Disclaimer: The Devil Wears Prada does not belong to me. No infringement intended. The characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. I own nothing.

Chapter 7

"Moms took us to the museum, the aquarium, and then we had pizza at the arcade. It was pretty cool." Alex said with animation as he described the day's events to his grandmother.

"Speaking of cool, your mothers mentioned that you got some new hot-shot video game system." Audrey said with a smile.

"Cass and I gave it a test drive this morning. It's totally…"

"Awesome?" Audrey finished for him. Andy had told her awesome was now her son's new favorite word.

"Totally!"

"Well, I think I might have something that will make it even more awesome." She smiled even wider when she saw Andy giving her a glare. "If I'm not mistaken, I think there might be a few new games that will go along with that new system of yours up in my study."

"Really?"

Miranda and the twins couldn't help chuckling. They had never seen Alex's eyes get so big.

"Really." She jerked her head towards the stairs. "Go on up and see if you like them. If there's something you already have, we'll exchange it."

Alex was off like a shot before she even finished the sentence. "Oh don't you dare give me that look, Andrea Sachs-Priestly. He's my only grandson and I will lavish him with gifts if I want." She said waving in her daughter's direction. She then turned her attention to the two redheads sitting across from her on the sofa and winked.

"I think there might be something up there for my two favorite granddaughters too… maybe pre-graduation gifts."

"Thanks Grams!"

"Grams, you're the best!"

They all laughed even louder when the twins tackled Audrey with hugs and kisses before they flew up the stairs after their brother.

"You spoil them terribly, Audrey." Miranda said chuckling.

The older brunette sat back and crossed her legs. "Of course I do. That's the perk of being the grandparent. I get to do all the spoiling and none of the disciplining. Just wait until one of the girls gives you a grandchild to dote on. It's wonderful."

Andy's eyes widened and Miranda felt her chest tighten. Audrey laughed.

"Jesus Mom! Let us get them married off before you go giving them grandchildren please." Andy said.

Audrey was still laughing. "That will be just as hard. I remember when you called me and told me that you were going to propose to Miranda. I think I cried half of the afternoon which was quite frightening for my patients. It's never a good sign when your surgeon is crying."

"You were crying?" Miranda chuckled and looked slightly offended. "And here I thought we had improved our relationship at that point."

Audrey waved her off with a hand. "Oh everything isn't always about you, La Priestly."

Andy grinned. It still surprised her how well her mother and her wife got along. Her mother was the only person other than her and the kids who could get away with teasing Miranda so much.

"I was crying because I knew my baby was finally all grown up and about to have a family of her own."

Miranda nodded with understanding.

Audrey went over to the mantle and removed a photo of Andy and Miranda. "You spend all those years preparing them to go off into the world and find their own happiness. When they do, it's a wonderful thing to see. I was very glad that Cassidy was able to capture that moment."

Andy reached over and took Miranda's hand when she saw the photo. "I'm just glad she actually said yes."

"As if I could have ever said no to such a lovely proposal." Miranda said remembering. "It was quite the elaborate set up as you remember."

Flashback: 11 Years Ago-

"So you guys didn't forget to get the music and what you're supposed to do, right?" Andy asked nervously.

Cassidy and Caroline rolled their eyes. "For the tenth time, we got it covered, Andy."

Caroline moved to Andy's side. "Why are you stressing, silly. You know Mom is totally going to say yes."

Andy looked between Caroline and Cassidy. "Really?"

"Totally." They said in unison.

"And you guys are okay with that right? I mean we talked about this." More like Andy had asked them for Miranda's hand.

Again they rolled their eyes. "Would we be helping you with music and all this stuff if we weren't?" Cassidy said shaking her head.

"Right."

"So can we see it?"

Andy grinned and pulled out a small black velvet box. She opened it and handed it over to them. The twins' eyes were dreamy.

"Wow. Nice job, Andy. The color is so pretty." Cassidy said.

Andy turned to Caroline and awaited judgment knowing that she was more like her mother than Cassidy.

Caroline nodded as she critiqued the ring. "Cartier?"

Andy nodded.

"Cushion Cut Sapphire, micro pave' diamond setting in a platinum band…"

Again Andy nodded hoping she and Doug had made a good choice. When she'd seen the striking color of the sapphire, it instantly reminded her of Miranda's eyes. She'd decided that was the ring she wanted no matter what. As a result, the price had taken a huge chunk out of the money her grandmother had left Andy in her will. Ironically, she had never planned to even touch the money because she hadn't really liked her grandmother all that much. The woman was opinionated, mean, and downright homophobic. Spending it on something she knew the old bitty wouldn't approve of had felt perfect.

