"Billie!"

"Holy shit!" Billie gasped, looking up from her laptop to see Keeley Jones standing in her doorway, armed with a gift bag and a brown food bag.

"Fuck, I didn't mean to scare you," Keeley smiled as she approached the girl's desk, "I just wanted to say thanks for your help with the whole paparazzi situation the other day."

"That's okay, I didn't really do much, it was all Rebecca," Billie insisted with a smile, "You alright?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just really fucking glad that it's sorted," Keeley replied as she sat in the chair opposite the desk, "Jamie would've freaked the fuck out."

"And you?" Billie smiled, glancing at the various photos she'd been editing from training, "How do you feel about the whole thing?"

"Fine now that it's over," Keeley answered honestly, "Oh, I got you something."

Billie watched as Keeley pulled a plastic cup from the brown bag, filled with a red smoothie, fresh from one of those artisan cafes on the high street.

"It's not much but I wanted to say thank you," Keeley told the girl.

"You didn't have to do that," Billie grinned as she took the drink from the woman's hands.

"It's also an apology for what I said about Brad, that was unfair, I'm sure he's lovely," Keeley insisted, even though she knew what he was like, having heard tales from other women she knew.

"It's okay, I know he's not perfect, he's just all I've ever really known," Billie explained, reminded of how blissful the first few months were. He'd make the journey from Chelsea to Manchester when he could. They were completely wrapped up in the honeymoon period, and when she looked back on it she did wonder if it had been going on the whole time.

"That's not really a reason to stay with someone though, babe," Keeley smiled reassuringly, "I know he probably makes your insides ignite and your heart flutter, but does he actually make you feel safe and valued?"

"I don't think he's that sort of person," Billie answered honestly, "We've been together for three years and he's never met my parents, I've met his, he rarely stays at mine, I normally stay at his-"

"Tell you what," Keeley sighed, reaching across the desk and taking Billie's hands in hers, "I'm going clubbing with Jamie and some of the boys tonight, come with us and you can let your hair down and remember what it feels like to have fun."

"I do have fun," Billie smiled, grateful for Keeley's support, even though she wasn't entirely sure she could remember the last time Brad made her laugh or genuinely smile.

"I know, and that's why I need you there with me tonight, handling those boys," Keeley told her, like a caring older sister trying to get her out of a rut, "I want you to get your sparkle back."

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to be around right now," Billie sighed, unknowingly admitting that she wasn't doing as alright emotionally as she might have let on.

"That's what you think, but that's exactly why you need to shake this off and let off some steam," Keeley insisted, "The company of the fit footballers is just a bonus."

"Alright," Billie sighed in defeat as Keeley clapped her hands together.

"I'll DM you the details," Keeley told her, "And bring friends if you want!"

"I'll ask them, but I can't promise they'll want to come," Billie answered, knowing that Madison would have to be up and ready for work the next day, whereas Alfie had the luxury of working from home, "But maybe the company of Premier League footballers could sway them."

"Perfect," Keeley grinned, "What are you up to for the rest of the day?"

"I'm going on a school visit with Ted and my brother, something about community outreach," Billie explained, "It's at our niece's school."

"Well, you have fun and I'll see you at the club tonight." Keeley grinned as she began walking out of the room.

"See you later," Billie smiled, "And thank you!"

"Chin up, Billie," Keeley looked over her shoulder, "That face is far too pretty for the world not to see it."

The car ride to Phoebe's school had been far from enjoyable for Roy Kent, but pleasant at least for everyone else. Ted had called shotgun, leaving Billie in the back seat with Trent Crimm who was writing a feature on Ted that day. The duration of the journey was spent with Ted connecting his phone to Roy's car so that he could play the group some 'real music'. So everytime Ted attempted to play his music Roy would turn the car stereo off, the two of them flicking it on and off so quickly that Billie and Trent felt as though they were watching a tennis match.

By the time they'd arrived at the school Roy had given in and let Ted play his music. He was used to it, being the older brother of two girls, they were constantly requesting One Direction or The Vamps, and as much as he pretended to hate it, he could never say no to his sisters.

"Happy?" Roy huffed, glancing at his manager as he removed the key from the ignition, having just parked in the school's carpark.

