DISCLAIMER: The Devil Wears Prada and its characters belong to Lauren Weisberger and 20th Century Fox. No infringement intended.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
FEEDBACK: To jah728[at]rocketmail.com
Sparky
By jah728
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon and Miranda was relaxing in the sitting room enjoying a novel when she heard a high-pitched bark. Concerned that Patricia might be ill, Miranda started to get up before noticing the small animal looking at her from the doorway. The little beast looked over his shoulder before racing across the room and launching himself up onto the couch next to Miranda. Just as he sat and surveyed the room, Andy stumbled through the doorway. From the heavy breathing and sheen of sweat on her forehead, Miranda guessed that her wife had just run up the stairs.
"Andrea, call the exterminators. We have rats."
"Miranda," Andy gasped, "he's a dog, not a rat."
"Andrea, Patricia is a dog. That is an over grown rodent."
Andy came over and sat on the couch, picking up the fawn colored Chihuahua and cuddling him on her lap. "I found him wandering around about a block from here. Poor thing was so scared he was shivering. Weren't you, Sparky?"
Miranda removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Andrea, why did you name the rat?" Leveling her best flesh melting stare, she decreed "We are not keeping it."
"I don't plan on keeping him. I'm sure he belongs to someone and just escaped. Look at him." The little dog seemed to smile as Andy petted him. "He's clean and in very good condition. I'll take him somewhere tomorrow and have him checked for a microchip."
"Very well, but you are responsible for him tonight." Miranda glared at the dog. "Why on earth Sparky?"
"I don't know. I think he kind of looks like a Sparky. Don't you?"
Miranda frowned as she thought. "He looks like an Irving."
"Miranda!" Andy put her hands over the dog's ears. "That's terrible. How could you insult Sparky like that?" Andy picked up the dog and looked him in the eye, "Don't listen to her, Sparky. You're much better looking than an Irving." Andy held the dog close as she stood and started out of the room. "I'm going to introduce him to Patricia and let them out back."
"Fine, just be careful. I don't want Patricia confusing him with a snack and getting indigestion."
A little while later, Caroline and Cassidy wandered in. They stood silently inside the doorway staring at their mother. Exasperated, Miranda marked her place in the book and looked at her girls, "Yes?"
"Mom, are all pregnant women nuts?" Caroline asked as Cassidy checked the hallway to make sure no one was listening.
"What's wrong, dear?"
"Andy's acting weird with that dog."
"Yeah, she's talking to it and carrying it around."
"You know Andrea is a very caring person. But her hormones may be influencing her behavior," she conceded.
"We're not keeping it are we?" Cassidy cringed at the idea of a yappy little dog running around the house.
"No," Miranda snapped. Taking a deep calming breath she added, "Andrea will find its owners tomorrow. In the meantime, just try not to step on it."
The girls nodded and left. Miranda decided it would be a good idea to check on her wife and their guest. She found Andy and both dogs in the kitchen. Patricia and Andy were sitting on the floor watching Sparky eat canned chicken. Andy had her arm around Patricia as she stroked Sparky's back.
"Andrea, why are you on the floor?" Miranda shook her head as she reached down to offer her wife assistance getting up.
"Hey," Andy grunted as she stood. "I just wanted to make sure Sparky got enough to eat. I gave Patricia some but she finished first."
"I imagine so. She probably considered the chicken a real treat." Miranda reached down and scratched Patricia's ears. "Don't get used to it."
Patricia stood and plodded over to the dog bed in the sitting area. Turning twice, she laid down with her back to the kitchen and the little interloper.
That went well, Miranda thought. "Andrea, your guest has finished. Why don't you take him outside and I'll get dinner started. When you come back in please make a bed for him in the laundry room. He can stay in there while we eat."
"But, Miranda –"
"He'll be fine." Miranda was adamant. "We don't know how his owners have trained him and we don't want to spoil him any more than we may have already." Miranda sighed as she watched Andy take the little dog outside. Hopefully, Andrea's doting wouldn't upset the rat's owners.
Dinner was uneventful. After a few minutes of barking, Sparky gave up and napped in the laundry room. Andy only got up from the table twice to check on him. She considered getting up again when she caught Miranda's eye and decided to finish her casserole instead. Caroline and Cassidy cleared the table when they were through and debated which movie to watch.
They were still undecided when Andy came back in after taking the dogs outside. "You could watch Legally Blonde," Andy suggested.
"No," the twins groaned.
"Legally Blonde 2?" Andy grinned hopefully.
"No." Cassidy was emphatic.
Miranda decided to step in before things got heated. "Andrea, why don't you and the rat watch the television in the living room and the girls can take the media room. I'll be in the sitting room reading."
"Come on Sparky. We have a marathon to watch." Andy picked up the little dog and left the room.
"Do two movies constitute a marathon?" Cassidy asked Caroline. Caroline just rolled her eyes and dragged her sister towards the stairs.
Miranda was grateful for the peace and went back to her novel. Sometime later the girls stopped by on their way to bed. Miranda went downstairs to make sure everything was locked up and to retrieve her wife. Miranda smiled as she turned off the television and all but one of the lamps. Andy was stretched out on the couch asleep and the Chihuahua was curled up on her slight baby bump.
"Come on, Andrea." Miranda picked up the dog before Andy dislodged him. "Time for bed."
