A/N: This prompt came from Facebook's DWP Mirandy Page. I have been trying to coax my muse out from her winter hibernation by feeding her a particular nutty chocolate bar. Anyway, the prompt I was given is as follows;

Andy catches Miranda having Snickers and almost dies of shock.

Disclaimer: As always I am just fooling with these characters. I do not own or make any money from them. They are owned by Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox.

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Chapter Ten:

They got to the hospital within 15 minutes of leaving the Cincinnatian and Andy pulled her phone out and dialled. "Hey, Jillybean we are out front of the Clifton Lobby. Where are you?" Andy asked. As she got the answer she frowned. "Ah okay. So you're with Ma? What room?" Andy started to mutter. "Eighth 08152...08152..." Listening to her sister she said. "Yes, I can hear her...Tell her I don't care if her hair isn't brushed or if her make-up isn't flawless...Tell her to chill, okay? If she's going to be all awkward about Miranda I'll leave her in the cafeteria." Andy grinned at Miranda's look of shock. "My God anyone's would think she's being visited by the Queen of Genovia...Yea...Yes, I noticed...So she hasn't cried yet...Well it will happen eventually, we have to let her deal as she sees fit...I'm glad you understand too...See ya soon sis. I love you." Andy rolled her eyes. Looking at Miranda she smiled. "Welcome to the family love, as you can probably tell my mom babbles and gets all fidgety like I do when nervous, Jill said the doctors have told her they will sedate her if she doesn't remain calm. We should go on up before she sends Jill on a search party for us."

Clasping Miranda's hand firmly she led her inside the hospital and along corridors to an elevator bank. Getting off at the eighth floor she led Miranda along another range of corridors until she reached the Orthopaedic Centre of Excellence.

"Miranda stalled. "My darling, are you sure about this? Maybe you should go in alone, be with your family, spend time with them, share your mutual grief."

Andy stopped at looked at Miranda, noticing the nervousness in her eyes she stepped towards her. "Sweetheart we were supposed to meet Jill at the front so I could take her home and talk, as soon as Mom found out you were here too she dragged Jill back to ensure she got to meet you." Andy gave her a soft smile as she cupped her face. "We've had one date and are trying to know each other better and suddenly you're about to meet what's left of my family." Andy shook her head. "I understand if this is too quick. I understand this whole day has been far from ideal and we've jumped like a million steps forward rather than being able to take our time. I appreciate how much you like to keep control of your life, and I'm in no doubt that right now you're overwhelmed too." Andy whispered. "If you don't come in, I will not think any less of you. I want you to take all the time you need to be comfortable Miranda, there's no rush."

Miranda brushed a soft kiss on her lips. "You're right, I am overwhelmed, nervous but mainly I'm concerned, not that it is too quick, but that your family will not approve of us." Miranda held her close and Andy wrapped her arms around Miranda's waist as she whispered. "I also just want to wrap you up in my arms and take away the pain you try so hard to hide, you don't have to be strong with me. You can let go, cry, shout, scream. Whatever will make it more bearable."

Andy's shoulders shook as her tears took over and Miranda continued to hold her close whispering words of love and comfort into her ear, her voice soothing the young woman, and calming her into silence as her tears dried.

"God, I'm sorry..." Andy husked.

"No apologies, my darling, not for that. You have been so strong and brave. Now is my time to be strong for you. Do not keep it bottled up, my darling." Miranda brushed a curl out of Andy's face. "At least your mascara's water-proof." Miranda smiled. "Come on, my darling, I'm ready to meet your family." Miranda straightened her shoulders and lifted her eyes to Andy and gave her a genuine smile, holding her hand out it was clasped firmly and Andy entwined their fingers as she moved them towards her mom's room.

Knocking quickly Andy entered the room with Miranda's hand in hers. "Hey, Ma..." Andy spoke before she found her little sister wrapped around her. "Hey, baby sis." Jill cried. "It's okay Jill, I'm here now." She tried to soothe her with one hand as the other was still entwined in Miranda's.

Noticing the grip tightening and an awkward silence filling the room she looked towards her mom to see shock filtering through her honey brown eyes as she gazed at Miranda. Glancing quickly towards Miranda she saw the shock replicated in her blue eyes.

"Beth..." Miranda whispered.

"Hello, Miri." Andy's mom said not breaking their gaze.

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Andy looked confusedly between the two women as she clutched her sister. Catching her mom's eye she stuttered. "What...You...I...You know each other?"

"No baby girl, I knew Miriam Princhek," Beth explained softly to her daughter.

"And I knew Elizabeth West, or I thought I did," Miranda said as she released Andy's hand and walked towards the bed. "You just fucking left Beth. No address, no phone number, no letters. You left, and you disappeared for almost 30 fucking years." She sat on the seat next to the bed and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"I don't understand..." Andy whispered.

