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Chapter 19:- Awkwardness

After breakfast Ronnie and Danielle were showered, changed and making their way out of the flat, linked arm in arm, on their way to the Vic after deciding to go and see Roxy and Amy first.

Walking past the club and through the market, mother and daughter were getting awkward glances from passers by and market holders, but both Ronnie and Danielle couldn't stop smiling, this was their first full day together and they were going to tell people that Ronnie was Danielle's mother. Now walking through the centre of the market, making their way towards the square, Stacey came out of the café carrying two cups of tea. She spotted Ronnie and Danielle coming through the market and stopped right infront of them, blocking their path. "Hey Stace" Danielle spoke cautiously, still unaware of where she stood with Stacey, after the argument from the previous evening. "Hey, is that it, your late, I had to get Nan to help me open up" Stacey stated watching Danielle's and Ronnie's faces drop, Ronnie stood like a spare part, unsure of what to say. "What?, Stace I thought today was my day off" Danielle said quietly, as if she'd just been punched in the stomach, just then, Stacey burst into laughter, "cool it Dan, I'm kidding, the look on yours two's faces, picture!, but don't forget you're working tomorrow" Stacey explained still laughing and turned away walking back to her stall, handing Mo a cup of tea. "Alright?" Ronnie asked Danielle, noticing her awkwardness as her body had come to a halt with no signs of movement. Danielle blinked "yes, sorry" Danielle stated as both began walking again, as they walked past Stacey's stall Danielle kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, daring herself not to even glance in Stacey's direction.

Ronnie and Danielle stopped outside the big red doors of the side entrance at the Vic, "Come on then sweetie" Ronnie spoke soothingly to Danielle, she unlinked her arm from Danielle's and grabbed onto her hand, gently giving Danielle a reassuring squeeze. Danielle looked down at their now entwined fingers and smiled up at Ronnie, nodding softly, giving her permission to go on. Danielle told herself she had nothing to worry about it was only Roxy and she had Ronnie at her side, she would look out for Danielle, right?.

Ronnie pushed open the door and led Danielle through, into an almost empty pub. There was a middle aged couple sitting at a table in the corner, Tracey stood behind the bar, polishing glasses, waiting for customers to serve. Ronnie nodded over to Tracey and led Danielle through to the back of the Vic and up the stairs, ever so often giving Danielle's hand a gentle squeeze, reassuring her that everything would be ok. Reaching the top of the stairs both stopped, Ronnie turned to face Danielle pulling her into a quick hug. Smiling down at her daughter, she slowly pushed her hair out of her face and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "OK?" Ronnie asked Danielle releasing her from her warm embrace, "OK" Danielle said, nodding, smiling up at her mother, she reached up and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, causing Ronnie to Smile warmly, pushing her fears away.

Ronnie led Danielle through towards the living room, where Roxy was sitting feeding Amy, As Ronnie pushed open the door, Roxy looked up to face her "hey" Ronnie spoke softly watching as Amy gulped down the milk she was being fed. Roxy removed the bottle from Amy's mouth, placed it on the table and pulled Amy round over her shoulder, rubbing back softly, allowing Amy to release soft gentle burps. Roxy looked up at Ronnie and grinned "well, well, Ronnie Mitchell, I was starting to forget what you looked like" she spoke with a sarcastic tone. Ronnie grinned back down at her younger sister "Oh haha" Ronnie pushed open the door fully, stepping in, guiding Danielle in along with her. Roxy smiled at Danielle, she shot a glance down at the couples entwined fingers and found her eyes fixated. A confused look spread across Roxy's face, Why was Danielle with Ronnie?, the last she'd heard Ronnie hated Danielle. Why were they holding hands?. Ronnie noticed Roxy's shocked expression and stepped closer to her, allowing Danielle to follow, Danielle's fingers tightened around Ronnie's hand, watching Roxy's continuously changing expression. Danielle didn't know where to look, looking around the room, anywhere that wasn't Roxy, she finally fixed her eyes down on her shoes.

