EastEnders 1. Chapter 1

**Here is the first story, the one before pushed too far? Sorry if the posts are really long but I have set it out in as around 4 short stories about Ronnie and Danielle that lead on to Pushed too Far....**

Danielle sat alone in the Slater's kitchen, pen in hand staring blankly at the table below. All she had managed to write was 'Ronnie' on the envelope; she had no idea how to start explaining the situation to her mother... 20 minutes had passed and Danielle had only managed to write a couple of lines, but she felt it was enough to explain the pain and fear she felt about her being rejected by her mother, both now and when she was born. She carefully placed the letter in the envelope, leaving a note for Stacey asking her to give it to Ronnie. Danielle knew she could never have the courage to tell Ronnie the truth, running away was the only option. She picked up her rucksack that she had hidden in the cupboard and rushed out the front door, leaving it slightly open. Danielle walked across the square, planning to never look back.

Ronnie stood at the window of The Vic, staring at the people in the Square. She couldn't help but wonder the troubles they had, she felt guilty assuming that they she had in much worse than anybody else. She grieved for her lost daughter every day, knowing that they would never be re-united. But recently another person had entered her head, too much for Ronnie's liking. She didn't know why she cared for Danielle, the girl had no connection to her but she still cared. Ronnie decided she needed to talk to Danielle, try and work out who this girl was to her....Ronnie grabbed her coat and headed out of The Vic and across the Square. As she headed into the Square Danielle walked past, missing Ronnie by only a moment. Danielle headed through the market stalls and towards the tube, disappearing around the corner.

Stacey was upstairs in the bathroom, getting ready for a girlie shopping trip with her best friend. She had taken time to do her make-up and her hair, after all the problems with Bradley and Callum she wanted to make herself feel better. Stacey had finally finished putting the finishing touches to her eyeliner and she made her way down the stairs calling out Danielle's name. Stacey called out Danielle again when she got no response. There was silence again, confused Stacey headed for the kitchen. She paused at the kitchen door and slowly pushed it open, before her was an unexpected sight. "What are you doing here?" she said as she stared at Ronnie, who had tears running down her face as she held the letter up for Stacey to see....

*End of Episode*

"What is that?" Stacey asked Ronnie, confused. But Stacey could see the shocked look on Ronnie's face; she must finally know the truth.... "Is it true?" Ronnie asked. Stacey nodded, prompting Ronnie to burst into tears again, holding her hands up to her face, unable to contemplate the shocking revelation. Ronnie couldn't understand how this could be true, but after dreaming of finding her daughter for so long, Ronnie didn't care. She didn't care that it didn't make sense or the fact that she thought her daughter was dead. Even her father's lie didn't matter; she would deal with Archie later. Danielle was what was important, suddenly all the times she had cared for her, thought of her, it all made sense. All Ronnie knew was that she wanted to find Danielle, find her daughter. Ronnie stuffed the letter in her coat pocket and pushed past Stacey, heading to the front door. "Where are you going?" Stacey called. "To find my daughter" Ronnie replied, not even turning back to look at Stacey as she answered her question. Stacey chased after Ronnie, grabbing her coat of the hook and heading out the door after Ronnie.

She had reached the tube, rucksack on her back and ticket in her hand but Danielle stood still staring at the ticket barrier, she knew she could move, move on from Ronnie and Walford but something was stopping her. As angry commuters started queuing up behind her Danielle realised her phone was ringing. As Stacey's name started flashing on the phone screen, she moved aside into a quieter corner of the station. She looked at the screen, her finger moving back and forth from the accept call button. She knew what Stacey was calling about, she had found the letter. For that one moment Ronnie left her mind, something that had not happened for months, she thought of Stacey. Her best friend, she owed it to Stacey to say goodbye. With that she decided to answer the call, but she was too late the phone line went dead. Danielle knew she needed to say a proper goodbye to Stacey so she picked up her bag and headed back to Albert Square, hoping she didn't see Ronnie, which would make trying to leave for a second time even harder.

Ronnie and Stacey had searched desperately round the Square and market for Danielle but no-one had seen or heard from her. They both sat on Arthur's bench, shattered both physically and mentally. Tears started to roll down Ronnie's face as she contemplated the fact that she had lost her daughter all over again. Stacey tried to comfort her, placing her arm on her shoulder but she didn't know what to say, no words would ever console Ronnie at that time. But when both had given up hope Stacey looked up and noticed a small blonde figure walking back down the market. The girl looked lost, scared and alone but she instantly recognised her. "Ronnie" Stacey said quietly as she pointed towards the figure. Ronnie looked up, wiping the tears from her face. She stood up and looked at the figure; even though her back was turned she knew who it was, Danielle. Ronnie's heart skipped a beat, this was the moment she had been waiting for, wishing for but a moment she thought would never happen. Impulsively she shouted "Amy".

Danielle was standing just outside the Vic, staring back down the market, her eyes searching for Stacey but she was nowhere to be seen. But just when she contemplated heading back to the tube, Ronnie's voice caught her attention. The tone, the sound of Ronnie's voice was different, but when she realised what Ronnie had called out her heart skipped a beat. She had said "Amy" and she knew she wasn't calling after her niece, it was her, Ronnie knew the truth. Terrified but delighted at the same time Danielle began to cry, both tears and tears of joy. She slowly turned on the spot and looked towards the direction of where the voice came from. She then clapped eyes on her, Ronnie standing in front of her, tears also running uncontrollably down her face. They moment they had both been waiting for was in front of them but neither moved, both just staring at each-other overcome by the moment. As Danielle went to step forward, the revving of an engine came closer and closer, until Danielle turned momentarily to look at the car as it hurtled towards her, it wasn't going to stop. Danielle's and Ronnie's moment was gone.

*End of Episode*

Peggy and Archie had enjoyed a magical wedding, the perfect day when all the Mitchell family came together; even Ronnie grudgingly attended as a Bridesmaid. After the wedding Peggy and Archie had blissfully gone away on honeymoon, a week in the Caribbean. As they drove back from the Airport the rain came down harder and they both wondered why they had ever left the Caribbean. They finally reached the road that led to Albert Square, the rain had now stopped and they both appreciated being back home. The Vic came into sight and the happy couple shared a sneaky kiss as Archie drove round the final bend. This foolish moment distracted Archie for only a second but the second was long enough, with his eyes on his new wife rather than the road ahead Archie's car slammed into a person standing in the road. The shock caused Archie to slam on the brakes, both Archie and Peggy looking out of the widescreen window at Danielle, who was lying motionless in the road.

The delighted expression on Ronnie's face soon turned to horror as one moment her daughter was standing in front of her, the next she was lying in the road. Ronnie screamed but she was helpless. Stacey and Ronnie ran straight to Danielle's still body, blood masking her face and hands, leaving a pool in the road. Ronnie desperately tried shaking Danielle, desperately trying to wake her daughter. Stacey had dialled 999 to call an ambulance but she was crying so hard that it became hard to speak. A small crowd had gathered around the scene, all powerless to help but still standing watching in shock. Roxy had come out from the Vic to see what the commotion was about and she was shocked to see her sister hysterically cradling Danielle in the road. She went closer to comfort her sister. At the same time Peggy jumped out of the car, shocked at being involved in the accident. She pushed through the crowd to get to Danielle. She had not expected to see Ronnie lying with Danielle, just repeating the words "I can't lose her again". Peggy, just like Roxy was confused but she went to help regardless. Struggling through the tears, Stacey began to explain the shocking truth about Ronnie and Danielle to Peggy and Roxy, as they heard the truth both wiped back tears and put a hand on Ronnie's shoulder, offering some comfort. Archie sat alone in the car, but it was unclear whether the expression on his face was one of guilt or triumph that he had finally beaten Ronnie, finally taught his daughter a lesson she would never forget.

They burst through the hospital doors, Ronnie was managing to run and keep up as the doctors wheeled Danielle through to surgery but Roxy, Stacey and Charlie were struggling to keep up. As Ronnie rushed down the hospital corridors nothing seemed to matter, everyone else, every object were just blurs. All Ronnie could see was Danielle's limp hand hanging over the trolley side as they wheeled her away, further and further away.

Over 2 hours had passed and Ronnie, Stacey, Roxy and Charlie sat in the same chairs, staring at the same blank walls. Ronnie had been rocking on her chair, occasionally repeating the words "I can't lose her again, I can't". Roxy had tried to offer support and comforting words the first few times but nothing had got through to Ronnie, only the doctor or Danielle's words mattered at that time.

All four had sat silently for many minutes, only feint noises from outside could be heard in the hospital's family room.

"What happened to Aunty Peg and Archie?" Roxy asked tentatively, hoping that only Charlie would hear her.

"They could rot in hell for all I care?" Ronnie barked. Roxy wanted to shout back, scream at her sister for saying such a horrible thing about their family, but she thought better of it and part of her, deep down felt the same. She had felt Ronnie's pain for so long and she wasn't sure how she could forgive her father for not only lying to Ronnie but then running Danielle down, whether it was a accident or not.

"Ronnie" a voice whispered as a face peered around the family room door. Ronnie jumped up, hoping to see a doctor ready to deliver good news but she was created by Peggy. Her aunt was shivering uncontrollably, mascara running down her normally spotless cheeks. Ronnie's face was cold when she looked down at her aunt but her attention was diverted by the tall silver haired figure standing just behind her. Without hesitation she launched herself at her father, throwing punch after punch, and kick after kick at his body.

"Look what you have done, look what you have done!" Ronnie screamed, pushing Archie's face against the window glass of Danielle's hospital room so he could see the damage he had caused.

It had taken 2 nurses and Roxy to final tear a hysterical Ronnie away from her father. Ronnie was now sitting alone in Danielle's hospital room, clutching Danielle's hand and resting her head against her daughter's legs. She lifted her head up and looked down at her daughter. "I remember when you were born; you were so beautiful, so small and fragile. I never wanted to let you go, I hope you know that. If it had of been my choice I never would have let you out of my sight." Ronnie whispered, placing a hand on Danielle's cold forehead, tears now running down her cheeks again.

"Ronnie" Roxy whispered as she poked her head round the door. Ronnie jumped slightly, she had forgotten that they were other people around, it seemed like it was just her and Danielle alone, together. "Ron, the doctors need to do more tests. Shall we go and get a cup of tea?" Roxy asked her sister, entering the hospital room and placing her hand on her sister's shoulder. Roxy knew Ronnie wouldn't want to leave Danielle's bedside so she slowly started to urge Ronnie out of her chair, not waiting for a response to the question she had asked. The two sisters left the room quietly, both continually looking back to check on Danielle.

Archie had been watching his daughter's from inside the family room, far enough away so that Ronnie wouldn't notice his presence watching over them. Peggy, Stacey and Charlie had headed back to the square to pick up some clothes and food. Archie and Peggy had spent many hours earlier being interviewed by the Police, but both were released pending further investigations. Archie slowly rose from his chair and left the family room, heading across the corridor and quietly entering Danielle's empty hospital room. All that could be heard was the noises from the ventilator and rushing of nurses in the corridor outside. He stared down at Danielle, emotionless. He walked around the side of the bed and sat down in the chair Ronnie had vacated only moments earlier, as he leaned into Danielle her gave her a kiss of the forehead.

"I'm sorry" he muttered, obviously struggling to say the words. "This was never about you. It was about teaching Ronnie a lesson, you just got in the way. This has always been about me and my girls. Peggy the whole Mitchell family, they don't matter to me." Archie said, staring back at his reflection in the glass of the room window. "You know I see a lot of Ronnie in myself, though she would never admit. Roxy was always my special little girl but Ronnie, with Ronnie it was different. Whatever I did to her, to you, it was done with good intentions, I hope you remember that." Archie said, clutching Danielle's arm hard. "You look so much like your mother" Archie chuckled to himself. "I knew, the day she told me she was pregnant that she would want to keep you. But how could I let her. She couldn't look after herself, her family, me. How could she look after a tiny little baby? I did you a favour, believe me. You wouldn't want to be part of the Mitchell family, and to be honest I don't want you to be. If Roxy knew what I had done, she would never forgive me." Archie said. As he became more and more angry, Danielle's wrist started to turn Red as Archie gripped harder.

Peggy made her way through the hospital corridors, towards Danielle's room. She hated hospitals and she hated the fact that her family had ended up in one so many times. As she turned the final corner she noticed Danielle's room door was slightly ajar. Panicking Peggy ran quicker and quicker, only stopping as she reached the door. But she was surprised to see Archie sitting alone with Danielle, muttering words under his breath. She listened carefully from behind the door; tears bubbling in her eyes as she heard the man she loved finally reveal his true colours. Peggy slowly closed the door as Archie had finished speaking, shocked and upset. She slid down the wall outside Danielle's room, crying uncontrollably as she realised that once again the man she had let into her heart and life, had betrayed her.

Outside the hospital Ronnie was standing alone, leaning on a wall clasping a hot cup of tea. She had asked her sister for a moment alone, to think and get some fresh air. She placed the tea on the ground and reached for her mobile phone in her bag. She slowly pressed the keys 999. "Police I would like to report the attempted murder of my daughter" Ronnie said, not stopping once to think about what she was about to say.

*end of episode*

After hearing the shocking and unexpected truth Peggy picked herself up and headed inside the family room. She needed time to compose herself, time to think. As she entered Charlie and Stacey burst through the doors, dropping bags of clothes and food on the floor. "Any news?" Stacey asked desperately. Peggy just dropped her head in silence; Stacey knew the answer and sat back down next to Charlie.

After hearing the noisy Slaters return in the corridor outside, Archie decided it was his time to leave. He stood up and left the room, not looking back at his injured granddaughter once. As he turned right and headed down the corridor he noticed Ronnie and Roxy headed towards Danielle from the opposite direction, he quickened his pace so that his daughter's didn't notice him. Ronnie headed straight into Danielle's room, sitting back into the chair next to her daughter as Roxy went into the family room, to be greeted by Peggy, Charlie and Stacey.

"Any more updates?" Roxy asked.

"No I'm sorry love" Peggy answered. Her voice was shaking and Roxy immediately noticed her aunt's distress and upset. She sat next to Peggy, grasping her hand and smiling at her aunt, "It will be fine, Aunty Peg, I promise" Roxy whispered kissing her on the cheek.

"Fine" Stacey barked, lifting her head of Charlie's shoulder. "How is any of this fine?" Stacey screamed, looking straight at Roxy angrily. "My best friend is lying there dying, your sister is losing her daughter all over again and you were the ones that have put her in this place!" Stacey screamed, pointing down at Peggy. Charlie tried to hold Stacey back but it was impossible as she vented at Roxy and Peggy.

Neither Peggy or Roxy answered Stacey, they both were too upset and they both knew Stacey was right, it wasn't fine, far from it. Upset, Peggy rushed out of the family room only to bump straight into Archie, who had returned to enjoy watching the damage he had caused. Archie saw how upset Peggy so he offered his wife a hug, opening his arms. Peggy stared up at Archie for a second; she couldn't understand how he could be so cold. He was not crying, not upset not even guilty for what they had done. Peggy angrily pushed past Archie, not wanting anything to do with the man she had married.

A crowd had gathered outside Danielle's room as Stacey, Roxy, Charlie, Peggy and Archie all looked into Danielle's room. She was still hooked up to machines, with Ronnie stroking her face and running Danielle's hair through her fingers. The moment of silence as they all looked on was interrupted by two policemen walking towards the group. "Archie Mitchell" the two police officers called. Archie turned and looked at them, unsure about how to react. "Yes officers" he said calmly. "We need you to come down to the station for further questioning" one policeman said. Archie's was still calm, he felt in control and he was happy to answer questions.

"Can I ask why officers please, I thought we were questioned enough earlier this evening" Archie said, pulling Peggy into a false hug and smiling. Peggy pushed him away as he loosened his grip. "It has come to our attention that the earlier incident may not have been an accident Mr Mitchell, so we need to ask you some more questions." Archie's heart rate suddenly quickened, he was no longer in control of the situation and he felt the pressure as those around him stared at him puzzlingly.

Ronnie had now noticed the commotion outside Danielle's room and she had gone to see what was happening. "This is ridiculous" Archie barked. "Sir if you are not willing to come voluntarily we will be forced to arrest you" the policeman stated. "Dad" Roxy whimpered, looking to her father for answers.

"It was an accident, I would never do anything to hurt my family. Ask my wife, she was in the car with me." Archie claimed. Peggy felt the anger boil inside of her as Archie continued to lie until one of the policemen turned to her. Peggy froze. "Madam you were in the car with Mr Mitchell at the time of the accident, where you not?" one policeman asked. Peggy nodded, not looking directly into their eyes.

"In your opinion, did Mr Mitchell deliberately run into Miss Jones?" they asked. Peggy stood still, unable to look at those around her. She looked up at Ronnie and Roxy, both arm in arm with tears streaming down their faces. She then turned slightly to look at Danielle, a member of her family, lying motionless on the bed. Peggy contemplated the damage Archie had caused her family, the lies and manipulation. "Mrs Mitchell?" the policeman asked, trying to catch Peggy's attention.

Peggy knew what she had to do, Archie needed to pay for what he had done. "Yes" Peggy stated nervously. Everyone gasped but Archie looked down on Peggy in disbelief as the Policemen nodded between themselves and dragged a hand cuffed Archie down the corridor. Desperately Archie called to Roxy, "Roxy love, you know this isn't true, I wouldn't do anything to hurt you". But Roxy just looked on as her helpless father was dragged around the corner and out of sight.

Ronnie tried to smile as her father was taken away but she couldn't. However much happiness she momentarily felt that her father was finally going to get what he deserved, her thoughts instantly went back to her critically injured daughter. She turned back into the room and sat next to Danielle.

Peggy, who was being comforted by Charlie, Roxy and Stacey all stood outside the window and looked in. Peggy knew she would need to answer more questions from the Police later, she knew she would need to lie again but all she could or wanted to think about now was her family.

Ronnie stared at Danielle. "Please wake up, please" she pleaded with the lifeless body that lay before her. Suddenly Danielle's hand jolted as it lay on the bed and Ronnie was overjoyed as Danielle slowly opened her eyes to see her mother watching over her. Danielle went to lift the oxygen mask of her face; she had waited 19 years to finally speak properly to her mother, waited so long to tell her how much she loved her. But Ronnie stopped her. Ronnie grasped Danielle's hand in her own. "It's going to be alright, everything is going to be alright I promise" Ronnie whispered, and for the first time in her life Ronnie actually believed it would be.

*end of episode*

One month had passed since Ronnie and Danielle had been re-united as mother and daughter. Danielle had moved in with Ronnie shortly after being released from hospital and their relationship was going from strength to strength.

Late one Saturday evening Danielle and Stacey stumbled back through the market, drunk and merry after many hours drinking in town. It had been the first time that the pair had been out together since Danielle had moved in with Ronnie after her release from hospital.

"Are you coming back for more drinks at mine?" Stacey slurred, throwing her arm over her best friend's shoulder. "Nah, better not. Ronnie is expecting me." Danielle replied. Stacey looked disappointed but she nodded to Danielle. Stacey knew that she shouldn't but she felt slightly resentful of the relationship between Ronnie and Danielle. She knew that her best friend was happier than she had ever been but she felt like she was losing Danielle, never getting the chance to spend time with her as her relationship with Ronnie grew.

"I will walk you back to Ronnie's then" Stacey said, forgetting her previous negative thoughts to make sure Danielle got home safely.

