If You Give A Journalist A Donut - The Devil Wears Prada - Miranda/Andy
Title: If You Give A Journalist A Donut
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing(s)/Characters:Miranda/Andy, Caroline, Cassidy
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Entirety of the movie
Summary: "I’m not going to let her send us away. I’m going to show her who’s boss."
Author's Notes: Written for the DWP Christmas Fic Exchange. This was written for sporkmetender based on her prompt 'Miranda and Andy have been together for a while. Andy has moved in recently, and the twins played a pretty humiliating/hurtful joke on her. Miranda leaves the punishment up to Andy. The more creative, the better!'. I hope you like my take on it. Merry Christmas to all! ♥ Also, thanks to Nic for being a lovely Beta! ♥
It was all their friend Rachel’s fault. She was the one who had put the stupid idea into Caroline’s head. It had been a few months since their mother had started seeing Andy, and exactly a month after the press had caught wind of the story and had a total freak out. Things were finally starting to calm down and get back to ‘normal’. Caroline and Cassidy really hadn’t cared much when their mom started dating Andy, they liked her well enough, and besides the once a week dinners with her, they didn’t see her too much. Andy seemed to want to change that, but they still thought it was kind of weird and always begged off. Andy always respected that, and never made a big fuss about it, not like Stephen had, insisting they go to stupid museums or something together just so that they could ‘bond’. For now, their relationship was slightly more friendly than when she’d been their mom’s assistant, and they were just fine with that.
Which is what Cassidy had said when Rachel had asked about Andy. Rachel had rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You guys are okay with this chick?”
“She seems pretty cool, actually.” Cassidy had defended. Truthfully, she liked Andy a lot and thought it would be fun to spend more time with her. But Caroline was still on the fence about the whole thing, and she didn’t want to upset her sister.
Rachel had looked at Caroline. “She’s okay. She stays out of our way.”
“Yeah, but how long until she packs you off to boarding school?”
“Andy wouldn’t send us away. Mom wouldn’t let her.”
Rachel had rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever. Anyway, I just think you need to do something to show her who’s boss.”
Cassidy had thought that was completely ridiculous. Caroline had taken the bait. “Like what?”
“Is there anything that really gets on her nerves?” Rachel had had a rather evil glint in her eye, thinking back on it.
It had taken the girls nearly a minute to come up with something. Andy was actually pretty cool. She didn’t mind when they blasted their music, unlike Stephen who had always screamed at them to turn it down. She didn’t force them to watch stupid boring TV like Stephen had, and in fact never said a word even when they changed the channel in the middle of something she was watching. She never nagged at them about what they were eating, she merely smiled at them if they said anything negative about her (which they hadn’t since that first time when their mother had chewed them out) and she didn’t even mind Patricia.
Cassidy had finally come up with the only thing that either of them could think of that bugged Andy. “She doesn’t like strawberries.” She had known it was a rather lame thing, but was the only thing she could think of.
“That’s what bugs her?” Rachel had been disappointed.
Caroline had considered. “Oh yeah. She flips out if she sees strawberries anywhere. Or even smells them!” In truth, Andy had never flipped out at the sight, or smell of strawberries. She had just merely refused dessert one evening when it had been strawberry cheesecake, and explained that she didn’t like strawberries when their mother had seemed shocked. Since then, there had been no strawberries in their house.
But even that lie had been too little to interest Rachel. “Whatever. This is stupid. Just go on living with her until she ships you away. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Cassidy had thought that was the end of it. Caroline however, had apparently been affected by Rachel’s words. And two nights later at dinner, something had happened which sent Caroline into overdrive.
They were all sitting around the table, discussing school and work when Andy had turned to Cassidy. “Oh, Cassidy, I wanted to tell you, before I forget, we got an ad called into the paper this morning about a program this summer on photography. I know you said you were interested in that, and it’s a two week program up in Albany. You’d stay up there for the duration, and it’s supposed to be really great. I can find out some more info if you’re interested.”
Cassidy had been excited by the news. She really did like photography, and the program sounded kind of cool. “Thanks, Andy.” Once again, Cassidy had thought nothing more of the conversation, but Caroline certainly had.
“She’s trying to send you away!” Her sister had hissed that night.
“To a photography program. Which I’m interested in.”
“Now, yeah. But what do you think that will lead to? Soon it will be all kinds of programs and then ‘Oh Miranda, there’s this great private school that the girls would be perfect for. It’s in Siberia!’”.
Cassidy had rolled her eyes. “You’re being melodramatic.”
“You’re being an idiot! I’m not going to let her send us away. I’m going to show her who’s boss.” With that Caroline had stormed out of Cassidy’s room and into her own bedroom. Which is where she had cooked up the scheme. And Cassidy, despite her misgivings had gone along with it.
It was two days later until the plan came to fruition. “This is stupid,” Cassidy told her, looking at the donut her sister was putting on the plate. They had made donuts with Cara, their housekeeper, that afternoon and Caroline had made sure that some of the jelly-filled ones were full of jelly made of fresh strawberries.
“No. It’s perfect. There’s no way Andy will say no to a donut, especially if we tell her we made it for her. And then when she doesn’t like it because of the strawberries, we can tell Mom. And we can cry. And Mom will be so angry that Andy made us cry that she won’t let her send us away ever.”
Just then the door opened, signaling Andy’s entrance. Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Stupid.”
Andy walked into the kitchen, greeting them with a smile. “Hey guys.”
“Hi Andy. We made you a donut.” Caroline pushed it right in front of her face.
“Oh wow. Thanks guys.” Andy’s smile was wide. She had not questioned their sincerity at all. Instead, she bit into the donut with gusto. It was only after she swallowed that she got a strange look on her face.
“Caroline? Were there strawberries in that donut?” She asked, her voice calm, but very quiet.
“Yeah, why?” Caroline grinned.
Andy’s eyes widened in recognition, but of what they didn’t know. Her breathing started to get labored. “I can’t eat - allergic,” her face started to get red at that point, and she began gasping for breath.
“Oh my god. Andy! CARA!” Cassidy panicked, screaming for their housekeeper. Cara came running.
Andy tried to walk out of the kitchen, struggling to get breath into her lungs. “P-p-purse,” she gasped, crashing into the island counter.
“Oh my god!” Cara yelled upon seeing Andy, who was clutching to the island counter to keep upright and gasping even harder for breath. She quickly called 911. Cassidy ran for Andy’s purse. Caroline watched everything with wide, scared eyes.
