Finals over and such. So new chapter, woo. Visiting family meant I had four hours straight to write so this is almost 7k which I thought y'all wouldn't mind. I have another four hours back at the end of the week so we'll see how fast another update to this and En Pointe get done, but it should be quick considering there really isn't much else to do.

Andy blinked open her eyes. She felt like she'd gotten hit by a Mack truck. She groaned quietly. Heavens above how in the world was she even going to manage getting out of bed today, let alone going to work?

She blinked again and actually registered where she was, which was definitely not her bedroom. From the looks of it, she was in a hospital room. She squinted her eyes and tried to remember just how she had gotten here. The last few things she could remember were cloudy. She'd been in pain, she could remember that. Jeeze, she had been in pain. Her body shuddered just remembering it. But she couldn't remember what hurt exactly. Or how that had ended up with her here.

She pushed herself, trying to remember a bit more. Her eyes widened. She had called Miranda. She remembered the other woman's voice cutting through the fog of pain. But then Miranda had had to hang up for some reason. She couldn't imagine Miranda doing that unless it was for a good reason, not if Andy had sounded in pain on the phone.

The baby. Oh god if she was in the hospital, was her baby ok? She jerked up suddenly and felt at her stomach. She cursed that she wasn't far enough along to really tell by the look of her stomach. Was her child ok? She looked around frantically. There had to be some sort of call button. A nurse would know if her baby was ok.

"Oh, Andrea, you're awake," Miranda's voice sounded completely and utterly relieved.

Andy's eyes found Miranda and her franticness faded just a bit at the sight. Miranda was still in the outfit from the day before and yet she barely had a hair out of place by normal standards. By Miranda standards, though, Andy could tell that Miranda was looking worse for wear.

She couldn't find the words to ask the question she desperately needed to know the answer to, but Miranda understood. The older woman walked closer to the bed and grabbed up Andy's hand and squeezed it. She smiled, that tiny little Miranda smile that Andy saw so rarely.

"Your baby is fine Andrea."

Relief washed over Andy and tears pricked at her eyes. She blinked again and the tears were flowing down her face. Thank god. Thank anyone who would listen, really. Her free hand rubbed her stomach gently. She couldn't even imagine what she would have done if…

She let that thought trail away without finishing it. There was no need for that. Her baby was safe.

Miranda's other hand came up and wiped the tears from Andy's face gently. "It will be all right."

Andy leaned into the warmth of Miranda's hand. She sighed out a shuddering breath. "What happened exactly? It's hazy and I remember calling you, but nothing after that."

"You called me and were in pain and so I called an ambulance for you. I met you here. We are and New York Presbyterian Hospital. From what the doctor told me your body almost miscarried your baby, but failed at the last second. They are keeping you for observation for a few more hours yet to make sure everything will be alright with the both of you and then you will need to take at least a week off work and take it easy for the rest of your pregnancy. There will be more doctors visits now since your pregnancy has entered into the high risk category. If you want more accurate information I can always go find your doctor for you."

Andy shook her head and took another deep breath as her head spun with all the information Miranda had just told her. "Um, not right now. Can you just sit with me a while?" What she really wanted more than anything was to be held, but she didn't think she was quite there with Miranda yet, even as the woman was wiping tears off of her face. Whatever their relationship was now, she didn't want to strain it by requesting too much too soon.

Miranda nodded and pulled over a chair that had been pushed off a little to the side. She folded her feet under her and sat down, her hand sliding down from Andy's face to her other hand. She sighed and squirmed just a little bit to find a comfortable position.

Andy watched the older woman, feeling much better with the woman gripping both of her hands in a gentle, yet firm grip. She took another shuddering breath, but her eyes were dry again and she did not feel the need to cry anymore. It was scary to be in the hospital, certainly, but Miranda was here and that meant the world to her. She also had no doubt that the Dragon Lady aspect of Miranda's personality would come out if anything or anyone tried to harm her. It was more comforting a thought than perhaps it should have been, but Andy didn't care. She felt warm and safe right now and that was what mattered.

She blinked. "Miranda, what about the girls? If you left in the middle of the night—"

"Martha is watching them. I called her right after I called the ambulance for you. They are at school right now and Martha is at her office. Cara will pick them up after school as normal and by the time she will get off, you will be out of the hospital."

