Part 1: �Did you have a good time then?� Ellie asked, sitting down opposite Danni and Bray. They both smiled and nodded, but Ellie could see in Danni�s eyes that she�d missed the twins. She watched her cradle Alyssa as she slept, snuggled up closely to her mother. �They grow up so quickly, don�t they?� Ellie said observantly. �I remember when Brady was like that.� �I remember when Charlie was,� Danni laughed. �She�s a bit different now!� �I�m what?� Charlene inquired as she entered the caf�, dressed in her pyjamas. �Different to that little girl I used to know,� Danni replied. �For one thing, the little girl used to stay in bed all night!� �I just wanted to see if you were back yet,� she smiled, walking round the table to Danni. �Where did you go?� �Just in the countryside,� Bray answered, �then on the beach for a bit.� Charlene�s eyes lit up at the mention of the beach. �Don�t worry,� Danni told her, �we�ll take you tomorrow if the weather�s nice.� �But only if you go to bed tonight,� Bray added. Charlene gave Danni a kiss and stroked Alyssa�s little fingers gently before returning to her room. �We should get off too,� Bray yawned, �today�s been a pretty long day and it sound�s like tomorrow�s gonna be as well!� Danni agreed and they wished Ellie �goodnight�, then left her alone in the caf�. Danni laid Alyssa down gently in her cot, being careful not to wake her, and drew the covers over her. The little girl turned over onto her side and wriggled up to the teddy next to her, busily sucking her thumb. Turning round to Dominic, Danni pulled his blanket back over him, which he�d managed to kick to the bottom of the cot. He snuggled under it, placing the opposite thumb to Alyssa in his mouth and moving his little fingers up and down. �They�re like you, you know,� Bray said softly, coming up behind Danni and wrapping his arms round her waist. �And you,� she whispered, laying her hands over his. �Thanks for today.� �That�s alright,� he smiled, �it�s nice when it�s just us two, even though I know you missed Charlie and the twins.� �I don�t like leaving them with someone else all day, you know?� Bray nodded, guiding Danni over to their bed. Pulling off her boots, she let them fall to the floor and then curled up next to him. She closed her eyes and, within seconds, was fast asleep. Bray drew the covers over them and kissed Danni�s cheek, before falling to sleep himself, his arms bound round her as if he felt he could never let go. �Mummy!� Alyssa�s cry broke the silence of the still morning air. It took a few more calls to wake Danni. She slid out from Bray�s arms, taking a moment to recollect why she was still fully dressed, and stumbled across the room. �Hello little one,� she tried to sound cheerful, although she was still half asleep, as she picked Alyssa up and carried her over to the bed. �Why can�t you be like Dominic?� Danni asked, tickling the little girl. �He never wakes Mummy up in the mornings.� Alyssa smiled up at her and just giggled. �I think it must be a boy thing, getting up late,� Danni said as she looked at Bray, �see, Daddy does it too!� Alyssa glanced across to her father and patted his arm. �Don�t wake him Alyssa!� Danni moved the child�s hand away. Bray�s eyes flickered open. �It�s alright,� he said groggily, �I�m not asleep.� �First time for everything!� Danni teased. �Hey!� he nudged her playfully. �You�re always asleep before me anyway!� Charlene ran in through the doorway and crawled up onto the bed. �Are we still going to the beach?� she asked. Bray nodded. �We�ll go straight after breakfast.� �Yeah!� Charlene cheered. �Shhh�� Danni silenced her. �Dominic�s still asleep.� She glanced across to the cot where Dominic lay. �Sorry,� she apologised. �I didn�t realise.� �It�s O.K.,� Danni shrugged. �He�s like his dad, could sleep through an earthquake once he�s gone!� She wriggled off the edge of the bed with Alyssa before Bray had a chance to nudge her again. �Come on you,� she passed Alyssa to Bray and beckoned Charlene, �we�ll bring breakfast in here then get changed after.� Charlene skipped after her out of the room whilst Bray cooed over his daughter as he nursed her. Things seemed to be so perfect; in fact, they seemed almost too perfect. HERE'S THE NEW BIT!!!!!!!!! Charlene�s tray went crashing to the floor as she stared down the stairs at the gang that stood in the Mall entrance. The noise brought Bray out onto the balcony, where he didn�t even have a chance to ask what�d happened. �Ah Bray,� the call echoed round the Mall, �I wondered whether you�d still be here. You don�t know how pleased I am to see you.� �Ebony?� Bray spun round, watching in amazement as she advanced up the stairs. The rest of the group began to follow, but with a sharp click of her fingers, they jumped back and froze. �Did you miss me?� she asked sarcastically. Bray didn�t answer; she knew the reply without inquiring. �I didn�t think so,� she shook her head. �Guess you�ve had plenty to keep you entertained. I take it this is Dominic then,� Ebony said, gesturing towards the baby nuzzled up to Bray. �No actually,� he corrected her, �it�s Alyssa.� �Oh sorry,� Ebony smiled dryly, a sly and scheming look in her eyes. Bray watched her closely, not trusting her for a second. �What�re you doing here?� he asked. �Just came to say hi to my old friends,� she didn�t even try to sound like she meant what she was saying, �that�s O.K. isn�t it Bray?� Once again, he gave no reply. �Why�s my mummy with you?� Charlene asked, taking a few steps towards Ebony and glancing down the stairs at the gang. �Oh hello Charlie,� Ebony smiled at the girl, but only caused her to take a step backwards. �I�ve heard a lot about you.� �Why�s she with you?� Charlene repeated. �Because she wants to be,� Ebony shrugged. �We have some good times, moi et le imp�rieux tribu.� �The what?� Bray exclaimed. �Le imp�rieux tribu,� she said again, flashing him a big smile. He continued to stare at her whilst Danni stepped forward to stand next to Charlene. �Ah, Ebony, parlez-vous fran�ais?� she smiled. �I erm�� Ebony stuttered. �Non?� Danni continued. �Dann sprechen Sie Deutsch?� Ebony began to panic, her face showing her discomfort. �Nicht? Italiano? �Espa�ol? ???. Caymraeg?� Danni let the different languages roll off her tongue as if they were her own. �O.K., O.K., enough already!� Ebony silenced her, then turned and glared at Bray. �So how about it?� He looked confused. �How about what?� �Letting us stay for a while, just to catch up on what�s happening.� Bray shook his head. �I don�t think that�d be a good idea Ebony, do you?� �Why not?� she asked, trying to sound innocent. �Come on,� he sighed. �You know what happened last time you were here.� �Yeah, but that�s in the past now. I�ve started again, surely they�ll understand.� �Well,� Bray relented, �I suppose you can stay for tonight, but it can�t be any longer. We don�t have the room anyway.� Ebony�s grin widened. �That�s alright, we�ll be fine camping out on the floor. I don�t suppose we could grab something to eat, it�s been a long way here and we�re all starved.� �Sure,� Danni smiled, realising Ebony was the kind of girl to get what she wanted so there was no point in arguing with her. �Me and Charlie will fix you something in the caf�.� �Thanks,� Ebony replied, actually quite shocked by Danni�s offer. Bray headed back towards his and Danni�s room. �I�ll come and help in a minute,� he told her, �better check on Dominic first.� Danni gave him a smile before she and Charlene guided �le imp�rieux tribu� into the caf�, not letting on that she�d heard Ebony when she�d muttered mockingly �quite the doting Daddy�. Although she�d only just met her, Danni could see straight through Ebony and knew that she was jealous of what Bray had. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 2: �You lot O.K.?� Danni called down the stairs to the people scattered round the entrance to the Mall. �Yeah thanks,� came the general reply. �Oh, Danni,� Ebony stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at her. �I just wanted to say thanks for letting us stay.� Danni smiled. �That�s alright. I�ll tell Bray you said so.� �Tell me what?� he asked, coming up behind Danni on the balcony. �Thanks for putting us up for the night,� Ebony answered. Bray nodded, still watching Ebony closely whenever she was around. �Come on you,� he whispered to Danni, �let�s leave them to it.� They called �night� to the tribe and then wandered into their room. �So,� Bray began. �Did it just slip your mind to tell me that you were multi-lingual?� Danni looked puzzled. �What do you mean?� �Well you certainly managed to run through enough languages earlier.� �Oh,� she laughed, �my dad hired a private tutor for me and Angel, he�d travelled all over the world and picked up loads of languages. He was always showing off, but at the same time I was taking it all in. When he realised, he gave me extra language lessons. Knocked Ebony down a few notches didn�t I!� �I don�t trust her you know,� Bray shook his head. �I knew her well enough before to understand the way she works. Everything�s a game to her, and I have a feeling this is just an act.� �Why would she bother though?� Danni watched him from the bed as he tucked Dominic and Alyssa�s blankets round them. �What�s she got to gain from lying to us?� Bray shrugged. �I just have this feeling she�s up to something. Talking of people who are up to something, what about Angeline?� �Now that one�s a surprise,� Danni said, �I thought we�d seen the back of her for good.� �Me too.� Bray sat down on the bed and turned towards her. �Has Charlie said anything about it?� Danni shook her head. �She not mentioned her at all and ignored her even when Angel went to talk to her.� �Poor kid,� Bray sighed. �Every time she seems to be settled Angel comes back to knock her unstable again.� �I�m just gonna see if she�s alright,� Danni told him, rising from the bed. �Be back in a minute.� As Danni padded barefoot across the balcony and into Charlene�s room the sound of crying gradually became louder. She tiptoed over to one of the single beds where Charlene was laying, her face buried in the pillow. �Charlie?� she called softly. She lifted her head and turned over onto her back. �Danni?� she whispered, �Danni is that you?� �Yeah,� she replied. �What�s the matter sweetheart?� Tears continued to stream down Charlene�s face as she sat up in the bed. �Why did she have to come back?� she asked. �Why does she always have to come and mess everything up?� �I don�t know Charlie,� Danni shook her head. �I�m not sure she even knows what she�s doing most of the time.� �She�s not going to stay though is she?� �Do you want her to?� Danni watched Charlene�s face closely for the reaction. She thought for a few seconds but then shook her head vigorously. Danni didn�t question her reply, knowing how it felt to love someone yet similarly hate them. �Bray won�t let her stay, will he?� Charlene�s voice trembled as she spoke. Danni shook her head. �If you don�t want her here, she doesn�t stay.