Author's Note: Thank you to everybody who read or reviewed the last chapter.I'm glad that you liked the Daniel & Alexis bonding.I feel that the Alexis & Daniel relationship is just as important as the Betty/Daniel relationship in the story.I know a lot of people feel that the title for this story was always about Daniel and Betty's son Alex Suarez, but the title reflects the 2 most influential people in his life Betty and Alex when the story begins.They later give the name to the new very important person in Daniel's life, his second child, baby Alex.

Chapter 28: Unsolicited Advice, Diners, and Phone Calls

"You're not wearing that," Amanda and Justin said simultaneously.

Why exactly did she tell her sister that Justin could stay over last night? Oh yes, just because her love life was very, very complicated, it didn't mean that her sister couldn't have a good night, even if it was just as complicated. Her sister is currently dating someone that she met through work during the Hampton shoot a few weeks ago. She's not ready for this guy to meet Justin just yet. First of all, she's not sure this is going to be anything serious. Second, Justin may have a tiny itty bitty celebrity crush on the guy, and it would just be too much this early in the relationship.

Because of that Justin spent the night and therefore is at her apartment at 7 AM to watch her completely panic about what to wear to breakfast. After desperately going through the entire contents of her closet during the last thirty minutes, Betty finally decided to wear her favorite sweater and loose drawstring pants. It was a little chilly outside anyway, even though it was only mid-September.

"What's wrong with this? It's comfortable." And considering how uncomfortable the conversation with Daniel is going to be, she, at least, wants to be physically comfortable. Besides, it was one of the few outfits she had that didn't show too much cleavage. It was also something that was not a business suit. As a supposed early graduation present, Betty's stepmother gave her several custom-made business suits. However, she didn't want to meet Daniel as if she was dressed for work. It would just confuse things more than they already were.

"You cannot wear a matching outfit and I'm not changing Alex." Betty just rolled her eyes at that. There was a 90% chance that Alex may not even make it to the restaurant in that outfit. The almost 1-year-old was good at ruining outfits.

"Also, it doesn't show your boobs." Amanda shrugged, as she grabbed another blouse for Betty to try on. Although, blouse may be the wrong word, bra may work better.

"The lack of cleavage may be good because yesterday I heard Alexis and Daniel talking about you, and Alexis pretty much told him to not to have sex with you until he figured everything out. However, this is over doing that." At this point, Betty wanted to bury her head under the stack of clothing lying on top of her bed. Her nephew was too young for this sort of conversation.

"Daniel was talking about our sex life with his sister? In front of you?" Betty asked incredulously.

"No, we were getting ice cream, or at least pretending to and we overheard the entire conversation. We were trying to get the two of you to work things out. Try this outfit on." He passed Betty her favorite pair of jeans and a plain purple T-shirt.

She's not surprised that Justin is trying to play familial matchmaker because he's done it before. Although she is a little surprised that DJ was participating. Because things have been so complicated with her and Daniel these last few weeks, she has no idea how DJ is handling knowing the truth about Alexis. She doesn't know a lot of what's going on in Daniel's mind right now. Even after the breakup and Daniel being in Paris, they still talk to each other all the time. She hated that there are only talking about work stuff right now. She missed the days where they could stay up till 3 AM on the phone talking about anything. Now they were in this weird place, and she stood in her room completely unsure of what to wear to a supposedly casual breakfast or how to act around Daniel.

"I already tried on that outfit." Betty sighed.

"No, you tried on the jeans, but not with this shirt. You want casual but not too casual." Justin corrected.

"Maybe I should just cancel. I can't do this." She crashed onto the bed.

"Yes, you can." Amanda sat down next to her and put an arm around her as she spoke.

"At least Uncle Daniel wants to be in Alex's life. Santos doesn't give a fuck about me." Justin said bitterly.

"Don't talk like that. Also, you're not supposed to curse at all, especially when Alex is around." She admonished her nephew. "He is still your dad."

"He's the guy who was too dumb to store his condoms properly. He didn't even want to spend time with me until I had a rich grandmother. Alexis has more right to that title than he does, and she just wants to be in DJ's life any way he will let her." Justin said bitterly.

"Biological fathers are overrated. Daddy Suarez and Daddy Tannen are so much better." Amanda added.

"This conversation is not helping me." Betty sighed.

"We're not supposed to help you. We're supposed to be dressing you." Amanda pulled her off the bed before placing another outfit in her arms. "Try that." Amanda then pushed her into the bathroom to change.

"I'm just trying to say I don't know why you're so worried about this. Daniel adores Alex. He's not Santos." Justin told her through the door.

"What if he hates me? I mean yesterday he said he didn't hate me, but…" She trailed off as she started getting dressed.

"He said something similar to Alex; so therefore, he couldn't just be saying it to make you feel better. Everything will be fine." Justin tried to reassure her. She hoped the preteen was right.

