The Gift of the Betty
Title: The Gift of the Betty
Rating: G
Description: This is a fluffy Christmas fic that takes place post-finale. It's Christmas Eve in London, and Betty is late for a rendezvous with Daniel! Loooooosely based on the short story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. Written for the daniel_betty 2011 Advent Challenge.
Betty tromped rather ungracefully up the staircase of the Underground station, her garish “Feliz Navidad” earrings swinging wildly. She continued to jog through the lightly frosted London streets, hoping she could get to Charing Cross Road on time. It was 4:57 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and the bookseller had just rung to tell her that the extremely rare volume she ordered had finally arrived. The only problem was that the shop was closing promptly at 5 so the shop owner could head to a family gathering across town. Betty rounded the next corner and dashed for the nearby zebra crossing, barely avoiding a traffic incident as she did so. Finally, she spotted the storefront up ahead. Her sigh of relief quickly became a gasp of disappointment as a gnarly old man exited the door and began to lock it behind him.
“Wait!” she cried as she skidded to a halt in front of the store, nearly tumbling into a nearby rubbish bin.
The man slowly turned around as though unsure that he was the one being addressed. Betty waved to get his attention as he removed his wire-rimmed glasses and unsuccessfully attempted to de-fog them. “You say something, miss?” he asked as he tucked the key into the pocket of his well-worn trench coat.
“Yes, actually I did,” she managed to get out between wheezes. “I’m Betty Suarez. You called me about an hour ago about the Gentleman’s Guide to Pugilism.”
The man’s eyes widened with realisation. “Yes, of course. I remember you now. I’m afraid you’re a bit late though. I’m closed for the holiday”
“I know I am,” Betty apologized. “But if you could open up again for just a second . . .”
The man shook his head. “Sorry, love. I’m off to see the missus’s sister, and she doesn’t take kindly to latecomers, Christmas or no. So, if you’ll just excuse me . . .” He smiled sadly at her and tottered off down the sidewalk.
Betty was dumbfounded. Her whole holiday season depended on having the perfect gift for Daniel. Now Christmas was ruined. Betty blinked back tears as she headed back toward the Underground station. A few steps later, Betty came to a dead stop-right into the back of a fellow pedestrian. “Sorry!” she called as she dashed into the nearby bookstore that touted “Open late on Christmas Eve” on an attractive bit of signage in the window. She rummaged through the stacks for a moment, and hastily made a selection. Was it the perfect gift? No, but it was better than no gift at all, and Betty was determined not to let a little setback dampen her Christmas spirit.
***************************************************************
Daniel stood in front of the fireplace in the private dining room he had reserved for dinner. He nervously opened and closed the small jewelry box in his hand. What would Betty say when she saw it? Would she think he was showing off by presenting her with this custom-designed piece of jewelry? His heart told her that Betty would accept the small trinket with all her heart. He was obviously just over-thinking the whole thing. After all, this was Betty, the one woman who had always known him better than he knew himself. There was no possible way she could ever doubt his intentions.
Just as he slipped the box back into his pocket, Betty stumbled into the room panting for breath. Her bright pink wool overcoat was buttoned incorrectly and her thick black hair was windblown and unruly, but Daniel had never seen anything more beautiful. And when her lips suddenly parted and she flashed him that enthusiastic smile, Daniel swore she was a dead-ringer for the angel perched atop his childhood Christmas tree.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she dropped a hastily wrapped package on the table. The maitre d offered to take her coat, but she obliviously enveloped Daniel in a fierce embrace. “Merry Christmas, Daniel,” she whispered in a way that tickled his ear and sent a shiver of pleasure to the rest of his extremities.
Daniel shrugged at the restaurant employee, who beat a hasty retreat. “But I thought they said ‘Happy Christmas’ over here,” he wondered aloud as she attempted to disentangle them from her multicoloured scarf.
“Actually, either is correct,” Betty confirmed, pushing her glasses up.
“Well, I’m glad I have you here to explain these things to me.” Betty grinned while removing her outer garments and laying them on the back of her chair. Daniel was about to protest, but the sight of her in her sparkly off-the-shoulder green velvet dress distracted him. “Betty, you look . . .” he struggled to find the right word.
“A mess, right?” She rolled her eyes as she pulled her chair out and sat down. “I’m sorry about that. I had about negative twelve minutes to get ready.”
“Not at all,” Daniel protested. “You look stunning.” He was about to offer her a chair, when he realized she was already seated.
She blushed, adding a touch of red to her festive green ensemble. “Thanks. You’re not half-bad yourself, either.”
Daniel smiled tentatively back. He knew she was only kidding, but he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed by her assessment. That’s what came of years of being fawned over by gold-digging glamour girls. “So,” he began, eyeing her mysterious package. “What is that?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow,” she teased. “The only reason I have it with me is that I came here directly from the shop.”
“Getting your shopping done a little on the late side, eh?”
“If you must know, I started looking for your gift months ago,” she explained. “It just . . . well . . . didn’t turn out exactly as I expected.”