Caroline looked at Andy and smiled. "It's perfect. Mom will love it."

"God, I hope so."

Just then, Andy's phone vibrated. It was Roy. The text said that they were leaving RUNWAY. That meant she and the girls had less than twenty minutes to finish up.

"That was Roy. Your mom is coming." Andy said nervously.

"Okay. The music is set. All you have to do is press this button here." Cassidy showed Andy.

"Got it."

"Okay, we're going to go change. You'd better go wait for Mom."

Andy nodded and headed down the hall. "Oh and Andy?"

"Yeah."

"You look really pretty."

Andy blushed. "Thanks Cass."

Miranda walked through the door exactly fifteen minutes later. She was hanging her coat in the closet when something caught her eye. She closed the door and turned to see Andy standing down the hall. The brunette looked absolutely stunning wearing a black Chanel silk wrap dress that hugged her in just the right places with matching four-inch Louboutins. Her hair and make-up were perfection. Miranda hungrily looked her up and down with an approving smile.

Andy slowly walked towards her and stopped a few feet away. Miranda licked her lips. "Did we have plans that I forgot about?"

"No, but I do have plans for you this evening. Shall we?" Andy asked holding out her hand.

"The girls…"

"Don't worry about the girls. I got it covered."

Andy walked her slowly down the hall and stopped just outside of the formal dining room. "If I asked you to go to Paris with me tonight, would you go?"

"Tonight? Paris? Andrea, what in the world are you…"

"Okay, maybe that's a little short notice..." She moved to open the double doors. "… but Paris is a very special place for us. What if I could bring Paris to you tonight?"

Andy opened the double doors and Miranda gasped. The entire room was bathed in soft candlelight and twinkling white lights were blinking around a mock Eiffel Tower in the corner. Miranda would never know how much trouble Andy had gone through getting Nigel and the art department to build that thing for her without Miranda finding out. The table was set beautifully on a stark white tablecloth with rose petals placed here and there. The scene was utterly breathtaking and romantic.

She turned and met Andy's bashful face. The young woman was biting her lip nervously and Miranda was completely charmed.

"What is all this? I know it's not our anniversary."

Andy shrugged. "I just wanted to do something nice for you to show you how much you mean to me."

"Well this is…quite the gesture, Andrea. Thank you."

"You're welcome, but I'm just getting started. Shall we?"

Miranda took her hand and moved to the table. Andy held her chair out for her before moving to her own. She pressed the button that Cassidy had shown her and suddenly the room was filled with soft French music. It was one of Miranda's favorite.

Blue eyes twinkled as she looked at Andy. "How did you know?"

Andy smiled. "Are you kidding? I know everything about you, lady… and I had a little help."

As if on cue, the side door to the kitchen swung open and in walked the twins dressed as little waiters complete with bowties and white aprons. Miranda's expression was priceless. She looked between the three of them and laughed.

"What on earth?"

"Bonsoir, Ms. Priestly, Ms. Sachs. We will be your servers for the evening." Cassidy said in a flawless French accent as they both bowed at the waist.

"Would you care to start with the wine madam?" Caroline asked. She presented the bottle to Andy with a white cloth over her arm. Andy nodded and she filled their glasses before placing the bottle on the table between them.

"Thank you. I think we'd like to start with the entrée now."

"Yes madam."

Miranda watched her daughters leave the room then turned to Andy. "I'm not sure how I should feel about this. You've managed to turn my children into servers, with alcohol no less. Whatever have you all been up to?"

"Why don't you stop worrying and just sit back and let us pamper you."

Before Miranda could respond, the girls came back into the room and carefully placed the silver trays before them and lifted the lid presenting their food then retreating into the kitchen. Miranda shook her head, again surprised to find her that the food was her favorite dishes.

Andy waited for Miranda to taste the food first. She smiled in relief when Miranda's eyes closed and a moan escaped. "This is delicious. How did you manage this? I wasn't aware that Louisa was this good with French cuisine."

Andy wiped her mouth and placed her napkin on the table. "Louisa didn't cook this."

Miranda raised a brow. "You cooked this?"

Andy laughed. "Of course not. I'm good, but not that good. I called in a favor."

Miranda waited for an explanation. "Well?"

"Let's just say that it pays to have been your assistant. I made quite an impression on Jean-Luc the last time I was at his restaurant."

"You mean he flirted with you." Miranda scowled jealously.

"Shamelessly, but he was quite the gentleman when he realized I was now taken… by you. He sends his regards."

Miranda sniffed and Andy laughed. Who would have guessed Miranda would have been so jealous over her.

