Chapter Text
“Andrea.” Miranda called softly from her office.
Andy jumped to her feet, notebook in hand and pen at the ready.
“Yes, Miranda?”
Miranda gently touched her glasses to her plump bottom lip, her eyes distant clearly in thought.
“I need you to pick up the twins from school today and stay with them at the townhouse.”
Andy smiled brightly, immediately excited to see the girls again.
“Of course. Do you want me to return to Runway to pick up the book for you?”
Miranda sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, her brows furrowed.
Andy was immediately knelt at her side.
It wasn’t uncommon for Miranda to get nasty migraines when she was stressed. Andy always did her best to pick up on the signs as soon as possible in attempt to nip it in the bud. She liked to tell herself it was so no one would be fired during Miranda’s tempest moods, but if she was being honest, it was because she hated seeing her beloved editor in pain.
“Are you getting another migraine? Did you need me to get you something?”
Miranda only scowled, shooing Andy away.
“Stop smothering me Andrea, I didn’t divorce my last husband to obtain an even more annoying wife! Just go pick up the girls!” Miranda snapped, her eyes icy as she shot Andy a glare.
Andy could only bite her lip to keep her tears at bay. She stood quickly, her arms crossed in front of her protectively.
“Of course Miranda.” Andy mumbled, her eyes downcast.
Before Miranda could take any of it back, Andy had rushed back to her desk.
Miranda sighed. She hadn’t meant to attack the girl in such a manner.
She had just gotten a call from Dalton, the girls teachers were having trouble with Cassidy again. She’d only sent Andrea to get her precious daughters so she wouldn’t bump into one of the faculty members and get pulled into some meeting over Cassidy’s behaviour.
She loved her girls dearly, and she knew they weren’t perfect, but she just didn’t have the energy to deal with all of that just now.
She’d speak with Andrea when she got home with the book. Andrea would always wait up with the girls until Miranda got home.
“Yes, that is precisely what I’ll do.”
____________________________________________________________________________
At three pm, Andy headed down to the lobby to meet Roy and pick up the girls from Dalton.
She wasn’t in the best of moods, but she refused to show that to the twins lest they assume they were the cause.
They pulled up in front of the school just as the kids were beginning to stream out of the dull building.
Andy stood patiently in front of the town car, searching for twin red heads in the crowds of chattering students.
“Andy!”
Before Andy could even turn in the direction of the shout she was almost tackled out of her four inch louboutins by none other than Cassidy Priestly. Caroline was not far behind.
“Andy! Mom never said you’d be picking us up today!” Caroline said excitedly, joining her sister in hugging Andy tightly.
“Yes, she’s very busy today and thought you’d rather I come instead of Cara.”
This of course was only sort of true, but Andy liked to make sure the girls didn’t think Miranda didn’t ever think of them. She knew for a fact they were all Miranda ever really thought about.
Both girls smiled brightly at her. Immediately Cassidy jumped into a grand and exciting tale of what had happened at school that day. Andy was so immersed in the conversation she didn’t noticed a woman approach.
“Hi, are you Andy?”
Andy looked up to meet the eyes of an attractive woman in her thirties.
“Uh, yeah that’s me.”
The woman smiled and held out her hand.
“Hi, I’m Ms. Kennedy, one of the girls teachers. I was wondering if you had time to meet with me about the girls?”
Andy gaped at her for a moment.
“Uhm, isn’t that something you should discuss with Miranda?” Andy asked, oblivious to the girls equally confused glances.
Ms. Kennedy’s eyes widened.
“Oh, I thought since you were her partner it would be fine for you to just relay her the information, or I could catch you up on the last couple of meetings we’ve had since you haven’t attended?”
Andy looked down at Cassidy who shrugged her shoulders, obviously as confused as she was.
“Partner? I’m not sure I understand..”
Ms. Kennedy blushed a little.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean- Just with the way the girls talk about you. I just assumed-”
Andy chuckled.
“You assumed Miranda and I were an item.”
The girls glanced at each other, trying to supress matching grins.
Ms. Kennedy opened her mouth, before closing it slowly. Andy shook her head, and waved her concerns away.
“Honestly, it’s not a big deal. I’m flattered you’d think I’d be worthy of a woman such as Miranda,” Andy paused, and gave Ms. Kennedy a smile. “I’m just her assistant.”
Ms. Kennedy sighed in relief.
“You come across as someone much more important than that to these girls, they seem to adore you.”
Cassidy sniffed and stuck her nose up at the teacher.
“There’s no seems about it Ms. Kennedy, Andy is the best assistant Mom’s ever had. Even Mom says so.”
Ms. Kennedy smiled down at Cassidy.
“Of course Cassidy. I didn’t mean to undermine your or Caroline’s feelings.”
Cassidy nodded firmly.
Andy smiled and gave Ms. Kennedy nod.
“Well, I should get the girls home. Thank you for expressing her concerns, I can relay your concerns to Miranda once she returns home if you like.”
Ms. Kennedy smiled in return.
“I would appreciate that, yes.”
Andy turned away to help the girls into the car. As she closed the door, Ms. Kennedy approached the side of the car and gently touched Andy’s arm.
As Andy turned to meet her Cassidy did her best to crack the window silently to eavesdrop. She had to know what that look on Ms. Kennedy’s face meant.
“Andy, if you aren’t- since you and Miranda aren’t an item, I wonder if you wouldn’t consider going out with me sometime? If you aren’t busy of course.”
Cassidy elbowed Caroline, motioning for her to listen in with her.
Andy blushed furiously as she stuttered.
“Um, well- I suppose that-”
Cassidy immediately senses where the conversation is going.
