Miranda Rising (7/?)
Miranda Rising (7/?)
Coco // i_heart_cuddy
rating R
pairing Miranda/Andy
disclaimer I don't own the Devil Wears Prada, I don't own Meryl Streep or Anne Hathaway and I make no money off of my exploits herein.
summary Sequel/Prequel to Devil May Care and Ghosts of My Girlfriend's Past, Present & Future. Settling into retirement, spending time with her wife and children, reconnecting with her sister, entertaining her dead ex-husband and translating ancient manuals of the occult are all parts of a normal day in Miranda Priestly's life as she delves into the question that has always haunted her: why me?
genre I guess maybe it's a crossover. It's a little bit Ghost Whisperer, a little bit Ghost Town and maybe a tiny bit X-Files. None of which I own or make any money off of. ♥
warnings abuse.
AN Title idea borrowed from HANNIBAL Rising, not Mercury Rising because it has to do with learning about how Miranda became who she is.
AN2 I'm going to be making up physics here. YE BE WARNED.
Click to enlarge!
Click here for the ficmix!
Character Cheat Sheet for this Universe
Short re-cap from part six:
Alice pulled her down for another kiss and they toppled over. Miranda's hands sought out and fumbled with Alice's pants zipper. Panting, Alice reached down to still Miranda's movements. Miranda looked up, white hair falling into her face.
"We can't," Alice whispered. "Not here."
"You're right." Miranda nodded, she kissed Alice softly on the lips. "Come to my flat this evening at seven."
Alice nodded breathlessly.
**
Sandra arrived at the apartment at five. Joanne ushered her into the apartment, "thank you for coming over."
"Oh, no problem." Sandra smiled, "I would have been here earlier except I had to stop by and pick up a few of my past Runway copies. Did you do something to your ankle?"
"Yeah, I took a bad fall. It's sprained." Joanne nodded.
"I'm sorry, here, let's get you sitting in the kitchen and off of your feet." Sandra slung her bag over her shoulder and helped Joanne back to the kitchen.
"I'm mostly alright, Sandra, there's no need to fuss." Joanne insisted as she settled back into her chair.
Miranda offered Sandra a reserved smile, "hello again."
"Hello, Ms. Priestly." Sandra grinned and laughed embarassedly, "I'm sorry... I promised myself I'd play it cooler than last time and I've already failed."
Joanne laughed, "I'd offer you coffee but you don't need the caffeine."
"We really appreciate your coming over and giving us a hand." Miranda nudged the book closer. "I realize you just got out of work and this is probably the last thing you'd choose to do with your evening..."
"Oh, think nothing of it. As long as neither of you tell me your dog ate your homework or ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish, I'm happy to do it. I really do love Latin and so seldom get legitimate opportunities to use it." She flipped open the first book. She furrowed her brow as she read down the page. "Where did you say you got this?"
"An estate sale." Miranda lied easily.
"It's... interesting." Sandra said as she turned the page.
"Why don't you start translating it aloud and I'll type it up?" Joanne smiled, pulling her macbook closer to her.
"Okay." Sandra turned back to the front page, "okay, it starts out saying: Whomsoever reads this volume shall know the secrets of life and death and all that lies between."
For the next hour and a half, Miranda and Joanne took turns taking Sandra's dictation. The text up to that point was mostly religious, discussing implications of the five states of being and what it meant for God's existence and personal involvement in the lives of humans.
Miranda stood from the table, "I should go. My daughter's bringing a friend home with her this evening and her class gets out at seven." She gathered her things. "Joanne can I do anything for you before I leave?"
"No, I'm good." Joanne smiled. "Give my love to Cassidy."
"Will do." Miranda leaned down and kissed the top of Joanne's head. "Sandra, lovely spending time with you again. Perhaps we could continue tomorrow?"
Sandra beamed, "I think so!"
"Good, it's a date. I'll see you both tomorrow."
**
On the way home Miranda stopped at Mangia and picked up dinner. It had been a difficult adjustment, running her own errands again but she muddled through. She was just setting out plates in the kitchen when the front door opened.