Back at her flat Ronnie sat alone on her sofa, flicking through the endless channels on her television. As the clock hit 1am she knew she should go to bed but ever since she had got Danielle back she worried about her and she never liked going to bed not knowing where her daughter was. She picked up her phone, wanting to dial Danielle's number and check she was ok, but she thought better of it. Her daughter was now 19 and she needed to remember that Danielle wasn't the little baby she once remembered that needed constant care.

Just as Ronnie put her phone down it started to ring, she looked at the screen hoping it was Danielle so she didn't need to worry but she didn't recognise the number, Ronnie wondered who could be calling at this late hour. Out of caution she tentatively picked up the phone and accepted the incoming call.

"Hello, who is this?" Ronnie questioned.

"Hello V, it's your father" the voice answered. Ronnie froze on the spot, terrified to hear Archie's voice on the other end of the line.

*end of episode*

Ronnie couldn't speak, paralysed by the shock of hearing her father's voice for the first time in nearly a month. "You not going to say hello?" Archie questioned, Ronnie was still silent. "After all it is your fault I am in this place!" Archie screamed down the line.

"Why are you calling me?" Ronnie asked, managing to stay calm but only getting these few words out. "Am I not allowed to call my daughter now then?" Archie questioned again. "I don't want to speak to you or see you ever again, do you understand me?" Ronnie barked.

"Thanks to you, I might never see any of my family again ever. I don't deserve to be here V, you know that. Everything I did, I did for my family." Archie stated.

Ronnie couldn't believe what she was hearing, her father continued to lie even after all that had happened the last few months. "You deserve everything you get. I hope you rot in prison for the rest of your life!" Ronnie screamed.

Ronnie could hear Archie breathing heavily down the phone as they both got more and more angry. Archie was silent and with that Ronnie decided to end the conversation, not wanting to hear her father's lies or manipulation anymore, until....

"How is she V? How is Danielle?" Ronnie knew by the tone in Archie's voice he didn't truly care, he had asked to wind Ronnie up; Archie had always known how to push the right buttons. "Don't you dare, don't you dare say her name" Ronnie screamed, struggling to control her emotions as tears started to flow. She hated the fact that Archie now knew he had got to her, he had hurt her even from behind bars.

"Just stay away from us, you hear me. Stay away." Ronnie screamed, slamming down the phone on her father. Ronnie started crying uncontrollably, unable to deal with the contact from her father. She was holding her head in her hands when she heard a noise from downstairs.

Ronnie wiped away the mascara smudges from her cheeks and went to the top of the stairs of her flat. She could hear giggling and the sound of keys as she released Danielle was home. She didn't want her daughter to see her upset so she quickly ran to the bathroom to wash her face and then she sat on the sofa, waiting for Danielle to enter.

Danielle said goodnight to Stacey and headed up the stairs, struggling to make the steps as the large amounts of alcohol she had consumed had an effect. She managed to reach the top of the stairs and looked around for her mother. "Mum" Danielle whispered, not wanting to wake Ronnie up if she was already asleep.

Danielle entered the lounge and saw Ronnie sitting on the sofa. She went up to Ronnie and sat next to her, leaning in to give her mum a hug. Ronnie smiled as she noticed that Danielle was drunk.

"How much have you had to drink?" Ronnie asked, smirking. This was the first time she had to deal with her drunken teenage daughter and she didn't know how else to react except jokingly. "Not much" Danielle slurred, giggling to herself.

"How was your night?" Danielle asked, trying to sit up straight and divert the conversation away from her drinking. Ronnie just nodded, not wanting to lie to her daughter but at the same time she didn't want to tell her that Archie had called. Danielle noticed her mother's hesitation and then saw her mobile on the coffee table, the screen was slightly smashed.

"What happened to your phone?" Danielle asked. "Oh nothing" Ronnie answered, taking the damaged phone and slipping it into her bag. "Why are you lying to me?" Danielle blurted out, before she thought about what she said.

"What?" Ronnie said, looking shocked at her daughter's question.

"You're not telling me something, what is it?" Danielle demanded as the alcohol took effect.

"You're drunk, let's talk about this is in the morning" Ronnie said, trying to lift her daughter up of the sofa.

"No, get off me" Danielle screamed, flinching away from Ronnie's grasp.

"Why are you being like this Dani?" Ronnie asked, confused by her daughters attitude.

"I'm not being anything. You're the one being a liar, just like him" Danielle said, pointing her finger at her mother.

Ronnie instinctively grabbed Danielle's arm, reacting angrily to the mention of her father. "Don't you dare compare me to him" Ronnie screamed, as she felt herself losing her temper for the first time with her daughter. Ronnie instantly let go of Danielle's arm as she realised she was starting to scare her daughter.

"Just go to bed" Ronnie ordered, trying to calm the situation down.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Danielle screamed, rebelling against her mother's orders.

"Why are you being like this? Why are you making it so hard?" Ronnie paused. "Sometimes I wish..." Ronnie stopped herself, terrified of what she was just about to say in the heat of the moment.

But this had not gone unnoticed by Danielle, who looked shocked and upset by her mother's words. "You wish you never found me again" Danielle whispered quietly, tears streaming down her face.

"No, I never said that" Ronnie replied, trying to reach out a hand and comfort Danielle.

"That's what you were thinking though, wasn't it?" Danielle asked her mother. Danielle and Ronnie now stood opposite each other, looking straight into each other's eyes, Danielle waiting for a response. Ronnie paused for only a second, but that second was enough of an answer for Danielle.

As tears filled in Danielle's eyes she ran out of the living room, down the stairs and out of the flat, into the night. Leaving Ronnie standing alone in her flat, devastated by her mistake that may have pushed her daughter away again.

*end of episode*

Danielle sat alone on Arthur's bench, staring up into the night sky. She couldn't stop thinking about what Ronnie said, or what she was about to say. Though she was upset with Ronnie for saying what she did, Danielle was also upset with herself for losing her temper with Ronnie.

Danielle rifled through her pockets wanting to call her mum and explain, say sorry; it may have been an easy way out but Danielle didn't have the guts to talk to Ronnie face to face after their first proper fight. After checking both pockets she realised she had left her phone and bag at the flat because she left in such a hurry. Danielle sighed and lent against the bench, she decided to stay put for a bit longer and let the situation calm down.

Back at the flat Ronnie sat alone, crying into her hands after the fight with Danielle. She kept going back over Danielle's words in her head, '_you wish you never found me again'_. Just the thought of her daughter so upset broke Ronnie's heart. She had sat in the flat for a few minutes, just in case Danielle returned straight away, but she hadn't. It was now 2am and Ronnie decided that she needed to find Danielle herself. Ronnie picked up her coat and headed out the door.

As a cold winter breeze blew across the square Danielle decided to go for a walk and clear her head, she headed down the market, missing Ronnie only by a second as her mum headed across the square to the Slater's.

Ronnie banged on the door, hoping to catch Stacey attention. After the second attempt she heard loud footsteps coming towards the door and it slowly opened. "What the hell are you doing at this hour?" shouted the voice, but to Ronnie disappointment she was greeted by a tired and angry Mo. "I need to speak to Stacey" Ronnie asked desperately. "Well you can't, have you seen the time?" Mo barked, trying to keep her eyes open.

But Ronnie refused to accept Mo's answer and she barged past Mo and into the Slater's front room. "I told you she won't be able to help" Mo repeated. Ronnie sighed and looked down at Stacey, who was flat out on the sofa fast asleep and snoring after her night out with Danielle. Ronnie angrily stormed out the Slater's and into the night looking for her daughter.

As Ronnie walked across she heard a voice in the distance, "If this is about Danielle, you better not have hurt her, otherwise you will have us to deal with!" Mo screamed, slamming the door before she headed back to bed. Ronnie ignored the threat and carried on searching.

Danielle had reached the tube, which was closed. She stared at the tube station, momentarily wondering whether leaving would be best for her and Ronnie. But her thoughts were interrupted by a voice over her shoulder. "You alright love? Maybe I could help you?" the voice said.

Danielle felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't recognise the voice and as she turned round slowly to face the person, she realised she defiantly didn't know the man. Danielle's heart started to beat faster as she stared into the eyes of the stranger in front of her.

*end of episode*

"No I'm ok thanks" Danielle said nervously as she tried to slowly edge away from the man. But the man kept his grip on Danielle, moving hand down from Danielle's shoulder onto her waist. Danielle flinched. "Are you sure love?" the man said, leaning towards Danielle.

Before Danielle could answer heard a familiar voice from across the road. "Oi, what you doing?!" the voice screamed. Danielle looked over the man's shoulder and she was relieved to see Roxy, pushing Amy's buggy towards her. The man turned round and in the face of an angry Roxy storming towards him, the man let go of Danielle's waist and ran off into the night.

"You alright?" Roxy asked a clearly shaken Danielle. Danielle nodded, smiling at Roxy to thank her for arriving just at the right moment. "What are you doing out at this time?" Danielle asked. Roxy lent down to check on Amy, who was sleeping in the buggy.

"I was just trying to get Amy off to sleep" Roxy smiled as she looked down at her beautiful baby, who looked peaceful as she slept. "I could ask you the same question" Roxy added.

Danielle looked away, feeling awkward at Roxy's question but she felt Roxy staring at her, waiting for a response. "I had a fight with Ronnie" Danielle admitted. Roxy smiled at Danielle's answer. "Ah, I know what fights with Ronnie are like" Roxy joked. But Danielle started crying, trying to wipe back the tears in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I was only joking." Roxy said, placing a comforting arm around her niece. "Look I am heading back to The Vic, why don't you come and have a chat?" Roxy said. Danielle looked up at Roxy, smiling and nodding as they both headed back to the pub with Roxy's arm wrapped around Danielle's shoulder.

Danielle sat alone on the sofa in the Queen Vic lounge as Roxy put Amy back into her coat. Even though she was a Mitchell, Danielle felt awkward and uncomfortable being in the Vic. Her nerves were calmed by Roxy re-entering the lounge. "Do you want a drink?" Roxy asked as she opened up the alcohol cupboard and poured herself a small drink. "No thanks" Danielle said shyly, she knew that she had already drunk enough that night and alcohol hadn't helped the situation earlier.

Roxy joined Danielle on the sofa. "So what happened?" Roxy asked, trying to get Danielle to open up. This was the first time that Roxy and Danielle had the chance to have a proper chat alone and Roxy wanted to get to know her niece better.

Danielle hesitated at first and then the words and feelings started to pour out uncontrollably. "It was all a mis-understanding really. I just got annoyed with her and then she said...." Danielle paused for a moment. "Well I just felt a bit rejected and I didn't know what to say or do so I ran" Danielle admitted.

Roxy edged closer to Danielle and hugged her, offering comfort to her clearly upset and confused niece. "I just feel like sometimes she doesn't really like me" Danielle said. "What? What are you talking about?! She loves you so much" Roxy said, interrupting Danielle.

"I know she loves me, I Love her. But what if she only loves me because she has to, because I'm her daughter. I want her to like me as a person too. Before she knew who I was she didn't like me, I wanted her to like me so much but she didn't. She screamed at me, threatened me, got me arrested and all I was trying to do was get close to her, get to know her better so she would like me for who I was, who I am now."

Danielle could feel herself welling up again as she confided in Roxy. Roxy noticed this and gently placed her hand on top of Danielle's. "The thing is with Ronnie, she is very closed off. She has been hurt so many times that she finds it hard to let people; she finds it hard to like people. She only did what she did to you because she didn't know how to react around you. It wasn't about hate or not liking you, believe me. And as for now, well I know that she is so proud of how her little girl has grown up and she loves you more than anything in this world."

Danielle had now stopped crying as she listened to Roxy's words, they made her smile and she felt a connection with her aunt. The moment was interrupted by Amy crying again. Roxy sighed and went to check on her daughter, lifting her out of the cot and bringing her into the lounge.

Danielle smiled as she saw baby Amy being cradled in Roxy's arms. "May I?" Danielle asked quietly, not sure of what Roxy's response might be. "Sure" Roxy said, smiling and holding out her daughter, carefully placing her in Danielle's arms.

Danielle looked down at Amy, part of her wandered if she looked similar when she was younger. But the thought of Ronnie holding her as a baby only upset Danielle. "Hey" Danielle whispered, gently stroking Amy's face, "I'm Danielle, your cousin". "You know I used to be Amy Mitchell once" Danielle said, leaning forward to kiss Amy on the forehead as she drifted back off to sleep.

Roxy wiped back a tear after watching the emotional moment between her daughter and niece. "She likes you" Roxy said, Danielle smiled as she looked down at a now peaceful Amy, who was sleeping in her arms.

Ronnie had searched everywhere close by she could think of but she still had not found Danielle. She was heading back disappointed to her flat when she noticed that the light was on in the Vic's lounge. Ronnie headed through the Vic's back door and up the stairs, using the spare key she had in her coat pocket. Ronnie had reached the top of the stairs and she could see the light on in the lounge, she heard quiet voices but she instantly recognised them both.

Relieved she quietly popped her head round the door of the lounge and she was overcome to see Danielle sitting on the sofa, cradling Amy in her arms, with Roxy sitting next to her. She smiled to herself and she took a moment, wanting to remember this image of all the people she loved the most happy and together.

"Hi" Ronnie whispered, not wanting to wake Amy. Roxy and Danielle both jumped as they heard Ronnie's voice, turning round to look at Ronnie. Danielle nervously smiled at her mum, unsure about how to interact with her after their fight.

Roxy noticed this tension and she lifted Amy from Danielle's arms and left the room, leaving Ronnie and Danielle to talk. Ronnie joined Danielle on the sofa. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier, I didn't mean it. I was just angry." Ronnie said. She didn't want to tell Danielle about Archie's call but she knew she couldn't keep secrets from her either.

"Just before you came back Archie rang" Ronnie said. Danielle looked shocked and nervous again. Ronnie put a hand on Danielle's leg to reassure her, "Its fine, he just called to wind me up. He is locked away now; he can't hurt us anymore I promise." Ronnie said, kissing Danielle on the forehead and bringing her in for a hug. "I'm sorry to mum" Danielle whispered in her mother's ear as they embraced.


	2. Chapter 2

Danielle carefully walked down the stairs, trying not to drop the dessert as she went. She could feel Ronnie's hand on her back, following her and guiding her down. "You ok?" Ronnie asked. Danielle turned round to look at her mother as she walked out the door, trying desperately not to drop the box.

"Yeah thanks, just trying not to drop the cake. That wouldn't be a good start would it?" Both Ronnie and Danielle giggled to each other. "Why do we need to bring a cake anyway?" Danielle asked. "Just Mitchell tradition, when we have family dinner like this one of us always ends up bringing dessert." Ronnie said.

They reached the front door of The Vic and Danielle paused for a moment, looking up at the flat windows. "It is going to be fine promise. Peggy just wants to welcome you into the family" Ronnie said, taking Danielle's hand as they entered the Vic, went through the back door and up the stairs.

Peggy looked out the window and down onto the stairs. In the corner of her eye she noticed two blonde figures walking towards the Vic. "They're coming" Peggy squeaked excitedly. Phil, Ben and Roxy sat on the sofas looking less enthused about the situation than Peggy.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Aunty Peg?" Roxy asked as she placed the wine glasses around the table.

"Danielle needs a proper welcome into the Mitchell family" Peggy stated as she hurried round putting the final touches to the table and the food, checking herself in the mirror as she went. They heard footsteps and voices up the stairs as Ronnie and Danielle entered the lounge.

Peggy rushed over to the pair, hugging them tightly. "How are you my love" She said to Danielle, placing her hands round Danielle's face. Ronnie noticed that Danielle had started to get nervous again as the situation over whelmed her. Danielle just smiled back at Peggy, nodding her heard slightly.

Peggy pulled Danielle away from Ronnie and placed her on the sofa next to Ben, forcing the two to converse for the first time. Roxy noticed Ronnie standing in the corner, staring at Danielle so she went over to Ronnie. "Is she ok?" Roxy asked, as they both looked over at Danielle who was sitting squashed against the arm of the sofa, clearly not comfortable with the situation.

"Yeah she is fine, just nervous about today" Ronnie said.

Roxy smiled. "Fair enough, one Mitchell can be daunting enough but the whole family together!" Ronnie and Roxy smiled at each other as they joked.

"Everyone sit down now please" Peggy barked as she re-entered the lounge with a hot bowl of roast potatoes. Relieved Danielle jumped up and headed straight for Ronnie, not wanting to be separated from her mother at the dinner table as well.

All the family sat down together and after a few tense and silent moments Peggy started the conversation off. As she ate Ronnie looked over at Danielle, who was slowly eating her roast. She could still see how nervous her daughter was so she placed a comforting hand on Danielle's leg, hoping to calm her down.

The family had got through the main course and were just starting on dessert. The mood round the table became a lot less tense and more relaxed as everyone started to joke and have a good time, enjoying each other's company.

Peggy rose from her chair, glass and spoon in hand. "I would like to raise a toast to Danielle. The newest member of the Mitchell family" Peggy said and with that everyone toasted they're glasses and got back to dessert.

Just at that moment the phone rang and Peggy stood up to take the call. "Who would call during Sunday lunch?" Peggy asked, frustrated that her special dinner had been interrupted.

The family looked over as Peggy answered the phone. The table went silent as they saw Peggy smile turn to one of confusion and then upset. Peggy slowly put the phone down; obviously in shock at the message she had been given.

"Mum?" Phil asked, leaning out a hand to Peggy.

"It's Archie, he's dead" Peggy said, staring at the confused and shocked faces around the table.

*end of episode*

Everyone was silent, digesting the news Peggy had just delivered. Danielle stared back between Ronnie and Roxy. Her mother sat there, no reaction to the news that her father was dead but Danielle could see tears welling in Roxy's eyes.

Peggy put the phone down and sat back at the table, staring down at the half eaten plate. No one knew what to say or where to look until Roxy finally cracked, bursting into tears, sobbing into her hands. "Right, who wants so more Brussels Sprouts?" Peggy asked, obviously struggling to cope but not wanting to accept the news.

"What?" Roxy asked shocked as she looked up at Peggy, mascara streaming down her cheeks. "I said who wants more....." Peggy repeated. "I know what you said" Roxy screamed, slamming her plate on the table as she stood up. Danielle's heart started to beat faster; she felt guilty that all she kept thinking was this wasn't how her first family meal was supposed to be going.

"Ronnie?" Roxy asked desperately, turning to her sister, hoping for a response. But Roxy was devastated to see Ronnie sitting perfectly still, obviously less effected by the news than her sister. Ronnie stared up at Roxy, silent for a moment. "C'mon Danielle, I think it is best we go" Ronnie said, standing up and taking Danielle's hand.

Danielle accepted her mother's hand and stood up with her, wanting to leave the awkward situation as soon as possible. She felt conflicted; on one hand she should be upset that a member of her family had died but on the other hand she hated Archie for what he did to her and Ronnie. She looked on as Ronnie started to reach for their coats from the sofa arm; she assumed her mother was feeling the same thing as her.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Roxy screamed, storming round from the other side of the table to face her sister. "What do you want me to say Rox?" Ronnie demanded, staring at her sister. "Do you know how many times I have wished he was dead?" Peggy let out a small cry as the situation started to dawn on her and she broke down as she sat at the table.

The sight of his mother breaking down prompted Phil to stand up and close the lounge door, making a point of slamming it very loudly. "No one leaves, we deal with this as a family" He said authoritivly. Phil's tone prompted both Ronnie and Danielle to sit back down on the sofa. Phil and Ben were now comforting Peggy, whilst Roxy stood alone and devastated in the middle of the lounge.

