A/N: This one is going out with a massive shout out to Callie-G over on FFNet for providing the prompt.
Summary: Years after the events in Paris, Miranda finds one of her darling Bobbsey's remained in touch with the assistant that got away, Andréa (Call me Andy) Sachs. What will happen when the editor comes face to face with her past? Will she still see a lot of herself in the brunette?
Disclaimer: As always, I am just fooling around with these characters. I do not make any money them because Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox own them.
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Andy internally counted to ten trying to stop her swirling panic at Ethan's words "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. What the fuck was my boy thinking? Bloody Christian, he just had to pass some of his dumbass genes on to our son. It's just like that time he thought it would be a good idea to kick the lamp-post and broke his toe, the dumbass!" She took Ethan and held him towards the light as she tried to peer up his nose. Was that the LEGO or just booger? "Uugh! Why couldn't I have been blessed with a little girl? How the fuck did it get that far up?" She mused.
Andy knew deep down she wouldn't really trade Ethan for the world, but he was prone to this sort of thing. He had her clumsiness and Christian's adventurous spirit. "Why on Earth would you put LEGO up your nose, E.J?"
Ethan shrugged. "I dunno. Felt like a good idea."
Miranda whispered to Cassidy to go to her bathroom and get her tweezers and the face wipes. She was struggling to hide her smirk.
As Cassidy rushed back into the room, Miranda knelt in front of Ethan and tried to prise the block of plastic from his nostril. Ethan squirmed away from the probing, becoming upset and clearly terrified to let Miranda continue. He started sobbing and tried to hide his face in Andy's neck.
"Hold your finger over his nostril," Miranda told Andy softly. She complied quickly. "Now, Ethan I need you to blow."
Ethan tried, but between his crying and the big breaths he was taking with each sob, he was somehow taking the LEGO brick deeper into his nasal cavity.
"Bloody hell! Cassidy, call Cara." Miranda didn't want to rush them all off to the Emergency Room unnecessarily and as an experienced nanny, she was sure Cara would have answers for this particular fiasco.
Cassidy whipped her cell out and made the call quickly. After explaining what had happened, they all heard Cara's loud laughter as Cassidy handed Miranda the cell.
Miranda listened to the woman, who was still laughing on the other end of the phone. She clarified certain points in the instructions. "So, they call it the mother's kiss, how delightful." Miranda deadpanned. "Thank you, Cara. I shall let you know if we are successful."
Andy caught her eyes and saw the concern etched in them. "What do I have to do?" She asked.
"Put your hair in a ponytail. I will take Ethan and hold him close. You will need to plug the unaffected nostril with your finger while covering his mouth with yours, creating a seal, then blow a short, powerful breath. And pray for the best, Andréa. This could actually save us from spending Friday night in the E.R"
She was grateful for Miranda's quick thinking about contacting Cara because a three-hour wait at the local E.R was the last thing she needed after the week she'd had.
Andy sighed and handed Ethan over. Taking the hair tie from her wrist, she tied it up efficiently. "Come on little man, we need to try to remove that LEGO brick." She leaned over her son, offering what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "First, gimme a smooch, sunshine."
As Ethan turned his head, his lips pouted, she swept in and in one fluid movement, plugged his nose and blew swiftly.
Ethan gasped in surprise as a healthy dose of blood and snot flew from his nose and landed against Andy's cheek and shoulder along with the bright yellow brick.
Andy's eyes widened in disbelief. It actually worked. She could kiss Cara; the woman was clearly a legend. If someone had actually taken the time to show her this, it would have saved her at least two trips to the E.R with her boy, one when he decided to shove a penny up there and another when an eraser "accidentally" ended up there. She wondered idly if Cara had any magic cures for things in ears too.
She looked up at Miranda and grinned at the sight of her holding out a face wipe. "Clean up, Andréa, that splatter of bloody mucus is not at all appealing."
Ethan was settling now the drama was over, his tired eyes on Andy as she wiped her face and then his nose, getting him to blow his nose on one of the soft wipes. "I'm sorry, momma." He whispered, his lips forming a cute little pout.
Andy shook her head; she seriously couldn't be mad at the little boy. His gorgeous blue eyes were always her undoing. "It's okay, sunshine. But no more things up the nose." She chided gently.
