So it turns out the thing I needed to do to get over my writers block was throw myself in the Bruised universe again so here is another installment. This part will only probably make 100% sense if you have read Bruised already but, as long as you don't mind not knowing what Cass and Caro are referring to in the first part then it's not a problem if you haven't.

As usual all mistakes (and there are no doubt many) are mine and I do not own the characters I just like to play with them.

Thank you so much to everyone who has followed, fav'd and reviewed, you guys keep me going.

The next part is in the early stages, but for now I can only hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it.

Warning: slightly soppy Miranda ahead, even if she keeps it all to herself!

"Where did mom and Andy go?" Caroline questioned, slipping up beside her sister who was leant up against the wall watching the people on the dance floor with very little interest. Cassidy had been in an odd mood for most of the day, following her speech Caroline had assumed it was simply nerves but not a lot seemed to have changed in her behaviour since she had finished.

"I think they went out onto the balcony, Andy looked like she needed a minute." Cassidy shrugged,

"You ok?" Caroline leant next to her sister and watched her out of the corner of her eye,

"Yeah," Cassidy shrugged, "Did you ever think you'd see mom marry someone who actually made her happy?"

"I hoped I would, I'm glad it's Andy though." Caroline replied, still regarding her sister, "Are you sure you are ok? You've been acting weird all day, well more weird than usual."

"I thought I'd managed to hide it better."

"Come on Cass' this is me that you're talking to." Caroline chuckled, nudging her sister in the ribs, "You might be able to fool mom and Andy but not me, so come on, what is going on?"

"It's been three years. Three years to the day since the first time I let him hit me. It feels strange to be so happy on what was such an awful day."

"Cass, why didn't you say something?" Caroline slid her arm around her sisters shoulder and squeezed. Things were so good so much of the time that it was easy to forget that her sister had been through such an awful ordeal, especially when so much of it still remained a mystery to everyone except Cassidy and maybe her therapist. "Do mom and Andy know?"

"No and please don't say anything to them Caro, especially not today. I'm fine honestly, it just hits me sometimes that's all."

"Promise to talk to me next time?"

"I promise." Cassidy smiled at her sister and turned back to the dance floor, her eyes widening, "Caro what on earth is Emily doing?"

"Do you think we will be able to sneak off soon?" Andrea asked, leaning back against her wife and allowing the night air to cool her down and calm her frayed nerves. They had spent the last fifteen minutes talking to her parents and although her father had been continually supportive and her mother had come round enough that she was able to be in the same room as the couple and be mostly civil Andrea still spent most of their conversations waiting for her mother to say something to upset someone. Miranda had pulled them away when she had felt Andrea tensing, almost as if she could sense a change in her mother's mood, but Andrea still felt the need to have a few minutes peace which was how they had ended up outside. It had been a beautiful day but now all she could think about was getting away from the guests, changing from her dress and into something more comfortable and spending some quiet time with Miranda and the girls before she and Miranda flew off on their honeymoon and the girls went to spend some time with their father.

"I think since it is our party darling, we can leave when we want to," Miranda pressed a kiss to the other woman's bare shoulder and squeezed her lightly. She was surprised that her new wife had lasted so long, she didn't enjoy being the centre of attention at the best of times but it was impossible to avoid on your wedding day, "Say the word and we can be gone."

"I'd like for it to be now. I'd like us to be on our way to The Hamptons, I'd like to be able to take these shoes off!" while the five inch Christian Louboutins and the Westwood gown were beautiful and made her feel like a queen they were no more a thing that she would choose to spend such a long period of time in than Miranda would want to spend a day in her Northwestern hoody and a pair of yoga pants. She'd been uncomfortable since 9am and it was nearing 9pm, it was past time she was comfortable again.

"Well then, you go and round up the girls, I'll speak to Nigel and Emily about making sure that everyone is distracted long enough for us to get away."

"I love you Mrs Sachs-Priestly," Andrea sighed, turning in the other woman's arms and kissing her lightly,

"And I you my darling, now go on I'll meet you in the lobby in five minutes."

As it was there was no need to ask Nigel or Emily to keep everyone distracted because they both already had everyone's attention on them. Obviously the champagne had been flowing much better than Miranda had thought because her best friend and the woman who had slowly become Andrea's best friend, had taken possession of the bands microphone and appeared to be having some kind of sing off. With a chuckle Miranda took note of the people who appeared to be filming the whole thing so she could contact them the next day for the video before following her wife to the exit.

"Mom can we get changed before we get in the car?" Caroline questioned and Andrea could have kissed her for thinking the same way as she was,

"Of course Bobbsey, our bags are still in the suit and Andrea and I need to leave our dresses for uncle Nigel to get cleaned while we are away," Miranda cast her eye over her family and smiled, unable to prevent the bubble of happiness in her stomach, a sensation which, before Andrea, she had only ever connected with her girls. Finally, for the first time in her life she felt complete, her family felt whole and she knew she would do everything in her power to ensure things remained that way. Having been married before and more than once at that Miranda hadn't expected to feel anything exceptional that day. Her past marriages had been acts of habit, a marriage was expected as the next step in the relationship and she had felt none of the intense emotions normally linked with a wedding, especially when you were the bride. Although her proposal to Andrea had had nothing to do with what was expected and everything to do with the younger woman knowing how much she loved her she still hadn't felt that she would be overly affected by the whole thing. She had let herself forget though, that Andrea Sachs always had been and always would be entirely different to everything she had come to expect. The previous evening she had been nervous, a feeling that before Andrea she had only ever linked with her girls and she had barely slept. It was ridiculous, except it wasn't because this was the first time that she had been so invested in a relationship that it not working out might break her.

Until that morning she hadn't thought there was a sight more breathtaking than Andrea first thing in the morning, make up free and sleep mused, but watching the younger woman walk down the aisle towards her had literally taken her breath away and she had had to remind herself to take another breath. She had been able to feel the tears burning in her eyes and had done everything in her power to keep them at bay, there was one thing that no one would be privy to other than her closest family and maybe Nigel and that was her tears, no matter whether they were happy or not.

"Miranda," a tug on her arm brought her back to the present and she turned to smile at her wife, she would never get tired of thinking of her as her wife, "Come on, we need to get changed so we can make our escape. The girls have already headed up to the room." She allowed herself to be led up the stairs to her room knowing that every day with this woman by her side would be perfect, no matter what life threw at them.