Baby steps - A TNS Fanfiction

Princess Ninja

Richelle's house

"Bye, sweetheart!" Finn called to his excited child, as she rushed under Richelle's arm and into another room. She loved it here, although he had no idea why. Something to do with colouring? He suddenly hoped she didn't start drawing on the walls. They'd only recently got past that phase.

"Bye Daddy!"

He smiled as she vanished, knowing that she would be safe with Richelle in the house. The blonde had certainly grown a softer side since leaving The Next Step, and definitely had a soft spot for Grace.

"So, may I ask, was that Piper in the photo?" The woman asked, tilting her head to one side with a smile. Finn suddenly became fixated on the floor. They were standing in Richelle's hallway, and it was certainly incredible. It was wallpapered white with grey patterns traveling up and down in spirals, with the occasional photo hanging up. There was also a canvas, with a painting of a ballerina mid jump hanging to his left.

"Yeah, it was. But you can't say-"

"It's all over the freaking internet. Anyone who's known her long enough will recognize her."

"Hmm. Well, that will be interesting."

"Have you seen what they've been saying? It's actually awful - although it's mainly people making her seem as though she's only come back because you're fa-"

"Which she hasn't!" Finn interjected, already knowing what was going to be said next.

"Where is she, anyway?"

"She's at her apartment," He shrugged, not exactly wanting to get into the fact that she'd lost her job and apartment in the space of a night.

"And, how are you?"

Again, he shrugged. It all felt upside down and back to front and tangled up in his head. Honestly? Nothing felt like it was going to make any sense anytime soon.

"I should be going, Natalie will kill me if I'm late, and I'll probably be fired," Finn narrowly stopped himself from adding 'too' on the end of it.

Richelle nodded, before Grace came running back in with a green pen lid in her hand, but no green pen.

"I don't know where the pen is," She explained, looking slightly embarrassed. Then she noticed that her dad was still there.

"Did you tell Mummy how to get back?" The small child asked, for the fifth time that morning.

"Yes, I did Grace," Finn smiled, and she ran to hug him.

"Good. Now she won't get lost!"

And then she was ready to launch a full-time quest for the missing pen.

"Come on, Rich Elle!"

"Bye!" Richelle called over her shoulder as she was dragged away. "Show yourself out!"

Finn let out a small chuckle as he did so, calling out a final goodbye.

4 hours later

Piper and Audrey's Apartment

Audrey was picking at the roll of sellotape with one yellow painted fingernail, sitting cross-legged on her bed with her belongs packed into a cardboard box. Seeing as most of the furniture came with the apartment, neither of them had that much to pack. Arguably, Audrey had the most, as she had a lot of her makeup stashed at the place, as well as her sewing machine and other equipment.

Piper, on the other hand, was currently sorting her possessions into 'keep', 'throw away' and 'charity shop'. Unlike her flatmate, she didn't have a place to go after Christmas, although she wouldn't admit it to anyone.