Fix you
Author: ragelikeafire
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Andy / Miranda
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I’m just taking some extremely liberties with them. No profit, just love.
Summary: The timeline is set approx ten years after the end of the film. Miranda is getting ready to step down from her position in Runway.
A/N: This is a one shot adaptation of The “Urgency” drabble from the ABC of DWP challenge. Dedicated to my BB bytheguillotine. I hope you enjoy C! Comments would just be fantastical!
A/N2: Thanks to my beta sporkmetender for the tongue-lashing over my punctuation and general retardation issues (I’ve got the marks to prove it!) You are my rock!
Fix You
“Andrea, you are being unreasonable.” Miranda pleaded.
As far as Miranda was concerned, she had compromised; she was taking the job on the board of directors, handing over the reins. Why couldn’t Andrea see that it took time that she couldn’t just walk away over night?
At thirty four weeks pregnant, Andy felt that she had every right to be unreasonable. Miranda had been working every night for the past three weeks, with one excuse after the next about why she had missed dinner. This was just the latest in a string of seething arguments.
“You promised me, Miranda!” Andy seethed. She was so angry; she had lost all sense of rational thought. Tonight was the night: the end of an era. It was supposed to be the official handover, but Andy knew it was far from over. “DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE THERE TONIGHT!” Andy screamed across the room as she stormed out.
The sound of Andy’s outburst was washed away by a sweet voice from the door. “It’s ok, Mom. It’s just hormones. I’ll make sure she’s there.” Cassidy assured.
“I’ll make it up to all of you, I promise.” Miranda breathed with her voice barely above a whisper.
Cassidy could hear the shake in her Mother’s voice and felt her heart pinch in her chest. Andy certainly knew how to break Miranda’s resolve. It had always been that way, in good times and bad. “I know, Mom. I believe you.” She replied softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ballroom was swimming in decadence. A who’s who of past and present greats in the publishing world chatted politely and sipped their cocktails. Some were there to celebrate Miranda’s contribution to fashion world, others to celebrate her departure.
Tonight the Ice Queen mask was firmly in place. Caroline watched with admiration as her mother greeted the guests with her sickly sweet smile. A smirk formed on her lips as she saw her address each one diligently and by name, discreetly aided by the constant feed of information being whispered into her ear by one of the latest in a string of nameless assistants.
Miranda had seemed unusually agitated for the entire evening. Those who claimed to know her assumed it was her reluctance to let go of a job she had made her life’s work. Caroline assumed it was a combination of guilt and anger from the earlier disagreement with Andy in the townhouse. ‘That’s all they ever are, silly disagreements’ Caroline thought as the smirk left her face. Both women were too pig-headed for their own good.
But Caroline and Cassidy were taking care of that.
Project “kiss and make up” was in progress. Caroline was to go ahead and make sure Miranda stayed at the party, and Cassidy had been tasked with getting Andrea dressed and to the venue. ‘What is taking her so long?’ Caroline shook her head and fought the urge to pace the hallway.
She looked across the room again, towards her Mother and felt her heart swell with pride as she moved take the podium. Her beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown billowed gently in her wake as she floated gracefully passed the tables. The sound of cutlery clinking against glass signalled her ascent and suddenly the entire room was on its feet in rapturous applause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both of her mothers were stubborn as hell, but Cassidy knew exactly how to deal with them, individually and as a pair, she had a devious streak which Caroline lacked. That was why she had been left behind to attempt the impossible.
Through some feat of magic Cassidy had managed her part of the deal. They might be late, but she had gotten Andy in the car. In this case, it had simply been a matter of playing the “who’s the bigger person?” card. And in the end, working with an emotional, over-dramatic, water-retentive Andy was like child’s play.
Cassidy helped Andy down the front steps of the town house, wary of the trail on the custom-made Vera Wang evening gown. ‘Since when did Vera Wang make maternity wear?’ Cassidy asked herself before focussing on Andy. Her stepmother was clumsy enough at the best of times, but throw in a huge pregnant bulge, three-inch heels and a floor-length gown and you had an accident waiting to happen! She sighed with relief when they finally made it safely to the car.
With all parties safely seated, Cassidy texted her twin to confirm their pending arrival.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caroline’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the message vibrate in her clutch bag. Discreetly, she peered in to the check the situation. ‘Fuck, they’re not going to make it in time before the end of the speech.’ She cursed, clenching her jaw with the frustration that she couldn’t respond with some obscenities without being seen or heard.
