For disclaimers and author's notes see Part 1

Unspoken Fantasy pt 5

by Gin

"Qiviut?" Cassidy shook her head, "No way, Mom... that's not a word."

Andy sighed as she looked at the E's lined up in front of her. "Yes it is, Cass." Andy's dark eyes held just a hint of amusement, while Miranda simply smirked. "It's Inuit... a type of wool. Very expensive, much sought after." Andy chuckled at the incredulous expression on both girls' faces, but spoke to Miranda. "It doesn't surprise me you know that one."

"It does surprise me that you do know it, Andrea."

Andy shrugged, "I did a biography for a couple of survivalists in Alaska, two years ago. One of the ways they made a little money for the supplies they needed, that they couldn't make themselves, was to gather the wool from the molting animals and sell it. It was interesting to me. I actually have a scarf and hat set they gave me as a gift when the book was finished."

"Nice gift." Miranda commented, "I have a scarf, but not a matched set."

Andy smiled and made a mental note to herself to contact the Alaskan couple for a scarf/hat set as a gift for Miranda at some later date. "It is nice, very warm." She gestured to the board, "Are we finished then? Because all I have left are vowels and there is no way any of us can catch up after that..." Her deep brown eyes crinkled at the corners at Miranda's smirk, "Triple word score."

"Yeah," Cassidy patted her belly, "I'm kinda hungry too."

"Did you guys go surfing this afternoon?" Andy helped pick up the board and put the tiles away.

"Yeah," Caroline laughed, "We'll have to come back here sometime, just for the surfing."

"That is nearly all you've done this time." It only sounded a tiny bit petulant. Miranda was well aware that the girls were growing up and wanted to be off doing their own 'things' as often as possible.

"If you will excuse me, just need to use the loo." Andy chuckled at her choice of words and spoke as she left the room. "I've lived in England too long."

"We don't have to go, Mom." Caroline spoke quietly as she put the game box back on the shelf where they'd found it and assured her mother, "But we love surfing and thought you and Andy might want some time alone."

"I know how much you enjoy the sport," Miranda nodded and smiled at the girls, "Both of you. And I do appreciate your thoughtfulness when it comes to Andrea."

"We love you, Mom." Cassidy hugged Miranda's shoulders. Any other comment was lost as a knock sounded at the door.

Miranda patted the arms around her for release, "Our meal has arrived."

"More wine?" Andy held up the bottle in question and smiled as Miranda nodded. She filled both their glasses and returned the empty bottle to the chiller. "Thank you for the lovely meal."

"Mmm..." The girls had returned their plates to the service cart before heading to their rooms for some much needed sleep but Miranda glanced at the remains of the steak on her plate, then the bits of salmon on Andrea's. "Was that enough for you?"

"Oh yes," Andy patted her tummy, "It was plenty."

"In the meals we've shared, you've always chosen fish as an entree. Is that because of our location?" Miranda had not been surprised when Andrea voiced her preference earlier.

"No, actually." Andy grinned, "You've sussed out my pescatarian ways."

"That is the second time this evening you've used a decidedly "English" term." Miranda tilted her head slightly to study her companion. "I don't recall you doing that at the office. Is that normal for you?"

Laughing at that, Andy ran her fingers through her hair as she nodded, "Yeah, actually. As I told you, I've lived with Susan for the last six months, but I had been there for nearly six months prior to that working with other clients, so basically for the last year I've been living in England, immersed in the language. I'd been working to regain my "American" accent for a few weeks prior to my arrival here and thought I'd managed it fairly well."

"You did..." Miranda nodded, "So, why are you now slipping?"

"I had quite a lot of time this afternoon, to meditate and relax." Andy sighed and gestured to her glass, "The wine is probably a large factor as well."

"You... relaxed, this afternoon?" Miranda found that slightly disturbing. She had become more and more tense as the time had passed. Anticipating the upcoming meeting with Andrea was not conducive to relaxation on her part. The decision she had come to after their lunch had left Miranda saddened to the point of near despair. How Andrea, as intelligent as she was, didn't come to the same conclusion, regarding this thing between them, was astounding. The fact that Andrea had been able to relax was ample proof that she had not arrived at the same logical conclusion that Miranda had. Obviously Andrea was still under the impression that a relationship between them would work.

"Yes, after a few hours of meditation I managed to accomplish that goal." Andy sipped her wine and licked her lips as she set her glass down, "I suppose we are going to have that talk now."

"I believe that would be wise." Miranda gestured to the living area of the bungalow and frowned when Andrea shook her head. "No?"

