Chapter 25:- Who's been sleeping in your bed?

Ronnie and Danielle sat cuddled up together on Ronnie's sofa infront of the television, Danielle had insisted on picking a DVD for them to watch, deciding on 'Mama Mia' from Danielle's own personal favourite DVD collection from her bag.

Danielle sat eyes focused on the television, with Ronnie's arms wrapped around her and her head lay on her Mother's shoulder. "Ronnie?" Danielle spoke gently not taking her eyes from the television, "yeah sweetie?" Ronnie replied kissing her daughters soft hair. "Why do you think your Dad told you I was dead?" Danielle asked sternly not shifting the slightest under Ronnie's arms. Ronnie tightened her grip around Danielle "I don't know sweetie, he wasn't happy with ruining my life once her had to do it for a second time" she whispered into Danielle's ear squeezing her eyes shut, trying not to let emotion overwhelm her yet again. Danielle shifted round to look at Ronnie paying no attention to the cheery singing that was happening in the film "tell me what happened" Danielle said connecting her gaze with Ronnie's. Ronnie smiled uncomfortably down at Danielle and nodded nervously, she hated raking up the past especially when her father was involved. "So at the time I'd gone to fetch Roxy, but I didn't realise she was staying with him, she wasn't in so I had to sit and wait for her, in his house, we sat, we argued. It was the first time I'd seen him in such a long time. So much has gone on between us, even looking at the man makes me feel sick. Every time I saw him, he'd do everything he could to crush me." Ronnie breathed deeply wiping away her tears as they fell. Her tears weren't for herself, they were for Danielle, she hated having to talk about her father to Danielle, she didn't deserve to hear what he was like, Mothers were supposed to hide the bad from their daughters, not expose the devil to them.

Danielle placed her hands over Ronnie's and squeezed tightly before loosening her grip, reassuring her mother to go on. Ronnie continued after reassurance from her daughter " But at the time, I told him I hated him for what he'd done to me and for taking you from me. Then I told him I'd dreamt about you every night for nineteen years and not a moment went by when I didn't think about what you were doing or whether you thought about me too. He told me not to bother looking for you, I'd never find you because you were dead. He pinned me to the sofa and ripped of my locket and at that moment part of me was scared at what he'd do to me but the rest didn't care 'cause I was without you and I'd always be without my baby." Tears ran uncontrollably down Ronnie's cheeks as she spoke through shaky breath, holding onto Danielle's arm's pulling her in close. "I'm sure 'he had his reasons' as Roxy puts it but I will never forgive him. Never" Ronnie admitted, squeezing Danielle tighter. Danielle's head shot up and she pulled away from Ronnie's grip, reaching her hand out she wiped the tears from Ronnie's cheeks and spoke "Sorry you squeezed me a little too tightly and you wet my hair with you tears" Danielle giggled brushing down the back of her hair with her hand, sensing Ronnie hurt by Danielle's movement she turned round onto her knee's on the sofa next to Ronnie and leant down wrapping her arm's around her mothers back, Ronnie quickly returned the hug, wrapping her arms securely around Danielle's waist.

Ronnie smiled "Sorry sweetheart. I guess I got carried away" Ronnie sighed breathing in Danielle's scent making her heart melt. "I guess you did, he always gives me the creeps" Danielle said staring blankly at the wall behind Ronnie. Ronnie pulled back slightly giving Danielle a kiss on the cheek and spoke "I think he gives most people the creeps until he wraps them round his finger. That's what he does. Controls people" Ronnie explained rubbing warmly at Danielle's back.

"Anyway. I think we should get you to bed, you look exhausted I'm guessing you have to be up early" Ronnie suggested noticing Danielle yawn into her neck, she pulled Danielle's arms from around her, holding her hands in her own, looking into her daughter's tired looking eyes. Danielle watched Ronnie stand and walk over to the television switching it off "Yeah, Stacey will kill me if I'm late" She replied standing up.