“...And therefore, ladies and gentlemen,” Miranda began to wrap up. “it gives me great pleasure to welcome my dear friend Nigel Kipling back into the Runway family as my successor.”
As the patrons stood and the applause erupted around the room, Caroline joined them to honour their guest. Watching her Mother intently she felt a moment of panic as the slightest hairline crack slowly appeared in the usual stone façade. There was a single bead of sweat that ran down her mother’s ghost white cheek. Caroline knew something wasn’t right.
Emily Charlton, long suffering first assistant to the Ice Queen, and now a successful assistant editor at GQ Magazine, also spotted the crack. It was subtle, but her seasoned eye quickly saw that something was out of kilter. Without pause, Emily stepped forward towards the podium, moving smoothly to a position beside Miranda. Her instinct took over.
Caroline watched the eye contact between the two women from her position, the unspoken command, a cry for help, was unquestioningly followed by Emily as she led Miranda from the room.
In the deserted corridor, Emily broke the 11th and 12th commandments in one fell swoop. They were of course, “Thou shalt not question Miranda Priestly,” and “Thou shalt not touch Miranda Priestly.”
“Miranda, are you ok?” Emily asked her voice filled with concern. She held Miranda by the shoulders watched as the woman closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, clearly trying to regain her normally steely composure.
Releasing a breath and breaking Emily’s grip on her shoulders, Miranda began to turn away for her ex assistant, waving her hand dismissively in the air. “I’m fine.” She insisted.
Only she wasn’t.
Miranda’s whole world seemed to move in slow motion. The pins and needles she had been experiencing in her hand and arm suddenly spread into a crippling pain in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Falling to her knees in her thirty thousand dollar dress, she cried out in pain. The taste of champagne and bile rushed up her throat, spilling out of her mouth. Losing complete control of her body and senses, she hit the floor.
“Miranda!” Emily called out, rushing forward and by some cruel twist of fate Caroline chose this moment to enter the corridor.
“Oh my god. CALL 911!” Screamed Emily. She looked over to Caroline who was frozen to the spot, like a deer in headlights. “CAROLINE HELP ME!” Emily screamed, snapping the young woman out of her daze.
Emily stared into the piercing blue eyes of her former employer, her mentor, and idol, as the unadulterated fear emanated from every pore. Emily took a deep breath and prayed that all those years of pressure under fire would pay off that she would get them through this nightmare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The limousine slowed as it approached the venue; both Andy and Cassidy peered out of the windows to the raucous scene ahead. The usual blinding flash of white lights mixed with a neon blue. The press were whipped into frenzy.
“What the hell is going on?” Andy murmured, as she scanned the chaos for answers. That’s when she spotted the cause; through the hullabaloo could just make out an ambulance and several police bikes driving away from the scene.
“What the…?” Andy’s speech was interrupted by Caroline’s personal ring tone sounding loudly from Cassidy’s purse.
Cassidy flipped the phone open to answer the call and as if in slow motion Andy watched her daughters already lily white complexion fade to grey as she listened to her twin on the line. After a few moments of silence Cassidy end the call with a clipped “Ok."
Cassidy’s mind was racing at a million miles per hour. How was she going to tell Andy the news that her twin sister has sobbed into ear? Normally she wouldn’t have needed to think twice about this, she wasn’t a fan of sugar coating anything. But they weren’t exactly dealing with their loving, balanced, sane Andy here. This Andy was an irrational, unstable bag of emotions. The last three months had been torture; it was as if she had contracted a temporary case of schizophrenia! At any given time, they didn’t know which personality was going to rear its head.
First things first! Cassidy tapped on the privacy screen, to the limousine driver who had already come to a stop in the manic crowd. “Take us to Presbyterian now!” She ordered calmly.
Andy gasped in surprise. “Cass? Tell me what’s going on honey?”
Cassidy could see the fear in her stepmother’s eyes, the tears beginning to form. “Mom collapsed; Caroline and Emily are with her. They’ve taken her to the hospital. That’s all she said.”
The tears were now flowing freely Andy just stared into her eyes, as if frozen in time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The limo pulled to a screaming halt directly outside the emergency room doors. Both Cassidy and the driver ran around the vehicle to help a now panicked Andy out of the car. She had tried calling Caroline and Emily’s cell numbers many times in the ten minute journey with no success. In that short space of time her mind had taken her to some dark places.
‘Please let her be ok!” She chanted internally. ‘Why did I shout at her?’
The press had somehow beaten them to the hospital. Cameras flashed a thousand clicks a second as shouts and questions flew at them. Regardless, with years of paparazzi experience under their belts, both women walked through the crowd and into the lobby as if they didn’t exist.
