Chapter Eight

Out of everything that's gone on so far tonight, calling (from the laundry room of all places) to ask Nigel to pack a bag for Miranda and the girls is the easiest thing ever. Of course, he's thrilled to have a job finally and there are plenty of things at Runway for Miranda. Incidentally, there are a wide range of children's clothes on hand as well, due to a recent family themed shoot in the park. As Andy rattles off to him where her spare key is hidden in her desk and her address, she watches as Cara paces, with her hands on her hips, and it's more than a little obvious that she's got a couple things she can hardly wait to say.

"I don't know what's going on." Cara says immediately after Andy ends the phone call. "And I kinda don't want to know… But then again," Cara looks at Andy and there are lasers in her eyes, "I do want to know. You might not think it's any of my business, Andy, but it is."

"So I gathered." Andy says, unable to help herself. She isn't in the mood to fight, but then again, if it's what Cara wants, then Andy might just give it to her.

"Yeah, so you gathered," she says under her breath. "But you know what, Andy? Every time someone new comes along, I get to pick up the pieces. Or try to. It's not easy. So many times," Cara continues, leaning against the washing machine. "Whether Miranda will admit it or not, she's been disappointed over and over. Whatever you're doing…don't do that, Andy. Don't be another disappointment to her. I really can't watch it again."

Who knows what is right to say? Or wrong? Since there's no way to know, Andy's left with little choice other than to say the first thing that comes to mind.

"I'm not someone new, Cara," Andy says softly. "I've been here a long time."

Cara chokes out a laugh that seems to be filled with nothing but bitterness. "You know what?" She says, "You're right. You have been around a long time. I just didn't know there was…" Cara pauses and shrugs, "more to it."

"Well, there is. I mean…not until recently. Like real recently."

"As in—you don't really know what in the fuck is going on, do you?" Cara rolls her eyes and shakes her head.

"I think I have a pretty good idea, Cara," Andy says quickly, not really wanting to entertain any feelings of doubt. And God help them all if she asks Andy exactly why it is that she is so sure. Like Andy can really tell Cara that Miranda all but invited her into her bed…for sleep or not? No, that little tidbit will remain between her and Miranda for the next millennium.

"You might think you do. But you don't. This is different and I doubt you're ready for it."

"Because I'm a woman?"

"No." Cara looks at her like she's stupid. "Not because of that, you idiot."

"I'd really appreciate it if you could explain, Cara." Mainly because Andy feels like she knows Miranda pretty well by now, but could still use all the help she can get.

Cara groans, like she doesn't really want to say any of this. "Okay…okay. For starters—and I hope you know this is not really my place, but…"

"I know, I know, Cara. But please…" Andy begs.

"She's dated a woman before." Cara blurts out.

Andy feels her eyebrows just about reach the ceiling. Whatever Cara was going to say, Andy never expected that. "Oh." Is all she can say.

"Right," Cara nods. "Oh. But that's not important. It didn't last long," she continues, waving a hand like she's trying to make less of what they're talking about. "I knew right away that it wasn't going to work; just like I've known about the rest," Cara says then gets a funny look on her face. "It's not like Miranda's been out with tons of people, though," she says quickly. "It's just that I've always been able to tell she tries to force herself to get into whoever it is and it never works. Which means she just wasted time, effort, hope… And Stephen was the worst of all. I don't know why, but she really wanted that to work, and then it didn't."

"It was because of the girls," Andy says, hardly able to believe she didn't see that from the start. "When she told me about the divorce, that's why she was really upset."

"That makes sense," Cara nods. "Which is probably why she's always trying. I don't know. Maybe she feels obligated or something. But, Andy, she's not forcing this. Whatever this is with you—it's not forced or out of obligation to the girls. For some silly reason this is just about you. In fact, I'd say she's tried to keep herself from it."

Even though Andy understands what Cara means, she has to know for sure. "What do you mean?"

Cara, of course, rolls her eyes again. "You know what I mean. Miranda is probably scared to death! This might be the first time she's actually in… Well… And God, I guess I should've gotten a clue a long time ago but Friday night, the way you two were looking at each other at the door. The way she looked at you," Cara motions toward her, looking frustrated. "Like she just can't stop herself anymore."

"I can't help it either. Not now." Andy says, feeling her heart swell.

"Oh, Christ on sale, Andy! Don't go fall in love with her just because of what's going on!"

Huh? Andy has no idea what that means. Well she knows what the second part means. But not the first.

"Christ on sale?" Andy asks, knowing her facial expression couldn't be more twisted.

"Don't look at me like that. Blame Archer. Not me!"

