Saving My Daughter
Title: Saving My Daughter
Chapter 3: Who are you?
Rating: PG13-NC17-R
Warnings: for this chapter? Mild angst and…that’s all. For now.
Pairing: Andrea x Miranda
Disclaimer: All rights to their rightful owners. I am making no profit from this and any resemblance to reality is purely coincidental.
Summary: Andrea Sachs is an established journalist at the New-York Mirror…with a tragic past that still torments her to this day. She has never even heard of Miranda Priestly. What happens when as luck would have it, she saves one of Miranda’s precious twin girls from a dangerous accident?
(A/n: This chapter is quite a bit longer than usual so I hope you enjoy! Please remember to comment!!)
~ ~ ~
I've seen the waves
Inside your heart
Turning you upside down
And I've heard the dreams
You have at night
Giving you trouble
But I don't know you
Will you show me who you are
'Cause I want to know you
So please show me
How I'll know you
I don’t know you- Kate Havnevik
Miranda rushed into the office handing the book to Emily who was waiting in her usual place by the door, and began the morning routine of issuing a string of orders, saying everything only once, of course, and then heading into her office where her usual order of Starbucks coffee would be waiting.
Miranda tossed her coat and bag onto the second assistant’s desk without even looking at her and strode into her office. She glanced at her desk and saw her cup of coffee there. She held it up took a sip and almost spat it back out. It was not even lukewarm anymore.
It was cold.
Absolutely unacceptable.
“Emily, Starbucks. And make sure it is scalding hot this time. Honestly. How many times must I repeat myself? I want a hot Starbucks latte double shot when I get here in the morning. Is there something complex about this?”
“No Miranda. I’m sorry-” the redhead woman pitifully began.
“I don’t want your excuses. Get me a hot cup of coffee here, now. That’s all.” She nearly snarled.
She’d had a terrible time falling asleep after her argument with the girl’s father over the phone last night. Today of all days she was in absolutely no mood for excuses.
Emily practically ran out of her office to do her bidding.
From her inner office she heard Emily hiss the order of coffee to the new girl. Oh wonderful.
Now she’d have to wait for another hour before she got her coffee. For all her intelligence she was almost remarkably bad at completing hands-on tasks. But… Despite everything, she still showed promise, which is why she hadn’t fired the young woman-- yet.
But if she did not return with hot coffee within the next twenty minutes Miranda would fire her.
~*^*~
Andy half ran back from the Starbucks with Miranda’s searing hot coffee in a thermos she’d had the foresight to bring to work on her second week of employment at Runway.
After the first week of failure she’d gotten the idea after puzzling over it for about a half hour one late night in her loft.
She’d tried to get Emily to use the same trick but the Brit had rejected her idea as being ludicrous and idiotic and had returned with lukewarm coffee this morning for Miranda despite Andy’s warning.
But really it was such a simple and effective way of bringing hot coffee back that Andy had started to use it every time she went to the Starbucks since the beginning of the week.
It was now Thursday and Andy was working hard at her new job despite all the criticism from every single one of her co-workers on her clothing and eating habits.
The only problem she had bringing back coffee now was her lack of speed. Heels were a terrible impediment to her level of speediness in accomplishing Miranda’s demands. She resolved that even if it got her fired she’d sneak in a pair of flats into her purse tomorrow and wear them outside the office and wear the heels inside of it.
She’d be damned if she didn’t get this coffee back to the office within the next five minutes she resolved. She was ever grateful that she’d made friends with the Baristas at the Starbucks and was now served very quickly and without delay. They even made sure she always remembered to bring a Starbucks cup with her when she left.
Andy looked at her watch and picked up the pace.
~*^*~
Andy stumbled into the office, thermos in hand, and made a quick detour to the kitchen to pour the scalding coffee into the Starbucks cup. She placed it on Miranda’s desk in record time.
Literally. It had taken her all of thirteen minutes to accomplish the whole task.
Miranda looked up from the papers she’d been going over and with one vaguely approving glance at
Andy, she took a sip from the cup. Before she could restrain herself, a pleased hum of approval slipped from her.
Andrea smiled feeling a thrill at her small triumph and said, “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Miranda placed the cup back onto the glass surface of her desk and nodded yes.