“ANDREA!” Emily shouted with relief as she flew at her from across the room and throwing her arms around her neck in a desperate embrace. A shaking Caroline moved to steady herself against her twin.
As if snapping out of her dream like state, a conversant Andy re-joined the party. “Tell me what's happened Em, Please.”
Emily released her hug to guide Andy to the nearest chair.
Andy observed the dark stains covering Emily’s ruined gown and her once perfect make-up-now smudged. Collectively, the four women were wearing enough couture and jewels to pay off the debt of a small third world country.
“She collapsed just after her speech. When she stopped breathing, Caroline and I gave her CPR until the medical team arrived. We rode with her in the ambulance; they had to shock her twice with the paddles when her heart stopped. We just got here a few minutes ago, and they took her through to the emergency room.” Andy was surprised at how calm Emily seemed; she had never seen her like this. She assumed it was the shock.
“Have any of the doctors been out to see you yet?” Cassidy quizzed. Emily shook her head.
Andy looked towards the twins. “Girls, come here.” Andrea stood awkwardly to pull them as close as possible around her prominent bulge, kissing each forehead. “She’s a strong woman-stronger than the three of us put together.” The twins nodded in agreement and Caroline let out a small sob. “Wait here with Emily while I go and see what I can find out.”
The nurse at the desk watched Andy approach. “Can I help you, ma’am?”
“Yes, can you please tell me how and where Miranda Priestly is?” She could do this, she told herself. Miranda needed her. She would not break.
“I can only give information to the next of kin, ma’am.” The nurse answered apologetically.
“Yes, I am her wife.” Andy confirmed.
“Ok, I’ll ask a doctor to come and see you immediately. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable while you wait?” The nurse gestured to Andy’s stomach.
“Thank you, would you be so kind as to arrange a private room for us? I would like to move my family away from the prying eyes of the press.” Andy winced slightly as she felt the baby move.
“Certainly, Mrs Priestly.” The nurse moved from around the reception desk to lead them all to an adjoining family room, but Andy stayed rooted to the spot. “Are you ok Mrs. Priestly?” She asked with some concern.
“Oh fuck!” Andy cursed under her breath as she felt the hot wet fluid run down her legs and pool on the floor at her feet. “This is all I need!”
“Andy, are you ok?” Emily asked unsure of what had actually just happened.
“Um…I think my water just broke!” It was such a weird feeling Andy thought, like nothing she had experienced before. She looked to the nurse again. “It’s too soon! He’s not ready!” She panicked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Miranda awoke, suddenly very aware of her foreign surroundings. Her body felt numb, apart from the constant feeling of nausea clamped like a vice around her stomach.
“What’s happening?” Miranda whispered, in the hope that she wasn’t alone. Her throat burned as if it had been rinsed with acid.
An unkempt young doctor in light blue scrubs loomed over her, gently adjusting the small breathing tube inserted at the base of her nostrils. “You suffered a myocardial infarction.” He confirmed speaking slowly and loudly assessing her level of lucidity.
“Unless a myowhatever is something to do with my hearing, doctor, I’d suggest you turn the volume down a notch or two.” The ailment certainly hadn’t damaged her sharp wit or use of the death glare.
The doctor smiled at her, seemingly un-phased by the eyebrow of doom. “You’ve had a heart attack. You are stable now, but you will need to remain under constant observation for the next few hours.”
A heart attack? Miranda frowned. How? She ran five miles a day on the tread mill; she attended yoga classes three times a week! A heart attack? Well…she had chosen to ignore her high cholesterol levels on her last check-up. Andrea was going to be furious with her.
“Is my wife here?” Miranda asked.
“Um…yes, but no…Um” The Doctor fumbled.
“Spit it out, doctor.” Miranda snapped impatiently. “She either is or she isn’t. Which is it?”
“Your wife has just gone into labour. They have taken her up to the maternity ward.” He confirmed.
Without missing a beat and finding strength to rival David Banner’s alter ego, Miranda began to pull the multitude of monitoring leads and tubes from her body.
“Stop!” The doctor ordered as he tried to restrain her, the monitoring machines screamed around them.
“Take your hands off me.” She pushed, her voice was broken with emotion; she would not be defeated, not without a fight. “I need to be with her.”
“Mrs. Priestly” The doctor raised his voice again. “You are in no condition to leave this bed. If you do not lie back down you may not live to see your new child.” The words had an obvious impact on Miranda, and she instantly obeyed. Calmly the doctor began to reattach the removed lines whilst the nurses reset the alarming machines.