Once dinner was complete, Andy knew it was time to move things along. "I could use some air. Would you like to come outside with me?"

Miranda eyed her closely. She could tell Andy was up to something, but she went along with it anyway. "Of course."

Andy took her by the hand and led her out to the back garden. Again Miranda was taken by surprise. The entire garden was softly lit by more twinkling lights. When she turned around, Andy was standing a few feet away just staring at her nervously with unshed tears in her eyes. Miranda moved to go to her but Andy held up a hand and smiled.

"When… I left RUNWAY, I left for so many reasons; all of which we've talked about. You know that I needed to leave you so that I could find my find my own way in the world. I needed to grow and become a woman who could deserve you. So, when I came to Paris to talk to you, I knew then that the only place that felt right for me was with you." Andy paused and took a deep breath. "The last night there as we stood by the fountain, I made a vow that I'd never leave you again. I meant it then and I mean it now."

She took a few steps forward stopping just short of touching the other woman. She could see a tear fall from Miranda's eye. She gently wiped it way. "I want to make even more vows to you, if you'll let me."

Miranda gasped as Andy took her hand and slowly lowered herself down on her knees which wasn't an easy task in that dress, but she managed. She looked up into tearful blue eyes and held out a ring.

"I, Andrea Sachs, want to take you, Miranda Priestly, as my wife; to have and to hold, for better, for worse, for richer, for poor, in sickness or in health, to honor and obey, to love and to cherish till death do us part. I want to spend the rest of my life with you; loving you, fighting with you, making love with you, just being with you."

Miranda let out an uncharacteristic nervous laugh. "Was there actually a question in there somewhere?"

Andy laughed and nodded as her own tears came. "Yeah. It was something like, will you marry me?"

"Oh yes darling. Yes, I'll marry you."

With a shaking hand, Andy managed to slip the ring on Miranda's finger. Miranda practically pulled her up from her knees and found her lips for a deep kiss. The kiss lasted for several long moments until giggling and a loud bark erupted behind them.

Andy held Miranda in a tight hug as she gave the twins thumbs up. "We have a yes, girls."

"Well duh!"

"We told you!"

Patricia piped in with another loud bark.

Miranda laughed. "So you two were in on this part as well?"

The twins rolled their eyes as they came over to join in on the hug. "Andy was totally lost without us."

Miranda laughed and kissed their heads and gave Patricia a scratch behind the ears for good measure.

"Thank goodness she had you all to help out then."

Long after the twins were supposed to have been in bed, Cassidy and Caroline had snuck back downstairs to find their mother and Andy still dancing in the garden under the lights. Andy was whispering something in Miranda's ear making her laugh. Cassidy and Caroline looked on in awe. They had never seen their mother this happy before. Just as her mother's head went back in laughter again, Andy's eyes softened and looked at her lovingly. Cassidy quickly held up her phone snapping the picture.

"I must say it was all rather impressive." Miranda said gently.

Audrey saw the same soft, loving look she had seen on the editor's face years ago. It made her smile. "Who knew my daughter was such a Casa Nova?"

Andy leaned back against the sofa with her feet propped on the coffee table. Folding her arms behind her head, she grinned. "What can I say? I got skills."

Audrey laughed and swatted her daughter's feet off the table. Miranda rolled her eyes.

After lunch, the twins took Alex down the block to a small park they had spotted on the way. Miranda was helping Andy with the last of the dishes when they heard a voice mixing with Audrey's in the front room. Andy instantly knew her brother had arrived. She wiped her hands on the towel and took Miranda by the hand.

"Come on, babe. Josh is home."

Andy's brother pulled away from his mother when he spotted his sister over her shoulder. He was tall, lanky, with light brown hair and eyes. He looked more like Richard than Andy did, but you could definitely tell that they were siblings.

"Hey Joshie."

He smiled softly and pulled her into a tight embrace. "Hey sis."

Josh looked over Andy's shoulder and gave Miranda a nod. "Hello Miranda. Nice to see you again."

"Joshua."

"Miranda, could you help me get some tea?" Audrey asked.

"Certainly."

Sister and brother finally pulled apart and wiped the tears that had escaped. Josh cleared his throat. "They're not very subtle are they?"

Andy let out a chuckle. "Not at all."

"How you doing?"

Andy shrugged her shoulders. "I'm hanging in there. You?"

"About the same. It's a little surreal isn't it? I feel like all of this is just a dream, you know? None of this feels real to me."

Andy nodded. "I know exactly how you feel."

In the kitchen, Audrey and Miranda were trying to take their time with the tea to give the siblings time to talk.

