Things had been... pretty normal, all things considered.

Leia paced back and forth in her lavish hotel suite, filled to the brim with anticipation and nerves. The room was a whirlwind of activity, with stylists flitting about like colorful birds, their hands adorned with brushes and hairspray. Mirrors reflected her image from every angle, reminding her that tonight she wasn't just Leia, the half-Scottish, half-American millennial, but rather Leia Hudson, the up-and-coming popstar who was performing at the AMAs.

Her stylist adjusted the sparkling sequins on her shimmering silver gown with utmost precision, ensuring every thread aligned perfectly. The dress hugged her curves in all the right places, accentuating her petite figure while exuding an air of elegance that only bespoke gowns could provide.

"We're going to be late," Riven announced, stumbling around the room in a panic as he tried to gather all of Leia's items in his arms. She flickered her eyes over his figure, trying to bite back the smile that rested on her lips as she noticed some of the other industry professionals in the room look at him like he'd gone insane. "Fuck, shit, fuck..."

"Is he always like this?" 

Leia shrugged as Gigi came to stand beside her, the blonde having been getting ready in the same suite with her own team as Zayn was undergoing a last minute hair-cut. He was nominated for Best New Artist of the Year, and Gigi had also been asked to present at the show. Once she'd seen that Leia was set to perform, she'd immediately made plans for them to get ready and arrive together.

Leia couldn't say she was thrilled about the thought of third wheeling on the red carpet with Zayn and Gigi, but she knew it wasn't like she had a plus one to bring. Her and Taylor were taking things extremely slow and cautious, and Leia knew that while she had been thrust out of the closet, it would be a long time before Taylor even considered telling some of their closest friends about their relationship... let alone the public.

The sound of Riven's frantic cursing blended with the constant hum of excitement that filled the room. Leia looked around, taking in the chaos that enveloped her.

As Leia glanced at herself in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her. She liked being in the public eye, and she loved her music... but she kind of just wanted to be curled up in Nashville with Taylor. She was starting to hate Los Angeles and the constant stream of paparazzi and drama. It was too hot, it was too busy and there was something about the place that was beginning to stress her out.

"Are you okay?" Gigi asked, concern etched on her face as she noticed Leia's distant gaze. "Worried about the show?"

Leia sighed, twirling a lock of her chestnut hair nervously. Yes to both, but also no at the same time. She hadn't really had much time to just unwind in a while - probably not even before the Met Gala. Only 3 months had passed since she had been invited as Karlie's plus one and so much had happened in that time. It almost felt ridiculous, that so much could have possibly happened in such little time.

"It's just... I wish things weren't so complicated. I want to be able to share my happiness with the world."

Very few people knew about Taylor and Leia, and they both intended to keep it that way until it was agreed otherwise. They'd only told three of their friends - Selena, Gigi and Cara. The trio had sworn it to secrecy, Gigi even going as far to promise them that she wouldn't even tell Zayn about the couple. Leia respected that - she didn't want Gigi to have to lie to her boyfriend but it was nice that she didn't have to be asked to so do for them.

Georgie knew, having had a literal breakdown on the phone once Leia had told her. Leia suspected her parents knew more than they were letting on, but she didn't want to have that conversation with them. It wasn't that she was ashamed of Taylor, but she knew that her father would have a lot of concerns to voice about her safety and Taylor's currently free-falling reputation.

She knew that Austin also knew. He'd known before they'd really told anyone else, having been the one to send Leia to visit Taylor after the Kim and Kayne phone call saga had happened. She wasn't sure how much Taylor had told him, but she knew that the Swift brother knew they were more than just friends. Leia suspected that Andrea maybe had thought it, but she wasn't sure what Taylor had told her mother. She knew Scott Swift had absolutely no idea - and she wasn't even sure if he knew who she was.

Then there was Riven, Tree and Adrian. She wasn't actually sure if any of Taylor's team other than Tree really knew much about their relationship, or if Taylor had divulged any details. Leia didn't mind, but with the way Taylor had been since the Kimye phone call... she really doubted that Taylor had been rushing to go tell anyone about her top-kept secret. In fact, Taylor's security team weren't even aware of the couple (although Leia knew fine well that they definitely were assuming, despite Taylor being adamant they had no idea).