Daniel was nervous, which explains why he managed to pour two cups of coffee on himself before Betty and baby Alex step into the diner. He's almost positive DJ sent a picture of the entire thing to Justin. He would be happy his son was making other friends besides Nico, if they won't gossip with each other all the time. All they do is text each other.

Thankfully, Betty walked into the diner pushing baby Alex's stroller before he could spill a third cup of coffee. She looked beautiful in jeans and a T-shirt. She's also wearing the locket that he got her when Alex was born. It was the only necklace she would wear, other than the one her mother gave her before her death. She also managed to walk straight into a table. Alex started to scream, and everybody in the place started staring at her.

"Sorry, we're late," Betty said apologetically, as she grabbed Alex in an effort to try to calm him down.

"It's fine." He folded up the stroller.

"It's just that Alex- there was some orange juice-and.., "Betty said nervously over Alex still screaming.

"Just breathe Betty and that goes for you to, baby boy." He took Alex. Thankfully, Alex stopped crying.

"That's easy for you- I mean, I know you're not going to be Santos bad," she slid into the seat next to him. "But what if you try to-he even likes you better than me." Okay, he was worried. One she was practically hyperventilating. Also, he's pretty sure she's convinced that he will take Alex from her, but he's not sure, because she is no longer speaking in complete sentences. This was weird behavior, even by Betty's standards. Finally, she managed to knock his cup of coffee all over her and him. Thankfully, he switched to ice coffee after spilling the second cup.

"It will be okay," he squeezed her hand quickly. "DJ, could you get a towel from our server." He tried to get DJ away from the table. He hoped she would calm down once DJ was gone.

"Betty, I don't hate you." He stroked his thumb against her palm. "Just calm down. This is just breakfast right now. We don't even have to talk custody stuff. I just want to be able to spend time with my son and DJ wants to see his brother. We should probably do that stuff with the lawyers anyway."

He knew Betty would not screwed him over, but the entire Lucy situation taught him that lawyers can be very useful in situations like these.

"I don't want to get the lawyers involved. I'm just- you should hate me. I kept Alex from you and…" He couldn't even hear the rest of what she was saying, because the crying started again.

"I think we had this conversation yesterday," Daniel said as DJ came back with a towel, and he started to clean up the ice coffee. "I don't hate you. It's impossibl…" His words were cut off by their server arriving with more towels, but not more coffee. The man refused to give him anymore. Considering Alex's tendency to spill stuff everywhere, that's probably best for safety reasons.

He ordered blueberry stuffed French toast, pancakes, hash browns, and other breakfast things that he knew Betty liked. Breakfast junk food may be one of the few things that will get her to calm down. Okay, he's wishing he could give her some alcohol or some sort of sedative right now, but its breakfast.

"So how many different outfits did you try on this morning?" DJ asked, as soon as their server left, which was slightly inappropriate.

"Only- how do you even know about that?" Betty raised an eyebrow at him.

"Justin sent me a text message. He said you were really nervous." At that point, she mumbled something about noisy nephews, and Daniel felt that was the understatement of the millennium.

"Justin and DJ are best friends." Daniel explained. "They kind of tell each other everything. Also, I'm pretty sure they conspired yesterday to get Alexis and me on speaking terms." He joked.

"That was all Justin. Although, Aunt Alexis seems interesting." Daniel was really glad that DJ felt like that.

"Justin does stuff like that all the time. He was the one who got me talking to my father again after I found out about the wedding. I did take it as well as I should have, and Justin tried to help." That was a gross simplification. Daniel is somewhat shocked that Betty and Faye get along so well at work.

"I'm happy that you and Alexis talk things out. I know how much you care about her." She smiled at him.

"We're doing better, but it's still hard to be around her. I mean she lied…" Betty smiled when away right then making Daniel realize that he said the wrong thing. "I mean- when do you think our server will be back with our breakfast?" Daniel stammered out before changing the subject entirely.

"A while," Betty told him, allowing the subject change to happen. "I'm happy that you and Justin are friends." And she was trying to move it to one of the happy, safe subjects.

"Justin never had a lot of friends back in Queens," or maybe not.

Daniel knew exactly how horrible the kids were to Justin in Queens. He knew the stuff that even Hilda didn't know. He was the one who pretty much begged Faye to put Justin into private school and let him hang around Mode whenever possible. As soon as he was old enough, he will be officially made an intern. Daniel didn't want him to turn into another Alexis, even if he now knows the entire thing did not actually end in suicide. The fact that Alexis believed she had to fake her death just to be herself, was nearly as horrible.

"Justin says, not much is different. The classroom is still filled with the pretentious and obnoxious. Most of my classmates are nice to me because of who my father is, most don't speak to DJ because he is -I don't know how to say in English, nouveau riche," Daniel felt that wasn't the only reason for the teasing. Also, 'nouveau riche' is probably one of the nicer things they're saying. DJ told him about how the scholarship kids are treated, and it's not good.