The same events occurred as the previous evening, Ronnie tucked Danielle up in bed again, like a little girl and kissed her goodnight, it may have seemed as if Ronnie was mothering Danielle a little too much as they weren't completely comfortable with each other yet but these were all the things Ronnie had missed out on with her baby when she was younger. She never got the chance to tuck her daughter up in bed and kiss her goodnight, so no matter how old Danielle was it was something Ronnie felt she had to do. Ronnie turned to leave, after saying she'd sleep on the sofa like the previous night, not having the guts to ask her daughter if she could stay just why she fell asleep. Ronnie reached the door and turned to smile at Danielle who was lying in the center of the bed mouth open as if about to speak.

Danielle plucked up all her courage and decided to ask Ronnie to stay with her "will you...erm... stay please...Ronnie" Danielle said quietly stumbling over her words. Ronnie pushed the door shut and made her way over to Danielle, she gently lifted the edge of the blanket and slid neatly onto the edge of the bed "thanks" Danielle said smiling as she turned on her side to face Ronnie. Ronnie smiled back and pushed Danielle's hair back which had fallen behind her ear "no baby thank you" Ronnie replied watching Danielle's hazel eyes beam out at her. Both lay there in silence just staring at each other, Danielle smiled warmly and spoke "you know you look so peaceful when you sleep" she stated interrupting the silence. "So I've been told" Ronnie replied smiling lovingly. Danielle's forehead creased as her eyebrows raised "Right. So how many people have seen you sleep" Danielle giggled, as Ronnie's cheeks brightened. "Hey! Not many. I'm not like that" Ronnie defended a little flushed at the thought of Danielle believing her mother slept around. Danielle giggled and raised her hands as if surrendering "ok calm down. I was joking and I didn't suggest you were like that" Danielle answered smiling, nudging Ronnie playfully on the arm as she lay next to Danielle. Ronnie smiled back as her cheeks paled to there original colour "right, yes, sorry baby" she nodded squeezing Danielle on the shoulder.

After about ten minutes of studying each other Danielle allowed tiredness to overcome her, as she slowly drifted off to sleep. Ronnie stroked Danielle's hair and cheek, she wriggled in closer towards her daughters sleeping body and wrapped a arm securely around her. Ronnie found herself smiling and couldn't stop, Danielle had decided to stay again and told Ronnie she would never leave so early on in their relationship, what wasn't there to smile about. This was happiness.

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Ronnie's eyes flickered open, the sunlight shon onto the pillow next to her. It was empty. Ronnie was alone in the bed, realising this her head shot up. The room was also empty. In one swift movement Ronnie leapt out of the bed and ran for the door "Danielle!" Ronnie called out desperately, where was her baby? No reply. "Danielle!" she called once again. Still no reply. Ronnie desperately around her flat into the kitchen, there laying on the dining table was a piece of paper and a pen, the paper had been quickly yet neatly scrawled onto.

Ronnie

Didn't want to wake you.

Gone to work,

see you later, maybe we could meet for lunch?

Let me know.

Dani x

Ronnie smiled happily as she held the note. She had forgotten Danielle had to go to work causing her to panic for nothing. Ronnie gently brought the note up to her chest, reading it over and over as she held it in her hands, it was only a small note yet it meant so much. Ronnie gently placed the note down on the table and turned towards the bathroom happily bouncing off for a shower.


Stacey finished serving a customer and straightened out the clothes on the rail, she turned her attention to Danielle who was standing leaning against another clothes rail, she sighed and walked towards Danielle. Stacey stopped next to Danielle, who didn't even turn to see who was now standing by her side. "Dan, hello?" Stacey said waving a hand infront of Danielle's face. Danielle shook her head as if waking herself up and smiled at Stacey. "Seriously Dan. Wake up, your hardly here and when you are, your in a world of your own" Stacey moaned sighing.