Miranda sighed in defeat. She may have lost the battle, but she would not lose the war. “Bring Emily to me, please. That’s all.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily had spent the last ten years mercilessly clawing her way up the corporate ladder. Now, in her world, she got what she wanted with a click of her fingers. Expect not today, there she was in a private waiting room pacing like a caged animal. The situation was very much out of her control; she hated the feeling of helplessness.
Without warning a head peeked around the door and looked around the room’s occupants. “Emily?”
“Yes” Emily answered assertively.
“Mrs. Priestly is stable and resting comfortably in recovery. She would like to see you.” The nurse informed.
Emily sighed petulantly. “Which one?”
“Errr?” The nurse didn’t understand the question, she had simply been sent to fetch the woman; there was no need to be a bitch about it, she thought.
Emily spoke slowly and patronizingly to the confused nurse. “Is it Miranda Priestly or Andrea Priestly? Is it the emergency room or the maternity ward?”
“Oh, the ER.” The nurse confirmed with a smile.
Emily was unsure which was the lesser of the two evils. Miranda would no doubt be like a bear with a sore head, and the mere thought of Andrea in stirrups was enough to mentally scar her for life.
“Very well.” She responded. “Caroline, will you be ok on your own?” Cassidy had drawn the short straw and gone up to the maternity ward with Andy. Caroline had already looked queasy enough as it was-it didn’t seem fair to subject her to more screaming, cursing and bodily fluids. Whilst, Emily didn’t have a maternal bone in her body, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving Caroline alone and scared.
“Mom’s calling for you. Shouldn’t you be running already?” Caroline’s face was cold and Emily couldn’t read her tone. She was about to retort with an equally cruel response but then she saw the playful smirk curl on the young woman’s lips.
“Brat!” She smirked back. “I won’t be long, ok?” Caroline nodded and smiled at Emily. Turning to face the nurse Emily’s smile disappeared. “Come on, then. I don’t have all day.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several hours later, the dust was beginning to settle.
Miranda opened her eyes and took in her new surroundings. The light in the private hospital room was dimmed, but she still could make out the sleeping body in the bed next to hers. She smiled as saw peacefully resting face of her wife.
As if sensing she was being watched, Andy opened her eyes. “Hey, beautiful!” She whispered.
“Hello, my darling.” Miranda whispered in response, barely holding back the tears of relief. Her body felt like it’d been hit by a truck, but seeing Andrea suddenly made everything else go away. “I hear you have been busy?” she smiled. “Where is he?”
“He is sleeping like an angel in the neonatal ward; he’s had a tough day you know?” Andy sat up and moved her legs over the side of the bed as slowly as possible.
“Haven’t we all?” Miranda watched with trepidation as Andy closed the distance between the beds. “Andrea, I don’t think you should be out of bed yet.”
“I just spent five hours pushing something the size of watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon. I think I at least deserve a kiss! As you were the one who nearly died, I think I will come to you.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “Always so dramatic!”
Andy leaned over to press her lips against Miranda’s, gently caressing her cheek. “This was serious, Miranda.” She whispered just millimetres from her lips.
Miranda turned her face away. “Serious as a heart attack…yes, I know.”
Andy placed her hand under Miranda’s jaw and turned her head to face her again. “Don’t be flippant with me, Miranda. You scared the hell out of me!” She released her gentle grip and pulled back slightly. “I know that I haven’t exactly been the easiest person to deal with lately, but that’s kind of been out of my control. I know you always like to have the last word, but this was going a bit too far, don’t you think?!”
Both women shared a chuckle. “Now who is being flippant?” Miranda smirked.
“Miranda…” Andy took her wife’s hand, interlocking their fingers. “You are my world; I don’t want to imagine a life without you.”
“I’m sorry, I… ” Miranda began.
Andy pressed her forehead against Miranda’s, looking deep into her eyes. “No, you don’t need to say it, I understand. I love you. I love our family-because that’s what we are, a family. You don’t need to take on the world on your own. It’s ok to be a little bit broken, because I’ll always be here to fix you.”
They say that our eyes are the window to the soul. Miranda pondered. And staring at her reflection in Andrea’s teary pools, she felt a blissful feeling wash over her; she was the main feature in Andrea’s world-and always would be.
Once the storm had hit and the reality has sunk in, the severity of the situation becomes apparent like a bitter aftertaste.
The future was in Miranda’s hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End.