"We use that term here as well," Betty said with a frown. "But it's good that he has a friend in you."

"So how are classes going? How happy are you that graduation is just around the corner?" Daniel asked.

"After everything that's gone wrong in the last 4 ½ years. I'm just happy that I'm getting to this point." Betty answered with a relieved smile. It seemed like Betty was finally starting to calm down, which was a good thing. That made Daniel smiled.

After bumping into furniture, spilling Daniel's coffee, and bringing up something that DJ doesn't want to speak about breakfast got better. Betty only felt a little guilty when she saw that instant bond between the two brothers. She could instantly tell that DJ loved Alex. She only felt slightly miserable when she saw Daniel light up whenever baby Alex was around. But it went well, and they were planning to do a joint family dinner sometime this week during the fashion chaos.

After breakfast, they went to Central Park to talk details while Alex and DJ made good use of the petting zoo. They agreed that they could do this amicably without lawyers, although Daniel still wanted to pay some sort of child support. She kept telling him that she doesn't want any money from him, but Daniel, being Daniel wouldn't accept any in this regard.

This doesn't surprise her considering all the clothes that Daniel bought her when they first started whatever this thing is between the two of them. She just doesn't want Daniel to think that he can throw money at this, and it will just go away.

However, she realized that Daniel really does want to take care of his son. They agreed that Daniel could pay for daycare and half of her rent, but that was it. She wouldn't take a penny more. Although he was allowed to give Alex anything he wanted to, within reason. That really wasn't that much different than what Daniel had done before he knew Alex was his son. Even though, his grandma Faye spoilt Alex like crazy half of her son's toys still came from Daniel.

Of course, when Betty arrived home she was accosted by Hilda and was forced to tell her all about it. Betty wasn't sure what to make of her sister's stands on the entire thing. She was so against Daniel in the beginning, and now they were kind of friends. Betty's not entirely sure when that happened, although it probably involves the fact that they both have children around the same age. Her sister still felt Betty should take more money, despite that.

Okay, she also felt that Betty needed to keep her distance, and there was a lot of yelling when she found out about the funeral sex. She is a grown woman, with a child. She's also on the happy hormone pills. If she wanted to have sex with Daniel, she would. However, Betty knows this is not the right time.

Of course, big sister does not believe things this morning stayed completely platonic, despite the fact that they had two underage chaperones with them.

Okay. There may have been one tiny extremely chase kiss in Central Park, but it was Central Park.

Betty was positive the phone ringing in her apartment was Hilda calling her to grill her about what happened again. Betty was beyond angry that Justin told his mom about the whole thing when she came to pick him up this morning. She was even matter that her sister waited for her to return to the apartment.

"Seriously Hilda, you have no right to tell me not to sleep with Daniel, especially because I allowed Justin to sleepover while you were with your news celebrity client probably doing what you don't want me to do. I am 22 years old, and I can do what or rather who I want. Seriously, I can't believe you're sleeping with that guy from the Hamptons. Technically, you met him on the job." As soon as she heard laughing, she realized that Hilda wasn't the one calling her.

"Alex said practically the same thing yesterday-girl Alex, not our Alex. The name change thing is confusing." Daniel sighed.

"So your sister is sleeping with celebrities too. How do Jordan and Jamie feel about that?" Betty joked.

"Well, Jordan is still an extreme sports legend, even if she's technically retired. I meant about us sleeping together. Not that I- wait, what celebrity is your sister sleeping with?"

"I can't tell you." Hilda literally swore her to secrecy.

"Can't or won't. He is not married?" Daniel sounded worried.

"No."

"Wait you said they met at the Hamptons? He's not Hudson's November cover is he? The ex-boy band guy?"

"I cannot confirm, nor deny that." She smiled into the receiver.

"You're no fun."

"That's not what you said this morning." She quipped.

"You're always fun when you're chasing our almost 1-year-old around small farm animals." Daniel shot back. She has so many pictures from today. It was a good morning.

"I'm exhausted and I still have to study." She also had a paper to work on. It wasn't due for a few weeks, but with Fashion Week and Alex's birthday coming up this would be her last chance to work on it for a while.

"I could take Alex tonight." Daniel offered. "We did talk about that this morning."

"We didn't talk about anything." Okay, they talked a lot about custody but not about her and him. It's all confusing.

"We did agree that I will take care of Alex the evenings you have classes and Saturdays. Today's a Saturday." Daniel said pointedly.

"But it's the Saturday before Fashion Week. Also what happens after that? School is only going to be for a few more months, and then…" Betty started to ramble again.

"Stop speaking and start breathing," Daniel told her. "We will reassess it then. We don't have to figure out everything tonight.

