Obsidiana

Beta: Peetsden

Summary: Sequel of "Your wish is my command". What wouldn't you do if your babies were coming.

AN: I had a lot o fun writing this one, hope you enjoy :)

Rated: T – still, not so sure about it…

Chapter 1

02:18 pm

Entering the library on the first floor, Andy gave an open smile to the members of Runaway staff, as she rested a tray containing tea, coffee and cookies, on a side table. In the last two weeks, Miranda had transformed the room into an extension of her office and that would be her work place for at least a month after the twins' birth. The measure would keep Miranda closer to her family without the need of taking a leave of absence from work. Sensing her wife's growing exhaustion in the last weeks, Miranda decided to anticipate the move, choosing selected members of her team to keep the magazine running from the town house.

The young woman was in the last days of pregnancy, carrying not one, but two babies, what made her extremely tired and heavy. She had a continuous backache, swollen feet and an embarrassing need to pee more often than she would find acceptable, but even with these discomforts, the happiness she felt was written all over her face. Nigel, Serena, Jocelyn and Emily were surrounding Miranda as she gave them directions to correct a few disastrous decisions about a shoot. Andy approached the group, pointing to the tray.

"Can you take a break? I imagine you would like to have a snack after such a long meeting."

Raising her head from the sketches in her hands, Miranda looked at her wife, with an inquisitive frown. Andy steps were unsteady, due to the heaviness at this stage of her pregnancy, what made her walk adorably awkwardly - her vulnerability evoking an intense protective instinct in Miranda. Ignoring her staff, the silver-haired woman approached her lover, pulling her into a corner where they could talk with some privacy. Andy was trying hard to hide her discomfort, but Miranda's attentive ears could capture the slightest hint of pain and fatigue in her voice.

"How are you feeling darling? Your smile is beautiful, but not convincing: you're in pain. Why are you not resting?"

Andy hugged her lover, inhaling her comforting scent. "Don't worry my love, I'm just really tired today, more tired than usual, in fact. My back is killing me and my feet are so swollen."

Miranda took a step back, looking attentively at Andrea's belly. "Are you sure you haven't any pain?"

Andy nodded. "Honey, if I feel anything you'll be the first to know, I assure you. I'm just too tired to work and too restless to sleep, does it make any sense?"

Miranda caressed her wife's hair, kissing her forehead. "Of course love, it's perfectly understandable. Due the circumstances, it's normal to feel uncomfortable. When I had the girls, I was useless in the last month. Believe me, you're doing far better than I."

Looking directly into Andy's eyes again, she whispered. "I'm worried. I know the doctor said it will take a few more days, but honestly...you look different today. I have the impression your belly is lower than it was yesterday and that can be a sign. Are you absolutely sure you're not feeling anything unusual?"

"Miranda, in three or four days I'll be delivering our precious babies, it's normal to be this way, don't worry, you have work to do."

Miranda hummed, looking at her employees, absorbed in drinking coffee as they talked about Miranda's suggestions. "I don't know... I have a meeting in an hour, but I'm seriously thinking about rescheduling it…"

Andy smiled tenderly at the older woman's display of affection. Skipping business meetings were probably the most precious proof of her love she could receive from her workaholic lover.

"Don't do that, Miranda, I mean it. You away from your office a week before planned and we both know that even with all your efforts, things are more complicated now. Don't change your schedule or you'll be frustrated and I'll feel guilt to worry you without reason. The doctor is probably right, don't you think? I have a few more days…"

Miranda sighed again, giving her wife a last hug. "Please, promise you'll call me if you feel anything unusual."

Andy nodded, kissing her one last time. Watching her wife as she left the room, Miranda tried in vain to avoid a growing feeling of dread.

...

04:47 pm

Miranda disdained Nigel's insistent calls, but when she saw Andy's name on the little screen, she frowned, picking up the phone.

"Darling, I'm in the middle of a meeting, are you all right?"

Nigel's voice held a hint of anxiety and his words were mixed with traffic noises.