“Pick up Patricia from day care and take her to training class. Then call my ex-husband and remind him that it’s his weekend to have the girls. I’ll be having lunch with Donatella so confirm my reservations that place where they make the salads I like. Tell Nigel I need the proofs for the Gabbana spread by noon and remind Jocelyn that I do not want to see a single piece of enamel in any of them. Enamel has been done. Have Paul bring me that red folder for the Burberry winter line and remind Marcia that she has to hand in her report on the new accessories from Dior by 3 o’clock or she might not bother return at all. Make an appointment with Lagerfeld for some time next week, whenever he’s available. Oh and call Cara and tell her to make sure the girls have their ridding gear ready and their bags packed for the weekend in the Hamptons with their father. That’s all.”
Andy had thankfully managed to write all of that down and was now in the process of leaving the office to get started on that list.
First things first who the hell was Patricia?
She asked Emily and the redhead had replied with a smirk that suggested she might not like finding out.
“Miranda’s dog, Patricia. A Saint-Bernard.” The redhead practically sneered.
Andy’s eyes widened and to Emily’s surprise she smiled widely.
“Miranda has a Saint-Bernard? Wow that’s unexpected! I love big dogs! I have a Great Dane so I’m used to handling large dogs.”
Emily raised her head from her computer screen long enough to glare. She was clearly about to growl out some snippy remark but thankfully the phone rang, saving Andy the trouble.
“See you later Em.” Andy hurried down to the lobby where Roy waited to take her out on the next errands.
~*^*~
Miranda caught the last of the conversation between her assistants as she was about to head out for breakfast with Vivienne Westwood.
“Miranda has a Saint-Bernard? Wow that’s unexpected! I love big dogs! I have a Great Dane so I’m used to handling large dogs.” The voice of her second assistant said happily.
Andrea had a Great Dane? For some reason this information intrigued Miranda. She found herself wondering where the young woman lived and how long it took her to get to work in the morning and how she managed to take care of her handicapped daughter while working such long hours for her.
She felt an unusual need to know more about this woman who had saved her daughter and now managed to bring her hot coffee in under fifteen minutes when during her first week she couldn’t even manage it in thirty.
She heard Andrea leave and she decided to act on her impulse. She wanted to know more about her.
Returning to sit at her desk she called from her office, “Emily.”
The Brit scurried in to do her bidding.
“Find out everything you can about Andrea Sachs. I want to know where she lives, who she was with when she had her daughter, if she was and or is married and anything else you can find out.
You have two weeks to bring me the results. Do not disappoint me Emily. That’s all.”
She saw brief shock flicker across Emily’s face but the woman quickly replied the requisite. “Yes Miranda.”
The next few weeks could not pass quickly enough for Miranda.
~*^*~
Miranda was absolutely furious. Apparently the universe had decided to be un-cooperative for the millionth time in the last week.
Her weekend in Miami had been nothing but buggy and filled with unpleasant people.
And to top it all off some absurd weather problem was preventing her from going home. She absolutely had to get home.
Caroline was so nervous about this recital and Cassidy wasn’t comfortable performing in front of others without her mother there to approve of her beautiful music. She had self-confidence issues.
She had promised them that she would be there.
She was beyond livid when she called Andrea and found that not even, she, the so called wonder woman assistant, could not get her out of here. Miranda was absolutely furious, at herself and at Andrea for failing her when she needed her most.
She had promised her girls. She had promised them.
Yet another promise to her babies, broken because of work.
And when she returned to the office, she was gunning for somebody to pay the price.
~*^*~
Andrea raced out of the office in tears and was about to just walk out after Miranda’s rant about her failure to bring her home, about what a disappointment she was. Andy was done. She was out of here. She was so ready to just walk out of this office and never come back. To leave.
The thought of Julia’s care bills slowed her steps in front of the art direction department.
She was so fed up of dealing with Miranda’s issues. If only she could figure out how to become what was needed to do this job. She realised that ‘her’ as she was now was not enough.
At first all she had cared about was that she had a pay check to pay for Julia’s care.
And that had been enough for a while. She had been able to put up with all the abuse, with all the cutting comments and ridiculous demands, for Julia’s sake.
