A/N: It is the weekend. Liverpool won, thank god. Wife is happy. Now let's make you lot happy too. There'll maybe be a tiny gap between this and the next. I seem to have a hole in the story just after this and then later in the chapter I have a little continuity error I have to fix which will require a little addition story cos I've been a bit unrealistic in time. Whatever that means. All I know is I want some decent coffee and there's a shortage of that sort of thing here in the US. Why is that? Why is it all swill! Never mind. Anyway. Enjoy!

See disclaimer, Chapter 1

-0-

"Andréa?"

"Y-ello?"

"Must you do that?" Miranda groaned, only half-seriously.

"I must," her lips twitched. "But only very rarely and only when no one else is here, especially if you ask me to come in here while I'm trying to wrangle your monumental budget back in the black and figure out why the city permits are taking twice as long as they should be?"

The girl was infuriatingly amusing and she looked away to stop herself from chuckling.

"That is very fair. Proceed."

"Nope," Andrea grinned sitting cheekily on the corner of her desk. "You called me in here, hit me with it."

She raised an eyebrow at Andrea sitting on her desk and was pleased to see her blush and move to a chair.

"Still got it," she quipped, making Andrea laugh.

For all their joking, Miranda knew she had to tread carefully so Andréa wouldn't suspect her actual motive, but she could only be so cagey. It was both a blessing and a curse that Andréa read her so well.

"How would you like to help me buy a condo?"

There was surprise but nothing else in her features and Miranda felt a little hope blossoming.

"For what?"

"An investment."

Sort of.

"Um," Andréa's eyebrow quirked. "Did I miss the part where you were in the market for one?"

"I don't tell you everything, you know." It had the desired outcome and the intrigue fell from Andréa's face. "Sadiq, my financier, who is eagerly anticipating a meeting with you, has suggested that now is a good time to buy and diversify my portfolio."

As it was, Sadiq had asked her two weeks ago whether she was going to buy something because there were more than a few around the Upper Eastside that looked good and were a reasonable price. She'd looked at the list he'd sent and stuck a dead end. She had no clue what Andréa liked. She didn't know what she would want in a home and it had taken her this long to figure out how to keep Runway from joining all the other print magazines in the doldrums of yesteryear before she could give a second thought to it. She'd sent an email to both men and received one back to suggest that the delay had actually worked in her favour as there was now a slew of properties on the market wherever she might want.

"Oh," Andréa shrugged, drawing her back to the present. "Sure. Why me?"

"What a question," she scoffed. "You are my right-hand-man, as it were. Also, if I'm going to invest somewhere, the likelihood is that my tenants will be young people. I need someone young to help, don't I?"

"You're so full of shit," Andréa grinned. Miranda couldn't help but laugh. "You're young enough. But sure," she smiled. "It'll be fun to see how the other half live."

"Andréa," Miranda groaned.

"I jest!" Andréa chuckled. "Besides which, I can't very well comment can I - can't even get my own place -"

"Andréa," Miranda said gently, hearing the frustration.

She'd seen this on the woman's face last week after she'd avoided telling Nigel that she was staying with them. Thankfully Nigel hadn't pushed but she'd seen the dishonesty worrying Andréa's otherwise sunny disposition. Not that Miranda, nor the girls, minded Andrea's presence - quite the opposite, in fact. But, Miranda could see the situation wearing on Andréa and she could imagine how difficult it would be, staying in Miranda Priestly's life 24 hours a day. It was also so very selfish of her to wish that Andréa didn't have to go, but she was nothing if not magnanimous.

In small, but meaningful, doses.

"You will," she said, disturbing the small silence that had fallen. "You're saving money, you're doing well and we don't mind having you in the interim!"

"I just don't want to put you out. I bet you can't wait to have your home back." She tried not to let anything show on her face, but she wasn't sure she was successful. "Anyway. Sure. When?"

"Perhaps this weekend when the girls are with their father?"

"Sure," she shrugged like it was so easy to give up one's weekend for Miranda Priestly as well as their whole life.

God, she was so maudlin lately.

"Good," Miranda nodded. "Now go and do some work."

"Yes Boss," Andréa smiled. "Want lunch?"

"No," she mumbled, rubbing the arm of her glasses on her lip. "Actually. Get that done and then we'll go out."

"Where?"

"Surprise me," she challenged, feeling a little bit of her equilibrium return as she saw the amusement in Andréa's eyes.

Andréa laughed properly and Miranda realised after a few moments that she may not understand that Miranda genuinely wanted to go somewhere other than where she usually went for lunch.