"No, sweetheart, I'm not all right! Apparently your children inherited your bad habit of scaring me to death! I have Six, we're going to Presbyterian Hospital because her water broke! She's in labor and I'm having a heart attack, not mentioning my left hand that's completely ruined by her iron grip!"

Miranda's heart beat faster when she heard Andrea's cry of pain across the phone. "Nigel, calm down and let me talk to her!"

Her poor wife's voice was hoarse when she picked up. "Honey, please, come to me, Nigel is big fat crying Sissy and I need you or at least an assertive person like... Caroline!"

Miranda locked eyes with Emily, making a "follow me" gesture, before heading to the door with the intent of a soldier storming the beaches. Emily, knowing her boss so well, was aware that the expression in her eyes could only mean one thing and kept pace with her, waiting for orders. She texted Roy and before they left the building he was already waiting outside. All the way out, Emily could hear Miranda's unusual soft tone as she talked to her wife.

"Don't worry my love, I'll be there with you in twenty minutes, you just have to hang on. Ignore Nigel's panic, hold his hands tight and remember how to breathe."

"Miranda, it hurts."

Faking calmness she didn't feel she tried to bring some serenity to her wife. "I know darling, that's the way our angels will come to us. Now, pass the phone to Nigel and don't worry..."

Her eyes got harder when she heard Nigel's voice again. "Nigel, listen carefully because I'm going to say this just once! New York traffic is chaotic at this hour and I'll probably take a while to get to you. I'll make the arrangements so she will get medical attention as soon as she enters the building, but that won't be enough. You will have to keep her calm, reassure her that everything is going to be all right. She's in excruciating pain and you need to be there for her until I get there, are you listening to me?"

"Oh, My God, I don't think I can, I'm so nervous!

"Nigel, look at her...are you looking at her?"

Nigel swallowed hard and looked at Andy, but his attention was in the frosty deadly menacing voice on the phone.

"Y-yes, I'm looking at her…"

"Now, think about it...this beautiful, so beautiful woman in front of you is the dragon's wife, that is carrying two little baby dragons in her belly...my wife and my children! Think about how calm you're going to be after I strangle you if you don't keep her steady...now, you're going to pretend that nothing is happening, smile and say wonderful and comforting things to her, do you understand me?"

Nigel widened his eyes, because he definitely never heard that tone in Miranda's voice. "Don't worry Miranda, I'll try my best..."

"No, no Nigel, try is not enough… you'll find a way to stop this girlish fussing immediately, connect to your "inner man" or I kill you!"

The line went dead and he looked at his frightened companion. Taking a deep breath, he took Andy's hands. "Don't worry Six, she told me how she loves you and that she is on her way. I'm here for you and everything is going to be all right. In a few hours you'll have your babies in your arms, how wonderful is that?"

Andy frowned. "My God, she must have threatened to take your balls off, you're pale!"

Nigel took off his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose, in an obviously calming gesture. When his eyes met Andy again, he smiled.

"Nigel, are you all right?"

"Yes, I just needed a few minutes to connect to my "inner man", to help with this... Miranda gave me a wonderful motivating speech and I'm feeling much better now."

"Connect to your "Inner man"?"

"Yes, believe me or not, I have one deep inside me and I'm releasing it for you..."

Andy forgot her dilemma for a moment, finding the scene almost funny. "O-okay, if you say so..."

"But listen, when this madness is over, I don't want to hear a word about it!"

Before she could answer him, the car stopped and Andy released a relieved moan when she saw the hospital doors.

...

05:27 pm

Miranda closed her eyes controlling her rising panic. She couldn't believe that her wife was across the city, in labor and without her support. She was cursing herself for being so careless. She had planned everything, precisely to prevent this kind of situation. She was feeling extremely frustrated because, deep inside, she knew that would happen. She saw all the signals Andrea body was sending, but stupidly she ignored them, keeping her daily schedule. Now she felt helpless, locked in an unmoving car.

