EastEnders 1. Chapter 1 One Year On

**Hi everyone. This is now my third Ronnie/Danielle based Eastenders fan fic. My other two stories (Ronnie and Stacey – The Realisation and Ronnie Mitchell – Lonely, Damaged Soul) haven't had any reviews yet, so now I am trying something different. Instead of being like my other two fan fics with just one chapter or 'one shot', I am going to be writing a full-length story with proper chapters etc. This fic is basically from Ronnie Mitchell's POV, one year on from her daughter Danielle's death but with a twist. As Ronnie stands on the road where her daughter was run over, she suddenly has a strange sensation and goes back in time as a ghost to witness all of the events which led up to that devastating day when she was finally reunited with her daughter before it was too late...**

**Hope you enjoy! Please review.**

A minute glimmer of sunshine crept slowly through the crack between the deep purple bedroom curtains. The window was ever so slightly ajar and so the sounds of cars speeding past the window, kids shouting happily as they played a game of football in the street and the hussle and bussle of the market stall owners and their early morning punters echoed all around Ronnie Mitchell's dark bedroom.

Normally, at 8 o'clock on a Friday morning, Ronnie would be dressing herself smartly for the day ahead. She would be wearing her usual dark business jacket and matching trousers and her black pointed boots with the small heel and her blonde hair would be casually loose around her shoulders, to make sure that she didn't look too stern and strict. However, today was different. Today, she should have been heading over to the Queen Vic to help her Aunty Peg and sister Roxy set up their pride and joy that was the pub, for the busy day ahead. It was a holiday after all; Good Friday. But what was so good about it to Ronnie, when the 2nd April 2010; a holy day for many people; was probably one of the hardest days of the year for her to attempt to struggle through. It was the anniversary of her daughter's death; the daughter she barely knew; the daughter whom she had only held in her arms twice. The day she was born and the day she died; at the age of just nineteen...

And as Ronnie lay curled up on her bed as if she herself was slowly slipping away to the great beyond, the whole idea of her situation came flooding back into her mind. No one could possibly understand how she was feeling. Her sister had a daughter, a daughter named after the one that Ronnie had lost when she was fourteen. But even such a kind and loving gesture couldn't make her feel any better or forget any faster. In fact, cruelly, it made Ronnie feel even worse. To look into those soft brown eyes of Amy's; the ones which were so similar to her own daughter's, and realise that they were not her flesh and blood, was just too unbearable for Ronnie to bear.

And as Ronnie sat up, with two delicate tears cascading down her pale cheeks, she caught sight of Danielle's photograph which she kept on her bedside table. It was the only reminder that she had of her guardian angel. The only way she could possibly remember her beautiful girl and remind herself that she was indeed hers. Ronnie stood up very slowly, her mind spinning with so many unwanted thoughts. She hurriedly dressed herself and roughly pulled a brush through her hair. It didn't matter what she looked like today. All that mattered was that she kept her daughter's memory alive in her mind; whatever it took.

But what Ronnie didn't know was that the task of remembering as much as she could about her beloved daughter was about to become a whole lot easier...

**Thank you for reading guys. I have left this part on a cliffhanger obviously and so the next chapter will follow on to Ronnie going back in time to her younger years and seeing how all this started, as well as her entering the memories of some other important people...**


	2. Chapter 2 Flower Stall

**Hi everyone! Thanks for reading the first chapter of A Message from the Past – Ronnie and Danielle. Special thanks go to charlotte93, Adia Rose, R and D Fan and rack 4eva for my first four really helpful reviews. Hope everyone continues to enjoy this fic and continues to review it. Any kind of criticism/comments welcome. **

**ErinInWonderland30**

Ronnie Mitchell watched with extreme concentration as Jean Slater gently placed colourful flower after colourful flower into a neat bouquet for her. When Jean awoke this morning, leaving her daughter Stacey sitting in complete silence at the kitchen table, she knew it would only be a matter of hours before she received an order from Ronnie Mitchell at her market flower stall. Jean of all people knew what today was. She knew what this day marked for Ronnie.

