Max sat in the same room he'd been in yesterday. God he hated this! Being shifted here, there and everywhere! It was such bullshit! He just ended up going wherever some stupid idiot wanted to send him. These people didn't know him! They didn't know what was best for him! Alice was best for him. The social worker assigned to him entered the room looking pleased with herself.

"Good morning Max."

"Can I ask where I'm going today or is a lucky dip?"

"Max I know this must be frustrating…."

"O you mean having people dictate your life and you having no idea where your gonna end up? That isn't frustrating it's enraging!" he crossed his arms tightly. "Unless you have lived through this you have no idea how hard it is! How dis-empowering it is knowing your life is in the hands of someone else."

"We know you rang Alice last night." she said softly.

"I want to go home!" he stressed.

The social worker stood up and walked to a door. "She is here to take you home."

"Is that Alice?" he asked hopefully.

Sandy opened the door and gestured a woman inside. She had short blond hair, her blue eyes identical to his. "Mum?" he whispered not quite believing who he was seeing.

"Hello Max." she said simply. "I'm here to take you home."

"But….I….when…." his mind spun so fast. He was on his feet in seconds, ran to her and hugged her tightly. "It's been so long." he squeaked full of emotion.

"I know but I'm here now." she promised, hugging him back awkwardly.

Max pulled back. "You look different." he smiled eyes full of tears.

"So do you. You're a lot like your dad."

He nodded even though he knew he resembled her more than anyone else. "Come sit!" he said eagerly.

"I'd just like to get me…..er us home." she looked at Sandy.

"Soon, I just need some last minute stuff finalised."

Max took her to the sofa and sat down close to her. "So mum you want a drink? I still remember how you like your tea and coffee, or juice or water. There is biscuits too, or do you want to watch TV or play cards….." he babbled so eager to please her.

She shook her head slowly. "No I'm ok." she clasped her hands together on her knees tightly.

The clock ticked slowly around them as silence reigned.

"So…" she began, the silence oppressive. "How have you been?"

"Really really good." he smiled, it fell suddenly as he sounded like it was too good! "I really missed you though!" he told her seriously. "Every day!" he exhaled. "How were you?"

"Fine, I have a steady partner now, and just had a baby boy too. Joshua."

A smile bloomed across his face. "I have a brother?"

She nodded.

A full fledged grin was on his face as he imagined a little boy who looked just like him. His mother pulled out her purse and shown him a picture of a small baby. He spotted one of himself in there too.

"That's me." he said in surprise.

"Yes, I still thought of you Max. I jut wasn't in the right place back then."

"And now?" he whispered looking at the floor.

"I have my partner, my little boy and I want my big lad back for good!"

Max was suddenly smiling so widely he was sure his face couldn't contain it. "Just wait til you meet Alice mum, she's brilliant! And Charlie too!"

"Alice?" she asked suspiciously.

"She adopted me. She was the one who wrote to you and kept you informed of how I was doing. Charlie is her daughter."

"Max about Alice…." she began hesitantly. "I want us to have a fresh start, put all of this bad stuff behind us and embrace a new future together. I want to forget."

"We will!" he promised.

"Well if we are forgetting what about Alice?"

Max knew where this was going. "But she loves me, I can't just…."

"Max I want our family to work, all Alice will ever be is a reminder of how I failed you. I don't want to feel like that. Do you want me to feel like that?"

"NO!" he said quickly.

She nodded. "I'm going to the bathroom to freshen up, would you mind making me a cup of tea?"

"Not at all." as his mother left he went to boil the kettle his mind spinning. Visions of Alice running through his head. He couldn't just forget her and Charlie, they were family….except they weren't really not deep down. He wanted to be with his mum so badly he'd do anything! In the end he knew he had no choice. If it made his mum happy then he'd do it, and then they'd be a happy family. How was he supposed to say goodbye to Alice and Charlie though?

(X)

Alice's head pounded, here she was stuck in this draughty prison cell once again, except this time she was getting somewhere! Pretty soon she would be out of here back home with her kids!

"Miss Collins you have a visitor."

Probably her solicitor, they had spoke at length.

The door opened, imagine when she saw Clare sail into the room as regal as a queen. Alice frowned.

"I hope your happy!" was her greeting.

"Excuse me?"

"Rosie was arrested last night, child abduction."

"What?" Alice stood up. "I gave her permission to take Charlotte!"

"You didn't have that authority!" Clare snapped.

"I have every right, I am Charlie mother!"

"Rosie could go to prison."

"That won't happen." Alice assured. "I've given a statement and they are speaking to Charlie now. As soon as they prove Terry was going to hurt her Rosie will be fine. She was saving her!"

"I had to watch my niece be handcuffed and hauled away like a common criminal."

If she said 'like you' Alice was gonna smack her in the mouth. She projected the warning in her eyes.

Clare must have heeded it because she didn't finish her sentence.

"Why aren't you with Rosie, she should have someone with her right now."