Now she didn’t know what to do anymore. She simply could not put up with it all anymore. She saw Nigel through the glass of his office and went in, not knowing what else to do.
“She hates me Nigel.” She murmured, not sure why that single fact bothered her so much.
“And that's my problem because… Oh, wait. No, it's not my problem.” Trust Nigel, her only ‘friend’ in the office to be so supportive. But beggars couldn’t be choosers and Andy needed to talk to someone, anyone who would listen possible understands how much this job was affecting her. Going home to her empty apartment was not a good idea in her current state.
“I don't know what else I can do because if I do something right, it's unacknowledged. She doesn't even say thank you. But if I do something wrong, she is vicious.” Andy clenched her jaw against the string of mean things she wanted to snarl out about her boss.
Nigel said the last thing she expected to hear from him. “So quit.” It took Andy a second to process what he’d just said.
“What?”
“Quit.” He repeated not looking up from his work.
“Quit?” Andy couldn’t be hearing him right.
“I can get another girl to take your job in five minutes… one who really wants it.
"No, I…You don’t understand, I can’t just quit Nigel.” There was Julia to take into consideration. But the way Miranda was treating her, she couldn’t bare it!
“You know, I'm just saying that I would just like a little credit…for the fact that I'm killing myself trying.” She said, struggling to contain the angry tears she felt stinging in her eyes.
Nigel looked up from the papers on his desk then and glared at her. “Andy, be serious. You are not trying.” Andy gasped, yes she was! She was trying so hard to do everything right for Miranda and-
“You are whining.” He continued. “What is it that you want me to say to you, huh? Do you want me to say, ‘Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor you. Poor Andy’? Hmm? Wake up, six. She's just doing her job. Don't you know that you are working at the place that published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, De la Renta. And what they did, what they created was greater than art because you live your life in it.” He paused to look at her and saw Andy’s skeptic look.
“Well, not you, obviously, but some people.” Andy sighed. No not her.
“You think this is just a magazine, hmm?” He held it up flipping through the pages. “This is not just a magazine.” He tossed it back onto the table.
“This is a shining beacon of hope for…oh, I don't know…Let's say a young boy growing up in Rhode Island with six brothers, pretending to go to soccer practice when he was really going to sewing class, and reading Runway under the covers at night with a flashlight.”
Andy looked at him in a different light after hearing that, quickly realising he was talking about himself. She found herself understanding his passion for the magazine better now. She had never been able to before. To her it was just clothes. To him and to the people here, it was art.
“You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work. And you want to know why she doesn't kiss you on the forehead and give you a gold star on your homework at the end of the day.”
He poked his pen in her forehead to punctuate his next words. “Wake up, sweetheart.”
Andy sighed again, acknowledging that Nigel was right. “Okay. So I'm screwing it up.”
“Mmm.” Nigel agreed without preamble.
“I don't want to! I just wish that I knew what I could do to…” and then it hit her. She closed her eyes wincing. The one thing she really did not want to do but would have to, to truly become worthy of working for Miranda Priestly. And maybe avoid most of the criticism about her clothes. Maybe. But she was going to need help.
She turned to look at Nigel more fully and sighed. She couldn’t believe she was about to ask him this.
“Nigel?” she asked not wanting to have to say it.
“Hmm?” he replied not looking up when she didn’t say anything further.
“Nigel, Nigel…”she said with meaning now, almost pleading him.
He looked up and he got the message.
“No.” he said flatly.
A few more seconds of the puppy dog eyes and he caved. Nigel dragged Andy to a part of the Runway offices she had never been in before, and hadn’t realised it even existed before now.
“I don't know what you expect me to do.” He said as they entered The Closet.
“There's nothing in this whole closet that'll fit a size six. I can guarantee you. These are all sample sizes… two and four.” He said as they walked past row after row of clothing racks, bag, shoes, and accessories. This place was more stocked than a mall.
He stopped in front of one rack, “All right. We're doing this for you. And…” he handed Andy the orange and brown poncho.
“A poncho?” she looked at him incredulous, trying to make sure he wouldn’t make her look like a clown.