� Charlene managed a smile as the tears ceased to run down her cheeks. She stretched out her arms for a cuddle and Danni could feel her clinging on as she hugged the child, like she was holding on to the last hope she had left. �Will you stay here until I�m asleep?� she requested. Danni nodded, sitting down on the bed next to Charlene and letting her wriggle up against her. �Don�t leave me Danni,� she begged, �please don�t go away too.� �I won�t,� she promised, �I�ll never leave you.� Charlene slipped her hand into Danni�s. �Can I be your little girl?� she asked, looking up into her eyes. �Yes,� she nodded, not even a slight hesitation in her answer. Charlene smiled then closed her eyes, feeling safe in Danni�s arms she fell to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 3: It was about an hour after Danni had left Charlene sleeping on the bed and was now falling asleep herself. The silent night air was broken by the sound of someone walking down the stairs. Although they made little noise, Danni was still awake enough to hear them. She slipped out from underneath the covers and headed out of the room. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and she just managed to make out the figure as they descended the stairs, carrying someone else. �Angel?� she called quietly, following her down as Angeline�s pace quickened. �Angel?� she repeated. �Where are you going?� She spun round at the bottom of the stairs to face Danni. �Just leave us alone,� she hissed. Danni stared at her in confusion. �What�re you doing Angel?� �What�s it look like,� she sneered. �The others are outside already. We�re leaving now, and this time I�m taking her with me. That�s what we came for in the first place.� Danni looked horrified. �Angel you can�t do this to her.� �What do you mean? It�s what she wants.� �No it�s not,� she shook her head. Angeline glared at her. �And how would you know?� �Because she�s told me she wants you to leave,� Danni replied. �She wants you to go away and let her get on with the life she has here; the only decent life she�s ever known.� �Shut up!� she yelled, �you just don�t want me to take her.� �No I don�t,� Danni agreed. �But not only because I don�t want her to go, but because she doesn�t want to. She was in tears earlier because she doesn�t want you here.� Angeline shook her head. �That�s not true.� Danni made no reply but stared at her sister in such away that gave a better answer than could be expressed in words. �She�s my little girl,� Angeline shouted, �I want her back!� Charlene began to move in her mother�s arms and opened her eyes. �What�s going on?� she asked hazily. �I�m taking you with me,� Angeline replied sternly. �I don�t want to go anywhere with you,� Charlene protested, �I want to stay here. I want to stay with Danni.� Angeline tightened her grip around her daughter as she wriggled. �Tough, you�re coming and that�s that.� �Angel,� Danni cried. �What�s the matter with you? Can�t you see you�re hurting her?� �Say goodbye,� she told Charlene as she lowered her to the floor, keeping a firm hold of her arm. �No,� Charlene refused, unsuccessfully trying to release herself from her mother�s grip. �Fine,� Angeline snapped, �but you�re not going to see each other again.� Charlene looked up into her eyes. �Do you hate me?� she asked quietly. �Don�t be stupid,� she retorted. �Then why are you doing this?� Angeline dropped her head, suddenly feeling guilty. Danni and Charlene watched her and waited anxiously for her to move. �I�m sorry,� she said finally, �I don�t know what I was thinking.� �Please don�t make me go,� Charlene begged. Angeline crouched down in front of her. �I�ve really messed it up, haven�t I?� Charlene remained silent. �I�m sorry Charlie, I really am.� �That�s what you always say,� she muttered under her breath. �If only you meant it.� A tear rolled down Angeline�s cheek. �I do,� she said solemnly, �It�s just�� �Just go.� Charlene shook her head, knowing her mother didn�t have a reason to why she acted how she did. Angeline hugged her daughter, but failed to receive the warmth that�d been there previously and realised that she�d lost her forever. �Goodbye,� she said softly and then turned to leave the Mall, glancing back only once to see Charlene clinging onto Danni as the two walked up the stairs. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 4: Alyssa slowly fell back to sleep, after been woken by the noises from downstairs, as her mother cradled her, stroking her little fingers delicately. Charlene sat by the bed in a chair and watched on, her mind really drifting elsewhere. �Charlie?� Danni beckoned her over, moving closer to Bray as he slept to make room for her on the bed. Charlene wriggled up to her and Danni wrapped her free arm round her, kissing the top of her head. �Danni,� Charlene began slowly. �Mummy won�t come back this time, will she?� She shook her head. �I don�t think so.� Charlene lowered her head, her eyes still fixed on Alyssa. �Can I really be your little girl now?� �You already are,� Danni whispered. �Then�� She paused for a second. �Can I call you Mummy?� Danni smiled down at her. �If that�s what you want.� Charlene nodded. �What about Bray?� she looked at him as he slept. �Does that make him my daddy?� �I guess you�ll have to ask him tomorrow,� Danni shrugged. �But I think you know the answer already!� Charlene snuggled back up to her and closed her eyes, attempting to catch a few hours of sleep. The sun was already rising; lighting up the first day of her new life and drawing a veil over her old. �Yes,� Bray smiled as he entered the caf�. �Yes you can.� Charlene looked confused. �I can what?� �You know,� he said casually, �use that other name for me.� Her face lit up. �You mean I can call you Daddy?� Bray nodded, catching her in his arms as she ran towards him and hugging her. �What�s going on?� Amber asked, walking in through the doorway. �I just got a new mummy and daddy!� Charlene grinned. �Danni and me,� Bray continued, seeing the bewildered look on Amber�s face. �But what about�?� Bray lowered Charlene onto the floor and started moving Amber away with him to explain the night�s events to her. �It�s O.K.,� Charlene stopped him by his arm. �I�ll tell her.� She moved closer to Amber as Bray watched on silently. �She�s gone,� Charlene told her simply, �she was going to take me with her, but I wouldn�t go.� �Have all of them gone?� she asked, �even Ebony?� Bray nodded. �They went last night. They�d only come to take Charlie away.� �So she�s gone forever?� Charlene nodded, turning round to face Bray. �That�s why I can really be Bray and Danni�s now.� His smile reflected hers, and was matched by Danni as she walked into the caf�. �Mummy!� Charlene cried as she ran up to her and flung her arms round her waist. Danni hugged her in return. �Someone�s in a good mood this morning!� Charlene grinned, taking Danni�s hand in hers and leading her across to Bray and Amber. �If you�re my mummy, and Bray�s my daddy,� she said, looking up at Danni, �does that make Alyssa my sister and Dominic my brother?� �I guess so,� she replied, glancing across to Bray. �What do you think?� �Sounds about right to me!� he shrugged. �Talking of Alyssa and Dominic,� Danni said, �I bet they�re awake by now so I�ll go and get them ready for the beach.� She looked down at Charlene. �That�s if you still want to go.� �Sure do!� Charlene grinned. �Can I help?� �Of course you can,� she replied, before looking back to Bray. �See you soon.� He watched as they departed the caf�, Charlene skipping along the balcony beside Danni, still holding her hand. As they turned into the bedroom, he caught a glimpse of their faces and for just a second, Bray remembered the picture, buried inside his pocket, but almost before him in real life. Charlene�s gleaming smile matched Eva�s remarkably, so much so that it made him shiver. �Bray?� Amber shook him from his thoughts. �Earth to Bray!� He looked back towards her. �Sorry.� �It�s O.K.,� she shrugged, �I guess you�ve got a few things on your mind at the moment.� He nodded, pulling out a seat at the nearest table. �All good though I expect,� Amber said, sitting down opposite him. Bray nodded again. �It�s weird when you think about it isn�t it?� �What do you mean?� she asked. �Well, who would�ve guessed this is what would happen,� he replied thoughtfully, �if someone had come up to me before all this, and said I�d be a father in a couple of years, I would�ve thought they were nuts!� Amber laughed. �Things have changed since then though.� �Yeah,� he agreed. �They certainly have and I wouldn�t alter a thing.� They plunged into silence, Bray daydreaming about how good his life was and Amber pondering over how different things could�ve been. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she whispered a final �goodbye� to her little girl. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 5: Alyssa slowly fell back to sleep, after been woken by the noises from downstairs, as her mother cradled her, stroking her little fingers delicately. Charlene sat by the bed in a chair and watched on, her mind really drifting elsewhere. �Charlie?� Danni beckoned her over, moving closer to Bray as he slept to make room for her on the bed. Charlene wriggled up to her and Danni wrapped her free arm round her, kissing the top of her head. �Danni,� Charlene began slowly. �Mummy won�t come back this time, will she?� She shook her head. �I don�t think so.� Charlene lowered her head, her eyes still fixed on Alyssa. �Can I really be your little girl now?� �You already are,� Danni whispered. �Then�� She paused for a second. �Can I call you Mummy?� Danni smiled down at her. �If that�s what you want.� Charlene nodded. �What about Bray?� she looked at him as he slept. �Does that make him my daddy?� �I guess you�ll have to ask him tomorrow,� Danni shrugged. �But I think you know the answer already!� Charlene snuggled back up to her and closed her eyes, attempting to catch a few hours of sleep. The sun was already rising; lighting up the first day of her new life and drawing a veil over her old. �Yes,� Bray smiled as he entered the caf�. �Yes you can.� Charlene looked confused. �I can what?� �You know,� he said casually, �use that other name for me.� Her face lit up. �You mean I can call you Daddy?� Bray nodded, catching her in his arms as she ran towards him and hugging her. �What�s going on?� Amber asked, walking in through the doorway. �I just got a new mummy and daddy!� Charlene grinned. �Danni and me,� Bray continued, seeing the bewildered look on Amber�s face. �But what about�?� Bray lowered Charlene onto the floor and started moving Amber away with him to explain the night�s events to her. �It�s O.K.,� Charlene stopped him by his arm. �I�ll tell her.� She moved closer to Amber as Bray watched on silently. �She�s gone,� Charlene told her simply, �she was going to take me with her, but I wouldn�t go.� �Have all of them gone?� she asked, �even Ebony?� Bray nodded. �They went last night. They�d only come to take Charlie away.