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_Veronica Elizabeth Mitchell was known famously throughout Albert Square for her icy, distant nature. This cool, calm and collected woman was used to being shunned by the residents of Walford because of her cold attitude. But today, it was as if everyone she passed, sympathised with her._

_Ronnie was blissfully unaware of everything going on around her today. Her brain just couldn't seem to process anything. Passers by saw this graceful yet troubled woman, whose eyes were bloodshot and sore-looking, staring longingly into the distance. But just about everyone in the Square knew exactly why she was like this. Even if they weren't there one year ago on that tragic night, basically everyone heard the horrible story one way or another._

_Whether through watching with confusion as Peggy Mitchell threw her new husband Archie's clothes and personal belongings out of their bedroom window, yelling at him in her instantly recognisable 'Get outta my pub' voice to get lost and never come near her family again. Obviously, people found out as the ambulance arrived on Turpin Road, taking away the body of a young, blonde girl, with two paramedics having to restrain Ronnie Mitchell as she cried and screamed to be with 'her daughter'. But, most people didn't have to ask, all they simply had to do was lay flowers on the pavement and watch in sympathy as Ronnie sped off on her motorbike to Telford, wearing all black, tears forming in her eyes; on the day of Danielle's funeral._

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'There you go,' said Jean, in her usual gentle, hushed tone. She carefully handed the bouquet over to Ronnie and gave her a smile, unsure if it would be returned, but as Ronnie grasped the stems of the flowers and looked up to meet Jean in the eyes, a small smile emerged and a 'Thank you' escaped from her lips. Jean smiled yet again but inside, she might as well have been sobbing. Ronnie was clearly trying to stay strong today but Jean could clearly see small tears forming in the corners of both of Ronnie's eyes. It was heartbreaking for her to see. Her Stacey had looked exactly the same this morning. Jean had tried to communicate and tried to offer to go with Stacey to lay flowers later on for Danielle. But Stacey didn't even look up; she just stared blankly into space, mirroring Ronnie's previous actions; her eyes lost in a pool of tears, just waiting for Danielle to return...

**Thanks again for reading guys. I know I said I would write about Ronnie going back in time in this chapter but it just seemed right to have this interaction between Ronnie and Jean. I know these first two chapters have had hardly any dialogue but I promise that future chapters will include a lot more. Please read and review!**

**ErinInWonderland30**


	3. Chapter 3 My Beautiful Little Butterfly

**Hey guys. Sorry but there's still a delay with the whole time travel scenario for this fic. But this chapter is a flashback of Ronnie writing a letter/poem to her daughter Danielle to attach to the flowers that she brought from Jean to lay on the road where Danielle was run over.**

**Hope you like it. Please review! I like hearing what everyone thinks about it.**

**ErinInWonderland30**

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**Two days earlier (31st March 2010)**

Ronnie's mind was swivelling painfully with so many unwanted words and thoughts. She could hear the blood pounding in her head. She could feel the blood flowing through her veins. Her heart was beating so quickly that she started to breath heavily and dramatically, terrified that she could be having a heart attack. Of course she wasn't but at the same time, she felt like she was slowly slipping away because of the pain...

She couldn't conceal her feelings any longer. She had to do it. She had to write to her baby and tell her how she felt. No matter how painful it would be...

Ronnie's movements became slow as she reached into the desk drawer and pulled out a plastic bag that was at the bottom. She reached into the bag and grabbed the purchases that she had made yesterday morning. She had needed plenty of time to think about it all and figure out what she was going to say. It had to be done right.

Ronnie took the plastic cellophane off of the pale pink sheets of paper that she had bought. She hadn't had the courage to ask Stacey what Danielle's favourite colour was, so she chose a beautiful shade of baby pink; the colour that her darling angel's first baby outfit had been, before her cruel, manipulative father took her away.

She took her brand new fountain pen out of its metal case. The pen was so shiny that Ronnie could see her face in it. But that was the last thing she wanted to see. Her face and eyes had suffered dramatically from the heavy flow of crying that Ronnie had been doing the past few days.

