AN: I hope that was a good enough start. Here's the next chapter :)

Summary: Ronnie managed to save her daughter's life on that fateful night, but saving both Danielle and herself from Archie is going to be a whole different story.

-

"Danielle? Danielle, are you okay?"

When Danielle awoke she found herself laying in a Hospital bed. Ronnie was sitting in a chair right beside her. She no longer wore that terrified expression from before, but she still looked very concerned. Danielle tried to sit up but Ronnie stopped her, "Don't sit up yet, babe. The Doctor says you broke a rib when the car hit you."

Danielle rolled her eyes, so she'd been right. Ronnie stared at her, as if she didn't really believe Danielle was there. Danielle was still in shock herself; she hadn't had much time to take in what was happening before the car had hit her. She was in considerable pain, but she found she didn't really care much. She stared transfixedly at Ronnie, unable to speak. It was Ronnie who spoke first, after a short pause.

"Gave me such a fright, Danielle," she said softly, "I thought.."

Ronnie looked away, squeezing her eyes closed, as if trying her very best not to picture what could have happened if the car had done more damage than it actually had. Danielle too started to imagine. What if Ronnie hadn't thrown herself at her, just before the collision? Danielle had been standing in the middle of the road. If Ronnie hadn't reacted as quickly as she had, Danielle could have been killed. It slowly dawned on her that Ronnie had saved her life.

Ronnie looked up and smiled, clearly fighting back tears. "It's okay though, it's nothing serious. You just have to take it eas--"

She was cut off in mid-sentence by Danielle, who had thrown herself at her mother. The pain was unreal, but she hardly noticed. She threw her arms around Ronnie and held her tight. The tears she had been trying so hard to keep back began to spill down her cheeks. Ronnie seemed to do a double take, but then Danielle felt her mother wrap her arms around her. They sat like this for a good five minutes before Ronnie pulled away. "You shouldn't sit up like that," she said, wiping the tears away from her eyes, "Come on, lay down."

Danielle obeyed her and lay back down. The pain stopped for the most part.

A comfortable silence followed this. Danielle closed her eyes for a moment and tried to imagine how things would go from here. Would she go to live with Ronnie in her flat? How would she get on with the other Mitchell's, such as Roxy and Peggy? Would they be as appreciative of her as Ronnie was?

"Ronnie, I.." Danielle started, but Ronnie shushed her softly and clasped her hand.

"Don't talk now, you've been through a lot," Ronnie said gently, stroking Danielle's hand, "Just try to sleep, and we'll talk in the morning."

"Are you staying here with me?" Danielle asked, slightly hopeful. She could tell that Ronnie was tired and she wanted her to get some rest too, but a large part of her still wanted Ronnie to stay with her, to be with her here.

Ronnie smiled at her. "Don't be silly, I'm not leaving you now," she replied, and stood up to tuck Danielle in properly, as if she was just a baby. Danielle didn't mind at all, this was what she'd been waiting for these past seven months.

"You're tired," Danielle pointed out, and then she remembered, "You.. you weren't hurt, were you?"

"I'm fine," Ronnie answered both the statement and the question, "Nothing happened to me, though I wish it had. I'd rather be the one laying in that bed."

She suddenly frowned, and to Danielle she looked quite angry. However Danielle, who was too tired to ask why this was, yawned sleepily.

"That's it baby, just go to sleep," Ronnie encouraged, flashing her another smile, "I'll be here all night, don't worry."

"I.. I'm glad," Danielle answered before closing her eyes. I'm so damn happy right now, was her last thought before she fell asleep.

-

Danielle was discharged from Hospital the very next day, with instructions to get plenty of rest to help the broken rib to heal itself. Ronnie looked surprised when Jack Branning arrived to give them a lift back to the Square. Ronnie was brisk with Jack, questioning him as to why he'd shown up there in the first place, but she eventually agreed. The two of them helped Danielle, who was still in some pain, to Jack's car. She'd been given medication that would ease the pain however, and it seemed to be working okay. She sat next to Ronnie in the back of the car as Jack drove them back to the Square, happier than she'd ever been in her entire life, despite the broken rib. She didn't even care about that. All she cared about was Ronnie, who had accepted her after all these months. Danielle rested her head on Ronnie's shoulder as they drove, completely content. She even slept for most of the journey, having not been able to sleep too well because of the pain.

Once they pulled up outside Ronnie's flat, Ronnie helped Danielle out and instructed her to wait at the door while she talked to Jack. Danielle frowned and stopped at the gate, trying to listen in to the conversation.

"Thanks, I suppose," Ronnie was saying, not meeting Jack's eyes.

"No problem," Jack replied, looking awkward, "Look, Ron, I need to talk to you.."

"Not right now," Ronnie answered firmly, "I need to be with Danielle."

