CHAPTER 25:

After spending two more weeks at home Wilhelmina decided to go back to work. After her return as co-Editor-in-Chief, things were different at Mode, Wilhelmina barely said a word to anybody, rarely made any employees cry which was a joy for them. However for Daniel it was a total nightmare. Each day he and Willie would get in to a fight about the magazine. They fought about everything from the models to the colors of the clothes. And there was the 'I'm the Editor-in-Chief' spat that occurred every 2 hours. The poor employees had to endure that for a few more weeks.

The Valentines issue spread photo shoot finally came around. Everybody was running about on the set, with Daniel barking orders at the employees. Just as the photo shoot was about to commence, Willie marched in with a number of young kids and a white puppies, carrying one of the puppies in one arm.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" He voice bellowed behind Daniel, who was slightly startled

"This is 'Love is a Battlefield'. It's the centre spread for our Valentine's Day issue." Daniel answered confidently. Wilhelmina scoffed

"I thought we were doing 'Puppy Love.'" She protested

"No, you were doing 'Puppy Love.' I didn't like it, I tried to tell you but you didn't listen. You never do." Daniel turned away from her "Go ahead, we can start." He hollered to the crew

"Because nothing says romance like missing limbs!" Spat Willie "Get the kids and the puppies and lose those soldiers." Wilhelmina ordered the crew

"No. I'm not letting you walk all over me. This is the shoot I want to do. Kill the puppies!" Daniel yelled and everybody in the vicinity gasped "I meant the concept." He clarified before turning his attention back to Willie "I'm the Editor-in-Chief and I say…"

"I case you've forgotten, I am the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine." She declared

"I case you've forgotten, I'm the Editor-in-Chief, too."

"OH, DANIEL! EVERYTIME!"

"I'm not gonna do this with you."

"FOR TWENTY YEARS I HAVE WORKED ON…"

"I WANT YOU TO LEAVE THE SET!"

"I'VE BROUGHT THIS MAGAZINE…"

"THIS IS MY SET…OF THE CONCEPT THAT I WANT TO DO.!"

"YOU CAN'T JUST TELL ME TO LEAVE THE SET! WE AGREED ON A CONCEPT AND NOW YOU'RE CHANGING IT LAST MINUTE ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR EGO!"

Soon, a small crowed formed and everybody's eyes were glued on the pair, watching with interest. Claire strode towards the couple and stepped between them.

"Okay! I am not the Editor-in-Chief of this magazine but THIS is a disaster." Claire yelled as she stepped between the two. Wilhelmina and Daniel looked around then back at each other, and immediately stepping away from one another as they realized that they had an audience.

The next day Daniel sat alone at a table in the cafeteria eating breakfast. He picked on his food uninterestedly, his fight with Wilhelmina replaying in his mind. The fights seemed to be getting worse to the extent that he'd been sleeping at his loft for the past week and a half. That was unusual, his apartment seemed a little bit cold, no Willie and no DJ. Just when he was still deep in his thoughts, his mother appeared in front of him.

"Hey, son. Can I join you?"

"Be my guest." He offered and noticed the contents of his mother's bowl "Since when do you eat kid cereal?"

"DJ turned me onto it. It turns the milk blue." Daniel smiled at his mother's efforts seeing right through her. Claire chuckled nervously "I also found some of DJ's things around the house. Baseball cards, lingerie catalogues and something called Sweet Wars Five: Revenge Of The Pimps." She spoke as she put the items on the table

"Actually that's mine. I know what you're trying to do. I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, I'm just having my morning bowl of marshmallows." Claire said simulating innocence

"What do you want me to say? I miss him? Yeah, when he was here I had more balance? A month ago I had a son, or so I thought; I had another one on the way. I was in a drama free relationship. I was…I was happy."

"I'm sorry, son. I'm really sorry that you lost your baby with that bi-…with Wilhelmina. So, are you two broken up now?"

"No, mom. What makes you think that?"

