Disclaimers: I still don't own them, but I am borrowing them. I promise to put them back when I am done. They will be unharmed, and they will have had fun.

Fandom : DWP

Rating: R

parings: Miranda/Andy

Warnings: Domestic abuse/violence

Chapter 11

Andy stepped out of the sliver Mercedes and reached back in to the car and pick up the small cooler that she borrowed from the restaurant to help keep Miranda's food hot. Andy looked down to see the time on her phone .She was late because of the traffic. Andy had already gotten a text from Miranda. Andy knew Miranda was still a little on edge and wanted her to stay close to her .Andy did have some good news to tell Miranda. Stephen was denied bond and would be staying in jail until they went to trial. Andy knew that would be one less worry for Miranda . Andy closed the car door and watched as a security guard walked up to her and helped her get through hordes of press that had gathered at the front of the hospital. It had just been reported that Stephen would remain in jail until they went to trial. Andy kept her head down to try and keep from being blinded by the flashes from the camera's . The guards helped Andy get in to the lobby.

Where she was met by one of Miranda's private security guards.

" Ma'am . We ran into a small problem. And from now on we think it would be best if you have a guard with you when you enter or leave Mrs. Priestly's room." Andy and the guard walked over to the elevator's and waited for a empty one to return .

Andy knew she needed to wait until they were in the elevator to ask what had happened .

Andy nodded her head and waited.

The elevator arrived and Andy and the security guard stepped in. Andy turned and looked towards the security

" What is the small problem that you ran into? "

The guard looked at Andy and spoke. " Ma'am we had a gentleman come in to the hospital demanding to speak with you . he made his way past the hospital security and tried to force his way in to Mrs. Priestly's hospital room . He was stopped at the nurse's station "

Andy stood in the elevator in shock. " What is the man's name that you have in custody ?"

The security guard spoke in to a small microphone on his shirt sleeve. " His name is Nate cooper Ma'am."

Andy shook her head . She couldn't believe that after two years Nate would come to the hospital and made a scene. Especially after he left her while she was in Paris and didn't bother to call or E-mail her in the last two years .

Andy took a deep breath and looked at the guard . "Where is Nate being held?"

the guard spoke in to his microphone. " Ma'am he is being held in a conference room on Mrs. Priestly's floor."

Andy closed her eyes she hoped Miranda hadn't heard or seen Nate making a fool out of himself . Andy spoke quietly ." Has anyone told Mrs. Priestly about the unwanted guest?"

The guard shook his head no. " No , Ma'am we thought it best to wait and speak with you before the police were brought in on this . He assaulted one of the hospital security guards and they will be pressing charges against him . We asked them to wait until you return so you would have a heads up on what had taken place ."

Andy smiled ."Thank you for telling me. Would it be possible to speak with Mr. Cooper.?" .

The guard nodded his head . "Yes Ma'am I can take you to him."

Andy and the security guard stepped out of the elevator and turned to the left walked away from Miranda's room and walked past the nurse station and in to a small conference room .

xoxoxoxoxoxooxoox

Andy handed the security guard the cooler and reached down and opened the door. Andy walked in and shut the door behind her. Nate was standing with his back to her looking out over the city. Andy nodded to the security guard that was in the room with them.

Andy walked over to the end of the table and spoke

" Nate, what the hell are you doing here? You haven't wanted to talk to me in two years. So why would you come back to New York now?"did you think I would fall in to your arms and forget you walked out on me."

Andy watched as Nate turned around started to smiled and tried to walk over closer to her but the guard stopped him and Nate shrugged the security guard off of him .

" Andy, baby. I was so worried about you. After I saw on the news that you were involved with the mess with the dragon lady. I am sorry for the way I left. I love you and I want us to get back to together and you could come to Boston and work for a newspaper in Boston. "

Andy shook her head and really looked at Nate. she couldn't even remember why she found had him so attractive. They had started to change even before they moved to New York. She had just been so young that she hadn't noticed until she started to work a Runway .

Andy sighed and shook her head .

" Nate. I am not your baby nor will I never be. You chose to end our relationship and move to Boston . I came back from Paris to find you gone. Along with half of my furniture, that I bought. I thinks it funny that you would come here and make a scene. Do you even realize that you will most likely be going to jail for assault and battery. And if you think I am going to help you are sadly mistaken.

Andy stood and watched as Nate grew angry. She had waited two years to say her peace. Nate had taken her friends and family with him when he left and made her look like a fool.

"We all make our own choices and you made yours . Forget you even know me. I have moved on and I had hoped you had as well. Also don't even think about going to the press . By the time you are bailed out of jail. I will have already talked to the police and I will have talked to Miranda's PR firm and they be working on the fallout from the press. don't make this any harder on yourself then it already is. Have a nice life Nate."

xoxoxoxooxoox

Andy turned around and walked out of the conference room and picked up the cooler from the security guard and started toward Miranda's room .

Andy knew she would have to tell Miranda about Nate .but she would wait until after the girls and James left. Andy wanted to make sure Miranda had her dinner before she brought it up . Andy had a feeling Nate was going to find out why they call Miranda, the Dragon lady.

xoxoxoxooxooxox

Andy walked up to Miranda hospital room door and stopped when she heard laughter coming from the room. Andy had to smile it was good to hear Miranda laugh after all the last few days. Andy knocked on the door and she heard a quiet come in . Andy pushed the door opened and found that Miranda sitting in the recliner looking at a sketch pad that belonged to one of the twins. Andy watched as she looked up and searched Andy's eyes . Miranda sat the sketch pad down and gestured for Andy to come and sit down In the chair next to her .

