A/N: Okay so second DWP story. It's a bit fluffy, but there's room for a nice steamy sequel one day! Not much steam in this, just plenty of fluffy lovey dovey slightly unrealistic love for our favourite pair.

Pairing: Mirandy

Disclaimer: Not mine, never were, never will be, unless she gives them to me, in which case they will be mine forever!

Andy groaned as a shrill wail sounded in her ears. Blinking herself into wakefulness she struggled to find the source of the sound so she could smash it into a pulp for waking her so shortly after she had gone to bed. Working at the Mirror may not be quite like she imagined working at the New Yorker would be, but it was stimulating, and exhausting and above all more in line with what she wanted to do with her life. And it definitely was not Runway.

She had thought for sure that she would have been blacklisted for walking away from Miranda Priestly in the middle of Paris Fashion week, but she just couldn't take it any longer. She couldn't take the knowledge that in actual fact Miranda didn't need anyone, or anything. Miranda could take care of herself, and although they had shared that precious moment in Miranda's hotel room the night Steven sent her the divorce papers, she still would never be what she wanted to be to Miranda.

It hadn't been obvious, the attraction she had felt for her boss. It had started just before Nigel had given her a makeover. It spluttered to begin with, but it was there, she had realised, the whole time. Andy had become so good at reading Miranda she had become almost super human in her job. She pre-empted Miranda more than once and enjoyed the prickly camaraderie her boss seemed to grant her because of it. Then Paris happened. A myriad of catastrophe's starting with Emily's accident and ending in Nigel's betrayal, culminating in Andy choosing to walk away.

She'd spent a week crying into her pillow when she had arrived back in New York, but then she realised that she was being completely stupid. Miranda did not like people like Andy. She would never like people like Andy. Sure there was always that tiny niggling thought in the back of Andy's mind that kept whispering to her that maybe she did, maybe that was why she took you to Paris, and confided in you in the hotel room. But the larger part of Andy's brain, and heart was more logical.

Miranda Priestly would NEVER be interested in Andrea Sachs.

Andy nearly fell out of bed when she saw who was calling.

"Miranda?" she grimaced as her voice wavered, laden with emotion as her heart beat sped up and her breath shortened. This could not be happening.

"Andy?" came a set of two small voices on the other end of the line. Andy frowned and checked the display on the phone.

"Girls?" she asked, still frowning, but sitting up quite quickly when she realised that it was the two Priestly twins. "Girl's why are you on your mother's phone, what on earth are you doing?" Andy glanced at the alarm clock next to her bed. "Do you realise that it's 3 in the morning?"

There was a slight pause on the other end of the line and Andy began to lose her patience until a teary voice spoke softly into the line.

"Andy, Stephen was here and now Mommy's locked herself in her bedroom and she's crying." Andy gasped as she heard Cassidy explain why they were calling.

"We think maybe she's hurt, but she told us we cannot under any circumstances enter the room." Caroline continued, Andy shook her head.

"Wait, what do you want me to do about it?" she said, knowing what she wanted to do about it, and it involved a large knife and a suddenly soprano screaming middle aged man.

"Andy can you please just make sure she is okay?" Andy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After the whole Harry Potter incident, Andy had become very attached to the twins and she had missed them dearly since her departure.

"Mum won't mind if you go in there, she's been really sad without you Andy. We've been sad without you." Andy pinched the bridge of her nose, casually remembering that she probably picked that gesture up from the woman herself.

"Cass, Caro, I don't know, I left your mum pretty badly and we haven't spoken since, well, I waved once," she said absently, forgetting for a moment where she was and who she was talking to, "but it's complicated." She finished, shaking her head trying to clear her thoughts.

"Please Andy, she's probably hurt, they were shouting for a long time and then she was quiet and the Stephen left." Caroline's shaky voice came through the phone and Andy sighed, knowing she had lost this battle even before she had heard what it was all about.

"Alright, alright, I'll be there in half an hour." She said sighing again when she realised she would have to take a taxi. The subways may be useful in the daytime, but this late, or early, you just didn't do that sort of thing.

"It's okay Andy, we called Roy, he should be there soon." Cassidy said and Andy rolled her eyes.

"Of course you did." She said defeated. "Alright, alright, I'll be there soon."