"What? Is the movie over? Where's Sparky?" Andy rubbed her eyes as Miranda helped her sit up.
"Yes, the movie is over. Here's the rat." Miranda placed the dog on her lap.
"I wish you wouldn't call him that. You're going to hurt his feelings."
"I seriously doubt that. Let the dogs out back for the last time and put him in the laundry room for the night."
"But –
"No."
"How –
"I know you, Andrea. He is not sleeping in our room. He will be fine in the laundry room."
"Fine," Andy huffed. "I'll be up in a bit."
Freshly showered and still wearing her robe, Miranda was standing just inside her closet considering what to wear that day. Andy slipped into the room and came up behind her wife to give her a hug. "Coffee's on and the girls are stirring."
"Thank you." Miranda turned in Andy's arms and cupped Andy's cheek as she kissed her.
Andy rested her forehead against Miranda's. "Umm, Miranda, I know this is a silly question, but, umm. Well, ahh."
"Andrea, please spit it out. I still have to get dressed and at this rate I won't have time for breakfast."
"Sorry... wasPatriciaspayed?" Andy tensed and squeezed her eyes shut.
"What? Andrea, again, slower this time."
"I found Sparky curled up with Patricia this morning. Did you have her spayed?"
Miranda patted Andy's arm and stepped back to continue getting ready. "Yes. Although Patricia is a beautiful example of her breed, her breeder determined she was not show quality."
"Good," Andy sighed with relief. "I was worried for a minute there. Sparky and Patricia were looking really cozy this morning sleeping in Patricia's bed."
Miranda moved through her large walk-in closet picking out clothes and accessories. She paused as she glanced at Andy. "Yes, I thought they looked cozy last night when I discovered the rat had escaped from the laundry room."
"You knew he got out?"
"I thought I heard something and went to investigate. The baby gate you used to block the doorway was down and he was curled up next to Patricia. She seemed to be tolerating him so I left them." Miranda kissed Andy's cheek as she came out of the closet. "Find his owners or find him a home today."
Andy pouted but nodded.
Andy breezed down the hallway towards Miranda's office. She smiled at Rachel and waved to the new girl. "Hey, Rach. Is she ready? We're supposed to go out to lunch."
"Hello, Andy," Rachel waved towards the open door. "She's waiting for you."
"Thanks." Miranda was organizing some papers as Andy entered the office. "Hey, beautiful," Andy sat in one of the chairs in front of Miranda's desk. "How has your morning been?"
"Not terrible. The level of incompetence seems to have receded slightly. How was your morning?" Miranda peered at Andy over the rims of her glasses. "Did you accomplish your mission?"
"Yes, I did," Andy said proudly. "I stopped by Patricia's clinic and they were able to read the microchip. I just got back from dropping off Giovanni."
"Really, well congratulations. So, the rat's name is Giovanni." Miranda thought for a bit. "Where did you have to go? You made very good time from the upper east side."
"Oh, no, his owner works just a few blocks from here. When I called her, she asked that I drop him off at her office. She'll have an assistant take him home."
Andy was practically bouncing in her seat she was so happy, which made Miranda suspicious. In fact, Andy seemed ready to burst with some kind of news. "Andrea, why are you sporting that silly grin?"
"Anna says hi." Andy's grin turned into a full blown smile.
"What?" Miranda just stopped herself from wiggling a finger in her ear. Surely her hearing hadn't gone yet.
"Yeah. Oh, she said thank you too. She was pretty worried yesterday." Truth be told, Andy was pretty proud of herself. She had been uneasy about carrying Sparky, Giovanni, through the Vogue offices. But Anna had been so relieved with the return of her little dog that she had been quite gracious when learning Andy's identity. "It seems that Giovanni was at a play date yesterday and escaped through an open door. Anna was very upset. I don't think he'll be going back there again. I told her he really got along well with Patricia. I'm not sure if we'll schedule play dates or just a few walks. She's not comfortable taking Giovanni to the dog park."
Stunned, Miranda stared at her wife. Andrea had just spent the morning with her professional rival and came away with a 'thank you' and possible play dates?
Andy smirked. This was the first time in a long time that she had totally surprised her wife. "I'm sorry I was so goofy with Sparky, umm Giovanni, yesterday. It's just that he was so little and afraid when I found him."
Miranda mentally shook herself and re-joined the present. "That's alright, the girls and I understood. You weren't too goofy. At least no more than usual," she teased.
"You know I love Patricia, right?"
"Of course. I've seen the way you play with her and take her on walks."
"Maybe someday we can get another dog. Maybe a smaller dog?" Andy really enjoyed playing with and holding little Sparky."
"That would be acceptable. I do think we should wait until after the baby is born. We are all going to be busy with a little one in the house and I don't think it would be fair to a new dog to have to deal with that." Miranda thought Andrea might raise this very subject and had done a little research in between meetings this morning. "I don't think a Chihuahua would fit into our family though. I believe the breed is too delicate for small children. We can look into other breeds and rescues when the time is right."
"Thanks. You knew I'd bring it up didn't you."
"Andrea, you always anticipated my needs when you were my assistant. I should do the same in our private life. Come. Let's go to lunch."
Miranda came around the desk and offered a hand to help Andy up. After getting her coat and bag from Rachel the two strode towards the elevator. Once inside Miranda pushed the button and stepped back. Before the door closed, she murmured "I still think the rat looked like Irving."
The End