Riven almost had a heart attack when she'd sat down with Tree and Taylor to break the news to him. The man was fresh to the PR world and when he'd taken Leia on, he really hadn't expected her to suddenly turn into a semi-relevant household name in less than a season. Tree had been helpful though, and had been silently mentoring him through a lot of it. If Taylor or Leia had noticed their publicists new-found friendship, they didn't comment on it.

Adrian literally had not cared. He'd simply said okay, and then gone back to talking about her album. Fair enough, Leia had thought.

"Let's go," Riven boomed, his voice filled with excitement as he rushed towards the door. Gigi laughed, rolling her eyes as she reached around Leia to grab her clutch from the small dresser table. Leia blinked, having zoned out a little before realising that Zayn was standing at the door of the suite with an anxious looking Riven hovering beside him.

As they made their way down the hallways of the hotel, Leia couldn't help but feel a mixture of exhilaration and nervousness coursing through her veins. She didn't mind the performance, but she wasn't sure about the red carpet. It was her first once since Taylor had been the biggest news story around and she just knew that she was going to get questions about it.

The flashing lights of the red carpet blinded Leia as she stepped out of the car, gripping Gigi's hand tightly. The screams of fans and the cacophony of voices from reporters created a whirlwind of chaos around her.

As the cameras clicked around them, reporters called out Leia's name, desperate for a word or a soundbite. She smiled and waved, trying to appear confident, but her mind was elsewhere. She couldn't help but wonder how Taylor would handle this level of scrutiny when they eventually went public with their relationship. She didn't even want to consider how Taylor was already feeling about it, before anyone had even started to make up any theories about them in the way that they had done for Karlie and her.

"Hey," Gigi whispered as she reached for Leia's hand, intertwining their fingers for a brief second, dropping her hand from Zayn's arm as she looked at the deer in headlights. "You okay?

"Yeah, just a little overwhelmed."

It wasn't like Leia could openly tell Gigi in front of so many cameras that she was worried about the public opinion of her and Taylor. Leia didn't care what the public thought - but she knew Taylor cared. A lot.

Gigi's eyes met hers for a brief moment, a flash of reassurance passing between them. It was as if the model could read every thought that raced through Leia's mind, comforting her from afar. It wasn't hard for her to think about what Leia was thinking, especially since they'd all been sat down by their own publicists and warned to watch what they said publicly about Taylor right now.

As Leia walked the red carpet, her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the weight of the unspoken truth pressing against her, threatening to burst forth at any moment. The cameras continued to flash, capturing every smile and wave she mustered. Reporters clamored for her attention, eager to get their own exclusive soundbite. 

"Breathe," Riven muttered in her ear as they moved away from the first photo opportunities and towards where the rows of reporters were waiting for the famous faces. As Leia's friend, he knew that they could just bypass the interviews but as her publicist, he knew that it was vital that more than just her performance came up when anyone googled 'Leia Hudson AMAs'. "You'll be fine. What's that thing Georgie says...  breath up, down and all around...?"

"Breathe in, through, deep and out," Leia replied, talking the words to heart as she closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the man's hands on her shoulders to ground her a little as he slowly moved them towards the press line. Gigi and Zayn were long out of sight now, and the only familiar face Leia could see was Riven's. 

"Weird, but sure," Riven muttered, his eyes connecting with one of the Buzzfeed reporters that he'd started to build a rapport with over the years. "Look, we'll start easy and take it one at a time. If it gets too much, just say, okay?"

Leia nodded, grateful for Riven's guidance and support. As they approached the first reporter, Leia took a deep breath and plastered on her best smile, ready to face the onslaught of questions.

"Leia Hudson!" The man cheered as she walked up to him, the camera immediately whipping in her direction as the reported elbowed his coworker. "It's great to see you, tonight! What can you tell us about your highly anticipated performance tonight?" 

Straight in there with the questions. She wasn't surprised by the lack of pleasantries, but whatever.

"I'm so honored to be performing tonight at the AMAs. It's such a dream come true and I can't wait to share my music with everyone."

"What can we expect to hear? Be The One?"

Leah smiled, knowing that they'd kept it under wraps that she'd be performing Lost in Your Light for the first time live. She wasn't wanting to give that away just yet, so she simply smiled sheepishly and replied that they'd just need to wait and see. It was the right answer, apparently, as the reporter whooped in delight as he laughed at her response.

"You've had an incredible year already with your debut single peaking at Number One in the Global Charts! You've released two more singles since then, and your fans are dying for more. Any news on the album?"

