A/N: Well this chapter is certainly below par in my opinion.

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Now I've been telling everyone to take careful note of the date of my last update! Now in March, I had this crazy idea. The aim was to have everyone as uncharacterized as possible in chapter 36. Basically they flipped (maybe something in the water?)! Admittedly, I may have gone a little overboard with Danielle but once I got going… Well I've always liked evil, twisted Danielle. ("You've killed me but here I am." was my favorite story to write). Guys… I updated on April's fool!

Chapter 36 never really happened. Somehow, it doesn't seem as funny as I thought it would as no one guessed (I assumed everyone would catch on straight away)! I apologies if it really didn't seem funny, but that chapter in itself took ages to write.

Enjoy the real Chapter 36! Please let me know what you think. (scariest sound: think hospital!! I thought it was obivous! lol. I'll tell you in the enxt chapter, promise!)

Danielle cursed at her stupidity, waving her hand frantically in the middle of the Slater kitchen in a vain attempt to halt the burning sensation at her finger tips due to a failed stunt in flipping some waffles, despite insufficient heat protection on her hands.

Placing her finger into her mouth, desperate to extinguish the pain, Danielle stole a glance at the clock. Today had not been the best of days and Stacey was unhelpfully running late for lunch. The blonde sighed, placing Stacey's cup of tea into the microwave aiming to keep it warm as long as possible.

Just as she was about to set two plates onto the table, Jean and Stacey burst into the house. To the young girl, it seemed they insisted on making as much noise as possible, regardless to the knowledge that Charlie would still be asleep after three late nights in a row. Despite this, Danielle couldn't help but smile. She was sure Stacey would be able to shine some light onto the miserable day Danielle had started on.

"Dan?" Entering the kitchen, the taller brunette presented a questioning look to her best friend. Just as she was to continue, the front door slammed closed once again, the noise presumed to be the result of Jean leaving the house only moments after she had entered.

"Why aren't you at the Vic? Are you alright Dan?" Stacey instantly dropped her keys to the worktop and fell into a chair.

Danielle smiled and stood up to check the contents of the oven. "Um…Well I think I'm out of a job"

Stacy nodded her head and sighed, although Danielle's back did not have the eyes to see this. "Didn't you see this coming?"

A moments silence followed. "I'd never thought of it actually." Sending both hands through her hair, the younger teen huffed out and took a seat opposite the roommate.

Charlie's deep slumber seemed to have been cut short as the floorboards creaked above their heads. Until that moment, than fan of the oven and the whispering ticks of the wall clock were the only sounds reminding Danielle that this hour represented a further reduction to her bank balance.

"Well what happened?" Stacey had just under an hour to grab some lunch and reopen her stall for the afternoon. Smiling at the surprise awaiting her within the microwave, the teenage market trader took her seat once again.

Danielle stood for a second time and switched off the oven. A sudden silence filled both their ears. "Well I turned up on time and Peggy just stared at me. Scared the life out of me, I thought I'd done something wrong. Turns out she doesn't expect me to clean the pub anymore. If I hadn't have given in to her hints for me to quit, I'm sure she'd have sacked me."

Stacey knew she was treading on egg shells. "Well Dan, they're seeing you in a new light aren't they 'eh? Isn't it a good thing she doesn't want you working as a cleaner anymore?" A bitter hint of jealousy made its way into Stacey's emotions. The closer Danielle became to being a Mitchell, in proportion she inevitably moved away from the Slater's. The sisterly bond between the two distinct characters was unlikely to sustain the tearing malevolence between the duel of tightly bonded families.

Raising her voice, "Well I was good enough to be their cleaner two weeks ago Stace?" The rapidly induced passion within the blonde's tone went to show how her frustration and wavered confidence had been affecting her during the warm, sunny morning. She was trying to be as understanding as possible for the sake of the relationship she'd dreamt of for all too long. Getting on the wrong side of any Mitchell, more than ever Ronnie was not on her hit list.

Stacey smiled gratefully as Danielle placed a couple of waffles onto the plate before her. "Well Dan, lets face it. It's how the Mitchells work 'eh? To them you're Ronnie Mitchell's daughter. The dirty M word is your answer in my opinion."

"Well I don't want to be known as Ronnie Mitchell's daughter!" She let her fork and knife drop to the plate, a high pitched clatter sending a shiver down both their spines.

Not being able to face an apology for her spoilt outburst, Danielle buried her head in her hands, wishing she could fall through into a land where her thoughts would be her only disturbance. But then again, without someone like Stacey to help her face the facts, Danielle knew she'd drive her self crazy. Quite literally.

Stacey also released her fork, although her actions exhibiting a fair greater amount of etiquettes. With her now free hand, she took hold of Danielle's arm from across the table. The blonde never cared to move her head into a visible position.

"Think of it like this Dan." Her soft squeeze was an unsuccessful attempt to provoke any movement from the teen. Danielle's vulnerable nature required the highest levels of defense and the root Stacey was about to take didn't give the impression of having taken this on bored. However, the bolder girl also knew that beating around the bush would be do no good. "When you first read Veronica Mitchell on that piece of paper, what did you place with that name?"

Even before the sentence had fully been spoken, it had promoted a physical response from its recipient. Danielle huffed and dropped her hands to the table. Her blotchy red faced looked up to Stacey. "What the hell has that got to do with anything?"

"Just answer the question Dan!" Stubbornly interrupting, Stacey took a sip of her warm beverage. She couldn't understand her anger at Ronnie. Any pain rooted to the last three weeks appeared to be so ironic to the fact it was Ronnie at her nicest.

"Well Stace I could finally put a name to the face. I've told you all of this already!" The agitation was clearly audible with her second sentence.

