Trying To Find Her Way Home
Title: Trying to Find Her Way Home
Author: avenavs
Pairing: Miranda- Andrea
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5,543
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. These characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. Any other characters are from the author.
Summary: Where do you go from here? If life shows you no way out? Or is there no way out at all?
A/N: genre is hurt-comfort. If you don’t like angst at a different degree, it’s advisable not to read it. And I don’t know if the circumstance I placed our characters here is possible, but I tried it anyway. Oh well. Let’s just say that I tried to explore Andy this way and Miranda is unsure on how to handle it until the moment arrives. And let’s say that the whole thing happened in the year 2008. This has nothing to do with my current depression, or the current weather here (it’s really, really stormy here. A typhoon just left and another one’s on its way now) in fact, this should be a total crackfic, and my word document’s original title for this is “Frozen Pop Tarts”. But the story sort of wrote itself when the point that the twins had to tell about the fiasco to Miranda. Unbeta-d so all mistakes are mooooine. :P I recommend that this be read with a song called You’ll Be Safe Here by Rivermaya. Credits to the Joan Osborne. for the title, it’s a line from her song One of Us and I’m babbling. Sooooo…Comments are warm hugs on stormy days. :D
"Darn it Cass, she's still freezing!" Caroline hissed, her voice just above the whisper. Cassidy placed a third blanket on the shivering body on Caroline's bed. The calmer redhead sighed.
"Mom would be here any minute now. We have to hide her."
Caroline's eyes bugged out and smacked her head. They both turned when they heard a distinct clacking downstairs accompanied by a chilly voice on the phone.
"Shit!" they both exclaimed. Cassidy pulled out Caroline's paint set and canvass.
"Stay here, I'm going to intercept mom." Cassidy ran down the flight of stairs to block her mom.
"Girls? Girls?" Miranda called out to her daughters. She had an extremely bad day. Ever since a certain brunette left her employ over a year ago, she'd been surrounded by incompetence and usual her cold demeanor turned into something that can rival that of the winter season. She sighed when she reached the third floor landing. She hated it when that girl crossed her mind.
She hated her foolishness and pride that got in her way of helping the woman reach her full potential. She had not been kidding when she told Andrea that she saw a lot of herself in the young woman. But just like her, the journalist was stubborn, if not headstrong, and she knew walking away from everything she was implicitly offered was Andrea’s way of telling the editor that she can choose her own paths. Fashion was not hers and she let it go. Though the editor was not able to let go easily of the brunette’s departure.
Miranda had been bothered with that revelation a few weeks after Andrea left. Seeing her wave from the other side of the street one disappointing day from office, all the stress melted off as she saw how the journalist tried and tried to improve even if she was not under her supervision anymore. She missed Andrea. She missed her babbling, her intelligent ways, even the smirks and soft gasps whenever those chocolate pools find something interesting or beautiful. Miranda always cherished the look the brunette gave her whenever she was dressed in her form- fitting button up Donna Karan white long sleeves and the black Armani suit with the pencil skirt that is sinfully a few inches higher from her knees and an even higher slit together with the 5-inch Christian Lou pumps in mauve. The only term for Andrea’s look could be dubbed as ‘devouring’.
The editor sighed. She really hated it when she missed a certain Andrea Sachs, and she missed her more every day. Even though she wanted to see her again, she was almost certain that the young journalist was either pulling long hours in the office or chasing leads for stories. She knew how to be a gopher in the big city, she was once upon a time in the bottom of the food chain too. But in her heart of hearts, she wished she could talk to Andrea and ask her out for lunch…or dinner…
Cassidy suddenly jumped off from the staircase, blurring Miranda’s thoughts and hugged her, almost knocking out her mother and producing an 'oof' from Miranda.
"Bobbsey...careful sweetheart." Miranda looked down on her child and the redhead nuzzled her mother's stomach.
"Mished you." a muffled reply came from her daughter. She bent down slightly and kissed her head before asking,
"Where's your sister? I want to see her too. Mommy had a long day."
The girl in her arms stiffened and looked up, "She in her room mom, she's ah...painting. She's painting something and she told me not to bother her until she finishes it." the redhead gave her mom her best nothing's-going-on-in-her-room-please-don't-come-inside- smile. Her mother furrowed her eyebrows for a moment but a knowing smile graced her lips.
"Alright. But I want to look at that painting later. She always asks me for color references when she gets confused. Now let's go downstairs and reheat that dinner."
Just as the two stepped on the last stair, a moan loud enough to be heard two flights down reverberated in the townhouse. Cassidy froze as her mother looked up.
"I'm positively sure that's not your sister." Miranda charged back up even before Cassidy had the time to reach out for her mother's hand. They were so screwed.
"Hi mom!" A blushing Caroline popped her head out from the crack of her door. She was panting and she looked like she just finished wrestling something. Miranda was not amused. She gave her daughter her crocodilian smile and proceeded with,
"I want to see your painting bobbsey. Maybe you need a little..." All three of them stopped any advances when the loud cry cut through the nervous atmosphere again. Miranda's whisper became arctic.
"I don't think paintings moan Caroline Marie. Let me in."
The redhead at the door shook her head frantically. Then the moaning and crying started again. Both the twin's faces were drained of blood. Their mother's face was contorted with extreme distaste. The redheads knew their mother is easily angered with people who lie, especially them. The older Priestly pushed the door, hard enough to throw Caroline a few steps away from where she was guarding the door.
Miranda was about to lash out and scold her twins about letting other people in their town house, but what Miranda saw lying on Caroline's bed was enough to freeze her in place. A soft gasp came from Miranda’s lips.
Her former assistant Andrea Sachs, was squirming and wriggling underneath three piles of thick comforters, lips trembling and face projecting pain. Miranda was extremely stunned, but it only took her a few moments when her motherly instinct kicked into place. She sat beside the brunette, took off the covers and was astonished to see the journalist in her underwear.
"Where are her clothes?" Miranda said as she felt the brunette's forehead. She was burning with fever but her hands and feet were cold as Antarctica.
"They were all wet. We found her unconscious in the snow near the corner of 7-11. We've called your doctor and she'll be here any minute now." Cassidy mumbled. Caroline nodded and sat on the floor.
"We asked Roy to help us bring her up here." Caroline whispered as she stared on the floor. Miranda took a towel from one of the twins' cabinets and went to their bathroom. She returned with a steaming towel and started sponge bathing the unconscious brunette. The doorbell chimed.
"We'll get it." The twins ran outside as Miranda tried desperately to control her breathing. She was afraid-- genuinely terrified-- that her former assistant and the only person she's ever missed, was lying on her daughter's bed, shivering and whimpering and was on the verge of having a total body shutdown because of the cold. She still didn't know what she was doing unconscious outside the harsh November snow but she was willing to find out. She had to find out.
Dr. Erin Haley ran upstairs once the twins briefed her in the foyer as fast as they possibly could without missing any details. The door closed and all three Priestlys sat outside the second floor landing while the doc did her job. Miranda sighed and rubbed her temples vigorously with her fingers.