Leia's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her album. She knew she had to tread carefully with her response. Riven had drilled it into her head that they couldn't reveal too much just yet.  Not that there was much to say - she'd been feeling quite uninspired recently. 

"Well, I can tell you that the album is definitely in the works," she said with a coy smile. "I've been working really hard on it, and I can't wait for my fans to hear what I've been cooking up."

The reporter nodded enthusiastically, chatting away as Leia continued to answer questions about her music and her experience at the AMAs. Despite her nerves, she found herself gradually settling into the interview, finding a rhythm and gaining confidence with each passing question.

As the interview came to an end, Leia couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over her. She had made it through her first red carpet interview without slipping up or revealing too much, AND the reporter had stayed perfectly clear about asking her anything that wasn't related to her music and current workings. Riven gave her a proud smile and patted her on the back.

"You did great," he whispered before leading her towards the next interviewer that had already asked Riven to bring her over once she had finished with Buzzfeed. Leia couldn't help but steal a glance at Riven. His eyes held a mixture of pride and relief, a sign that she was doing well so far.

She breezed through the next couple of interviews, starting to feel like this was maybe her calling in life. She charmed the reporters, joked about the event and teased her album and performance flawlessly. She avoided her personal life, Taylor, and the recent news stories that were still surrounding Leia in the press: her break-up with Dylan, being outed with that photo of her and Lauren kissing, and her argument with Calvin on Twitter.

Things were great, and she only had one more interview to go until she went and took her seat beside Gigi inside. She was pretty sure that Karlie was also attending, and she wondered if the AMAs team would have sat her beside the two other girls. A piece of her hoped they didn't - she still hadn't spoken to the blonde since she'd overheard Dylan talking about how she had told Scooter things about Leia.

One last interview, and she could relax before her performance - which was positioned nicely around half-way through the show. She had time to watch a few awards and have one drink before she'd be rushed away to get ready.

"You know we're all dying to know if there's any truth to those rumours about a certain fellow popstar being the muse of your album."

There it was - the shoe dropping. 

She could see Riven tense from beside her as the reporter asked the question, having clearly been planning this from the start of the interview. They'd gone basic - performance, what designer she was wearing, her album release - and then once Leia had been hooked into the interview, the woman had struck.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Leia said, her smile a lot more forced now as she tilted her head a little at the woman. Leia wished she had Gigi or Taylor's aura when it came to challenging others, but she was sure she just looked like a little old dog with their heckles raised right now. The reporter from TMZ met her stare, clearly in no rush to take back her previous question. Why the AMAs allowed them here, Leia wasn't sure. 

"I hope you don't mind me asking," the woman replied, knowing fine well she did mind. "There's just been a lot of speculation about Lauren and you dating, since you seemed to be getting really close recently."

The fucking audacity.

Leia would have been more livid about the comment, had she not felt overwhelmed with relief that the woman wasn't referring to Taylor like she originally had panicked. Even still, her blood turned cold as her words sunk in, almost like it was activating her fight or flight response. 

Leia took a deep breath, gathering her composure as Riven shot her a concerned glance. She could feel the weight of Tree's past advice to them both on her shoulders, reminding her to stay in control of the narrative.

"I appreciate your curiosity, but my personal life and sexuality isn't coming that's up for speculation. It's a deeply personal aspect of my life, and I will choose to share what I want about that on my own terms," Leia said firmly, her voice laced with a steely determination. "As an artist, I want the focus to be on my music and the messages behind it. That's why I'm here tonight."

The reporter blinked, momentarily taken aback by Leia's assertiveness. But then a sly smile tugged at the corners of the woman's lips, and Leia knew she was in for another invasive question.

"Fair enough," the reporter replied, feigning understanding. "But what about your past relationship with Dylan? There have been rumors that you cheated on him. Care to comment?"

Leia felt her heart skip a beat as memories of her tumultuous relationship with Dylan flooded back. The pain and betrayal she had endured during those dark days threatened to resurface, but she refused to let it consume her now. That had been some of the worst weeks of her life, and she wasn't about to put on a show about it.

"Look," Leia began, her voice steady but tinged with vulnerability. "Relationships are complex, and they don't always work out. Dylan and I had our own issues, but cheating was never a part of it. I would appreciate it if we could move on from this topic."

The room fell silent for a moment, the weight of Leia's words hanging in the air. She could see surprise flicker across the reporter's face, followed by a hint of embarrassment. The woman was clearly taken aback by Leia's assertiveness, perhaps expecting her to crumble under the pressure. 

