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 eighth part of the Bodyguard Series. Do read Bodyguard 1 - 7 if you have not already. It would help with understanding this story. Thanks be to my readers!
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
Bodyguard VIII Love & Duty
By The Raven
It was just an ordinary day in the life of Miranda Priestly when the trouble started. She had sat down with her coffee and there was a predictable buzz of activity around her. Calls, decisions, people.
Nothing out of the ordinary to be noted. About a week had passed since the ball and after an intense few days of media focus, things were actually calming down to their usual roar.
Until today, that is...
"Everybody, get down." A loud voice said and Miranda heard what she knew to be gunfire.
A few screams, the sound of breaking glass, and the storming of boots were the next things she heard before a very large, very well armed man, burst into her office and trained his very large gun on her.
"Don't move." He said succinctly, his face an impassive mask of barely controlled malevolence.
Miranda intuitively knew that if she so much as breathed the wrong way, she would probably be shot. So, she sat without moving for several long moments before she spoke.
"What do you want?" She asked in her most neutral, least threatening, but still commanding voice.
"For now, for you to be silent and not try anything. Later, you will make us millions." The answer was at once cryptic, but also quite vague.
Her, personally? Would she make them millions, or would Runway?
In any case, it looked like Andrea was going to need to revamp the security of the Elias-Clarke Building as well. There had to be half a dozen armed men on this floor and they had not gotten in by chance.
The man walked towards her and slammed her computer shut before he grabbed it and also the phone on her desk and stepped away.
"Empty your bag." He ordered.
Without blinking, Miranda did as he asked and a moment later, her PDA, Blackberry and her cell phone were snatched away. The man then walked out of the office, turning before he left and giving her a dangerous look no doubt intended to intimidate her.
Fat chance of that. When Andrea was done with him, he would probably be crying for mercy.
When, that is.
Miranda resisted the urge to reach for the pre-paid cell phone that Andrea had insisted that she keep tucked away for the case of emergency. This was such an emergency, but now was not the time.
Andy slammed the phone down into its cradle before she rose to her feet in one smooth movement. Walking swiftly, she moved to Louise's office and walked in.
"I need you." She said, simply.
Louise looked up and nodded. "You have me." The agent stood up and followed her out as Andy opened her phone.
"Maria, I need you." Her former second in command was in town by a lucky chance and now Andy needed to call in a favour.
"You have me." The disembodied voice said.
Andy then walked over to a desk that held a pair of senior agents and stopped.
"I have to go black. Louise will be coming with me. You will hold down the fort and provide recon if the need arises. Otherwise, no accountability to the agency or to any agents." Andy said softly.
"I am glad you two are office side today. I can do this and not worry." Andy added, knowing that her agents would be bolstered by her confidence.
"If you need something, call Louise or myself, we are available to you." It should be ok. All the on duty agents were on regular high profile cases.
Basically keeping fans and reporters at bay and making it look good. No specifically dangerous jobs, though any job could become dangerous without warning, of course.
After receiving a nod from both women, Andy left the office with Louise in tow. She could not think right now, all she needed to do was focus.
"Send two agents to shadow Miranda's daughters. Give them twenty four hour contracts." Andy said as she and Louise rushed down the fire stairs to the basement.
"What is going on?" Louise asked as soon as she closed her phone.
"Armed men in the Elias-Clarke building. Feds and local PD are already there." Andy said as they moved into the supply area.
Working in tandem, both women grabbed equipment for themselves and for Maria. She was here on business, but was not working. Simply securing a contract with a film studio. The negotiations had finished earlier today and thank goodness for that.
Ten minutes later they piled into their cars and roared out of the garage. Andy touched her ear and called Maria. "I have the full kit for you. Rendezvous in the usual place in fifteen minutes." Andy touched her ear and focused on the traffic in front of her.
If anything happened to Miranda, if so much as a hair on her head was bent. The very thought almost put Andy into a panic, so she ruthlessly compartmentalised and drove instead.
Relative calm had settled over the office once the gunmen had corralled everyone and people had stopped making noise. Miranda was allowed to remain in her office, mostly because Miranda was sure that they wanted to keep her away from other employees.
Hopefully it was not because they wanted to keep her separate so they could easily evacuate her later.
Over the last ten minutes, Miranda had been typing out a text message to Andrea, her fingers only occasionally straying to her phone where it rested in her pocket. She knew that her lover would need information in order to mount an offensive more effectively.
While she sat she considered what she could do. In her desk, which the gunmen had foolishly failed to search, she had a Colt Cobra .38 Special. Another gift from her lover, which had come with hours at the range and many conversations about safety and tactics.
Andrea had reasoned that if she was ever faced with an employee going postal, or some other threat to her person in the office, she would have it. Her lover had also talked to her long and hard about not carrying it in her purse. Without the proper training, as in years of it, many could take the weapon from her and use it against her.
Better to rely on other things, other methods.
Right now, Miranda was infinitely happy that she had taken her lover's advice. At least she was not empty handed in this situation. Still, the weapon only had six bullets. She would need to make sure that if she used the weapon, she would use it well.
Deciding that it was time to hit send, Miranda did so. It was somehow comforting to know that her lover would read the message in an instant. Carefully, Miranda double checked that the phone was silent and not on vibrate before she secured it in her pocket again and regarded the scene before her once more.
There would be hell to pay when this was over. If the gunmen survived this, she would see them charged with every law they had broken, and then she would sue them for lost revenue on top of that, in addition to anything else she could think of.
They would rue the day they had ever stepped foot in her office, or in Runway, for that matter. If they survived this, that is. Miranda had seen Andrea's temper, knew what her lover could do, what she was capable of. Miranda also knew that Andrea loved her and would stop at nothing to see her well and safe. These idiots did not know this.
They would learn.
Andy snatched up her phone when she felt it vibrate with a text message. The three of them were behind the Elias-Clarke building, getting dressed in the relative discomfort of the loading bay area. It had been a rather simple matter to avoid the swarms of cops as the service area was not connected to the rest of the building, so it was not possible to leave from it. Low priority in other words...
The cameras had been equally easy to avoid, so now as they strapped weapons and gear on, Andy peered into her phone.
