So it's still coming, I'm really blown away by the follows, favs and reviews so thank you. this part is mostly introspective Miranda, again it is unbetad and all mistakes are my own.

The previous disclaimers and warnings apply.

The hospital was dark, it had been hours since Miranda was called out of the board meeting and her world had tilted a little out of her control. Cassidy still hasn't woken up but the doctors assure her that that is ok, that she is just giving herself time to get better. Caroline is curled in Miranda's lap finally sleeping and Miranda knows she should be trying to get in a few hours too but she just can't stop her mind from whizzing off in several different directions at once. Her baby has been in trouble for months and really she's known all along but she hasn't been home enough or persistent enough to really do anything about it. her girls have been in contact with Andrea, for the last three years, right under her nose and she'd had no idea, the strangest thing is she wished she'd known because at least knowing that Andrea was somehow still in her life, however distantly, might have made the last three years easier. She doesn't talk about that year in Paris often and most people think it's the year that her husband faxed her divorce papers and she had to betray her closest friend to ensure she kept her job but she knows it is much more than that. With everything else going on and fashion week continuing around them, the rest of the Runway party had barely noticed Andrea's disappearance and the arrival of a temporary replacement from French Runway, even if they had they would have simply assumed that the Dragon Lady had once again culled an assistant for doing a less than stellar job and she would have let them think that. Miranda though, felt Andrea's absence keenly, as keenly as she had felt her presence. The girl in the lumpy cerulean sweater and clogs of all things had transformed herself into a fashion forward beauty and the most competent assistant the editor had ever had. The day of her make over at Nigel's hands, Miranda had realised exactly what she had seen in Andrea that had made her hire her in the first place, and so she admitted her attraction to the girl. It wasn't the first time a female body had caught her eye and she was no stranger to having a woman warm her bed in the early days of her career but never had anyone, male or female, ever captivated her the way the young brunette had. It wasn't until she turned to find her gone on those steps in Paris that she realised that maybe she loved her. She didn't blame the girl for walking away, she knew what a terrible person she was to work for, often prided herself on it, but she found herself surprised that Andrea had found the backbone and walked away from her like everybody else did eventually.

When she returned to New York she found that Paris had Andrea had changed her irrevocably. The way she saw it, she'd lost yet another person from being herself and the only thing she had left to hold onto were her twins, it was time to show them, and the world, that the Ice Queen maybe wasn't all ice after all. It was then that the changes started, she had Emily alter her schedule so that at least three nights a week she was home for dinner and that there was no work planned for the weekends the girls were home with her instead of at their father's. She tried her hardest to plan all trips away from New York for the times when they were at their father's or in Dalton holidays so she could take them with her. There were movie nights and trips to the park, the theatre and one memorable occasion the circus, she took her girls shopping and they spent the weekends cooking and baking together. Despite the divorce she was happy and this new side of her was at least keeping the press positive about her. The girls thrived and she did with them, it was only in the dark of the night when she had tucked them in and she was reviewing the book or trying to sleep that she wished that Andrea was around, she wanted to thank the young woman for opening her eyes before it was too late and maybe see where things could go, whether they could be friends.

Despite the length of time the longing hadn't eased. She hadn't dated since that year and even the girls were beginning to question whether or not she should maybe move on. She'd been honest with them in a way she hadn't been when each of her other marriages had broken down and told them that if she couldn't have the person she really wanted, she didn't want anyone at all. They hadn't asked who but she had seen the questioning look they had shared across the table.

Her phone vibrated where it had slid down the side of the chair next to her hip and she moved carefully trying not to disturb Caroline, it was Nigel asking if there had been any change and she realised that she needed to make arrangements for tomorrow. Before Andrea the magazine would have been her top priority despite Cassidy's condition. She'd have had an assistant set up in the waiting room, half the art department there if she thought it was necessary but now she had all but forgotten the magazine the minute she had gotten the call.

"Caroline," she said gently, brushing her daughters hair away from her face

"Mom? Is Cass awake?" Caroline's eyes blinked blearily open and she looked cast around the room for her sister,

"No darling but I need to get up and make some calls, why don't you climb up next to your sister and go back to sleep? I'll just be a few moments." Caroline happily scrambled to her feet and carefully climbed onto the bed next to her twin, careful not to knock any of the machines she curled up beside her and draped a protective arm over Cassidy's stomach. Miranda struggled to her feet, ignoring the twinge in her back at being sat in on place for so long and leant over to kiss both of her girls.

"I wont be long Bobbsey's."

In the corridor she paced just outside the room as she waited for Nigel to answer his phone,

"Miranda any news?"

"She's still sleeping, they say it's a good thing but I'd really much rather she woke up," Miranda sniffed, she had been as surprised as anyone when Nigel had stayed by her side after the stunt she pulled in Paris but he had and he had been as loyal as ever, never asking her for anything more and remaining her one true friend, "Nigel I'm going to need you to take the lead at Runway for a few days."

"Of course Miranda, you don't even need to ask. I'll take care of everything I can and have your assistant reschedule everything I can't. The next issue will be ready to go to print tomorrow, all I'll need is the nod from you."

"Have the final copy ready by ten. I'll need to go to the townhouse, pick up some things for the girls I can stop briefly at the office on the way."

"I can have an assistant pack you some things and drop them at the hospital, don't feel you need to leave."

"No, Nigel, I want the girls to be comfortable and I want Cassidy to have some familiar things around her when she wakes up, I don't want anyone else going through her things." Pre Andrea Miranda would have agreed with Nigel but she understood her girls better now, understood their individuality and understood the things which would make them more comfortable in this awful situation, there was no one else who understood that.

"Very well, the book will be ready for your seal of approval at ten," Nigel said and Miranda felt minutely guilty that he was probably going to be stuck in the office all night getting it ready in time.

"I have some other calls to make. Thank you Nigel. That's all." Hanging up she dialled a second number, one that she had never been able to bring herself to delete from her phone, one that, had she been less concerned, she would have recognised on the sheet of paper her assistant had handed her as she got into the car. Andrea answered on the second ring.

"Miranda?"

"Andrea I know it's late. But I need to ask you to do something for me."