"Did you hear the Vic fire alarm going off earlier?" Glenda asked, letting herself into Katy's flat and dropping her bag on the armchair. She shrugged her coat off before she realised that her granddaughter was lying on the sofa. "What's wrong?"

"Just a headache, that's all." Katy sighed, swinging her legs off the cushions and sitting up. "I'm fine."

"Really?"

"I promise."

"Katy–"

"Gran!"

"Fine, fine!" Glenda held her hands up in defeat.

Smiling, Katy wandered into the kitchen to put the kettle on. "Where are the kids?"

"With Honey." Her grandmother said, following her into the kitchen. "She offered to take them all to the park."

"All of them? My four, Amy and Ricky and her two?"

"She'll be fine." Glenda dismissed her concern with a roll of her eyes. She didn't even bother mention that Matthew wasn't one of Katy's children. "I thought you said you were working this afternoon?"

"Like I said, headache."

"And you're sure–"

Banging the mugs down on the counter harder than she intended to, the younger blonde frowned. "I said I'm fine!" She exhaled sharply, before turning to look at her grandmother. "I promise, Gran, I'm OK. It's just a headache."

"Alright, alright! You can't blame me for being worried, though, can you?"

"No, I know. I'm sorry."

With a deep sigh, Glenda dragged Katy into a hug, rubbing her back soothingly. "You don't have to be sorry. I just… I worry about you, that's all."

Smiling as she hid her face in the older woman's neck, Katy hugged her tightly. "I know, Gran. And… thank you."

"Don't be silly."

Pulling away, Glenda wiped at her eyes and moved to the fridge to get the milk. Smiling softly, Katy turned back to the kettle and poured boiling water into their mugs. She shook her head at her grandmother's attempts to cover up how soft she really was.

"Can you believe how far we've come?" She asked, looking at the older woman. "I mean… we hated each other."

"I did not hate you, Katherine!" Glenda muttered, looking highly affronted.

Katy laughed at her reaction. "Oh, come on, Gran! You did everything you could to turn Mum and Roxy against me."

"Yes, well, I thought you were just after Archie's money. I had no idea you were Veronica's daughter!"

"Neither did I!"

"Yes, well… that was a long time ago."

"It's a shame it took Mum and Aunty Rox dying to stop us severely disliking each other."

"I wish…" Glenda started, before trailing off with a soft sigh. "I just wish things had been different. I wish I had been different."

"It's OK, Gran." Katy told her gently, reaching out and squeezing her forearm. "We're good now. Besides… maybe…"

The older Mitchell shot her granddaughter a wary look. "Katy, you don't honestly still think there's a chance–"

"Well why not?" Katy demanded defensively. "It's not the weirdest thing that's ever happened, is it? I mean… everyone thought Kathy was dead, but she's here and very much alive."

"Darling, there's no way that Ver… that they could possibly still be alive. It's just… it's not… Jack saw Veronica's body. There was an investigation… an inquest."

"But–"

"Don't." Glenda ordered shaking her head. "Stop it, please."

"Alright, alright." Katy held up her hands and finished making their mugs of tea. Handing one to her grandmother, she leant against the counters. "So? The alarm at the Vic?"

"Everyone had to leave and Mo Harris was moaning about having to waste drinking time on her birthday. I overheard something about a waistcoat, too, but I wasn't really listening."

"Fascinating."

"Alright, alright!" Glenda laughed, nudging Katy gently in the ribs. "So, what were you supposed to be doing today?"

"Working my way through a never-ending list." The younger blonde sighed. "I've got nothing done, Gran. I've got PR to sort, suppliers, staff… why did I think I could do this on my own?"

"Because you can." Glenda assured her firmly. "Besides, you're not on your own. You've got me and your dad… you only need to ask for help."

"Dad? He's in France, if you'd forgotten, which is why we've got Amy and Ricky staying with us."

"Well when he's back, then. You need to ask for help if you want it, Katherine. If you don't… stop moaning and get on with things."

"You're right, I know. I know, OK?" Katy sighed deeply. "Maybe I should go over there now while the kids are with Honey."

Glenda grasped her granddaughter's arms and shook her head. "Not tonight. Tonight we're going to have a takeaway and watch a film with the kids. But first, I'm taking you over to the Vic for a few drinks."

Whitney was supposed to be helping Katy at the bar. After her impromptu day off the day before, the blonde felt like she had to make up for it by working extra hard, which was why she'd dragged her friend along to make up for it. Whitney, however, had other ideas.

