DISCLAIMER: The Devil Wears Prada and its characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. No infringement intended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is the tenth and final part of the Bodyguard Series. Do read Bodyguard 1 - 9 if you have not already. It would help with understanding this story. Thanks for going on this journey with me, and for reading of course. Feed the bard! :) Beta/Proofing: pdt & bed.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Bodyguard X Endgame
By The Raven
"Emily." Miranda Priestly said softly.
At once, her assistant appeared at the door and came to her desk, ready for anything, ready for everything.
"Your request for a long weekend is granted. See to it that everything is ready and nothing falls apart too much in your absence. That's all." Miranda said softly.
In all the time that Emily had worked for her, she had never so much as asked for an hour off. Whatever it was that was making her ask for a day off in addition to not being on call during the weekend, it was it had to be important.
Also, Miranda had just come back from her vacation a few days ago and she was feeling generous and benevolent. Everyone deserved a little time off, after all.
"Yes, Miranda. Thank you, Miranda." Emily said in her perfectly British way and quickly left, leaving Miranda alone with her thoughts.
She would be able to count on Emily when the shit hit the fan. That at least was a comfort. Not that Emily had any power, really, but she would be a comforting presence. They had sufficient history together that Miranda knew that when Emily eventually left, it would leave a hole in her life.
Miranda wondered what Andrea was up to. When they had arrived back at the town house her lover had handed off souvenirs, gifts and beach combing treasures. Told some stories about spear fishing and made up some other stories about pirates, before she had made her way home.
That had been two days ago, and although there had been some phone calls, emails and text messages, Miranda knew precious little as to what was going on.
"We don't have spousal immunity, Miranda." Andrea had said softly one evening in Curaçao.
This was true. Miranda still fretted and wondered though. Andrea had left a message earlier in the day saying that she would be by the townhouse for dinner tonight. Miranda looked forward to seeing her, but doubted she would be any the wiser for it, though.
It had been a long few days, but Andy felt like she was finally ready to put her plans into action. They had ferreted out the rotten wood that was threatening to do damage to Runway, and more importantly Miranda.
Some would be easy to deal with; Andy intended to leave minor players to Miranda. She finally had a complete list of names which she was going to give to Miranda tonight.
Irv Ravitz was hers, though. By the time she was done, he would be sorry that he ever had an unkind thought about Miranda, never mind anything else. Bastard.
Investigations had revealed that he was only behind the two more recent incidences in Miranda's life, but that his careless disregard for protocol, safety and security was partially responsible for the stalking incident that had brought Miranda and Andy together.
Andy smiled maliciously as she manoeuvred her car through traffic. And to think it was because Irv had decided that Miranda needed a bodyguard that Andy was here now. He of course, had no idea who exactly Andy was, it was not information available to the casual outsider.
You had to know who to talk to, and how to talk to them. To start with. Also, Andy was pretty convinced that Irv had no idea just how involved Andy was with Miranda. He was very astute and smart, but awfully dense.
Andy was willing to bet money on the idea that he could not imagine two women who looked like Andy and Miranda did, i.e. not Diesel Dykes, together. Idiot. It would help ensure his downfall.
Irv was too rich to go to jail or to be effectively prosecuted just based on even good investigative work. He needed to have the fear of God put into him. Nothing short of that would ensure that he would cease to be a threat to Miranda.
Andy did not care about anything else. No one would threaten the woman that she loved or her family, for that matter.
No one...
Miranda heard the front door open in the townhouse and rose from her study to go and greet her lover, eager to see her for more reasons that one. Mainly thought, Miranda wanted to simply wrap Andrea up in her arms and hold her. She had a feeling that very soon things were going to get dangerous and insane for her lover.
By the time Miranda reached the hallway, Andrea had removed her coat and was just turning towards the main portion of the house. Framed as she was by the hallway, she was a stunning visage for Miranda's eyes.
As usual, Andrea was dressed in an immaculate and very expensive suit, every line of her clothing screaming tailoring, and money. By now, Miranda could see the cut in the clothes that let Andrea wear her weapons in a virtually invisible way. It had taken some time, but she had learned to see and sometimes Miranda amused herself by trying to see the same things in other people.
Walking up to her lover, Miranda wrapped Andrea up in her arms and held her close, pulling the beloved body close to her own and breathing in the unique scent of the other woman.
"I have missed you." Miranda whispered into a perfect ear, feeling Andrea shiver slightly in her arms.
It was always so amazing how profoundly Andrea seemed to be moved by her. "Me too." Andrea answered, brushing her lips along the side of Miranda's neck.
It had been days since they had made love and Miranda could feel her body almost over react to the simple touch.
"It's time to eat." Miranda said softly, pulling away from Andrea and guiding her to the kitchen.
The girls were already at the table, having decided to allow Miranda to greet Andrea alone. Sometimes they had an uncanny knack for knowing just what to do. This was something that Miranda was grateful for.
Dinner went smoothly, with Caroline and Cassidy doing most of the talking and with Andrea telling all of them funny anecdotes from her life as a bodyguard.
Miranda knew that there was much more to being a bodyguard than the funny stories that Andrea was telling, but Andrea had a marvellous sense of humour and loved to entertain people with it, so the girls provided a perfect audience.
As if sensing her perusal, Andrea looked up directly into Miranda's eyes and for a moment time stopped as two souls looked at each other. The moment was soon diverted though when Caroline asked Andrea a question about Louise and dinner conversation resumed once more.
Miranda could not wait to get Andrea alone later...
"You might not see or hear from me for a few days, starting tomorrow. I need to go on a business trip and it is for a discreet client." Andy said as she watched Miranda move around in the bedroom.
Blue eyes turned to look at her expectantly. Miranda seemed to have a speculative look on her face but she did not ask any questions. Andy nodded slightly, as if to confirm whatever Miranda was thinking.
