gin_akasarahsmom

This is a Facts of Life, Devil Wears Prada crossover story.

It's a supplement, addition, bonus (not sure I like that term) story to my Devil Wears Prada story "Like Andrea"

I highly recommend you read 'Like Andrea" first as there are some spoilers for that story in this one... really really big major spoilers.. These are the events of "Like Andrea" as seen through Jo's perspective. LOL Part 1 of "Like Andrea" is here:

http://akasarahsmom.livejournal.com/1924.html#cutid1

Title: Detective Jo
Rating: PG-13 (mostly for language)
Pairing: Blair/Jo, Andy/Miranda
Archive: If you want it... let me know where you put it.
Beta: Yes... actually, for this one I got some more competent eyes than mine on it. Thank you Kam, wonderful job as always.

“Ho Lee Shit.” Jo looked into the storage unit then stepped inside. It felt like she was standing behind the druggist counter at a pharmacy. Shelves and shelves of medicine all in a row and she looked at the book one of the uni’s handed her. Records of it all. A total inventory, including what was taken out early this morning. The prosecutors were gonna love this. Nothing like being handed a case in a hardbound cover.

“Rook…” Alan pointed to the book. “Called Anne, she said the stuff taken this morning, in the amounts listed… it’s gonna kill someone.”

“Dammit!” Her phone rang before she could contact the officer stationed to watch Starbucks. “Polniaczek, go.”

“Jo…”

“Andy… God dammit! Do you have any idea how stupid it is for you to go running off like that? Where the hell are you?”

Andy endured the chastisement and told Jo she was going to meet Miranda’s driver, then stay with Miranda.

“Don’t scare this Judy woman, Andy.” Jo’s eyes scanned the storage unit. “She’s more than dangerous.”

“Why? What do you mean?”

Jo heard the street sounds become muffled and knew Andy was now inside a car. “I’m standing in her storage facility.” Jo said. “It looks like a pharmacy, Andy. She’s got shelves and shelves of everything you could think of, and some things you probably couldn’t...”

The reporter prompted, “And.”

“And she keeps records.” We know what she took out of here early this morning. Our coroner verified that the stuff she has with her now, will kill anyone who takes it.”

“Get her Jo, don’t let her hurt Miranda.”

“We’ll get Judy,” Jo promised. “You just concentrate on taking care of Miranda.” The detective ended the call. She immediately contacted the officer assigned to watch the Starbucks. The information he had made her eyes bug out. “You lost her?!”

The man on the other end sounded sheepish. “She got the coffee, and I trailed her all the way back to the building, but it was hella crowded and she got on an elevator that was too full…” He sighed. “I can go up… but if she comes back down I might miss her.”

Jo growled. “No… stay there, if she comes back down, you cuff her… otherwise…” She looked down at her jeans and polo shirt and sighed. “I’ll be there as fast as I can.” Dammit dammit dammit… Blair is gonna kill me.

Grabbing a couple of uni’s, Jo flipped the lights on the police car and led three other units to the Elias-Clarke building. In route, her cell phone rang; it was Alan’s ringtone. “What now?”

“We found a cache of guns at the storage place, one is missing. Wear a vest.”

“Dammit!” Jo felt like she’d been awake for days and now guns were involved. “Thanks Alan, will do.”

“Watch your back, Rook.” Alan’s warning had a tinge of amusement in it. “Blair will kill me if you get shot again.”

Jo laughed. “We can’t have that now, can we?”

-----------------

Jo reluctantly called Andy, en route to Elias-Clarke. She explained about the officer watching Starbucks and how he’d lost sight of Judy because of the elevator. It wasn’t much, but it was a head’s up that the woman was already at work.

“Where are you now?”

Andy glanced out the window. “About a block away from the office.”

Jo ground her teeth as the car she was riding in slowed to a crawl. “Even with the lights on it’s taking forever to get through the morning rush.” She promised. “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

“We’ll try to stall her until you get there.”

“Andy no.. listen..” Jo sighed as the connection was broken. Dammit… I didn’t tell her about the gun! She tried to call back but the call went directly to voicemail. Dammit! She pounded on the dash of the car. “Move this piece of crap!”

The driver could feel his blood pressure rising. “I’m trying, ma’am.”