� �So she�s gone forever?� Charlene nodded, turning round to face Bray. �That�s why I can really be Bray and Danni�s now.� His smile reflected hers, and was matched by Danni as she walked into the caf�. �Mummy!� Charlene cried as she ran up to her and flung her arms round her waist. Danni hugged her in return. �Someone�s in a good mood this morning!� Charlene grinned, taking Danni�s hand in hers and leading her across to Bray and Amber. �If you�re my mummy, and Bray�s my daddy,� she said, looking up at Danni, �does that make Alyssa my sister and Dominic my brother?� �I guess so,� she replied, glancing across to Bray. �What do you think?� �Sounds about right to me!� he shrugged. �Talking of Alyssa and Dominic,� Danni said, �I bet they�re awake by now so I�ll go and get them ready for the beach.� She looked down at Charlene. �That�s if you still want to go.� �Sure do!� Charlene grinned. �Can I help?� �Of course you can,� she replied, before looking back to Bray. �See you soon.� He watched as they departed the caf�, Charlene skipping along the balcony beside Danni, still holding her hand. As they turned into the bedroom, he caught a glimpse of their faces and for just a second, Bray remembered the picture, buried inside his pocket, but almost before him in real life. Charlene�s gleaming smile matched Eva�s remarkably, so much so that it made him shiver. �Bray?� Amber shook him from his thoughts. �Earth to Bray!� He looked back towards her. �Sorry.� �It�s O.K.,� she shrugged, �I guess you�ve got a few things on your mind at the moment.� He nodded, pulling out a seat at the nearest table. �All good though I expect,� Amber said, sitting down opposite him. Bray nodded again. �It�s weird when you think about it isn�t it?� �What do you mean?� she asked. �Well, who would�ve guessed this is what would happen,� he replied thoughtfully, �if someone had come up to me before all this, and said I�d be a father in a couple of years, I would�ve thought they were nuts!� Amber laughed. �Things have changed since then though.� �Yeah,� he agreed. �They certainly have and I wouldn�t alter a thing.� They plunged into silence, Bray daydreaming about how good his life was and Amber pondering over how different things could�ve been. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 6: Charlene snuggled up closely next to Danni and was lulled to sleep by her gentle breathing. The rays thrown out by the sun and moon collided in the sky presenting a multicoloured display. Danni gazed out of the window, lost within her thoughts. It wasn�t really one thing that occupied her mind, just a heap of different feelings, thoughts and memories. She didn�t try to think about one in particular; just let them all flood out together. Turning her head away from the window, she looked down at Charlene and stroked her cheek softly. �Everything�s gonna be O.K. now Charlie,� she whispered, �I promise.� The noise of the door opening drew Danni�s attention to it. �Sorry,� Bray apologised when he saw Charlene was asleep. �It didn�t bother her,� Danni smiled. �She�s fast on.� �I�m not surprised,� he said, sitting down on the bed, �it�s been a pretty busy day for her.� �I suppose I should take her back to her own room,� Danni suggested. �She looks so peaceful though.� Bray shrugged, �perhaps we should let her stay in here for tonight.� Danni nodded in agreement. �I don�t like the idea of her waking up in the middle of the night alone, not after what�s happened today.� �I�ll sleep in the bed in her room,� he volunteered, giving Danni a kiss then standing up to leave the room. As he neared the door, Bray glanced backwards and smiled, watching as Charlene nestled even further up to Danni, who drew a blanket over the sleeping child and returned her eyes to the picture show of light through the window. He remained for a while, motionless, just taking in the scene. �Bray?� Amber approached him. �Are you alright?� �Fine,� he spun round to face her. Amber glanced in through the door. �Danni chucked you out?� she joked. �No, Charlie did!� Bray laughed. �We thought she�d be better staying in there tonight.� �Yeah,� Amber nodded. �What about you?� �I�ll sleep in the bed in Charlie�s room,� he replied. �At least I�ve got her teddy to keep me warm!� �See ya tomorrow,� she smiled. �Yeah, night.� They parted and headed opposite ways along the balcony. Bray edged across the room to the bed where Danni lay, holding Charlene in a warm cuddle. He kissed Danni�s cheek softly, although she moved slightly, she didn�t wake. The sun beamed streaks across the duvet, which covered her and Charlene, as they remained oblivious to the world. Bray sat down on the bed next to his girlfriend and watched her in silence until she woke. �Bray?� she mumbled, �how long have you been here?� �Not long,� he answered. �Has she been alright?� Danni nodded. �What about you?� �Fine,� he smiled, giving her a kiss, �missed you though.� �I missed you too.� She looked down at Charlene as she continued to sleep. �She needed someone to be there though.� �I know, I�ll just have to spend all day with you today to make up for it.� �What about the meeting?� she asked. Bray shrugged. �I�ll ask one of the others to go, it�s not like we�ve got much to worry about, there�s been peace in the city for ages.� �Don�t say that too loudly,� Danni warned, �all we need is tribes like Ebony�s to team up and we�ll be at war again.� �You mean le imp�rieux tribu?� Bray laughed. �But I know what you mean, they could cause a right mess. They�ll be alright at the meeting without me though. I�ll send Amber, she�s more of a leader than I am at the moment anyway.� �Come on Bray,� Danni said softly, �you�ve done loads for these lot, surely you deserve a break to spend some time with your family.� �Yeah,� he nodded, �and I�m not going to miss a second. Alyssa and Dominic are growing up so fast that if you blink it feels like you�ve missed a year.� Charlene opened her eyes slowly. �Hi Daddy.� �Hiya,� he smiled, �how�s my little girl?� �Dunno?� she shrugged. �Alyssa�s still asleep isn�t she?� �Very clever!� Bray laughed. �How�s my big little girl then?� �Great!� she grinned, climbing across to the other side of Danni so she was between her and Bray. �Do you really promise?� Charlene asked Danni. �What you said last night, do you really promise?� �Yes,� she nodded, �I promise.� Charlene smiled, nuzzling back up to her. Danni wrapped her arms round the child, looking up at a confused Bray. �What did you promise?� he asked. �That I�d make sure things will be O.K. now,� she replied. �And they will be.� Bray raised an eyebrow. �You sure about that?� he mouthed, not wanting Charlene to hear. Danni nodded her head and smiled. �Things are gonna be just great.� He knew she was hiding something, something important; but for once, he couldn�t see what it was. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 7: It was about a fortnight later when Bray discovered Danni�s secret. He woke earlier than usual to find she was already out of bed, despite Alyssa and Dominic still being fast asleep and no sign of Charlene. �Danni?� He sat up in bed, a concerned look on his face, as he watched her walk back from the window and sit down next to him. �Are you O.K.? You look terrible.� �Thanks,� she managed a smile. �I�ll be fine.� �Are you sure?� Bray asked, bringing an arm round her shoulders and drawing her closer to him. �You really don�t look well.� �That�s what morning sickness does for you,� she said casually. Bray�s eyes widened. �You mean you�re�?� Danni nodded. �I thought so a couple of weeks ago; I was late, and I�m never late.� �Why didn�t you say anything?� �I just wanted to make sure,� she shrugged. �I can�t believe it!� he gasped. �I thought we were lucky enough having the twins, but another baby�it�s just fantastic.� He pulled her up against his chest and wrapped both his arms around her, gently kissing her cheek. �Shall we tell the others?� Danni asked. �Not yet,� Bray shook his head. �Let�s keep it our little secret for a while, O.K.?� She nodded in agreement. �O.K.� �Hey there!� Katrina said cheerfully as she entered the caf� followed by Ellie and Jack. Everyone called a �hello� back before returning to their own conversations. Charlene jumped up from her seat to accompany Katrina as she got some breakfast. �More sleepless nights!� Bray warned in a whisper as he and Danni fed the twins. �I know,� she smiled, �but it�s worth it, don�t you think?� Bray nodded. �What�s worth it?� Charlene asked as she returned to the table and took a seat along with Katrina. �Oh nothing,� Danni shook her head. �You�re hiding something you two,� Katrina said, �I can tell.� Bray gave her a mischievous smile. �You�ll just have to wait and see, won�t you!� �I�ll be back in a minute,� Danni told him, standing up and turning to leave the caf�. �Is she alright?� Katrina asked Bray, watching her walk away. �She�ll be fine,� Bray replied, trying desperately not to let the news slip. �She�s just not been feeling too good.� �Don�t you think you should go and check on her?� she suggested. �You know what happened last time.� �What do you mean?� Bray inquired, thinking she meant when Danni was pregnant with the twins. �You nearly lost her Bray,� Katrina shook her head, amazed by the fact that he�d forgotten. �Or can�t you remember?� �Oh that,� Bray exclaimed. �I didn�t know she�d told you about it. No, it�s definitely not the same thing.� �I�m gonna go and make sure she�s O.K. anyway,� she told him, rising from her seat. �She�s alright, really,� Bray said, but Katrina had already left. As she entered Bray and Danni�s room, Katrina heard someone being sick in the adjoining bathroom. �I knew there was something wrong,� she said, nearing the door. Danni looked up in alarm. �I�m fine, really.� �I don�t buy it,� Katrina shook her head. �It�s not that thing again is it? You know, that you said made you ill before.� �No,� she replied, flushing the toilet and standing up. �Then what is it?� Danni hesitated, unable to think of a reason Katrina would accept as the truth. �Will you promise to keep it a secret?� she asked. Katrina nodded, turning to face Danni again as she walked out of the bathroom and sat down on the end of the bed. She took a deep breath. �I�m pregnant.� Katrina�s jaw dropped. �So that�s what you and Bray were talking about?� Danni nodded. �I�m so happy for you,� she smiled, giving her friend a hug. �You won�t tell anyone else though will you?� Danni requested. �We wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer.� �Sure,� Katrina nodded. �When did you find out?� �Well Bray only realised this morning,� she explained, �after I was sick for the first time, but I thought I was a couple of weeks ago.� �We�ll just make up some excuse for Charlie and the others,� Katrina suggested, �tell them it was something you ate.� �Thanks Kat,� Danni smiled, �I know I can trust you to keep it to yourself.� �You�ll have to say something soon though, otherwise it�ll start to show!