"I promise." Ethan gave her a wide smile and she was far from reassured by it. "Can I put it in a jar, just like the doctor did with my penny?"
"No!" Miranda and Andy told him at the same time.
"Okay," Ethan sulked.
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Miranda had found amusement in the incident with Ethan, but she was happy it had been so easily resolved.
As they sat down to pizza for dinner, Miranda found contentment in the noise of the chatter. Isabel was going above and beyond to try and include Caroline in their conversation which she could tell pleased Cassidy greatly. Caroline, however, was still being somewhat reticent with both Andréa and Isabel although she cast them a few curious glances as they ate.
The dinner ended with Isabel and Cassidy picking up the pizza boxes and heading outside to dump them in the trash and Ethan scrubbing his eyes with his fists and yawning, the excitement of the day had clearly caught up with him.
As Andréa stood, Caroline spoke. "Does all this mean you're moving in, now, Andy?"
Andréa stalled and her eyes shot to Miranda, expressing her surprise. She finally tore her eyes away and gazed at Caroline. "No." She whispered. "It's a little early in mine and your mom's relationship for that. But hopefully, you're amenable to us all spending more time together?"
"Whatever." Caroline stood and stalked from the kitchen.
"What was that about?" Andréa asked incredulously.
I have no idea, but I aim to find out." Miranda stated. "Are you going to settle the little man?"
"Yeah, I thought a calming bath and story time." Andréa smiled softly.
"Acceptable." Miranda pursed her lips. "I will endeavour to speak to Caroline. Her attitude needs an adjustment."
Andréa lifted the sleepy little boy into her arms and stepped beside her. "Good luck with your chat." She stepped from the room and Miranda caught the muttered words. "I think you're going to need it."
Miranda found herself smirking. Andréa would surely know she would catch the words. Stepping behind the brunette, she watched as she took Ethan into his new room before knocking on Caroline's door.
As it opened, she caught her eldest daughter's eyes. "We need to talk." She stated. Caroline frowned at her but opened the door further and gestured her inside. Miranda settled on the bed and patted the space beside her. "Come sit."
Caroline sighed and closed the door before sitting down gingerly beside her. Miranda pulled her close and inhaled. "Why are you still being difficult with Andréa?"
"I know you, mom. I realise you've been sad and lonely since Andy left." Caroline started.
"Go on," Miranda urged.
"I can see this new relationship means a lot to you. Andy is it for you." Caroline swallowed audibly. "You're planning for the future with her, with the hope she'll eventually move in with us."
"Would you have a problem with that?" Miranda asked gently. "I realise it is may seem to be moving extraordinarily quickly." She understood just how much her beautiful daughter struggled to voice her emotions when overwhelmed. She was so much like herself.
"It's just..." Caroline trailed off and she felt the splash of tears on her neck. "...she left us once, what's to stop her doing it again?"
Caroline's tears tore at her heart. "Losing someone you love is never easy, Caroline. You know that first hand from how deeply you felt Andréa's loss all those years ago. I did not realise how your relationship with her had evolved over her time at Runway. I did not see that you felt her loss as acutely as I did."
"Do you really love her?" Caroline asked.
"Yes, and she knows this. And I believe she feels just as strongly. We are not yet in a place to make grand declarations, having so very recently reconnected, but it makes it no less true." Miranda stated. "And I do not believe Andréa would ever leave us again. She has been there for Cassidy all these years, and I am certain if you had given her a chance, she would have been there for you also. Something tells me your distance has hurt Andréa."
"Won't she hate me for being a brat?" Caroline sniffed.
"No, I do not think so." Miranda ran reassuring circles between her daughter's shoulders. "Andréa was brutally honest last weekend, and not only with you. There are certainly times she does not appreciate your attitude towards her, nor mine." Miranda added. "She will no doubt raise it with you. I must admit I also find it displeasing."
"I'm sorry mom...I just...I don't want to let her close if she's just going to leave again." Caroline admitted. "I'm scared she'll hurt us."
"What you need to remember is Andréa has a great capacity for love. After all, she has found something to love in me."
"You're not that bad." Caroline scoffed.
"Perhaps so, Bobbsey. What you must also remember is you are only guaranteed this moment in life; you must make the most of it. Cherish the times you have with those you love instead of focussing on what ifs." Miranda advised. "Face this fear head-on and simply take things one step at a time. I'm sure you will see, given time, that this second chance, at having Andréa in our lives, is a positive."