Jo glared at him. “Try harder.” Knowing there was no time to lose, Jo growled and reached down to turn on the sirens. Cars in front of them reluctantly began to move. “Go!”

--------------------

Barely waiting for the car to stop, Jo jumped from the cruiser. The trunk popped and she quickly grabbed a vest then made her way into the building. She flashed her badge at the security desk and headed to the elevator, along with several uniformed officers. She was only mildly aware of the crowd gathering on the sidewalk outside. As the car rose close to the eighteenth floor, Jo drew her gun and spoke quietly. “The office we want is on seventeen. We’re going to go down the stairs one floor and quietly make our way to Miranda Priestly’s office.” She checked the latches on her vest then poised to exit the elevator. “The suspect is armed, and extremely dangerous.” The doors opened. “Follow me.”

The uniformed officers followed Jo down the stairs. They made their way between some desks and heard voices in the office just ahead. Peeking through the gap in the door, Jo saw an armed woman with her back to the door. Holding her breath, she hoped this was going to go down as easy as it seemed.

Motioning the uniformed officers to hold back a bit, Jo quietly walked up behind Judy, gun drawn and pressed between the woman’s slim shoulders before she spoke. “Drop it.” She took the gun from the insane woman, handing it back to one of the officers that had followed her in. She cuffed Judy, reciting the standard, ‘You have the right to remain silent’ speech. Jo thought it might just be the height of irony that they were called Miranda Rights.

Judy confirmed she did indeed understand the rights as they had been explained to her, but it was obvious that either she didn’t or she just didn’t care since she immediately turned to Miranda and laughed. “It doesn’t matter anyway, you’re still dead.”

“Ambulance is on its way.” Jo turned to the Editor and gestured to the coffee container in her hand. “I’ll take that.”

Miranda looked down at the cup in her hand and nodded. Walking toward the detective and the woman in cuffs, Miranda stopped within arm’s length, then held her assailant’s gaze as she calmly took the top off the cup and spit the contents of her mouth into it. “Thank you, Detective.”

Holy shit, Jo thought. How long has she been holding that drink in her mouth??

“Sorry it took so long.” Jo handed the woman off to one of the uniformed officers. “Take her to the station. I’ll stay and get statements from these two.”

“Miranda?” Andy’s voice sounded small.

The Editor held up one elegant finger. “Hold on.” Walking to the bathroom she quickly swished her mouth out, spitting any remaining traces of the drug-laced coffee down the sink with a healthy amount of mouthwash. She gracefully wiped her mouth with a tissue, very lady-like as she walked back into the main part of the office. “Sorry.”

“Pardon me.”

Jo looked behind her to see a very redheaded woman holding a cup of coffee. Jesus how many of them are there?? She held up her hand. “Whoa. Who are you?”

“Emily,” Miranda answered. “Finally.” She reached for the cup and immediately took a sip. “Mmmm… Thank you, Emily. If I wasn’t already taken I think I’d marry you.”

Emily gasped. “That’s it! This nonsense has got to stop right now!” She glared at Jo. “I told your…” She wiggled her fingers distastefully. “…people… to take the freight elevator. There is a coven of Paparazzi out front. Did you have to use sirens to get here?” She turned on Andy. “And you…” She pointed at Miranda. “Put her back the way you found her right this minute!”

“Emily!” Miranda slid on the Goddess mask. “Modify your tone.” Her eyes bore into her assistant for a long moment.

Jo thought the girl was going to be fired right there, then Miranda seemed to make a decision and spoke crisply. “Call Donnatella and cancel our lunch, reschedule whenever it’s convenient for her, schedule an art department meeting for tomorrow morning, cancel any appointment I have after two today reschedule or not I don’t care, Get Patrick on the phone, call my lawyer and set up a meeting with them tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest, I will also want to speak with Laurie in Public Relations at some point before the print deadline and tell HR that you are going to need a replacement for Judy.” She blinked. “That’s all.”

Emily breathed a sigh. “Oh, thank God.” She left quickly to perform her tasks.

Miranda spoke to Jo. “You should take Andrea’s statement first.”

“Why’s that?” Jo grinned at the woman.

“Because…” She gestured to the door just as Emily called.

“I have Patrick.”

Miranda smirked. “I have a phone call to take.”