Andy smiled as she heard the buzzer for the front door go and picked up her overnight bag, remembering to lock the door on the way out. Leaving the building Roy smiled widely as she saw her, genuinely happy to see the long lost assistant.

"Andy." He said happily, pecking her on the cheek affectionately. "How have you been?" Andy smiled in return and got in the front seat so they could talk while he drove.

"I'm doing okay? How are you?"

"Better for seeing you, she's been impossible since you left. She's less, I don't know, Miranda." Roy glanced at Andy, who was studying a spot on the dash. "Look I don't know what happened between you two, nobody does and believe me, we've all talked about it." He said with a little grin.

"What," Andy started, before being interrupted by Roy.

"Nige, Serena, Emily, me." He said nodding. "We were so worried about you when no one had heard from you and then suddenly Emily was asked to start bringing her The Mirror and then we realised." He said with a smile as he slowed down to a stop in front of the town house.

"She read my work?" Andy said quietly, still studying the spot on the dashboard. Roy smiled gently.

"Every week." He said before opening the door and grabbing her bag. "I'll come in with you. The girls sort of explained what was going on, so I'll just make sure he's not here and then leave you to it."

Andy nodded distractedly and didn't really notice Roy leaving to go to the door. It opened to reveal the two Priestly girls standing in their pyjamas looking worried.

"Andy," they breathed in relief, throwing themselves into her arms. She smiled, coming out of her thoughts and hugged them back, waiting for Roy's okay to go into the house.

"He's gone." He said finally, ushering the three girls inside. "Make sure to lock the door behind you." He said before touching his hat respectfully. "Good luck." He said with a wry grin as he closed the door behind him. Andy rolled her eyes and locked all three locks and put the chain on the door.

"Okay munchkins, I want to know you two are in bed before I go and deal with your mother." She said resolutely, smiling when they moaned. "No, that's final, go and get into bed and I'll come and tuck you in once I get myself a drink." She said with a wink, letting the girls make their way to their rooms. She walked into the kitchen and hunted around for a glass, filling it with water and taking a big gulp. "What are you doing." She whispered as she took in her immediate surrounds.

Shaking her head and dumping the rest of the water she walked up the stairs and made her way to where she knew the twin's bedrooms were. She'd only been upstairs twice before, once being the infamous prequel to the Harry Potter incident and the second time when Miranda had been away and the twins had begged her to help them with their homework, giving her a mini tour of most of the house in the process. They never told their mother, knowing exactly what she'd do to their favourite assistant if she found out she'd been in the house, but Andy felt privileged all the same.

She knocked on the door and let herself in, smiling at the twins sharing the double bed in Caroline's room.

"You two okay?" she asked gently as she sat on the edge of the bed. They nodded but didn't speak, that being an answer in itself. "I'll help her if I can." Andy said gently, running a hand over the twin's heads and kissing their foreheads gently.

"Just don't take any crap off her Andy." Cassidy said, making Andy smile but nodded all the same.

"Alright munchkin's, I'll maybe see you in the morning." She said gently. "If I do we'll have pancakes okay?" she said smiling as the girls whispered a heartfelt yes and she turned off the lights. "Good night."

"Goodnight Andy." They replied in stereo.

Andy stood at the bottom of the stairs to the third floor, trying to psych herself up to actually climbing them. She grappled with her feelings for a moment before taking a deep breath and deciding that this was merely a woman that needed her help, it wasn't Miranda Priestly and she couldn't blacklist her from every publication in the New York area. Nodding to herself she climbed the stairs and came to a stop outside the room the twins had told her was hers. Knocking gently she waited for an answer.

"I'm fine." Came the muffled reply, "please just go back to bed bobbsey's." Andy smiled at the nickname Miranda gave to the girls. She knew they both secretly loved the fact that a woman so sworn against anything 'pedestrian' had a nickname for the two of them.

"Miranda, it's Andy, open the door." She said, steeling her courage and girding her loins, as Nigel had said all those months ago.

There was no reply other than a small sob and a groan. Andy contemplated what to do before pulling a quarter from her pocket and flicking the lock to open, cautiously cracking the door to Miranda's bedroom.

"Miranda, I'm coming in." Andy had long ago learned of the woman's hatred for any sort of question and adjusted her speech to the pattern she had since forsaken.

