A/N: Before Reading you may choose to re-read previous chapter as it has been so long since previous update.

Chapter 28:- The Outsider

Stepping out onto the grey dry pavement, Archie Mitchell sighed as the big red wooden doors slammed loudly behind him. The sound of his family being shut from his life echoed loudly in his lonely ears, as the mid season air hit his face hard whipping through his short grey tufts.
Archie sighed and raised a hand to his still bleeding lip. He had ruined her life and now she had ruined his face. Given time both would heal the wound to his lip and the wounds in his eldest daughter's heart. Veronica's more quickly so with the help of his teenage grandchild.

Archie remained on the spot, that was something he both loved and despised about his eldest. Veronica was strong willed, feisty, he believed this as one of the traits that she had inherited through her genes from him. Archie would always be proud of his girls no matter if they refused to believe it or if his pride was taken over by so many different emotions. Veronica was able to care for herself, she doesn't want nor need anything from Archie and this is what he hated, he was unable to control her, compared to Veronica everyone else seemed so easy.

Veronica was such hard work, even from when she was so young, his eldest's mind was constantly working, discovering new ways in which she could help herself rather than others help her. This being one of the reasons as to why he had lost his daughter, Veronica became less dependent on him as a father and it scared Archie more than he could imagine. He wanted, no, needed control. 'Wise beyond her years' he used to say, the thought springing to mind as he adjusted his split lip once again. Straightening out his jacket, Archie sighed for now, he would walk away but this was definitely not over by a long shot. It was control Archie wanted and its control Archie would get. Veronica needed to learn once and for all that Archie wasn't one to be messed with. His eldest and her brat had caused the loss of his family and they would both pay at whatever the cost.

Ronnie looked around at the shocked and confused faces of her sister and Aunt. Roxy stood by her side tears falling heavily and uncontrollably down her warm blushed cheeks from the corners of her shocked yet hardened eyes. Peggy on the other side of the bar stood gripping onto its wooden aged edge, hurt etched over her pale features, she had just arrived home from such a perfect honeymoon with the one man she truly loved to find out he was an evil vindictive liar. Her world had shattered so quickly the earth falling from under her feet as she lost the one man she had truly believed in, loved and worshiped, as had Roxy both mirrored feelings in their heads neither daring to look at each other through fear of recognition and regret.

The two women that had worshiped the ground Archie walked on had realised that he isn't as perfect or innocent as either had made out or truly believed. The hurt and shock both evident to Ronnie as she studied the features of her relatives unsure of what to say to either.

Ronnie rubbed the palms of her hands into her eyes and blinked several times before turning to face her younger sister. Clasping tightly in her grip Ronnie held onto the younger siblings hands forcing Roxy to look into her eyes, Ronnie offered a small tight smile and reached up with her left hand to wipe away the warm tears from Roxy's face. Roxy's eyes lay focused on her elder sister's strong defined face, seeking comfort in her misty clue eyes. Peggy watched on her eyes transfixed on Ronnie and Roxy as Ronnie reached up with both hands holding Roxy's face gently between her palms her thumbs gently stroking away the endless tears that flowed from her eyes.

Ronnie cleared her throat as she continued to gently caress her younger sister's face between her hands "Don't cry Rox. Please that man doesn't deserve your tears. I'm sorry" She said honestly, as she stared deep into Roxy's eyes as her tears began to slow. In some ways Ronnie felt no need to apologise to her younger sister but then in others she felt as if this was her fault that her little sister's heart was breaking. Archie had lied and manipulated the people around him continuously but Ronnie felt responsible for encouraging Roxy throwing their dad out.

Although feeling sorry for her younger sister and Aunt she would never regret her actions. Their father hadn't even come close to receiving everything he had deserved for what he had done to both Ronnie and Danielle previously and throughout Ronnie's life and it was no-one's fault really but his own. Ronnie had no reason to feel guilty; Archie had put himself in this position and in doing so had lost out on a family, what used to be his family. A doting wife, two strong independent daughters and two beautiful granddaughters, they would never be his again. He was 'The Outsider'.

As these thoughts flashed through Ronnie's mind she felt a small part of hatred towards her father fade in her mind, the hate was still there, squished right into her brain amongst many other emotions stronger than ever. But her mind told her that Archie had lost, she and her daughter were never truly Archie's to begin with. From the second Archie so cruelly snatched Ronnie's baby daughter from her arms, he stopped being her father and from that moment on he was just a man who had ruined her life. And now at that moment in time Ronnie felt nothing but pity towards the two women that shared the same oxygen, they had lost out on a husband and a dad. Ronnie hadn't lost, she had gained a daughter.

So many emotions ran through Ronnie's head like never before, hate, pity, sadness, pride, happiness and love, so much love, all mixed into one working their way up through Ronnie's brain, and down ripping right through her heart, making her feel uneasy. Her heart had been protected for so long she'd forgotten what it felt like to feel so many different emotions running round in her body, flowing through her blood at the same time. Love overpowering hate and pride overpowering sadness, for the first time Ronnie's life showed a small hint of stability and a very small hint of a settled life. Her beautiful teenage daughter sat just above her head waiting for her mother's return. Her sister and Aunt had seen Archie for the man he truly was behind the perfect picture he painted and he was out of their lives. For now.

Huge A/N:- 1 Sooo sorry for the lack of updates I believe I always say this but this time I'm like the most sorriest, I don't even thats a word but basically I am like mega Sorry, this is why I'm adding my A/N at the end so that you get the lovely update first before my boring talk.
Secondly I would really love to hear what everyone has to say about this Chapter as I kind of hate it. It's been really hard for me to get back into this story and after reading over and over I begin to question how good the story actually is :s I feel as though my chapters have been quite weak and not really considered planning of any sort and in some what direction the chapter may take the story.

This bits in bold and italics as it's extra important. I'm not too sure what I'm giving off in the last couple of chapters as I just felt really weird about them and wasn't sure whether to scrap them again but then I thought why the hell not just update so here it is! But in the previous chapter I explained a little on how Archie was feeling, this chapter extends on that and towards the end talks about Ronnie's feelings present and I just don't know what type of inpretion this gives off. Do you as a reader feel sorry for Archie? Roxy and Peggy? or more so for Ronnie? Or like me were left a little confused at the feelings being given out from the last couple of chapters? I think there was something else I was also going to point out about this chapter and things that I was going to say but at this moment my minds completely blank :s.

One Or Two things though. Thank you so so so so much to everyone that has reviewed this story as to yet and those that have continuously reviewed right from the earlier chapters of the story right up to now I am more grateful than you could ever imagine :) A huge thank you to everyone that reviewed my previous chapter and after re-reading the reviews I feel like such a hipocrite as I talked about the lack of updates for R&D fics and how dissapointed I was and then I go and not bother to update myself, so I let myself and others down, sorry to those that read this regularly following my updates. it has been sooooooo long since I update this fic so I hope you can take time to read and review :) it would mean an awful lot and finally thanks a bunch for reading :D:Dx

And if this A/N doesn't make much sense I've been sat at my laptop for hours and my eyes and head are beginning to hurt :S