“Lady, you’re somethin’ else, you know that?” Jo’s admiration rose to the point she was beginning to think about Miranda with almost as much awe as her own wife did.

“So I’ve been told.” Blue eyes twinkled as Miranda picked up the phone. “The question is…what?” Holding the phone to her ear, the editor got down to business. “Yes, Patrick, I need you to find a good location for a shoot in July…something, patriotic... I’m not interested in excuses…”

Jo let the phone conversation move to the background and turned her attention to Andy. “You okay?”

“I…” Andy felt her insides shaking. “I don’t think so.”

Jo led her to the chair. “S’okay, deep breaths.” She gripped her friend’s shoulder. “We got her, she won’t hurt you anymore.”

Andy nodded. “Thank you.” It took a moment to calm herself then she began to speak slowly. “Miranda sent Emily for coffee and called Judy in…”

Jo listened and took notes on everything and by the time Andy was finished, Miranda was standing next to her rubbing her back lightly.

“Andy.” The detective spoke softly. “You need to rest for a while. Do you have somewhere to go?”

Andy looked horrified. “I have to find another place to live.”

“You have a place to live.” Miranda spoke firmly. “When will we be allowed to gather her things from the apartment?”

“Shouldn’t take too long,” Jo assured her. “It’s not Andy’s apartment that we’re really interested in, only the one Judy stayed in.”

Miranda’s fingers brushed through Andrea’s long brown hair. “You need my statement now, Detective?”

Jo nodded. “Yeah, it would be good to get it now.”

Miranda spoke quickly and quietly, giving Jo the bare facts, which corresponded to Andy’s story.

“Thank you, Ms. Priestly.” Jo grinned and tilted her head at the woman. “You’ve been very helpful.”

“Don’t tell anyone that,” Miranda warned the woman. “They’ll think you’re crazy.”

Andy snorted back a laugh.

“Ahhh…” Miranda smiled down at the young woman. “No laughing at the old lady.”

Rolling her eyes at that, Andy stood and hugged Miranda tightly and whispered, “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“I’m fine, Andrea.” Miranda returned the embrace, resting her head on Andy’s shoulder for a long moment. She looked over at Jo. “Will you escort Andrea home, Detective?”

“Sure.” Jo gestured to her friend. “I’ll give you a lift.”

Andy continued to hold Miranda. “I don’t want to leave.”

“I’ll be home early.” Miranda’s eyes twinkled. “I’m going to finish up here and I’ve already told Emily to cancel my afternoon. I’ll be home before the girls are and we can talk to them together.” She gently disengaged from Andy’s iron grip, and retrieved a spare key from her desk drawer, handing it over to Andy. “You go and get some rest. I’ll be there soon.”

“C’mon.” Jo took Andy by the arm. “Let’s get you home.”

--------------

The ride was silent all the way to the townhouse and Jo walked Andy to the door. “You gonna be okay?”

Nodding, Andy used the key and opened the door. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” She sighed. “This is all just so weird.”

Jo nodded. “I’m sure it is.” She shuffled from foot to foot for a minute. “Do you want me to drop by your work and let your boss know you won’t be in for a few days?”

“Oh god, Work. I totally forgot.” Andy’s knees buckled and Jo caught her.

“C’mon.” She hauled her friend into the house and settled her on the couch in the study. “Get some rest, okay?”

Nodding Andy heard the front door close as Jo left.

--------------------

Jo hated to leave her friend as upset as she was, but there were things to do at the station. She had to stop herself from speeding on the drive back to work. Andy and Miranda’s statements ran through her head. Judy had threatened to kill Andy, and forced Miranda to drink the drugged…who are we kidding?... poisoned coffee. It pissed Jo off to no end that someone would do that to Andy, or Miranda for that matter. The older woman had a legendary reputation for being a bitch, but from what Jo had seen, that wasn’t all Miranda Priestly was. If the look in Andy’s eyes was any indication, killing Miranda would have killed Andy too.

When she got back to the station she found a mighty unhappy partner. “What’s up, Alan?”

“Feds.” He said with a frown. “Come to collect our girl.”

It only took Jo a second to speak. “They’re gonna take her for the hospital thing?”

