Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it! Unfortunately this will probably be your last update before Christmas but I hope to update before the new year, if not then it will be early 2010! (All I need is you will hopefully be updated before Thursday!) I want to wish all my readers and reviewers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year!
Her head was spinning as Ronnie looked into Danielle's eyes. Everything had changed. Everything. Danielle helplessly stood there, unsure of how to react, what to do, still crying. Ronnie now knew the truth but rejection was all Danielle was expecting. Archie was going to take advantage of this situation and make sure that mother and daughter were apart forever. Ronnie looked up as Archie approached them, her motherly protective instincts taking over as she stood between her still hysterical daughter and her father.
"Come on V, you can't believe her," Still calm and cold, Archie had a way of persuading his eldest child that he was always right. He reached out ready to grab Danielle and make sure he never saw her again, the child that had ruined his teenage daughter's life and now the woman that was capable of ruining his.
"Don't touch her." Ronnie spoke in an exact mirror of her father, determined to protect Danielle. "You have NO right, no right at all. You kept her from me, you…you told me she was dead…and you told…you told Danielle that I didn't want her. I NEVER want to see you again." Ronnie screamed into her father's face her breathing becoming erratic and unsteady. Danielle shut her eyes tight at the sound of her mother's voice, she knew Ronnie was trying to protect her but she scared her.
Ronnie slowly turned around to face her beloved daughter, smiling properly for the first time in the past twenty years. Danielle was now crouched on the floor still crying; feeling rejected and hurt, and was completely unaware that Ronnie was facing her. The whole Vic remained silent as Ronnie stood looking in awe at Danielle and as Archie stood watching his daughter and granddaughter. Ronnie slowly approached Danielle, her hand outstretched. She bent down reaching out to her daughter, her palm touching the soft skin of her daughter's check, as she gently wiped away the tears that rolled down her baby's face. Danielle remained, sobbing, in her own little world, still unaware of everything that had happened. At Ronnie's gentle touch, Danielle flinched, scared that her mother was going to throw her out, just like she had been prepared to do a few moments ago. Ronnie felt a lump in her throat as she realised the extent of her unnecessary cruel treatment of her daughter, and how she had changed her, from the once confident woman to a dismantled wreck that was now sat in front of her.
"Danielle…Danielle…" Ronnie spoke slowly and with more love in her voice than she had ever spoken before. She wanted more than anything to just speak to her baby alone, speak to her and find out everything. Every detail of her life, every moment that made her proud, every moment that Danielle had lived. But she knew they couldn't do it with an audience, an audience whom in front of, Ronnie had humiliated and rejected her own daughter. She looked at Roxy desperately, just wanting everyone to disappear, her eyes pleading at her sister to help.
"Orite everyone, party's over." The residents of the Square cautiously started to move, staring at the wreck of a woman crouched on the floor and the caring figure of Ronnie Mitchell.
"Get out! Get out!" Peggy hurled at the residents, ashamed that her wedding had become a circus and the poor girl on the floor was the main attraction. She walked over to Archie, disgusted at his actions. "Get outa my pub and NEVER come back!" She spat in his face as a state of shock appeared on Archie's face; he thought he'd changed her, had her wrapped around his finger.
"Peggy…" Archie tried to persuade her, he couldn't loose his family; they couldn't loose him. Peggy ran to the hallway, unable to cope with all of this; on her wedding day too, it wasn't fair. But what he had told Ronnie? She could never forgive him for causing her niece that much pain. Running, Archie followed Peggy, desperate to keep his wife on his side.
Ronnie remained crouched over Danielle, desperate to talk to her baby, the one thing in her life that had mattered. How could she not have believed her own daughter? How could she have treated her like she did? The shouts from Archie and Peggy were muffled but could still be heard through the door, as Ronnie tried her best to comfort her daughter.
"Danielle…I'm…I'm so sorry," Ronnie wiped away the tears that were spilling from Danielle's eyes and gently falling down her face. "Please, Danielle…look at me" Danielle gently looked up at her mother, the heart of all her pain but yet all her love. The expression on Ronnie's face was one of joy and happiness but Danielle simply stared, a blank expression lining her face whilst the tears streamed down her face. "Danielle…I'm so, so sorry. If only I'd known…if only you'd told me…"
Danielle viscously wiped Ronnie's hand away from her face. Her mother had caused her too much pain and Danielle wasn't sure she could forgive her; the memories were all too raw.