“Care to explain to your mother why you found her former assistant in a convenience store a few blocks away from our home? And what made you take her home?” Miranda was tired and what she found in her home only made her headache worse.
Cassidy piped in. “Caro ate all my pop tarts this afternoon. She promised me she’ll buy two boxes when we get home but the snow storm got really bad so we got stuck in the school until this evening.”
Miranda nodded. She chewed and swallowed both Emilys before she spit them out again for not being able to fetch her girls before the snow storm hit Manhattan. All she could do was wait and tried to concentrate on the run- through which turned to be a disaster too. She was only relieved when Roy called her and made sure the girls were safe…only he left the part where he also took a frozen Andrea Sachs back to her townhouse. She needed to talk to Roy about his filtering of what he does when it’s concerning her girls.
Caroline interrupted her thoughts when she followed her sister’s small confession. ”When it subsided, you asked Roy to pick us up. So we asked him to pass by 7-11 so I could buy Cass’ pop tarts. We got there because there weren’t any harsh wind or snow or anything, just snow, and the people were already clearing the roads and all...so there. We bought the pop tarts, but when we were returning to the car, Cass slipped and landed on her butt and the boxes scattered-“
“Boxes? Did you just buy all of the available pop tarts there?” Miranda’s tone softened into a deadly whisper. They knew their mother hated those things because of the high sugar content. Cassidy nodded and replied guiltily,
“K-kind of. We picked up the boxes and when I took the last one, it was on the side of a bag, luggage. A big one mom.” Cassidy pointed at a gym bag that can be mistaken for a corpse bag had it not been stuffed haphazardly with clothes and the said clothes sticking out on all directions as it looked like it popped open sometime in the night.
Caroline continued, “Cass was about to pick it up when we saw the bag’s owner was slumped on it, a head of messy dirty and wet hair and hands turning purple by the minute. Cassidy shrieked and Roy got out of the car to check on us but I was-“
“Busy in her hysterics mom. She was trying to kick Andy because she thought she was going to stash me in the bag and kidnap me. How could you even think that Caro? She’s actually lying unconscious. And I gasped, not shrieked, there’s a difference.” Both twins glared at each other for a moment while Miranda just sat there, as she tried to digest what the twins just said. How in the world did she end up sleeping in freezing city streets? The older Priestly cleared her throat and Cassidy continued,
“When I figured out it was Andy, I asked Roy to take her back home. I dialed Dr. Haley when we were in the town car and hoped she’ll be done even before you came home.” She hung her head after telling her mother this information. Caroline decided to stand up and pace around,
“We really like her. After she gave us the Harry Potter book we’ve apologized and we made friends with her. And… we freaked out mom. We thought she was dead or something.” The agitated twin huffed, Cass just sat there staring at the floor and Miranda was still unbearably silent. When their mother was about to speak, the door opened and Dr. Haley went to the trio. Miranda and Cassidy stood up and Caroline clutched her mother’s hand.
“Miranda, she’s…okay.”
Miranda and the twins let out a breath they didn’t realize they were holding. When Miranda saw Andrea for the first time in a year, she was positively sure that the woman had extreme hypothermia. The twins looked visibly relieved as well. The doc smiled and nodded to the three,
“As of this moment she’s stable. But I certainly hope there will be no complications on this. Half an hour more in the snow while unconscious and she’d wouldn’t be here. She had hypothermia, and it’s a good thing your daughters decided to take her here. She could’ve had chronic hypothermia and it could lead to…yes. Right now, she still has fever but I injected some medicine so it would take effect right away. She’s still a bit hypothermic so I’m giving her these meds.” The doc handed Miranda a prescription. The editor took it with a shaking hand.
The doc continued her instructions, “Keep her warm as much as possible and give her something to eat. It looks like she’s suffering from malnutrition for almost a month now, give or take. If her fever doesn’t go away, take her the nearest hospital and I’ll be there. If you need anything I’m just a phone call away.”
Miranda nodded and shook hands with the doc. “Thank you Erin. Sorry to bother you at this weather.”
“No prob Miranda. I’m on call remember? Just tell me when she doesn’t regain consciousness in the morning.” With that, the doc descended the stairs and left. Miranda didn’t realize she was alone until she heard another moan through Caroline’s room. The editor jumped a little from the sound and rushed to her daughter’s bedroom, where she saw her twins fighting off Andrea, keeping her limbs steady under the warm comforters.
“She’s trying to take off the- Ow!” Caroline fell flat on her butt and Cassidy resumed her sister’s place. Andy was having a nightmare.
“Girls, come here.” Miranda’s voice was soft, but had no edge to it. The twins reluctantly went to the door where their mother was, leaving Andy flailing and moaning for a minute or so. She then stopped moving and clutched on the body pillow on her side and began to stop her
ministrations, though the brunette’s body was still shaking like a leaf. Miranda knelt and hugged her daughters tightly.
“I’m proud of you, but never do that stunt without telling me again, alright?” The twins nodded, placed their heads on their mother’s neck and sobbed simultaneously. They were scared to wits while seeing Andy go berserk in her slumber, not to mention laid almost- dead at the street corner without anyone taking pity on her. Life was just too cruel sometimes. Miranda can’t shield her children on all the menaces of the world just as the twins can’t ignore it forever. Cassidy mumbled something in her neck as she and her sister clutched on Miranda’s suit.
“I’m scared. We thought she was dead.”
Miranda kissed her daughter’s cheek and said, “No, she’s not. She’s going to be fine. We’ll cook her breakfast tomorrow and we’re going to find out why she chose to look like a popsicle in the street. But you two have to go to sleep. You’ve had enough adventure for today.” the motherly tone Cassidy and Caroline always loved to hear from Miranda came out and they took off their heads on their mother’s neck. They looked into her blue eyes, so similar like their own and nodded. They kissed both cheeks and proceeded to sleep in Cassidy’s room.
They were still afraid but they just had to make it through one night and prayed that Andy will be okay in the morning. When their heads hit the downy pillows, the two were immediately claimed by sleep. But the older Priestly was still very much awake. She hovered outside Caroline’s room, watching the sickly woman buried underneath the comforters and pillows. She sighed and did what she could on that fateful night.
She showered in the master’s bath of her room upstairs and wrapped herself in her grey bathrobe before proceeding to call her assistant,
“Send me Douglas Moores’ cell phone number. And when you bring in the Book, expect a prescription waiting downstairs. Buy them and return to the townhouse immediately before you can go. That’s all.” She knew the brunette had been particularly close with the junior market analyst that had been in Elias- Clarke a few days ago for a meeting, part of their training in the firm where he’s employed, Miranda thought.
A few moments later, a phone number appeared in her phone. She took a deep breath and called.
“Uh, hello?” Doug was still frazzled by the amount of work he had to finish before the holidays arrive. He was exhausted to no end. He answered his phone and placed it on speakerphone so he could type more quickly without having an odd knot in his neck for holding his phone between his ears and shoulders.