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Andy / Miranda
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I’m just taking some extremely liberties with them. No profit, just love.
Summary: The timeline is set approx ten years after the end of the film. Miranda is getting ready to step down from her position in Runway.
A/N: This is a one shot adaptation of The “Urgency” drabble from the ABC of DWP challenge. Dedicated to my BB bytheguillotine. I hope you enjoy C! Comments would just be fantastical!
A/N2: Thanks to my beta sporkmetender for the tongue-lashing over my punctuation and general retardation issues (I’ve got the marks to prove it!) You are my rock!
Fix You
“Andrea, you are being unreasonable.” Miranda pleaded.
As far as Miranda was concerned, she had compromised; she was taking the job on the board of directors, handing over the reins. Why couldn’t Andrea see that it took time that she couldn’t just walk away over night?
At thirty four weeks pregnant, Andy felt that she had every right to be unreasonable. Miranda had been working every night for the past three weeks, with one excuse after the next about why she had missed dinner. This was just the latest in a string of seething arguments.
“You promised me, Miranda!” Andy seethed. She was so angry; she had lost all sense of rational thought. Tonight was the night: the end of an era. It was supposed to be the official handover, but Andy knew it was far from over. “DON’T EXPECT ME TO BE THERE TONIGHT!” Andy screamed across the room as she stormed out.
The sound of Andy’s outburst was washed away by a sweet voice from the door. “It’s ok, Mom. It’s just hormones. I’ll make sure she’s there.” Cassidy assured.
“I’ll make it up to all of you, I promise.” Miranda breathed with her voice barely above a whisper.
Cassidy could hear the shake in her Mother’s voice and felt her heart pinch in her chest. Andy certainly knew how to break Miranda’s resolve. It had always been that way, in good times and bad. “I know, Mom. I believe you.” She replied softly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ballroom was swimming in decadence. A who’s who of past and present greats in the publishing world chatted politely and sipped their cocktails. Some were there to celebrate Miranda’s contribution to fashion world, others to celebrate her departure.
Tonight the Ice Queen mask was firmly in place. Caroline watched with admiration as her mother greeted the guests with her sickly sweet smile. A smirk formed on her lips as she saw her address each one diligently and by name, discreetly aided by the constant feed of information being whispered into her ear by one of the latest in a string of nameless assistants.
Miranda had seemed unusually agitated for the entire evening. Those who claimed to know her assumed it was her reluctance to let go of a job she had made her life’s work. Caroline assumed it was a combination of guilt and anger from the earlier disagreement with Andy in the townhouse. ‘That’s all they ever are, silly disagreements’ Caroline thought as the smirk left her face. Both women were too pig-headed for their own good.
But Caroline and Cassidy were taking care of that.
Project “kiss and make up” was in progress. Caroline was to go ahead and make sure Miranda stayed at the party, and Cassidy had been tasked with getting Andrea dressed and to the venue. ‘What is taking her so long?’ Caroline shook her head and fought the urge to pace the hallway.
She looked across the room again, towards her Mother and felt her heart swell with pride as she moved take the podium. Her beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown billowed gently in her wake as she floated gracefully passed the tables. The sound of cutlery clinking against glass signalled her ascent and suddenly the entire room was on its feet in rapturous applause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both of her mothers were stubborn as hell, but Cassidy knew exactly how to deal with them, individually and as a pair, she had a devious streak which Caroline lacked. That was why she had been left behind to attempt the impossible.
Through some feat of magic Cassidy had managed her part of the deal. They might be late, but she had gotten Andy in the car. In this case, it had simply been a matter of playing the “who’s the bigger person?” card. And in the end, working with an emotional, over-dramatic, water-retentive Andy was like child’s play.
Cassidy helped Andy down the front steps of the town house, wary of the trail on the custom-made Vera Wang evening gown. ‘Since when did Vera Wang make maternity wear?’ Cassidy asked herself before focussing on Andy. Her stepmother was clumsy enough at the best of times, but throw in a huge pregnant bulge, three-inch heels and a floor-length gown and you had an accident waiting to happen! She sighed with relief when they finally made it safely to the car.
With all parties safely seated, Cassidy texted her twin to confirm their pending arrival.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caroline’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the message vibrate in her clutch bag. Discreetly, she peered in to the check the situation. ‘Fuck, they’re not going to make it in time before the end of the speech.’ She cursed, clenching her jaw with the frustration that she couldn’t respond with some obscenities without being seen or heard.
“...And therefore, ladies and gentlemen,” Miranda began to wrap up. “it gives me great pleasure to welcome my dear friend Nigel Kipling back into the Runway family as my successor.”
