"I had another bad dream" five year Rebecca cried crawling into bed with her mum. "What happened sweetie, was it a monster?" Glenda asked stroking her daughters hair. "No" Rebecca sniffed burying her head in her mothers shoulder. "What was it honey, what was your dream about?" Glenda asked, worrying at how shaken her little girl was. "I was all alone..." Rebecca frowned looking up at her mum. "Alone?" Glenda questioned. "There was no-one to look after me, I was lost and all alone" Rebecca cried. "Oh princess that will never happen" Glenda assured. "Really?" Rebecca asked. "I will never leave you" Glenda smiled pulling her daughter close. "Never ever" Rebecca grinned back. "Never ever" Glenda giggled kissing her little girls forehead.

"Mums taking a long time" Ronnie noted digging her hand into the share size bag of crisps that sat between her and Rebecca

"Probably sneaking a crafty fag" Rebecca smiled

"Oh god she's still doing that" Ronnie sighed

"She thinks she hides it really well" Rebecca explained

"Oh I know, she used to say she was 'going to check on the plants' and she'd come back ten minutes later and spray half a can of deodorant on and eat her weight in polos" Ronnie remembered

Their giggling was broken by the faint sound of the door clicking and the sisters looked round expecting to see their mother.

"Maybe she's gone straight to the bedroom?" Rebecca suggested

"Oh I bet Roxy's upset her, I better go and talk to her" Ronnie sighed getting up from the sofa and walking towards the spare room.

"Mum" Ronnie called knocking on the door, no response so Ronnie decided to open up and look inside. There was no sign of her but things looked moved... She couldn't see her mums stuff anywhere but she could see the note on the bed...

Look after her Ron, i'm sorry but i'm letting you down again, please don't forget I love you. Mum xx

"Oh god mum" Ronnie breathed sitting down on the bed, it felt like being punched in the stomach

"Mum you can't be grumpy because I have just looked in Ronnie's cupboard and she has choccie biscuits so my suggestion is we have a mega binge!" Rebecca laughed walking into the room, seeing Ronnie sat alone she was confused "where is she?"

Ronnie silently handed over the note and watched as Rebecca's heart broke right in front of her. That look of lost bewilderment that she recognised as her own twenty years ago. But rather than cry Rebecca simply walked out of the room. Ronnie followed and watched as her sister proved herself to be a typical Mitchell, pulling out the vodka and downing a couple of shots.

"That won't help" Ronnie sighed

"Help? I don't need help i'm fine" Rebecca lied

"I know what it's like Bec" Ronnie sympathised remembering her own pain

"You were a kid Ronnie, i'm nineteen. Don't worry I won't stick around, i'll head off tomorrow" Rebecca muttered

"Hey I want you to stay. You're not going anywhere" Ronnie insisted placing a hand on her sisters shoulder instantly feeling Rebecca shaking knowing that she was barely holding it together

"Do you think she planned this all along?" Rebecca asked, her voice cracking

"I don't know" Ronnie admitted

"Why can't she just be a mum? Why is she always looking for something else?" Rebecca began to cry

Ronnie felt awkward at first but eventually decided that it was pointless trying to comfort her from afar. Tentatively at first, Ronnie wrapped her arms around her sister and held her close, Rebecca's sobs getting louder and angrier. Ronnie gripped on tightly, she couldn't believe her mother could do this to them again...

***

Roxy watched from the window of the Vic as her mother scuttered away, she couldn't believe that she hadn't taken Rebecca! This wasn't part of the plan Roxy scowled.

***

"Answer your phone and talk to me! I mean it I won't leave another of these stupid messages... After all i've done for you... Please I just want to talk" Archie slammed down his phone. It can't fall apart, not now...

***

Roxy had made her way over to Ronnie's flat and pretended to look surprised when Ronnie informed her of their mothers departure. Rebecca hadn't left the spare room for nearly two hours and it was worrying.

"I don't know how to help her Rox" Ronnie admitted

"It's not a big deal Ronnie, she's an adult, not a little kid like we were" Roxy moaned

"Roxy she's a teenager and she's been dumped in a new place with a sister she barely knows. That's a big deal" Ronnie scolded

"Whatever" Roxy muttered, a twinge of guilt reminding her of what she had done

"I'm going out, I need to clear my head" Rebecca smiled, her red eyes telling her sisters that she had been crying

"Don't go too far, don't want you getting lost" Ronnie smiled, rubbing Rebecca's shoulder

Out in the square it just didn't feel far enough away, Rebecca walked towards the tube station and decided she would go somewhere, anywhere and just forget about everything. Walking around for hours, different parts of London not really seeing or feeling anything, trying not to think about her mum and what had happened, trying to hold on to the thought that Ronnie did want her there and she wasn't just going to be holed up with some random women... What would happen next? Would Glenda come back? She didn't know and it hurt to even think about it. Night approached fast. London was a scary place at night, Rebecca knew that much. The little cafe she had shuffled into was almost empty, the only people in there looked scary and Rebecca wished she'd stayed in Walford, wished she was sitting in her sisters living room rather than this place. There was a girl on the table next to hers, looking deeply into a cup of tea, she looked a similar age and was the only friendly face in the whole place. A group of drunk men made there way into the cafe, they were loud and intimidating and Rebecca felt really unsafe in their presence.

"Excuse me? This might sound a little weird but do you mind if I join you?" Bec asked the girl

"Sure" she smiled looking over at the rowdy guys "safety in numbers"

"Exactly" Bec smiled glad that the girl understood and didn't think she was just another lunatic "I'm Rebecca by the way, well Bec for short"

The girl looked up from her tea and smiled nervously "I'm..." she hesitated as if deep in thought "I'm Amy, sorry"

"You look like you had to think about that" Rebecca noted with a smile, she watched as the girl shifted uncomfortably

"Er..." Amy shook her head, running a hand through her blonde hair

"Sorry i'm being intrusive, it's a problem I have." Rebecca laughed "i'm not having a good day"

"What's up? Always fun to confide in a stranger" Amy laughed

"Ooh so many issues to choose from, problems with my mum basically" Rebecca explained

Amy gave her a sympathetic smile, before she was distracted by her phone ringing, she barely glanced at it before hitting the call reject button.

"Avoiding someone? Always fun to confide in a stranger" Rebecca smiled

"Wouldn't want to burden you" Amy sighed, drinking her tea

I'm saying nothing... ;)