Six men with guns. Lots of guns. I am ok. I do not think they are on other floors, but can't be sure. They have taken all phones, computers, and other electronics. I am in my office, the rest of the staff is in the main conference room. I have no names, but there was a mention that I would make them millions. Using the pre-paid phone. Love you. Miranda.
Andy showed the message to Louise and Maria, before she put her phone on silent and tucked it away into her pocket. Her agents secured their own phones, and then they did a radio check and synchronised watches.
"Let's go." Andy murmured.
The two women with her nodded and they slipped into the building, quickly finding some grubby stairs leading downwards to the basement. They moved like shadows, silently and Andy took a few moments to think back to the morning.
Miranda had woken her up in the most delicious way possible, kissing her awake, and making love to her until Andy had almost wept from the tenderness of it. Then, Miranda had presented her with a small jewellery box and a cup of coffee.
The jewellery box had contained a ring. Even now Andy had the ring on a piece of leather thong around her neck, having immediately stocked her personal kit, car, and desk drawers with a supply of them once she had gotten to work.
She could not wear the ring while she worked, but she wanted it with her when she could take it, and this was one of those times. It was some kind of ring too. Obviously Miranda had spent some time thinking about what would be suitable, not only for Andy herself, but her life and work.
Made of tungsten, shaped and formed to fit her exactly and to pretty much disappear on her finger, it had a single stone in it, embedded below the surface of the ring so as to protect it from being knocked out or damaged.
The single diamond had a blue hue to it. It was obviously in response to Andy's frequent mention of how beautiful she found Miranda's eyes to be. More subtle than a sapphire, but the message was still there and Andy, though she was not into rings, had treasured it from the moment she had seen it.
Now was not the time to dally on thoughts. They had arrived in the basement and were standing at the service door to the elevator banks of the Elias-Clarke building. It was time to get to work.
Knowing Andrea she was probably already inside of the building. Miranda knew that her lover would not rush in unprepared though, so it might be minutes or hours before Miranda actually saw her.
But, until then, she had to maintain calm. Her staff was probably becoming restless by now. They were not used to being cut off from her in this way. They also seriously outnumbered the gunmen that Miranda knew about. The men would want them all to remain calm and collected and in that Miranda had a feeling that she had a trump card.
Very, very carefully, Miranda slipped her gun into the inside pocket of her jacket, carefully adjusting it until to her eyes, it did not ruin the line of the suit. She had a very good eye for these things. She did not bother with extra bullets. It was a revolver, either whatever she did with it was done in six bullets, or it would not happen.
She had already put her purse back together again and had made a mental note to have her electronics checked by Andrea's company, just in case. When she got them back that is. One never knew what the sneaky bastards might have managed to do, despite measures that she had implemented due to Andrea's hyper-vigilance.
"Excuse me." Miranda said just loud enough to carry to the outer office where she knew one of the men was guarding her.
The man appeared in the doorway and regarded her with bored interest. "What?" He said in a surly way.
Excellent.
"My staff is not accustomed to being cut off from me. It is an idea that you either let my assistant come to me, so she can report back to them, or that you allow me to be seen by them." Miranda said, making it seem like it was a request, not a demand.
"And if we don't?" The man asked, his hands tightening on his gun.
"They might get very restless." Miranda said simply, raising an eyebrow to empathise her point.
The man did not say a word but when he walked away Miranda could hear him talking on his radio. Perhaps her little gamble would bear fruit.
In the meantime, Miranda started to sketch; she wanted to draw the men that she had seen so far, it was a way of passing the time. She could always take the sketches to the shooting range and use them as targets, after all.
"Status report." Andy murmured into her throat mike. At the present time she was climbing up an elevator shaft, her arms and legs methodically taking rungs as she planned out her assault.
Maria and Louise were in two other elevator shafts. When they reached the right floor, they would be able to view the Runway offices effectively that way. Also, each elevator shaft could only accommodate one person uncomfortably.
Trying to fit in three was a bit too much.
"Everything is ok here, Boss." Louise said softly and Maria replied a moment later with the same status.
They were climbing at a rate of one rung a second, pacing themselves to remain at the same level even though they could not see each other. If all went well, they would arrive at the same time. But what happened then, well. That remained to be seen.
Another floor went by and Andy called a break. They needed to check their phones, and see if anyone had given them any information since the last batch. Andy carefully took her phone out and gazed at its display.
A few messages from the head office, reporting that things were ok. Otherwise silence. No message from Miranda. Andy was sorely tempted to send a message to her lover, but in truth, she had no way of knowing if the phone had been discovered and to do so might reveal their hand.
"Ready?" Andy asked after she zipped her phone into a secure pocket.
They started to climb again.
"When we get there, we will recon and see what needs to be done. Until then, I want you two to think of plans. You know the layout of the office and we have a rough estimate of the number of assailants. We know where the hostages are. I will do the same." Andy murmured as she climbed.
Each rung was bringing her closer to Miranda. Each second was taking her one step nearer. She could not wait. Somehow she needed to, however. Somehow she had to find the strength.
Any alternative than success was unthinkable, after all...
When Emily walked into her office, Miranda was actually a little surprised. She had not expected them to comply with her wishes so quickly. The girl looked a little worse for wear, but she was doing a splendid job of keeping the stiff upper lip that her proud heritage was so known for.
The man who brought her assistant walked back to his guarding post and Miranda waved to the chair in front of her desk. This was not the meeting of boss and subordinate. This was the meeting of two women in a bad situation. For this moment, they were equals.
"How are you?" Miranda asked softly, looking at Emily carefully.
"I am ok. Everyone else is as well. The idiots could not figure out how to turn most of the phones off, so one of the offices is ringing like crazy. They just put everything in and closed the door. It would be funny, except it's not." Miranda did her best not to laugh at Emily's report. The main thing was that everyone seemed to be ok.
"Go back and tell everyone that I am ok. Be detailed and keep them calm. I don't want anyone to be hurt. I am counting on you, Emily. And this time it is me, counting on you. Not the Editor of Runway. Ok?" Miranda brushed her hand across Emily's and nodded for her to stand up and go do her duty.
That stiff upper lip quivered slightly and then the young woman rose and stoically walked out. Hopefully it would work to keep everyone calm enough for now. She truly did not want anyone to be shot. Good help was so hard to find, after all.