"Who the fuck is Archer?"

"Never mind who he is!" Cara practically screams, throwing her hands into the air. "Just don't fall in love with her because of all this. Because of tonight."

"Jesus, I'm not, okay! I wasn't even talking about that." Andy rubs her forehead, searching for the right words when really, there are none. There is no way to correctly explain why it's taken so long or why it's happening now. It just is. "Friday... It's like… Cara, we just can't help it anymore. I don't know what else to say other than what happened tonight has nothing to do with it."

They go back and forth like this for about ten more minutes but finally, Cara seems to believe that Andy's not kidding around, and with a smile she points out, "Neither of you even heard me say goodnight."

Immediately, Andy feels her face heat up. "Oh, I heard you, Cara." She looks down at the floor then at Cara with a smile of her own that she can't hold back. "Miranda probably heard you too. We were just…busy. Mentally busy."

Cara manages to laugh, "So I gathered," repeating Andy's words from earlier. "I guess there's nothing else to say then. They'll be safe with you tonight. I know that much at least."

A heavy weight lifts from Andy's chest that she didn't even know was there. Having Cara's approval means a hell of a lot more than she realized it would. "Thanks Cara. I mean it. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Cara says, turning toward the door to head back into the kitchen. "These next few days will be your test. Pass for fail. There's no in between when it comes to them, Andy. Just know I'll be watching and if you hurt her, God help you."

All Andy really hears is, "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try."

And Cara is right. Yoda's right too. Andy can't fail because if she does, there won't be a second chance.

There's no time to reflect on the possibility of failure though because Darren and his security team have arrived and as it turns out, Henley and Darren know each other. They go 'way back' and somehow that makes Andy feel a little better about things. Like there's a team factor here that will make things easier or something.

Miranda stays close to her while they listen to the detective give Darren the rundown and even though Miranda seemed to be in better spirits just a while ago, something is wrong (besides everything else). She can just sense it radiating off Miranda and onto her and Andy knows that she won't be able to resist trying to fix it.

While Henley goes on and on about things she and Miranda already know, Andy takes this moment as her chance. Leaning over slightly she says, "What's the matter?" without looking at Miranda.

There is nothing from her but silence so Andy turns her head and stares. Instantly, Andy realizes what's wrong. She was gone. She was in the laundry room for about ten to fifteen minutes too long, according to the look on Miranda's face.

Crap.

"Sorry I was gone so long." Andy tells her with a faint but reassuring (she hopes) smile on her face. It takes a while but Miranda's features soften and Andy breathes an inaudible sigh of relief. She puts a hand on Miranda's arm too and it's not brushed away. Henley drops a tiny bomb on them a few seconds later and it's a good thing Andy is holding on.

"No fingerprints…or anything else. Yet anyway." Henley shakes her head. "We're still going over things but even now, there's nothing."

Andy feels Miranda's body stiffen, then slack quite a bit. She moves her hand from Miranda's arm to her lower back. Unlike earlier, that doesn't bring on a straightened posture so Andy tries something else. She puts her arm around Miranda's shoulder…in front of all these people.

Henley and Darren don't appear to give it a second thought. Neither does Miranda because instead of pulling away, she leans in a bit as Henley continues to reveal the rest of what she knows so far which isn't much.

Perhaps the most devastating news of all is that no one saw a thing. A concert in Central Park had everyone's attention, almost none of her neighbors were home and those that were, were busy doing other things.

Essentially, as they all pile into Darren's SUV a few minutes later, the feeling that Henley is not even at square one, is a heavy thing indeed. Miranda knows it. Andy knows it. The children sound asleep with their heads on Miranda and Andy's lap as they make their way to her apartment probably know it too, even though they weren't supposed to hear a thing.

And what is there to say about it at this point? Andy can tell Miranda has no desire to talk right now. Regardless of the sleeping twins, she doesn't want to talk about it, it's written all over her face. All Miranda wants is to stare out the window and look at nothing. Miranda wants to pretend she's not affected at all by any of this. Miranda wants stability, her world back in its proper form. She wants, wants and wants.

But maybe Andy is wrong?

Based upon the first words that come out of her mouth since their ride began, while she might be staring out the window looking at nothing, Miranda is apparently not thinking about her desire to be unaffected or the need to have her world back in perfect order.

With a heavy sigh beforehand that definitely catches Andy's attention, Miranda says, "I did not ask you. I remember now. I did not ask you come. Yet, here you are."

She wants to say 'Duh, Miranda' but knows better. "You didn't have to ask me, Miranda," Andy says. "As soon as you started talking, I started getting dressed."