"How can you know that?" Caroline asked.
"I once told Andréa I had hope. I live on it." Miranda's told her. "There is a small part of me has always hoped Andréa would return to me, as my equal. So, when we met again last weekend and I realised she no longer feared me, I found I could not let her go again so easily." Miranda wasn't usually this honest with her daughters, but she wanted Caroline to see just how important this connection with Andréa was. "When you meet someone whose soul calls to yours; like Cassidy's does to Isabel and mine to Andréa, you will realise what depths someone will go to, in order to keep that person in your life."
"Do you think I'll ever find it?" Caroline asked, pulling away and drying her eyes with the heels of her hands.
"I am certain you will. The people who enter our lives teach us some necessary lessons, Caroline. Just look at me. I was forty-eight when Andréa and I first met. I was married and had two impish daughters. Now, the daughters will never change, but my age and marital status have."
"What did she teach you?" Caroline murmured, pulling herself back together slowly as Miranda spoke.
"She taught me to listen to my heart over my head. I have always regretted the action I took to push her away. The reason for that was because I refused to listen to my heart and my mind kept whispering that I would never be able to give her what she needed. And now, well, I am at the age where I am beginning to contemplate my future again. You and Cassidy will be going off to college in a few short years. I do not want to be alone, rambling around this large house."
"Why haven't you dated if you didn't want to be alone?" Caroline was curious.
The question was one she had asked herself multiple times, always with the same answer. "No one could ever come close to what I feel for Andréa. Nothing has ever come close except what I feel for you and Cassidy. But that is different, you are my children."
"I should apologise to her," Caroline muttered.
"Not yet, Andréa is settling Ethan for the night," Miranda advised, pulling Caroline back into her arms.
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Caroline knocked on the door to the small library timidly, having watched Andy go in there after settling Ethan. She wasn't used to this, apologising for her behaviour, but the fact her mom wasn't happy meant more to her than her pride.
Entering the room, she looked directly into Andy's expressive eyes. She could see the hurt there quite clearly which made her feel ten times worse
She remembered her words to Andy upon greeting her at Dalton all those years before.
"Hey, kiddos." Andy smiled, clearly happy to see them, but also nervous. "This is Izzy, my adopted daughter." Her smile widened as she looked at the little girl and her eyes held an insurmountable amount of love. "Izzy, this is Caroline and Cassidy Priestly. They'll be in the same grade as you."
Izzy ducked her head shyly and blushed. "Hi." She whispered nervously.
Cassidy bounced excitedly on the spot, causing her to frown. "Hi Andy, I've missed you." She watched as her sister wrapped her arms around the brunette tightly, muttering that nothing was the same without her.
"No, nothing's the same." Caroline spat. "It's better." She ground her teeth together. "I, for one, wish I never had to lay eyes on you again." Caroline was hurt at the gentleness and affection Andy's eyes held when she looked at her new daughter. It was exactly how she used to look at her and Cassidy. But not for the last eight months. Her life, without the gentle brunette, seemed darker and her mom was sadder and barely spent any time at home. No, nothing was the same. Caroline brushed past them, totally ignoring the blonde girl.
"Care? Don't be like that." Cassidy called out after her. She ignored her twin but felt the hurt and frustration rolling off her in waves. She caught Cassidy's words as she turned the corner out of their sight and leaned against a wall. "Well, I'm happy to see you, Andy. And to meet you, Izzy. Just ignore Care, for now, she'll come around."
"Are you sure about that, Cassi?" Andy asked softly. She could hear the hurt in Andy's voice.
"No," Cassidy breathed. "But I have hope."
"What can I do for you, Caroline?" Andy's voice broke into her thoughts, startling her. She had no idea just how long she had been stood there.
"Uh...well..." Caroline struggled to find the words.
"Just spit it out," Andy stated.
Caroline could sense she had truly hurt Andy again, and she was trying to harden herself against further pain. "I just...Ijustwantedtosaysorry" Caroline found herself stumbling in the rush to get the words out.
"Can you say that again, please? In English perhaps?" Andy smirked as she blew out a flustered breath.
"I just wanted to say sorry," Caroline stated quietly. "You don't deserve to face the brunt of my attitude. I wanted you to know that I am glad you are here." Caroline dropped her head, suddenly feeling vulnerable.
