Fandom: Ugly Betty
Pairing: Dainel/Wilhelmina
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you can see on the show. The others are mine.
Rating: I think PG13, but might rise
Summary: Mode Christmas Week. The whole company is in Las Vegas. Will Sin City help two of them to get back what they've lost?
Note:This is set after 3x4. Wilhelmina and Daniel share the company, but they still have problems.
Note (about the writing): It's my first english fanfiction, and english is totally not my first language. Any grammatical errors, please let me know.I know how annoying it is to read something bad written.




Introduction

It hadn't always been like this. They hadn't always been like this.
Thirteen years before he was a handsome twenty-two-year-old, rich, famous and brilliant. Always in the shadow of his brother, but very competitive. On the other hand, she was a gorgeous model at the end of her career, at the age of thirty-two. She had lasted much longer than other models; everybody knew she was different. Beauty was her strength, but she had brain and ambition on her side, too. Modelling was not her main goal; well, it was not her goal at all. She had always considered it an intermediate stage between the assistant she had been and the woman she wanted to be.

He knew her, he knew what was hidden behind the pearly eye-shadow she wore on the runway. There was much more than stilettoes and gowns in the mind of that wonderful creature.
They had first met in his father's office: when she'd entered the room, dressed in a silky white dress, which contrasted with the tone of her skin, he had fallen open-mouthed. They had exchanged looks, and he had caught a glimpse of her wonderfully bright eyes.
It had happened other times, they had met more than once after that day: he flirted, she played. In a month or two they started seeing each other, actually planning to, and not just hoping in a casual meeting.

They were not friends, nor lovers. They were just two similar individuals, both underestimated children and lonely people. They talked, they laughed, they knew everything about each other. When he had known of her four-year-old daughter, he had mocked her, calling her "mommy", a nickname she hate since it seemed to increase the age difference between the two of them.
He enjoyed what they seemed to have: it was nice, for him, actually managing talking to a woman, without having sex with her. What they shared seemed the closest thing to perfection she could ever imagine; but everything went crushing down when, quitting the modelling world, she was called back to work at one of his father's magazines, as creative director and second-in-command for one of the coldest women in New York City-
The magazine was "Mode". The woman was Fey Sommers.
And the model...Well, she was obviously Wilhelmina Slater.

***

Day One

“Marc!! Where the hell is my taxi?!”
Marc jumped from the chair he was sitting on, in the kitchen and entered her room running and gesturing in the air.
“On its way, Willie! It’s Christmas week and traffic jams are everywhere! It was only two blocks away when I called, however, I suggest we start taking our baggages downstairs” he said.
Wilhelmina got out of the closet room and simply stared at him.
“Ok, I’ll take the baggages downstairs” Mark sighed and disappeared in less than a second.

Wilhelmina walked slowly in the room, towards the mirror, then stopped in front of it. She wore a white CK jacket with a matching fitting skirt long just above the knee; under the jacket, she wore a low cut red top, showing a generous amount of cleavage.
She grinned, absorbed in her thoughts. Mode’s Christmas trip would be a great opportunity for her: she needed Daniel’s fifty percent of the Meade empire, and she needed Daniel to give it away spontaneously.
She knew why her first solo issue’s sales had been so low: by shoving Daniel aside in many careless ways had, she had not earned the sympathy of anyone amongst their readers.
Therefore, to be sure Daniel would step aside, they needed a scandal; and that week could have been her chance.

Every year, during Christmas holydays, the Meade Publishing company used to organize a trip for the employees of the many magazines in its group. That year, with Bradford dead and Alexis gone, things would be much different; the empire now equally belonged to Daniel and herself, so they were in charge of everything. She was close to the realization of her dream: not only would she soon be editor-in-chief of Mode, but she would also own her own publishing company.
She turned around, satisfied, and got out the apartment.