There was still no reply and Andy cautiously stuck her head around the door, her adrenaline pumping through her veins, ready for anything, like a vase flying at her head. She tried to prepare herself for the scathing review of her wardrobe choice or general body make up she knew she would probably get for her troubles, but she pushed on anyway. What she saw when she got used to the half-light in the room made her heart bleed. Miranda was curled up on her expansive bed, her face covered by her hands, but Andy could clearly see there was blood on the once crisp white Egyptian cotton sheets.

"Oh Miranda." She said gently, rushing to the woman's side.

"Do not touch me." Miranda said as icily as she could. Andy could see that she was a little frustrated with the delivery of her words and smiled despite the situation.

"Miranda, I am only hereto help."

"What are you doing here? Who let you in, I should call the police." She ranted, her voice just as icy as Andy remembered it.

"Miranda calm down, the twins called me, they were worried."

At the mention of the twins Miranda let out a sob and curled into an even tighter ball.

"My babies." She whispered, seemingly forgetting that Andy was in fact still in the room.

"They're fine, worried about you, but fine. I tucked them into bed before coming to you. They called Roy to pick me up right after they realised something was up." Andy laughed a slightly humourless laugh. "Smart girls." She said absently, focusing on a spot on the carpet.

"Why are you here?" Miranda whispered, her voice wavering with emotion but not uncurling from the ball she was trying to become. Andy took a deep breath.

"To be honest, I still don't know. I was fully expecting you to throw something at me when I poked my head around the door, but seeing as you need my help, I offer it freely." Andy said exasperatedly. "Besides," Andy said not really wanting to talk about Paris, but deciding that she owed the woman an explanation, despite the fact that she would never receive one from her. "I owe you."

Miranda groaned suddenly and curled up tighter, making Andy frown and move closer, talking in a low, but calm voice.

"Miranda, I'm going to sit on the bed next to you. I need to know how badly you are hurt."

"Go away." Miranda managed to spit venomously at her helper, refusing to let her defences down, even though the rational part of her knew that although Andy had hurt her once, that particular incident had been partially her fault anyway.

"Miranda I'm not going to hurt you." Andy whispered, lowing herself onto the bed, sighing as Miranda stiffened.

"You already did." Miranda said quietly.

Andy shook her head at the two people she seemed to be talking to. She knew that Miranda was a different person when she was at home with her children, but this was absurd.

"Miranda I need to know if you are hurt, I need to know if I need to call the doctor."

"No." Miranda vehemently sitting up without thinking.

Andy gasped as she saw her face and neck.

"Jesus Christ." She said staring at the woman's features. She had a huge purpling bruise down the left side of her face and what looked to be a hand print on her neck.

Miranda started cursing herself for sitting up and letting Andrea see her like this. She was Miranda Priestly for god's sake. It would not do to be a victim.

"You will leave me alone and get out of my house." She said dangerously making Andy raise her eyebrows. "That's all." She finished with a flurry of her perfect hand, making her cry out as she lifted them to shoulder height.

"Miranda?" Andy decided that the tact she was following was clearly not working. "God, you are by far the stubbornest, most ridiculous woman I have ever met. I'm here to help and you clearly need it, so either you take it from me or I call you an ambulance." Miranda glared at her with such hatred that Andy was sure that her long brunette locks would set on fire.

"I'd ruin you." She spat, refusing to back down. Andy sighed and smiled sadly.

"But at least I would know that you were alright." She said softly, startling the older woman from her well laid defence strategy.

Miranda stared at her former assistant for a long time, wondering at the emotions running through her head and her heart. She may not have the best track record for romance, but she knew what love felt like and she wasn't stupid, she'd known she was in love with her lovely Andréa ever since she's managed to procure the Harry Potter manuscript for her girls. Added to the divorce and the circus that seemed to be following it's every move she could no longer fight what she had tried to so hard. She burst into tears.

Andy smiled gently at the woman as the tears ran down her face. She grabbed a few face washers from the bathroom and pressed one to the small wound on Miranda's forehead and used one to wipe the dried blood from Miranda's chin. Her nose was no longer bleeding, and the little cut was slowing so Andy opened her arms, trying to keep her fluttering heart and stomach still as Miranda uncharacteristically held her tightly and cried into her well-worn NYU jersey.

"It'll be alright." She whispered every now and then, stroking the woman's back gently, knowing that there would be injuries she couldn't see if Miranda had trouble lifting her arms. 'It's going to be alright."

