Summary: A forgotten note, and a rainstorm.
Rating: PG.
Setting / Spoilers: Non-canon, one-off, but post-Sofiagate. Probably no spoilers because the US are ahead of me at this point.
Character / Pairing: Daniel/Betty, sort of, eventually.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Given I typed the majority of this at work, I don't even own the PC it was initially created on. :P
Notes: Well, here it is: my first attempt at Ugly Betty fanfiction. This was inspired partly by sweetlilfighter's recent story, I'll Take the Sofa, and a torrential rainstorm here in Birmingham, UK, on Tuesday 15 May. I was in a rehearsal at the time in a room with a flat roof and big skylights, and the choir couldn't hear itself sing. Somehow, that inspired this...
Anything else? For the purposes of storytelling, Daniel henceforth resides in a penthouse apartment. Also, I've never been to NY. Ever. My closest point of reference for the subway system is the London Underground and the Paris Metro. Please, bear that in mind. ;)

Rain Will Make The Flowers Grow

It had been a very long day at Mode; making her way to the subway at nearly eight o'clock, in a light drizzle that threatened to turn into a downpour at any moment, Betty Suarez was finally going home for the night. It was nearly time for publication, so she and Daniel had been working on a few final touches late into the evening, so as to not to rush at the last minute. As the rain got heavier, she was glad to descend the steps to the station, and the familiar smell of diesel and recycled air filled her nostrils.

The train wasn't due for ten minutes, as reliable as it ever was. Betty sighed, then sat down on a platform bench and tried to look inconspicuous, which was no easy task in her powder blue padded coat. The station was mostly empty at this time, at least as far as outbound commuters were concerned. There was a drunk slumped by the exit, occasionally mumbling obscenities, and a young male skulking near the entrance wearing a baseball cap that partially obscured his face; Betty wasn't sure which one of them made her more uncomfortable.

Well, at least she wouldn't miss Justin's school play tomorrow. Daniel had already said that she could leave, if not early, then on time. Justin had been preparing for weeks and Betty was not prepared to disappoint him by turning up late, or not at all. Publishing day or not, she was leaving at five on the dot, and if there was anything else that needed doing, then... well, Amanda could make herself useful for once.

The stuffy air of the station was making Betty's nose start to itch. She fought down the urge to sneeze for a fair while, but it reached a point where she couldn't hold it in any more. She frantically searched through her bag and pockets for a tissue, but came up with nothing.

The sneeze escaped; she instinctively covered her face with one hand.

"Ew..." she muttered, glad, at least, that there was nobody around from Mode to mock her for this latest unfashionable (not to mention disgusting) mishap. With her free hand, she continued rummaging in the depths of her handbag. Her fingers closed around a piece of paper and she pulled it out triumphantly, before stopping abruptly when she realised what it was.

Betty had nearly blown her nose on the notes for Daniel's meeting, taking place first thing the next morning. She must have accidentally picked them up when gathering her stuff earlier that evening.

With her right hand still covering most of her face, Betty quickly scanned her surroundings for anything she could use to blow her nose. A discarded paper napkin under the bench was the only thing she could find. Putting the meeting notes back into her bag, she muttered "Ew" again and leant over to grab the napkin.

After discarding it in a nearby, overflowing trashcan, Betty reached into her bag once more to re-examine the notes. They were extensive: an agenda, points of discussion... Daniel would need them back. More to the point, he would need them back now, so he could look over them before the meeting. She didn't want to run the risk of being late tomorrow and letting Daniel down.

Betty heaved a sigh, folded the notes, and once again put them back into her handbag. Rising from the bench, she started to make her way out of the station again. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard her delayed train pulling into the station.

"You'd better thank me for this, Daniel..."