“Douglas, this is Miranda Priestly. I’d like to-“
Doug’s patience snapped from too much stress, “Yeah right. You know what? Stop pissing me off. I’m too busy to get prank calls Chris, I’m working while you laugh at me as I do your work. Go to hell.” Just as Doug was about to press the red button, Miranda cleared her throat and said,
“I do not know who is this Chris you’re talking about though I’m positively sure the last time I looked in the mirror, which is around a few minutes ago, I am still Miranda Priestly.”
Doug froze and slowly turned towards his Blackberry. “M-Miranda?”
“Yes. I do not however, have the time for guess- who’s- calling games so if you do not like to continue this conversation I’d rather have things to look and not waste my time proving who I am to you.”
“No, no, wait! I’m sorry Ms. Priestly, I’m really sorry…uhm…what could be the matter that you need to call me yourself?” Doug knew how unpredictable the lady was and how she didn’t appreciate details or niceties or anything else that she might find boring. He held his breath while waiting for the Dragon Lady’s answer.
“Have you heard anything from Andrea Sachs?” her voice was calm but on the other end of the line, her hand was shaking so badly, she had her phone pressed firmly against her cheek to prevent it from dropping.
Doug released his breath, “I haven’t seen her in the past two months. She lived here when she got her Mirror stint because she can’t pay the apartment by herself now that Nate’s gone to Boston. I’m actually angry at him, her ex, because he left the apartment when she was still in Paris and took all the furniture he could take, but never paid anything before leaving. Well,, anyway, after roughly around three months, she got laid off. She stayed with me for another month but she felt like she’s becoming a burden so she left me with a note and her phone as her sort of payment for staying too long in my place. It was her phone since it’s already been paid but her number wasn’t working, the telecom cut her line because she can’t pay her dues.”
Miranda was bothered with what she heard, “She got laid off and she had no money to pay even her cell phone bills?”
“Yes, I had to pay her phone bills with my savings, but she doesn’t know that. Her savings back in college were spent to pay up her credit cards which she used to pay her other dues. Basically, Nate, her ex, left her with unpaid bills and Andy had to carry all of that until..well, she couldn’t.” Doug really wanted his friend to realize that he can sustain their living long enough for Andy to find a job, she had a recommendation from Miranda after all. He thought he’d be able to buy her time as she scour the city for jobs or for freelancing, but no one was hiring and the recession was targeting those in the lower positions. He considered himself lucky to keep his job.
But she was depressed and embarrassed and Doug can’t do anything to cheer her up, his work days were worse than hell too. He was shocked when one evening, all he found back in his apartment was a phone and a note telling him Andy’s left and was going to find a place for herself once she gets into a new job.
After a few moments of quiet, Doug thought Miranda had hung up, but then Miranda said softly,
“I see. Tomorrow night after your work is done, my driver will take you to my townhouse. Andrea is here. You will know further details but the only thing you need to know is that Andrea was found by my daughters lying down a street corner near a convenience store unconscious and freezing to death. She’s stable for now. I’ll see you tomorrow evening Douglas.”
Miranda hung up. Doug remained frozen on his spot when Miranda told him Andy was freezing to death and was currently in the Dragon Lady’s lair. There was that brief snow storm today! She’s frozen shit! Doug had gone restless and put this restlessness to work instead. He wouldn’t have a blink’s worth of sleep. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow evening. He had to see Andy for himself.
***
Miranda entered Caroline’s room again with a pair of wool pajamas and a knitted long- sleeved top-both hers and proceeded doing what she does when her daughters are sick. She took the digital thermometer from the medicine cabinet and took Andy’s temperature. Whatever Dr. Haley gave her sure did make her temperature go down. But she still has a slight fever. She clothed Andrea carefully, mindful of the sleeping beauty in the small bed. The doc was right, the woman did suffer malnutrition, because it was the only reason she thought was valid enough to make her cut down into a size two. For a woman who did her exercise regularly, Miranda felt like she was holding a bag of bones. The sleeping woman still felt cool to the touch but her easy breathing relieved the white- haired fashionista’s worries.
She sat down on a chair near the bed and tried to rest her eyes. She was exhausted too, but she can’t sleep. The distinct clacking from downstairs reminded her of the Book but she can’t leave Andrea. She was glued to her spot, afraid that nightmares might claim the young woman on the bed.
Her fears did come true. When the front door was shut closed, Andrea started turning around restlessly again, moaning and pushing the comforter away from her. Miranda shot up from the chair and took Andrea’s arms firmly, holding her up and placing the thrashing head on her chest. She took Andrea into a tight embrace. She felt eyelashes fluttering on her chest. The girl sank into her arms and sighed. Miranda whispered,
“Andrea.”
The brunette raised her head on Miranda’s neck and nuzzled the skin she found there. The editor suddenly felt her cheeks flaming.
“Miranda…hate nightmares. Hate being alone.” The nuzzling continued, Miranda thought Andrea was still half- asleep. The last word uttered by the woman in her arms tugged at her heart.
“Yes, I hate being alone too.” Miranda replied sadly as she kissed the side of Andrea’s head.
The nuzzling stopped when the woman stiffened underneath her. Andrea slowly lifted her head and sapphire eyes met with lifeless chocolate browns, the latter almost black because of the medicine.
“You’re not a dream.” The brunette mumbled breathlessly. She sat down on her heels, hands on her lap, wide- eyed and confused. Miranda smiled softly and nodded. She whispered,
“I’m not. Hello Andrea.”
The young woman gasped and one hand flew to cover her dry mouth. She then looked at Miranda’s spaghetti strapped obsidian silk nightgown and then back up to her sapphire eyes. Throat dry, she tried to swallow and shook her head. Miranda’s gaze softened and she touched the cold hand of the brunette. She asked,
“Are you alright? What happened Andrea?”
The brunette suddenly remembered everything. Getting laid off, leaving Doug, wandering around, calling her parents, crying, eating cup noodles for weeks, looking for jobs, getting nabbed off the street corner, more wandering, snow storms…tears sprung to her eyes as she didn’t realize that she has already babbled everything she experienced in cut, almost inaudible phrases. She continued, her tears uncontrollable and voice cracked,
“…I don’t know what…how it happened. I just…it’s just…even if I wanted to go back to Ohio I can’t let my parents know I’ve failed and…my parents can’t locate where I am and…I was alone and…scared and…” the brunette burrowed her face in her palms. Warm arms encircled her until she got herself together and her breathing was normal.
Miranda on her part was aching in pain. How does one become homeless, jobless and alone in Manhattan? More importantly, how did the ever resourceful woman in her arms ended to be like one? It was infuriating and disappointing but most importantly, it was bloodcurdling to imagine how the woman came to be in a span of six months. The recession hit those newbie reporters thus getting Andrea laid off. No one was hiring and small jobs were harder to come by. Even freelancing did not help anyone feed three times a day. Perhaps, more than hypothermia and malnutrition, Andrea suffered from a nervous breakdown. She had to call Dr. Haley for a reference of a good psychiatrist.
“How did I get here? Why are you helping me?” Andrea mumbled as Miranda’s hands stroking her back calmingly did wonders on her mood. She hiccupped.
