitted.

"Well, now isn't exactly a good time," Betty replied. "You see, I'm at work in case you didn't notice."

"Aren't you on your lunch?" he asked. "I kind of assumed since you were eating that you were."

"I'm really busy today. Daniel really needs my help with the new season launch so I'm just grabbing a quick bite but then its back to work for me," she disagreed. "I'm almost positive Daniel can't spare me. It's just not a good time."

"Not a good time for what?" Daniel himself asked, not bothering to hide his emotions. He was majorly pissed off.

"I just thought Betty and I should talk," Gabe replied.

"And I told him now isn't really a good time, what with the new season launch and all," Betty butted in.

"I'm sure you can spare her for a few minutes," Gabe said.

"What we have to say to each other couldn't possibly say in a few minutes," Betty hissed. "I'm not exactly in a forgiving mood and I'm not even sure if what you've done is forgivable."

"I just freaked out, Betty," Gabe interjected. "A baby is huge news. It's a lot to deal with and then there were all the other issues like marriage and all the issues that came with that. It was a lot to process."

"How do you think I felt?" Betty exploded. "I was scared and alone and you abandoned me in that time. Whatever you thought you had to deal with, it was that much worse for me. You could just walk away and you did. I didn't have that luxury. And who said anything about marriage? I didn't want to marry you. I just wanted to know you would support this and I think you've shown you can't do that so, Gabe, please just leave."

"Betty, I came because I wanted to tell you I'm ready to support this. All of those articles talking about what a horrible person I was for abandoning you are true and they really spoke to me. I realised what I was doing was wrong," he argued as Daniel unsubtly rolled his eyes. "Why are you rolling your eyes at me? I'm sure you've made mistakes like me."

"Don't compare the things that I've done to what you have done," Daniel replied.

"Daniel is twice the mean you will ever be. He's going to help me raise the baby. It's not even his child but he is willing to help me out. He wants to help me out," Betty told Gabe. "Now I asked you to leave so please, just go. I'll make sure to leak it to the press that we've talked things over and come to an agreement and then your name will be restored back to its pearly white brightness. I know that's what you really want. You don't really want anything to do with my child."

"OUR child!" he yelled.

"She asked you to leave," Daniel said. "I think you had better do what she asks."

Gabe opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but Daniel simply drew himself up to his full height and Gabe shook his head and muttered something angrily before turning around and walking away.

"Are you okay?" Daniel asked as soon as Gabe's back had disappeared.

"I think so. I don't know. I'd been expecting that but I'm not really sure how I thought it would go," Betty replied. She frowned a little and stood up. "I'm going to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back."

"Can I help you, little brother?" Alexis asked as she watched Daniel pace back and forth in front of the ladies bathroom.

"Actually, yes. You can," he cried. "Betty has been in there for an hour and I'm a little bit worried about her. She and Gabe had a confrontation of sorts and then she took refuge in there and I'm just worried, okay? So could you please go in there and see if she's okay."

"Sure. Anything for you," Alexis replied. She went to walk in but then backtracked and turned around. "You know, I don't think I ever told you that this is a good thing you're doing."

"Sometimes it feels like its more trouble than its worth," he grumbled but Alexis could hear the pride and excitement in his voice.

"I'm sure sometimes it does," Alexis agreed. "But it is a good thing and for what it's worth, I'm proud of you. You've really grown-up and changed."

"Thank you," Daniel said sincerely. His face softened for a moment but then it again became a mask of concern as he motioned towards the bathroom. "Now, if you don't mind..."

"Oh right. I'm sure she's fine and just needs a minute to compose herself," Alexis said. She offered her brother a smile and then swept into the bathroom, her long legs barely covered by a floaty red dress. Daniel sighed and sat down on the floor with his back against the wall. It was going to be a long afternoon.

"Betty?" Alexis called. She stood in front of the mirror and preened herself, running a carefully manicured fingernail around the edge of her lips to remove the excess lip-gloss. She listened for a noise, any noise from the young girl but she didn't hear anything. "You know, Betty, I would have hidden in the bathroom for my entire first three months back if I had of known whether to use the men's or the women's."

"I'm not hiding," Betty said finally. She opened the door and stepped out. She sniffled and wiped an already worn piece of toilet paper across her eyes. Alexis simply raised an eyebrow at her. Betty smiled softly and sheepishly. "So maybe I am hiding. I'm just worried that Gabe will come back. Facing him once was hard enough. I don't know if I can do it again."

Alexis sat on the purple ottoman that graced the lobby of the toilets. She was sure the toilets in MODE were the only toilets that basically had a lobby and she had graced a lot of toilets across the globe. The ottoman had proved handy for clothing, shoe and hosiery mishaps. Betty sauntered over and joined her.

"Betty, I know I can't really talk about your situation but in my experience, it's better to face up to things. This isn't going to go away if you ignore it. This is just going to get bigger and bigger until eventually you'll become so overwhelmed that you'll crack and, Betty, I've seen you crack and it isn't pretty."

"Thanks," Betty smirked. She sighed and groaned. "I don't want to see Gabe. Daniel doesn't want me to see Gabe. I thought he was going to throttle him."

"Yeah, my brother sure is protective of you and the little one," Alexis agreed. "But can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Betty replied.

"What are you scared of?" Alexis asked. "Those things are going to go well or that things are going to go badly?"

There was a long pause as Betty considered the questions. A thousand feelings, both resolved and unresolved flew around her body and her mind. Finally, she lifted her head and shrugged. "I don't know. If things go well, Gabe and I could get back together and be a family but then Daniel gets left out and, Alexis, I have never seen Daniel so excited or so involved in something. It would kill him if things worked out well. I guess if things go badly nothing has really changed. I might cry a little, feel the same way I felt when Gabe first walked out on me but then I'll get over it like I did before. It's easy."

"So you're not going to go and see him," Alexis stated. It wasn't even a question.

"Daniel is in a really good place and he's happy. I can't take that away from him. I have to admit I'm being a little bit selfish. I think he'll make a great father and he will look after me. He already has been," Betty said.

"I know it's absolutely your decision and I think it's really sweet you're doing this for my brother but are you sure you're making the right decision? Maybe Gabe really does regret what happened and maybe he really does want to work things out," Alexis suggested. "I know I wish I had of done things differently when I 'came back from the dead.' I'm sure Gabe wishes he had done things differently too."

"I understand what you're saying but I don't think I'll regret this," Betty said.

"Not now, no. But one day, you will. It might be soon, it might be in twenty years but one day you'll regret it but that's okay. I respect your decision," Alexis said, showing an incredibly soft side.

"Uh, thank you," Betty said. "I think."

Alexis offered her a smile then she reached over and placed a hand on Betty's swollen stomach. "Hey, do I get to be Aunty Alexis?"

"Sure," Betty agreed. "It has a nice ring to it. Aunty Alexis."

"You know, my brother is waiting outside this room right now. We should probably go out there. He's really worried about you," Alexis said.

"He's always worried about me," Betty sighed.

"It's because he loves you," Alexis said matter-of-factly. She stood up and waited as Betty washed her face and dried it. They left the bathroom together and as soon as they did, Daniel bounced up from his spot on the floor and went straight over to Betty.

"Are you okay? I was so worried about you. You said you were going in for a minute, not an hour," he steamrolled her.

"I'm fine, Daniel," Betty answered.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do? I mean, about Gabe."

"I don't think I'm going to do anything about Gabe. I want nothing to with him," Betty answered. "I think its time to go home. Don't you?"

Already, though, as she gathered her things, doubts started to plague Betty. Did she owe Gabe another chance or was she doing the right thing?