A/N: For the first time ever, I'm not sure I need to say anything here. Keep being safe. Look after each other and most importantly, yourselves. Although, here we are: our kid has just knocked over our Aloe Vera plant that we affectionately call Vera and he thinks I didn't notice. He's now cleaning it up like a ninja. That's how our lives are going anyway.

For disclaimer, see Chapter 1.

-0-

The girls had come home Sunday night and life had gone back to normal while the paperwork was finalised. After a month and a half and many additions by her lawyers, Miranda signed the papers and received the keys. As soon as they dropped into her hand, she immediately passed them over to Andréa with a shrug.

"Might as well," she said with a smirk.

It was another weekend that the twins were with their father and passed by quietly. Andy was lost in her own world and Miranda let her be so. Until Sunday afternoon when she was summoned to the kitchen.

"Andréa?"

"Hmm?"

"I've decided that the flooring must go."

"Okay?" Andy frowned. "It's your place, I mean -"

"No. It is yours."

"Miranda," she growled.

"Andréa, humour me. What do you like best about the apartment?"

Andy looked at her for a long while before she rolled her eyes and joined her boss at the kitchen bench, not before making a coffee for them both. Miranda had a photocopy of the floorplan and a red pencil in her hand.

"I agree. About the floor," Andy started. "I hate it. Why do people have parquet flooring these days anyway."

Miranda snorted but Andy continued.

"I like how open it is? I don't know. I don't know much about architecture."

"Well, then we shall wait and see what we think."

Andy nodded and as they finished their coffee together in comfortable silence. It didn't last too long as the front door slammed open and four feet clattered on the hall floor.

"MOM!"

"We're in here, Caroline," Miranda sighed, rolling her eyes as Andy took the mugs.

They ran in and hugged each of them, swapping over after a little while.

"How was your time with your father?"

"Boring," Cassidy whined, draping herself over her mother as she liked to do. "He's got another new girlfriend and she likes to tan. So they spent the whole weekend by the pool."

"Where were you?"

"I had soccer on Saturday. I had to catch a lift with a team-mate and Caro came with me. We hung out with them until Dad noticed. He came and got us and we told him he had to take us out for dinner or we'd just go home. He worked it out after that."

Miranda smirked over Cassidy's head at Andy who grinned back. They were monsters, for sure.

"So," Andy said gently. "Got some news for you!"

"What's wrong Andy?" Caroline asked, shuffling back under her arm.

"Your Mom and I have found me somewhere to live. I'm going to be moving out soon!"

She smiled but saw both littler faces fall immediately. Miranda chuckled as Cassidy gaped at her and then they were both assaulted by twin whines about how unfair that was.

"You can't leave! Who's going to take me running!"

"And I thought you liked us!"

"I do," Andy argued as Miranda also started.

"Girls, stop. Calm down."

It was a much bigger reaction than either of them were expecting and Andy looked at Miranda with wide eyes as a door slammed down the hall where Caroline had stormed off.

"Blimey," she said, blinking at Cassidy who was trying valiantly not to cry. "I'm really glad to be wanted, that's for sure. Come on munchkin," Andy nodded Cassidy to the door. Miranda seemed to understand where they were going and followed her into the hall. Andy grabbed her new keys off the table by the front door and slipped on her shoes.

"Caro, let's go. We're going out."

"No!"

"Caro, I need you to come with me. I promise it will make more sense in a minute."

Begrudgingly, Caroline followed Andy and Cassidy to the door where Miranda kissed the twin's heads and Andy had felt her eyes watching them as they walked down the block. When she stopped in front of the building, the girl's looked around with a weird look on their faces before Andy flashed her keys.

"Wait," Cassidy said, looking up and down the street. "You're moving here!"

"Yep," she grinned. "Wanna go see?"

"YES!"

Caroline had jumped on her in the elevator and she'd hugged her tightly as it came to a stop.

"You didn't really think I'm letting you all go, did you?"

"No!" Cassidy shrieked. "That's why I couldn't believe it."