"Why?" Miranda asks as she begins to run her fingers through Cassidy's hair, still looking out the window.

Andy considers her next words carefully. There isn't a privacy screen in this SUV. Then again this is Darren; he and his chosen few have been around, off and on, ever since the twins were born. It's not as if she can come right out and say 'Because I love you, Miranda' in front of him, though.

"You were there for me when I needed you." Andy looks at her and sighs. "The party. I couldn't. So you did what you didn't have to do at all and I—"

Miranda turns her head sharply and interrupts. "I did have to," she says very firmly. "It was necessary. Just saying his name… I thought you were going to faint right there in the car, Andrea. Turning you into a chess piece is not acceptable if I…" Miranda stops herself from whatever she is about to say and it's hard not to beg to hear the words, whatever they might have been. In a soft and quiet voice, she finishes, "It was necessary, but that has nothing to do with this. This situation."

Andy rolls her eyes because all she wants to do is cut straight through all the bullshit and kiss Miranda. Dumping Caroline on the floorboard to do so wouldn't go over well, though, so words are all she has.

"Look, you called me because you needed me." Andy knows that's too personal a thing to say in front of Darren but he looks so focused on the road right now that it doesn't even matter. "Saying the words weren't necessary, so here I am, Miranda. And for the record, if I found out you went through something like this—and didn't call me—I'd be pretty upset."

"It would have upset you?" Miranda asks this like the expression 'DUH!' should be her middle name. Especially after Friday and for God's sake—Saturday morning.

"More than you realize, I guess." Andy says as she reaches out, putting her free hand (her other is protectively wrapped around Caroline as she sleeps) on Miranda's. She's been running her fingers through Cassidy's hair the entire time so this is where they both are, with their hands linked right on top of poor Cassidy's head.

Looking down, Miranda says, "Lately, I've been thinking of ways to convey that… Thinking of ways to make you see that I… Ways for you to find loyalty and…"

Well, she can't finish. That speech Miranda gave a few hours ago in Andy's sleep—she can't finish it, much less begin it properly.

"I've found it." Andy says quickly, sparing Miranda the pain of stumbling alone any further. "Everything you want me to find; I've found it, Miranda."

Miranda looks at Andy like she's just said she's going to work for Vogue. "How is that possible?" She asks with a voice that is a little too high for not wanting to wake the twins or catch Darren's attention. "Andrea, in all this time, I've done nothing right by you. Nothing. Even when I've wanted to, I've stopped myself."

"Friday?" Andy asks, as in 'Doesn't that count?' Even in the shadows Andy can see Miranda's face turns red.

"Yes, there was Friday," Miranda says quickly. "And then Saturday—in which I made a complete ass of myself on the telephone. And then—" Miranda is cut off by the sudden noise of the stereo coming on.

Andy looks toward Darren; he's punching at the dashboard like a crazy person, like he can't find a station or the volume button fast enough. Miranda raises an eyebrow. Andy simply shrugs as if to give Miranda permission to say whatever she feels she can—regardless of the audience that currently cannot hear a damn thing.

But before Miranda gets a chance, Andy's got something to say herself.

"You gave me a way out, Miranda. You gave me time, rest. You took my shoes off." For a moment Andy stops right there and closes her eyes just to experience the warm feeling the memory gives her. Finally, Andy opens her eyes again and the look Miranda is giving her is the most intense thing. It almost makes Andy speechless. Almost. "Miranda, you did more for me on Friday than anyone has done in a very, very long time. So yeah, I've found whatever it is that you wanted me to find."

Miranda doesn't acknowledge anything that Andy has just said. Miranda doesn't acknowledge that Andy's just told her there's hardly any work left to do if Andy is what Miranda wants. She just begins to repeat herself. "Saturday. That all came out completely wrong. Completely wrong. You must understand that I did not intend to—"

"Did it?" Andy interrupts her; unable to help the mischievousness that accompanies her words. "I don't think it came out wrong at all."

Instead of raising her voice in frustration like she probably wants to, Miranda simply squeezes her hand and says, "Not all of it. The tone was certainly not what I intended; nor was the message, to be honest. It could have easily been misinterpreted. I did not exactly mean…"

"I know that, Miranda." Andy says pointedly. "And I wish that I would have been able to stay awake for the invitation. I would have accepted." Actually she probably would have dissolved into nothing right there in Miranda's living room, but there's no reason to admit that now. "You'll just have to try again."

"Yes," Miranda says so quietly that Andy can barely hear her. "I suppose I will."

TO BE CONTINUED