A/N: This was my first attempt at fanfiction. I woke up with the idea in my head after inhaling so much DWP/Mirandy fanfic. This is not beta read. All mistakes are my own. I want to thank those that continue to provide encouragement by commenting on my fics, each one of them is appreciated and they keep me smiling. Thank You!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Characters belonging to The Devil Wears Prada. These are owned by Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox.

Summary: Andy leaves Paris with final words for Miranda.

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Chapter Twenty-One:

Sitting over dinner Diane had seen Andy becoming increasingly tired as they spoke quietly and ate the wonderful meal Cara had prepared for them. The twins kept Andy engaged in conversation, and it was obvious the three Priestly's adored the young woman.

It had shocked Diane to learn of the assault against the gentle brunette sat opposite, her wife worked for the DA's office and had given her the information regarding the events and the charges laid against the two people. They now faced some serious jail time.

As dinner ended, Miranda led them all to the living room, and they settled into the comfortable chairs and couches. Miranda poured more wine for them while Andy moved out of the room. Diane watched the twins as they played the piano and glancing towards her wife spotted her amazement at their skill.

Diane couldn't stop her laughter when Andy returned and handed her the contract with post-it notes attached to the paperwork, she had called it with Charles and Tom and between them; they owed her a bottle of Macallan. She had known Miranda would make herself busy. It was a gesture she had expected knowing how protective she would be of Andy and any changes would be in her best interests. She remembered Miranda negotiated her own contracts like a pro, and she would have used the moment to teach the young woman a valuable lesson about her worth. Placing the contract down she watched as Andy walked across the room and teased the twins. Turning to Miranda, she asked. "She'll be okay, won't she?" The question had plagued her through their dinner.

Miranda sat back in her chair and nodded. "Yes, she will be. That photograph and the events of that evening brought a few things to a head. We have experienced a difficult few months, too fearful to admit what we desired from one another, and, we are still fearful that the happiness we found will be fleeting. But we are working through things and we can spend a few relaxing days at home and hit 2008 in our stride."

"And what plans do you have for the New Year celebrations?" Diane's wife, Amy asked.

Miranda gazed at the younger woman, she was around ten years younger than Diane. She was petite and pretty. She offered a small smile. "I don't know. I have an invitation to the black and white ball, but must admit I would prefer to mark the New Year quietly, surrounded by the people I love the most." Miranda smiled when Andy pounded on the piano keys and laughed as Cassidy squealed, demanding she stopped the racket she was making. "Although on further consideration I doubt very much it would ever be quiet with those three."

"Why do I get the distinct impression you're don't have a problem with that?" Diane's lips quirked as Amy chuckled.

Miranda smiled. "It has amazed me how much of an impact Andréa has had on us all. She brings us all so much happiness, and the girls absolutely adore her." She watched as Andy chased the twins from the room, shrieking over promises of warm milk and cookies.

"I can see that," Amy murmured. "I heard so much about Andy when Diane met her at Northwestern a few years ago. I was almost jealous. Her words were lovely and extraordinarily insightful, it was a shame it was only the Daily Northwestern that enjoyed them and it seems a bigger shame she will not use her talent for reading people while working at Elias Clarke writing for Auto Pornverse and the other magazines."

Miranda sniggered at the name, finding it fitting for the car magazine that insisted on draping semi-naked women across bonnets of cars and on motorcycles and yet still failing to sell. "You recognise it as a talent, reading people?" Miranda queried.

"Don't you?" Amy smiled. "Rumour has it, she reads you better than anyone. She became legendary in your world. We were at a party the other night and James Holt couldn't sing her praises more although there are one or two that seemed less than impressed. There was a blonde, smarmy asshat Diane introduced me to...Thomas or Thompson." She waved her hand. "Total douchebag and that French woman he was with, what an absolute horror."

"Jacqueline," Miranda smirked as Amy nodded. "I suppose when you put it like that, I must agree."

"You are nothing like how they paint you in the press. You've been very warm and welcoming to Diane and me." Amy stated.

