AN: Thanks for all the great reviews :) Here's the second chapter. Also Ronnie/Jack will be a factor in this story :)
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.
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After finishing her breakfast, Danielle felt into an uneasy sleep (the pain was still awful despite the medication). When she woke up it the sun was setting outside, which told her it was almost evening. She glanced outside at all the people milling around the Square, some of which she knew. She wondered what they thought of her after her dramatic outburst at the wedding reception the other night. She could have been embarrassed about it, but she wasn't really. Something she'd said had made her mother come to find her, and that was all that mattered.
What Danielle would never forget though, was the look on her mother's face that night, just before the car had hit. Ronnie had looked more than overjoyed; that word was quite an understatement for how she had looked that night. Danielle was sure she'd remember that moment between them for the rest of her life.
A short while later, the door opened and Ronnie shuffled in from the next room. Danielle smiled when she saw her, then she noticed that Ronnie was wearing her coat, which suggested she'd been out somewhere. "Where've you been?" Danielle asked, frowning slightly. She felt a bit disappointed that Ronnie had left her here in the flat.
"I just went over to the Vic," Ronnie explained, and noticed Danielle's expression, "Don't worry, I was away for no more than ten minutes. Anyway, the others are really worried about you, but they're glad you're all right."
Danielle's face lit up at this wonderful news, "Really? They really care about me?"
Ronnie laughed, "You're so silly Danielle, of course they care about you."
"I just thought they might have still been bothered about the wedding reception," Danielle mumbled sheepishly, pulling the covers up over her chest. She'd borrowed a pair of Ronnie's pajamas for the night. They were cotton and felt so soft, plus they smelled of Ronnie, infact the whole flat smelled of Ronnie, especially the bed, which had helped Danielle to sleep better. She felt safe knowing that she was here, in Ronnie's flat.
"The only person they're bothered about is.." Ronnie stopped and bit her lip, then shook her head and smiled. "D'you want any tea? You've been asleep half the day."
"I noticed," Danielle replied with a small smile, "But erm, no thanks. I'm not really feeling that hungry."
Ronnie suddenly looked anxious and came to sit on the bed beside her. "You're not in too much pain, are you? I can call the Hospital or get someone to--"
"Mum," Danielle cut in, and paused after hearing the word come so casually out of her mouth. It seemed so strange to be calling Ronnie her mother now. "Don't worry, all right? I'm not in that much pain." A blatant lie, but she didn't want to worry Ronnie too much. "And even if I was, I wouldn't care a bit. You're here, I mean.. sorry, that was a lame thing to say."
But Ronnie put her arm around Danielle and pulled her close. Danielle buried her face in Ronnie's shoulder. She was so warm and perfect. "You can't even begin to know what you mean to me, Danielle. All these years, I wondered but I never found you. And now you're here."
Danielle looked up at her, tears welling up in her eyes. "Come on sweetie," Ronnie said, stroking her face and smiling, "Don't cry now."
"I.." Danielle changed the subject when a sudden question came to her out of nowhere, "How did you find out that I was telling the truth?"
Ronnie's face fell. "I.. I found the locket. God Danielle, I'm so sorry for that. I truly hate myself for saying those nasty things to you."
"I knew it was there," Danielle said with a smile, "And don't be sorry. He made everyone think he was this great bloke when really he was just a monster all along." She suddenly felt the rage building up inside her, "I don't want anymore to do with him. I hate him."
"You and me both," Ronnie said in a cold tone of voice, and in the silence that followed Danielle knew she was reliving the events of the wedding night. Archie, standing there with that big grin on his face like he'd won. Now though he was gone, or so Danielle hoped. If Danielle knew Peggy, she'd have already thrown him out.
Ronnie kissed Danielle on her forehead, and Danielle smiled and closed her eyes, resting her head against her mother's chest. She didn't care if he was still there, just as long as he didn't cause any trouble for Ronnie. In that moment, Danielle vowed to protect her mother from that scumbag if he ever came sniffing around again.