As the patrons stood and the applause erupted around the room, Caroline joined them to honour their guest. Watching her Mother intently she felt a moment of panic as the slightest hairline crack slowly appeared in the usual stone façade. There was a single bead of sweat that ran down her mother’s ghost white cheek. Caroline knew something wasn’t right.
Emily Charlton, long suffering first assistant to the Ice Queen, and now a successful assistant editor at GQ Magazine, also spotted the crack. It was subtle, but her seasoned eye quickly saw that something was out of kilter. Without pause, Emily stepped forward towards the podium, moving smoothly to a position beside Miranda. Her instinct took over.
Caroline watched the eye contact between the two women from her position, the unspoken command, a cry for help, was unquestioningly followed by Emily as she led Miranda from the room.
In the deserted corridor, Emily broke the 11th and 12th commandments in one fell swoop. They were of course, “Thou shalt not question Miranda Priestly,” and “Thou shalt not touch Miranda Priestly.”
“Miranda, are you ok?” Emily asked her voice filled with concern. She held Miranda by the shoulders watched as the woman closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, clearly trying to regain her normally steely composure.
Releasing a breath and breaking Emily’s grip on her shoulders, Miranda began to turn away for her ex assistant, waving her hand dismissively in the air. “I’m fine.” She insisted.
Only she wasn’t.
Miranda’s whole world seemed to move in slow motion. The pins and needles she had been experiencing in her hand and arm suddenly spread into a crippling pain in her chest. She felt like she couldn’t breathe. Falling to her knees in her thirty thousand dollar dress, she cried out in pain. The taste of champagne and bile rushed up her throat, spilling out of her mouth. Losing complete control of her body and senses, she hit the floor.
“Miranda!” Emily called out, rushing forward and by some cruel twist of fate Caroline chose this moment to enter the corridor.
“Oh my god. CALL 911!” Screamed Emily. She looked over to Caroline who was frozen to the spot, like a deer in headlights. “CAROLINE HELP ME!” Emily screamed, snapping the young woman out of her daze.
Emily stared into the piercing blue eyes of her former employer, her mentor, and idol, as the unadulterated fear emanated from every pore. Emily took a deep breath and prayed that all those years of pressure under fire would pay off that she would get them through this nightmare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The limousine slowed as it approached the venue; both Andy and Cassidy peered out of the windows to the raucous scene ahead. The usual blinding flash of white lights mixed with a neon blue. The press were whipped into frenzy.
“What the hell is going on?” Andy murmured, as she scanned the chaos for answers. That’s when she spotted the cause; through the hullabaloo could just make out an ambulance and several police bikes driving away from the scene.
“What the…?” Andy’s speech was interrupted by Caroline’s personal ring tone sounding loudly from Cassidy’s purse.
Cassidy flipped the phone open to answer the call and as if in slow motion Andy watched her daughters already lily white complexion fade to grey as she listened to her twin on the line. After a few moments of silence Cassidy end the call with a clipped “Ok."
Cassidy’s mind was racing at a million miles per hour. How was she going to tell Andy the news that her twin sister has sobbed into ear? Normally she wouldn’t have needed to think twice about this, she wasn’t a fan of sugar coating anything. But they weren’t exactly dealing with their loving, balanced, sane Andy here. This Andy was an irrational, unstable bag of emotions. The last three months had been torture; it was as if she had contracted a temporary case of schizophrenia! At any given time, they didn’t know which personality was going to rear its head.
First things first! Cassidy tapped on the privacy screen, to the limousine driver who had already come to a stop in the manic crowd. “Take us to Presbyterian now!” She ordered calmly.
Andy gasped in surprise. “Cass? Tell me what’s going on honey?”
Cassidy could see the fear in her stepmother’s eyes, the tears beginning to form. “Mom collapsed; Caroline and Emily are with her. They’ve taken her to the hospital. That’s all she said.”
The tears were now flowing freely Andy just stared into her eyes, as if frozen in time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The limo pulled to a screaming halt directly outside the emergency room doors. Both Cassidy and the driver ran around the vehicle to help a now panicked Andy out of the car. She had tried calling Caroline and Emily’s cell numbers many times in the ten minute journey with no success. In that short space of time her mind had taken her to some dark places.
‘Please let her be ok!” She chanted internally. ‘Why did I shout at her?’
The press had somehow beaten them to the hospital. Cameras flashed a thousand clicks a second as shouts and questions flew at them. Regardless, with years of paparazzi experience under their belts, both women walked through the crowd and into the lobby as if they didn’t exist.