"Do you think that it's wise leaving them in there alone?"

"They're going to have to make peace with one another sooner or later. Besides, Joshua worships his big sister. That's why this has been so hard on them. Josh is an eternal optimist. He thought our family could be put back together if we all just sat down and talked." Audrey shook her head. "Andy has always protected him from… everything. She was seven when we found out I was pregnant with Josh. She had been the center of our world for all those years; I was worried she would be jealous."

Miranda smiled at the thought of her beloved as a cute seven-year-old. "I take it she wasn't?"

"Not in the slightest. Instead, she looked after Josh as if he were the most precious thing in the world to her. Josh was always her responsibility. And that hasn't changed. Even now, she's still protecting him. She doesn't want to shatter his image of the father Josh built Richard up to be."

"I'm worried about her, Audrey. The girls are too." Miranda said quietly. "She hasn't cried. She's barely even talked about it."

"You know… she plans to speak at the service tomorrow."

Miranda eyed Audrey closely. "No, I wasn't aware she had decided to do that."

"I'm not sure that is a wise decision, but when my daughter makes up her mind about something there is no stopping her."

Miranda chuckled and her eyes twinkled. "Oh you don't have to tell me about the stubborn nature of Andrea Sachs. I am all to familiar with it."

Audrey looked at her suspiciously. "And why do you look like that makes you proud?"

"Because I am." Miranda couldn't hold back the soft chuckle that escaped. "I've encountered Andrea's independent streak on more than a few occasions over the years. I learned a long time ago to never try to make decisions for her."

-Flashback: 10 Years Ago-

Emily had worked for Miranda Priestly for several years, outlasting all of the previous assistants. She thought she had weathered just about every storm that could through this office. And even though Miranda still scared her shitless at times, she could handle it. Yet nothing prepared her for what was heading her way today.

When Andrea Sachs-Priestly, the new wife of her boss Miranda Priestly, stepped off the elevator and into the 17thfloor offices of RUNWAY Magazine, Emily knew something was brewing… something bad.

"Is she in there?" Andy asked as walked with purpose towards Miranda's office.

Emily was out of her desk in a flash blocking her entrance. "Yes, but she's in a meeting with the senior staff and gave explicit instructions not to be disturbed. You can't go in there."

Andy tilted her head to the side as if she was seeing Emily for the first time. Her eyes slowly traveled down to her chest where Emily had placed her hand and lifted a brow eerily like Miranda. The flustered Brit immediately pulled her hand away and mumbled an apology. The new second assistant swallowed. They could practically feel the restrained fury rolling off the brunette in waves.

"Emily, I would love to stand here and chat with you about this misguided illusion of authority that you think you have, but I'm about to go into that office and speak with my wife." She said pointing to the open glass doors a few feet away. "And if you would like to continue breathing, I suggest you move."

"But Andrea…"

"Emily…" She paused to lower her voice, trying her best to reign in her anger. "Does it look like I'm fucking around? I'm not going to ask you to move again."

"What on earth is the meaning of this?" Miranda asked coming to the door. She was surprised to see her wife apparently having a standoff with her long-suffering assistant.

Andy's eyes flashed when they bore into Miranda's and the editor immediately knew something was amiss.

"Andrea what on earth has gotten into you? I'm in the middle of an important meeting."

Andy was silent for a moment before she did something unexpected. She leaned over the new assistant's desk and retrieved a notepad and pen. "Go ahead, Miranda. I'm here to assist you."

There were three sets of confused eyes staring back at her. "Andrea, what kind of silly game are you playing? I simply do not have time for this."

"You heard me, Miranda. I'm here to assist you. That's what assistants do right?" She said with a slightly scary smile on her face.

"What on earth are…"

"You tell your assistants what to do. You make all the decisions and they follow your instructions, correct?" Andy said tossing the pad and pen aside. She walked over and stopped in front of Miranda.

Miranda could see her jaw muscles clenching.

"So, I figured if you're going to continue to make decisions for me then I might as well just work here again. What's the point of working at 'The Mirror' if you get to tell me what to do there too?"

It only took two seconds for understanding to dawn on Miranda's face and Andy saw it. It was all the proof she needed. "I can't believe you." She rolled her eyes with disgust and turned to leave.

"No, wait. Don't you dare walk away. You promised…"

"I promised! I promised! What about what you promised?! How dare you, Miranda?!"

Miranda kept a firm hold on Andy's arm. She could feel the brunette trembling with anger but she wouldn't let go. She couldn't.

"The meeting is over." Miranda said over her shoulder pulling a reluctant Andy behind her. "And Emily, hold all of my calls and no one… and I do mean no one is to come into my office or you will no longer have a job."