“Here’s your purse Andy.” Cassidy was on the verge of tears. Cara was trying to stay calm to give the operator the information.
“Ep-epi,” tears were slipping down Andy’s cheeks, and there were angry red hives springing up on her otherwise pale arms and face.
“An EpiPen. You have an EpiPen?” Cara asked, hanging the phone up.
Cassidy dumped the entire contents of the purse on the floor, looking frantically for the EpiPen. Andy’s face had gone white with a blue tinge to it. Her gasps were louder, practically sobs now as she tried to get air past the swelling in her throat. The hives still stood out bright red. Cassidy finally found the EpiPen and grabbed it with shaking hands. “What do I do, Andy? What do I do?”
“Thigh,” Andy barely managed to get out, then collapsed on the floor no longer able to hold herself upright. Sirens could already be heard.
Cassidy pushed aside Andy’s skirt, thankful that she had been dressed up that day, and shakingly removed the cap on the top. Then she slammed the pen into Andy’s thigh, hearing a clicking noise a few seconds later. Andy’s body went still as the EMTs rushed into the house.
“What happened?” One asked while the others began loading Andy on a gurney and starting rescue breathing.
“I don’t know,” Cara told them.
“She - she ate something with strawberries in it. She was allergic. We didn’t know. We didn’t know.” Cassidy was crying in earnest now.
“You administered the EpiPen?” A female EMT asked her. Cassidy shook her head yes. “Good girl. You probably just saved her life. Guys, get her on oxygen and treated for anaphylaxis now.”
The EMTs wheeled the gurney out of the house and stowed Andy in the ambulance, shutting the doors behind them. “Can we go with her?” Cassidy asked, still crying.
“I’ll take you both to the hospital. And I’ll call your mother. Come on.” Cara put her arm around Cassidy and looked at Caroline, who was still just staring at the place where Andy had been, the donut lying on the floor. “Come on, Caroline.”
They rode in silence that was broken only by Cara calling their mother’s work. Her voice was calm and steady as she explained the situation to someone who was probably Emily. Cassidy continued to cry, while Caroline continued to stare ahead.
When they got to the hospital, Cara left them in a waiting room by themselves while she went to find a doctor. Cassidy spun on Caroline. “We could have killed her!”
Caroline blinked. “I didn’t know - I just thought she didn’t like them.”
“We could have killed her!” Cassidy spit back once again. “Now Mom will send us away. All because of your stupid idea.”
“Rachel’s.” Caroline said stoically. “It was Rachel’s idea.”
“No, it was yours.”
Caroline looked away then, and they fell back into silence until Cara came and got them. “She’s upstairs. Come on.”
Cara knocked once on the door to Andy’s room before opening it. Andy was sitting up in the hospital bed. Her face was still pale, but the hives had gone away. She was hooked up to an IV, and had oxygen tubes in her nose. Her breathing was shallow, but she was alive and awake. Cassidy began to cry once again and raced forward, flinging herself on Andy.
“Andy. Andy. Andy.” She kept sobbing. Andy stroked her hair gently and whispered to her soothingly. Caroline continued to just stare. Andy looked up at her and the two locked eyes.
“Cara, why don’t you go wait for Miranda downstairs so that she doesn’t scare the hospital staff to death? The girls can stay here with me.” Andy’s voice was quiet. She smiled at Cara and the woman nodded and quickly left the room.
“Shh, Cass, it’s okay. I’m fine. I’m fine.” Andy told the girl still sobbing against her. “It’s okay. I’m alright.”
Cassidy looked up, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You could have died.” She whispered.
“But I didn’t. Thanks to you.” Andy wiped the tears off her cheeks.
“Andy?” Caroline whispered, finally stepping forward toward the bed.
Andy looked at the young girl. She turned her head to the side slightly. “Caroline, do you have a problem with me dating your mother?”
Caroline blinked furiously. “N-no Andy.”
“She thought you were going to send us away.” Cassidy told her.
“Send you away?” Andy’s brow furrowed. She took in a deep breath. “What are you talking about?”
“Our friend Rachel, she said that you would send us away.”
“So you decided to kill me?” Andy asked. At that Caroline finally burst into tears. “Oh, oh, honey. No. Caroline, don’t cry. I was just joking. Come here.” Andy held out her arms, and Caroline came forward, climbing onto the bed and sobbing against Andy just as her sister had done.
“I’m so sorry Andy. I didn’t know. I just th-thought you di-didn’t like them.”
“I know. I know.” And Andy did know. It was obvious that the girl had never meant to truly hurt her. “Sweetie, it’s okay. I’m fine. Look at me.” Caroline looked up and Andy wiped her tears away just as she done with her sister.
“You have oxygen.” Caroline whispered.
“Just as a precaution. I can breathe without it. Look.” Andy pulled the tube away from her nose and breathed on her own. Her breathing rattled slightly, but none of the monitors went off and she didn’t begin to gasp for air as she had at the townhouse. She then replaced the tube. “The only reason they still have me on this is because they want to make sure I’m getting enough oxygen back into my body. My breathing is still a little shallow because my throat is still slightly swollen. That’s the only reason.”
Caroline sniffled. Andy smiled reassuringly at her. “Now, let’s talk about this sending you away thing. First of all, your mother would never, ever let me send you away, okay? You have to know that. She loves you so much that just the mention of it would probably get me kicked to the curb forever.” Andy brushed back a strand of red hair. “And secondly, I would never want to send you away. I care about the two of you very much. And I’d like to spend more time with you, not less.”
Caroline now felt worse than she had before and began to cry again. “Hey, no, come on. No more tears, alright?” Andy brushed them away. “Listen you guys, I know this must be really hard on the two of you, me just coming into your lives like this. And I understand how scary that can be for you. But I want you to know that you can talk to me and to your mom anytime you ever feel upset or worried. The last thing that I want to do is upset you. Your mom loves you two more than anything, and I love your mom more than anything, so that means that I love you more than anything too. And I know it’s difficult and it’s going to take some time to adjust. But I want you to know that the next time you feel insecure or upset about something like this, you can come and talk to me before you try to kill me, okay?” Andy smiled widely at them and they each relaxed, leaning over to hug her from both sides.
“We’re so sorry Andy.” They both whispered.
“I know. I know.”
The girls had just sat back up on the bed when the door to the room burst open and Miranda flew into the room. One look at her face and the girls felt their hearts sink to the bottom of their stomachs. They had never, never seen their mother look like this before. Her already pale face was practically white and her eyes were rimmed in red. She looked absolutely petrified.
