Rushing up the slick townhouse steps as quick as possible without risk of serious bodily injury, Andy Sachs fumbled with her keys as she struggled to shield herself from the steady downpour that had plagued the city for the last three days. The same storm that had inconveniently ripped the umbrella from her hands a block and a half ago, leaving her to dodge and weave around large puddles and other racing pedestrians with only thin raincoat to provide meager protection.
With the door firmly shut against the howling wind and driving rain, the brunette dropped her keys on a side table as she made her way through the house straight to the laundry room. Peeling off her dripping coat and the equally soaked clothes beneath, Andy snatched a clean towel from a nearby shelf – not caring that it was one used exclusively for drying the twins' dog, Patricia – and wrapped it around her nude body before grabbing another to mop up the trail of water she'd left behind in her wake.
The drops of water that rolled down her bare neck and shoulders from her drenched, brown locks triggered involuntary shivers in the air-conditioned house as she finished her task and left the lump of soggy clothes to be sorted out once she was finally dressed and warm again.
Normally their housekeeper-slash-nanny, Meryl, would have been around to deal with it, but since Andy's official move-in a little over five months ago, the diminutive, though authoritative, woman only worked weekdays and the rare weekend when neither Andy nor Miranda could be home for the twins. With Caroline and Cassidy spending their first two weeks of summer vacation in California with their father, Meryl was off on her own well-deserved vacation – fully paid for by Miranda, of course. This meant, much to Andy's relief, there was no threat of being caught by giggling teens or scandalized housekeepers as her towel-wrapped form hurriedly padded through the empty townhouse and into the master bedroom on the third floor.
Once showered and clothed in an old, worn-out pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Andy threw together a quick sandwich, taking it with her as she made her way back up the stairs to her study – which just happened to be conveniently located opposite Miranda's own private space. While her lover worked late at Runway fixing another disastrous layout before the print deadline in two days' time, the reporter dove headlong into her own work hoping to finish most, if not all, of it over the next couple of days so she could enjoy their final weekend of peace before the return of the red-headed, thirteen-year-old tornadoes.
The windows rattled as a sudden clap of thunder shook the entire house and startled Andy from her involuntary nap. The exhausted woman rose from her slumped position on the desk, twisting her head until the vertebrae in her neck cracked and stretching the kinks from her aching back and shoulders as she drowsily searched for her phone. Squinting against the bright, overhead light, she finally managed to find it half-hidden under a heap of notes for her latest article. The same article she'd fallen asleep in the middle of writing... more than three hours ago!
Andy did a quick double take as she checked the time again, but the large numbers on the screen still clearly read twenty-after-one. Under that was a text from Miranda sent a little after ten saying she was on her way home. Surprised her girlfriend had left her to sleep in the study, the brunette trudged her way to their bedroom with visions of curling up next to the fashion goddess filling her mind – along with a few even more pleasant ideas.
Frowning at the sight of their empty bed, Andy turned on her heel and made her way to Miranda's study, then to the kitchen, the girls' bedrooms, the seldom-visited attic, and every other room in between before accepting the fact that the white-haired fashion maven was not home.
Andy valiantly fought back the rising panic that had steadily built with each call to Miranda's cell that went unanswered as she'd searched the entire house. Giving up, Andy shakily dialed Roy's number from memory, knowing that if Miranda had gone anywhere else for any reason, her faithful driver would have been the one to take her there. Crying out in frustration when the call went straight to voicemail for the fifth time, Andy called the only other person that kept track of the editrix's every move, her first assistant.
Two rings later, a groggy voice answered, "Hullo?"
"Em, thank God! Do you know where Miranda is?"
"What do you mean? Isn't she home with you?!" The now wide-awake Emily asked in alarm.
"No! That's why I'm calling you," Andy responded anxiously as she began pacing in the dimly lit foyer. "She sent a text around ten saying she was on her way, but I fell asleep and when I woke up I thought it was weird she hadn't woken me. She usually does when she gets home..."
"Andrea."
"... especially if it's late at night. And she has this weird thing against sleeping on anything that isn't a bed when there's a 'perfectly respectable one right upstairs'..."
"Andrea."
