Strolling briskly into Elias-Clark with full lips spread into a hundred watt smile and a slight pep to her step, Andy could not be happier. The reason. It was Friday; the conclusion to another hard week with Miranda but that wasn't what had the brunette so happy. No. Today was the beginning of a three day Easter weekend which if truth be told was her favorite holiday. She really was not sure what it was about it maybe it was about watching the excited faces of young children, finding that first egg of the hunt or was the fact that all the flowers were in bloom.
Andy just loved it but walking into the middle of two neatly organized desks she notices that not all people had an appreciation for this partial holiday because there, perched in an leather bound chat sat Emily Carlton staring at a well-used computer with that permanent scowl twisting pale features.
"Good morning, Em." Andy greets dragging out the first word knowing fully well that it would irritate the brit to no end.
Sea-green irises roll in annoyance. "Bloody hell, must you always be so cheerful."
All too familiar Emily's horrible attitude, Andy just gives the other woman one of her famous Cheshire grins and shrugs. "I just really love this time of year, ya know." Emily opens thinned lips to no doubt give the younger woman another snarky remark, only to halt when Miranda burst through the room throwing her coat and bag toward the opened mouth.
"Unless I've been sulfuring from alzheimers in the last past year I seem to recall having hired assistants that actually work. I mean really, am I reaching for the stars here?" She narrows her eyes at the two women making them feel very much like two thoroughly cascisted children.
A couple of mumbles. "No, Miranda."
"Then get back to work." She turns, leaving only the lingering scent of Chanel No. 5 and two blushing assistants behind. Andy strolls over to her own desk, plopping down, she boots up the computer and waits.
A moment of silence passes and Andy was was just bending down to sit when an "Andrea!" is screeched through the glass door.
Heart pumping ninety to nothing the brunette burst into the office. "What?! What is it Mira?!" Andy yells now fully seeing Miranda whom at the moment was plastered to the office's wall with one hand above heaving breast and another pointing to the other side of the room by the right side door. "Andrea please tell me I'm not hallucinating and that ball of fabric did not move."
Finely shaped brows furrowed in confusion chocolate eyes slowly drag away from Miranda to the place the woman was pointing to. On the wall by the door was a small cage in the middle of it was what looked like a moving cotton ball. What the hell? Andy's brain questioned as she slowly made her way to the mysteries creature.
"Get away from there, Andrea!"
She waves a hand back behind, silencing the frightened dragon lady. Cautiously, she approaches the cage, peering into it, a pale face feature softens. "Oh for heaven's sake, Mira." A giggle. "It's only;" The giggle morphs into a full on belly laugh.
"Well?"
"It's only a...a chicken." It comes out in gasps.
Miranda relaxes just enough to scowl at the other woman. "Andrea, I may have lived in cities my entire life but I do know a chicken when I see one and that my dear, is not a chicken."
Amused chocolate orbs glance back at the older woman. "Miranda, there are different breeds of chickens you know. My uncle had them on his farm they're called Japanese Silkies." She pauses, glancing back at the cage and smiles. "They're known for their silkie like feathers and sweet attitude."
Blue eyes roll skyward and lips purse. "Oh well, a thousand pardons I left my Chicken Weekly at home."
After a moment of taking in the scene though, Miranda's curiosity finally gets the better of her, so pushing her body away from the window, she warily approaches the crouching younger woman. Bending at the waist, she cranes her neck until lips are just even with Andy's ear. "Silkie birds? Andrea really?"
Andy jolts clutching her chest. "Shit. Don't sneak up on me like that."
Mira." Andy moves a steady hand towards the door but just as she was about to reach for the lock a warm but firm hand grasps onto delicate her wrist, halting the action."Don't let that filthy creature loose in my office. What does this look like one of those places you where raised in;" A pause and lids narrow at the young brunette as if pondering. "Oh yes, now I remember; a barn?"
Before Andy could stop herself she heard the words come tumbling out of her mouth "Well at least I'm not scared of a chicken."
"I'm not frightened of it. I'm just." She trails off, glancing away from those shinning doe-like orbs with a pink tinge coloring otherwise alabaster cheeks. A chuckle broke out startling her. "You are! The great Dragon Lady Miranda Priestly is scared of a three pound chicken." The brunette lets out a full barrel body laugh only stopping to grin wickedly. "Ooooh the big bad evil chicken is gonna getcha Mira, you better watch out." Thin arms crooked into wings and Andy began to cluck.
Thin lips purse in a vain attempt to hide her own bubbling amusement. "Stop that." She give her a playful slap. "Before Emily comes in here and drags you to the nearest mental institution. A pause. "And as I said before I am not frightened of it per say just cautious." She lies, smoothly but Andy can see the true behind that mask.
Andy stares at her for a moment before snorting. "Then prove it." She waves toward the cage. "Touch it."
"I fail to see-Go on, touch it." Andy challenges interrupting the other woman mid-sentence. When she didn't budge Andy bravely if not stupidly reaches out and grabs Miranda's her free hand.
She lifts the hatch and the door swings open.
With some resistance, the brunette guides Miranda's fingers towards the bird a little too fast. At the sudden movement, the small bird squawks and runs to the back of the cage causing the Miranda to pull back only to find she couldn't due to the firm grasp on her wrist.
A minute later, the grip gently loosens on Miranda's hand. "It was just scared because you moved too fast."
"I moved too fast? You're the one sacrificing my hand to that that thing." Miranda hisses.
