A/N: So kids, how are we all? I'm FANTASTIC. I have met the most perfect girl on the planet and I'm head over heels in love. So that's my news, how you all doing?

Thank you to the most wonderful Beta a gal can have :D

-0-

(STILL FRIDAY)

The day wasted away, Miranda quietly working in the living room with Andy occasionally helping while everyone else lounged around playing or reading.

"Andy?"

"Yes Cassidy?" Andy said, pausing in the book she was reading to Nick and Sam.

"Can you read this one afterwards?"

Andy chuckled as she was handed one of the girls' favourites and nodded, accepting a quick kiss on the cheek as thanks.

"Sweet. You finish that one, I'm going to get the girls," Cassidy paused by the door, drawing Miranda's interest as well when she spoke again. "It's weird, calling them the girls. For so long it was Caro and I that were the girls."

"I trust it's not a bother?" Miranda said, the only indication that she was worried was how the pen paused over the page she was working on.

"No, just weird," Cassidy reassured her, running off without another word.

"You have good kids Priestly," Andy said.

"I do indeed," Miranda said proudly. "And a few more to be proud of as well," she said, accepting Sam on her knee even as she worked.

Andy watched her continue, occasionally pressing a kiss to Sam's hair, or moving his hand out of the way so she could mark something on the page. Sam had been thoroughly put out at the start of the day when he was told that he could not draw all over the pages of pretty ladies but Miranda had firmly explained to him that when she was working she was not to be disturbed. Sam had whined, but eventually his need for Miranda's comfort won out and he had learned very quickly how to sit and accept love without disturbing her. Andy was convinced that she could practically hear him purring from across the room. She knew from the times she'd fallen asleep while Miranda was going through The Book this week that Miranda fidgeted when she was editing; running her fingers through Andy's hair, or tugging on her fingernails gently. Sam had obviously realised how precious this makes a person feel and Andy couldn't blame him; she loved it too.

"The others will be here soon," Miranda said quietly, breaking into her thoughts. "I suggest you finish that book and call the girls so you can read the next, then it will almost be time for us to move into the study."

Andy nodded and carried on reading, apologising to Nick for stopping with a quick squeeze round his middle, but he didn't seem to mind. Nick loved this one-on-one time as much as Sam liked his with Miranda. Nick adored the moments when it was just him and Andy, curled up on an armchair in what Andy had termed 'their room'. Whenever they got a chance together they would sit in the library reading the Peter Rabbit books, Nick laid out on top of Andy as she read, following the stories via the pictures or dozing on her chest.

Nick pulled on her fingers and she realised that she'd fallen back into her thoughts. She had to up her game if she was going to be any use to Miranda by the time the others arrived.

-0-

"MOM!"

Andy chuckled as Miranda put down her pen, looking pained.

"If I had the money you had, I'd have probably invested in an intercom system," Andy said absently.

"What do you mean if you had the money," Miranda said, looking perplexed. "We do have the money. Look into viable options and I shall have whichever you deem necessary installed immediately."

"Miranda, I don't want your money!" Andy said, unable to work out what was happening. "I just mean -"

"May we continue this conversation later?" Miranda said, shocking Andy with how apologetic she sounded.

"Hey," Andy stood up, kissing Nick and letting him keep the millionth book they had been reading. She met Miranda behind the sofa and wrapped her arms around her before she could escape. "Remember me?" she said teasingly. "I'm your assistant, I look after your schedule, and realised quite early on that you rather enjoy working."

"Yes I understand that Andréa, however -" Andy kissed her, effectively stopping anything else from being said for a good three minutes, including ignoring the doorbell.

"Let's go to work boss."

Miranda's chuckle resounded through the house, following Andy down the stairs to where Sam was trying to release Cassidy's grip on his shirt so he could open the door. The bell went for the third time and Andy was sure they were about to have a heart attack.

"I'm coming," she called, stopping to kneel down before Sam. "Sweetie, I know you're a super big boy, but I never, ever want you opening this door without Miranda or me with you. Alright?"

"Yep!" he yelled, tugging on her arm. "You here now, let's go!"