"... The only time she doesn't seem to mind is family movie night and I think that's 'cause the twins are so cute when they're sprawled out on our laps or snuggled next to Patricia on the floor..."
"ANDY!"
Andy's teeth clicked audibly shut at the Brit's outburst and she halted mid-turn next to the front door in surprise.
"Sorry. I just... I don't know what to do," she admitted in a choked voice. She'd never felt so lost or useless before, especially when it came to Miranda, but hundreds of horrible scenarios were racing through her mind nearly buckling her with crippling fear and she simply could not do this on her own. Her only hope... her only lifeline right now was the steadfast woman on the other end of the line.
"That's quite alright, Andrea, but you won't do anybody any good if you pass out from hysterics. So breathe and let me handle this."
"Thanks, Em. You're the best," she replied gratefully.
"I'll be in touch."
Moving to the widow, Andy stared into the rain soaked night. She held her breath with each car that passed, waiting for it to stop and release her love onto the drenched sidewalk outside their home. None of them did, though, and her heart broke a little more each time. Something was wrong, her mind screamed in agony; there was no denying it any longer.
Seconds... minutes... an eternity passed as she stood silent sentinel until the sudden ringing of her phone jarred her from her thoughts.
"Where?"
"Presbyterian Hospital."
The words were barely out of Emily's mouth before Andy had her purse and keys in hand and was out the door. Hailing a passing cab and promising the driver an extra-large tip if he got her to the hospital in less than fifteen minutes, the brunette paled as she listened to the bare details the Brit had been able to discover.
There'd been an accident. Slick roads and a drunk driver had sent both Miranda and Roy to the hospital in critical condition. The nurses, while convinced to the identity of their patient, were unable to contact next of kin without positive identification and Miranda's purse had not been with her. The only information they would release over the phone was that Miranda had made it out of surgery, but they would not tell Emily anymore despite the various threats she hurled their way.
As the taxi pulled up to the hospital entrance, Andy thanked her friend and promised to keep her informed, tossed a handful of bills at the cabbie, and dashed from the cab to the receptionist's desk. With a disdainful eye, the nurse took in her soaked appearance, ripped jeans, and bare feet – that she only now noticed were bare. After confirming her identity, the nurse reluctantly directed Andy to the nearest elevators saying she would page Miranda's lead surgeon to meet Andy in the intensive care ward on the eighth floor.
Anxiously bouncing on the balls of her feet as the lift made its aggravatingly slow journey upwards, Andy made a mental note to get something extra special for Emily for all her help. Not only had she found Miranda when Andy could not, but the reporter knew she must have paved her way in with the staff. Otherwise, she'd still be wasting precious time in the lobby arguing with the haughty nurse.
A clean-cut man with salt-and-pepper hair met Andy at the elevator and introduced himself as the head of surgery as he led her through the maze of corridors. The young woman followed in a daze as he rattled off a long list of Miranda's injuries, the various methods they'd utilized to fix said injuries, and the dozens of possible complications that could arise from such a complex and invasive operation.
The sharp mind that had served her so well under Miranda's employ could currently only absorb three simple facts; Miranda was alive, Miranda was seriously wounded, and there was still a chance Miranda might not survive.
"Listen," the doctor – whose name Andy couldn't recall for the life of her – said as he stopped in front of a closed door and regarded her with sympathetic eyes. "Before you go in, I want you to be prepared for what you'll see. Ms. Priestly's entire right side is encased in plaster. Her arm has a dozen pins in it and her lower half is in traction to ensure her leg and hip set properly. Luckily, all were clean breaks and should heal in time, though it is possible she'll have a slight limp from now on. There's gauze wrapped around her head to protect the forty staples we used to close the gash caused when she hit the passenger window. Once her hair grows back, it'll cover any scarring that might result. There are minor cuts to her face and chest, but our best plastic surgeon said they shouldn't scar and only a few needed stitching. We inserted a chest tube to expand a collapsed lung. It's still there, but we'll most likely be able to remove it in a few days. The bruising is extensive, as it is with all accidents this serious, but I want to reassure you, it looks worse than it is. As I said before, she's not out of the woods yet. She suffered a fairly severe concussion that we are keeping a close eye on and there's always the possibility of infection. As pointless as I know saying this is, try not to worry. We are will do our very best to make sure she comes out of this with little or no lasting effects. If you have any questions or concerns, just get one of the nurses to page me."
