The Gift of Possibilities ~ Twelfth
And if you must, blame the ending on the Little Freakboat.
Disclaimer: The Devil Wears Prada is neither mine nor CeeLyn's. No infringement intended, no money being made. The building belongs to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. We're just redecorating. When finished, we will tear down the new curtains and fancy artwork, but leave the festive paint…
Rating: T
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Mirandy
.............................
Twelfth ~ CeeLyn’s
Andy stood in front of the Obelisk of Luxor, her back to the fountain nearest the Champs-Elysees. Huge snowflakes clung to her lashes as she tilted her head to catch the falling snow on her tongue.
“You look positively child-like, Andrea,” a sultry voice called from behind her.
“Are you sure you don’t mean childish?” Andy brushed away the flakes from her face with the back of her gloved hand. Taking the shopping bag from Miranda’s hand she leaned in for a quick kiss. “All done?”
Miranda had taken Cassidy and Caroline shopping while Andy finished editing her story at the hotel. After faxing in her work she had decided to take a walk around the Place de la Concorde, which was near the Hotel de Crillon, where they were spending Christmas. The plaza was a fairly bustling place during this early evening and the constant motion of the crowds against the backdrop of steadily falling snow made for a dizzy sight. Andy laughed as she stepped back with the bags.
“Isn’t this amazing?” she called, spinning around on the snowy sidewalk.
“Indeed. Beautiful. How long have you been out here?” Miranda asked sternly.
“Oh, stop it. I feel fine. I was just a little congested after the flight. My work is done, my head is clear, and my lovely beautiful wife has apparently bought me something very expensive,” Andy joked, as she began to paw through the bag she held.
Miranda reached out to slap Andy’s hand away. “No. Absolutely not. No peeking. I have had to travel half way around the world for this year’s gift and you will not spoil the moment.” Taking the bag back from Andy, Miranda caught her wife’s slender wrist. “Andrea, darling,” she said, pointing to the fountain just behind them, “Is this where, well-“
Andy laughed and pulled Miranda’s hand into her own coat pocket. “Yes, it is. But I’ve moved on, matured, and grown a decidedly more adult sense of humor since then. I choose not to revel in that particular moment of triumph.”
Andy was actually surprised by Miranda’s near snort of a laugh.
“Hey, there you are. You’ve been pretty sedate so far this trip. Are you feeling all right? Where are the girls?” It was only then that Andy actually realized that the twins were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, they stopped for coffee. I told them we would meet them back at the suite before dinner.” Miranda answered, but her eyes never met Andy’s.
Andy squeezed the hand she held in her coat pocket. “You didn’t answer me. Is everything okay?”
Miranda leaned in to Andy’s side. “Yes, dear,” she sighed dramatically, “everything is fine. Why must you always assume something is wrong simply because I choose not to prance around like a school girl.”
Andy stopped short. “Prance? Wait a minute…one minute I’m ‘child-like’ and the next I’m a prancing school girl?”
“A poor choice of words, my dear. I apologize. I’m sorry; may we just get back to the hotel? I am getting cold and this snow is becoming tiresome.”
Miranda tugged at Andy’s hand and the two women quickly crossed to the far west side and their hotel. Riding the elevator in silence Andy studied Miranda’s reflection in the glassy surface of the doors. She looks tired, but she also looks… sad? Her musings were cut short by the chime of the lift reaching their floor. They soon accessed their suite and deposited Miranda’s bags in their room before joining the young women in the sitting room.
“Hey, took you two long enough,” Cassidy chided. “Are we ready to go? I am starved…”
“Where are we eating, downstairs? Their desserts are divine.” Caroline made no pretense of hiding her desire for sweets. “Please, Mom?”
“There is no need to grovel, Caroline, our reservations are for eight. We have a few minutes.” Turning to Andy she said, “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.”
As Miranda swept out of the room Andy fairly plopped on the couch next to Cassidy.
“So, what’s up with your mom today? Something happen while you guys were shopping?” Andy was honestly puzzled at what had brought the change in demeanor. It had started in New York, and the mood change had become more pronounced the closer they got to Paris.
“Uh, no, not while we were shopping. Duh, Andy. What are you, a guy?” Cassidy poked at her stepmother, but still the jibe carried some weight.
“What? What did I do now?” she was truly dumbfounded.
“Andy, you dumped her here, remember? I still can’t believe you wanted to come to Paris for Christmas. It seems a little, well, mean to me,” Caroline was always quick to defend her mother’s position.
The memory hit Andy like a ton of bricks. Her attempts to warn Miranda. Her heart breaking for Nigel. Miranda telling her that she saw a little of herself in Andy. She startled when she felt a hand upon her shoulder.
