A/N: Here we go again, my dears. For a good two weeks, Andy wouldn't leave the Townhouse, but today I got her to move. Which is great. I think we're going to work on hanging out with the twins next, which of course will be a little without Miranda, but not completely.
Remember that all the shit going on in the world isn't over with yet. Many seem to have forgotten. Don't be that guy. Wear a mask, stay home where possible. This isn't over by a long shot. Love to you all.

For disclaimer, see chapter 1.

-0-

Andy had spent the morning fussing over Miranda's luggage on the morning she was set to leave for Milan. While she fussed, Andy pretended not to notice Miranda's smirk as she watched while she fielded questions from her twin terrors.

"Are you going to take the Elias Clarke jet?"

"No darling," Miranda answered, making Andy glance at them. Caroline was tucked under Miranda's arm while Cassidy was kneeling on a chair with her elbows on the table. Miranda had long since given up telling her to sit properly. They talked quietly amongst themselves, while Andy checked Miranda's passport in her purse before nodding finally. Miranda was ready to leave, right as a horn sounded outside the Townhouse for the girl's ride to school.

"I really wish he wouldn't do that. He is not a cab driver."

"I'll talk to him," Andy muttered, making a note of it in her phone.

"Don't bother," Cassidy called as she pulled on her shoes and picked up her bags. "We asked him to. It's quicker."

"But darling I -"

"Don't worry Mom," Caroline muttered. "I'll tell him."

"Ah ah," Miranda muttered, stopping Cassidy at the door. "Come and kiss me before you go please."

Cassidy dropped her things and ran back, engulfing Miranda in her arms and pressing a wet kiss on her cheek.

"Cassidy," she chuckled. "I love you. Behave for Andréa, I do not wish to hear that you did not."

"We will Mom, I promise. And we can Facetime you every night."

"Yes, my loves," Miranda smiled, cupping Caroline's cheek. "Andréa will make sure."

"Bye Mommy."

"Goodbye my little one," Miranda smiled. "I love you both."

"Bye Mom!"

They rushed out of the door, leaving Miranda and Andy standing in the foyer with wry grins on their face.

"Are you sure you will cope?"

"Of course I will," Andy grinned. "I'm more worried about you!"

"I have done this before, you know. Without you."

"I know," Andy grumbled. "Just making sure I don't get any haughty phone calls."

"Haughty," Miranda scoffed, flicking the hair out of her face. "I am never haughty."

"Whatever," Andy rolled her eyes once more then grinned. "You'll miss me, don't try to lie."

"Of course I will. I shall have to fetch my own coffee," Miranda teased as she walked towards the closet beneath the stairs.

"Hey!" Miranda laughed as she pulled out her coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck. "Look," Andy said with a shrug. "Just be careful. And," she shrugged. "Whatever. Have fun."

"Andréa," Miranda said gently. "One might think that you will miss me?"

Andy gave her a look and tried to come up with a better excuse. She failed and grinned bashfully.

"Nah, alright. You caught me. I'll miss you, alright?"

"I'm not sure I've ever had someone other than my girls miss me, Andréa? Are you sure you're quite well?"

Andy's phone buzzed in her hand and she shook her head.

"You're hopeless and Roy is here."

"Saved by the bell," Miranda muttered. "Very well. I will away. I shall expect daily updates and -"

"I know," Andy chuckled. "Nightly Facetime with the girls."

"I was going to say something else, but I expect nightly Facetime with you as well," Miranda clarified, sliding on her sunglasses. "However will I cope being away for six whole days if I do not know what is going on here?"

"Excellent point," Andy laughed. "I'll get your bags. What were you going to say?"

"Hmm?"

"Before I interrupted?"

"I was going to say that I set up a meeting with Sadiq. Tuesday, at Noon."

"Miranda."

"It's time you took charge of your finances Andréa. And yes," she interrupted Andy's spluttering. "I have sprung you on this when you have no reason to deny it. You are not working for a whole week. Do something constructive." Andy growled. "Andréa? The time is now. You have been working long enough that even with the added expense of paying the utilities here."

"You haven't charged me anything," Andy practically squealed.

"Mm," Miranda smirked. "Remind me to do that when I get back."

"You are -"

"Yes?"

"Going to be late."

"Thank you," Miranda muttered, picking up her purse and checking she had everything, though Andy had only done it a moment before. "Oh, Andréa?"

"Yes?"