Miranda sat back, steepling her hands under her chin as she viewed the two women opposite. "Can I be honest with you?" Seeing the two women nodding, she continued to speak. "I do not always easily connect with people. It is often hard to work out who holds genuine appreciation and affection, and who is just kissing arse because of my position. It gets frustrating. Andréa is, and always has been, the exception to that rule." Miranda looked at Diane. "You are also a powerful force in the business world. How do you cope with it all?"

Diane clasped her wife's hand. "Amy." The one-word answer stunned Miranda, and she sat back. Her eyes blazed with curiosity causing Diane to smirk. "I firmly believe people enter our lives for a reason, and some people come into our world with one express purpose, to love us." Diane looked at her wife. "Amy came into my world randomly. You may have heard rumours I didn't date, I was a reclusive, hard-hearted ball-breaker." Diane's smirk disappeared. "There is a reason behind that impression. I was attacked many years ago after a night out, by one of my coworker's. It was the late 70s and sexual harassment in the workplace was rife. My superiors had dismissed my reports of the man, claiming it was harmless. The fact I reported his attack and then sued my employers is something that is not spoken about openly, even after all the changes regarding sexual harassment laws. I used the pay-out to create my first company and buried myself in my work. I did not care who I trampled on in business while making my way to the top, but I always treated my staff respectfully. I created a safe environment."

"I had no idea," Miranda stated. She looked up at the woman. "I heard the whispered rumours, but paid scant attention to them."

"When I joined the board, I was vocal about how male-dominated it was. The old boys club mentality is something Charles, Tom and I wish to change, which is why I bought major shares. Now with Irv gone, it may be possible to make changes for the better."

"Good." Andy's exclamation had all three women looking towards her. She sat on the arm of Miranda's chair. "More needs to be done to push women forward rather than holding them back." She smiled at Miranda. Andy's cell rang, and she stood up to pull it from her pocket. "It's my dad, excuse me a moment." She stepped away, answering her father's call. "Hi, Poppa bear." She paused a beat. "Oh hey, Max. What's up?" Miranda watched as Andy's back stiffened. "Oooh-kaaay. Yeah. I signed off on it, and...okay, I suppose I can speak to her." Andy looked back at Miranda, her eyes reflecting dread. "Hello, mom. What are you doing in Connecticut?"

Andy moved from the room but the door remained ajar. Miranda heard her ice-cold words to her mother. "I cannot fathom why you would go to Connecticut if you were just bent on upsetting dad..." Miranda stood and moved to close the door fully, but angry words halted her progress. "...I do not care if Mr and Mrs Cooper have an issue with the fact I pressed charges against Nate, he threw my inhaler away in the middle of an asthma attack. I nearly drowned because of his actions." Cassidy and Caroline turned to the door as Andy's frustration became obvious as she listened to whatever Ginny was saying. "Yes, he dragged me out of the water, by my fucking hair..."

Things turned quiet and Miranda assumed Andy had moved away. She turned to sit when Andy's angry voice hit her.

"Just shut up, you understand nothing. I will be a second mom to those beautiful children and one day when the time is right, we will have more babies. But hopefully, that will follow the wedding you are so opposed to." Miranda caught Andy's final words. "I would do it to spite you in your ignorance and hypocrisy but I am doing it for love, no more, no less. Because I hold love in my heart, mom, unlike you. Never try to contact me again, I'm done with you. That's all."

Miranda welcomed a sense of relief that Andy had stood up to her overbearing mother. Turning she observed Diane and Amy looking at each other, startled. Miranda shook her head and sat down. "I assumed that garbage in the press was just that?" Diane whispered.

"Unfortunately, not," Miranda stated as Caroline and Cassidy clambered on her lap, showing their concern.

"Mom, she will not leave us." Cassidy tried to reassure her.

"I know, Bobbsey." Miranda smiled softly before placing a light kiss on the twin's heads. "I am not concerned about that."

"She sounds madder than a box of frogs," Caroline muttered.

"You met her mother, Caroline, it is understandable," Miranda smirked as she caught the other women's eyes. "The news of Andréa's return to New York, and to us, did not please her."