"No," Andy stood and extended her hand to Miranda, "Let's go out on the balcony."

"Alright," Miranda stood and took Andrea's hand as the young woman led her outside. Andrea settled herself on one of the chairs around the small table and cradled her head on her fingertips, elbow on the table.

"Okay, I'm listening. What was it you needed to talk about?"

"What I needed to talk about?" Miranda blinked, stressed the pronoun. She was baffled at the phrasing of that statement. "Andrea, we need to discuss this." Taking the young woman's nod as a prompt, Miranda launched into the speech she'd been rehearsing in her mind most of the afternoon. It detailed all the drawbacks to this arrangement, the difference in their ages, the reaction in both of their professional lives and the scrutiny of the media. Despite her daughters' encouragement just prior to Andrea's arrival, the conclusion she had formed while they'd been gone surfing remained and now Miranda began to spell it out to her would-be romantic partner.

Miranda paced the short length of the balcony as she spoke, knowing Andrea's eyes were trained on her. Back and forth she went, laying out every reason she could think of not to continue, not to proceed with this, affair. She had come to the devastating realization, that it would simply hurt too much to lose Andrea when they tried this and it failed. Her lovers always left, for one reason or another, she saw nothing to indicate Andrea would be any different. In fact, the young woman had left her once already. The most logical thing, to Miranda's mind, was to stop this, now, before they got in any deeper. Andrea's continual nods at key points in the speech only confirmed Miranda's conclusion in her head, which is why she was left breathless when her speech was over and Andrea broke the silence stretching between them.

"I want to make love to you."

"What?" Miranda shivered at the thought of Andrea's hands on her. It almost melted her where she stood, but logic took over. "Have you not been listening?"

"Yes." Andy stood and moved to intercept Miranda as the older woman began pacing again. "I've listened to the words and I've heard the arguments. I can also hear the tone in your voice. The "I've thought about this and made my decision" tone that no one disagrees with, but, I knew you would do this, knew you would try and tell me why we should not do this and I am saying, "No"."

"Andrea..."

"No, Miranda." Andy continued as if Miranda had not interrupted, "I have heard and I understand every one of your so-called reasons," Locking her gaze with Miranda's, Andy clearly enunciated every word, "and I still want to try." She smiled at the flicker of hope she saw spark in Miranda's eyes, "I think you're worth the effort, that we are worth the effort." She took Miranda's hand in hers and smiled as Miranda's blue eyes tracked their joined hands up to Andy's lips. Kissing the inside of Miranda's wrist, Andy smiled, "I want to show you what I'm fighting for," Deep brown eyes held Miranda's for a heartbeat, "I want to make love to you."

"This situation is not going to be resolved with sex."

"I'm not talking about sex, Miranda." Andy smiled and reached up with her free hand to thread her fingers through Miranda's hair, "You and I both have plenty of opportunity for that, whenever we want." Pressing her lips against Miranda's temple, Andy murmured. "I want to make love to you, Miranda."

"I..." Miranda shivered as Andrea's lips brushed along her jaw, "Oh, Andrea... I..."

"Shhh..." Andy covered Miranda's lips with hers and all speech stopped for several moments before Andy broke the kiss. She rested her forehead against Miranda's. "You don't have to answer now. I will go back to my suite and I promise to give all your words the consideration they deserve. All I ask is that you do the same to my proposal." Andy's fingertips brushed down the side of Miranda's neck as she moved away, "I will be back, tomorrow, after the girls leave."

Miranda watched as Andrea walked back into the suite and out through the bungalow's front door. Her skin tingled where Andrea had touched her, and ached where she wanted Andrea to touch her, but all she could think about was that Andrea was gone, again.

Andy walked up to Miranda's bungalow, hesitating when she saw the door had been left open slightly. She recalled her comment from yesterday about thinking Miranda was on the balcony and so she let herself in, quietly then moved through the suite to the outdoor space. Sure enough, Miranda sat on one of the recliners there, staring out over the ocean.

"I have a problem, Andrea."

"What's wrong, Miranda?" Andy quickly moved to Miranda's side, kneeling next to the chair, "What can I do to help?"

An ironic laugh escaped Miranda's lips, "You are the problem..." The silver head shifted, and Miranda's vivid blue gaze locked on Andrea's deep brown eyes. "...and the solution."

"I don't understand." Andy took Miranda's hand and kissed the soft skin on the inside of Miranda's wrist, "What do you mean?"