Ignoring the headache that was threatening to form, Miranda absently ran her finger over the ring that graced the ring finger of her right hand. She had only been wearing it for a short time, but it already felt like it was part of her hand. It was beautiful, even now, as it glittered in its subtle way in the light that was pouring in through the windows of her office.
Andrea.
Miranda reflected on getting the ring made that she had given to Andrea just this morning. She could not recall having such fun before with such a simple object. Thankfully she had been able to make it happen, as what she had designed was very unusual.
However, it had immediately suited Andrea and now here she was. There was still a whisper of Andrea's scent and taste in her mouth from when they had made love in the morning, but the weight of her lover in her mind, was overpowering, yet incredibly reassuring. Miranda knew that everything would be fine.
Andrea would not allow anything else to happen. Miranda knew this above all else...
It was time.
The three agents were suspended just below the floor level of three elevator doors on the Runway floor. Each had sidled out a small dental mirror in turn to have a look around. It seemed that no one was really watching the elevator bay, which was a little odd.
Andy supposed that they had made it clear that any activity in the lifts themselves would result in harm to the hostages and had therefore staked out the stairways itself. It was not a hard think to monitor lift activity, even if you were not standing in front of it.
"Quietly, Ace, go." Andy murmured into her throat mike, and then watched as the doors to the shaft that Louise was in opened.
Silently, the agent stepped out and vanished from view, the doors closing behind her. One down, two to go. Andy could feel adrenalin pour into her body as they watched the elevator banks carefully.
"Clear." Louise reported. Maria confirmed it and Andy quickly eased the doors open and levered herself out, instantly moving out of sight.
Now there was only Maria left in her elevator shaft.
Footsteps. Andy and Louise became as silent the carpet when the heavy tread of boots announced the presence of an intruder. Thankfully, he seemed to be passing by and did not linger. Andy wanted her agent out of the shaft, for her own sake as well as the mission's.
"Chief, go." Andy whispered when the coast was clear, and Maria emerged a moment later.
Step one was successful. Now they had to determined if the floor was booby trapped, where exactly everyone was, and what the exact number of gunmen was, so that were would be no surprises.
Police scanners were not indicating that there was anyone on the floors above or below them, and they had been evacuated and closed off, but that did not mean much. One always had to be prepared for everything. Or one would simply die young.
There was a shift in the air and Miranda could have sworn that she felt Andrea's presence. All was silent, however. It was almost eerie to have the office so very quiet. It was also a little unnerving. Miranda surreptitiously checked her phone and gun even as she pulled back from her desk a little.
She wanted to be ready for everything, even if she had no idea what everything might be.
Miranda let her thoughts wander slightly. She worried about her children, even though without a doubt, Andrea would have assigned some of her agents to them at once and they would be safe and protected. That was another thing that Andrea always did, without fail.
She protected what Miranda loved. What she herself loved. Miranda wondered if Andrea felt protected and loved in turn. Loved yes, but protected? Andrea was wealthy and powerful, nobility even. What could Miranda possibly offer her by way of protection?
In her heart of hearts, Miranda knew that it was a superfluous question, but right now, in this situation... It plagued her. Miranda gathered her focus together and concentrated her sharp hearing towards trying to listen to the entire office, if possible.
She could not shake the feeling that Andrea was someplace close by. It was something she had noticed earlier on in their relationship and Andrea had confirmed to her that she sensed Miranda's presence as well, and not just due to her training.
Miranda could not shake the feeling now.
There were in fact, seven men. Six goons and a leader. It had been simple enough to determine and Andy was pretty sure that based on the lack of sophistication in this operation, they were working alone, not as the minions or pawns of a larger player.
Bad for them, good for Andy.
Louise and Maria had fanned out, looking through offices while Andy focused on keeping watch. So far no booby traps had been found, but that did not mean there were none. The main bulk of the hostages were in a conference room and were being watched by three men.
Two men were keeping watch on the elevators, and the stairwell. And there was indeed a room that was ringing and buzzing with piles of cell phones that were not turned off. What a mess.
One man was undoubtedly watching Miranda, the leader was sitting at a desk in the main area, a phone in his hand and his eye on everything. Andy seethed as she watched him examine his gun. His lack of professionalism was annoying to her as well as pleasing to her.
Where did they get these idiots from?
"All clear, Boss." Louise reported in coded language and a heartbeat later, Maria also reported the same.
"You two, diverge on the conference room. Three hostiles. I will handle the leader and go after Miranda. We move in one minute." Andy said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.
A Glock with a silencer was already in her hands. Shit for brains would not know what hit him, but they had to be careful, regardless. The element of surprise would only last seconds, at best.
Andy glanced at her watch, ten seconds.
After mentally counting down Andy exploded into action, firing four shots, one into each shoulder of the leader and one into each knee without pausing in her stride. For good measure she kicked him in the jaw with her steel toed boot, hearing the satisfying crunch of breaking bone.
Sidestepping a growing pool of blood and ignoring the man's muffled moans of agony, Andy quickly searched him and threw his weapons way out of reach before she moved towards Miranda's office.
Sliding a fresh clip into her weapon, she crept forward. Now was not the time to make a mistake. Her life, and Miranda's life hung in the balance.
"Stop right there, you mother-fucker!" Miranda heard the words and felt a chill enter her bones.
She had no doubt Andrea was the subject of the words and without hesitation Miranda rose to her feet and moved to the door. There she was, in black, looking deadly, and fierce. Andrea.
The man had her in his sights and Andrea was holding him in her sights. Mexican standoff. Miranda did not hesitate, she quietly drew her belly gun and cocked it.
"No you freeze, asshole." She enunciated precisely. The man turned in half surprise and in that moment, Andy fired her weapon several times.
There were muted thumps as the silencer did its work and the man fell like a tree. Andrea moved forward, and kicked away his weapon before she searched him and secured him.
"Report." Andrea said into what was obviously a microphone.
Miranda watched as Andrea listened intently. "Time to go." Andrea said to her taking the gun from her hand and quickly un-cocking it before handing it back.
"Where?" Miranda asked as she grabbed her bag and slipped her gun back into her desk where she normally kept it.
"Stairs." Andrea said and just then Miranda saw Louise and of all people, Maria leading the rest of Runway towards the stairs
"Leave your stuff." Maria said loudly to the assembled people.