Andy had no idea how long they had sat there but eventually, Miranda nodded off, her breathing shallow, but even. Andy peered at the icon's face, once again shocked at the severity of the injuries or at least how bad they looked, especially on a face that Andy considered to be perfect. Laughing to herself, she pulled the covers off Miranda's bed, knowing that when she woke she would not take too kindly to sleeping in a bed covering in blood, even if it was her own. She left the room quietly and opened a few door along the landing looking for a spare blanket or something, finding a spare bedroom, she yanked the covers off that one and placed them gently over Miranda's exhausted body.

"You are so beautiful." Andy whispered, stroking Miranda's white hair from her face. She grabbed the washcloth from the bathroom again, intent on removing the blood from the usually pristine hair but only being partially successful. Miranda didn't stir the whole time and Andy smiled as she settled into a chair next to the bed, intent on staying close to her former employee just in case. She shifted to get comfy, immediately feeling the lull of sleep wash over her as she listened to the steady sounds of Miranda's breathing. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day, everything always looked different in the light.

She was woken up by sharp gasp and she blinked in the sudden daylight as she tried to work out where exactly she was. Her eyes roved over the room, taking in the deep mahogany fixtures and the warm, but clean look the room seemed to have, before her eyes came to rest on the bed. There was Miranda Priestly, looking scandalised as she studied Andy.

"Don't start that again please." Andy said without thinking. She'd seen Miranda last night, she'd felt how hard the woman had clung to her, how hard she'd cried. "I'm here to help." She reiterated and stood up, wincing as the bones in her neck cracked.

Glancing at her watch she realised that it was still quite early. Miranda still had not said anything, but was staring at her former assistant as if she would self-combust at any moment.

"What?" Andy asked her forgetting momentarily about the rules. Miranda looked like she was about to say something before she closed her mouth, seemingly unable to utter a sound. Andy sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, brushing that lock from her ex-bosses eye. "What is it Miranda?" Miranda swallowed and leaned into Andy's hand, which was now stroking her cheek gently.

"I thought you were a dream." She said so softly Andy almost didn't hear it. Andy smiled genuinely down at Miranda tilting her head a little so she could view the bruise in the daylight.

"You'll need ice for that." She said absently, running a soft finger along the edge of the discoloured skin before running three fingers over the skin on her neck. "Does that hurt?" she asked conscious of how heavily Miranda seemed to be breathing. Miranda shook her head, but didn't talk making Andy frown. "Where else hurts?" Andy said, disregarding the tiny voice in the back of her head that was telling her that her fingers on Miranda's skin was the reason for Miranda's breathing. Miranda looked shocked for a moment, before a flurry of emotions ran through her beautiful sapphire eyes, culminating in a sigh of defeat.

"My ribs." She said in a very small voice. Andy immediately understood the problem. She would have to see the injuries, but that meant that Miranda either had to take of the nightgown she was wearing, or at least pull it up over most of her body. She sighed.

"I know this is awkward, but you need to trust me." Andy said matter-of-factly, "I just want to make sure that they aren't any broken bones."

Miranda studied Andy for a moment before nodding and pulling up her nightgown carefully, keeping most of her body underneath the covers. Carefully, once Miranda had nodded, Andy folded back the corner of the covers so that just Miranda's side was showing. She could see immediately where Stephen had hit her and she bit her lip at the angry colouring that was now marring Miranda's usually perfect ivory colouring. Taking a deep breath she placed the tips of her fingers on the worst looking part and pressed down gently, knowing roughly what to feel for, having had a few broken ribs in her time. Miranda never made a sound, but her breathing grew more erratic and her eyes were tightly closed.

"Okay, I don't think they're broken, but we should probably call the doctor anyway." Andy said gently, pulling the covers back down over Miranda's frame.

"No." Miranda said firmly, but without the attitude. "I'm fine." She looked pleadingly at Andy which made a little uncomfortable at all the emotion swimming in those usually stoic eyes. "Please."
Miranda whispered, her pleading voice and eyes breaking Andy's heart.

"Alright, alright. No doctor, but if you get worse I swear you'll be in the emergency ward even if I have to carry you there myself." She said definitively . The corners of Miranda's lips twitched upwards for a millisecond before she sniffed and nodded.