"Your Dad didn't like me talking about my time at Columbia. As you are aware, I spent four years doing my Bachelors before joining the Columbia Law School but do you have any idea where and what I studied before law school?" Andy shook her head. "I studied English and Philosophy at Columbia," Beth admitted.

Andy was gob-smacked. "English?" Seeing her mother nod she asked. "So you spent six years in New York and not two?" Beth nodded again as Jill released herself from Andy and pulled two additional chairs towards the bed. She pushed Andy down into a chair beside Miranda. "So where does Miranda come in?" Andy asked softly.

Beth looked towards Miranda who nodded for her to continue. "Well, I was your dad's high school sweetheart. We were engaged when I turned 18 and I moved to New York as he settled into his studies here in Ohio. We spent every vacation together, and it worked well." Beth smiled at her memories. "I finished my degree and got a summer internship with the legal team at Elias Clarke. The company was going through some major changes and they were bringing new blood into the fold." She waved her good hand in Miranda's direction. "They had poached an amazing associate editor from Chic Magazine in Paris and were shuffling staff between the British and French Runway to its American counterpart. Anyway I literally ran into this gorgeous gay man on my first day and as I fell over, paperwork flying everywhere, an elegant hand was held out to me, I looked up into a beautifully twinkling pair of blue eyes that hid a wealth of laughter."

"She enjoys it when people fall on their ass," Andy muttered with a small grin at the editor.

Miranda grinned back at Andy as she explained their friendship. "Nigel, your mom and I became inseparable. Your mom became my best friend along with Nigel. When I told you I had wonderful memories of drinks and dinners on the Lower East Side she was a huge part of that. I used to throw a weekly dinner." Her frown reappeared.

"So why did you leave New York?" Jill asked her mom curiously.

"Well, the trio became a foursome after about eight months as we were joined by Jacqueline Follet from French Runway. She had been given a position in the beauty department and was gunning, along with Miri, for the Editor-in-Chief position. It was well known within the building that the existing Editor was well past her prime, her ideas were stagnant and they were losing money." Beth sighed. "About a year into my law course Richard got antsy about me being in New York, he saw I was having doubts about returning to Ohio. It was a confusing time. I was changing, and he didn't like the person I was becoming."

"That sounds overly familiar," Andy whispered.

Beth smiled sadly at her eldest daughter. "You're so much like me Andy, it's scary. Anyway, to continue, one night around a week before I split for the summer after my second year Richard surprised with a visit. He found me drunk, Jacqueline was with me, she had brought a bottle of whiskey. She was making inappropriate advances, and I stupidly wasn't in a fit state to act quickly enough to push her away." Miranda' gasp of horror was audible. "It looked much worse than it was. She was beautiful in a way but she wasn't my Richie. He totally flipped out obviously. Jacqueline left shortly before him with a smug smirk on her face as he ranted at me until he stormed out. Over the next two weeks she continued her advances, she wouldn't take no to mean no."

"I will find that French skunk and destroy her." Miranda hissed menacingly.

"Get behind me love, I will throttle the bitch with my bare hands next time I see her at James Holt's," Andy smirked as Miranda rolled her eyes.

Beth turned sad eyes on Miranda. "I didn't tell you or Nigel, as an outsider to Runway I didn't want to affect your working relationship with her. So I spoke to my Dean who assisted with my transfer to Case Western Reserve for the following semester and I packed up and I came home. I eventually worked things out with Richard with the proviso it would never be mentioned. About a year later I discovered the position of Editor-in-Chief had gone to Miranda Priestly. It didn't click for me who Miranda Priestly was until this morning when I saw the Page Six online edition." She looked at her eldest daughter. "As you understand Andy, I rarely subscribe to the gossip pages and I'm not particularly fashion orientated."

"So you saw the story Ma?" Andy queried.

Jill snorted causing Beth to give her a glare to shut her up. "Yes, we all did," Beth admitted.

"Why did you give Jill your mom glare of doom, Ma?" Andy questioned.

"I don't know what you're talking about Andy. We'll talk about that article another time. I'm actually getting sleepy." Beth yawned.

"That will be the pain medication kicking in Mom," Jill said with a small smile. "At least you don't get all doo lally like Andy."

Beth grinned up at her eldest daughter who rolled her eyes. "I'll check in with you tomorrow Ma. I love you." Andy bent over her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before standing up straight and taking a step back towards Miranda.

Catching Miranda's eye Beth whispered. "I always knew you'd grow to be a force to be reckoned with Miri." She smiled happily. "It's good to see you, you look fantastic. I'm glad my Andy has someone like you looking out for her. She's headstrong and fierce but she has a vulnerability she can't always hide."