They did not have spousal immunity, so Andy would have to make sure that no matter what happened, Miranda and the children and even Runway itself, was safe from any incriminating details.
"Will I be able to leave messages with you at your office?" Miranda asked as she approached Andy, her gait casual. Andy knew her intent was anything but casual.
"Yes, but I might not be able to get them every day." Andy breathed as Miranda came to a stop in front of her.
"How many days?" Miranda asked as she ran a finger along the front of Andy's shirt.
Andy lost track of the conversation, focusing instead on the look on Miranda's face and the feel of her touch. Shaking herself mentally, Andy forced an answer out of her mouth.
"No more than three." Andy said just before their lips touched.
Pleasure so intense it almost hurt ignited in Andy's blood at once, spreading along her body like wildfire. Only Miranda had this power over her. Only Miranda could make her forget who she was with a simple touch and a single kiss.
When her jacket was pushed from her shoulders, Andy ignored it, letting it fall. Dry cleaners existed for a reason. Right now they existed to that Andy could revel in the moment without a care in the world. No that she would have cared if her jacket had fallen into a volcano at this point.
She only cared about Miranda and the kiss that they were sharing.
Hungrily, Andy deepened the kiss, reaching for Miranda's clothes as she did, pulling, unzipping, unbuttoning, as her mouth and her body melded into Miranda's mouth and body.
The perfect union; that was what this was. Andy was already painfully turned on, desperate to feel Miranda. Frantic to feel Miranda's hands on her, in her...
By now, Miranda's hands were just as skilled as Andy's were when it came to removing her main weapons harness and Andy was able to focus instead on the clasp of the bra that held Miranda's perfect breasts in check. The expensive silk and lace fell away and with it, the last vestiges of self control and sanity that Andy possessed also vanished.
"Will you stay the night?" Miranda asked breathlessly as Andrea slowly rolled down one of her stockings.
Each fold of the silk was punctuated by a kiss by those luscious lips that seemed to be hell bent on driving her mad. Andrea was kneeling on the floor, her shirt open to reveal perfect breasts encased in a silky camisole.
Miranda hungered to taste them, to taste Andrea.
"I can't. I leave tonight." Andrea whispered as her hands wrapped themselves around Miranda's foot.
Miranda moaned through her disappointment, lost in sensation as her lover leaned forward and kissed Miranda's inner thigh, trailing a wet tongue along sensitive skin.
Andrea ignored Miranda's other stocking as she shifted her mouth up, urging Miranda to move to the edge of the bed. No sooner had Miranda done this, when Andrea simply brushed aside Miranda's silk panties and moved her mouth to its destination.
Miranda arched into the touch, curling her hands into Andrea's luscious hair as she gasped her pleasure. Andrea shifted and slid a finger into Miranda, then a second one and soon the rhythm that would undo Miranda was set.
Falling backwards when Andrea lifted Miranda's stocking clad leg over her shoulder, Miranda felt her bones turn to water as Andrea deepened the contact between them. She could feel her orgasm nearing at high speed; it was always this way with Andrea when they had been apart for a few days -- fast, hungry.
Miranda chocked off a scream as her orgasms stampeded across her senses. She could feel Andrea moan her pleasure into the intimate kiss and that just made Miranda's toes curl with delight.
If Andrea had to leave soon, it was imperative to get the other woman onto the bed, now.
Reaching down, Miranda tugged on Andrea gently, pulling her up, pulling off her shirt and pulling her down. Andrea smelled of skin, sex, and sweat; Miranda could feel her own desire sharpen to a razor's edge as she kissed her way up Andrea's neck to her mouth.
Andrea also tasted of sex, and of coffee. Miranda rolled them over and kissed her again, hungry. She would never get enough, not of this. How could she?
With her lover splayed out, so ready and so open under her, Miranda felt tears prick the insides of her eyelids. "I love you." Miranda whispered as she eased her hands under the silky camisole that Andrea was wearing.
A sexy smile was her reward, as Andrea pushed herself into Miranda's touch. "I love you, too." Andrea replied, her voice low.
"Take me. I am yours." Andrea said after a few more moments passed with Miranda gently caressing her flanks.
Miranda felt something break loose inside of her. Pulling on the camisole and quickly discarding it, she leaned down and took a dusky nipple into her mouth. Andrea writhed under her, pulling Miranda's head closer, her legs coming up to wrap themselves around Miranda's body.
Feeling insane with desire, Miranda slid a hand between their bodies and eased it past the barrier of Andrea's panties, into her. It was divine. Hot, wet, silky walls closed around her fingers and Miranda forgot her name, forgot everything except right now.
When Andrea surged against her, Miranda almost choked on the sensation of their slick bodies moving together, of being inside of Andrea. She gently slid in another finger and felt Andrea moan deep within her chest as she arched in Miranda's arms.
Shaking now with pent up emotion, Miranda kissed up Andrea's neck, suckling on delicate flesh and feeling the telltales of her lover's orgasm begin. Andrea surged under her, grasping at her shoulders and moaning directly into Miranda's ear.
It was like pouring gasoline onto an open flame. Miranda could feel herself begin to come simply from the friction of their bodies touching and the back of her own knuckles brushing against herself as she made love to Andrea.
Unable to stop herself, Miranda started to come, and felt Andrea respond at once. Andrea made no effort to choke herself off and when she keened aloud into the quiet bedroom, Miranda almost fainted from the combined sensations and feelings.
Wow.
"Now." Andy muttered into her throat mike.
The door of the van they were in burst open and she and another agent leapt out, quickly grabbing the man who was standing on the sidewalk before he could even react. A prepared hypodermic with a sedative and a black bag over his head later and they were driving off in the blink of an eye.
There was silence as the van drove and Andy and her agent searched the man, quickly confiscating everything. Switching of what needed to be turned off and shutting the entire contents into a lead lined fireproof safe. It would dampen any attempts to track him except by the most sophisticated of methods.