She heard the rustling as Andy moved and before she knew what was happening, her face was being held up so Andy could catch her eyes. She saw the same affection in the dark expressive orbs as they always held, well, since they had promised not to prank her again after the Harry Potter thing.
She felt an overwhelming sense of relief as Andy pulled her close, holding her tightly against her chest. She could feel the older woman trembling and knew she was crying. She pulled back, and taking Andy's hand, pulled her back towards the sofa.
"Don't cry. Mom will think I've upset you again." Caroline whispered. Andy snorted out a bark of laughter. "She cares about your wellbeing. She wants you to be happy here with us." Caroline spoke softly. "But if I give you a chance, I need you to promise me something."
"Anything." Andy husked.
"You can't leave us, no matter if mom tries to push you away." Caroline glanced at her and saw the surprise in Andy's eyes.
"I never wanted to leave any of you," Andy explained. "But how could I have kept my place in your life, when your mom didn't want me to be a part of it? If I could have been there for you guys, I would have been."
"I know," Caroline muttered. "But you still haven't promised."
"I promise I will not willingly leave you, Caro." Andy breathed. "You know I've missed you, right?" She asked.
"Yeah. Cassi told me every time she saw you, you asked after me," Caroline admitted.
Andy pulled her into her arms gently. "You and Cassi have always meant the absolute world to me."
"Not as much as Izzy," Caroline muttered darkly.
"Izzy and I have had rough times, Caro. It wasn't always this easy." Andy explained. "It has taken her a long time to see me as more than her cousin, as a parent for want of a better word. "
"Why?" Caroline asked. "Surely she knows how lucky she is to have you?"
"Thank you, honey. I think she does now, but I recently found out my mom told her I never really wanted her and had to be coerced into taking her in when Amy passed away. Izzy lived with that belief for quite a few years" She could almost taste Andy's anger as it rolled off her. "My dad always felt he was too old to raise another child, and my mom initially agreed, but then she changed her mind after Izzy finally started to settle with me."
"What happened?" Caroline asked. Andy frowned. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Caroline looked up as she heard the library door open and the sofa dipped beside her as her mom sat down with them.
Andy swallowed and caught her eyes. "My mom started legal action, to fight Amy's last wishes through the courts, and things got pretty ugly between us. I tried to hide the worst of it all from Izzy as I believed she was still struggling with the loss of Amy." She turned away. "I noticed a change in Izzy's behaviour towards me after that first summer trip to Ohio. She had just been granted the scholarship at Dalton and was happy when she left New York but when she returned, she acted colder towards me. With fighting my mom and everything, I pushed the bad feeling I had aside. Izzy still told me about her day at school and her growing friendship with Cassi, but no matter what I did, I could not break through the barrier she built around herself. She wouldn't accept me hugging her or offering her comfort."
"You didn't lose her though," Caroline stated.
"True. My mom failed, but the damage was already done. My relationship with my parents was irreparable and my mom had done her best to ensure Izzy doubted me." Andy licked her dry lips. Taking her water off the coffee table, she sipped slowly. "It was my dad set the record straight about eighteen months ago. They were emailing because Izzy had some questions for an assignment and he accidentally informed Izzy that I fought to keep her with me and E.J. When she came home that day, she called me her momma for the first time. We've experienced a lot of firsts since then. I got my first award, but Izzy had some of her art on display at Dalton, so I went to that instead. I was so, so very proud of her. We grieved together for the lost time but we make up for it every day."
"I haven't been particularly nice to her, have I?" Caroline looked away, shamefaced.
"No, but given the chance, you could change that," Andy spoke softly. "I would like it if you could become friends, although I don't expect it."
"You don't?" Caroline was stunned.
"No, although I know, given enough time, you could be the best of friends, you need to choose the people who you believe will stand beside you when life turns to hell. If that's not Izzy, then I only hope whoever it is, is worthy." Andy smiled softly. "You must make your own choices, Caro. They will shape you, and your world."
"I choose family." Caroline pulled away and stood. "I choose you, Izzy, the little monkey-man, Cassi and mom." She wagged her finger at the two women. "And you two need to date..." She trailed off, biting her lip. "...openly." As she stepped from the room, she turned towards the two women who had moved closer to each other. "Thank you for your honesty, Andy." She nodded once before sweeping from the room without a backward glance.
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