---Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews, glad to know you're enjoying this (and Dodger5339, thanks for giving this a chance, means a lot :)). Here's another little bit for you all...
Ronnie frowned as Danielle sat on the desk in front of her.
"Who's Tony? He has some kind of restaurant, near a beach?" Danielle asked, her words rushed and breathless.
"Um...I...have no idea. Why...how did you find this out?" Ronnie asked, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion.
"Your dad, he called. I sort of pretended to be you...but, I think he's lost it. Up here." Danielle said, pointing to her forehead.
"What do you mean?" Ronnie asked, worry starting to creep into her mind.
"Well, he was...happy. He said that he and Peggy were enjoying the weather, and spending time on the beach, and that she was having a great time. And, just, the way he was talking, to you I suppose, it was like nothing was wrong, like none of this had ever happened." Danielle said, widening her eyes at the possible implications of this. "Do you think Peggy's ok?"
"Yeah...yes. He wouldn't hurt her, he loves her. In his own twisted way. Now let me think, Tony? Near the beach...?" Ronnie leant her head on her hands as she concentrated. Danielle sat bouncing around, adrenaline pumping through her, willing her mother to think.
"Do you think it'll be in Bournemouth?" Danielle asked, trying to probe Ronnie's memories.
"No...I don't think so. Everybody knows him, hardly the best place to be hiding from the police." Ronnie said glumly. "And the lawyer said he's sold nearly all his other properties, apart from the house in Spain, and..."
"And?" Danielle cried, her outburst making Ronnie jump.
"The flat? Where, uh, where you were born." Ronnie replied quietly, slowly looking up to Danielle.
"Oh..." Danielle whispered, not sure how to respond. She reached out towards her mother and picked up her hand. She squeezed it tightly, before opening her mouth to speak. Ronnie got there first.
"Phil and Billy can go." Ronnie said firmly, squeezing Danielle's hand and letting it drop. Danielle stood in front of her, frowning slightly, not understanding. "I can't go back there, and I'm not sure I want to see him again. They'll deal with things." Ronnie stood up and pulled her jacket on.
"Ok...I get that. How...how will they 'deal with things'?" Danielle asked nervously, grasping for Ronnie's hand again. Ronnie grimaced and looked at the floor.
"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies, sweetie." She said carefully, lifting her head to look Danielle in the eye. Danielle nodded slightly in reply, letting go of Ronnie's hand. She wasn't sure she wanted to be part of this family. Everything was resolved with violence and alcohol. "Do you mind taking Amy home? I'll go and tell them now. Jack might pop over."
Danielle agreed and raced out, leaving a bewildered Ronnie in the office. She ran out to catch them up, putting a hand on Danielle's shoulder.
"Sweetie, is something wrong?" Ronnie asked, the familiar nervous feeling falling over her. Danielle and her father were the only people who had ever made her feel that way.
"No, course not." Danielle said brightly, turning away from Ronnie and heading up the stairs.
"Dani?"
"It's just...I dunno...I thought maybe you'd want to ask him why. But if you don't, that's totally fine." Danielle replied with a smile. It faltered slightly when Ronnie didn't smile back.
"I just...how likely is it he'll tell the truth? I don't want any more lies. I don't deserve that, we don't deserve that." Ronnie sighed, twirling a strand of Danielle's hair around her finger.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right. Sorry." Danielle stammered, feeling a little stupid for suggesting it.
"Do you want to talk to him? If you do I'll...I'll come with you, if you want?" Ronnie said gently, stroking her daughter's cheek, before cupping her face.
"I dunno...maybe he'd finally tell the truth? It's not like he's got anything left to lose...can I think about it?" Danielle asked, her eyes widening as her nerves took over. She thought she was going to be sick. Ronnie just stood there, her face completely empty, yet so full of anger. Danielle wasn't sure if it was directed at her or at Archie. She hoped beyond hope it was at Archie.
"Sure..." Ronnie whispered, her eyes slowly starting to warm up again. Danielle blew out a breath she hadn't realised she was holding. "Of course. If you need to do that, then we will."
Peggy opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the light coming in through the small window. It was cold, she pulled the thin blanket around her shoulders as she sat up. Archie still wasn't back, he'd been gone hours. She got up and had a proper look around for the first time. There was no phone, and all the doors and windows were locked, that didn't surprise her. What did was a picture in one of the bedrooms. It was of a young Ronnie, holding a baby. Peggy smiled, she'd never seen Ronnie look as happy as she did in that picture. She took it out of the frame and put it in her pocket, hiding the empty frame in a drawer. She hoped Archie wouldn't notice.
She jumped as she heard a key in the lock. She raced back through to the small living room and lay back down in the position she was in when he left. She closed her eyes, hoping her would leave her alone if she was asleep. No such luck.
"Peggy, darlin'? Wakey wakey, it's lunchtime, sweetheart." Archie said softly, placing a hand on his wife's leg. He frowned when she flinched. "Come on, I know you're awake."
Peggy sighed and sat up, smiling faintly at him.
"I brought you some lunch." He said, putting a fish supper on the table in front of her.
"If you keep feeding me this stuff I'm not gonna fit through the door." Peggy said quietly, regretting it immediately.
"Well, I like my women to look healthy. That was the trouble with Glenda, all skin and bone, always worrying about what she was eating. Nup, not for me. You want something to drink?"
Ronnie said goodbye to Danielle and watched her and Amy disappear inside the flat. She smiled gently, knowing that they were hers now. She carried on over to the Vic, her frown returning. She couldn't believe what her dad had done, to her, to Danielle and to Peggy. She went through the side door, avoiding the packed pub, and made her way upstairs. She stopped as she heard Ben's whimpering. At first she thought he was crying over Peggy, but her stomach plummeted when she listened further.
"Dad, please wake up!"
She sprinted up the remaining stairs, and into the living room. Phil was dead to the world, passed out face down on the sofa. Ben ran over to her a flung his arms around her waist. She gave him a gentle squeeze back and crouched down to look at him.
"How long has he been like this?" She asked softly, rubbing his arm.
"Ever since I got up. He came home really drunk last night, he was shouting at Tracey and me..." He cried, fiddling with his glasses.
Ronnie frowned, she thought Phil had stopped drinking a long time ago. She stood up slowly and walked over to him.
"Ben, sweetie, go downstairs and keep Tracey company." She said firmly, looking up at him. He nodded slowly, but didn't move. "It'll be ok, I promise."
He nodded again, and turned to go downstairs. Ronnie shook Phil, gently at first, then more violently. He grunted a few times, swatting her hands away.
"Phil? Get up!" She shouted, shoving him off the couch.
"Oi!" He shouted back, floundering around on the floor trying to push himself up.
"For God's sake, Phil...what the hell am I supposed to do now?"
---Thanks for reading, and review if you can, I really want to improve my writing, so all constructive criticism welcome! :) Fiona xx