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Part 8

Andy smiled, "What does that mean?"

"Oh, never mind," the older woman's responded curtly.

"Then just get on with this interview." Andy now sounded irritated; she knew she was close to something, something close to Miranda actually opening up, but as soon as she hoped in her heart that she would, it was gone just as quick.

Miranda opened her mouth to answer when her eyes went alarmingly wide. "Are those storm clouds?"

Andrea twirled around and instantly realized that Miranda was right. "I guess the interview is over." She couldn't hold off her snort of laughter even if she wanted to.

"I swear you had this planned," she barked out in aggravation, then softly slapped Andy's arm.

"Ow!" Andy yelped. "What was that for?"

Miranda groaned and rolled her eyes. "Oh please, that didn't hurt; I barely touched you."

Andy wasn't hurt, but she couldn't help tease her and play the victim. "So abusive… I don't know why I put up with you," she relayed with an amused expression, still rubbing the spot were Miranda had slapped her arm.

"Me?" Miranda had to hide her smirk, because deep down she found this playfulness amusing, and it warmed her heart. She groaned despite what she was really feeling, but through her loud groan Andy saw a tiny smile. "I should have said no to this when you basically ordered me down here to give you this interview personally." Now she mentally cringed at what she had revealed.

Andy moved in closer and the gloat in her eyes told the older woman that it was too late to try to dodge what was about to come. "So why didn't you?"

"You said you wouldn't if I didn't give it to you," she covered, using her best mockingly Andrea voice. "Hmmm, I find that somewhat odd. You basically couldn't get away from me fast enough in Paris, so why all this Andddreeaa?"

Andy stared at this woman who now almost looked like she really didn't want her to actually answer her. She inhaled a deep breath, contemplating if she should just tell her exactly why she wanted her to, but didn't she already? "I already told you why."

"Just to prove something to me?" Miranda waved it off. "Seriously, all this…. for that?"

"Okay, you still haven't told me why you even agreed."

"To sell magazines. Why in the hell else would I endure all of this?" she fumed, even though deep down she knew she was not telling the whole truth. "And to shove it down Anna's throat," Miranda also fired. "Don't think for one minute that this has to do with anything more than that." There she had done it, she even did it with animosity in her voice.

All playfulness suddenly halted and Andy felt the sting of tears at the forefront of her eyes, and had no idea why. Maybe she held on to hope that maybe, just maybe the reason Miranda was here was that she might have wanted to see her too. What was she thinking getting her hopes up? But then suddenly she remembered last night and a huge grin broke out on her face. "Hmmm," she pursed. "So apparently you enjoy cuddling…and also it doesn't matter with whom." She shrugged and brushed by her with a regal airiness. "Good to know," she hesitated a moment, and then turned back to the older woman. "We better start back down."

Miranda stood poised, but her heart raced so fast she swore she just might topple off that cliff if she dared to take one step. Shit shit shit, now what? The thunder that erupted in the distance finally got her moving and she jogged to catch up with Andrea, and that's when she noticed they were on a totally different trail.

"What the hell? This isn't the way down!"

A wicked grin flexed Andy's lips, but she didn't turn around, she just kept walking. "You can go the other way if you want."

"I knew it; you are going to leave me up here."

Andy rolled her eyes. "If that were true I wouldn't have let you catch up."

"Oh you think you're that fast that you could out run me?" Miranda expressed. "I'd have you know I used to run marathons."

Laughter echoed through the canyon and Andy had to bend over to get air back into her lungs from hearing that. "God Miranda," she breathed, still giggling.

Miranda didn't understand what was funny. She narrowed in on the younger woman, hands on her hips. "I don't understand why you find that funny," she tossed. "It's true, you know."

Andy heaved a deep breath and scratched at her brow. "Not the fact you ran marathons, but the fact that out of the blue you felt the need to tell me that. So you honestly believe that I would leave you up here?" Her forehead creased in grief, and the sadness in her brown eyes crushed Miranda's heart.

She slowly shook her head no, fighting back her own emotions.

"Good," Andy said softly. "I'd hate to think that you'd think that badly toward me that I could do that to someone." She inhaled, and then added sincerely. "Especially to you, Miranda."

"I don't, I don't think that," she confessed. "I just I feel so out of my element here, and…." Thunder bounced off the rocks, making her flinch and reminding her they needed to keep moving. "And I think we need to hustle."

Andy gazed off toward the distance. "Come on." She didn't even think, she just acted just like she did last night and grabbed Miranda's hand. "I want to show you something, and I am hoping that will stay back long enough so I can."