They would store it in a secure electronics area. Jamming devices would ensure complete privacy. But, first things first. "Take him in and secure him. I will dump the van and be back. Begin phase one." Andy instructed, her voice low as she opened the door and two agents piled out to do her bidding.
The safe was dumped into the ground and then Andy slammed the door, quickly driving off with the van. She would leave it in a less-than-desirable neighbourhood. It would be in pieces all over the city in less than a day. Problem solved. Never mind that it was nondescript to begin with.
Two hours later, Andy returned, moving quickly to throw her old kit into a burning barrel. No evidence of this would remain for any forensics people to find when they were done. After stoking the fire to ensure a good burn, Andy moved into the building, already anticipating what would happen next.
"How is he?" Andy inquired as she was met by Louise at the doorway.
"Very confused." Louise replied quietly.
"Ok, you go now. I will call you later. I don't want you mixed in with this in case things go sour." Andy instructed.
"Like hell. You'll have to shoot me and have me taken out by hearse or ambulance, first." Louise replied succinctly.
Andy resisted the urge to laugh...
"Where is Irv?" Nigel asked as he walked into Miranda's office, his tone perplexed.
Miranda raised an eyebrow. She had been unaware that Irv was missing at all. "How am I to know?" Miranda inquired, raising an eyebrow slightly.
"You have a meeting with him today. I figured you might have an idea." Nigel responded deftly.
Miranda leaned back in her chair, carefully schooling her features as she thought about the fact that no one seemed to know where Irv was and that Andrea was away as well.
Coincidence? Unlikely...
But Miranda had no definitive proof, of course. She knew she never would, or at least not until the statute of limitations had expired. Andrea would cut off her own arm before jeopardising Miranda even in such an unlikely way.
Miranda seriously doubted that even Irv would ever know what Andrea was behind whatever was befalling him, but Andrea was a careful person when it came to things like this. Very careful. There would be no mistakes.
As Miranda sat and thought about it, she decided that this was a reason why she and Andrea got along so well. They were both perfectionists in their relative careers and chosen paths in life.
"Have someone find him." Miranda said to Nigel, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.
It promised to be an interesting few days, that was for sure. "Emily." Miranda said softly.
Instantly it seemed, Emily appeared at her desk ready to do her bidding. "Cancel my appointment with Irv. It seems he has not felt the need to show up today. That's all." Miranda said before she turned her chair and contemplated the view outside her window.
What was Andrea up to?
"Are his financials hacked yet?" Andy asked as she watched Irv grope his way around the pitch black room he had been sequestered in.
Andy did not fancy herself to be a torturer, so she had him dressed in a warm jumpsuit and slippers, but she was not feeling especially benevolent towards him, so for now he was being softened up in a sensory deprivation area in the warehouse.
No sound, no drafts, no textures aside from cool concrete and, no light whatsoever. The camera Andy was watching him from was a body heat camera.
Nope, she was not feeling amused or kind at all.
"Yes. The friend who owed you a favour sent an encrypted message sometime ago." Louise replied handing Andy a portable computer.
Any flipped it open and fed it a password before she decrypted the message it contained. Her friend had been given a long vacation in the tropics for his trouble with a bundle of spending money under a perfectly real false passport. Just in case trouble brewed up, that is.
"Have the authorities informed of the other players, especially the IRS and Homeland Security. I want them raked over the coals and sorry as shit." Andy said as she handed the computer back to Louise with the message open.
"Consider it done." Louise took the machine and disappeared into the main area of the warehouse.
Andy turned her attention back to Irv, clenching her fists as she did. "I'm going in." Andy murmured into her throat mike and opened a door, carefully closing it behind her before she opened the second door.
This light and sound lock, was to prevent Irv, or whoever, from gaining any sensory input. Andy switched on the voice modulator that had been attached to her throat mike. It would disrupt her voice and make it unrecognisable to Irv.
She had also carefully showered with unscented soaps, had brushed her teeth and her hair was trapped in her hat. A flak jacket would disguise her body shape and of course she was wearing gloves.
Hearing Irv react to her presence, Andy smiled evilly. "You know, it is not wise to bite off more than you can chew, Mr. Ravitz." Andy heard her voice reverberate in the space around her.
It sounded freaky, but human. Masculine almost. Good.
"Who are you? What do you want? Where am I?" Irv hissed, Andy could almost smell the fear coming off of him.
Andy pulled out the fake gun she was wearing on her belt. It sounded like a gun, looked and felt like a gun, but was not a gun. Pulling back the slide with an ominous pop, Andy advanced on the quivering man.
She could feel him pull away from her as she stalked him, almost sensing his panicked heartbeat. Pressing him against the wall, Andy put the cold barrel of the gun to his forehead and spoke quietly.
"I will be asking the questions, Mr. Ravitz. You should know, that pissing off the wrong people has consequences. Did you really think your money would protect you?" Andy could feel him shake and caressed his face with the barrel of her non-gun.
"You do realise, that with money you can buy a lot of things, but what you cannot buy, is absolute loyalty." Andy continued, moving the gun down to press it into Irv's stomach.
"I... I'm sorry." Irv blubbered. Andy pulled away giving him space again and walking away on silent feet in the pitch black space.
This was like taking candy from a baby. In the meantime, Louise was ensuring that the place was sanitised and the fires were burning bright. Later, the barrel would be dumped into a toxic waste dump and the warehouse closed down until another use was required.
First things first, though...
"Caroline, Cassidy." Miranda called as she entered the front door of the townhouse that evening.
The girls ran down the stairs to greet her, enfolding her into tight hugs that made her heart sing with happiness. "Is Andy coming tonight?" It was Caroline who asked.
"Andrea is away on business, but she will be back in a couple of days." Miranda assured her children. She hopes Andrea would be back, that is.
"In the meantime, I wanted to discuss some things with you over dinner." The girls smiled and raced ahead of her to the kitchen where dinner was waiting.
