A/N: Hi All,
Here we are again. I've been tinkering with this story since the day after I posted "Assassin". That shows you how much of a beast this was to do.
There are no major plot changes - definitely some major tightening up though. It has not been beta-ed except by me, but I did my best. I'm sick of looking at it now. There's only so many times one can read one's own chapters!
I've changed it back and forth so many times that I'm not actually sure what it says anymore, so I hope you like it.
Feel free to comment, or not, but know I'll write back if you do.
You can find me on AO3 under the same name, or on Live Journal as Heartsassassin.
Much love to all xxx

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

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Andy stepped out onto the street, having finished a particularly gruelling interview. The halfway house, not far from her apartment, had lost the majority of its funding in the wake of the new political climate. She loved her new work at the Mirror. After being there for six months, she'd started getting some assignments that she could sink her teeth into. This piece had knocked the shine off it though. She wondered how much of a difference her words would make but she kicked herself for thinking like that. She would climb the ladder until her words DID make a difference. If there was one thing she'd learnt in the last two years, it was perseverance and hard work paid off.

The guys who'd missed out on a spot for the night were hanging around outside. The director had told her about the trouble they sometimes caused and she wasn't ashamed when she pulled her laptop bag closer.

"Alright honey?"

Andy grimaced and walked away, ignoring the jibes from the group. She'd only gone a few meters when she felt the need to turn. Their mutterings had become shouts and she scanned the road for their focus. A familiar looking little girl, no older than twelve or so, ran down the sidewalk. As she ran under a streetlight, Andy realised where she'd seen the little girl before. She frowned as she considered whether she was hallucinating, or whether her eyes really were that bad.

"Caroline?" she called. The girl either ignored her or couldn't hear, continuing to sprint down the street. Andy sighed to herself and rushed across the street.

She grabbed the little girl around the middle, holding tightly as she screamed and fought. Andy tried to reason with her, but she just screamed and struggled to get away. Caroline's eyes were wide and almost rolling in her head. Recognising a panic attack from her own youth, Andy just held on and hoped. As Caroline's strength waned, Andy remembered her own mother speaking calmly and quietly to her while she struggled. She tried it with Caroline.

"Caroline, it's alright, it's okay. You're safe. I've got you," Andy said gently. She stood with Caroline firmly in her grasp until she finally passed out from exhaustion.

Now Andy was stuck for sure.

What the hell was Caroline Priestly doing running down the road unsupervised in this part of Manhattan?

More importantly, how the hell was Andy Sachs supposed to tell Miranda about it?

That was the real problem, wasn't it? After six months of relative peace, where the only Miranda Priestly occurrences had been a couple of glimpses across the street, Andy was actually going to have to talk to the woman.

Damn.

Sighing at her rough luck, she picked up the little girl, sagging a little as she did. Caroline looked small but Andy was a little surprised at the effort she had to put forth. She knew she'd never be able to find a cab at this time of night, in this neighbourhood, so Andy carried her to the nearest subway station. She had to at least get the little one to her place, lest someone think she was kidnapping her. Knowing her luck, that would be exactly what would happen.

Caroline stirred when they switched lines. Andy kept muttering quietly to her that she would be alright. When she realised that it was Andy that had her, Caroline hung on tighter. Andy smiled against her will.

They'd never been great friends, the twins and her, but they were definitely no longer enemies. More than one good thing had come from the Harry Potter incident. She was sure previous to this, that Caroline thought Andy beneath her. When she used to meet them on the stairs, before Miranda wised up to them being out of bed, the bulk of the talking had always been done by the other Priestly twin Cassidy.

"Hey," she whispered to Caroline when they were settled on their last train. The little girl refused to take her head off Andy's shoulder, but she twitched. Andy assumed that meant she was listening. "What's going on huh?" There was silence until Andy felt something soak through her shirt.

"Mommy said that I have to live with Dad," Caroline sobbed. "I don't want to live with Dad! I want to stay with her. I didn't mean to drop my drink. I wanted a drink so bad but Patricia scared me and I dropped it down the stairs," she shuddered. "It bounced forever, and then it splashed all over the book!" she cried, sobbing again into Andy's neck.

"Oh, honey," Andy said, stroking Caroline's back soothingly. She could guess how Miranda would have reacted to that.