“Andrea.” Her voice was rough when she spoke, and her eyes ran over the sight of Andrea in the hospital bed and the two girls beside her.
“Miranda, I’m fi-“ Miranda stalked over to the bed and as though sensing what she needed, the girls slipped off the sides of the bed, allowing their mother full access to Andy. Miranda practically collapsed on the bed and grabbed on to Andy’s hands with one of hers, while the other instantly went to her face, careful of the oxygen tube.
“Andrea.” She whispered this time, moving forward, clutching Andy’s hand so tightly that it hurt, almost as though afraid she would slip away.
Andy smiled. “Miranda, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Andy twisted her hands and gently squeezed Miranda’s as though to prove it.
Miranda’s thumb ran over Andrea’s cheek. “What happened?”
“Andrea went into anaphylaxis due to exposure to some strawberries.” A female voice was heard behind them, and Miranda turned long enough to register the doctor walking into the room before focusing back on Andrea. “Luckily, your daughter got to her EpiPen and injected her. That calmed the symptoms until the EMTs could treat her. She’s fine now, but we’d like to keep her for observation just to make sure that no fluid leaked into her lungs.”
“Anaphylaxis?” Miranda did not like the sound of that word. Not one bit.
“It’s basically a really bad allergic reaction. It’s very sudden after being exposed to the allergen, which in Andy’s case were the strawberries. In Andy it caused hives and airway constriction and some hypotension. Luckily, Andy had her EpiPen nearby and your daughter administered it. She was very close to going into anaphylactic shock.”
Anaphylactic shock sounded even worse. Miranda looked back at the doctor, her gaze cutting. “You said fluid could have leaked into her lungs?”
“It is possible that during her attack some fluid leaked into her lungs. This could cause a pulmonary edema, which we obviously do not want. So we just need to keep her for observation for the night.”
“And can you do nothing to find out if there is fluid in her lungs and to remove it now?” Miranda’s tone was scathing.
“Miranda,” Andrea whispered, squeezing her hands.
“We’ve run some tests on Andy and so far there are no signs of any fluid. However, we like to be thorough and make sure.” The doctor replied calmly.
Miranda seemed to be slightly mollified by this answer and turned back to Andrea. “How did you even get exposed to strawberries in the first place? You never eat them.”
“It was an accident.” Andy said quickly. “The girls and Cara had made donuts and I grabbed one and bit into it without even thinking to check. You know how I love donuts.” Andy smiled at her.
Miranda did know that Andy liked donuts. But she also knew that both her daughters looked extremely guilty and that Andy never ate filled things without finding out what they were filled with first. She turned and looked at the doctor. “Andrea is fine right now. That’s all.”
The woman knew when she was being dismissed and nodded and left. Miranda’s gaze fell on Cara next and she didn’t even have to open her mouth before the woman was out the door. Then Miranda turned her gaze on her children. “Why,” Miranda began.
“Miranda,” Andy said, trying to get her to stop.
“Why did those donuts have strawberry filling in them? Why did you even have strawberries in our house?” Miranda’s eyes were blazing.
“Miranda.”
“You know that I said there were to be no strawberries in our house. You knew that Andrea didn’t like them.”
“We didn’t know she was allergic.” Cassidy spoke softly.
“She could have died.” Miranda’s voice was deadly quiet.
“Miranda!” Andy practically yelled upon seeing the tears streaming down both the twins’ faces at those words. Miranda turned to look at her. “It was an accident. They didn’t know that I was allergic because I didn’t tell them. If this is anyone’s fault, it is mine, okay? I should have told you all about my allergy.”
Miranda’s eyes softened as she moved back towards Andy. She placed her hand back on her cheek. “You could have died.” She repeated.
Andy shook her head lightly. “Nah. You guys aren’t getting rid of me that easily.” She winked at the girls, and they seemed to relax.
“If anything happened to you…” Miranda’s voice trailed off, refusing to finish the sentence, to admit just how completely lost without Andrea she would be. Those ten minutes in the car on the way to the hospital had been excruciating, not knowing if Andrea would be alive or dead by the time she arrived. She had survived two divorces and the death of both her parents, but when faced with the reality of the loss of Andrea, she had not been able to handle it at all. She knew she would not be able to go on without Andrea.
“Nothing did,” Andy assured. “My throat swelled shut and I got some really nasty hives, which totally clashed with my outfit and which you would not have liked. I got a ride in an ambulance and your daughters got a great story to tell their friends at school. That’s all.”
The spooked look still had not quite left Miranda’s face, although she seemed much calmer now than she had been before. “And now we have to stay here overnight.”
Andy’s face scrunched. “No, I have to stay here overnight. You three get to go home.”
“The girls will, of course, return home for the evening, but I am staying with you.” Miranda’s tone was one that brooked no argument.
Andy ignored it. “Miranda, you are not staying here tonight. I will be fine.”
“Andrea.”
“No, Miranda. The Book will be waiting and you need to go through it.”
“I can have Emily deliver it-“
“Miranda,” Andy’s voice was strong and her eyes flicked from the girls to Miranda, “go home.”
Miranda seemed to understand then, but she still did not want to leave Andrea. “And if something happens to you tonight?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me. But if it will make you feel better, I’ll call Lily and see if she will come and stay with me tonight.”
Miranda still wasn’t pleased by this arrangement, but she finally nodded her consent. “If anything happens…”
“Lily and I have both been through this before. If the slightest thing goes weird, Lily will know. She will call you. But I’m going to be fine.” Andy assured again.
Miranda felt reassured by Andy’s words, but felt a slight pang at them as well. Andy’s words implied that this had happened before, and that Lily was aware and had been through it with her before. While she was obviously grateful that Andy had someone with her for these things, she also hated that Lily knew about the allergy while she herself did not. Lily knew how to take care of Andy, what signs to look for, while Miranda did not.
Andy grasped Miranda’s hand and pulled it up to her mouth, where she placed a light kiss on her palm. “Go home.” She whispered.
Miranda nodded. She moved to get up when Andy held onto her hand. “Wait, actually. Before you go…” Andy looked at the twins. “Do you think you two could head down to the car awhile?”
Both girls nodded and moved over to the bed to hug Andy goodbye. Caroline seemed to cling to Andy for a few seconds longer than Cassidy, Miranda noticed. Once they had both pulled away, they paused in the doorway, looking back at Andy. She smiled at them. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her words seemed to calm them and they nodded and headed down the hall. Miranda watched until they were gone and then turned to Andy, expecting her to have gotten rid of the twins so that they could properly say goodbye. She leaned forward to kiss Andy, but Andy’s hand on her chest stopped her.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Miranda, I want you to promise me something.”