One hour had passed and very little words had been said between the family. Peggy just kept repeating what the Prison Officer had told her other the phone to Roxy, who was desperately hoping that it was all a mis-understanding. Phil had now taken Ben over to Tanya's; wanting to distance his son from yet more family tragedy.

Ronnie and Danielle where stood in the kitchen, hand in hand. "Are you alright?" Ronnie asked a clearly nervous Danielle. Danielle nodded, "You?" Danielle replied. Ronnie didn't respond to her daughter's question, continuing to pour the tea into the mugs.

"Ron" a voice whispered from behind the kitchen door, as Roxy made her way into the kitchen. "Are you ok?" Roxy asked. "Yes I'm fine" Ronnie barked, slamming a mug against the work surfaces, breaking off the handle. Ronnie sighed and threw the broken mug parts in the bin. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?" Ronnie replied.

"Because you have just been told you dad is dead, a normal person would be quite upset!" Roxy screamed. Danielle stood between the sisters, the small kitchen felt like it was closing in on her as the situation became more and more tense.

"I said, I'm glad he is dead!" Ronnie screamed back, now turning to face her sister. "I know what he did was wrong but he was trying to make a mends, he was paying for what he did" Roxy said, trying to reason with her angry sister.

"Only because of what I did!" Ronnie screamed, before she could think about what she had said. Roxy and Danielle were both taken aback by this comment from Ronnie. "What does that mean?" Roxy demanded.

Ronnie knew how much it would hurt her sister but Roxy needed to know the truth. Ronnie paused for a moment and then revealed the truth to her stunned sister and daughter, "I lied ok Rox, I lied so he would finally get what was coming to him."

*end of episode*

The kitchen was silent but Danielle could see that Roxy was about to explode. "You were the one who called the Police on dad?" Roxy asked, struggling to hold back the tears over her sister's actions.

"Yes ok, I called the Police on dad; I lied and said he hit Danielle on purpose!" Ronnie blurted out, pointing her finger at Danielle who was slightly taken aback by her mother's aggression. Danielle felt a rush of mixed feelings, whilst she was shocked at her mother's revelation, at the same time she felt happy because her mother's lie showed just how much she cared.

"Danielle could you give us a minute please?" Roxy asked, not even turning to look at Danielle. Danielle knew this was more of an order than a question, so she headed for the door. "Wait, don't go anywhere!" this time the order came from Ronnie, so Danielle stopped suddenly, not knowing what to do, where to look or who to listen to.

"Danielle hasn't done anything wrong and she stays with me. You want to say something to me, you say it in front of my daughter as well" Ronnie barked at Roxy. Danielle smiled as Ronnie referred to her as her daughter but she soon noticed Roxy angrily staring at her, so she immediately dropped her smile.

"Fine, how could you do this to dad? He may have made mistakes but he was still our dad and he is dead because you put him in that place, you put him there for something he didn't even do!" Roxy screamed, all the anger she had boiled up inside her started to spill out.

"He may not have hit her on purpose but he was the one that took her my little girl away from me in the first place. You have no idea of what he was really like; he may have acted like a saint in front of you but..." Ronnie was interrupted.

"Can you her yourself Ron? What gives you the right to play God, deciding who gets punished for what?" Roxy demanded. "He was a good man, who loved us both" Roxy spluttered as the tears started flowing uncontrollably.

Danielle sat down at the kitchen table as she was struggling to deal with the situation. She had heard the rumours about Ronnie and Roxy's fighting but she never thought it was true. Danielle had always held onto the hope that her mother could never been harsh and cruel to someone she truly loved, but Danielle was learning firsthand how wrong she was.

"Girls, what is all the shouting about?" asked Peggy as she entered the kitchen. "Nothing Aunty Peg" Ronnie stated, trying to forget and move on from the previous argument. But Roxy looked at Peggy in a way, like something had just clicked into place in Roxy's head.

"You said it wasn't an accident?" Roxy said quietly towards Peggy. "What are you talking about?" Peggy asked back, confused at the statement. "You said to the Police that dad hit Danielle on purpose but Ronnie just said she lied to Police" Roxy continued. Peggy looked down to the ground ashamed that her lie had been revealed.

Peggy's look was enough of a guilty confession for Roxy. "So you lied to? What were you in it together?" Roxy said. "What! No!" Ronnie screamed. "Love I'm sorry but your father he did some terrible things and I..." Peggy said before she was abruptly interrupted.

Roxy was struggling to cope with what she was hearing, holding her head in her hands. "What is it with the Mitchell's? Why are we so high and mighty that we can lie and manipulate....?" Roxy said. "Rox, that's what dad did. Why can't you see what he was like" Ronnie demanded, slamming her fist on the table, making Danielle jump.

Danielle felt like her new found family was imploding in around her as Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy stood in the very small kitchen screaming at each other. Danielle just stared at the table cloth, trying to block of her ears from all the cruel words and accusations. Danielle decided she needed to get away and she stood up, causing Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy to finally stop screaming.

"I've got to.....I'm just going to...to go" Danielle stuttered, trying not to make the situation worse. "Oh I'm so sorry sweetie, I just got carried away" Ronnie said. Ronnie felt a wave of guilt overcome her as she had momentarily forgotten that Danielle was even in the room whilst her and Roxy were arguing.

Ronnie put her hand out to grab Danielle's arm as she stood up, trying to stop her leaving but Danielle pulled away. This shocked Ronnie and she stepped back, devastated to realise how much the fighting had upset her daughter.

Ronnie watched on as Danielle opened the kitchen door but she was stopped in her path by Phil, who had two Police Officers by his side. "Mum, they are here to ask about Archie" Phil said. All four women looked at each other, no one moving or saying a word as they realised that their lies could land them in big trouble.

*end of episode*

"We need to speak to Miss Veronica Mitchell and Mrs Peggy Mitchell please" One Policeman said as he read the names of his notepad. Still everyone stayed silent, the panic drawn across their faces.

"Dani, just go wait back at the flat please?" Ronnie said, offering a re-assuring look to her daughter. A look from a mother to a daughter that everything would be fine and she had no need to worry. Danielle went to leave but in the doorway a Policeman stepped in front of her path.

"Are you Miss Danielle Jones?" The policeman asked. Danielle froze, ever since Ronnie had got her arrested she was panicked by the presence of the Police, especially if they wanted to talk to her specifically. Danielle looked at her mother, who face had lost that reassuring look and like Danielle, Ronnie looked nervous and edgy.

Danielle nodded in answer of the Police's question. "Can we talk in private please then Miss Jones?" the policeman asked. "I would rather just stay here, I don't mind talking in front of my family" Danielle said. Ronnie felt a second of happiness that Danielle referred to the Mitchell's as 'my family' but her mind was instantly brought back to the situation with the Police.

"Ok then. On the night of the 10th April 2009 you were involved in a car accident." The Policeman said, looking at Danielle for an acknowledgement of this fact, Danielle nodded again. "Mr Archie Mitchell was driving the car that hit you" said the policeman, Danielle nodded again. "After the accident an accusation was made against Mr Mitchell that he deliberately ran you over. Do you believe this is the case Miss Jones?"

Danielle didn't nod this time, she stood perfectly still staring at The Policemen. She gulped loudly, has fear choked her body and mind. Danielle looked over at Ronnie, desperately hoping for that same re-assuring look that everything was going to be alright, but Ronnie's face was one of panic, tears welling in her eyes as she watched her helpless daughter freeze under the pressure.

Danielle glanced over to Peggy, who had a look of desperation. Danielle stared at her family, who were all bunched tightly together, all eyes staring down on her. "Miss Jones?" The Policeman asked, as Danielle realised she still had not answered the Police's question.

Danielle took one final look at her mother, who now like Peggy, looked desperate for Danielle to save them and Danielle nervously obliged. "Yes" Danielle stated firmly as Peggy sighed in relief at Danielle's answer.

The Police stayed for only twenty minutes longer, speaking to Peggy, Ronnie and Roxy about the night of the accident and what they saw. After the Police had gone, Ronnie found Danielle sitting alone in the lounge, where she had been waiting for her mother whilst she spoke to the Police.

"C'mon Dan, let's go" Ronnie said, ushering her daughter out of the lounge. "Are you ok?" Ronnie asked as Danielle walked past her and out of the lounge, "yep" Danielle said sharply as she kept walking. Ronnie could sense something was wrong, but she knew it was best to get Danielle home and ask questions later.

Danielle and Ronnie returned to the flat and Danielle immediately headed up the stairs, dropping her bag on the lounge floor and throwing herself onto the sofa. Ronnie felt nervous that her daughter was clearly angry but she felt unsure of how to deal with Danielle.

Ronnie poured Danielle and herself a drink, offering the half full glass over to Danielle. Ronnie was pleased when Danielle took the glass, but the tension was heightened when Danielle put it straight down on the coffee table, clearly not wanting to drink away any anger that she had inside of her.

"What did the Police ask?" Danielle said, getting in before Ronnie with a question. "Oh nothing much, they just asked me what I saw and if I was sure that what I reported was true" Ronnie said, sipping her drink as she spoke. "So you lied again?" Danielle asked, though it sounded more like a criticism than a question.

"I didn't lie; I just twisted the truth so he would get what he deserved. I did it for, you know I did it for you right?" Ronnie said, looking into the eyes of her daughter but Danielle just chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

"What is it Danielle, what did I say?" Ronnie asked desperately, placing her glass down on the table knowing she needed a serious chat with her daughter.

"You didn't do it for me; you did it to get one over on your dad. You finally got the chance to beat him and you don't care that you had to lie and manipulate to do it. You're just as bad as him." Danielle said strongly, believing her words.

Ronnie was taken aback, she hated any reference to her father, let alone being compared to him by the person she loved most in the world. "That's not true" Ronnie struggled to say as she became upset.

"Yes it is. This has never been about me and you; it's always been about him." Danielle said, Ronnie tried to interrupt but Danielle kept going. "You were happy to find out I was your daughter for what an hour, then you were off lying to the Police so you could get him arrested." Danielle said.

"That's not true. Everything I have done has been about you, about you and me being mother and daughter." Ronnie said desperately, reaching out to an angry Danielle.

"Then why aren't you being a proper mum! You put me in a terrible situation tonight; you made me lie to the Police. Mums are supposed to protect their kids from this sort of thing not stick them in the middle of it" Danielle said, as her emotions once again overcame her.

"Oh sweetie I'm sorry" Ronnie said, devastated as she realised the mistake she had made. But it was too late; Danielle had stood up and stormed to her room, slamming the door behind her.

*end of episode*

Ronnie was sitting on the floor, he head resting against Danielle's bedroom door. She had desperately tried knocking for 20 minutes but Danielle was not moving. Ronnie could hear her daughter sobbing to herself and it broke Ronnie's heart that, know at a time when she should be comforting her daughter she couldn't. She thought about calling Jack, getting him to break the door down but she knew it wouldn't fix the problem between her and Danielle in the long term. She needed to get Danielle to open up herself; she needed to be a proper mum just like Danielle wanted.

"Dan, please open up" Ronnie called out desperately once again, banging her fist against the door. "I'm sorry about making you lie to the Police, I was just so scared that if they found out that I lied they would separate us again and send me to jail, and I couldn't bear losing you again" Ronnie explained.

Ronnie heard a quiet movement as Danielle wiped the tears from her eyes and headed towards the door, but instead of opening it she sat on the other side, with only a piece of wood separating mother and daughter.

Ronnie listened intently as she heard her daughter slump against the other side of the door. "I'm sorry to mum" Danielle whispered. "You have nothing to be sorry about, I promise" Ronnie said, wishing she could hold her daughter and comfort her.

"I have been so selfish. Through the whole of today all I have been thinking is that my day with my new family had been ruined. I just wanted it to be perfect, but it wasn't and then the Police turned up....and I looked at you, just wanting you to step in and make it all go away. I just wanted you to take me away from it all, but you couldn't" Danielle said, resting her face against the door.

Ronnie was doing the same, crying as she heard her daughter reveal her failings as a mother. Danielle sat back and started to talk again, as her feelings exploded out of her. "That's all I ever wanted from you Ronnie, all I ever wanted was a proper mum.

"I remember one day at school, I must have only been about nine years old and we were sitting in class, making mother's day cards. And when we were done the teacher asked us to stand up, show the class our card and say what we loved about our mum the most.

"All the other kids said the usual; she's kind, caring, buys me cool toys but then it came to me. I stood up, holding this little card that I had been making for hours and I froze. All my friends were looking at me and I couldn't speak.

"The teacher came up to me and said, 'what's your mum like Danielle?' and I just looked up at her and said 'I don't know her'. And all the other kids just burst out laughing, pointing at me because they didn't understand how I didn't know who my mum was.

"I always remember that day, because from then on, even though I loved you and wanted to know you, I started to resent you a little bit because you weren't there, you were not around to protect me from all the bad things that happened to me.' Danielle stopped speaking and dropped her head in her hands, choked up by the emotion that had just spilled from her.

With each word that Ronnie had just heard her heart was breaking piece by piece.

Ronnie was crushed; it felt like she was unable to cry anymore. She could still hear Danielle crying on the other side of the door. Ronnie needed to explain her side of the story. "I wanted to be there more than anything. From the moment you were born and I looked into your beautiful big eyes I knew that you were going to be the best thing that ever happened to me."

"As I held you in my arms for those two hours after you were born and you grabbed my finger so tight, I never wanted to let you go, I just wanted to superglue your little finger to mine. But he wouldn't let me, he took you and I couldn't stop him.

"He wore me down, physically and mentally till there was nothing left of me. When he took you from my arms he killed me. That's what he never realised that he could never hurt me anymore than he did that day, however much he tried.

"As much as you wanted to have a proper mum, I wanted to be a proper mum. When I was younger I wondered what you were doing, what you looked like, how your first day of school went.....all the things that mums are supposed to do.

"And when Roxy had her little Amy it all became worse because I missed you so much and I thought you were dead, I thought we had missed our chance to have what he should have had twenty years ago.

"But then you came back, you walked back into my life and gave us both a second chance. And you know what, when I read that letter you left me at the Slater's I had this rush of pure happiness, just like the day when you were born.

Ronnie went to continue but she felt her back slide of the door as it slightly opened. Danielle had only opened the door a few centimetres but to Ronnie, even this was a small step towards fixing the problems with her daughter.

Ronnie lifted a small piece of jewellery out of her jeans pocket and slid it along the carpet and through the gap in the door to Danielle, leaving it on the floor.

Danielle looked down as Ronnie's hand slid in and out of the room, leaving the necklace in front of her. Danielle lent down ad picked it up, dangling it in front of her eyes. He heart skipped a beat as she realised it was her locket, the same locket she had fished out of the bin early one morning before the bin men arrived after she regretted throwing it away the night before. Danielle had not even realised that her mother had taken her locket until now.

She slowly opened it up and looked inside. On one side was the familiar picture of a young Ronnie, the same picture that Danielle had been staring longingly at for most of her life but the other side now also had a picture in it.

Danielle wiped back the tears from her eyes and looked at the locket. She couldn't help but smile as she looked at a picture of herself and Ronnie, only taken a few weeks ago laughing and joking as they sat on Ronnie's sofa.

Danielle carefully placed the locket around her neck and pushed open the door fully to see Ronnie sitting before her, wearing her locket with the same picture in it. They both beamed at each other and started crying once again, but this time they were tears of joy as mother and daughter embraced.

*end of episode*

Danielle was awake but she didn't want to move from her comfy bed. She wrapped herself amongst the duvet and rested her head against the pillows, slowly closing her eyes again.

"Wake up sleepy head" Ronnie's voice interrupted as she barged in Danielle's room and placed a cup of tea on her bedside table. "We are leaving in 20 minutes, so you better get up." Ronnie said before leaving the room.

Danielle rubbed her eyes and looked at the clock, it said 9.00. Danielle sighed, not liking the idea of getting up early on a Saturday morning. But she obeyed her mum's orders and grudgingly limped out of bed. "Where are we going?" Danielle called, intrigued by her mother's vague statement earlier.

"It's a surprise" Ronnie called from the kitchen. Danielle smiled and she felt a new enthusiasm to get up and dressed.

20 minutes later and Danielle was just about ready, grabbing her jacket and she raced down the stairs. "You just about made it" Ronnie said jokingly as she held the taxi door open for her daughter. Danielle jumped in, followed by Ronnie and the taxi pulled away.

Danielle watched out of the window as the streets and people of London passed her by. Crowds were walking past, chatting and smiling. Danielle always liked to wonder who they were and what they're lives were like. Ronnie looked over to her daughter in the back of the cab and she noticed the intrigue on Danielle's face as she looked at the passers-by.

Ronnie leant over to Danielle, looking out the window with her. "I wonder what they are all thinking." Ronnie said. Danielle beamed back at her mum, "I was just thinking the same thing!" Danielle enthused, excited that her and Ronnie were both thinking the same thing at the same time.

The cab pulled up and Danielle looked at their destination. It was hard to see clearly where they were as the crowds of people swarmed around them but she noticed the rows of shops and could finally recognise that they were on Oxford Street. Ronnie paid the cad driver and ushered Danielle out the cab, "I thought we could do some shopping then maybe Lunch at a cafe, my treat" Ronnie said.

Danielle jumped out of the cab, ecstatic at the thought of spending a day shopping with her mum. As the pair walked hand in hand down Oxford Street Danielle couldn't help thinking of the time that she had explained this situation to Stacey all those months ok.

But back then it was just a dream. She looked at Ronnie and realised that this was all really happening, just like she had imagined it.

The pair had spent hours popping in and out of the shops down Oxford Street, dragging more and more bags with them as they went. Danielle admired her mother as she tried on clothes in the shop dressing rooms, looking at Ronnie twirling in the mirror in a fall length ball gown.

"C'mon it's your turn" Ronnie said smiling, handing her daughter a beautiful royal blue dress and pushing her into the dressing rooms. As Danielle stepped out in the dress Ronnie was blown away by how beautiful her daughter looked and how much she reminded her of both herself and Roxy.

Danielle felt a rush of confidence as she tried on dress after dress, the next one always more gorgeous and expensive than the last. She wasn't sure if it was the dresses or the presence of her mum that made her feel so confident; Danielle felt it was a bit of both.

After leaving the final store with one more bag to add to the rest Danielle headed into the street but the busy crowd overcame her and she felt herself being pushed and pulled away from Ronnie. She could see Ronnie coming out of the shop but Danielle struggled to move against the crowd and back to her mum.

Ronnie closed the shop door behind her and looked in front of her, expecting to see her daughter. But Danielle wasn't there. Ronnie began to panic, turning quickly on the spot, desperately searching for the young blond figure of her daughter.

Ronnie's heart started to beat faster as the crowds kept moving past. "Mum" Danielle called. Ronnie heard the voice in the distance and was relieved to see Danielle pushing past the bodies towards her.

Ronnie immediately grabbed Danielle hugging her tightly. "I was starting to panic then" Ronnie said. "It's ok; I just got pushed down the road by the crowds. C'mon let's get a cab, I'm a bit tired now" Danielle said, grabbing Ronnie's arm and waving down a cab. Ronnie felt a bit embarrassed by her over-reaction but she couldn't help it, her motherly instincts kicked in whenever she lost sight of Danielle.

As the cab pulled up outside the flat, Ronnie and Danielle got out of the car, dragging the bags with them. Ronnie paid the driver and both headed up the stairs into Ronnie's flat.