Another minute passed and they were going down the stairs. If there ever was a time to not be wearing heels, this was it. But, the group went in silence, reassured by Miranda's presence and giddy with the possibility of escape.
"You just walk out, the police will take care of you. We will go back and secure the floor and then clear out of the building. There will be questions about what happened." Andrea was talking as they moved down the stairs.
Maria had stayed in the Runway offices, presumably to stand guard. Miranda had learned that it was best not to ask questions about Andrea's job when it came to matters like this.
"Ok, people. Remember, if they have questions, have them call the number on the cards we gave you." With those words, Andrea and Louise turned and began to run back up the stairs.
Miranda clutched the piece of paper that Andrea had slipped her before she had turned away. She could not wait to read it, but right now, she had to guide her people to safety.
Feeling a little like Moses, Miranda opened the door at ground level and they all began to pour out into the lobby area, much to the stunned surprise of the assembled forces.
Oh boy. Miranda was definitely going to sue the bastard hostage takers, assuming they lived to tell the tale that is.
After receiving a count from Louise and from Maria as to how many shots were fired, Andy was methodically searching for any shells leftover on the floor or anyplace else. They did not want to leave any such evidence behind. As it was, the guns they had fired would need to be incinerated, just to be on the safe side.
In turn, Louise was securing an elevator, so that they had a way out, and Maria was interrogating the leader of the group. Andy had also stopped by the ringing room and had made sure that Miranda's electronics were secure.
She had wanted to take them with her, but that would be suspicious. Instead, she had simply locked them down. She then checked the gun in Miranda's desk, and had finished her clean up.
Thankfully, the gunmen had taken care of the cameras on their arrival, so Andy did not have to worry about security tapes. While she had provided the hostages with a phone number to call, it would not link back to her unless there was extreme duress on Miranda herself.
She was pretty sure that only Emily would have recognised her with her black combat gear and her face obscured by black camouflage paint. Andy was not operating incognito, there has been no time for that, but she was hoping that when all was said and done, she and her agents would only receive minimal backslash.
"Time to go." Andy said into her throat mike as she received a report from head quarters on her cell phone that the police were about to enter the building.
She had secured the shells and was now walking towards the elevator that Louse had secured. The agent had secured a rope and was waiting. "I jammed the controls from here." Louise said when Andy and Maria arrived.
"You first, secure the exit. You next. I will come after." Andy said and pointed. Then, without hesitation, Louise clipped herself onto the rope and disappeared down the shaft.
Maria clipped herself ready and when she received the all clear, she followed suit. Andy looked around the Runway offices and then quickly followed her agents. The elevator shaft was a blur of cables and metal as she slid down.
When her feet hit the top of an elevator, Andy stepped to the side of the shaft. "All clear." She said into her mike.
The rope, released from its mooring by the power of a blasting cap, came tumbling down the shaft and Andy quickly gathered it up into a messy pile which they would shove into its bag for later sorting. Waiting hands grabbed it from her and then they were once more standing in the service area where they had started out less than an hour ago.
As police stormed the building, Miranda worried about her lover. Everyone was being debriefed and borrowing cell phones, making statements and whatever. But, aside from making sure that her daughters knew that she was ok, Miranda had been worrying about Andrea.
"Miranda." As if summoned by her thoughts, Miranda turned at the sound of Andrea's voice.
There she stood, immaculately dressed, not a trace of black makeup on her face. Behind her at a discreet distance, she could see Louise and Maria conferring with law enforcement officers. For a moment, Miranda doubted her eyes.
"Andrea." She whispered, reaching out to touch her lover.
Without hesitation, Andrea stepped closer and enfolded her in strong arms. "But, how?" Miranda asked softly, still feeling bewildered.
"Later." Andrea whispered and released her.
By now, Louise was standing close and Miranda also embraced her quickly. She then turned to Maria and smiled warmly. "I am sure Emily would love to see you." Miranda said quietly and the woman nodded and disappeared into the throng of people.
"Miranda." The voice of Irv Ravitz interjected.
Carefully schooling her features, Miranda turned to the man and felt both Andrea and Louise tense beside her. It was something to behold, the way these two powerful women closed ranks around her. If only Irv knew that either of them would be happy to squash him like a bug for her. The thought cheered her up immensely.
Later, Miranda was finally on her way home. She had her electronics back, and had even been to her office to retrieve her papers and jacket. Now she was safely ensconced in the back of Louise's car and would soon arrive home.
"Where is Andrea?" Miranda asked tiredly, feeling her eyes drift shut.
"She had to go check out something at the office and then she wanted to see Maria off. Maria is going back to the West Coast this evening." Louise offered with a smile in the rearview mirror.
When they pulled up to the curb, Miranda opened the door and stepped out. "Will you stay until Andrea comes?" Miranda asked softly.
"That was my intention. I can come back later too, if you want. My lover has the night shift, but I want to see her before she leaves." Louise said at once, flashing Miranda a brilliant smile.
Miranda took her friend's arm and led her to the townhouse and moments later they were enclosed in the peace that it offered. Or relative peace anyway. Her daughters came running up and enfolded her in their small arms and instantly Miranda felt a weight lift from her shoulders.
She was surrounded by love. Protected by it. And soon the love of her life would be arriving. Despite the relative imperfectness of her day, this moment almost wiped it away.
When her daughters then turned and hugged Louise fiercely as well, Miranda felt a genuine smile tug at her face. It was so sweet to see the rather fierce seeming woman completely turned to mush at the attention of her daughters.
"This is one of the reasons I did not hesitate when Andy asked for my help today." Louise whispered softly to Miranda when they were all walking towards the kitchen.
It was later than she had intended by the time Andy climbed the steps that led to Miranda's front door. After depositing Maria at the airport, and taking care of paperwork, checking her email and voice mail and also incinerating equipment, Andy had gone home and showered and changed.
Now, she was finally here and as she slid the key into the lock, the door opened from the inside. There stood Miranda, alive, vibrant, but looking just a little tired.
Andy stepped into the house and felt herself being enfolded into a tight embrace at once. "I am so glad to see you." Miranda murmured against Andy's neck as they held each other.
It was heaven to be in her lover's arms. Andy soon noticed Caroline and Cassidy silently waiting, and motioned them over as well. Embraced from all sides, Andy allowed her guard to come down and relaxed for the first time since the morning.