Miranda listened as the twins recounted their day and idly wondered after her lover. Calls to Irv's assistants and his home, had indicated that he was away on an unexpected business trip. She had Emily follow up on it and the girl had confirmed that Irv had checked into the requisite hotel, and that it all seemed to be in order.
Miranda knew, however, that wherever Irv was, Andrea was also there. There was no other possible explanation and Miranda realised that while she would give a lot to know what was going on, she was not actually sure that she wanted to know what was going on.
Her lover had a dark side. Miranda suspected that there was much more to Andrea's life story than she had been told. Slowly, Andrea was opening up, telling Miranda things. Some funny, some undeniably sad, but Miranda knew there was more.
She intended to spend the rest of her days getting to know Andrea; that was the plan anyway.
"So, I want to go on vacation with you, Patricia and Andrea. Where do you think we should all go?" Miranda posed the question to her children as they consumed dessert.
A rare treat in the house, but one that Miranda felt was warranted tonight. Maybe she herself wanted the comfort of the sweet, warm dessert, since she could not have her sweet warm Andrea right now.
The girls burst into a cacophony of noise as they presented their ideas and options simultaneously. Miranda smiled and listened as they eventually calmed down a little and then the three of them started to discuss the idea in earnest.
Well four, Patricia was laying at their feet as they talked. It was a domestic scene that would be complete if only Andrea was there. Miranda hoped yet again, that whatever was going on, that her lover was safe; both mentally and physically...
"Give him food and water, and enough light to use the facilities. Tell him that he has ten minutes to make the most of it and that no exceptions will be made." Andy said to Louise as she closed the outer door of the airlock.
Louise nodded and Andy went over to the coffee thermos to pour herself some coffee. Irv was ready to be broken, but they did not actually want to ruin him, just scare the living crap out of him and get him to incriminate himself enough so that the authorities would handle the rest.
Moving over to the main area of the facility, Andy walked towards the second agent she had with her. "How are things, Susan?" Andy asked as she handed her agent a cup of coffee.
The other woman looked up and smiled. "Aside from what we do now, the warehouse is clean. Office reports that everything is running smoothly and Maria indicates that all cover stories are holding." Susan said as she threw a gear bag into the van that they had waiting.
"Good." Andy said and leaned on the van, mentally preparing herself for the coup de grâce she was going to deliver to Irv in a few minutes.
Maria was handing surveillance and had helped set up cover stories, no one at the head office knew what Susan, Louise and Andy were up to. Andy knew that should this ever break out in to the open, accountability would be crucial. She would take the fall and ensure that her three agents were not implicated.
It was unlikely that it would ever come to that. The cover stories and alibis had been so carefully constructed. Security records, credit cards, surveillance information would all back up the fact that Irv had been on a business trip, as would his phone records, staff and even family.
This was key to making sure that Irv would fall into the trap that Andy had laid. With a nod of her head at Susan, Andy threw her empty cup into a waiting trash receptacle and made her way back to the interrogation area.
She wanted this done soon, they had to have Irv back where they plucked him from tomorrow, just to further confuse him and make it even harder for him to comprehend that he was being led around by the nose.
Louise glanced up and at Andy's raised eyebrow said, "He ate a little, had a drink and did use the facilities. He is now in darkness again and I'd say he was falling asleep, based on his vitals." Louise pointed at the monitor she was standing before and Andy came to have a look.
It was so, Irv was falling asleep. Well good. One last good scare and they would let him fall asleep, drug him to ensure he stayed asleep and then begin the procedure to bring on his downfall.
By the time she got home that evening, Miranda was not only very tired, but she was also quite concerned. There had been no word from Andrea and overall there seemed to be a veil of secrecy at her office when Miranda had called to make an inquiry as to her whereabouts.
It was quite normal for Miranda to call there, as it was for Andrea to call Runway, but the answer that she had received had been utterly useless. It was only the knowledge that Andrea would be deeply displeased if Miranda tore a strip off one of her staff without a good reason, that caused Miranda to hold her tongue.
Patricia padded in from another room to greet her and Miranda absently petted the huge dog. The girls were away this evening, so Miranda and Patricia would be spending some quality time together. Thankfully Patricia had been trained by the best obedience school in New York so Miranda did not anticipate any problems.
"Well, what shall we do first?" Miranda asked the dog, who seemed to regard her with large and kind eyes that seemed almost human sometimes.
Patricia then shook her head before she wandered off no doubt to find someplace to take a nap. Miranda knew the dog had been walked, fed and watered not long before she had come home, so it would be a while before she would need to think about going for a walk.
Which left Miranda with an unexpected chunk of free time in which she could do whatever she liked. The book would not be arriving for some hours, the house was empty, dinner was waiting for her, and there was only silence around her.
Miranda decided at once she did not like it. She wanted to hear her children and the subtle but very much there sounds of Andrea when she was in attendance. Their living arrangement was working well.
Andrea tended to spend many more nights in the townhouse than Miranda and the girls spent in her apartment, but overall there was a contentment with the arrangement and it worked to keep Miranda and Andrea happy.
The girls were also ecstatic, especially on the occasions when they got to spend the night at Andrea's place without Miranda. Once, Miranda had inquired from her lover just what they got up to when this happened, but Andrea had merely smiled and changed the subject.
Deciding that a bath was in order, Miranda made her way to her bedroom and walked into her bathroom to start filling the tub. As she undressed she wondered just where Andrea was, what she was doing.
Miranda wanted her, right now. In the bathtub.
Hopefully this business trip would not last too long...
"So, Irv. Why do you think you are here?" Andy asked in the complete darkness of the interrogation room. She could hear the man's breathing and smell his sweat even at a distance.
"I don't know." Irv replied, his voice tinged with fear.
"Yes you do, Irv. You're just being obtuse." Andy supplied by way of answer.