"You just said that your relationship is on the rocks. Plus everybody witnessed the fights between the two of you over the past 2 weeks. Don't get me started on the centre spread fight yesterday."

"That was nothing. What I meant was…she's pushing me away. She's acting like we're not in this together. I mean, I'm pain too and she's acting like she's the only one who should be fighting this battle."

"Maybe it's a sign."

"Mom, stop."

"Daniel, the woman isn't right for you." He pinched the bridge of his nose, not wanting to hear anymore of the Wilhelmina bashing from his mom.

"Mom, my entire adult life I've been with dozens and dozens of women and none of them were exactly life mates. Believe me, I've tried. With Wilhelmina I found just what I've been looking for, a deeper connection beyond the sex. Love and intimacy. She's my best friend, Mom." Daniel said through misty eyes "And she's pushing me away. All because of Alexis…"

"Daniel, your sister feels awful about what she did. She wishes she could take it back."

"Well, she can't. And I don't want to talk about Alexis anymore."

"Son, I know you're still angry."

"Angry? I'm not angry, I am FURIOUS with her. She pushed my pregnant girlfriend down the stairs, killing our baby in the process. The son I thought I had turned out to be hers and now she left the country to start a new life. She didn't just leave…she left with my family. And she got community service as if she didn't do anything wrong."

"Daniel, you wanted your sister to go to jail?"

"She should have! And here you are, taking her side. You can't just for one second put your hatred for Wilhelmina aside and see that Alexis was wrong. She killed her nephew, YOUR grandchild. You know, you are just like Dad." He promptly got up leaving a guilty Claire alone.

During the following morning's meeting in which the centre spread was the main topic, the old Wilhelmina seemed to have been creeping back. She began the meeting with a proposal to fire the clumsy new intern, Kimmie Keegan. Then she went on to reprimand those who were responsible for the abysmal ideas that were submitted for the issue.

Immediately following the meeting, Daniel followed Wilhelmina to her office. As she was settling at her desk, Daniel appeared on her threshold wearing a grin.

"Danny" Willie said with a tight smile

"Is it safe to come in?" She chortled and gestured to the chair in front of her desk "Wils, babe I'm sorry about our fight…"

"Which one?"

"Touché" Daniel said resulting in an eruption of chuckles from both of them.

"Yeah, we've had a lot of those as of late. And I'm sorry…for yelling at you and calling you names in front of the staff. It was unprofessional."

"We're both responsible, but I take the blame for our last fight about the Valentine's day spread. I changed the concept on purpose because…I was mad."

"At me?"

"Not at you exactly, babe but at your actions. You were…you are pushing me away, Willie and I get scared every time you do it. I want to be there for you…with you…and you've been acting like you're all alone."

"I'm sorry, Danny. It's just that…I can't stomach it when someone I love is in pain. Pushing you away was…is like my way of protecting you. I always think it'll be easier if I just carry the burden alone." He walked over to her side of the desk and took her hand in his.

"I don't want you to do that. I want you to know that we are a team. You don't have to go through such things alone, Willie. I'm here, I'm grieving too, I'm hurting just as much as you."

"I know. We should probably talk about it…I do want to tell you how I feel but…" She shook her head slowly. Daniel cupped her face and looked into her eyes adoringly.

"Babe, I know you're a guarded person. But let's try talking about things, you know baby steps."

"Yeah, you're right." She admitted. He bent forward and kissed her ardently

"Over dinner tonight?" He asked as they pulled apart

"It's a date." She whispered and winked recapturing his lips

"After work, we'll leave together. I love you." He placed a light kiss on her cheek

"Love you too, Danny."

Wilhelmina assumed that they were taking a different route from the way to their favorite restaurant to lose the paparazzi as they rode in their town car that evening. However the detour was way off course.

"Danny, what the…?Are we headed to the harbor?"

"Yeah. I have a special date planned."

"A dinner cruise?"

"Uh huh"

"Oh, my God. That's so quixotic."

"Really? I kind of figured that you might like it."