"Elated," Ted nodded, "I just love the sound of The Boss, you know, tramps like us, baby we were born to-"

"No." Roy grunted as Trent and Billie sat in the back seats, watching the exchange like two children who were watching their parents' fifth fight of the day, which was a lived experience for Billie.

"What's the best concert you've been to, Roy?" Ted asked, "Your sister told me you took her to see One Direction-"

"You told him about that?" Roy glanced at his sister.

"She said you met Neil too," Ted added.

"It's Niall," Roy huffed before climbing out of the car, closely followed by Ted.

"You ever want to write a feature on my brother, just let me know," Billie smirked at the journalist who sat beside her, even though she knew her brother couldn't stand him.

"He's a very layered individual," Trent sighed.

"Like an ogre." Billie quipped.

"Or an onion, but I see your point."

"Billie," Roy knocked on the car window, "Let's go, chop chop."

Billie climbed out of the car with her camera around her neck, the foursome making their way up to the main entrance, looking like one of those mismatched bands that get put together on the X Factor because they're too good as individuals to let go. 

Once the group had visited the reception desk to retrieve their visitor's passes the headteacher led them down to the school hall. Ted and Roy waited eagerly at the side entrance while Trent and Billie were let straight into the hall to sit amongst the students. Even though Billie was there to take photos of Ted and her brother, Phoebe was eager to remain close to her.

"When I first saw our school football squad, I didn't think that Richmond Primary would win a single game, much less the league championship," The headteacher spoke as he addressed the room of excited school kids, "To celebrate, please welcome the new manager of AFC Richmond, Ed Lasso."

The applause from the children was pretty stagnant as Ted ran out to shake the headteacher's hand, "Thank you, I appreciate you, all right, hey gang, how y'all doing?"

"Wanker." One of the kids called out as Billie did her very best to stop herself from laughing.

"Jacob."

"It's alright." Ted insisted.

"Uh, look, I just wanted to come down and congratulate y'all on a heck of a season," Ted told the group of children, "But hey, I know someone else who's really excited to meet all of you, so please help me welcome, the captain of your FC Richmond squad, Roy Kent."

The children erupted in hysterical applause as Roy walked out to join Ted. Billie made sure to take some photos, even though she knew that Roy's face would make the photos look like prison mugshots.

"Right," Roy cleared his throat, "Never been much for public speaking or school, really, always seemed like a waste of time to me."

"Why don't we get out of this stuffy auditorium, go out on the pitch and have a proper fuck about?" Roy continued and this time Billie really had to stop herself from laughing, especially when the room of children erupted in cheers and screams for a second time.

"Your brother certainly has a way with words," Trent smiled as he joined Billie while the children began to file out of the room.

"We call it the Roy Kent effect," Billie told him as they slowly followed the group led by Roy and Ted out onto the playground, "And if you want any of my pictures from today for the article, just let me know."

"How are you finding the world of sports media?" Trent asked, which Billie appreciated, despite her brother's reservations towards the man, he was one of the most credible sports journalists in the country, so to be in his company in a newly established media career was quite the honour.

"It's not where I imagined I'd end up, I was kind of set on music or fashion media," She told him as they entered the small playground, spotting Roy and Ted making their way towards a picnic bench, "But the industry is more competitive than I ever imagined, maybe I was being naive."

"That's not naive," Trent assured her, "That's exactly what I thought, that's why I wrote things I probably shouldn't have with the aim of making a name for myself."

"I know what people say about me, that I only got this job because of my brother," Billie sighed, "And it's true, I wouldn't have got it without him, and I've never really been keen on football but I didn't quite realise just how much I needed this job."

"You didn't choose sports media, sports media chose you," Trent smiled.

"Please don't print that," Billie muttered, hoping to keep her name out of the press as much as possible.

"I won't, until the time comes to write a profile on you a few years down the line," Trent replied, his words reaffirming to Billie, papering over any doubts she might have had about her capabilities to fulfil her role. Paper because the feeling would only be temporary until something else so small would bring that doubt crawling back.

"I doubt anyone will be writing a profile on me," Billie muttered before pacing over to her brother and his coach, not believing that anyone would find her interesting enough to want to read a profile piece on her.

"I think it's really cool that you do this," Ted smiled at Roy as Billie made her way over to them both, quickly taking a photo of them mid conversation.

