Jiley Oneshots

It's Her World [f]

Season 4 ~ but age them up to something like 25/26
(No Ralfie, No London)

"Ah crap the babysitter just cancelled for tomorrow" Riley told her fiancé after hanging up the phone. "Apparently her kid has the flu"
"Can't someone else do it?" James asked with a frown.
She shook her head. "Not so last minute. And we already asked family, hence why we turned to a babysitter in the first place. You know how hesitant I was"

"What are we going to do? I can't take time off work, I have to book that weeks in advance" he told her.
"No neither can I... I wonder if I could bring her along to the studio? I could sit her in my office with a few crayons and even sign her up for a baby ballet trial. That's something we've been meaning to do from the moment she turned 3"

Out of other ideas, the man agreed, "okay love. That's a good idea, as long as you're happy to manage both her and work all day"
She shrugged, "I don't really have a choice unless you can think of an alternative"
"No, you're right. Besides I'm sure she'd love to see the studio" he responded, thinking of the toddler sleeping contently in her bed upstairs.
"Then it's settled, tomorrow Ava will come to The Next Step for the first time"

~

The next morning Riley awoke early to the sound of her alarm. She silenced it immediately and cuddled closer to her fiancé, yawning and trying to justify staying in bed just ten minutes longer. Being a heavy sleeper, James didn't stir which made it even harder to get up. Eventually she untangled herself from his limbs and left their bedroom, walking into the room across the hall.

"Wake up baby girl" she cooed, perching on the side of the small toddler bed and stroking her daughter's head. Exactly like her father, Ava was a deep sleeper. She remained motionless while her mother gently nudged her. "Ava sweetheart, it's morning"

The little girl groaned and rolled over, her hair sticking up at every angle. Riley rubbed her arm, "do you want to come to work with mummy today? You can do some dancing if you want"
After some coaching, Riley got the girl out of bed and dressed her for the day, running a brush through her thin brown hair and tying it back in two symmetrical bunches.

Riley made her breakfast and sat her on the coach in front of a cartoon, before heading back to dress herself. She woke James up and chuckled as his reluctance to move.
"We're heading out shortly" she told him while applying some light makeup in their ensuite with the door ajar. He grunted a reply from bed and sat up, stretching his arms high above his head. Together they walked down the stairs to see their daughter in the lounge, happily munching on the toast Riley had made her.

James sat next to his little girl and kissed her forehead, "good morning Avie-baby"
"Good morning daddy" she replied, not tearing her eyes away from the TV screen.
"What are you doing today?" He asked her, conversing with her as if she were older.
Ava tilted her head, "I don't know"
James chuckled, "are you going to work with mummy?" She nodded, just remembering. He added, "and will you be a good girl for her?"
She nodded again.

Half an hour later (later than she hoped), Riley had succeeded in getting in the car. Ava chatted away to herself in the backseat, pointing at things out of the window. They arrived at the studio and went straight to her office. She logged on to her laptop and checked her schedular for the day, then adding Ava's name to the list of children attending baby ballet for the morning class. When it was time for the class to begin, Riley led her to the room by the hand and spoke to the teacher running the class. Since Chloe had left for the nutcracker, Miss Kate had hired a new ballerina to fill her old job. Riley had simply kept the young lady when assuming her position as Studio Head.

"Hi Daisy. This is my daughter Ava, she's here on a trial for today's class. I've sorted all the paperwork and if you need me I'm just in my office down the hall"
"Amazing! I'm sure we'll have so much fun, right Ava?" Daisy replied, taking Ava's hand from Riley and leading her to the other children across the room.