Thank you so much for reading and for your reviews! They're really appreciated! Still holding out for a reunion movie or reboot.
It was fourteen years later, and Daniel loved Betty even more.
The New Kids on the Block song 'Remix', along with others from their new album were playing through the Echo.
"Morning," he walked into the kitchen, grabbed a bagel out of the toaster, and lovingly kissed his wife.
"Morning," Betty smiled.
"Why are you dressed so early? I thought we were gonna sleep in this morning? And by sleep I mean . . ." he demonstrated by seductively kissing her mouth, his hands roaming up the back of her blouse, attempting to unhook her bra.
" Daniel!" she giggled and slapped his hands away. "Not now. I have a million things to do today and you are not one of them – at least not until later tonight."
Daniel pouted, grabbed the milk out of the fridge, and drank straight from the carton. He started to put it back empty when, without looking up from her checklist, his wife stopped him.
" Aaah – recycle," she reminded him, sipping on her hazelnut hot chocolate as she sat at their extra large island.
Daniel obediently placed the carton into the correct receptacle.
"And it's not that early. I set our clocks to New York time," Betty replied.
"You what?! Holy shit! Betty!" Daniel exclaimed, exasperated. "You mean I've wasted five hours? No wonder I'm so hungry - it's already 12:40pm! How could you not tell me?"
"You would've woken up at the normal time by habit. Chinese is on the way for after our meeting. And you'll be less likely to have jet lag. See. Initiative," she happily smirked and pecked him on the lips. "This is why you love me."
"Is it?" he asked, skeptically.
Betty playfully shoved her husband's chest and went back to her list.
"Still double-checking everything before we leave tomorrow?" he asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I just don't want to forget anything. Even though we're keeping this as a vacation home and a place we can stay whenever we're overseeing the London branch of MODE and Dunne, it's not like we're coming back anytime soon," Betty responded.
"I hope Aiden and Bella adjust well to living in New York - to living in another country," he wished. "I promised them we'd take one last ride on the London Eye today. And I thought we'd surprise them by going to Hamleys, too."
"You want the LEGO Sorting Hat," Betty smiled and shook her head.
"What? It talks and everything!" Daniel defended. "And they have a sale on Quidditch robes and signature bears with the house scarves."
Betty raised a judging eyebrow.
"For the kids!" he insisted. "C'mon, Betty. It'll be a nice way for them to remember our last day here."
"Okay, Babe, one last trip to the London toy store," she consented, amused at her husband's childlike enthusiasm. "Just don't go crazy. It's not Christmas, yet. I've already got my eye on the American Girl Hogwarts Express for Bella, along with the Josefina and Rebecca historical dolls. And there are a bunch of Harry Potter items at the New York store for Aiden."
"Promise. Hat, robes, bear," Daniel agreed.
"Bella and Aiden will be fine, you know. They both love visiting their family, going to Broadway shows, sightseeing, shopping, playing in Central Park," she assured him.
"Aiden does always have a blast playing basketball and video games with his Uncle Bobby and me," Daniel replied.
"And Bella absolutely adores when Justin, Uncle Marc, and Auntie Willie give her makeovers and let her play dress-up in The Closet whenever we stop by MODE," she added. "Plus, they have all of their cousins to hangout with. And they'll make new friends as well."
"It's terrifying how sweet Wilhelmina can be when she wants to," Daniel mused.
"I think marrying Conner and adopting Sumari and Samaya from Tibet has really softened her," Betty replied. "She's almost human."
Daniel chuckled.
"Marc claimed her true motivation was she vowed never to let our offspring inherit the same god awful fashion sense I had," she sighed.
"C'mon, Betty. I don't think you were that bad," he claimed, attempting to spare his wife's feelings.
"Marc had a daily fashion-don't blog about me. And you, the editor in chief of a major fashion magazine and supposedly my best friend, bookmarked it!" Betty recalled, still annoyed.
"I liked blogs," he excused. "Maybe I just wanted a calendar to remind me of how cute you were."
Betty gave him that knowing look of disbelief.
"You didn't even read my blog until I begged you to," she countered. "And nice try."
"Ok, fine. Your fashion sense sucked at the beginning," he admitted. "But you really did make an effort – however misguided it was. And by the time you left MODE, you'd figured it out and put your own unique spin on it."