Miranda looked at Andy and nodded slowly. “Anything.”
“Don’t say anything to them tonight.”
Andy didn’t have to say who ‘them’ were. Miranda knew. She frowned deeply. “Andrea, while I may not know what exactly happened -“
“That’s right. You don’t know what happened. I do. And I’m telling you, it was all an accident.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It was. They never meant to hurt me. And I don’t want you saying anything to them just because you’re worried about me. I’m fine.”
Miranda looked at Andrea, hooked up to an IV and an oxygen tube, and was once again reminded of just how special she was. Stephen had nearly had a heart attack when Cassidy had accidentally spilled juice on one of his ties. Andrea was in the hospital because of something her daughters did, and she was sitting there protecting and defending them.
Miranda leaned forward and kissed Andy deeply. “What did I do to deserve you?” She asked when she pulled away, voicing the question that she had been asking herself more and more lately.
Andy grinned. “You took me back.” She kissed Miranda once more. “Now go home with your daughters.”
Miranda let her fingers slip through Andy’s curls. “I love you, Andrea.”
“I love you too.” Andy breathed. “Now out.”
Miranda did as she was told and left Andy’s room, going down to where the car was parked. She climbed into the car, sliding in beside her two daughters. She said nothing for a few seconds, waiting until the car started toward the townhouse before she spoke.
“I don’t know what went on tonight. I don’t want to know. Andrea assures me that it was an accident, and since she seems so determined to protect you, I will not force the issue. However,” Miranda looked over at the girls whose faces were still pale, “I will say this… I love Andrea. I love her just like I love the two of you. And I do not appreciate the fact that she was hurt this evening, especially if it was by the other two people I love most in this world. And I do love you two more than anything. But I will not tolerate you doing anything else to hurt Andrea ever again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mom.” They both whispered softly.
“We’re really sorry.” Caroline continued.
Miranda nodded. “I am glad that you are. However, I still think that whatever happened this evening should be punished. And as such, since I do not know the extent of what went on, I am leaving the punishment up to Andrea. Whatever she says will go, and there will be absolutely no complaints, do you understand?”
Again both girls nodded and whispered, “Yes, Mom.”
“Good.” Miranda’s face and voice softened. “Now come here.” She held out her arms for them, and they both clung to her tightly. Miranda kissed the tops of their heads. “I love you both.”
“We love you too.”
They finished the ride in silence, and when they arrived back at the townhouse, they found that Cara had already come back and cleaned everything up. There was no indication of the EMTs or of Andrea’s attack. The girls changed into their pajamas and both climbed into Caroline’s bed. Then they grabbed the phone and dialed Andy’s room number.
Lily answered and passed the phone over to Andy. “Hey, what’s going on you two? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Cassidy said.
Andy heard the click on the line and knew that Miranda had picked up the phone. She wondered if the twins were aware. “I’m fine. Getting ready to go to bed, as you two should be as well. It’s late and we’ve had a busy day.”
“Mom talked to us on the way home.” Caroline told her.
“She did, huh?”
“Yeah. She said that she loved us very much, but she thought we should still be punished for what we did, and that our punishment was up to you.”
Andy’s eyebrows raised. “Up to me? Really?”
“Yeah.” Both girls confirmed.
“So, um, do you know what it will be yet?” Cassidy asked hesitantly.
Andy was silent for a few seconds before a grin spread over her face. “Yep.”
“You do?” Both girls sounded worried.
“Yep. First of all, you’re going to have to get rid of all of those donuts by the time I get home tomorrow. And then you’re going to have to make some new, non-strawberry ones. With me.”
The girls blinked. “That’s it?”
Andy grinned. “I’m horrible in the kitchen you know. But no, there’s one other thing.”
“What?”
“You’re going to have to go out with me. Be seen with me. In public. At the Kelly Clarkson concert.”
Both girls’ eyes widened at those words. They each loved Kelly Clarkson and had been begging their mother to get them tickets to her show. “Are you - are you serious?”
“Oh you bet I am. The show is Friday night. You’re going to have to go with me and sit with me. And I am telling you now, I will sing along at the top of my lungs.”
It was, they decided quickly, the best punishment they’d ever been given. Then they heard a voice clearing her throat on the line. Their mother. “I suppose I can accept Andrea’s punishment for you two, although I have a piece to add.” The girls groaned. “You’re also going to have to go backstage and meet Kelly with Andy.”
Both girls screamed in delight and it took long minutes before Andy and Miranda could get them calmed down enough to hang up the phone and go to sleep. When they finally did, it left only Andy and Miranda on the line. “You are such a pushover,” Miranda accused her.
Andy laughed. “Oh and you’re not? Besides, the donuts thing really will be punishment. I’m terrible in the kitchen.”
Miranda smiled at the sound of her laughter. “Thank you, Andrea.”
“You’re welcome.”
**
Friday afternoon as they were walking out of Dalton, Rachel stopped the girls. “What are you guys doing tonight?”
Caroline and Cassidy looked at each other for a second before they looked back at Rachel. “We’re doing our punishment with Andy.”
“What?”
“We tried to show Andy who was boss like you said, but it backfired. Mom found out and she was really ticked. Andy got to pick our punishment.”
“That is so lame. What do you have to do?” Rachel asked.
The girls exchanged grins as the car pulled up to the sidewalk and Andy climbed out, wearing a Kelly Clarkson t-shirt. “We have to go to the Kelly Clarkson concert with her.” Caroline made it sound as though it was the worst thing on earth.
“Can you believe it?” Cassidy asked in the same tone.
Rachel’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She loved Kelly Clarkson. “No, I -“
“Cass, Caroline, let’s go.” Andy called.
“Sorry Rachel, gotta go. We don’t want to keep her waiting.” And with that, the girls ran over to Andy, hugging her when they reached her.
When they were pulling away from the curb, Andy looked at them. “Let me guess,” she said, seeing the girl still staring at the limo, “Rachel?” They nodded. “Remind me to send her a fruit basket or something.” Andy winked at them.
The girls only giggled. It was all their friend Rachel’s fault. They’d almost killed Andy, but she’d survived and now they were closer to her than ever. Soon they would have a picture of the three of them and Kelly Clarkson to place on the mantle in their townhouse, next to the framed photo of their mother and Andy at a benefit. And all because of a donut.