Gently extricating her hand from Andrea's, Miranda refocused her attention on the horizon. "When I am alone, everything seems so clear. This, relationship between us, is madness. It will never work... it can't possibly work... there are so many issues stacked against it, the chances of success are infinitesimal."

"Miranda..."

"No... it's true, and you know it... but let me finish." Miranda took a deep breath, "As I said, that is how I feel, when I'm alone. The knowledge that this will never work between us, and that we should not even begin to try for a relationship saddens me, but that is how things are in life sometimes." Licking her lips, Miranda continued speaking, "But when I'm with you, in your presence, I dare to hope. The issues don't seem so daunting, and I actually begin to believe that a partnership between us could work."

"What's wrong with that?" Andy laid her head on Miranda's lap, looking up at the introspective woman. "What's wrong with hope? I thought you lived on it?"

"I cannot deal with these dual feelings. They are tearing me apart after only a few days. Being without you, is a pain to me, but I cannot be with you all the time." She could feel her tears beginning to form, again. "When I'm alone, I have such doubts about us that... all I can think of is that we should not be doing this, I should not be with you. You should not tie yourself to me in this manner. But when we are together, I cannot help but feel drawn to you. I have missed you so much these last few years. The need to touch you is often overwhelming," She looked down at Andrea's concerned brown eyes and noticed that her own hand was running through Andrea's long silky hair. "You see, I didn't even know I was doing that..." She pulled her hand away.

"Miranda." Andy shifted, stretching out next to the older woman on the lounge chair. She wrapped her arms around Miranda. "We can deal with this, one day at a time."

"This is what I mean," Miranda also shifted slightly and turned to make room for Andrea's thin frame to fit next to her and it did fit, perfectly. "This feels so good, and so right...and if anyone asked me, right at this moment how I pictured my future, I could not picture it without you in it." Miranda rested her head on Andrea's shoulder. If they'd been standing it would have looked like they were dancing. "But then you are going to go, leave for one reason or another... last night you left to go back to your own room, and when you do, the future no longer looks as certain."

"I won't leave, Miranda." Andy assured the woman in her arms. "I'm right here."

"I hate this." Miranda belied her words as she snuggled closer, then elaborated, "I hate this... neediness. I don't cling, Andrea... not ever."

Andy smiled, found Miranda's ear and whispered, "I want to make love to you, Miranda."

Miranda shivered as Andrea's breath warmed her skin then soft lips and velvety tongue explored the outer edge of her ear. Goosebumps raised everywhere on her and Miranda moaned slightly when Andrea's teeth bit down lightly on her earlobe. The low whisper shot electric waves of desire through her. Like the ocean not so far away constantly crashing to shore, wave after wave of pleasure washed through her and crashed in her middle, just below her navel. "Stop..." Miranda barely had the strength to push Andrea away, "Please stop..."

"What's wrong, Miranda?"

"I cannot... I do not want..." Miranda tried to form a coherent thought and catch her breath at the same time.

"Oh..." Andy nodded obviously disappointed at Miranda's comments. "I see."

"No... you don't." Miranda took a deep breath and stood, offering her hand to Andrea, "One of these days we're going to have to talk about your unfortunate habit of second guessing me." She smiled as Andrea took her hand and spoke as they walked into the bungalow. "I do not want our first time to be on a lounge chair where any passerby on the beach might see us."

"Oh," Andy followed Miranda into the bedroom and teased, "Keeping me as your dirty little secret now?"

"Mmm... Not exactly." Miranda released Andrea's hand and turned to face her soon-to-be lover. "There is one thing I must do, before we... proceed."

Andy grinned, "Oh?"

"Yes," Miranda took a deep breath and wondered if this would really effect anything, but in her own mind it was the right thing to do. "I can not do this, if you are my employee."

"Yes, Miranda."

"You're fired." Miranda blinked as Andrea's grin widened to the sun-rivaling smile she was known for. "Why are you smiling, Andrea? I just fired you!"

"No, you didn't. You can't." Andy's smile morphed into a smirk. "You don't have the authority."

"I don't have..." Miranda glared at Andrea, "Of course I... Why are you shaking your head?"

"I don't work for you, Miranda. I haven't worked for you in four years. I was assigned to be your assistant, yes... but I haven't worked for you while we've been here..." Andy stepped forward and kissed Miranda's lips gently, then spoke with a smile, "Mr. Roarke was my employer."

"Oh..."