"You should realise, Irv, that by comparison to me, you have no power at all. I can't be bought, I don't care who you are. You can promise me nothing that I want. You are at my mercy." Andy said, moving towards Irv by honing in on his breathing.
Easily capturing him when he tried to scramble away, Andy straddled his back and pulled his head back. "You know, Irv. I could cut your throat right here, right now. How do you think that would feel?" Andy whispered near Irv's ear, taking care not to touch him.
"Next time you act like an asshole, Irv. No matter who you are acting like an asshole towards, remember me. You see, Irv, I did not bring you here to kill you. I brought you here to teach you a lesson." Andy said as she rose up to her feet, leaving Irv on the floor.
"Now, Irv. I suggest you get some rest." Andy said quietly.
"There will be people looking for me." Irv said apropos of nothing.
"You think so, Irv? Do I sound stupid? No one is looking for you, now, get some rest." With the parting words, Andy left the room and walked into the anteroom to observe her guest.
"When he falls asleep, which he will, let me know. I will go in and drug him. By morning, it will not be in his blood stream and this will be just a memory that he won't be sure he had." Andy said to Susan and Louise who were standing in attendance.
The agents nodded at her and Andy withdrew. She needed to ensure that the last vestiges of the plan came together perfectly. Irv would be drugged, taken away and then dressed in his clothes, which had been dry cleaned in Los Angeles so as to ensure no trace of anything was on them.
His personal effects had been sterilised and a whole call record and itinerary would be added to them. For all intents and purposes, he would have a hard time convincing anyone he had been anyplace except on business for the past twenty-four hours.
Of course, his pride would be his downfall. Andy had tagged him to be investigated by the FBI and the IRS, so as soon as he insisted on having his claims investigated, he would ensure his own discomfort for the foreseeable future.
Andy had called a favour or three to ensure that Irv would not escape the worst of what would befall him, but she had also enjoyed the idea of teaching him a lesson he would not soon forget.
Bothering Miranda would be the least of his worries. He would be too busy bailing out his own sinking ship to do anything except bail. Andy was certain that Miranda would be amused when she realised what was going on. Andy smiled at the idea.
She missed Miranda, and the girls, and Patricia. Soon this would be over with and she would be able to resume her life as it should be. Andy was tired of Irv, and tired of this mess.
Making a mental note to ensure that the security that surrounded Miranda and her children was as discreet but as thorough as possible, Andy turned her attention towards preparing for the rest of the night and tomorrow.
When Irv walked into Miranda's office the next morning, Miranda was surprised, to say the least. He looked rested, no worse for wear, immaculate as usual. The only thing about him was that he looked like he had the ghosts of Christmas visit him, he looked spooked, almost paranoid.
Miranda kept her expression completely neutral and looked at her sort-of boss with an air of bored expectation.
"Irv. To what do I owe the displeasure?" Miranda asked as she leaned back in her chair.
"I will be taking some time off, maybe a week or so. Personal issues." Irv said as he looked out over the skyline view in Miranda's office.
"I see. And you felt the need to tell me this, why?" Miranda asked, bored already with the conversation.
"You would not believe me if I told you, Miranda." Irv said as he shifted his gaze back to her.
Miranda could see that he was a broken man, but it was only because she had the displeasure of knowing him so well that she knew this, saw this. Andrea had obviously gotten her hands on him. Miranda was intrigued as to what exactly had transpired, but she also assumed that she would never really know.
Or at least not know until the statute of limitations had passed...
"There will be some police investigating my personal issue. If they contact you or Runway staff, I expect full cooperation." Irv added as he walked out of her office.
Indeed.
Making a mental note to ask when Emily intended to take her long weekend. Miranda privately hoped that it would be when and if the police came sniffing around Runway.
Not that she did not trust Emily, she did. Implicitly, but Miranda wanted to spare the young woman the duty of possibly having to fabricate the truth. Should it come to that.
Miranda was relatively certain that Andrea had ensured that no such thing would occur, but it never hurt to have all bases covered. This was something that Miranda had learned long ago.
Her phone rang, and seeing a familiar number on the display, Miranda quickly picked it up. "Yes?" She said only somewhat haughtily into the receiver.
"Hi Miranda. Andy is busy setting up a training session for some of Maria's agents right now, but she wanted me to call you to tell you that we should be back tomorrow." It was Louise on the phone.
"Oh, ok. Well thank you, Louise. The girls are asking after you, so you should probably make an appearance at the townhouse sometime soon." Miranda said, covering her confusion.
Andrea was in Los Angeles with Maria?
Then what was going on with Irv?
After saying her goodbyes, Miranda turned her attention back to the work at hand and started to make a mental checklist as to what she wanted to do and arrange before Andrea came home.
Andy watched Louise hang up the phone as she talked with Maria. They had arrived at the West Coast office as soon as they were done with Irv. They were all in Maria's office and Susan was looking like she could handle the pressure of being among the highest ranks of the organisation just fine.
She would make a very good replacement for Louise when the time came, the only thing was, what would Louise be moving on to? Andy was not sure she wanted to open another branch of the business anytime soon, but time would tell.
"So then, it is all set." Andy said as she stood up and rolled her shoulders. She needed to catch up on some sleep; they all did.
She also needed Miranda.
"A little bird told me that Emily was coming here this weekend." Andy poked Maria playfully as she said this, earning a mock serious scowl from the tall agent.
"Yes. Don't worry, I won't break her. She may break me, though." Maria said quietly and the whole group laughed.
Could it be that Maria had finally met her match?
"Ok, we'll go to the hotel after inspection and catch up on some sleep before we fly out tonight." Andy said and they filed out of the office.
Andy knew that no inspection was needed. She had never had an agent as dedicated as Maria, they could be psychological twins. But, it was important for the boss to make an appearance and Andy intended to use the opportunity to enforce Maria's position and introduce her other two senior agents as well.
