2. mirrorball (a taylor swift au)

-chapter five-

Ellie was skipping out to the back yard - where her Mom had told her a surprise was waiting for her. She was going to be visiting her school soon, and meeting her teacher. Taylor had already had a lot of contact with the school, but Ellie hadn't been involved yet. She'd talked to Margot about it - asked her lots of questions about school and what it was like. Margot seemed to really like it, but Ellie was petrified. She could count on two hands the number of times she'd been to school back with her birth parents - and every time had been as traumatic as the last. Kids bullying her... the teacher picking on her... Ellie was so scared that all of those things would happen again. She knew Taylor wouldn't let that happen, but still... she was anxious. It was also her first therapy appointment in a couple of days. There were lots of things for her to be nervous about - but still, she was happy.

There were so many new beginnings and things that were stressing her out, making her worry... but she found herself loving it. Loving this life.
"What is it?" Ellie skipped around the corner of the house to see her Mom standing beside a huge chicken coop. Ellie squealed. "Chickens!" She'd never imagined that one day she'd live in a house with chickens.
"That's not all," Taylor winked at her, before motioning for Ellie to look over her shoulder.
On the left side of the long driveway... there were horses. Horses! A black one and a chestnut one - and Ellie felt like her eyes might pop out of her head. She was living a life with cats and chickens and horses now? She couldn't believe it. How did she get this lucky?
She giggled, before spinning around and throwing her arms around her Mom.
"Do they have names?" She asked, and got even more excited when Taylor shook her head. "I get to name them?"
"You do!" Taylor cupped Ellie's cheeks. "It's going to be a lot of responsibility, and we'll have to make sure we look after all of these animals, won't we?"
Ellie nodded, excited that she was going to have such a responsibility.
"You're my favourite girl, little bee." Her Mom leaned in and kissed the tip of Ellie's nose. "I love you. Are you going to name them? The chickens all have a different colour on their feet, see? It will help us remember their names!"
Ellie counted eight chickens, and it didn't take long before she had a name for every single one.
There was Bluey, and Bingo, and Chilli, and Bandit, and Muffin, and Socks and Leila and of course, the favourite chicken of all... Gracie.

Taylor was vacuuming the floor when a phone call came. She was trying to get the place tidied up because her parents were coming to stay next week while she was attending the VMA's. It would be the first time they'd seen the place and Taylor wanted it to look perfect.
Pulling her phone out of the pocket in her leggings, she turned off the vacuum cleaner.
She couldn't help but feel her stomach flutter when Derek's name lit up the screen.
"Hey," Taylor answered. They'd talked every single day since they'd met - both through text and on the phone.
She could already hear how Derek was rushing around the place, and new something was wrong.
"I... I didn't know who else to ask because I... but I'm needed in California for a restaurant opening and I don't have anyone else to ask... it would just be for a night but I don't want to be..."
Taylor's face softened, her lips curving into a smile. "Do you need someone to look after the girls?"
"I don't want to be... I'm sorry..."
"Ellie and I would love to have them stay with us." Taylor grinned - mostly because it would mean that she'd get to see Derek again. She remembered that she wasn't a normal person though, and felt like she had to reiterate that. "I just... I wanted to assure you that I've got precautions in place for... my job. I hope you know I'd never let anything happen to your girls."
"I trust you," Derek told her. "I know. I'm so sorry I've had to dump this on you - you've probably got a million other things to do and-"
"Derek," Taylor laughed. "Truly, we'll have a great time."
"I've... I haven't been away from the girls since Mel passed away," she could hear the pain in his voice. "I usually turn down every request but this is one that I can't turn down and... I just... I don't trust just anyone looking after Margot - they wouldn't understand."
"Are you leaving today?" Taylor asked.
"I was supposed to fly out at quarter to six but if that doesn't suit then I can change-"
"Feel free to drop the girls off whenever - you're welcome to drop them here after school? Whatever is easier for you. It's going to be okay, I'll send you lots of pictures, I promise."
"I know you will. I just... I just hate leaving them. But thank you. I can pay you or-"
"Hey, hey. That wouldn't be necessary, but I'd like to have dinner sometime at your restaurant. I mean, it's a little difficult... being me... but-"
"Saturday night," Derek told her without any hesitation - that made her grin. "I shut the restaurant early to give it a deep clean before Sunday's lunch run... have dinner with me." She could hear the nerves in his voice. "I mean... uh..."
"I'd really like that," Taylor smiled as she glanced at Ellie, who was playing with Olivia in the kitchen. "I... I'll have to find someone to look after Ellie..."
"She can come," Derek told her. "If you don't mind her staying up a little later... I mean, Margot and Lottie will be there, I usually set the girls up with their own little plates of food and give them their own fine dining experience. I can set them up at a... different table." Taylor felt her cheeks turn pink, and she bit her lip to stop herself from smiling.
"I can't wait," Taylor admitted. "I... I'll be away for a couple of days next week..." she paused. "I'm off to the VMA's and I'm catching up with some of my friends of New York."
"Margot will miss you guys on Monday at the support group - Lottie will too for that fact." Taylor could tell he was going to say more, but decided against it.