“You'll take what I give you and you'll like it.” He admonished her. “We're doing this Dolce for you.” Andy liked the dolce he had just handed her. “Hmm! And shoes.” He shoved a pair into her hands and she managed not to drop them. “Jimmy Choo's.”
“Oou.” Andy said smiling a bit at the sight. Even she had to admit, they really were nice shoes.
“Manolo Blahnik.” Nigel tossed her another pair while tossing the name of the designer around like nothing.
“Wow.” Andy gasped.
“Nancy Gonzalez. Love that.” He tossed her another pair and a hand bags as well. He held up a magenta trench against her to see if it would fit. “Okay, Narciso Rodriguez. This we love.--Uh, it might fit. It might.
“What?” she was sure it would, it was her size after all.
“Okay. Now, Chanel. You're in desperate need of Chanel.” She hurried to keep up behind him handling everything he had tossed at her. He spun around to make sure she was following him, “Darling, shall we? We have to get to the beauty department, and God knows how long that's going to take.”
Andy groaned, at the thought of the beauty department. They would no doubt enjoy plucking and pulling and nipping at her until she was considered beautiful by Nigel. She had a feeling he was going to enjoy her suffering just a bit too much.
~*^*~
Andy heard Emily say before she walked into the office. “I absolutely have no idea why Miranda hired her.” She was a real bitch when she wanted to be.
“Tell me about it. We were in the Beauty Department and she held up this Shu Uemura eyelash curler and said "What is this?"”
She heard Emily laugh at that and say “I just knew that when the first moment I saw her, she was going to be a complete and utter disas--” She walked in Emily and stopped speaking as she caught sight of her.
HA! Take that Emily Charleton.
She flipped her hair a just to be sassy. She felt amazing and she knew she looked amazing too.
The phone rang just then and she answered in her best ‘high class polite assistant’ voice, “Miranda Priestly's office... No, she's not in right now but I'll leave word... OK, thanks. Bye.”
Emily stood behind her desk mouth hanging open, completely shocked by her transformation. Andy couldn’t blame her; she’d been pretty shocked herself.
“How...” she looked Andy over and asked ,“Are you wearing the Ch...”
“The Chanel Boots?” Andy cut her off with a smug grin, “Yeah, I am.”
“You look good.” Serena surprised Andy by complimenting her. Andy smiled at the Brazilian woman.
Emily glared blisteringly at Serena.
Serena was however, un-phased by it and stuck by her statement. “What? She does...”
“Oh, shut up, Serena.” Emily growled and thankfully the phone rang again and she picked it up ending the conversation. If Andy hadn’t been in 5 inch heels she’d have done a little victory dance as she left the office on her next errand.
~*^*~
It had been great to see Emily’s furious reaction and Serena’s approval of her new clothes but nothing, nothing at all, and Andy was sure nothing in the world, ever could beat Miranda’s reaction.
Andy was standing Miranda's office, the next morning, after placing her steaming hot coffee on her desk. Just as she finished placing the requisite magazines as well as the glass of chilled Pellegrino alongside said magazines, she heard Miranda walk in talking on the phone after having tossed her coat and bag on Andy’s desk like she did every morning.
She was still on the phone when she saw Andrea and she stopped in her tracks and her speech faltered, and, most importantly, she licked her lips before continuing to speak.
Andy also heard from Serena who had been in the office at the time and saw the whole thing, and assured her that Miranda had turned around to watch her walk away, deliberately.
Andy couldn’t help the smug smile that filled her face at the knowledge that she’d given La Priestly pause to notice her. And to Andy’s surprise that was only the beginning.
~*^*~
Now, every day Andrea arrived at the office with a new outfit in place, Miranda would look her up and down and sometimes a nod or two would slip past her, in her unguarded moments. And once even a positive comment.
Miranda had just walked in to the office while Emily was out for lunch and had paused in front of Andy’s desk and said in that quiet, sultry, absent minded voice of hers, “Hmm, Chanel today. Lovely.”
Andy had gasped and a shiver ran its way down her spine, while Miranda had given her that look.
There was only one way to describe it. Miranda had devoured her with her eyes.
Andy hadn’t said anything about Miranda’s looks to anyone. Nigel, of course, noticed but he made no comment.
