Andy stared at her laptop. Somehow she had to try and explain the last few weeks to her parents. She had tried phoning but hung up each time so that left snail mail or e-mail. A glass of milk appeared next to the laptop along with an Oreo biscuit. Andy looked round and smiled at the little redheaded girl standing next to her.

"Mum always gives us milk and an Oreo when we're stuck on our homework." Andy smiled even wider as Caroline Priestley shuffled her feet nervously,

"you looked stuck so..." Caroline trailed off and Andy took a sip of the milk.

"I am totally stuck. I still haven't told my mum about... Well I haven't actually told her anything."

"you could just type 'Hi mum, just to let you know I kicked the crap out of my bosses husband because he was being a...' "

"Cassidy!" Andy choked on her milk just cutting the other girl off in time as she walked into the room.

"well you totally did." Caroline smiled as her sister, oblivious to how her comments embarrassed Andy, proceeded to eat the cookie sitting by the laptop.

"Do you want to write this kiddo?" Andy laughed as Cassidy made an excited lunge for the laptop.

"Whoa! that was a joke.." Andy managed to rescue the laptop from the teenage clutches, god knows what Cassidy would send to her parents given half a chance.

"C'mon Cass, let's go. Mom called and said you are to take it easy still and that she'll be home for dinner tonight again, how cool is that?"

Andy smiled as the girls left the kitchen trying to guess what was going to be for dinner. Unsure as to what Miranda's definition of taking it easy was Andy decided that she would cook anyway, consequences be damned. Andy set about the task of explaining to her parents exactly how she ended up practically living with her former boss.

Several weeks earlier

Andy sat in the back of Roy's car anxiously checking her phone.

"Roy, I'm sorry can you go any quicker?" Roy checked his mirrors and increased his speed,

"Is she in trouble Andy?" Roy asked.

"I think she might be." Andy felt sick to her stomach. Images of her recurring dream were flashing though her mind. Miranda was trapped. Stephen forcing his way into the house. The sickening sound as Miranda's head cracked off the wall… Finally they arrived at the townhouse, door ajar.

Without thinking Andy ran up the stairs and burst through the door. Stephen had his hand around Miranda's neck and appeared to effortlessly have her pinned to the wall.

"You will not expose me Miranda. I deserve a fair settlement and you know it. You drove me to this. You're the reason I broke the prenup. You…"

Stephen didn't get another word out as Andy grabbed his shoulders, turned him round punched him as hard as she could in the face. Despite having never done anything like it before Stephen lost his footing and fell to the ground.

"Miranda, go. Roy is outside and the police are on their way." Miranda stared wide eyed at Andy "Now Miranda go!" Miranda turned and ran down the stairs and out the front door. By this time Stephen was back on his feet and launched himself towards Andy. She felt the most excruciating pain as she collided with the mirror on the wall. Then it all went black.

Present

Andy jumped slightly as she felt arms close around her as she stirred the pasta sauce.

"I seem to recall telling you to take it easy Andrea…" Andy sighed as Miranda snuggled into her.

"It's pasta sauce Miranda, and it's going to burn if you keep distracting me." Andy grinned and turned into Miranda.

"let it burn. It's not often I come home to see such a gorgeous woman slaving over the stove wearing… actually what are you wearing?" Miranda asked pretending to be scandalised.

"Tank top and sweats, which you love. Don't even try to deny it." Miranda chuckled as she pushed Andy up against the worktop.

"I'll admit you can make anything, even these rags, look appealing. However, I'd much rather think about that gorgeous outfit you were wearing the day I had you up against that table over there. Do you remember Andrea" Andy nodded dumbly as Miranda whispered in ear, moving her hands down to her hips.

"Yes… I had you right where I wanted you that day and then we were very rudely interrupted by your cell phone. Do you know what I was going to do to you if that phone hadn't have rang" All Andy could do was shake her head as Miranda began to suck gently on her neck.

"oh I think you do. Did you dream about it? I was going to kiss you like this," and before Andy could respond Miranda captured her lips in a mind blowing kiss. "And so long as you kissed me back I was going to…" Andy squealed as Miranda's hand crept under her tank top brushing gently across her stomach.

