Chapter 11:

Andrea made her way down the stairs softly humming to herself a small, content smile on her lips. Her shower was a little longer than she had planned but having Miranda naked, flushed, and dripping with water was too much for even her to resist. Watching the silver haired woman that the world saw as cold and heartless fall apart in her arms was astonishing and left her aching for her touch. Shaking her head trying to dislodge those thoughts she made her way across the foyer to the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water from the refrigerator she quickly made her way to the library to see to the mystery guests that interrupted her afternoon.

She came to an abrupt halt her eyes shooting from one face to the other. "Irene!" she called in a loud cold voice her body trembling slightly with repressed anger.

The woman came into view swiftly her eyes taking in the subtle but telling signs of her employer and friend's anger. "Yes ma'am?" she asked softly.

Andrea took a deep breath and in a calm quiet voice instructed the woman to escort the two individuals out of the house and off the property immediately. However before the woman took a step the man stood from the sofa and stepped towards Andrea, "Wait! I just want to talk to you. What happened to you? The friendly, caring, warm woman you used to be. The woman that loves and cares about me? She's in there somewhere Andy! Please I need to talk to you, I love you. I don't want to lose you again."

Andy glared at Nate, her heart thudding in her chest, her blood boiling, her hands curling into tight fist fingernails digging into her palms, "I don't want nor do I need to talk to you. Everything that needed saying has been said. Now you will be leaving."

"Andy the least you could do is listen to him," Lily finally spoke drawing Andy's blazing gaze to her. "He just-"

"She owes neither of you a thing. Andrea, the police are on the way." a deadly, cold voice stated from behind her drawing everyone's eyes.

Turning she smiled at Miranda and nodded once, "These two,"Andrea stated turning to Irene and gesturing to Nate and Lily,"are never to be in this house. The police are on the way. Restraining orders have been violated. Keep them in your sight until they are taken into custody. I need to contact the lawyers"

Miranda watched Andrea leave the room then turned and looked down her nose in disdain at the man named Nate and the woman sitting next to him. Her lips pursed into a thin hard line and they both shifted slightly under her cold, deadly gaze. She could hear the distant sound of sirens coming from the street and walked over to the sofa and let her eyes lock on Nate's.

"Who the hell are you to-" the woman started.

Miranda ignored her and addressed the young man who visibly wilted under her gaze, "You have been warned twice now by Andrea to stay away from her, and yet here you sit in her home. Are you crazy or just plain stupid? The level of arrogance one must have to ignore a restraining order from one of the more powerful families in the free world. Your pure lack of restraint astounds me." she stated in a deadly, icy voice.

"This has nothing to do with you! Who the hell are you?" the young woman interrupted again drawing Miranda's glacial stare for the first time since she'd entered the room. Ignoring the girl she returned to addressing Nate, "Andrea no longer loves you, she does not want to see you. That is something you caused years ago, when you stopped taking her calls. She asked you rather nicely given the situation, she went as far as to threaten you, and still you have the ill-conceived notion in your head that she owes you something. You lost her the day you turned your back on her for doing her job and answering my call."

From the look on Nate's face and the smile on Irene's, Miranda could tell she had surprised him. He hadn't known who she was until that moment a fact that was confirmed with the next words he spoke.

"You... you're Her... you're Miranda Priestly." Nate said eyes showing shock, hatred, and something else she couldn't decipher.

"Indeed." she stated coldly glancing over to Irene who was watching her with laughter in her warm gray eyes.

"You made her life hell. She never had time for me or Lily or Doug. We were her friends! We were all she had. My girlfriend until she started working for you! You took her to Paris and she never came back! When she finally does she hates me! She's mine you bitch! She loves me, we love each other!" Nate exclaimed his voice rising slightly body shaking and tense.

Miranda let him rant waiting for the steam to run out. When he stood there glaring at her she spoke again, "What was it you told her, the person whose calls she always takes, that is the relationship she's in?"

While he sat there glaring and balling his fist repeatedly she nodded once to Irene, who stood contemplating the ringing doorbell and staying with the other three in the library, getting the message that Miranda could handle them Irene walked out of the library to get the door.

"So, Nate," she spat, the name coming out as if something vile and repulsive, "when was the last time she took your call?" Leaning against a bookcase Miranda turned her gaze to Lily who gasped and then back to Nate, her voice icy, barely higher than a whisper, and lethal, "Andrea, her mother, nor her children are no longer your concern. She does not need you. She does not want you. If you possess any sense of self-preservation you will leave her alone. You will forget this dimwitted notion that you have any rights to see her or daughters, especially after what you did to her youngest the first time you saw her. Forget about Andrea, her children, and disappear from their lives. They are mine. That's all."