But what could she say!? It wasn’t like this had been part of Emily’s Runway 101 crash course that first day. ‘What to do when Miranda starts looking at you like she wants to eat you alive and you aren’t sure if that’s a very good thing or a very very bad thing?’
Ha! Emily would surely keel over and die.
Miranda would look her over, every morning now, so much that she ordered Andrea to wait for her in the lobby in the morning with her coffee.
Of course Andy would not be allowed to ride up with her and had to run up the stairs to get to the office as fast as she could but it was worth it.
It was worth it because Miranda Priestly was looking at her.
Not at her assistant, not at the smart fat girl, not at the second Emily, but at her. Andy’s heart beat a bit faster every time she thought about it. Whether in fear or something else she didn’t know. ‘What on earth was going on here?’ she wondered not for the first time.
~*^*~
The traffic on the way to the Holt preview was horrible, even for New-York. Miranda was of course highly un-impressed and vented her anger out loud, with annoyed comments. Andy had long learned that the majority of her comments were never directed at her in particular but at the world in general for getting in Miranda’s way all the time. It could be actually amusing to listen to her once in a while.
Andy was torn out of her musings, when Miranda hoped out of the car and walked down the last block to James Holt’s work building and entered, simply expecting Andrea to follow her. And of course Andy did, running to keep up the whole way.
She saw Miranda get in to the one and only elevator and paused uncertain of what to do.
Miranda tossed her head at her impatiently for her to just get in to the elevator. She was obviously annoyed at Andy for slowing her down.
Andy had to hold back a gasp.
Getting less and less negative comments for accomplishing tasks without being asked and getting even better and anticipating Miranda’s needs and thus receiving quiet approval was one thing. But being allowed to break one of the golden rules and ride in the elevator with Miranda was something entirely different.
The looks in the mornings, the comments on her clothes and now this?
What was Miranda playing at?
Andy would have to puzzle over it another time, because the elevator doors dinged open and they went in to James’ presentation area, and were greeted by his secretary.
During the James Holt preview the information Nigel had imparted before their departure became invaluable.
“There's a scale. One nod, good. Two nods, very good. Only one smile on record and that was Tom Ford in 2001. And then there is the pursing of the lips.”
“Which means?” Andy had asked already feeling apprehension at the answer.
“Catastrophe.” He replied, his tone implying that it happened all too often. Andy had actually written it all down for future reference.
When James Holt came out with the center piece of his collection and Miranda pursed her lips, the man was on the edge of tears as she stood to leave the building, with a snarled “Fix it.”
Andrea hurried to get the door for Miranda and then slowed down to talk to Nigel trying to make sure she had Miranda in sight at all times.
“I hope Miranda doesn’t ruin him…” Andy murmured. She really did feel bad for the poor man. He would have to re-do his whole collection in a fraction of the time he had before.
“You still don’t get it do you?” Nigel said, looking at her like she was being an idiot again.
“If she wanted to ruin him she would have then and there. She made him what he is. Her opinion is the only one that matters.” Andy nodded and then hurried to catch up to Miranda and open her car door.
When Miranda asked for a new outfit and the confirmation at Pastis with her sister, Andy was pleased to be able to tell her she had already accomplished both tasks. What she had not expected was Miranda’s next request.
“And Andrea you will deliver The Book tonight. Have Emily give you the key.” And with that she slid into the car and Andrea hurried to do the same, trying to contain her happiness at having garnered her approval at long last.
~*^*~
'Wow today was a weird day.' Andy thought as the car drove up the Miranda's townhouse.
She’d been in the elevator with Miranda completely breaking the golden rule and lived to tell the tale. She was sure that Emily would have died had she known. The redhead almost did have a heart attack when she heard Andy ask for the key to townhouse.
That evening Andrea was absolutely determined to do exactly as Emily had told her and to not do anything wrong or stupid like go up the steps or talk to Miranda’s twin daughters. Still she wondered how the little girl, Cassidy faired even after all these weeks.
She entered the town house attempting to be quiet and spotted a table near the door and prayed it was the right one. She put the book down and checked both doors to discover that the one on the left was the closet for the dry cleaning after all.
Relived she turned to leave the house un-noticed.