* * *

“We have a problem” Marc said, his eyebrows almost a whole thing with his hairline.
“What, you forgot your lipstick?” replied Wilhelmina, ironically, putting her Dior sunglasses on.
“Oh, no no, you know I always have one in my pocket. Actually, I found a very natural one, not pink, nor red, but – well natural, with a slightly shining-“
“MARC, the problem!”
“Allright…THIS is the problem”

Wilhelmina followed Marc to the taxi and understood what the problem was. Her seven Louis Vuitton bags stood there, lined up, next to the open trunk of the car.
“No enter. No enter, never” the taxi driver kept saying, in his weird language.
“What is he saying?” she asked, backing up with an almost offended expression.
“Your baggages won’t get in there. They’re too big, and too many” he said, whispering the last words.
“Too big, too many” she repeated, an eyebrow dangerously lifted.
“We already called two more cars, but it might take a while ‘till they actually arrive”
“CALL THEM, and tell those Paki-thingy I’ll have their license shoved down their throats unless they’re here before I can count to ten!”
“Sure, Willie”

“Problems, there?” a voice, a familiar voice called out.
She turned around and saw a black BMW had stopped just in front of her taxi; the window glass went down and a known pair of blue eyes looked at her, mocking.
“No, Daniel, not at all”
“You know, Wilhelmina, this car is big enough for your-“ Daniel eyed the bags and counted “-seven baggages”
Wilhelmina darted out her tongue, licking her upper lip, considering the offer.. Sure, her CK skirt would be better on the seat of a BMW, instead of a vile taxi. Marc came closer to her and whispered in her ear: “Please, please!”
With a little movement, she gestured to Marc first, and then to their bags. Marc clapped once and accomplished.

Five minutes later they were sitting in the back of Daniel’s car, Marc staying in the middle. Daniel and Wilhelmina were both looking outside their window, and tension was palpable.
“Just for your information, this doesn’t mean we’re friends” Daniel pointed out, not looking at her.
“Good Lord, no” she answered, seemingly very interested in the landscape.
“I just didn’t want the plane to take off late because of you”
“I’m glad you’re finally discovering the pleasure of talking straight to a woman” she replied, now turning to look at him.
“I always have. I’ve always told you I’d rather sell my soul than let you run Mode”
“Oh, you did?” she asked, allusive, causing Daniel to look away again.
Marc had not missed the last words, and made a mental note of speaking to Mandy ‘bout this.

The ride didn’t last long, and they got to the JFK Airport. Wilhelmina opened her purse, checking out her plane tickets.
“It’s gate 4” she said to the porter who was coming to get their baggages, then walked into the building, followed by Marc and a very annoyed Daniel.
“You could try and be gentle sometimes. It wouldn’t hurt you” Daniel told her.
She stopped and turned around to face him.

“Tell me, Daniel, why do you want to fight?” she turned around again and kept walking faster, then she added “The week has just started, you might want to cool off a bit. You don’t want to ruin the holyday to anyone, do you?”

What followed happened fast: Daniel grabbed her arm and spun her around, so they would be again face to face.
”Listen to me, listen very carefully. Now you own fifty percent of my father’s company, MY company. But try anything to screw my life up again, and I swear to God I’m gonna screw YOU like you’ve never been screwed before”
Wilhelmina looked around with a relaxed smile on her face; Marc was next to her, watching cautious; so she leaned towards Daniel’s ear.
“Is that a promise?” she asked, her voice low.
Daniel shut his eyes and tightened his grip unintentionally; it was just typically him, starting something with good intentions, and then ending up thinking about her in the more inappropriate ways.

“Let me go Daniel. You’re hurting me”
Only when he heard these words, he opened his eyes again and found himself staring at her enraged expression. He let go of her , and walked away; but while walking, he could feel her burning look through his back.

“Daniel!”
Turning around he saw a vivid spot of colour getting closer. He lifted an arm and waved. Thank God she had decided to join them. She would have been his only chance of escaping.
“Betty!” he exclaimed, relief evident in his voice.
She was carrying a heavy suitcase, which he took and gave to the nearest porter.
“So, are we ready to ski?” she said, jubilant.
A crowd of people he saw everyday, but to whom he’d never actually spoken, was surrounding them.
“There are no mountains in the centre of Las Vegas, Betty”

“But if you try and do it on the Luxor Hotel pyramid, I swear I could even consider stop calling you Betty Whorez. Or TacoBetty” said another voice they immediately recognized.
“Amanda, it’s December. And we’re not going to Rio, so…Why are you dressed like…that?”
The blonde receptionist was wearing a denim skirt way above the knee, a short orange top with long sleeves and a hat with the Mode orange logo printed on it.
“Are you judging what I’m wearing? This is, like, totally wrong” she said, raising an eyebrow “But seriously? Do you think think Vegas has SEASONS like the rest of the world? N-O. It has just one kind of whether: and that’s HOT, if you know what I mean. Plus, everybody knows that what happens in Vegas stays Vegas”
“And what has it got to do with the whether, now?” Betty asked, exhasperated.
“I don’t know. But it sounded right in my head…”

Daniel lost track of the argument when he saw Marc and Wilhelmina coming closer to the group.
“Dear friends” Wilhelmina began “it’s a pleasure to see how many of you are attending our annual Christmas week. I hope everyone will enjoy our stay in Sin City-” she looked Daniel straight in the eyes while saying this “ and now, as the plane is ready to take off, please start embarking!”

