A/N:

I was saddened myself by my latest drabble, so I decided to try and do something with a happier, or at least more hopeful, ending. I used a prompt I found on some fan fiction guidance site (that I can't remember the name of now); "Give me three good reasons for taking you back". So… I guess you could see this as a sequel to my drabble "In The End"… because in my world, Miranda was mistaken. Not everybody that walks away from her leaves her for good.

It had taken Andy Sachs about thirty seconds to regret her decision, and five hours to work up the courage to drag her ass to Miranda's hotel room. At least she could resign in a slightly more official and mature way, she told herself, knowing that no explanation or apology would soften Miranda Priestley's heart. Working under the assumption that the older woman did indeed have one, that is.

Miranda opened the door only seconds after Andy's first hesitant knock, as if she had been waiting for her. Who knew, maybe she had. Then again, probably not. The fashion queen was wearing an Armani pantsuit – black pinstripes, something that for some odd reason always seemed to short-circuit Andy's brain – and a pair of Jimmy Choo heels. She held a glass of expensive whisky in one hand. Icy blue eyes stared into Andy's brown.

"I'm so sorry, Miranda", Andy begun. Miranda hushed her by raising her free hand and shaking her head.

"Get inside, I refuse to have this discussion with you in a hotel corridor with only an hour and a half to midnight", she spat and moved back to let Andy inside. The brunette stood hesitantly in the middle of the giant suite. Miranda pointed to the couch with the hand holding the glass.

"Sit".

Andy obeyed, awkwardly feeling like she was drowning in the soft cushions. She fiddled with her handbag and looked everywhere but on Miranda, who sighed exaggeratedly.

"By that, I meant be still. Honestly Andrea, is there really so much nervous energy within you? No, I do not wish to know the answer to that", she cut off Andy before the younger woman could even begin to answer. "I am very, very disappointed in you. What you did today was a hurtful thing to do. In some ways comparable to snatching the crutches from poor Emily and let her fend for herself, actually. Not a behaviour I would have expected from you, Andrea".

"I…" Andy began.

"I'm not finished. Now, I want no excuses for that sudden departure of yours, no explanations for your belated decision to return, and absolutely no apologies for the whole debacle. I want you to give me three – no more, no less – good reasons for me to take you back. Have I made myself clear?"

She sipped her drink, but her eyes never left Andy's.

Take me back, Andy thought. Take me back?

"Crystal", she mumbled, not understanding anything.

The flash of either amusement or impending murder flicked across the older woman's eyes as she put the glass down on a table and sat down in an armchair, crossing her legs and pursing her lips.

"Well?"

"Um, I'll never do that again", Andy said, and Miranda huffed.

"That's a given. Three good reasons, Andrea, and mind what you're saying".

"It would take too long to find an adequate replacement for me, at least for the time being", Andy started.

"Hmm", Miranda said before a slight tilt of her head acknowledged this as valid. "Go on".

"I always get you what you ask for".

"Always being somewhat a strong word for it, I do see your point", Miranda mused. They both thought about the Harry Potter books.

"And I care about you", Andy finished in a whisper, as she couldn't really come up with anything better. Starting to go on about her strong work ethics would only sound weird at a moment like this, and this was the only thing she could think of. Miranda raised an eyebrow.

"Do you, now? You have an interesting way of showing that, I must say".

Andy's cheeks started to burn with a hot flush. Miranda saw this, quickly put two and two together, and smirked.

"Oh".

Utter realisation lay in that single syllable. She rose from her chair, slowly walking up to Andy and leaned forward until their noses almost touched.

"Three good reasons, indeed. You are back in my employment, until further notice. However… you may want to rephrase that last reason. Be completely honest".

"I'm in love with you", Andy breathed against Miranda's lips.

"Naughty girl", Miranda replied, brushing her lips against Andy's ever so slightly before taking a step back. "We'll see what we can do to explore that when we get back to New York. Until then, you are to remain my very efficient assistant".

"Yes, Miranda".

"No more running off".

"No, Miranda".

Miranda sat down in her armchair again, narrowing her eyes.

"Why on earth did you do it in the first place?"

"Because you hurt me. It wasn't true, what you said. And I think you know it, too. You did what you did to save your job and your life's accomplishment, I can buy that. Although it wasn't fair to Nigel".