Andy smiled up at Cassidy and had her release him, wondering what Emily was going to make of this little whirlwind.

"HI!" he screamed as he opened the door.

"Okay, well we'll have to work on that," Andy chuckled, pulling Sam away from the step so that Nigel, Emily, Serena and Jocelyn could enter along with the twenty or so garment bags they had in tow.

"CARO! They're here!" Cassidy called, moving forward to help Serena and Jocelyn.

"Cass, you know how much your Mother loves you doing that," Andy winced.

"I know, but she also hates people dawdling, and Caroline really wants to watch."

Giving up, Andy stepped out of the way, grabbing Sam as well before he could run out of the door to help carry things from the car.

"Whoa buddy, slow down. How about you take this to Miranda and tell her that we will all be up there in about five minutes?" She grinned at his puffed out chest. "Can you do that?"

"Yep," he called running up the stairs as fast as his little legs could carry him.

"What on earth was that?" Emily whispered, looking much paler than usual, backed into a corner in the front hall.

"I thought you were going to talk to her?" Andy said, looking incredulously at Nigel. The man shrugged and Andy realised that with Miranda and her away, he obviously hadn't had the time.

"Right. Em, Serena, yeah Joss you too, come in here a minute." Andy led them into the guest sitting room. "Okay Em, sit, Serena you'd best hang onto her." Serena grinned and took Emily's hand. "So, last week Miranda got a call; her second husband Alec, and his wife, were killed in a car accident. They had three kids, and Miranda was, for whatever reason, named guardian.

"Merda!" Serena swore, sitting back and unconsciously wrapping her arm around Emily's shoulder. Andy smiled at the scene, envisioning nights at Serena's place with Emily freaking out about some innocuous detail and Serena calmly chilling, gently reassuring the woman who was her girlfriend in everything but official title.

"So, we have Sam - that's the whirlwind you just saw a moment ago - and Nick, he doesn't speak right now, and then there's -"

"Andy!" Olivia whined, appearing at the door. "M'anda wants to know what's taking so long, hurry up!"

Andy laughed, but ushered everyone upstairs.

"And that would be Olivia. She's about as close to being Miranda's mini-me as Caroline is."

"I don't, I can't -"

"Relax querida," Serena whispered. "It's still Miranda."

"But, but what are you doing here?" Emily asked finally getting a hold of herself.

"Um, well Miranda and I are -" she shrugged.

"Oh wow," Joss whispered. "You're together? Wow!" she chuckled. "Brave woman."

"Not really," Andy winked. "She's different at home."

"Youre living here!" Emily squeaked.

"Um, yeah semi-officially." Andy glanced at the doorway where Cassidy was motioning. "We'd better go."

"We need drinks. Sunday. I need more information. Don't think you're getting off this lightly Andrea Sachs."

Andy chuckled at the 'Miranda tone' coming from Emily. She wasn't half as scary now she lived with the original. She could do with an afternoon of catch up though, so she just nodded and ushered them in for the production meeting.

"I trust you are all caught up on my personal life," Miranda growled, though her eyes were sparkling.

"Be nice Miranda," Andy whispered in her ear as she walked past.

Miranda glared a little at Andy's forwardness, but let it slide.

"Shall we get to work?

Andy grinned from the doorway; the scene would have been far more fearsome had Sam not been draped over her knee like a floppy ragdoll and Nick hadn't been trying to touch the garments reverently.

"Guys, come on, let's leave Miranda to her work."

"Andréa, there is no reason for them to leave, I am extremely interested in what my staff have to offer me, but I am not holding out much hope of them being here long. Shall we start with you Emily?"

"Oh oh," Sam giggled. "M'anda gonna be's a dragon."

Andy chuckled and lifted him off Miranda's knee. He squirmed for a moment but by the time she'd snagged Nick as well, they both sat down nicely, watching Miranda go all 'dragony' while she explained that she had to be dragony to be a good boss.

"Can I sit with the pretty lady?" Sam asked, not so quietly.

Emily's eyes widened comically glancing at Serena, but it was Jocelyn that Sam gravitated towards, hefting himself up onto her knee like he'd done it a thousand times.