"I'm only doing it 'cause our fucking niece goes here," Roy answered bluntly as he continued lacing up his boots.

"Oh yeah?" Ted remarked, wondering what it would be like for a little girl to grow up with an auntie as considerate as Billie and an Uncle as protective as Roy, "Which one is she?"

"That idiot." Roy pointed past his sister at the little blonde girl playing with one of her friends.

Billie turned around to see her niece staring back at the three of them with the biggest grin and a wave, Roy and Billie reciprocating before she ran over to them.

"Wow, you get faster everyday, Pheebs!" Billie exclaimed as the girl ran into her arms, "I've missed you."

"I saw you two days ago when we watched Flushed Away," Phoebe reminded her.

"Doesn't mean I didn't miss you though, Pheebs," Billie told her, letting go of the girl.

"Can we do headers, Uncle Roy?" Phone asked with a beaming smile.

"Yeah, alright, come on then," Roy replied, scooping the little girl up over his shoulder, never able to say no to her mischievous yet endearing grin.

"You know," Billie paused as she watched Roy hurry away with Phoebe, "That's just what he was like when I was younger, on the days he didn't have to train, the only difference between Pheebs and I was that I didn't care about football."

"That sure is lovely to hear, and to see too, it's like getting an inside look at his life, like MTV Cribs," Ted smiled.

"Or Architectural Digest," Billie added.

"Absolutely."

Headers went well, Phoebe and her classmates lined up to take it in turns with footballing legend Roy Kent while Billie took photos of both her brother and Ted. She loved seeing the version of her brother that she knew was much closer to the real Roy, not Roy Kent the footballer, just Roy. It was all going reasonably smoothly until Ted stepped into Roy's position, allowing the footballer to join the queue, when Phoebe caught the ball on her turn. To say she kicked it back to Ted would be an understatement, even to say that she booted it didn't feel strong enough, the same could be said for the tampon that Billie had given Ted to stem the flow of blood dripping from his nose.

"That's the longest anyone's ever stayed for something like this," The headteacher smiled at Roy and Ted as the final child left with his mother.

"Thanks for having us," Ted replied, shaking the man's hand.

"Cheers." Roy added as the headteacher disappeared inside.

"Roy, that was a blast," Ted smiled as Roy began to pace away from his coach, followed by his sister, "And I tell you what, that niece of yours is a real cutie patootie."

"Enough," Roy turned to face Ted while Billie and Trent watched on in intrigue, "I've had enough with your mind games and your stupid gifts, I mean, what even is A Wrinkle In Time?"

"It's a lovely novel, it's a story of the young girl's struggle with the burden of leadership as she journeys through space," Trent explained from beside Billie.

"Yeah that's it."

Roy glanced between the two men in disbelief, "Am I supposed to be the little girl?"

"I'd like you to be." Ted smiled.

"I got Alice In Wonderland," Billie added with a smile, reminded of the dog-eared book on her bedside table, "You know about that one, Trent?"

"That's the story about the importance of embracing your truest self," Trent explained, "Alice struggles with society's expectations and constraints that have been placed on her as she navigates the strange and unpredictable world of Wonderland."

"Right, none of this matters," Roy replied sternly, "I'm just doing what everyone in this town is doing, and I'm counting down the days until the days you're gone."

"Harsh." Billie coughed under her breath.

"Trent, you're a colossal prick, you always have been," Roy told the journalist with sincerity before walking away from the situation, "Phoebe, Billie, come on."

"That's my cue to go," Billie smiled, offering both Ted and Trent a thumbs up, "A pleasure as always, gents."

Billie sped up to catch up with her brother and niece, a smile on the blonde girl's face at the prospect of spending the evening with two of her favourite people, "Can we get ice cream?"

"Is the sky blue?" Billie grinned, giving in before Roy even had the chance.

"You coming back to mine for dinner?" Roy asked.

"Sure," Billie sighed, reminded of her plans to join Keeley on a night out clubbing, "But I can't stay for Real Housewives tonight, I'm going out."

"Where and Who?" Roy asked in complete big brother mode as they made their way back to his car.

"Never you mind and never you mind," Billie smirked.

author's note: i love writing billie and roy's sibling relationship, and we've barely scratched the surface