Summary: Years ago, you promised your firstborn to a witch. Since then, despite your best efforts, you can't seem to get laid. The witch is getting pissed.
Disclaimer: As always, I am just fooling with these characters. I make no money from them and Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox own them.
A/N: This one is going out with a massive shout out to Kristan over on the DWP - Mirandy page on Facebook.
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Miranda sat in her office looking out at the skyline and thought about the evening two nights before.
After Andréa left, visibly furious with her and refusing to listen, she moved up the stairs and spoke to the twins regarding their words about her feelings and those they professed Andréa held for her. She had dismissed their claims and recognised their hurt in the face of her disbelief. She had revoked their magic for a week and as yet had not given in to their wheedling.
Their claims were absurd really. Although she could, begrudgingly, admit to holding certain warm feelings for Andréa, she still had a certain image to maintain and Andréa did not fit into it, but it was more than that, there was no way on Earth such a beautiful soul such as Andréa could ever love her. Was there?
She had to admit to herself that securing Andréa's firstborn was not something she ever expected, but if she could not love the brunette, she would lavish her child with all the love she held close to her heart. And that was why she was now pushing for this. Her heart ached, the need to love was overwhelming.
Deciding she had spent too much time on errant thoughts of the brunette, she turned towards her desk only to spot the young woman in question hovering in the doorway, shrugging off Emily's attempts to pull her away. She looked dreadful; like she hadn't slept a wink. Her eyes were bloodshot, her hair in a messy updo, plus her shirt was buttoned unevenly.
"You can't go in there, Andy, she'll kill you and then me." Emily hissed. "What on Earth are you thinking?"
Miranda coughed, catching both young women's attention. "Andréa, come, close the door. Emily, coffee, hot. That's all." She waved the redhead away and stood as Andréa continued to hover. Rolling her eyes, she pulled the young woman further into the room and closed the door. Grasping her elbow, she led her to the wide sofa and pushed her into it. "You look like hell, Andréa."
"What did you mean, you refuse to waste any more magic on me? How much have you done? Did you interfere in my career?" The questions came thick and fast.
Miranda sat beside the young woman and laid a hand on her forearm. The touch seemed to shock the brunette who snatched her arm away. It hurt Miranda, she only endeavoured to offer Andréa a little comfort as she tried to work out what to tell her.
Scooting away she sat at an angle facing the brunette. "We do not always socialise in the same circles, but there have been a handful of occasions where your work placed you back into my vicinity." Miranda saw the curiosity in Andréa's eyes. "The first occasion was around five months after you left Paris. I met a young man named Paul who worked for Vanity Fair. You looked appealing in a flowing print Balmain dress and caught his attention from across the room as you danced with Nigel, you were laughing and seemed so happy and carefree. As he glanced in your direction, he expressed a wish to take you dancing. A little whisper in his ear provided him with enough courage to ask you out. He tried nothing past the first date."
Miranda licked her lips before continuing. "The second occasion was almost eight months after. I had not long returned from Paris." Miranda pursed her lips. Paris that year had been a nightmare. Whenever she turned, she expected to see the brunette and her disappointment had grown when she only saw Emily or one of her other employees. She continued to explain. "That night it was the investment broker, David whose attention you captured. He wished to wine and dine you. I watched as he bravely approached, you greeted him cordially and blushed at whatever he whispered in your ear. I saw you write your number on his hand and walk away."
Andy let out a small chuckle. "Paul was high as a kite when we went out that night and rubbed himself against me like a horny teenager for most of the evening. It left me uncomfortable. I found him with his tongue down another woman's throat after escaping to the bathroom for five minutes. David's idea of wining and dining was to take me to Arby's and bore me to tears with a blow by blow account of his most recent golf vacation in Palm Springs." Andy sighed. "I assume you pushed Matthew and Diego into my path too?"
Miranda nodded. "I may have given them a little nudge."
"Well, Matthew was interesting enough, but he spent the night scanning the room for a better option. My date with Diego showed promise. We had a good night, he held my hand when he walked me to the door of my apartment. He leant in to kiss my cheek, sniffed once and ran. He never called. It made me believe there was something wrong with me and it was enough to put me off." Andréa caught her eyes. "You never answered my question about my career. Have you messed with that too?"
Miranda could not look away. "No, Andréa. I have not interfered with your career although I admit to following it with interest. You show much promise, something I'm sure your editor knows." A knock at the door stalled her words. "Enter." She barked.
The door swung open and Emily balanced a tray holding five coffees in one hand and a brown paper bag in the other as she stepped into the room. Moving gracefully, she set the items down on the low table in front of the two women. Pushing the bag towards Andréa she took a large coffee from the centre of the cardboard holder and handed it to her. "You look like you needed a pick me up, Andy. I got you a hazelnut latte and a chocolate chip muffin." Emily smiled softly at the brunette.
"Thanks, Em," Andréa's gratitude was clear.
Blushing brightly, Emily nodded once. "Anytime." Spinning on her heel, she moved from the room quickly closing the door behind her and leaving Miranda stunned.
"Would you care to explain?" Miranda asked. She hadn't known Emily and Andréa were on such friendly terms.
