Andrea was having a hard time making her overly-excited spawn sit still long enough to put on pants. While Allie could be a rather precociously developed child, there were times in which she reminded her mother – quite strongly – that she was, indeed, just a child. Presently, she was jumping on her bed, wearing a polka-dotted blouse and purple undies.

"Allie." Andrea pleaded, too tired to be stern. "Please come down. Put on your pants. We're going to be late, do you want to be late and keep Miranda waiting?"

Mentioning the Ice Queen seemed to do the trick. Allie took one last jump, crossing her legs in mid-air and landing with an amused thud. Andrea thanked the heavens and got to work.

"Look mum, my pants are Alexandra Saxton!" she yelped playfully, once her tailored black trousers were on and secured.

Andrea couldn't suppress a smile. It was an in-house joke, that Allie was the only child in the world privileged enough to wear Alexandra Saxton. Of course, most of her wardrobe had been designed and made by her mother, so it was only logical. Still, Allie seemed to get a kick out of it.

"Yes, they are. What do you think?" she said, hands on her hips as her daughter twirled atop her mattress. Allie walked the length of the bed much like a model would at a fashion show.

"I love them!"

Satisfied with the pronouncement, Andrea smoothed the frayed hairs that had escaped Allie's ponytail in her excitement.

Tonight, she and Allie would be meeting Miranda to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The young girl could not stop chattering about the outing the entire day. She talked about her outfit (and the several discarded options that had been unceremoniously tossed in a huge pile on the floor of her closet), about the movie and book the musical was based on, about chocolate, and about how Miranda would love the entire thing. Andrea was reserving judgement on the last one, as she very much doubted a children's musical would be Miranda's cup of tea.

She had not talked to Miranda since the previous morning, at least not extensively. They had exchanged a few texts, mostly to coordinate the outing, but they had not had the opportunity to discuss what had transpired between them. There was an unspoken agreement that such a discussion should happen face-to-face, which presented a bit of a problem, as Miranda was due back in New York. She had a flight out early the following morning.

Miranda would be back in her domain while Andrea would be stuck in London with Claire, who had been very vocal in her disapproval of what had happened. Not that Andy had had the time to discuss anything with Claire, either. Right after Miranda left, Claire had claimed one of her days off and left 'to get some air'. She had since returned, but had yet to speak to Andrea directly. Instead, the blonde sulked in her room.

Andrea had an inkling that her friend and assistant was simply biding her time. She knew Allie and Andrea had plans – plans that included Miranda – and likely just didn't wish to intrude or put a damper in their evening. In a way, Andy supposed that made things worse; she knew that as soon as she was able, Claire would pounce with all of her might.

Shaking the thoughts of the impending confrontation away, she worked on making Allie calm down somewhat before it was time to go. The last thing she wanted was a hyperactive child in a theatre. Especially when said child was accompanied by two of the biggest fashion icons of the century.

She had very little time, however, as a ding coming from the door heralded the arrival of her guest. The paparazzi had moved on to greener pastures after some teen heartthrob crashed his brand new Lamborghini into a memorial statue, which gave the Saxton residence a much-needed respite. As such, Andrea had not needed to arrange a decoy to distract them, so Miranda had been able to walk up to her doorstep and ring the doorbell. Any hope the brunette had of calming her spawn was thrown out the window.

"Miranda's here! Miranda's here!" Allie yelped, taking off to the entrance hall in an excited sprint. Andrea simply sighed in defeat.

She couldn't even get in her customary admonishment to opening the door to strangers; Allie had already yanked the door opening with force that belied her young age. Luckily, Andrea needn't have worried; besides the white-haired fashion mogul was Bartley.

"Hi Miranda! Hi Bartley!" Allie exclaimed happily.

Bartley tipped his hat in the little girl's direction, nodding discreetly to Andy as he made his way out. Miranda smiled as Allie beckoned for her to come in.

"Good evening, Alice. Andrea." She said.

Andrea could not quite register what Miranda was saying. Truthfully, she could barely register her excited child's yelps as she once again started her hyperactive jumping up and down in front of the fashion mogul. The brunette was suddenly afflicted by a severe case of tunnel vision; all she could see was plunging neckline of the Editor's Tyrian purple Vera Wang dress.

"Andrea." The soft voice repeated itself, clearly tinged with amusement at Andrea's loss for words.