If anything, Daniel looked more curious now. “C’mon, Betty,” he coaxed. “can’t we exchange gifts tonight?”
Betty sighed. “Oh, alright.” She thrust the package at him with so much enthusiasm that he nearly fell backward. “Merry Christmas.”
Daniel ripped opened the package and uncovered an odd leather-bound tome that bore the title Cricket and You: How to Learn the World’s Most Exciting Sport. “Um, thanks,” he said, looking a little bewildered.
“Remember that fight you had with Connor?” she prompted.
“Sure, how could I forget?” A vein in Daniel’s forehead throbbed a little at the memory. “He thoroughly kicked my sorry ass.”
“Well, the next day, I went up to him and ask him how he got so good at boxing, and he told me about this rare out-of-print book called the Gentleman’s Guide to Pugilism. He said it taught him everything he knows. So, I said to myself, wouldn’t Daniel love to get a copy of that book so the next time Connor-or anyone else-challenges him to a fight, he’ll be ready. I ordered the book months ago, but it only arrived today and got to the store too late to pick it up. I hope you won’t mind receiving it for New Year’s.”
“Betty, of course I don’t mind,” said Daniel quietly, touched that she had gone through all that trouble for a simple gift. “It’s the thought that counts anyway. Besides, I’ve always wanted to know more about this grasshopper game anyway.”
“Cricket,” Betty corrected.
“Right,” he agreed, setting the book down. Then, he cleared is throat nervously and removed the jewelry box from his pocket. “I hope you like it.”
She opened it up and saw an ostentatious necklace that bore the phrase “Feliz Navidad” in scrawling cursive letters. “Hey!” she exclaimed, reaching for her earlobes. “This is an exact match for my-uh oh.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked in alarm. “Don’t you like it?”
“I love it, Daniel,” she admitted, “but I was wearing the earrings when I was running around shopping today. It seems I’ve lost one.” She removed the single earring from her ear and looked at it sparkling in her palm. “Feliz,” she read sadly. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ve made an idiot of myself as usual and wrecked Christmas.”
“Don’t be silly, Betty,” Daniel said, cupping her chin in his hand. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had, and I have you to thank for it. You’ve given me the greatest gift of all by just being here and just being . . . Betty.”
Betty’s eyes shimmered as she looked up into his. “You mean it?”
“Absolutely,” he responded, bestowing her lips with a tender kiss.
Now Betty was smiling, too. As they pulled apart, Betty’s eyes drifted back down to the word glittering in the palm of her hand. “Feliz.” Happy, indeed.
Rating: G
Description: This is a fluffy Christmas fic that takes place post-finale. It's Christmas Eve in London, and Betty is late for a rendezvous with Daniel! Loooooosely based on the short story "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. Written for the daniel_betty 2011 Advent Challenge.
Betty tromped rather ungracefully up the staircase of the Underground station, her garish “Feliz Navidad” earrings swinging wildly. She continued to jog through the lightly frosted London streets, hoping she could get to Charing Cross Road on time. It was 4:57 p.m. on Christmas Eve, and the bookseller had just rung to tell her that the extremely rare volume she ordered had finally arrived. The only problem was that the shop was closing promptly at 5 so the shop owner could head to a family gathering across town. Betty rounded the next corner and dashed for the nearby zebra crossing, barely avoiding a traffic incident as she did so. Finally, she spotted the storefront up ahead. Her sigh of relief quickly became a gasp of disappointment as a gnarly old man exited the door and began to lock it behind him.
“Wait!” she cried as she skidded to a halt in front of the store, nearly tumbling into a nearby rubbish bin.
The man slowly turned around as though unsure that he was the one being addressed. Betty waved to get his attention as he removed his wire-rimmed glasses and unsuccessfully attempted to de-fog them. “You say something, miss?” he asked as he tucked the key into the pocket of his well-worn trench coat.
“Yes, actually I did,” she managed to get out between wheezes. “I’m Betty Suarez. You called me about an hour ago about the Gentleman’s Guide to Pugilism.”
The man’s eyes widened with realisation. “Yes, of course. I remember you now. I’m afraid you’re a bit late though. I’m closed for the holiday”
“I know I am,” Betty apologized. “But if you could open up again for just a second . . .”
The man shook his head. “Sorry, love. I’m off to see the missus’s sister, and she doesn’t take kindly to latecomers, Christmas or no. So, if you’ll just excuse me . . .” He smiled sadly at her and tottered off down the sidewalk.
Betty was dumbfounded. Her whole holiday season depended on having the perfect gift for Daniel. Now Christmas was ruined. Betty blinked back tears as she headed back toward the Underground station. A few steps later, Betty came to a dead stop-right into the back of a fellow pedestrian. “Sorry!” she called as she dashed into the nearby bookstore that touted “Open late on Christmas Eve” on an attractive bit of signage in the window. She rummaged through the stacks for a moment, and hastily made a selection. Was it the perfect gift? No, but it was better than no gift at all, and Betty was determined not to let a little setback dampen her Christmas spirit.
