Fic: "There" (Ugly Betty, Pre-Betty/Daniel, FRT)

Dec 13, 2007 13:18

TITLE: There
SERIES: To a T (Story 1/4)
AUTHOR: Lara (larakailyn)
SUMMARY: Daniel's there for Betty when Henry has to go to Tucson over New Year's.
PAIRING: pre-Betty/Daniel (focus), some Betty/Henry (due to canon considerations)
FANDOM: Ugly Betty
RATING: FRT
WORD COUNT: ~1,600
SPOILERS: Season 2 spoilers up to "Bananas for Betty".
DISCLAIMER: This certainly isn’t mine. This belongs to Silvio Horto and ABC. I’m just shipping around.
DISTRIBUTION: If anyone wants to archive this, please let me know!
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: A short New Year's Eve fic that I've had running through my head for a little over a week. For deviantfantasy, my wonderful partner-in-crime in most everything fandom-related nowadays.


"I'm sorry, Betty. But I have to go there."

"I know," she replied, not looking up. She had known something like this might happen. Even told herself she would be ready to deal with the eventuality if it came up. But now that it was actually happening, she was finding herself at a bit of a loss.

"If things are okay, I'll come back after the New Year," Henry went on to say. "I promise."

Once he was gone, Betty stood out on the front porch for a few minutes, staring up at the overcast sky. She kept trying to remind herself that this wasn't the end. Not yet. Everything would be fine, and he'd be back. After all, they still had fourteen more weeks. Well, thirteen once he got back. If he got back soon.

With a soft sigh, she went back inside and joined her family for the rest of their Christmas celebration.

***
"Betty?"

The cursor on the computer screen blinked as she stared at the monitor.

"Betty?"

Blinking herself, she realized that Daniel was talking to her and looked up. "Hey. Sorry. I didn't realize you were there."

"I noticed. Are you okay?"

"I...Charlie got sick, so Henry went to Tucson to be with her. There might be some complications with the baby."

Daniel sighed softly and leaned down, bringing him closer to her as his voice dropped. "Are you going to be okay?"

After gazing up at him for a moment, she shrugged. "He said he'd be back after New Year's if everything was all right. I...I guess we just have to wait and see."

A frown flitted across his face briefly before it disappeared as quickly as it had come, replaced by an expression of concern that reflected his tone. "Betty, if you need anything..."

"I'll be fine," she told him, forcing a smile. "Really."

Nodding, Daniel headed for his office, but when he got to the door, he turned around to look at her again. Betty wondered if he believed what she had said because she wasn't even sure if she believed it herself. After a moment, though, he continued inside to his desk, and Betty went back to staring at the computer screen, trying to remember what she had been doing.

***
"Betty, everyone's heading home," Daniel told her as he came out of his office, carrying his jacket and scarf. "You can finish that on Wednesday."

She shook her head as she continued typing up the agenda for the next budget meeting. "I'm almost done."

Reaching over, Daniel put his hand over hers, causing her to stop and look up at him. "It's New Year's Eve. Go home and enjoy the rest of your afternoon and tonight. Don't you have any plans?"

"I..." She hesitated for a moment before shrugging. Her hand was still underneath his, resting on the keyboard, and it made her feel warm. "Henry and I were going to...we were going to watch New Year's Rockin' Eve on television. I guess I'll watch it with Dad and Justin at home. Or maybe I'll just curl up in bed and watch."

Daniel's brow furrowed at that as he shook his head. "No way. You're coming out with me tonight."

"What? No--Daniel, I'm sure you already have plans, so--."

"My plans have changed," he told her, squeezing her hand gently. "I'll pick you up at nine. And dress warm. Now, go home."

Staring up at him, Betty nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. He looked the way he always did when he wanted something to go his way and he was afraid it wasn't going to. "All right," she said.

The smile that spread across his face made her own widen. For real this time.

***
"Where exactly are we going?" Betty asked as the car moved through the slushy streets.

Grinning, Daniel shook his head and sat back. "If I told you before we got there, it wouldn't be a surprise."

"Why does it have to be a surprise?"

"Because I don't think you've had enough nice surprises in your life lately."

Betty opened her mouth to retort, but before she could, she fould herself closing it again. He was actually right - she really hadn't had any nice surprises recently. Nasty ones, definitely. Stressful ones, for sure. Sad ones...unfortunately, yes. And Henry just wasn't a surprise-type of guy.