Miranda leaned in and wrapped her arms around Andy tightly. She stiffened for barely a moment but then let go of the bag and reciprocated. Andy hugged Miranda for a little while before Miranda started pulling away. She let go immediately, but Miranda didn't. She held Andy's shoulders for a little while, looking at her carefully before she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Thank you. For always taking care of us. Allow me to take care of you, just a little, now and then?"

"I -" Andy's heart was doing bizarre things in her chest, but she rallied and shrugged like it was nothing. "I'm happy to. Thank you for," she floundered. "Letting me, I suppose. And you don't need to. I'm a big girl. We've been through this."

"Very well," Miranda muttered, rubbing that cheek where Andy was sure there would be just a hint of lipstick. "Be safe. All of you. I will see you when I return," she paused. "Please feel free to ground my wayward children, if need be. Until they're twenty, if need be."

Andy chuckled and carried the bags out to the car, letting Roy take them when he saw her. She watched Miranda check her bag once more before stepping one foot in the car.

"Your passport is exactly where it has been the last four times, you know," she teased gently.

Miranda pursed her lips and Andy vaguely remembered a time when that scared her.

"You would know," Miranda shot back. "You've checked twice as many times as I have."

Andy laughed as Roy got in and started the car, but Miranda stayed where she was looking into the car and then back at Andy.

"I will miss you, Andréa."

Andy's brain was trying to form a reply as Miranda disappeared into the Towncar and closed the door. She just managed to wave absently as she watched the car pull away from the curb.

-0-

By the time Andy got a notification from the Twin's driver that they were on their way, Andy had cleaned the apartment from top to bottom and was pacing in the kitchen while she decided what to make them for dinner.

"ANDY ANDY!"

She rolled her eyes at herself for missing the key in the lock as she was almost bowled over by two rambunctious teens.

"Oof," she groaned. "Steady," she chuckled. "Remember there are neighbours downstairs and beside us."

"We took off our shoes," Cassidy quipped.

"They'll get used to us eventually," Caroline added helpfully.

Andy laughed and smoothed their hair back, taking a good look at them.

"Are you guys hungry?"

"Always," Cassidy groaned, making Andy tweak her nose.

"What about you Caro?"

"A little," she shrugged.

"Alright," Andy nodded. "Grilled cheese, I think?"

"Mmm," Caroline smiled. "Yes please."

Andy instructed them to change out of their school clothes and got to making their snack. She joined them at the bar, smiling into her coffee mug as they prattled on about their friends and how their day had been.

"What can we do tonight Andy?" Cassidy asked as she sucked the butter off her fingers.

"Use a napkin, you animal," Andy said, throwing one at her.

They chuckled but the expectation on both their faces let Andy know the question would not be put off.

"What would you like to do?"

"Go out for dinner?"

"Yeah right," Andy chuckled. "You have school tomorrow. I figured we'd go out for dinner on Wednesday after we do something in the afternoon."

"Can we go to the Zoo?"

"The Zoo?" Andy chuckled.

"The Bronx Zoo," Cassidy clarified.

"We won't have long, Yeah, if you want to?"

"Yes please," Caroline smiled.

"We won't have a lot of time, we might not be able to see everything?"

"It's the biggest zoo in the whole of the US, Andy!" Cassidy exclaimed. "Of course we won't, but we'll have fun! And it's way better than shopping or whatever."

"Alright," she chuckled. "I bought your bags over from your Mom's. I figured we'd maybe may pasta later?"

"YES," they hissed together.

"Can we play video games?"

"Have you got any homework?"

"No?"

"Liars," she grinned, tweaking both of their noses. "Bring it out here and we can do it together."

"You have homework? Geez, is Mom paying you to do homework?" Cassidy scoffed.

"It's not for your Mom, it's for me, silly," she swatted Cassidy's behind as she turned. "Go get your books."

"I honestly don't have any," Caroline whispered.

"No?" Andy smiled, running her hand over Caroline's hair. "You're pretty good at this school thing, hey."

"I just like getting it all done while I'm at school."

"Fair enough. Have you got a novel with you?"

"No," she winced. "I can get one out at the library tomorrow."

"I'll do you one better," Andy smiled. "Come 'ere."

Andy led Caroline over to her own bookshelf and perused the spines while she wrapped her arms around Caroline in front of her.

"How about this one," she muttered, pulling one off the shelf. "Do you like fantasy stuff?"

"Yeah," Caroline nodded. "Will Mom be okay with it?"

"It's a young-adult book," Andy winked. "I kept all my favourites."

"Cool," Caroline nodded. "What's it about?"

"It's about a young woman who has weird mutant powers that seem to be less cool than everyone else's, but it turns out she's the key to a prophecy that stretches over seven books."

