Tanya pays Kirsty to leave, but she does not go, so Tanya allows Kirsty to come to a family dinner to see what Max has with her. Kirsty revels in the fact that there are family problems. When Max's daughter Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) is upset, Kirsty takes the opportunity to bond with her, upsetting Tanya. Kirsty gives Lauren the keys to her room at the B&B. Max finds the keys and pockets them. Tanya finds them and assumes Max is still involved with Kirsty, so she goes to Kirsty's room and starts packing her belongings. Kirsty catches her, so Tanya tells Kirsty to leave, giving her the divorce papers to sign but Kirsty writes "never" on them. Lauren visits Kirsty and tells her to leave as Max will always want Tanya. Later, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) urges Kirsty to move on from Max, and as she realises how much she is hurting Max by staying, she signs the divorce papers. She tells Max she is leaving Walford. Tanya realises that Max still has feelings for Kirsty and ejects him from their home as Kirsty leaves Walford. Kirsty returns her wedding ring through the post. Max finds her staying with her ex-boyfriend Carl White's (Daniel Coonan) brother, Adam White (Ben Wigzell), who is abusive towards her. After Adam beats Max up, Kirsty and Max reconcile with a passionate kiss in Max's car. She returns to Walford and lives with Max in the B&B.  Kirsty is angry when Max continues to say he has a special connection with Tanya because they have children. Kirsty tells Max she is pregnant, and Max says he is not ready to have a child with her. They agree that she will have an abortion, but she confides in Kat that she is not really pregnant, and Max then asks Kirsty to not abort the pregnancy. Kirsty then hopes she will get pregnant, and announces to her neighbours in the pub that she is pregnant. Max then finds himself and Kirsty their own home. Kirsty worries when people ask questions about her pregnancy, and Kat urges her to tell Max the truth. Adam starts calling Kirsty, as Carl is due to be released from prison. She also starts worrying when they will track her down. Kirsty cancels an ultrasound scan appointment but lies to Max that the hospital cancelled it.