“Don’t they have loudspeakers, or announcers for that?” Betty asked, her voice almost inaudible.
“Wilhelmina is always a step ahead” Daniel answered. He knew better than everyone in the building, and much better than they thought.
“I wanna be totally her-“
“Stop it, Amanda”

* * *

Later on the plane, Daniel was looking for his seat amongst the first class comfortable ones. When he found it, he wasn’t surprised to see who was sitting next to him. Wilhelmina at his right side, Marc and Betty behind them, a metre away perhaps.
One seat, the one on his left, was occupied by his mother.
“Hello dear” she said smiling, the last issue of Mode in her hands.
“Mum, why don’t we…exchange-“
“That’s your place, and that’s where you are going to stay”
She was inflexible, with that knowing smile: she had organized everything, and whether they liked it or not, they would have to get along this time. This was only the tip of the iceberg: the whole week was planned according to her will, and they were going to find out what she meant when she said they would have shared everything, just a few days before leaving.

Daniel sighed and sit down, resigned.
“Wilhelmina”
“Daniel”
He took some files from his briefcase and began analysing them, sometimes glancing at his right, where Wilhelmina was typing something on the keyboard of her Blackberry. When she crossed her legs, and the hem of her skirt exposed more of her skin, he couldn’t help but stare at her long legs. When he started picturing them wrapped around his waist, he passed a hand upon his eyes and tried to think about something else. He also had to find a more comfortable position, because of the painful growing erection in his pants.
Wilhelmina noticed his uneasiness and took advantage of it, staring at him, a malicious expression painted on her face.

Avoiding her look, but feeling it, he asked: “What?”
She smiled and raised an eyebrow.
“Again, what?” he repeated.
“Nothing. We really need to talk” she said, in that clever bastard voice everybody knew so well.
“About?”
“Us”
Daniel stared at her, panicking.
“With both of us in charge, I mean” she clarified. On the inside, she was exulting for his first reaction; maybe she had just found out another one of Daniel Meade’s weak points.
“We really need to find a compromise” she added “For the sake of the magazine, and that of the whole company”
“You don’t give a damn about the company, Wilhelmina” he said, causing her mother and the two assistants to stare at them.
“You know you don’t” he continued, lowering his voice “You just want the prestige, the fame and the money which comes with it”

She was again staring at him, now silent, but still a fake smile on her lips.
“And now, please stop staring at me”
“Why, you feeling uncomfortable Daniel?”
Damn it, she knew. He moved the papers so they would cover the bulge in his pants. She laughed.
“Danny Danny, you’re still the same” she whispered, shaking slightly her head.
“Don’t call me Danny”
“You didn’t complain, years ago” she continued, pushing him to a place they’d never been in ages.

“Years ago you weren’t this kind of person. I thought I knew you, years ago, but I was wrong. What we had, YEARS AGO, was just one of my stupid illusions. YOU, or at least the person I thought I knew, were just a FAKE”
She quickly turned away. She didn’t want to hear this, she didn’t want Claire, Marc or Betty to hear this. Her past was a “No entry” area for everyone, and it pissed her off how Daniel could talk about it so easily.
“You started it, Wilhelmina” he said.
“Yeah, and I want this to stop right now” she answered, bewildered.
Their voices were whispers, almost inaudible.

Her own game was turning against her; she was the one who was upset now. Thank God first class was reserved for the five of them, while the others were on economy class.
“I never had the chance to ask you, actually…What happened that night, thirteen years ago?”
She got up as fast as she could, walking towards the restroom. She slammed the door behind her, and her hand on the washbasin.
She had tried to forget that night, and everything it could have implied; and she had hoped Daniel woulu do the same, too. But no, he had never forgotten. Obviously. How could he?