“ANDREA!” Emily shouted with relief as she flew at her from across the room and throwing her arms around her neck in a desperate embrace. A shaking Caroline moved to steady herself against her twin.
As if snapping out of her dream like state, a conversant Andy re-joined the party. “Tell me what's happened Em, Please.”
Emily released her hug to guide Andy to the nearest chair.
Andy observed the dark stains covering Emily’s ruined gown and her once perfect make-up-now smudged. Collectively, the four women were wearing enough couture and jewels to pay off the debt of a small third world country.
“She collapsed just after her speech. When she stopped breathing, Caroline and I gave her CPR until the medical team arrived. We rode with her in the ambulance; they had to shock her twice with the paddles when her heart stopped. We just got here a few minutes ago, and they took her through to the emergency room.” Andy was surprised at how calm Emily seemed; she had never seen her like this. She assumed it was the shock.
“Have any of the doctors been out to see you yet?” Cassidy quizzed. Emily shook her head.
Andy looked towards the twins. “Girls, come here.” Andrea stood awkwardly to pull them as close as possible around her prominent bulge, kissing each forehead. “She’s a strong woman-stronger than the three of us put together.” The twins nodded in agreement and Caroline let out a small sob. “Wait here with Emily while I go and see what I can find out.”
The nurse at the desk watched Andy approach. “Can I help you, ma’am?”
“Yes, can you please tell me how and where Miranda Priestly is?” She could do this, she told herself. Miranda needed her. She would not break.
“I can only give information to the next of kin, ma’am.” The nurse answered apologetically.
“Yes, I am her wife.” Andy confirmed.
“Ok, I’ll ask a doctor to come and see you immediately. Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable while you wait?” The nurse gestured to Andy’s stomach.
“Thank you, would you be so kind as to arrange a private room for us? I would like to move my family away from the prying eyes of the press.” Andy winced slightly as she felt the baby move.
“Certainly, Mrs Priestly.” The nurse moved from around the reception desk to lead them all to an adjoining family room, but Andy stayed rooted to the spot. “Are you ok Mrs. Priestly?” She asked with some concern.
“Oh fuck!” Andy cursed under her breath as she felt the hot wet fluid run down her legs and pool on the floor at her feet. “This is all I need!”
“Andy, are you ok?” Emily asked unsure of what had actually just happened.
“Um…I think my water just broke!” It was such a weird feeling Andy thought, like nothing she had experienced before. She looked to the nurse again. “It’s too soon! He’s not ready!” She panicked.
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Miranda awoke, suddenly very aware of her foreign surroundings. Her body felt numb, apart from the constant feeling of nausea clamped like a vice around her stomach.
“What’s happening?” Miranda whispered, in the hope that she wasn’t alone. Her throat burned as if it had been rinsed with acid.
An unkempt young doctor in light blue scrubs loomed over her, gently adjusting the small breathing tube inserted at the base of her nostrils. “You suffered a myocardial infarction.” He confirmed speaking slowly and loudly assessing her level of lucidity.
“Unless a myowhatever is something to do with my hearing, doctor, I’d suggest you turn the volume down a notch or two.” The ailment certainly hadn’t damaged her sharp wit or use of the death glare.
The doctor smiled at her, seemingly un-phased by the eyebrow of doom. “You’ve had a heart attack. You are stable now, but you will need to remain under constant observation for the next few hours.”
A heart attack? Miranda frowned. How? She ran five miles a day on the tread mill; she attended yoga classes three times a week! A heart attack? Well…she had chosen to ignore her high cholesterol levels on her last check-up. Andrea was going to be furious with her.
“Is my wife here?” Miranda asked.
“Um…yes, but no…Um” The Doctor fumbled.
“Spit it out, doctor.” Miranda snapped impatiently. “She either is or she isn’t. Which is it?”
“Your wife has just gone into labour. They have taken her up to the maternity ward.” He confirmed.
Without missing a beat and finding strength to rival David Banner’s alter ego, Miranda began to pull the multitude of monitoring leads and tubes from her body.
“Stop!” The doctor ordered as he tried to restrain her, the monitoring machines screamed around them.
“Take your hands off me.” She pushed, her voice was broken with emotion; she would not be defeated, not without a fight. “I need to be with her.”
“Mrs. Priestly” The doctor raised his voice again. “You are in no condition to leave this bed. If you do not lie back down you may not live to see your new child.” The words had an obvious impact on Miranda, and she instantly obeyed. Calmly the doctor began to reattach the removed lines whilst the nurses reset the alarming machines.