Producing a wan smile and a whispered "thanks", Andy watched the doctor head back down the hallway before turning to the plain wooden door in front of her. Three deep, calming breaths to steal her resolve later, the young woman hesitantly turned the cold handle with shaking fingers and slowly opened the door. Earlier, she could barely wait to be by Miranda's side. Now, knowing more of what was waiting for her on the other side, Andy didn't think her heart would be able to survive.
And it barely could; nearly breaking at the sight that greeted her.
Tears filled and spilled from chocolate orbs as they traced over every inch of the body she knew so well yet hardly recognized in its current state. Stark-white bandages had replaced almost all of the beautiful silver-white hair it covered. A few other random pieces stood in vivid contrast against the deep purple bruising of the normally pale skin on Miranda's face and neck. Despite the hospital gown covering her upper body, Andy could clearly see that the discoloration and swelling continued over the older woman's chest and shoulders and she was almost afraid to find out how much further down it went. A blanket covered her left leg and lower torso, but Miranda's right leg hung a few inches above the bed, easily suspended by the intricate rigging to which it was attached.
Fragile.
That was the word; one Andy never thought would apply to the powerhouse of a woman she had the privilege of dating. Now it was the only word that looped over and over through her brain as she scanned the sleeping form before her.
Walking around to her lover's left side, Andy pulled an uncomfortable looking chair as close to the bed as possible before taking Miranda's delicate hand in her own – careful of the IV there, but desperately needing the reassuring contact to anchor her own wounded soul – and settling in for her vigil.
An indeterminable amount of time passed with only the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor and the steady sound of Miranda's breathing to keep Andy company. Her back ached from the awkward position she was forced to sit in and her stomach churned from hunger, anxiety, or a combination of the two. Eventually, a nurse entered to assess Miranda's progress and change bandages as necessary and Andy took the opportunity to grab a horribly bitter coffee and update Emily as she'd promised.
The nurse exited as Andy returned and the young woman swallowed hard at the troubled expression that had settled on the blonde's face. Spotting Andy, the nurse – Sarah, her nametag read – set her professional mask back in place and approached the apprehensive reporter.
"Ms. Priestly's blood pressure and oxygen levels have dropped slightly since our last check. While they're still within acceptable ranges, I called Dr. Harris anyway and he agreed there's no cause for concern yet, but will be looking in on her more frequently and keeping a closer eye on her other levels as well."
"Wha..." Andy cleared the suppressed emotions from her throat, "What could be causing the drop?"
"Some fluctuations are common after surgery," Sarah tried to sooth with a gentle smile... It wasn't working. "Since Ms. Priestly's injuries were so severe, however, we want to be absolutely sure there isn't a chance of infection or internal bleeding. There was no sign of infection when I changed her bandages, but if her levels continue to lower we'll send her to scanning and see if anything turns up. We're a long way from that point, though, so try not to worry."
Why do they keep saying that?
"Right... thanks," Andy said with a tremulous smile.
Reclaiming her place by Miranda's bedside, Andy's mind wandered back to the conversation she'd had with Emily just twenty minutes ago. Apparently, the local news stations had caught on to the story and it wouldn't be long before the national venues would pick it up as well. Nigel had been informed and would take over at Runway for as long as necessary. Emily had also spoken with the twins' father, James, who had readily agreed to limit their TV and internet access so the girls wouldn't hear about the accident until they were positive Miranda was in the clear.
Andy knew Caroline and Cassidy would be furious when they eventually found out, but hoped the assurance that their mother was fine would help calm their ire somewhat. She wasn't holding her breath on that one, though. The girls could out stubborn even the Dragon Lady herself when they set their minds to it.
Unconsciously voicing these thoughts aloud, Andy chased away the sterile silence of the hospital room and filled it with her soft, melodic voice. She continued speaking of their shared past, the future she hoped they'd build as a couple and as a family, her childhood, the twins, articles she was working on or thinking of writing, books she'd read, the crazy things she'd seen since moving to New York, and anything else that came to mind. She spoke unceasingly, even during the periodic interruptions from the nurse and a few other staff members, until her voice was hoarse and her throat sore. Hours later her words finally tapered off as exhaustion took its toll.