"I'm exhausted" Danielle said as she dropped the bags on the floor and collapsed on the sofa. Ronnie joined her, both leaning back on the sofa staring up at the ceiling. "Thanks for today mum, I had a great time." Danielle said, turning to smile at Ronnie.

"Me too" Ronnie said, smiling back. Danielle looked at her mother, resting her head against Ronnie's shoulder and she wondered if this was the happiest she had ever been.


	3. Chapter 3

Six months had passed and Danielle and Ronnie were getting on better than ever. Ronnie was also back with Jack for the last two months, their relationship blossoming again. But it was no longer one of lust it was a relationship based on family; the family of Ronnie, Jack and Danielle.

It was mid October and Ronnie and Danielle had planned a secret birthday party for Jack at R & R. The pair had spent the day blowing up balloons and arranging banners in the club. "It looks great doesn't it" Ronnie said, beaming at Danielle.

"Yes, I'm sure Jack will love it" Danielle replied. Ronnie walked over to Danielle and handed her an envelope. Danielle looked inside to see a birthday card to Jack, confused as to why Ronnie had given this to her.

"Don't forget to sign the card for Jack" Ronnie said, busying herself finishing of the last decorations for the party. Ronnie walked into the office, leaving Danielle alone by the bar. Danielle looked at the card, opening it up to see the message inside; "With all our love, thanks for everything you have done. By most of all thanks for making us a family."

A tear rolled down Danielle's cheek and onto her mother's writing, Danielle quickly tried to stop the ink for running as she wiped the tears from her eyes. It was only a small message but the words Ronnie had written and the fact she wanted Danielle to sign it as well filled Danielle with a sense of joy and pride.

She was finally part of a family, Jack may not be her dad but she felt like they were a proper family. For the first time in her life Danielle truly felt like she was where she belonged with people that loved her.

It was 9pm and the party was in full flow, with the residents of Albert Square enjoying the free alcohol and good atmosphere. Ronnie was talking with Jack in the corner as Danielle looked on. She watched as her mother, placed a hand lightly on Jack's hand, whispering something into his ear.

"You alright Dan" Stacey said, making Danielle jump. "Oh yeah, I'm fine thanks" Danielle said, sipping her glass of wine. "And how are things going with the lovebirds over there?" Stacey asked, gesturing towards Ronnie and Jack.

"Yeah fine" Danielle said, again taking a sip of her wine. Stacey looked at her friend and realised she was holding something back. "You know that you will always be her number one priority don't you" Stacey said reassuringly. "But how do you..." Danielle said, pausing when she realised that her best friend had managed to read her mind about how she was feeling.

Danielle smiled and finished her sentence, "but how do you know that?"

"Because she is your mum Dan, nothing will change that. I have known Ronnie for over two years now and before she found you again she was this ice queen, never smiling or laughing. But now, just look at her" Stacey said, looking over at Ronnie and Jack.

"I am happy for them Stace, I'm just worried that I will get pushed out. They will want to get married, start their own family. I'm just the older daughter, who is all grown up and in the way" Danielle sighed.

"You should talk to her Dan, talk to them both." Stacey said, and Danielle agreed. She decided to talk to Ronnie and Jack together later; all she wanted to do now was enjoy the party. Danielle grabbed another glass of champagne and headed onto the dance floor with Stacey.

Jack had watched Ronnie leave, heading out the door to get some fresh air. Jack was transfixed by Ronnie, he always had been. He smiled to himself as he thought about what he had; Ronnie back in his life and Danielle, a girl that her cared for greatly.

Jack only saw Amy occasionally and Penny very rarely so Danielle was becoming more like a daughter to him every day that passed. He felt protective over her, just like he did with Ronnie.

Jack headed to his office, wanting to take a moment away from the crowds. He closed the door behind him and poured himself a drink. He sat at the desk and looked at the pictures in front of him. His eyes scanned over the frames, moving from a picture of Penny to one of himself, Ronnie and Danielle and then his eyes stopped, pausing on the last photo.

It was a picture of his daughter Amy, being cradled in the arms of Roxy. Jack stared at the picture, wishing that the place of Roxy would change to Ronnie instead.

This picture always made Jack hesitate. Though his relationship with Ronnie had never been better the situation with Roxy and his daughter always lay in the background, playing on his mind.

Jack felt this bond with Roxy. He didn't know whether it was because of the tension between them, the fact she was Ronnie's sister or the bond they shared because of their daughter. Jack still stared at the picture when he was interrupted as Roxy stood in the doorway, waving a bottle of alcohol around merrily.

Danielle limped onto a stall, exhausted from dancing with Stacey. She giggled to herself as she watched Stacey continue to dance with a mystery man in the corner. Danielle pulled her heels of and limped towards the R & R office, hoping to find a spare pair of her mum's shoes to wear.

As she approached the door she looked through the office window and saw Jack sitting at his desk, but he wasn't alone. Danielle squinted her eyes, trying to see who was there with him. As she pressed her head against the glass she was taken aback to see a blonde figure leaning over Jack's chair and kissing him passionately.

Danielle looked again nervously. At first she thought it was Ronnie, Danielle felt uncomfortable and embarrassed to see her mum with Jack. But these feelings were soon forgotten when Danielle watched in shock as she caught a glimpse of the women she believed to be her mum. To Danielle's horror it wasn't Ronnie, it was Roxy.

*end of episode*

Danielle stepped away from the door, shocked by the scene she had just witnessed. She felt a surge of anger, how could Jack and Roxy do this to Ronnie again. Danielle felt crushed as her family started to crumble round her once again.

She didn't know what to do, the old Danielle would run away, forget it ever happened. But she felt so much anger towards them both, that she wanted to confront them, it was a stronger side to Danielle that she got from her mother.

Danielle headed for the door, placing her hand on the door handle, ready to burst in and attack them both until, "Hey, you alright sweetie?" a voice called. Danielle turned on the spot to come face to face with Ronnie.

Danielle froze, a sense of panic pulsated through her. She hated the fact that she was the one standing in the way of her mother finding out the truth, but she couldn't bear seeing Ronnie's heart broken again.

"Yeah I'm fine" Danielle said, trying to think of a way to stop her mother finding out the truth. Danielle knew that Ronnie needed to know, but she couldn't find out like this. "I...I...was just coming to find you actually" Danielle nervously said, hoping that her lie sounded convincing.

Danielle was facing her mother, but her hand was still tightly gripped onto the door handle behind her back. "Oh ok, did you need to talk to me about something?" Ronnie asked.

"No, no I just wondered if you wanted to get some fresh air, maybe a walk?" Danielle asked, trying desperately to get Ronnie away from the office.

"Well I just got some fresh air, so maybe later? I just need to get something from...." Ronnie said. She leant towards Danielle and Danielle realised she was heading for the door into the office. "Drinks then, let's get a drink" Danielle stated firmly before dragging her mother away from the office and to the bar before Ronnie had time to protest.

As Ronnie and Danielle stood at the bar, deep in conversation Danielle had one eye on the office. Neither Roxy nor Jack had left and it made Danielle sick to think what was happening between the pair.

"I'm just going to pop to the ladies" Ronnie said as she walked away from Danielle. This was her opportunity to confront them both. Danielle felt a surge of confidence and anger as she marched towards the office.

Danielle grabbed the door handle and swung the office door open, slamming it loudly behind her. She didn't know what scene she expected to be witness to but she relieved when she opened the door to see Jack sitting in the office chair and Roxy perched on his desk, the pair involved in a heated conversation.

"Danielle" Jack said, surprised to see her standing in the doorway. "Can you just give us a minute please" Roxy said. Danielle noticed the angry tone in Roxy's voice. "No, not really" Danielle said bluntly, before she could think about what she was saying.

Roxy and Jack also looked surprised, both taken aback by Danielle's firm tone. "What are you two doing?" Danielle asked with a disappointed look in her eyes. "We are just talking" Jack said nervously.

"Not now, earlier. I saw you two" Danielle said, angry that they were trying to cover up their kiss. Roxy stood up, panicking that her supposed secret had been rumbled. Roxy stumbled towards Danielle.

"I don't know what you thought you saw Danielle, but you were wrong, Ok?" Roxy said, putting a hand on her niece's shoulder as she tried to convince Danielle that she was telling the truth. "No I'm not, why are you lying?" Danielle said, angrily pushing Roxy away.

"Look Dan, it was just one moment. Nothing else happened, I promise" Jack said, realising that he couldn't lie to Danielle. "Roxy just had too much to drink and...." Jack continued.

"Don't blame this on me" Roxy screamed, turning to point her finger at Jack in anger as she struggled to stay on her feet. Jack looked on at Roxy, disgusted by what he had just done with her.

"I know you don't want to lie to her Dan, but please just don't tell Ronnie" Jack said, with a look of desperation in his eyes.

"Tell Ronnie what?" said a voice, as the office door opened. Jack and Roxy froze, both falling silent. Danielle's heart sank as she recognised the voice; she turned on the spot to see Ronnie standing in front of her.

Danielle stayed silent, staring at her mother. Jack and Roxy stood behind Danielle; they're eyes scanning each other in panic. Ronnie noticed the shifty looks on the faces of Jack and Roxy. She then looked at Danielle. Ronnie was alarmed by the upset and clearly distressed look in her daughter's eyes.

"Dan, what's going on?" Ronnie said, holding to hand out to Danielle. "It's not my place to say" Danielle said, looking nervously down at the ground. Ronnie was becoming more and more confused by the situation.

"Jack?" She looked at her boyfriend, hoping he would have the strength to explain. Jack looked at Danielle, who had a look of disgust in her eyes. He knew Ronnie would have the same look but he couldn't lie to her, not again.

"Me and Roxy, we....Danielle saw us...." Jack struggled to say the words but the look in his eyes told the story for Ronnie. Ronnie's face dropped as she realised the truth, she held her hand in her hands as tears started to stream from her face.

"It was only one drunken kiss, Ron. I'm so sorry" Roxy said, walking towards Ronnie. Roxy started to cry as she saw how crushed her sister was.

"Get out" Ronnie whispered as she pushed Roxy away from her. "GET OUT" Ronnie screamed again, pointing at the door.

Roxy knew not to argue with her sister this time as she quickly left, not making eye contact with anyone as she went. The room was again silent. Danielle looked at her mother, who had now collapsed on the sofa in floods of tears.

Danielle didn't know what to say or what to do. She wanted to comfort her mother, make it all better but she knew she couldn't. At the same time she wanted to throttle Jack for hurting Ronnie again.

"When did it happen?" Ronnie muttered. Jack was unsure whether it was a question or Ronnie just talking to herself, trying to get her head around what she had been told. "About an hour ago" Jack said, not wanting to go into any more detail.

"And you saw them together?" Ronnie said, looking up at Danielle. Danielle nodded, ashamed that she had kept this from her mother. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ronnie asked desperately.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt again. I was going to tell you, I just needed to find the right moment. I didn't want you to walk in on them" Danielle said.

Ronnie looked up at Danielle, surprised at what she had just heard. "They were in here together. That's when you stopped me from coming in the office, because they were in here together?" Ronnie asked, as she got more angry and upset.

Danielle nodded again. Jack watched on as mother and daughter talked, he felt guilty that all this mess was his fault. "I think you better go" Ronnie said, looking down at the floor. Jack heard the words and sighed, dropping his shoulders and admitting defeat.

As Jack headed for the door, Ronnie stopped him. "No, not you" Ronnie said. Danielle turned her head suddenly to look at her mother again. The pair looking into each other's eyes, tears rolling down their faces.

"Please, just go. I need to talk to him" Ronnie said. Danielle's heart sank as she heard her mother's words. She wanted to fight back, explain her situation but she had never seen the look in Ronnie's eyes before. Danielle saw it as one of disappointment and with that she shot out the office and out of the club.

Danielle slumped on a wall outside R & R, devastated by what she saw as Ronnie's rejection and disappointment in her. She could hear the music and laughter from inside the club but all she wanted to do was shut everything and everybody away.

Danielle was heading home when she bumped into a familiar face. "Danielle is she ok" Roxy said desperately. "What do you think!" Danielle said bluntly.

"You saw it was just a kiss" Roxy said, looking at Danielle for some kind of forgiveness. "It doesn't matter, you still betrayed Ronnie again. Why did you have to ruin everything Roxy! Things were going so well and you just mucked it up" Danielle screamed.

Roxy was shocked by Danielle's outburst. "So are just upset because I hurt Ronnie or because I ruined your perfect family?" Roxy said, pointing her finger at Danielle.

Danielle knew Roxy was drunk and she probably didn't mean the things she was saying, but they still hurt and she wanted to fight back. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Danielle screamed, unable to control her anger as her blood boiled inside of her.

"She your sister and you just keep breaking her heart again and again" Danielle continued. "You don't know me, we may be related but you know nothing about me, or Ronnie!" Roxy screamed back, stumbling in front of Danielle.

"Don't you realise that soon she will just grow bored of you. The novelty of finding her dead daughter will soon wear off and then she will move on. Start a proper family with someone else." Roxy said viciously.

Danielle felt tears welling in her eyes again as her aunt attacked the insecurities she had been hiding. She didn't want Roxy to see her fears, she didn't want to let her see how much she had hurt not only Ronnie but herself as well.

"Well thanks to you that family won't be with Jack will it!" Danielle barked. She stormed away from Roxy, wanting to have the final word with her so she couldn't bite back and hurt her again.

Roxy watched as Danielle stormed away, clearly devastated by their argument. Roxy felt guilty about what she had said, but it was too late now so she headed back to The Vic to get some sleep.

As Danielle and Roxy argued on the street outside, Jack and Ronnie were still in the office, neither moving nor speaking; all that could be heard was Ronnie sobbing. All Jack wanted to do was hold Ronnie, say he was sorry and go back to how things were, but he knew he couldn't.

Jack bravely stepped towards Ronnie, sitting next to her on the sofa. He went to place an arm around Ronnie, offering comfort but he thought better of it as Ronnie shot him a look of disgust and anger.

"It was just one moment, a moment of weakness." Jack said softly, trying to reason with Ronnie.

"But it wasn't, was it Jack. And your little girl is proof of that" Ronnie said, as she wiped her tears to look at Jack. She wanted to look like he hadn't hurt her, like she was strong and unaffected but she couldn't; she couldn't control the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Jack didn't know how to respond. He wanted to tell Ronnie that she was all that mattered to him but he would be lying to himself and the woman he loved; he had Amy and Ronnie had Danielle and that would never change.

"What are we going to do?" Jack asked, with a defeated tone in his voice. "I know now that this won't work, you can't be in Amy's life as well as mine. And I can't take you away from your little girl" Ronnie said, as she spoke the realisation of what she was saying hit her.

"You need to be there 100% for Amy and I need to do the same for Danielle. She is the most important person in my life and that will never change" Ronnie stated firmly.

Jack looked at Ronnie, trying to pretend that their relationship wasn't falling apart in front of his eyes. He knew he could fight back, but Ronnie was right. Too much had happened for their relationship to work.

Jack took one last look at Ronnie, a tear rolled down his cheek as he walked away from the women he loved.

Danielle sat shivering outside the club, she knew she should have gone home but she couldn't bear the thought of leaving Ronnie when she might need her. Danielle wrapped her coat around her and looked at her watch once more.

Danielle looked up to see Jack leaving the club, visibly upset and shaken. Danielle immediately stood up and headed back into the club and down to the office. She nervously looked through the window in the door, not sure what mood Ronnie would be in.

Danielle's heart sank as she saw Ronnie lying on the sofa, crying hysterically into a pillow. Danielle slowly opened the door and sat next to her mum on the sofa, placing a hand on Ronnie's leg to let her know she was there.

"Mum" Danielle whispered. Ronnie looked up and saw Danielle sitting before her. She managed a smile for her before Danielle wrapped her arms around her mum, with Ronnie crying on her shoulder.

After a few moments Ronnie pulled away from her daughter, looking up and wiping back the tears. "Thank you" Ronnie said, hugging her daughter. Ronnie still felt devastated at the split but she felt like she couldn't cry anymore tonight.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you straight away" Danielle said. "It's ok, it wasn't your fault" Ronnie said back, placing her hand on Danielle's face to wipe back her daughter's tears.

"I just need some time on my own ok" Ronnie said. She could see that her daughter didn't want to leave her. "It's ok really" Ronnie nodded at Danielle, offering a small smile to convince her daughter. Danielle grudgingly walked out the office, and Ronnie sat on the sofa, alone once again.

As Danielle left the office, she turned back to look at Ronnie. She saw her mother looking straight ahead, with a lost look in her eyes. Danielle wanted to help but she knew she couldn't, she respected her mother's wished and walked away to join Stacey at the bar.

As the clock hit midnight Stacey and Danielle were enjoying drinks at the bar. Although Danielle was enjoying herself she couldn't help but look over at the office door every few minutes, hoping that her mother was ok.

Ronnie was busying herself in the office, trying to take her mind off what had happened earlier. She filed through paperwork as Jack's desk, taking little notice of what she was actually doing. Ronnie had a bottle of vodka sat next to her, she poured herself a small glass as see quickly flicked through the paperwork. A picture caught her attention; it was of herself, Danielle and Jack together, happy.

Ronnie couldn't help but stare at the picture of what she had thought was her family. Ronnie could feel the pain and hurt rising in her chest again so she quickly slammed the picture face down on the desk. Her eyes scanned the next picture; it was one of Roxy and Amy. Her eyes fixed again but this time she was interrupted by raised voices from the bar.

She quickly stood up, grateful for the distraction away from the pictures. The voices became louder and Ronnie noticed that screams were laughter were soon fading to be replaced by screams of fear. Ronnie heart raced faster as the sound of an alarm drummed into her head. She headed for the door to see smoke filling her club, people rushing around uncontrollably.

Ronnie burst through the office door, into the smoke. "What's happened?" Ronnie called out desperately. But no one heard her as the screams of the crowds grew louder. Through the smoke she couldn't make out faces but she could see the crowds running for the exits as smoke and fire engulfed the club.

She tried unsuccessfully to calm the crowds down, trying to make sure everyone left safely. But one person jumped into her head, Danielle. "Danielle" Ronnie screamed, desperate to somehow pick out her daughter through the smoke.

"Danielle" Ronnie screamed again. But as she tried to walk forward a hand latched onto her arm, pulling her towards the exit. Ronnie tried to resist and head back down the stairs but the person's grip was too firm, she looked up at the figure; it was Jack.

"Jack, I've got to go back, she is...." Ronnie tried to finish her sentence but she started to choke as smoke filled her lungs. Jack and Ronnie reached the top of the stairs, reaching fresh air.

People had started to gather outside the club as the crowds poured out of the R & R exit. Ronnie finally managed to loosen Jack's grip and pull away from him, catching her breath. Without caring for her own safety Ronnie went to charge back down the stairs but Jack once again stopped her.

"Jack get off. It's Danielle I think she is still in there!" Ronnie screamed.

*end of episode*

Jack's heart sunk as he watched Ronnie become more and more hysterical, he hated to see her like this. Without saying another word Jack broke free of Ronnie and stormed through the smoke and back into the club. "JACK!" Ronnie screamed as she watched the man she loved heroically enter the burning building.

The crowds had now been pushed back by Police and Ronnie was standing next to Peggy and Roxy, who had come from The Vic after hearing the sirens in the square. Peggy held onto Ronnie tightly, trying to support her niece as Ronnie's legs shaked with fear at the thought of not only losing Danielle, but now Jack as well.