“My daughters found you unconscious on a street corner. They thought you were...dead.” Miranda’s hands stopped but she gripped the brunette tighter into her embrace. When the editor said the word dead, it was the only time she felt the word become almost a reality. That Andrea could’ve died alone, without anyone knowing. Miranda suddenly let out a choked sob and buried her face on Andrea’s neck. The brunette was startled, but she felt her arms encircling Miranda’s waist and tugging her closer. They fit incredibly perfect.
“M-Miranda.” Andy was rendered speechless.
“I…I’m going to take care of you.” Miranda whispered. She was making an abrupt decision, she knew it was a silly, spontaneous decision but she can’t risk the possibility of losing Andrea, without even having the chance to say what she felt for the brunette.
“No, Miranda…”
Miranda sat up and looked Andrea straight in her eyes. “Give me the chance to take care of you.” she said softly, her teary eyes reflected the determination she had. This may only be the opportunity she will ever have to take care of Andrea.
Andy felt like she was shooting up in cloud nine. All her longing for the editor in front of her ever since she left in Paris…all the dreams, all the times she stopped by in front of Elias- Clarke, hoping to see a glimpse of that white hair…she wanted to profess her feelings to the older woman, that it was more than just a boss crush or whatever, but she never had the chance to do so, until now, that Miranda was seemingly determined to take care of her. She felt like a little child but shooting up in the clouds nonetheless. Andy nodded and smiled shyly. Miranda’s worries were lifted instantly at the shy smile Andrea gave her. The brunette looked at her warm knit-top and said something, and behind the curtain of her long brown tresses, Miranda saw Andrea’s face turn pink. Miranda smiled and said,
“Would you repeat that? I didn’t hear you well Andrea.”
When Andy heard her name pronounced by Miranda, her cheeks flamed up once more. If she was standing up may be she had already scuffed her toes on the carpet. Miranda held Andrea’s chin and gently tilted it up, the doe eyes looking anywhere but Miranda’s.
“I said I always think about you. I always thought about a certain white- haired editor every day. And how I wished that someday I may…tell her how I feel. So maybe…”
Andrea’s shyness melted Miranda’s heart a little more. Miranda cupped both of her cheeks for a while and smiled again.
“Maybe what Andrea? You know how I don’t like to be kept waiting.” Miranda teased, her voice soft and light. Andy looked into Miranda’s sapphire eyes and saw nothing but immense care and understanding. She wrapped her hands gently on both of Miranda’s wrists and lowered them, as she intertwined her hands with the editor’s and began stroking her thumbs over Miranda’s.
“I hope I can tell you this again when I’m…not all emotional and raw and exposed, but I’ve always liked you-loved you, I guess. And that I’m thankful for the chance that you gave me, that night in Paris…I never forgot that. It’s what kept me going, my driving force even though I know that you’re angry at me for leaving you so abruptly. That…you’ve shown me a side of you that only your daughters might witness. And…because of my haughty decision, I may have just hurt you more. But I can’t…continue working with you…especially when I’m distracted by my feelings towards you and by your sometimes, uncanny ways.” Throughout her confession, Andy was just looking at their hands, she missed the pink color creeping on Miranda’s cheeks. Miranda didn’t really want an explanation regarding Andrea’s actions from a year back, but it was unnerving for her to hear those reasons, and it completely threw her off the loop.
“I left Paris but…I also left my heart there, in that hotel room. I hoped that I could survive once I set foot back here. I did for a while, thanks to you but I just fell apart. I lost control. I didn’t know where to go. I was lost.” Andrea looked earnestly into Miranda’s eyes and timidly asked,
“Miranda? Why do you want to help me? I-I mean, why not before…uhm…why now?”
“I don’t exactly keep tabs on all of my former assistants Andrea.” Miranda’s voice was calm but toneless. But she instantly regretted what she said once it came out of her mouth. Andy smiled sadly and bowed her head down. Miranda hated it when people question her timing on things; this at the least did not count to be a bad timing. Miranda knew nothing of whatever happened to Andrea and that was what she was guilty for. She took Andrea’s left hand and stared at it. The brunette dared to raise her head only to see Miranda’s eyes down casted at her hand.
“What I meant was, I had…a difficult time tracing your whereabouts without eliciting unwanted rumors/ well, I don’t really care about the rumors, but I do care about your privacy. I…used to read the Mirror to see if you’ve even gotten in for that day, but…I didn’t realize that you were laid off when I haven’t seen your name in there for more than a week. I didn’t think they’d cut off from the lower levels. I was so assured that your editor would keep you because, Andrea, you write brilliantly.” Miranda met the brunette’s eyes and smiled softly. She had to keep her words at bay; the woman was still drugged and unstable.
Andrea tried to look for any signs of…anything remotely insincere in Miranda’s blue eyes. She didn’t find any, though she did want to drown in them forever. She wanted to be with Miranda forever. With that thought, she blushed all over again.
“Uhm…But I can’t stay here. I…that’s,,,uhm…I’ll go tomorrow morning, I’ll k-keep in touch-keep you updated.” Andy’s blush had spread nicely on her neck up to the tips of her ears. Miranda chuckled inwardly at the sight. But Andrea’s hesitance was not in the deal. Andrea stretched her legs and let them dangle on the foot of the bed, turning her back from Miranda. The older woman felt Andrea’s sudden nervousness. She rose from the bed and stood in front of Andrea, who was currently interested on the carpeted floor of Caroline’s room.
“Douglas will be here tomorrow evening, he expects you to be here so I’m afraid you wouldn’t be going anywhere else.” Miranda’s stomach was just a few inches away from Andy’s face when the brunette stared up, her blush was still there. Andy gulped.
“Y-you called Doug?”
“Yes. I told you…I had no idea what happened to you after you disappeared from the Mirror. So I had to do some…research.” Miranda ran her index finger gently on Andrea’s cheek. Her former assistant fluttered her eyes at the contact. Miranda knelt down, her face leveling with Andy’s. She tucked a loose strand of brunette hair on Andrea’s ear, looked into her brown eyes and softly said,
“We’ll cook Caroline and Cassidy some pancakes tomorrow, they’re worried sick about you. Then you’ll take your medicine after I give you hot soup. You’ll stay here until you feel better, and I’ll know when you’ll feel better. Let me help you Andrea?”
Andy missed the way Miranda spoke her name, how Miranda’s perfume still lingers after a long day…how she missed Miranda so much. Now the woman was in front of her, asking her to stay, asking her to let her help her. It was the stuff her dreams were made out of.
She placed a shaky finger on Miranda’s lower lip and stroked it gently. The older woman blushed.
“Yes. Alright.”
Miranda kissed the lingering finger on her lips. She then kissed Andrea’s cheek gently. Andy couldn’t help but flutter her lashes when she felt those lips just a shy distance away from the corner of her mouth.
They were both hopeful that tomorrow will be alright. And to Andy, she felt that she isn’t lost anymore.