Andy relaxed again. She didn't think that Miranda would leave the girls to fend for themselves, but she was glad to know for sure anyway. "Good." She relaxed back into the bed again and sighed. She was still a little tired even after sleeping god knew how long. What time was it anyway? She looked around for a clock and found one right beside the door. It was just after one in the afternoon.

She glanced at Miranda in surprise. Miranda was here, her cell phone hadn't gone off once in the ten minutes they were here, on a work day. The woman had to have been here at least twelve hours and she was continuing to stay by Andy's side without Runway interrupting. She swallowed hard. Miranda had done all of that for her, put work aside, left the twins in the middle of the night, even though plans had been made for both the twins and Runway, she knew what that meant for Miranda. She hadn't even known she was that important to the woman.

Andy squeezed Miranda's hands. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Miranda looked into Andy's eyes. Andy could see the normal dismissal was on her tongue, but she held it back. "You are welcome, Andrea. I mean this when I say I would do the same thing over again."

She nodded, taking Miranda's word for truth without question. There was steel in Miranda's eyes that kept her from doubting anything. Andy wondered just where in the world she would be in the world without the older woman. Certainly a mess, no doubt.

But even with Miranda's help, she never carried Andy. She just supported her as Andy came to the decisions needed and helped make those choices easier. She'd never had that before. Everyone else's version of help just made the decisions for her and then if she didn't do things their way said she was doing everything wrong. It was refreshing to have someone break that paradigm, even if Miranda was the most unexpected person to do that.

Andy could feel her feelings towards Miranda shifting. They had been shifting for some time now, but now it was definite. Her feelings had been shifting like tectonic plates, a few centimeters at a time to create something new, but now it was like an earthquake had struck and the land was completely changed. Andy didn't know how to navigate the new territory just yet, but she would figure it out. But perhaps not here, not in a hospital, right after she had almost miscarried the baby inside of her. She needed a clear head for this, she could feel that.

A nurse walked in and pulled to two of them from the moment they'd been having. Andy swallowed again and took a deep breath. The nurse smiled at her and came over to her side.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty. Good to see you awake and looking better than you did when you first came up here. I'll just take your vitals to see how you're doing and then I'll go tell the doctor you're up and around so he can see you and check you out, ok?"

Andy nodded. She hoped the doctor would take his time to allow her a bit more time to pull herself together. It was a rather busy hospital, maybe she would be lucky in that respect.

The nurse took her blood pressure and listened to her lungs. She looked at the readings of her heart monitor and the fetal monitor that were strapped to Andy. She nodded and wrote everything down.

"Looks like you and your baby are doing A ok." The woman smiled. She closed the cover on the tablet she was using and nodded. "The doctor will be in as soon as possible, ok?"

Andy nodded again. "Thank you," she said quietly.

The nurse left the room and Andy sighed. She felt tired again, but then again with all her body had went through in the last twenty-four hours it wasn't really a wonder. But really, what was more prevalent was the mental exhaustion. She had been running and running for a while, accepting everything that was thrown at her because that was all she really could do. Maybe the week that Miranda would surely force her to take off would give her time to truly catch up with everything. Then again every time she thought that something shifted again and she was left scrambling. That, she supposed, was just how life worked really.

She closed her eyes and sunk further back into the pillows.

"Andrea, are you all right?" Miranda's voice was concerned.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a bit tired again, but it's nothing major." She opened her eyes and turned to Miranda and smiled weakly. "It's not every day you wake up in the hospital, you know?"

"Thank the heavens that is not a daily, weekly, or even yearly occurrence, Andrea. I don't know that I could handle it."

Andy hummed her agreement.

They sat in silence for a while, Miranda still holding the hand that the nurse hadn't needed for the blood pressure measurement. Andy let her mind wander, let it soak up everything that had happened slowly, at its own pace. Her thoughts circled around a little bit, but in general as she processed everything she slowly settled down once again. The journalist in her could take the information that was thrown at her and break it down easily into facts that could be reassembled in a story that made sense to her once more. She had almost had a miscarriage. Almost. Modifiers were important in such cases. She was fine now. And so was her baby. It wasn't a headlining story for anyone except her, but she would most certainly take it. And once everything was broken down into pure fact and rewritten in her own mental words, it was easier to take. She didn't understand just why, maybe it was just a thing that writers did.