Miranda felt her heart skip that beat again as soon as their skin touched. She silently sucked in an unsteady breath, wondering if it would always do this to her when she felt the warmth of Andy's touch.

About twenty minutes had passed and not much was said except a few words from Andrea making sure Miranda was okay, to which she just nodded. They still held hands and she actually enjoyed it deep down. Even though she'd have to be on her deathbed to admit it, she loved being out here like this with Andrea.

"Do you hear that?" Andy's eyes lit up.

"Is that a river?"

"A small river….. but yeah." Excitement filled Andy's voice, and Miranda couldn't help smiling at hearing it.

"The trail will follow it here in just a few more yards," she said, glancing keenly toward the horizon. Those were no mere rain clouds appearing there, she knew. They were big and black, so she also knew they still needed to hurry as she caught the vague flickers that indicated lightning. "We still need to pick up the pace though."

"Okay," Miranda nodded, and adjusted her fingers within Andy's. She knew going down was a lot easier than going up, but maybe that was because of the security she felt holding on to this woman's hand.

It didn't take long, after they followed the river for a few hundred feet they emerged out to an opening where the crystal rapids rolled over the smooth cliffs and disappeared below. It was truly a remarkable view, and the mists that flowed overhead were something magnificent. Miranda wished she had brought her camera because it truly was beautiful. Then she cast a glanced at Andrea, who still tenderly held her hand. "Do you see that?" She pointed with her other.

Miranda saw, god her entire body felt like it stood up to take attention, if only to bow at her feet. She was so stunning in that moment, an angel emanating with her beauty and grace, that this lowly devil felt completely powerless against it. She must have had her mouth open or something, she wasn't entirely sure, because suddenly the warmth of Andy's palm against her cheek brought her back to life. "What?" she muttered.

"Are you okay?" Miranda blinked at the affection in those brown eyes and found she could only nod. What the hell? Suddenly I feel like a deaf mute.

Andy dipped her head and dropped her hand away from her cheek, and immediately Miranda felt the loss. "Do you see it?" she asked again, and this time Miranda knew she wasn't taking about the heavenly creature standing beside her. She finally tore her eyes away from the younger woman and looked out over the falls toward the mist below and there ahead of them was the most perfect triple rainbow. "Oh," she mouthed, as a cool shiver rolled down her spine.

Andy saw the tremble in the other woman and sighed as she untied the hoodie she had wrapped around her waist. She always came prepared; you never knew around here what the weather might do. "Are you cold?"

Once Andy pulled her hand from Miranda's to pull off the sweater, the older woman folded her arms. "I'm fine," she replied curtly, but suddenly she found Andrea's jacket around her, surrounding her with her warmth and her smell. She stumbled a little, because it seemed that the combination of it was something she sure wasn't prepared for. It didn't matter because Andrea's strong arms were waiting there to catch her.

"Hey," Andy said lightly. "Where you going?" she asked with a teasingly big smile. Miranda didn't want to look this woman in the eyes, it just was too much, but she had to because there was nowhere else to look since she was now standing in front of her and zipping up the hoodie she now had on like she was a five year old.

"Really?" Miranda detested with a loud groan. "I think I can manage."

"I know you can, but if I let you, you just may throw it off and over the falls."

Miranda groaned again. "Now why would I do that? Besides it's warm."

"Because." Andy's lips spread into another enjoyable grin, almost too enjoyable and now Miranda was questioning herself and wondering what the hell she had missed. "I am failing to understand here what is soooooo funny," she griped, and stepped away before Andy could zip the jacket all the way up.

Andy still sported a grin, but she casually pointed at Miranda. Still puzzled, Miranda's brow creased, but after a moment she cast her eyes down the front of her and now understood completely. "Oh hell!" she stewed. "Really, Andrea? Really?"

Andy snorted, then held her hand out, and Miranda shot her another crazed look. "What?"

"Hand it back then."

Miranda almost did it, but it felt entirely too warm. Besides, Andrea's perfume was on it and right now there was no way she was going to give this hoodie back unless Andy tore it off of her, even if it was from the Gap. "No, you gave it to me, so no." That was her only explanation as she stuck her hands inside the soft sweater's pockets.

"Looks cute on you," Andy mocked. "You should get you one."

"Everything looks good on me, sheesh everyone knows that," Miranda came back with, and in a way she could only pull off. Now they stood side by side staring out over the falls, when out of the corner of the older woman's eyes she noticed now it was Andy who huddled her arms together looking cold. "Great, not you too," Miranda snarled and began to unzip the hoodie, but didn't get too far because Andrea was now standing behind her and instantly wrapped both arms around her waist.