"Something smells delicious." Andy called as she made her way from one end of the floor to the other. "Is this from Mangia? You're a mind reader!"
Miranda shrugged, "Cassidy is bringing a friend home this evening while the dorm is being fumigated."
"A houseguest? Is that wise? All things considered." Andy went to the pantry and pulled out a bottle of Merlot.
Miranda set out two wine glasses and Andy filled them. Miranda took a glass and and sipped it. She shrugged, "I think it'll be okay. It's been pretty quiet around here, especially since Lucas started haunting Joanne."
"He's haunting Joanne?"
"Yes." Miranda rolled her eyes, "but to hear them talk about it it's more like courting. Please, help me feel a little saner. It is crazy that they're getting so attached, right?"
"It's more than just crazy, it's batshit crazy." Andy laughed, "how does Joanne even know she's been around Lucas?"
Miranda shook her head, "I don't even know. I think she's just talking into the silence and she feels like she's not alone. She hasn't dated anyone since Henry died and Lucas is a safe choice."
"As safe as a dead person can be." Andy laughed again, "I can't even believe we're having this conversation. Your formerly estranged sister wants to date your deceased ex-husband. If someone had told me this would be a real conversation I would have I'd've had them committed."
Miranda wrapped her arms around Andy and pulled her close. "Darling, you're just as sane as I am. Which might be of little comfort."
Andy grinned, "I take you as you are. Sixth sense and all." Andy brushed her lips against Miranda's, "our situation could get even stranger and I'd still be right by your side."
"Don't say that," Miranda scolded playfully, "you're practically inviting things to get stranger and I don't know if I can handle things getting any weirder."
"Don't say that." Andy snorted, "you're the one who opened the door for the houseguest. If you've ever seen any movie, things always get stranger when you throw a houseguest into the works."
"He'll only be here for a week." Miranda sipped her wine.
"He?" Andy repeated, stunned.
"Cassidy's friend. Well, boyfriend actually." Miranda set the wine glass down and dug into the Mangia bag, "I think I forgot to get green beans."
"Hold on, hold on. I'm not done talking about this. Her boyfriend is staying in what room?"
"Cassidy's room." Miranda said casually as she pulled the take-out out of the bag. She looked up to see Andy's expression of shock. "Oh, come on. You lived with your mountain man when you were twenty-two. Cassidy's nineteen."
"Yeah and my parents were none too happy about it. You are the coolest mom on the planet, aren't you? Aren't you worried that something will happen?" Andy demanded.
"Oh, Andrea, don't be naive. The minute a mother saying 'your boyfriend can't sleep over' actually stops teenagers from having sex will be the day hell freezes over. Don't give me that look, both my girls got the protection talk and I've taken them to planned parenthood. There's no reason for my daughters to suffer because I'd rather pretend that they're completely uninterested in sex."
"Just don't let Lucas catch wind of this or I'll never get any sleep."
Miranda snorted, "how do you figure?"
"Because he'll keep you up all night arguing and I can't sleep without you."
Miranda brushed her lips against Andy's, "sweetheart, would you do me a favor?"
"Maybe," Andy smiled against her, "what's the favor?"
"Would you cook some greenbeans to go with dinner?" Miranda whispered.
Andy laughed, "only because I find you completely irresistible even if you are a pain in the ass."
"Love you." Miranda grinned triumphantly.
"Yeah, yeah, I love you, too." Andy teased.
"Mom?" Cassidy called. Miranda stole a quick kiss from Andy before walking out to the foyer to greet Cassidy and meet Jesse. "Mom, this is Jesse."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Priestly." He held out his hand.
Cassidy elbowed him, "Ms." She hissed.
Miranda shook his hand, "just call me Miranda. It'll probably save you a lot of future bruised ribs." Not to mention quite a bit of cringing on Miranda's part. "It's nice to meet you, Jesse. I've heard a lot about you. All within an hour of learning of your existence but such is the plight of being a mother. Have you two eaten?"
Cassidy shook her head, "no, we just got out of class."
"I got enough food for everyone from Mangia."
Andy emerged from the kitchen and walked up to Cassidy and Jesse. She held out her hand for him, "hi, I'm Andy."
