A/N 1: Read disclaimers from Chapter 1 before proceeding

A/N 2: Un-betaed, so all mistakes are mine.

Hope you still find this worth reading. Tell me what you think!

"With one burning hand she held his and with the other she kept pushing him away."

- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

It had been over a week since that Sunday night dinner and Andy hasn't seen the Priestlys' since then.

She had spoken to Caroline and Cassidy over the phone and decided on show timings for the coming weekend. Miranda on the other hand had completely disappeared off the radar since that evening. Chris had decided he wanted to go to a video game parlour with his Snow Fairy and she had called up Miranda to let her know about it, but unfortunately she'd been sent to voicemail every time.

One of Miranda's assistants had later called up Andy to let her know that she was 'extremely busy' and wanted to know Chris's plans so she could juggle her schedule accordingly. Andy had seen this before, so she had let the clacker know that Miranda would have to talk to Chris directly regarding that matter. However Miranda hadn't yet called and in the process had highly dampened Chris's spirits.

9th August 2009

The Mirror

2.04 p.m.

Andy was washing down a cheese bagel with a cup of lukewarm Starbucks when her phone's caller id announced it was a certain Miranda Priestly calling. At last. Andy can't pretend she isn't thrilled and yet she wants to be angry at Miranda for not calling earlier, for letting Chris down because it's her duty—no it isn't her duty, Miranda doesn't owe them anything and before a million other thoughts invade Andy's mind she picks up her cell on the fourth ring and tries to sound a little less than overtly cheerful.

'Hey! I've been—where have—how—are you, Miranda?' smooth Andy. Smooth.

Andy awaits a reply from the other side but doesn't get one. Instead she registers a faint sniffle coming from the other end of the phone.

'Miranda?'

Nothing.

'Hello? Miranda? Hey, what's-are you alright? No, I mean, what's wrong? Is Caro and Cass okay?'

'No. I mean yes, they're—okay.' Miranda sobs into the telephone. Andy hasn't seen or even heard Miranda cry in a long time and today she gets the same feeling she used to get a year back-to hug and kiss and wipe all her tears away and it sucks that she can't do it anymore.

'Andrea—I need your help.' Miranda pleads, pain evident in her voice.

'Miranda, help-what's? Where are you?' she's scaring the shit out of Andy and-

'I'm—I'm in the stairwell—at office I mean—I don't know what to do!' Miranda is confusing Andy more and more with every sentence of hers.

'Where? What do you mean you don't know what to do? Miranda, for once, explain what's happening in Andy language, not Miranda language!'

'I—I, can I—I need to see you.' Miranda replies in an uncharacteristically broken voice which in turns makes Andy want to dig a huge hole into the ground and disappear forever.

'Okay! Okay, yes, do you want me to come to the office? I can be there in twenty.'

'No! No, not the office. Somewhere, far-away-from my life. Can I meet you at your apartment, please?' again with the 'please'.

Andy has a million articles to write and leads to follow but she has to decide what's important and worthwhile and like always she chooses Miranda. Like always.

'Yes, I'll be there. Of course you can come.' Then she adds 'Miranda, I'm here.'

She hears a small sigh, somewhat like a breath of relief from the other end of the line before it cuts off.

Andy's Lower Manhattan Apartment

2.40 p.m.

Andy has managed to reach home in record time-appeasing the Boss, assembling her mound of research articles and a half eaten cupcake and stashing them into her godforsaken briefcase, knocking down innocent pedestrians and almost harassing the subway driver to fly.

'Hey Dmitri, did someone come ask for me?' a dishevelled Andy asks the shocked doorman.

'No Miss, only the cat lady trying to sell you her cat.'

'Okay, okay, if Miranda—umm, the one who came that day with her dau-'

Oh yes Miss, I remember her.' Dmitri blushes a deep tinge of red. Andy wants to punch his face.

'Yeah okay! Send her up immediately, don't make her wait.' For a moment Andy considers making Miranda wait because then she'd spew her wrath onto poor lovestruck Dmitri and he'd be disillusioned forever but she curses herself for being so jealous and stupid when she realizes Miranda is no longer hers. With that comes the realization that even after everything she'd give up on anything for Miranda-to make sure she's fine.

It disturbs Andy a little too much but she tries to push it to the back of her head and decides how to help Miranda, as a friend. Only a friend.

2.50 p.m.