Mainly though, she wanted to be back in New York, she wanted to be with Miranda when all this shit started to hit the fan. By now Irv was probably making calls, calling investigators, cashing in on favours. He was arrogant and stupid, though.
He would never be able to guess that all he had really done was piss off four women who were devoted in one way or another, either directly or by proxy, to a fifth woman. Miranda had that sort of power, though Andy suspected that Miranda was somewhat oblivious to the extent of the sort of devotion that she could generate.
It did not take long for the police to arrive at Miranda's office to ask questions; Emily had left for the day to begin her long weekend and apparently had hired a temporary replacement from hell. Not hell for Miranda, but hell for anyone trying to get through to Miranda.
Miranda was darkly amused as the man fended off nonsense and callers with apparent ease, quickly shuffling them to suitable locations and for all intents and purposes behaving like he had been there for months, not hours. It made Miranda wonder where he was from, and how Emily had found him.
"Miranda." Hearing her name fall from her temporary assistant's lips, she looked up at him.
Immaculately dressed and trim, he seemed to fit into the office easily. "Yes?" Miranda asked somewhat reservedly. She needed the young man to hang around for at least until Emily came back.
"There are two Police Detectives wanting to speak to you." The young man elaborated.
"Show them in, Emily, and then go fetch my Starbucks." Though Miranda had toned down her vitriol considerably with her new assistant, she flat out refused to break her habit of calling him anything but Emily.
Thankfully he seemed to be imbued with a sense of humour and Miranda could swear that she saw a twinkle in his eyes when he nodded and hurried out. She made a mental note to find out just exactly where he was from and what his previous job experience was.
She also found herself wondering if he would consider permanent employment. Emily could use a reliable and good right hand man, versus the endless stream of idiots that seemed to darken the doorways of Runway all too frequently.
"Gentlemen. I don't really have time for this. But, I was asked to cooperate, so I am making an exception. Please be brief and get to the point." Miranda said when the two police officers walked in.
Obviously they had been handpicked to come to Runway and deal with her. Both men were older, distinguished and well dressed. Sometimes it was very useful to have such a fearsome reputation, especially at times like this.
When the plane touched down at the airport, Andy rose to her feet and smiled. It was good to be rich and with connections. They would be the first off the plane and it was still early enough to go to the office to make sure nothing had exploded in their absence.
Quickly the three women cleared the airport and made their way to the parking lot. "I'll see you at the office in an hour." Andy said as she shook hands with her agents, nodding and smiling slightly.
They had already debriefed, and an airport parking lot with CCTV was not the optimal place to go into details anyway. Andy watched as the two women filed away to Louise's duty vehicle. She wondered if she would have time to stop by Runway before she went home.
She needed to shower and change her clothes before going to the office, so perhaps not. Maybe she would be able to find some time to call Miranda. It would not be enough, but it would have to do. Andy desperately wanted to be with her lover; she had missed Miranda horribly. The feeling was accentuated by the circumstances of their separation as well.
Sliding into the seat of her car, Andy put her hands free into her ear and hit her speed dial. "Andrea." Miranda's voice answered at once.
Andy could feel her body and mind react. She could feel that voice in her soul. "Miranda. My plane landed half an hour ago. I have to go home to shower and change, and then I need to go to the office. But I will see you tonight." Andy said in a rush, feeling an immense sense of relief wash over her as she pulled out of the parking lot and into traffic.
"I see. The girls will be eager to see you, as will I." Miranda answered and then Andy heard her speak to someone else in the room.
Must have been her replacement assistant. Andy smiled to herself, wondering if Miranda would guess that the man was actually a friend of Louise's. A friend who happened to be an Army Ranger, gay as a three dollar bill, and was someone who thrived in the sort of environment that Miranda fostered.
Andy decided that she would leave Miranda to figure it out by herself, unless Miranda managed to wheedle it out of Emily that is.
"See you tonight, Andrea. I have to go. Someone is about to get fired unless the level of incompetence drops significantly within the next five minutes." Miranda said softly before she hung up.
Andy smiled and sped up; she wanted to get home, so she could get to the office, so she could see Miranda as soon as possible. She could hardly wait, actually. The desire was all powerful in the back of her mind and it was a delicious distraction to boot.
What fun.
Miranda heard Andrea unlock the door to her apartment and shivered in anticipation. It had taken some finagling, but she had managed to get to Andrea's apartment before her lover did. Now she had maybe half an hour or forty five minutes before Andrea had to leave.
Plenty of time. She just needed to ensure that Andrea was pleasantly surprised to see her and would not pull a gun out instead.
"Andrea." Miranda said, using her most sensual tone.
It was a tone she reserved for her lover alone. Andrea's head whipped around to look at Miranda and there was a look of incredulous surprise on her face.
"Miranda?" Andrea said by way of greeting, and also to ask her what she was doing here.
Not breaking her stride, Miranda walked up to Andrea and without preamble seized her and pulled her in for a kiss. The response was immediate; Andrea dropped what was in her hands and wrapped her arms around Miranda.
"I've missed you." Andrea breathed as she pushed Miranda backwards.
Miranda willingly went to the as of yet unknown destination. She did not care about where it was, just so long as Andrea did not stop what she was doing.
Pushing on Andrea's jacket, Miranda felt it fall away from those beloved shoulders and without hesitation her hands confidently released the weapons that her lover wore. Andrea for her part had already undone Miranda's shirt and without pause she tore open Miranda's shirt.
As buttons flew everywhere, Miranda gasped, pulling Andrea closer to her. She had to have her now. "Fuck me." Miranda purred into Andrea's ear, running her lips over sensitive skin and feeling her lover react.
It was thrilling, intoxicating. Miranda felt herself lose her mind and she was happy to see it go. If this was madness she would gladly go crazy, just so long as this did not stop, ever.
