A/N: For everyone asking, Vera is... a little crumpled and has a bit less soil but seems to be okay for now. I have put new soil on the shopping list but with preppers doing their thing right now it might be a bit difficult to find so I'm hoping she can tough it out. Aloes are usually indestructible. She probably needs a bit of sun to perk her back up. Fingers crossed.

This is also the last chapter I had mostly written so there might be a tiny delay between chapters. Not 6 years. But... you know...writing is not always easy...

For disclaimer, see Chapter 1.

-0-

Miranda didn't bring it up again. Andy was thrown into turmoil as she realised that she had to do her job, try to save more money than she was and deck out a new, ridiculously square-footed place in not much time at all.

She scoured the classifieds for estate sales and the like and she perused them when she got a chance. She needed a lot of the big items and had decided to go steady with them. She needed a bed for her and the girls. She needed a sofa and a few bar stools for the new kitchen bench and a table and chairs.

It would look a bit empty for a while, but it would be best to move slowly while she paid off her loans.

Although if in doubt, there was always Ikea.

Happily, she'd made it through college with less debt than her peers, through scholarships that she'd earned and used wisely. She'd won a few competitions too, where the prize money had been a nice chunk of change. Miranda was right in that she would likely be paid off after this year was through, or a little after if she had to buy furniture as well. It was exciting, seeing that endpoint on the horizon.

Andy had, obviously, been put in charge of the contractors working on the apartment. She hadn't had too much trouble; most of them knew who was footing the bill and did their jobs quickly and efficiently. The hardest part had been choosing the flooring, but Miranda had helped her do that too. They'd chosen a beautiful oak floorboard and a continuation of the dark slate tile in the expanded kitchen, which she loved the most. It had transformed the space. She could see what Caroline had meant now.

No more than a month later she'd shaken hands with the final contractor and her new apartment was ready.

They'd not put a film on since the weird night where Andy had pretty much told Miranda to stop worrying about her. Then, embarrassingly, she'd fallen asleep on Miranda's shoulder. They hadn't discussed it but she'd woken up cuddled against Miranda's side. Thankfully she'd woken before the other woman and had beaten a path from the room at haste. Since then they'd been too busy to think.

Even Irv had been too busy to do anything but it didn't mean that Andy wasn't still looking when she could.

She glanced down at her keys and wondered why she felt suddenly sad and dialled the number from memory.

"Yes?"

"It's me," she said quietly. "They're finished."

"Good. Meet me on the third floor in twenty minutes."

"The third -"

"That's all."

Her eyes widened as she heard the familiar whisper. She had no idea what she'd done but it was bad. She locked up the apartment and raced out into the street, hailing a cab as she did. She was not panting by the time she got there but it was a close thing. She'd managed to compose herself in the elevator and as she stepped off, she was mostly recovered.

"Come," Miranda said, waving her forward. Andy had never been to the third floor before and she was shocked to find one half of the floor looked not unlike a storage unit place and Miranda directed her to open three bays.

"Pick what you like."

She gaped.

"Wait -"

"Andréa, I don't have time to -"

"Oh my God, are we fighting?"

"What?"

"You have been snippy with me for a week! What did I do?"

"Nothing," Miranda said a little too quickly. "There is nothing wrong."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing," she said, this time brokering no argument. "Choose the pieces you would like and have Frekrick deliver them to your apartment when it is ready to be furnished."

"Wait -"

She turned and stalked off, leaving Andy standing bewildered in a sea of furniture. They'd clearly used to for shoots and the like, on occasion, but they'd also sat here for a while too. She chose a few, keeping a few separated in case Miranda insisted she take more. A small but beautiful sofa, a few end tables and a lovely dining table that looked as though it might expand to fit more people. That means she only needed beds and chairs.

Shaking her head at the bizarre turn of events, she sent a message to Fred about getting the pieces delivered and returned to the office.

Miranda wasn't there and there was nothing on the calendar and Andy felt bereft. She allowed herself five minutes to feel sorry for herself before she pulled her socks up and did her job. Even as she was making the necessary budget alterations, she hoped upon hope that whatever it was that had Miranda in knots wasn't going to ruin the best thing she'd ever had.

-0-

It was days later when Andy realised what was going on.

"You are going to miss me," she smirked as Miranda sipped the newly made coffee. Andy had delivered it without invitation as an excuse to sit in the chair across from her. "That's why you're being -" she smirked as Miranda raised her eyebrow. "Snippy."

"I do not know what you are -"

"Don't do that," Andy whispered, sobering. "Don't shut me out. And don't push me away in the hope it will hurt less."

Miranda put her cup down and threw her glasses onto her desk.

"I may not enjoy change," she mumbled.

"No shit," Andy laughed. "This past week has been the most miserable one I've had for a while. Just," she shrugged. "You know you're always welcome, don't you?"

"Obviously I will have to pick the girls up at some point."

"God, you're hopeless," Andy chuckled. "I thought we talked about this? The invitation extends to you, you know. You are welcome to come and visit me any time you like. No matter what or when. With or without the Twins. I was kinda expecting you to."

"Oh," Miranda made a face Andy couldn't read. "Thank you."

"You're such a panicker!"

"Oh," Miranda huffed. "Go and do some work."