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing(s)/Characters:Miranda/Andy, Caroline, Cassidy
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Entirety of the movie
Summary: "I’m not going to let her send us away. I’m going to show her who’s boss."
Author's Notes: Written for the DWP Christmas Fic Exchange. This was written for sporkmetender based on her prompt 'Miranda and Andy have been together for a while. Andy has moved in recently, and the twins played a pretty humiliating/hurtful joke on her. Miranda leaves the punishment up to Andy. The more creative, the better!'. I hope you like my take on it. Merry Christmas to all! ♥ Also, thanks to Nic for being a lovely Beta! ♥
It was all their friend Rachel’s fault. She was the one who had put the stupid idea into Caroline’s head. It had been a few months since their mother had started seeing Andy, and exactly a month after the press had caught wind of the story and had a total freak out. Things were finally starting to calm down and get back to ‘normal’. Caroline and Cassidy really hadn’t cared much when their mom started dating Andy, they liked her well enough, and besides the once a week dinners with her, they didn’t see her too much. Andy seemed to want to change that, but they still thought it was kind of weird and always begged off. Andy always respected that, and never made a big fuss about it, not like Stephen had, insisting they go to stupid museums or something together just so that they could ‘bond’. For now, their relationship was slightly more friendly than when she’d been their mom’s assistant, and they were just fine with that.
Which is what Cassidy had said when Rachel had asked about Andy. Rachel had rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You guys are okay with this chick?”
“She seems pretty cool, actually.” Cassidy had defended. Truthfully, she liked Andy a lot and thought it would be fun to spend more time with her. But Caroline was still on the fence about the whole thing, and she didn’t want to upset her sister.
Rachel had looked at Caroline. “She’s okay. She stays out of our way.”
“Yeah, but how long until she packs you off to boarding school?”
“Andy wouldn’t send us away. Mom wouldn’t let her.”
Rachel had rolled her eyes. “Sure, whatever. Anyway, I just think you need to do something to show her who’s boss.”
Cassidy had thought that was completely ridiculous. Caroline had taken the bait. “Like what?”
“Is there anything that really gets on her nerves?” Rachel had had a rather evil glint in her eye, thinking back on it.
It had taken the girls nearly a minute to come up with something. Andy was actually pretty cool. She didn’t mind when they blasted their music, unlike Stephen who had always screamed at them to turn it down. She didn’t force them to watch stupid boring TV like Stephen had, and in fact never said a word even when they changed the channel in the middle of something she was watching. She never nagged at them about what they were eating, she merely smiled at them if they said anything negative about her (which they hadn’t since that first time when their mother had chewed them out) and she didn’t even mind Patricia.
Cassidy had finally come up with the only thing that either of them could think of that bugged Andy. “She doesn’t like strawberries.” She had known it was a rather lame thing, but was the only thing she could think of.
“That’s what bugs her?” Rachel had been disappointed.
Caroline had considered. “Oh yeah. She flips out if she sees strawberries anywhere. Or even smells them!” In truth, Andy had never flipped out at the sight, or smell of strawberries. She had just merely refused dessert one evening when it had been strawberry cheesecake, and explained that she didn’t like strawberries when their mother had seemed shocked. Since then, there had been no strawberries in their house.
But even that lie had been too little to interest Rachel. “Whatever. This is stupid. Just go on living with her until she ships you away. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Cassidy had thought that was the end of it. Caroline however, had apparently been affected by Rachel’s words. And two nights later at dinner, something had happened which sent Caroline into overdrive.
They were all sitting around the table, discussing school and work when Andy had turned to Cassidy. “Oh, Cassidy, I wanted to tell you, before I forget, we got an ad called into the paper this morning about a program this summer on photography. I know you said you were interested in that, and it’s a two week program up in Albany. You’d stay up there for the duration, and it’s supposed to be really great. I can find out some more info if you’re interested.”
Cassidy had been excited by the news. She really did like photography, and the program sounded kind of cool. “Thanks, Andy.” Once again, Cassidy had thought nothing more of the conversation, but Caroline certainly had.
“She’s trying to send you away!” Her sister had hissed that night.
“To a photography program. Which I’m interested in.”
“Now, yeah. But what do you think that will lead to? Soon it will be all kinds of programs and then ‘Oh Miranda, there’s this great private school that the girls would be perfect for. It’s in Siberia!’”.
Cassidy had rolled her eyes. “You’re being melodramatic.”
“You’re being an idiot! I’m not going to let her send us away. I’m going to show her who’s boss.” With that Caroline had stormed out of Cassidy’s room and into her own bedroom. Which is where she had cooked up the scheme. And Cassidy, despite her misgivings had gone along with it.
It was two days later until the plan came to fruition. “This is stupid,” Cassidy told her, looking at the donut her sister was putting on the plate. They had made donuts with Cara, their housekeeper, that afternoon and Caroline had made sure that some of the jelly-filled ones were full of jelly made of fresh strawberries.
“No. It’s perfect. There’s no way Andy will say no to a donut, especially if we tell her we made it for her. And then when she doesn’t like it because of the strawberries, we can tell Mom. And we can cry. And Mom will be so angry that Andy made us cry that she won’t let her send us away ever.”
Just then the door opened, signaling Andy’s entrance. Cassidy rolled her eyes. “Stupid.”
Andy walked into the kitchen, greeting them with a smile. “Hey guys.”
“Hi Andy. We made you a donut.” Caroline pushed it right in front of her face.
“Oh wow. Thanks guys.” Andy’s smile was wide. She had not questioned their sincerity at all. Instead, she bit into the donut with gusto. It was only after she swallowed that she got a strange look on her face.
“Caroline? Were there strawberries in that donut?” She asked, her voice calm, but very quiet.
“Yeah, why?” Caroline grinned.
Andy’s eyes widened in recognition, but of what they didn’t know. Her breathing started to get labored. “I can’t eat - allergic,” her face started to get red at that point, and she began gasping for breath.
“Oh my god. Andy! CARA!” Cassidy panicked, screaming for their housekeeper. Cara came running.
Andy tried to walk out of the kitchen, struggling to get breath into her lungs. “P-p-purse,” she gasped, crashing into the island counter.
“Oh my god!” Cara yelled upon seeing Andy, who was clutching to the island counter to keep upright and gasping even harder for breath. She quickly called 911. Cassidy ran for Andy’s purse. Caroline watched everything with wide, scared eyes.
“Here’s your purse Andy.” Cassidy was on the verge of tears. Cara was trying to stay calm to give the operator the information.