“Andy! Come on!”
Andy gives the woman an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, maybe some other time?”
Ms. Kennedy’s smile faltered, though she nodded.
“Of course.”
Andy pulled the car door open and slid in next to Cassidy.
“Everybody ready?”
Both girls nod.
“Alright, back to the townhouse Roy.”
As they entered the townhouse, the girls rushed to put their things upstairs.
“Did you hear all of that?” Cassidy exclaimed.
Caroline shrugged.
“I guess so. Ms. Kennedy asked Andy out, so what?”
Cassidy gave Caroline an incredulous look.
“Seriously Caro?! Andy almost said YES!”
Caroline unpacked her backpack, piling her homework onto the desk.
“No way! Andy would never do that to Mom.”
Cassidy shook her head vehemently.
“Come one! You know how Mom can be, we have to do something!”
Caroline sighed, before throwing herself onto her bed.
“What are we supposed to do? We can’t just TELL Mom.”
Both girls paused momentarily, locking eyes.
“Grab your phone!”
“Doing it now!”
Soon Miranda was on the phone.
“Hello Bobbseys? Is everything alright?”
The concern was evident in her voice.
“We’re fine, we have to talk to about something. It’s important.”
Miranda put down everything she was doing.
“Of course my darlings, what do you need?”
Cassidy bit her lip.
“Well, it’s not really about what we need. It’s about what you need.”
Miranda raised a brow.
“Oh?”
“Mom, Ms. Kennedy asked Andy out when she came to pick us up.”
Miranda’s grip tightened on her pen, she pursed her lips unhappily but remained silent.
“Mom? We stopped Andy from answering but I think she was going to say yes. You have to do something!”
Miranda scowled.
“What exactly do you expect me to do. Andrea is a grown woman, she can make her own decisions.”
Caroline sighed.
“But Mom, everyone knows you have dibs on her.”
“Dibs? There is no such thing. I’m sorry girls, but I do not have time to discuss such foolish things. I have work to do.”
Suddenly Miranda was gone.
“She hung up?!” Cassidy exclaimed.
“She’s never done that before.” Caroline said worriedly.
“Girls! Did you want to head to the park for a bit before dinner?” Andy shouted from the bottom of the stairs.
The Miranda problem forgotten the girls rushed down the stairs to meet Andy.
The day was sunny though breezy. After a long day in school and at the office, the fresh air was very welcomed to all three of them. Soon enough, after a long walk and many discussions of school dramas it was time to head home for supper.
“Have you decided what you want us to make for dinner? I sent Cara home early so we can make whatever we want!”
Both girls smiled brightly at Andy. All three of them so enthralled with the thought of food, they didn’t notice the man approaching them.
“Empty your pockets!”
The man stood tall in front of them, head to toe dressed in black. A gun was held unwavering between them.
Andy immediately pulled the girls behind her.
“There’s no need for that. Just tell me what you want.” Andy held her hands out calmly, protecting the girls behind her.
Behind Andy, Cassidy was safe enough to pull out her phone to dial for the police.
“I want you to empty your damn pockets!”
Andy nodded slowly.
“Alright. Alright.”
Andy slowly reached into her pockets and tossed everything onto the ground in front of her. The man glared menacingly, without mercy.
“You’re that Priestly woman’s assistant, and those are her brats you’ve got there.”
Andy glared back at him, her arms shielding the girls.
“Hand over those rats and I’ll let you walk away scott free.”
Andy’s glare hardened.
“Not a chance.”
At this point Cassidy has had the police on the line for a while and Caroline is attempting to record the incident. The girls wanted to be able to help the police catch this guy if it came to that.
“I’m not messing around lady, now scram before I blow you away along with the two devil spawn.”
The man shook the gun, his frustration evident.
“I said, no.”
The man smirked.
“Well, I suppose if I can’t get to her brats, I’ll take you instead. Break the Ice Queen’s heart.” The man sneered triumphantly.
Andy scoffed.
“My life means nothing to Miranda Priestly. She’d find a new assistant in the hour, it would barely be an inconvenience to her.”
The man narrowed his eyes.
“Ridiculous. She wouldn’t trust just anyone with her brats.”
Andy shrugged.
“Obviously you are misinformed if you think Miranda could possibly care about what happens to me.”
The man scowled before suddenly lunging forward. Andy spread her hands out to meet him, the two of them wrestling for a moment before the gun finally went off.
Andy’s body dropped to the ground, and as sirens wailed in the distant the man shot off running in the opposite direction.
“ANDY!” Both girls dropped to their knees next Andy.
“Cass, call Mom! I have to find a way to stop the bleeding.”
“Use my jacket, and press it down tight.”
“I know Cass! Just call Mom!”
“She’s not answering! Caro, she’s not answering!”
The ambulance came up the street, and EMT’s began to help her, pushing the girls to the side.
“We have to ride to the hospital with her!” Caroline sobbed.
One of the EMT’s helped them into the back of the ambulance before rushing off.
Miranda huffed dramatically as she ignored another call from the girls. She couldn’t understand why they had to insist on this ridiculous thing with her and Andrea. Where they were getting those ideas from she would never know.
Suddenly Nigel burst into her office.
“I don’t remember sending for you, what is the meaning of this intrusion-”
“You haven’t been answering your phone!”
Miranda gave him a questioning look.
“My phone calls are none of your business.”
“Goddammit Miranda, just listen to me! The girls called me when you wouldn’t pick up. It’s Six, there’s been a horrible accident.”
Immediately the blood drained from her face. Her Andrea? An accident?
“Get me to the hospital right away!”