A/N: First, I am am going to address this one more time- I like a mushy Miranda, who can't contain it with Andrea, I am sorry if you don't like that. But I am not sorry I wrote it nor am I sorry that that's what I enjoy. Anyway, now that that's done. This chapter will be mostly angst I assume, and **TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE AND RAPE***
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"My Hero"
"Hmm, your hero hmm?" Miranda chuckled, "That's a lot to live up to."
"You can do anything Mira, you are the queen remember?"
"Mmm, sure." Miranda kissed her forehead "Now my angel, why don't you start telling me what has happened to you?"
Andy sighed, burying her face in Miranda's neck "Do I have to?"
"You promised me, Sleeping Beauty." She smiled, running her fingers through the brunette's thick locks.
"I guess I did, it's a long story so I'll start at the beginning I guess," Andy took another deep sigh. "I met Nate when I was 19, and he was 21."
"Continue Andrea, darling." She smiled and kissed her forehead again.
"Well, we met when I was trying to find my classroom and I bumped into him, so we had one of those whirlwind romances, and I thought we were in love. But anyway, the first time he hit me was, about a year ago. I came home late, and he reeked of alcohol, he was yelling at me, telling me how all I cared about was my job and whatever else." Andy groaned, she hated these memories, she always felt so weak. "So I told him that I didn't need any of his shit, and that I guess was my first mistake." She laughed bitterly, "So it started with him backing me against a wall, wrapping his hand around my neck and spitting in my face. After he let go of my neck I thought he was done, but he ended up shoving his fist into my nose and breaking the shit out of it."
Miranda held Andy closer and shook her head, I will kill him. I will actually kill that boy.
"Mira, I hear you fuming, just shh- I'm just getting started." Andy placed a gentle kiss to her boss's jaw line. "That was the day I was in late and I thought you would murder me!" She smiled, "It didn't happen again for about 2 months, but I came home and he was drinking- which had been happening way too much for my comfort, I told him that I had to cancel our plans to go see his parents in New Jersey because of the benefit, so that resulted in a few slaps across my face and a sweet sucker punch to my gut… I didn't have the chance to tell him I was pregnant." A sob escaped Andrea's throat, out of all the memories- this one was one of the most painful.
"Oh my beautiful darling!" Miranda felt the tears burn the back of her eyes at the sound of anguish in the younger woman's voice. She placed a series of kisses on the young woman's head- murmuring reassurances.
"Well, as I am sure you can imagine, I lost the baby. That was the day I forgot to bring you your coffee, and you told me 'it was okay'. I think that's what got me through." She sent a watery smile up to Miranda. "You were my hero before you even knew it. After that it became almost every day until about two months ago. It all stopped, the beatings, the yelling, the name calling… All of it. I thought he had forgiven me, for whatever it was he thought I did. It was then almost three weeks ago when I came home, and it was full force…" Andy ran a hand through her hair, and tried to get impossibly closer to the older woman, she sighed in the warm embrace, "It was instant, I walked in the door and I was on the ground, his hands were slamming into me, calling me worthless, fat, stupid, ugly- Told me that he couldn't love me because I was nothing but a whore. Then my clothes were being ripped to shreds- Brand new Valentino by the way." Andy's voice had become monotone, her body cold and rigid in Miranda's arms. "I kicked and screamed crying out for help, but with a well placed punch he knocked me out. When I woke up, I was covered in blood and semen, he was rubbing himself hard again." Andy let out a shaky breath, "He told me that no one would ever want me now, and that I was his f-forever." Her voice broke, and the tears came, like waterfalls down her cheeks "H-he, pried my legs open, and r-raped me over and over and over. I had stopped fighting, it was too much, I couldn't I-I couldn't, I just let him, I let him rape me!" The distressed woman broke down, her body shaking, she couldn't breathe and her eyes were squeezed shut, tears still falling at an alarming pace.
Miranda was stunned, she didn't know what to do, she felt so angry- she was fuming, she had never hated a man as much as she hated Nathan Summers. Somehow snapping herself out of her stupor and pulled the sobbing woman onto her lap. "Hush my angel, I am here, I am here and I will never let him hurt you ever again." She placed kisses to the woman's temples and eyelids, wiping her tears as they fell. "Deary, shh, I am here." Miranda blinked back her own tears.
Andy's body slowly stopped shaking, her breath starting to even out, "I-I just ruined your sh-shirt Mira-a." Andy closed her eyes again, trying to squeeze out all of her anger and sadness.
"Oh well, it's just a shirt." Miranda shrugged, placing a finger under Andy's chin, pulling her to look into her crystal blue eyes.
Andrea refused to open her eyes, shaking her head as miranda stroked her brunette locks. "Andrea. Look at me." Her tone was soft, as it was in the office- but there was no ice behind it, only warmth and understanding. With a small sigh she opened her eyes slightly and gasped at the love she saw radiating back at her.
"Andrea, listen to me." Miranda kissed her forehead, "There is nothing you did, nothing you ever could do… that would make me feel, any less.. well- Fond of you. You did nothing wrong, that man is a monster. I am so sorry I could not protect you from his evil my darling Andrea. I will never forgive myself, but you are so strong. You can handle anything life throws at you. You do work for the embodiment of the devil." Miranda smirked
"You're not the devil, Miranda. You are a strong, driven woman who doesn't take shit and expects nothing more from her staff as she does from herself. You are my hero, you have saved me. You will continue to save me every moment that I am by your side. And after you ultimately decide that I am nothing- not worth your time… You will go on saving me from afar. Because I know that I had something with you and you allowed me to be happy and to grow. You're my angel Miranda, but angels fly away in the end." Andy sniffled and buried her head in the crook of the editor's neck.
"I. Will. Not. Ever. Ever. Leave you." Miranda wrapped her arms tightly around the shivering girl in her lap. "I am nothing if not honest, Andrea. And I cannot see a life without you in it. Well I'm sure there is one- but not onew I want to live. I would rather lose Runway than lose you. All I need is you, and my girls, and I would be happy. Which, is not a feeling I am accustomed to."
"Mira how can you say that?"
"Because, I am honest, remember?"
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A/N: Okay- this isn't the longest chapter- but I thought it was a good break, this particular scene was hard for me to write- I much rather enjoy writing fluff. Anyway, I hope it was up to par and I will attempt to bring up the happiness factor soon! I promise it'll happen, I am just not sure how soon. Thank you to all who are patient with me and are actually reading this (That's pretty fucking amazing guys) ((!)) Seriously though, you guys are the reason I have the courage to put my writing out here, and it means a lot to me! So thank you again! You're the best!