“Ep-epi,” tears were slipping down Andy’s cheeks, and there were angry red hives springing up on her otherwise pale arms and face.
“An EpiPen. You have an EpiPen?” Cara asked, hanging the phone up.
Cassidy dumped the entire contents of the purse on the floor, looking frantically for the EpiPen. Andy’s face had gone white with a blue tinge to it. Her gasps were louder, practically sobs now as she tried to get air past the swelling in her throat. The hives still stood out bright red. Cassidy finally found the EpiPen and grabbed it with shaking hands. “What do I do, Andy? What do I do?”
“Thigh,” Andy barely managed to get out, then collapsed on the floor no longer able to hold herself upright. Sirens could already be heard.
Cassidy pushed aside Andy’s skirt, thankful that she had been dressed up that day, and shakingly removed the cap on the top. Then she slammed the pen into Andy’s thigh, hearing a clicking noise a few seconds later. Andy’s body went still as the EMTs rushed into the house.
“What happened?” One asked while the others began loading Andy on a gurney and starting rescue breathing.
“I don’t know,” Cara told them.
“She - she ate something with strawberries in it. She was allergic. We didn’t know. We didn’t know.” Cassidy was crying in earnest now.
“You administered the EpiPen?” A female EMT asked her. Cassidy shook her head yes. “Good girl. You probably just saved her life. Guys, get her on oxygen and treated for anaphylaxis now.”
The EMTs wheeled the gurney out of the house and stowed Andy in the ambulance, shutting the doors behind them. “Can we go with her?” Cassidy asked, still crying.
“I’ll take you both to the hospital. And I’ll call your mother. Come on.” Cara put her arm around Cassidy and looked at Caroline, who was still just staring at the place where Andy had been, the donut lying on the floor. “Come on, Caroline.”
They rode in silence that was broken only by Cara calling their mother’s work. Her voice was calm and steady as she explained the situation to someone who was probably Emily. Cassidy continued to cry, while Caroline continued to stare ahead.
When they got to the hospital, Cara left them in a waiting room by themselves while she went to find a doctor. Cassidy spun on Caroline. “We could have killed her!”
Caroline blinked. “I didn’t know - I just thought she didn’t like them.”
“We could have killed her!” Cassidy spit back once again. “Now Mom will send us away. All because of your stupid idea.”
“Rachel’s.” Caroline said stoically. “It was Rachel’s idea.”
“No, it was yours.”
Caroline looked away then, and they fell back into silence until Cara came and got them. “She’s upstairs. Come on.”
Cara knocked once on the door to Andy’s room before opening it. Andy was sitting up in the hospital bed. Her face was still pale, but the hives had gone away. She was hooked up to an IV, and had oxygen tubes in her nose. Her breathing was shallow, but she was alive and awake. Cassidy began to cry once again and raced forward, flinging herself on Andy.
“Andy. Andy. Andy.” She kept sobbing. Andy stroked her hair gently and whispered to her soothingly. Caroline continued to just stare. Andy looked up at her and the two locked eyes.
“Cara, why don’t you go wait for Miranda downstairs so that she doesn’t scare the hospital staff to death? The girls can stay here with me.” Andy’s voice was quiet. She smiled at Cara and the woman nodded and quickly left the room.
“Shh, Cass, it’s okay. I’m fine. I’m fine.” Andy told the girl still sobbing against her. “It’s okay. I’m alright.”
Cassidy looked up, tears slipping down her cheeks. “You could have died.” She whispered.
“But I didn’t. Thanks to you.” Andy wiped the tears off her cheeks.
“Andy?” Caroline whispered, finally stepping forward toward the bed.
Andy looked at the young girl. She turned her head to the side slightly. “Caroline, do you have a problem with me dating your mother?”
Caroline blinked furiously. “N-no Andy.”
“She thought you were going to send us away.” Cassidy told her.
“Send you away?” Andy’s brow furrowed. She took in a deep breath. “What are you talking about?”
“Our friend Rachel, she said that you would send us away.”
“So you decided to kill me?” Andy asked. At that Caroline finally burst into tears. “Oh, oh, honey. No. Caroline, don’t cry. I was just joking. Come here.” Andy held out her arms, and Caroline came forward, climbing onto the bed and sobbing against Andy just as her sister had done.
“I’m so sorry Andy. I didn’t know. I just th-thought you di-didn’t like them.”
“I know. I know.” And Andy did know. It was obvious that the girl had never meant to truly hurt her. “Sweetie, it’s okay. I’m fine. Look at me.” Caroline looked up and Andy wiped her tears away just as she done with her sister.
“You have oxygen.” Caroline whispered.
“Just as a precaution. I can breathe without it. Look.” Andy pulled the tube away from her nose and breathed on her own. Her breathing rattled slightly, but none of the monitors went off and she didn’t begin to gasp for air as she had at the townhouse. She then replaced the tube. “The only reason they still have me on this is because they want to make sure I’m getting enough oxygen back into my body. My breathing is still a little shallow because my throat is still slightly swollen. That’s the only reason.”
Caroline sniffled. Andy smiled reassuringly at her. “Now, let’s talk about this sending you away thing. First of all, your mother would never, ever let me send you away, okay? You have to know that. She loves you so much that just the mention of it would probably get me kicked to the curb forever.” Andy brushed back a strand of red hair. “And secondly, I would never want to send you away. I care about the two of you very much. And I’d like to spend more time with you, not less.”
Caroline now felt worse than she had before and began to cry again. “Hey, no, come on. No more tears, alright?” Andy brushed them away. “Listen you guys, I know this must be really hard on the two of you, me just coming into your lives like this. And I understand how scary that can be for you. But I want you to know that you can talk to me and to your mom anytime you ever feel upset or worried. The last thing that I want to do is upset you. Your mom loves you two more than anything, and I love your mom more than anything, so that means that I love you more than anything too. And I know it’s difficult and it’s going to take some time to adjust. But I want you to know that the next time you feel insecure or upset about something like this, you can come and talk to me before you try to kill me, okay?” Andy smiled widely at them and they each relaxed, leaning over to hug her from both sides.
“We’re so sorry Andy.” They both whispered.
“I know. I know.”
The girls had just sat back up on the bed when the door to the room burst open and Miranda flew into the room. One look at her face and the girls felt their hearts sink to the bottom of their stomachs. They had never, never seen their mother look like this before. Her already pale face was practically white and her eyes were rimmed in red. She looked absolutely petrified.
