DISCLAIMERS/NOTES
1. I DO NOT OWN THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA. This is just for fun.
2. Sorry for the unimaginative title.
PART 3
Serena played absently with the salt pot, shaking her head minutely. "So... " Nigel began, "care to share?"
The Brazilian looked up and sighed. "Emily and I had a fight."
"Ah," said Nigel. "And I trust... it was a rather big fight?"
Serena chuckled, but their was no humour in it. "Yeah... yeah, you could say that." She took a gulp from her coffee while Nigel leaned back on the other end of the cafe table. "You know how she is," Serena continued. "Always thinks it's her against the world... looking over her shoulder for the knife... "
Nigel nodded knowingly.
"Well," tutted Serena. "Turns out she thinks I'm against her, too."
A brow raised, Nigel blinked. "I find that hard to believe. Everyone knows Emily worships you. Always has."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, not anymore, it seems."
"From the top, Serena," said Nigel. "I can read Miranda like the Book, but she takes up all my people-reading skills."
Smiling ruefully, Serena rubbed her eyes. "I don't doubt it." Taking a deep breath, she began to go over the previous night's events. "With Andy and Miranda expecting four children, I said to Em that they'd need our support."
"Of course they will," agreed Nigel. "Not that Miranda would ever admit it, but she and Six are going to need all the help they can get. Four - or rather, six kids, the magazine, the paper, the dog... "
Serena grunted in response. "Emily agreed... for the most part." When Nigel motioned for her to continue, the Brazilian inhaled some more coffee. "I suggested that, considering all our lives are only going to get busier, we... put back the wedding." She closed her eyes at the last bit.
Nigel jaw dropped. "Oh, shit... "
"Exactly," huffed Serena. "Needless to say, she wasn't too happy. She got... let's just say, she got angry. She started yelling. Accusing me of... " Serena paused, having to take a moment to control her emotions. "She said I... I was trying to get out of it. Get out of the wedding. Out of our relationship."
Nigel sighed. "I don't know what goes on in that head of hers... er, no offense."
"Don't worry, I often ponder over that myself," said Serena sadly. "We both started yelling. Emily was... gripping her hand so hard... I thought she was going to rip her ring off... "
"Did she?"
"No," breathed Serena. "But I'd never seen her that angry. She said she was just 'waiting' for me to... to dump her... " She choked on the last words, unable to hold back the tears.
Nigel leaned forward and took her hands in his. "It'll be OK, love. It was just her temper and paranoia... she'll come around."
"What am I going to do, Nigel?" asked Serena with a whine. "I... can't live without her. I'd literally die without her. I nearly died lastnight. I spent the night on the sofa... we've never slept apart since we got together. Nigel, if I lose her... "
"You won't," Nigel assured.
"I can't lose her," the Brazilian whispered. "I need her more than I need air... "
"I think, right now, she needs you," said Nigel, looking past Serena. Perplexed, Serena turned her head, following his gaze through the window behind them. Across the street, stumbling out the Elias-Clarke building, was an unmistakable redhead. Instantly, Serena was on her feet, breathing Emily's name reverently. She turned back to Nigel. "The coffee's on me," he said simply. Less than a second later, Serena was bolting out the cafe door.
It was a miracle she was not run over crossing the road. It was as if the trafficgoers sensed as one that Serena would not be stopped. By the time she reached the Elias-Clarke building, the Brazilian had nearly left a pile-up in her wake. Nearly.
Emily was sitting on a bench a dozen yards from the Runway HQ, head in her hands. As Serena reached her, she could hear sobbing. Dropping to her knees infront of her beloved, Serena gently took Emily's hands in hers and slowly prised them from her face. "Meu amor... " she whispered.
The Brit's expression was confused for a moment, then clearly recognised just who was on her knees before her. "Oh, Serena... " she whined. "I... I... I've made a terr... terrible... " She broke down, throwing herself at her lover, wrapping her arms around her tightly.
Serena returned the embrace as much as she could, her heart breaking at seeing the woman she cherished in such pain. "It's alright," she soothed. "I'm here... I'll always be here... "
TO BE CONTINUED