� Danni laughed. �I was thinking we�d just wait until people noticed!� she joked. �Most of them probably wouldn�t until someone told them!� �O.K. now?� Bray asked as he walked into the room. Danni nodded. �Congratulations,� Katrina smiled. �I�m afraid Danni here couldn�t hide your little secret from me! It�s alright though, I won�t tell anyone.� �Cheers,� he thanked her as he moved over to them. �Anyway,� Katrina said, standing up, �I�ll go and help look after the twins so you two lovebirds can be alone for a bit!� Bray and Danni waited until she�d left before they spoke again. �I�m sorry,� Danni apologised, �she kinda caught me off guard!� �It doesn�t matter,� he shook his head, �all that matters at the moment is how you and our baby are.� They hugged and kissed, Bray�s hand resting lightly on Danni�s stomach. �You�ll not feel anything yet,� she laughed. �Won�t be long though,� he smiled, �not if the twins are anything to go by!� Danni stroked his hand. �Let�s just hope we don�t have twins again, that�d keep us busy!� �Perhaps we�ll have triplets,� he joked, �that would be hard work!� �Don�t even suggest it,� Danni laughed, �unless you want to give me a heart attack! No, I think we�ll have just one this time; a little girl.� �Oh you do, do you?� he grinned. �We�ll just have to wait and see if those instincts of yours are right then.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 8: Katrina sat in her chair, a wide grin on her face, as she watched Danni enter the caf� with Alyssa in her arms. �A sister or a brother then?� she whispered. �Shhh�� Danni warned her, trying not to laugh. �Sister.� Katrina swapped chairs to sit next to her. �You sure?� Danni nodded. �This time I just know.� �I�m not gonna miss out on this one,� Katrina told her, �not for any urge to go back wandering!� �I thought you were staying here forever anyway,� Danni laughed. �Might have to,� she giggled, �looks like you�re gonna need a bit of help!� �What�re you whispering about?� Lex asked as he took a seat across from them and began to eat his dinner. Katrina shook her head. �Oh nothing,� she smiled and shared a glance with Danni. �You two have been different for the last few weeks,� he continued. �In fact, Danni even longer. Something Bray�s done?� �You could say that!� Danni smiled, hinting, but not ready to give the secret away just yet. �Go on then,� Lex urged, �what is it?� She made no reply and Lex looked up at her from his bowl. �What is it?� he repeated impatiently. Danni just shrugged, �nothing.� �Come on, how stupid do you think I am?� Katrina had to force herself not to laugh out loud. �Not stupid at all,� Danni replied, also holding in the smile which wanted to spread across her face. �You�ll find out soon enough.� Lex watched her confusedly as she rose from her seat and departed the caf�. �I really don�t get her,� he shook his head as he toyed with the food on his plate. Katrina just smiled at him and left the room after her friend. �When are we gonna tell them then? Bray asked, sitting down on the bed and leaning back against the wall. �Dunno,� she shrugged. Danni placed Alyssa down in her cot then walked over to him. �We can�t leave it too long though,� he continued, �they�ll start to realise in a few weeks and then ask why we didn�t tell them.� She nodded in agreement. �I�m just surprised no one other than Lex�s noticed anything different.� Bray put an arm round her waist and Danni rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. �Let�s just leave them to figure it out on their own,� he smiled. Danni nodded, hardly taking in what he�d said as she drifted to sleep. Bray looked down at her and smiled, giving her cheek a soft kiss, which said every �I love you� in the world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 9: It was just gone midday and Danni sat in the caf� as she cradled Alyssa, talking to Ellie, Jack and Katrina. Bray wandered over to them, after putting Dominic down for his nap, and gave Danni a kiss. �Where�d you get to?� she inquired. �Just helping Lex out,� he answered, sitting down next to her and playing with their daughter. �How you feeling today?� Ellie asked Danni. �Kat told me you weren�t to good yesterday.� �I�m alright thanks,� she smiled, glancing across to Katrina and sharing a knowing look. Jack looked from one to the other, wondering what was going on. �So what was it?� Danni dropped her head down to look at Alyssa and smiled. �It was probably just something I ate,� she shrugged. �You sure?� he continued, watching her closely. �I mean, there�s nothing you�ve eaten that none of us has.� �I dunno,� she struggled to find an excuse. �Anyway, we�re off to find Charlie.� Jack watched her curiously as she left the room with Alyssa, followed by Bray. �There�s something weird going on with them,� he said observantly. �Like what?� Ellie asked. He shrugged then looked towards Katrina. �Has she said anything to you?� Katrina just grinned and Jack knew her reply. �Come on then,� he urged, �spill!� She shifted in her seat, building up his curiosity and knowing she was annoying him. �I�m surprised you haven�t worked it out yet,� she teased. �Come on Kat,� he hurried her, �tell us.� �Think about it,� she continued as though she hadn�t even heard him, �she was sick yesterday morning, and most mornings of the last few weeks in case you didn�t notice, there�s nothing she�s eaten out of the ordinary or any different to us, she�s not ill and she and Bray are obviously excited about something.� �What are you on about Kat?� Jack exclaimed. �Wait a minute,� Ellie silenced him. �You mean she�s�� Katrina nodded. �She�s what?� Jack cried. �Someone please tell me!� Ellie smiled. �You�re so slow,� she laughed, �Danni�s pregnant.� �You what!� He almost chocked on the sandwich he was eating. �They didn�t wait long did they?� �I don�t think it was planned,� Katrina told him. �Besides, it�s over nine months since the twins were born and she�s only about six weeks.� �Come on you,� Ellie pulled Jack to his feet, �lets go and congratulate them.� Jack obliged and, grabbing the rest of his sandwich from the plate, followed her out of the room, leaving Katrina alone to her own thoughts. �Ellie! Jack!� Charlene called as they walked into the room. �You�ll never guess what!� �Oh really,� Jack laughed, �I think we already have.� Ellie nudged him. �O.K., Ellie did,� he corrected himself. �Congratulations!� �Yeah, it�s great news,� Ellie smiled as she walked over to Danni and gave her a hug. �How long were you gonna leave us to guess then?� �Oh not too long,� Bray laughed, �just nine months say!� Charlene climbed back up onto the bed next to Danni and cuddled up to her. �You�re really gonna have your hands full now!� Ellie exclaimed. Bray nodded. �Keeps you occupied though, huh!� �When are you telling the others?� she asked. �I expect everyone will know by the end of the day,� Danni shrugged, �Kat�s usually pretty good at spreading news!� Ellie smiled. �We�ll leave you lot to it,� she took Jack�s hand in hers, �we�re going out for a bit.� �See you later,� the three of them watched Jack and Ellie leave the room. �Can I tell Amber?� Charlene asked. Bray nodded, so the girl scrambled of the bed and out of the room. �You know what?� he said softly as he took hold of Danni�s hands and lifted her up. �I love you more than anything else in the world.� She raised an eyebrow. �What about the children?� �I love them too.� Bray looked deeply into her eyes. �But without you, they wouldn�t even be here.� He wrapped his arms round her, drawing her closer and kissing her. �If I can only have one thing in the world,� he whispered as he hugged her, �let it be my family.� �What about your family before?� Danni asked. He smiled. �They don�t mean anything to me like you lot do; I can live without them, but I couldn�t survive without you.� �You�re not gonna have to,� she told him, �we�re not going anywhere.� He kissed her a second time and they stood by the bed, just holding one another; sharing a moment that proved everything each of them had said over and over again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 10: �Is it true?� Patsy asked excitedly as she neared Danni She looked up from the cot she�d just laid Alyssa in. �Is what true?� �That you and Bray are having another baby.� �Yes,� Danni answered, smiling as she watched Patsy�s face light up. �That�s great!� she cried, giving Danni a hug. �What is?� Andy inquired as he entered the room. Patsy turned round to face him and replied, �Danni�s having a baby.� Andy�s jaw dropped and his eyes moved from, Patsy to Danni, who nodded in conformation. �I�m gonna find Cloe,� Patsy announced as she headed for the door, turning back round when she reached it. �You wanna come Andy?� He glanced across to Danni and she gave him a smile as if to say �you go kid!� �Sure,� he nodded and followed Patsy through the door. �Mummy!� Alyssa called. �What is it sweetheart?� Danni leant back over the cot. The little girl smiled and stretched out her arms to be picked up. �Too awake for a nap?� she asked softly, lifting her daughter out and sitting her on her hip. �Shall we go and find Daddy and Dominic?� �Daddy!� Alyssa repeated, a grin spread across her face. Danni smiled and carried her out of the room. �Hey Amber,� she greeted her as she passed, looking as though she was only half-aware of what was happening around her. �Oh hi,� she shook her head and at the same time brought herself out of the daydream she was in. Danni looked at her closely. �You O.K.?� �Yeah,� Amber nodded, but Danni could see something was wrong. �Are you sure?� She nodded again, refusing to let whatever she was thinking known. �Anyway,� she said, desperate to draw the attention away from herself, �congratulations, Charlie told me about the baby.� �Thanks,� Danni smiled. �You haven�t seen Bray around by any chance have you?� Amber nodded, �he�s in the caf�.� Danni thanked her again and began to walk in the direction of the caf�. �See ya later,� she called to Amber. �Yeah,� she replied quietly, returning to her thoughts, �bye.� Danni glanced back to her, puzzling over what could be wrong. �She�s not normally lost in her own thoughts like that,� Danni looked at Alyssa as she spoke. �Perhaps Daddy will known what the matter is.� �Daddy!� the little girl smiled as they walked along the balcony. �Hi!� Bray looked up from Dominic to greet Danni and Alyssa as they moved towards him. �Do you know what�s wrong with Amber today?� Danni asked as she cuddled Alyssa on her lap, �she just seemed really distant when I spoke to her just now.� �Yeah, I know what you mean,� Bray nodded, �she was like it when I saw her earlier. I�ve no idea what it is though, I couldn�t get any sense out of her.� They sat in silence, quizzing in their own minds what could be wrong with Amber, but Charlene broke the stillness as she ran into the room. �Come quick,� she instructed. �It�s Amber, she can�t breathe!� �I�ll go,� Danni said, passing Alyssa to Bray, �you stay here.