Roxy's frown turned into a grin "Oh Ron, what's all this then? is there something you aren't telling me?" Both Ronnie's and Danielle's mouths dropped open looking almost Identical to one another, shocked at what Roxy was suggesting. Ronnie shot Roxy a death stare, "ROXY!" she exclaimed a little too highly, Roxy's face changed back to confusion. Ronnie's face was full of anger, she couldn't believe that Roxy could even suggest anything of

that nature was going on between mother and daughter. Danielle let out a little giggle, she finally understood what it must have looked like to Roxy, not knowing who Danielle was. Ronnie turned to face Danielle, the smile on her face, shined out from all angles, this was her daughter, this was her smile, both perfect. Just looking at Danielle cooled down Ronnie's mood, forming a smile to spread across her face.

Ronnie pulled her eyes away from her daughter and turned to face Roxy again, who sat still looking confused, cradling baby Amy as she drifted of to sleep. "Right, so, erm... Danielle, beautiful Danielle here is my daughter, Rox, she's my Amy" Ronnie spoke rather excitedly, she liked the sound of that 'Danielle, her daughter'. Roxy's jaw dropped, eyes focusing on Danielle, Danielle's eyes were all sparkly, she was smiling up at Ronnie, the resemblance was uncanny. "What?" Roxy spoke quietly still confused, Ronnie's smile spread as she rolled her eyes "Roxy, seriously, Danielle's my baby" Ronnie told Roxy placing an arm around her daughter's shoulder squeezing her softly. Roxy shook her head in disbelief "yes, but, she can't be, Dad told you your daughter had died, she died in the bath, he wouldn't just lie, why would he lie Ronnie?" Roxy spoke quietly standing up, carefully with Amy in her arms, allowing a tear to fall down her face, she headed towards the door "I don't know Rox, I'd like to ask him that myself, but he's not here is he?, and right now that doesn't matter, all that matters is i got my baby back" Ronnie told Roxy, pouring her heart into her words as she spoke, she wanted to let both Danielle and Roxy how much her baby meant to her, and no-one else mattered. "Right" Roxy nodded leaving the room. Ronnie and Danielle looked at each other slightly confused, embracing in a warm hug.

Ronnie and Danielle were interrupted by Roxy's voice "well, don't I get a hug!" she exclaimed teary eyed, grinning at them both. Danielle smiled over at Roxy "sure" Danielle said happily before walking over and pulling Roxy into a hug. Ronnie watched on smiling arms hanging loosely by her sides, after a couple of minutes Danielle and Roxy separated, both sitting down on the sofa together, leaving Ronnie still standing alone, nothing was meant of it, but she felt pushed out.

Roxy broke the awkward silence "so how long have you known then Ron?, I mean Danielle you've been living here months" Roxy asked. Danielle looked down at her hands fidgeting with her fingers, her hands were empty without Ronnie's, she felt uncomfortable, under Roxy's gaze. She wished she could've told Ronnie earlier, she just wasn't strong enough to face her until yesterday. Ronnie walked over to the window, looking out down onto the Square. "Yesterday, I found out Yesterday" Ronnie spoke softly, watching all the people rush past on the street below. Roxy looked over at Danielle, her hair was covering her face, as her head hung down, looking down at her hands, "And you didn't think to say anything sooner Dan" Roxy questioned, Ronnie's head snapped round looking at Roxy with a shocked expression on her face.

Danielle gulped, what was she going to do, all eyes were on her, she stood up sharply, bolting for the door, "I have to go, sorry Ronnie" she rushed as she dashed out the room leaving Ronnie standing alone still by the window shocked, she glanced at Roxy who's face was full of guilt "I gotta go after her" Ronnie explained quickly as she too bolted for the door. Danielle ran down the stairs, through the Vic and out the nearest door. The Vic was slowly starting to fill, but no one even noticed Danielle dash out, she stopped outside breathing for air, she walked quickly towards the park, Just as Ronnie came bursting out of the pub doors out into the open, Where would Danielle have gone?

Thanks for Reading, Next chapters all R n D, a well needed heart to heart. Please Please Review if possible, the more reviews i get i shall update as soon as possible.