“Andrea. In here.” Miranda’s voice called from down the hall startling Andrea. Oh god, what did Miranda need from her now? She picked up the book from the table and braced herself to walk into the Priestly house.
She walked towards the sound of the voice, cautiously, and found herself in a sitting area that adjoined the kitchen. She didn’t see Miranda at first but then movement in the corner of her eye alerted her to the editor’s presence. She was sitting in a comfortable armchair in the corner of the room.
She held out her hand for The Book. Andy quickly passed it to her. They heard footsteps down the staircase and down came a sleepy little red head blinking and rubbing her eyes trying to stay awake.
“Mommy I forgot to say goodnight before bed time and-” the little girl gasped, seeing Andy there and glanced at her mother uncertainly.
Andrea looked at Miranda wondering which twin this was and how she should proceed with this situation.
“You’re Andrea. You saved me.” The little girl said.
This was Cassidy then. She glanced at Miranda again before answering the little girl. Miranda’s face let nothing show, but curiosity as to how she would handle the situation.
“Yes and you can call me Andy.” She answered the little girl.
“Thank you Andy for protecting me.” Cassidy murmured shyly shuffling her feet a bit.
“You’re welcome Cassidy. I’m glad I was there.” Andrea answered sincerely. Miranda continued to say nothing and only observed the interaction. She was making Andy more and more nervous.
“You called me Julia that day. Why did you do that? Mommy didn’t know and my name is Cassidy.” The little girl said with all the tact that a 7 year old could possess.
“Bobbsey, I don’t know if Andrea feels comfortable explaining it to you. Maybe I will tell you what she told me later alright?”
“Miranda, it’s okay. That is if you don’t mind me telling her?” Miranda looked at Andrea a bit taken aback that the young woman would want to explain the situation to her daughter personally.
But still Miranda nodded her okay for her to continue.
“Cassidy that’s a very good question. I called you Julia, because my daughter’s name if Julia. She was in an accident and I wasn’t there to protect her. I think I called you Julia without really realising it because I felt like I had to prevent something so scary from happening to another woman’s child if I could. And it reminded me of my daughter. Do you understand?”
Cassidy nodded if a bit uncertainly.
“So you have a daughter? And her name if Julia.” Andrea nodded yes.
“And she was in an accident and you couldn’t protect her, so when you protected me you thought of her and called me Julia by accident?” Andy was impressed at her grasp on things for someone so young . But she figured, like mother, like daughter; Cassidy was a bright girl.
“Yes that’s right.” Andrea smiled tiredly at the young girl. Talking about Julia after the tiring day she’d had was really wearing on her.
“Is Julia okay?” Cassidy asked surprising Andy. The brunette flinched at the question. Miranda noted the reaction with ever growing curiosity. She couldn’t wait for Emily’s report on the young woman this coming Monday.
“She was hurt in the accident but she’s getting better now.” Andy said vaguely. Miranda regarded her with a look that said she approved her having spared her daughter the details of Julia’s recovery.
But luckily the young red head seemed to accept this answer and didn’t ask anything else about it.
“Oh. Okay.” She said simply and she yawned.
“Cassidy darling it really is time you get to bed. You will be tired in the morning when you father arrives to pick you up.”
“Okay Mommy. Good night.” She moved forward to kiss her mother on the cheek and went back upstairs with a sleepy look on her face.
“I never found the time to ask. Where you hurt back then? When you saved her?”
Andy nodded a bit reluctant to answer. “Dislocated my left shoulder and bruising all the way down my shoulder blade.”
Miranda flinched. So she had been hurt. She felt the need to ask if she was alright and for once didn’t bother to check her concern for the younger woman.
“And yet you were not damages permanently I trust?” she said not looking at her.
It took Andrea a moment to answer, she was shocked Miranda would care enough to ask.
“No. I’m fine now, thank you for asking.”
“Good. That’s all.”
“Good night Miranda.” She turned to leave not expecting any reply.
“Good night, Andrea.” Andrea’s steps faltered but she didn’t turn around.
Miranda’s lips quirked. She had succeeded in surprising the young woman. It was always good to keep those around her on their toes. She heard the door close behind Andrea and turned back to the book in her hands and got to work.
(A/n: So? Did you like it? Do you want to read more? Please remember to comment!!)
~TBC~