"And before you ask me to be re-assigned, I spoke to him after I left last night. We agreed that the terms of my contract, while my 'fantasy' was not completely fulfilled, the majority of my demands have been satisfactorily met. I'm just a guest here now, the same as you." Andy moved closer still and seemed fascinated by the texture of Miranda's cheek against her fingertips. "I'll leave for the mainland on the same plane as you and the girls, on Sunday evening."

"Good." Miranda moved into the touch, closing her eyes to savor the sensation, "I was dreading the thought of leaving you here..."

"Were you?" Andy sighed, "It would serve me right..." She looked directly into Miranda's darkened blue eyes and shrugged, "Paybacks." Andy lowered her eyes, unable to look at Miranda and think about that day in Paris at the same time.

"Andrea... that was a long time ago." With gentle fingers under Andrea's chin, Miranda angled the sad brown eyes up. "Let it go."

"Have you?"

"Yes..." Placing a light kiss on Andrea's cheek, tasting the one salty tear that had escaped Andrea's eye, Miranda reassured the young woman, "Yes, I forgave you for that, a long time ago." The random flashes of anger that consumed her regarding that event never lasted long. The memory of the betrayal had long since been overwhelmed by the loneliness Andrea's absence had caused.

"Miranda," Andy let her tears fall as she threaded her fingers through Miranda's soft white hair and leaned in. With her lips, millimeters from Miranda's she whispered, "I want to make love to you."

"No one is stopping you, Andrea..." Miranda found her arms automatically wrapping around Andrea's lean form as they descended to the bed. Her last coherent thought was of how perfect it felt to be in Andrea's arms, and then there was nothing but gentle kisses and soft caresses. Andrea's hands on her evoked sensations that Miranda had never experienced in her entire life, not once, not with anyone. The feeling of Andrea around her, inside her, was incredible, indescribable. She thought she was going to go mad from Andrea holding her, just on the edge of release. It was brilliant, and perfect, it seemed endless and she never wanted it to end, but at the same time Miranda needed, just a little bit more... just a little... "Andrea... please..." Full, luscious lips found her ear.

"Shhh..." Andy whispered and smiled against Miranda's soft skin. "Come for me, Miranda."

That was it, all it took. Not an order, but a gentle request that Miranda could not help but grant. Great waves of pleasure broke over her as Andrea held her steady. "Andrea! Andrea... I... Oh God..."

"Shhh... I'm here... I've got you..." Peppering Miranda's face and neck with soft kisses, Andy waited for Miranda to completely relax before she shifted to allow her lover's head to rest on her, just above her breast. She smiled as Miranda sighed in obvious contentment. Andy arranged the sheet around them and closed her eyes, drifting off in a haze of happiness.

Andy floated blissfully on a cloud. She loved this part of the morning, before she totally woke up, before her dreams disappeared into the harsh light of day and the sensation of Miranda in her arms gave way to reality.

This morning was different though, this morning the normal sounds of traffic outside her window was replaced with the constant whoosh of the ocean waves beating against the sand. Light filtered through her eyelids and a shadow crossed her face. "Wha.." Blinking her eyes open, Andy found herself looking directly into Miranda's vivid blue eyes, "Miranda..." Suddenly, Andy remembered where she was, in Miranda's bed, and smiled. This wasn't a dream, she wouldn't wake up to find it gone, she was really here. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," Miranda shifted and traced the line of Andrea's jaw and neck, running her fingertips across the prominent collarbone. "Breakfast was delivered a few moments ago, if you're hungry."

"If I'm..." Andy laughed and pulled Miranda down to her, "After my workout last night... I'm starving." Rolling, she pinned Miranda under her and pressed their lips together. She had intended on it being a quick kiss, but the moment she felt Miranda's soft lips moving against hers, Andy moaned and deepened the kiss. Andy knew she could spend the rest of her life just like this, kissing and tasting Miranda. Releasing the older woman's mouth, Andy began trailing kisses down Miranda's neck. She moved lower, placing light kisses on the soft exposed skin just above Miranda's breast and began to pull up the nightgown Miranda was wearing.

"I thought you were hungry."

Chuckling at that, Andy kissed the skin she'd just exposed and agreed, "Oh yes... very hungry..."

Miranda drew in a deep breath and shifted to allow for better access, even as she spoke, "Your breakfast is getting cold, Andrea..."

"I don't think so..." Andy licked her lips, "I think my breakfast is getting hotter by the moment." Lowering her head, Andy smiled against the smooth skin as she kissed her way up Miranda's thigh. She loved the gasp caused by the first flick of her tongue and decided she was going to do everything in her power to draw that sound from Miranda as many times as possible.

