Katy stayed out for a while after her meeting with Connor. There were far too many thoughts whirling around her head to go back to the flat just yet. She was sure if Jack said anything to her about her outburst she would punch him in the face. She understood that it was hard for him as well, but he wasn't being particularly supportive of Ronnie at the moment. She was obviously struggling with James.

Then there was the question of what to do with the bag Connor had given her. She didn't know where to hide it. Taking it back to the flat was an option. If she could get it into her bedroom without anyone noticing it would be fine because no one tended to venture in there; Ronnie was conscious that her sister needed her own space. But if anyone saw the bag then she was in big trouble. Katy hadn't been able to bring herself to look inside it, but she was sure it didn't contain a bag of sweets and Connor's dirty washing.

When she finally went home, Ronnie was in her bedroom sitting on the bed. Jack and Amy were in the living room doing a puzzle on the carpet and Katy assumed James was in his cot.

"Can you go and get James?" Jack asked as she opened the door.

"Course, let me just…" She said needing to hide the bag in her room.

"No, Katy, now." Jack snapped. Katy rolled her eyes. Evidently he wasn't in the best mood. His sister-in-law wondered what had happened now.

She reluctantly put the bag on the counter and went into Ronnie and Jack's bedroom. Jack and Amy were occupied and the teenager guessed they wouldn't bother to investigate what was inside the bag. Her sister didn't even seem to register that she had entered the room. Sadly, Katy stroked Ronnie's hair and gave her a quick kiss. Then she smiled down at her nephew and gently lifted him out of the cot. Jack called her from the other room and Katy sighed.

"Here…" She said, handing the baby to his father and watched as he put James into his pram. Then her heart stopped as she realised what her niece was doing. "Amy, no!" she shouted, leaping across the room.

It was too late. The toddler had pulled the bag off the counter and the contents had fallen out. Jack looked at it and then at Katy. He had gone white with anger. Katy gulped.

"What the HELL is this?" He shouted, stopping to pick up a big packet of white powder and a gun.

"They aren't mine." The teenager said quickly. That didn't seem to make Jack any less angry.

"I'm taking Amy home and I want you out of this flat before I get back from Roxy's." Jack hissed. Katy's mouth dropped open at what she thought was a complete overreaction. He was well within his rights to be angry with her, but throwing her out?

"What?" She asked gobsmacked.

"You heard. I ain't having you around my kids bringing stuff like that into the flat." He said furiously. "You've got ten minutes."

"Surely it's up to Ronnie to throw me out?" Katy argued angrily, suddenly finding her courage. "I'm her sister and this is half her flat. You ain't nothing to do with me."

"Ten minutes." Jack said in a low voice and took two steps towards the teenager threateningly. He banged out of the flat with his children, leaving Katy alone and speechless. At first she thought that she would ignore him and stay. But then she thought about it more deeply and was appalled with herself. How could she have brought those things into the flat? In her defence she didn't know what was in the bag, but still.

With tears in her eyes, Katy went into her bedroom and gathered up all the important things she needed. She shoved everything into her rucksack and closed the door, leaving her photo album on the bed. Hesitating she went into Ronnie's room. Her sister didn't seem to have heard anything that had gone on and Katy knelt in front of her. She didn't even know if Ronnie was listening.

"I'm so, so sorry, Ron." She said putting her head on her sister's knees. "I'm gonna go, but please say you forgive me?" There was no response and Katy nodded sadly. "I love you, Ronnie. Thank you for everything. I really am sorry. Bye."

Katy stood up and left the flat, dropping her key into the bowl by the door as she went. Without thinking she made her way quickly to the Minute Mart, and bought a bottle of vodka, just before it closed. Patrick handed her back her change with a strange look on his face. Uncomfortably Katy thanked him and left the shop, wondering what to do next. Her phone beeped telling her that she had low battery and then turned itself off. She sighed, wondering what else would go wrong.

Slipping the bottle into her bag, she tried to work out what to do with the bag Connor had given her. She needed to get rid of it fast. She went into the Vic, getting more strange looks, and made straight for the toilets, wondering if she could slide it in behind one of the cisterns; they generally made good hiding places. But apparently not those ones and Katy went back into the pub.

x

Ronnie jumped slightly as she heard the front door close, as though it was bringing her out of a daze. She looked around her and realised that she was alone. Slowly the blonde woman raised one hand to her cheek where she could still feel her sister's kiss.

"Katy…?" She murmured.

The teenager had said goodbye.

"I love you, Ronnie. Thank you for everything. I really am sorry. Bye." Her words were still echoing around Ronnie's head. The woman jumped off the bed and ran to the door. She wrenched it open and made her way onto the Square. The brunette was nowhere to be seen and Ronnie rubbed her forehead thinking.

"Phone…" she muttered to herself and ran inside, grabbing her mobile off the side and dialling her younger sister's number. It went straight to answerphone. She tried again, but the outcome with the same.

She had lost her.

x

"Katy, dear." Dot said. "Can I have a word?"

"Course, Mrs B." The teenager said with a smile, sliding into the booth beside the old woman. She was stuck by a sudden idea.

"I know you probably do," Dot said earnestly, "but you really need to keep an eye on your sister. She was in here with James earlier… and then she came over to mine and Jim's… Just try and look after her."

"I will." Katy said, feeling guilty and as she stood up she purposefully knocked Dot's handbag onto the floor. "Oh, I'm so sorry Mrs B… here." She scooped everything off the floor and back into Dot's bag. Then she handed it to her with a smile. "I'll see you later."

As she left the Vic, Katy looked down at the old woman's keys that were nestled in her palm. She went over and let herself in, careful to make sure no one was looking. Silently she closed the door, wary of startling Jim. Quietly Katy opened the cupboard under the stairs and pushed the drawstring bag behind a pile of cleaning equipment. The thick layer of dust on it assured the teenager it wouldn't be found in a hurry. Then she let herself back out and headed back towards the Square.

"Oh! Heather." She said with a bright smile. "Just the person."

Heather looked surprised at being addressed by the dark-haired Mitchell. "Hello, Katy." She said warily.

"Can you do me a massive favour and give these back to Mrs Branning… I must have accidently put them in my pocket when I was picking up her bag." She pressed the keys into Heather's hand and smiled. "Ta."

Katy walked off, her smile vanishing instantly as she turned away from the woman, deciding to go and see Connor. All this was his fault, after all. Katy walked with her head down, to the arches. Everyone she passed seemed to be giving her the same strange look Patrick had and she started to wonder if she had something on her face. She thought she heard someone muttering something about Ronnie being crazy and gave them a hard glare until they looked away.