"That, I do."

A few more minutes later the car came to a halt and the couple stepped off and walked to the waiting ferry. They chatted happily as they made their way into the restaurant area where they were met by a rather cheerful lady.

"Mr. and Mrs. Meade, welcome! I'm Harmony. Appropriate, right? Totally my real name. Your table is ready." The 'Mr. and Mrs. Meade' bit caught the couple off guard they glanced at each other tensely but didn't have the heart to corrected the woman. The hostess then led them to a secluded candle lit area where their table was. Daniel pulled out a chair for Wilhelmina and then settled on the chair adjacent to hers.

"So, how was your meeting with my mom about Hotflash?"

"I need a drink. Does that answer your question?" She joked and he chuckled

"That bad, huh?"

"Yes but it was nothing I couldn't handle. Most our fights were not even about that insert of hers. Her jabs were personal ones."

"Meaning?"

"She was just Claire being Claire." She said, realizing that she had said too much. It was no secret that she and Claire were enemies but the last thing she wanted to do was to badmouth her to Daniel. That's what being in love always did to her, it made her too honest for her own good. "So how was your meeting with the Armani reps?" She asked switching the subject, As Daniel was fixing his response, the hostess came back.

"Your first course is oysters on the half shell. They're an aphrodisiac, not that you need one. Now, can I bring you two some wine?"

"Dear God, yes." Said Willie

"Yeah, keep it coming." Daniel assured.

"Could she be more annoying?" Said Willie after Harmony walked away.

"Oh, Willie. The young lady's just doing her job." Her response was an eye roll. "It's a beautiful night out isn't it?"

"Yes, it's lovely. Thank you, baby."

"The night isn't over yet."

"I meant for everything. For sticking by me…I know it hasn't been easy." She admitted almost apologetically

"I love you, Willie. When you're in love with someone you stick by them, through thick and thin. As much grief as I feel, I want to be there for you. I want you to lean on me."

"I know. It's just that…I've been through this before…and it's never…"

"You've had a miscarriage?" Daniel asked in shock

"Two of them. Back when I was still with Nico's dad. They were really dreadful times for us."

"I'm so sorry, Willie."

"Trust me, pushing you away was my own twisted way of protecting you."

"You don't have to worry about protecting me."

"It's…something you never get used to, I'll tell you that. It's just as painful as it was back then. I had these fantasies of when our kid is born when he is placed in my arms, takes his first steps, says his first word, rides the tricycle, first day of school and all that. And when that gets taken away, it makes me feel so…"

"Angry, your soul crushed, defeated and helpless?"

"How did you…"

"I felt…feel the exact same way."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't…"

"Willie, baby it's okay." He placed his hand on hers "I mean you were carrying the baby, it's gotta be tougher. It's just…I had this fantasy of us, You, Me, DJ and our new baby as a family. And then it was taken away within a blink of an eye…by my own sister."

"Tell me about it. I can't believe that Alexis would do something like that to me…let alone her own brother. There was a time that she and I were close friends and through the fighting over Mode I thought that was still there somewhere. I really didn't know she hated me so much as to kill my kid. But she was just like everybody else, thinking the baby was just a ticket into your father's company."

"Well, he wasn't. I know you Willie and I saw the way your face lit up every time we talked about our baby. You looked more than happy."

"That's because I was. You know how I felt when I found out I was expecting? Even though I was shocked and scared when I first found out, the thought of having another baby, was a feeling that is more than I can explain."

"When we were broken up and I found out you were pregnant, I was secretly praying that the baby be mine. I had this…inexplicable joy and hope."

"Hope?"

"That we had a chance of getting back together. And that my secret dream of settling down with a woman I love more than words in all the books could explain, could finally come true." He explained with a smile.

After dinner, the couple walked on the sidewalk with Daniel eating a large pretzel. The couple chatted happily as Willie recounted her daughter's childhood stories.