She pressed pen to paper very delicately. She didn't want to poke holes in it. She had been all set to do this for the whole day but now that it had come to it, the words and thoughts that had been controlling and ripping apart her brain were gone. Ronnie had no idea what she could write to her baby on the anniversary of her death. She closed her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to imagine her angel sitting in front of her, smiling; like nothing at all was wrong in the world. But as Ronnie; in her mind; reached out to touch Danielle; her presence was replaced by an image of herself, sobbing to no end, cradling her beautiful girl, as she passed away in her mother's arms.

Ronnie's eyes shot open and a solitary tear escaped from her left eye. She hurriedly wiped it away with her index finger. She wasn't going to cry. Not now; while she was trying to be strong for her daughter.

Ronnie sighed heavily and stood up. Maybe if she came away from the harsh environment of her desk, she could think properly. She walked into the kitchen and switched on the radio. Maybe a bit of music would soothe her brain.

The radio presenter was very loud and bubbly; it made Ronnie's ears ache. Soon, the presenter introduced his next song; '_Now here's a track for all you Miley/Hannah fans out there. This is 'Butterfly Fly Away' from Miley Cyrus from her recent 2009 movie.'_

Ronnie smirked. She couldn't stand all of those cheesy kids songs*. She reached over to turn the radio to a different station but stopped dead in her tracks when the Miley song began to play. The introduction was sweet. A soft, subtle guitarist, playing a gentle, repetitive melody. It soothed Ronnie incredibly and then the singer came in...

_You tuck me in._

_Turn out the light._

_Kept me safe and sound at night._

_Little girls depend on things like that._

_Brushed my teeth and combed my hair._

_Had to drive me everywhere._

_You were always there when I looked back._

_You had to do it all alone._

_Make a living, make a home._

_Must have been as hard as it could be._

_And when I couldn't sleep at night._

_Scared things wouldn't turn out right._

_You would hold my hand and sing to me._

By this point, Ronnie Mitchell; heart of glass, the woman with an attitude as cold as ice; had slid to the kitchen floor in uncontrollable tears, at the realisation that this song was all about the complete opposite to what Ronnie had done for her daughter. But she was determined to listen to the rest of the song. For Danielle; she had to show she cared.

_Caterpillar in the tree, how you wonder who you'll be._

_Can't go far but you can always dream._

_Wish you may and wish you might._

_Don't you worry, hold on tight._

_I promise you that there will come a day._

_Butterfly Fly Away._

_Butterfly Fly Away, Butterfly Fly Away_

_Spread your wings now you can't stay  
Take those dreams and make them all come true  
Butterfly Fly Away.  
We been waiting for this day  
All along you've known just what to do  
Butterfly,  
Butterfly,  
Butterfly,  
Butterfly Fly Away._

Ronnie was heartbroken. She just couldn't stop the cascades of tears falling from her sore, blue eyes. She never thought that Miley Cyrus would be the one to help her to tell her daughter how much she missed her, but that was exactly what had happened. Quickly, before the thoughts escaped her mind, Ronnie dragged herself up, wiping away her tears and sat back at her desk. She knew what she had to write. She knew exactly what she had to say. Ronnie Mitchell had to write to her beautiful little butterfly before she flew away from her life forever...

**Thanks for reading guys. I am actually getting quite emotional writing this. Again, I haven't written about the time-travel but I promise it will happen in the next 2-3 chapters. Regarding this chapter, I knew I wanted to include a song for Ronnie to use as inspiration to write a letter to Danielle to attach to the flowers that she is going to lay on the spot where Danielle died and I just thought that Butterfly Fly Away fitted in so well. I really hope you like it. Please review and I will keep updating.**

*** By the way I wasn't hating on Miley Cyrus. I actually really like her, but tough and cool Ronnie Mitchell wouldn't really, would she?**

**X ErinInWonderland30**


	4. Chapter 4 A Single Pink Rose

**Hi guys. Thanks to everyone who has been reviewing my fic. It makes me feel really good and makes me want to keep writing. **

**This chapter is now back to the 2nd April 2010 (the anniversary of Danielle's death) and will be Ronnie making her way to Turpin Road to lay Dani's flowers on the spot where she died and at the same time, she will be re-reading the letter that she wrote two days ago (in the last chapter) to Dani. I really hope you like it. Please review!**

**X ErinInWonderland30**

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'Thanks again for the flowers , Jean,' said Ronnie, giving Stacey's mum a quick smile.