As much as she hated Jack for what he had done earlier that evening, part of her still cared for him, like part of her cared for Roxy. Her sister was standing behind Peggy and Ronnie, wanting to be close to her sister at the distressing time.

Ronnie watched on as familiar faces continued to pour out of the club. Jane and Ian burst out, brushing the ash of their faces, followed by Tanya and Max. Ronnie couldn't help but feel guilty that all she could think about was that she wished it was Danielle rushing out the club alive, not her neighbours.

"Phil!" Peggy shouted, letting go of Ronnie. Ronnie looked up to see Phil stumbling out of the club, his clothes covered in ash. Peggy rushed to his side as he struggled to catch his breath. "Phil, did you see Danielle, did you see Jack?" Ronnie asked frantically but she was left heartbroken as Phil shook his head.

Inside the club Jack had managed to reach the bottom of the stairs as he struggled to move against the bodies rushing past him. "Danie....." Jack tried to call out, struggling to finish her name as the smoke suffocated him.

Jack found his way over to the bar, waving his hand in front of his face as he tried to see in front of him. He managed to sit on a stall, trying to catch his breath. He knew what he was doing was crazy but he had to find Danielle, for Ronnie.

On the other side of the bar, two bodies lay flat crumbled on the floor. Danielle and Stacey were lifeless as the flames and smoke billowed around them. They lay only millimetres apart but both were a long way away from safety.

Jack jumped to his feet, determined to not let the smoke overcome him. He staggered around the bar, darting his eyes around in case he caught a glimpse of Danielle. Jack's heart was racing faster and faster as he realised time was running out fast.

As he reached the other side of the bar Jack felt a shape at his feet, scrambling around he leant down and saw the blonde haired body of Danielle lying in front of him. "Dan, Dan" Jack screamed, trying to wake her up. But Danielle wasn't moving.

With little hesitation he scooped Danielle up in his arms, trying to cover her face from the smoke and flames. Jack slowly staggered away from the bar, struggling to walk and carry Danielle to safety.

He could feel the heat burning his body as the flames burnt stronger, taking hold of what remained of his club. Jack stumbled into a wall, nearly dropping Danielle as he struggled to stay on his feet. Jack managed to reach the stairs and started the uphill climb to safety, with Danielle unconscious in his arms.

Outside the club fire engines and ambulances were surrounding the exit as local residents received treatment. Ronnie stood in the same position, rocking back and forth on the spot. Ronnie felt like her life was slowly slipping away from her again as she watched the flames blaze away.

Firemen were organising themselves to one side, ready to tackle the blaze. "I can't lose her again, not again" Ronnie whispered. Peggy leant into Ronnie, kissing her on the forehead. Peggy had always known the right thing to say but this time even she was lost for words, knowing all she could offer he inconsolable niece was a shoulder to cry on.

As a group of four firemen approached the club entrance a sudden explosion of flames, threw them back as the crowds jumped back in shock. Ronnie's knees gave way as she screamed in horror; she crumbled to the ground; broken and devastated. Peggy was unable to hold her up any longer.

But even though hope was lost a figure could be seen moving from within the smoke. Firemen and locals looked on as Jack stumbled out of the club, with Danielle cradled in his arms. As Jack made it onto the pavement outside the club he collapsed, throwing Danielle to the floor.

Ronnie looked up as she heard the gasps of the crowd; she had expected to see her daughter lying dead before her. But to her relief and joy Danielle's arm twitched and she started to cough uncontrollably, vomiting on the ground next to wear she laid.

Ronnie jumped to her feet and bolted to wear Danielle lay, moving so fast that no one could stop her in time. "Sweetie, Dan...please be ok" Ronnie asked desperately as her tears rained over Danielle. Danielle managed to turn her head and slowly open her eyes, "mum" she whispered.

Ronnie let out another scream, but this time it was a scream of joy as she stared into the beautiful brown eyes of her daughter. Paramedics rushed around Danielle, pushing Ronnie away. But Ronnie didn't mind, Danielle was safe and she knew she needed treatment. Peggy and Roxy ran over to Ronnie, each taking an arm to lift her off the ground.

Ronnie looked round at Roxy, who smiled at her sister, offering Ronnie support. But Ronnie pushed Roxy off, instead falling into the arms of Peggy for an embrace. "She is going to be ok Aunty Peg" Ronnie exclaimed, struggling to hold back the tears of joy. "I know dear, she is going to fine" Peggy replied, trying to support her niece. Roxy watched on rejected as her aunt and sister embraced.

Paramedics helped Jack off the ground, as three firemen headed into the blazing club behind him. As he was taken over to a nearby ambulance he looked over at Ronnie, who was huddled next to Peggy. She looked up at him and smiled gently, mouthing the words "thank you".

Four paramedics were crouched round Danielle as they placed an oxygen mask around her face. To Ronnie's relief she watched on as they supported Danielle's back as she sat upright, talking to Danielle slowly and checking her over. Ronnie watched on, not wanting to disrupt them as they checked Danielle.

The fire had nearly all gone out as the firemen got the flames under control. A sense of relief seemed to wave over the crowd as they realised that the nightmare was over. But in the distance as the last smoke cleared another figure could be seen in the doorway.

This time it was a fireman, carrying a lifeless body in his arms. The crowd feel silent as they watched the fireman carry the body away from the club, placing the body on the ground not far from Danielle.

Danielle looked on in horror as she watched paramedics rush to the side of Stacey. Raised voices could be heard as Mo, Jean and Charlie pushed to the front of the crowd and through the Police cordon.

"I'm her mother!" Jean cried as a policeman unsuccessfully tried to hold them back. The three ran over to where Stacey lay as paramedics desperately tried to revive her. Danielle looked on in shock as a female paramedic looked up at another and shock her head.

The silence that filled the crowd was hit by a deafening scream as Jean cradled her dead daughter in her arms, surrounded by a hysterical Mo and inconsolable Charlie. Danielle watched on as she sat alone on the pavement, the paramedics had left her alone to go and help Stacey.

No one had spoken or moved, each person holding their heads in their hands, shocked by the loss. Danielle heart jumped as she started to choke again, a sick feeling rising in her stomach.

Danielle felt a hand on her back and she looked round to see Ronnie squatting in front of her. Danielle fell into her mother's arms crying, devastated that she had just lost her best friend.

*end of episode*

Ronnie carefully guided Danielle up the stairs, trying to support her daughter's legs and she was still shaking from the shock. Ronnie slowly helped Danielle onto the sofa, waiting for a response from Danielle.

But Danielle didn't say a word, sitting perfectly still on the sofa. Ronnie looked at Danielle, looking at her pale face and red eyes. She was shocked that there was such an empty look in Danielle's eyes, a look she hadn't seen before.

"I will make us a drink" Ronnie said, she left Danielle and went to the kitchen to make the tea. As she took the mugs out of the cupboard and turned the kettle on Ronnie kept an eye on Danielle, ready to be there the second Danielle needed her.

Ronnie finished making the tea and walked over to Danielle, placing her cup on the table. "You should drink something" Ronnie tried to encourage Danielle but nothing was getting through to her daughter.

"Are you sure you don't want to go for a check up at the hospital?" Ronnie asked, leaning into Danielle trying to make eye contact with her. But still Danielle was silent, staring past Ronnie like she wasn't even there.

Ronnie didn't know what else to say or how to help Danielle so she sat next to her on the sofa, taking Danielle's hand and gripping it tightly. Ronnie knew no words would help Danielle but she wanted her daughter to know that when she was ready to talk, Ronnie would be there.

An hour passed and both Ronnie and Danielle still sat on the sofa. Danielle still had not spoken and Ronnie was becoming increasingly concerned that Danielle was bottling up her emotions, struggling to deal with the grief.

"Sweetie, listen to me" Ronnie started, placing her hand under Danielle's chin and moving Danielle's fringe out of her eyes. "I know this is hard but you need to talk about it. Please don't bottle it up inside, believe me it only makes it worse."

"How could it be worse?" Danielle muttered to Ronnie, her voice quiet and cold. "She's gone mum" Danielle said as she realised that saying those few words made it all real and not just a nightmare. "I know sweetie" Ronnie said, wrapping her arms round Danielle as her daughter cried uncontrollably.

Ronnie woke the next morning, squinting her eyes as the sun shone through her bedroom window. She turned to look at the clock and was stunned to see it was already 11am. Ronnie never normally slept in, she was always up early, ready and organised for the day.

Ronnie jumped out of bed and threw her dressing gown round her, desperate to check on Danielle. She had stayed up late the previous night with Danielle as she started to open up and grief but even after she had put Danielle to bed she had heard her daughter sobbing during the night.

Ronnie approached Danielle's door and knocked softly, opening it slightly as she heard no response. Ronnie poked her head through the door but instead of seeing Danielle sleeping peacefully her bed was empty.

Ronnie started to panic as she flung the door open, scanning her eyes around Danielle's room but she wasn't there. Ronnie's heart began to race faster; ever since she had been reunited with Danielle Ronnie hated losing sight of her daughter, not knowing where she was. But this time it was worse because Ronnie knew the state Danielle was in last night.

Ronnie felt a sense of guilt that she had left her daughter alone last night, wishing she had stayed with Danielle in her room. She reached down for her mobile and tried to ring Danielle but she recognised Danielle's ring tone, noticing that her daughter had left her mobile on the kitchen table before she had left.

Ronnie bolted to her room, ripping of her Pyjamas and throwing on an old pair of jeans and a jumper. She ran down the stairs and out of the flat, not knowing where to start in her search for Danielle.

Ronnie burst through the doors of The Vic and headed straight to Roxy, who was behind the bar. "Have you seen Danielle?" Ronnie screamed, not realising how loud she was. "How is she doing?" Roxy asked, trying to reach and connect with her sister.

But Ronnie ignored Roxy's question, "Have you seen her Rox?" Ronnie barked again. "I was only asking!" Peggy had heard the commotion and walked towards the pair. "What's going on? Oh hi Darling, how are you today?" Peggy said as she noticed Ronnie standing on the other side of the bar.

"Aunty Peg, have you seen Danielle?" Ronnie asked. "Yes, she's other there love" Peggy said, nodding towards the table in the corner. Ronnie's heart sunk as she saw her little girl hunched over a full glass, sitting alone.

"She's been there for about an hour. I have tried to talk to her but she said she was fine, wanted to be on her own" Peggy explained. "Thanks" Ronnie said, smiling at her aunt and heading over to Danielle.

"You should be more sensitive" Peggy said to Roxy, noticing the annoyed expression on Roxy's face. "She nearly lost her again last night and she's worried about her, after everything that has happened and all" Peggy continued but Roxy just grunted turning away to serve a customer.

Ronnie cautiously approached Danielle, slowly sitting on a chair opposite her. Ronnie placed her hand on top of Danielle's, which was resting on the table. "Dan, I was worried about you" Ronnie said quietly, wanting to keep the conversation between herself and Danielle.

"Why?" Danielle said quietly back. "Because I woke up this morning and you were gone and after last night...." Ronnie explained, but Danielle interrupted. "I'm fine now ok" Danielle said, pulling her hand away from Ronnie's.

Ronnie wanted to argue back, point out that she clearly wasn't ok but she thought better of it, choosing instead to say silent.

The doors next to the table where Ronnie and Danielle were sitting opened and the pub fell silent as Jean, Mo and Charlie entered. Everyone felt on edge and they walked towards the bar, wanting to talk to Peggy.

"I am so sorry about your lose" Peggy said as she approached them from behind the bar. "Thank you. We were hoping to talk to you about the wake" Jean said, speaking very quickly, her voice trembling.

"Don't you think it is a bit soon dear" Peggy said, trying to offer support and advice. But their conversation was interrupted as Danielle left the table and Ronnie and approached them.

"Jean, Charlie, Mo I am so...." Danielle started to say. "What does she want?" Jean barked, turning round to stare at Danielle angrily who was taken aback by Jean's outburst. "Jean, please" Charlie said, trying to calm her down.

"No Charlie, don't try and calm me down" Jean cried hysterically. "Why do you even care about Stacey? She wasn't your friend, not after you found someone better" Jean continued, looking over at Ronnie as she spoke.

Tears started to well in Danielle's eyes. "Stacey was there for you when you needed her but then you just forgot about her, moved on. After all we did for you..." Jean said, shaking her head in disgust at Danielle.

"Look I know you're upset, but that's not fair" Ronnie blurted out and she stood up to defend Danielle. Charlie and Mo tried to hold Jean back but they struggled as she continued to attack Danielle and now Ronnie.

"Not fair, I will tell you what is not fair! It's not fair that Jack dragged you out of that fire last night, leaving my little girl to die, all alone...." Jean screamed but she stopped as the tears overcame her.

"C'mon Jean, its best we go" Charlie said as tears started to roll down his cheeks. Mo and Charlie both put their hands around Jean and guided her out the pub.

Everyone was silent as they stared at Danielle. Danielle couldn't move, shocked at Jean's cruel attack. Tears started to roll down her cheeks as Ronnie bent down and looked into her daughter's eyes. "She didn't mean it, she was just upset" Ronnie said, trying to convince her daughter.

"She meant it" Danielle said quietly, feeling devastated and guilty over what Jean has just said. "Let's get you upstairs" Ronnie said, as she guided Danielle through the pub and up the stairs.

The pub was still deadly silent, awkward eyes darting from one face to the next. "Shows over" Roxy said, breaking the silence as the locals started to quietly talk and whisper amongst themselves.

Danielle stared in the mirror, slowly running a brush through her hair. She looked at herself and up and down, reminded of her the sadness and grief that lay ahead today when she looked at the black shirt and skirt she had chosen to wear.

She stared at herself in the mirror, wondering if they lost and hurt girl in front of her would have enough courage to get through the day. Danielle tried to reassure herself in her mind that she was a Mitchell and her mum had taught her that Mitchell's are strong but all she felt was lost and scared, more like the Danielle Jones that first arrived in Walford over a year ago.

Danielle brushed herself down and picked up her jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders. "You look beautiful" a voice said from behind her. Danielle turned around and saw her mum smiling softly at her. Danielle wondered how Ronnie could still look stunning and radiant dressed in all black.

"I don't feel it" Danielle muttered. "Listen to me Dan, you look lovely. Just like me when I was your age" Ronnie said, trying to cheer up her daughter. Danielle managed a little smile in return.

"You ready to go" Ronnie asked, placing her hand on Danielle's shoulder. Danielle turned to look at her mother. "What if they don't want me there, after what happened last week..." Danielle confessed an anxious look on her face.

"Of course they want you there; you were Stacey's best friend. Jean was just upset last week. Anyway Stacey would want you to be there, to say goodbye" Ronnie said, smiling at her daughter. Ronnie wanted to believe what she was saying but she was hoping that Jean wouldn't attack Danielle again; she wasn't sure how much more her daughter could take.

Danielle nodded, reassured by her mother's kind words. The pair left the flat and into the cab that waited outside. Ronnie grabbed Danielle's hand as they made the way to the church, wanting Danielle to know that she would be there for her.

As the cab pulled up outside the church Danielle looked nervously outside the window. She saw Jean, Mo and Charlie huddled in a corner and many of her neighbours waiting outside the church, each with a glum and saddened expression across their faces.

Ronnie got out the cab and went round to open the other door, gesturing for Danielle to join her. She took her mother's hand and took a deep breath, steeping onto the gravel and walking towards the crowds and the church.

As the congregation started to fill into the church Danielle caught Jean's eye, smiling sweetly at her. But Jean ignored Danielle, looking past her like she wasn't even there. Danielle dropped her head, upset by the rejection.

Danielle looked up to see a familiar face looking down on her. "Thanks for coming" Charlie whispered, taking Danielle's hand and kissing her on the cheek. Danielle watched as Charlie walked away, catching up with Mo and Jean. Danielle felt a rush of warmth in her heart that Charlie had reached out to her at such a tragic time.

Ronnie and Danielle walked into the church, Danielle paused momentarily as she saw Stacey's coffin lying before her. All Danielle wanted to do was run away but Ronnie gripped her hand and walked Danielle up the aisle. Danielle felt the tears welling in her eyes as they took steps closer and closer to the coffin.

They finally sat down, three rows from the front, next to Peggy and Roxy, who had already arrived and taken their places. Danielle looked around at the faces in the packed Church, pleased that so many people had come to say goodbye to Stacey.

As the service began Danielle took another deep breath and held a pack of tissues in her hand, she knew this would be a very long and heartbreaking next few hours.

After many prayers and a moving speech by Charlie the Church fell silent again. "Would anyone else like to say something?" the vicar asked. Danielle looked round the church, her eyes darting from a clearly devastated Bradley, back to Jean and Mo. But no one was moving or saying a word.

Danielle looked at the picture of Stacey that was on top of her coffin and suddenly Danielle felt a rush of strength. Danielle had struggled to talk about Stacey over the last week since her death, even to Ronnie, so she Danielle knew this was the last chance to tell Stacey and everyone what she really felt.

Danielle rose from her seat nervously, "I would like to say a few words please" she said, her voice trembling as all the faces turned to stare at her. Jean's head shot round, tears streaming down her face and an angry look in her eyes.

"Go on love" Charlie said, nodding his head. Danielle let get of her mother's hand and walked to the front of the church. Ronnie watched on, proud of her daughter's strength but nervous about what she was going to say.

"I haven't known Stacey long, well not compared to a lot of people anyway" Danielle started, her voice trembling with fear as everyone's eyes where fixated on her. "But most people know Stacey here, they know she can make you laugh one moment and then scream the next. But what some people might not know is that when I was upset or lonely she would stay with me all night, just listening or if I locked myself in my room she would slide a little piece of paper under the door, with a little smiley face on it that would make me laugh, make me forget about everything else just for that second."

Ronnie watched her brave daughter speak so kindly about Stacey; tears rolling down her cheeks as she listened to Danielle speak about her feelings. Ronnie felt a sense of guilt that the times Danielle was talking about were because of her.

Danielle continued, "She may have seemed loud and strong but deep down everything Stacey did, all that Stacey was, was because of her family and how much she loved them. Stacey wasn't my best friend, she was more like a sister to me and I will never forget her."

Danielle finished, wiping the tears from her eyes and heading back to her seat. As she walked past Stacey's coffin she laid a hand on it, unable to look at the where her best friend lay. As she made her way to her seat she felt a hand reach out and touch hers.

"Thank you" Jean said quietly, smiling at Danielle. Danielle smiled back and walked back to sit with her family. "That was beautiful" Ronnie whispered in Danielle's ears as she took hold her daughter's hand once again.

As the funeral finished and Danielle walked out of the Church she decided to move on from all the pain and misery of the last two years; she grabbed Ronnie's hand and smiled sweetly at her mother, wanting to finally look forward to a happy future.


	4. Chapter 4

_**This is set about one year after the last part. Danielle is living with Ronnie and working on the stall with Mo, which they had decided to keep open after Stacey's death. **_

"Nice to meet you" James said quietly, holding out his hand. "Nice to meet you Ronnie" James repeated. He looked down and noticed his hand was shaking uncontrollably, he tried to stop but the nerves were getting the better of him.

He looked forward and stared at his reflection in the mirror, straightening his tie and flattening his hair to the side. "It's so good to finally meet you...no, erm....I'm so happy to meet you" James said, shaking his head as he realised how ridiculous he must look talking to his own reflection.

James' thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell and James opened the door to greet his girlfriend. James beamed at the girl, amazed at how stunning she looked in a pale yellow dress and matching heels. "You look amazing Dan" James said, smiling at his girlfriend and kissing her affectionately on the cheek.