� Although he wanted to help, Bray knew someone had to stay with the twins and, seen as though Danni and Charlene had already left, he was obviously the one. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 11: Charlene ran across the balcony after Danni, stopping by the doorway and clinging onto the frame as she watched on worriedly. �Amber!� Danni sat down on the bed next to her and supported the girl as she gasped for air. �I�c�can�t�breathe,� she struggled. �It�s O.K.,� Danni soothed, �don�t try to speak. Just take it slow, alright.� She looked over to the doorway, �Charlie, fetch Dal.� The child nodded and fled down the stairs. �Come on Amber, deep breaths, �Danni told her as she ran her hand in a repetitive pattern down the girl�s arm to slow her breathing to the same pace. The gasps began to subside as Danni continued the encouragement. �That�s it,� she said gently, �well done.� Dal rushed into the room and to the bed, collapsing onto his knees in front of Amber. �Charlie told me you couldn�t breathe,� he said, gasping for air himself. �Are you O.K.?� Amber nodded, �thanks to Danni I am.� She turned her head and smiled at the girl sat next to her, �thanks.� �That�s alright,� she shrugged. �What was wrong?� �Just an asthma attack,� Amber laughed, �I�ve had them all my life.� Charlene ran over and gave her a hug. �That was scary.� �You wanna be careful,� Dal warned her, �you may say it�s just an asthma attack, but if they�re bad enough, people can die from them.� �I know,� Amber nodded, �I�ll be fine with people like Danni around though.� She smiled, �I�ll go and tell Bray you�re O.K.� �Thanks again,� Amber said as she watched Danni stand up and leave the room, oblivious to what had caused the attack. �Come on Amber,� Salene urged her, �you can tell me, surely.� She fidgeted on the bed they were both sat on, really just to span out time in the hope that her friend would drop the subject. �Well,� Salene continued, �what did cause it? It�s not like you�d been running anywhere or anything that usually causes asthma attacks, so what was it?� �You won�t say anything to anyone, will you?� �Of course I won�t,� she promised. �O.K.,� Amber began slowly, �well I guess you�ve heard about Danni and Bray by now.� Salene shook her head. �What about them.� �They�re having another child,� she explained, fiddling with the ring round her finger as she spoke. �Oh that�s great!� Salene smiled. �But what�s that got to do with you?� �I just got a bit upset, you know,� Amber shrugged, �brought back a few memories.� �You mean you and Bray?� she asked. �But that�s just it, Sal,� Amber sighed, �there is no me and Bray. I thought I�d finally got over it, but I guess I was wrong. When Charlie told me about Danni being pregnant I couldn�t help thinking it could�ve been me; me who was bringing up a family with him.� They sat in silence for a few seconds, Salene not knowing what to say. �God I�m so selfish!� Amber cried, �I can�t believe how horrible I�m being! There�s Bray and Danni, living the fairytale life and all I want to do is go and rip it apart.� �You�re not selfish,� Salene soothed as she wrapped an arm round her friend�s shoulders. �It�s perfectly normal to feel the way you do right now.� �I�m still being unfair though, aren�t I?� she asked, but didn�t give Salene a chance to reply. �They�ve found happiness and I�ve found jealousy, wonderful huh!� �Oh Amber,� Salene sighed as she hugged her friend, �you�ll find happiness too, there�ll be someone out there waiting for you.� She shook her head disbelievingly. �What if I never find him though? What if Bray was my only chance and I blew it?� �Don�t think like that,� Salene told her. �I can�t help it.� She dropped her head onto Salene�s shoulder. �Life just seems hopeless.� They plunged into silence again as the two girls sat motionless. Amber disturbed the stillness as she rose from the bed. �Where you going?� Salene asked anxiously. �Don�t worry,� Amber replied, �I�m just gonna get an early night. Maybe things will be better in the morning.� Salene smiled and nodded but the concerned look returned to her face as she watched her friend leave the room. Amber could say she�d be alright a thousand times over, but Salene could still see it wasn�t true. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 12: It was early morning and Amber wandered into the caf� after a restless night to find Danni feeding Alyssa. She walked straight passed her, pretending not to have noticed she was there. �Hi Amber!� Danni greeted her cheerfully. �Hi,� she replied, knowing she had to if she didn�t want to draw attention to the mood she was in. �How�re you feeling?� Danni asked in a friendly tone, which made Amber feel even worse. �Fine, thanks,� she answered, sitting down in a seat across from her and pushing the cereal around her bowl. Danni watched her curiously; her mind skipped through different suggestions as to what could be upsetting her, but found none. She turned her attention back to her daughter and continued to feed her. Amber lifted her head and looked at the two of them, happy, smiling and content. She turned her face away quickly, unable to stand the feeling of jealousy and then guilt. �Hello!� Salene smiled as she entered the room. Danni replied in the same happy tone, but Amber remained lost in her own thoughts. Salene pulled out the seat next to her and sat down in it.� �You alright Amber?� she asked concernedly. �Will everyone just leave me alone!� she snapped, �I�m fine O.K., just stop pestering me!� Danni and Salene stared after her in amazement as Amber hurried out of the room. �I�m really worried about her,� Danni told Salene. �Do you know what�s wrong?� Salene shook her head, but failed to hide the fact that she was lying. �Come on Sal, I can tell you know. There�s something going on with her and I really want to help, Bray�s worried about her too.� Salene sat in silence as she thought about what Amber had told her. �O.K.,� she relented, �but don�t tell anyone other than Bray, she�d kill me if it got out.� �Alright,� Danni nodded. �She�s jealous,� Salene said simply, �that�s really what all this is about.� Danni looked confused, �what�s she to be jealous of?� �You,� she replied. �She thought she�d managed to put it all in the past, but when she found out about the new baby� All she can think about is what might have happened if she hadn�t gone away.� �I�d better tell Bray,� Danni suggested, �he�s tearing himself to pieces worrying about her and I think it�s only fair that he knows.� Salene nodded in agreement. �Can you watch Alyssa for a minute?� she asked, standing up. �Sure,� Salene switched chairs so she was next to the highchair the little girl was sitting in, and watched as Danni left the room. �Mummy!� Alyssa called after her. �It�s O.K. Alyssa,� Salene said softly, �Mummy will be back in a minute.� She turned the child�s attention to the toys in front of her, but all the time she was really desperate for Danni to return. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 13: �What�s happening?� Salene asked as Danni walked back into the caf� with Dominic not long after she�d departed it. �Bray�s just gone to talk to Amber,� she answered, sitting down with Dominic on her knee. �He says he won�t let on that he knows though, not unless she asks him, and then he won�t tell her that you said anything.� �Good,� Salene smiled, �she�d hate me if she knew.� �I�m sure she wouldn�t hate you,� Danni said as she passed Dominic a feeder cup from the table, �you�re a really good friend to her.� �I suppose,� she shrugged, watching Dominic drinking from the cup and twirling his hair round with his fingers as he leant back against his mother, who wrapped her arms around him and smiled down at her son. �I can see why she�s jealous though,� Salene laughed, �who wouldn�t be!� �Yeah,� Danni smiled, �I gotta admit, I�m pretty lucky!� �How could you?� Amber yelled as she ran into the caf�, tears streaming down her cheeks. �You promised you�d keep it a secret, you promised Sal.� �Amber I�m sorry, I just�� �Forget it,� she interrupted, �I don�t wanna hear your lame excuses.� She turned to leave the room, pushing past Bray as she went. Salene stood up to follow her, but the look on Bray�s face made her realise that it wasn�t a good idea. �What happened?� she asked him, sitting back down. �I was just asking if she was alright, you know, what you�d normally ask, and she said �she�s told you, hasn�t she?�. I knew she wouldn�t believe me if I said no, so I told her the truth.� Bray stood behind Danni, his hands resting on her shoulders. �You saw for yourself her reaction.� �I should never have said anything,� Salene sighed. �If I�d just kept it a secret none of this would�ve happened. �Don�t blame yourself,� Danni told her, �I�m sure it would�ve come out sooner or later anyway, it�s probably better now instead of her keeping it bottled up and destroying herself emotionally.� �Where�s she gone?� Salene asked, glancing up towards Bray. �Outside, for a walk I guess,� he shrugged. �Suppose it�s best she�s on her own for a bit.� �You sure she�ll be alright?� Danni looked up at him, �she is pretty upset.� �Maybe I should go after her,� Salene suggested. �Let me,� Danni said, rising from her seat and passing Dominic to Bray. His eyes remained fixed on her face. �You really think that�s a good idea?� She nodded. �I know what I�m doing.� He watched her leave the room, hoping for her sake as well as Amber�s, that she was right. �Amber?� Danni called cautiously as she neared the girl. She didn�t move as she sat against the wall, her head resting on her knees. �Amber?� Danni repeated, sitting down next to her. �Please talk to me. I know you�re hurting but we want to help.� �You don�t understand,� she looked at Danni, tears streaming down her cheeks, �you don�t know what it�s like.� �I know what it�s like to lose someone you love,� Danni said softly, �I know it�s not the same, but I�ve felt hurt like you�re feeling right now.� Amber didn�t reply, knowing that what she�d told her was true and there was no way she could deny it. �At least Bray�s still here,� Danni consoled, �it�s not like you�ve lost him forever.� �I can see why Bray loves you,� Amber said solemnly, �you�re brave, caring, loving, never have a bad word to say about anyone; everything I�m not.� �That�s not true,� she shook her head, �you�re all those things and more. Don�t put yourself down Amber, you�re a great person.� �You�re just saying that,� she sighed. Danni looked into her eyes to show she meant what she said. �I wouldn�t lie to you.� Amber turned away, feeling guilty, hurt and stupid all at the same time. �I�m sorry,� she apologised, �I�ve been so horrible.� �It doesn�t matter,� Danni shrugged, �we understand, all of us.� Amber�s eyes returned to Danni�s face. �Even Bray?� She nodded. �And no one else will find out if that�s what you want.� �Thanks,� Amber smiled. �Even after all this you�re still nice to me.