<3
Author: avenavs
Pairing: Miranda- Andrea
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 5,543
Disclaimer: All television shows, movies, books, and other copyrighted material referred to in this work, and the characters, settings, and events thereof, are the properties of their respective owners. As this work is an interpretation of the original material and not for-profit, it constitutes fair use. Reference to real persons, places, or events are made in a fictional context, and are not intended to be libelous, defamatory, or in any way factual. These characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. Any other characters are from the author.
Summary: Where do you go from here? If life shows you no way out? Or is there no way out at all?
A/N: genre is hurt-comfort. If you don’t like angst at a different degree, it’s advisable not to read it. And I don’t know if the circumstance I placed our characters here is possible, but I tried it anyway. Oh well. Let’s just say that I tried to explore Andy this way and Miranda is unsure on how to handle it until the moment arrives. And let’s say that the whole thing happened in the year 2008. This has nothing to do with my current depression, or the current weather here (it’s really, really stormy here. A typhoon just left and another one’s on its way now) in fact, this should be a total crackfic, and my word document’s original title for this is “Frozen Pop Tarts”. But the story sort of wrote itself when the point that the twins had to tell about the fiasco to Miranda. Unbeta-d so all mistakes are mooooine. :P I recommend that this be read with a song called You’ll Be Safe Here by Rivermaya. Credits to the Joan Osborne. for the title, it’s a line from her song One of Us and I’m babbling. Sooooo…Comments are warm hugs on stormy days. :D
"Darn it Cass, she's still freezing!" Caroline hissed, her voice just above the whisper. Cassidy placed a third blanket on the shivering body on Caroline's bed. The calmer redhead sighed.
"Mom would be here any minute now. We have to hide her."
Caroline's eyes bugged out and smacked her head. They both turned when they heard a distinct clacking downstairs accompanied by a chilly voice on the phone.
"Shit!" they both exclaimed. Cassidy pulled out Caroline's paint set and canvass.
"Stay here, I'm going to intercept mom." Cassidy ran down the flight of stairs to block her mom.
"Girls? Girls?" Miranda called out to her daughters. She had an extremely bad day. Ever since a certain brunette left her employ over a year ago, she'd been surrounded by incompetence and usual her cold demeanor turned into something that can rival that of the winter season. She sighed when she reached the third floor landing. She hated it when that girl crossed her mind.
She hated her foolishness and pride that got in her way of helping the woman reach her full potential. She had not been kidding when she told Andrea that she saw a lot of herself in the young woman. But just like her, the journalist was stubborn, if not headstrong, and she knew walking away from everything she was implicitly offered was Andrea’s way of telling the editor that she can choose her own paths. Fashion was not hers and she let it go. Though the editor was not able to let go easily of the brunette’s departure.
Miranda had been bothered with that revelation a few weeks after Andrea left. Seeing her wave from the other side of the street one disappointing day from office, all the stress melted off as she saw how the journalist tried and tried to improve even if she was not under her supervision anymore. She missed Andrea. She missed her babbling, her intelligent ways, even the smirks and soft gasps whenever those chocolate pools find something interesting or beautiful. Miranda always cherished the look the brunette gave her whenever she was dressed in her form- fitting button up Donna Karan white long sleeves and the black Armani suit with the pencil skirt that is sinfully a few inches higher from her knees and an even higher slit together with the 5-inch Christian Lou pumps in mauve. The only term for Andrea’s look could be dubbed as ‘devouring’.
The editor sighed. She really hated it when she missed a certain Andrea Sachs, and she missed her more every day. Even though she wanted to see her again, she was almost certain that the young journalist was either pulling long hours in the office or chasing leads for stories. She knew how to be a gopher in the big city, she was once upon a time in the bottom of the food chain too. But in her heart of hearts, she wished she could talk to Andrea and ask her out for lunch…or dinner…
Cassidy suddenly jumped off from the staircase, blurring Miranda’s thoughts and hugged her, almost knocking out her mother and producing an 'oof' from Miranda.
"Bobbsey...careful sweetheart." Miranda looked down on her child and the redhead nuzzled her mother's stomach.
"Mished you." a muffled reply came from her daughter. She bent down slightly and kissed her head before asking,
"Where's your sister? I want to see her too. Mommy had a long day."
The girl in her arms stiffened and looked up, "She in her room mom, she's ah...painting. She's painting something and she told me not to bother her until she finishes it." the redhead gave her mom her best nothing's-going-on-in-her-room-please-don't-come-inside- smile. Her mother furrowed her eyebrows for a moment but a knowing smile graced her lips.
"Alright. But I want to look at that painting later. She always asks me for color references when she gets confused. Now let's go downstairs and reheat that dinner."
Just as the two stepped on the last stair, a moan loud enough to be heard two flights down reverberated in the townhouse. Cassidy froze as her mother looked up.
"I'm positively sure that's not your sister." Miranda charged back up even before Cassidy had the time to reach out for her mother's hand. They were so screwed.
"Hi mom!" A blushing Caroline popped her head out from the crack of her door. She was panting and she looked like she just finished wrestling something. Miranda was not amused. She gave her daughter her crocodilian smile and proceeded with,
"I want to see your painting bobbsey. Maybe you need a little..." All three of them stopped any advances when the loud cry cut through the nervous atmosphere again. Miranda's whisper became arctic.
"I don't think paintings moan Caroline Marie. Let me in."
The redhead at the door shook her head frantically. Then the moaning and crying started again. Both the twin's faces were drained of blood. Their mother's face was contorted with extreme distaste. The redheads knew their mother is easily angered with people who lie, especially them. The older Priestly pushed the door, hard enough to throw Caroline a few steps away from where she was guarding the door.
Miranda was about to lash out and scold her twins about letting other people in their town house, but what Miranda saw lying on Caroline's bed was enough to freeze her in place. A soft gasp came from Miranda’s lips.
Her former assistant Andrea Sachs, was squirming and wriggling underneath three piles of thick comforters, lips trembling and face projecting pain. Miranda was extremely stunned, but it only took her a few moments when her motherly instinct kicked into place. She sat beside the brunette, took off the covers and was astonished to see the journalist in her underwear.
"Where are her clothes?" Miranda said as she felt the brunette's forehead. She was burning with fever but her hands and feet were cold as Antarctica.
"They were all wet. We found her unconscious in the snow near the corner of 7-11. We've called your doctor and she'll be here any minute now." Cassidy mumbled. Caroline nodded and sat on the floor.
"We asked Roy to help us bring her up here." Caroline whispered as she stared on the floor. Miranda took a towel from one of the twins' cabinets and went to their bathroom. She returned with a steaming towel and started sponge bathing the unconscious brunette. The doorbell chimed.
"We'll get it." The twins ran outside as Miranda tried desperately to control her breathing. She was afraid-- genuinely terrified-- that her former assistant and the only person she's ever missed, was lying on her daughter's bed, shivering and whimpering and was on the verge of having a total body shutdown because of the cold. She still didn't know what she was doing unconscious outside the harsh November snow but she was willing to find out. She had to find out.
Dr. Erin Haley ran upstairs once the twins briefed her in the foyer as fast as they possibly could without missing any details. The door closed and all three Priestlys sat outside the second floor landing while the doc did her job. Miranda sighed and rubbed her temples vigorously with her fingers.
