A/N: Another you say? Nay, it cannot be!

-0-

"ANDY! ANDY!"

Andy blinked awake, wondering why someone was screaming her name so forcefully.

"What the hell is that?" Miranda grumbled in her ear. "Turn it off."

"ANDY PLEASE!"

Andy's eyes snapped open a little quicker at the desperation in the tone.

"Was that Cassidy?"

"MAMA!"

Andy was off and running down the stairs towards the noise, which seemed to be coming from the kitchen.

"Cassidy? Where are you?"

"Hurry!"

Andy slid into the room to find Olivia looking down at her hand with wide, white eyes as blood dripped steadily from the seemingly huge gash in her hand.

"Oh baby, it's okay," Andy said, nearly slipping in the blood that had already pooled at Olivia's feet. "Cassidy, get me a towel, a sheet or something," she looked at the girl. "Anything Cass."

She looked at Olivia and noticed her face was going a bit grey and she'd started to sway as she stood there. Andy knew they were in trouble and she held Olivia's arm above her head.

"Liv? Livvy baby, look at me please," she said forcefully.

"Andy?" she whispered.

"I'm here Princess," Andy smiled, taking tea towel Cassidy passed her. "This might hurt okay? If you want to cry you go ahead."

"Andréa? Oh, God -"

"Babe?" Andy said, cutting through whatever else Miranda was going to say with the unfamiliar name. "Relax, breathe," she looked back at Olivia. "Show Miranda how we breathe baby, in and out, that's right," she said, kneeling beside her and pulling Olivia into her lap.

Miranda mercifully remained silent, watching from the door, as Andy used the long-ago first aid training to wrap the hand in the towel.

"Do you have a first aid kit?"

"Cassidy? Bathroom," Miranda said, finally taking a step into the room. Andy looked up at her as she pressed a kiss to Olivia's head, whispering how well she was doing and how they were going to be alright. The silent conversation they had in their eyes revealed all they needed to know about what was going to happen next; Andy could not be seen to take Miranda's child to hospital.

"Got it Andy."

"Okay, Liv, I want you to sit on Miranda's knee, can you do that?"

Andy nodded for Miranda to take a seat and sat Olivia down. The bleeding was tapering off, but by the looks of it, the cut was quite a bit worse than she had originally thought.

"Okay, be brave baby," Andy whispered, waiting for Miranda to wrap her arms around Olivia's middle and grip her bad arm to keep it elevated.

The towel stuck a little and as Andy gently pulled it away, that was when Olivia started crying.

"I know baby, I know. I'm going to be quick, it's okay."

"Mom?"

"Caroline, not now, go upstairs and take the boys into the media room. Call Cara and ask her if she can be here early."

"Yes Mom."

Andy bandaged the hand up so that they could travel and then let Olivia go so she could sob into Miranda's chest.

"I'll go get you some clothes," Andy whispered.

"No! Wait, Andréa don't move, Cassidy, go and get me a pair of jeans and my green polo, and bring the pile of clothes on the dresser please."

Andy watched in confusion as an ashen faced Cassidy ran away upstairs.

"You need to wash," Miranda said gently.

Andy looked down at herself and saw the blood coating her legs, arms and hands.

"Oh," Andy frowned. "That's -"

She swallowed thickly and tried to breathe deeply. She had no problem with blood, none whatsoever, but this blood had come from their baby, their little Livvy and that was causing her problems.

"Andréa, go and have a shower, there's one in the bathroom we never use," she pointed down the corridor. "Take your pants off, leave them there," Andy did as she was told, tiptoeing through the corridor to the bathroom and closing the door on the world. She stood in front of the mirror, trying not to throw up before remembering who she was and who she was with. Miranda needed her to be all there, to be composed and reliable, even as her partner.

She had a quick shower, and found a pile of clothing on the counter, obviously someone had come in while she was under the spray.

"Okay, what's happening?" Andy asked, finding them in the guest sitting room.

"I have called Roy, he'll be two minutes. He's going to take us," she paused and looked down at Olivia, "out and then I thought you could take the children out for breakfast - I'd forgotten Cara couldn't be here early. Go and have breakfast, take their minds off things and if it's not too bad we'll meet you, or, something -"

Miranda sounded uncharacteristically fragile, and Andy sat down and wrapped her arms around both of them, taking care not to hurt Olivia accidentally.

"It'll be alright," she whispered, though she didn't know who to. "It's going to be alright."

"Roy's here."

Miranda stood with the help of Andy, rearranging Olivia on her hip.

"I'll call ahead," Andy said, pressing a kiss to both of their heads before the door was opened. "And I'll let you know what we're doing."

She opened the door for Miranda and watched as Roy bundled them inside and drove off with two of her most precious people.

-0-

"Is she okay?" Caroline asked as Andy entered the den.

Her phone calls had been made, the appropriate people having been told, Andy collapsed on the sofa, her arm over her eyes. She couldn't answer Caroline's question, because she didn't know herself. She wondered if this was why Miranda wanted her to take the children out, but with all they'd done in the last hour, she gave herself two minutes to recoup.

"Where's Livvy?" Sam asked, clambering onto her stomach.

"Livvy had a little accident," Andy said finally, lifting her head and smoothing back his hair. "She's fine, she just cut her hand. She'd got to go to the doctors to get it all stitched up."

"When is Mom ringing?" Cassidy asked from the door. The experience had troubled her greatly by the look of it, and Andy made a mental note to keep an eye on her through the day. "Should we get ready for school?"