"I just wish we could figure out something." Betty mumbled to herself hoping the phone would not pick up what she just said.

"Okay, so after we left the park, DJ dragged me to FAO Schwarz." Daniel started.

"I don't think any actual dragging was involved. You like that place is much as he does." Betty told him with a laugh.

"Very true. But anyway, DJ wanted to get something for Alex's birthday, and I just realized that I have no idea what we're going to be doing." Just the fact he said, "we" made her smile. "Just please tell me my mom is not throwing some huge extravagant party with people that Alex doesn't know and their annoying parents. I would like to spare my son that type of birthday."

Daniel told her all about the Meade family parties, and she doesn't want Alex to have that type of childhood either. Actually, she met Daniel at a Meade family party and to be honest, meeting Daniel was the only good thing about that. Although technically it was a wake, so she's not sure it counts.

"Your mom is invited, but that's it." She reassured or at least she hope she was reassuring Daniel. Things with his mom have been complicated since Daniel found out about Tyler. The Alexis situation just made it worse.

"That doesn't make me worry less. I can see your stepmom doing something similar." Betty laughed at that.

"Birthdays are sacred in the Suarez-Somers household, even if Faye wanted to do something like that, it wouldn't happen."

"She doesn't?" Daniel's questioned.

"Birthdays are sacred for her too. Every year until Amanda was fifteen or sixteen, she would drive up to the suburbs and take her out for ice cream or manicures or something, just so they could spend the day together."

"As much as I'm now aware that my father's former mistress was not who I thought she was, I still find this really surprising."

"She's nothing like her public persona, that's for sure." That he's not sure, she could that handled her father marrying someone like that. But her stepmother has been really good to her and Alex. Betty could not ask for a better mentor, if nothing else.

"If you guys want to do something like that, that's okay with me. I was just thinking of having some cake. Besides Alex is a little scared of clowns and his only friends are from the daycare or rather the only kids that he actually likes their parents don't even celebrate birthdays. I can't throw a party for Alex's friends that they can't attend, so we are probably going to do something else in October for the non-horrible daycare of kids."

"That's so you," Daniel said with a laugh. "Something small with cake and ice cream would be fine. As long as DJ has an excuse to get Alex a really big birthday present."

"A party is not a prerequisite for a gift." Betty shrugged.

"That's very true. Can I add anyone to the guest list? I would like Alex to be there. I know you're mad at her, but she's my sister."

Betty wasn't that mad at her- okay, Betty was very mad at her, but it was a very complicated type of anger. Maybe, part of Betty felt like if Alexis revealed herself earlier Daniel would not have had to go to France to deal with the Lucy situation. At the same time, she knows that Daniel would be lost without DJ. Maybe in the end things worked out the way they needed to.

"I was mad at her on your behalf, but if you guys are back on speaking terms, then I guess she can be there. Alex does miss his Aunt Alexis." Betty has had to deal with multiple tantrums because she now has Alex in day care.

"We are almost on speaking terms, but not quite. She wants to go out tonight, but I'm not sure DJ is ready for that much quality time with 'Aunt Alexis.' Also, I think we need to be somewhere with lots of alcohol."

"He can come over here." Betty offered.

"You don't have to. Besides, you have homework. Maybe I can take the kids out somewhere instead." Daniel suggested.

"No, you need to spend time with your sister and DJ needs to spend time with his brother. I think I would hate having to spend so much time away from Hilda." She said sadly.

"Even when she's being overly hypocritical?" Daniel asked.

"Even then. DJ can keep Alex occupied, and I can work on my essay." Justin did that sort of thing all the time, although, in his case, it was usually playing dress-up.

"If it is going to help you do your school work. I guess it's okay." Daniel said, just as his phone began to ring. "Oh great, Wilhelmina is calling me."

"I just let you…" Betty started.

"I have rather speak to you. If it were important, Nico would have called. She's probably trying to change who covers what show. Her and Monique are covering some of the same shows and…"

"She is not happy." Betty finished for him.

"She's never happy unless she is kicking puppies."

"That's the number one reason why I won't get Alex's own dog." Betty joked.

"But that would make a good birthday present." Daniel practically begged. She couldn't believe he was actually being serious about the dog thing.

"He's one, Daniel."

"So that's a no on the puppy? Daniel asked his voice filled with hope. " If she remembered correctly, Daniel really wanted a dog as a kid but Bradford said no.

"Only if the puppy lived at your house," Betty told him. "I'm sure DJ would like a dog."

"I think DJ has a slight dog allergy. He had to take a Benadryl just to be at your stepmom's house." Daniel said sadly. "Okay, so puppy is out. Why do you get a one-year-old?"

"I have no idea,"

"I guess we'll figure it out together." Betty wondered if they were still talking about birthday presents at this point.

To Be Continued.

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