Andrea pushed Miranda against the wall adjacent to her bedroom and dropped to her knees, tearing Miranda's expensive panties in half and then Miranda lost track of everything except sensation.
As those fingers, as that mouth ravished her, consumed her, conquered and freed her, Miranda could only hold on, trusting her lover's strength to hold her up as she keened her pleasure. Andrea moaned against her and the sensation served to further inflame Miranda.
She came, almost screaming her pleasure as her lover sought to prolong Miranda's orgasm to the point where it skittered along the edge of pain, almost. Miranda tugged on Andrea's luxurious hair, pulling her lover up and grabbing her roughly.
"Bed. Now." Miranda ordered, practically lifting Andrea into the bedroom and pushing her down onto the bed.
"I've missed you too." Miranda said as she pulled on Andrea's slacks, discarding them without a glance before she appraised her lover.
"You are so beautiful." Miranda whispered as she crawled onto Andrea, pulling her in for a kiss that threatened to immolate them both.
But what a way to go...
By the time Andy made it to the office, she was feeling well fucked and thoroughly relaxed, to say the least. She had some hours of busywork to finish, but then she would be free for the weekend; after all, she had not invested this much time, effort, and money into a company that could not run without her.
Sitting down at her desk, Andy reached for the pile of paperwork demanding her attention and booted up her computer. There were bills to pay, salaries to authorise and training schedules to oversee. Of course, Andy had people to do all of the preliminary paperwork; this was just a cursory check and then authorisation.
Andy had sworn when she founded her company that it would never be left to run amok without her supervision. In a way, like Miranda, she was the editor in chief of everything. Andy even had her own Nigel in Louise.
Speaking of which, it was time to promote Louise to the highest level she could get in the company short of having her run another branch. The trial period was over, Louise had been vetted. During the past few days, Andy's second in command had proven that she was as reliable and as good as Maria had been.
Andy felt herself relax at the revelation and knew that she would stop missing Maria for her professionalism, and simply miss her as a friend every now and then. Smiling, Andy could not help but wonder what Emily had in plan for her rather reserved former second in command.
If there was ever a woman to tame Maria, it would be Emily. Laughing out loud, Andy wondered who would be breaking the news to Miranda that soon enough she would be needing to hire a new first assistant. Miranda was not going to be amused, but it was high time that Emily moved on as well.
There were opportunities on the West Coast for her, that much was certain. Andy also had a feeling that Emily's temporary replacement would end up being Miranda's first choice of permanent replacement. They would all in the end, everyone except for Irv; that is...
Waiting for Andrea was not something that Miranda enjoyed doing.
Of course, there would eventually be a reward for her patience Andrea would show up. Glancing at the clock one more time, Miranda resolved to get as much work as possible done so that she would be ready to greet her lover.
Their earlier dalliance notwithstanding, Miranda missed Andrea terribly. Maybe soon their mutual busy schedules would allow them some time to decompress and spend some time together. Curaçao seemed like a long way off now, even though it had been recent enough.
Discarding her work, Miranda turned towards some brochures that the girls had procured as to where they would like to go on vacation as a family. A family. The words made Miranda smile softly. Yes, they were a family for all intents and purposes and Miranda decided that she would do what it took to ensure that they would remain as such.
Scribbling a note to call her lawyer tomorrow, Miranda quickly turned her attention back to the brochures and waited for Andrea to arrive.
It would not be long now. Andrea had said that she would be here, and Miranda knew that as soon as it was humanly possible, her lover would be at the townhouse. It was just a matter of time...
Andrea inserted her key into the lock of the townhouse and rushed in. Home at last. It had occurred to her that in many ways the townhouse had started to feel like home, almost more so than her apartment. Maybe she should move in, but keep the apartment for business reasons. Was the townhouse large enough to accommodate Andy?
It depended...
It had an upper floor, which would allow Andy to spread herself out and actually have space of her own, versus use borrowed space snuck away from the family that was now her own. In any case, it was not a matter for consideration today. Andy did have some paperwork though, she had been to her lawyer today and had asked the man to draw up some legal documents.
It was time that Miranda took a legal position in her life, seeing as how her lover took every other position surrounding Andy's life. The documents were power of attorney, living will, an actual will and a few other legal papers that would ensure or hopefully help ensure that Miranda would have rights she should have in the case that something happened to Andy.
"Miranda?" Andy called gently, wanting to locate her lover.
"In here, Andrea." Came a reply from the study.
Andrea smiled, dropped her bags and bounded into Miranda's office, or study, depending on how you wanted to look at it.
"I have missed you, Miranda." Andy said as she walked up to her lover who had stood to greet her.
Miranda rewarded her with a smile and enfolded Andy in an embrace. "Me too." She whispered into Andy's hair and for a moment all was well.
Later, Miranda lay awake thinking about Andrea. With her lover safely asleep in the crook of her arm. Miranda finally had the time to really ponder the events that had unfolded during the evening.
Andrea had presented her with a sheaf of papers and had in her no-nonsense way explained that Miranda now had legal powers to the hilt when it came to Andrea, her life, and her death.
This revelation and knowledge came as a bit of a shock, though not so much of a surprise to Miranda. They had been together for a while now and there was no mistaking the fact, at least in Miranda's mind, that this was it.
Miranda made a mental note to live a long life; she was not oblivious to the fact that she was considerably older than her lover. Not obscenely so, just considerably so. That said, Andrea had a dangerous job so Miranda ostensibly did not have to worry about dying of old age before her lover. It was an unhappy thought, so Miranda cast it aside.
In any case, tomorrow, she would contact her lawyer and have a similar set of papers drawn up for Andrea and make sure to that they were as airtight as possible. It was only the logical thing to do; they had the rings, the mutual living arrangements. Miranda's children adored Andrea and her lover doted on them as if they were her own children.
What if Andrea ever decided that she wanted her own biological children?
