The Original Taylor Daughter

The Date

Watching TV with Biscuit, Alice can hear her dad upstairs cursing and making a lot of noise, "Do you think we should help him, Biscuit?"

The retriever just tilts his head and looks towards the stairs, "Yeah, I think he needs help too." Sliding off the sofa she turns the TV off and runs upstairs, Biscuit behind her.

She pushes the door open to her dad room and finds Roger looking for something in his wardrobe. He's half-dressed, wearing his trousers but no shirt, "You know Uncle Brian will be here soon and your date is in half an hour?"

Roger huffs, "Yep, well aware of that thank you, Alice."

"What are you looking for?" There's a pile of dress shirts on the bed and hardly any left in his wardrobe.

"My plain black button-up," He mutters, riffling throw the rest of his wardrobe.

Alice looks at the pile, pulling the said shirt out, "Do you mean this one?"

He turns around and sighs with relief, "Thank you," He takes it from her bending down to kiss her cheek. He slips it on and retreats to the bathroom to sort his hair.

When he came back, he was surprised to find her putting his shirts back in the wardrobe for him, he also notes that she's very quiet.

Even Biscuit is watching her with a confused look, "You okay, monkey? You don't have to do that, I can when I get home."

She shrugs not saying a word and carries on. He's got a few minutes before Brian arrives to babysit and he'll always spare a minute for his little girl, "Talk to me, Ally. Is it because I'm meeting Dominique?"

"I like her, she's pretty and kind but things will change if it goes well won't they."

Now he understands, "It's been just you and me for a while now huh? But even if tonight goes well things won't change straight away and she'd have to get to know you first before I'd let it become that serious. You'll always come first, Alice."

"You won't stop loving me because you love her?" She pouts still moving from wardrobe to bed until Roger stops her, crouching to her level.

"Look at me," He tilts her chin up to see her eyes, "I could never and will never stop loving you. You've stolen my entire heart and I'm keeping yours entirely under lock and key away from boys that might steal you from me. As the person that holds my heart, I have to come to you for approval before I give part of it away."

"I don't want a stinky boy to steal me away, I'm going to live with you forever and ever.""You might change your mind one day," He hopes not for a long time though, "Now do I look alright?"

"Yep. You should wear the cologne that drives your female fans crazy."

"How do you know about such things?" He's always been careful to make sure she isn't around when fans are trying to hit on him. He only gets a shrugged reply because there's a knock at the door before Brian lets himself in.

Biscuit bounds downstairs barking, "Hello Biscuit, where are they hmm?"

Alice perks up abounding her task and flies down the stairs, "Uncle Brian!"

He catches her as she reaches the bottom step, "Hello love. Where's your dad?"

"Here," Roger answers coming down the stairs.

"Well you'd better get going or you'll be late. Ally and I have a busy schedule right?" He settles Alice on his hip.

"Yep, we're finally doing our nightlife photography walk."

"Just be careful and don't leave Brian's side," Roger slips his jacket on grabbing his car keys, "Be good monkey."

"Good luck," Brian calls as he walks out the door and looks back at the little girl on his hip, "Have you had dinner?"

"Nope, daddy took a long time to get ready."

Brian snickers, "Sounds about right," after Freddie he's the biggest girl of the group, "Come on then. Let's have something to eat before we go out."

------

"So Alice is a sweet little girl but she's mature for her age," Dominique smiles remembering the conversation she had with Alice.

Roger and Dominique are in the middle of their date and it's going better than Roger expected, "Oh yes. She's a lot smarter than she lets on, sadly the past year made her grow up more than I would have liked."

"The cancer?"

"She mentioned that to you?" He knows Alice doesn't always like to talk about with people she doesn't know.

Dominique nods, "She mentioned that you looked after her while she was poorly."

"The doctor's and nurses did more than me," He thinks back to just before Christmas and how hopeless he felt, "There were many times that I felt quite useless. I had no idea how the help her, I... sorry it's not your concern."

"No, it's fine." She can understand the need to talk to someone out of the picture, "You've had a tough year by the sounds of it, cancer is an awful illness and no parent ever wants to see their child in pain. Sorry if this is too personal but Alice also mentioned that her mum left on her first birthday, is that true?"

"It's more complicated than that but yes. I didn't know Alice existed until her mum, Georgia showed up at a gig and left her with me saying she didn't want Alice."

"God, that's awful but you did get an amazing little girl out of it."

"True," Roger grins, happy to brag about his daughter, "Anyway enough about me, tell me about you?"

------

When Roger got home, he hadn't expected Brian and Alice to be back but he found Brian on the sofa and Alice nowhere in sight, "Evening, I thought you'd still be out on your photo walk thingy."

"No, we got some good photos though. She's definitely being our tour photographer when she's older," He can see it already, "I'm surprised you're back this early, did she realise what a dork you are and leave?"

"Fuck off," Roger chuckles sitting in the armchair, "No, it was a great evening, I like her and there's even a second date planned."

"Wow Roger Taylor looking to settle down, I never thought I'd see the day," Brian grins standing to grab his shoes, "Alice is in bed by the way since you didn't ask."

"It was my next question," Probably should have been his first question but he knows Brian would never let anything happen to her. He follows Brian to the door locking it once he's gone and Roger heads upstairs.

Checking on her before he goes to bed, Alice rolls over as the light from the hallway floods the room, "Daddy?" She groans tiredly.

"Yeah, it's just me, monkey," He whispers, kneeling beside the bed stroking Biscuits fur.

"How was your date?"

"It went well, even got a second date."

"Hmm... well if a third date happens I have to meet her first."

Roger chuckles, liking this role reversal, "Oh yeah and whys that?"

"Because I have to make sure I approve."

"Oh, okay, so if you don't approve, I can't date her?"

"Nope, if I and Biscuit don't approve, it's because he smells trouble. Trouble leads to heartbreak and I have to protect your heart," She puts her small hand over Roger's heart and he can't help grinning.

He takes her hand kissing the back of it, "You protect mine and I'll protect yours?"

"Yep," She yawns, "Love you."

"Love you too. Goodnight, Ally," He kisses her forehead tucking her in.