� �I know what it�s like Amber, for something like this to mess you up. If it hadn�t been for Bray coming and taking me away, I wouldn�t have fought those guys when they returned. And if they hadn�t killed me, I would probably have done it myself.� Amber looked shocked. �You would�ve really killed yourself?� Danni nodded. �Eva was everything to me. There was no one else who even cared, and losing her tore me up emotionally. I cried for her all through the night, not accepting the truth that my little girl was really gone. It still tears my heart to shreds, knowing that she�s gone forever; to know that I�ll never feel her wriggle into bed next to me first thing in the morning for a cuddle; to know that I�ll never hear her cry out for her mummy when she needs me; and to know that I�ll never again see that sweet little smile that could light up the dullest day. When Bray came I was just about to give up; all the pills left in the entire building lay in the palm of my hand and, if it hadn�t been for him walking in, I would�ve taken them.� Amber stared at her almost in disbelief. �Does Bray know?� She shook her head. �He knows I was in a mess, but didn�t realise I was gonna kill myself.� She paused and looked nervously at Amber. �You won�t tell him, will you?� �No,� Amber replied, �not if it means that much to you.� �Thanks,� Danni smiled, �it does. But this isn�t really about me, or Eva, it�s about you Amber, and that I understand how much you�re hurting inside because I�ve felt the same way so many times. I�ll always be there if you need me, as will the others. Don�t tear yourself up about things, you know where I am.� Amber gave her an appreciative smile. �So,� Danni began as she stood up, �you coming inside?� �In a bit,� she answered, watching Danni as she walked away and finally being sure that she�d sorted everything out; both with Bray and Danni, and in her own mind ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 14: No one saw Amber for the rest of the day, but Danni assured them she�d be alright. Bray was desperate to know what�d gone on between them to make her so certain, but satisfied himself with the general summary of the conversation until they were alone. �Are you really sure that she�ll be O.K.?� he asked, sitting down on their bed. Danni nodded as she laid Dominic in his cot, �she�ll be fine.� �What makes you so certain? You hardly even know each other.� She turned round to face him and smiled. �We know each other a lot better than you think!� Bray�s eyes remained fixed on her as she walked across the room. �What do you mean?� he said finally. �Exactly that,� Danni shrugged, �we found out an awful lot about each other today. Just trust me, I know she�ll be O.K.� �Alright,� Bray sighed as he pulled the bed covers over himself. �I do,� she said as she slipped in beside him, knowing his mind wasn�t really at rest. �You don�t believe me, do you?� �Of course I do,� he wrapped his arm round her shoulders and drew her close, �if you say she�s gonna be O.K., then I believe you.� �She is,� Danni said quietly as she closed her eyes. Bray kissed her softly. �I wish I knew for certain,� he whispered before he also went to sleep. Over the next few months Bray noticed a closeness forming between Danni and Amber, not particularly a friendship but a deep understanding of each other. Whenever they were together he could see it there, though no one else could, perhaps it was because he knew them both so well. Although it confused him slightly, Bray managed to put the idea to the back of his mind, thinking that so long as everyone was happy, nothing else really mattered. Not only did Amber start to spend more time with Danni, but she also began to help out with the twins. This would sometimes worry Bray, making him think that perhaps this was Amber�s way of dealing with her jealousy. It didn�t seem to bother Danni however, who held a great trust in Amber, so he kept the thought to himself, knowing that they would need all the help they could get when the new baby arrived. As he adjusted to the idea of them being closer, Bray�s mind focused more on the future. Cradling Alyssa as she slept, Bray�s thoughts drifted once again to his third child. He glanced down to Danni, who lay in the bed beside him, and smiled. She�d fallen asleep almost as soon as they�d gone to bed, but Bray�s mind ran through the sequence of the day�s events, preventing him from also sleeping. It�d been one of those days where no one felt like they�d stopped; attending a meeting for all the tribes, looking after Charlene as she didn�t feel too well, seeing to Dominic and Alyssa who didn�t seem to stop crying the whole day as they continued to cut new teeth, rescuing Sparkle from a tree, and so much more that Bray�s head began swimming with the different activities. He smiled again when he recalled the main thing that�d made the day worthwhile; feeling the new baby kick for the first time. Rising carefully from the bed, Bray moved across to Alyssa�s cot, where he laid her down and covered her with the soft blanket. He stood motionless for a minute, just watching as his little girl slept, then returned to Danni. Cuddling up next to her, he slipped an arm around her and kissed her tenderly, before falling to sleep himself. The scream echoed round the mall, waking Danni from her peaceful slumber. She sat upright in bed, listening hard to make sure she hadn�t just been dreaming. It came again so she slid out from underneath the covers and exited the room. She ran down the stairs, causing one of the two people there to flee. The other collapsed onto the floor, clutching her stomach as blood soaked through her clothes. Danni knelt down beside her, shortly joined by Bray as he raced down the stairs to meet her. �Get Dal,� she instructed, nursing the injured girl in her arms. Bray hurried to Dal�s room, rushing straight through the open door and to where the boy was asleep. �Dal! Wake up!� he shouted. �What is it?� he asked, rubbing his eyes. �There�s a girl in the entrance,� Bray explained as he caught his breath, �she�s lost a lot of blood already.� Dal leapt out of bed, grabbing the medicine bag from beside him, and followed Bray out of the room. A look of horror swept over him as he stared at the girl. �It can�t be,� he mumbled, not loud enough for anyone to hear. �Come on Dal!� Bray yelled him over. �Stop standing about and do something!� He moved over to the girl, putting other thoughts to the back of his mind, as he tried desperately to save her life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 15: Danni sat in a chair by the bed, watching anxiously as the girl slept, oblivious to the threat upon her life. Dal had nodded off on the lounger at the opposite side of the room and Danni felt like doing exactly the same. Bray walked up behind her, wrapping his arms round her and giving her a kiss. �Why don�t you go back to bed?� he suggested. �It�s still early.� �There�s not really much point,� Danni shrugged, �the kids will be up soon.� �I�ll see to them,� Bray told her as he helped her up, �you should be taking it easy anyway.� �Alright,� she agreed, letting him lead her out of the room and into theirs�. Bray sat at the top of the bed, his arms holding Danni in a warm hug as she drifted back off to sleep, her head laying on his chest and her dark locks spilling over his shoulder. Charlene burst in through the doorway, ready to drag them out of bed as usual, but was silenced by Bray. �What�s happened?� she asked, nearing the bed. �A girl came first thing this morning,� he explained, �she�s in a pretty bad way and we helped Dal sort her out.� �Who is she?� Charlene inquired as she climbed up next to him. �Dunno,� he replied, �she isn�t exactly in a state to tell us.� She wriggled under the covers and nestled up next to him, escaping the cold morning frost that bit at her bare legs. �Will she be O.K.?� Bray shrugged. �There�s nothing more we can do for her so I guess we�ll just have to wait and see.� Charlene snuggled up further against him, slipping her hand underneath Danni�s as it lay across his chest and thinking no more about the girl. Bray on the other hand couldn�t get her out of his thoughts. An image of her face swam in his mind; that face he was sure he knew, but yet couldn�t put a name to. The news of the girl�s arrival had spread to most of the Mall Rats by the end of the morning, but Dal was insistent she should be left alone to recover. He tried to hide it from the others, but knew there was little chance of her survival and even if she did live, there was no telling of what kind of state she�d be in, both physically and mentally. He sat by the bed, not only puzzling over her bleak future, but also her past. The bruises and cuts across her pale face made her almost unrecognisable, but Dal had his suspicions. Although he�d not said anything in case he was wrong, he was certain he couldn�t be. Tiptoeing across the room, Dal sneaked out onto the balcony and headed in the direction of Lex�s, glancing around to check if anyone was there. Stopping by the door, he stood silently and listened for any movement inside. Nothing. The door creaked as he pushed it open, revealing the mess Lex called his room. Stepping over the various items scattered across the floor, Dal made his way across the room and to Lex�s bedside, where he found exactly what he wanted. Slipping the cold brass frame into his pocket, he began the return journey, clutching the object firmly all the way back up to the room. As he stood at the side of the bed, his eyes fixed on the girl, Dal withdrew his hand from his pocket and with it the item from inside. He glanced from the girl to the framed picture that lie in his palm, and then back again. �It is,� he whispered, his eyes glued to her, �it�s really you.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 16: Everyone turned to face Dal as he ran into the caf� where most of the Mall Rats were sitting. �What is it?� Salene asked, looking at him worriedly. �You�ve gotta come with me Lex!� he ordered as he caught his breath. Lex raised an eyebrow, �I don�t gotta do anything.� Dal glared at him, �just come!� �Alright don�t get your knickers in a twist, I�m coming,� he sighed, pushing his chair back and following the boy out of the room. �This better be good.� �I think it�s something you�ll want to know,� Dal replied. �It�s the girl that came this morning.� �What�ve I gotta see her for?� Lex asked, really not in the mood to be messed about. �I don�t know anything about her.� �I wouldn�t be too sure of that,� Dal said quietly as they entered the room. The look on Lex�s face flickered from annoyance to shock as soon as his eyes focused on the girl. Hurrying over to the bed he mumbled a constant, �it can�t be, it just can�t.� �It�s really her, isn�t it?� Lex asked as he turned to face Dal, �she�s really here.� He nodded. �She�s not doing good though Lex,� Dal warned, �she might never recover.� �Don�t say that,� he cried, turning back to the girl and dropping onto his knees, he took hold of her limp hand. �Don�t let her die Dal, don�t let me lose her again.