Andy laughed as she left, and did as she was told. A great weight lifted from her shoulders as she started in the notes for the planning meeting. She was due to move in over the weekend. The girls had demanded that they be allowed to help, otherwise, she would have moved during the week, but they'd been at their father's for the majority of the week and so, she waited.

-0-

By the time the weekend rolled around, she almost wished she hadn't. Cassidy was a help, that was for sure. But Caroline and Miranda took so long and went so slow that in the end Andy and Cassidy were so exhausted that they didn't even have the energy to be excited when Miranda ordered them Smith and Wolensky for dinner.

"Come along," she said gently, ushering them both to Andy's new dining table.

Andy didn't know whether it was because she had realised they'd worked so hard, or because they both looked so utterly exhausted that she knew they were dead on their feet.

"You must eat," she insisted, plating up four dishes with aplomb and presenting them proudly. "I slaved over this delivery."

Andy laughed and smiled tiredly at her boss and friend, looking back at the dish with a grin.

"Thank you, for dinner."

"Well," Miranda said with a sniff. "I realise that my talents were better spent than lugging boxes across the street. Although I still don't know why you didn't hire movers."

"It's literally a hundred feet Mom," Cassidy snorted, almost inhaling her dinner.

"Do try to eat with a little more grace, my darling," Miranda sighed, sounding pained.

All in all, it was a lovely evening. Caroline had organised Andy's cabinets with food that Andy didn't remember buying. There had been a few tense moments when three burly men turned up at the door, but Miranda had ushered them in, shown them the bedroom that Andy was taking and they'd nodded understandingly and left again.

Andy had nearly had a fit when she saw them reappear again with what looked remarkably like a bed in their arms. She chuckled, thinking of it now.

"What the hell are they carrying Miranda Priestly?"

"Hmm?" she had said, in that way that she did.

"Miranda!"

"Consider it a housewarming gift."

"MIRANDA!"

"Must you be so loud? Your neighbours will be quite upset with you Andréa."

"Look," she had said, grabbing the woman by the shoulders. "A housewarming gift is," she shrugged. "A toaster. A DVD player. Not a," she glanced at the door where the three men had drills and the like spread all over the carpet. "A bed?"

"Andréa, I am many things, but I am not a savage. I told you I was not going to let you live in this beautiful apartment with a second-hand sofa and a milk-crate. You should have known I meant that you weren't going to sleep on a ratty old mattress on the floor as well. Give me strength."

Andy chuckled, thinking of it as she flopped down on the sofa. Miranda and the girls had left nearly an hour ago, leaving her on her own in her apartment for the first time. It was deathly quiet and she got up and turned the Bose sound system that Cassidy had gifted her - It's old and I got a better one for Christmas - linking her phone to it and playing a quiet mix of the latest pop songs.

As she looked around, taking in all the things she had now she felt little comfort in their presence. She realised she hadn't even seen the bed properly, having left the delivery men to it under Miranda's obviously superior supervision. As she walked into her room she gaped and ordered Siri to dial Miranda's number immediately.

"Yes?"

"What the hell is this!"

"I assume you're talking about -"

"I have a whole bedroom. I have a fucking -"

"Andréa -"

"Miranda! I have a bedroom. Bed. Side-tables. Pillows! What the hell did you do?"

"Surely you know me well enough by now?"

"I -"

"I told you I would not allow you to sleep on a ratty mattress on the floor. And I knew you would argue so I compromised."

"You compromised?"

"Indeed. I bought you a bed that is nearly on the floor."

She pulled the phone away from her ear and looked at the ceiling.

"Miranda," she said with a tone. "How much did my very expensive-looking room cost?"

"Sorry darling, you're breaking up. I missed that last part, what did you say?"

Andy glared at her new bed. She adored it.

"I said," she took a deep breath. "Thank you."

"That's better," Miranda mused. "But I do not know what you are talking about. I was doing them a favour, it was the last one."

"Miranda -" she sat down. "Fuck, this is a new mattress isn't it."

"One day your lumbar region will thank me."

"You can leave my lumbar out of this, if you don't mind," Andy groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Miranda?"

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Well -"

"No. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she said quietly. They fell into a silence that Andy wasn't sure she wanted to fill until Miranda spoke. "Caroline was bereft at bedtime."

"Maybe I can come round and tuck them in."

"It will get better," Miranda said, although Andy could hear the hope in her voice in the quiet silence that followed. "I need to return to the book. Enjoy your evening Andréa. I will see you tomorr-," she faltered. "Monday."

"Tomorrow?" Andy asked quietly.

"Brunch is at ten. I think we shall stay at home"

"Thanks," Andy grinned. "'Night."

"Goodnight."

It was only after she hung up the phone that she realised Cassidy's Bose system was probably brand-new too. And of course, Miranda brought her groceries and - she groaned and dropped down onto the bed, groaning again as it caught her gently.

"Bloody hell," she grinned. "Hopeless. All of them."

-0-0-0-0-0-

Notes: Bed: www. Industrywest madra-bed. html #
Nightstand: www. industrywest catalog /product /view /id/ 6836/s/ madra-nightstand/ category/248/

Honestly, Andy should be thankful that this only cost Miranda $5000+ - I found a slab bed, made to order for $48,000... New York is psycho guys...