Double update to make up for the long break, chapter 9 is nearly done and should be up soon. The real drama is soon to come don't worry!

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 8

A while later Ronnie and Emily were sat next to each other in the kitchen, both their tears dried yet their faces still blotchy and red. Emily had clasp hold of her Mum's hand tight under the table a while back, adamant not to let go despite however clammy it was becoming. She was loving the warm sense of security that it washed over her. She'd found her again, her Mum and she felt safe and so very loved, a feeling she had been craving for some time now. It wasn't that she wasn't happy before so to speak, life was OK but there always felt like their was something missing. And now she realised what that was, something she couldn't believe she didn't realise before. Her Mum.

Little did she know but Ronnie wouldn't of let her remove her hand from her grasp if she tried. Her little baby girl was so grown up now, so beautiful and so perfect in every way. Yet despite this she still let her go. Missing so many important times in her life since; the years of falling off bikes, first day at senior school, countless Christmases when she woke in the morning full of the magic, being their for her to cry out her problems too or just laughing with her through the good times. She wasn't there, and she never thought she'd be able to forgive herself for that.

As they sat there each absorbed in their own thoughts Roxy walked into the kitchen confused by the silence between the two. She got a glass of water from the sink and stood starting at them for a few minutes, yet neither spoke. Finally she spoke up.

"What are you too doing? You telepathic now or something?" she said. Ronnie looked up at her sister and smiled slightly before looking back to Emily. Roxy sat down with them.

"So what you doing here all of a sudden sweetie?" Ronnie said gently to Emily, realizing how it might sound, as if she wanted to get rid of her which couldn't be further from the truth at all. So she began to stutter awkwardly, "Not that I don't want you here or anything Em, just…I…um.." she didn't know why but she was nervous talking to her after all this time. It was only Em, why on earth was she nervous?

Emily smiled at her Mum's nerves, her tummy too was home to a whole flock of butterflies at the moment. "I don't know I guess I just wanted to see you, I missed you Mum." Emily said lying though her teeth and she did it very well, well she ought to by now she'd had enough practice. But this time it was different from all the others, it was to Mum. She hated lying to her Mum, especially this soon but it was only a small white lie she reasoned with herself, the last part was all true so it wasn't a real lie. She really had missed her so, so much. A lie can't be a lie if there's some truth can there?

Ronnie smiled unable to come up with the words to reply, the guilt of leaving her behind eating her away from the inside out. Thankfully for her Roxy butted in, "We missed you too Em." she elbowed Ronnie in the side, "Didn't we Ron..?". Ronnie got the message, "So much Emily its untrue.", Emily couldn't help the smile that over took her face with this. Ronnie returned this, that wasn't too hard she though, it was just she'd got so used to hiding her feelings that showing them again felt like a small battle inside of her.

"What you been up to then babes?", Roxy asked feeling left out of this mother-daughter moment.

"Oh you know nothing much." Emily began uncomfortably willing to leave it there, but seeing her mum and aunties expectant faces she carried on, "Schools been OK, got in at the one down in Devon, ya know the ballet one I always wanted to audition for." she clarified to sort out Roxy's confused expression. "So Dad got a transfer to another office in the company and we all moved down there. Well me, Dad, Fran, Ryan and Lucy I mean." She saw their faces look confused at the mention of the names, but she carried on anyway they were gonna find out sooner or later. She just wished she could go for the later option.

"Fran's dad's new girlfriend, well I say girlfriend more like partner I suppose. Lucy's their daughter see she's… um 2 I think now. Right madam, hopefully won't take after her Mum, she's thick as that goldfish I got from the fair when I was like 7. Seriously." Emily told them.

Ronnie and Roxy couldn't help but laugh at this, finally Emily felt herself relaxing into the situation. Like she was finally at home.

She carried on smiling, "You didn't hear that off me, Ok!," she giggled at this sticking her tongue slightly out as she did. After a comfortable silence she carried on.

"Ryan's awesome though, Fran's son from her other marriage." Her smiled was quickly wiped form her face at this memory, "His dad's dead." she stared into space for a moment before carrying on. Trying to shake the memory out of her head.

"Em you don't have to carry on you know. If you don't want us..." Ronnie reassured her worried.

"No its fine. The past is the past right?" She said forcing a very fake smile. Before taking a deep breath and starting again. This was harder than she'd thought, she always imagined this to be the easy bit but it was like tiptoeing round eggshells.

"Ryan, sometimes it I think he's the only normal one outta the lot of em. Nothing like his mum." "Thank God." she added as an afterthought. "You'd love him, I do. He's a seriously awesome big brother." She faltered for a moment at the word brother before carrying on, "Doesn't mind driving you to town when its raining either. Bit annoying when your mates all can't talk to him cause they fancy him too much. Mia goes all quite and stutters loads. You remember Mia right?" she asked.

"Of course, she was round so much it was almost like you were joined. Still friends?" Ronnie smiled, finally something she new already, this talk was making her realize just how much growing up Em had done. Without her.

