Title: Right beside you, down the memory lane
Author: nebbiapurpurea
Disclaimer: I don’t own The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly, Andrea Sachs or any other character mentioned.
Rating: PG
Feedback: Yes, please!
Pairings: Andy/Miranda, James Holt/Nigel, Emily/Serena
Summary: our favourite couple remember how they got together
Beta: acceb23

A/N: This is the sequel of “Lies, Loyalty, Love”. You should read it first if you don’t want to miss anything out.



Chapter 2

“Andy?”
“Yes Caro?”
“How did you and Mom get together?”
“Yeah, you really never told us how it happened” added Cassidy, while the two of them took a seat on the couch, one on each side of Andy.
“Uhm, I really wasn’t expecting this question.”

Through the years, Andy had learned that the best way to deal with the girls was by being honest with them. They wanted to be treated like equals, not children.
Of course, they knew that not everything was suitable for them, but they always wanted to be a part of what was going on around them.

“Come on, it can’t be that bad!”
“And we’re not children anymore. We’re sixteen!”
“This EPS thing of yours it’s still freaking me out. Anyway, do you remember that time, five years ago, when I came back from Miami with your mom?”

The twins nodded, looking excitedly at her. Finally, they were going to discover one of the few things they still didn’t know about their mother and Andy’s relationship.

“When I got to Miami, I was a nervous wreck. But something really amazing happened. Your mother opened up to me, talking about her feelings and justifying some of her decisions. From there, things only got better and easier”
“Easy? With mom?”
“Yeah, right!”
“Do you want to hear the story or not?” asked Andy, amused by their reactions.

“Poor guy, you almost gave him a heart attack!”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Andrea”
“Miranda, you told him that if he didn’t go away immediately you would have him fired! And he was just doing his job, anyway”

Miranda rolled her eyes, an amused smile on her face. Andy was laying on the bed, her arms under her head, looking at the older woman with a grin.

“So, what are we having for dinner?”
“Why am I not surprised?” replied Miranda, still smiling, as she took a seat beside Andy on the bed.
“You shouldn’t be. I’ll never be a size zero, Miranda”
“And you don’t need to be, Andrea”
“Really?” asked Andy, surprised, getting up to sit beside the older woman
“Yes. I’ve came to the conclusion that you are an exception for me, Andrea. While the models I work with on a daily basis need to be skinny, you don’t need to be. To me, you are perfect the way you are.”

Andrea smiled fondly, leaning towards Miranda to deposit a light kiss on her lips.
“You’re perfect too, Miranda”
“But I won’t always be. I’ll be old, with wrinkles and…”
“Stop it right there, Priestly!” toned Andy, leaning in for another, more passionate, kiss “I don’t care about any of that. For me, love is not about beauty. It’s about not being able to imagine my life without the person I love. It’s about waking up in the morning and going to sleep in the night thinking about them. Love is about compromise. It’s about being able to understand the others’ needs. It’s about making my partner happy, whatever it takes.”
“I’ll hold you to that, my dear” said Miranda, reaching up to cup Andy’s cheeks “And I promise I will try not to worry about my age”
“It’s a deal, then. Now kiss me or feed me, Priestly. I’m quite hungry”

At that, Miranda laughed, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the room. The sunset was visible through the window and Andy was entranced by the shadows it was casting on Miranda’s hair. For the millionth time, blue encountered brown and the laughter died as quickly as it had started. Hilarity left space to love, desire, passion...

Dinner was soon forgotten, as kisses after kisses were shared. Whispers filled the room, accompanied by low moans.

“Ewww”
“Shut up. I think it’s cute”
“You would. Honestly Cass, she’s our mother!”
“So?”
“So I don’t want to hear about her sex life!”
“As if we never walked in on them…”
“Yeah… and I’m scarred for life!!”

At this, Andy had to laugh. It was true. Despite the size of the townhouse, the twins seemed to have the ability to surprise them in the most compromising positions. In the study, in their bedroom, in the bathroom. One time, they’d had to hide in the hallway’s closet to avoid being caught, once again.
But neither Miranda nor Andy was really worried about it. Of course, they limited the lovemaking behind to the closed door of the bedroom if the twins were home so the girls only caught them in heavy make out sessions, which were always followed by a remark from Miranda on the line of “I’m too old to be caught necking like a teenager, Andrea. If you weren’t so… libidinous this would never have happened”.
Andy always laughed, replying that it took two to tango.