“Looks that way.” Alan wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He and his partner had found and caught the woman, now the feds were swooping in and taking over. From the look on her face, Jo wasn’t too upset. “You okay with that?”

“Yeah, actually.” Jo shrugged. “Andy is pretty messed up about the whole deal, and if the feds can tie Judy up in court for a while that may be a good thing.” She took a form from her desk and began to fill it out. “We have a five-year leeway on the attempted murder charge anyway… we’ll make the best case we can before the DA takes her to court.” Not that the record book they found at the storage unit wasn’t enough for a conviction.

“The District Attorney?” He widened his eyes. “You think he’ll work the case himself?”

Jo’s blue eyes met his, eyebrows rising. “Of course.” She lowered her voice. “Miranda Priestly was the…” She started to say victim, but knew in her heart Miranda would never be anyone’s victim. “…target.”

“True.” He nodded, then groaned. “We have to keep this out of the press for as long as we can.”

“Yep.” Jo agreed. “It won’t stay buried. When the Feds are done with her we’ll get her back… but we’ll have a couple of months to work with anyway. You know, before the press gets hold of it.” The detective remembered requests for her lawyer and public relations people in the series of orders Miranda had spieled off to her assistant. “I think Ms. Priestly is one step ahead of us on that.” She certainly hoped so because when the news of Andy’s new living arrangement hit the fan, it was going to be a huge mess.

She’s a strong woman, Jo thought. The memory, the vision, of Miranda spitting the coffee back into the cup was vivid in her mind. Who the hell does that?? Jo was determined to help the woman all she could and picked up the phone. At least the lady would like to know the background of her assailant, right? She’d probably appreciate the head’s up for the small window of peace they were going to have before Judy’s trial started, too.

--------------------

Jo was dragging when she got back to the penthouse. It had taken longer than she thought to go through all the transfer paperwork but Judy was now safely in the hands of the Feds. Familiar half singing-half humming came from the kitchen. “Blair? You home?”

“Hey, sweetheart. Yeah, I got in about two a.m. I managed to get a few hours sleep.” Blair poked her head around the doorframe her bright smile turned to a frown. “Oh, you look beat.” She dragged the detective to the couch. “Rest for a minute.”

“Wait.” Catching the blonde’s hand, Jo pulled Blair down practically on top of her. “Don’t I get a kiss hello?”

“Mmm…” Blair relaxed into the embrace, loving the feel of Jo beneath her. “Of course you do, honey.” She allowed her head to fall forward only putting a light pressure on the dark-haired woman’s lips. Then she settled in next to the love of her life. “So, what did you do new and exciting while I was gone?”

Jo smiled. “Caught a murderer.”

“Really?” Blair’s eyes narrowed.

Jo saw the look and temporized her answer, knowing the next question. “Well… attempted murderer.”

“Were there guns involved?”

“Yes.” Jo watched Blair’s eyes flutter closed, and the detective held her wife tightly. “But I wore my vest, and there weren’t any shots fired.” She brushed her nose against Blair’s. “Alan takes good care of me Blair… he made sure I was informed and that I wore my vest.”

“Remind me to send him thank you flowers.” Blair held the lanky body next to hers. “That always scares me, knowing you might be in danger…”

“I think I can make it up to you.” Jo smiled. Her fatigue was slowly ebbing away, burned in the warm glow of having Blair home. “I’ll tell you who I stopped the woman from killing…” She took a deep breath. “But you can’t tell anyone, not until it becomes publicly known.”

“Jo, you never tell me police stuff until after it’s public.” Blair wondered if she should be concerned.

“I know, but because of who it is, I think you can know and not be tempted to tell anyone, because you’ll know that this information can’t be released until she’s ready to deal with it.”

“Who?” Blair was beginning to get scared. Was this someone close to them? A personal friend that had nearly been killed?

Jo grinned. “Miranda Priestly.” She chuckled. “Wow, I’ve never seen your eyes get that big.”

“THE Miranda Priestly?” Blair’s mind suddenly kicked in when Jo nodded yes. “You met her?” A quick glance at the body next to her made her groan. “Oh no… you didn’t wear that did you!?”

Hmmm… let’s make Blair squirm a little. Jo thought. “Hey! I saved the old broad’s life, what more do ya want?!” Jo laughed. “Your eyes just got bigger!” She rolled to hug Blair but her wife had jumped up off the couch, so Jo ended up on the floor. “Hey!”