The doctor walked in about forty-five minutes later. He was handsome, tan, white smile, the generic sort of man that Andy thought of when she thought of a doctor at a prestigious hospital, as ridiculous as that was. He held out a hand for her to shake and nodded respectfully at Miranda. Miranda nodded back and Andy could swear that she saw just the tiniest flash of fear in the doctor's eyes. She wondered what in the world the older woman had done to him to cause him to have that look. Usually she only saw that look in the face of people in the fashion and publishing world. She'd definitely have to ask Miranda about that later.

"Hello there, my name is Dr. McAllister. It's nice to see you up and around." He looked over at Miranda. "I take it your friend has informed you of what happened while you were asleep."

"The basics at least, yes."

He pulled out Andy's chart and went through the technicalities of what had happened to her the night before, but what it really boiled down to was what Miranda had told her in the first place just with more medical jargon. Andy just nodded along until he was done with the details and back into regular person speak again.

"You'll need to take a week off, and you should probably have someone stay with you in the interim just in case. From what I understand you were alone when this happened and your friend called the ambulance for you. Until the week has passed it would be better if you avoided such risky situations."

Andy frowned. She really didn't have anyone to stay with her and it wasn't like she could call her parents to come up to New York on a whim. They had jobs and lives back in Cincinnati that they couldn't just drop. And if she called them to come up that would mean that she would have to explain to them what was going on, that she was pregnant, and she really didn't know whose kid it was. She felt her heartbeat speed up just at the thought. No, that wasn't an option. And there was no way she was calling her old friends. That was drama she did not want. Because if she told them they would tell Nate and god no.

She glanced over at Miranda. There was no way the older woman could stay with her. She had the girls to worry about. Besides that she wouldn't want to stay in Andy's grungy apartment anyway.

She opened her mouth to ask what she should do if there really wasn't anyone to stay with her, but Miranda headed her off.

"She can stay with me then, if she needs someone around to make sure she is well."

Andy drew back just the slightest inch, surprised. Miranda's home was her temple. People were only let inside when they were trusted, and even then the farthest she had ever been in the townhouse was Miranda's first floor study and that one misadventure up the stairs on that first night. To stay for a week, it was huge.

Miranda turned to look at Andy and her eyes clearly said that Andy was not to protest on possible pain of death. Andy's eyes widened just a little bit and the protest that she hadn't even really thought through died right there on her tongue.

"While I am at work there is a housekeeper and then my nanny and the girls are there after school and of course I will be there later in the evening. Andrea will have someone with her at all times."

The doctor nodded. "Good, good. After a week and a check up with your doctor and OB you should be cleared to be on your own again, but better safe than sorry before that, yeah." He smiled what had to be his most charming smile that got him anything he wanted.

Andy just nodded. She did agree, but even if she didn't Miranda would make sure that she had no choice. It chafed against her sense of self at the same time that it made her feel safe and protected. Conflicting feelings when it came to Miranda were nothing new and so Andy just accepted it.

The doctor looked down at Andy's charts on his tablet. "Everything looks good since you've been admitted. I think we can release you safely right after dinner if your readings stay the same. I can start the paperwork on that right now. Discharge paperwork always takes forever."

"Thank you, doctor, your hard work is appreciated," Miranda said, clearly dismissing the man.

He nodded again. "Of course. I'll have the nurse send the paperwork when it's ready for you to sign provided everything stays smooth sailing." And with that he turned and left the room with one more winning smile.

Andy wanted to protest now that the man was gone, but that look Miranda had sent her earlier said that she would be risking death, even now that they were alone. It wasn't in her best interest to fight, and it definitely wasn't in the baby's. As much as she hated not being consulted for this decision, the outcome was the same. She would have decided to go with Miranda anyway.

"Miranda, I really appreciate the offer of staying with you." Andy held up her hand to silence Miranda's impending protest. "I'm not saying I won't stay with you. It is what makes the most sense everything considered, but really, I would have liked to have been asked, not told. The decision wouldn't have changed. I know you're my boss for most of the day, but if we're going to keep doing this, if you're going to be here with me and baby through everything, in this we're going to have to be more equal. That means you ask me before making important decisions like this. You can lay out why it's a good idea and why I should go with what you want to do, but I need the choice to be mine."

Andy sat back as she watched Miranda consider the words. She knew that the little speech wouldn't stop all of Miranda's rather steam rolling ways, but perhaps she might stop and think before she did it, at least for the major things, and that was all Andy really wanted. The small things she had already learned not to sweat with Miranda.