A knock on the door.
“Willie? You ok?” it was Marc.
She took a deep breath, locking the memories away.
“Yes- I’m coming”
She looked into the mirror. She liked what she had become; and it was not for money, prestige or fame. It was for Mode, which was her life. And she would do anything for it.
Anything.

* * *

The Luxor Hotel was one of the symbols of Las Vegas, with its pyramid, and the Sphinx, the luxurious rooms, the lights…The lovely atmosphere of the place was everywhere.
While standing in the hall, everyone was looking around, astonished; everyone, except for Claire, Daniel and Wilhelmina.

Claire was talking to the receptionist of the hotel.
“Miss Meade, I’m afraid there’s been a mistake. I know you booked three suite, but there’s only two available. Is there a problem if two of you share one? I’m so sorry-“
“Not a problem at all. Daniel, Wilhelmina, you are going to share the room”
“WHAT?”
Not only Daniel had screamed, but also Marc Betty and Amanda. Wilhelmina was speechless, her eyes filled with terror.

“Are you kidding me, mum?” Daniel too was panicking.
“No. You think Wilhelmina and I should share? You really want me charged for attempted murder again?”
“Claire, be reasonable. Me and Daniel? In the same room for more than two hours? Things would get out of control, I might really have an hysteric crisis”
“Oh, you don’t need that to have an hysteric crisis” Claire said, smiling “Besides, I don’t really feel like sharing the room with my son. We haven’t since he was nine, and now I’m used to having my privacy”
“I need it too!” Wilhelmina replied.
“Wilhelmina, it’s done. You and Daniel share a company, now you’re going to share a suite too. Full stop”

Daniel stormed away, followed by a concerned Betty. He stopped when he reached the bar on the other side of the huge hall.
“Scotch, please” he ordered.
“Daniel-“
“No, Betty, don’t say it’s okay, because it’s not okay at all”
“What I was trying to say is that it’s a suite we’re talking about…It’s not like you’re going to sleep in the same bed-“
“DON’T even say that! The only thought makes me…”
Aroused? Incredibly excited? Utterly hard?
“…sick” he finished.

“Come on, Daniel. You will be fine. Just…Give me a call if you see she sleeps in a coffin or something like that”
“Vampires sleep during day, Betty. In that case it wouldn’t be a problem, because I could ignore her, at least”
“Yeah, I know, but she’s Wilhelmina, and she’s unpredictable”
He smiled to her: she was the only one who could cheer him up and let him see the brightest side of the darkest situations.

They heard something metallic falling on the bar counter and turned around.
Wilhelmina was facing them, Marc on her side.
“That is your key”
After saying this, she left, followed by Marc.
“Please, just tell me Marc won’t be in the room, too” he prayed.
“Nope, I’ve heard he’s staying with Amanda” Betty answered “What a surprise” she added ironically.
“Fine, I’ll go check the room. There goes my plan of avoiding her the whole week”

He left her and took the elevator: they were in room 1068, so it had to be on the tenth floor.
On the elevator, he had little time to think. It was 7 pm, so the first day was about to come to an end. There were six left.
Maybe the only way to stay away from her was trying to be in the room as little as possible…Oh God, his mother would pay for this.

With a drill, the elevator door opened, and he began walking very slowly, till he reached the door of THEIR room.
Inserting the key in the keyhole, he took a deep breath and opened.

He entered and stood still in the middle of the hall of the suite. In front of him a huge sitting room, on both his sides two other rooms he assumed to be the bedrooms. He could hear noises from the room on his left, and supposed they came from Wilhelmina arranging her things in the closet.

He went on to the room on the right and when he turned to close the door, he stopped. Her door was half opened and he could see her in front of the full length mirror, taking off her top. He found himself staring at his toned flat stomach, her perfectly shaped shoulders, the bra covering her breasts. He was so absorbed worshipping her body he didn’t notice her eyes staring back at him through the mirror; when he did, he didn’t move. They stood there, eyes locked, for what seemed like an eternity. Then, he slowly closed the door, trying to fight the many images forming in his head.

It wouldn’t be as easy as he had foreseen.

* * *

He had fallen asleep when he heard someone knocking on his door.
“Daniel?”
Of course. It was her. He got up quickly and straightened his jacket.
“Come in” he answered finally.
She opened the door but remained out of the room
“I just wanted to tell you it’s time to go to dinner. I figured you’d be asleep, and just thought I’d let you know”
“Yeah, ok, I’ll be there in a minute”

She turned to leave but he called her, getting up.