Right away shock filtered through Miranda at having this woman so close. The scene was entirely too intimate for being friends. Her heart was racing, and she was finding it difficult to breathe. Everything in her told her to get away from her as fast as she could, but something stronger inside her won out and she found herself frozen against the warmth of Andrea's body pressing against her back.

"Don't, I'm fine," Andy expressed, her breath hot against Miranda's neck. "It's more my hands that are cold than anything else." Then carefully and oh so softy she snaked her hands inside the same pockets that held Miranda's hands. "See, big pockets, so we can share." This simple act forced them have to stand unbearably close. Miranda now knew she was in hell, yup the devil herself was in hell standing this close to this woman and not being able to a damn thing about it, but just stand there and be tortured.

"I need to take you back here during the night, especially on a full moon."

Finally, after a moment to know she had control over her voice Miranda exhaled. "Why is that?"

"So you can see the moonbow."

The thunder rolled through the air as a reminder that they needed to get moving, and Miranda winced, not because of the storm that was coming, but because now she was warm being held by this woman, the one she only dared to dream about. Plus it was perfect in a way, in fact almost downright romantic. It was something in itself to feel this way and she tried to recall if she had ever been held like this…. ever. She quickly searched through her entire existence, and she knew she never had. It was wonderful and she never wanted it to end. Miranda didn't even care if they were standing there looking over a salvage yard, instead of this wonderful view, she would still want it.

Andrea cleared her throat. "I don't wanna move, because like I said you're warm," she purred, and then sighed sadly. "But we better get a move on. I don't want to be here when that…." She removed a hand from the pocket and pointed behind them. "Gets here," she hesitated a moment before she finally relented and pulled her other hand free. Miranda watched her pick up the water bottles they placed on the nearby rock, already feeling an ache from Andrea's heat, and the softness of her hands over hers.

She reached out to take the water bottle from Andrea, but the brunette shook her head. "I'll hold it for you so you can leave your hands in those warm pockets."

"I can carry my own, you don't have to…" she actually stammered, and had to look away. Not even her husbands were that thoughtful and the look she got from this girl, and the warmth in those brown eyes seemed as if they reached in and grabbed Miranda's heart in a grip that threatened to rip it clean from her chest.

Andy must have picked up on it because she closed the small gap between them and dipped her head. "Miranda, what's wrong?"

Miranda stared off in the distance blankly, feeling like a stranger in her own skin. "Nothing," she blinked, but made no attempt to move.

Andy felt her chest tighten in uneasiness at seeing this woman look this way, and she was really wondering if the elevation was getting to her. Her eyes took on a distant glaze and it frightened Andy. So without really thinking she placed one of the water bottles in the pit of her left arm so she could gently cup Miranda's cheek for the second time in only minutes. "Hey, look at me."

"Andrea, I can't," Miranda voiced, her eyes still downcast, but Andy picked up on the plea in her tone. "We need to go," she went with instead, and painfully took a step back.

Andy watched her hand fall away from the older woman's smooth cheek, something she found she wanted to do more and more. "Okay," she said, her voice cracking slightly, but she kept a cautious eye on the other woman.

Miranda's face tightened as she picked up the hint of a break in Andrea's voice. "Now what?" Her tone now was its hard prickly self. "Do we need to leave, or don't we?"

"You're right, and sorry I worried," Andy said, but her heart was aching as she began to walk by the other woman. "Come on then, keep up."

Impulsively Miranda reached out and stopped her, but when Andrea turned back to her with a puzzled expression, she froze again. Andy waited a moment, but when Miranda didn't say anything she splayed her hands out, which put the bottles on display. "What?" she snapped. "You can't look at me; and when you do you have this odd expression on your face. I don't know what I did! I know that you're not supposed to touch the all mighty Miranda Priestly, sorry about that ….but I really wasn't thinking. Stupid silly me was worried about you. Forgive me for being human," she babbled. "Wait a minute, why did you stop me?" Andy looked down at the warm hand that was still around her forearm. "Are you going to explain or not?" Andy waited a beat, and when Miranda still hadn't moved she pulled her arm free. "Guess not," she huffed and twirled back around and began moving back down the trail.

Miranda caught her breath, unable to accept the truth to why she couldn't look at Andrea. "It's not that simple," she finally spat.

Without even looking back Andy cast over her shoulder. "Nothing with you ever is."

Miranda still hadn't moved and Andrea was getting further and further away when she echoed. "You better hurry, because I am not waiting."

"Great, now look what you did," she managed to say to herself as she finally got moving and jogged down the mountain trail to catch up with the younger woman.