"I know that," Jack said, "Just.. maybe in a few days, all right?"

Ronnie sighed, "All right, Jack. But give me some time with my daughter, yeah?"

As Ronnie turned away from him, Danielle quickly turned her back, drawing breath. Ronnie appeared at her side then.

"Ron-- I mean, Mum," Danielle began nervously, "Am I.. am I going to live here, with you? I mean, if you don't want me to, I'll just.."

To her surprise, Ronnie laughed. "Don't be silly, Danielle. As if I'd let you live anywhere but right here with me."

Danielle blushed, "I just thought it might be a bit too much trouble for you."

Ronnie placed both hands on Danielle's shoulders and looked at her seriously.

"You're never going to be too much trouble for me, Danielle."

She looked lovingly at Danielle as she spoke, and Danielle thought she might cry again. It was still so much to take in, so much to get used to. Living with Ronnie, here in the Square. It was like a dream come true.

Once they were inside, Ronnie marched Danielle straight to bed. Since the spare room wasn't properly made up, Ronnie made Danielle sleep in her own large double bed, despite Danielle's protests that she would much rather sleep on the sofa than cause Ronnie any trouble. Ronnie wouldn't hear of it though, and a mere ten minutes after they walked into Ronnie's flat, Danielle found herself laying in bed. She didn't want to sleep, despite Ronnie telling her she really should. She had so many questions to ask, and she was sure that Ronnie had many of her own to ask aswell. As she lay there, deep in thought, Ronnie entered the room carrying a tray.

Danielle was quick to protest. "You didn't have to.." she began feebly, feeling guilty.

"I'd be doing it for you even if you hadn't broken a rib," Ronnie assured her, and this made Danielle feel better, though she still felt guilty. Ronnie set the tray down on the bedside table beside Danielle, and then hopped onto the bed beside her. She lay down on her side, smiling at Danielle, who beamed back at her.

"I still can't believe it," Ronnie started, "My little girl, my Amy, to think it was you, this whole time.. and I never knew.."

She frowned then. "I can't even begin to imagine how much pain I must have caused you, Danielle. I'm so sorry about everything that's happened between us."

"Don't do that," Danielle replied with a grin, "If I'm not allowed to feel guilty, then neither are you."

Ronnie looked confused. "What do you have to feel guilty about, darling?" she asked softly.

Danielle bit her lip, "Causing you so much trouble these past few months. Being such a stupid cow, always getting in your way.." she hesitated, then continued, "..and.. writing that.. well, you know, on your front door.."

She watched Ronnie's expression change to one of surprise. Then it relaxed again.

"I knew it was you, Danielle," she replied patiently, "I wasn't happy about it, but back then I didn't know who you were. Now I can understand why you did it."

"Really?" Danielle frowned. "I still think it was horrible, what I did.."

"It's fine, honestly," Ronnie cut in, chuckling at Danielle's troubled expression, "Danielle, you have to understand. I don't care about any of that, all I care about is having you here with me. You've got no idea how much time I spent trying to find you, and then, when he," she frowned slightly, "told me you had died.."

Ronnie shook her head and shuddered. Then she smiled again. "When he told me that, it felt like nothing mattered to me anymore. It's the reason why I was so cold to you, and to everyone else around me. I know it's not much of an excuse, but.."

"No, I understand," Danielle answered meekly, "It must have been hard for you."

"None of it matters anymore, though," Ronnie continued, beaming, "You're everything to me, Danielle. I love you so much."

"I love you, too," Danielle whispered, feeling as though they were in some sort of soppy film, "You've got no idea how much I wished I could be with you, every day, all the time. I'm so glad it's finally happening."

Ronnie leaned over and kissed Danielle on the forehead. "You're never going to lose me, not again," she whispered, stroking Danielle's hair, making her shiver. Then she got up, much to Danielle's dismay.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Ronnie got to her feet.

"Just going to phone Roxy," she replied, "She wanted me to call as soon as we got back."

Danielle smiled, "All right, then."

Ronnie smiled back at her before leaving the bedroom. Danielle then sat up slowly, and began to tuck into her breakfast.

Across the street from the flat, Archie Mitchell stood, having spotted the pair as they entered Ronnie's flat. He had been kicked out of the Vic by Peggy, and now neither of his daughters wanted anything to do with him. And whose fault was that? Why, it was that spoilt brat of a girl's, Danielle Jones. She'd managed to make both of Archie's daughters hate him and swear never to talk to him again. On top of that, she'd caused Peggy to leave him. Now, the day after the nightmare of a wedding day, Archie felt nothing but hatred for the stupid little girl who had single-handedly managed to ruin his life.

You'll pay for this one, Dani, Archie thought savagely as he turned away from the flat and began to walk away.