Turning on her heels she motioned for Irene and the police to enter, her glacial gaze falling to Nate and Lily as the police walked into the room she left not allowing either of them the chance to speak, in typical la Priestly fashion.

Miranda walked down to Andrea's home office and stood watching from the doorway as the young woman ended the phone call and ran her hand through her long dark hair. She looked up as if sensing her presence and tried to smile but it never quite made it fully to her lips. Miranda's heart ached for the young woman and she crossed the room swiftly pulling her up in a tight embrace, stroking her back lightly.

"Andrea, he's gone. They're gone. It's going to be alright. The police just left with them. It's alright love." she whispered kissing her temple softly.

Andrea leaned against Miranda, the older woman's warmth seeping into her warming her instantly, "He came into my house Miranda... where my children sleep. What if the girls were here? If Lexxi... if my baby girl had been in here... had seen him..." she stated tears falling down from her eyes.

She felt horrible, hollow, defeated. She hated Nate for making her feel like this. Hated him for coming into her home. The hypothetical questions ran rapid through her mind, her imagination vivid and horrific. The safety of her children was paramount, the fact that this man, who had been a big part of her life during college and the years following had hurt one of them and then showed up in their home where they should be safe terrified and enraged her.

"Andrea, love, she is safe. They both are. Nate is no longer here and will never be allowed to enter again now that your staff is aware that he is unwelcomed. He'll be reprimanded for violating the restraining order, so will the woman. It's going to be alright." Miranda told her softly and she tried to relax taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly. Nodding she pulled out of Miranda's arms and moved back to her seat flipping through some papers on her desk. Finding the one she needed she smiled slightly up at the older woman and nodded before picking up the phone and dialing Kat.

The girl answered after the third ring, "Hi Ms. Andy, you called just in time, we were just heading into the theatre for the ballet. Is everything alright?"

Andy sighed, "Hi Kat. How many times do I have to tell you to drop the Ms. I'm only a few years older than you are. How are my little angels?"

She listened to the other woman laugh before there was a ruffling coming across the line, "Mommy! You should have seen the monkeys! They were so cute! And Rory was making monkey noises and... and... there was a big tiger! Really big... Cassie said that they are just overgrown kitties." Lexxi said giggling bringing the first smile to Andrea's face since she'd walked into the library.

"Hi Munchkin. I'm glad you enjoyed the zoo. Mommy misses her little angels. Are you having fun?" she asked knowing what the answer would be before she posed the question.

"Yes! We spended too long at the zoo for the 'seum but Kat said we can go another time. Can we Mommy? Will you take me? I like when you talk 'bout the art. Please?" Smiling Andrea sighed finally feeling the distress leave her.

"Of course princess. Mommy will take you to the museums. We'll talk about every exhibit there. Ok?"

"Yes! Hold on Mommy, Rory wants you. I love you." Andrea's heart warmed and she closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair tilting her head back to rest on the back rest.

"Mommy! Mommy! Guess what?" Rory's enthusiastic voice came through the phone moments later.

"What's that Monkey?" Andy asked chuckling and looking over at Miranda who smiled and moved over to look at one of the portraits on the wall.

"We got to see penguins! They walk funny! Cassie and Carrie imitated them and Kat took pictures. It was so funny. We are about to see Nutcracker. Carrie said it's really good. Have you ever seen it?"

"Yes I have angel. You're going to love it. I did when I was your age, still do actually. You girls enjoy the ballet. Let mommy talk to Lexxi. I love you Aurora. Be safe and stay with Kat, alright?"

"I will, promise. I love you a million red skittles, Mommy." Rory said before she heard more ruffling and Cassidy's voice saying something about the show.

"Hi mommy." Lexxi's voice came through the line again.

"Hi baby. Listen mommy wants you to stay with Kat at all times alright, you're in a big building with lots of people and mommy doesn't want anyone to knock you down or for you to get lost in the dark ok?" she said gently keeping her voice soft and warm so not to scare her youngest.

"I will Mommy! And I'll hold Carrie's hand too!"

"Alright baby. I love you. Put Kat back on"

"I love you morer!" Lexxi said giggling.