Andy looked at her, remembering the day and sighed. Miranda wouldn't be going to work and neither would she. The kids would all be staying home today.

"No, no school. Everyone go and get showered and ready to go out and I'll take you to breakfast."

They disappeared upstairs, the girls helping to corral the boys and she was left sitting on the sofa, thinking about their morning. Olivia and Nick had been successfully enrolled into Dalton, but on Dalton's advice, would not start for another month when the term started again after the holidays. Andy agreed with that, to give the kids more time to get settled and work out all the kinks in the family dynamic. The downside was that both of them were bored, even with Cara tutoring them when she could. Olivia was increasingly adventurous in search of new things to occupy her obviously intelligent mind.

Andy supposed that is what she was doing in the kitchen. Cooking, no doubt - her favourite new skill. They'd have to think about that afterwards, but for now, she sat with her head in her hands, hoping that Liv had not damaged her hand permanently.

Her phone started ringing and she scrambled around trying to find it.

"Yes?"

"Andréa," Miranda sighed, sounding so helpless.

"Hey," she smiled down the phone, trying to help her partner out. "Hey, how is she?"

"They've given her something for the pain, so she's woozy, but they are talking tendon damage and repair, Andréa I -"

"Shh," Andy whispered down the phone, wishing she could take Miranda in her arms and hold her tight. "Breathe babe, just breathe for a while."

Miranda did so, loud enough that Andy could still hear the hiccups in her throat and she sat on the line in silence.

"They're going to take her for exploratory surgery. She has to," she gulped, "to have a general anaesthetic."

"It's going to be alright Miranda, they do this every day, you have the head of Surgery in your personal address book, he's going to look after you and Liv, okay?"

"Andy -"

"Miranda, I'm right here with you," smiling at the name. "I'm right here, and she's going to be alright. She's going to be alright, even if they find something, if she has to wear a cast for a while, if she has to," Andy was the one to swallow hard this time, "if they have to repair tendons, or whatever, she will be alright, because she's Olivia, and she's our baby."

A ragged breath came through the phone, and Andy knew she was close to losing it. It was something she'd have never believed Miranda capable of before spending their nights quietly discussing her fears. She covered the speaker and motioned for Caroline to come closer.

"Call Roy," she whispered, "I need to talk to him."

Caroline did as she was asked while Andy was talking quietly down the phone.

"Where is she now?"

"She's asleep, I had to be out in the corridor to use the phone, but she, she didn't look good. They say it bled a lot."

Andy nearly said that they knew that already, but Caroline had passed her the phone in time to cut her off.

"Roy?"

"Andy, is the little one alright?"

"She's got to have surgery. Can you," she sighed. "I know it's a big ask, but can you go in and sit with Miranda?"

"I, are you sure?"

"I am," Andy said. "I can't be there, but she needs someone to just be steady. I'm going to come over as soon as Cara gets here."

"Alright Andy, alright."

"I owe you."

"Nah," he said quietly and Andy could imagine him taking his jacket off, and his tie and leaving his hat behind in an attempt to appear more casual. "I'd do it for her anyway."

She hung up on him and went back to Miranda.

"Babe? Roy's going to come and sit with you. Let him be there for you while I'm not. As soon as Cara gets here, I'll come and sit with you."

"Andréa -"

"I know," Andy sighed. "But it's the best I can do. Trust him, I told you, he loves you."

"I will try."

"Good, let me know what they say," Andy said, hearing the kids descending the stairs. "I have to go, I love you."

"And I love you."

"Give Livvy a kiss for me."

"I will," Miranda whispered, hanging up without another word.

-0-

Andy walked with Sam and Nicholas' hands in hers, the twins walking in front, off to Central Park for breakfast.

"We're in your capable hands girls," Andy said, following them along the pathways.

"We thought we'd go to the Boathouse," Caroline said, pointing ahead. "They have the best pancakes."

"Alrighty, let's step it out! Cara's going to meet us there and take you guys home while I go and check on Livvy."

The arrived in good time and while they stood in line, Andy spent some time with each boy, pointing out dishes and discussing their options.

"Do you guys know what you're having?" Andy asked when it was nearly their turn to order.

"Pancakes with bacon please," Caroline said. "Cassidy wants the same."

"Alright sweetie, can you go and find us a table?"

"Yeah, come on Cass."

Andy held the boy's hands tightly and smiled at the woman taking their order. She had to interrupt their ordering to pick Sam up and swap Nicholas' hand, but eventually she managed to get everything right. She paid with her own money, remembering that Miranda and her had never talked about her contributing to the running costs.

They made their way over to the girls, and Andy caught them cuddled up together with Cassidy rubbing her eyes.

"Oh baby," Andy said quietly. "Sam, can you be a big boy and sit there with Caroline while I talk to Cassy?"

"Okay," he said, clambering up onto Caroline.

Andy got out a book for Nicholas to look at while they sat, and passed Sam his cars and then pulled Cassidy into her arms.

"Don't be sad little one," Andy said. "It's not your fault."

"There was so much blood," she whimpered.

"I know," Andy said, rocking her gently. She'd had enough all over her to know this very well.

Cassidy went quiet, but stayed where she was wrapped around Andy, even though she had her attention on the boys. She kept their attention from drifting to Olivia by playing i-spy and a few counting games that Cara had taught them. One of them even Nick could play.