"Yes Miranda." Emily said weakly watching the senior staff rush out.

They all stood in confusion and fear as the doors to Miranda's office was closed for the first time in years.

Inside the office, Andy paced the length of the office like a caged animal.

"Andrea…"

"Over three years, Miranda. I spent the last three and a half years clawing my way out of the obits and local bake sales to actually earning the respect of my peers and my editor." She said in an almost pleading tone. "And you took that away from me. You took that away with a simple phone call."

"Let me explain."

"Explain? What's there to explain?!" She started pacing again. She didn't know what to do with her hands. "You had my boss pull me off of my story; a story I have been working on for months!"

"Andrea…"

"Do you have any idea what that felt like… how demeaning that was? To have my boss call me into his office and tell me that even though he thought it was the best work he'd seen in years that he had to pull me off the story because he couldn't risk it." She shook her finger at Miranda. "I didn't get it at first. I didn't understand right way. I mean, what could possibly have my hard-nosed boss that spooked and then it hit me. He wasn't afraid of the people involved with the story; he was afraid of you. He couldn't risk pissing you off. It didn't have a fucking thing to do with me!"

"What you were working on was dangerous! Greg Hill is a smart man. He knew this. You had broken the story. You got the credit. It's been turned over to the authorities. There was no need for you to continue with it." Miranda said trying to make her understand. "You're no longer a single woman, Andrea. You have a family… children to think about. What you do doesn't just affect you anymore."

What Andy had been working on was a story about the unexplainable flu related deaths that had spiked over the last year. After doing some extensive research and investigative work, Andy and a detective had uncovered that a major pharmaceutical distribution company was selling sterile saline shots that were being administered to patients as actual flu shots. Perfectly healthy people had died from the flu because they had not been vaccinated as they had been led to believe. Search warrants, arrests, and indictments were flying through the medical community like wildfire. It also put Andy in the hot seat and on the lips of just about every major news anchor. There were a lot of wealthy people that stood to lose a lot if they were connected to this scandal.

"How dare you, Miranda!"

"How dare I? You're not innocent in this." Miranda argued back.

Andy blanched. "Don't try to make this out to be my fault, Miranda. You did this."

"Were you even going to tell me, Andrea?"

"Tell you what, Miranda?"

"About the death threats."

Andy laughed humorlessly and ran her hands through her hair in frustration. "Miranda, if I told you about every death threat that comes through 'The Mirror' for me or any random reporter for that matter, I wouldn't have time to do anything else."

When Miranda looked confused, Andy shook her head. "I get them all the time. We all do. It's a part of the job, but I'm diligent and I'm careful. Every single one is passed along to my friend that works at the 15thPrecinct. She checks them out and lets me know if there is anything to worry about. I would never… ever put you or the girls in danger even if it's just by proximity to me. If you don't believe me, give her a call. Her name is Sergeant Melinda Carver. She had already looked into the threats and found out that it was nothing more than some stupid kids playing a prank."

"How was I supposed to know that?"

Andy threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "Oh I don't know. Maybe you could have talked to me like I was your wife or at the very least your equal, Miranda." She shook her head sadly turning to leave. "But that's really not the case is it? I may be your wife now, but you still don't see me as your equal. I'll always be just an assistant to you." She shook her head. "I'm done with this."

"Where are you going?"

"I don't know. I can't be here with you right now. I need to leave."

Those words were like cold water being poured over Miranda's head. "Leave? You can't."

"See there you go again, telling me what I can and can't do. Here's a news flash, Miranda. I don't work for you! And when I vowed to honor and obey, it wasn't meant literally obey your every command!"

They both stood in silence after Andy's voice bellowed off the walls most certainly giving those in the outer office a front row seat to their argument. She took a deep breath and swallowed.

"We got married a few weeks ago; just you, me, and the kids standing on the beach in front of a justice of the peace. Do you recall that?"

"Of course."

"And we all made promises to each other that day, remember?"

"Yes, of course I will never forget that day Andrea."

"Good, then you should remember that I gave myself to you willingly and I promised that I would always honor you, but that does not mean you own me. You promised to honor me too, but you didn't honor me today Miranda. You made decisions about my career without consulting me. I would never do that to you. Even if I disagreed with you with every fiber of my being, I would never go to Irv Ravitz behind your back. I respect you too much to ever do that to you. I just wish you had the same respect for me."

With those words, Miranda's heart clenched. She understood and she knew everything Andy was saying was true. She had been trying to protect Andrea, but it had backfired.

By the time Andy had finished speaking, she was in tears. Miranda tried to reach out to touch her only for Andy to turn away. The rejection stung in Miranda's heart.