Riven smiled, a smug look on his face as he watched Leia finally find her voice. A warm sense of satisfaction spread through Leia as she realized she had asserted herself without compromising her dignity.

The reporter from TMZ shifted uncomfortably in her spot, realising that she had underestimated Leia's resolve. Clearing her throat, she attempted to salvage the interview. 

"Let's shift gears then. Can you give us any hints about your upcoming performance? Any surprises we can look forward to?"

"You'll just have to wait," Leia said, no more room for conversation available. "Have a nice night."

She turned away without waiting for a response, a smug look on her lips as Riven looped his arm through her own and pivoted her towards the entrance of the award venue. Once they were inside and the cameras were no longer being pointed in her direction, her smile immediately dropped as she turned to look at him.

"You did great," Riven replied, patting her shoulder as he passed their credentials to the seater and lightly guided her along to their seats. Leia nodded, a little stunned and in her head about the audacity of the woman. "Look, here's Gigi... oh and Karlie. Hi."

Leia's smile tightened as she caught sight of Karlie. Karlie, on the other hand, seemed genuinely excited to see Leia, unaware of the bad blood that was slowly brewing between them. 

Riven leaned in closer to Leia and whispered, "I'll be sitting a few rows back with Gigi's publicist. You'll be fine with Karlie and Gigi."

Leia forced herself to take a deep breath, reminding herself that tonight was not about her personal conflicts. It was about celebrating music and success. She would put on a brave face, just like she always did.

"Hey, Karlie!" Leia greeted her with a strained smile as she approached. "Long time no see. How have you been?"

"Leia! Oh my gosh, it's amazing to see you! I've been good, busy with work as always."

Yeah, busy telling Scooter about other people's work too, Leia was sure. She hadn't mentioned it to Taylor or any of their friends, and she did realise she was maybe being a little unfair. She hadn't heard Karlie say anything and Dylan had gaslight, lied and manipulated her for the entire two weeks she had been joined at the hip to him.

As they separated, Leia couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the friendship they had once shared. Maybe Karlie wasn't causing drama. Maybe Leia was just looking for someone to argue with.

"I'm glad to hear that," Leia replied, her voice devoid of any bitterness. "You look stunning tonight, by the way."

Gigi could sense something was off with Leia, but she received one warning look from Riven and immediately shut her mouth. She'd have time to find out what happened between her leaving her on the red carpet to her arriving at her seat, but she understood what Riven was saying with his eyes: don't ask until she's finished performing.

Leia's gaze wandered across the sea of faces in the audience. Celebrities, industry executives, and fans alike all gathered to witness this grand spectacle of music. Her heart pounded, a mix of nerves and excitement intertwining in her chest.

Just before the show began, Leia noticed a commotion coming straight towards her row. Her heart skipped a beat when she recognised the familiar figure of Justin Bieber, making his way towards Zayn with a huge grin on his face. She exchanged excited a glance with Gigi, who immediately had crossed her arms over her chest and turned to angle her body at Leia instead of facing the Canadian singer.

Leia's eyes flickered past Gigi's shoulders, looking at Justin for a brief second before she felt her heart clench a little as she noticed the blonde man standing beside him, a lazy grin on his face as he also spoke to Zayn - who clearly looked like he wanted them to be anywhere else than standing talking to him.

Dylan Fucking Redcrown.

Leia's breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with Dylan across the seats. She had hoped to never see him again, and now here he was, standing just a few feet away from her. As she looked at him, frozen to the spot, she felt Gigi lightly squeeze her hand as the model turned around to look at him with a stone cold expression on her face.

If they thought they weren't being watched, they were wrong. Other celebrities around them were trying to subtly cran their necks to look at the interaction, everyone knowing from the tabloids that they'd have a pretty explosive break-up - regardless of what the truth and facts of it all were.

"Leia, you look... gorgeous," Dylan drawled out, not being subtle about the way he looked her up and down with an approving smile on his lips.

"Don't you dare speak to her," Gigi said, a fake smile plastered on her lips as she let ice seep through her tone. Zayn might not have known what had happened between Leia and Dylan, but he instantly picked up on the change in the two women and went straight into defensive mode.

Zayn stepped in between Dylan and Leia, his protective stance clear as he glared at the man who had hurt his friend. Justin's smile had dropped too, his eyes flickering to where Scooter was standing and sending him a warning look across the crowd as the man noticed the various eyes (and one or two phones) turning in their direction.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Zayn said, his voice laced with an underlying threat. Dylan's grin faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Oh, come on, Zayn. Can't we all just be civil?" Dylan replied, feigning innocence.