� The boy looked on, wishing there was something more he could do, but knowing there wasn�t. Sophia appeared in the doorway, staring in on her brother as he stroked the girl�s cheek delicately. �Lex?� she said softly, moving nearer to him. He made no acknowledgement of her call and continued his watch of the girl in silence. �Lex?� Sophia repeated as she touched his shoulder gently. �Who is it Lex?� He turned his face towards her, his eyes filled with tears and his chin trembling. �It�s Zandra,� he answered in a whisper, �it�s my wife.� As she sat in the caf�, Sophia stared blankly into space, trying to sort all the mess in her mind into some kind of order. �Lex is married!� she muttered to herself. �When? How? Who is she? Where�s she been? Lex, married!� Danni snapped her back to reality as she called her name. �Are you alright?� she asked, taking a seat next to the girl. �You look as though you�re about to faint.� �You would too if you�d just heard what I have.� Danni looked at her curiously. �What�ve you heard?� Sophia took a deep breath. �The girl who came this morning, is my brother�s�� the word seemed to block in her throat as she forced it out, �is my brother�s wife.� �You what!� Danni exclaimed, �Lex�s wife. Lex is married?� Sophia nodded. �I guess he forgot to tell you as well then.� She shook her head in confusion. �How did you find out?� �He told me when I saw him by her bed,� the girl sighed, �he�s with her now.� �Does anyone else know?� Sophia shrugged. �Don�t think so, but I suppose most of them knew her. It must�ve been when she was here because he definitely wasn�t married before!� Bray walked in through the doorway, Alyssa in his arms, and advanced towards the two girls. �Dominic�s just fallen asleep,� he told Danni as he took a seat next to her. �What�s happened?� he asked, looking at her and Sophia worriedly. �It�s the girl,� Danni answered, still shocked by what Sophia had told her. �Is she O.K.?� Sophia nodded. �Lex�s wife is just fine. �What!� he cried, �Zandra?� �So you�re along the privileged?� Sophia huffed, �You got to know did you?� Bray looked confused. �Of course I know; I was at the wedding. Zandra was in an accident a while back,� he explained, �Lex thought she�d been killed, but if what you�re saying�s true, he must�ve been wrong.� �What kind of accident?� Sophia inquired. �An explosion,� Bray replied. �Are you sure it�s her?� Sophia nodded. �Lex�s with her right now.� �Zandra!� he shook his head in disbelief, �she�s really back!� �Why don�t you go see how Lex is,� Danni suggested, �it�s not going to be easy for him, especially when she�s as ill as she is.� Bray nodded, passed Alyssa to her mother and departed the caf�, his head thumping as the idea span round in his mind. �I knew I recognised her,� he said aloud, �but this I would never have believed.� ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 17: �I just can�t get my head round it, you know?� Lex finally turned his head towards Bray after he�d been sitting on the chair beside him for over ten minutes. Bray nodded, hardly believing it himself. Lex�s eyes returned to Zandra as she slept, motionless and silent. �Dal says she might not pull through,� he said solemnly. �She will,� Bray comforted, �she�s done it before, she can do it again.� �I want to know what happened up there.� Lex stood up and paced round the room. �I want to know where she�s been, why she didn�t come back, who it was that nearly killed her.� Bray watched on, helpless. Suddenly, Lex�s eyes flickered over to the bed as Zandra moved. �It�s O.K. Zan,� he soothed, rushing over to her and taking her hand in his, �you�re back in the Mall.� Her eyes opened and she stared up at him, inspecting his face. �Who�s Zan?� She tried to sit up in the bed, but the pain in her stomach forced her back down. �Where am I?� she panicked. �Who�re you? What am I doing here?� �You were attacked,� Bray said softly as he stood up and stepped up to the bed. �It�s alright though, you�re going to be fine Zandra.� �My name�s not Zandra!� she told them sternly, �I�m�� Bray and Lex waited for her to finish the sentence, but she realised she couldn�t. She raised her hand to her head, the pain thumping inside, and dropped back down onto the pillow. �Just take it easy,� Bray advised, �we�ll sort everything out later, when you�re feeling better.� �I�m not leaving,� Lex said adamantly, �I want to stay with her.� �Come on,� he urged, �the most important thing is that she gets better, which would happen a lot quicker if Dal could see to her without an audience. �Alright,� Lex relented, �but I�ll come back later.� He smiled down at Zandra, who watched him curiously, but was also afraid at the same time. His face dropped as soon as he turned away and headed out of the room with Bray. �Dal, can I have a word?� Bray asked as they walked past him. �Sure,� Dal stopped, �what is it?� �Oh nothing really,� he shrugged, �you go ahead Lex, I�ll catch up with you in a minute.� He didn�t say a word, but span round and moved off towards the caf�. �What�s wrong Bray?� Dal looked at him worriedly. �It�s Zan,� he explained, �she�s awake.� His eyes widened, �she�s awake?� Bray nodded, �but she can�t even remember her own name. Is there any chance she�ll recover?� �There is a chance,� Dal sighed, �but it�s not a great one. Even if she does live, she might never get her memory back.� Bray�s head dropped to the floor. �I know Lex might appear hard, but deep down this is killing him. If she dies�� Dal placed a hand on Bray�s shoulder. �I�ll do everything I can,� he promised. �At least Lex�s got friends like you to support him.� The words were little comfort to Bray, he�d seen the state Lex had been in the first time he thought Zandra was gone forever, and dreaded the idea that it may happen all over again. He drifted away from Dal and towards the caf�, putting on a front to reduce Lex�s worrying. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 18: Zandra�s condition worsened over the next few weeks and with it Lex seemed to also deteriorate. His emotional state affected his physical, making him weak and helpless. It pained Sophia to see her brother suffering such agony, but he would open his heart to no one, refusing to leave Zandra�s side even if the world fell around him. There was a slight glimmer of hope when her memory began to return, but the injuries were much worse on the inside than they appeared to the eye, making her more ill as each day passed. �Lex?� she whispered, hardly any strength left even in her voice. �It�s O.K. Zan,� he stroked her hand lovingly, �I�m here.� �I love you,� she said, holding back the tears that tried to escape and run down her face, �I don�t want to go.� Lex looked deeply into her eyes, �you�re not going anywhere.� She turned her face away. �You don�t have to lie to me Lex, I know I don�t have much time left. I just wanted to use it to tell you.� �Tell me what?� he asked. �That I�m glad this is the way I�m going, with you here.� A tear rolled down Lex�s cheek. �Don�t leave me Zan,� he pleaded, �I�ve lost you once, don�t let it happen again.� �You have to promise me one thing,� she told him. He watched her closely. �What?� �That you won�t give in,� she replied, �I know you were a mess after what happened before, don�t let it get you like that again.� �But Zan�� Lex interrupted. �No buts,� she silenced him, �I�ll always be with you.� Lex watched as she closed her eyes, her breathing slowing until he could hear it no more. �Zan,� he whispered, �Zan?� He broke down in tears when she gave no response. �Lex?� Danni walked in through the door and over to the bed. Although he turned round to her, his sobbing continued. �She�s gone Danni,� he said solemnly, collapsing on the floor. �This time she�s really gone.� �I�m so sorry,� Danni consoled as she sat down beside him. �I just don�t understand,� he shook his head, �why her?� Danni shrugged. �There�s never a reason you�ll be willing to accept,� she told him, �and no one will ever be able to take that pain away, but I promise you it will get easier.� �Easier!� he exclaimed, �I don�t want it to get easier, I want her back!� �I know you do,� Danni said softly, �but she�ll always be here with you; in your memories, in your thoughts, and in your heart.� �That�s what she said,� he sighed, �she told me she�d always be with me.� �And she will.� Danni placed a comforting arm round him, letting him dropped his head onto her shoulder as the tears streamed down his face. �Do you believe in Heaven?� Lex asked thoughtfully. �I dunno,� Danni shrugged, �I like to think we all go somewhere. What about you?� He also shrugged, but said nothing, leaving Danni to fall into her own world of thought. Her mind drifted to Eva and all the other people she�d lost because of the virus, who all seemed so insignificant when compared to her. Both emerged from their own secluded worlds as Bray entered the room. �There you are,� he smiled down at Danni, but his face dropped when he realised what�d happened. �Oh Lex,� he sympathised, �I�m sorry.� �It�s O.K.,� he shrugged, standing up, �I�m going for a walk.� Bray watched him depart the room for the first time in what seemed like weeks, then turned round to Danni who�d now stood up to join him. �You think he�ll be O.K.?� he asked. Danni nodded. �He just needs some time on his own.� �Come on,� he lead her out of the room, �we should let the others know.� She nodded in agreement and they moved across the landing to tell the rest of the Mall Rats the news that would break the general happy mood of the day. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 19: Most of the words of comfort were little consolation to Lex whilst he was grieving. Although they all meant well, there was only Danni who was really some help. Everyone had lost people because of the virus, but he felt Danni understood him better, maybe because it wasn�t as long ago. They never mentioned Eva directly when they were talking, but Lex often picked up certain comments when she was obviously thinking about what�d happened. Danni�s determination to continue with her new life gave him the role model he needed to pull all his strength together and persevere with his own. When he thought of how he�d turned to her it almost made him laugh, before he�d never realised she was such a strong person and certainly wouldn�t have believed he�d want her help. Danni knew how it felt to need someone who would listen as well as advise, and was glad she was there to support him. In fact, it actually kept her occupied while Bray refused to let her do any work during the last months of her pregnancy. She was grateful for everything he did, especially looking after the children when she didn�t have the energy to do so, but sometimes wished that he�d let her do something. It�d always been one thing Danni hated, ever since being a small child; just to sit back and watch others do things around her. Bray admired her for it, along with many other things that made her who she was, and how she helped others when she wasn�t great herself. He caught himself watching as she helped Lex get himself back together and realised that she had more people to turn to for support than she even needed, which was particularly useful when the new baby arrived. Bray was just about to leave the Mall for a meeting with the Demon Dogs when Amber came dashing down the stairs, grabbed his arm and pulled him back up them with her. Lex took his place at the meeting, on the agreement that he�d be civil, whilst Sophia and Tia-San looked after the twins in the caf�. Charlene gripped onto Amber�s hand as the two stood across the room from Bray, who sat by Danni, sweeping the hair from her face and whispering words of comfort to her. She held his hand tightly, keeping in the screams of agony as Salene yet again took up the job of midwife. �Remind me never to have kids!