'You're welcome. You know I'm happy to help,' replied Jean, trying to hide the deep sympathy and pain that was tearing apart her insides.

'See you later,' said Ronnie, but just as she was about to walk away, Jean piped up,

'Oh Ronnie, wait, you've left something,' exclaimed Jean, running up to Ronnie, with a pale pink envelope in her hand.

'Oh god Jean, thank you so much.' Ronnie breathed a sigh of relief, realising she had left it sitting on the stall. 'You don't know what I would have done if I had lost this.'

A awkward silence rang between the two women after this confrontation, but Jean felt she had to say something.

She lowered her tone. 'Is it for...' her voice trailed away, at the realisation of what saying Danielle's name could do to Ronnie.

But Ronnie didn't need to hear the rest of the sentence. 'Yeah, it's to go with the flowers, a message...for..her' said Ronnie, a lump forming in her throat as the grief took over her brain. And yet she felt like she could take some comfort in Jean's presence. This woman knew what she was going through. Stacey must have been feeling exactly the same this morning, torn apart inside and out from the loss of a beautiful angel.

'No, it's alright. It's for her. Danielle needs to be the first to see it.' whispered Jean, aware that her own emotions were running high at the thought of all of this.

Ronnie could feel tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She didn't want Jean to see her upset. Her daughter would have been completely distant today towards her family and this kind, gentle woman didn't need to witness any more sadness.

Ronnie realised that she had to get away before the tears started escaping from her eyes.

'Thanks again Jean,' she whispered, in case a sob emerged from her mouth before she could stop it. Ronnie patted Jean's arm and turned away quickly to avoid an awkward encounter. But as Ronnie moved towards Turpin Road, a tear dropped from her left eye and landed in the centre of the solitary pale pink rose which was in Danielle's bouquet, placed there by Jean to represent Danielle's favourite colour and flower which sadly, she knew Ronnie wouldn't even be aware of.

Ronnie reached the corner opposite the Vic. She had to read through the letter. She had to make sure her letter was perfect. She made her way over to Arthur's bench and sat down carefully, placing her bouquet down beside her and taking the letter out her pocket. Ronnie closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It had to be done and it had to be done right. She turned the letter over to the front side where she had carefully written in her neat, curly writing;

_To Danielle_

_My beautiful little butterfly._

Ronnie turned the letter around again and gently opened the envelope, trying desperately not to rip it. She even more carefully, pulled the letter free and unfolded it. She took a deep breath in and began to read...

**Thanks for reading guys. I promise you will find out what Ronnie wrote in the letter in the next chapter. Please review. I hope you enjoyed it.**


	5. Chapter 5 A Letter to My Angel

**Hey guys! Thanks again for reading and reviewing! It really does make all the difference. **

**So, the last chapter was left on a cliffhanger (hee, hee) just as Ronnie was about to look over the letter she had written to Danielle to lay beside her flowers. That is basically what this chapter is about. I hope it lives up to expectations and that everyone likes it and feels the powerful emotion that I am trying to convey.**

**By the way, this could be the last chapter for a while as I have exams this week which will continue until May (AAH!!!) but in between studying, I will try and update as much as possible. Please don't give up on this fic as I haven't even got to the bit where Ronnie goes back in time (oh boy, this is going to be a long fic!). I really hope that you continue to read and enjoy! Please review!**

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_**To my darling Danielle,**_

