Chapter 17:
As soon as she saw the fire truck in front of Daniel's building, all Wilhelmina could do was hope that no one died. She took the stairs two at the time with Marc trying to keep up with her. She sighed in relief when she saw Renee, Daniel and Betty outside Daniel's loft. She rushed to her disheveled and distraught sister's side.
"Renee, what happened?" When her sister didn't provide an answer. "Betty?" Before Betty could answer Daniel spoke
"Wilhelmina I know you warned me and I'm very…"
"WAS I SPEAKING TO YOU!?" Wilhelmina gave him her classic death stare.
"Wilhel- Wilhelmina…uh Renee begged me not to call you because you'll be mad at her. So I called your father. He said he'll take care of it." Betty explained
"Thanks, Betty."
"Willie, pl-…please don't be mad at Daniel." Renee said through sobs
"Renee listen…"
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened, I was just upset and…I'm so sorry. It's not Daniel's fault."
"Like hell it isn't!"
"I really thought I was getting better."
"You thought you were…wait, when was the last time you took your medication?"
"About three months ago."
"Three months ago? What about therapy?"
"I haven't been to therapy in almost two years."
"Fan-fucking-tastic! Renee you know you can't just quit therapy. You can't just get off your medication because you think you're feeling better. You are not qualified to make that decision!"
"I know, I'm sorry."
"No, I'm sorry I shouldn't be yelling. What I'm saying is…those meds keep you sane, Renee. It'll take a few years of therapy and those pills for you to be cured, okay." Renee nodded and Wilhelmina hugged her sister. They pulled apart at the sound of the voice of the asylum workers.
"Ms. Renee Slater?"
She and let out a long and heavy sigh as Renee slowly walked down the hall with the two men. She felt numb as she rubbed her temples. Marc fearfully put his hand on her shoulder.
"Willie, if you need…"
"Marc" She said in a warning tone "Just…not now, please. Let's just go. I don't want to talk about this" Before they disappeared around the corner she gave Daniel one last look. Daniel looked down in shame
"Are you okay?" Betty asked rhetorically
"I don't know, Betty. I feel like shit right now, but as long as you're okay. You could have gotten hurt or worse you could have been…all because of my selfishness."
"Daniel…"
"I'm ashamed of myself, Betty. Not only did I put you in danger but I used an unstable girl."
"Daniel, come on you didn't know that she was mentally ill."
"Wilhelmina warned me. I refused to listen. I used her to get under Wilhelmina's skin."
"Why? It doesn't make sense. Wilhelmina left Mode and is never coming back. Why would you want to…"
"I don't know, Betty let's just drop it."
"Okay, you can come sleep at my house."
"Thanks, but I don't want to bother you. I'll go to a hotel, I can't face your family knowing that I almost…"
"Daniel you're in need of a friend right now."
"I kinda need to be alone, Betty. Please."
Wilhelmina spoke to the police officers outside Daniel's building, answering their questions about her sister's condition. Her blackberry rang as she was expecting it to and she knew exactly who was calling.
"Senator? I mean Dad. Why are you calling?"
"I received a call from someone named Betsy Suarez claiming that your sister started a fire in someone's home. Please tell me that's not true."
"You can hear the sirens can't you?"
"What happened this time?"
"She showed up here about a week ago, talking about looking for a new job. She started obsessing over some guy and…"
"Daniel Meade? Bradford's son?"
"Yes."
"I made a phone call, she'll be transferred to DC by morning."
"What difference is that going to make?"
"What is that supposed mean?"
"Dad you live in the same city as her. You didn't know that she stopped taking her medication, you didn't even know that she stopped therapy two years ago."
"I didn't know she hadn't been going to therapy."
"With all your money, connections, power, and an army of loyal subjects, you're telling me that you couldn't get one person to monitor her if she's taking her medication and is attending therapy? Do you realize that she could have been cured by now?"
"You kids are always angry with me. You don't take my calls, how was I supposed know?"
"It is your goddamn job to know!"
"Don't you dare talk to me like that, young lady! I am your father!"
"Yes, and maybe that's the problem! You are a father not a dad! You were just a sperm donor to our moms! You are useless!"
"Wilhelmina!"
"A dad protects, a dad cares, loves, shields. You never did any of that for us, you were never around. You spent more time with kids at political charity events than you did with us. I'm willing to bet everything I have that you don't know our middle names, let alone our birthdays."
"What's gotten into you?"
"That's another thing. You keep talking about how I've changed, how this industry turned me into 'this' as you so eloquently put it."