"You don't think I tried!" Danielle shocked even herself at how cold she sounded despite her weak cries still being heard in the cracks of her voice. "I tried so many times Ronnie…"
"I know. I'm so sorry baby…"
"Baby? You gave away the right to call me yours when you gave me away. I was only a baby Ronnie, what did I do wrong? You rejected me time and time again and you expect me to forgive you?" The tears continued to stream down her face, she couldn't help it but everything was emotionally draining her. All she wanted was to believe Ronnie, believe her words but she couldn't, why had life become so cruel?
"I…I…I'm sorry Danielle. I'm truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you, or cause you any pain. I…I never got over losing you, I'm so, so sorry Danielle, really I am" Ronnie was begging her daughter to believe her, to just give her a chance to explain, she had to explain, explain her pain.
"But…I was the biggest mistake of your life, you told me…you said that you…you said to me you wished you'd got rid of me…" She was stumbling over her words, everything she had ever known was falling apart in front of her.
"No, Danielle. I was hurting because I thought I'd lost you forever, he…he told me you were dead. I had no reason to live, you're that reason Danielle. You're my Amy…" Ronnie had to explain, she had found her baby, the one true love of her life, and she wasn't letting her go, not again.
"But…but…" Everything was becoming too confusing for Danielle. Everything she had known had disappeared and everything she hadn't known had just become a clouded mess. Danielle felt like crying again at how messed up everything was but she had no more tears left to cry and she didn't want to show her vulnerability in front of her mother, who had already caused her pain beyond that she could explain.
"Danielle, if you let me explain. I can help you understand. Please Danielle… I just want us to be mother and daughter…I need you Danielle,"
"You haven't for the past nineteen years. Where were you then Ronnie? Partying? Holidaying in Ibiza? Having fun without me? I…I can't do this Ronnie, I…I just can't."
Danielle slowly stood up, ready to leave. She had never seen Ronnie in this state, and hoped she would never see her this distraught again but she wasn't ready to forgive, not yet, it was all too soon. Remaining crouched on the floor, Ronnie couldn't keep her eyes off her baby, her perfect, beautiful, baby daughter. Panic flooded through her when she realised what Danielle's intentions were, her voice shaking,
"Danielle…where…where are you going?" Her voice echoed with worry, she needed her daughter to be by her side.
"I…I can't stay here, I…I have to go."
"But…I want you to stay Danielle. We need to talk," Her voice sounded the same of that as her daughters only moments ago, pleading her daughter to believe her, to let her take all the pain away.
"I don't want to talk Ronnie. I don't want to stay here, especially not with you. I'm a FREAK remember, who'd want a daughter like me?" Her voice mimicking that of her mother.
The shouts echoed through the bar as Danielle made a desperate attempt to flee from the Vic, the pleas from Ronnie rushing through her mind. As she left the Vic, she let out a howling cry; she had wanted more than anything for Ronnie to look at her like she had done inside the Vic, but the pressure had all become too much for Danielle, the pressure to say the right things and the pressure to be the perfect daughter Ronnie had imagined.
Inside, Ronnie lay on the floor in a collapsed heap, tears escaping from her eyes, as she heard the slam of the Vic door. Her baby had gone. Escaped from her life for the second time, and what was she doing just staying here? She should be out trying to persuade her daughter that she's changed, that she will be everything that Danielle wants her to be. Ronnie followed the exact path that Danielle had taken, running as fast as she could in the purple bridesmaid dress. She threw off her shoes, which were slowing her down before leaving the Vic. As the cold April air hit her, Ronnie was at a loss of which direction to go. Where would her daughter go?
Danielle could tell her eyes were puffy and red, she had been crying none stop for hours now. She had no idea why she had left the Vic, where her mother had wanted her, wanted them to be together, but she had. Walking around aimlessly, Danielle had no idea where to go; she wanted to go back to Ronnie but was unsure Ronnie would want her after her rejection. She hadn't come after her, after all. As she turned around the corner to the tube station, Danielle heard the screech of the car and revving of an engine that swiftly moved towards her. Danielle was frozen to the spot as the car directly hit her, dragging her along the floor, and hitting her head loudly on the concrete. She lay there lying alone. Alone and wanting her mum.