"Andrea, please I…"

Andy angrily wiped away her tears. "I can't talk about this anymore right now. I need some time alone to figure out what I'm going to do."

Emily and the second assistant both jumped as the doors to their boss' office were nearly thrown off its hinges. Both women held their breaths and neither dared look up as one furious Andrea Sachs-Priestly stormed out.

Miranda shook away the memory. "It was hours later before she returned home… practically the next morning. Those were the longest hours of my life… because I wasn't sure she was coming back. When she did, Andrea definitely let me have it."

"That's when she quit her job at 'The Mirror' and started freelancing full-time isn't it?" Audrey asked doing the math in her head.

Miranda nodded. "She had spent most of the day lining up jobs at several publications to do a follow-up series on the story she had been working on. Once she informed me of the changes in her employment, she then politely explained that I would be sleeping in the guest room until further notice."

"No?"

"Yes. The entire talk took about five minutes. So, you see I definitely learned my lesson that day."

Audrey smirked. "How long were you banished to the guest room… if you don't mind me asking?"

For some reason Audrey could always get away with getting personal details out of the sometimes prickly editor. They had formed a rather odd friendship over the years… if one can be friends with the older woman sleeping with your daughter.

"Long enough."

Audrey eyed her closely. She hadn't missed the lovely shade of pink gracing the other woman's pale features. "That doesn't sound like Andy. I know how she is with you, Miranda. She can barely be away from you an hour without climbing the walls."

"She would visit." Miranda said blushing even more.

Audrey laughed out loud. "Oh my god! From the looks of that blush, you learned more than just one lesson that evening. If I were a betting woman, I'd bet you rather liked that assertive side of her." Audrey said enjoying the chance to tease her.

Miranda rolled her eyes and she shrugged her shoulders. "It's one of the things I love most about her." Miranda said. "And if you tell her that, they'll never find your body."

The both laughed.

Mom showed me the pictures of Alex. Man, he's gotten so big."

"Yeah. He's growing like a weed. It seems like I'm buying new shoes or clothes every week because he's outgrown something."

"That shouldn't be such an ordeal considering who you're married to. Mom told me she's going to be the new Chair of Elias-Clarke. I guess that means she'll have even more power over the fashion world." Josh said. He meant it to be a joke, but Andy could hear the slight derisiveness behind it.

She simply nodded then eyed her brother for a long moment. "How's Rachel doing? You two still planning on a September wedding?"

"Uh…" Josh shifted in his seat. "Rachel and I decided to split. It just wasn't working."

Andy shook her head and rolled her eyes. "So what was wrong with her?"

"What do you mean?"

"Every time you get serious about someone, you find something wrong with them and call it off. So what was her flaw?"

Josh's jaw hardened. "Well I guess some of us aren't luck enough to find the great love of our life and never look back."

"You're right. I am lucky."

"Even if it was at the expense of our family?" He asked boldly.

She just stared at him for a moment. "I was wondering when this would start. What do you want to blame me for now, Joshie?"

"Just forget it. I'm not blaming you for anything." He stood abruptly and marched over to the window. "And don't call me Joshie. We're not kids anymore."

Andy nodded. "You're right. We're not. So let's try talking about this like adults then, shall we?"

She was met with only his silence. She shook her head. He was more like their father than he realized.

"Fine." She threw her hands in the air. "Let's just go on and pretend that everything is fine then. We'll get through tomorrow and go back to our lives just like nothing happened."

"You would like that wouldn't you?" He said facing her. "You'd like to just forget all about Dad. It should be easy for you. You've been doing that for the last ten years!"

Audrey and Miranda heard the raised voices in the kitchen. Miranda stood to go back to the living room, when Audrey stopped her. The older woman touched Miranda's arm and shook her head.

"We have to let them work this out on their own. It's time."

Miranda was unsure. She knew Andy appeared to be strong on the outside but she knew just how vulnerable her wife was. "I hope you're right… and God help us if you're wrong."

"That's what you think? You think I married Miranda and just decided I didn't need my father anymore?" Andy shook her head and laughed. "If you do, you're an idiot."

"Hey! Dad told me what happened."

"And exactly what was that, Josh?" Andy stood and moved closer to him. "What did he tell you?"

"Look, I know Dad wasn't always as open-minded as Mom. I know he gave you a hard time about being in a relationship with a woman because of his religious views, but honestly that had more to do with who the woman was than anything else and you know it." He defended. "You didn't have to shut him out because he didn't like your wife."

Andy actually laughed. "And here I thought you knew me better than anyone else in the world. You don't know me at all."