"You don't look to bad yourself" Danielle joked, leaning forward to straighten his shirt collar. "You ready to go" Danielle asked, holding her hand out to James. She noticed that his hand was shaking so she grabbed it tightly, trying to calm his nerves. James nodded back and the pair walked hand in hand towards the bus stop.

Danielle held James' hand and led him up the steps towards the door. Danielle looked at James proudly, happy to be bringing him home to meet her mum. She reached for her key out of her bag and slowly opened the front door and led James up the stairs.

"Mum, were here" Danielle called out. "In here" said a voice from the kitchen. Danielle and James headed to the kitchen to see Ronnie laying out the plates and cutlery on the table. "Mum, this is James" Danielle said, letting go of James' hand and stepping aside so the two could greet each other properly. Danielle felt James trying to desperately cling on to her hand as she let it go.

"Nice to meet you Ronnie" James said politely. "Likewise" Ronnie smiled back, admiring the smartly dressed young man standing in front of her. "Well have a seat over there and I will serve up lunch" Ronnie said, pointing James towards the sofa.

As James headed towards the sofa Danielle walked towards her mum who was busying herself around the kitchen counter. "So what do you think?" Danielle whispered. "Well I have only said hello at the moment, but yeah he seems nice" Ronnie smiled back. Danielle looked on as her mother removed a plate of fish and chips from the microwave.

"I thought you were cooking?" Danielle asked. "About that, I may have burnt the chicken earlier. You don't think he will mind do you?" Ronnie asked, feeling guilty that she had already let Danielle down in some way.

Danielle giggled and smiled at her mum, "Its fine mum, don't worry" Danielle said, kissing her mum on the cheek to thank her for all the preparation she had done for today, even though some things had gone wrong.

"Lunch is ready" Ronnie announced as she placed the three plates around the table. "I hope you like fish and chips" Ronnie asked tentatively. "Oh I love fish and chips" James replied happily. Ronnie and Danielle smiled at each other, both relived at his answer.

"So where did you two meet then?" Ronnie asked as they tucked into lunch. James finished his mouthful and began to talk. "It was at a pub on the corner of Oxford Street. I offered to buy Dani and her friend a drink and we went from there."

Danielle looked over at her mum and saw her mother's eyes fixed on James. Danielle imagined that her mum was taking every aspect of her boyfriend, probably storing thousands of questions in her head to check that James was good enough for her little girl. But she didn't mind, she loved the fact that Ronnie was so protective over her.

"It's been about 4 months now" James said, looking at Danielle for confirmation, Danielle nodded her head as she chewed her lunch. "It's a shame we haven't been able to meet before today" Ronnie stated.

James just nodded blankly, not sure how to answer a question that sounded more like a dig to him. Danielle noticed the tension and immediately broke the silence. "Well we are all busy people and you know, James doesn't like local so...."Danielle trailed off as she failed to think of another excuse.

The truth was she had been dreading the first meeting between Ronnie and James. Ronnie's opinions mattered a lot to Danielle but so did James, so she had been delaying the meeting as long as possible, hoping desperately that the pair would get on well.

All three moved over to the sofa with a cup of tea after they had finished the lunch. "I am just going to the loo" Danielle said, trying to be subtle about wanting to leave her mum and boyfriend alone to talk.

"I think she wants us to bond" Ronnie laughed as her and James sat opposite each other. They eyes shifted awkwardly as neither knew how to start the conversation. "So.....what job do you do?" Ronnie asked nervously.

"I'm a floor manager at the department store down Oxford Street" James said, hoping that it would impress Ronnie. "Oh, well that must be interesting work" Ronnie said, trying to engage in a conversation with James. "It's ok, good pay and all" James replied.

But the conversation soon fell flat again and both sat silently in the lounge, hoping that Danielle would soon re-appear from the bathroom. Ronnie had so much she wanted to ask James, feeling protective over Danielle. She wanted to quiz anyone that got close enough to hurt Danielle.

After a few minutes of nervous looks between the pair Ronnie said, "I just want to say that you seem like a nice lad and all but please just look after Danielle" Ronnie said, a motherly and caring tone to her voice. "She's been through a lot and I don't want her to get hurt" Ronnie continued.

"It's ok; I wouldn't do anything to hurt Danielle. I love her" James said, his cheeks going red with embarrassment that he had told his girlfriend's mother about the depth of his feelings before he had actually told his girlfriend. Ronnie just smiled back at James, happy and convinced that he was good enough for her daughter.

Danielle felt a tear roll down her cheek and she listened to the conversation from the hallway. She paused a minute and rejoined the pair, hoping they didn't realised that she had been listening to their conversation. Danielle sat down next to James, placing her hand on his knee as they joked and laughed, getting on better than Danielle expected.

Another year in Danielle's life had passed so quickly, she was turning 21 tomorrow. It seemed like so many years ago that a young and naive Danielle had turned up on Albert Square looking for Ronnie. Danielle didn't recognise the girl she was back then, today she was becoming a women and she wanted to celebrate!

Instead of a lavish party in R&R like Ronnie had suggested Danielle had decided to hold a small gathering in the flat, just close friends and family with her to celebrate the night before her birthday.

One by one the guests started to fill into the flat. Ronnie looked around at the faces now sandwiched together between her furniture, the flat started to shrink in size to Ronnie and she wondered whether a party at the club would have been a better idea.

"Where is the birthday girl then?" Roxy beamed as she crept up on her sister. "Talking to James I think" Ronnie stated as she busily shuffled round the table, sorting out the drinks and snacks. The relationship between Ronnie and Roxy was not as bad has it had been in the past but the tension still simmered between the sisters, ready to boil over and explode at any moment.

"Quiet please" A voice screamed over the noise in the flat as he tapped his glass. "QUIET" James screamed again and this time people paid attention, voices dropped and heads turned to look at James.

"I would like to say something" James said, taking a moment to clear his throat. "We are here to celebrate the birthday of a very special girl, my beautiful girlfriend Danielle"

"I think if I eat anymore I might throw up!" Mo said sarcastically, nudging Roxy's arm as the pair giggled.

"I know it's not your birthday today Dani but I would like you to open your present now" James said as he leant down to the table and picked up a small, neatly wrapped box and placed it in Danielle's palm.

Danielle excitedly ripped away the wrapping paper, revealing a small cardboard box. Confused she opened it up and looked down at a small cupcake. The guests had started to lose interest and a quiet whisper spread round the room. Ronnie and Roxy had pushed their way nearer to Danielle and James, wanting to see the present more closely.

"Look closer" James whispered sweetly in Danielle's ear. She picked up the cupcake slowly and stared at it, until a small silver glint caught her eye.

"Danielle, will you marry me?" James said, managing to find some space on the floor to bend down on one knee. The room fell silent again as the guests heard James' proposal, each pair of eyes darting between Danielle, James and the ring sitting on top of the pink cupcake icing.

"What?" Ronnie barked as she looked on. "Did he just propose using a cupcake?" Roxy asked jokingly, before Ronnie shot her an evil glance. Danielle stayed silent, her heart racing at hundred miles an hour as she looked down at the man she loved.

Whispers started to travel around the room as Danielle still stayed silent. Danielle couldn't believe what she had heard but as she looked up at her mother, Ronnie's angry and slightly confused expression told Danielle that she had heard correctly.

"What do you expect with a Mitchell party, never runs smoothly" Mo whispered jokingly to Charlie. "Shut it" Ronnie barked as she shot Mo an evil stare. "Dan, are you alright?" Ronnie said softly, leaning closer to her daughter.

But as Ronnie leaned forward towards her daughter James grabbed his girlfriend's arm, pulling her closer to him and away from Ronnie. "Dan, will you marry me?" James repeated, with a stronger tone to his voice.

"No" Danielle said, but she even seemed shocked by what she had just said. The guests looked awkwardly at each other, embarrassed for the young man who had just been rejected in front of so many people.

"I.....I..." Danielle spluttered, struggling to find the right words as she felt the glare of a thousand eyes bearing down on her.

"I need some fresh air" Danielle said as she bolted from the room, pulling away from James. "Dani" Ronnie shouted as she chased after her daughter.

James tried to follow Danielle, making a move towards the door but Roxy stood in his way. "I think it's best if you let Ronnie talk to her" Roxy said reassuringly, helping James back to the sofa. He sat down, looking at the cupcake that sat on the table opposite him. His head was spinning, Danielle's words ringing in his head. He couldn't work out if he was more angry or hurt by his girlfriend's rejection. One thing he did know was that he wanted the ground the swallow him up, take him away from the party where the guests looked on sympathetically.

James leaned forward and picked the ring of the top of the cupcake, wiping the icing off the silver with his sleeve. "Anyone want a cupcake?" James joked, trying to take his mind of what had happened, desperate not to cry in front of the guests.

Ronnie rushed down the stairs and found Danielle sitting on the steps outside the flat, shivering as a bitter wind blew around the square. "Dan" Ronnie said, placing as hand on her daughters back as she sat down next to her.

"What have I done?" Danielle wailed, wiping back tears. "You did what you heart told you to do" Ronnie said reassuringly, smiling at Danielle and wrapping her arms round her daughter's back to try and warm her up.

"I just panicked. I love James but this is just too soon, too much" Danielle explained.

"I understand, but I don't think I am the one you need to tell this too" Ronnie said, placing her hand under Danielle's chin, kissing her sweetly on the forehead. Ronnie stood up and walked away from Danielle. She hated to leave Danielle when she was so upset but Ronnie knew that Danielle needed to sort this out for herself, she needed to talk to James.

Ronnie re-entered the flat. Faces turned sharply to look at her, the guests expecting to see Danielle with her. "James, I think you need to talk to her" Ronnie said, gesturing him to go down the stairs. James slowly pushed past the guests, awkwardly ignoring the sympathetic looks in their eyes.

James made his way down the stairs, pausing before he slowly pushed open the door. But to his surprise Danielle was nowhere to be seen, the steps where she had been sitting now empty and cold.

"Danielle" James called out into the darkness but there was no response. Confused he made his way back up the stairs, into the flat. Heads again turned to look at him, each wanting to be nosy and know what was happening.

"She's wasn't there. She's gone" James said coldly, looking into the eyes of Ronnie. Ronnie's heart skipped a beat as she stared at James, confused by her daughter's sudden disappearance.

Ronnie sat rocking back and forth on the sofa, her hand clenched together tightly. The guests had now left the party, leaving Ronnie, Roxy and James alone. The three figures sat separately around the flat, trying to work out where Danielle had gone.

"This doesn't make any sense" Ronnie said quietly, looking into her hands. "Dan doesn't just run off like this."

"Maybe she needed some time to think" Roxy muttered whilst staring out the window into the darkness of Walford.

"Are you sure you didn't see her out there?" Ronnie asked desperately, turning to look at James. He shook his head slowly, staring down at the carpet so that he didn't have to look at the hurt and anger in Ronnie's eyes.

"You looked as well Ron, she wasn't out there. She isn't answering her phone..." Roxy rambled, unaware that she was not making the situation any easier for her sister.

"Ok thanks Rox, I get it" Ronnie said, raising her voice louder. Roxy heard the angry tone in Ronnie voice and immediately stopped, choosing to instead run her necklace through her fingers, making a soft rattling sound as she did it.

Ronnie felt her body tense up as her sister continued to fiddle with her necklace. "Rox, will you stop that please!" Ronnie said loudly, banging her fist down on the coffee table. Roxy jumped slightly as Ronnie's fist meet the wood but she instantly let the beads run through her hands, dropping down t her neck as the room fell silent once more.

"This is all my fault" James said as he looked at a picture of Danielle on the mantel piece.

"What?" Ronnie said sharply, turning to fix her eyes on James. "What have you done?!" Ronnie screamed, bolting up from the sofa and charging towards James. Roxy noticed Ronnie flinch before she moved, rushing to intervene and get in Ronnie's way.

"I just meant that it was because I proposed she went off" James said, trying to reason with a distressed Ronnie. "I haven't done anything" he pleaded. Ronnie looked into his eyes as he spoke, noticing a slight twitch as he claimed innocence. But Ronnie let it go as she noticed tears welling in his eyes. Ronnie backed off, leaving James to turn away to try and hide is upset.

"What could he have done anyway, he was here with us the whole time. And he loves Dan remember Ron; he wouldn't do anything to hurt her." Roxy whispered in her sister's ear, as she tried to comfort Ronnie.

"I think I better go" James said boldly, turning round and picking up his coat. As he left the lounge, not even looking at Ronnie and Roxy as he went. "Call me if she comes back" he shouted back as he headed quickly down the stairs. James had reached the steps outside the flat when he noticed a small object laying on the second step.

The darkness made it hard to see what lay before him so James bent down closer, inspecting the bundle lying on the concrete. After taking in the sight and smell for only a second James immediately flung his head back, stepping over the object. James strolled off into the night leaving the dead pigeon lying on the steps, its neck wrung and feathers spread across the step.

Back in the flat Roxy still sat next to Ronnie on the sofa. Ronnie held her mobile in her hands after another failed attempt to reach Danielle. "What if she doesn't come back Rox? What if she's gone?" Ronnie asked her sister, desperate for Roxy to somehow have the answer. Tears started to well in Ronnie's eyes as she rested her head against Roxy's shoulder, accepting her sister's offer of support.

Roxy squirmed as she tried to get comfortable, pushing the cushion further under her head. She felt her sister's breath on the back of her neck as the pair lay side by side on the sofa.

Roxy turned to look at Ronnie, her eyes blotchy and face stained with tears. Roxy carefully sat up trying not to wake Ronnie, knowing her sister needed sleep after staying up late the night before.

Roxy sat on the edge of the cushion; stretching her arms above her head and yawning after a restless night sleep. She had been up with Ronnie till the early hours as he sister sat by the phone, desperate to hear from Danielle.

But Ronnie had finally given up her fight against tiredness at 3am, falling asleep on the sofa curled up next to Roxy.

Roxy slowly rose and walked over to the window, peering out the curtains to see people strolling past on the street below. Roxy's thoughts were interrupted when she heard her phone ringing, her disco ringtone blearing out loudly.

Roxy rushed over to her bag, desperate to stop her phone from waking Ronnie. But it was too late as Ronnie's eyes burst open, her head shooting up frantically.

"Hello" Roxy said quietly as she answered the phone. Roxy could see Ronnie staring at her desperately, hoping for good news. "No nothing yet.....yeah that would be good, thanks Jack" Roxy said, looking at Ronnie as she spoke, watching all the hope drain away from her sister's eyes once again.

Ronnie dropped back down on the sofa, holding her head in her hands. "Sorry Ron" Roxy said as she placed her phone on the coffee table and went to join her sister on the sofa. "Jack just phoned about Amy, he is looking after her this morning so I can stay with you."

Ronnie stood up and walked to the kitchen, switching on the kettle. With all that was happening she couldn't deal with hearing about Jack, Roxy and Amy.

"You don't have to stay" Ronnie stated coldly as she busied herself in the kitchen. "It's alright, I want to help" Roxy replied gently, sensing Ronnie's tension. Ronnie didn't have the strength to fight back so she continued making the tea and accepted her sister's offer of help, knowing that she needed someone's, anyone's support at the moment.

30 minutes later Ronnie re-appeared from her bedroom in a fresh change of clothes but her pale face and worried expression still remained.

"I'm going out for a bit" Ronnie called out. "Wait Ron, where are you going?" Roxy said jumping up from the sister to follow her sister.

"I just need some fresh air" Ronnie replied vaguely as she hurried down the stairs and out her flat. Roxy grabbed her coat from the banister and chased after her sister.

Ronnie flew out the flat, flying down the steps and onto the pavement. She turned back to look at Roxy, who had managed to catch up with Ronnie, slamming the door behind her.

"Ewww!"Roxy screamed steeping back as she looked down at the steps outside Ronnie's flat. "That's gross" Roxy continued, slowly walking round the object and joining her sister on the pavement.

Ronnie turned round to look at what her sister was complaining about, her eyes fixed on the dead pigeon that was spread across the concrete.

She moved closer, bending down to inspect the mess. "Ron, what are you doing?" Roxy asked, confused as to why her sister was getting so close to the dead bird.

Ronnie turned her head to look at Roxy, her eyes widening in panic. "It's dad, he's got her" a distressed Ronnie claimed.

"What?" asked a bemused Roxy. "It's dad, he has Danielle" Ronnie claimed again as she became more hysterical.

"What are you talking about? Dad is dead" Roxy said firmly as she stared bemused at Ronnie. "I know! But the pigeon, it's neck it's wrung, just like dad did, it's a sign Roxy. He is sending me a message." Ronnie screamed, struggling to get her words out and make sense of the situation in her head.

"Don't be ridiculous Ronnie; it's just a dead bird. It was probably just kids mucking about" Roxy said shaking her head, baffled by Ronnie's claims.

Roxy walked towards her sister, placing a hand on her arm and helping her up. "Dad is gone Ronnie, he can't hurt us anymore" Roxy said softly, trying to make Ronnie see sense.

"But it has to be him! It has to, where else could she be?" Ronnie said hysterically, becoming animated as she threw her hands in the air.

"I don't know where she is but we will find her, I promise" Roxy said gently, pulling a reluctant Ronnie in for a hug. Roxy wiped the tears from her sister's face and took her hand. "Let's go to get a coffee, think about what to do next" Roxy said smiling at her sister. Ronnie nodded slowly and the pair walked away from the flat and towards the cafe hand in hand.

**Next time.....Ronnie starts to lose hope of finding Danielle but when Jack finds out some shocking information; will Ronnie be reunited with her daughter?**

Ronnie wrapped her hands around the mug tightly, feeling the warmth from the tea start to burn her fingers. "Ronnie, Ron" she heard a voice say, a voice that sounded so far in the distance that it wasn't even recognisable. But as she looked up she realised it was her sister, staring back at her from across the table. Ronnie was so deep in thought that she felt like she was a million miles away from Walford, away from all the hurt and pain.

"What were you thinking about?" Roxy asked. "Nothing much" Ronnie replied vaguely as she stirred the spoon round and round in the mug until she felt a hand grasp on top of hers. She looked up to see Roxy smiling gently back at her, lifting the spoon from her hand and placing it on the table. "Drink up" Roxy said an almost motherly tone to her voice that Ronnie wasn't used to hearing from Roxy.

"What if she doesn't come back Rox, what do I do then?" Ronnie asked desperately, looking at her sister for answers they both knew she didn't have. "She'll come back Ron, she wouldn't just run off" Roxy tried to reassure her sister.

"But that's what worries me Rox" Ronnie whispered, leaning towards Roxy so that no one else heard their conversation. "I know Dani wouldn't just run off so that means that someone's got her." Ronnie continued, almost nodding her head as she tried to convince Roxy. Ronnie knew she didn't have any proof but her heart was telling her something was wrong.

"Oh Ron, don't start with this theory about Dad again please" Roxy said, leaning back from Ronnie. "Just listen Rox" Ronnie said loudly in frustration that her sister seemed unwilling to listen; she noticed heads starting to turn towards their table so she lowered her voice. "What if he didn't die" Ronnie said desperately.

"The prison rang us, they said he was dead. There was a funeral" Roxy said, becoming slightly annoyed by her sister's unfounded and slightly desperate claims. "How do you know that, we didn't go" Ronnie said, raising her voice again in anger.

"Prisons don't just arrange fake funerals Ron, this is ridiculous!" Roxy said angrily, slamming her empty mug back on the table. Ronnie held her hand in her hands, tears starting to well in her eyes as she started to see the sense in what Roxy was saying.

