Disclaimer: All recognisable characters, places and storylines belong to the BBC.

Authors Note: I've recently fallen in love with the Chryed pairing but I was disappointed to find their just going down the love-triangle route again. This potential storyline came into my head the other day and I haven't been able to shake it. This my first fic in this fandom, please be gentle with me. I hope you enjoy it - or at least give it chance.

She was scruffy looking, that was what Roxy noticed first about her. That, and she was different. Roxy didn't recognise her at all. She wasn't even one of those people she saw everyday and did her best to ignore. She just wasn't from around here…. And she sounded different; Scottish … or was that Irish? Roxy couldn't tell. Foreign, she'd worked out that much. So why was this girl asking for Christian?

'This is a pub, not a missing person's unit,' Kat was shouting at the girl.

'I know,' the girls accent ran through Roxy. It was gritty and horrible and a little difficult to understand. 'Can you just tell me if he ever comes in here?'

'What?' Kat frowned. 'What are you saying?'

'Will … Christian … Clarke … come … in … this … pub?' the girl asked.

'Cheeky,' Kat warned, pointing a red painted nail at her opponent.

'Yeah, he will, love,' Alfie stepped in before Kat scratched this new girl some knew eye sockets. 'It's his local anyway. I don't know if he'll be in tonight.'

'He does live around here, but?'

'Yes,' he nodded. 'You're … you're a friend of his, are you?'

'Not exactly,' the girl shook her head. Her messy brown hair, flying about her shoulders. Like a witch, Roxy thought.

'No, right,' Alfie said. 'You don't really look like the kind of person he'd hang out with.'

'Why? What do they look like?'

Alfie said nothing but his rather obvious glance in Roxy's direction, meant the strange foreign girl was suddenly staring straight at her.

'You know Christian Clarke?' she asked, picking up a holdall and walking over.

'Might do,' Roxy shrugged. She was in no hurry to help a girl who seemed to know nothing about Christian apart from his name.

'Great. Could you tell me where he lives?'

'Why would I do that?'

'It's important. Honestly.'

'What's your name?' Roxy asked suspiciously.

'Kelly … Gourley.' The girl held out her hand. Roxy ignored it.

'He's never mentioned you.'

'He doesn't know me … yet,' Kelly said, allowing her hand to fall back to her side. 'But he'll want to know me, I swear it.'

'Why? Who are you little girl?'

'Just tell me where he lives.'

'No,' Roxy smirked, picking up her drink and taking a swig. She'd meant to signal the end of the conversation. It didn't work. Instead of leaving, the girl just said:

'Fine.' And sat down in the stool. 'I'll just stay with you until he arrives.'

"Uncomfortable" didn't really cover the situation. The strange girl was watching her like a hawk, every time she checked her phone, every time she walked to the bar. She wouldn't let her get away for even a second.

'Cider please,' Roxy flirted easily Alfie.

'What's the story with your little friend?' he asked, nodding subtly to Kelly.

'I don't know. She won't say anything other than she's looking for Christian.' Roxy looked over her shoulder as she spoke and, of course, caught Kelly's eye. The girl smiled and gave a friendly wave. Roxy mimicked her actions and turned back to bar.

'Save me,' she whispered to Alfie.

'Well,' he chuckled, 'the door's right there, if you fancy bolting for it.'

Roxy considered Alfie's proposal seriously. Yes she, Roxy Mitchell, might be in heels but that Kelly girl had a big bag of stuff at her feet. Even in stilettos Roxy fancied her chances of escape.

She paid for the drink, took a long swig and legged it. She pushed through a crowd of blokes and opened the door just in time to run straight into … Christian.

'Quick,' she cried, pulling at his vest. 'You've got to run away. There's some kind of crazy stalker after you.'

'Roxy,' he chuckled, holding her and arm's length. 'Are you drunk?'

'It's the middle of the afternoon, Rox,' Syed added with a knowing, superior smile. He was a jerk sometimes, she thought.

'Yeah, you need to pace yourself.'

'I'm not drunk,' Roxy snarled, slapping away her friend's hands. 'I'm talking about some crazy, foreign, Scottish bird trying to find you.'

'I'm not Scottish,' a voice suddenly came from the doorway, causing all three to look up. 'I'm Northern Irish.'

'Irish then,' Roxy scowled. 'Either way, she's crazy, Christian.'

'You're Christian,' the girl said, staring at the taller man suddenly with something like joy in her eyes.

'Yeeees,' he drawled, draping his arm around Roxy's shoulder and looking quickly to Syed as some kind of glanced explanation that he had no idea who this was.

'My name's Kelly,' the girl smiled. 'Kelly Gourley. My mother's Bea Gourley.'

'Bea?' Christian frowned. 'I haven't heard that name in … twenty years.'

'Try nineteen and a half years,' Kelly said. 'And nine months.'

'What?' Roxy whispered, as she felt Christian's arm falling from around her shoulders.

'What?' Syed gasped.

Christian just stood, his mouth opening and closing nervously.

'I'm your daughter,' she smiled weakly.

Hope you enjoyed!