Chapter One

Chris Slater woke up with a start; the noise of drunken Walford residents emerging from the Queen Vic across the road startled him. It was New Year's Eve and Chris's friends Lucy, Peter, Jay and Lauren had invited him to Lucy and Peter's house to see in the New Year but Chris didn't feel like it because of the events of the past week

Chris's elder brother Sean had discovered that baby Amy Mitchell was not his as he thought his wife Roxy had slept with Jack Branning; Amy was Jack's daughter. Sean was unable to deal with the news and on Boxing Day kidnapped Amy from her cot and neither had been seen since. Chris had been kept in the dark as to what was happening from Charlie, Mo and the Slater's lodger Danielle Jones he knew they were trying not to upset him but he'd rather they just tell him the truth

Jean and Stacey arrived back, they had been gone all night Chris had not bought Charlie's lies about them going out for New Year, and Chris knew they had seen Sean he had overheard Phil Mitchell talking to Peggy about Sean's suspected whereabouts and Jean had been acting weirder than normal for the past few days. Angry that they had kept his brother's location from him Chris could barely face his family and volunteered to go and buy some supplies for Mo's New Year's Day fry up

Going over to the Minute Mart Chris bumped into Ronnie Mitchell; Roxy's sister and Jack's ex she had been just as played as Sean

"How are you" Ronnie asked stroking Chris's short brown hair

"Didn't think you'd be allowed to talk to a Slater" replied Chris knowing of the Mitchell families strict rules and "sticking together"

"Well, I'm not on speaking terms with a majority of them" said Ronnie "Especially dad"

Archie Mitchell was the father of Ronnie and Roxy and had been tormenting Sean for a while; Sean had confided in Chris about this. They used to share everything but not anymore; not now Sean had gone and Chris may never see him again. Returning home Chris was nearly knocked over by Danielle as she ran upstairs crying, she had been rowing with Stacey over some photos of The Mitchells with all their faces scribbled out.

"What was that" Chris asked putting the bacon in the frying pan and turning the stove on

"Nothing, for you to worry about" said Stacey "Why don't you go to Lauren's for a bit"

"Na she's been really weird for a while now" said Chris "Ian's taken the twins out for the day and talking to Jay would be fraternising with the enemy wouldn't it"

"Jay aint a Mitchell" replied Stacey "And it's only Roxy I've got beef with"

"I'm just not in the mood for mates Ok" snapped Chris

"OK" said Stacey doing up the buttons on her red coat "I'll be back in a bit"

"Wait we're are you going" said Chris

"Out" shouted Stacey

Chris, Mo and Charlie ate their bacon butties and then Charlie went to work and Mo went to Fat Elvis's whilst Jean and Danielle just stayed in their rooms. With nothing else to do Chris turned on the TV and was sitting there for a few hours until he heard voices from the Kitchen. They were the voices of Sean and Stacey.

"MY OWN SISTER" Sean kept yelling "How could you"

"It was for the best" cried Stacey "You don't deserve to go to prison"

Chris barged in the Kitchen and asked what was going on. Sean took one look at Chris and began to cry before pulling his 14-year old brother in for a hug and kissed him on the head

"I'm sorry" he said barely audible

"Please don't go" said Chris with tears pouring from his eyes "I've only just found you again" but before Chris had finished his sentence Sean had gone. Stacey moved towards Chris but he couldn't look at her; how could she have betrayed Sean like that? How could she have betrayed him like that?