Roxy noticed her sister becoming upset and leaned forward, taking her sister's hand and holding them tightly. "Look I'm sorry Ron; I just hate seeing you like this. We should be concentrating on finding Dan, not worrying about things and people that are long gone" Roxy said, slowly nodding her head and smiling gently at her sister who nodded back.

"Say hello to mummy" A voice called from behind Roxy's back. She swung round to see Jack standing before her with Amy cradled in his arms. "Hello sweetie" Roxy said affectionately, wrapping her arms around her daughter as Jack placed Amy in her arms.

Ronnie looked on as Roxy cradled her daughter in her arms, rocking her back and forth as Amy giggled excitedly. She felt cold and devoid of any emotion as she watched her sister bonding with her child. Ronnie loved Amy but the image of Roxy, Jack and Amy together and happy had broken her heart so many times that she didn't have any more tears to cry over them, Ronnie just felt cold and numb as everyone else around her seemed happy and joyful.

"Oh sorry Ron, where were we" Roxy said, passing Amy back into the arms of Jack. Ronnie didn't even glance up at him, long ago she had decided that whatever had been there with him was gone, the second she had read that letter and found out the truth about Danielle she had become Ronnie's only priority. Ronnie's mind sprung back into action as she realised she hadn't been thinking about Danielle for the last minute.

"I'm going to ring James, see if he has heard anything" Ronnie said firmly. "Ron, let me. I don't want you getting angry or upset down the phone" Roxy said grabbing the phone off the table before Ronnie could protest. "Now is it James Adams or James Applegate" Roxy asked as she scrolled through the names on Ronnie's phone.

Ronnie went to open her mouth but she was interrupted by Jack, who suddenly had become interested in the conversation. "What did you just say?" He asked. "Adams or Applegate?" Roxy answered, confused at Jack's question.

"James Applegate" Jack said again. "Yes that's Danielle's boyfriend" Ronnie said quietly, now becoming interested as Jack's expression changed to one of worry, his eyes starting to dart about as he gathered his thoughts.

"What is it Jack?" Ronnie asked, staring up at him. "I have just heard that name before" Jack said vaguely. "Give me one minute" Jack said, placing Amy back in Roxy's arms before rushing out the cafe. Ronnie and Roxy looked at each other, both bemused at Jack's actions. "Wonder what's got into him" Roxy joked, rocking Amy on her knees.

Jack stood outside the cafe, fidgeting on the spot as he held the phone to ear. "Thanks Mike, I owe you" Jack said, hanging up the phone and taking a deep breath before entering the cafe again. As he walked back other to Roxy and Ronnie both women shot their heads up, interested as to what Jack had to say.

Ronnie noticed the concerned look in Jack's eyes as he stood in front of them, unable to get his words out. "Jack what is it?" A worried Ronnie asked. "That was Mike from the station. I checked out the name James Applegate in the Police records" Jack paused as she watched Ronnie's face fall, any colour she had drained out of her cheeks. "He was in prison, he was in prison with Archie" Jack finished as Ronnie and Roxy looked at each other in disbelief as the truth started to unravel in their minds.


	5. Chapter 5

Ronnie slammed her fist against the door again and again, ignoring the pain as she heart raced faster and faster. "He might not even be in" Roxy pleaded with her sister. "James, I know you're in there" Ronnie screamed, her eyes darting from the door to the window, checking for any sign of movement. The truth was Ronnie didn't know if James was in but she didn't know what else to do, this was the only glimmer of hope Ronnie had about Danielle's whereabouts.

"If he has taken her he is not just going to be waiting round in his flat for us to work it all out is he?" Roxy said, trying to reason with an angry and frustrated Ronnie.

But as Ronnie went to slam her fist against the door again it suddenly opened, a tired James wrapped in his dressing gown stood in the doorway. Before he even had a chance to acknowledge their arrival Ronnie had lunged forward, driving her fist into his face, making him fall to the floor.

"Ronnie!" Roxy said, shocked by her sister's violent outburst. "What have you done with her?!" Ronnie screamed, leaning over James as he lay in a heap on the floor. James slowly got to his feet, holding his bruised cheek in shock. Ronnie clenched her fist, ready to hit him again.

"No Ron!" Roxy shouted, stepping in front of her sister and grabbing her arm tightly before Ronnie could explode again. "This isn't going to help" Roxy pleaded with a possessed Ronnie, who had her eyes fixed firmly on James.

"But he has her Rox, he did this!" Ronnie screamed, pointing at a bemused James. "Well how is he going to tell us anything if you knock him out?!" Roxy said slowly, trying to calm an infuriated Ronnie.

Ronnie pulled her arm back and dropped it to her side, letting out a frustrated sigh as she knew her sister was right. "I think we need to talk" Roxy said sharply as she followed Ronnie through the doorway and past James, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the lounge.

As Roxy closed the door leaving all three in the lounge, silence filled the room for only a second as Ronnie's head darted round to look James. She lunged forward, stopping inches away from James' face and backing him into a corner.

"Now tell me what you have done with her!" Ronnie screamed, her eyes not leaving James for a second. Ronnie could see James tensing up, his hands shaking as Ronnie had him cornered. "I don't know what you are talking about" James replied defensively. Ronnie shook her head in disbelief, even when confronted with the truth he still continued to lie.

"Where is she? Where is Danielle?" Ronnie screamed again. "I don't know!" James pleaded, holding his hands above his head. "Stop lying!" Ronnie shouted. "We know you were in prison with our father. He asked you to do this didn't he?" Ronnie asked desperately.

"What! I've never been in prison!" James screamed back, shocked at her accusation. "We know you have, we checked Police records" Roxy added from over her sister's shoulder.

James listened silently as Ronnie and Roxy stared at him, waiting for a response. He knew he was stuck, unable to get away. "TELL ME THE TRUTH!" Ronnie screamed one last time, drained and broken as James continued to stay silent.

Ronnie's scream made James jump slightly; he noticed the blood rising in Ronnie's face. "He just said, he needed to talk to her, pass on a message" James blurted out before he could think about what he was saying.

"Who, who wanted to talk to her?" Ronnie pleaded her face inches away from his. "My dad" James blurted out again, a sense of relief as he told Ronnie the truth but a sense of fear rose in him as he watched anger burning in Ronnie's eyes.

"James Applegate senior, he was the one in prison" James finished. Ronnie stepped back in shock, allowing James to breathe again. "Where is he? Where is your dad?" Ronnie pleaded angrily. "I don't know, I haven't heard from him in a few days" James admitted guiltily. Ronnie and Roxy shook their heads in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Danielle's boyfriend could be so cold.

"So you knew all along?" Roxy asked. James nodded his head slowly, dropping his head in shame. "My dad asked me to find this girl Danielle Jones, talk to her, become her friend. Get close to her because he said he needed to give her an important message. But I haven't heard from him in days, I promise. I just thought he wanted to talk to her" James pleaded, holding his hands out to Ronnie.

"She trusted you, loved you" Ronnie said, pointing aggressively at him, her voice shaking as tears welled in her eyes. "You proposed to her!" Ronnie said disbelievingly as she thought back to the night Danielle went missing.

"But that's just it. I do love her. I never meant for it to happen but I feel in love with her, that's why I asked her to marry me" James asked desperately. "I tried to call Dad, say I didn't want anything to do with his plan anymore but I couldn't get through and then she disappeared" James said, struggling to get his last words out as the realisation of the situation hit him, making him fall back into onto the sofa, holding his head in his hands.

"Where could he have taken her?" Ronnie pleaded, looking between James and Roxy for answers. "I don't know" James muttered, shaking his head.

"Let's go talk to Jack, see if he could find out any more information" Roxy said gently, taking Ronnie's arm and pulling her away from a broken and emotional James. Ronnie looked back at him before she left.

"If he has hurt her I will kill him, then I will kill you" Ronnie said coldly, slamming the lounge door shut as she left.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" Roxy asked worriedly as she followed her sister up the stairs of her flat. Ronnie nodded slowly. "I'm just going to wait for Jack to call back with more information" Ronnie said as she reached the lounge, throwing her keys on the table.

"And you are sure you don't want me to stay?" Roxy asked again. "No Rox, I'm fine" Ronnie replied coldly as she stared out the window, paying little attention to her sister. Roxy grudgingly accepted her sister's answer, she knew Ronnie wasn't fine but Ronnie had stubbornly shut down and not even her sister would be able to help.

Roxy carefully approached her sister, wrapping her arms around her waist and resting her head gently on her shoulder. Roxy knew that Ronnie didn't want her there but she wanted her sister to know she would be there for her if she needed her.

Ronnie had been pacing around the flat for an hour, phone in one hand whilst she played with her locket through her fingers with the other hand. She stood at the door to Danielle's room and although no danger lay inside Ronnie was cautious to enter. She slowly pushed the door open, taking a deep breath before for entering.

Ronnie looked around at the four walls; her eyes darting from the cupboard to the turquoise curtains that Danielle had chosen herself. Ronnie bent down in front of the bedside table, picking up a pink bottle that sat amongst the tubes of cream, make-up and jewellery that was spread across the surface.

She drew the bottle closer to her nose, taking in the scent of the perfume that she had bought for her daughter's 21st birthday only days earlier. She placed the bottle back down and climbed onto Danielle's bed, her knees sinking into the mattress as she knelled to look at the photos above Danielle's bed.

Ronnie's eyes moved from picture to picture; the occasional one making Ronnie smile for the first time in days. There were many pictures of Stacey that Danielle had spread across the wall; ones of the two of them smiling and laughing side by side.

Ronnie giggled as she studied a photo of a clearly drunk Stacey wrapped around Danielle, kissing her cheek, much to Danielle's amusement, the picture reminded Ronnie of herself and Roxy from when they were her younger. Though the picture made Ronnie smile she couldn't help feeling sad as she looked at the reminders of what Danielle had lost, the pain she had been through.

Ronnie's eyes scanned over the next set of pictures, including many of Danielle's childhood. Since Danielle had put them on display Ronnie couldn't help but sneak in and look at the pictures when Danielle was out, trying to piece together her daughter's childhood. But it hurt Ronnie to see what times she had missed with her daughter; her first day of school, playing of the swings with her friends or her prom night picture.

Ronnie gently ran her finger over a picture of Danielle that had been taken a few weeks ago. Ronnie lovingly looked at the picture of herself and Danielle on the sofa, her daughter asleep on Ronnie's shoulder, a warm smile plastered across Ronnie's face. Ronnie remembered that night perfectly, how she and Danielle had spent the day together curled up in front of the TV before Roxy and Amy had come round for Dinner at Danielle's request. Roxy had taken the photo, saying it was the happiest she had seen her sister in 20 years.

Ronnie slowly moved her finger away from the photo, her eyes edged to the left to a photo of Danielle at a party, hand in hand with James. Ronnie's eyes jumped between her beautiful daughter who had a loving and happy smile across her face and her boyfriend, his smug grin making Ronnie feel sick.

She tore the photo from the wall, ripping it into tiny pieces that now lay scattered across Danielle's bed. She collapsed back down on to the mattress, wanting to be as close to Danielle as possible. Ronnie wrapped her arms around one of Danielle's pillows, burying her head into the cotton as she cried uncontrollably.

Ronnie lay on Danielle's bed, clutching the pillow with her legs tucked up close to her chin. Ronnie was broken; she felt like that same scared and lonely 14 year old girl, her daughter cruelly ripped away from her again.

...._Ronnie held her daughter's hand tightly, not wanting to let go even though she knew she had to. A sense of pride washed over Ronnie has she stood next to her daughter. Ronnie had dreamed of this moment but she had never thought it would actually happen. She turned to give Danielle one last loving and reassuring smile, kissing her cheek as tears formed in their eyes. Ronnie stepped back, grudgingly letting Danielle's fingers slip through hers. She admired Danielle's gorgeous floor length ivory gown and the glittering diamond hair clips that kept her blonde locks in place. Though she wanted to feel happy for her daughter Ronnie's heart sunk when she saw Danielle take the hand of the man standing next to her...._

As the phone started to vibrate Ronnie stirred slightly, still curled up in the same position she had fallen asleep in hours earlier; clutching Danielle's pillow tightly. Ronnie stirred again as she heard a local shouting loudly outside her open lounge window. She momentarily opened her eyes, not wanting to rejoin the real world as she realised Danielle wasn't actually standing before her.

Ronnie turned over, clutching the duvet and wrapping it around her as she turned to check the time of her phone. As she rubbed her eyes so she could focus on the screen Ronnie noticed an icon flashing; alerting her to a missed call.

Ronnie's heart jumped as she shot upright, her hand shaking slightly as she checked who had phoned. Even though Ronnie knew that it wouldn't be, all she wanted to see was Danielle's name light up on the screen. She let out a small disappointed sigh when Jack's name flashed in front of her eyes.

She called him immediately, still wrapped around Danielle's duvet. "Jack! You called what is it?" Ronnie said in a raised voice, desperation once again seeking in. Ronnie hated depending on Jack, it made her feel weak. She wanted to shut him out but he was helping her find Danielle so Ronnie had pushed her feelings of disgust for him to one side, concentrating on finding her daughter.

"I rang a few times Ronnie, why didn't you answer?" Jack questioned. Ronnie heard they patronising and judgmental tone in Jack's voice, the judgement from one parent to another. "I feel asleep ok Jack! Now just tell me why you rang!" Ronnie demanded.

"I checked with the local stations and they haven't seen him or Danielle" Jack stated, pausing as he heard Ronnie let out a devastated whimper, he could picture her face falling in disappointment as he spoke every word.

"But, I thought I would widen the search a bit and I spoke to a colleague in Weymouth" Jack continued. Ronnie's head shot up as Jack mentioned that town, her mind racing with possibilities about her father and his involvement.

"There have been a few reported sightings in the last few days of a man with a similar description to James' father" Jack could hear Ronnie breathing heavily down the phone. "And Ron, he wasn't alone. People have reported seeing him with a young blonde girl, they think it might be Danielle" Jack said, his voice trailing off as he waited for a response from Ronnie.

Ronnie listened to Jack as he spoke; taking in every word and the way he said it; she had learnt over the years that the tone in which people used can really give away the truth as to how bad the situation was. Ronnie listened as Jack's voice trailed off; she could hear sympathy and sorrow in his voice as he spoke.

Ronnie's heart raced at the mention of a possible sighting of Danielle but she felt torn; although her daughter had been seen, which meant she still must be alive it also meant that James' father defiantly had Danielle, he had her baby girl and Ronnie dreaded to think what he might do to her.

"What about James?" Ronnie asked, snapping out of her thoughts instantly. "We can go round to ask questions but legally he has done nothing wrong..." Jack's voice trailed off as he waited for Ronnie's expectantly angry and disgusted response. "Done nothing wrong....Jack he is the reason Danielle is missing!" Ronnie screamed down the phone as she became animated.

"His dad has got her because of what he did, how he lied to her, manipulated her" Ronnie continued, perplexed at why Jack was suddenly tracking back, shifting the blame away from James. "But we have no proof of that Ronnie" Jack said desperately, trying to be honest with Ronnie. "You just said they have been sightings of Danielle with him" Ronnie said as she became more confused and angry perched on the end of Danielle's bed.

"No Ronnie I said there have been sightings of a blonde girl with a guy that looks similar to him. I said I would call you with any information and I did. But I don't want you getting your hopes up too much, the Police will look into it" Jack tried to explain honestly. But at the same time he felt guilty, he had knowingly given Ronnie this breadcrumb of hope; desperately wanting to help her and be there for her.

Ronnie chuckled to herself sarcastically in disbelief as she heard Jack's turn of phrase, knowing he held little hope of the Police finding anything more. Though she knew he had been trying to help Ronnie felt devastated and angry that Jack had offered an inch of hope and then cruelly ripped it away from her again. "Thanks for the help Jack!" Ronnie blurted out sarcastically before cutting a shocked Jack off, slamming her phone down on Danielle's mattress.

"Ronnie! Ronnie!" Jack screamed down the phone, shaking his head in shock as he realised she had cut him off. He shuffled impatiently on the spot, not knowing what to do next for the best. In the past his Police instinct had always kicked in; he always knew how to react, what his next move was but with Ronnie things had always been different.

He couldn't concentrate when he was around her, his mind spun when he thought of her. Even though things have turned sour between them Jack still longed to be close to her, help her when she was in trouble. That's all he had been trying to do, help Ronnie find her daughter.

Ronnie grabbed the leather handles of her handbag, wrapping her coat round her as she rushed down the stairs. Ronnie didn't know what she was going to do; the thoughts of what she might find made Ronnie's stomach turn. But she had a glimmer of hope and Ronnie was going to cling on to it with both hands.

She headed to The Vic, bolting through the doors and up the stairs. She paused momentarily as the silence hit her; all she could hear was the creaking of the floorboards as she edged cautiously along the corridor.

Ronnie knew that Peggy was out with Aunt Sal but she had expected Roxy to be in with Amy; and Ronnie knew Roxy well enough to know that you could hear if Roxy was around. "Rox?" Ronnie asked cautiously. She had only come to tell Roxy where she was going but Ronnie was troubled by the eerie silence around her.

She slowly opened Roxy's bedroom door, half expecting to find her sister peacefully sleeping on the bed. But to Ronnie's disappointment Roxy was not around; she checked every room but she was nowhere to be seen. Ronnie turned to head back down the stairs when a small cry made her flinch. She jumped on the spot, following the sound back to Roxy's bedroom.

Ronnie looked down in shock to see Amy nestled under her covers. Ronnie's eyes shot round the room again, making sure she hadn't missed Roxy from before. Although the room was empty Ronnie began take in the scene around her. Drawers and cupboard doors were open; clothes lay scattered across the bed and floor.

Although Roxy had never been the most tidy of people Ronnie couldn't help but sense something was wrong. She looked down at her niece; Ronnie knew Roxy would never leave Amy alone, she may be reckless and unreliable at times but Ronnie knew Roxy was a good mother. "Where's mummy?" Ronnie said worryingly, looking down at Amy, gently stroking her cheek as she started to cry more.

Ronnie concentrated on the road ahead of her, taking in the miles left to Weymouth as her speed quickened. Though Ronnie's eyes were fixed on the road her mind was racing; where was her daughter and now where was Roxy? Ronnie's mind flashed between the two people she loved most in the world, the thought of either of them in danger made Ronnie feel sick; fear rising through her stomach as a lump formed in her throat.

Ronnie thought back to baby Amy; all alone in her coat. She had called Jack and asked him to look after her but he hadn't answered her calls so Ronnie had called on Billy to look after Amy; knowing that Amy was with family meant Ronnie had one less loved one to worry about.

As Ronnie made her way through Weymouth, passing rows of terraced houses and shops she realised she didn't have a clue where she was going, her body was automatically driving whilst her mind raced with thoughts about her daughter and sister.

She pulled over in a lay-by and turned off the engine, resting her head against the steering wheel. She felt helpless and lost; unable to organise her thoughts and work out where she was supposed to be going. Even though Jack had tried not to get Ronnie's hopes up, she clinged blindly to the hope that Danielle was in Weymouth, where else could she be? Ronnie didn't even register the thought that Danielle may have run away, run away from her; the idea was too painful for Ronnie to even acknowledge.

As Ronnie sat with her head rested against the steering wheel she noticed lights coming closer, through the dark in her rear view mirror. As they approached at alarming speed Ronnie shot up, turning on her engine and car lights. Ronnie looked back to see an angry bus driver waving aggressively at her; his face hardened with his eyes fixed on Ronnie's.