“Andrea.” Her voice was rough when she spoke, and her eyes ran over the sight of Andrea in the hospital bed and the two girls beside her.
“Miranda, I’m fi-“ Miranda stalked over to the bed and as though sensing what she needed, the girls slipped off the sides of the bed, allowing their mother full access to Andy. Miranda practically collapsed on the bed and grabbed on to Andy’s hands with one of hers, while the other instantly went to her face, careful of the oxygen tube.
“Andrea.” She whispered this time, moving forward, clutching Andy’s hand so tightly that it hurt, almost as though afraid she would slip away.
Andy smiled. “Miranda, it’s okay. I’m okay.” Andy twisted her hands and gently squeezed Miranda’s as though to prove it.
Miranda’s thumb ran over Andrea’s cheek. “What happened?”
“Andrea went into anaphylaxis due to exposure to some strawberries.” A female voice was heard behind them, and Miranda turned long enough to register the doctor walking into the room before focusing back on Andrea. “Luckily, your daughter got to her EpiPen and injected her. That calmed the symptoms until the EMTs could treat her. She’s fine now, but we’d like to keep her for observation just to make sure that no fluid leaked into her lungs.”
“Anaphylaxis?” Miranda did not like the sound of that word. Not one bit.
“It’s basically a really bad allergic reaction. It’s very sudden after being exposed to the allergen, which in Andy’s case were the strawberries. In Andy it caused hives and airway constriction and some hypotension. Luckily, Andy had her EpiPen nearby and your daughter administered it. She was very close to going into anaphylactic shock.”
Anaphylactic shock sounded even worse. Miranda looked back at the doctor, her gaze cutting. “You said fluid could have leaked into her lungs?”
“It is possible that during her attack some fluid leaked into her lungs. This could cause a pulmonary edema, which we obviously do not want. So we just need to keep her for observation for the night.”
“And can you do nothing to find out if there is fluid in her lungs and to remove it now?” Miranda’s tone was scathing.
“Miranda,” Andrea whispered, squeezing her hands.
“We’ve run some tests on Andy and so far there are no signs of any fluid. However, we like to be thorough and make sure.” The doctor replied calmly.
Miranda seemed to be slightly mollified by this answer and turned back to Andrea. “How did you even get exposed to strawberries in the first place? You never eat them.”
“It was an accident.” Andy said quickly. “The girls and Cara had made donuts and I grabbed one and bit into it without even thinking to check. You know how I love donuts.” Andy smiled at her.
Miranda did know that Andy liked donuts. But she also knew that both her daughters looked extremely guilty and that Andy never ate filled things without finding out what they were filled with first. She turned and looked at the doctor. “Andrea is fine right now. That’s all.”
The woman knew when she was being dismissed and nodded and left. Miranda’s gaze fell on Cara next and she didn’t even have to open her mouth before the woman was out the door. Then Miranda turned her gaze on her children. “Why,” Miranda began.
“Miranda,” Andy said, trying to get her to stop.
“Why did those donuts have strawberry filling in them? Why did you even have strawberries in our house?” Miranda’s eyes were blazing.
“Miranda.”
“You know that I said there were to be no strawberries in our house. You knew that Andrea didn’t like them.”
“We didn’t know she was allergic.” Cassidy spoke softly.
“She could have died.” Miranda’s voice was deadly quiet.
“Miranda!” Andy practically yelled upon seeing the tears streaming down both the twins’ faces at those words. Miranda turned to look at her. “It was an accident. They didn’t know that I was allergic because I didn’t tell them. If this is anyone’s fault, it is mine, okay? I should have told you all about my allergy.”
Miranda’s eyes softened as she moved back towards Andy. She placed her hand back on her cheek. “You could have died.” She repeated.
Andy shook her head lightly. “Nah. You guys aren’t getting rid of me that easily.” She winked at the girls, and they seemed to relax.
“If anything happened to you…” Miranda’s voice trailed off, refusing to finish the sentence, to admit just how completely lost without Andrea she would be. Those ten minutes in the car on the way to the hospital had been excruciating, not knowing if Andrea would be alive or dead by the time she arrived. She had survived two divorces and the death of both her parents, but when faced with the reality of the loss of Andrea, she had not been able to handle it at all. She knew she would not be able to go on without Andrea.
“Nothing did,” Andy assured. “My throat swelled shut and I got some really nasty hives, which totally clashed with my outfit and which you would not have liked. I got a ride in an ambulance and your daughters got a great story to tell their friends at school. That’s all.”
The spooked look still had not quite left Miranda’s face, although she seemed much calmer now than she had been before. “And now we have to stay here overnight.”
Andy’s face scrunched. “No, I have to stay here overnight. You three get to go home.”
“The girls will, of course, return home for the evening, but I am staying with you.” Miranda’s tone was one that brooked no argument.
Andy ignored it. “Miranda, you are not staying here tonight. I will be fine.”
“Andrea.”
“No, Miranda. The Book will be waiting and you need to go through it.”
“I can have Emily deliver it-“
“Miranda,” Andy’s voice was strong and her eyes flicked from the girls to Miranda, “go home.”
Miranda seemed to understand then, but she still did not want to leave Andrea. “And if something happens to you tonight?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me. But if it will make you feel better, I’ll call Lily and see if she will come and stay with me tonight.”
Miranda still wasn’t pleased by this arrangement, but she finally nodded her consent. “If anything happens…”
“Lily and I have both been through this before. If the slightest thing goes weird, Lily will know. She will call you. But I’m going to be fine.” Andy assured again.
Miranda felt reassured by Andy’s words, but felt a slight pang at them as well. Andy’s words implied that this had happened before, and that Lily was aware and had been through it with her before. While she was obviously grateful that Andy had someone with her for these things, she also hated that Lily knew about the allergy while she herself did not. Lily knew how to take care of Andy, what signs to look for, while Miranda did not.
Andy grasped Miranda’s hand and pulled it up to her mouth, where she placed a light kiss on her palm. “Go home.” She whispered.
Miranda nodded. She moved to get up when Andy held onto her hand. “Wait, actually. Before you go…” Andy looked at the twins. “Do you think you two could head down to the car awhile?”
Both girls nodded and moved over to the bed to hug Andy goodbye. Caroline seemed to cling to Andy for a few seconds longer than Cassidy, Miranda noticed. Once they had both pulled away, they paused in the doorway, looking back at Andy. She smiled at them. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Her words seemed to calm them and they nodded and headed down the hall. Miranda watched until they were gone and then turned to Andy, expecting her to have gotten rid of the twins so that they could properly say goodbye. She leaned forward to kiss Andy, but Andy’s hand on her chest stopped her.