"Samuel, I need Jocelyn to do some work, so please do not get in her way," Miranda ordered gently, but firmly.

"Yes M'anda. I be a good boy."

"I know you will darling, now, tell me about the Meisel shoot," MIranda ordered, leaning forward to receive the prints Serena passed her.

"We're thinking that in order to better showcase the trains on the gowns that we need stairs, perhaps the AMNH."

"We been there!" Sam said helpfully. "They got lo's'a dinosaurs."

"I know," Jocelyn whispered. "I like the Tyrannosaurus rex, so does Robby."

"Who's W-obby?" Sam asked, whispering conspiratorially while Miranda discussed options with Nigel.

"My son," she winked.

"I didn't know you had a kid Joss?" Andy said, joining them with Nick at the table.

"He's four next month," she said proudly.

"That's great," Andy said looking down at Nick. "That's something we're going to have to work out isn't it, when everyone's birthdays are."

"Jocelyn, Andréa, if you've finished socialising, perhaps you would share with us the ideas for next month."

"Yes Miranda, of course," Jocelyn replied, looking a little flustered with Sam on her knee. Andy glanced at Miranda who was watching with thinly veiled interest as the woman took a deep breath, then delivered a markedly different presentation to the one she usually did.

"Jocelyn, I cannot say that I am displeased," Miranda said, looking awkward. "You may run with it."

Andy watched as Jocelyn let out a small sigh and hugged Sam a little as she sat back.

"Nice work," Andy winked, turning to write something on her ever present note pad as Miranda was talking.

"Andréa?"

"Yes Miranda?" she said, without looking up.

"Where are the models?"

"Oh," Andy checked her watch. "You're done earlier than I thought, Gerry was emailing me photos so they didn't have to come to the house, they should be here by now -" She was interrupted by a ping on her phone. "I think that will probably be them." She handed her cell over and returned to her place while Miranda studied the shots.

"Are you two hungry?" Andy asked the boys. "Do you want a snack?"

Nick barely bobbed his head but Sam nodded so hard he headbutted Jocelyn in the chin. After a quiet apology, Andy led them downstairs so that she could organise some snacks for the kids and perhaps a few for the adults as well. Once the meeting was over, Andy hoped that everyone would stay and socialise a little.

"How's it going up there?" Cara asked, already putting together a plate of fruit and peanut butter dip.

"Oh, it's going," Andy said. "It's going better than I thought actually. Miranda may have more days off if all of them are like this."

"Well, we can only wait and see," Cara said diplomatically. "Will you two be requiring dinner tomorrow before the benefit, or shall I just make it for the kids?"

Andy had completely forgotten about the benefit the following evening. She and Miranda were meeting Melody inside, but Andy would be arriving with Miranda, something that was not unusual after the last six months but this time had a connotation to it that Andy was petrified of.

"I think we'll be alright without," Andy said. "Miranda doesn't usually eat beforehand and I'm always so afraid I'll drop something on my gown. I am extremely clumsy."

It wasn't long before Cassidy showed up, Olivia in tow.

"Run through all finished?" Andy asked, pushing the plate closer to them as they joined them at the table.

"Yeah, Caro is just asking why Mom chose this belt instead of that one," Cassidy shrugged. "They looked the same to me."

Andy couldn't help it, she laughed and laughed at the thought of Miranda giving 'the belt lesson' to Caroline. She could almost guarantee that it wouldn't be in the same tone as the lesson that Miranda had deigned to give to her at the beginning of her tenure. She explained half-heartedly to the girls, who didn't get why she found it so funny, so she started poking Nick, hoping to get a reaction from him.

She got nothing, until Caroline came down to tell them that they'd finished. He was off like a shot, thankfully with clean hands, running into the study and climbing on Miranda's knee before Sam could even get a look in. Thankfully their youngest seemed content to return to Jocelyn's knee, leaving Andy free to ask everyone about refreshments.

"By all means, stay," Miranda said to her staff.

Andy chuckled and quickly translated to everyone that Miranda was being serious and they really should stay for a coffee.

"We made cookies yesterday," Olivia said, "I'll get some."