Miranda supposed they would cross that hurdle when they came to it. Andrea had never mentioned wanting children of her own, but then again Andrea had not mentioned being European nobility, or being filthy rich for that matter. Not for a while anyway.
Miranda knew that whatever her lover decided, she would stand by it. After all, Andrea would stand by anything that Miranda did. It was truly a unique thing.
Andrea had also been very amicable about the suggestions made by the twins as to where they should go on a family vacation and it was penciled in tentatively to coincide with the twins summer holiday.
All was well...
With that thought, Miranda closed her eyes and pulled Andrea closer relinquishing her will and her body to sleep.
A few days later the police arrived to speak to Andy and anyone else they could get their hands on at Andy's company. Upon being informed of their impending arrival, Andy had sent all her junior agents on a scavenger hunt. An activity that was actually a training exercise.
The junior agents were given a list of tasks in a message on their mobile phones and were given a time frame to complete them in. Anyone who failed to complete the tasks, would be assigned a new set immediately.
Once, a junior agent had taken four tries to complete the tasks, but that did not matter. Louise had turned out to be one of the best agents that Andy had ever had. None of that mattered now as Andy invited the two FBI agents who were at her doorway in.
Louise followed them and Andy saw Susan in the background seeming to work at a desk that was not hers but that she owned the moment she sat down at it. Yes, Susan would make an excellent second in command when the time came.
"Gentlemen. What can I do for you?" Andy said as she looked over the agents.
They were well groomed, well appointed and obviously experienced. Andy would have them for lunch, if need be.
"We are here because you have had dealings with Runway Magazine." One of the men started, Agent Smith.
Andy mused that they all looked the same, at least this calibre did. The cream of the crop would end up in companies like the one Andy ran, the rest would not.
"Yes, I have been Miranda Priestly's bodyguard and I have also done some contracting for the Elias-Clarke building." Andy said neutrally.
"We are investigating Irv Ravitz." The other agent explained and Andy fought to keep her face neutral.
They were not here for the kidnapping, they were here to bury Irv. Not that he would be buried, but he would become a timid mouse who had bigger things to worry about than harassing Miranda.
Or he would die. Andy would cut his throat personally if he ever so much as glanced at Miranda the wrong way again.
"I see. Well, we were here to help, obviously. This is my second in command, Louise. She would be more than happy to give you any particulars you would like." Andy said, effectively dismissing the men into Louise's care.
She would tell them whatever they wanted to hear and Susan would helpfully provide backup. None of it was Andy's concern. Her only concern was Miranda and the rest of her family. The children, the dog, her agents and friends. Irv Ravitz was of no significance at all...
"Come on girls!" Miranda called, raising her voice ever so slightly.
"Don't you start." She mumbled to Andrea who was sitting in the driver's seat of the car checking that all was ready and obviously suppressing a wicked smile at the same time..
The bang and clatter of Cassidy and Caroline pounding down the stairs with dog in tow filled the street and after a few chaotic moments, all three were ensconced in the car itself. The girls in the back seat, the dog comfortably laying on the ample floor in front of them.
It had taken some talking, but Andrea had managed to convince her to forego a luxury model car for something more practical for this trip. With this, they had the space for everyone and needed luggage, and they would all be comfortable as well.
"All set?" Andrea asked as she slid sunglasses onto her face and buckled in her seatbelt.
Miranda glanced at her children, or well, their children. Both girls were buckled in and looked as excited as Miranda had ever seen them. "Yes." Miranda said, pausing to scratch Patricia behind the ear before turning back to look out of the window.
Andrea smiled and expertly pulled the large vehicle out of the parking space and into the street, her focus entirely on the driving ahead of her. Miranda had explained to her lover that she would be taking over once they reached Connecticut, and arguing was not an option.
They were on vacation now, going to spend time by the ocean doing nothing but getting sand in inappropriate places and relaxing. Only cell phones had been allowed for this trip; no computers. No blackberries; nothing to disturb their time off.
Miranda knew that her lover was armed, but it was something she had grown to expect with Andrea and somehow it just would not feel right if that were not the case. Glancing down at Andrea's hands, Miranda smiled at the glint of the ring that graced them. Andrea never took it off unless she was doing something that would damage it.
For her own part, Miranda never removed the ring that Andrea had given her. How could she? This woman was her heart and her soul. Andrea was Miranda's everything.
What bliss...
By the time Andy reached Connecticut, everyone in the car was asleep. Briefly, she was tempted to keep on driving, but she knew that Miranda would not be pleased so she pulled over into a rest area and switched off the engine. Only the sounds of traffic and the breathing of the four beings that Andy loved filled the car now.
It had taken some effort, but finally they had managed to find mutual time off to take this trip and with the problem of Irv Ravitz having been solved, (He would be tied up in an endless series of court cases for the foreseeable future, and that was just the beginning of his woes.) they were free.
Louise and Susan were taking care of things on the business front, and Miranda had accepted notice from Emily, who was now busily ensuring that the formerly temporary assistant who had been hired, was a properly trained permanent assistant.
Emily was also making sure that a rather pretty, but mostly very bland young woman was able to fill the role of second assistant. Miranda had spent the past month ensuring that the new assistant had the proper amount of fear and respect and wariness instilled in her before Miranda went on vacation.
For her own part, Emily was moving to the west coast, with glowing references and a job prospect already. She would do well, and Maria was already so whipped. So much for her friend and colleague being the eternal rolling stone. Emily would keep her busy and on her toes. That was good. Maria needed someone who was such a polar opposite to herself to keep her happy.
But, now it was time to change drivers...
"Miranda." Andy whispered gently, kissing her lover on the cheek.
She would never tire of looking at her lover, ever.
Eyes as blue as a tropical sea opened and regarded her with such love that it took Andy's breath away.
"Ready?" Andy asked as she caressed her finger down Miranda's face, revelling in the smooth, warm skin.
"Yes." Miranda said softly.
The End