"No need for sarcasm. And by the way you've changed…for the worst. You are not the daughter I know. You are not the same old sweet Willie."
"I'm not what I am because of the fashion magazine industry or Fey Sommers as some people believe. I'm like this because of you."
"You're blaming me for the way you are?"
"I don't have time for this, Senator. Goodnight."
"Wil-" She hung up on him. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with the twisted old man.
"Willie, are you…"
"Marc, I love you but If you ask me if I'm okay one more time, I can't be held responsible for my actions."
"Okay."
"Now, let's go."
When her family drama settled, with her sister being taken to an asylum in DC with the help of her father who promised to monitor her better, her new plan went back into motion. She wasn't proud of it but it was the only way to secure her position at Meade publications. She slowly paced the kitchen while drinking a cup of tea with Marc sitting in front of the laptop.
"Everything is gonna check out okay with the doctor. And then Monday, all hell will break loose as the exiled queens of Mode make their triumphant return!"
"How are we doing on the press coverage?"
"I've pitched it as a major fashion world announcement. So all the women-friendly networks are in a lather. The View is doing a special live broadcast, which they never would have done if potty-mouthed Rosie was still around."
"Good. I want this moment. I need this moment. As I march up the steps of the Meade building, it'll be the greatest come back since…Jesus." She quirked her brow and smirked.
Through Betty's insistence that he needed it, Daniel sat nervously in the therapist's office. This was his second visit of the day as he was kicked out earlier and accused of not taking therapy seriously.
"Look, I'm sorry about before. It's just…I like to flirt."
"And what do you get out of flirting?"
"I don't know."
"Is it approval?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"It feels good to be wanted?"
"I guess I need that right now."
"Why?"
"There's this woman, I was…I'm in love with her. I screwed up and I can't go back. I lost her because I have no backbone. I just wanted so badly for things to be different for me, for us. When she dumped me, I was crushed and I made matters worse by…dating her sister to make her jealous and now I have lost her forever. With her I found something deeper, something I have been looking for all these years but too scared to admit. I realized that after all those years of sleeping around, I saved the best for last. However I ended up with nothing."
"I think this is something we should explore. Tell me more about your relationship with this woman."
After he told her the entire story
"Wow, you two seemed to have had something. Do you love her?"
"Yes, very much."
"Do you want to be with her?"
"Yes"
"Then go and tell her how you feel."
"What? She hates me"
"That doesn't matter, just tell her how you feel. Tell her everything you just told me. How much you love her, how much you miss her and how sorry you are about what you did with her sister. Tell her that you want to try again."
"But what if she rejects me?"
"I didn't say that wasn't a possibility. Get it off your chest, just tell her how you feel. But you have to let go of this immature behavior."
"Immature behavior?"
"Dating her sister to get back at her. This Wilhelmina lady you just described is not the kind of woman who responds to that kind of behavior. You should find a way to settle arguments in a healthy and mature way. Do not press her buttons when you feel like can't say what you want or need to say or when you feel like you have lost an argument. Grow up. Now go get your woman."
"Thanks, Doc."
Wilhelmina sat on the exam table with the doctor performing an ultrasound.
"So?"
"Everything's fine. The foetus is healthy and growing and you'll be giving birth in six months."
"So is it safe to start telling people that I'm pregnant?"
"Sure tell whoever you want. Friends, family…"
"Four hundred members of the news media." Marc chimed in. Willie nudged him.
"Thank you, Doctor Weiss."
"Do you want the video of the sonogram?"
"Yeah, sure."
Daniel went to see Wilhelmina earlier but she wasn't home and he tried to call her but she didn't answer… shocking. So he settled for Mode and would stop by her house later.
He went to Mode to try and get some work done. He ended up fixing the disastrous photographs for the upcoming issue with his mother and Alexis.
"It's good to have you back, Daniel." Claire said proudly while lifting her glass
"To work." Daniel toasted
"To Meade Publications." Alexis followed
"To family." Claire said proudly
Suddenly the lights went off, striking confusion on the trio. And then a rapid heartbeat sound filled the room and a sonogram video appeared on Mode logo screen.
"What the hell is that?" Daniel questioned
"That is the sonogram of my baby, of your father's baby."
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm having your father's child." The Meades' eyes travelled to her midsection and noticed her miniscule baby bump.
"Oh, dear God." Claire said in disbelief
"And I want you to know, my only concern is protecting this baby, and giving it everything it deserves."
"Yeah, and what would that be?"
"One third of the Meade empire."