“Andrea, I asked if you were ready.” Miranda stood behind the sofa waiting for a reply.
“Oh, yeah, almost. Girls, why don’t you go on ahead? We’ll be right behind you. Okay?” Her pointed look was not lost on the twins, who quickly gathered their things and left.
“What is it, darling? You look fine. I just felt a little mussed from shopping…” Miranda never got the chance to finish her thought as Andy stood and swept her into a crushing embrace.
“Oh, Miranda. I didn’t think. I never thought- I am so stupid. I am so sorry…”
“Andrea, I don’t know what it is you are apologizing for but if you don’t let me go it will have to include broken ribs and suffocation.” Miranda pulled back from Andy and held her at arm’s length. “Now, what is this?”
“I left you. I left you and-“
“You left me? When?”
“Here! I left you here. I got out of the car and I walked away and I threw my phone…”
“Oh. That. Yes. You left me.”
Andy stepped back towards Miranda, surprised when the older woman back away.
“Miranda? Please, I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. It was a long time ago,” waved Miranda, turning to sit. She was stopped by Andy’s grasp of her arm.
“No, there is a need. Because it hurt you.”
Shaking her head Miranda again said, “No. It’s fine,” and continued to the chair.
Andy knelt in front of the woman she had hurt all those years ago and tried to explain.
“Miranda, I hurt you. You may not have wanted to admit it then, but there is no reason not to admit it now. I hurt you. I left you. As much as I hate myself for causing you that kind of pain, I accept the fact that that is what I did. I hurt the woman I love. Please let me apologize.”
Reaching out to stroke the cheek and tears before her Miranda spoke softly. “Andrea, you did not leave me, you left Runway. If you had truly left me we would not be here today. I just got a little sad remembering the pain I felt when you never picked up that last call. But I understand why you left. I’m glad you left. It is what eventually led you back to me. It is all terribly cliché, but it’s true. You set yourself free, and in the end found your way to the place you belong. You knew that the very first Christmas we spent together, didn’t you? You knew where you belonged; you knew where I belonged, even if I didn’t.” The tears were now flowing freely down both women’s faces. “When I opened that package, I was so stunned. Not only by the sheer quality of workmanship, but by the emotion I saw in your face. There was such longing, and yet hope. It was as if your face revealed both the journey and the destination you knew your life needed. There was such honesty in that; I don’t think anything has ever struck me with more force as the emotions I felt that day. You never left me, Andrea. You just had to find your own way home.”
The silence was filled by sniffling and stuffy breathing until Andrea could finally speak.
“Do you know why I wanted to come here for Christmas? Because this is where I first realized that I have a place in this world. At the moment I tossed that phone I didn’t know where that place was, but I knew where it wasn’t. That was huge for me. It was like being born all over again. I see Paris as the place I took the first step toward becoming the person you could love. No, no, I know what you are going to say. But honestly, you could not have really loved who I was then. You needed someone stronger, someone you trusted enough to share the enormous responsibility you had placed upon yourself. I wasn’t that girl then, Miranda. The old Andy might have been able to catch you, but she never would have been able to hold on to you. The woman here with you now was born that day, in this city. Paris is a place of joy for me because of that; I’m just sorry that it has to be a place of pain for you. But it has all brought me to the place I am today. I’m right where I want to be.”
Miranda leaned down as Andy rose up and their lips met in a long and tender kiss, ending only at the sound of a cell phone. Practically growling Miranda pulled back, tucking her hair behind one ear.
“Those girls cannot be that hungry. I can’t begin to tell you what they ate today.”
Andy laughed as she pulled Miranda to her feet.
“Hey, it’s not easy being a Six,” she joked as she sifted through the pile of belongings on the sideboard and handed Miranda her purse.
“Apparently not,” Miranda replied drolly. “But it is so nice to see them trying to carry on at least one family tradition. Please tell me that is not Cassidy’s bag…”
“Nope,” chirped Andy, tossing the bag across her shoulder, “this one’s mine.”
Pausing at the door Miranda turned and took Andy by the arms. “Andrea, this place you have come to, is it enough? Truly?”
“Yes, Miranda. It’s enough. It’s everything. Now come on. Lighten up; it’s Christmas. We’re an old married couple. We need to eat, come home, watch television, have sex, and be asleep by eleven, okay? Do you need anything else?” Andy asked as she picked up their coats and held the door.
Miranda looked around the room and settled her gaze upon Andy. “No,” she smiled. “I have you. That’s everything I need. That’s all.”