“Care to explain to your mother why you found her former assistant in a convenience store a few blocks away from our home? And what made you take her home?” Miranda was tired and what she found in her home only made her headache worse.
Cassidy piped in. “Caro ate all my pop tarts this afternoon. She promised me she’ll buy two boxes when we get home but the snow storm got really bad so we got stuck in the school until this evening.”
Miranda nodded. She chewed and swallowed both Emilys before she spit them out again for not being able to fetch her girls before the snow storm hit Manhattan. All she could do was wait and tried to concentrate on the run- through which turned to be a disaster too. She was only relieved when Roy called her and made sure the girls were safe…only he left the part where he also took a frozen Andrea Sachs back to her townhouse. She needed to talk to Roy about his filtering of what he does when it’s concerning her girls.
Caroline interrupted her thoughts when she followed her sister’s small confession. ”When it subsided, you asked Roy to pick us up. So we asked him to pass by 7-11 so I could buy Cass’ pop tarts. We got there because there weren’t any harsh wind or snow or anything, just snow, and the people were already clearing the roads and all...so there. We bought the pop tarts, but when we were returning to the car, Cass slipped and landed on her butt and the boxes scattered-“
“Boxes? Did you just buy all of the available pop tarts there?” Miranda’s tone softened into a deadly whisper. They knew their mother hated those things because of the high sugar content. Cassidy nodded and replied guiltily,
“K-kind of. We picked up the boxes and when I took the last one, it was on the side of a bag, luggage. A big one mom.” Cassidy pointed at a gym bag that can be mistaken for a corpse bag had it not been stuffed haphazardly with clothes and the said clothes sticking out on all directions as it looked like it popped open sometime in the night.
Caroline continued, “Cass was about to pick it up when we saw the bag’s owner was slumped on it, a head of messy dirty and wet hair and hands turning purple by the minute. Cassidy shrieked and Roy got out of the car to check on us but I was-“
“Busy in her hysterics mom. She was trying to kick Andy because she thought she was going to stash me in the bag and kidnap me. How could you even think that Caro? She’s actually lying unconscious. And I gasped, not shrieked, there’s a difference.” Both twins glared at each other for a moment while Miranda just sat there, as she tried to digest what the twins just said. How in the world did she end up sleeping in freezing city streets? The older Priestly cleared her throat and Cassidy continued,
“When I figured out it was Andy, I asked Roy to take her back home. I dialed Dr. Haley when we were in the town car and hoped she’ll be done even before you came home.” She hung her head after telling her mother this information. Caroline decided to stand up and pace around,
“We really like her. After she gave us the Harry Potter book we’ve apologized and we made friends with her. And… we freaked out mom. We thought she was dead or something.” The agitated twin huffed, Cass just sat there staring at the floor and Miranda was still unbearably silent. When their mother was about to speak, the door opened and Dr. Haley went to the trio. Miranda and Cassidy stood up and Caroline clutched her mother’s hand.
“Miranda, she’s…okay.”
Miranda and the twins let out a breath they didn’t realize they were holding. When Miranda saw Andrea for the first time in a year, she was positively sure that the woman had extreme hypothermia. The twins looked visibly relieved as well. The doc smiled and nodded to the three,
“As of this moment she’s stable. But I certainly hope there will be no complications on this. Half an hour more in the snow while unconscious and she’d wouldn’t be here. She had hypothermia, and it’s a good thing your daughters decided to take her here. She could’ve had chronic hypothermia and it could lead to…yes. Right now, she still has fever but I injected some medicine so it would take effect right away. She’s still a bit hypothermic so I’m giving her these meds.” The doc handed Miranda a prescription. The editor took it with a shaking hand.
The doc continued her instructions, “Keep her warm as much as possible and give her something to eat. It looks like she’s suffering from malnutrition for almost a month now, give or take. If her fever doesn’t go away, take her the nearest hospital and I’ll be there. If you need anything I’m just a phone call away.”
Miranda nodded and shook hands with the doc. “Thank you Erin. Sorry to bother you at this weather.”
“No prob Miranda. I’m on call remember? Just tell me when she doesn’t regain consciousness in the morning.” With that, the doc descended the stairs and left. Miranda didn’t realize she was alone until she heard another moan through Caroline’s room. The editor jumped a little from the sound and rushed to her daughter’s bedroom, where she saw her twins fighting off Andrea, keeping her limbs steady under the warm comforters.
“She’s trying to take off the- Ow!” Caroline fell flat on her butt and Cassidy resumed her sister’s place. Andy was having a nightmare.
“Girls, come here.” Miranda’s voice was soft, but had no edge to it. The twins reluctantly went to the door where their mother was, leaving Andy flailing and moaning for a minute or so. She then stopped moving and clutched on the body pillow on her side and began to stop her
ministrations, though the brunette’s body was still shaking like a leaf. Miranda knelt and hugged her daughters tightly.
“I’m proud of you, but never do that stunt without telling me again, alright?” The twins nodded, placed their heads on their mother’s neck and sobbed simultaneously. They were scared to wits while seeing Andy go berserk in her slumber, not to mention laid almost- dead at the street corner without anyone taking pity on her. Life was just too cruel sometimes. Miranda can’t shield her children on all the menaces of the world just as the twins can’t ignore it forever. Cassidy mumbled something in her neck as she and her sister clutched on Miranda’s suit.
“I’m scared. We thought she was dead.”
Miranda kissed her daughter’s cheek and said, “No, she’s not. She’s going to be fine. We’ll cook her breakfast tomorrow and we’re going to find out why she chose to look like a popsicle in the street. But you two have to go to sleep. You’ve had enough adventure for today.” the motherly tone Cassidy and Caroline always loved to hear from Miranda came out and they took off their heads on their mother’s neck. They looked into her blue eyes, so similar like their own and nodded. They kissed both cheeks and proceeded to sleep in Cassidy’s room.
They were still afraid but they just had to make it through one night and prayed that Andy will be okay in the morning. When their heads hit the downy pillows, the two were immediately claimed by sleep. But the older Priestly was still very much awake. She hovered outside Caroline’s room, watching the sickly woman buried underneath the comforters and pillows. She sighed and did what she could on that fateful night.
She showered in the master’s bath of her room upstairs and wrapped herself in her grey bathrobe before proceeding to call her assistant,
“Send me Douglas Moores’ cell phone number. And when you bring in the Book, expect a prescription waiting downstairs. Buy them and return to the townhouse immediately before you can go. That’s all.” She knew the brunette had been particularly close with the junior market analyst that had been in Elias- Clarke a few days ago for a meeting, part of their training in the firm where he’s employed, Miranda thought.
A few moments later, a phone number appeared in her phone. She took a deep breath and called.
“Uh, hello?” Doug was still frazzled by the amount of work he had to finish before the holidays arrive. He was exhausted to no end. He answered his phone and placed it on speakerphone so he could type more quickly without having an odd knot in his neck for holding his phone between his ears and shoulders.