_**My precious baby. My silent witness. My sacred soul.**_

_**My once-in-a-lifetime treasure and my guardian angel.**_

_Fly, fly, with your little wings,_

_Fly beyond imagining._

_And as you fly,_

_Beyond the sky,_

_Each breeze you feel and see,_

_Will bring a hug and kiss from me._

_Past the red hot planets and the shining stars,_

_Leave this lonely world of ours._

_Escape the sorrow, hurt and pain,_

_And fly, fly, fly again._

_But you shall never be alone._

_There will always be a place called home._

_But just soar up high, my precious one._

_Your endless journey has now begun._

_Take your soft, sweet happiness,_

_Far too precious for all of this._

_Cross on over to the other shore._

_Where you shall find peace forevermore._

_But hold these memories bittersweet._

_Forever and ever, until we meet._

_Just keep on flying and do not fear._

_Don't waste a breath, don't shed a tear._

_Your heart is pure and your soul is free,_

_So go on your way, don't wait for me._

_And though above the universe you'll climb,_

_Crossing and changing the hands of time._

_Though the moon will rise and the sun will set._

_It would take a miracle to make me forget._

_Please remember I love you._

_Will you watch over me?_

_Because I will always treasure my baby._

_If only you could see._

_So fly, fly, with your little wings._

_Fly to where only angels sing._

_Your heart is pure and your soul is free._

_Go on your way but don't forget me._

_Now fly up high, the time is right._

_Go on now, my darling, go find the light..._

_**Happy Birthday, sweetheart.**_

_**Sleep tight, my angel.**_

_**Forever in my heart,**_

_**All my love.**_

_**Mum.**_

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And as Ronnie's eyes reached the end of the final sentence of the letter which had taken so much inner strength to write, this troubled young woman could not stop a solitary tear gently falling from her left eye, just as the rain began to gently drip all around her as she desperately grieved the loss of her beautiful, little butterfly whom she had accepted, was ready to soar up high, away from the deceiving, cruel world that had taken her away from her mother far too soon.

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**Thanks again for reading guys. I really hope the letter/poem is okay, I really wanted the readers to feel the powerful emotion that I was trying to convey. I hope the 'beautiful little butterfly' thing isn't too repetitive and corny but I liked the whole idea of Ronnie writing a poem to Danielle, telling her that though she could never possibly forget her, she is ready to let her fly on to heaven and will always see her as a butterfly in the sky.**

**Please review! But remember, I have exams so I am not sure how regular updates will be!**

**Thanks a lot!**


	6. Chapter 6 A Phone Call from the Past

**Hey again guys! Thanks again for the reviews. I hope I haven't killed Ronnie's cool and calm character by making her write a poem to Danielle and making her cry all the time! Lol! Anyway, this is going to be a big chapter! Please tell me if you think the idea in this chapter is too cheesy or unrealistic! Reviews and/or criticism welcome! Feel free to hate it if you really want! Ha ha! :-) Thanks again!**

Ronnie Mitchell hurriedly wiped away yet another tear from her eye. It was all just too painful for her to cope with but she knew it was time. Time to lay her baby to rest...for good. Ronnie slowly stood up from Arthur's bench, where she had sat down to read over her letter to Danielle. She knew that she would never know if it was good enough or truly said what she was feeling but she had to leave it for Danielle. She had to tell her angel how she felt, if it was the last thing she did.

Ronnie's head was spinning uncontrollably. Nothing seemed to process properly in her brain. The residents of Albert Square walking past her were just a blur in the corner of her eye. The loud talk from the market stall owners was simply just a ringing in her ears. Nothing else seemed to matter now. Maybe her father had been right; maybe she was insane? Ronnie shuddered as she realised what she had been thinking. She was still letting Archie get to her. Even from beyond the grave, he was still a manipulative, obsessive tyrant, who was determined to control her every waking hour. Ronnie shook her head. No. She wasn't going to let that horrible man stop her from doing what she had to do today.

She had reached it. Turpin Road. On the spot where her daughter had been killed in a car accident. This one patch of the whole of Albert Square pulled desperately at Ronnie's insides. Her heart was pounding with fear and angst and her eyes were slowly swimming in her own tears. She blinked several times. Enough was enough. This was the moment and she needed to savour it...

Ronnie's eyes quickly turned beside her as she heard someone come up behind her. Ronnie still had a few tears in her eyes, so she couldn't make out who it was at first. The person had long, dark hair and brown eyes, but the thing which confirmed Ronnie's guess as to who it was, was the blurry image of a woman with her hands concealed over her stomach. It was Stacey Slater; shivering desperately at the bitter wind that swirled around her ankles and trying to cover up her baby bump with her thin, fluffy jacket.