"You know, you really didn't have to change your plans for me," she finally said.

"Yes, I did. Besides, all I was doing was going to a get-together for Meade shareholders. Alexis can handle that without me since she's the CEO." Leaning back against the rest behind him, he turned his head to look at her. "I guess her having won the position has its advantages."

Betty shook her head, remembering Daniel telling her how he and Alexis had "decided" who would run Meade. "People are still finding paint splotches, you know."

"Always thought the office needed some color." He glanced out the window and smiled. "We're there."

Looking out the window, Betty saw pier lights and was confused for a moment until she saw some NY water taxis, decked out with lights. Looking around, she realized where they were. "Oh! South Street Seaport! I've always wanted to take one of the New Year's Eve cruises here."

"Then I guess you'd be disappointed if I told you we're staying on land?"

Betty's eyes widened. "Daniel!"

"Just kidding," he laughed as the car pulled to a stop.

***
A little while before midnight, even though she had been enjoying herself, Betty suddenly found herself feeling a bit funny, like the cabin was closing in around her and she shouldn't be there. Excusing herself, she grabbed her coat and headed outside, climbing up to the taxi's top deck. A few people were out there - some looking at the skyline, and some wrapped up together with their significant others. Sighing, she sat down on a bench and huddled in her coat. In the cabin below, she could hear the music, the talking and the laughing continuing on without her.

Of course it would. Why wouldn't it?

"Hey," she heard Daniel's voice behind her. "I was wondering where you disappeared to."

"I was just--I needed to get out of there for a bit."

He sat down beside her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you out tonight."

"No. Oh no, Daniel. This has been...this has been wonderful. It's just..." She shook her head, looking down and taking a deep breath. "I don't know. I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Being here tonight while Henry's probably in a hospital in Tucson."

"Wrong?" Daniel rubbed his hand over his face before reaching over to tuck a strand of hair that was falling into her face behind her ear. "Betty, why are you doing this to yourself?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"This. Feeling like you have to put your life on hold. Setting yourself up to be hurt."

She glanced over at him and opened her mouth briefly before shrugging as she struggled to keep herself composed. "I...I thought you were okay with it. With me and Henry, I mean."

"I've accepted it. That doesn't mean I'm okay with it. You're my friend, and friends don't like to see people they care about get hurt."

"But what if I never have another chance at love again?" she asked, suddenly feeling something break down inside her.

"Betty, of course you will. You're--you're amazing. You're smart and caring. You'll find someone who will love you and won't leave you for anything."

Looking at Daniel, Betty found herself blinking back tears. "You think so?"

He smiled gently. "I know so. You're wonderful, Betty Suarez. Any guy would be lucky to have you, and any guy who would make plans to leave you doesn't deserve you in the first place."

Betty stared down, trying to make herself believe what Daniel was saying. But at the moment, it was hard to accept that she might find something with someone else. It seemed all the relationships she had always fell apart for one reason or another. Walter breaking up with her for Gina Gambarro then moving away. Henry leaving for Phoenix for his ex and their child. In a way, her relationship with Daniel seemed to be the most constant one she'd had with a man who wasn't her father. Even when they'd had their problems, they'd worked them out in the end.

"Betty," he said, breaking the silence after she hadn't responded to him for a few minutes. He took her hand, sandwiching it between both of his. "You do know that whatever happens, whether you stick this out with Henry to the end of the five months, if you need me, I'll be there for you, right? Just like you've always been there for me, even when I was an ass."

With a soft smile, she nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Down below them in the cabin, the music softened in volume, and they could hear people beginning to count down from ten as the cheering and partying got louder. Just when they reached one, fireworks shot into the air from the seaport and lights flashed throughout New York City. From several different places, including downstairs, "Auld Lang Syne" played.

"Hey," Daniel said, crooking his finger under her chin and nudging her head up. Leaning over, he gave her a soft kiss. "Happy New Year."

Betty's smile grew wider. "Happy New Year, Daniel."

genre: het, genre: alternate universe, fandom: ugly betty, pairing: betty/daniel, pairing: daniel/betty, series: to a t, character: daniel meade, rating: frt, character: betty suarez, fic: series

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