"Cool," Caroline said. "Like X-men?"

"No," Andy smiled. "But I think you'll like it. Give it a try and if you like it, brilliant. If you don't," Andy shrugged. "No harm done, you can get another at school."

"Thanks," Caroline said, hugging Andy sideways.

"You are most welcome."

"Hey!" Cassidy almost yelled. "Where's my hug!"

"Right here, you goober," Andy shook her head. "Now, what have you got?"

"Um," Cassidy rifled through her bag. "Maths, Biology and," she frowned. "A bit of Social Studies."

"Alright, you and me at the bar, Caro, you're free to pick a spot."

"Can I sit in the window?" she asked, looking wistfully at the window ledge looking out above the road."

"Of course," Andy nodded, then turned back to Cassidy. "Come on then, kid."

They worked in comfortable silence until Cassidy groaned and threw down her pencil.

"Finally," she groaned. "I thought it would never end."

"Mm," Andy muttered. "That's about where I am at too," she chuckled. "But I'm done for now."

"Andy?" Caroline's quiet voice called.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"When do we call Mom?"

Andy checked the time and saw that it was probably alright to give it a try.

"Right now, as a matter of fact," she smiled. "Come on."

They sat together on the sofa and Andy got the iPad and dialled Miranda.

There was a pause and Miranda's soft voice came through the phone.

"Give me two minutes, my darlings. I'm just changing."

Miranda left the phone connected and they could hear the swish of fabric through the line as they waited. Andy decided that Miranda's greeting meant that she had expected the girls and not her so she left them to it and started on dinner.

It was copacetic. And though Andy knew it was late in Milan, Miranda stayed on with the girls for a long time before they brought her the tablet.

"Well hello there," Andy smiled, looking Miranda over as she reclined on the sofa. "You're tired."

"I am," Miranda sighed. "Though I do not wish to sleep just yet."

"Put a film on in your room?"

"It's not quite the same, is it?"

Andy smiled and set the iPad on the little stand she had by the stove.

"What are you cooking?"

"Carbs."

"Andréa." Miranda chuckled.

"Pasta," Andy grinned. "Spaghetti bolognese, to be precise."

"Oh," Miranda sighed.

"Miranda?" Andy asked, turning the sauce down and giving her boss her full attention.

"Andréa."

"Have you eaten?"

There was a long pause that made the corners of Andy's mouth turn up just a little.

"Shut up, Andréa," Miranda chuckled.

"Call for some room service. Or," Andy said. "Better yet," she grinned. "Don't go away."

She reached for her phone and brought up the app she'd downloaded days earlier. After making a few selections, she put it down and grinned.

"What have you done."

"You're welcome, when you get it,"

"Andréa."

"You surprised me with the meeting tomorrow. I'm surprising you now. Put a movie on and enjoy," she glanced down at the screen. "You have about thirteen minutes to decide what you're watching."

"You're hopeless."

Andy winked.

"I'm going to go and feed your ruffians. Take it easy. You have a whole week without me at your beck and call. You gotta remember to eat."

"Gotta?" Miranda winced. "Must you?"

"I must," Andy smirked. "You now have," she glanced down again. "Eight minutes until they knock on your door. And remember to thank me when you get it."

"Goodnight, Andréa."

"'Night, Miranda," she smiled.

She watched the screen go dark and turned back to the sauce, rescuing it at the last second before it burnt on the bottom of the pan. Declaring everything done, she saw the 'Delivered' notification pop up on her screen and chuckled as she dished up three sizable portions of food.

"Girls, dinner's ready."

"Whoa," Cassidy grinned. "Thanks, Andy."

"You're welcome," she laughed. "Can you get the drinks?"

"Mhmm."

"Caro?"

"Sorry," she grinned. "This book is really good."

"Good. Put it away now, we're going to eat. Can you get the cutlery?"

She busied herself putting the garlic bread on the table. No matter how Miranda felt about it, garlic bread was an essential part of pasta nights as far as she was concerned. By the time she sat down, there were two messages from Miranda. Andy chuckled and before she opened them, told the twins what she had done.

"You bought her a pizza?" Caroline said in awe.

"I did," Andy chuckled. "A proper Italian pizza with tons of mozzarella and sinfully delicious sauce. Reckon I'm fired?"

"Pfft." Cassidy scoffed. "She can't fire you. She can't ever fire you now. You're basically stuck together."

Andy chuckled and opened the phone. One message consisted of Miranda's favourite emoji; that little yellow face with the arched eyebrow. The second, sent ten minutes later, was a single word. One that made Andy smile brightly.

Acceptable.