Miranda was silent for a long moment before speaking slowly. "I suppose that is an amiable set of conditions. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds."

Andy was a little in shock that Miranda apologized to her, but she was getting used to Miranda doing odd things around her. "No, no, it's fine. I'm touched that you care so much that you would immediately open your home to me, but it's a big decision that affects the both of us, so both of us should be part of the process, don't you think?"

Miranda nodded. "You make a good point. I will keep that in mind."

Well, that had been easier than Andy thought it would be. She was glad that she had stood up to Miranda on this point of all the things that had come before it, but she had thought it would be harder when she finally had spoken up against one of Miranda's wide ranging decisions on her life. She tilted her head considering the older woman for a long second. Maybe Miranda was just too tired to really put up much of a fight. She had been here for god knew how long and probably hadn't slept much, if at all, in that time. But she was sure that Miranda could pull through that easily. Something as mundane as sleeplessness didn't dull Miranda's fighting instincts. If anything, being tired made Miranda sharper.

Maybe…they were closer to being equal than Andy had thought. Miranda had just needed a little bit of a nudge. Most of Miranda's relationships had her commanding from on high and she supposed Miranda had just gotten used to that. Or perhaps it was something different that Andy couldn't put her finger on. She mentally shrugged to herself and sighed. She wouldn't ever figure out Miranda completely and that was ok. She knew enough and was learning more all the time.

She yawned and Miranda reached out and took Andy's hand. "Sleep, Andrea, you will need as much rest as possible for the next few days to help recover."

Andy looked at Miranda. "And when was the last time you slept, Miranda. If anyone should be sleeping, it should be you."

"Nonsense, Andrea, I'm not the one in the hospital."

Andy cocked an eyebrow. Technically she was in the hospital, just not admitted.

Miranda glared at her. "You are well aware of exactly what I mean."

"I do, but the point remains that you haven't slept and contrary to what half of Runway believes you aren't indestructible. I've woken up, the doctors say I should be fine. There's nothing to worry about now so you can take a nap too."

"And where, pray tell, Andrea, should I take this nap?" She swung her hands out to indicate the room. "There isn't exactly another bed."

Andy frowned. Miranda did have a point, but then again if the woman was really tired, which Andy knew she had to be, the chair she was sitting on would be good enough for a nap in nothing else.

"I mean, you can sit back in the chair. I didn't say it would be a comfortable nap."

Miranda scoffed. "I think not then, Andrea. I will just wait until I'm home with my soft, expensive bed that will not send me to half a dozen chiropractor visits."

Andy's frown intensified. She really, really wanted Miranda to sleep. She was worried about the woman, though she wasn't quite so sure why the worry was so strong. She shrugged it off and scowled. Well, she could push the issue but in order to do that successfully Miranda had to have some place to lay. There was no way that Miranda would let her get up and arrange for Miranda to have a cot. It wasn't like she could give up her bed to the woman either.

But she could scoot over and make room for the other woman.

Her eyes widened for a second. If she offered that option Miranda had the possibility of firing her. It seemed to be way over the line. At the same time, Andy was already scooting to the side and making as much room as possible, no matter the consequences. She patted the space beside her as Miranda looked on.

"Come on then, it's a place to lay. It's no expensive mattress, but it's something."

Miranda shook her head. "Nonsense, if I'm up there I will be disturbing your sleep."

"Miranda, if you don't sleep, I'm not going to sleep. You'll be of no help to anyone if you're too tired to stand up straight later."

Miranda glared at Andy for a few long moments and Andy saw her life flash before her eyes for a second. The older woman gave death glare a whole new meaning. Andy wondered for the hundredth time since Miranda hired her if she would ever have half as an impressive glare in her arsenal. When she was a journalist a stare like that could get all the tough sources to crack in an instant.

With a long suffering sigh Miranda stood slowly. "Fine, if you insist, but you may not complain if I keep you awake in any way."

"I highly doubt you will, but your point is duly noted."

Miranda hesitated for just a few seconds longer before finally gingerly climbing onto the bed. She avoided touching Andy, acting as if she was made out of spun glass, not out of solid muscle and bone. Andy didn't say anything, but just watched the other woman settle in carefully. Somehow she managed to fold herself to where she wasn't touching Andy at all in the small bed. She had to be right on the edge, and Andy knew that couldn't be comfortable, but she wasn't going to push her luck any farther at the moment.