A heavy sigh. "Don't be such a drama queen, Mira. It's just a little three pound fluffy chicken it won't attack you." Miranda takes a deep pull of air and relaxes a bit. "Oh alright, I'll touch the creature but as soon as I do I want it out of here is that clear, Andrea."
A nod followed by crooked smirk. "Crystal."
She glares back at the brunette, twisting her arm out of Andy's grasp, and moves the slightly shaking limb back into the cage cautiously touching the bird for the first time.
The smile widens into a grin "See, she's not so bad." Miranda smiles tightly back running graceful fingers through silken feathers. "No she's not." And to her surprise, the tiny chicken presses into her touch causing sapphire eyes to brighten in poorly hidden glee. "She's really quite soft." Instead of feeling like downy like she first assumes it felt rather like fur.
"I was actually talking about you but the chicken is not so bad either." A chuckle.
Narrowing eyelids at the brunette, Miranda purses her lips. "You know it's times like these that I wonder why I still have you under my employment." Andy only laughed harder. "Cause you looooove me so." She follows it up by batting those long eyelashes and making a kissy face at the older woman only to receive an eye roll in return.
"You better be glad the girls told me I was in dire need of a friend or-Oh come on, Mira don't use that sad old excuse I'm the one who asked you to be my friend." She flashes the older woman a knowing smirk.
"Yes, I remember." Unseeing orbs stare at the bird wattling around its cage.
It was in Paris and she had just gotten off the phone Stephen. Fighting back the tears, she heard the familiar foot falls of her assistant approaching and in the next moment Andy appeared in the entryway all doe-eyes and bright. "Oh Miranda you're here."
"Oh, there you are."
"Okay… so...first of all we need to move Snoop Dogg to my table."
"But your table is full." The girl furrowed her brow in confusion.
"Stephen isn't coming."
"Oh Stephen is…So I don't need to fetch Stephen from the airport tomorrow?" Andy says all the while rummaging through her bag.
"Well, if you speak to him and he decides to rethink the divorce…then, yes, fetch away." She replied a little too bitterly causing Andy's head to snap up. And she can just feel tell those cow-like eyes staring at her. Yes, let the girl get a good look at the woman behind all that ice and failures. She folds the chart and places back in the folder before handing it to the Andrea. "You're very fetching, so go fetch." The words falling from her mouth without consent. Then there is silence as she plays with her glasses to give her hands something to do. The girl just keeps staring at her.
"And then when we get back to New York we need to contact, um…" She closes her eyelids tightly and swallows. "…Leslie to see what she can do to minimize the press…on all this." She says trying desperately to reign in her emotions
However despite her best efforts the dam breaks. "Another Divorce;" She glanced upward and noticed the girl staring back at her, and continued. "splashed across page six. I can just imagine what they're going to write about me. The Dragon Lady, career-obsessed."
She took in a deep shuddering breath. "Snow Queen drives away another Mr. Priestly. Rupert Murdoch should cut me a check for all the papers I sell for him." she says all this while looking at the floor her eyes barely opened still trying to hide the tears.
"Anyway, I don't… I don't really care what anybody writes about me." She glances back up straight at Andy her lips a thin line but to her horror she feels the wet trail of tears running down her face.
"But my- my girls, I just-" she guesses that Andy can hear the anguish in her voice as she chokes on the words. ."It's just so unfair to the girls." She shakes head again "It's just…" she raises her left shoulder in a defeated shrug. "Another disappointment…another letdown, another father…figure…gone." she laughs a bitter laugh 'yeah father figure'
"Anyway, the point is…" An elegant throat cleared and heavy lids shut . "The point is…" She stopped again and this time, she sighs while the doe eyed brunette stares at her. "The point is we really need to figure out where to place Donatella…because she's barely speaking to anyone."
"I'm so sorry, Miranda."
"Everybody leaves me, Andrea. Why?" She questions her voice so hopeless and small. "Why?"
And at that moment something odd happened, Andy stood from where she was sitting and walked toward her. What does she think shes doing? Miranda questioned herself.
Smiling tightly the brunette grasped a trembling hand within her own. "I won't leave, Miranda. I promise."
She stared at Andrea, this woman, this mere slip of a girl promising something that many others have tried and failed at and shook her head. "Don't be ridiculous Andrea you can not promise such a thing." Miranda tried to pull her hand back but the grip turned vice.
"Miranda, look at me." The tone was gentle yet firm giving the older woman no choice but to obey.
"I won't leave you." And just like that the deal was struck Andrea made a vow some argued was with the devil.
Yet despite the promises and vows, Miranda was sure the brunette would leave after what she did to Nigel but to her surprise, Andy stayed and now two years later after many a shared evening and countless conversations, here they are arguing over of all things a chicken. Miranda laughed inwardly who would have thought.
"Soo, you wanna get drunk tonight? " Andy asks cheekily, bringing the other woman back to reality.
Miranda tightens her lips to keep them from quirking into a smile. "I suppose, that would be acceptable but come early."
A quizzically expression falls over the girl's face. "Why?"
"To build me a new chicken pen, of course."
"Oh what!? No way! You build your own pen."
Silence.
"Miranda?"
When yet again no reply came the brunette turns around. "Mira- Chocolate eyes dart around only to find the office completely empty. "Oh goddamnit." Andy grumbled underneath her breath before sighing and mentally preparing a list of all the supplies they would need.
AN: I think it might be fun to do a prequel( I heart stories when their friends their just too funny)