**
Cassidy was sitting on her bed and spreading moisturizer over her face while Jesse brushed his teeth. Dinner had been mostly silent, though throughout the day Cassidy had forgiven Miranda for her breakfast lecture.
Jesse set his toothbrush down on the side of the sink and laid down on the bed behind Cassidy. She set the tube of Kiss My Face down on the dresser and laid down next to him with a smile. "It's going to be fun waking up with you." She leaned in and kissed him.
"I have a confession to make." He said, drawing circles lazily on her hip with his pointer finger. "I thought Andy was a guy."
"You're kidding." Cassidy stared at him. "How did you not know my mother's married to a woman? It was huge news when they got married."
"I'm from out of state and I don't read fashion magazines." He shrugged.
"What did you think the equality sticker on my car meant?"
Jesse looked at her sheepishly, "I kind of assumed you didn't know what it meant."
She snorted, "thanks for giving me no credit on that one... so is this going to be a problem for you?"
"No..."
"That's a yes if I ever heard one."
"Cass, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with gay people, I have some gay friends. I just think that marriage is a man and a woman."
"If by the end of this week my family doesn't change your mind there's no hope for you." Cassidy rolled over on her side, facing away from him but still pressed against him. "And what gay friends do you have?"
"There's Melanie."
Cassidy laughed out loud, "getting drunk and making out with other drunk women at parties does not make Melanie Claiborne a lesbian. It doesn't even really make her bisexual. Who else?"
"There was a gay guy on the baseball team with me in high school. I didn't hang out with him or anything, but he was a really nice guy."
"That's your problem right there." Cassidy said, snuggling into him. "You've never spent any significant amount of time with someone who wasn't heteronormative or closeted. My mother and Andy are in the most love that I've ever thought two people could be, before I knew my mom also dated women I never gave same-sex marriage a thought. You'll change your mind, you'll see."
**
"Miranda!" Lucas shouted, appearing in her bedroom. "Miranda, wake up!"
Miranda gasped and sat straight up in bed. "What? Lucas? ...what?"
"Miranda get up we have a serious crisis!" Lucas insisted, "come on!"
She fumbled around on the nightstand for her glasses. She slid them on and started getting up in the pitch darkness of the room. "Is it Joanne? Is she alright?"
"Miranda?" Andy murmured, feeling around the left side of the bed for her wife.
"Go back to sleep, Andrea, I'll just be a minute." Miranda stroked her hair and Andy fell almost instantly back to sleep.
Miranda went to her closet hurriedly to find clothes and shoes to wear. "Forget that stuff!" Lucas frowned, "it's Cassidy. There's a boy in her bed!"
Miranda stopped moving and pursed her lips. "I hate you, Lucas." She rolled her eyes, she took her glasses off and set them back down on the nightstand and climbed back into bed.
"You know about this?" He demanded. "You're willfully allowing the deflowering of my princess?"
"Do you even hear what you're saying?" She rolled her eyes. "Can we have this conversation tomorrow?"
"No." Lucas said staunchly. "No, we'll talk about this now."
Miranda sighed defeatedly, "alright." Miranda rolled over and kissed Andy's cheek, "your prophecy came true, darling, I'm going to go argue with Lucas in my office. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
"Have fun." Andy mumbled.
Miranda grabbed her glasses again and trudged sleepily into her office. She flipped on the light, settled in her chair, yawned and nodded toward Lucas. "Alright," she said, putting her glasses on. "You were saying?"
"How can you take this so lightly?" Lucas looked even paler than normal for a ghost, as if he had blood to drain from his face.
"It's not the end of the world, they're nineteen. You were that age once."
"Exactly! And I know what boys his age want, which is why I'm so adamantly opposed to this arrangement."
"Lucas," Miranda rubbed her eyes, "I'm going to tell you something and I want you to promise not to overreact."
"I make no such promise."
She sighed. She hesitated but said, "Cassidy's been on the pill for almost two years."
"I'll kill the bastard! I'll haunt the shit out of him." Lucas shook his head, starting to pace.