"My dad is also a little difficult when Diane and I first met he would not have her name mentioned in his presence," Amy admitted. "I've from North Carolina originally, Charlotte to be exact. My father is a pastor but his beliefs never matched my own."

Miranda nodded her understanding. "I was raised in the Orthodox Jewish faith, but I have not practised for over thirty years."

"Wow, I didn't know that." Andy stepped into the room, A blush rushed up to her cheeks at the admission in front of their guests. She brushed her hand through her hair and wincing as her fingers caught against the small, tender lump there. "Sorry about that, my mom's being a little difficult."

"You don't have to explain, Andy," Diane stated softly. "You know, I wish I had the words to make it all better, but it gets easier and as the world changes so do people's perception. Just ask Amy." Diane caught Andy's eyes. "We have been together just over eight years, and this was the first Christmas I was included in the holiday wishes from her mom and dad."

Andy tore her eyes away, looking to the twins. Catching Caroline's eyes, she grinned. "I have my own beautiful family now; my sister is accepting and my dad has come around now he's seen this for himself. It sucks that an event that has brought me immeasurable happiness has also caused me to lose people I imagined loved me, regardless."

"It's not the loss of your mom that hurts you, is it Andy?" Amy asked.

Andy looked up and shook her head. "No, my relationship with her has been tense for a long time. It's the loss of childhood friends that stings. It is like the moments we shared and the memories we created mean nothing." She looked at the twins again. "You guys are worth it though, never doubt that." She perched on the arm of the chair again, near her three loves. "Now that's enough being sorry for myself. Imps, I believe it may be time for bed."

"Aww," Cassidy whined and looked to Miranda. "But mo-oom."

Andy looked uncertain and noticed Miranda looking curious. Squaring her shoulders, she grinned at Cassidy. "My little love, but mo-oom doesn't work on us. I have plans for tomorrow and I need you both to get a good night's sleep."

Caroline's eyes blazed at that and she turned to Cassidy, holding one of their silent talks. Nodding once she climbed down from Miranda's knee and held her hand out for Andy. "Come on then, Ma."

The ease of the agreement and the title confused Andy. "Okay, what gives?"

"Well the quicker you tuck us in, the quicker we find out your plans for us," Caroline admitted.

Andy clasped Caroline's hand as she stood and held her other one out for Cassidy. "That's wishful thinking, my imps. You'll find out tomorrow when we arrive at the venue."

Cassidy's groan of displeasure had the adults chuckling as Andy led the twins from the room as they threw goodnight wishes at the other women. They knew if they pleaded hard enough, they would get the answers from their bonus-mom.

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Miranda spent time, after saying goodnight to their guests, deep in reflection. They had made their way to bed and Andréa had dropped asleep, but her mind would not switch off. Rather than lying in the dark and possibly disturbing the woman at her side she crept out of bed and padded through the house to brew tea.

Now, sat in her darkened study, with only a small lamp casting light, she considered all that had brought her to that point.

Picking up Andréa's journal, she re-read a passage which she had almost remarked upon earlier that day after spending time reading the entries. Andréa had written it as she waited for her plane out of New York.

10/18/2007 - New York - JFK

Dear Miranda,

I'm glad you will never read this. I doubt you would ever forgive me for writing a deeply personal missive that someone could read, but I have so many thoughts I need to get out and writing has always been the best way to do that. And yet anything I write will fail to express my feelings. Language will fail me, for the first time. Such is life.

Next to the start was a sketch of her face in profile. The depth of the portrait scratched onto the paper with a ballpoint pen, amazed her.

I've been thinking back to the first time I saw you. I was a little intimidated by you because you were so self-assured, poised and smart! You spoke your mind with confidence and I sensed you were someone to be feared and respected by how everyone at Runway reacted to your unexpected presence.

What I didn't expect to see after that first day was the warmth you try to hide from the world or that you can be fun-loving. I noticed it in the slight tilt of your mouth and spark in your eyes when something amused you and by how you were with your girls. Occasionally I would hear your laughter travelling down the stairs when I brought the book, and I wanted to be a part of that.