Danielle smiled warmly at Stacey and spoke "sorry Stace, you now have my hundred percent attention" she said flashing Stacey a cheeky grin as she finished speaking. Stacey laughed "right so what is it? What's got you all smiley?" Danielle giggled "nothing Stace. I'm just happy" she said cheerily. Stacey let out an overly keen laugh "yeah. Ok. If you say so...Anyways, how was yesterday with the Ice Queen?" Stacey asked watching Danielle's expression change and her face harden "How many times do I have to tell you! Don't call her that!" Danielle shouted a little too loudly attracting attention from surrounding stall holders. "Alright! Calm down Dan. Force of habit. Can't help it, sorry alright?" Stacey explained smiling shyly at Danielle, placing a hand on her arm. "Right sorry" Danielle apoligised smiling at Stacey, who began unpacking more boxes, whilst Danielle carried on staring into space thinking about her previous evening with Ronnie, how happy she'd been.


Ronnie was sat at her desk in the office flicking through the pile of paperwork infront of her. Sighing loudly, she pulled out her phone, no new messages, no missed calls, she was officially unloved. Staring at the clock on her phone waiting for it to change 11:05am, Ronnie sat thinking about Danielle, her beautiful teenage daughter. The work infront of her wasn't getting done and all she could think about was the way Danielle smiled, the way she smelt, the way her cute little nose wrinkled up when she yawned, Ronnie was in a world of her own, a happy little Danielle filled world.

Jack entered the office looking over at Ronnie who was staring blankly at her phone, "Mornin' Ron" Jack spoke in a cheery voice shaking Ronnie from her day dream. Ronnie tucked her hair neatly behind her ear and looked up at Jack smiling warmly "hi" she said sweetly before reconnecting her gaze with her phone, clicking the button on the side, lighting up the screen which once again held nothing but the time and a boring background of some sea view somewhere far away she had no idea was. She hadn't heard from Danielle since the note earlier that morning but neither had she contacted Danielle herself maybe Danielle was waiting to hear from Ronnie first, what the hell, why not?. Ronnie slid up the screen on her silver phone and opened a blank message 'Morning Dani, lunch sounds great. What time can you get your break? Love you Ronnie xx' hesitating slightly over the send button, Ronnie pressed send, before sliding her phone screen back down.

She looked up to find Jack sat at his own desk, head buried in paperwork. Such effort went into one single message, she took time spelling the words correctly, she wasn't going to shorten the time by shortening the words, they had to be correct but Was she being too forward by telling Danielle she loved her over text? What if Danielle had changed her mind about lunch? Ronnie's thoughts were answered instantly by a buzzing in her hand. 'One new message: Danielle' Ronnie's light on her phone had barely gone out, before it lit up again holding a new message from the name of the one person that made Ronnie's life worth living. Ronnie breathed deeply before opening the message 'Morning I can break at 12:30 is that too early? Love you too Dani xx' Ronnie smiled reading the text and quickly glanced to find Jack watching her, his face forming a grin. "What?" she pouted watching as Jack's grin widen "anyone special?" he asked chuckling slightly. Ronnie rubbed her head with the back of her phone and smiled brightly "my daughter" she said loudly, proud of the two words that so freely left her mouth. For a split second their eyes connected a special moment was shared before Ronnie quickly looked away back to her phone and began typing a message 'No of course not that's fine. Anytime baby. I'll pick you up from the stall at 12:30 Love you lots Ronnie xxx' Ronnie smiled closing her phone and placing down on the desk infront of her. Ronnie felt a surge of warmness flow through her heart, she was going for lunch with her baby, nothing at that moment could go wrong, Ronnie felt as though her time shared with her daughter that day would be perfect. She couldn't be more wrong.

Hey so weird chapter name :P couldn't think of one lol so this is two chapters rolled into one, i hope everyone likes them both :D
Thanks to R and D fan for getting me to update this and a massive thank you to everyone that has reviewed, they are all so kind and they mean an awful lot to sorry it's taking me forever to update, my hours at college are so much longer and i'm having to travel ages to get there so i don't really get much spare time where i don't have coursework :( thanks again please RnR Charlotte xxx