"Thank you," Andy whispered before settling in a little more and letting her eyes slip closed. She really was bone tired again. It seemed rather incongruous. It wasn't like she had almost died. It wasn't like much had really happened at all. She shrugged it off and let herself relax and in a few seconds she was asleep.

A throat cleared loudly and Andy shot up groggily. Was she late for work? Was she sleeping at her desk? She couldn't quite remember, but she had a sense of déjà vu. Her eyes blinked open to see the hospital room and she sighed. That's why it felt familiar. She had already woken up completely confused once today. Last night had really done a number on her as cognitive function. She wondered if she should bring that up with the doctor or not. But then again she really wanted out of here.

A throat cleared again and Andy actually turned to face the doctor. He had a clip board in front of him. "Welcome back. It's good that you're resting, but I have the discharge paperwork ready for you. You just need to sign all the forms and then you should be good to go." He held out the clipboard as he walked closer.

Andy took the clipboard, arm nudging a soft weight. She turned to see Miranda still asleep, curled around her side. The older woman really must have been tired if she was out of it. She smiled at Miranda tenderly before remembering that the doctor was still in the room.

"Do I give these to you when I'm done or do I give them to a nurse?" Andy asked turning away from Miranda.

"A nurse at the station will do. There's a packet at the back that you keep tat has more information about your condition and the follow ups that you'll need to schedule in the next week. Other than that." He stuck out his hand. "It was nice to meet you Ms. Sachs despite the circumstances." He smiled that charming smile again.

Andy shook his hand firmly. "You as well, doctor."

He nodded once more and turned to exit the room.

Andy looked through the paperwork, noting the places that were highlighted for her to sign. She frowned when she saw that Miranda had put this all on her insurance. She wondered when the older woman had done that. Then again, since she had been asleep most of her stay, that was really a no brainer. Miranda was really taking paying for her medical care seriously, for which Andy was glad since she didn't have the money, but something in her still felt guilty, like she was taking advantage of Miranda somehow.

She looked at the older woman. She knew that Miranda didn't think that or there would be no way she would be doing everything for Andy, but she still felt that little zing rocket through her as she signed the page with her confirmation. She really had already given Miranda permission to pay for her medical expenses, though really something this major wasn't what she had in mind when she had agreed to Miranda picking up the tab for the visits to Dr. Jones and Dr. Patel.

She sighed and resisted the urge to reach out and brush the wild forelock off of Miranda's face. She still had a lot of paperwork to get through and there was no need for Miranda to be awake just to watch her sign a bunch of papers. She turned back to the clipboard and scribbled down her name in yet another place before moving on.

Andy shook out her hand when she was done with the packet ten minutes later. She had the distinct impression that she had just signed her life away somewhere along the line, but at least she was free to go as soon as she handed in the packet to a nurse. She deatched herself from Miranda's side and walked over to the little wardrobe in the corner of the room. She wondered if the clothes she had came in wearing were still intact or if they'd been cut off of her. She frowned at that. She had been wearing her favorite pair of sweats last night and she really didn't want to lose them. Andy opened the door to see that her sweats were there, neatly folded up in a plastic bag. She looked at them for a second before realizing there was a fair amount of blood on them. They might not have been cut off of her, but it looked like they were ruined anyway. She wondered why the hospital just hadn't thrown them away, but she supposed it was less of a hassle to let Andy decide for herself.

She looked down at the next self to see a posh little overnight bag that certainly wasn't hers, but neither was it Miranda's. She knew all of Miranda's bags after lugging them to fifteen million different photoshoots. She reached for it and unzipped it. Comfortable designer clothes were in the bag in her size. Miranda had obviously called Runway and had clothes messengered there for her for when she was dischargd. Warmth swelled up within her as she pulled the bag into the little bathroom attached to her room and changed. Miranda had taken everything into account while taking care of her. It was rather sweet. That was never a word she would have associated with Miranda but it was true.

She walked back out now fully dressed to see Miranda taking up all of the small bed now, face serene in sleep. Andy didn't quite have the heart to wake her just yet, but she didn't have her phone to call Roy to come and get them. Miranda had to have her cell on her, though, since she had clothes to wear. She looked around and spotted Miranda's latest Marc Jacobs bag on the floor by the bed. Her cell phone was peaking out right on top. She flet a little guilty grabbing it out, it was Miranda's private property after all, but it was just for one phone call to their ride.