I considered myself special because you let me view that side of you, but I never understood why no one else seemed to see you. Were they blind?

I realise you move through your world harnessing control, while I move through it by relinquishing it, by pleasing and serving and giving. Some people have said you exploited me but I never saw it that way. I wanted to please you, to make your eyes sparkle in that special way they have.

I feel like I am a better person for being around you. You made me think harder and deeper than anyone I've ever met before. You are brilliant. When I was with you, the colours were no longer just colours. they danced across my eyes and make the world a more captivating place to be. No longer was there just blue. You filled my world with cerulean, azure, cobalt, turquoise, iris, midnight, and sapphire. My favourite of all is the crystal blue of your eyes.

Every night since I left Paris I have dreamed of you and each morning I wake up with an ache in my heart. I can't stop remembering you, although we're both too prideful to say anything. To ever admit to this strange, special *thing* between us.

You mentioned, while we sat in that tiny Parisian Cafe, you struggled to connect with people. I remember realising there are so many things in this Universe we don't understand, and that was the biggest one. At that moment I thought I understood you better than I ever had. I saw you trying to find meaning for your attitude towards me, you were gentle when you could have made my life Hell. I saw your fear, and I said nothing because I didn't want to mess anything up.

Maybe I should have kissed you when I had the chance. When your face was not even inches from mine as you hugged me in the lobby of the hotel. I almost turned my head when you kissed my cheek to capture your lips in mine. But instead of holding you and never letting go I kept my face averted and let my fear of losing you forever overwhelm me. I think I'll regret that moment for a long time.

For me, saying goodbye has always seemed so final. I couldn't bring myself to say it that night. People come in and out of our lives. I have found, however, that some people will always come back to you. I will always come back to you.

Part of me wishes I had been brave enough, to come and see you before I left the city, but I would not have stopped myself from pouring out what is in my heart and I was unwilling to experience the sting of your displeasure or disgust. Instead, I told you I was ready to leave by email, yet another cowardly move.

What is it about you that pulls me in? Fear? Rarely. Curiosity? Occasionally. Love? Always. I hold so much love, it snuck up and encompassed my heart without me even realising it. I am so irrevocably in love with you and I don't know if anything can convince me we aren't meant to live our lives together. I believe we would fit together beautifully, and even when we would have problems (and believe me, we'd have them), I appreciate we would somehow get through them.

I need time away to convince myself that these thoughts are wrong. That I could never mean to you, what I have realised you do to me. I cannot offer you what you need. It is impossible. I understand it will be a long and difficult journey to come back to you. I need to prove to myself that I am your equal because no matter how you said otherwise, right now I feel far from it. Hopefully, one day, we can become friends without me holding the impossible hope for more.

I wanted to thank you for the things you've taught me. I acknowledge I am a better person for knowing you. I give thanks to the Universe you were, albeit briefly, a shining beacon of hope in my life.

I best sign off now, they are calling the flight.

The entry raised so many questions and left her wanting to reassure the woman sleeping peacefully in her bed. She knew, should Andréa have told her how she felt, there would have been a mutual declaration. Those initial letters in Paris had revealed to her the true nature of her feelings and by the time Andréa had left New York, she had been ready to ask the young woman to stay.

Those two weeks, after Paris, were the worst she had encountered. She missed the woman's presence at Runway and her light, reassuring movements in the foyer of her home each night. It had been intolerable having Emily clunk her way through the house to deliver the book.

Paris had left her feeling disconnected from everyone, including her twins. Cassidy and Caroline had been vocal upon her return, expressing their delight over Stephen's absence. When Andréa did not arrive that first night, she handled the brunt of their displeasure by handing over her email address.

No matter how much she tried to tell herself it was for the best, her world turned dark. Nigel was wary of her and kept his distance, and she could not blame him. Emily's obvious displeasure at missing out on Paris and having to train a new assistant did not ease the tension. Her staff whispered Andrea's name in hushed tones, hoping it wouldn't catch her attention or ire.