'Alright Ron?' asked Stacey, in a tender, quiet whisper, smiling gently Ronnie, whose eyes bore a painful expression, similar to the one she couldn't help but give to her mum this morning as she left for work.

'As alright as I can be,' replied Ronnie, a slight chuckle emerging at the end of her sentence.

'Take it you paid a visit to my mum this morning?' asked Stacey, gesturing towards the flowers, tightly gripped in Ronnie's left hand.

Ronnie laughed. 'Yeah, I've been hanging on to them for a while now.' she continued, her sentence overthrown with a tone of sadness. 'I think they're ready now,'

Stacey nodded and at the same moment as Ronnie, placed her bouquet of flowers against the damp, mossy brick wall, sighing heavily as she stood up again.

Ronnie stroked the flowers as she propped them up neatly and before she forgot, reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the letter.

'Just a small message,' Ronnie explained to Stacey. Stacey nodded.

'We think alike,' replied Stacey, producing a white envelope from her pocket and placing it against her flowers, smiling gently towards Ronnie.

Ronnie laughed. 'Indeed we do,'

It was the time. Ronnie prayed that Danielle would understand how much she loved her. She reached forward and very slowly, laid the letter in amongst her flowers, just below the solitary pink rose. But as she did, she jumped with fright as her phone vibrated in her pocket.

Ronnie sighed and looked apologetically at Stacey.

'This won't take a minute.' she explained. 'It's probably just Roxy complaining about someone in the Vic,' she joked, taking the phone out of her pocket.

'It's fine, take your time,' Stacey said, smiling back at Ronnie, who walked slowly across the road to answer the phone.

Ronnie began to walk across to the other side of the road, in case Roxy decided to complain in her loudest tone of voice possible, but as Ronnie turned her phone around to look at the caller ID, she saw it wasn't her younger sister calling her. She stopped in the middle of the road, not really thinking about what she was doing. The screen said;

**Call from:**

**THE PAST**

Ronnie looked down in shock at her phone. She hit the back of her phone a few times in case the battery was jammed or something, but no. When she looked again at the phone, it said the same thing. _**Call from the past.**_ Ronnie was astounded. What on earth was going on?

But, she had always been a curious person. What was the worst that could happen if she answered it?

Ronnie took a deep breath in and gently pressed the answer button on her phone. She placed the phone to her ear, hesitantly.

'Hello?' she said, gently.

Almost as soon as she said that, a deafening beeping noise from the phone flooded through her head, rattling her brain and making her crouch down in the middle of the road in pain. She dropped the phone and placed her hands over her ears. It wouldn't stop. The awful noise wouldn't stop. It just kept going on and on. Ronnie lay down on the ground and closed her eyes. She could feel her ears throbbing. Her head was spinning. She screamed in deafening pain, her whole insides were about to give in and be ripped to shreds. She had never felt anything so painful in her life. She just wanted it to stop!!!

And immediately, it did! Ronnie's breathing was rapid and shallow. Her forehead felt clammy and her fingers were sore from gripping them so tightly as she had held her ears against the deafening beeping noise. She opened her eyes, expecting the residents of Walford to be staring at her like she was a complete lunatic. But the strange thing was that, she was no longer in Albert Square. In fact, she couldn't have been further away from the place that she now called home. She had no idea how she had got here, but she knew exactly where she was....

She was back. Back home! She didn't know how or why, but Ronnie was standing in the old bedroom of her childhood home, where she could clearly see her mother and father, sitting together, cradling a tiny, new born baby, that looked exactly like her. Ronnie gasped in shock.

_Veronica Mitchell had gone back in time......_

**Oooooo! Hope you liked it guys and everything was clear enough for you! Things are about to get very interesting for Ronnie Mitchell!**

**Please review! Thanks!**

**Love from ErinInWonderland30.**


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EastEnders, Hurt-Comfort, Tragedy