"It's crazy how much things have changed. Even over the past month. I still can't believe Lindsay retired and sold his company to us! Meade now owns Dunne Publications . . . this is huge!" she exclaimed.
"Too huge. This is a big responsibility, Betty. He said we were the only ones that he trusted to do right by his company and save it from ruin. And we have to keep Meade from sinking, too. Plus, we're starting a new publication together at Meade. I don't know if we can do this – if I can do this . . . I mean, sales are down in both companies, the exception being your old magazine. What if this doesn't work? What if the magazine industry really is fading?" Daniel worried.
Betty put everything down and turned to face the man she loved and respected.
"Daniel, I believe in you. And you're not alone in this. We're a team, remember?" she reassured him with a supportive hug, and proceeded to rub his shoulders. "And there's your mom, Tyler, Alexis, and DJ. I think digital versions are the way to sell more issues right now. They're portable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective. And since the pandemic, online shopping has become even more popular. Now readers can simply click on the outfit, shoes, or fragrance they want and be sent to the product's page on our advertiser's website and purchase it. We already have a digital prototype of London Modern that we just implemented into the rest at Dunne and MODE London. Alexis and DJ are taking care of the Paris branch. We only have to work on all the publications at Meade, starting with MODE. We've proven this to be successful once, we can do it again.
"I hate to admit it, but Tyler's I.T. degree has definitely been an asset for us. I don't know what we would've done without his help. I guess it's a good thing Mom insisted on paying for him to go back to college. It's not like his dumbass career on the runway would've lasted him forever . . ." Daniel smiled with petty satisfaction.
"Aww, Babe . . . You've always been too sexy for the catwalk, anyway, " she patronizingly kissed his lips and patted his still-firm chest.
"Ha. Ha." he sarcastically smirked. "The kids are still asleep . . . How about I prove to you how sexy I can be . . ."
He grabbed her waist and pulled her closer as his lips traveled down her neck.
"Daniel . . . as tempting as this is . . . we have a meeting with MODE in about twenty minutes," Betty moaned in pleasure, but ultimately resisted.
"Why is that, again? We're gonna be there in person on Monday," Daniel sighed.
"Wilhelmina wants to know the details on everything before the tech team starts on Monday," she replied.
Daniel rolled his eyes.
"By the way, the kids aren't fast asleep. They woke up an hour ago, like I did. They're in Aiden's room watching cartoons, while snuggling with Harry and Hermione. Really observant, 'Dad'," she smirked, gently patting his ass. "Go get dressed."
"I already am," he replied.
Betty skeptically checked out her husband, who was wearing only a fitted light-weight black Marc Jacobs sweater and red Iron Man boxer shorts, amused.
"Um . . . Tony Stark? Not that I don't personally enjoy this new ensemble and wouldn't mind being your Pepper Potts tonight, but aren't you forgetting something important?" she hinted.
"It's a video conference – who's gonna be able to tell?" he shrugged. "Besides, the kids gave me these for Father's Day."
" Daniel . . ." Betty berated her husband. "Haven't you been paying attention to all the Covid Zoom disasters? How many our magazine alone had?"
"Baby, I'll be fine – trust me," he promised. "It's bad enough we can't enjoy a work-free last day here, without having to get dressed in uncomfortable clothes, too. I mean, we had all those black tie events this week . . . Please?"
"Fine. Just stop whining - you're beginning to sound like our five year-old, again," Betty relented. "And be careful, ok?"
"Speaking of Bella, why do you have her iPad?" he asked, ignoring her jab against him.
"Don't you remember? She spilled juice on mine yesterday, while watching 'Bluey', and it hasn't worked right since," she answered. "I haven't had time to get it fixed, yet."
Daniel chuckled.
"What happened to the rest of our electronic stuff?" he questioned. "I had a file on my laptop I told Mom I'd send her."
"Amanda accidentally mixed up some of the boxes that were supposed to be shipped ahead to New York. We now only have the kids' iPad minis, our phones, and one charger," she rolled her eyes. "I really appreciated all of her help, especially since she and Tyler had their own packing to do, but sometimes it's better to just do it ourselves and let her stick to styling."
Daniel scoffed.
