Ronnie's breath caught in her throat. Her head started to spin and she felt hot, like she was burning. Her eyes stung with tears and suddenly nothing made sense. It felt like she couldn't breathe. Ronnie felt like she was underwater, her breath froze and everything was a blur.

"What?" It was all she could get out. The words were choked as she spoke them. All that came into Ronnie's mind was her little Amy, the baby she wanted more than life itself. She almost clutched at her locket instinctively but instead tried to keep her actions neutral. She didn't know if she could move anyway, her whole body seemed stuck, too heavy.

"Your Dad, he told me that he told you. The truth. That you're my mum." Danielle couldn't understand what was happening. Ronnie knew. Archie had told her that Ronnie knew. But from one look at Ronnie's face all that certainty left Danielle, it drained away with the blood that was draining from Ronnie's face. Archie had said that Ronnie was fragile, that if her child ever came back into her life she'd kill herself. Was this it? Danielle stared into the chalk-white face of her mother and was scared. Perhaps she was breaking, perhaps this was all too much for her in her state. But the genuine shock that was etched in every fibre of Ronnie was too much for Danielle to ignore. At that second all she wanted was to pull her towards her and hold her close. Tell her how much she loved her. Tell her that everything was going to be ok.

"Why are you saying this? My daughter is dead. How dare you?" Ronnie's voice had no power. Her words were a mere whimper, just a shadow of the person she pretended to be. The words whispered out of her as if they were her last breath.

"No. The agency got it wrong. I'm your daughter. I told Granddad, he said you knew." Ronnie didn't know. The truth of it all hit Danielle all at once and it felt like she had been stabbed. Just like her mother, the blood drained from her face and she stood simply staring.

Footsteps began resounding heavily as someone made their way up the stairs. The two women were stood just feet apart and both in a stasis, like statues they were blank and motionless. Archie knew at that moment that the truth had come out.

"You said you told her. You said she knew. You said…" Danielle's fury sprang into action. The mother she loved dearly, the mother she thought had rejected her never even knew who she was and Archie was somewhere entwined in this mess. She had never felt such a hatred in her life. Never felt such a desperation for Ronnie to trust her and believe her.

Archie however, didn't even let Danielle finish her words. He couldn't risk letting Danielle say anything more that could convince Ronnie. He couldn't risk it all being ruined now.

"Danielle we talked about this. You need to get help. This delusion is sick, girl." He grabbed Danielle as soon as he saw her edging closer to Ronnie. Physically and emotionally he had to keep them apart, he had to stop this now.

"Veronica, don't let her hurt you. She's a sick girl. She's told me all about her delusions." Archie stared his daughter straight in the face, he didn't blink, he didn't look away. Ronnie looked away. Her eyes flicked between Danielle and Archie. Everything was a mess, it felt like her head was going to explode, the pounding inside her head made every word echo. She could feel her own breath quicken almost as if in panic. It felt like something was crushing her chest, even breathing hurt.

"She told me weeks ago about wanting to be your daughter. It was just after the abortion." Ronnie's eyes flicked up to Archie's face at the mention of Danielle's abortion. The abortion that she herself had helped her through, the time that had hurt her so much, had dragged everything back up. How could Archie know about it? Danielle was the only person who could have told him.

"Yes, I know all about the abortion V. It was just after then that she first confessed her plans. She wants to make herself your daughter. I thought she was harmless at first, just a bit upset after all that had happened." Archie's words were flawless, he didn't falter once. Danielle stared at him as if she had seen a ghost. Her mouth was slightly open and tears began to roll silently down her face.

"But it started getting out of hand. She stopped saying how she wanted to be your daughter and started claiming that she already was. She kept saying that you loved her, that you wanted her to be with you and with Amy. It isn't right V. I tried to talk her round, get her to see reality but she isn't well."

Danielle had been silent for too long, her tears were streaming now and she could feel her face was red. She was choking on her tears, each breath gasping and coughing.

"No. Ronnie, no. He's lying. Your locket. I know about your locket. It has a picture of me. How else would I know that?" Danielle was screaming again, she didn't mean to, she didn't even register that she was. But she was shaking all over, she felt sick, she had to get the words out. It was as if it was her last chance. She shouted everything that she could think of. Ronnie had to know, she had to know the truth, she had to believe Danielle, she just had to.

Archie grabbed Danielle and pulled her bodily away from Ronnie. He was shouting about how Danielle was lying and that she wasn't in her right mind. But Danielle could only hear a blurred slur of his voice. The only thing in focus was Ronnie as she reached down and held her locket.

"I told her about it. She asked. I didn't think there was any harm." Archie seemed so adamant, so sure, so honest. Danielle felt cold at his callous lies. She struggled against him as he physically restrained her. She could feel herself being torn further and further away from Ronnie, from her mother.

Ronnie was torn. She felt like her entire body and mind was being ripped in two. Her baby was dead. Her Dad had told her that her little Amy had died thirteen years ago. She couldn't be alive. But here was this girl right in front of her screaming and sobbing that she was Amy.

"Move, girl! You are a twisted, evil little thing. You have no right to hurt my daughter like this." Archie tried to drag Danielle down the stairs but she fought against him at every move that he tried to make.

"Why would she say this?" Ronnie didn't even know who she was speaking to. It could have been Archie or Danielle or herself or even simply out into the ether. The confusion had smothered her like a heavy blanket, but it was trapping her, holding her down.

"He's evil ok. He is. He's trying to keep us apart." Danielle screamed her words as she struggled against Archie's grasp. Ronnie's eyes were narrowed as she held onto her locket. Danielle looked straight into her eyes, she wanted her mother to look at her and see the truth there.

"Downstairs, I have proof downstairs. I put it there, I can prove it. Ronnie please?" Danielle was reaching a level of desperation and despair that she had never known that she could fall to. She began to beg Ronnie,

"Please Ronnie, I can prove it. Just let me show you. Please? I have proof downstairs. Please, Ronnie? Please?" She wasn't above begging. Not for her mother. Nothing would ever be enough or too much for her mother. How could it be?

Ronnie felt numb. She didn't know what was happening or where she stood. So she agreed. She agreed to let Danielle have her chance to prove things.