"Cassidy's only been dating Jesse for a month. They may not have even had sex yet. It's none of our business and if you haunt either one of them I will never forgive you."
"That would be a better threat if I wasn't already so pissed off at you for allowing this to happen under your own roof! That's the girl I used to rock in my arms when she couldn't sleep, the girl who cried for her daddy when she broke her arm in gymnastics."
"Lucas, I implore you to listen to yourself." Miranda attempted to reason with him. "I can imagine that every parent goes through this. When she first asked me to take her to Planned Parenthood to get the pill all I could think about was taking the girls to see the premiere of Finding Nemo and standing in Times Square freezing my ass off so they could get their pictures taken with Spongebob Squarepants. But time and time again both of our daughters have proven to me that they are young women and not naive little girls anymore. We were once that age, too, we were once those little kids who cried for our parents and couldn't understand why cookies weren't an acceptable breakfast food."
Lucas was silent for a moment.
"So, can we stop having a crisis and let me go back to bed?"
"What if..." Lucas started, his voice shaking, "what if she got pregnant?"
Miranda sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I will continue to support her in any decision that she makes but I'd prefer to not worry about that particular problem unless we run into it."
They were silent for several long minutes. Miranda stood up and took off her glasses, "may I go back to bed now?"
He nodded wordlessly.
"Lucas, you're a good father and a good person. One of your most attractive qualities has always been your loving, caring nature and how deeply you love our daughters. It's time to just trust them."
He nodded again. Miranda waited to see if he'd speak, but he remained silent. "Alright, I'm going back to bed now." She paused again before shutting off the light and going back to bed, leaving Lucas standing in the dark.
**
Paris, France 1972
Alice let herself into the apartment and threw open the curtains. Miranda jerked and squinted her eyes at the offending sunlight. Alice stood silhouetted against the rising sun.
Miranda looked over at the clock and frowned. "You stood me up."
Alice sighed, "last night I made it all the way here. I got here at 6:30 actually. I sat outside for two hours. I wanted to come in, darlin, I really did, but I... I just couldn't. I couldn't do it."
Coco // i_heart_cuddy
rating R
pairing Miranda/Andy
disclaimer I don't own the Devil Wears Prada, I don't own Meryl Streep or Anne Hathaway and I make no money off of my exploits herein.
summary Sequel/Prequel to Devil May Care and Ghosts of My Girlfriend's Past, Present & Future. Settling into retirement, spending time with her wife and children, reconnecting with her sister, entertaining her dead ex-husband and translating ancient manuals of the occult are all parts of a normal day in Miranda Priestly's life as she delves into the question that has always haunted her: why me?
genre I guess maybe it's a crossover. It's a little bit Ghost Whisperer, a little bit Ghost Town and maybe a tiny bit X-Files. None of which I own or make any money off of. ♥
warnings abuse.
AN Title idea borrowed from HANNIBAL Rising, not Mercury Rising because it has to do with learning about how Miranda became who she is.
AN2 I'm going to be making up physics here. YE BE WARNED.
Click to enlarge!
Click here for the ficmix!
Character Cheat Sheet for this Universe
Short re-cap from part six:
Alice pulled her down for another kiss and they toppled over. Miranda's hands sought out and fumbled with Alice's pants zipper. Panting, Alice reached down to still Miranda's movements. Miranda looked up, white hair falling into her face.
"We can't," Alice whispered. "Not here."
"You're right." Miranda nodded, she kissed Alice softly on the lips. "Come to my flat this evening at seven."
Alice nodded breathlessly.
**
Sandra arrived at the apartment at five. Joanne ushered her into the apartment, "thank you for coming over."
"Oh, no problem." Sandra smiled, "I would have been here earlier except I had to stop by and pick up a few of my past Runway copies. Did you do something to your ankle?"
"Yeah, I took a bad fall. It's sprained." Joanne nodded.
"I'm sorry, here, let's get you sitting in the kitchen and off of your feet." Sandra slung her bag over her shoulder and helped Joanne back to the kitchen.
"I'm mostly alright, Sandra, there's no need to fuss." Joanne insisted as she settled back into her chair.