“No, wait. I…I really wanted to apologize for-“
“You don’t have to. Mainly because we both know you’re not sorry at all” she replied, as cold as ice.
“No, I really am. I shouldn’t have-“
“No, you shouldn’t have” she interrupted him “Look, it seems like your psyco mum has some weird plan of making us get along. But I won’t go there, not with you. If I don’t want to get along with you, I don’t HAVE to get along with you So, let’s not even try to” she finished.
“But once we used to get along” a melancoholic note in his voice, and rancour in is eyes “I just don’t understand what went wrong”

She looked away.
“Don’t, Daniel. It was before you stole my job right under my nose”
“You know perfectly well that’s not the reason” he exclaimed, with a small smile.
“Why are you doing this, now? Why are we having this conversation, after all these years? It’s totally useless, and I’m not going to just stand here and listen to your bullshit!”
The smile disappeared from his lips when she slammed the door.
Truth was, he had no idea why he was doing it.

Meanwhile, in the luxurious and shining dining room, downstairs, Marc, Betty and Amanda were sitting at the same table.
“I think they made a mistake with the tables too. She can’t be sitting here with us, Marc!”
“SHE is right here, Amanda” Betty exclaimed, pointing at herself “and I think miss Meade had a great idea, she’s trying to give some unity to the company!”
“What is she blabbing about?” Amanda asked Mark.
“I don’t know, but nod and show interest” he said, and began to nod with a fake interested expression.
“I’m serious!” Betty insisted “Look at Daniel and Wilhelmina. Since they’ve been both in charge, things have been a bit crazy…Maybe they could-“

“I’ll tell you what, they could have HOT, VIOLENT sex” she said “Oh my God, that’s a threesome I would totally consider”
Some heads turned.
“Oh no…no no no no!” Marc was horrified.
“Actually Amanda, I don’t think Daniel would ever…EVER…do it”
“It’s Willie who could never sleep with that…WOMANIZER” Mark retorted.
“Oh darling, you’re quoting Britney! How cute!” Amanda hugged him.

“Yeah, well, back on topic” Betty tried “There’s no way things would ever get to that point between the two of them”
“Oh, I don’t know, today a heard some things when I was in the car with them”
“And what was that?” Amanda asked, curious.
“I’m not sure, but according to something Willie said, there might be some kind of history behind, history we don’t know and we could never even imagine” he said in a whisper, feeling a lot like James Bond.
“Shower sex? Elevator sex? I bet they did it on MY desk” Amanda went on and on.
“Hold it, your fantasy is flying too high” the man said “It just seemed to me like they were close, at some point…”

In that exact moment, Wilhelmina got out the elevator and entered the room, obviously furious.
“Sorry, lady and burrito, I have to go take care of my girl” Mark took a last sip from his Martini and run towards her.
“Motherfucker” she exclaimed when he was there.
“I swear I never meant to stole your concealer, Willie! I’m so sorry-“
“I’m not talking about you, Mark!” she snapped “That motherfucker of a Meade!”
“What’s the plan, Wilhelmitler? Do I have to make him disappear from Earth for good?”
She looked at him, blank.

“What the hell are you talking about?” she was too angry to reason with him.
“Go on as if I didn’t spoke”, he said.
Willie snorted. The only other time he had ever seen her like that was when Bradford had tried to postpone the wedding.

“Where are you going Willie?” he asked, as they arrived to the entrance.
“I’m seeing a friend who’s in town just for tonight”
“A celebrity?” he asked, a light sparkling in his eyes.
“It’s Ted”
“Mmm…Ted…I don’t know of a T- OH MY GOD, Willie no!” he stopped in front of her, impeding her to walk.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
He knew he was risking, considering the state she was in, but he had to.

“Willie, he broke your heart once, he can break it twice”
He was sincere. Things were not simple between the two of them, but he cared about her. And he was the only one who had really understood what, breaking up with that man, had caused in her soul.
“I won’t let it happen. And it’s just a dinner, we’re friends. Now, get out of the way, little girl”
She appreciated what Marc did for her. But little did he know how much she needed to get out of the building, and not having to sleep in that damn room, with that damn Daniel and his damn memories and regrets.