Andy sighed. "It's a long story and I've probably taken up enough of your time." Andréa stood quickly, swaying slightly. "I should go. My apologies for the disruption and thank you for seeing me."
The young woman stepped around the table and staggered. As she fell forward her head bounced off the corner of the table sending the drinks flying. With a wave of her hand, Miranda stopped the drinks from toppling to the carpeted floor and hurried to the brunette's side. Kneeling down, she turned the brunette and saw the gash of her temple. A trickle of blood coursed its way down the side of Andréa's face. "Andréa, wake up." She patted the young woman's face gently but received no response. She called out to her assistants. "Call 911, we need an ambulance."
Within ten minutes the paramedics were pushing their way into Miranda's office where they found her with the brunette's head in her lap. They expressed concern as Andréa was still out cold and had shown no signs of coming around. After cleaning up her head, they secured her neck and found the lump at the back of her head.
Miranda eased herself to her feet, a frown marring her forehead. She explained softly that Andréa had fainted two nights before and it prompted the paramedics to secure to the stretcher efficiently to take her to the hospital. Miranda insisted that she be taken to the Presbyterian where her own physician would be waiting. She called out to the new Emily to contact her doctor and request her presence at the hospital immediately and followed it with a demand for her bag and coat. The implications of Andréa's injuries concerned her.
As Emily stepped into her office with the items, she saw the tears sparkling in her green eyes. "Would you like me to accompany her?" Emily asked breathlessly.
"No, I shall." Miranda tilted her head, curious.
"I am her emergency contact," Emily admitted. "Both Nigel and I. They will no doubt contact us, anyway." Emily bit her lip nervously. "She has no one else."
"Call Roy and have him bring you and Nigel. Request for the book to be delivered electronically. I will travel in the ambulance with her."
"Yes, Miranda." Emily turned away, her shoulders slumping. She turned her head and eyed Miranda warily. "She's a good person, the best kind of person to have in your life. She's stubborn and infuriating but she cares in a way no other ever could." Miranda watched as Emily stepped to the side and let the stretcher past, only just stopping herself from reaching out to the young woman. "Andy has lost so much, and yet she has so much love to give." Emily looked at her appraisingly. "Whoever holds her heart is the luckiest person in the world. I hope they realise that."
Miranda took her jacket and shrugged it on, grabbing her purse she pulled it onto her shoulder and followed the stretcher as it made its way to the elevator banks. As they travelled down, she stood beside Andréa's head while the two paramedics stood at the foot of the stretcher chatting idly about their weekend plans.
Andréa stirred, moaning slightly as her hand moved up to her head. Miranda leant over and batted it away. At the light touch, a current of electricity passed up Miranda's arm and her eyes widened, she saw the faint purple sparks flickering from the tips of Andréa's fingers. "Mm, my fingers tingle," Andréa muttered.
"Andréa, try to remain still," Miranda muttered, worrying her lip between her teeth. There was more going on with the beautiful young woman than she'd realised. She noticed Andréa watching her with bleary eyes and tried to offer a reassuring smile as the elevator opened and the stretcher moved.
Schooling her features, Miranda shot a glare at the hovering clackers and they dispersed quickly. Her heels clacked against the tiles of the foyer as she followed the paramedics and watched as they eased Andréa into the back of the waiting ambulance. Entering the back of the vehicle, she sat beside the woman and was stunned when a hand reached for hers.
"When you touch me, I sense the magic flowing through me." Andréa's eyes fell closed, and she hummed. "It feels good, like warm rain."
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Upon seeing Miranda's physician and having her run a barrage of tests proved Andy had a severe concussion. What made things worse was the fact she hadn't eaten or slept for almost 24 hours due to feeling nauseated.
Miranda was not happy, and Andy could feel the anger rolling off her in waves. She hissed at Andy about her unwillingness to take care of herself until Nigel arrived and pulled her away. Scooting out of bed, Andy swayed until Emily's arm wrapped itself around her waist and she helped her walk towards the door.
"Thanks, Em," Andy whispered as she peered around the door.
"I have your discharge papers," Emily muttered. "I know how much you hate hospitals." They listened as Nigel's raised voice reached them and moved out of the room.
"You aren't helping Miranda." Nigel continued to pull her along the corridor and she was not amused.
"Let. Me. Go." Miranda's voice carried along the corridor and Nigel winced as he complied. "How dare you?"
"I dare because that woman is like the little sister I never had and Emily thinks exactly the same. We are a family and frankly, she doesn't deserve to have you berate her for something that wasn't her fault." Nigel hissed furiously.
Nigel was angrier than Andy had ever seen him and she stepped in. "It's okay, Nigel. I know Miranda is just masking her concern behind her usual facade."
Miranda stiffened as Andy's voice hit them. Spinning on her heel, she glared at the brunette who was being supported by a nervous looking Emily. Her eyes softened as her concern rose at the sight of the pale complexion and trembling hands. "You should rest, Andréa."
"They've discharged me," Andy explained, hiding her hands in her jean's pockets. "Will you call me a cab, Nige?"