"Are you saying Dad was lying?"

"No. I'm saying there is a whole lot more to the story than just that."

"Whatever." He mumbled.

"If you want to keep sticking your head in the sand, Josh, that's fine. But I'm not taking the blame for this shit anymore. I'm done." Andy said making her way to the kitchen.

"Just tell me one thing, will you? What did dear old dad do to make you toss him out of your life?! Did he insult your precious Miranda or something?"

Andy's last string of reserve finally snapped. She turned and glared at her brother. "You really want to know?!"

"Yeah, I really want to know what Dad did that was so bad."

"Our father told me that it was blessing that my baby died!" She yelled. When the words came out, so did the tears of grief.

-Flashback: Ten Years Ago-

Andy lay back on the small hospital bed and stared mindlessly at the ceiling. The doctor was speaking to them about the procedure she'd had earlier, but she wasn't really listening. She could feel Miranda caressing her left hand. She felt like crying, but was too tired. She'd cried more tears in the last few hours than she had in her entire life. Now she just felt empty. Her right hand unconsciously moved to her stomach where up until twenty-four hours ago she would have felt their child growing inside of her. Now there was nothing.

Exactly one day ago, everything had been fine. It had actually been wonderful. The twins had surprised her with her new title. They asked if they could call her Moms since the new baby would make them all related in a way. She didn't think she could feel any happier than she felt in that moment. She was very touched and didn't even bother trying to hide her tears. Miranda had rolled her eyes playfully and said it was the hormones. But Andy knew better, she saw the tears in Miranda's eyes as well.

When Andy and Miranda lay in bed that night, they both said a prayer of thanks for their happiness. Then… the unthinkable happened. Everything happened so fast, it felt more like a nightmare in slow motion instead of reality. Andy had awakened in the middle of the night in unbearable pain. It was a blur of doctors, nurses, and technicians once they reached the hospital. The crushing news came shortly after; something had gone terribly wrong with the pregnancy. And just like that, the fairytale was over and they were all left devastated.

She blinked when she heard Miranda speaking to her. She realized she had completely zoned out and had missed the entire conversation with the doctor.

"Darling? Sweetheart, can you hear me?" Miranda asked softly.

Andy nodded. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Dr. Lawson said that you can be released tomorrow afternoon. They want to keep you for observation for another twenty-four hours to make sure the… bleeding is completely under control. I agree. I think that's best."

Andy could see that Miranda was in just as much pain as she was. She was barely holding herself together. She also knew what her wife was up to. She was buying them some time. Miranda had been making calls while she thought Andy had been asleep. She had called Louisa and Emily and requested they to go to the townhouse and make sure all maternity paraphernalia had been removed prior to them returning home. Andy had heard Miranda's voice tremble while on the phone. Emily wasn't even her assistant anymore, but Emily and the long-time housekeeper were the only people Miranda would have ever trusted to take care of such a task. She took Miranda's hand and pulled her close to the bed.

"What is it, darling? What do you need?"

"Just you. Please, I just need you… to hold me."

Miranda slipped onto the small bed and pulled Andy into her arms. They clung to each other and cried themselves to sleep.

Andy wasn't sure how long she had been sleeping. She could see that it was growing late in the evening. She vaguely remembered hearing Miranda say that she was going out to make a quick call to check in with the girls. When she heard the door opening, she thought it was her wife returning.

"How are they doing? I hope they're not worrying too much." Andy asked, voice sounding hoarse from all the crying.

When she didn't get a response, she opened her eyes only to see her father standing in the room holding a small bouquet of flowers.

"Dad?" She slowly sat up in bed. "What are you doing here?"

He shifted from one foot to the other then moved closer. He placed the flowers on the side table by the window next to the many others. "Uh… your mother told your brother that you were in the hospital and he... well… I… I wanted to see if you were alright. How are you?"

Andy sighed heavily. "I… I don't really know how to answer that."

She hadn't spoken to her father in over two years. She wasn't sure what he knew about the pregnancy or her life for that matter. Her mom knew that her father was a topic not up for discussion. It was like this huge part of her life that didn't exist anymore.

He nodded slowly and gestured to her stomach. "Your mother had mentioned a while back that you… I'm sorry, honey. I know you must be upset."

Andy narrowed her eyes at him. Upset? She couldn't believe that after all this time, this was the best he could do.

"Miranda and I already loved this child so this is… It's… I can't really explain what it feels like."

"Miranda?"

Andy drew her eyes back up to meet his. She noticed that he looked almost shocked and a little angry.

"Yes, Miranda is just as devastated, maybe more. I know she'll try to find a way to blame herself for this, but it's no one's fault."