"Nigel said something similar about her this afternoon, he'll be utterly flabbergasted when I tell him who his Six's mom is." Miranda smiled gently. "We'll let you rest now Beth, but we'll see you soon." Miranda leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I've missed you." She whispered. "And I'm sorry about Richard."

"He was a good man. He gave me my three beautiful babies." Beth's eyes pricked with tears as Miranda stepped back. "Now go home, or wherever it is you're going." She whispered. "And take care of each other." She called out to them as they trailed out of the room.

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Miranda called their driver as they walked through the Hospital and arranged pickup at the main entrance. "He'll be here in 15 minutes. Would you like dinner?" She asked the sisters.

"I am hungry," Andy admitted honestly. "It seems like a long time since breakfast."

"I'm just going to head home," Jill replied. "I need time to process."

"Would you like a lift?" Miranda asked her gently.

"Yeah, that would be good. Thanks, Miranda." Jill said. "You were told I moved out of mom and dads?" She asked Andy

"Mom mentioned it a few weeks back, said you had an apartment up in Walnut Hill. What prompted the move?" Andy asked.

"Well Dad was being Dad and laying down the law and just being utterly ridiculous and I was just over it. I thought it best to leave before our entire relationship fell apart. I'm in a sublet in the Park Flats, it's a great space and I've been helping at the firm while I'm completing my J.D."

"We have spoken little in the last three months, Jill. You realise I'm always here for you, right?"

"I don't want to burden you. You have your life in New York, an extremely busy and fulfilling one too, and this one is bound to keep you on your toes." Jill told her gesturing to Miranda with a smile.

Miranda grinned at her. "I think that will go both ways, Jillian."

"It's Jill, Jilly, Bean, Jillybean or Shithead. Take your pick Miranda, or should I call you Miri, Mira or Miriam." Jill grinned knowing she would get a reaction from her sister.

"Hey lay off it Shithead." Andy snarled

Jill laughed. "Oh God Andy, you're so predictable."

"Well, we're still navigating this whole new development to our relationship, I don't want you to scare her off." Andy sputtered.

Jill scoffed as they reached the entrance. "New? Andy the fact you told me a week into the job you wanted to push this woman into oncoming traffic told me everything I needed about your feelings for her. Mom saw it too. It's the first time someone has gotten under your skin so effectively. Who knew you'd be so extreme when falling in love."

Miranda smiled. "It's lucky I don't scare easily." She advised them both. "So Jill..." Miranda tested the name and nodded. "...how is your J.D going?" She asked.

Jill looked up surprised at Miranda trying to make small talk, knowing from Andy it wasn't usual Miranda behaviour. "It's O.K. I'm on a fast track so they think I may be done within two years rather than the usual three." Looking down she muttered. "I appreciate everyone was disappointed when I decided on the College of Law here in Cinci."

"Not me." Andy shrugged. "I can't pretend to understand why you made that decision rather than going to Stanford, Harvard or Columbia, but you made the choice and I support that. You did one better than me by starting your J.D, the year of pre-law was more than enough for me." Andy shook her head. "And if you decided tomorrow to transfer to Columbia, I wouldn't say I'd be unhappy to have my beautiful little sister nearby," Andy told her as the car pulled up.

"I made the conscious decision to stay, knowing what it entailed Andy," Jill said sadly. "It's not all bad here and mom will need me, and I'll need her too." Jill had tears in her eyes. "God, I'll be glad when today's over." She whispered as she tried to blink her tears away.

"Come on Jill, we'll take you home," Miranda said leading her to the car.

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They sat in silence as the driver moved them through traffic towards Walnut Hill. Jill kept looking at Andy and as the older sibling attempted to catch her gaze, she looked away. Miranda requested the privacy glass be raised as Andy fumed.

"Jill you need to tell me what you're hiding from me. Mom gave you the glare of doom before. Why?" She demanded.

Jill looked down at her hands, pulling her fingers in agitation in a similar manner to her sister. "I promised mom..." She whispered.

"I don't care what you promised. You'll tell me or you'll both lose me." Andy declared hotly.

Miranda looked at Andy in shock. "Darling..." She spoke but stopped as Andy glared at her, her eyes burning with thinly veiled anger.

"Miranda I need answers, they're hiding things from me and that is unacceptable. We were brought up to be open and honest with one another. That bullshit with Mom and her history in New York, and with you and Nigel has just provided proof it's always been a one-way street. You need to tell me, Jill, if you don't then I'm going back to the hospital to have it out with Mom."

"Can you at least wait until we're at my apartment?" Jill asked quietly.