“I still remember the first time you caught us making out…”
“Don’t remind me” it was Caroline, again
“It was pretty fun” retorted Cassidy.
“Why, pray tell, are you talking about this?”

Three head turned immediately towards the door where Miranda, leaning against her doorframe, was watching them, her eyebrows knitted.

“Andy was telling us how you got together”
“You already knew that story…”
When two identical groans of “Mooom” filled the room, Miranda sighed and walked towards the couch.
Cassidy automatically moved to make room for her mother, who took a seat beside Andrea.
“Where were you?”
“Right after the ‘kiss me or feed me’ speech”
“I see” nodded Miranda “I think I’ll continue, if you don’t mind”

As much as both of them wanted, they didn’t make love that night. Both Andy and Miranda knew that it was too soon.

They considered eating out, but discarded the idea. Being sighted by the press, at this stage of the new born relationship, was not something they wanted or were prepared for.
So, Miranda called the room service and ordered dinner. If the receptionist noticed that she ordered for two, she didn’t care or didn’t want to bring it up.
The sole fact that Miranda was calling herself was enough to put the poor girl’s brain into overdrive.

They ate quietly, talking about everything and nothing, often stopping to steal glances at each other, content to share the comfortable quiet that engulfed them when they were both silent.

“I’m stuffed”
“Me too. Honestly Andrea, I don’t know how you managed to eat so much”
“Well…”
“Yes?”
“I haven’t really eaten since that day at your office”
“Andrea!” Miranda was scandalized.
Yes, she expected her models to be skinny, but starving themselves wasn’t an option.
“My stomach wouldn’t co-operate. I would eat breakfast and a sandwich at lunch or late in the afternoon, but not dinner”
“I apologize. It is my fault that you were so upset…”
“Miranda, stop it!”

The older woman glared at Andy, who ignored her and proceeded to straddle her.

“We both know that it’s not your fault. Yes, you weren’t exactly clear, I’ll give you that. But I was upset because of my behaviour, too. I was out of line”
“Still, I feel responsible for that. For what happened, in general. I even told Nigel…”
“That you fucked up?” interrupted Andy, “Yes, I know”
“What did he tell you?” demanded Miranda
“Just that he panicked. And that your feelings for me were obviously very strong. Don’t get mad, please. He was just trying to help us”

Miranda sighed, nodding slightly, while pulling Andy closer. The younger woman snuggled against her, putting her head on Miranda’s shoulder.

“The girls will be delighted”
“Oh?”
“Yes. When you stopped coming around, which is entirely my fault, they asked me about it. I simply told them that we were both extremely busy. They didn’t push the subject, but I believe that both Caroline and Cassidy knew that I was lying. I couldn’t bring myself to tell them what I had already denied to myself”
“That you love me”
“No” came the smiling reply “That you love me back”

At this, Andy had to grin and leaned in to kiss the other woman.

“They’re great kids, Miranda. Both you and Greg did a great job with them”
“Yes, I believe we did. But I regret all the times I’ve neglected them, putting Runway before our family. I believe that will change soon enough”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. I know perfectly well that you will give me many headaches every time I’ll miss dinner, or a play or something. Not to mention the fact that they are my children and that they should come first”
“You’re right, I’ll torment you at which, of course, you’ll be mad at me for a total of… three seconds!”
“Why, you little…”

Andy giggled, soon followed by Miranda’s laugh.

“You’re right, Andrea. I’m smitten.”
“What can I say? I’m just too cute.”
“That you are, darling. That you are.”

“That’s true” said Caroline
“Yep, do you remember?” added Cassidy
“Are you kidding me? It was huge!!”

As the two continued bickering back and forth, Miranda and Andy shared a knowing smile.
The girls were obviously talking about the first time Andy scolded Miranda because she missed dinner when she promised she would have been home in time.

“You were really mad, Andy” said Cassidy, suddenly.
“Oh yeah, I was” nodded Andy
“I’m never gonna forget that. For a moment I thought that Mom was going to kill you. She was way too quiet.”
“Please” interrupted Miranda, “I would surely hired someone to do it”
The girl shared a look, Andy laughed and Miranda smiled affectionately.