"How can you possibly eat that?"

Andy looked up and grinned as she tore another bite off of the cold pancake, "I'm starving..." She dredged the bite through the pool of syrup on the plate and shifted it to her mouth, not allowing a drop of the syrup to touch the silk robe she wore. Politely holding her hand up in front of her mouth as she spoke around the bite, Andy laughed, "It's delicious."

Rolling her eyes at that, Miranda reached for a bowl of cut fruit. "At least this is supposed to be cold." The icy bed the bowl had been sitting on, before she had transferred it to the table, had kept the bits nicely chilled. "Do you want some?"

"No," Andy continued eating the cold pancakes. "I had my smoothie..." she pointed to the empty glass next to her plate. The container it had been delivered in had also been on ice. "So, what are we going to do today?"

Miranda's vivid blue eyes raked over her tablemate with obvious intentions.

"We can't stay here all day..." Andy laughed, "We have to get out, walk on the beach..."

Miranda shook her head.

"... watch the birds... "

Another shake.

"feel the sun on our faces..."

"Uh uh..." Miranda put down her bowl and moved to sit on Andrea's lap, the silk of their robes sliding together easily. "We are staying right here..."

Andy pressed her lips together then with deliberate intent, ran her finger through the syrup on the plate in front of them. Raising the finger to Miranda's lips she painted them, and was surprised when Miranda captured the digit in her mouth. Shivering at the sensation of Miranda's tongue swirling around her fingertip, Andy allowed the treatment to continue for a heartbeat then moved her obstructing hand and began to slowly lick away the sweetness she'd placed there. "Miranda," Andy mumbled against her lover's lips, "Let's go back to bed."

"No," With a lazy swipe of her arm, the remains of their breakfast fell to the floor. Miranda stood, bringing Andrea up with her then turned and sat the younger woman on the edge of the table. Looking directly into Andrea's deep brown eyes, Miranda grinned, "I haven't finished my breakfast yet."

Andy shivered as Miranda tugged on the belt to the robe she wore and it fell open. As Miranda began to kiss her way down the length of her body, Andy sighed and murmured, "I guess this is Fantasy Island after all." The gentle caresses stopped abruptly and Miranda whispered.

"What?"

"You know... Mr. Roarke is supposed to grant people their fantasies. Like he did with Susan. I still have no idea how he managed to let her walk again." Andy smiled at the memory then her forehead wrinkled as Miranda moved away, "What? What's the matter... Miranda?"

"Is that what this is?" Miranda held her emotions in check as she turned her back to Andrea, "Am I your "fantasy"?"

Smiling at that, Andy hopped off the table and took the three steps necessary to reach Miranda, not bothering to tie her robe back together, and turned the woman to her, "Of course you are... anyone that ever meets you fantasizes about you in one way or another." When Miranda tried to pull away, Andy held firm, "But if you mean, this..." Andy gestured to the table, "Yes, I did have that particular day dream a time or two..." Andy grinned as a tinge of pink dusted Miranda's cheeks and confided, "...it was usually your desk though." She lifted Miranda's chin to hold those vivid blue eyes in her gaze and gestured between them, "But this... you and me... Miranda, this is no mere fantasy, this is beyond my wildest dreams."

"You said before that your fantasy had not been fulfilled." Miranda stopped resisting the hold Andrea had on her, "What..." she started to ask, but was afraid of the answer.

Andy completed the question. "What was my fantasy?" She smiled as Miranda nodded, "Well... it did have to do with you."

"Did?"

"Mmm... it came true, so it doesn't matter now..." Andy saw the hesitance in Miranda's eyes and sighed, "I didn't lie to you. When I told you that my fantasy had not been fulfilled, it hadn't been, not then, not yet."

"So you did want to make love with me..."

"Oh yes, very much so..." Andy smiled as she lightly traced the side of Miranda's face, "I want to do that many, many times. But as much as that was a beautiful dream, it was not my fantasy." Andy's hand found its way down the side of Miranda's neck, across her collarbone, down the side of her breast, and over her ribs to circle Miranda's waist. She pulled Miranda closer, loving the feel of their bare skin mingling with the silk of the robes. "My, fantasy, Miranda was that you would forgive me, for leaving you in Paris."

Melting into the embrace, Miranda sighed, "You're wrong... you didn't need me to forgive you." She looked up into eyes she knew she could drown in and smiled, "You just needed to forgive yourself."

Andy shook her head, "I n..needed y..you, t..to t..tell me it was okay to f..forgive myself."

