Title: Carrion – Song 10

CD: Tidal by Fiona Apple

Beta: Peetsden

Fandom: Devil Wears Prada

Pairing: Miranda/Andy

Rating: PG13

Disclaimer: I don't own Devil Wears Prada or Fiona Apple.

Note: This song is a companion piece to Never is a Promise.

Carrion

Okay, how much time does it take to get your crap and get off of a plane? Apparently hours and hours and hours. Or at least that's what it felt like as Andy watched all the people ahead of her struggle with their bags and slowly make their way down the aisle. Next time she met her sister in Italy for a vacation, she was going first-class. Seriously, because this was completely ridiculous.

Andy adjusted the straps of her backpack one more time and decided to go ahead and turn her cell phone on while she waited for everyone in front of her to show some signs of life. Hopefully it was fully charged and hopefully it wasn't full of pointless voicemails from people she didn't care about. There was only one person she was interested in hearing from and Andy was making that phone call herself in about thirty minutes. Yes…her cell phone was fully charged.

Finally the line began to move and Andy grew anxious. Her luggage better be easy to find and the lines in Customs had better be nice and short otherwise she'd just have to break about a hundred laws. One week was long enough. She loved her sister but she was ready to be home for more than one reason. Next summer her reason would just have to make this trip with her. Seriously, because this was completely ridiculous.

After saying goodbye to the freakishly robotic flight attendants Andy began to make the trek down the concourse. This backpack was heavy…and to think, she actually cleaned it out before she left to make room for the watercolor pencils. There was no way those were going in her luggage. No way.

Hearing the familiar ring of her phone, Andy moved to a near-by wall to get out of everyone's way. Maybe someone couldn't wait thirty minutes? And that was absolutely fine. More than fine.

"Hey!" She said, not bothering to check the caller id because who else would be?

"Hey…I can't believe you answered this time."

Okay…that was definitely not the person she was expecting to hear from. Not at all. "Nate…"

"Yeah…that's my name in case you've forgotten."

He already sounded kinda ticked off. This wasn't surprising since every time he called, Andy never answered the phone. Like as in never ever…and he'd been calling for six months. So that was a whole lot of unanswered phone calls. "Nope…haven't forgotten. What can I do for you, Nate."

"What can I do for you, Nate? Ouch. You never answer my calls."

"No, I don't. Why should I?" That's right. Why should she? It was done and she had most certainly moved on. Speaking of moving…Andy hefted up her backpack one more time and began following the signs again to her destination: Out of this fucking airport.

"Gee Andy why do you have to be like that? I just wanted to talk. It's been six months."

"Yeah…listen Nate I'm trying to get out of an airport here so if you could just say whatever it is you gotta say – I'd be grateful."

"Oh…I see. Where did you go? Romantic weekend getaway?"

Oh, gross. Well actually that would have been nice. Just not with him. "No, I was with my sister you idiot. Now what do you want?"

"I want you, Andy."

"What!" Andy yelled into the phone and walked right into the person stopped in front of her. "Wow…sorry, sorry!" She waved to the guy she'd just plowed into and kept moving. "Nate, what in the fuck is wrong with you?"

"What do you mean what's wrong with me? I want you back. I want us back."

"Oh for the love of God you can't be serious! Have you forgotten what it was like? Hello – you hate me." Spotting the baggage claim area Andy found the exact spot she needed to be at and prepared to watch for her bags while listening to this fool all at the same time. If he made her miss her luggage on the first round she was going to kill him.

"I'm serious. Andy, we were good together…and now you don't work at Runway…it could be like it used to be."

Whatever. "No, Nate. No it couldn't. I'm not that girl anymore and that has pretty much nothing to do with Runway. It's called growing up. You would know that if you tried it." For real. Get a life and leave hers alone.

"I am a grown up. Thank you very much. Look Andy we need each other. I'm not the same without you and I bet you're not the same without me either."

"Damn right." She mumbled as she scanned the bags coming down the line. So far, Mr. & Mrs. Louis Vuitton had yet to be seen. Hopefully they would show up soon…she loved those bags. Talk about the coolest birthday gift ever…

"What?"

"What?" Oh, did she miss something?

"You said 'damn right'."

"Oh! Yeah...you said I wasn't the same without you…and I said damn right. No lie." She knew she was being cold but seriously didn't care. Oh, yay. Here come the bags now. Andy moved through a few people and thankfully was able to get both bags off the line in one try. "Hang on Nate…gotta get my bags situated." More like check them over for damage. There would be hell to pay otherwise and this airport would have someone else's name on the front of it by the time that certain someone got their way. After her bags were deemed in good shape, Andy made her way toward yet another long line, which actually for once wasn't that long at all. Thank God. "Okay. I'm back. Now can ya finish up because I really need to get off the phone?"

"Alright fine. I just want you to know that I still love you Andy and I want another chance."

"Nate, we talked about all this before…at that café, remember? We said our peace…you went your way and I went mine. So what the fuck? I am not going backwards don't you get it?" Argh the line was slowing down. Why was it so much harder to get back in your country than it was to get out of it?

"I want you back."

Abso-fucking-lutely not. Did he really just say that? Again? Was this some sort of recording on an endless loop? She was about to reach the last obstacle that was between her and the remaining distance to the door so this phone call needed to be over with. Once and for all.

"Nate, I want you to listen to me…like really, really listen to me. Are you listening?"

"Yeah. I'm listening, Andy."