A pre-dawn glow suffused the room when her eyes fluttered opened once more. Wincing as a spasm seized her lower back, Andy moved to stand, but was kept in place by a firm grip around her wrist. Startled brown eyes met hazy blue. Miranda's left eye was glazed from pain and a drug induced sleep while her right was bruised black and swollen shut, but Andy was sure she'd never seen a lovelier sight.
Resisting the urge to throw herself onto the other woman's injured body, Andy settled for tightening her grip on the hand held within her own as silent tears ran down her cheeks. A blinding smile full of love and relief spread across her full mouth at the labored, but clear, "Andréa..." only for it to fall open in complete shock as Miranda continued, "... marry me?"
Blinking rapidly, Andy tried to process what she'd just heard. She'd expected this question someday, but they'd only been together a few months over a year and there were the twins to consider. While the girls approved of the relationship whole-heartedly, they might not be too thrilled about having another stepparent considering their experience with the last one. Moreover, the press surrounding their relationship had only recently calmed down and this accident would definitely stir it back up for god only knew how long. Add a wedding announcement to the mix and it was guaranteed mayhem.
Most disturbing, and Andy's only true cause for hesitation, was the possibility that the concussion caused by the hit to Miranda's head or the overall near-death experience of the accident was spurring her lover to ask for something she'd never planned to in the first place. Andy could live without the title of 'wife' and be content, but to be later told their marriage had been a mistake would irreparably crush her heart.
"I already… have… the rings…," Miranda said at her continued silence, struggling for breath every few words. "The girls and I got them... the day I asked you… to move in… Seemed a little silly... at the time... and worse… that I've waited so long… but I've wanted to ask… every single day... since you came back to me."
All doubts quelled by that halting speech, Andy squeaked out an emotional "yes" as she vigorously nodded her acceptance. Wiping away a renewed flood of tears, the younger woman leaned forward to bestow a loving, but gentle, kiss on cut and swollen lips.
"I love you, Miranda Priestly, and I want nothing more than to be your wife for however long you'll allow me the honor of that title."
"Forever, then," Miranda responded resolutely, accepting another tender kiss.
"Emily and Nigel are going to flip when we tell them," Andy chuckled as she perched on the edge of the bed. "Em probably already has a list of wedding planners stashed away somewhere. Of course, knowing her, she'll end up taking over the whole production anyway so..."
A squeeze to her hand stopped the brunette short and brought her attention back to her fiancé – her fiancé! She watched confused as Miranda shook her head in disagreement, the movement causing the older woman's features to tighten in pain.
"Now, Andréa... I wish... to marry you now... I heard the doctors when I came in... So now... Just in case..."
"Miranda, you aren't going to die. You have to believe that," Andy countered determinedly, her soul freezing at the thought alone.
"Please, Andréa..." Miranda pleaded.
Miranda never begged and throughout the course of their relationship, she had so rarely asked Andy for anything of significance that the younger woman could not deny her this. Not that she truly wanted to; the when, where, and how of their marriage were unimportant, but she was concerned about Miranda's desperation and its source. The injured woman had a long recovery ahead of her and Andy feared this might be a sign that Miranda was already giving up, but hoped the permanence implied by such a commitment would bolster Miranda's resolve and see her through the tough times to come.
"Alright..." she agreed hesitantly, "but you have to promise me that we will have a proper ceremony when you've recovered. My parents, not to mention the twins, will kill us both if they aren't involved."
"I promise, darling... so long as you marry me now," Miranda readily agreed, though it did little to easy Andy's concerns.
Standing, Andy placed a chaste kiss to Miranda's lips, "Rest a few minutes, love, while I get everything arranged." As she slipped out of the room to hunt down the nearest nurse, Andy happily noted the slowed heart rhythm of her sleeping fiancé.