Leia, still feeling a mixture of shock and anger at Dylan's audacity to approach her like this, finally found her voice. 

"You have some nerve showing up here, Dylan. What do you want?"

Dylan smirked, clearly reveling in the tension he was causing.

"Just wanted to see how my little starlet was doing. Heard you've been making quite a name for yourself."

Leia clenched her fists at the condescending tone in Dylan's voice. Gigi tightened her grip on Leia's hand, offering her silent support.

"I'm sure you'll do great with your singing tonight," he continued, the mocking still in his voice as Justin placed a hand on his arm, a silent gesture to show that they needed to end this now before he took things too far. "Just a reminder... I'll be sitting down there, right in the front row, watching you. Thinking about the way you put on a show for me..."

At the mention of Dylan's twisted reminder about their sex life, Leia's blood boiled. She could feel the heat of anger spreading through her veins, and her vision blurred with a red tint. How dare he try to assert his dominance over her, even after all this time? The audacity was suffocating.

Gigi sensed the storm brewing within Leia and tightened her hold, pulling her back gently. Leia turned her gaze toward Zayn, who stood steadfast before Dylan, a silent pillar of strength. He met Leia's eyes and nodded subtly, signaling her to resist the urge to square up against her ex-lover.

"Well, I appreciate your support," she replied, her voice remarkably steady despite the storm raging within her. "But I believe it's time for both of us to move on."

Dylan's smirk faltered momentarily as he assessed Leia's unwavering determination. His gaze flickered from Leia to Gigi, who stood tall at Leia's side, radiating an air of fierce loyalty that even Dylan couldn't ignore. Justin shifted uncomfortably beside him, catching onto the fact that their presence was causing a scene they didn't want to be a part of.

The onlookers watched intently, torn between wanting to witness the drama unfold and realising that it was best to step away from the tangled web of emotions and ego.

Zayn, sensing that Dylan wasn't going to back down easily, stepped closer until he was mere inches away from the man, his voice lowering dangerously.

"I suggest you leave now, before I have you flat out on your arse in front of everyone here."

Dylan glanced at Zayn, then at the gathering spectators. His eyes narrowing, he realized that if headlines were made from this encounter, it wouldn't be favorable to him. Slowly, he withdrew his gaze from Leia and took a step back.

"Fine," Dylan muttered through gritted teeth. "I'll leave you alone... for now." With an air of defiance still swirling around him, he turned on his heel and walked away, his entourage close behind him.

As Dylan disappeared into the crowd, Leia let out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. 

"What a prick," Zayn muttered, turning to look at Gigi and Leia.

"You can say that again."

______

The night air felt cool against Leia's flushed cheeks as she settled into the backseat of the cab. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart.

Her performance had gone great. Gigi had presented without reading the teleprompter wrong. Zayn had won New Artist of the Year. Everything had worked out exactly as Gigi had told her it would that morning - nice and fine.

Unlike previously, Leia decided to skip the afterparty. Gigi didn't even try to argue with her on that one, knowing exactly what had happened the last time Leia had attended an afterparty with Dylan. They knew there wasn't going to be a repeat of before, but they also knew fine well that Dylan would have came over and attempted to ruin their night once more.

The taxi glided through the city streets, passing by dazzling neon signs and towering skyscrapers. Leia watched the world outside blur into streaks of light, her mind still reeling from the encounter with Dylan. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she found Taylor's name, her finger hovering over the call button.

It would be late in Nashville. Taylor was probably fast asleep, Meredith and Olivia curled up in bed with her. She probably shouldn't call her, incase she woke her up.

On the third ring, Taylor's voice came through the line, laden with sleepiness but laced with warmth. 

"Hey, Leia," she greeted, instantly awake. "What's up? Why aren't you at the afterparty?"

Leia hesitated for a moment, her words getting caught in her throat. How could she explain the whirlwind of emotions that had unfolded earlier, without upsetting Taylor? Taylor had blamed herself for Leia's whirlwind bender, despite the girl and her friends repeatedly telling her that it wasn't her fault.

Leia sighed heavily on the other end of the line, her voice tinged with exhaustion and frustration.

"I had to skip it," she admitted. "Dylan showed up and I couldn't handle being around him tonight."

