Chapter 26:- Short-lived Happiness?
Early lunchtime again on Albert Square, the market bustling with people and neighbours heading home for lunch. Ronnie Mitchell was walking through the center of the market, her bag tucked neatly over her shoulder with her shiny blonde hair flowing naturally wavy over her shoulders merging colour with her dark purple shirt. Her face glowed as she held her head high, she was a proud mother of Walford and even though hardly anyone knew no-one could take that away from her. She walked at a casual speed along through the crowds pulling her phone from her jeans to check the time 12:21 she was only a few minutes early but what did it matter, she would wait for Danielle, after all she had already waited nineteen years in her lifetime what was nine minutes.
Ronnie spotted Stacey's stall and craned her head through the crowd to see Danielle happily chatting away to a moving closer Ronnie watched Danielle blush slightly and tuck her hair shyly behind her ear, she was always so cute when she did that. Ronnie stopped at the edge of Stacey's stall as Danielle said bye to the person she was talking to and turned around smiling brightly as she saw Ronnie standing infront of her "oh hi" Danielle said gently approaching Ronnie so that she was now stood by her side, straightening out the clothes on the rail by Ronnie's side. Ronnie smiled watching her daughter proudly "hey, where's Stacey?" she asked looking around, Danielle stood back from the rail, looking up at Ronnie before speaking "she's just gone to the café to get lunch before I "swan off" as she puts it" she said changing her tone slightly when quoting Stacey. Ronnie giggled slightly "oh right ok. So how was your morning, busy much?" Ronnie asked taking a step closer towards her daughter. Danielle opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted from a fast approaching Stacey "She wouldn't know she's been in a world of her own all morning. You'd think once she'd told you Ronnie, she'd stop day dreaming 'bout you but nope it's only made her worse" Stacey laughed placing a coffee and a wrapped sandwich down on a pile of stacked boxes.
Danielle's jaw dropped as her face reddened she turned to face Stacey shocked "Stacey!" she exclaimed annoyed at her friend for embarrassing her so freely in the presence of her mother. How was she supposed to look Ronnie in the eye now? She turned slightly hiding her face under her hair to find Ronnie grinning brightly, could her smile get any bigger? And infact it couldn't, Ronnie was surprised that Danielle too thought about Ronnie when they weren't together. "Oh cool it Dan, seriously you always did have a poor sense of humour, go on have your lunch" Stacey giggled watching Danielle fidget uncomfortably after what had she been said. Danielle span sharply to face Stacey "anything else you want to say about me whilst both myself and Ronnie are here 'cause I would seriously think about it first before I murder you in your sleep" Danielle said sharply raising her eyebrows at Stacey whilst untying the money belt from around her waist. Ronnie giggled watching her daughter and her best friend squabble amongst themselves.
Danielle pushed the money belt into Stacey's hand "C'ya later" she sighed before picking up her bag and hooking it neatly over her shoulder. Danielle turned to face Ronnie who was still smiling brightly at Danielle causing her to blush slightly "ready?" Danielle asked quietly connecting eye contact with Ronnie, Ronnie nodded and linked arms with Danielle nodding down at her daughter before flashing a small smile at Stacey.
Heading towards the Vic Ronnie looked down at Danielle and smiled, they were going for a drink first then wherever Danielle wanted for lunch. After what Roxy had said to Danielle the night before Ronnie wanted to speak to Roxy and assure her that Danielle was infact going no-where. Danielle turned and smiled up at Ronnie as she held open the big red door of the Vic to let her daughter through.
Stepping into the Vic Danielle stopped and waited for Ronnie to join her side before walking over to the nearest empty table and sitting down. The Vic was filled with its usual lunch time crowd, the odd person looking over as Danielle and Ronnie sat down at the table, Ronnie sat on the chair close to Danielle and unhooked her bag from her shoulder placing it down on the table infront of them "so what can I get you to drink?" Ronnie asked turning her body on the chair to face Danielle. Danielle smiled over at Ronnie and spoke "just an orange juice please Ronnie" she said politely, scanning the bar to find Roxy leaning over the bar looking deeply into a packet of crisps as she munched on them. Ronnie noticed her daughter's gaze lock on someone or something, she followed Danielle's gaze realising that it was Roxy who'm Danielle was staring at. Ronnie turned her head and smiled at Danielle "it's ok baby, I'll only be a minute" she assured her daughter placing a gentle hand on Danielle's arm soothing her mood instantly.