Andy dialed Roy and stepped out in the hall. He said he'd be there in fifteen and Andy thanked him once before hanging up. She walked back in the room, carefully placed Miranda's phone back in her purse, and grabbed up her paperwork before running to the nurse's station. She handed it off to a nurse with only a couple words exchanged before she walked back to the room. She knew that she couldn't wait to wait up Miranda anymore. She looked at the clock. Just after six. At least the woman had gotten a fair amount of sleep, if not really enough.

She reached out and placed a gentle hand on Miranda's shoulder. "Miranda, time to get up."

Mirnada mumbled sleepily, but didn't stir much. Andy didn't think she'd ever call Miranda adorable either, but here she was. She shook Miranda gently again.

"Come on, Miranda, time to get up. I've been discharged and Roy is on his way."

Miranda mumbled again, but this time she at least moved. The older woman had to have been more tired than she had let on if she was this hard to wake.

"We can stop at Starbucks on the way to my apartment for coffee to help you wake up," Andy said.

At that Miranda finally opened her eyes. "Don't be foolish, Andrea, anything that you need from your apartment can be gotten by someone else. There's no need for you to strain yourself anymore."

Andy laughed softly at that. Of course she wasn't foolish to mention the coffee even though it was past six in the evening. It was never too late for coffee in Miranda's world. She wondered if the woman even felt the caffeine buzz anymore.

She sighed before answering. "Fine, as long as it's not Emily. The last thing I need is her to fire ammo at me about my apartment being a wreck."

"Serena then?"

"Not exactly in her job description, but yeah, she would be fine."

"Her job description is what I say it is." Miranda sat up and stretched. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and slipped on her heels. In a minute she looked like she had just gotten out of a board room instead of waking up from a five hour nap. "Come along then, Andrea." She grabbed up her purse and strode from the room slowly to allow Andy to catch up easily.

Andy grabbed the overnight bag and followed Miranda out into the lobby. Roy was already there waiting for them. He grabbed the overnight bag from Andy with a smile. Both her and Miranda took their usual places in the back of the town car and they were off into Manhattan traffic a minute later.

The ride to the townhouse was silent for the most part. Miranda was typing on her phone and Andy, while more awake than she had been, wasn't fully functional just yet. She figured she'd need an actual night of uninterrupted sleep to really be back in action. Hospitals weren't really great for hardcore resting.

Miranda opened the townhouse door for them and stepped inside. A second later Andy heard thundering footsteps. The twins were in front of them a second later, throwing themselves into their mother's arms and looking worriedly at Andy.

"Andy, are you ok?" Caroline asked quietly. "Martha told us that you were in the hospital."

Andy nodded. "I'm fine now, thanks to your mom.

"What was wrong?" Cassidy asked, pulling back from her mother

Miranda put a chiding hand on Cassidy's shoulder. "That is a rather personal question, Cassidy."

Andy waved Miranda off. "It's fine, Miranda."

Miranda shot her a concerned look but didn't say anything more.

"Well, you see girls, I'm pregnant and last night my body tried to get rid of the baby but the doctors stopped it and now both the baby and I are fine, just tired."

Cassidy's eyes widened. "You're gonna have a baby? Is it a boy or a girl?" She jiggled a little bit in excitement.

"I don't know yet. I'll find out in a few weeks, but right now it's too early to tell. I'm only about two and a half months along." She smiled down at the girls for a second before letting her face fall into a serious expression. "But girls, you are the first ones I've told besides your mom and the doctors so I would really appreciate it if you guys could keep it to yourselves for a while so I can tell everyone else, ok?"

They both nodded solemnly. "Ok, Andy," they said at the same time.

Miranda stepped up beside her daughters once more. "Come on, let's see what Roberta has left us for dinner. Andrea is going to be staying with us for a while, girls. She needs someone to help her while she's recovering." She started to walk down the hallway on clicking heels as the rest of them followed. "I expect you to be on your best behavior for her and to help her out when needed since she is our guest."

"Yes, Mom," the twins said together.

Miranda smiled at them as she reached for the door for the oven as the rest of them filed around the island. "Thank you, Bobbseys."