Taylor immediately sat up in bed, concern etched across her face. Meredith meowed from beside her in annoyance, but she paid the cat no attention as she reached out and turned the lamp on her beside table on, her brows tight and furrowed.

 "Leia, are you okay?" Taylor asked, her voice filled with genuine worry. She knew firsthand the pain that Dylan had caused Leia in the past, and she never wanted to see her go through that again.

"I'm fine, Taylor. It was just a momentary confrontation. Zayn handled it, and I didn't let him get to me."

Taylor's eyes narrowed as she listened to Leia's shaky voice. She knew her well enough to detect when something was still bothering her.

"Leia, you don't have to pretend with me," Taylor said softly. "I know how much he hurt you, and I can only imagine how triggering it must have been to see him tonight. Please don't bottle up your emotions... not to me."

"I just... I thought I had moved on from all of this," Leia admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "But seeing him tonight brought back so many memories and emotions that I thought I had buried."

"Leia, healing is not linear," she said gently. "It's barely been a month... since it all went down. You're doing great, and he's just a jerk."

Leia nodded, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders as Taylor's words sank in. Leaning back against the seat, she took a deep breath and felt the tension in her body start to release.

As the cab turned onto Leia's street, she thanked the driver and stepped out onto the pavement, the phone still pressed against her ear as Taylor talked about her uneventful day to keep Leia company while she arrived back at her LA apartment. 

It was nice, to hear Taylor sounding peaceful for once. Things had been so stressful with the whole Kimye thing that Taylor hadn't spent much time on herself, but Leia was glad to hear that she'd indulged herself in a spa day with Andrea and Austin's girlfriend in the comfort of Andrea's house.

She was still getting absolutely bashed and dragged through the dirt, but it seemed like she'd at least stopped doom scrolling on social media and the #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty hashtag. Leia knew that she was still going to do it - it was Taylor, so naturally she would - but one day off was a good progress sign so far.

"I was thinking..." Taylor mused, her voice a little tired as she yawned on the other side of the phone. "I love Nashville... but I miss the city."

Leia didn't need to ask which city she meant. New York City.

"I've spoke to Tree, and she knows a friend who has a few places up for rent there... I was thinking about branching out and finding a spot there for a while. I just feel like people are too busy in New York to even care about Taylor Swift and her heinous crimes against the world..."

"Tay," Leia sighed, but bit her tongue and held back from another argument about how Taylor wasn't a bad person just because other people thought so. "Do what makes you happy. You know I'll support whatever choice you make."

As Leia settled into her apartment, the familiar scent of lavender filled the air. Tate bounded up to her, rubbing himself against her legs as she hung up her coat, reaching down and scratching in-between his ears before moving to grab him a snack. Without hesitation, she passed it to him before grabbing a plush blanket and sinking into her favourite armchair.

As Leia listened to Taylor's plans to move to New York City, a spark ignited within her. She had always been intrigued by the vibrant energy of the city that never slept... the bustling streets, the soaring skyscrapers, and the promise of endless opportunities. Perhaps it was time for her to explore beyond her comfort zone.

"I think I might visit you in New York," Leia finally admitted, excitement bubbling in her voice.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before Taylor responded with uncontainable joy.

"Are you serious? That would be incredible! I can't wait to show you about and take you to Coney Island, or the Top of the Rock or even Bryant Park..."

As Taylor continued to list of places that Leia was pretty sure were spots that they would 100% be recognised, she couldn't help but let a smile fall over her face. Yeah, things had been hard, but it was moments like this that made it worth it.

Besides, it wasn't like things could get any worse now. They were basically out of the woods.

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Someone asked me about the timeline for this recently. It follows real life events, but as it's a work of fiction, some things will happen before or after they happened in actuality. 

In other news, this is the first chapter that isn't a rewrite, so welcome back to the story for those of you that have been reading this for a while, and a fresh hello to all the new faces!

I started this in 2018, and then my updates were so irregular that when I read it back last week, I honestly had no idea what was going on. My writing style had changed so much throughout. By the time the last chapter (16) had been published, it honestly looked like two different people had started and finished it.

Anyway, a few icebreaker questions!

1. Are you a first-timer reader, or did you read the old version? (Apologies to those of you that had to witness that car crash of a book...)

2. Favourite Taylor era?

3. What surprise songs are the biggest loss to you? For me it would be gold rush or end game (displaying the duality of humans with those two choices, clearly).