Miranda offered Sandra a reserved smile, "hello again."
"Hello, Ms. Priestly." Sandra grinned and laughed embarassedly, "I'm sorry... I promised myself I'd play it cooler than last time and I've already failed."
Joanne laughed, "I'd offer you coffee but you don't need the caffeine."
"We really appreciate your coming over and giving us a hand." Miranda nudged the book closer. "I realize you just got out of work and this is probably the last thing you'd choose to do with your evening..."
"Oh, think nothing of it. As long as neither of you tell me your dog ate your homework or ask to go to the bathroom in Spanish, I'm happy to do it. I really do love Latin and so seldom get legitimate opportunities to use it." She flipped open the first book. She furrowed her brow as she read down the page. "Where did you say you got this?"
"An estate sale." Miranda lied easily.
"It's... interesting." Sandra said as she turned the page.
"Why don't you start translating it aloud and I'll type it up?" Joanne smiled, pulling her macbook closer to her.
"Okay." Sandra turned back to the front page, "okay, it starts out saying: Whomsoever reads this volume shall know the secrets of life and death and all that lies between."
For the next hour and a half, Miranda and Joanne took turns taking Sandra's dictation. The text up to that point was mostly religious, discussing implications of the five states of being and what it meant for God's existence and personal involvement in the lives of humans.
Miranda stood from the table, "I should go. My daughter's bringing a friend home with her this evening and her class gets out at seven." She gathered her things. "Joanne can I do anything for you before I leave?"
"No, I'm good." Joanne smiled. "Give my love to Cassidy."
"Will do." Miranda leaned down and kissed the top of Joanne's head. "Sandra, lovely spending time with you again. Perhaps we could continue tomorrow?"
Sandra beamed, "I think so!"
"Good, it's a date. I'll see you both tomorrow."
**
On the way home Miranda stopped at Mangia and picked up dinner. It had been a difficult adjustment, running her own errands again but she muddled through. She was just setting out plates in the kitchen when the front door opened.
"Something smells delicious." Andy called as she made her way from one end of the floor to the other. "Is this from Mangia? You're a mind reader!"
Miranda shrugged, "Cassidy is bringing a friend home this evening while the dorm is being fumigated."
"A houseguest? Is that wise? All things considered." Andy went to the pantry and pulled out a bottle of Merlot.
Miranda set out two wine glasses and Andy filled them. Miranda took a glass and and sipped it. She shrugged, "I think it'll be okay. It's been pretty quiet around here, especially since Lucas started haunting Joanne."
"He's haunting Joanne?"
"Yes." Miranda rolled her eyes, "but to hear them talk about it it's more like courting. Please, help me feel a little saner. It is crazy that they're getting so attached, right?"
"It's more than just crazy, it's batshit crazy." Andy laughed, "how does Joanne even know she's been around Lucas?"
Miranda shook her head, "I don't even know. I think she's just talking into the silence and she feels like she's not alone. She hasn't dated anyone since Henry died and Lucas is a safe choice."
"As safe as a dead person can be." Andy laughed again, "I can't even believe we're having this conversation. Your formerly estranged sister wants to date your deceased ex-husband. If someone had told me this would be a real conversation I would have I'd've had them committed."
Miranda wrapped her arms around Andy and pulled her close. "Darling, you're just as sane as I am. Which might be of little comfort."
Andy grinned, "I take you as you are. Sixth sense and all." Andy brushed her lips against Miranda's, "our situation could get even stranger and I'd still be right by your side."
"Don't say that," Miranda scolded playfully, "you're practically inviting things to get stranger and I don't know if I can handle things getting any weirder."
"Don't say that." Andy snorted, "you're the one who opened the door for the houseguest. If you've ever seen any movie, things always get stranger when you throw a houseguest into the works."
"He'll only be here for a week." Miranda sipped her wine.
"He?" Andy repeated, stunned.
"Cassidy's friend. Well, boyfriend actually." Miranda set the wine glass down and dug into the Mangia bag, "I think I forgot to get green beans."
"Hold on, hold on. I'm not done talking about this. Her boyfriend is staying in what room?"