A Baker's Dozen ~ The Epilogue
Disclaimer: The Devil Wears Prada is neither mine nor CeeLyn's. No infringement intended, no money being made. The building belongs to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. We're just redecorating. When finished, we will tear down the new curtains and fancy artwork, but leave the festive paint…
Rating: T
Fandom: The Devil Wears Prada
Pairing: Mirandy
.............................
Twelfth ~ CeeLyn’s
Andy stood in front of the Obelisk of Luxor, her back to the fountain nearest the Champs-Elysees. Huge snowflakes clung to her lashes as she tilted her head to catch the falling snow on her tongue.
“You look positively child-like, Andrea,” a sultry voice called from behind her.
“Are you sure you don’t mean childish?” Andy brushed away the flakes from her face with the back of her gloved hand. Taking the shopping bag from Miranda’s hand she leaned in for a quick kiss. “All done?”
Miranda had taken Cassidy and Caroline shopping while Andy finished editing her story at the hotel. After faxing in her work she had decided to take a walk around the Place de la Concorde, which was near the Hotel de Crillon, where they were spending Christmas. The plaza was a fairly bustling place during this early evening and the constant motion of the crowds against the backdrop of steadily falling snow made for a dizzy sight. Andy laughed as she stepped back with the bags.
“Isn’t this amazing?” she called, spinning around on the snowy sidewalk.
“Indeed. Beautiful. How long have you been out here?” Miranda asked sternly.
“Oh, stop it. I feel fine. I was just a little congested after the flight. My work is done, my head is clear, and my lovely beautiful wife has apparently bought me something very expensive,” Andy joked, as she began to paw through the bag she held.
Miranda reached out to slap Andy’s hand away. “No. Absolutely not. No peeking. I have had to travel half way around the world for this year’s gift and you will not spoil the moment.” Taking the bag back from Andy, Miranda caught her wife’s slender wrist. “Andrea, darling,” she said, pointing to the fountain just behind them, “Is this where, well-“
Andy laughed and pulled Miranda’s hand into her own coat pocket. “Yes, it is. But I’ve moved on, matured, and grown a decidedly more adult sense of humor since then. I choose not to revel in that particular moment of triumph.”
Andy was actually surprised by Miranda’s near snort of a laugh.
“Hey, there you are. You’ve been pretty sedate so far this trip. Are you feeling all right? Where are the girls?” It was only then that Andy actually realized that the twins were nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, they stopped for coffee. I told them we would meet them back at the suite before dinner.” Miranda answered, but her eyes never met Andy’s.
Andy squeezed the hand she held in her coat pocket. “You didn’t answer me. Is everything okay?”
Miranda leaned in to Andy’s side. “Yes, dear,” she sighed dramatically, “everything is fine. Why must you always assume something is wrong simply because I choose not to prance around like a school girl.”
Andy stopped short. “Prance? Wait a minute…one minute I’m ‘child-like’ and the next I’m a prancing school girl?”
“A poor choice of words, my dear. I apologize. I’m sorry; may we just get back to the hotel? I am getting cold and this snow is becoming tiresome.”
Miranda tugged at Andy’s hand and the two women quickly crossed to the far west side and their hotel. Riding the elevator in silence Andy studied Miranda’s reflection in the glassy surface of the doors. She looks tired, but she also looks… sad? Her musings were cut short by the chime of the lift reaching their floor. They soon accessed their suite and deposited Miranda’s bags in their room before joining the young women in the sitting room.
“Hey, took you two long enough,” Cassidy chided. “Are we ready to go? I am starved…”
“Where are we eating, downstairs? Their desserts are divine.” Caroline made no pretense of hiding her desire for sweets. “Please, Mom?”
“There is no need to grovel, Caroline, our reservations are for eight. We have a few minutes.” Turning to Andy she said, “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.”
As Miranda swept out of the room Andy fairly plopped on the couch next to Cassidy.
“So, what’s up with your mom today? Something happen while you guys were shopping?” Andy was honestly puzzled at what had brought the change in demeanor. It had started in New York, and the mood change had become more pronounced the closer they got to Paris.
“Uh, no, not while we were shopping. Duh, Andy. What are you, a guy?” Cassidy poked at her stepmother, but still the jibe carried some weight.
“What? What did I do now?” she was truly dumbfounded.
“Andy, you dumped her here, remember? I still can’t believe you wanted to come to Paris for Christmas. It seems a little, well, mean to me,” Caroline was always quick to defend her mother’s position.
The memory hit Andy like a ton of bricks. Her attempts to warn Miranda. Her heart breaking for Nigel. Miranda telling her that she saw a little of herself in Andy. She startled when she felt a hand upon her shoulder.