"Oh my god Miranda, you are going to kill me…" Andy sighed throwing her head back as Miranda just went back to kissing the lovely exposed neck.

"Please do not take this the wrong way as I truly want nothing more than for you to continue this demonstration but may I remind you that Caroline and Cassidy could walk in at any moment." Andy tried to turn out of Miranda's embrace. "Ah of course, you always have an excuse don't you Andrea." Miranda quickly kissed Andy on the lips and let her go back to the pasta sauce. "But one of these days I will get to do what I want in my kitchen, you have been warned."

"Warned about what mom? Are you annoyed with Andy for cooking? We told her not too!" If Caroline noticed the blush on her mother's face she didn't mention it as she walked into the kitchen.

"As I told you earlier Caroline it's pasta and sauce... Stirring a pan is not going to kill me. Okay?" Caroline shrugged, "Mom she's been really good all day, me and Cass kept coming into check and she's only been typing on the laptop so I suppose it's okay that Andy cooks dinner." Miranda and Andy both laughed at Caroline's incredibly honest report.

"I didn't realise I was under house arrest Miranda… Or that Cassidy and Caroline were my guards!" Miranda smirked and started to set the table for dinner "well after your incredibly irresponsible actions can you blame me for wanting to keep you locked up?"

"Oh so that's why I'm here… So that I don't punch anymore crazy soon to be ex-husbands? And here's me thinking it's because you finally realised the benefit of having a live in assistant on call twenty four seven." Caroline was pretty sure she saw Andy wink at her mom. Caroline also knew that none of those were the reason that Andy was still living with them two weeks after Stephen tried to hurt her mother. She had discussed it with Cassidy and it was pretty obvious that their mom wanted Andy around because it made her feel safe. She also wanted to know that Andy was safe for some reason. The situation was unusual but then again so was having her mom home in time for dinner, which had been happening almost every night since Andy started staying.

Miranda sighed contently as she sank into the soft sheets of her bed that night. She smiled when the bedroom door opened and bed dipped as Andrea finally arrived. One thing Andrea said earlier was true. Miranda had realised how wonderful it was to have Andrea by her side and available at all times. Not as an assistant however, but as her friend and after tonight, if she was lucky, her lover. Their kitchen interaction earlier that evening had simply spurred Miranda on. She had been thinking about this since before Paris. Paris would've been perfect if it wasn't for her imagination ruining it. She never should have sent Andrea away. The look of hurt and heartbreak in the young woman's eyes should have been enough of a clue that she would never, ever have worked alongside Stephen. Then the dramatic rescue that dreadful morning confirmed what Miranda really knew all along. Andrea cared about her. The tearful exchange in the hospital of confessions and apologies was the beginning of something Miranda had been dreaming of for some time. Andrea had been dreaming up ways to help Miranda all along, even after Paris. It was as if some great force was willing them to make things work and here they were getting a second chance.

"You took your time," Miranda said running her hands down her sides smoothing her nightdress.

"Well, you did decide to put me in the furthest away guest room. I had to walk super slow over the floor boards that squeak and sneak past a St Bernard" Andy tucked her hair behind her ears. "You know we don't have to do anything right? I mean, it's enough just being here with you. I can wait."

"Andrea, I think I made my intentions perfectly clear tonight. We have put this off long enough." Miranda grabbed Andy's hands.

"I have no idea what I'm doing…" Andrea stuttered.

"Well then, in that case lets just go with it."

The joining of lips and bodies was glorious after so man painful weeks of being apart. This is what Miranda wanted, this is what Andy needed.

"Yes Andrea I think we've put this off long enough. I'm going to make you mine."

The next morning Andy stared at the beautiful woman laying next to her. Her breath was taken away when blue eyes suddenly met her own.

"Good morning," Miranda whispered. Andy smiled at the rough timbre of the older woman's voice. I did that, she thought to herself.

"Good morning indeed" Andy replied wriggling forward to embrace Miranda.

"you know how I was telling you about my dreams?" Miranda nodded, " last night I'm pretty sure I had a wonderful dream about all the wonderful things we could do to pass the time before breakfast." Andy's giggle was stopped as Miranda's lips crushed to hers. "Well if you dreamt it… I'm sure it's going to come true."

The end.