"Cassidy's room." Miranda said casually as she pulled the take-out out of the bag. She looked up to see Andy's expression of shock. "Oh, come on. You lived with your mountain man when you were twenty-two. Cassidy's nineteen."
"Yeah and my parents were none too happy about it. You are the coolest mom on the planet, aren't you? Aren't you worried that something will happen?" Andy demanded.
"Oh, Andrea, don't be naive. The minute a mother saying 'your boyfriend can't sleep over' actually stops teenagers from having sex will be the day hell freezes over. Don't give me that look, both my girls got the protection talk and I've taken them to planned parenthood. There's no reason for my daughters to suffer because I'd rather pretend that they're completely uninterested in sex."
"Just don't let Lucas catch wind of this or I'll never get any sleep."
Miranda snorted, "how do you figure?"
"Because he'll keep you up all night arguing and I can't sleep without you."
Miranda brushed her lips against Andy's, "sweetheart, would you do me a favor?"
"Maybe," Andy smiled against her, "what's the favor?"
"Would you cook some greenbeans to go with dinner?" Miranda whispered.
Andy laughed, "only because I find you completely irresistible even if you are a pain in the ass."
"Love you." Miranda grinned triumphantly.
"Yeah, yeah, I love you, too." Andy teased.
"Mom?" Cassidy called. Miranda stole a quick kiss from Andy before walking out to the foyer to greet Cassidy and meet Jesse. "Mom, this is Jesse."
"It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Priestly." He held out his hand.
Cassidy elbowed him, "Ms." She hissed.
Miranda shook his hand, "just call me Miranda. It'll probably save you a lot of future bruised ribs." Not to mention quite a bit of cringing on Miranda's part. "It's nice to meet you, Jesse. I've heard a lot about you. All within an hour of learning of your existence but such is the plight of being a mother. Have you two eaten?"
Cassidy shook her head, "no, we just got out of class."
"I got enough food for everyone from Mangia."
Andy emerged from the kitchen and walked up to Cassidy and Jesse. She held out her hand for him, "hi, I'm Andy."
**
Cassidy was sitting on her bed and spreading moisturizer over her face while Jesse brushed his teeth. Dinner had been mostly silent, though throughout the day Cassidy had forgiven Miranda for her breakfast lecture.
Jesse set his toothbrush down on the side of the sink and laid down on the bed behind Cassidy. She set the tube of Kiss My Face down on the dresser and laid down next to him with a smile. "It's going to be fun waking up with you." She leaned in and kissed him.
"I have a confession to make." He said, drawing circles lazily on her hip with his pointer finger. "I thought Andy was a guy."
"You're kidding." Cassidy stared at him. "How did you not know my mother's married to a woman? It was huge news when they got married."
"I'm from out of state and I don't read fashion magazines." He shrugged.
"What did you think the equality sticker on my car meant?"
Jesse looked at her sheepishly, "I kind of assumed you didn't know what it meant."
She snorted, "thanks for giving me no credit on that one... so is this going to be a problem for you?"
"No..."
"That's a yes if I ever heard one."
"Cass, don't get me wrong, I have no problem with gay people, I have some gay friends. I just think that marriage is a man and a woman."
"If by the end of this week my family doesn't change your mind there's no hope for you." Cassidy rolled over on her side, facing away from him but still pressed against him. "And what gay friends do you have?"
"There's Melanie."
Cassidy laughed out loud, "getting drunk and making out with other drunk women at parties does not make Melanie Claiborne a lesbian. It doesn't even really make her bisexual. Who else?"
"There was a gay guy on the baseball team with me in high school. I didn't hang out with him or anything, but he was a really nice guy."
"That's your problem right there." Cassidy said, snuggling into him. "You've never spent any significant amount of time with someone who wasn't heteronormative or closeted. My mother and Andy are in the most love that I've ever thought two people could be, before I knew my mom also dated women I never gave same-sex marriage a thought. You'll change your mind, you'll see."
**
"Miranda!" Lucas shouted, appearing in her bedroom. "Miranda, wake up!"
Miranda gasped and sat straight up in bed. "What? Lucas? ...what?"