"I hope we still have our U.S. passports," he replied, half-joking. "If she mixed them up with our U.K. ones we're screwed."
"Don't worry, I checked and we still have both," Betty assured him. "Oh – and she and Tyler aren't coming with us on the family jet, after all."
"Do I wanna know why?" Daniel asked.
"You do not," Betty answered, cringing and rolling her eyes. "We're still taking their kids and Halston, Jr., though."
"Of course we are. So four kids under eleven, a Sheltie puppy, a Pomeranian puppy, and an elderly Chinese Crested on a nine-hour flight to New York. What could possibly go wrong . . . ?" Daniel mused aloud. The things they did for their sister-in-law. He knew Tyler wasn't to blame – as much, anyway.
"If you think this is bad, just remember we're all going on vacation in Orlando next summer for those issues of MODE and Modest that Disney and Universal are sponsoring. And by all, I mean your family, my family, Marc, Troy, Christina, Stuart, Wilhelmina, Conner, everyone's kids, and our dogs," she muttered the latter, hoping he wouldn't hear her.
"An entire month of chaos . . . No problemo!" he gave her a thumbs up.
"C'mon, Daniel. It'll be fun! I've never been before, so I'm super excited to see everything with everyone! I already have done a lot of research for the issue about the history of both parks and their founders, costs, hotels, food options, tips to avoid crowds, ways to ride rides, how to save on souvenirs, and get cheaper park clothes while still remaining stylish. Not only will it be great for the issue of Modest, but also for our personal experience. I'll go get my binder –" she said and attempted to leave.
"Wait, did you say our dogs, too?! Betty! What the hell?!" he grabbed her arm as she tried to get away.
"Fine," she surrendered. "Aiden and Bella want to bring Harry and Hermione so bad. They want to be able to say that their dogs went to Wizarding World and Disney, even though they won't technically be allowed inside the parks – just the hotels."
" Betty . . . You know you can't always give in to want they want," Daniel reminded her.
"Seeing as though I'm usually the practical one and you're the spoiler, yeah, I do know. But everyone wins in this situation," she proceeded to pitch her idea. "Think about it. Harry and Hermione can be part of one of the photo shoots for the articles, showing readers that they can even bring their dogs with them."
Daniel continued to stare at her skeptically.
"You know our dogs hate being left in a cage. They're used to roaming free around our flat all day. And they want to be with us. We can't leave them for that long - they'll think we've abandoned them," she added. "Plus, I've already hired a dog sitter there to feed, walk, and spend time with them at our hotel. And if it doesn't work out at our pet friendly resorts, there's a great doggie hotel on Disney property that has doggie daycare and/or roomy accommodations and pampering services."
Daniel ran his hand through his hair. He was surprised it wasn't thinning with all the stress.
"Okay. You've made some good points. I'm not gonna argue with you," he caved.
"Eeeeeeee! Aiden and Bella will be so happy! I'm so happy we get to have all our babies with us!" she squealed and attacked him with one of her signature hugs. "You won't regret it!"
"I'm not so sure about that," he muttered.
"And don't worry, I also booked us some alone time in Cocoa Beach, for the week after. Papi and Elena agreed to watch the kids and take them to Kennedy Space Center, the beach, stuff like that. So we can still have privacy, but they won't be too far away from us," she cheerfully added.
"Brilliant!" he half-heartedly repeated his son's favorite slang word, still overwhelmed by the new information. "Speaking of kids, how's our little avocado doing this morning?"
"Cute, but I don't think he or she is that big, yet – more like an olive. I'm feeling a lot better than yesterday, though. I can't wait till this morning sickness stops. It's so unpredictable and seems so much worse than with Aiden and Bella," she answered, grabbing the saltines out of the pantry and the diet ginger ale out of the fridge just in case. "Or maybe I'm just forgetting."
"I already asked Max to stock the plane for our flight. And don't worry, he just thinks you get air sick," Daniel assured her and kissed and spoke to her belly. "I know this will be your first plane ride, little olive, but be nice to your mom."
Betty giggled.
"You're so sweet . . always thinking of me. Thank you," Betty put her arms around her husband's neck and affectionately kissed his lips. "I'm just not ready to tell anyone yet – not until after the first trimester. I don't think we should jinx anything – not after what happened a year ago, when we told everyone right away and it turned out to be a false positive. And at only nine weeks, I'm not starting to show that much, am I? So . . ."