“Really, I don’t get it. You said you were going to be here! How hard is it to at least call to say that you couldn’t make it?”
Andy was furiously pacing back and forth in front of the couch where Miranda was currently sitting, quite mad herself.
“Andrea, would you calm down? It was just dinner”
“It wasn’t just dinner! They were so happy, you should have seen them! They were going to tell you about the practice for the game, and of the A’s they both scored in the math test…”
“They got A’s in a math test?”
“Yes, which you would know everything about if you were here to listen to them! But you weren’t!”
“Andrea…”
“No, not this time! I’m really mad, Miranda. Really, really mad. And now, since it’s well beyond the girls’ bedtime and you’re finally here, I’m going home”
“What? Andrea, it’s almost midnight”
“Exactly. Next time think about it, before blowing our plans without as much as a thought!”

Before Miranda could even blink, Andy was already in the foyer and was putting her coat on.
The older woman got up and quickly followed Andy but, once again, she was interrupted before she could open her mouth. This time, however, it was Cassidy’s voice that stopped her.

“Andy? Where are you going?”
“I’m going home, Cass. Tomorrow is my day off and…” replied Andy, only to be interrupted by Caroline
“You’re a horrible liar, Andy. You’re leaving because you’re mad at mom. Which is stupid, by the way”
“Yeah” added Cassidy “We’re mad too, but we aren’t leaving.”
“We can’t leave, but that’s beside the point… The Point is that you don’t have to leave”
“Girls,” intervened Miranda, “Why don’t you go back to bed? It’s late and you have school tomorrow.”
“No mom, we’re not going anywhere. We heard you fighting.”
“And we don’t like it!”
“You should have called” said Cassidy, pointing at Miranda.
“And you should have made her sleep in the guestroom,” added Caroline, looking at Andy
“In the guestroom?” both Andy and Miranda asked at the same time
“Yes… so you know what you missed tonight and we’ll still all be here in the morning”

The two “adults” looked at each other: Andy was blushing furiously and Miranda was hopelessly trying to find something to say.

“Put your coat away, and go to sleep” was the final word, followed by the sound of four feet walking away.

“Did they just…”
“Scold us?” finished Miranda “Yes, I believe they just did… I’m sorry Andrea, you’re right. I should have at least called”
“I’m sorry too, I shouldn’t have reacted that way. But they were so sad Miranda, it just broke my heart.”
“I know darling… I’ll make it up to them, tomorrow. Since it’s your day off, what do you say if we all go to the park and then have dinner out?”
“Really?” Andy was beaming
“Yes” said Miranda, walking to the other woman and embracing her “Tomorrow’s Friday. I can postpone the afternoon meeting to Monday.”
“Ok,” Andy nodded vigorously, “Sleep now?”
“Sleep now.”

They smiled at each other and, holding hands, went up the stairs and into the master bedroom, only to find Patricia guarding the bed, with what can only be described as a frown on her face.
Andy laughed and shook her head, while Miranda arched and eyebrow.
“Patricia, don’t look at me like that” she said, quite seriously “I apologised.”
At this, the huge dog tilted her head to the side and nodded, or at least that’s what it looked like, right before padding away, leaving a bewildered Andy and an amused Miranda behind her.
“I can’t believe it… Miranda, what is it exactly that you put in her food?”
“Nothing, of course. But she’s my dog, after all. Do you really expect her to not understand what I tell her?”
“Figures,” was Andy’s mumbled answer, at which followed another laugh from Miranda.

“I still can’t believe that she nodded to you. I mean… she nodded!”
“Yes, yes Andrea. She nodded,” said Miranda, rolling her eyes
“But... but...”
“Drop it Andy, you’ll never figure it out” said Cassidy
“Yeah. I think Mom went in “Doctor Frankenstein” mode and put the brain of someone in Patricia and then used electricity to make her alive…”
“That would explain why we can’t go in the attic”
“This is all your fault,” said Miranda, pointing at Andy, “If you hadn’t let them watch that horrible, horrible movie they wouldn’t say things like that.”
“Oh please. They’re no angels, Miranda. Which doesn’t surprise me, considering who their mother is.”
“Are you implying something, darling?”
“Yes. That you’re a Machiavellian, Miranda. And don’t you try to deny it! Remember the move you put on Irv in Paris”

Miranda opened and closed her mouth a couple of time, only to huff indignantly and glare at Andy. Both Caroline and Cassidy laughed outright, content to simply share jokes with their parents and watch them tease each other.
Life is good thought Caroline, while the banter between Andy and Miranda continued.
Yes, thought Cassidy. Life is good.