The little girl was off downstairs before Andy could catch her, organising a plate of cookies for their guests with such aplomb that Andy let her. In no time at all, she was carrying a full plate back upstairs with Andy's help, and offering everyone a cookie.

Andy looked on sympathetically as nobody took one, and Olivia's face fell.

"I hope all of you will appreciate Olivia's generosity," Miranda's voice barked out a warning, making sure everyone suddenly sat forward and took a cookie, holding it in their hands like a loaded bomb. "I for one quite enjoy them."

Miranda nibbled on hers and Andy had to hand Serena a glass of water as Emily started swaying.

"One cookie won't kill you Emily," Miranda said quietly. "I do not like to disappoint my children and Olivia worked so hard on these cookies, I hope you will not refuse her gracious hospitality in sharing one with you."

"No Miranda," she said shakily. "I mean, yes Miranda."

Andy felt so sorry for Emily, she went to sit next to her, mindful not to encroach on Serena's space, but close enough to take half the cookie from her quietly. She looked over gratefully, but was still left with half a cookie too much according to the look of horror on her face, even with Miranda nearly three quarters of the way through hers.

"Do you like it?" Olivia asked, appearing before them.

Serena covered for her girlfriend admirably, and to Emily's credit, the stick-thin woman took a bite, moaning a little at the forbidden taste. Andy wondered idly how long it had been since she'd had sugar in any form.

"Hey, you got a chocolate one!" Sam said, slipping off Jocelyn's knee. "Can I has some?"

Emily held out the cookie and his crumb covered fingers took most of what she had remaining, leaving her with barely two bites. Andy looked over at Miranda, and saw the frown on her face. Not one born of anger, but one born of concern for one of her favourite past assistants. Emily would not be dieting for much longer Andy summised.

-0-

"Mom can we watch another movie before dinner?" Cassidy asked after a whispered conversation between her and Olivia.

"You may, as long as you remember to keep it age appropriate," Miranda reminded her, wincing when the rest of the kids vacated the room noisily. There had nearly been a dust up earlier when Miranda reached the media room to find the third Harry Potter playing and it was quickly switched off while Miranda explained the finer points about classifications and why Olivia, at six, might find the Dementors terrifying.

Andy sat back as Miranda seemed to shake off most of her boss persona, joining her on the sofa instead of sitting alone in the chair.

"Would you like us to go Miranda?" Nigel asked, looking as though he was prepared to leave as soon as Miranda nodded her head.

"No, no you might as well stay," Miranda said, taking off her glasses and throwing them onto her desk. "I suppose I should offer you refreshments, but I'm sure you probably have questions that will be more pertinent at the moment."

"No," Nigel said, shaking his head. "No way."

"Oh come on Nigel, live a little!" she said, sliding one hand into Andy's and the other around her shoulder. "I dare you."

Emily squeaked, but it was Jocelyn who broke first. She laughed and nudged Nigel with her shoulder.

"I think it's great," Jocelyn said bravely. "And Sam is just darling."

"Did you know Jocelyn had a son?" Andy asked, leaning against Miranda tentatively. She figured she was amongst friends so she bravely decided to act as she had been doing all along.

"I did," Miranda said, surprising them all and pulling Andy closer. "He is, five now?"

"Four," Jocelyn corrected, appearing completely charmed by the fact that Miranda knew.

"Just between our boys," Miranda grinned, making Andy laugh.

"Yeah," she said, patting Emily's knee as she stood. "I'm just going to check on them, but then I'm going to get some drinks, anyone?"

"It's probably a little early for wine. Coffees all round I think," Miranda said, looking at everyone for their agreement.

"Green tea for me please," Joss said. "I'm trying to cut back on caffeine."

Andy nodded and dropped into the kitchen to ask Cara to start on coffees, before she walked up to the media room, peeking in and stopping to take it all in. Olivia was curled up with her head on Caroline's knee, while the boys were piled up on Cassidy's favourite beanbag with her sitting beside them, reading a book. She clearly wasn't as into the not-yet-released Planes as the other kids were, but she sat there just the same. Andy caught her eye, but shook her head when Cassidy went to speak. Andy blew her a kiss and left before Cassidy could make anything of it. By the time she returned, Cara had blessedly almost finished and Andy thanked her profusely, carrying the tray up herself.