Ronnie made her way over to the furthest end of the bar where Roxy was perched and stopped on the opposite side of the bar, Roxy noticed Ronnie instantly and pushed the half empty packet of crisps under the bar, smiling a little too keenly towards Ronnie. "I'd like two orange juices and a word please Roxy" Ronnie said calmly flashing a small smile. Roxy nodded quickly and shuffled off along the bar making up the drinks, as Ronnie turned back to face her daughter finding her eyes focused on the two sisters Ronnie smiled warmly reassuring Danielle everything was fine, before turning back quickly to watch Roxy, she didn't want to find her eyes connecting with Danielle's for too long, one look from her daughter made her heart melt but right now she didn't want that to happen, she was spending the moment being mad. Danielle always brightened her mood. "Here you go. Ron look if this is about last night I'm really sorry " Roxy said cautiously placing the drinks down on the bar. "Thank you and I don't think it's me you should be apologising to, is it? Danielle was really upset yesterday. We're trying to build a relationship together but how are we supposed to do that if she's got someone there telling her that we're not going to work." Ronnie explained leaning over the bar hissing quietly at Roxy "Ron I know I'm sorry alright? I don't know what came over me. I'll apologise ok?" Roxy said fidgeting uncomfortably under Ronnie's stare, Ronnie picked up the drinks and sighed looking back at Roxy "Yes well make sure you do. Oh and Roxy try and be nice, this is really hard for her, neither of us needs other people interfering" she said sharply before sighing again and walking off in the direction of her anxious daughter.
"Ok?" Danielle asked nervously as Ronnie sat down next to her. Ronnie smiled brightly and placed her hand under Danielle's chin "everything is fine sweetie" She said calmly looking deeply into her daughters eyes. "Good" Danielle said gently sliding her hand into Ronnie's free hand that lay facing upwards on the chair between them. Ronnie removed her other hand from Danielle's face and shuffled in close by her daughters side, Danielle sighed happily and leant her head against Ronnie's shoulder "do you think anyone's guessed yet?" Danielle asked quietly scanning the pub as the odd drinker glanced over to look at them every now and then. Ronnie stroked Danielle's hand with her fingertips, looking down at her daughter she answered "I'm not sure, I mean they've gotta be pretty stupid, look at us, it isn't hard to work out". Danielle giggled "true. We do look quite alike"
About ten minutes later Roxy walked over with fresh drinks for mother and daughter placing them down on the table, sitting on the stool opposite she smiled over at Ronnie and Danielle, they looked so perfect together, it was unreal her sister the 'ice queen' had changed completely in the last couple of days and she owed it all to Danielle, neither one of the Mitchell sisters had thought it possible to have Ronnie's Amy sat there with them now. "Hey Dan, I just want to apologise for what I said yesterday. I was way out of order and I don't know why I said what I did" Roxy said nervously focusing on Danielle as Ronnie watched Roxy speak from next to her. Danielle smiled warmly "hey forget it, it doesn't matter" she said squeezing Ronnie's hand gently reassuring her that she was fine and that she didn't mind Roxy being there. Roxy breathed out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding "good. Can I just say now that I'm so happy for you both. You've changed my sister so much in the last couple of days Dan, I hardly recognise her. You're both just so perfect together and for each other" Roxy said smiling, constantly flickering her eyes between Ronnie and Danielle. Ronnie smiled warmly over at Roxy mouthing the words 'thank you' before focusing her gaze on her beautiful daughter that sat clinging onto her side. "Thanks Roxy" Danielle said warmly, smiling brightly at Roxy as she squeezed Ronnie gently, this was such a perfect moment, where Danielle felt like nothing could go wrong.