“Wait.”
“What?”
“Miranda, I want you to promise me something.”
Miranda looked at Andy and nodded slowly. “Anything.”
“Don’t say anything to them tonight.”
Andy didn’t have to say who ‘them’ were. Miranda knew. She frowned deeply. “Andrea, while I may not know what exactly happened -“
“That’s right. You don’t know what happened. I do. And I’m telling you, it was all an accident.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“It was. They never meant to hurt me. And I don’t want you saying anything to them just because you’re worried about me. I’m fine.”
Miranda looked at Andrea, hooked up to an IV and an oxygen tube, and was once again reminded of just how special she was. Stephen had nearly had a heart attack when Cassidy had accidentally spilled juice on one of his ties. Andrea was in the hospital because of something her daughters did, and she was sitting there protecting and defending them.
Miranda leaned forward and kissed Andy deeply. “What did I do to deserve you?” She asked when she pulled away, voicing the question that she had been asking herself more and more lately.
Andy grinned. “You took me back.” She kissed Miranda once more. “Now go home with your daughters.”
Miranda let her fingers slip through Andy’s curls. “I love you, Andrea.”
“I love you too.” Andy breathed. “Now out.”
Miranda did as she was told and left Andy’s room, going down to where the car was parked. She climbed into the car, sliding in beside her two daughters. She said nothing for a few seconds, waiting until the car started toward the townhouse before she spoke.
“I don’t know what went on tonight. I don’t want to know. Andrea assures me that it was an accident, and since she seems so determined to protect you, I will not force the issue. However,” Miranda looked over at the girls whose faces were still pale, “I will say this… I love Andrea. I love her just like I love the two of you. And I do not appreciate the fact that she was hurt this evening, especially if it was by the other two people I love most in this world. And I do love you two more than anything. But I will not tolerate you doing anything else to hurt Andrea ever again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mom.” They both whispered softly.
“We’re really sorry.” Caroline continued.
Miranda nodded. “I am glad that you are. However, I still think that whatever happened this evening should be punished. And as such, since I do not know the extent of what went on, I am leaving the punishment up to Andrea. Whatever she says will go, and there will be absolutely no complaints, do you understand?”
Again both girls nodded and whispered, “Yes, Mom.”
“Good.” Miranda’s face and voice softened. “Now come here.” She held out her arms for them, and they both clung to her tightly. Miranda kissed the tops of their heads. “I love you both.”
“We love you too.”
They finished the ride in silence, and when they arrived back at the townhouse, they found that Cara had already come back and cleaned everything up. There was no indication of the EMTs or of Andrea’s attack. The girls changed into their pajamas and both climbed into Caroline’s bed. Then they grabbed the phone and dialed Andy’s room number.
Lily answered and passed the phone over to Andy. “Hey, what’s going on you two? Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“We just wanted to make sure you were okay.” Cassidy said.
Andy heard the click on the line and knew that Miranda had picked up the phone. She wondered if the twins were aware. “I’m fine. Getting ready to go to bed, as you two should be as well. It’s late and we’ve had a busy day.”
“Mom talked to us on the way home.” Caroline told her.
“She did, huh?”
“Yeah. She said that she loved us very much, but she thought we should still be punished for what we did, and that our punishment was up to you.”
Andy’s eyebrows raised. “Up to me? Really?”
“Yeah.” Both girls confirmed.
“So, um, do you know what it will be yet?” Cassidy asked hesitantly.
Andy was silent for a few seconds before a grin spread over her face. “Yep.”
“You do?” Both girls sounded worried.
“Yep. First of all, you’re going to have to get rid of all of those donuts by the time I get home tomorrow. And then you’re going to have to make some new, non-strawberry ones. With me.”
The girls blinked. “That’s it?”
Andy grinned. “I’m horrible in the kitchen you know. But no, there’s one other thing.”
“What?”
“You’re going to have to go out with me. Be seen with me. In public. At the Kelly Clarkson concert.”
Both girls’ eyes widened at those words. They each loved Kelly Clarkson and had been begging their mother to get them tickets to her show. “Are you - are you serious?”
“Oh you bet I am. The show is Friday night. You’re going to have to go with me and sit with me. And I am telling you now, I will sing along at the top of my lungs.”
It was, they decided quickly, the best punishment they’d ever been given. Then they heard a voice clearing her throat on the line. Their mother. “I suppose I can accept Andrea’s punishment for you two, although I have a piece to add.” The girls groaned. “You’re also going to have to go backstage and meet Kelly with Andy.”
Both girls screamed in delight and it took long minutes before Andy and Miranda could get them calmed down enough to hang up the phone and go to sleep. When they finally did, it left only Andy and Miranda on the line. “You are such a pushover,” Miranda accused her.
Andy laughed. “Oh and you’re not? Besides, the donuts thing really will be punishment. I’m terrible in the kitchen.”
Miranda smiled at the sound of her laughter. “Thank you, Andrea.”
“You’re welcome.”
**
Friday afternoon as they were walking out of Dalton, Rachel stopped the girls. “What are you guys doing tonight?”
Caroline and Cassidy looked at each other for a second before they looked back at Rachel. “We’re doing our punishment with Andy.”
“What?”
“We tried to show Andy who was boss like you said, but it backfired. Mom found out and she was really ticked. Andy got to pick our punishment.”
“That is so lame. What do you have to do?” Rachel asked.
The girls exchanged grins as the car pulled up to the sidewalk and Andy climbed out, wearing a Kelly Clarkson t-shirt. “We have to go to the Kelly Clarkson concert with her.” Caroline made it sound as though it was the worst thing on earth.
“Can you believe it?” Cassidy asked in the same tone.
Rachel’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She loved Kelly Clarkson. “No, I -“
“Cass, Caroline, let’s go.” Andy called.
“Sorry Rachel, gotta go. We don’t want to keep her waiting.” And with that, the girls ran over to Andy, hugging her when they reached her.
When they were pulling away from the curb, Andy looked at them. “Let me guess,” she said, seeing the girl still staring at the limo, “Rachel?” They nodded. “Remind me to send her a fruit basket or something.” Andy winked at them.
The girls only giggled. It was all their friend Rachel’s fault. They’d almost killed Andy, but she’d survived and now they were closer to her than ever. Soon they would have a picture of the three of them and Kelly Clarkson to place on the mantle in their townhouse, next to the framed photo of their mother and Andy at a benefit. And all because of a donut.