"Maybe a little, but only if people really pay attention. And yeah, I'm with you on waiting. I just can't believe the doctor called you geriatric!" he said, incredulously.
"It's true, though," she replied. "Any pregnancy after thirty-five is considered to be at an advanced maternal age and a much greater risk. And I'm –"
"Too perfect for me," he finished.
"Daniel, you're doing it again," she complained.
"Doing what? Admiring my beautiful wife?" he feigned innocence.
"Avoiding my age because it reveals your own," Betty gave him a look.
"I hate how you know me," he groaned. "Ok, I confess that I have a problem with growing old. But I want you to know that it's not about you. You could be a hundred and I'd still love you just the same."
"That's really sweet, Daniel," Betty told her husband. "But I don't know why age bothers you so much. We're almost ten years apart and yet have been best friends and more for eighteen years. You're even hotter than the day I met you – sexy, sensitive, distinguished, intelligent, compassionate, open-minded, more mature . . . Well, maybe the latter not so much."
"Hey! You're gonna pay for that!" he teased, picking her up.
"Daniel! Stop! What are you doing?!" Betty protested while giggling. "The kids are gonna hear us!"
He grabbed the iPad, whisked her off to their home office, and locked the door. As he gently laid her down on the tufted faux leather sectional, ready to devour her, Betty noticed the time on the Echo Dot.
"Babe, we have less than five minutes till our meeting. Please go get on some pants and I'll set everything up," she pleaded with him one last time as she got up and organized everything on the desk, making room for the tablet and themselves.
"Betty, I'll be sitting behind a desk. No one's gonna know," he argued as he rolled another chair over and sat beside her.
She skeptically glared at him, her eyebrow raised, hoping for a last minute change of mind. However, they got interrupted by the call to connect with MODE.
"Hi . . .! Hey!" Betty and Daniel exclaimed, greeting Claire, Marc, Justin, and Wilhelmina through the small tablet. Only, as they squeezed together to fit both of their faces on the screen, they kept bumping heads. " Ow! Wait, no . . . What if you moved back here and I moved here . . .? Ow!"
"Oh, for god's sake! Will you two Stooges stop losing anymore of the brain cells you have left and turn on the tv instead?!" Wilhelmina impatiently exclaimed to her former colleagues.
"Sorry, everybody! Hold on, just a sec . . ." Betty apologized and motioned for Daniel to fix it.
" Aww . . . the Duke and Duchess of Dork are back!" Marc happily mocked, clapping his hands together with glee.
"Hey, watch it! They're family!" Justin, who was now Managing Fashion Editor, reminded him.
"Sorry, not sorry, Junior Suarez! Your aunt and uncle practically write insults for themselves," Marc defended.
" Marc!" Betty warned. "Don't act like we don't talk all the time. I know secrets about you even Amanda doesn't know . . ."
Marc begrudgingly crossed his arms in silence and pouted.
"Given the fact that they are also my family as well, and I am head of this company, I suggest you and Wilhelmina both refrain from the verbal abuse," Claire added.
"Honestly, Claire, we've all known each other for longer than I thought I could tolerate. In a warped since of the term, we're all family. So spare me with the damn niceties," Wilhelmina rolled her eyes.
As they all continued to bicker, Daniel stood up, trying to figure out where he left the tv remote.
"Uh, Daniel . . . Daniel . . . Daniel!" Betty desperately tried to get his attention.
"Hey, Tony . . . I think J.A.R.V.I.S. is trying to communicate with you," Marc hinted, pointing to Betty. "You'd better respond before her bulging British motherboard explodes."
"Huh?" Daniel questioned, confused.
"Pants!" Betty cringed, knowing everyone could see.
Daniel looked down, remembering he only had on his boxers from the waist below, and turned as red as they were.
"Superheroes? Loungers? Really, Daniel. Is this a meeting with the former Editor in Chief of MODE or a lost episode of 'The Big Bang Theory'? For once, Betty has more style than you do," Wilhelmina scolded. "Now put some fashionable pants on those pasty chicken legs and get your ass back in here ASAP!"
Betty gave him her signature 'I told you so' look, combined with embarrassment and exasperation.