"I will never forget, Nico was four, and I was leaving for the Black and White Ball, and she threw up all over Armani. The man, not the gown." The couple erupted in a wave of laughter

"See, that's what I want. I mean not that exactly, but the memories, the perspective it gives you."

"Yeah and I thought this was going to be my second chance. The memories you speak of. This time I told myself that I wouldn't miss a thing, that I would be there every step of the way. I mean Lord knows I screwed up with Nico, not being ready."

"How come? Weren't you married to her dad?"

"I was, but marriage doesn't mean you have to have kids right away. I know it sounds selfish but I was young and I was just promoted to editor, my modeling career was still at its peak and at the time I was still working on me. I was still trying to find myself, both personally and professionally."

"That doesn't sound selfish to me. It sounds…rational."

"Dartanyan didn't' think so. He wanted a family and when we talked about it, I thought he meant in 5 year or so, not 3 months into the marriage. He was older than me and he wanted to settle down in every sense of the word."

"So, you gave in?"

"No. He tempered with my birth control…and the rest is history."

"He messed with your birth control?"

"Yeah, but I forgave him after a while besides I got a beautiful daughter out of his craziness. A daughter I love more than she realizes."

"I'm sure she knows that."

"I don't blame her for hating me. It is my fault. After the divorce, I didn't know how to handle her all by myself."

"Meaning?"

"When Nico was born, Dartanyan put his own career on hold and became a stay-at-home dad. He let me have a career and I worked and travelled for shoots and he took care of Nico. And it was working for a number of years, so I was spoiled by that when we split and became a bad mother. I sent her to boarding school a few years later not knowing that I was repeating that awful cycle. I told myself that I would never do that."

"How old was she when you sent her to boarding school?"

"She was only 12."

"12? Really? That's not so bad."

"She doesn't think so and quite frankly I don't either."

"So why did you?"

"My ex and I had shared custody, everything was working out until he decided to use the divorce settlement to buy oil shares in the Middle East and move to Dubai. Fey was riding me so hard that I barely saw Nico; It used to break my heart when I came home every night and she would be asleep. There were no kids where we lived and she was always alone. I thought boarding school would be good for her, you know, other kids to interact with."

"So everything you did was for her?"

"In a way. But also, I should have done more, much more." They stopped as they reached her building. Daniel put his hands on her waist and engulfed her in a tender kiss.

"I happen to think you're an amazing mother." He said as they pulled apart. She just smiled at him.

"This was…good. I actually feel better that I've been talking to you about this. Thanks again…for not giving up on me."

"I'll never give up on you, Willie." He leaned in to capture her lips once more "So, any idea how the hell we're gonna handle things with both of us in charge?"

"Maybe we should work on our communication skills. Maybe talking to each other and trusting each other on work matters will do us some good." She proceeded to walk toward her building, however he was glued on the same spot, not moving "Well, are you coming?"

"I didn't know I was allowed." He said with a smirk

"Do you always have to be an idiot?" He chuckled softly "Come on."

"Is it safe to…have sex? Isn't it a bit early?"

"It's been a little over 4 weeks, Danny. The maximum was three weeks."

"Okay!" He said with piqued excitement grinning from ear to ear and followed her in.

The next morning in the conference room the magazine's bosses addressed the staff, wrapping up the meeting. By Willie's mood they could tell that it would definitely end without any war of words between the Editors.

"Now moving on to the elusive centre spread. Puppies or War?" Willie declared to the staff

"We want you to know we really appreciate your hard work. We assure this is all gonna be settled very soon." Daniel clarified

"Actually, it is settled." Willie said simply, astounding Daniel.

"It is?" He asked looking at her in the eye.

"Love is a Battlefield. I think we both know how true that is. And I'm sorry it took me so long to see it." The couple exchanged an intimate glance which would have caused the rest of the staff to go awww if the lady wasn't Wilhelmina. However those present were reluctantly starting to believe that maybe the two were in love.

"Uh…thanks, babe…Willie. Well, we'll get that started right away." Daniel stated still lost in her gaze.