"Louise stayed for dinner. She did go home to change and see her lover in the interim. I get this feeling she did not want to leave me alone. Did you tell her to stay?" Miranda said after they had all stepped away from each other and moved towards the kitchen.
"Not in so many words. She asked if she could, and I said to her that the relationship she has with you is her business. I am glad she did, I did not want you to be alone." Andy supplied as she sat down and rested her elbows on the table.
"We saved you dinner." Caroline announced and soon Andy found herself being regaled with tales of their day.
Apparently the agents she had assigned to their protection had been much younger than the girls were used to when it came to bodyguards, so they had almost blended into school and other places the girls had gone. Andy made a note to try to repeat the younger age option, when it was possible.
After Andy ate, the girls ran to get ready for bed and eventually Andy made her way to the master bedroom to undress and change into some of her comfortable lounge around clothes. It felt so good to encase her body in the soft cotton and when she lay down on the bed, Andy started to fall asleep.
It had been sort of a long day, after all...
Miranda found Andrea asleep on the bed, laying crossways and clothes in those dreadful, but somehow becoming at the same time, clothes that she favoured in the evening. The younger woman looked tired. No real surprise there. Miranda could only guess how she and the others had gained access to Runway, but no doubt it had not been easy to do.
Moving to change her clothes, Miranda found herself again thanking her lucky stars that Andrea was in her life. It felt so marvellous and unique, to be protected by such power. Today, she had gotten just a tiny taste of it, when she had cocked her gun at one of the idiots when he had somehow managed to get the jump on Andrea.
It had felt good, to know that she was not doing nothing in that moment. She really did need to get Andrea to teach her some serious self defence. Heaven forbid that she was ever in a situation like this again, but she did not want to be helpless in any regard.
Back in the main area of the bedroom, Miranda sat down on the edge of the bed and gently caressed Andrea's face. Brown eyes fluttered open and looked at her with an intensity that stole Miranda's breath away. Leaning down, Miranda kissed her lover gently on the lips, feeling the connection between them spark to life.
"Thank you." Miranda whispered against those treasured lips.
Andrea smiled and tugged on Miranda, pulling her down onto the bed and wrapped strong arms around her. "Always." Andrea answered in a soft voice. She then kissed the side of Miranda's neck.
It was deliciously distracting and Miranda suddenly found herself very aroused indeed. It was almost as if her body wanted to affirm that she was still alive. That Andrea was still alive.
Miranda pulled on the edge of the sweatshirt that Andrea wore and was gratified when the supine woman lifted her body to allow Miranda to remove it easily.
So beautiful, the planes of Andrea's body were a feast for her eyes and Miranda would not, could not, deny herself any longer. Lowering her mouth, Miranda wrapped her lips around a luscious areola and nipple, sucking both deep into her mouth.
Andrea moved beneath her and strong hands held Miranda's mouth in place. Hungry now, Miranda switched breasts and put her own hands to good use as she explored Andrea's body, easing a hand past the waistband of loosely fitting pants.
Andrea gasped, making fire lick through Miranda's veins. It was intoxicating, this power that she had. It was also humbling, to have this power. Miranda moved her mouth lower, across a smooth abdomen and briefly she teased a shapely navel with her tongue.
Except for occasional gasps and the blatant way in which Andrea's body was reacting to her touch, there was silence. Miranda swore that she could hear her own heartbeat as well as Andrea's.
But, now was not the time to dwell, her mouth had reached the same destination that her hand had achieved some minutes before. Deftly, Miranda pulled off sweat pants and panties and threw them to the floor, feasting with her eyes as Andrea's naked body was splayed out before her.
So alive. So beautiful. And magically, wonderfully, somehow, hers.
Gently, Andy slid her hands into Miranda's soft hair, pulling on the silver strands and wrapping her legs around Miranda's shoulders. It was wonderful how this woman made her feel.
Like she was alive, every cell and fibre and bone in her body felt alive. When Andy felt Miranda's mouth touch her, she did not contain her voice or her body, rather she gave it all to Miranda. This freedom to let go and simply be was precious. The pleasure was almost too much.
It would never be enough though, Andy was certain that she would never get enough of Miranda. It seemed that each time that her lover touched her, looked at her, made love to her, Andy wanted more. A desire, once fulfilled, was immediately replaced by a hundred more in an endless cycle that Andy sometimes could not believe that she was part of.
As pleasure unfurled in her body, Andy gave herself over to it completely, feeling her climax overtake her as Miranda moaned against her. The sensory input from her lover just heightened everything, creating a feedback loop that melted Andy's bones.
It was all so indescribable.
Dimly aware of Miranda rising up and moving to lie next to her, Andy managed to move just enough to envelop her lover in her arms. "Wow." Andy said after a moment, kissing the corner of Miranda's mouth.
Eyes so blue that they rivaled the sky peered at her intently. Andy could see the flame burning in them. The sight of Miranda's desire barely held in check drove Andy to distraction and without further preamble, Andy turned them both over so that she was straddling Miranda's body.
"You're beautiful." Miranda said, lifting her hands to run them through hair which was falling in a cascade around Andy's head.
Andy smiled, arching her body into Miranda's, revelling in the sensation of skin, and sweat and sex. "You make me feel beautiful." Andy said softly, lowering her head to kiss Miranda hungrily.
She was not prepared for how Miranda completely derailed her plans by sliding one of her hands between them and slipping two of her fingers into Andy's body. Miranda would not be denied what she wanted after all. This was something Andy had learned quickly in their relationship.
It was breathtaking, having Andrea above her, writhing, arching; pushing herself down on the fingers that Miranda had deftly slipped into place just a moment before. Andrea was smooth lines and curves, her beautiful mane of hair wild around her head as she gave herself over to Miranda, to the moment.
Just breathtaking.
When those chocolate coloured eyes opened and stared down at her, Miranda felt pinned into place by them. Dark fire burned her, marked her. Made her ache with hunger.
"Fuck me, Miranda." Andrea said. The words were spoken barely above a whisper, but it was as if someone had screamed them into her ear.
Miranda sat up, using her free arm to pull Andrea's sweaty body to herself and kissed her, driving her hand against her lover in synch with the movement created by their bodies.