The doorbell rang then. Ronnie gave Danielle's hand a quick squeeze before getting up and leaving the room. Danielle got up with some difficulty and hobbled over to the door, which was now slightly ajar. She tried to listen to what was going on.
"..and you being here isn't going to help," Ronnie was saying harshly to someone Danielle couldn't see from where she stood.
"But I need to apologise," came the voice of a woman Danielle was sure she knew. She couldn't place the name though.
"You nearly killed her!" Ronnie exclaimed, throwing her hands up, "You nearly killed us both because of your stupid driving!"
"And that's why I need to apologise!" the other woman said, sounding desperate.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." Ronnie replied flatly, folding her arms.
There was a pause followed by something inaudible, then Danielle heard the woman say: "I know she's your daughter, and I'm happy for you. I just need to let her know that I'm sorry for what happened. It was an accident. Please just let me do this Ronnie, and then I'll never bother you again."
Ronnie heaved a sigh, "All right. But then you've got to leave, she's tired and.."
"I know, I get it," the woman said softly.
"I'll just go and let her know.." Ronnie started to say, and Danielle then opened the door and walked out into the living room. She then saw the woman Ronnie had been talking to and recognised her to be Janine Butcher. She'd heard a few things about Janine since arriving in Walford but Danielle wasn't one to judge someone before she knew them. Well, she had judged Ronnie, but..
"Danielle," Ronnie looked alarmed, "You need to stay in bed."
"It's all right, I felt like getting up and stretching my legs a bit anyway," Danielle said with a smile. Then she looked at Janine and realised that it had been Janine behind the wheel of that car.
"Danielle.." Janine started, looking reluctant, "I'm so sorry about what happened. It was an accident."
"It's okay," Danielle said, offering her a smile, "I had someone there to save me, anyway."
She looked across at Ronnie, who in turn looked back at her so lovingly that Danielle suddenly felt weak. Then she suddenly felt a rush of dizziness, which was certainly not because of Ronnie. Her whole body began to throb and she felt her knees buckle. Luckily Ronnie was there to catch her before she could fall to the floor.
"See, I told you didn't I?" Ronnie scolded her, though she didn't sound angry, only worried.
"Yeah.." Danielle murmered, seeing double of Ronnie now. She felt her mother clamp a hand to her forehead and heard Ronnie gasp.
"You're running a fever," Ronnie said, and Danielle could hear the anxiety in her voice. "Janine, could you help me get her back into bed?"
Janine obliged and helped Ronnie carry Danielle back into Ronnie's bedroom. She felt Ronnie kiss her forehead again and then she was alone. The room was spinning and Danielle was suddenly aware that she was alone in the room, which made her panic. She needed Ronnie, where the hell was Ronnie?
She wasn't aware that she had been calling Ronnie's name until her mother came bursting in. "What is it?" she asked, jumping onto the bed and cupping Danielle's face with her hands. "Danielle, don't worry, I'm here, it's okay."
Danielle felt Ronnie kiss her hair and felt all her fears subside at once. She began to breathe normally again.
"You'd better get some rest, darling," Ronnie said soothingly, "You've got a fever. I'll get you a glass of water; you need to drink lots of fluids, okay?"
She got up and started towards the door when Danielle suddenly croaked, "I'm.. I'm sorry I'm like this. I shouldn't of got up."
Ronnie smiled down at her. "You got up because you wanted to hear what that woman had to say for herself. You're so caring Danielle, always willing to give people a chance. I've never met someone as warm hearted as you are." She sighed, "I don't know where you get that from."
"From you, of course," Danielle muttered, "You're amazing, Ronnie. I wish you could see that."
Ronnie looked taken aback by this but then she smiled and nodded. "Look, I'll get you that glass of water now, all right?"
Danielle nodded, but while waiting for her mother to return she drifted into a deep sleep. When Ronnie returned, she set the glass quietly down on the bedside table, smiling down at her daughter. Danielle didn't hear her mother quietly leave the flat and sprint down to the Vic. She also didn't hear the door that Ronnie had forgotten to lock open slightly, nor did she hear footsteps edging closer to the room where she slept..