"Andréa?"

"Yah?"

"Surprise me. I don't want a steak."

Their eyes met and for a long time, they stared until Andréa grinned that grin she often got when she was conspiring with Cassidy and nodded once, dropping back into her chair and getting back to work. Miranda had no idea what was in store, but she realised that it didn't matter. Not because she didn't care, but because she knew Andréa did.

That was enough.

-0-

She regretted telling Andréa to surprise her as soon as Roy pulled up alongside a rather busy food-truck.

"Don't say a word. I'm getting out, Roy's going to drive you around for a while and then come and pick me up. It's fine. Unless you 100% aren't interested, in which case there's a nice little restaurant around the corner we can go to. They sell normal, everyday things that I know you'll like."

"Andréa, get out of the car. We're holding up traffic."

"I promise I won't poison you."

The words hung in the air as she glanced at Roy watching her from the front seat.

"Don't look at me like that," she smirked. "Go."

"Yes Ma'am."

She didn't mind driving around the city, even when it was busy. The air-conditioned car was comfortable and she could watch the millions of people rushing about their existences unhindered. She saw people milling and people rushing and for each of them, she tried to guess what they did and who they were. Lately, she'd been wondering how many of them were happy.

And whether it really mattered.

Pushing it from her mind, she turned to her driver. She hadn't hated the conversation the other night and decided that perhaps she wasn't the bitch people said she was.

"Do you have children Roy?"

"Two," he nodded. "Boy and a girl. Peyton, my daughter is fifteen this year. Kobi is nine."

She smiled, remembering not too long ago when the girls were nine.

"I liked nine," she said absently. "They're a little independent but still affectionate."

He chuckled.

"Fifteen is a hoot," he said drolly. "Everything is a big drama. Boys, girls, cheerleading, football. Everything is a crisis."

"Maybe I ought to employ a few and see how they do?"

He laughed and she sat back with a sigh.

"Forgive me for saying, but everything seems pretty copacetic now?"

"Yes," Miranda said with a genuine smile. "There haven't been many things we haven't handled well."

"That's good!"

"More than you know. The girls are as settled as I have ever seen them, the magazine is within budget," she scoffed. "Can you believe that? I thought I would never see the day."

"She's good, our Andy. Couple that with you and," he shrugged as he looked in the mirror now they'd stopped at the light. "Well, it's the dream team isn't it!"

Miranda smiled and didn't disagree.

"Am I going to die eating this swill?"

He laughed and pulled up beside Andréa, waiting on the side of the road.

"Just think of it as an exciting adventure, Miranda."

She rolled her eyes and accepted the bag from Andréa as she got into the car.

"Wanna play hookey for a while? I just cancelled your meeting with Irv. He's incensed."

"Andréa!"

"I'm joking, gosh," she laughed. "I cancelled Nigel and told him you would look in on him when you got back. He wasn't phased."

"Fine," Miranda almost shrieked. The girl had a way of making her entire head spin. "Let us play," she sneered just a little. "Hookey."

"Roy, can you take us to 51st and 2nd?"

"No problem Andy."

Miranda quirked an eyebrow at her assistant, who just smiled and nudged her with her shoulder.

"This is going to change your life. You'll be begging me to get you more."

"I do not beg," Miranda drawled.

Andréa giggled wickedly and due to most people moving back to the main streets after taking their lunch, their drive was relatively short.

"Andréa -"

"I promise, you're going to love it. Come on. Up 51st Roy."

"I got you, I know where we're going now."

Miranda looked between them, but Andréa just smiled.

"I promised I wouldn't steer you wrong."

Miranda rolled her eyes and got out of the car, following Andréa, who mercifully had thought to put the food in a paper bag, rather than those awful plastic ones. She stalked onto the sidewalk and waited as Andy spoke to Roy and then offered her arm to Miranda who looked at her and then took it with an eye roll.

She glanced up and down the street. It was relatively not-descript. Restaurants, two synagogues. She couldn't possibly imagine eating lunch at any one of those places.

Andréa led them forward and through a little archway partially hidden by creeping ivy. Her jaw dropped.

"What on -"

"Told you," Andréa smirked, looking so full of herself. "Come on now, one of the best meals you can buy? In front of a waterfall? In New York City? Am I not the best assistant ever?"

"Andréa," Miranda was going to say something but she couldn't. She smiled and squeezed the arm looped in hers and sat on a terribly small table, suddenly feeling as though they were alone in an oasis.

There were a few people about, some sat drawing in front of the water, but everyone seemed to acknowledge the sacred space and nobody even spared her a look.