"No, it wasn't", Miranda admitted in a surprisingly kind voice.

"… but you said that I did what I did to climb the ladder of success. That I saw beyond what people wanted and what they needed, and choose for myself… and that's simply not true".

"Really?" she scoffed.

"No. I was with Christian that night. He told me about the plan in the morning. I could have gained on your downfall, Miranda. But you… I couldn't do that to you. Because I knew what you needed. You needed Runway. As much as Runway needed you, I reckon".

Miranda's jaw slackened. This was the first time Andy had seen surprise on the fashion queen's face. It made her very human and very beautiful.

"Well, then… it seems I have misjudged you. Again", Miranda breathed, not quite back to her usual composure yet. "You certainly are a woman with many faces", she added.

"No, I'm not. I'm just Andy. Always Andy".

"Well, 'Always Just Andy', how come you spent the night with Christian Thompson?", Miranda asked in a sardonic tone.

"I think you can imagine what we did", Andy whispered.

"I prefer not to imagine what that disgusting young man was doing to you", Miranda snapped. "Besides, I wasn't asking what you were doing; I was asking why you spent the night with him".

"I was drunk and I felt alone and I had been battling my feelings for you for quite some time". Andy looked down at her hands and tears welled up in her eyes. "I thought it would help to… encourage myself that I… I don't know; that I liked men".

"And did it help?"

"It helped in a way, I guess. It made me very confident that I don't".

Andy's head snapped up when Miranda started laughing.

"Then I suppose I must be grateful to him", she snorted. "Good grief, wonders never cease".

She sighed and shook her head before giving Andy a smile so breathtaking it was almost painful for the young woman's heart.

"May I ask for how long you have been having feelings for me?"

"Since Harry Potter", Andy replied, blushing again. Miranda nodded thoughtfully.

"What a coincidence", she mumbled. "I have found myself… cornered… by my own emotions again and again since you carried out that little stunt".

"You didn't think I could do it?" Andy asked, feeling rather smug.

"Oh I knew you could do it alright, don't be absurd. But whether you knew you could do it or not, however… that was something different. It may surprise you to know, Andrea", she added dryly, "but I have had confidence in your ability to reach the stars ever since I hired you. I simply didn't know if you were aware of your abilities. Smart, hard-working, fast learner… all true. But did you ever stop to think how far those traits could take you? I think not".

Andy was trying to process this when she suddenly became acutely aware of something else.

"You said you were cornered by your own emotions… what…?"

Miranda rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Honestly, Andrea, I just praised you for being smart, and then you must go and prove me wrong. Use your head. That's the body part stuck to your neck, by the way".

"But I…"

"Did you think I go around kissing women left and right if it meant nothing to me? Yes, if I need to spell it out for you; I have been attracted to you since the Chanel boots and I have been in love with you since you got the Harry Potter books. Does that answer your questions?"

Miranda rolled her eyes, but the annoyance was mostly played. Andy didn't know how she knew it, because Miranda's facial expression was no different from the one she put on when she really was annoyed, but nevertheless she did know.

"I said we'll explore this when we get back to New York, and I intend to keep that promise. But right now, it's business as usual. I cannot afford any rumours about inappropriate relationships with employees, surely you must understand that?"

Andy nodded vigorously and got up from her seat, as Miranda's body language clearly told her this little chat was over for now.

"I think it's time we both get some sleep after this exhausting day", Miranda said slowly while she walked with Andy to the door. "There is just one more thing I need to say".

"Oh?"

Miranda smiled, and her eyes glittered with something that looked suspiciously much like tears.

"You aren't the first one to leave me. Far from it. But you are the first one who returns. Thank you, Andrea, for not being too afraid to do that".

With that, she pressed another quick kiss on Andy's lips, looked deeply into her eyes for what felt like an eternity, and then nodded curtly and shooed her out of her room.

"Don't be late tomorrow. I'm not prone to offer second chances and I definitely don't offer third ones".

Andy laughed quietly and her eyes sparkled in the dim light of the corridor.

"I'll remember that".

And she would. During the over thirty years they would have together, Andrea Sachs would never make the mistake of walking away from Miranda Priestly again.