***************************************************************
Daniel stood in front of the fireplace in the private dining room he had reserved for dinner. He nervously opened and closed the small jewelry box in his hand. What would Betty say when she saw it? Would she think he was showing off by presenting her with this custom-designed piece of jewelry? His heart told her that Betty would accept the small trinket with all her heart. He was obviously just over-thinking the whole thing. After all, this was Betty, the one woman who had always known him better than he knew himself. There was no possible way she could ever doubt his intentions.
Just as he slipped the box back into his pocket, Betty stumbled into the room panting for breath. Her bright pink wool overcoat was buttoned incorrectly and her thick black hair was windblown and unruly, but Daniel had never seen anything more beautiful. And when her lips suddenly parted and she flashed him that enthusiastic smile, Daniel swore she was a dead-ringer for the angel perched atop his childhood Christmas tree.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she dropped a hastily wrapped package on the table. The maitre d offered to take her coat, but she obliviously enveloped Daniel in a fierce embrace. “Merry Christmas, Daniel,” she whispered in a way that tickled his ear and sent a shiver of pleasure to the rest of his extremities.
Daniel shrugged at the restaurant employee, who beat a hasty retreat. “But I thought they said ‘Happy Christmas’ over here,” he wondered aloud as she attempted to disentangle them from her multicoloured scarf.
“Actually, either is correct,” Betty confirmed, pushing her glasses up.
“Well, I’m glad I have you here to explain these things to me.” Betty grinned while removing her outer garments and laying them on the back of her chair. Daniel was about to protest, but the sight of her in her sparkly off-the-shoulder green velvet dress distracted him. “Betty, you look . . .” he struggled to find the right word.
“A mess, right?” She rolled her eyes as she pulled her chair out and sat down. “I’m sorry about that. I had about negative twelve minutes to get ready.”
“Not at all,” Daniel protested. “You look stunning.” He was about to offer her a chair, when he realized she was already seated.
She blushed, adding a touch of red to her festive green ensemble. “Thanks. You’re not half-bad yourself, either.”
Daniel smiled tentatively back. He knew she was only kidding, but he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed by her assessment. That’s what came of years of being fawned over by gold-digging glamour girls. “So,” he began, eyeing her mysterious package. “What is that?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow,” she teased. “The only reason I have it with me is that I came here directly from the shop.”
“Getting your shopping done a little on the late side, eh?”
“If you must know, I started looking for your gift months ago,” she explained. “It just . . . well . . . didn’t turn out exactly as I expected.”
If anything, Daniel looked more curious now. “C’mon, Betty,” he coaxed. “can’t we exchange gifts tonight?”
Betty sighed. “Oh, alright.” She thrust the package at him with so much enthusiasm that he nearly fell backward. “Merry Christmas.”
Daniel ripped opened the package and uncovered an odd leather-bound tome that bore the title Cricket and You: How to Learn the World’s Most Exciting Sport. “Um, thanks,” he said, looking a little bewildered.
“Remember that fight you had with Connor?” she prompted.
“Sure, how could I forget?” A vein in Daniel’s forehead throbbed a little at the memory. “He thoroughly kicked my sorry ass.”
“Well, the next day, I went up to him and ask him how he got so good at boxing, and he told me about this rare out-of-print book called the Gentleman’s Guide to Pugilism. He said it taught him everything he knows. So, I said to myself, wouldn’t Daniel love to get a copy of that book so the next time Connor-or anyone else-challenges him to a fight, he’ll be ready. I ordered the book months ago, but it only arrived today and got to the store too late to pick it up. I hope you won’t mind receiving it for New Year’s.”
“Betty, of course I don’t mind,” said Daniel quietly, touched that she had gone through all that trouble for a simple gift. “It’s the thought that counts anyway. Besides, I’ve always wanted to know more about this grasshopper game anyway.”
“Cricket,” Betty corrected.
“Right,” he agreed, setting the book down. Then, he cleared is throat nervously and removed the jewelry box from his pocket. “I hope you like it.”
She opened it up and saw an ostentatious necklace that bore the phrase “Feliz Navidad” in scrawling cursive letters. “Hey!” she exclaimed, reaching for her earlobes. “This is an exact match for my-uh oh.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked in alarm. “Don’t you like it?”
“I love it, Daniel,” she admitted, “but I was wearing the earrings when I was running around shopping today. It seems I’ve lost one.” She removed the single earring from her ear and looked at it sparkling in her palm. “Feliz,” she read sadly. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I’ve made an idiot of myself as usual and wrecked Christmas.”
“Don’t be silly, Betty,” Daniel said, cupping her chin in his hand. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had, and I have you to thank for it. You’ve given me the greatest gift of all by just being here and just being . . . Betty.”
Betty’s eyes shimmered as she looked up into his. “You mean it?”
“Absolutely,” he responded, bestowing her lips with a tender kiss.
Now Betty was smiling, too. As they pulled apart, Betty’s eyes drifted back down to the word glittering in the palm of her hand. “Feliz.” Happy, indeed.