“Andrea, I asked if you were ready.” Miranda stood behind the sofa waiting for a reply.
“Oh, yeah, almost. Girls, why don’t you go on ahead? We’ll be right behind you. Okay?” Her pointed look was not lost on the twins, who quickly gathered their things and left.
“What is it, darling? You look fine. I just felt a little mussed from shopping…” Miranda never got the chance to finish her thought as Andy stood and swept her into a crushing embrace.
“Oh, Miranda. I didn’t think. I never thought- I am so stupid. I am so sorry…”
“Andrea, I don’t know what it is you are apologizing for but if you don’t let me go it will have to include broken ribs and suffocation.” Miranda pulled back from Andy and held her at arm’s length. “Now, what is this?”
“I left you. I left you and-“
“You left me? When?”
“Here! I left you here. I got out of the car and I walked away and I threw my phone…”
“Oh. That. Yes. You left me.”
Andy stepped back towards Miranda, surprised when the older woman back away.
“Miranda? Please, I’m sorry.”
“There’s no need to apologize. It was a long time ago,” waved Miranda, turning to sit. She was stopped by Andy’s grasp of her arm.
“No, there is a need. Because it hurt you.”
Shaking her head Miranda again said, “No. It’s fine,” and continued to the chair.
Andy knelt in front of the woman she had hurt all those years ago and tried to explain.
“Miranda, I hurt you. You may not have wanted to admit it then, but there is no reason not to admit it now. I hurt you. I left you. As much as I hate myself for causing you that kind of pain, I accept the fact that that is what I did. I hurt the woman I love. Please let me apologize.”
Reaching out to stroke the cheek and tears before her Miranda spoke softly. “Andrea, you did not leave me, you left Runway. If you had truly left me we would not be here today. I just got a little sad remembering the pain I felt when you never picked up that last call. But I understand why you left. I’m glad you left. It is what eventually led you back to me. It is all terribly cliché, but it’s true. You set yourself free, and in the end found your way to the place you belong. You knew that the very first Christmas we spent together, didn’t you? You knew where you belonged; you knew where I belonged, even if I didn’t.” The tears were now flowing freely down both women’s faces. “When I opened that package, I was so stunned. Not only by the sheer quality of workmanship, but by the emotion I saw in your face. There was such longing, and yet hope. It was as if your face revealed both the journey and the destination you knew your life needed. There was such honesty in that; I don’t think anything has ever struck me with more force as the emotions I felt that day. You never left me, Andrea. You just had to find your own way home.”
The silence was filled by sniffling and stuffy breathing until Andrea could finally speak.
“Do you know why I wanted to come here for Christmas? Because this is where I first realized that I have a place in this world. At the moment I tossed that phone I didn’t know where that place was, but I knew where it wasn’t. That was huge for me. It was like being born all over again. I see Paris as the place I took the first step toward becoming the person you could love. No, no, I know what you are going to say. But honestly, you could not have really loved who I was then. You needed someone stronger, someone you trusted enough to share the enormous responsibility you had placed upon yourself. I wasn’t that girl then, Miranda. The old Andy might have been able to catch you, but she never would have been able to hold on to you. The woman here with you now was born that day, in this city. Paris is a place of joy for me because of that; I’m just sorry that it has to be a place of pain for you. But it has all brought me to the place I am today. I’m right where I want to be.”
Miranda leaned down as Andy rose up and their lips met in a long and tender kiss, ending only at the sound of a cell phone. Practically growling Miranda pulled back, tucking her hair behind one ear.
“Those girls cannot be that hungry. I can’t begin to tell you what they ate today.”
Andy laughed as she pulled Miranda to her feet.
“Hey, it’s not easy being a Six,” she joked as she sifted through the pile of belongings on the sideboard and handed Miranda her purse.
“Apparently not,” Miranda replied drolly. “But it is so nice to see them trying to carry on at least one family tradition. Please tell me that is not Cassidy’s bag…”
“Nope,” chirped Andy, tossing the bag across her shoulder, “this one’s mine.”
Pausing at the door Miranda turned and took Andy by the arms. “Andrea, this place you have come to, is it enough? Truly?”
“Yes, Miranda. It’s enough. It’s everything. Now come on. Lighten up; it’s Christmas. We’re an old married couple. We need to eat, come home, watch television, have sex, and be asleep by eleven, okay? Do you need anything else?” Andy asked as she picked up their coats and held the door.
Miranda looked around the room and settled her gaze upon Andy. “No,” she smiled. “I have you. That’s everything I need. That’s all.”
A Baker's Dozen ~ The Epilogue