Miranda sighed in defeat. She may have lost the battle, but she would not lose the war. “Bring Emily to me, please. That’s all.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily had spent the last ten years mercilessly clawing her way up the corporate ladder. Now, in her world, she got what she wanted with a click of her fingers. Expect not today, there she was in a private waiting room pacing like a caged animal. The situation was very much out of her control; she hated the feeling of helplessness.
Without warning a head peeked around the door and looked around the room’s occupants. “Emily?”
“Yes” Emily answered assertively.
“Mrs. Priestly is stable and resting comfortably in recovery. She would like to see you.” The nurse informed.
Emily sighed petulantly. “Which one?”
“Errr?” The nurse didn’t understand the question, she had simply been sent to fetch the woman; there was no need to be a bitch about it, she thought.
Emily spoke slowly and patronizingly to the confused nurse. “Is it Miranda Priestly or Andrea Priestly? Is it the emergency room or the maternity ward?”
“Oh, the ER.” The nurse confirmed with a smile.
Emily was unsure which was the lesser of the two evils. Miranda would no doubt be like a bear with a sore head, and the mere thought of Andrea in stirrups was enough to mentally scar her for life.
“Very well.” She responded. “Caroline, will you be ok on your own?” Cassidy had drawn the short straw and gone up to the maternity ward with Andy. Caroline had already looked queasy enough as it was-it didn’t seem fair to subject her to more screaming, cursing and bodily fluids. Whilst, Emily didn’t have a maternal bone in her body, but she didn’t feel comfortable leaving Caroline alone and scared.
“Mom’s calling for you. Shouldn’t you be running already?” Caroline’s face was cold and Emily couldn’t read her tone. She was about to retort with an equally cruel response but then she saw the playful smirk curl on the young woman’s lips.
“Brat!” She smirked back. “I won’t be long, ok?” Caroline nodded and smiled at Emily. Turning to face the nurse Emily’s smile disappeared. “Come on, then. I don’t have all day.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Several hours later, the dust was beginning to settle.
Miranda opened her eyes and took in her new surroundings. The light in the private hospital room was dimmed, but she still could make out the sleeping body in the bed next to hers. She smiled as saw peacefully resting face of her wife.
As if sensing she was being watched, Andy opened her eyes. “Hey, beautiful!” She whispered.
“Hello, my darling.” Miranda whispered in response, barely holding back the tears of relief. Her body felt like it’d been hit by a truck, but seeing Andrea suddenly made everything else go away. “I hear you have been busy?” she smiled. “Where is he?”
“He is sleeping like an angel in the neonatal ward; he’s had a tough day you know?” Andy sat up and moved her legs over the side of the bed as slowly as possible.
“Haven’t we all?” Miranda watched with trepidation as Andy closed the distance between the beds. “Andrea, I don’t think you should be out of bed yet.”
“I just spent five hours pushing something the size of watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon. I think I at least deserve a kiss! As you were the one who nearly died, I think I will come to you.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. “Always so dramatic!”
Andy leaned over to press her lips against Miranda’s, gently caressing her cheek. “This was serious, Miranda.” She whispered just millimetres from her lips.
Miranda turned her face away. “Serious as a heart attack…yes, I know.”
Andy placed her hand under Miranda’s jaw and turned her head to face her again. “Don’t be flippant with me, Miranda. You scared the hell out of me!” She released her gentle grip and pulled back slightly. “I know that I haven’t exactly been the easiest person to deal with lately, but that’s kind of been out of my control. I know you always like to have the last word, but this was going a bit too far, don’t you think?!”
Both women shared a chuckle. “Now who is being flippant?” Miranda smirked.
“Miranda…” Andy took her wife’s hand, interlocking their fingers. “You are my world; I don’t want to imagine a life without you.”
“I’m sorry, I… ” Miranda began.
Andy pressed her forehead against Miranda’s, looking deep into her eyes. “No, you don’t need to say it, I understand. I love you. I love our family-because that’s what we are, a family. You don’t need to take on the world on your own. It’s ok to be a little bit broken, because I’ll always be here to fix you.”
They say that our eyes are the window to the soul. Miranda pondered. And staring at her reflection in Andrea’s teary pools, she felt a blissful feeling wash over her; she was the main feature in Andrea’s world-and always would be.
Once the storm had hit and the reality has sunk in, the severity of the situation becomes apparent like a bitter aftertaste.
The future was in Miranda’s hands.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The End.