“Douglas, this is Miranda Priestly. I’d like to-“
Doug’s patience snapped from too much stress, “Yeah right. You know what? Stop pissing me off. I’m too busy to get prank calls Chris, I’m working while you laugh at me as I do your work. Go to hell.” Just as Doug was about to press the red button, Miranda cleared her throat and said,
“I do not know who is this Chris you’re talking about though I’m positively sure the last time I looked in the mirror, which is around a few minutes ago, I am still Miranda Priestly.”
Doug froze and slowly turned towards his Blackberry. “M-Miranda?”
“Yes. I do not however, have the time for guess- who’s- calling games so if you do not like to continue this conversation I’d rather have things to look and not waste my time proving who I am to you.”
“No, no, wait! I’m sorry Ms. Priestly, I’m really sorry…uhm…what could be the matter that you need to call me yourself?” Doug knew how unpredictable the lady was and how she didn’t appreciate details or niceties or anything else that she might find boring. He held his breath while waiting for the Dragon Lady’s answer.
“Have you heard anything from Andrea Sachs?” her voice was calm but on the other end of the line, her hand was shaking so badly, she had her phone pressed firmly against her cheek to prevent it from dropping.
Doug released his breath, “I haven’t seen her in the past two months. She lived here when she got her Mirror stint because she can’t pay the apartment by herself now that Nate’s gone to Boston. I’m actually angry at him, her ex, because he left the apartment when she was still in Paris and took all the furniture he could take, but never paid anything before leaving. Well,, anyway, after roughly around three months, she got laid off. She stayed with me for another month but she felt like she’s becoming a burden so she left me with a note and her phone as her sort of payment for staying too long in my place. It was her phone since it’s already been paid but her number wasn’t working, the telecom cut her line because she can’t pay her dues.”
Miranda was bothered with what she heard, “She got laid off and she had no money to pay even her cell phone bills?”
“Yes, I had to pay her phone bills with my savings, but she doesn’t know that. Her savings back in college were spent to pay up her credit cards which she used to pay her other dues. Basically, Nate, her ex, left her with unpaid bills and Andy had to carry all of that until..well, she couldn’t.” Doug really wanted his friend to realize that he can sustain their living long enough for Andy to find a job, she had a recommendation from Miranda after all. He thought he’d be able to buy her time as she scour the city for jobs or for freelancing, but no one was hiring and the recession was targeting those in the lower positions. He considered himself lucky to keep his job.
But she was depressed and embarrassed and Doug can’t do anything to cheer her up, his work days were worse than hell too. He was shocked when one evening, all he found back in his apartment was a phone and a note telling him Andy’s left and was going to find a place for herself once she gets into a new job.
After a few moments of quiet, Doug thought Miranda had hung up, but then Miranda said softly,
“I see. Tomorrow night after your work is done, my driver will take you to my townhouse. Andrea is here. You will know further details but the only thing you need to know is that Andrea was found by my daughters lying down a street corner near a convenience store unconscious and freezing to death. She’s stable for now. I’ll see you tomorrow evening Douglas.”
Miranda hung up. Doug remained frozen on his spot when Miranda told him Andy was freezing to death and was currently in the Dragon Lady’s lair. There was that brief snow storm today! She’s frozen shit! Doug had gone restless and put this restlessness to work instead. He wouldn’t have a blink’s worth of sleep. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow evening. He had to see Andy for himself.
***
Miranda entered Caroline’s room again with a pair of wool pajamas and a knitted long- sleeved top-both hers and proceeded doing what she does when her daughters are sick. She took the digital thermometer from the medicine cabinet and took Andy’s temperature. Whatever Dr. Haley gave her sure did make her temperature go down. But she still has a slight fever. She clothed Andrea carefully, mindful of the sleeping beauty in the small bed. The doc was right, the woman did suffer malnutrition, because it was the only reason she thought was valid enough to make her cut down into a size two. For a woman who did her exercise regularly, Miranda felt like she was holding a bag of bones. The sleeping woman still felt cool to the touch but her easy breathing relieved the white- haired fashionista’s worries.
She sat down on a chair near the bed and tried to rest her eyes. She was exhausted too, but she can’t sleep. The distinct clacking from downstairs reminded her of the Book but she can’t leave Andrea. She was glued to her spot, afraid that nightmares might claim the young woman on the bed.
Her fears did come true. When the front door was shut closed, Andrea started turning around restlessly again, moaning and pushing the comforter away from her. Miranda shot up from the chair and took Andrea’s arms firmly, holding her up and placing the thrashing head on her chest. She took Andrea into a tight embrace. She felt eyelashes fluttering on her chest. The girl sank into her arms and sighed. Miranda whispered,
“Andrea.”
The brunette raised her head on Miranda’s neck and nuzzled the skin she found there. The editor suddenly felt her cheeks flaming.
“Miranda…hate nightmares. Hate being alone.” The nuzzling continued, Miranda thought Andrea was still half- asleep. The last word uttered by the woman in her arms tugged at her heart.
“Yes, I hate being alone too.” Miranda replied sadly as she kissed the side of Andrea’s head.
The nuzzling stopped when the woman stiffened underneath her. Andrea slowly lifted her head and sapphire eyes met with lifeless chocolate browns, the latter almost black because of the medicine.
“You’re not a dream.” The brunette mumbled breathlessly. She sat down on her heels, hands on her lap, wide- eyed and confused. Miranda smiled softly and nodded. She whispered,
“I’m not. Hello Andrea.”
The young woman gasped and one hand flew to cover her dry mouth. She then looked at Miranda’s spaghetti strapped obsidian silk nightgown and then back up to her sapphire eyes. Throat dry, she tried to swallow and shook her head. Miranda’s gaze softened and she touched the cold hand of the brunette. She asked,
“Are you alright? What happened Andrea?”
The brunette suddenly remembered everything. Getting laid off, leaving Doug, wandering around, calling her parents, crying, eating cup noodles for weeks, looking for jobs, getting nabbed off the street corner, more wandering, snow storms…tears sprung to her eyes as she didn’t realize that she has already babbled everything she experienced in cut, almost inaudible phrases. She continued, her tears uncontrollable and voice cracked,
“…I don’t know what…how it happened. I just…it’s just…even if I wanted to go back to Ohio I can’t let my parents know I’ve failed and…my parents can’t locate where I am and…I was alone and…scared and…” the brunette burrowed her face in her palms. Warm arms encircled her until she got herself together and her breathing was normal.
Miranda on her part was aching in pain. How does one become homeless, jobless and alone in Manhattan? More importantly, how did the ever resourceful woman in her arms ended to be like one? It was infuriating and disappointing but most importantly, it was bloodcurdling to imagine how the woman came to be in a span of six months. The recession hit those newbie reporters thus getting Andrea laid off. No one was hiring and small jobs were harder to come by. Even freelancing did not help anyone feed three times a day. Perhaps, more than hypothermia and malnutrition, Andrea suffered from a nervous breakdown. She had to call Dr. Haley for a reference of a good psychiatrist.