The smell of spices hit Andy in the face as Miranda took out a few dishes from the oven. Her stomach growled. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until that moment. But the again she hadn't eaten in the hospital and the last time she had was the night before. She would be downing a rather large portion of whatever Miranda had just taken out of the oven no matter what it was.

"Chicken Marsala, naan, rice, and that cauliflower both of you like," Miranda said as she lifted the lids.

The twins cheered and Andy smiled. Indian food, awesome. That would hit the spot.

"Set the table please, girls."

The twins both shot up and grabbed plates and cutlery from the drawers before disappearing into the next room. Miranda grabbed up one of the dishes and followed. Andy sat for moment before she grabbed something and followed. Might as well help while she was there.

Miranda gave her a look that clearly communicated that guests didn't have to lift a finger but Andy just smiled and shrugged. The older woman gestured to a chair that Caroline had just finished setting.

"Sit, Andrea. What would you like to drink? There's water, juice of assorted types, and tea."

"Um, apple juice?"

Miranda nodded then disappeared back into the kitchen with the twins. In a few minutes they were all sitting down eating. The twins were going on about their day at school and Miranda was listening intently, making comments in the right places. Andy just watched them interact as she tried not to eat her weight in Indian food. It was sweet to see the older woman interact with her girls as the little family they were. She knew Miranda always became softer when she was talking to the girls on the phone, but this was different. Miranda was freer here in her own home away from Runway. It warmed Andy to see this side of her.

When all their plates were empty Miranda looked up at Andy. "Andrea, are you all right? You've been rather quiet."

"I'm fine, Miranda." She smiled tiredly. "Just sleepy."

Miranda stood up. "Come on, then, I will show you to the room you'll use for the week. You'll need pjs, yes?"

Andy nodded.

"I have some samples that I haven't used. You can have your pick of them." Miranda looked at the girls. "If you would clear away the plates and put them into the dishwasher when I come back down we will see about ice cream."

The twin's eyes lit up. "Awesome!" Cassidy jumped up and started to grab plates and cutlery as fast as she could without breaking anything. Caroline gathered things at a much more sedate pace. Andy laughed quietly at their antics as she followed Miranda out of the room.

Miranda led Andy up to a rather large closet on the second floor. She walked over to a dresser and pulled open a few drawers. The sorted through the clothes carefully, looking at Andy a few times just for a second before shaking her head and digging through the clothes some more. When Miranda finally looked at her and nodded she pulled out a pair of the softest flannel pants Andy had ever felt and a matching deep blue tank top.

"Those should work for you and keep you warm enough."

Andy hugged the pants to her chest, running her fingers over them. "Yeah, I think so. I didn't even know designers made flannel pjs."

Miranda gestured at the clothes. "It's a casual line from an up and coming designer in Norway. Warm pjs are rather necessary there."

"Well, that's definitely true. Thank you."

"Of course, Andrea. I can't have you getting cold, now can I? God knows the rumors that Runway would get out of that. I am the Ice Queen after all, if you were cold in my home they might just think that was literal." Miranda's eyes sparkled with humor. "Come on your room is next door."

Miranda led them out of the closet and down to the next door. She opened the door and stepped aside. "Everything you need should be in there already, though if you need anything feel free to come and get me. I'll be with the girls downstairs until they retire and after that I'll be reviewing the Book in my study."

Andy nodded. "Thank you again, Miranda. This really is wonderful."

Miranda visibly hesitated for just a second before reaching out and taking Andy's hand. "It really is nothing, Andrea. I would do it all again in a heartbeat."

Andy squeezed Miranda's hand gently. "You really aren't the Ice Queen, Miranda, no matter what anyone says. They don't see this side of you."

"Few people do, Andrea. And that's how it has to be to be a woman in business." Miranda looked away. "I accepted that a long time ago. As long as it doesn't affect those I care about…" she trailed off for a few seconds before looking back at Andy. "Sleep well." She stepped back, letting her hand slip out of Andy's grip. "I should be gone by the time you wake up, but the housekeeper should be here. The offer to call me for whatever you need still stands even during work hours."

"Ok, good night Miranda."

Miranda shot Andy the most fleeting, beautiful smile before turning and walking back up the hall and down the stairs. Andy watched her go, leaning against the doorway for a long moment before she finally walked into the room and slipped into bed, falling asleep quickly, her chest still full of that warm feeling that had been burning in her chest since she'd woken up at the hospital to find Miranda at her side.