Sharp teeth nipped at her lip, and Miranda tasted blood, but Andrea did not stop her movement. Miranda watched mesmerised as Andrea tipped her head back and moved, her strong muscles working to increase the tension, the friction. Miranda could feel that Andrea was going to come soon, so she carefully added a third finger.
Andrea moaned from deep within her chest and pushed herself down onto Miranda. It made Miranda feel like her own orgasm was just a fraction of a moment away itself.
This was how Andrea always made her feel, as if she was out of control, drowning in pleasure, in sensation. Yet, somehow she never felt as if she would actually drown. Andrea always made her feel safe. Andrea made it safe for Miranda to feel the way she did and for her to give herself over to this explosive chemistry and love that they shared.
"I am coming." Andrea said hoarsely, looking Miranda right in the eyes as she spoke.
Miranda felt pleasure slither up her own spine as she watched Andrea melt into orgasm. Andrea leaned forward and kissed her hard, moaning into her mouth and grabbing at her back. There would be finger shaped bruises tomorrow, but right now, it was pure, unadulterated white hot pleasure and nothing more.
Unable to control herself, unwilling to even try, Miranda felt an orgasm overtake her, chocking her in its intensity almost. It was incredible how this happened so easily with Andrea.
"Don't think that you get to have all the fun." Andrea said after they had calmed down a little. Miranda squirmed slightly in anticipation.
Sometime later Andy was falling asleep with Miranda snuggled up beside her when it occurred to her that Miranda had not really spoken of the day much. Perhaps Miranda thought that Andy was too tired, or something.
"Are you ok?" Andrea said after she managed to drag herself back to wakefulness.
Silence followed her question and Andy could practically hear the gears in Miranda's head working. "I am ok. Yes. It is not every day that I hold someone at gunpoint with every intent of squeezing the trigger. Nor is it every day that I am held hostage, or that I watch someone I love shoot someone." Miranda said softly. "But, yes, I am ok." She added.
Andy tightened her grip around Miranda's shoulders and sighed softly in contentment. "How did you get into the building?" Miranda asked after a moment. "I mean, you were suddenly there and I know the police and building security were everywhere." Miranda continued.
"We entered through the back, no security there as neither the elevators or the stairs go to the service area. We then climbed up the elevator shafts from the service area." Andy explained, tracing a random pattern on Miranda's shoulder.
"You climbed up the elevator shafts?" Miranda said, sitting up in Andy's embrace and switching the light on once more.
Blinking against the sudden light, Andy marvelled at the beauty of her lover, momentarily forgetting the question. Miranda pursed her lips slightly and Andy mentally shook herself.
"Yes. The elevator shafts had rungs in them. There is just enough room for a person to fit between the elevator and the wall in a pinch, but the elevators were out of service then." Andy elaborated, watching as her hands decided to explore Miranda's body like they were being guided by their own will, rather than Andy's.
It seemed that she could never get enough of touching Miranda.
"How did you get out of the building?" Miranda asked, determined not to be distracted by the delicious sensations that Andrea's hands were causing in her body.
She was tired, and Andrea had already made love to her like a woman possessed. Miranda could still feel the echoes of pleasure in her body, but still Andrea's touch was causing her body to wake up and pay attention.
"We repelled down an elevator shaft, gathered our gear and went to our cars to change and to remove traces of ever having been in the building at all." Andrea said mildly, as if it was something that anyone could do anytime at all.
"When you saw me on the street, I'd say we had been out of the building for ten minutes, maximum." Andrea continued, but Miranda was becoming too distracted to properly pay attention.
Andrea sat up and wrapped herself around Miranda, pulling her close and kissing the side of her neck. "I can't seem to get enough of you, Miranda Priestly." Andrea whispered as she moved her hands to cup Miranda's breasts.
"The feeling is entirely mutual, Ms. Sachs." Miranda purred in response, already feeling her body ache for Andrea's touch.
When Miranda felt Andrea's gentle fingers touch her ever so lightly, a sob of pleasure escaped her and she clung to Andrea, wanting to feel this. Everything was so vibrant and alive right now. Andrea, herself, the night. Everything.
Andrea moved her hand softly, mindful that Miranda was sensitive from earlier. Miranda had never had such a responsive, attentive, almost supernaturally compatible lover before. She also knew that she was ruined for any other touch except Andrea's. Just as well, as she had no intention of ever experiencing any other touch.
When Andrea moaned against her, Miranda debated wether either of them needed any sleep tonight. The way she was feeling it might turn out that neither of them would get any sleep. The thought thrilled her and caused a surge of passion to flood her senses.
Kissing Andrea roughly, Miranda gave herself over to the orgasm that Andrea was so skilfully coaxing from her body, moaning her pleasure into Andrea's mouth as she came.
"Oh, fuck." Andrea gasped when she tore her mouth away to breathe.
There would be no sleep tonight...
Two days later Andy found herself sitting in the office of Irv Ravitz. She had made it her personal mission to ensure that the security of the building that Miranda worked in was up to date.
"So, as I am to understand it, Mr. Ravitz, you feel that the security of this building is more than adequate?" Andy said mildly, looking at the odious little man in front with barely concealed contempt.
"Yes." The man dared to say.
"So, armed men, storming in unchallenged and holding an office full of people hostage at gun point, is quite ok with you then?" Andy extrapolated, feeling her blood begin to boil.
"Well, no. But the security situation can hardly be blamed for that. Miranda Priestly was the target and even though she gets threats all the time, she rarely takes them seriously." Ravitz continued.
"Mr. Ravitz, I am sure you did not mean to suggest that Miranda Priestly is somehow responsible for the incidents of forty eight hours ago." Andy interrupted gently, even though in her mind she was homicidally angry.
"It is the building security who failed to protect her. You would be dealing with casualties, not to mention damage that went into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, had the situation not been resolved as it was." Andy said in a deathly calm voice.
"I am willing to offer you a contract that will ensure that not only is your security situation updated, but that the updating of it, and the implementation of the changes will not disrupt your day to day routine." Andy continued and handed the man a piece of paper.
"What makes you think you are qualified to do this?" The man said after he had glanced over the information.