"What does that woman have to do with this?"

Andy frowned in confusion. "That woman is my wife. What do you mean what does she have to do with it? This was her child too."

"But… your mother said you were pregnant and…"

Andy was completely lost. Then something dawned on her. She remembered her mother saying that she didn't really discuss Andy's life with her now ex-husband because it was something they would never agree about. She would only tell him small things if he asked about her well being. Obviously, her mother had only told him that she was pregnant, nothing more.

"Let me guess, you found out I was pregnant and thought I'd finally found a suitable man to settle down with? Is that it?" Andy said in disbelief. "Is that the only reason you're even here right now?"

"You mean you and that woman…. That's impossible." He said shaking his head.

"That woman's name is Miranda Sachs-Priestly. She's my wife." Andy sat up growing more agitated by the minute. "And it happens to be the twenty-first century, Dad. There's more than one way to get pregnant."

He rubbed his hands together and shook his head. "I was sure you'd come to your senses. When she said you were having a baby, I assumed…"

Andy nodded and tried not to cry. She was determined not to let him hurt her again. "Yeah. I get it. You assumed that I was finally over my little homosexual phase. Well, I'm happy to say that I'm still married to the woman I love and we still share a family together. Looks like I'm succeeding at something you couldn't. You can go now."

"But don't you see, Andy? This was all God's plan. It was a blessing in disguise. Now you can see the error of your ways. You can still have the life you were meant to have." He said reaching out to touch her.

Andy flinched violently at his words and moved back as if she were burned. "How dare you! This was no blessing or plan of God's."

"Honey…"

"I want you to leave."

"Andy, it was for the best. You have to see that. God doesn't want this for you. You can come back home and your family will help you through this." He said reaching for her again.

"If you lay a hand on my wife, I can assure you… that will be the last thing that hand ever touches." Miranda growled from the doorway.

Andy sat back in relief. Miranda moved to her side and stepped between Andy and her father. Her eyes were hard and an ice storm of fury. "She asked you to leave. I won't ask you, but you will go… now."

Richard sneered at her. "This doesn't involve you."

"This is my wife and if it involves her, it involves me."

"She's my daughter!"

"You gave up the right to your daughter when you stopped being a father. Now, I'm only going to say this once. You may walk out of this room on your own accord or you can be hauled out like the animal that you are. Either way, you will be leaving." Miranda said in a tone so icy, it sent a chill down the man's spine.

"Fine." He said taking a step back. He looked around Miranda and made eye contact with Andy. "I'll go, but I pray that one day you come to your senses and become the person you were raised to be."

"Get out! Get out and don't come back! I don't ever want to see you again!" Andy yelled.

Miranda kept her eyes trained on the door, making sure Richard left before turning and taking a trembling Andrea into her arms.

"It's alright, sweetheart. He's gone now." Miranda soothed, running her hands through Andy's thick locks. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here. I'm so sorry."

"How could he… how could he ever say that?" She hiccupped.

"Shhh… it's alright. We'll be alright. I promise."

"He stood in my hospital room and said that it was for the best that the child I shared with Miranda didn't live."

Andy angrily wiped the tears from her eyes, furious that she couldn't stop them.

"I never wanted… I didn't set out to hurt Dad, Josh. It took a long time for me to realize it, but I didn't do anything wrong. I was just trying to live my life. Dad just couldn't accept me for who I am and I couldn't keep apologizing for being true to myself. So you see… Dad turned his back on me long before I ever told him I didn't want him in my life anymore."

Josh stood there in tears trying to form the words he wanted to say but nothing would come.

Andy took a deep breath before turning towards the kitchen. "Miranda?"

Miranda was out of the kitchen before Andy had finished saying her name. "Yes, darling?"

"I think you should call the girls and tell them to come back and pick us up. I think it's time to go."

"Of course." Miranda said glaring at the young man across the room.

"Andy, don't go. Let's sit down and talk."

"Now you want to talk? It's been years since we've had a genuine conversation and that was your choice, not mine." Andy said sadly. "You're my brother… one of the pieces of my heart… and you never thought to just ask me. You chose to think the worst of me and that's what hurts the most." She took Miranda's hand. "Let's go. We'll wait for them outside."

"No, wait." Josh said holding up a hand. "Andy… I… I didn't…."

Audrey stepped up and blocked her son's path. "No."

"But Mom, I…"

"No, not now, son. She's not ready. You're going to have to give her time."

TBC…

A/N: Thank you so much for your reviews and helpful suggestions. I appreciate all feedback. As always, let me know what you think, good or bad.