Miranda looked up from her desk when Andrea entered with her coffee, she enjoyed the brush of their fingers as the drink was handed over.

"Jealous Ensign Happy Captain," were Miranda's first words of the day.

"Still one," Andrea responded smiling while holding her pointer finger in the air.

"Out," Miranda growled.

Andrea's responding "Yes, Miranda" sounded just a little sassy and Miranda reveled in it.

After an hours worth of phone calls Miranda stretched and stepped out of her office. "Emily," she said, "the girls want to come to Runway after school. It's a half day so make sure you get something they will like for lunch when you get mine."

"Yes, Miranda," Emily replied.

From the corner of her eye Miranda watched Andrea pull out her cell phone and begin to text. 'Smart girl' Miranda thought to herself sure that she was texting Caroline or Cassidy for a lunch preference. Cultivating a relationship with the twins was one of Andrea's smarter moves, a move that Emily would never be able to replicate. Emily glanced at Andrea's phone and then left the office.

"Justice Elephant Hippo Captain?" Miranda asked. She rolled her eyes when Andrea responded buy flashing her pointer finger and mouthing the word one. "Have you scheduled your interviews?" Miranda inquired, "Emily will be bringing the book so your evening is free if you need more time."

"No need for extra time." Andrea's smile was bright as she continued. "I only have Harper's and News Week left. The others all just sent offers. Ranger Rick was quite enthusiastic." She looked at Miranda with an amused but puzzled expression.

Miranda raised her hands palm out. "I didn't send anything to Ranger Rick, honestly. I thought Reptile World was a much better match."

Andrea chuckled, "So they just sent me an offer out of the blue?"

Miranda bristled at Andrea's apparent disbelief. She straightened her shoulders and said haughtily, " Need I repeat, publishing legend?" She stared at Andrea with an arched eyebrow. Then with a smile she continued, "Jewel Elephant Hippo Captain."

Andrea shook her head and flashed her pointer once again. "Not quite legendary enough, Rolling Stone couldn't fit in an evening interview." Andrea's tone was melancholy clearly conveying her desire to work for that publication.

The teasing look dropped from Miranda's face. Without a further word she turned on her heals and strode into her office, the door closed with a sharp click. Miranda was barely in her seat when she began to fire off an email to the editor in chief of Rolling Stone.

David,

I feel compelled to offer you the agency of some of the writers that I know. I can assure you that Patricia is well fed but I am concerned for your family's well being. The only reason I can fathom for your HR departments declining to interview Andrea Sachs is the belief that they can't afford a writer of her caliber on staff. It concerns me that Rolling Stone feels unable to compete with Reptile World.

I hope that you know that you can rely on our long term friendship if you are in need. Watch your mail for the Trader Joe's gift card I have just ordered for you. I sent it to your home address just in case…

With Care,

MP

Miranda reopened her door and was greeted with the sounds of giggling teenagers. "Hello Darlings," She greeted them. "What is causing you such merriment?"

"I swear Mom," Cassidy said. "Just when you think the world can't get any stranger you come to Runway and find out it can!"

Caroline gave her sister a fist bump and continued, "Do you know that whenever anyone mentions another magazine around here Emily spews their circulation?"

Miranda's eyes twinkled as she snorted in amusement. The girls arched their eyebrows in question. Seeing her own expression staring back at her in duplicate caused Miranda's smile to broaden. "It was a little joke between Andrea and I that got out of hand."

Cassidy's expression of amusement switched to surprise. "You and Andy have jokes?" Her eyes were wide, "You joke around?"

Miranda's nod was hesitant, almost shy.

"That's cool Mom, I like Andy," Caroline jumped in cheerily. "She is always really nice to us."

"Oh," said Miranda cautiously, "that's, that's nice."

The almost unheard of stutter coming from her mother seemed to prod Cassidy to contribute. "She is pretty too and funny." She caught her mother's eye and said with almost palpable sincerity, "It's good you have someone to joke with."

"Yeah," Caroline interjected, "you should joke with her a lot."

Miranda was at a loss as to how to continue and was incredibly grateful that Emily arrived to interrupt them with lunch. After the three ladies had enjoyed their meal the girls took their laptops out and amused themselves while their mother went back to running her empire.

An email response from David arrived just before Miranda left for the evening.

Miranda,

Your concern for my wellbeing is heartwarming. I also appreciate the information about the situation in my HR department. Please feel free to send over some applicants, we have several new openings.

While I am sure an offer from Reptile World would be hard to resist I hope that Ms Sachs has not yet signed with an other publication. Rolling Stone will be contacting her for an interview tomorrow.

Thanks,

David

Miranda got up to leave and patted her computer screen lovingly. "Legendary," she said with a smile.