"What's the best part of being a Mum?"

"Any time when they're not with you." Katy informed her bluntly. "What do you reckon is the least number of bar staff I can employ? There's already you, me and Stacey."

"If I agree to work here. I ain't said yes, yet. Besides, it depends how busy you think it's going to get." Whitney told her with a shrug. "But, Katy! You know me and Callum are trying for a baby. I need your help."

"What? You need my help trying for a baby?" Her friend arched an eyebrow at her, breaking into a grin when Whitney rolled her eyes and smacked her on the arm. "Look, babe… it's the hardest thing ever, but I wouldn't change it for anything. You'll be a brilliant Mum." She nudged her with her elbow. "Can we please get back to work, now?"

"You need a bloke."

"What?" Katy sighed exasperatedly. "Whitney! Seriously, this is important."

"So is finding you a boyfriend." Her friend replied firmly. "You're gonna spend the rest of your life living with your Gran otherwise."

"You know as well as I do that the rest of my life could be a lot shorter than anyone thinks." Katy reminded her. "Four kids, life-threatening illness, non-existent work-life balance… hardly screams 'date me' does it?"

"Shut up."

"Whit, seriously. I'm flattered that you want to–"

"Seriously, shut up." Whitney frowned at her. "I ain't having this Katy Mitchell pity party. You're just scared."

"I ain't scared of anything. I'm just realistic."

Pulling a face, her friend shook her head. "You're twenty-six, Katy. Stop acting like you're fifty-six."

"When you've got kids, you'll understand."

"Wow."

Sighing, the blonde shook her head, running one hand through her hair agitatedly. "I didn't mean that, Whit. I'm sorry. I just… I need this to work. I need to prove I can do this. I don't have time to think about anything."

"Alright, fine." Whitney fixed her with a stern look. "But as soon as the R&R is up and running, I'm taking you out on the pull."

Laughing, Katy shook her head and returned her attention to the paperwork in front of her. Whitney chattered on about this and that, attempting to distract her friend from work. They continued in that way until the brunette's moaning finally pulled Katy's attention away from work and they wandered across to the chippy for lunch.

"Who are them two?" Whitney asked, nodding towards two young women that they had never seen before. They disappeared into Walford East, clearly arguing about something or other. "Mick reckons they had something to do with the Vic fire alarm going off yesterday. They got into it with Kat and Stacey… one of them tried chatting Martin up."

"Bloody hell, takes a brave woman to take that pair on."

"Like you wouldn't."

"I'd have to have a bloody good reason." Katy told her with a laugh. "Gran reckons they're Masood's nieces or cousins or something."

"How does she know?"

"How does Gran know anything?" The blonde rolled her eyes. "Weren't Kathy and Mas a thing for a while? Gran and Kathy are besties now, so maybe that's how she knows."

"How does your Gran have a better social life and know more gossip than us?"

"Have you met the woman?" Katy joked.

"Good point."

"You gotta get back to the Vic?"

Whitney wrinkled her nose. "I probably should, but I'm having more fun with you."

"Awww, you're so cute."

"Shut up!" The brunette laughed, shoving her shoulder. "D'you remember when we first met?"

Katy looked at her as thought she was mad. "When we first met? My god, we were just seventeen, weren't we?"

"You'd just arrived here… didn't you think Archie was your dad?"

"Yeah… I thought Mum and Aunty Rox were my sisters!"

They both laughed at that, Whitney pushing her arm through Katy's and squeezing her arm. "You looked so like her that I knew you were definitely her daughter."

"You did not, you liar." Katy argued, laughing at the absurdity of her comment. "You had no idea!"

"I did."

"Whatever."

"I did!"

Nudging her with her shoulder, Katy grinned. "God, we were massive chavs, weren't we? I mean, one of us still is…"

"Bitch!" Whitney laughed, not even pretending to be offended. "Did you ever think we'd be where we are now? Back then, I mean?"

"What? Eating Ian Beale's chips and chatting absolute shit?" Katy asked, unable to be serious. "To be honest, that was just what we did most days."

"No, seriously, K… did you think we'd still be in Walford?"

"I dunno… yeah? I think I thought I'd be here, anyway. Not with the kids in tow, though. And… you know… I never considered that Mum and Rox wouldn't be here. I definitely wouldn't have believed that Gran would be."

"Yeah… I never thought I'd still be here. I thought… oh, I don't know. I think I thought maybe I would have kids by now." She sighed and shrugged. "I really thought I'd be the first, you know? That I'd be married and have kids before you or Lauren even considered it."