Sarah and the rest of the floor staff were only too happy to assist – due in no small part to who their patient was, no doubt, but they all seemed genuinely thrilled to help with such a joyous occasion. The hospital chaplain was rousted from his bed at home while several female employees offered up various rings as stand-ins for the rushed ceremony and several bouquets of flowers were scrounged from a recently discharged patient's room.
Within the hour, Andy stood next to Miranda, hands firmly clasped in each other's, surrounded by Reverend Johnson, Sarah, and a few other nurses and staff that had come to bear witness to their joining. Tears fell from nearly every eye in the room as the minister spoke on the sanctity of marriage and how vital love and commitment were, not only to the mental and emotional well-being of a person, but to one's spiritual and physical health as well.
His charismatic dialogue brought joyful laughter from all those present as he continued along a lighter note. The happy sounds permeated every inch of the room, spilling into and down the corridors as the steadily slowing beeps of the heart monitor drowned beneath the echoes.
"Before I start the traditional vows, would either of you ladies prefer to say your own?" Reverend Johnson asked.
Andy turned to fully face the woman she was already committed to in every way that mattered, ready to voice that promise in front of all the strangers gathered around them. Never looking away from Miranda's glazed and swollen eyes, even as tears welled in her own, Andy laid her heart bare for the world to see.
"Miranda, my love, I know no matter what life throws our way that I will want to be with you forever. Through the good and the bad and the ugly, we will grow old together. This bond only signifies to the world what is already true in my heart and soul, that whether we're happy or sad or whatever else we will love each other, forever and always."
As the last of her words died away, an alarming blare rang out, startling those present into action. The hospital staff scrambled to figure out what had gone wrong while they called out stats and orders to each other. The minister stepped clear of the frantically working team and Andy tried to move out of the way. Miranda held fast to the younger woman, however, despite her weakening grip and pulled the shaking brunette back to her side until Andy's ear was barely an inch from her face.
"I will love you forever, Andréa..." Miranda whispered urgently, her voice almost too low to hear. "Please remember that... even if I'm not here...I'll always love you... forever and always."
No... No... No. No. NO. NO. NO!
A steady whine sounded over the chaos.
One heart stopped as the other shattered.
"Miranda!"
***One year later***
The hired car slowly wandered along the cemetery roads while clear, sunny skies overhead did little to ease the sorrowful hearts of its occupants on their somber journey. Andy fought against her own tears in an effort to maintain a strong façade for the two redheads wrapped tightly under each arm. It was a battle she was quickly losing as each sniffle from the twins brought more memories, more suppressed grief to the surface.
Andy gently squeezed the girls closer and brushed a loving, comforting kiss to their foreheads when they finally reached the all-too-familiar spot. Gracefully exiting the car after them, Andy smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt before turning to help the last passenger.
A smooth, manicured hand grasped hers as first one, then the other, Prada-clad foot stepped out. Watery, blue eyes met brown and Andy lost the fight against her tears. Releasing her grip on the brunette's hand, Miranda cradled her beloved's face with both hands and gently wiped away the falling droplet and the others that followed with a small, consoling smile on her face.
Bolstered by the love and steadfast support of her wife, Andy drew in a calming breath and placed a grateful kiss to receptive lips before turning back to the patiently waiting twins. Youthful hands took residence in each of hers, Cassidy on her left with Caroline and Miranda joined on her right, as the small family made its way to the appropriate grave.
Their steps were measured and unhurried in deference to the slight limp Miranda still sported from her injuries, though she no longer needed the assistance of a cane to help her walk. Stopping beside the grave of the man they all dearly missed, the twins reverently placed the two bouquets of flowers they'd brought at the base of his headstone.
Here lies Roy Eric Seltzer
Beloved son, Devoted husband, Cherished friend
Wrapping long arms around her wife and drawing the comforting form against her, Andy once more gave thanks that Miranda had survived relatively unscathed in the end. Before them sat a stark reminder of what could have happened that fateful day; a fact that was not lost on the four Priestly women as they silently stood and paid respect to their departed friend.
A/N: Major shout out to my wonderful beta Utterby (LJ) for her fantastic skills and suggestions. It's not my normal happy, sappy ending, but hopefully you guys enjoyed it anyways. Thanks for reading and extra big thanks to anyone that favorites/follows me or any of my stories. You always make me feel so special!