A/N: written in 15 minutes for a friend who recently acquired a fish named Mackenzie.
Mackenzie isn't often this late to work.
Most morning's she's in the office by six thirty and sifting through a nights worth of articles and reports with a hot mug of coffee at her side by seven. People starting drifting into the office around that time and she often finds herself fielding wayward questions from Martin and Tamara, or pitches for stories from Tess and Neal, and from eight o'clock onwards her office is a never quiet.
She likes her mornings busy before the rundown meeting at nine, but on this particular morning she'd woken to a stuffy nose and an aching head and it had taken her thirty minutes to pull herself from under the covers. Now it's eight thirty and she's only just arriving at work and she can already see the line of anxious faces standing outside her door.
"Good morning," she grumbles, and Gary sends a startled look her way.
"Are you okay?" she hears Tess ask in concern, but she merely nods and mumbles an answer and pushes through them all with her coat still tucked tight around her frame.
She opens her office door hoping for a few more minutes peace and – huh, that's unusual.
"Elliott?" she questions, confused.
The anchor is standing in the middle of her office with his six year old daughter, Tara, by his side. The little girl is wearing a heavy coat over a pink dress and has sneakers on her feet that have lights flashing. Mackenzie didn't even know you could get illuminated footwear, and is a second from enquiring about them when her gaze falls on her desk.
"Elliott?" she repeats, voice hoarse and now slightly hysterical.
"Look – I can explain."
"You better," she all but growls.
Sitting on her desk is a tiny fishbowl filled with multicolored rocks and a little castle and swimming merrily in the center is a bright red fish.
"It's a betta fish," Tara informs her helpfully, and Mackenzie sends what she hopes is a pleased look towards the small girl.
The last thing she needs is an upset child as well as fish.
"Why is there a betta fish in my office?" she asks. She has a smile on her face but her words are pushed out towards Elliott with as much annoyance as she can muster. The head ache that she woke up with is only worsening and she can feel the congestion spread from her nose down her throat – it's going to be impossible to speak and breathe later and she's already dreading the three meetings she has to run throughout the day and the thought of this evenings broadcast.
And now she has a fish?
"It was Tara's birthday on the weekend," Elliott starts explaining, and Tara beams at the mention of her special day until Mackenzie sends her a smile. "There as a party and we had fish to send home with the kids," and Mackenzie's pretty sure that all the parties she attended when she was a child didn't involve live animals, but things have changed, "And we may have overestimated how many fish we needed?"
"I still don't understand why it's in my office," she tells him quickly.
"Well, Tara thought you might like it?" he answers hesitantly. He has a hand on Tara's shoulder and Mackenzie can't tell if he's holding her close to protect her, or if he's using her as a shield to protect him. Either way, she's going to murder him sometime next week for gifting her an animal. What the fuck could she possible want with it?
"You don't need to do much other than feed it, and it will swim happily there. You could even leave it on your desk!" Tara chirps happily, and Mackenzie can't help but soften at her enthusiasm. The little girl has two pigtails on either side of her head tied with ribbons and she does look adorable. No wonder Elliott brought her along as ammunition.
"Honestly Mac, if you don't want it –" he starts, and his voice is tinged with disappointment.
Mackenzie can feel her resolve shatter completely and she drops down into her chair with a defeated sigh, "No. No. It's fine. The fish can stay."
And it might be worth it, just to see Elliott's proud smile as Tara bounces up and down in excitement. She's still going to make his life hell for a couple of days, but it might be nice to have the bright fish on her desk at the end of a rough week.
"What should I name it?" she asks wearily, directing the question at Tara.
The little girl frowns thoughtfully and Mackenzie watches as her eyes dart around the office quickly, searching for a name. She can remember being that young and naming all her stuffed animals and dolls after the most ridiculous things.
And then Tara's face breaks into a smile and she beams, announcing, "Mackenzie!"
"Yes?"
"No, the fishes name is Mackenzie!"
Mackenzie sends a startled look Elliott's way, but the father merely shakes his head, as if it would be dangerous to contradict the six year old.
"But I'm Mackenzie," she says softly, despite him, and Tara sends her a look that clearly states she's an idiot.
"The fish can have the same name as you. Not everyone has a different name. Some people are called Tara and some are called Mackenzie and fish can have those names two," and then she rolls her eyes.
Mackenzie, feeling sufficiently chastised, nods stiffly and then peers closer at the fish – Mackenzie the fish – before an idea forms.
"Hey Tara are there any more fish left over?"
Elliott snorts and nods, "We have enough to populate the city, Mac."
Mackenzie smiles warmly and beckons Tara closer until the little girl is stood before her. "You know Will?" and Tara nods quickly, "Well I know for a fact that he's always wanted a fish in his office as well. Do you think you could give him one?"
"Of course!" Tara chirps happily, as if the idea is wonderful, and Mackenzie can't help but smile as Elliott's face turns a satisfying white.
"No, I'm sure he'll –"
"But Daddy, Mackenzie said he's always wanted one!"
And before he can protest further Tara is out the door.
"Good luck!" Mackenzie calls as Elliott darts after her. She sits back in her seat and closes her eyes and thinks of how red Will's face will get as he tries to battle the six-year old.
Her own fish is swimming happily around its bowl and she can't help but smile at it. It will be nice to have.
Mackenzie the fish.
She wonders if Tara thinks Billy's a good name for a fish as well.