Andy's been pacing her apartment for the past 10 minutes and she answers the door even before Miranda can ring the bell.

To the normal eye Miranda Priestly looks as Miranda Priestly as ever-dressed up to the nines in a leopard print partially see-through chiffon blouse and a black pencil skirt complete with a pair of black Louboutins, Andy almost falls for the facade, but then her eyes catch a glimpse of the shocking paleness below all the makeup, the red rimmed eyes hidden beneath Gucci sunglasses and that's when she realizes Miranda wasn't kidding about needing help. At all.

'Hey, come in. Please, sit down. Can I get anythi-' and even before Andy could finish her sentence Miranda has all but flung herself at Andy and is now sobbing into her chest. Andy somehow manages to close the door and wraps her arms around the crying woman.

'Hey, hey, hey...it's okay..it's okay.' For one thing Andy knows not to ask Miranda the root cause of the problem until she has cooled down and for another Andy is really at her wit's end trying to figure out what is going on-between being engulfed by Miranda's signature scent on the one hand and being soaked by her tears on the other she has the tremendous urge to forget all about the past so that she can love Miranda all over again and kiss her tears away.

She guides Miranda to the settee and allows the woman to cry her heart out. Andy's cheap clothes are ruined with tears and mascara and so are Miranda's expensive ones but Andy knows Miranda requires this, whatever might be the reason. A similar setting from Paris comes back to mind-just like this afternoon, that night in Paris Miranda had cried and cried and cried, like a little girl-grieving another failed marriage, the way she unintentionally ended up hurting her daughters, all that she had given to become Miranda Priestly and Andy had been there-just like she is here today-like a steady rock-unwavering and strong.

After what seems like a million years Miranda retrieves herself from Andy's embrace and wipes at her eyes with a wad of Kleenex which Andy had kept ready in anticipation.

'I—uh—I don't think I can do this again.' Miranda speaks in a cracked voice and looks away from Andrea.

Andy takes a moment to process the information and when the output comes out in indecipherable Miranda language, she asks, 'What? I'm sorry—do what?'

'This.' Miranda gestures vaguely around the room. 'Where's Christopher?'

'He's got a play-date.' Andy says distractedly 'no, what do you mean this?'

'This whole thing. I'm not ready to do this all over again and lose-'

Andy silences Miranda with her hand, 'and lose what? There is nothing, nothing to lose. Miranda, NOTHING is going to happen. How long, hmm, for long will you deprive yourself? Miranda, it's time you moved on and this, this Miranda, Chris is your second chance. Don't throw this away!'

Andy cups Miranda's jaw and turns her face willing Miranda to look directly at Andy's face. Their eyes are a whirlpool of emotions and when Miranda says, 'What about us? Will I get a—a second chance?' Andy's eyes begin to tear.

Andy doesn't know the answer to that one—as much as she wants, she can't possibly erase that night from her memory-all the hurtful words, the allegations, the insults which broke her in every possible way keep coming back to haunt her day in and day out. But she knows, no matter what, nothing pains her more than to see the woman she loves in so much pain, so broken and in that moment she pretends it's all well, that nothing has ever happened at all and she kisses Miranda. She kisses Miranda at last.

Then—then everything is like before-Miranda's surprised lips meet hers and then all goes to hell- their tongues battle to rediscover known territory and shapes, their lips feel the familiar warmth of full soft lips, wet against each other, their ears reacquaint themselves with long forgotten sounds of soft moans and whimpers and their hands caress contours well explored and their fingers entangle themselves in silky tresses of brown and white.

Andrea wraps her hands around Miranda's slender body and inhales that familiar sandalwood scent while the older woman seems to have given herself up completely-she moans and whimpers rhythmically and kisses Andy wherever she can. Andy closes her eyes to imprint this moment in her memory forever and-

'I can't even bear to look at you-Not now, not ever. I should have known this was going to happen. Sooner or later they all turn out to be the same—YOU ARE JUST LIKE THOSE BASTARDS. But no,no, I won't give you the satisfaction of leaving me. I'm leaving you-get out of MY house and don't come back ever again-and don't try to contact my children-'

Andy furiously disentangles herself from Miranda's embrace and rushes to the washroom to splash herself with ice cold water. It's too much, too early. She's afraid, afraid of finding love and losing it yet again, and here she was comforting Miranda and asking her to not worry. The irony.