" Andréa, is something wrong ?"

Andy shook her head no and watched as Miranda tilted her head and looked into her eyes . Andy knew she couldn't lie to Miranda .but she didn't want to bring it up in front of James and the girls .

Andy lifted the cooler and showed Miranda that she had brought dinner.

" No, everything is fine. I got a phone call from you attorney while I was out. Stephen was denied bond and will remain in jail until he goes to trial .Your attorney said he would call and talk to you tomorrow after you were settled in the hotel."

Andy stood up and walked over and ruffled both of the girls hair as she went over to get the rollaway table so she could get Miranda's dinner ready .Andy rolled the table in front of Miranda and smiled .

Miranda reached forward and pulled Andy towards her. " You will tell me the truth once the girls leave."

Andy nodded her head and reached down and opened the cooler. Andy took out a small salad and a bowl of tomato soup that Miranda liked and a crystal glass for Miranda's favorite mineral water Pellegrino. Andy turned and grabbed the ice container but found it was empty .

" Hey girls would you like to take a walk with me . I need to go and get your mom some more ice . We can stop and pick you both up a couple bottles of juice ."

Andy and both of the girls turned to see if Miranda said she was ok with it. They watched her nod her head and they stood and walked out of the room .

xoxoxooxoxooxoxox

James looked at Miranda .

" What's wrong ?"

Miranda shook her head and looked down towards her salad .

" I don't know, but I will find out after you take the girls home. When I asked Andréa if there was something wrong she lied to me. I have a feeling she didn't want the girls to know something ."

James sat back in his seat " Are you going to try and have a relationship with her ?"

James watched as Miranda expression changed and she became the Dragon lady.

" Miranda stop. I am happy for you, but you and I both know that with everything already going on it is going to be hard and she does work for you. You need to be careful and I will help you as best I can . Andy has two things going for her. Our girls like her and she can stand up to you and lie and she knows you won't let her get away with it."

Miranda sat back and closed her eyes ." I know, she has never lied to me before tonight and I just don't want her to feel that she has to hide anything from me. We both know it would end badly."

James nodded his head in agreement that was another reasons for their divorce . He had told to may lies and they snow balled in the end .

" I am sure she has a good reason for it . She cares for you I can see that much and I have only been in the same room with her for less than an hour ."

Miranda took of the cover for the soup and smiled .

" ahh , now I understand why it took her long to return .she went to get my favorite tomato soup. She knows me so well.'

Miranda turned and looked towards James.

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" In the next few months there are going to major changes at Runway as well as at Elias & Clarke. I will need Andréa now more than ever. I am promoting Nigel to Editor and Chief of Runway and the board has asked me to take Irv's place. I will be in a place to help Andréa move on to whatever it is she wishes to do . I would like to keep her with me until after the baby is born . But if she wishes to leave before then I will not stop her. "

James sat back and took a good look at his ex-wife . " I can't believe it. You really are in love with her. You would let her walk away from you. Even knowing it would hurt you ."

Miranda closed her eyes. " Yes, I think I have been in love with her since she walked in to my office."

James smiled " How long has she worked for you ?"

Miranda opened her eyes and looked him in his eyes

"Two years , she was with someone when she started working for me I believe he was a cook. He walked out on her after she returned from Paris . We both had a major change during that time . I was hit with the divorce and Irv was trying to take Runway away from me. I don't know what I would have done if Andréa hadn't been there . I thought I should work on my marriage to Stephen .but after a month I knew I made a mistake. Then as you know everything just took on a life of its own ."

James nodded his head in agreement. He had watched and had seen what was going on . It was a train wreck waiting to happen. James looked down at the time and knew he needed to leave soon to get the girls ready for bed .The last few day had been hard on them .

" When Andy gets back with the girls I think we had better leave . I know they will be excited tomorrow to know you will be out of the hospital ."

Miranda nodded her head ." I will be happy to get out of here as well .you know how I hate hospital's ."

" Yes I remember what it was like when the twins were born . They let you go home early." James laughed .

Miranda glared at him but had to smile .

xxoxooxoxooxoxooox

They both turned when they heard the door open and in walked Andréa and the twins.

James stood and walked over to Caroline and Cassidy.

" Girls I know you have enjoyed your time with you mom, but we need to be going .you will see her and Andréa after you are settled in the hotel .

Caroline looked over to see her mother watching them. She wanted to stay but she could tell her mother was tired. Caroline looked at Cassidy they both knew there mom need to get her rest .and that Andy would take care of their mom. They both walked over and gave their mom a kiss and a hug and did the same with Andy. they turned and wait for their dad.

James smiled that was the first time his girls hadn't put up a fight to stay with their mother.
" Well, we will tell you ladies good night and we will see you both in the morning."

Miranda watched as her ex-husband and children walked out of the room and the door shut she turned to Andréa and asked ,

" Will you please tell me why you stood in front of me and lied to my face ?'

Andy just took a deep breath and took the seat next to Miranda.

TBC