Ronnie immediately snapped out of her thoughts; she glanced round to see a frail old woman staring at her blankly from the bus stop, looking thoroughly annoyed that a distant stranger had held up her journey. Her thoughts had engulfed her so much that Ronnie hadn't even noticed that she had pulled into a bus stop. Ronnie changed into gear and took one last look at the old lady, wondering how long she had been blankly staring at her. She offered a small smile as an apology and placed her foot on the accelerator, pulling away as the bus moved into the stop behind her.

Ronnie edged slowly down the road. Unlike before Ronnie wasn't speeding, she was making sure she took her time to take in her surroundings, hoping desperately for any clues or reminders as to where Danielle might be. Ronnie pulled over once again and rummaged through her bag that sat on the seat opposite her to pull out her phone.

She checked that there had been no missed calls; a routine she had done constantly since Danielle had disappeared, hoping desperately that her daughter may have contacted her. But there were no missed calls; Ronnie just stared happily at her phone screen for a moment, mesmerised by a picture of Danielle sleeping that she had taken a few months ago. She looked so peaceful in the photo that Ronnie's mind flew back to when she had taken the picture.

She had felt slightly embarrassed when Danielle had seen it on her phone but she remembered fondly that Danielle had said the photo was sweet. Remembering her daughter's kind nature made Ronnie smile for a moment until her thoughts were interrupted as the bus rattled past her car.

Ronnie casually looked up at the faces in the window, passing one by one. Until she noticed a familiar face at the back of the bus, sitting alone with their head pressed against the glass. Although they had a jumper and scarf covering their part of their face, Ronnie recognised the darkened eyes and downturned mouth. "James" Ronnie hissed quietly as her disgust for her daughter's boyfriend once again rose through her body. She started the car and followed the bus, determined to find out where James was headed.

Ronnie watched intently as the bus pulled over once again, stopping next to a row on rundown houses. She pulled over behind the bus, turning off her lights so she faded into the dark night's sky. Ronnie had been following the bus for nearly 30 minutes, trailing it as it rattled round the backstreets of Weymouth.

Each time the bus pulled over Ronnie's heart would leap as she focused her eyes on the queue of people leaving the bus, hoping to catch a glimpse of James. But each time she had been disappointed as James stayed firmly sat in his seat.

She watched intently as a line of people once again exited the bus, Ronnie thought and hoped that the bus must be coming to the end of its route as its passengers left one by one; each shuffling away down the street. Ronnie sighed and leant her head back to rest on the car seat, once again disappointed as the last of the passengers vacated the bus.

But Ronnie's head shot up as she heard a familiar voice politely thanking the bus driver. She watched as James headed off the bus and on to the pavement. She noticed him pause for a moment, turning his head to look both ways down the street nervously before scurrying away.

Ronnie flew into action, flinging the car door open and jumping on to the tarmac. Her eyes darted between her car and James, desperately not wanting to lose sight of him. Ronnie had slammed the door shut when she heard a feint buzzing noise coming from inside the car.

"Damn" Ronnie muttered to herself, pulling the door open to lean over and reach her handbag. She took one last look up to see James heading down an alleyway hidden between two houses. Ronnie desperately rummaged through her bag, pulling out her phone and slamming it against her ear.

"Danielle?" Ronnie asked desperately, though she knew the chance of her daughter calling was slim. "Jack what do you want?" Ronnie asked angrily, annoyed at Jack's timing. "Look this isn't a good time, I'm busy" Ronnie said bluntly before Jack could answer, hanging up the phone and dropping it back in her bag.

Ronnie once again looked up but James was gone, his figure no longer lurking within Ronnie's eye line. "No, no, no!" Ronnie screamed, slamming her hand on the car door before bolting towards the alleyway James had gone down moments earlier.

Ronnie looked around, cautiously scanning each battered door and broken window. Why would James come down here Ronnie wondered, It looked like no one had passed through these parts for many years as litter filled the pavements, a repulsive smell seeping through the air.

As she passed each run down house she noticed the boarded up windows and unkempt exteriors. Each building looked exactly the same, each one as dark and lonely as the next. That was until Ronnie noticed a small light flicker in a window ahead of her.

Ronnie quickened her pace, her feet pounding the uneven ground until she reached the second from last house. Ronnie watched mesmerised as a small yellow light flickered on and off, the light making Ronnie blink. Ronnie gently shut her eyes and alerted her ears, listening out for any traces of voices or movements.

Part of Ronnie prayed that she had finally reached her daughter, whilst at the same time she guiltily wished Danielle did not lay behind the door; Ronnie didn't think she was prepared to see the horror that she had imagined so many times in her head.

As the light continued to flick on and off Ronnie decided to act. Her eyes darted between the front door and a back gate that stood slightly ajar at the opposite end of the house. Ronnie ran through the possible situations that may soon lay before her eyes again in her mind.

She stepped forward towards the front door, hoping it was the fastest way into the house. She reached the porch and went to ring the doorbell before pulling her hand away in shock. What was she doing? If Danielle was in there then whoever had her would not just open the door politely and let Ronnie in. Ronnie took a deep breath and tried to organise her thoughts, thinking of ways to enter the house.

Ronnie gently rested her hand against the door and was surprised when it slowly opened to reveal a dark, damp and disappointingly empty corridor. Ronnie cautiously entered the eerie setting, stepping gently on the wooden floorboards as they creaked.

She peered round the deserted house, its dreary appearance and dirt filled fittings pointed to the fact that no one had lived here in a long time. As Ronnie passed from room to room she soon noticed the same flashing light emitting from the front room. She edged closer to the closed door, her heart racing in her chest as she laid her head against the wood.

She could hear a feint cough, the sound of someone struggling for breath. A lump formed in Ronnie's throat as she listened to this person slowly choking, a sound so painful to hear that Ronnie immediately swung the door open in panic.

Her eyes widened in fear as she stared at a broken body slumped and tied to a chair in the middle of the room; alone within the room's dark four walls with a bag tight around their head. "What have you done?" Ronnie cried in anguish as she watched a figure rising from the corner of the room brandishing a silver hand gun.

The figure continued to slowly rise from the dark corner, their face gradually being revealed as they stepped closer towards the small lamp that was flickering near the body. Ronnie could see their fingers wrapped around the handle of the gun as they arrogantly let the weapon drop down by their leg, swinging it up and down carelessly.

Ronnie didn't know where to look; her gaze jumping from the pistol, to the tied up body and to him. She stared at him, his face now in full view. She recognised his smug smile, filled with arrogance and those dark eyes; a mask that hid so many lies and so much deceit.

He looked exactly like his son, exactly like the man that she had let step into her home and take her daughter away. His appearance made a wave of anger rise from the pit of Ronnie's stomach. She wanted to leap forward and bury her fist into his face, save Danielle but Ronnie knew she had to act cautiously, the introduction of the gun made the scene even more dangerous. Ronnie stared into the eyes of James Snr as he stood triumphantly over the helpless body.

Danielle stirred slightly, feeling constricted as tried to move her shoulders. Danielle tried to open her eyes but she was alarmed to see nothing but darkness surrounding her, the dusty smell in the air making her sneeze.

"Where is he? Where is my father?" Ronnie cried desperately. James Snr managed to chuckle to himself, his smile growing bigger as he enjoyed the sense of fear and panic in the room. As he ran the hand gun through his finger James Snr revelled in the feeling of power and control he held of the situation.

"Your father is dead" James Snr said firmly. "Then why are you here? Why have you done this?" Ronnie cried, throwing her hands in the direction of the tied up body.

"Did you know he died right in front of me eyes? One moment we were talking and the next, bang! He dropped to the floor and that was it" James said, Ronnie noticed how animated he had become; he seemed to be enjoying elaborating on the details of Archie's death.

"Before he died he asked me to do him a favour. I'm not normally one for keeping to promises but with Archie it was different. He looked out for me inside, so now I'm repaying him the favour. Archie asked me to pass on a message" James Snr paused, taking in the terrified expression on Ronnie's face.

"What message?" Ronnie asked, trying to keep herself as calm as possible. "He said that I should teach you a lesson, punish you for all the neglect and mistakes you have made. He wanted you to know that he always wins." James Snr said confidently, mirroring the arrogance that Ronnie would expect her father to display in this situation. As James Snr spoke Ronnie couldn't help but picture her father standing before her, his callous words cutting into her even when he was not around.

"He told me everything he did. It's amazing how prison can make a man open up, reveal all his deep and dark secrets" James Snr continued. Ronnie shuddered as he circled the tied up figure, like an animal stalking his prey before the inevitable kill.

"See your dad may not have had the nerve to kill her but I certainly won't think twice about putting a bullet through her skull" James said with a confidence that made Ronnie realise that he meant every word.

The thought of losing her daughter was too much for Ronnie to handle and she surprisingly drew strength from James's deadly threats. Pushing her fear to one side, Ronnie leapt forward, throwing herself towards the chair and body in the centre of the room.

James Snr noticed Ronnie's leg flinch, her face hardening before she made her move. But still he remained calm, knowing that the control still lay firmly with him in the shape of a hand gun that rested on the edge of his fingers.

As Ronnie lay within touching distance of the body James Snr drew his hand up and fired the gun into the ceiling, making Ronnie jump back in shock as the sound of the bullet echoed round the room.

Danielle's heart jumped as she heard the sound of the bullet ringing in her ears. The darkness that engulfed her had scared her but the sound of a bullet terrified Danielle. She tried desperately to piece together her surroundings but the darkness made the room seem deserted and empty.

Danielle focused her eyes, noticing the dusty furniture and dirt covered walls, which only fuelled Danielle's fear further. She had no clue whose bed she was lying on, whose sheets were wrapped around her tightly.

Engulfed by a sense of terror and loneliness Danielle wished that her mother was by her side, there to hold her hand and reassure her everything was going to be ok.

"Please! Please don't hurt her!" Ronnie cried as she managed to get to her feet. She realised that pushing James Snr again would only make the situation worse.

As Danielle curled up between the sheets, wrapping her legs tight to her chin she heard quiet voices in the distance. Although they were too far away for Danielle to recognise she could detect the terror in the women's cries.

Danielle slowly sat up, managing to untangle the mess of bed sheets from between her limbs. She slowly stepped onto the floorboards, treading lightly as the wood creaked. Although the fear and terror still remained Danielle felt intrigued by what she had just heard.

Her mind had been racing with so many questions and worries that Danielle decided she needed to hunt down the truth, naively planning to deal with the situation once she was confronted with it. She cautiously made her way down the stairs, taking one step at a time before she noticed a flickering light shining through a crack in a door.

"Just let her go. She is just a kid, she hasn't done anything wrong!" Ronnie pleaded in desperation as she felt the situation slipping through her fingers, each passing second felt like a step closer towards disaster.

"She is my daughter, please. You have children, you must understand?!" Ronnie cried frantically, trying to appeal to any hint of good nature and kindness that James Snr may have.

"Daughter?" James Snr said, before ripping off the bag from the body's head. Ronnie didn't move, she couldn't. Her eyes widened as she looked at a terrified Roxy, fear and confusion constricted Ronnie. She stared helplessly at her sister, who had mascara scarred down her cheeks and a burning red cut just above her lip.

Just for a moment their eyes locked, Roxy's broken and battered face pleaded with Ronnie for help; her eyes filled with such fear and terror that it felt like a knife through Ronnie's heart. She desperately wanted to help her sister, save her once again but the gun resting on Roxy's temple acted as a reminder that one false move could mean the end.

As Ronnie's eyes were fixed on Roxy she heard the sound of doors creaking, unexpected footsteps entering the room. "Mum!" Danielle cried as she looked on at the terrifying situation. Ronnie turned on the spot to face her child, recognising the horrified cry of her daughter instantly.

But conversations were cut short; moments interrupted as the sound of a single bullet fired rang round the room. It pierced through flesh, ripping life away as a body fell to the floor.

He held the gun between his fingers, his index finger still resting on the trigger. The scene around him fell silent for only a second, each face turning in horror as they heard him firing the bullet. He looked around at the petrified bodies scattered across the room, the same look of fear etched across their faces, except for one. One body was motionless, emotion and life had drained away from them as they lay cold on the wooden floorboards.

Ronnie didn't know where to look. She desperately wanted to close her eyes and have the room around her fade into darkness but petrified shrieks rung in her eyes, reminding her of the situation not only herself, but her daughter and sister were in.

"Mum!" Danielle cried again as she watched her mother buckle in shock as the bullet was fired. "Mum, are you ok?" Danielle was now crying uncontrollably. "Yeah I'm fine sweetie" Ronnie said quietly, managing to get to her knees and stare into her daughter's eyes. She brushed her hand across the daughter's cheek but Ronnie was shocked when a smear of blood spread across Danielle's pale cheeks.

"Mum, are you hurt?" Danielle cried, almost throwing herself at Ronnie desperately. "It's not mine" Ronnie stated, bemused as to why she had blood trickling between her fingers. Ronnie looked back at her daughter and realised that Danielle was staring past her shoulder, her eyes wide with fear.

Ronnie shot her head round to face Roxy, who was slumped across the chair with blood splattered across her shirt. "Rox!" Ronnie cried, crawling over to her sister. "Roxy, wake up are you ok?" Ronnie asked desperately, shaking her sister's cold and limp body.

Ronnie lifted up her sister's chin and felt an overwhelming sense of relief to see Roxy's blue eyes brimming with tears. Roxy managed to slowly nod her head, her shoulders shaking with fear. Ronnie had been so engrossed in checking the safety of her loved ones that she had failed to notice the body spread across the floor behind Roxy.

James Snr lay motionless, a pool of blood spreading round his skull. Ronnie looked over, noticing the bullet hole that had pierced through his skull. Though it was a scene of such violence and horror Ronnie felt no sorrow as she stared at James Snr's crumbled and bloody body.

But as her eyes moved away she heard her daughter shriek once again. Ronnie ran over to Danielle immediately as he daughter cried hysterically, the horror of what had just happened hit Danielle hard as she noticed James Snr's body.

"It's ok baby" Ronnie said cradling her daughter's fragile and shaking body, "It's all over, I promise" Ronnie said reassuringly as she felt Danielle dissolve into her arms. Ronnie gently pulled away from Danielle and moved over to Roxy, who was still sat tied to the chair.

Ronnie carefully undid the ropes that had caged her sister until she noticed a pair of feet in her eye line. Terrified that their ordeal might not yet be finished she let her eyes travel up the figures legs, body and then to his head. Ronnie gasped as she stared into the horrified eyes of James, who was slumped against a door frame with the silver hand gun hanging from his fingers.

In that moment Ronnie realised that she had not even thought about who fired the shot, her mind had been so lost in the panic that she hadn't taken a second to think where the bullet had come from. Ronnie stared into James' eyes as his body slowly slid down the frame until he crumbled in a heap on floor. For a second Ronnie was mesmerised by James. He cried in anguish, his eyes unable to focus on his father's bloody body that lay only inches away from him.

"Ronnie!" Roxy cried, trying to catch her sister's attention. "Sorry" Ronnie whispered before she turned her attention back to Roxy to untie the ropes whilst still keeping one eyes on James, still wary of the gun that now lay next to him.

Roxy sat perfectly still as Ronnie untied the ropes. She felt the ropes slid down her arms and onto the floor but even though she was now free Roxy still sat on the chair. She didn't have the strength to stand up, her body and mind felt weak, her legs were still shaking in shock. Ronnie noticed how fragile and scared her sister looked so she held Roxy's legs tightly, wrapping her arms around her sister and gesturing for Danielle to come over.

Danielle didn't wait a second, leaping forward and throwing her arms around her mother, resting her head on Roxy's legs. Whilst Roxy's legs felt cold she could fell her mother's warmth as she clinged to Ronnie.

As all three women huddled together footsteps charged up the pathway towards the house, breaking down the door before entering the room. Jack stood in the doorway, surrounded by two out of uniform police officers, looking on horrified as he tried to piece the scene together.

His eyes moved from Ronnie, Roxy and Danielle in the centre of the room to James Snr's body and then to James, who sat alone in the opposite doorway, his head buried deep into his legs. As the two men that were flanking Jack swooped in around him to assess the scene Jack pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket, dialling 999, "Hello, this is Jack Branning we need Police and ambulances to 5 Ballinger Street immediately."

Jack's voice alerted Ronnie, who turned her head to stay at Jack. She didn't dare pull herself away from Danielle or Roxy, their bodies intertwined around the chair. "The Police and paramedics are on their way" Jack said, selfishly hoping for a smile or thank you from Ronnie but she turned her away coldly, concentrating once again on Roxy and Danielle.

It seemed like only a second had passed to Ronnie before she heard the sirens, vehicles screeching to a stop outside the house. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Police Officers rushed in, bodies darting around them. Some went over to James, who was being guarded by Jack whilst others circled James Snr's body which was being attended to by paramedics.

Ronnie managed to get to her feet, dragging Danielle up with her as her daughter still clinged tightly to her. A paramedic was now treating a shaken Roxy. Ronnie held her daughter close as two police officers carried a limp James out of the room past Danielle and Ronnie.

"Danielle, I'm sorry. I came here to try and help, I came here to save you" James cried as he was dragged to the door. The sound of his desperate voice made Ronnie tighten her grip on Danielle. As she closed her eyes Danielle heard James' plea, his cries getting quieter as he was dragged out of the house.

She didn't understand what had happened or why events had panned out how they had but through the haze of confusion and panic Danielle knew that the one person she needed the most right now had her arms lovingly wrapped her around her and Danielle wasn't going to let go.

Roxy was slowly helped onto a stretcher by paramedics, gritting her teeth as the pain in her legs worsened. "Is she going to be ok?" Ronnie asked a paramedic as they wheeled Roxy past. "Yeah she is going to be fine, just a few cuts and bruises. You should really come to the hospital too, get both of you checked out" the paramedic said gently, gesturing for Ronnie and Danielle to follow them out.

Ronnie managed to peel Danielle away from her, making sure she still gripped Danielle's hand tightly as they followed Roxy out and into the ambulance. Just before the doors began to shut Jack managed to dip his head into view, "Are you all going to be ok?" He asked concerned. He could hardly imagine what had happened; the scene he had walked in on displayed such horror that he felt sick with worry.

"Yes, we will be fine" Ronnie said firmly, clearly not wanting to engage into a conversation with Jack. "How did you know where we were?" Danielle asked, intrigued and grateful by Jack's sudden appearance.

"I followed your mum down from Walford. I realised that she would come and try and find you and I didn't want her coming on her own" Jack said, trying to emphasise his good deed to an unimpressed Ronnie.

Danielle smiled at Jack sweetly in thanks. She turned to Ronnie, expecting to see the same reaction from her mother but Ronnie's face didn't display the thanks and kindness of her daughter's. Ronnie tried to pretend she hadn't heard Jack, instead keeping her eyes focused on Roxy, talking to her softly. Danielle noticed Ronnie's obvious unease at the situation. "Thanks Jack" Danielle whispered, offering one last smile before the ambulance doors shut.

As the ambulance drove off Danielle and Ronnie sat hand in hand, Danielle's head resting against Ronnie's shoulder. Ronnie's other hand was slowly stroking Roxy's arm as she lay on the stretcher in front of Ronnie and Danielle. They all knew that the ordeal was over and even though it would take a long time to forget the pain and horror; they were close once again, reunited and able to move on together.


End file.

EastEnders, Drama, Family