Ronnie lifted Danielle's head from her shoulder carefully and shuffled away gently "I'm just popping to the loo Dan, won't be long" she said standing up as Danielle shuffled awkwardly on the seat "Ronnie?" Danielle said quietly causing Ronnie's head to snap back instantly from where she stood next to the seat she was previously sat in "yeah?" she asked cautiously watching as a smile spread across her daughter's face "erm, you can't take me with you" She giggled not breaking eye contact with her bright blue eyed mother. Ronnie giggled too looking down at their still entwined hands "oh yeah. Right. Sorry, won't be long" she said softly letting go of her daughter's warm hand gently. She smiled at Danielle warmly before picking up her bag off the table and walking away in the direction of the toilets, Danielle watched her mother disappear out of sight and turned her head to face Roxy who was smiling wildly at her. Danielle pushed her hair nervously behind her ear with her now empty hand and smiled cautiously at Roxy.
Roxy smiled eagerly and stood up grabbing Danielle's hands, pulling her up from the chair. "Right come on kiddo" she said brightly as she pulled Danielle away quickly from the table, Danielle pulled back slightly just managing to grab her bag off the table before she was pulled away. Roxy pulled Danielle away and around the outside of the bar to where it lifted up, taking Danielle with her behind it. "What are you doing?" Danielle asked nervously as people standing at the bar focused their eyes on the two blondes. Roxy giggled smiling brightly at Danielle "I madam. Am going to teach you how to pull a pint, I presume you don't know how and after all it's something you're going to need to be able to do" Roxy explained winking at a young male standing on the other side of the bar as Danielle smiled shyly. Roxy pushed Danielle's bag underneath the bar and steered Danielle away infront of one of the close beer taps.
Ronnie walked out from the toilets to see a rather large crowd gathered around the front of the bar all cheering and laughing, to whatever was going on behind the bar. Ronnie pushed through the crowd to the other side of the bar to see Danielle giggling uncontrollably as beer spilled out over her hands from a tap as Roxy passed her another glass laughing lightly whilst fluffing her hair feistily with her free hand. Ronnie smiled wildly watching her daughter's bright eyes flash across the room to connect with hers "Ronnie!" she called waving a beer sodden hand in the air. Ronnie giggled and made her way round the back of the bar to stand next to Danielle "Dani, what are you doing?" Ronnie asked giggling as the beer spurted through the tap once again uncontrolled by the holder of the handle, Danielle focused her eyes down on the glass releasing the handle, she looked up and regained eye contact with a smiling Ronnie before reaching out to wipe her wet hand on Ronnie's arm, giggling hysterically until she notice Ronnie's expression change. Danielle's mouth dried up instantly 'oh god' she'd just wiped beer on Ronnie's shirt.
Ronnie giggled lightly causing Danielle to smile, it was only a shirt, one that Ronnie didn't particularly like infact but even if she did, Danielle was her daughter nothing else mattered. She stood behind Danielle grabbing hold of her daughter's right hand which held a frothy half pint, she carefully tipped it away and placed her free hand over Danielle's left hand. Holding the glass steadily under the tap. Together. Led by Ronnie, mother and daughter pulled an almost perfect pint. Danielle's grin widened before she let out over exaggerated laugh "Ronnie, stop, it's going everywhere. Ronnie!" Danielle said between laughs. Ronnie too giggled looking down at their joint hands as the drink ran over the glass onto their fingers. Everyone in the pub laughed and joked loudly, watching as the three blondes behind the bar, laughed amongst each other uncontrollably as the youngest blonde shrieked out for her mother to stop. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" a cold voice bellowed sending all 'punters' in the pub into a stunned silence. Which was quickly broken by a loud smash as the glass slipped from Danielle's hands sending beer and glass flying everywhere.
Latest Chapter's up at last! yay! So sorry it took forever to update, college work is seriously uncontollable at the moment, i seriously don't know i'm surviving through it :(.
Thank you millions to everyone that has reviewed previously! there are too many people to name but you all know who you are, Thanks for those again everyone's reviews are so kind and they mean lots to me.
So for last chapter i'm sorry i ended it the way i did but all will be revealed over this and the next few chapters, i will update as SOON AS I CAN, but i don't know for definate when that will be. Sorry for rambling, hope you like this chapter please RnR!!!!