"Mum! Don't be rude. Let M'randa in!" Alice commanded, brushing her mother aside and taking Miranda by the hand, effectively dragging the most feared woman in the fashion industry inside.

Miranda was holding in a guffaw of laughter at Andrea's dumbstruck expression, but more so, at her daughter's take-charge attitude. She couldn't remember the last time a child had dragged her anywhere; it might have been when she was a child herself. The twins certainly had never done.

Andrea dumbly followed her daughter and guest into the foyer and through the kitchen, taking the time to shake her wayward thoughts away. Once she finally caught up with the other two, Miranda was sending a knowing look in her direction.

"Really, Andrea, don't I at least deserve a greeting?" the Editor said silkily, moving to buss the brunette's cheek.

"Apologies, Miranda. My mind was elsewhere" Andrea responded cheekily, in her best Alexandra Saxton voice.

Miranda arched an eyebrow at Andrea's tone, but any overture on her part was interrupted by Alice.

"Mom, you have to be nice to guests. M'randa is a guest. I'm going to be nice and show her my drawings, can I go get them?"

Andrea didn't have the chance to respond, as Miranda lowered herself on her heels to face the young child eye-to-eye.

"Of course, darling; I'd love to see them. Why don't you go fetch the best of them while your mother and I have a little talk."

Andrea thanked the stars Allie was a young child who would not have thought twice about Miranda's sudden change in tone at that last word. How the woman managed to get her voice to suddenly go from a normal to such a sexy register was completely beyond her.

Miranda dragged her gaze slowly across Andy's body, top to bottom. It was oddly exciting, not to mention liberating, this effect she had on the younger woman. She noticed the faint rouging of the brunette's cheeks, the slight parting of her red lips. With a start, the Editor realized she had seen such reactions before their night together. Much longer before, in fact – over eight years.

"Hello, Andrea." She said, rejoicing in how her tone so clearly affected Andrea.

"Jesus, Miranda" Andrea said a little breathlessly "Can you tone it down a little? We're going to a children's musical, for Christ's sake" she continued, wondering when the room had become so suffocating and hot. Probably when Miranda walked in wearing that dress.

"I am at loss as to what you are referring, Andrea. I'm merely offering you a polite greeting, something I have not been given in return." Miranda quipped softly, slowly approaching the younger woman with a predatory gleam in her eye.

Andrea found the courage to grin at Miranda and her sudden forwardness. Before she knew it, the Editor had sensually wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. She sighed when the feathery feel of a silvery lock of hair brushed against her face as Miranda rested her forehead upon her own.

It was too magical to be true.

"I do hope Allie takes forever picking her drawings." Andy mused, unaware she had done so out loud.

"Hm. As do I. Perhaps we won't make it to that insipid musical." Miranda retorted, causing a laugh to bubble up in the brunette's chest.

"Allie would be heartbroken."

"Not as heartbroken as I will be once I have to get on that plane to New York in the morning. So let me have this." The Editor said, her voice suddenly tinged with sadness, tightening her hold on the brunette slightly, relishing in the warmth of another body so close to her own. How was such a thing possible? Miranda had never been this warm toward anyone besides her daughters – her Ice Queen moniker was right on the money in that regard. And even then, she had never felt like she needed anyone, certainly not as much as she felt she needed Andrea at this moment.

Andrea was surprised with Miranda's sudden honesty. They had not discussed her return to New York and their subsequent separation. They had agreed on stepping back, though they hadn't really discussed how. Andy had worried Miranda would simply let the physical distance do the stepping back for them; she hadn't thought about how the Editor felt about it.

"We'll figure something out. If I recall, you said you want to… what was it again? Oh, yeah, date me." Andrea quipped. Miranda chortled sarcastically.

"Yes, indeed. It'll be quite hard to wine and dine from across the pond. Though I suppose it'll give me more excuses to come to London and keep an eye on Caroline…" Miranda mused.

Andrea laughed, knowing that for most people, keeping an eye on their children by literally flying across the ocean to do so would be a joke. But Miranda, she was dead serious.

"I wouldn't worry about it" Andrea reassured the Editor with a firm squeeze at the waist and a kiss to her forehead, just as they heard the tell-tale stomps that heralded Allie's return.

"Hm, no, no. After all, you can do anything, right?"