"I thought you had gone out for the beans," Miranda said, making Nigel laugh.

"Anything for you," Andy said with a shrug, handing her the hottest coffee on the tray.

"How long have you two been together? Surely not all this time," Nigel finally asked after they'd all sat quietly with their coffees for a while.

Andy turned to Miranda, raising an eyebrow. The woman nodded and Andy turned back to the group, feeling Miranda's hand slip into hers.

"Um, a week."

"Is that all?" Emily said, clapping a hand over her mouth as soon as she'd said it.

"Oh will you relax," Miranda huffed. "Yes, we have only been together properly for a week," she paused and Andy smiled as she looked into her eyes. "But I think we've been on that road for quite some time."

"Bela," Serena said with a smile. "A beautiful story just beginning I think."

"As yours is?" MIranda asked gently.

"Me?" Emily said, looking caught. "Um, no, we. I mean, yes I -"

"Emily, please, you have not been my assistant for nearly a year. You are surely not scared of me still?"

"No, of course not," she said, sounding totally insincere.

The quiet chatter went on for a while, everyone gradually relaxing to this never-before-seen Miranda.

"I hope you don't think me rude Miranda," Jocelyn said after draining her mug. "But I really must go. I have to pick Robby up from my mother's; my husband is on night shift tonight."

"Nonsense, of course you must go. Andréa will see you out," Miranda didn't rise, but did nod her goodbye. "I hope you have a good weekend. Perhaps at a later date, once the boys are settled you would bring Robert around for a play date."

"I would love to," Jocelyn said happily. "Have a good evening."

"Serena, Nigel, perhaps you might go with them while I speak to Emily for a moment."

Andy frowned at the request and looked over at Emily, who really looked as though she was about to vomit all over Miranda's coffee table.

"Please do not worry Emily, I simply want to have a quiet word with you." Miranda turned to Serena. "I assure you I will be perfectly civil."

Serena paused, but did as she was asked, leaving her girlfriend in the jaws of the lion.

"She'll be fine," Andy said, linking her arm with Serena's. "I'm pretty sure she's worried about her. It shocked her, Miranda I mean, about the cookie."

"She's getting better," Serena sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I just hope this doesn't push her too far back."

"Miranda only wants to help," Andy assured her.

"I have to hand it to you Six," Nigel said as they waved Jocelyn off. "You've done a number on that woman."

"Nah, she was like this before, just nobody saw it," she grinned. "I'm simply along for the ride."

They hung around downstairs after Jocelyn had gone until Serena could stand it no longer.

"I have to see if she's alright, I cannot stand this any longer."

They returned upstairs and found Emily sitting next to Miranda, holding her hand. The young woman was crying silently, but Miranda was talking to her gently. Andy recognised the voice she was using as the one she often used to talk Nicholas out of his nightmares, so she held Serena back until Miranda looked up and nodded to allow them entry. Emily clung to Serena and cried into her shoulder while Miranda placed her hand on Emily's back until she had pulled herself together.

"Terribly sorry," Emily sniffed, trying to remove the evidence. "I'm a sight, um, you don't have a bathroom do you?"

"We have many," Miranda chuckled, "but you may use the one just down the hall to the right."

"Ta," Emily said quickly, leaving with Serena's hand clasped in hers.

"What on earth did you say to her?" Nigel asked, watching her go.

"That is between myself and Emily," she paused. "And probably Serena, but that can't be helped."

"You are such a softy," Andy grinned, cuddling up to her side.

"I told you not to spread it around," Miranda smirked, wrapping an arm around Andy's shoulder once more.

"You're happy, aren't you?" Nigel said, almost redundantly in Andy's opinion.

"Ridiculously so," Miranda smiled, kissing Andy's hair and sitting back.

Considering they had only admitted their mutual interest in each other a week ago, Andy was astounded at how far they'd come. Their previous relationship before the revelation helped them navigate the new territory together and Andy couldn't help but agree with Miranda's observation - they were both ridiculously happy.