"Well, remember it's not just you here, ok? There are other people here."

"Oh, sorry," Cassidy said, immediately moderating her tone. "Which one are you?"

"Eleven."

They made their way to the door and Andy grinned as she let Caroline open it. It was a different experience with the girls in tow. It was, if anything, more exciting, especially now she'd had time to get used to the idea. They slipped off their shoes and ran into the living room, sliding on that horrendous Parquet floor.

"No offence, but this floor is ugly," Caroline sniffed.

"That's pretty much what your mother said," Andy chuckled. "She's right and so are you. Your mom is getting someone in to rip it up, I think?"

"Also you should fix the kitchen," Caroline said thoughtfully. "If you make it more open, then it won't be so dark. And you need an office. And a laundry probably."

"There's a laundry in the building, but," she nudged Caroline's hip with her own. "You like this stuff huh?"

"She builds houses on the Sims and Minecraft," Cassidy said, coming out of the master. "It's pretty big. You can fit like two of mom's bed in there."

Andy wasn't sure why she blushed but she cleared her throat.

"I'm actually gonna take that room," she pointed at the smaller.

"How come?"

"So I can fit two beds in that room," Andy nodded to it. "That way you guys have a place to stay if you ever need or want one?"

Caroline burst into tears and Cassidy nearly tipped them both over when she jumped on them. She cuddled them for a while before there was a knock at the door.

"Huh," Andy said, drying Caroline's tears and getting up. "What's your Mom doing here, I wonder?"

She opened it and beamed at the visitor, sweeping her hand towards the apartment and letting Miranda in.

"I thought we'd celebrate."

She passed Andy a small cooler and took two large pizza boxes from a young guy who'd clearly followed her up on pain of death. Miranda tipped him a fifty and he nearly choked.

"Don't worry about it," Andy grinned. "Thanks."

He touched his forehead like he was tipping his cap to the two of them and scampered away.

"Honestly, you'd think I'd never tipped before."

"I think people aren't used to the generosity," Andy smiled. "I'm really glad you're here."

"It is abominably quiet at home. You are all so noisy I just cannot cope."

Andy took the pizza boxes and they sat demurely on the floor, on top of the lovely picnic rug that Miranda has packed, along with plates, cutlery and a bottle of wine.

"Might as well christen the place," she shrugged.

Andy grinned and popped the cork, pouring two glasses and grinning sideways at Miranda as she poured the can of Sprite into Cassidy and Caroline's glasses.

"To your new home."

"Nuh-uh," she said stopping Miranda before she could drink. "To you guys. You've been more my family than any family I could possibly ever need."

"Ride or die, right?" Cassidy grinned.

"For life," Andy laughed, fist-bumping her, then clearing her throat as Miranda's eyebrow hitched. "I mean. You guys are the best family a girl could have. Thank you for letting me in."

"To your new home," Miranda said with an amused smile. "And to our family as well then."

They drank their wine and ate pizza and afterwards, Cassidy lay with her head on Andy's belly while Caroline told Miranda about what she would do with the apartment. By the time night had fallen, the girls were sleepy and Andy could see that Miranda was getting antsy.

"Come on, let's get you guys home."

Andy ended up carrying Caroline home and Miranda practically frog-marched Cassidy up the stairs. She stood back while Miranda tucked them in and was about to go when Cassidy asked for her.

"Love you," Cass said in her ear as she knelt beside the bed and hugged her.

"Love you too."

She did the same for Caroline and got a kiss on the cheek instead. She backed out of the room and met Miranda on the landing.

"I understand why I have to go, but I really will miss you guys."

"I have no doubt we shall miss you as well," Miranda said gently. "Are you," she looked away. "I need to go over the book, but I would not begrudge a film while doing so?"

Andy grinned and nodded.

"Your choice this time."

"Bring me the book and I'll find something for us to watch."

"On it boss."

Miranda was on the sofa when she brought the book with a movie she'd never seen queued up on the screen. She went to sit in the seat she'd take last time when Miranda reached out and tugged on her sleeve.