She had caught the whispers, that she had fired and blacklisted the woman, having pushed her away for some minute misdemeanour. They bandied Christian's name around as the cause, and the mutters had her jealousy rearing its head. She fired that first replacement for stating that Andréa was clearly a slut having dumped her boyfriend and jumped into bed with the first man that gave her any attention. Her fury that day, upon hearing those words, was beyond anything she'd ever experienced and the wave of fierce protectiveness had opened her mind to the feelings she had been trying hard to repress. She had hissed at the young blonde that her judgement of someone she had never met was deplorable and to get out of her sight.

She had searched the employment files to locate Andréa's address but as she steeled herself to visit the young woman, she received the email advising her of her imminent departure from the city, having already travelled to Ohio to store her things. It seemed she had left it too late.

It was Nigel who made it known throughout Runway that Andréa was travelling, laughingly telling those brave or stupid enough to mention her she was seeking enlightenment in India. She often wondered how much Nigel knew of the young woman's feelings and how much had he guessed at hers? It had been a surprise when he agreed so wholeheartedly to dinner and drinks and it was on that night she found out the true lengths Andréa had gone to for her.

She remembered Nigel's words as she placed a blue moon cocktail in front of him.

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One month Earlier:

His smile was bright and his eyes clear. Gone was the wariness of the month's past. "She loves you, I hope you realise that?" Nigel refused to mince his words as she sat opposite.

"What makes you imagine that, Nigel?" She spoke the words quietly as he sipped his cocktail and hummed.

Nigel licked the cocktail from his lips. "She let me read her letter to you in Paris. I told her she was brave. I asked her why she didn't tell you she loved you and although she tried to deny it, I could see it in her eyes. She didn't see how you could return her feelings. I thought she'd act on the little hope I provided when I told her you had panicked as she skipped across that busy street."

"I was angry. With Stephen, Irv and Christian. With her. I wrote back, I told her not to put her dreams on hold. I told her she would be irreplaceable, but I took Christian Thompson's words to heart. Regardless of what I felt and even if for some absurd reason she gave me a chance and reciprocated my feelings she would leave me eventually as everyone does. If it wasn't him who swooped in to capture her heart, it would be someone else. Someone who deserves to hold her beautiful heart. What could she possibly see in me, Nigel?"

"I have no idea." Nigel grinned at her. "But she finds something to love, her capacity for that astounds me." He shook his head. "Do you know what made me learn to trust her?" Miranda shook her head. "I was often cutting and casually cruel, but she never responded in kind, as Emily or Serena would. She shrugged it off, gave me one of her brightest smiles and killed me with kindness. She placed her trust in me to make her over to gain approval, your approval, Miranda.

"She was positively stunning." Miranda grinned as he preened.

"You should have seen the absolute awe on her face when she saw the closet." He grinned across at her. "I remember it was little things she did that made me appreciate her. One night, we met accidentally in a bar. She saw me looking glum, another relationship had fallen apart. She offered me comfort even though she was struggling with her own personal life. She hugged me tightly and told me he must be an idiot for letting me go." Nigel smirked. "We got drunk, and she told me how her own relationship was falling apart. That night she'd stormed out of her apartment after a massive argument about her work-life balance. She was breathless with rage. That cook of hers told her he preferred the old Andy?"

"I always knew he was unworthy." Miranda hissed. "How could he think that cerulean monstrosity was better than having that beautiful woman draped head to foot in couture? Those lambskin Chanel boots alone should have made him bow down at her feet in supplication. She is a Goddess." The idiotic man's words left Miranda dumfounded. He must be a fool. "Maybe he smacked his head on a frying pan."

Nigel roared, amused that she had spun one of her usual insults around to fit the man. "I think you're right. I remember Six wanted to smack him before Paris." He looked at her. "She was the first to congratulate me over the James Holt job. She is my friend and I want her to be happy."

"I stopped writing to her after Thanksgiving, yet her emails come in regular as clockwork," Miranda admitted.

"What? Why?" Nigel thundered.

Miranda sat back, shocked at the force behind his exclamation. Leaning forward she told him her biggest fear. "She can break me like no other, Nigel."