"I suppose so," Andy told her sadly. They continued to travel in silence for another five minutes before the driver pulled up at the complex and opened the doors for his passengers.

As Jill led them into her apartment, she sat heavily on the armchair and waved Miranda and Andy across to the sofa. "If you want a drink, there's water and wine in the fridge."

"I'll grab us some drinks," Miranda told them softly as she made her way to the kitchenette leaving the sisters to speak uninterrupted.

"What's going on Jill?" Andy asked as she sat on the sofa, elbows resting on her knees as she leaned towards her sister.

"We were having breakfast when mom found the page six article online. She gasped as she recognised Miranda in that photo they published. You both looked beautiful."

Andy smiled. "Yeah, I like that photo."

Jill continued sadly. "Well, Dad looked over her shoulder and scanned the article and went ape. I mean he's always been extreme, in some ways you're like him, but he always took it to another level. He stormed into the office and booked a flight to New York, he had one return and a single from New York to Cinci, for you." Jill sighed before continuing. "Mom followed him and pulled him to one side. I could hear her pleading with him but it just made him angrier. He smacked her Andy, he's the reason she has that cut under her eye, where his wedding band made contact. He was calling her all kinds of disgusting names and he told her your unnatural behaviour and attachments to certain people was caused by her, by the life she led in that city of sin and despair." Jill cried. "Mom was crying and telling him she chose him and he laughed at her and told her decision meant nothing, that the 35 years together were a mistake and that he would correct the mistake made when you lived and Brad died."

"And then what?" Andy husked as her tears flowed, feeling the sofa dip beside her she shot Miranda a glance and Miranda saw Andy's heart shatter.

"He dragged her to the car, and I followed. He pushed me into the back passenger seat as if I was a toddler. He drove as he raved to us both about how he would correct this. How it should have been Sachs and Son and not Sachs and Co, that you were his greatest disappointment, his one failing. He didn't see the truck coming, mom did, and she pulled the steering wheel so the car spun, as it did the truck hit dads' side and we must have moved at least 50 feet before the car came to a standstill. Mom was trapped, and I got my cell and called for help. It was too late for Dad, he was broken beyond repair. His last word was your name."

Andy shivered. "He was going to correct the mistake made when I lived and Brad died. Brad drowned, I nearly died trying to save him. How can that be corrected? Our greatest adventure ran so terribly wrong."

"I know Andy, and mom knows," Jill told her softly.

"I'm sorry about the baby..." Andy whispered.

"Don't be, I didn't realise..." Jill faltered as Andy knelt in front of her.

"This is my fault, I'm so sorry Jillybean." Andy cried "I didn't know you were dating."

"I'm not..." Jill told her.

"Then how? Who?" Andy asked.

Jill looked her in the eye. "It was Nate, we were drunk, you were busy at Runway and had cancelled your weekend visit, he came without you..."

"Yeah...it sounds like he did." Andy let out a shocked laugh and stood. "That was three weeks before Paris, the digital copy had been lost. I turned to him after he returned from that shitty long weekend and he couldn't even find it in himself to hug me, to offer his so-called fucking love and comfort. That fucking asshole...and you? You're my sister and you fucked him?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen, sis." Jill tried to explain.

"Don't call me that." Andy hissed at her. "Not one of you understand what a family is. Not one of you knows how much I regret not being here, not being good enough, not being able to fit in...And you...you're supposed to love me and be there for me unconditionally. Did you have a good fucking laugh at my expense? Did he tell you how selfish I am? How lacking I am? How I could never give him the fucking babies he wanted so desperately? Did he tell you how much less of a woman I am compared to you with your fucking dainty little body? Did he whisper he loved you? Did he make you feel good?" Andy was furious, she was pacing and her fists were clenched.

"It wasn't like that," Jill told her.

"Frankly Jillian, I don't give a damn," Andy stated as she ran from the room. Miranda tried to follow.

"I wouldn't bother Miranda, she'll be long gone by now. It's what she's best at, running away."

"That's where you're wrong Jillian, and it shows your lack of understanding for your sister," Miranda told her coldly. "She is not running away. She is in flight, searching for a place to call home, a place where she fits. Your sister is missing a half of herself that can no longer be found. You wouldn't know how that feels, and I can only imagine the pain my twins would feel without each other. For all her fight-or-flight tendencies Andy is not broken, she just hasn't realised that yet. I'll bid you goodnight." Miranda stalked from the apartment and pulled her cell out and connected to the speed dial. The call connected and she heard the deep choking breaths on the other end of the line. "I will follow you to the ends of the world, my darling, no matter where you fly I will find you. Now stay where you are. I am coming to get you."

"Twin Lakes," Andy told her breathlessly.

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