"Well, considering I had Rubes so young, you can't have thought that for long."

"Well, OK, more kids, then."

Sighing, Katy stopped and turned to look at her friend seriously. "Whit, it'll happen soon. Callum's a really good guy and look at me and Lauren. We're both single mothers with disastrous histories."

"Mine ain't exactly–"

"No, I know." Katy cut across her, not wanting her friend to dwell on her past. "But you've got a good one, now. And you deserve him. So, come on… no more reminiscing, OK? The future is where we need to focus our attention."

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." Whitney nodded decisively. "Let me text Linda and I'll help you out this afternoon."

"Really?"

Whitney rolled her eyes at the teasing tone, nudging Katy with her shoulder again. "Yes, I promise I'll help properly this time."

Katy was supposed to be making an appointment for a check up at the hospital. She was doing her best to avoid it, however, hoping that Glenda wouldn't remember with everything else that was going on.

Jack still wasn't back from France and having Amy and Ricky was making things even more complicated. Katy was trying to be lenient with her brother and sister, knowing that they were missing their father, but they, especially Amy, were pushing their luck.

"But you said Maisie could come round for tea." Amy whined.

Her sister was rushing around trying to get all six children ready for school and nursery. Glenda would ordinarily have been around to help, but she'd muttered something about a money making scheme and disappeared before her granddaughter could question it.

"Wait 'til Dad comes back, yeah?"

"That's not fair! You promised."

"Amy, please." Katy sighed tiredly. "Just give me a break, right? When Dad– Jessica, no!"

Swearing loudly, the blonde darted across the room just in time to stop the four-year-old knocking a mug of tea off the coffee table. Rubbing her forehead agitatedly, Katy screwed her eyes up for a moment. Then she held up a hand as her sister drew breath to launch another attack.

"I'm not going to change my mind, Amy. Do you seriously think I have the energy to have any more children in this flat?"

"But–"

"No."

"Katy! I hate you!"

"Yeah, well… I don't really give a shit." Her sister shrugged. "Ten minute warning, then we're leaving. Jess, Soph, Matthew, shoes!"

Ricky appeared with Matthew, helping the younger boy to put his shoes on the correct feet. Katy smiled as she watched, before rolling her eyes at her sulking sister. Amy huffed loudly and flounced out of the living room in the direction of Ruby's bedroom.

"Why's Amy in a mood?"

Glancing sideways at her eldest daughter, Katy shrugged. "Because she's Amy?"

"Where's Granny?"

"She had somewhere to be this morning, apparently." Her mother said, moving to collect the lunchboxes off the kitchen counters. She handed them to the correct child carefully, knowing what would happen if they got the wrong one. "She should be home in time to pick you up later."

"What if she isn't?"

"Then I'll be there."

Ushering them out of the house, Katy kept an eye on her sister as she walked hand-in-hand with Sophie. Amy was chattering away to the four-year-old, pointing out various things and waving to people they knew as they passed. Katy frowned as she heard a pitying remark from Linda when they passed the Vic, biting her tongue to stop herself retorting.

They were just entering the school playground when Katy's mobile started to ring. She nodded when Ricky asked whether they could go, watching as the oldest three children ran off to their classroom doors. Taking a tight hold of Jessica's hand – the one most likely to run away and get into trouble – Katy led the other three round to the nursery door.

"Did you hang up on me?" Glenda asked incredulously when Katy called her back.

The blonde rolled her eyes as she strolled back up the playground towards the gates. "I was doing the school run, Gran."

"Oh, right… yeah." Glenda sounded almost surprised. "Anyway, listen, I've got you a wonderful deal on some sound equipment."

"Uhh…?"

"I know you were debating whether to get a DJ booth for the upper bar or not, but think about the potential for theme nights. I've negotiated you a fantastic deal with someone I used to know."

"Gran…"

"Look, Neil will drop round to the R&R later this morning and discuss things over with you then. I haven't agreed to anything, let alone signed anything."

"Thanks."

"… you're welcome?"

Katy laughed. "Really, Gran, thanks. That's one less thing for me to deal with." She paused. "You know Nina and Riley are moving to Walford today."

"I'll pick up some shopping for them on my way home." Glenda offered immediately. "I doubt she'll have thought about that."

Ending the call, suggesting that her grandmother meet her for lunch later on, Katy headed back to the Square wondering whether the deal was as good as Glenda had made out.