Andy smirked slightly. "Mr. Ravitz, you do agree that the way that the situation was resolved was very good. Damage was minimal, only a day of productivity was lost; no one except the bad guys was shot or injured. Right?" Andy asked as she resisted the urge to reach over the desk and throttle the asshole sitting at it.
"Yes. The police would have torn the building to shreds and the surgical precision of the operation to free the hostages was admirable." Ravitz said almost at once.
"And tell me, Mr. Ravitz, who do you think organised it?" Andy asked gently, making eye contact with her prospective client.
Bingo. Hook, line and sinker. She had him.
"Are you telling me, that you accessed the building and freed the hostages, and in doing so bypassed the police. And that you did this all undetected?" Ravitz asked.
"Yes." Andy answered quietly.
She could see that the man believed her. He had no reason not to. Andy did not think that he had made the connection between her and Miranda yet, so even better.
People only saw what they wanted to see.
"Miranda." Emily interrupted Miranda quietly.
"Yes?" Miranda said without looking up.
She knew that Emily would only interrupt if it was important.
"Andrea is here to see you. She asked me to tell you because she knows how close we are to publication and said that it is not so urgent that it can't wait until evening." Emily answered.
Miranda looked up. She had given Andrea carte blanche to come and go as she pleased, but as always, her lover was on top of things and knew how important time was when there was a deadline to meet.
"Send her in, Emily." Miranda said and leaned back in her chair.
Andrea walked in and Miranda felt her body react to her lover. Though the other woman had her professional mask on, Miranda could see the moment when those expressive brown eyes flickered with something that made Miranda shiver slightly.
Waving towards the chairs, Miranda motioned her lover to sit and focused her full attention. Andrea was, as always, dressed beautifully. Her suit perfectly tailored, costing thousands of dollars and her entire being oozing confidence, power, and a shade of opulence even.
"My company will be redoing the security of the building." Andrea said without any preamble. "I wanted to stop by and let you know. I was also curious about the repairs to the office. It seems that everything is going ok?" Andrea continued.
"Yes. Money and influence can buy a lot in this city." Miranda said and rose to her feet. "Come, I would like you to tell the department heads about the security changes. Everyone is so nervous right now and I think this would calm them down enough that we will actually get the issue out on time." Miranda added.
Andrea smiled fully at Miranda and rose to her feet as well. "After you." She said and again her eyes sparkled in a way that told Miranda that Andrea was undressing Miranda with her eyes.
If Andrea was going to be directly involved with the security update, Miranda was pretty sure that Runway would end up being christened. It was unlikely that Miranda would be able to keep her hands off Andrea for any length of time, after all...
The new contract would be very lucrative and for that Andy was pleased. But she was more pleased by the fact that security surrounding Miranda would be more efficient and better organised. It would never be as top notch as Andy would have liked it, merely because neither Miranda nor the Elias-Clarke building denizens would tolerate it.
However, it would be much improved and in the end, gunmen or idiots merely waltzing in unchallenged would probably not happen again. After finalising the paperwork, Andy made some phone calls and sought out contractors to begin with equipment.
After ground level equipment was installed, Andy would have agents go through each floor to find vulnerabilities and to assess what could be done about them. This included restricting access from the service area which Andy and her team had used to freely gain entry to the building.
Hopefully it would all be as unobtrusive as possible. The main change however, would be the security procedures on the ground floor. With a plan set up, Andy called it a day and decided to go for a run to burn off some tension that had been building for the majority of the day.
Wanting to kill Irv Ravitz had been a primary cause of the tension. What an asshole. Andy was sorely tempted to teach him a lesson about how scary it could be to be held at gunpoint, or to be stalked, or to be kidnapped. She certainly had the resources to arrange such a thing, and it would be realistic enough to scare the hell out of him.
Andy doubted it would make any difference though, in the end, men like Irv would never learn. Still, it was a tempting idea...
Deciding to go to the townhouse and vent some of her energy in the gym there rather than go for a run and possibly encounter trouble in her bad mood, Andy made her way to her car and quickly headed out.
The twins were away for the weekend and Andy would have the house to herself until Miranda arrived home. Also, maybe she could do some serious cooking, that would also excise some of her frustrations and her restlessness. There was something very calming about cooking after all.
When Miranda opened the door to the townhouse later in the evening, she was slightly surprised to find that it was not empty. The smell of food filled the hallway and its scent made her stomach rumble.
Andrea was obviously here and she had been cooking. Curious now, Miranda moved towards the kitchen and peered in. It was empty, but there was ample evidence of cooking having been done and the breakfast table was set with two places.
Admiring the single rose that stood in a crystal vase in the centre of the table, Miranda smiled. But, where was Andrea?
Walking further into the house, Miranda saw that there was light coming out of the home gym; Andrea was obviously working out. Moving to the doorway, Miranda peered in and saw that her lover was indeed working out.
Quite certain that Andrea had registered her presence, Miranda walked in and watched the younger woman use free weights as she lay back on a bench. Sweat was dripping off her body and the cut off sweats that she wore were soaked.
Miranda watched as her lover lifted the weights in her hands, muscles and tendons in her arms and shoulders flexing, her chest rising and falling. Only the clink of the weights hitting each other and Andrea's breathing was to be heard. It was somehow mesmerising.
Without analysing why she did it, Miranda moved closer until she could feel the heat pouring off Andrea's body, smell the fresh scent of sweat, the light musk of Andrea's perfume.
It made her mouth water.
Miranda ran a finger along the muscle that graced Andrea's shoulder, it slipped in sweat, reminding her of sex. Her lover dropped the weights and looked at her intently, silently. There was something dark and fierce in her gaze and Miranda felt her abdomen clench in reaction.
Andrea lifted a hand and pulled on one of her sleeves, forcing Miranda to her knees. There was no pause in her lover's movement and a moment later Andrea was kissing her. It was a hard, demanding kiss, scorching Miranda with its intensity.
Strong hands pushed at her jacket and then Andrea was sitting up, pulling Miranda's blouse free from her slacks, ripping it open and sending buttons flying across the gym. Miranda for her part was busy pulling at Andrea's clothing, quickly exposing the body that she loved so much, the body wanted so badly that it hurt.
By now, Miranda's clothes were in a heap on the floor and Andrea was on her knees, pushing Miranda against the wall of the gym. Andrea did not hesitate; rather she pushed Miranda's legs apart and buried her face in the apex of Miranda's thighs.