"Good because this is the last time I'm talking to you about this. First of all – you left me. Not the other way around. This is what you wanted and you got it. So deal with it. I know I sure as hell have. I've moved on. I used to worry myself sick about trying to save our relationship but you know what? All I really needed was the strength to walk away. Nothing needed saving and it still doesn't. Sometimes I'm a slow learner but I've got it all figured out finally. Thank God. Second of all – You need to move on Nate. I mean seriously, you're like a dead animal laying in the road waiting for someone to come scoop you up. That's not gonna happen. I'm not the one. You're going to have to get yourself up. Thirdly – Nothing you try is going to work. Not threats, not intimidation…not whining…nothing. So please leave me alone. No more phone calls, no more e-mails, no more voicemails, no more anything. That's all." Andy ended the call and took a big breath since she had pretty much said all that in one…and it felt good. Really good. Really, really, fucking good. She should have told him off like that a long time ago.

Okay, now she was next in line. All she had to do from here was chit-chat with the nice guy behind the counter and then walk through the door. But no! When she got done chit-chatting she realized that the other side of the door was only another long hallway and more people. Not what she wanted.

Unable to wait any longer Andy whipped her cell phone back out and dialed the number of the one and only person she really wanted to be talking to right now. It wasn't quite thirty minutes but whatever. No one was keeping count. Andy adjusted her backpack one more time and began the long, slow walk…with all these bags…and waited for the sexiest voice on Earth to answer the phone.

"Darling, hello." Miranda sounded cool and calm which meant she was probably jumping up and down inside. It was her way...

"Hey! I can't wait to see you. Don't get me wrong – walking all over Italy with my sister is the bomb but if it had been for one more day I'm pretty sure I would have died." Seriously.

"Andrea, don't be so dramatic. You would not have died. Your feet might have…but the rest of you would have been fine." Miranda was probably rolling her eyes and thinking she was the most ridiculous thing ever. Oh well.

"No, I'm pretty sure I would have died. Just trust me. Hey, I got you something."

"What's that?"

"Watercolor pencils." Andy was very proud of those. She found them in Florence and managed to carry them a long way without dropping or breaking any. How cool is that? Pretty fucking cool in her eyes.

"You had to go all the way to Italy to procure watercolor pencils?" If Andy wasn't so good at deciphering 'Miranda Speak' she would have been hurt. But - Miranda was just messing with her.

"No…silly. But I saw them and they look cool – so? You have watercolor pencils now. I might even try them."

"Darling, your artistic talent consists of staying between the lines in a coloring book…but if you insist."

"Hey, shut up! I'll have you know my Superman coloring book is a true work of art."

"Yes…I'm sure. Where are you?"

"I'm headed for the door…probably ten minutes away. The lines were…argh. Oh, and guess what."

"What?" Andy could tell Miranda was getting agitated. Not with her…but with time and distance. She could certainly sympathize.

"I got the most fucked up phone call just before I called you…totally fucked up. It was Nate. Can you believe that shit?"

There was a few seconds of silence then, "Yes, darling…yes I can."

Andy pulled her luggage behind her a little faster as she caught site of the end and continued on about Nate. "I mean I was so pissed! He's crazy Miranda. I'm telling you - abso-fucking-lutely crazy. He wants me back! Can you believe that shit?"

"Yes, I can."

"I mean he used to hate me and for fucks sakes get this – he still thinks Runway was the sole reason that shit hit the fan between us."

"Well darling…in a way it was." Miranda laughed and Andy was thankful she was taking this so well. Andy wasn't about to start hiding stuff from her and it felt good to vent and just get it out of the way.

"Yeah, yeah…probably. I mean my boss was smokin' hot! I couldn't help myself ya know…"

"Yes…I know."

"Shut up—I can hear you blushing. Anyway, I basically told him off. No…there's no basically about it. I did tell him off; and then I told him to not call me again. You know he's been calling for six months? I just never answer the phone! I thought it was you this time and didn't look at the caller id."

"That must have been utterly horrible." Andy smiled at Miranda's sarcasm and kept right on going.

"I know, right? I could have kicked myself. But there's no need for that because I've been beat up enough by my luggage…I love these bags…just not when I'm by myself. Too much."

"And you are rather uncoordinated. Darling…you look gorgeous with that tan but I do hope you remembered to wear sunscreen now and again."

"Oh, it's not that bad…wait…."

"Look to your left, Andrea."

What? Andy stopped and of course almost got ran over but looked to her left as asked. There she was. Miranda Priestly, in the flesh, right here in the airport. Waiting for her. "You couldn't wait, could you?"

"No. I could not. Now hang up your phone, silly."

With the biggest smile on her face, Andy completely forgot all about Nate. She even forgot all about Italy and her tired feet and these insanely heavy bags. All she could remember now was how much she loved this woman who was impatiently tapping her foot with a hand on her hip. All she could remember now was the first time they kissed not two weeks after seeing each other across the street and how they had made love not two weeks after that.

While she was busy remembering all of that, Miranda got tired of waiting and came forward. She grabbed Andy, not caring about her heavy backpack or luggage that she was still holding, and kissed her like one week had actually been a hundred.

Finally breaking away Andy looked in Miranda's eyes and was a little taken aback but what she saw there. "Miranda?" She questioned, still wrapped up in Miranda's arms right here in the middle of this airport.

"Yes?" Miranda smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Uh, honey. We're in the middle of an airport you know…and you're still Miranda Priestly…and you're still not divorced…and people have camera's."

"An airport is only a building." Miranda said, shaking her head a little. "And yes, I'm still Miranda Priestly…and I just told Stephen to stop calling me, and to stop stalling—in my own nasty little phone call. And I don't care about cameras. And…I love you. And that, darling, is much more important than anything else. Wouldn't you agree?" Miranda kissed her again and through a few silly tears Andy kissed her back; glad to be home…and loved.

THE END