"Miranda get up we have a serious crisis!" Lucas insisted, "come on!"
She fumbled around on the nightstand for her glasses. She slid them on and started getting up in the pitch darkness of the room. "Is it Joanne? Is she alright?"
"Miranda?" Andy murmured, feeling around the left side of the bed for her wife.
"Go back to sleep, Andrea, I'll just be a minute." Miranda stroked her hair and Andy fell almost instantly back to sleep.
Miranda went to her closet hurriedly to find clothes and shoes to wear. "Forget that stuff!" Lucas frowned, "it's Cassidy. There's a boy in her bed!"
Miranda stopped moving and pursed her lips. "I hate you, Lucas." She rolled her eyes, she took her glasses off and set them back down on the nightstand and climbed back into bed.
"You know about this?" He demanded. "You're willfully allowing the deflowering of my princess?"
"Do you even hear what you're saying?" She rolled her eyes. "Can we have this conversation tomorrow?"
"No." Lucas said staunchly. "No, we'll talk about this now."
Miranda sighed defeatedly, "alright." Miranda rolled over and kissed Andy's cheek, "your prophecy came true, darling, I'm going to go argue with Lucas in my office. I'll try to be back as soon as I can."
"Have fun." Andy mumbled.
Miranda grabbed her glasses again and trudged sleepily into her office. She flipped on the light, settled in her chair, yawned and nodded toward Lucas. "Alright," she said, putting her glasses on. "You were saying?"
"How can you take this so lightly?" Lucas looked even paler than normal for a ghost, as if he had blood to drain from his face.
"It's not the end of the world, they're nineteen. You were that age once."
"Exactly! And I know what boys his age want, which is why I'm so adamantly opposed to this arrangement."
"Lucas," Miranda rubbed her eyes, "I'm going to tell you something and I want you to promise not to overreact."
"I make no such promise."
She sighed. She hesitated but said, "Cassidy's been on the pill for almost two years."
"I'll kill the bastard! I'll haunt the shit out of him." Lucas shook his head, starting to pace.
"Cassidy's only been dating Jesse for a month. They may not have even had sex yet. It's none of our business and if you haunt either one of them I will never forgive you."
"That would be a better threat if I wasn't already so pissed off at you for allowing this to happen under your own roof! That's the girl I used to rock in my arms when she couldn't sleep, the girl who cried for her daddy when she broke her arm in gymnastics."
"Lucas, I implore you to listen to yourself." Miranda attempted to reason with him. "I can imagine that every parent goes through this. When she first asked me to take her to Planned Parenthood to get the pill all I could think about was taking the girls to see the premiere of Finding Nemo and standing in Times Square freezing my ass off so they could get their pictures taken with Spongebob Squarepants. But time and time again both of our daughters have proven to me that they are young women and not naive little girls anymore. We were once that age, too, we were once those little kids who cried for our parents and couldn't understand why cookies weren't an acceptable breakfast food."
Lucas was silent for a moment.
"So, can we stop having a crisis and let me go back to bed?"
"What if..." Lucas started, his voice shaking, "what if she got pregnant?"
Miranda sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I will continue to support her in any decision that she makes but I'd prefer to not worry about that particular problem unless we run into it."
They were silent for several long minutes. Miranda stood up and took off her glasses, "may I go back to bed now?"
He nodded wordlessly.
"Lucas, you're a good father and a good person. One of your most attractive qualities has always been your loving, caring nature and how deeply you love our daughters. It's time to just trust them."
He nodded again. Miranda waited to see if he'd speak, but he remained silent. "Alright, I'm going back to bed now." She paused again before shutting off the light and going back to bed, leaving Lucas standing in the dark.
**
Paris, France 1972
Alice let herself into the apartment and threw open the curtains. Miranda jerked and squinted her eyes at the offending sunlight. Alice stood silhouetted against the rising sun.
Miranda looked over at the clock and frowned. "You stood me up."
Alice sighed, "last night I made it all the way here. I got here at 6:30 actually. I sat outside for two hours. I wanted to come in, darlin, I really did, but I... I just couldn't. I couldn't do it."