“Old broad?! Old broad?!” Blair was ranting now. “Oh my god…You didn’t call her that to her face did you? If you ever call the Miranda Priestly that ever again I’ll… I’ll!...”

Jo smirked. “Easy Blair, you’re startin’ to turn blue.”

Blair threw her hands up in the air with an exasperated sound and stalked out of the room.

“Whoa…” Jo chased Blair through the apartment, catching up to her in the bedroom. “Blair… wait…” She finally caught the irate woman by the arm. “Listen, I was just kidding.” Pulling Blair into a hug, she ran her hands soothingly up and down the blonde’s back. “I wouldn’t call her that. Trust me. She’s amazing.”

“Yeah?” Blair calmed down a bit. “I can’t believe you met her.” Blue eyes narrowed. “What did you wear?”

“Truth?” Jo sighed. “When I was in her office and made the actual arrest…I was wearing this, plus my vest.”

“Arrrggghhh…” Blair struggled in Jo’s arms. “I can’t believe…”

“Blair!” Jo held tight. “Listen!” When the struggling woman stilled, Jo finished her thought. “When I met her the first time, after the interview, Andy told me, to tell you…” Jo tipped her head back and closed her eyes, wanting to remember the words correctly. “…that I wore the Armani, and that Miranda gave me a nod.”

“A nod?” Blair’s smile was dazzling. “You got a nod from Miranda Priestly?” Blair was stunned. “Jo, that’s amazing. Well, not to me… but it is…”

“What’s so special about it?”

“In the fashion world, when a designer shows their ideas to Miranda, there is a code. She doesn’t speak, usually. But if she nods once, she likes the clothes. Two nods is great… and there has only been one smile on record.” Blair sighed. “But if she nods to a person, an individual, it means she approves of that overall look for that person… it means basically…”

“I looked good.” Jo smirked.

Blair rolled her eyes. “No surprise there for me.”

“Only one smile on record huh?” Jo thought back to the interactions she’d witnessed and leaned down to whisper in Blair’s ear. “I think Miranda keeps all her smiles for Andy.”

“Andy?” Blinking, Blair managed to realize what Jo was saying. “Andy? Oh, your reporter friend Andrea?”

Jo nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t think you should call her that anymore.”

“It’s her name.” Blair scoffed, then narrowed her eyes. “Why not?”

With a smirk, Jo spoke with a bit of amusement in her voice. “That’s what Miranda calls her.” Laughing, Jo brushed some hair away from Blair’s forehead. “Damn hon, if you keep this up you’re gonna end up looking like an owl.”

“B…bubbb… Uh…”

“You know what?” Jo was now completely absorbed in the feel of Blair’s soft hair under her fingertips. “I’ve forgotten to give you a welcome home kiss.”

“No, you didn’t… we.”

“Nope… you kissed me…” Jo gently brushed her lips against Blair’s. “I haven’t kissed you yet.” Moving in again, light touches became deep exploration. They broke away, gasping for air, then moved back together.

“Jo.” Blair managed to whisper an awed sort of question. “A nod?”

With a smile and a twinkle in her dark blue eyes, Jo chuckled. “Yep.”

“Oh, Jo….” Blair pushed her wife, her extremely beautiful, dangerous police detective, Miranda nod winning wife that she hadn’t seen in a week, down to the bed.

“Blair?” It was Jo’s turn to widen her eyes as her extremely beautiful, powerful corporate executive wife that she hadn’t seen in a week, pounced on her. Further comment was stopped by warm lips on hers and small warm hands finding the curves they loved. Jo did have one last semi-coherent thought before the sensation of skin on skin overwhelmed her.

Thank you flowers….

----------------

Andy peeked out the small window by the door and saw a deliveryman with a large bouquet of flowers. She opened the door. “Can I help you?”

“Andy Sachs?”

“Uh… yeah that’s me.”

“Delivery for you.” He handed over the flowers and held out a clipboard. “Sign on the last line please.”

Andy signed the form and looked at the colorful arrangement. “Thanks.”

“Have a nice evening ma’am.”

Andy closed the door and fished the card from its holder and laughed loudly.

Andy,

Nods are awesome!

J.P.