Emily grinned wide, "More like sisters!".

A comfortable silence grew throughout the room between them. Emily stirred the hot chocolate Ronnie had made her a while ago but had been too hot to drink with the spoon before licking it thoughtfully.

"I miss him." she blurted out. "Ry I mean. Don't really see em all that much anymore ya see, cause I'm at school most of the time." Emily said sadly obviously thinking about him.

"What do you mean sweetie your at school all the time? I mean I hated it too and I know it felt like your were there for like forever but what about weekends and stuff you've got like two full days to spend together!" Roxy said confused slightly, "I know I could never get rid of Ronnie enough!" she said with a giggle shielding herself form the playful slap Ronnie gave her on the arm. Emily smiled at them before speaking once again.

"I board. Most people do." she said as her mothers face turned stone serious like she remembered from the arguments. Her and dad were always arguing…all that shouting and pain. She tried to shake the unhappy memory out of her head

"He made you board. He got rid of you like that. Sent you packing!" Ronnie said gradually becoming more angry, "Bet it was her idea. I knew he'd do something like, this they never change, he…" she was now yelling while Emily looked on in fear. She was always scared of her Mum like this it was like things had never changed. She interrupted in pure desperation.

"NO!" she yelled silencing Ronnie straight away. Happy it had worked she carried on but quieter this time, "Look I know what happened and that night with the argument and… yeah." she said sadly looking to the floor, "But after the divorce things did get better and it was my fault anyway." Em dared to look up at her Mum's eyes again who were confused by this last comment and almost hurt. She looked down again quickly.

"What I mean is I wanted to, Dad, he was really against it too to begin with, but I wouldn't take no for an answer." Ronnie's face softened again ashamed of her outburst, "Didn't want me going. But I managed to persuade him. You'd of been proud me Mum didn't' back down I didn't!" she giggled trying to lighten the atmosphere, "Its great really like a home away from well I suppose 'home'" she said doing apostrophe marks in the air with her fingers as she said it. "Its like a proper little family kind of, we drive Matron mad though as she puts it, 'You Emily-Rose Bingham spend to much of the day with your heads in the clouds!" She said with a cheeky grin putting on a posh accent and sticking her nose in the air. "Grumpy cow she is. Caught her doing the tango with the broom one night, so we filmed her and stuck it on You tube. 20,000 hits in one night, honest!"

Roxy and Emily laughed at this while Ronnie tried to put on a disapproving face while hiding her own giggles yet still at the same time hurt by the painful memories this meeting was bring back. But she couldn't let Emily see this, it wasn't her fault. It was her.

"Ew mental images there Em that I didn't want!" Roxy exclaimed putting her hands over her ears while still laughing uncontrollably. Emily just stuck her tongue out at her aunt, this was how she remembered things. Happy times but she supposed that was a long time ago… before she went and ruined it all. It was all her fault she thought upset.

"Where all your stuff then Em?" Ronnie said breaking up the laughter. "Um only really got that bag there" she said pointing to the English National Ballet Bag by the door. "Was a bit of a spur of the moment trip" she carried on looking sheepish at the floor.

"So I take it school haven't got a clue where you are, as well as your father?" Ronnie asked sternly.

"Love to say no. But yeah that's pretty much it." Em replied looking at the floor.

Ronnie smiled she hasn't changed one bit really, "You naughty girl. Go on get in the shower I'll find you some pyjamas okay?"

Emily grinned at her mum, "Does this mean I can stay?"

Ronnie just laughed, "Go on and I'll think about it" she said as Emily got off her chair and went towards the door Ronnie was pointing to leaving Roxy and Ronnie alone.

Ronnie sighed putting her head in her hand as the smile was wiped from her face.

"What was that for?" Roxy asked confused at her sister.

"She's just so grown up" Ronnie said sadly fiddling with her locket, "and I've missed it all, what sort of a mum am I?"

"Ron that girl came on her own all the way from Devon to see you. If that isn't complete love then I don't know what is. So you missed a few years, she's still got a lot of growing up to do she's only 14 for god sake, and you'll be there for that. She's given you the chance Ron to get to know here again. You just gotta take it." Roxy told her grasping her sister's hand.

Taking a deep breathe Ronnie spoke slightly taken aback, "I better go get those pyjamas for her." She got up to leave the room but stopped for a moment at the door, "You know what Rox you really can take sense sometimes." she said with a smile, "Thanks sis" she said as she went through to her bedroom.

Roxy just sat there in awe at everything that had just happened. Emily was back. Ronnie was happier than she'd seen her in a long time. God if only she could rewind time. Why did she have to ruin everything. Pulling a letter from the hospital they had given her out of her pocket she put her head in her hands, Roxanne Mitchell was going to mess up her sisters life yet again. And now Emily's too. Wiping her eyes trying to stop the tears about to fall he put her head in her hands, "Your welcome sis."

Hope you enjoyed please Read & Review! Virtual hugs for everyone who does!

Sophie x