"Acceptable." She said ending the conversation. Andy rubbed the back of her neck where the muscles and bones seemed to be stabbing her.

They sat in an awkward silence before they heard a door close beneath them. Miranda clutched Andy's hand, making the girl jump a little at her boss initiating the contact.

"The girls." She said, fear creeping into her voice. Andy squeezed her hand gently.

"They're fine, worried about you, but fine." Andy said placating the woman only slightly.

"I need to get up. They need, I need. I told Sarah not to come. They were supposed to stay at a friend's house." She said quickly looking panicked. Andy placed a calming hand on the older woman's shoulder.

"Calm down," she said, squirming a little as Miranda stared at her giving the orders. "They will want to see you." Andy said knowingly. If they didn't let the twins in, they'd find a way in regardless, the two women knew this. Andy noticed that Miranda had yet to let go of her hand and she used her free one to run through her hair. "I told them they could have pancakes for breakfast, so if you're well enough to get up, why don't you take a shower and get yourself cleaned up a little and I'll make them breakfast. I'll come and check on you before I let them come up." Miranda stared at her former assistant for a long time, but Andy was determined and refused to drop the woman's gaze, trying to ignore the depth of those blue eyes she loved so much. She was so caught up in them she missed what Miranda had said.

"Sorry, what?" she said, mentally shaking herself out of her stupor.

Miranda rolled her eyes.

"Really Andréa, I said fine." She said a little annoyed at having to repeat herself, but slightly amused by catching Andy staring into her eyes.

"Oh, right, well I'll go and get the girl's breakfast and come back in a while." She said in a tone of voice that was more asking than telling. Miranda nodded once and waited for Andy to leave the room before extracting herself from the sheets, groaning as her ribs pulled.

She shuffled as regally as her body would let her into the bathroom, gasping at her reflection on the wall length mirror.

"She must think I'm the ugliest thing she's ever seen." She said to herself, turning her head to take in the entire expanse of the bruise. She struggled with her nightgown before deciding that it was easier to take it down over her body than over her head.

Easing it down over her breast and then her hips, she took in the imperfection over the side of her ribs where she recalled Stephen's fists coming into contact with her flesh. Blinking away the tears she shook her head as she took in her reflection. Stephen's harsh words ran through her mind as the tears coursed down her face. She faltered as she stood there, making her stumble back, leaning against the wall letting herself sink the floor, completely ashamed of everything from letting him touch her, to the words he used to the fact that she just couldn't stop feeling so awful.

"Okay kiddo's this is what we're going to do." She said to the twin ten year olds who were watching her with wide eyes as she tied her hair up in a messy bun. "Cass, you're in charge of batter, Caro, you're in charge of plates, I'll cook and then you can both flip a pancake for your mother." She said with a wink, making the girls smile.

"Mum will never eat pancakes." Cassidy giggled, Caroline nodding her agreement. Andy winked.

"Yes, but she has never tried my chocolate chip pancakes has she." She said, pulling some chocolate chips from the cupboard. Cassidy and Caroline both whooped their excitement as Andy instructed them on how to make the batter while she went to check on Miranda.

"I'll be back in a second munchkins." She said ruffling the girls' hair, much to their distaste. Laughing to herself she climbed the three storeys, calling out when she got to the door.

"Miranda?" she poked her head around the door and saw that there was no one in the room. Walking over the bathroom door, she realised that there was no water running. "Miranda?" she said knocking gently so as not to alarm the woman. Her heart rate quickened when there was no reply and she very, very slowly opened the door, praying to any deity that was listening that she would not find an unconscious Miranda Priestly on the floor.

Clearly she should have paid a little more attention to what she was asking the deities for, because there on the ground was a very much awake, but completely distraught, very, very naked Miranda Priestly. Her mouth went dry instantly and she could feel a tug below her navel as she stared at the woman crying on the floor. Pulling herself together and scolding herself harshly for her thoughts she grabbed a large towel from the rack and draped it over Miranda, kneeling down next to the woman and placing her arms around her.

"Are you hurt?" she said gently. Miranda shook her head and clung to her as if she would disappear at any moment and Andy soothed her gently rubbing her back again, trying to ignore the fact that her hands were actually touching the delicate skin on her back.

