The Original Taylor Daughter

The Future

August 1988

Alice sits nervously beside the driving examiner waiting for him to give the verdict on whether or not she has passed.

He doesn't speak for what feels like a lifetime as he writes on the paper in front of him but he does eventually speak, "Miss Taylor, you had three minors but I'm glad to say no majors. You've passed your driving test, congratulations."

The biggest grin spreads across her face and he continues taking her provisional licence, "Your new driver's licence will be with you within a week but kept this certificate with you and you can drive before then."

"Thank you so much, sir," The man gets out going back into the building and Alice gets out looking around for her dad. She notes him walking over and she grins, waving the certificate squealing, "I passed."

"See! I knew you would, you're a true Taylor. All Taylor's pass first time," Roger beams, taking the certificate to have a look, "Only three minors, much better than me, I had seven. You haven't picked up any of my bad habits either, thank goodness. Come on, I'll drive us home, there's a surprise waiting for you when we get there."

Pulling into his usual space in front of the house Alice spots a red Mini Cooper next to Brian's car, "Why is there a Mini?" Alice looks to her dad, the answer to that question already assumed.

Roger holds up a key, "My dad brought my first car, now I've brought you yours. You'll only need to worry about paying for petrol, tax and insurance but I figured you're going to need a car once your business takes off."

Bowie is not back on tour until June next year and with Queen mostly in the studio, she isn't really needed there either so over the past few months, Alice has been going about setting up as an events photographer for weddings, proms etc... "Thank you, Dad," She takes the keys and gets out of the car, "I love it, now I can finally start booking in clients."

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Alice's first outing in her new car came three days after passing her test when she helps Brian move into his new house. Between Brian's car, her car and Roger's car it only required one trip to get his stuff across. The house isn't that from Roger's, around a half-hour drive.

Her second but first big drive comes just a week later when she drives into London to pick Adam up, they're meeting up with Joe, Hazel, Rami and Lucy.

"When you said you would pick me up I didn't realise you would be driving," Adam climbs into the passenger seat looking nervous.

"Why? Scared I might crash?" She smirks though she prays she'll never be in that situation.

"I'll see how well this journey goes first before I give you that answer," He teases.

Once at the chosen cafe for lunch it felt like old times, it's been so long since they've all been together but they've all been busy getting their lives on track.

Joe and Rami are at University, Rami is studying for a Fine Arts degree while Joe is studying cinema and television production.

Adam has followed in Molly's footsteps going to college studying Media hair and makeup. Hazel is also at college studying fashion design, while Lucy is doing an art apprenticeship.

They talk for ages catching up on life when Alice saw it, clear as day on Lucy's finger as she picks up her drink. When she puts the drink down Alice grabs her hand, "Is this an engagement ring?" She looks between the brunette and her oldest friend.

Lucy beams nodding at her boyfriend to tell them, Rami squeeze her hand grinning, "I asked Lucy to marry me and she said yes."

Hazel and Alice squeal rounding the table to hug Lucy then Alice gives Rami the tightest hug then a thump to the arm, "Ow," He rubs the spot frowning, "What was that for?"

"We've been friends since we first started school and you didn't tell me you were going to ask her. I thought we told each other everything?"

"I would have but we've been busy and you're not exactly the best at keeping secrets, Ally."

Alice scoffs at the comment rolling her eyes and turns back to Lucy, "You tell me if he doesn't treat you right and I'll have a word with him. Okay?" Laughing Lucy just nods, happiness is not enough to describe the way she feels right now.

They sit back down talking about wedding plans and plans for the future but Alice shied away from the conversation after a while, it's time like this that she misses Molly.

She knows they would never have got married, not anytime soon anyway and she'd accepted that but she was excited about moving into a place of her own with Molly.

Until now she hadn't thought about where she goes next with her love life, she never imagined she'd be without Molly.

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Once Brian is settled in his new place, Roger and Alice go over to see it and meet his new girlfriend.

As hard as she tried, Alice could not dislike Anita Dobson. She'd never really been keen on Chrissie if she was honest, she's shy and Brian is not but Anita suits him and is no stranger to the media or press.

Leaving the 'adults' to talk, Alice goes out to the huge garden that now belongs to her uncle. Her camera on hand as always, she captures the water fountain taking centre stage in the garden before wandering into the surrounding woodlands.

She treads carefully and quietly as she goes hoping to capture any wildlife that might be about. She was sat on a large fallen tree branch capturing a rabbit when Brian found her. He quietly joins her, "You ever thought about being a wildlife photographer for a living?"

"No, I'd rather keep it as a hobby. Bowie says I have a job as his tour photographer for life if I want and I hope once my business takes off I'll be busy. Wildlife is quite the opposite of being a tour and events photographer," Alice looks at the photo she just took then lets the camera hang around her next.

Listening to the sound of the birds around them, Brian observes his young niece. She's quieter than she used to be and her eyes are tired, he can hardly be surprised after all the pain life has put her through but he's still concerned, "You alright?"

Sighing she leans against his shoulder watching the wild rabbit hop away and whispers, "Sometimes I wish we could go back to that little flat where it was just you, me and dad."

"Life was a lot less chaotic back then," He agrees, feeling the same way sometimes.

"And a lot less painful," Alice mutters, "I miss Molly. You know after my first year in high school I thought I knew where I was going once I left school, Molly and I would go to college and study our vocations, we'd looking to get a place of our own to live together and I'd be travelling the world as Queen's photographer."

"Now I'm already a photographer without needed to go to college. I'm Bowie's photographer touring with him, Molly is not here and now we're losing uncle Freddie. I never thought that would happen, for a long time in my eyes Queen seemed invincible nothing could kill it."

"None of us saw it coming," Brian wraps an arm around her shoulder, he feels the same pain. The band carries on for Freddie but will it last after he's gone, Freddie is the biggest staple in the Queen family and when he goes it will leave a very big hole.

"Sorry," She clears her throat, "I don't mean to crush what was a good mood but at the moment, I feel like I'm stuck in a hole and I can't see a future."

"No don't go there," Brian tries to comfort her, he's in a similar rut himself but she doesn't need to know that, "We're all here for you. Give it time, let the business take off then you'll know what your future is."

Sorry for the morbid ending guys. I was writing this chapter not long after I had that car incident and I was feeling rather down, but I'm much better now, I promise.