Before Andrea could reply, she heard Kat telling one of the girls to fix their shirt, "Sorry about that, Andy. Show starting in 5 minutes, after that I was going to see about something else since the museum is out now." Kat said distractedly her attention obviously divided.

"That's alright, after the ballet you all head here. Miranda's here so you don't need to take Cass and Carrie home. I'm going to take the girls out for dinner and you can have the evening and tomorrow off. Spend some time with your family and friends." Andy said glancing at the clock, "You girls go enjoy the show. I'll see you in a few hours. And Kat,"

She waited for the young woman to answer before she went on, "Keep a close eye on the girls. Don't allow them out of your site for a single second. Please."

"Girls let's move over this way," Kat said her voice lower telling Andy she'd moved the phone from her ear, "Andy, I will, you know that. What's wrong?"

Andrea sighed and closed her eyes pinching the bridge of her nose, "Just unwanted and unexpected visitors, bringing up bad memories and rattling my nerves. I just need to know my babies are safe. I trust you Kat, and they love and trust you. Just for my peace of mind don't let either of them or the twins out of your sight. Please." When she got a stern agreement she ended the call and looked up at Miranda who was smiling softly at her.

"What?" she asked standing with the paper in her hand and moving over to the older woman.

"Nothing. It's still quite new to me, this mother in you. The love and concern in your voice whenever you worry over them. The way your face lights up when you talk to them, it's a beautiful sight." Miranda said wrapping her arms around her.

Andy smiled and kissed the beautiful woman holding her, "Have you ever looked at yourself when you're with your girls? When you're with mine for that matter. I guess it's just a mother thing. Now, let's get this to Irene and then I need to get to the studio. I need to make sure Aubrey has everything she needs for fashion week and meet with this new woman she's thinking to hire to take her job."

"Where's Aubrey going?" Miranda asked her as they left the office is search of Irene.

"Nowhere. The girl's too good to get rid of. We're splitting her job in two. Sort of the like the process you have going at Runway only different. Aubrey is going to be my personal assistant. She's still going to take care of my schedule and handle Momma's schedule eventually. She's overworked right now. Whoever we decide on will take over her duties at the fashion house and warehouse if Momma needs it. Fashion shows, orders, and sales." Andrea explained.

"Sales?"

"Ah Irene there you are. I need you to look into this. This is a list of companies that do security wiring. I need you to choose one from the highlighted names here. I've narrowed it down to 6. Momma always said you were good with such things so I want you to supervise everything they do. The storage unit towards the front of the property needs to be converted, Momma will take care of the layouts, she has the blueprints somewhere. The gates will be closed at all times once things are finished and no one will be allowed through without prior knowledge unless they are on the list. I'll have that list ready by the time things are ready. I appreciate the way in which you handled the situation today once you realized my anger. You kept your cool and handled yourself respectfully which is why I'm giving you the job of overseeing all security personnel. I'm going to hire someone else to help you around the house so it's not too much on you. I trust you with my life and those of my children so I feel safer giving you this position than someone from the outside. Are you alright with that?"

"Of course Lady Andrea. I'll handle this and getting the help. You just concentrate on work and your girls. Everything will be taken care of. I will keep you updated on the progress." Irene stated taking the list and walking off to complete the task.

Andrea smiled at the woman's back and pulled Miranda along heading for the stairs, "Yes, sales. We received calls from Italy and Paris with some suggestions on making things easier on Isabella and me in a way. We're going to start selling A. DeMarzio clothing from the warehouses. Momma has been asking me to do this for a while now but I hate all the commotion involved. She wants to do renovations and set up little boutique type shops, strictly for my designs and Momma's jewelry and handbags, within our current warehouse buildings first and with the growing demands it'll be easier this way. We're opening in Paris first. The work on the building and the shipping of the clothes are already underway. Momma's getting a lot of work done over at the warehouse and she's really excited. You'll be able to walk into one of our shops and buy what you need there or pick up any orders made at shows or through the catalogs."

"You're expanding the business. Who would have thought the small town journalist would turn into the big city fashion goddess." Miranda stated a small smile on her lips.

Andrea laughed and walked into her art studio grabbing a pair of coveralls from one of the closets and slipping into them, "Well we're getting a lot of people just stopping in to look and inquire about different things. Aubrey has been going insane trying to keep it all together, besides I don't mind. If people want to wear my clothes then I'm going to give them what they want and a way to get them faster. Now," she turned to Miranda and smiled handing her a set of coveralls, "put this on over your clothes. We wouldn't want you to ruin your Valentino now would we? And lose the shoes."