Ugly duckling
Betty has kept a secret from everyone at Mode; she has a six year old daughter Anna. But that's all going to change when her daughter turns up at Mode and beings to make Daniel realise that his life is missing something when the young child wins over everyone, Betty however is torn when two men make a bid for her heart.
Betty Suarez had been working for the elite fashion magazine MODE for officially one year and three months. Things have changed a lot not just with Betty but everything at MODE.
Firstly of course there was Henry; he left to be with his girlfriend claiming she was pregnant with his child. Thankfully he discovered it wasn't his child before he did something he would regret later, though Betty and Henry viewed this as a sign but never mentioning it to each other in fear of rejection.
Then secondly there was the new Alex Meade formerly known as Alexis Meade but after her/his car crash and lost memories of the past three years remembers only being a man despite the fact that he had the body of a woman. And it seemed with this identity crisis Alex had become and nice person to work with as he demanded helping his younger brother in the hopes of remembering why certain parts of his body has been removed and new pieces added.
Thirdly Daniel had made a full recovery and strangely enough a nicer person which for Betty was an added bonus as she hadn't lost her job and found that Daniel was another friend at MODE for her to talk to and oddly enough his mood also improved when he found out that Bradford Meade had decided to postponed his marriage to the design consultant Wilhelmina Slater to recover what relationship he had with his children after nearly losing them.
Betty had more reason to smile while at work now of course Amanda and Marc were bent out shape with her but she dealt with the same she had done for the past year.
As Betty pondered her life at MODE she felt everything was fitting in to place finally, even her father was happy that he was now home with his family of course thanks to Wilhelmina.
"Hello Mr. Mead editor in chief office" Betty usual happy toned greeting said down the phone. As she usual she twirled the phone cord around her finger a habit she had yet to get rid of. However the voice wasn't one that belonged to anyone in the fashion world and that was what made Betty sit straight in her chair her lip now clamped between her braced teeth.
"I'm sorry Ms Suarez to phone you but it's about Anna, um… I'm sorry but she walked out and we can't find her" the voice declared causing Betty to swallow hard before she glanced around making sure no one could over hear her conversation.
"How could that happen…? I mean she can't just walk out you should be making sure that she doesn't" Betty snapped feeling the cord become taut in her hand after wrapping most of it in her fist.
"I… I'm very sorry we're looking for her right now we have no idea how this happened we're doing all we can to find her but you have to understand" "I don't care… I'm coming there now… please just keep looking" Betty ordered before she slammed her phone down and awkwardly detangle her fist from the black cord. Snatching her bag from beneath her desk she jumped to her feet knocking her desk with her knees.
"What's wrong with you" Amanda demanded from her own desk giving Betty a look of curiosity and disgust.
"Nothing I have to go… Daniel… could you tell him I had to leave… family emergency" Betty asked yanking her bag over her shoulder and scurrying around her desk only to have Amanda giving her a do-I-work-for-you look to which Betty simply rolled her eyes and hurried over to Daniel's office.
Her boss had become understanding but she still didn't like having to leave in the middle of the day and he would no doubt like to know why she had to leave and she was going to try her hardest to make sure he didn't find out.
Knocking on the door she waited for Daniel to call out to her she didn't dare go instead peered her head around the door and watch as Daniel looked up at her smiled amidst his desk load of reports and ideas for the upcoming edition of MODE magazine.
"Hey Betty I'm going to need you opinion of this spread… something's off" Daniel stated as Betty chewed her lip and gave him her best apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry Daniel… I really am but I have to leave… I just got a phone call… I need to leave… family emergency" Betty hurried causing Daniel to frown with concern and look at his assistant.
"Nothing serious right" "I hope not… I just… I really need to go for an hour… maybe two… I'll phone" she declared before scurrying out and closing the door behind her leaving her boss a little confused and worried.
The young girl stood in the middle of Manhattan Street peering down at the directions she had downloaded from the internet.
The map was a genius idea, even though she was six years and one month old. Anna Suarez would no doubt make her mother proud… of course that would have to come after how she rode the bus all by her self and walked around with no adult. But she knew how to protect herself you don't come from the Suarez family and not know how to take care of yourself.
Anna hurried along reading the street names, holding the piece of paper tightly as though it was gold. Her mother would be so proud and so happy that she made it to MODE in one piece that the yelling would wait until she was at home. After turning a street corner she walked a few steps before looking up and grinning to her self. MODE stood in front of her and she had made it in one piece.
Straitening her pink and white jumper she pushed her thick and glossy black hair behind her ears and strode into the building and headed over to the guard desk. Because of her short height she just barely meant the top of the highly polished desk, craning her neck up she stood on her tiptoes and clung to the edge to see the guard sitting in his chair reading a newspaper spread across the surface.