Miranda stands looking small and defeated, face to face with Andy as she opens the bathroom door.

'I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-' and Andy silences the older woman again and embraces her.

'Sssh—time, just give us time.' Andy soothes while Miranda keeps whispering 'sorrys' over and over and over again.

After a while when they both get their bearings back Miranda makes her way to the bathroom to freshen up and retouch her make-up; she's already wasted enough time and she has a print deadline looming over head. Andy realizes there is no point going back to work; instead she decides to wind up unfinished articles until Chris gets back home.

Miranda exits the washroom with her facade perfectly in place; Andy notices she's still pale under all the falsities of vanity but there is that glimmer of hope in her eyes again, the blue is sparkling brilliantly like that night from a few weeks ago. Andy smiles, she too has hope that they might win the game this time.

'So, you're meeting Chris at Fun City this Sunday, I'll drop him there and take the girls for the show. Then dinner at Pastis, my treat!' Andy says running the plan by Miranda.

Miranda nods, then plants a chaste kiss on Andy's cheek before leaving the apartment.

12th August 2011

7.40 p.m.

New York Subway

'Yeah Miranda, our show just got over; we're heading over to Pastis, what's up with you and Chris?' Andy asks into the phone as she jostles with the subway crowd and manages to keep Caroline and Cassidy under her wing.

She hears Chris's giggles from the other side and then he speaks into the phone, 'Mom, Snow Fairy twisted her ankle!'

'What? HOW? Where is she? Give her the phone Chris?' Andy yells.

'Oh for Godsake Andrea don't act like it's World War Three. Now, there has been a change of plans. Like Chris let you know, I'm in no condition to go to Pastis. I've asked Roy to pick us up and take us back home. We'll meet you'll there, we can order in of course.'

'Yea, yes whatever. Are you hurt? I mean do you want me to come? Do we need to go to the hospital?'

'Not really. No and no.' Miranda answers firmly.

'Uh, ohk! Where does it hurt? Only the ankle, right?'

'Yes, I mean no—my—my a—derriere hurts too.' Miranda blushes

'Oh-umm, -how did you hurt yourself?' Andy tries her best to not let Miranda understand she's having a laughing fit.

'Really Andrea, I'm not having a question and answer session over the telephone,' Andrea hears Chris say something in the background about passing the phone to him.

'Mom, Snow Fairy fell on the bowling alley because she was bowling in heels.' Chris manages to say while trying to control his giggles. 'and Mom, her shoes broke and she doesn't have anything to walk in, I'd give her my shoes but they don't fit her and-'

'Okay, okay Chris, now keep the phone, we can talk all about it when you get back.'

'Okie dokie mom. And mom, I had more fun than you did.' He makes a sound to mock his mother.

Andy wants to refute him and say 'No! Even she's had enough fun' but it doesn't seem right, so she agrees.

8.20 p.m.

The Townhouse

'Moommm, Chris, we are home!' Cassidy bellows as she makes her way towards the living room with her sister and Andy following suit.

'Really Cassidy, what have I told you about trying to talk like a civilized human being?' Miranda scolds. Cassidy ignores.

'Hmm..are you okay?' Cassidy asks in a civilized tone and takes a seat next to where her mother has propped up her left foot on a cushion of the sofa.

'Yes, it's hurts only slightly, I've already taken a Tylenol, so it's going to be fine. Children, please order whatever it is you have to.'

Caroline and Cassidy nod after ensuring their mother is fine and then get involved in an argument with Chris over who has had more fun.

'I think I'll bandage your ankle after applying a pain relief spray, that way it'll heal faster.' Andy makes her way to retrieve the fast aid kit from the ground floor washroom (because that's where it always is), Miranda protests but one look from Andy shuts her up.

As Andy starts work on Miranda's ankle taking the utmost care so as to not hurt her Chris begins narrating the story of Miranda's Great Fall without further encouragement.

'-And I was bowling, and then Mama said she could bowl better than me and then, and then she took the ball and whooooooooosssh, she fell down with it, flat, flat on the ground—and then, and then those biiggg heels broke.' Chris exclaimed animatedly making everyone laugh much to Miranda's chagrin.

'Christopher, no need to exaggerate things like your mother does. I did not fall down flat and, and I only broke one heel.' Miranda says blushing furiously. The entire room burst out in laughter again, Miranda purses her lips.