When they came to Andy's stop, Caroline wrapped her arms and legs around Andy and wouldn't let go. Andy carried her the few hundred meters to her building and let them into her apartment. Thanks to the inspection she'd had the other day, her apartment was fairly clean for once. Setting Caroline on the sofa she got the girl a glass of water and a blanket.

"You know I have to let your Mom know where you are, don't you," Andy said apologetically. "She'll be really worried about you."

Caroline shrugged.

"She won't, I bet she won't even care that I left the front door open," she said sadly. Andy clicked her tongue and tucked the girl into a one-sided embrace. She smiled as Caroline wrapped her arms around her waist.

"Do you know once, your Mom was stuck in Miami just as a hurricane swept in. I swear to you she nearly killed me when I couldn't get her a flight back in time to see your recital," Andy said gently, stroking the girl's head. Caroline looked up with a shocked expression on her face. Clearly, Miranda was no more expressive in her personal life than she was in her business life. "And what about the Harry Potter manuscript?" Andy said with a wink making Caroline smile as she remembered. "Oh, how about the solar system," she grinned. "With glitter, I might add." Caroline giggled as Andy placed a soft kiss on to Caroline's hair. "Never doubt that your Mom loves you. I may not know too much about her, but I know that she loves you more than anything. Even Runway," she put a finger against Caroline's lips to stop her from speaking. "Even if sometimes it doesn't seem like it. Okay?"

Caroline nodded and yawned widely.

"I'm going to have to call her Caro, there's no way around it." Sighing, Caroline nodded her acceptance. "Why don't you go and jump into my bed and rest for a bit. We may have to think of another way to get hold of her. I'm not sure she'll even take my calls, especially after, well," Andy bit her lip. "You know," Andy said wistfully, almost to herself.

"She misses you," Caroline said sleepily as she stood, dragging the blanket with her. "She's sadder without you."

She dropped onto the bed in Andy's room, leaving Andy stunned on the couch.

Miranda Priestly was sad without her.

That was something you didn't hear every day. She was tempted to sit and examine the feelings that it threw up, but she glanced at her bed again. Seeing the little girl laying cuddling her pillow, she didn't have the luxury.

Steeling her nerves, she fished her phone from her pocket. She had a hard time ignoring the ridiculous voice in her head asking her why she still had Miranda's cell number on speed dial. She hit the button and hoped she would still have a future tomorrow.

"Hello?" came a little voice that Andy was not expecting.

"Cassidy?"

"Who is this please?"

"It's Andy," Andy could hear Cassidy draw a breath.

"Andy! You have to help, Mommy shouted at Caro and now they can't find her and I need her back!"

There was a garble of noise as Cassidy tried to tell her every moment that Caroline would miss if they couldn't find her. It was cute in a way, but Andy could hear Cassidy's breathing becoming even more erratic. As soon as she could, Andy butted in.

"Hey whoa! Cass, it's okay, I have Caroline here with me. I found her downtown and brought her back to my place. Where's your Mom?" Andy could practically feel Cassidy relax over the phone line as she heard the girl call her mother.

"Hello?"

"Miranda? It's Andy Sachs, I found Caroline, she's safe with me in my apartment, but she's pretty upset and worn out; she fell asleep as soon as she calmed down."

Andy tried to keep it as business-like as possible, but when she heard Miranda sobbing on the other end of the phone, she took the phone from her ear in a weird sense of propriety.

"Oh thank god, thank you, thank you Andréa, thank you."

Andy chuckled as she heard Cassidy complaining that Miranda was squishing her. Andy tried to imagine Miranda hugging her just a little too tightly in relief.

"Is she- I mean -" Andy felt her eyes widen as Miranda fumbled with her words. Miranda never fumbled her words. "Will she see me?" Miranda finally managed to utter, making Andy's heart clench.

"I think maybe she would," Andy said gently. No matter what she had been through with Miranda in the past, now was not a time to rehash it all. This was about Miranda, the woman, and her children, not Miranda 'The Ice Queen' Priestly. "Roy knows where I live, just come by when you're ready," Andy said, hearing Miranda instructing Cassidy to grab her coat quickly.

"We're on our way."

Andy nearly answered as she heard the call drop.

She laughed to herself as she stared at her phone. Nothing really had changed. She checked on Caroline, pulling the sheets up under her chin and soothing her forehead as she dozed. They were good kids. Lonely, and attention seeking, she thought with a grin, but good kids.

Andy put the coffee maker on, knowing that if Miranda stayed even for a little while coffee would make the whole process go a lot smoother. Then she waited.