"Excuse me" she called causing the guard to grunt and nod a little not lifting his eyes from the newspaper. Clearing her throat she pushed her self up higher and smiled the famous Suarez woman smile to which the guard looked up to.
"Can I help you kid" the guard questioned as Anna nodded with difficulty. "I'm here to see Betty Suarez… she works for Mr. Meade" Anna declared in her polite tone causing the guard to raise his eyebrow and stand peering down at her.
"Are you expected" the guard questioned still peering at the young girl who simply nodded and smiled as she lowered her self back on to her feet.
"Yes sir, she's expecting me" Anna declared… it wasn't a complete lie she would be expecting her, she no doubt would have received a panicked phone call by now.
"Really" he questioned giving her a look over before he slowly nodded and called to a fellow guard who hurried over to them.
"Take her up to Mr. Meade's office… give her to the desk up there" the guard ordered before Anna grinned and followed her escort to the elevators.
Daniel groaned as he rubbed his eyes after slipping his jacket back on, he was hungry and he wasn't getting anywhere with the latest spread. He decided to break for lunch and possibly calling Alex for his assistance. Daniel grinned at the thought of his brother's latest problem; he still wasn't sure what he wanted done to his body. Though Alex had told him enough about how a woman's body works to know that he had steer clear of those conversations with his brother.
Stepping out of his office he went to send Betty on lunch as his usual habit but he almost hit himself when he remembered she had left on a family emergency that still worried Daniel.
Though glancing up he couldn't help but come to a complete stop when he saw a young girl sitting at his assistant's desk playing with one of Betty's trinkets, frowning he walked towards Amanda's desk still watching the young girl who was now kicking her feet out beneath the desk.
"Amanda… whose kid" Daniel asked as he straightened his jacket out, the blonde woman glanced up from her magazine and shrugged before looking back.
"Don't know… guard brought her up said Betty was expecting her" Amanda declared turning the page of her magazine and smiling when she saw a new bag she needed.
"Did you get a name at all" Daniel asked looking back to his past lover only to receive an annoyed sigh.
"No… I'm not Betty, that's her job, guard just sent her and I sent her over there" Amanda snipped throwing Daniel a look before going back to her reading. Frowning again Daniel walked away from Amanda's desk and headed over to the girl who by now had glanced up at him and sat with her hands folded in her lap. Moving around the desk to stand in front of her Daniel smiled brightly and knelt down before her.
"Hey… my names" "Mr Daniel Meade… I know who you are, your editor-in-chief of MODE" the girl declared grinning at Daniel who raised his eyebrows in amusement before rubbing his chin.
"Do you have a name" Daniel asked watching the girl who rolled her eyes and nodded "of course I do… I'm Anna Azure Suarez" Anna declared holding her hand out waiting for Daniel to shake it. Chuckling to him self Daniel shook her hand before letting it drop back to her lap. She defiantly was a Suarez with a smile like that… Betty never mentioned a niece to him just her over excitable nephew Justin.
"Did you come with someone… you're a little young to be out on your own" Daniel pointed out before the girl gave him a look that he only Betty herself owned.
"I'm six years and one month old" Anna stated as she folded her arms causing Daniel to hold his hands up with a smile on his lips.
"Sorry, I didn't realise… wait aren't you meant to be at school" Daniel asked as Anna chewed her lip another sure sign she was related to Betty.
"Well sort of" "well you're the family emergency Betty had to rush out for, Betty's not here" Daniel stated as the little girl looked down and sighed. Daniel stood up and nodded to himself before stuffing his hands into his pockets and grinning.
"How about you wait in my office, I have some pens in there if you like to draw and I'll call Betty to let you know you're safe and sound" Daniel offered as Anna lifted her head giving him another bright smile before jumping off the seat.
"Ok" she beamed as Daniel grinned and walked her to his office "so why exactly aren't you at school" Daniel questioned as Anna walked into his office "I told my mom I'm old enough to go out by myself… I said I could make it all the way on my own to MODE and I have" Anna chirped as she followed Daniel to the desk where he offered her his chair and pulled blank pieces of paper out and some pens laying them out before her.
Daniel smirked at he watched Anna start drawing before he moved back round the desk "well I don't think your mom's going to see it that way… but I'll call Betty maybe she can calm her down before all hell breaks loose" Daniel offered as the little girl nodded absentmindedly with a frown gracing her forehead. Daniel watched her for a few moments with a small smile. He never knew Hilda had another child but he could see traits of Betty in the little… Anna had to be her niece; Betty would have told him if she had a child.
This is my first Ugly Betty piece... but watching Daniel and Betty together (and a few YouTube vids) I fell in love and can see how Betty is just what Daniel needs. Not to mention that Eric Mabius is so sexy. Please be kind... I love my reviews :D