The effect was immediate. Miranda felt her legs turn to water as she arched into the coveted touch. So good, so very, very good. Andrea seemed ravenous, hungry, burning with desire and passion. Miranda could only hold onto strong shoulders as Andrea consumed her.
Andy felt drunk with desire. As Miranda writhed against her, fucked her mouth, Andy knew that she would never be able to live without this. Addiction was a curious thing, and not only was she in love with Miranda, she liked her, and they were friends as well.
Not only that, and many other things as well. Andy was addicted to Miranda. Well and truly addicted, and without any regret either. How could she? Miranda was magnificent, beautiful. She was awe inspiring as she moved along the edge of losing herself to passion.
For this, Andy would walk through broken glass on her lips, if needed. She would do anything, for this. For Miranda. Love truly was blind. But Andy knew it was more than just love.
Miranda moaned, digging her fingers into Andy's shoulder and pushing herself into Andy's touch, into Andy's mouth. It was heady. Wetness dripped from Andy's chin as she adjusted her position and she felt herself soak her underwear, soak past her underwear.
Andy could tell that Miranda was close. Just skittering along the edge of orgasm, of rapture. Andy lifted one of her hands away from Miranda's legs and slid two of her fingers into her lover. A choked off scream was her reward and Miranda bore down on Andy's hand, panting now with exertion, with pent up desire.
Andy pulled her mouth away from Miranda and stood up, driving her fingers into her lover smoothly, adding a third finger without pausing in her rhythm. Miranda opened her eyes and looked at her, the blue colour of them so vibrant that it stole away Andy's breath.
Leaning in, Andy kissed Miranda, demanding entrance to her mouth; Miranda seized Andy's head, pulling them closer. The clash of teeth and tongues was enough to make Andy feel dizzy with hunger.
Miranda came, moaning her pleasure into Andy's mouth as she rode Andy's hand and clawed at Andy's back. It was exquisite, more beautiful than Andy had words for.
"Oh fuck, Miranda..." Andy breathed as they stopped moving, as they leaned on each other panting.
Blue eyes looked at her with a fire that made Andy feel hot, scorched actually. Oh boy.
Tasting herself on Andrea's face, in her mouth, Miranda felt wild. All of her day to day life was about control. Calm. Power. Everyone looked at her, to her, and up to her. To be their leader, their boss. The woman who got everything done, who managed to make the impossible happen. She was Miranda Priestly, it was not so much an identity, as it was a phenomena.
Even her children, to a large degree expected this from her.
But not Andrea. No, her lover expected nothing of the sort from her. Andrea was like a breath of fresh air in her life. Someone who was her mental equal. Right now however, standing half naked in the bright lights of the home gym, Andrea was something that Miranda wanted to consume. To devour.
Sweat and sex soaked what remained of Andrea's clothes. Her hair was wild and her eyes were untamed. Miranda took in her lover's flushed skin and felt herself salivate with anticipation. Andrea seemed to register her thoughts and Miranda watched in fascination as dark eyes widened and Andrea's breathing quickened.
Beautiful. Just beautiful.
Miranda pulled down Andrea's sweat pants, taking underwear with them as she did. Andrea shivered and Miranda felt her breath catch in her throat at the sight of her naked lover. Curves, muscles, flawless skin; it almost chocked her when she thought about the absolutely exquisite nature of her lover.
"Come here." Miranda whispered, willing Andrea to give into the seduction. Wanting Andrea to give into her.
When Andrea did, Miranda rewarded her with a kiss that seared them both, that left Andrea gasping and leaning against her as they swayed on the wall together.
"I can't wait." Andrea breathed, arching into Miranda, exposing her body, her soul to Miranda.
Something broke free in Miranda at the words and she flipped their positions, pushing Andrea against the wall behind her and slid a hand up a strong thigh, not even bothering with the idea of any sort of teasing or foreplay.
Andrea was so wet that Miranda's fingers met with no resistance at all. Andrea sighed against her as Miranda began to move her fingers, kissing her lover in tandem with her hand.
Moments trickled by and Miranda could feel Andrea's orgasm mount. It would only take moments. Later they would have time for slow, but right now what her lover needed was fast, hot, hard. The immediate quenching of her thirst.
Andrea stilled and then she came, pushing herself down on Miranda's hand, keening her pleasure into the empty room and digging her fingers into Miranda's shoulders. Miranda kissed her, swallowing her moans, her passion, revelling in the fact that she could cause this in Andrea.
It was just so beautiful that Miranda was at a loss for words...
Much later Andy lay in bed thinking. They had eaten dinner, talked, and worked for a while. Upon retiring, they had made love again, this time gently, softly. Miranda had fallen asleep some time ago and now Andy lay awake in the night, thinking.
She felt tired. The daily grind of work and responsibility was taking a toll on her and she wanted to recharge her batteries. She just wanted to stop having to answer her phone for a few days, and to not think.
Louise was ready now that Andy could take a vacation and not have to worry about anything falling apart. Louise was not ready to assume control of a new franchise, that would take a few years of training and practise, but she certainly could handle the main office for a period of time.
Maria had chosen well, after all. It helped that Louise was just so compatible with Andy's personality as well. It meant that passive training was conducted with extreme efficiency.
Andy was distracted from her thoughts as Miranda rolled over and dragged Andy along to cuddle her from behind. Resting her head on Miranda's smooth back, Andy wondered if she could talk her lover into taking a vacation with her.
Where could they go? Someplace safe enough that Andy would not have to be a bodyguard as such, but not so swanky that Miranda would be mobbed by photographers or people in the industry.
Also, they would need to arrange for the girls to be someplace during such a vacation. Andy wanted to have Miranda all to herself for a little while. Later, they would take a vacation as a family with the dog and the girls to someplace fun for everyone. Andy also looked forward to that immensely. She could hardly wait, actually.
Making a mental note to start looking into options as soon as possible, Andy finally relaxed against her lover and closed her eyes. Right now, what mattered was that Miranda was safe and that all was well. Andy still felt a thrill of fear in her body when she thought about the events of the hostage situation just days ago. It seemed to empathise her need for a break from it all.
But, right now it was time to sleep with the woman she loved. To dream of sleep. To rest. Tomorrow would come and she could deal with it all then...
The End