"Sit, tell me what you would do with the Miu Miu."

Andy gave her a look and took the book from Miranda flipping to the correct page while Miranda started the film. Andy glanced and Miranda who smirked back, clearly expecting the reticence. Andy rolled her eyes.

She looked for a long time, trying to see what Miranda saw. She shook her head and offered it back.

"I'm not you."

"No," Miranda agreed. "You are not, which is why you must look as yourself. And not as me."

"You big cheater," Andy groaned, taking The Book back. "Fine."

She looked more sceptically now, seeing things she liked and things she didn't. After about ten minutes she looked up. Miranda wasn't watching the film but was sitting sideways, watching her instead.

"I don't like the blue sash. It draws the focus to the clothes but then gets the reader lost between them. And the backdrop is good but the lighting is better in this picture than this one. And her moles are gone?"

"A succinct evaluation," Miranda smiled. "And I concur that the editing department was perhaps a little overzealous with the healing tool. I will have them revert it tomorrow."

Andy handed back the book and watched Miranda as she pretended not to notice.

"Why did you do that?"

"To show you that you can be anything you put your mind to. Now. Not in a year, or six months. Now."

"Maybe I just want to be the greatest assistant known to mankind."

Miranda rolled her eyes.

"You are so stubborn."

"I just know what I want. And right now, I want to help you be the best."

"Andréa -"

"Leave it," she whispered. "Please?"

They stared at each other for a long time until Miranda rolled her eyes, leaning away and turning off the main lights, leaving the lamp behind her and the tv the only light on the room.

"One day, Andréa," she said after a time. "I fear you will come to resent me for this."

"How could I resent you," Andy said quietly. "You're the best friend I've ever had."

Andy dropped her gaze to her hands and sighed, but it wasn't long until Miranda's smaller one covered them.

"And you are mine," Miranda said quietly. "Which is why I am fearful of your -" Andy studied their joined hands. "Reticence to be the best you can be."

"I am the best I can be," Andy said sadly. "I wish you'd see that."

"I do," Miranda said quickly, moving closer. "I am very much older than you -"

"Bullshit, Miranda, I -"

"Ah ah," Andy was forced to stop when Miranda's finger was placed on her lips. "Older. I have seen and felt things with time that you have not."

"You're making yourself sound ancient. I would argue you are in your prime."

"You are infuriatingly sweet. Here I am trying to tell you to seize the day as your youth demands and you are stroking my ego."

"You are infuriating. You seem to think I don't know my own mind? That my -" she paused, trying to find the right word. "Respect for you is clouding my judgement?" She couldn't see Miranda's face in the darkness with the light behind her head but she felt the screaming tension through their joined hands.

"I -"

"No, I'm speaking now," she said firmly. She wasn't sure where this was coming from but she wanted to put it right, now. "I, more than anyone in this city, am the least likely person to get star struck by Miranda Priestly. I have witnessed her in all her glory. But I've also seen her in her pyjamas with sleep-mussed hair and fed her carbs and sat with her while she napped. I've seen her at her lowest, too, when she was so angry she couldn't look at me and when she was so heartbroken she nearly couldn't function. I've seen so far behind the curtain that I get to tuck her kids in." Andy looked up and as the light from the film flashed, found Miranda's eyes boring into her. "I'm not awestruck by you, Miranda. I mean, I am, but not in a way that I'm gonna give up my entire future just to bask in the glow that you give off. I respect you better than that. I wish you'd trust me that I know what I'm doing."

They sat quietly, almost simultaneously turning to watch the film. Neither would have been able to tell anyone what they had watched but Andy was keenly aware that Miranda hadn't let go of her hand and was playing with it absently while she was lost in thought. Perhaps it would all make sense someday, but it wasn't tonight. Tonight, Andy's mind was going a mile a minute trying to figure it out and Miranda remained, quietly tugging on Andy's nails, while they hid from each other in the dark.