"I'm ugly." Miranda said after a time, hiccupping a little as she tried to control her crying. Andy pulled back from their embrace and looked directly into Miranda's eyes, trying to convince herself that what she was about to do was a very bad idea.

"No, you're not." She said with a smile, brushing Miranda's hair back again. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen." She said quietly, looking away in her embarrassment. Miranda's eyebrows shot straight to her hairline.

"He said," she gulped a little as she leaned against Andy's shoulder. "He said I was a frigid bitch and that I was ugly and old and frumpy." She said, unable to stop the shiver than ran through her body at the memory of what happened last night. Andy scoffed.

"Yeah, well, he is a dick-head." She said seriously as she held Miranda, who was shivering a little. "Hey, you need to go in the shower and get warmed up." She said gently, pulling back from their embrace again, smiling as Miranda faced her.

"Why are you here?" Miranda asked in nothing more than a whisper, tracing her finger along Andy's cheek bones as if seeing her for the first time. Andy sighed.

"Because I care about you." Andy whispered, aware that they were in dangerous territory right now.

"I really hope that's true," Miranda said almost reverently, making Andy frown a little before Miranda continued, "because then I won't feel so terrible for doing this." She said quietly, sliding her hand around to the back of Andy's head and down to her neck, pulling her down to meet Miranda's lips.

Andy's brain exploded. She had never been kissed quite like this before. The soft lips moving gently along hers made her head spin and her heart soar. She returned the kiss, just as gently, aware that Miranda had a facial injury, but at the same time wanting to devour the woman in front of her. One of them moaned, neither sure which one as Andy's tongue crept gently along Miranda's bottom lip, both of them moaning in unison as their tongues touched for the first time. Nothing about the kiss was fast, nothing was about domination. It was simply about laying their feelings out for each other to see and when Andy heard little feet on the stairs she pulled away slowly, moaning again as Miranda sicked her bottom lip, nibbling it gently.

"The twins." Andy whispered as they sat together, their foreheads touching, both of them gazing into each other's eyes. Miranda sighed but nodded. "I'll help you up." Andy whispered, but not moving, both of them dragging the magical moment out for as long as they could manage before a little voice pulled them back into reality.

"Andy? Mom?" Caroline called causing Andy to place a chaste kiss on Miranda's lips before helping the woman off the floor, leaving her to shower in peace while they made breakfast.

"Sorry little bit, your Mom just needed a shoulder." She said with a dizzy smile as she thought about what had happened.

"Andy?" Caroline said pulling Andy back into the real world again. Andy shook her head and turned to the twin now holding her hand.

"Sorry sweetie, what did you say?"

"I said is Mom okay?" Andy smiled and knelt before Caroline, who she knew was the more sensitive of the two girls.

"She's banged up pretty bad, she's got a really bad bruise on her face, but she's fine. We'll go and see her after we eat our breakfast alright?" she said gently, returning the hug Caroline took as she explained. Shifting slightly she picked up the little girl, laughing at the irony of the situation she found herself in. "Come on, or Cass will have eaten all the chocolate drops." She said tapping Caroline's nose gently making the young child smile.

They ate in companionable silence, only interrupted when Cassidy knocked over her glass of milk. Once they were finished Andy led Caroline and Cassidy back to the kitchen where they finished off the rest of the batter with two heart shaped pancakes, much to the delight of the two girls. Arranging a tray with a glass of milk as well as a mug of centre-of-the-sun hot coffee, they placed the pancakes on the tray and Cassidy carried it up to their mother's bedroom, Caroline holding onto Andy's hand tightly as they walked behind Cass.

"Wait here a second and I'll check she's ready." She said with a smile at the girls, who nodded enthusiastically.

Andy knocked on the door and peered around the frame, spying the editor in chief sitting up in bed wearing a white bathrobe, her make up making a slight difference to the colour of her face, but not hiding it completely.

"Hey, the girls have made you breakfast." She said gently with a smile that was returned, albeit a little cautiously. Andy nodded and turned back to the girls. "Okay my little chefs, your Mom's face is really bruised, but she's okay." She placed an arm around Caroline, who leaned against her as she explained it to them. "No jumping on her and be very careful of her left side okay?" The twins nodded and Andy noticed that Cassidy was having trouble keeping the tray steady, so she opened the door and let Cassidy in first, followed closely by a clingy Caroline, who stared at her mother.

