---Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, they really speed this up lol. Here's a little bit more for you :)
Danielle sat alone in the flat, feeling a little awkward. Ronnie had taken Amy to the club to sort things out with Jack, leaving her on her own for the first time in days. She thought fleetingly about going over to the Vic to talk to Ben, but decided against it. He was devastated about Peggy going missing, and she realised she had no idea what to say. She didn't know the boy, she wasn't even sure quite how they were related. She just felt she had to do something. It was, after all, her fault.
A couple of days before Archie had called Phil, telling him he and Peggy were having a great honeymoon. Ronnie had lost it completely, disappearing off on her bike for hours. Danielle had been terrified, calling Ronnie over and over until she answered. Turned out she'd gone to Bournemouth to see if her dad had gone home. He hadn't, he'd actually sold the house a few months before.
Ronnie came back late that night, and just sat on her bed, clinging onto Danielle for dear life. Danielle didn't know what to say, or what to do. It was her fault Peggy was gone. If she hadn't been so stupidly loud about it all Peggy might never have found out. Roxy might not be dead, and Ronnie might be happy.
She picked up her phone and scrolled through the contacts, stopping first on Gareth, shaking her head, moving on to Home, hesitating a little longer, then eventually coming to Stacey. She realised that she couldn't call her either. It was like she had no idea how to talk to people anymore.
She went back up to Ronnie, her finger resting on the call button for a few seconds, before she threw the phone at the wall.
In the space of a week she'd lost all the people she loved, well, except one. Except Ronnie. She loved that they were together, it's all she'd wanted as long as she could remember. But she couldn't help hating her a little. If it wasn't for Ronnie, Danielle would still have all of those people. The things she'd said that night still fluttered around in her head, and every time Ronnie made a promise, she couldn't help but feel it was empty. Ronnie Mitchell didn't do love, she certainly didn't do forever.
The phone rang, jerking her from her thoughts. She walked slowly over and picked it up.
"Hello?"
"V? That you?" The voice sent a shiver down her spine. She slammed the phone down and stood staring at it. Why would he call Ronnie? She hated him, and he hated her. It rang again, and swallowing down her fear, she picked it up, raising it to her ear with a shaking hand.
"Hello?"
"Veronica darlin', I think we got cut off. How are you sweetheart?" Danielle panicked. She didn't know whether to play along or reveal herself.
"I'm fine thanks, dad, how are you and Aunty Peg?" She asked, strengthening her voice and crossing her fingers.
"We're great love, really great. How are things at home? How's my little granddaughter?" Danielle nearly laughed.
"Everything's fine here, Amy's great, making as much noise as possible." Danielle said, trying to keep her tone light-hearted. "What have you two been getting up to then?"
"Oh, this and that, enjoying the weather, been to the beach a few times. Peggy's really enjoying herself. Sorry, sweetheart, I have to go, we're going out for lunch, talk to you soon."
"Oh, where are you going? Anywhere nice?" Danielle asked, hoping to get some kind of clue as to where they were, although, as the police and the rest of the Mitchell's had been unsuccessful she wasn't hopeful.
"Just some little place down the road, Tony's place, you remember?"
"Oh, sure, yeah. Well, you two have fun!" Danielle said, feeling herself starting to breathe normally again.
"Thanks, sweetheart, bye."
She put the phone down and let out a long, shaky breath. She grabbed her coat and bag and ran out of the flat, praying Ronnie would know who this Tony was.
Ronnie looked over at Amy, smiling warmly at the baby girl sleeping soundly in her pram. Jack had left a few minutes before, after they'd spent an hour sorting out what would happen with Amy. It was agreed that Ronnie and Danielle would hang onto her for a few more months, letting Jack see her as often as he wanted until he thought he could take over permanently.
Part of Ronnie wanted to keep Amy, and to be her mother, so that she and Danielle could share all the moments they should have. But then a bigger part of her decided that was selfish. She wanted what was best for Amy, and she didn't want Roxy to be erased from her life. She couldn't live with that.
She had her chance to be a mother now, with her Amy. Though, she couldn't feel it was too late. Danielle was all grown up, she didn't need a mummy. And that was all Ronnie wanted to be.
The door burst open, and a breathless Danielle was on the other side. Ronnie stood up, immediately expecting the worst.
"Dani? What's wrong?"
"Who's Tony? And where is his restaurant?" Danielle asked, all her words running together.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Your dad called, I think we can figure out where Peggy is!"
---So, I've realised, that I've kind of been skirting around Danielle's feelings about Ronnie, but I think I'm gonna keep all that for a pretty intense chapter coming up (Roxy's funeral, I think). Sorry if that was a bit short, got a little bit stuck as to where I want this to go, any suggestions are more than welcome :) Thanks for reading, Fiona x