"She's next door."

Alice stood up and pounded on the wall. "ROSIE!" hit it hard.

"Sound proof." Clare said smugly.

"Tell her when you see her I'm sorting everything, tell her she will be fine I promise!"

"She is about to be bailed and don't worry I plan on telling her exactly what you are! Danny too, he's gonna love how you got Rosie embroiled in this mess!"

"That wasn't my intention, I love her, both of them!"

"Funny way of showing it!" Clare retorted.

"Do you really think Danny will believe a word you say? Over me?"

"Let me tell you something Alice, me and Danny go way back. Friends at high school. He met Miranda through me if you think….."

"You love him don't you?" Alice interrupted.

"I refuse to lose him again. In the hospital the first thing he asked for was you! I told him you didn't care and he wouldn't listen. I didn't wait all these years to lose him again. Danny will be mine!"

Alice shook her head. "Danny won't believe what you say, he knows me he loves me!"

Clare walked to the door. "You know how convincing I can be, I manipulated you easily enough. All I have to do with him is mention Rosie!"

Alice took a step towards her. "Don't Clare you'll break his heart!"

"I'll piece it back together. Don't comeback to the house. I'll put your stuff in storage. They don't need to see you." then she knocked on the door and was led out.

Alice paced back and forth in her cell, her headache intensified. She was gradually losing everyone she loved! No Danny wouldn't believe it! He loved her, he had to know she wouldn't endanger him or Rosie. Everything would be fine, I had to be! She didn't want to envisage what it would be like to be without him.

(X)

Rosie sat in her cell feeling ill. She had been interviewed, her Aunt Clare present. Rosie hadn't looked at her. How could she do this to her own niece? Her mother would have understood! Alice too. Clare wasn't a mother so she couldn't understand. She was trying not to worry, deep inside she knew Alice would fix this. These things just took time that was all! Soon she would be out of here on her way home.

The door to her cell opened. Rosie saw her aunt enter she had been hoping it was Alice taking her home. "O it's you, you can go! I have nothing to say to you."

"I'm here to take you home Rosie."

"I'd…." her retort that she would rather stay died on her tongue she hated it here.

"Yes Rosie?" Clare asked knowingly.

"I want Alice." shed decided on.

"Alice is next door."

Rosie copied Alice, ran and hit the wall. "ALICE!"

"Soundproof." Clare told her simply.

Rosie deflated. Her shoulders slumped.

"Sit down Rosie I have something to tell you."

Rosie frowned. "What?"

Clare took her hands and sat her down. "I got you a solicitor he saw a copy of Alice's statement." she paused for effect then softened her voice. "Not once does she mention telling you to take Charlotte."

"No." Rosie said in disbelief.

"She said she was visiting, and you turned up and took her. Terry thought she was in on it and restrained her. When you ran with Charlotte she yelled at you to stop. This was all your idea, you're the one to blame!"

Rosie throat went tight. "She wouldn't."

"Rosie she only wants your dad, not you sweetie."

Rosie heart was beating fast.

"Hopefully Terry will corroborate what you said."

Rosie was shifty. "But I…she…"

"I told you Rosie." she put her arm around her. "She doesn't love you. I called the police. The ones who came asked specifically for you. I didn't tell them your name. The police I called showed up 10 minutes after you left."

"Terry!" Rosie demanded.

"No, Alice sent them."

Rosie shook her head.

Clare knew it was time to pull out the big guns. "I didn't want to tell you this but Alice is the cause of your dad being hurt."

Rosie was suddenly angry. "YOU'RE LYING! She'd never hurt dad!"

"I don't know the specifics but look at her face when it's mentioned. It's written all over it!"

Rosie thought back, remembered a few of Alice's facial expressions, guilty facial expressions. She covered her mouth with her hand. "Why?" she whispered.

Clare once again took her hand. "I'm here now, to take care of you and your dad. Somehow the three of us will work this out." she promised.

Rosie nodded. "We trusted her." her eyes full of tears.

Clare nodded miserably. "She had me fooled too."

Rosie exhaled. "What do we do now?"

"We go home, you shower and change then we visit your dad and let your solicitor sort this. Lets not mention this til he's better huh?"

Rosie nodded. "I'm sorry what I said how I acted I just…." she shrugged.

"Don't worry I'm family. We have to stick together."

"Me you and dad?"

"Yeah." Clare smiled. "Me you and Danny."

Rosie and Clare were let outside, they passed a cell.

"She in there?" Rosie asked.

Clare nodded.

Rosie stared at the door darkly. "Never again. She whispered then walked away.

Clare smiled and followed her niece.

A/N I felt sorry for max here, nothing like the arrogant young man we know, he's like a little boy jst wanting his mum to love him. Lets hope he gets approval from her soon or who knows the lengths he will go to please her…he's already gave up Alice!

Things just keep getting worse and worse for Alice bless her

and clare has succeeded in turning rosie against alice :/ x