Chris continues his story, 'And then there was this realllyyy cool dude, he had a cool hat and he helped Snow Fairy, coz I couldn't help her—and, and he said I'd be able to help when I'm as big as him. He was ah-mazinng.'

'Ow!' Miranda yelped as Andy tied the bandage a little too tightly.

'Chris, don't say 'dude' and I'm sure he wasn't 'so cool'.' Andy bristles.

'Noooo mom, he was and he even played with me for a while till Roy uncle came over coz Mama couldn't play after that.'

'Oh yeah, I'm sure, he probably helped your Mama into the car too!' Andy says voice laced with envy.

Miranda has the gall to poke Andy with her injured foot and smirk. Andy glistens with jealously. The twins exchange old forgotten looks when things like this were only too common in the household.

'Yea, how did you know? Awesome!' Chris exclaims and then continues narrating little snippets of his greatest-est evening with Mama.

Conversation follows smoothly until dinner arrives which they relish with much fervour except for Andy who still seems to be fuming over the good for nothing so called cool dude.

'Mom, Mooommm, can we please stay over. I've been a good boy the whole entireeee week, please Mom?' Chris pleaded looking at Andy's face with puppy dog eyes, Caroline and Cassidy standing behind him with similar eyes.

'Chris, no sweetheart, besides Jessie is with Aunt Cheryl, we're gonna have to pick her up.'

'But Mom, please, aunt Cheryl loves Jessie, come on, she can keep her for a day.'

'Besides, Andy, what if something happens to Mom at night?' Caroline says putting the utmost concern into her voice.

Andy stares wide eyed, mouth agape at the children. As if on cue Miranda emits a small painful moan and tries to stand up, but isn't capable, 'Caroline! We can't impose on Andrea this way. I will manage on my own.' She tries to stand up again but falls and this Andy rushes forward to catch her. Miranda smiles slyly.

'No, Caroline is right. I'll—we'll stay, I'll call Cheryl. Chris we're only doing this coz Miranda needs me-us-I mean us.' The twins giggle, Andy blushes and ushers the kids out of the room 'Okay, okay off you go, I'll be up to tuck you in and then help Miranda to bed.' And then she blushes a deeper red thinking about the inappropriateness of the line. Miranda looks unfazed.

12.03 p.m.

Guest Bedroom

The Townhouse

After much ado Andy had made Miranda agree to sleep in the ground floor guest bedroom for atleast one night but on the condition that Andy would have to share the bed with Miranda because it was unacceptable by Miranda standards for Andy to sleep on the couch and since she needed to be keep an eye on Miranda no other floor would be acceptable either.

'So, do I need brush up my Taekwondo skills?' Andy asks as she carefully helps Miranda sit down on the bed having helped her into her nightgown( A session which involved lots of unresolved sexual tension, hearts beating at the rate of 1280 beats per minute, high body temperatures and all the steps taken to do nothing about it.)

Miranda stares up at Andy in confusion.

'No, I mean if I need to fend off more 'cool dudes'.' Andy says seriously.

Then, then Miranda laughs-her signature raucous laughter, a sound only a few very privileged people have heard before (Andy being one of them); and the room reverberates with it. Miranda glows from within, shines and then says in the softest voice, 'No, no, how could you have to fend off anybody?' Miranda extends her hand towards Andrea 'Come, it's late.'

Andy takes the offered hand kisses it and joins Miranda on the other side of the bed, 'So, does your derriere still hurt?'

Miranda smacks Andy on the chest playfully, 'What was I supposed to say? Besides, it did hurt.'

'Yes, yes.' Andy wants to say something like 'Oh do you want me to kiss it away' or 'I bet I can make it better' but she resists—it's too early to be making jokes about their intimacy, instead she takes the first step- she embraces Miranda who doesn't resist in the least and kisses her on the forehead and caresses the silky white hair.

Within no time Miranda is out like the light, but sleep doesn't come to Andy that easily. She stares at Miranda for the longest time and wonders about Chris and the girls, this thing between her and Miranda, their past, forgiveness and happiness. For a moment she wonders about the moment when Miranda and the girls re-entered her life and it makes her delirious with joy and in that moment she realizes that she is ready to trade off all the insult from the past, the heart-break and the inexplicable grief for another shot at happiness.

I'm the laziest person on earth. Comments make me a wee bit less lazy! So leave me some! :)