"I think my Six is a little broken herself these days. She seems flat, lifeless. She sends me an email every so often. They're not her usual style, the free-flowing thought process I became used to seeing. The last one was so carefully constructed, devoid of heart." He caught her eyes. "What will you do to fix this?"

"What can I do? She's at the other side of the world." Miranda whispered.

"Ask her to come home." Nigel leaned across the table, placing a warm hand on top of hers. "Let her love you because having her love and trust will be the best decision you ever make. She is the reason I am here tonight, willing to give you another chance. I told her after the luncheon you would make it up to me, but frankly, I don't trust you will. What I know, thanks to her, is that you need a friend. And I care, Mira, I always have, even when you held me at arm's length. Will you let me be your friend again?"

"Acceptable," Miranda stated with a small smile as she gestured for another round of drinks. "Now, how on Earth did Andréa persuade you to agree to this?"

Nigel smirked and explained how she had worked her magic gradually. Giving him enough hints to let him eventually put all the pieces together to work out what happened in Paris, and the decision behind having Jacqueline move to J.H.I. He'd realised Miranda, in her way, was protecting him. Miranda sat back and listened to Nigel wax poetic about the young woman who had captured her heart and hoped she could find a way to bring her home. She would not give up now she had a reason to hope.

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Miranda looked up at the sound of a small cough coming from the hallway. Standing up she moved to the door and found her Andréa about to knock. She had their duvet wrapped around her shoulders. "My darling, you need not knock, this is your home too." She frowned. "You should sleep, Andréa." Miranda took her hand and pulled Andy closer. Brushing the dark curls from her face she could see she was flushed and her eyes red-rimmed. "What is it?" She asked softly.

"Just a bad dream. You disappeared and when I woke you had gone. I thought...I thought all this had been a cruel dream." Andy exhaled deeply. "I was being silly. Once I woke up properly and realised where I was I tried to settle, but I missed you."

"I am here. I couldn't sleep so I made tea and read a little." Miranda wrapped her arm around Andy's waist. "Come, I'll prepare us a warm drink and we can try to settle again."

"Okay." Andy agreed.

Taking the young woman's hand, she led them into the kitchen and sat Andréa down in her usual spot. Moving quickly, she put water in the kettle and settled it on the stove. Turning around she saw the young woman's eyes on her, watching her movements raptly. "Do you need to talk about anything?" Miranda asked. Seeing the shake of the head, she smiled. "May I speak honestly?" Andy nodded. "I planned to find you, to take time away from Runway and travel with the Bobbsey's."

"How would you have found me?" Andy whispered. "It's not like I settled for too long in one place."

She warmed up the teapot with hot water from the faucet. "Before my marriage ended, I hired a P. I. Although I knew Stephen was cheating I needed concrete proof to ensure he did not fight our prenuptial agreement. I was thinking of retaining her services to help me find the woman who had somehow captured my heart. But then I walked into that restaurant and there you were." She added two teaspoons of loose-leaf tea to an infuser.

"Holy smokes, Batman." Andy grinned. "You'd have probably found me sunning myself on Bondi if it wasn't for Cassidy's email."

Miranda continued to prepare their tea. "A month spent in Australia sounds pleasing, maybe we could plan for Christmas and New Year there next year." Miranda moved back to the kettle as it whistled. Pouring the hot water onto the infusion of fragrant Darjeeling she turned back to face the brunette.

"You want to make plans for next year?" Andy seemed astounded.

"I want to plan the rest of my life with you, Andréa," Miranda stated. She turned away and removed the infuser before turning back to eye her.

"I realise you wanted this, me at your side, but sometimes it's a little overwhelming," Andy whispered as she watched her finish their tea with a teaspoon of honey. "But this is what I want, a future at your side." She breathed.

Miranda stepped towards the breakfast bar, the two mugs of tea clutched firmly in her hands. Placing the mugs down, she continued to move until she was in Andréa's personal space. "I would follow you to the ends of the Earth and beyond, my darling. Never doubt that." She pulled Andy down and caught her lips in a sweet kiss.

"Forget the tea," Andy husked, pulling Miranda closer and deepening their kiss. "Take me to bed, my love."

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