"Andrea... " Miranda smiled and spoke in the low sexy way that made others listen just a little bit more, "I want to make love to you."

With a tiny smile, Andy took a deep calming breath and asked, "Do you really think sex is going to make me all better?"

Miranda's eyes narrowed slightly as she smirked and answered, "Oh, absolutely."

The seaplane's engine rumbled as it floated next to the dock. Island workers were busy loading the guests' luggage into the cargo area and a small quartet of musicians played a soft island song.

Miranda walked toward the dock, with her arm around Andrea's waist, the girls on either side of them. They stopped where Mr. Roarke stood to see his guests safely to the plane.

"Thank you, Mr. Roarke," Miranda held out her hand for him to shake, "for the loveliest vacation I can remember." She hesitated then added, "I didn't know about all this 'fantasy' business, but," she tightened her arm around Andy's waist, "this would have been it."

The man's brown eyes narrowed slightly as the corners of them crinkled with his knowing smile, "You are quite welcome, Ms. Pr... er..." He bowed over the hand in his and kissed the knuckles lightly, "Miranda..." He released her hand and turned slightly toward Andy. "And you, Ms. Sachs, I trust your short vacation was also satisfactory?"

"Very much so, Mr. Roarke." Andy smiled at the man, "As you, most likely, already know." Her dark eyes twinkled as he fought a smile trying to shape his lips. "Thank you."

He didn't speak, but nodded to acknowledge the gratitude.

Andy grinned, "I'll have to come back some day and write your biography. You must have a lot of stories to tell, from working here for so long."

"Oh, Ms. Sachs... you have no idea how true that statement actually is." He chuckled, "There are probably several dozen books you could write from my experiences here."

"Excellent," Andy smiled as she rested her head against Miranda's, "They'll have to wait though, I have another bio to write..."

"Memoirs, my darling... we are going to write my memoirs."

Rolling her eyes at that, Andy chuckled and informed Mr. Roarke dryly, "...it could take a while."

"I look forward to reading it"

When Miranda and Andrea stepped away, the twins moved closer together and spoke to the older man.

"Thank you, Mr. Roarke..." Caroline glanced at her mother laughing and smiling in Andy's arms, "I don't know how you did it... but thank you."

"I did nothing, Caroline..." His dark eyes crinkled and the right one winked, "I only gave your mother the opportunity... she is the one who took it."

"But how did you know?" Cassidy asked, "That Andy would be the one to..."

"Your fantasy was for your mother to find the missing part of her heart..." Mr. Roarke smiled, "Caroline's was for your mother to find someone to be with, someone to love after you leave home, someone to love her." He opened his hands in a grand gesture, "To find that one person in all the world is a very difficult thing, but from what you and Caroline told me, I surmised that Miranda had found it and then lost it. Your descriptions of your mother's state after Paris four years ago led me to believe that was where the loss occurred."

"But why wouldn't you think it was the loss of Stephen...?" Caroline asked and Cassidy chimed in, "They got divorced around that time too."

"Oh yes, divorced.. and a very messy one at that," Mr. Roarke glanced at Miranda and Andy, accepting drinks from a server, "Miranda made him pay dearly for hurting her... for hurting you..."

"Oh yeah..." Cassidy grimaced. "That's for sure."

"So?" Caroline wasn't following the man's logic.

"When Andrea, an assistant, walked away from Miranda during one of the most important fashion weeks of the year... what did Miranda do?" His eyebrows raised as Caroline gasped.

"Nothing..."

"She did," he nodded and emphasized the last word, "in fact, do something. She helped Andrea get another job, a job Andrea wanted..."

"Mom loved her, even back then!" Cassidy was amazed. "Wow."

Caroline shook her head, "Then why didn't she do something about it then?"

"Oh c'mon, Ro..." Cassidy sighed, "She was going through a divorce.. if she had done anything, anything at all with Andy, Stephen would have weaseled out of his penance and the press would have skewered her even more than usual... female assistant.. half her age? They'd have had a field day."

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Are you two ready to go?" Miranda moved closer to her daughters, "I believe the plane is ready to leave."

"Yeah," Caroline nodded and linked arms with Cassidy, "We're ready."

"Thanks again, Mr. Roarke." Cassidy grinned, "For everything."

Mr. Roarke and Tattoo watched the four walk down the dock to the waiting plane.

"They make a lovely family, Boss."

Nodding at that, the corners of Mr. Roarke's deep brown eyes again crinkled with a smile, "That they do, my friend, that they do."

End