"Emily, you must organize my agenda from home now. For obvious reasons I'll just have the Book for tomorrow night. I expect to have you, Serena, Nigel and Jocelyn beside me in the next couple of weeks, to keep things working properly. Andrea's parents and my moth... Virginia and father will be at the airport in a couple of hours. After you drop me at Presbyterian Hospital, you'll stay with Roy and bring them and the girls to the hospital."

Miranda looked out to the traffic and to Roy through the rear-view mirror. "Roy, how far is the hospital?"

Roy widened his eyes. "We are not that far Mrs. Priestly, maybe two blocks away. If we were at least moving, we could be there in a few minutes."

Miranda huffed and rolled her eyes, picking up her purse. Before anyone could protest, she opened the door and left the car, walking in the hospital's direction. Roy looked at a shocked Emily, laughing. "You know, the work is hard, the boss is difficult, but we'll never die from boredom in this job."

Emily's jaw was still hung open as she watched Miranda Priestly in all her fashion glory, almost running between the cars. "Bollocks Sachs, seven billion people in the world and Miranda Priestly is running for a pregnant fashion disaster. Who would have guessed that?"

Roy gave a final chuckle. "Not me!"

…..

05:53 pm

Andy was shivering and sweating, lying in a hospital bed. The contractions were becoming more frequent and longer as time passed and even being reassured by the nurse that everything was going fine, she was nervous. Nigel was doing a great job calming her down, but he was not Miranda. She raised her eyes in expectation at the door opening, hoping to see her wife, but was disappointed as her gynecologist came in. Dr. Paxton was a tall, thin brunette, in her forties that always had a smile on her face. Miranda found her excessively cheerful, but agreed that she was one of the best at her job.

"Good afternoon Andy, how are you feeling?"

Andy gave her a half smile. "Like a fat, abandoned pregnant whale that has no wife."

The tall woman smiled at her patient. "Oh, I wouldn't call you abandoned. Miranda called me seven times in the last twenty minutes, what I consider an indisputable record. Now, could you please tell me how you're doing?"

"I'm fine. The contractions are getting more painful, but I believe that's normal under the circumstances..."

Dr. Paxton puts some gloves to exam her patient. "You're probably be ready to deliver in a couple of hours. We'll be monitoring your contractions and dilatation until then. Don't worry, the babies are in the right position and the dilatation is progessing at a normal pace. I'll come back in an hour to take another look at you."

"Okay, thanks doc."

As soon as the doctor left the room, Andy felt the beginning of a new wave of pain. Grabbing Nigel's shirt, she moaned, breathing hard. "Oh crap, they're getting worse…"

Nigel patted her shoulder and kissed her hand, pointing to her belly. "Hang on Six, if these two are anything like their mother, they will have no time to waste. Before you know you'll have your boy and your girl in your arms, we just have to wait a little longer."

The pain subsided and she could think straight again. "I know, I'm just… scared and I want her. Where is she?"

"Darling, she's on her way, you know that. New York's traffic is holding her up, but she's coming…" Nigel's phone rang and he smiled at Andy, when she saw Miranda's name on the visor.

"Miranda, don't worry, she's doing fine, but you… you're breathless, what's wrong?"

Andy saw Nigel's eyes widening in shock. "What? You're walking? Where's Roy?"

Looking at Andy, he pointed to the phone. "She's walking! The car couldn't move in the traffic, so she's coming in on her five inch heels!"

Andy smile brightened her face. "Let me talk to her."

Nigel still in shock, passed the phone to her friend.

"Miranda love, where are you?"

She nodded and smiled. "A block away? Miranda, that's sweet but you shouldn't…. I know… yes, I'm fine. Okay, I'm not going anywhere; you can count on it… Love you too… bye, sweetie."

Andy returned the phone to Nigel's hands. "My fierce love is coming to me. Tell me, how did I get so lucky?

Nigel sat in a chair beside the bed. "Yeah, pretty lucky indeed, after all, you're one of the five persons in the world – two still waiting for their birth - that could consider themselves safe around our lovely dragon lady."

Andy smiled again. "I know. Look at the bright side. She will be too tired to kill you when she gets here."

To be continued in part two….