Stacey raised her hand in defense, her other rushing to save her cup of tea which she'd accidentally knocked with the preceding action. "Exactly. Don't you think it's unfair that you've had time to get to know Ronnie? Okay now I'll give you that Ronnie's spent time with you as well, but what can you say for the others 'ey?"

Danielle sighed, her eyes shooting up to the ceiling as the switching of the shower sent a few flickers through the light bulb. "Well, what are you getting at? I don't get what right that gives them…" Withdrawing her hand from across the marble table, Danielle circled the rim of her mug. Well, some habits never died.

"It doesn't!" Stacey exclaiming with her interruption, not wanting to be mistaken as the Mitchell's defense. "What I'm saying is, at the moment…" She sighed, sending her hand to her forehead. "Well you're a face to Ronnie's daughter aint ya? Well I mean that that sends you up on their crazy hyraki Dan. To them you're a Mitchell, just like Ronnie was a face to you. I know she meant a lot to you Danielle, I'm not trying to take that away…" The impetuously characteristic of her fading sentence did not aid Danielle's calming.

"Well I don't want my identity to premier as Ronnie's daughter! How can you not get that Stace?!" Danielle threw her chair back and was about to storm off.

Shot down was Stacey's patience as she became agitated over Danielle's constant need of assurance and shortage of self-confidence. "Well it's all you wanted at queen Peggy's wedding!" There was a distinct penetrating quality programmed deep into Stacey's voice whenever she raised her tone. Danielle had forgotten how threatening it could be after little exposure to it. Their friendship was one of the most vital qualities integrated into her life. The homely scent of baked potato took over the kitchen; however Danielle's reason to instantly smother her passion was much more literal. Stacey's pitch gave a fractional glance at how their relationship, the roof over her head and job-security hung in jeopardy. With an inch of time's never ending line, whatever little buoyancy may have built within the petite blonde was blown away with Stacey's explosive roar, dragon like in its obliterating abilities. The ability people had to vanquish her belief in her voiced opinions was bloodcurdling, vigorous power certain people had over the indigent teen due to her dependency on them being repugnant.

Hovering at the door, Danielle turned to face her seated companion. "I've changed okay?" It seemed a lifetime away. How her stupid, fairytale-raised character had dreamt of being impulsively recognized into the prestigious family was absurd.

Stacey stood up abruptly. It was one of those moments where too many words had already been spoken, some of which, after some cooling, Stacey believed to be uncalled for, regardless of what justification she had at the time of vocalization. Taking two long strides her arms had launched their way around Danielle's stature. Whispering gentle words into her ear, "Give it time. 'Amy' can only become 'Danielle' as they get to know you honey." She wiped away estranged tears from her entangled counterpart, smiling. There was a colossal difference between the characters of a newly born baby and the personality built over nineteen years.

"Um… Dan." Breaking up, Stacey grasped Danielle by the shoulders, an apologetic look set upon her face. The devilishly summoned anger at Danielle's sweet innocent face had evaporated away, but yet when faced with an identical, tear-struck frown, instantly roused unimpeachable heartache. "Look, I heard about the club and…Well now with your afternoon job..." Trailing whilst tilting her head to the side and smiling, "You do know Uncle Charlie would have no problem in giving you an extension on the rent. As long as you need Dan, we're best mates, it aint a prob…"

"It's not about the money Stace!" Danielle's uncertainty over whether her overdraft could further be extended sat proudly on Danielle's shoulders, on top of life's other countless ghosts.

"I know, I know…" Stacey savaged the situation, her success at doing so measured by the little grip she'd lost on Danielle's shoulders.

The two embraced, Stacey accelerating them from side to side. Maybe the taller girl had been right. Danielle had been so engaged in wanting to know the Mitchell's, she hadn't really realized that their acceptance could come in the form of their tendency to spend time with her. It was undeniable that for Peggy to have "Ronnie's daughter" working as a cleaner would be against everything that esteemed her name. Maybe this possible over reactance was sourced from an act of regard from the respected landlady. Danielle didn't know. The new world shaped inside the best part of three weeks made her realize that being accepted into the family was not essential, nor what she'd truly ever desired. Her weak character had let her imagination sprint wild with vivid images of her in an astounding dress, irreplaceable at influential fairy tale weddings.

Danielle cursed herself, feeling the bile in her stomach rumble. She now wondered if her want to be involved with any Mitchell celebration was interpreted by her as a need for approval by the family. All she really wanted was to spend time with the people she so desperately wanted to involve in her life. Their pride came with the package, but being a Mitchell by structure of blood was never enough.

"I just want them to like me for me!" Falling once more into Stacey's more then welcoming arms, Danielle's blown up emotional breakdown caused Stacey to ponder on how she could make Danielle understand that life would never be as perfect as she'd experienced so far. Thinking so would only make her a target for attack.

"Welcome to the real world Dan." They weren't ideal words but they also didn't guarantee that everything would be alright. Certainly the young woman would know by know, Stacey was going to be behind Danielle every step of the way, even if she found that her best friend was unwantingly drifting away from her.

"I'm glad I have you Stace…" Danielle sobbed deep into Stacey's blue, short sleeved top. There was an unusual silence. Even the clock had pryingly hushed itself to listen in.

"You always will Danielle…But…" She parted them once again and sent her hands up and down the blonde's arms. Loudly sucking in a deep breath, "Goodness knows how you've managed to lose two jobs in two days…"

There was a nervously giggle from the broken teen.

"I guess I better go and open the stall 'eh?"

If there was ever a good example of two poled-apart characters becoming each other's singular strength in life, this one certainly gave it a run for its money.

A/N: Danielle's over reactance out of character? I wanted to draw on her vulnerability making her doubt every move that the Mitchell's make. I also think that it's about time Stacey started running out of patience with Danielle's flimsiness.

Feedback as always needed greatly!