"You're a cab, Six." Nigel grinned as Andy snorted out a loud bark of laughter.
"Funny man." Andy giggled. "Seriously, I want to go home, shower and sleep for a week."
"You shouldn't be alone, it will be a little cramped since Em is staying at mine, but you can bunk in..." Nigel trailed off as Miranda interrupted.
"You will stay at the townhouse with me. The twins are with their father this weekend so you will get plenty of peace." Miranda interrupted.
Andy glanced up warily. "Thank you, Miranda, but I..." She bit her lip, nervously.
"No, no, that wasn't a question." Miranda's tone was firm. She glanced at her assistant and creative director. "I shall have Roy drop you both off. I suppose we will need to gather things from your apartment?" She cocked an eyebrow at Andy who nodded wordlessly. "All right." She breathed. "Come along, Roy is waiting."
The trip across the city was tense and Andy let her eyes fall closed as she sat between Miranda and Emily while Roy navigated the busy Friday afternoon traffic with Nigel at his side. Her head fell forward as she dozed and someone pulled her into a warm embrace. She caught the whisper of Emily's tiny gasp as she settled surrounded by Miranda's unique signature scent. She knew nothing more until a light touch along her jawline woke her and she blinked sleepily up into Miranda's eyes. "Mm, sorry. I seem to have fallen asleep on you." Andy licked her dry lips.
"Hush, now," Miranda smirked. "We are at your apartment. Come along, the sooner we go up, the sooner we can go home and get you settled in." She slid from the car and held her hand out for Andy to take. They walked up through Andy's complex with Miranda's hand resting reassuringly at Andy's elbow.
Andy stepped towards the locked door and fumbled with her keys for a moment before the door swung open. "Honey, I'm home," Andy called out. A small mewl greeted her and a tiny white kitten rubbed itself up against her legs before brushing itself against Miranda's ankles, leaving a trail of white fur on her tailored Bill Blass pants. She scowled down at the fluffy white kitten with blue eyes. "Shiro, no."
Miranda bent and scooped the kitten up, rubbing her cheek against the soft fur. "It's of no concern." Miranda moved around the room, a genuine smile on her face as she whispered to the kitten as it purred and rubbed her face against Miranda's.
Andy watched as Miranda took in her small apartment, looking for a sign of her disgust, but Miranda's eyes held only curiosity as she viewed the photographs and trinkets Andy displayed. There were photos of Andy with both Nigel and Emily and ones of Nigel, Emily and Serena. There was no evidence of her family in this room. Miranda's eyes landed on her collection of Runway magazines and she stalled.
Moving into the small bedroom, Andy frowned at the chaos. Clothes were strewn everywhere from getting ready to see Miranda a few days before. Moving to the closet, she grabbed a small holdall and stuffed plain black cotton underwear at the bottom, she followed it with socks, two pairs of jeans, some t-shirts and a hoody. Moving to her bedside table she looked at the small photograph of herself and her family and placed it between the folds of the t-shirts and zipped the bag closed before moving to the bathroom and gathering her toiletries in another bag.
Andy had returned from the City of Light to find her boyfriend and friends gone. Within a month she learned her parents and sister had been wiped out by a drunk driver. She was alone in the world. It was shortly after this she had reconnected with Nigel and Emily, who had pulled her away from her despair and loneliness.
Ambling from the room, she saw Miranda, sat on her couch, with the kitten perched on her shoulder. Miranda had gathered kitty litter, the pet carrier and Shiro's food to one side of the sofa. She gazed at Miranda and her new familiar and shook her head. "That's just typical." She mumbled, dropping her bags.
"Shiro told me you take good care of her." Miranda smiled up at her happily. "She is a gorgeous beast." Miranda smooched the kitten. "Yes, I'm talking about you, my gorgeous girl." The soft cooing Miranda enacted with the cat shocked Andy.
Andy smiled a little. "I try, she can be a little standoffish."
"Mm, cats are independent creatures." Miranda smiled bad the sight took Andy's breath away. "Now, it seems you have everything you require, I text Roy and..." The knock at the apartment door interrupted her and she stood to put the Shiro into her pet carrier as she yowled her displeasure.
Andy moved to the door and grinned at Roy, gesturing for him to come in. Roy stepped inside, looking around the small space until his eyes came to rest on the items for the kitten and her bags. He moved forward with a nod at Miranda and lifted Andy's bag onto his shoulder before gripping the kitty litter and food and heading out.
Miranda held the pet carrier and looked around. "You may require your laptop and cell phone charger, Andréa." She nodded at the desk in the corner where her messenger bag sat, the contents sat atop the dark wood haphazardly.
Andy walked over, shoving items into the bag randomly, including her open journal. She frowned, sure it had been closed. Looking at Miranda she saw no hint of anything that showed she had read the contents. Shrugging she pulled the bag close. "You know, I'd be fine here."
"Oh no. No, no, no. You will come with me." Miranda smiled at the compliance in her eyes. "We can relax this evening, I'll even order a pizza. Tomorrow our lessons begin."
"Yes, Miranda." Andy agreed, defeated. She knew she couldn't fight the force of nature that was Miranda Priestly and win.
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