She passed her eye over the food choices and decided that Andréa was right. She had not ever steered her wrong, so she took a little of everything, unable to stop the moan as she took a bite of the lamb gyro.

"Have you ever been to Greece?" Andréa grinned cheekily.

"Shut up," she said, wiping a little tzatziki sauce from the corner of her mouth. "No, I haven't. I have wished to, though. Perhaps when I am old and the girls have flown the nest I will make my way around to all those places that I have always wished to go and never had the time."

"That'll be fun," Andréa chuckled. "Maybe I'll be a millionaire, best-selling author and can come with you."

"There'll be no maybe about it, if you put your mind to it, you'll do it. And you will always be welcome."

"Alright, alright," Andréa said sardonically. "Stepped right into that one, didn't I."

Miranda smirked and scooped some of the chicken and rice onto a plate that Andréa had borrowed from the local cafe. She'd ordered them some drinks to sweeten the deal and Miranda sat back, chewing thoughtfully.

"How did you find this place?"

"Ha," she said. "Funny story. The second time I came down here for your lunch? You called before I could get there and Roy had to drop me off early and give me directions but I turned down the wrong road. Ended up finding this place. After he'd dropped you wherever you just had to be, he managed to find me and take me to Smith and Wollensky and back in time for you to eat. But this was a good find. I've been back a few times if I feel the need."

"You were so forthright back then," Miranda smirked, giving her a look. "Though you honestly had no right to be."

"God, I know," Andréa laughed. "Don't remind me. I was an asshole."

"No," Miranda mused. "I was though."

"You were stressed. I know how you get."

"I was stressed. And there was this thing," she smirked, waving her hand like she was painting an imaginary person. "Standing at my doorway, blustering about how good she was," she remembered something in that moment. "I," she swallowed. "I said something to you, early on. After you, oh, after you came up the stairs. I shouldn't have. I didn't mean it and I'm sorry."

"Golly, Miranda," Andréa sighed. "I know. It hurt, I won't lie, but I know now, why you were doing that. I embarrassed you. I stepped into a vulnerable moment. I'm sorry."

"Why did you?"

"Ha!" Andréa smiled. She really did have a beautiful smile. "Did they never tell you?"

"Who?"

"The girls? I asked them which table I was supposed to leave the book and they pointed to the one at the top of the stairs. And," she chuckled. "Well, that was fun."

"I'm so -"

"Don't," she said gently. "I get why they did that. They're rotters, to be sure, but they probably just wanted to stop the fighting."

"I feel like I have failed them in so many ways."

"How can you possibly say that," Andréa said gently, pushing what was left of the rice towards her. She looked at it for a while then ate it from the container. She didn't miss Andréa's grin. "They are two of the most well-adjusted children I've ever met. They're not bratty, even though I like to tease them about it. They're not rude? They're well mannered and they're kind and loving and gentle?" Miranda looked up at her. "They're great kids, Miranda." She smirked and Miranda prepared herself next comment. "You done good, Mama."

"Of for the love of -"

"I'm serious!" She laughed, and Miranda smiled anyway. It was nice to hear, at least. "Cassidy talks while she runs. I can't quite answer her yet," Miranda laughed. "But she talks about how much she loves being at home with you, especially when Caroline is not. But how much she loves just hanging out. I don't think she'd realised how much you understood her. Not because you did a bad job," she said quickly, though Miranda knew that was part of it. "But because she's 13 and 13 year-olds are stupid. Even yours."

She snorted and sipped her wine.

"She is far more tactile in expressing her love than Caroline," she muttered. "I found it," she hummed. "Difficult to cope with initially. She wanted me all the time. Wanted to be in my arms. I wish now I had indulged that more."

"She's still a cuddle monster," Andy grinned. "And you don't mind the odd hug anymore. either"

She felt her face heat and she grinned.

"That is very true."

They fell silent, letting the sound of the waterfall fill their thoughts.

"Hey," Andréa said suddenly, jolting Miranda out of her thoughts. "Have you used your new book yet?"

"I have not," Miranda muttered. "I should."

"When you're ready," Andréa smiled. "Forced writing is never any good, I imagine it's the same with art."

Had the chairs been more comfortable, Miranda may have sat for a long time in that space, but it wasn't long before she was ready to go.

"You know," Andréa said gently. "When you're ready, you can say so?"

"Why would I do that?" Miranda smirked as Andréa came back from throwing away the detritus. "When you so accurately read my mind."

"Hopeless, Miranda," Andréa laughed, offering her arm again. "Utterly hopeless."