"My bobbsey's." Miranda said gently, letting Cassidy place the tray down on her knee, a tear escaping her brilliant blue eyes as she saw what was on the tray. Andy helped the girls onto the bed, where they sat with a hand on their mother's legs as she ate the pancakes on the plate, groaning appreciatively as she chewed the first bite. "Girls these are wonderful." She said with a shy smile at Andy, who tried not to smile too widely.

"Caro flipped them, and I made the batter." Cassidy said cautiously, as if her voice would break her mother.

Miranda smiled and finished the last bite of her pancakes, much to Andy's surprise, and winced slightly as she placed the coffee on the bedside table, before looking pleadingly at Andy, who stood and took the tray off Miranda's knee immediately, smiling as Miranda opened her arms to her two girls, who cautiously, but resolutely went to their mother, both of them on the right hand side making Andy smile. Andy took the tray back to the kitchen, drinking the milk in the glass before making a few phone calls, one to her boss saying she had a family emergency and that she would not be in today, but was contactable and able to complete any small article via email. Next she range Nigel, who was initially surprised, but sobered immediately when he was filled in on the details, promising that only Emily and therefore by default Serena would know the real reason for Miranda's impromptu vacation. Andy finally called the girls school, letting them know they would be having the day off today. Finishing off the washing up she decided to check up on the three people in the top most bedroom before taking a shower herself. What she saw in the room made her heart melt.

Miranda was on her side, injured side up and she was gazing lovingly down at her twins, who were cuddled up to her side, running her free hand through their hair, alternating between the two. Andy smiled and turned to leave.

"Don't go." Miranda whispered. Andy turned and looked at Miranda, who was looking frightened. Andy smiled gently.

"I'm just going to have a shower." Andy said quietly, aware that the twins had dozed off under their mother's ministrations. "I left once." She said ruefully. "It won't happen again." She said resolutely frowning slightly at the tears making their way down Miranda's cheeks. She walked to the side of the bed and kneeled down, intertwining her fingers with Miranda's who stared at their joined hands intently. "I'd like to make a go of this eventually." Andy said gently, running her thumb over Miranda's knuckles gently. Miranda smiled, almost lighting up the room as she nodded.

"I'd like that." She whispered making Andy smile this time.

"Good." Andy said, "but we'll take it slow, do it properly." She said resolutely, "I don't want this to be a rebound thing." She said studying Miranda's face, who shook her head sharply.

"That's not what you are to me." She whispered, her face covered in the most adorable blush as she avoided Andy's eyes.

"And what am I to you Miranda?" Andy whispered, half afraid of what the answer might be. Miranda looked into Andy's eyes and leaned across the girls to run her hand down Andy's face.

"Everything." She whispered. Andy breathed deeply, willing the tears to stay behind her eyes as the woman before her said the one word that would make all her dreams come true.

"Please don't hurt me." Andy said losing the battle with her tears as she ran her hands through the iconic white hair.

"Please don't leave me." Miranda replied in kind making Andy sob a little, not noticing Cassidy wake up.

"I promise." Andy said firmly as she leaned across the girls, stopping just before her lips touched Miranda's. "I think I love you Miranda Priestly." She whispered. Miranda sighed and rubbed her sore nose along Andrea's gently.

"I think I love you my Andréa." She whispered as lips touched each other again, just as gently as the first time, but sweeter, if it was possible, deeper.

Inches away Cassidy elbowed Caroline who woke immediately, her eyes going wide at the display above them. They giggled as their mother moaned into Andy's mouth, making the two woman tear themselves apart instantly both their faces a deep shade of crimson. They looked at each other, then down at the two smiling girls below them. Before either one of them could work out what to say Cassidy piped up.

"Does that mean Andy is going to stay?" she said looking beseechingly at her mother, who smiled gently.

"It certainly means we are going to be seeing more of Andréa." She looked a little frightened as she turned to Andy, who was watching them with a smile. "If that's what you want?" Andy nodded and Miranda let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding as the girls yelled and threw themselves onto Andy, who was knocked backwards with the force.

"Does this mean we have two Moms?" Caroline said, making Miranda choke on her coffee. Andy giggled and smiled at Caroline, who refused to let go of Andy's hand.

"Maybe one day munchkin." She said looking up at Miranda, who had tears rolling down her face. "Maybe one day."