“How did I get here? Why are you helping me?” Andrea mumbled as Miranda’s hands stroking her back calmingly did wonders on her mood. She hiccupped.
“My daughters found you unconscious on a street corner. They thought you were...dead.” Miranda’s hands stopped but she gripped the brunette tighter into her embrace. When the editor said the word dead, it was the only time she felt the word become almost a reality. That Andrea could’ve died alone, without anyone knowing. Miranda suddenly let out a choked sob and buried her face on Andrea’s neck. The brunette was startled, but she felt her arms encircling Miranda’s waist and tugging her closer. They fit incredibly perfect.
“M-Miranda.” Andy was rendered speechless.
“I…I’m going to take care of you.” Miranda whispered. She was making an abrupt decision, she knew it was a silly, spontaneous decision but she can’t risk the possibility of losing Andrea, without even having the chance to say what she felt for the brunette.
“No, Miranda…”
Miranda sat up and looked Andrea straight in her eyes. “Give me the chance to take care of you.” she said softly, her teary eyes reflected the determination she had. This may only be the opportunity she will ever have to take care of Andrea.
Andy felt like she was shooting up in cloud nine. All her longing for the editor in front of her ever since she left in Paris…all the dreams, all the times she stopped by in front of Elias- Clarke, hoping to see a glimpse of that white hair…she wanted to profess her feelings to the older woman, that it was more than just a boss crush or whatever, but she never had the chance to do so, until now, that Miranda was seemingly determined to take care of her. She felt like a little child but shooting up in the clouds nonetheless. Andy nodded and smiled shyly. Miranda’s worries were lifted instantly at the shy smile Andrea gave her. The brunette looked at her warm knit-top and said something, and behind the curtain of her long brown tresses, Miranda saw Andrea’s face turn pink. Miranda smiled and said,
“Would you repeat that? I didn’t hear you well Andrea.”
When Andy heard her name pronounced by Miranda, her cheeks flamed up once more. If she was standing up may be she had already scuffed her toes on the carpet. Miranda held Andrea’s chin and gently tilted it up, the doe eyes looking anywhere but Miranda’s.
“I said I always think about you. I always thought about a certain white- haired editor every day. And how I wished that someday I may…tell her how I feel. So maybe…”
Andrea’s shyness melted Miranda’s heart a little more. Miranda cupped both of her cheeks for a while and smiled again.
“Maybe what Andrea? You know how I don’t like to be kept waiting.” Miranda teased, her voice soft and light. Andy looked into Miranda’s sapphire eyes and saw nothing but immense care and understanding. She wrapped her hands gently on both of Miranda’s wrists and lowered them, as she intertwined her hands with the editor’s and began stroking her thumbs over Miranda’s.
“I hope I can tell you this again when I’m…not all emotional and raw and exposed, but I’ve always liked you-loved you, I guess. And that I’m thankful for the chance that you gave me, that night in Paris…I never forgot that. It’s what kept me going, my driving force even though I know that you’re angry at me for leaving you so abruptly. That…you’ve shown me a side of you that only your daughters might witness. And…because of my haughty decision, I may have just hurt you more. But I can’t…continue working with you…especially when I’m distracted by my feelings towards you and by your sometimes, uncanny ways.” Throughout her confession, Andy was just looking at their hands, she missed the pink color creeping on Miranda’s cheeks. Miranda didn’t really want an explanation regarding Andrea’s actions from a year back, but it was unnerving for her to hear those reasons, and it completely threw her off the loop.
“I left Paris but…I also left my heart there, in that hotel room. I hoped that I could survive once I set foot back here. I did for a while, thanks to you but I just fell apart. I lost control. I didn’t know where to go. I was lost.” Andrea looked earnestly into Miranda’s eyes and timidly asked,
“Miranda? Why do you want to help me? I-I mean, why not before…uhm…why now?”
“I don’t exactly keep tabs on all of my former assistants Andrea.” Miranda’s voice was calm but toneless. But she instantly regretted what she said once it came out of her mouth. Andy smiled sadly and bowed her head down. Miranda hated it when people question her timing on things; this at the least did not count to be a bad timing. Miranda knew nothing of whatever happened to Andrea and that was what she was guilty for. She took Andrea’s left hand and stared at it. The brunette dared to raise her head only to see Miranda’s eyes down casted at her hand.
“What I meant was, I had…a difficult time tracing your whereabouts without eliciting unwanted rumors/ well, I don’t really care about the rumors, but I do care about your privacy. I…used to read the Mirror to see if you’ve even gotten in for that day, but…I didn’t realize that you were laid off when I haven’t seen your name in there for more than a week. I didn’t think they’d cut off from the lower levels. I was so assured that your editor would keep you because, Andrea, you write brilliantly.” Miranda met the brunette’s eyes and smiled softly. She had to keep her words at bay; the woman was still drugged and unstable.
Andrea tried to look for any signs of…anything remotely insincere in Miranda’s blue eyes. She didn’t find any, though she did want to drown in them forever. She wanted to be with Miranda forever. With that thought, she blushed all over again.
“Uhm…But I can’t stay here. I…that’s,,,uhm…I’ll go tomorrow morning, I’ll k-keep in touch-keep you updated.” Andy’s blush had spread nicely on her neck up to the tips of her ears. Miranda chuckled inwardly at the sight. But Andrea’s hesitance was not in the deal. Andrea stretched her legs and let them dangle on the foot of the bed, turning her back from Miranda. The older woman felt Andrea’s sudden nervousness. She rose from the bed and stood in front of Andrea, who was currently interested on the carpeted floor of Caroline’s room.
“Douglas will be here tomorrow evening, he expects you to be here so I’m afraid you wouldn’t be going anywhere else.” Miranda’s stomach was just a few inches away from Andy’s face when the brunette stared up, her blush was still there. Andy gulped.
“Y-you called Doug?”
“Yes. I told you…I had no idea what happened to you after you disappeared from the Mirror. So I had to do some…research.” Miranda ran her index finger gently on Andrea’s cheek. Her former assistant fluttered her eyes at the contact. Miranda knelt down, her face leveling with Andy’s. She tucked a loose strand of brunette hair on Andrea’s ear, looked into her brown eyes and softly said,
“We’ll cook Caroline and Cassidy some pancakes tomorrow, they’re worried sick about you. Then you’ll take your medicine after I give you hot soup. You’ll stay here until you feel better, and I’ll know when you’ll feel better. Let me help you Andrea?”
Andy missed the way Miranda spoke her name, how Miranda’s perfume still lingers after a long day…how she missed Miranda so much. Now the woman was in front of her, asking her to stay, asking her to let her help her. It was the stuff her dreams were made out of.
She placed a shaky finger on Miranda’s lower lip and stroked it gently. The older woman blushed.
“Yes. Alright.”
Miranda kissed the lingering finger on her lips. She then kissed Andrea’s cheek gently. Andy couldn’t help but flutter her lashes when she felt those lips just a shy distance away from the corner of her mouth.
They were both hopeful that tomorrow will be alright. And to Andy, she felt that she isn’t lost anymore.
<3