� Katrina laughed as she sat at the opposite side of Danni to Bray. She managed a smile, but gave no further reply. No one else spoke as they watched on, motionless and anxious. Danni gave into the pain and let out a cry as Bray continued to praise her. �That�s it,� he smiled, �you�re doing great.� �Come on Danni,� Salene urged, only a few hours after Danni had first gone into labour, �one last push.� Her grip tightened round Bray�s fingers and her cries were shortly joined by those of a healthy baby. Salene cleaned the wriggling child, wrapped it in a blanket and then passed it to Danni. �Say hello to your daughter,� she smiled. �Well done,� Bray grinned as he gave her a kiss, �so you were right!� �Told you I knew,� she stroked the little girl�s fingers as they held securely onto hers. Charlene edged forward, still holding Amber�s hand. �Come and have a look,� Danni beckoned her over. She let go of Amber and continued towards the bed, wriggling up onto Bray�s knee. �She�s so tiny,� Charlene watched the baby in fascination, �but not as small as the twins.� �That�s because there�s only one of her,� Salene said. �Thankfully,� Bray added with a smile, his happy face matching everyone else�s; even Amber. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 20: Danni slept soundly next to him as Bray sat at the top of their bed, one of his arms wrapped around her whilst the other cradled their youngest child. He looked up from the tiny girl to see Amber walk through the door. �Hi,� she smiled, taking a seat next to the bed. �How you lot doing?� �I�m fine,� he replied, �as is this little one, but her mother�s whacked!� �Everyone�s asleep!� Amber commented. �The twins are fast on and Charlie�s in bed too. They seem to have settled in well to her room.� �Yeah, it took Dominic a few weeks to get used to being in a bed, but he seems O.K. now.� �Charlie must love having them in there with her.� Bray nodded in agreement, stroking his daughter�s little hand as she clung to his fingers. �What�s her name then?� Amber asked as she looked down at the small child, wrapped in a soft cream blanket. �We haven�t decided yet,� Bray shrugged. �Do you want to hold her?� �Sure,� Amber�s face lit up as he placed the warm bundle into her arms, then wrapped his arms back round Danni. �Daddy,� Charlene wandered into the room, still dressed in her pyjamas and clutching her teddy, �can I stay in here for a bit?� �Of course you can,� he answered, moving further onto the bed so she could sit next to him. �It�s O.K.,� Amber said standing up, �I�ve got things to do so you can sit here.� She laid Bray�s youngest daughter back in his arms and departed the room. �Did I say something wrong?� Charlene laughed as she sat down in the chair. �No,� Bray shook his head, �I�ve got the feeling that everyone�s gonna be busy today.� She slid off the chair and peered into the blankets to see the sleeping baby. �What do you think of your littlest sister then?� Danni asked as she opened her eyes. �She�s so sweet!� Charlene giggled, sitting back down and curling up on the seat, shortly falling to sleep. Bray passed the little girl in his arms to Danni and carried the sleeping child out of the room, returning after a few minutes and taking his place on the bed. He draped an arm round Danni�s shoulders and kissed her softly. �I�m so lucky,� he whispered, holding her hand in his. �It feels like I�m living a dream, and I really don�t wanna wake up.� �You�re not going to,� she smiled, �this is forever.� They sat in silence, running through their fairytale-like lives in their minds, almost too good to believe. The rain thudded down onto the roof, but the little girl in Danni�s arms continued to sleep peacefully. Charlene looked up from playing with the twins at the bottom of the bed. �Does she sleep all the time?� she asked with a sigh. Danni laughed, �not all the time.� �Well it seems like it.� Bray walked in through the doorway, dripping across the carpet as he moved towards the bathroom. �You�ve been outside in this weather!� Charlene exclaimed, leaping up from the bed and going after him. �I had to,� he replied, taking off his sodden jacket. �I promised I�d take some stuff to the Orphans.� She watched him rub his hair dry and then followed him as he returned to the room. Climbing back up onto the bed, she continued to entertain Alyssa and Dominic, whilst Bray sat down next to Danni. �Alright for some, huh?� he smiled down at their little girl. Charlene glanced over. �Have you decided what you�re gonna call her yet?� she inquired. �As a matter of fact, yes we have,� Bray smiled. �What?� she wriggled up the bed, impatient for an answer. �Karin,� he replied, turning to Danni, �but we need some work on her surname,� he smiled, �and yours too for that matter.� �Now you�ve lost me!� Charlene said, completely bewildered. Danni, on the other hand, just smiled. �Well then?� he asked, his gaze still fixed on Danni, �will you marry me?� Charlene�s eyes flickered from Bray to Danni, her whole face lighting up as the nod came in reply. He turned to face Charlene. �Can you pass me my coat?� She slid off the bed and reappeared with his wet jacket in her hand; standing whilst he withdrew something from the pocket and then taking it back to the bathroom to dry out. She returned quickly, desperate to know what it was concealed in Bray�s clasped hand. His eyes remained glued to Danni�s face as he revealed the small, red velvet box that lay in the palm of his hand and flicked it open. �I think you should try this on for size,� he suggested, a wide grin spread across his face. The small diamonds gleamed with every colour of the rainbow as he took the ring from its place in the box and slipped it onto Danni�s finger; luckily she was nursing Karin with her right arm, leaving her left hand free. �Perfect!� he smiled, kissing her tenderly. �Thank you,� she said, almost in a whisper. Bray shook his head. �Thank you.� �Can I see?� Charlene asked Danni. She held out her hand, trying not to laugh at the child�s reaction. �You�re catching flies!� Bray joked, placing his fingers under her chin and closing her mouth. �Wow!� she gasped, only moving her eyes away when Bray took hold of Danni�s hand in his. �And it isn�t because of Alyssa, Dominic or Karin,� he told her, �I�ve been thinking of asking you for a while now, when I got this today it just seemed like the right time.� Danni made no reply, but the smile upon her face told him everything he needed to know. He kissed her again, wrapping his arms round her and their tiny daughter, and watching the rest of their family play; knowing that things couldn�t possibly get any better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 21: �Where did that appear from then?� Katrina asked, gesturing towards the ring on Danni�s finger as she sat down on the bed next to her friend. �I guess Bray just felt like it was time for a change,� she smiled, �of name that is.� �You mean he asked you to marry him?� Danni nodded, her face beaming. �Congratulations,� she laughed, �again!� �Thanks,� Danni replied, her eyes moving back to Karin as she lay in her arms. �Are they really worth all that pain then?� Katrina watched as the little girl drank milk from the bottle her mother was holding. Danni nodded. �I�d go through anything for these kids.� They both looked up as Bray walked into the room. �Hey there Mr Romantic!� Katrina joked. �I understand congratulations are in order, again!� �I guess so,� he laughed, moving towards them. �I�ll see you guys later,� Katrina said as she rose from the bed. They both mumbled a �goodbye� as Bray took her place beside Danni. �That means everyone�s gonna know within the next few hours,� she laughed. �I�m sure Charlie would�ve let it slip, and even if she didn�t, they would�ve asked about the ring.� �I suppose so,� she shrugged. �Anyway, it saves us having to get everyone together to tell them.� �Do you know something?� he grinned. �You�ve made me the happiest person in the world.� �Not the happiest,� Danni smiled back. �Are you gonna argue with me before we�re even married?� he teased. She shook her head and he kissed her softly. �Is Charlie gonna be the only Wilks girl left then?� Bray laughed. �I don�t think she�ll see it that way,� Danni replied, �she thinks of herself just as much a member of the Cameron family as Dominic, Alyssa and Karin are.� �How�s it sound then?� he asked, �Danni Cameron.� She smiled, �sounds pretty good to me!� All the Mall Rats had heard Danni and Bray�s news by the end of the day and had seen at least one of them to pass on their congratulations. Bray had been slightly worried as to what Amber�s reaction would be, and therefore made a point of finding her and telling her himself. Much to his relief, she accepted the fact with just as much happiness as everyone else and left Bray in the caf� in order to see Danni. She peered in through the half open door and scanned the room, seeing Danni stood next to the cot, in which she had just laid her youngest daughter. �Hello Mrs Cameron to be!� she said quietly as she entered the room. �I take it you�ve heard then?� Danni smiled as she turned round to face Amber. She nodded. �Bray just told me so I thought I�d come and find you, and see Karin of course! How�s she doing?� �Fine,� Danni answered, �I�ve just put her back down after a feed. I think Charlie wishes she was old enough to play with her and the twins though!� Amber laughed. �I bet you don�t.� She shook her head, watching Karin as she slept. �They grow up far too fast. It only seems like yesterday when Charlie was in nappies!� �Amber!� Brady called as she ran up the stairs, stopping at the doorway. �I�ve been looking for you all over!� �What is it?� she turned round to face the child. �I need your help,� she replied, �I want to make Mummy a present for her birthday, but I can�t do it on my own. Will you help me?� �Sure I will,� Amber obliged, spinning back round to Danni she told her �see ya later� and then walked down the stairs with Brady to prepare Trudy�s surprise. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 21: Danni dragged herself out of bed and stumbled across the moonlit room. �It�s O.K. sweetheart,� she soothed, lifting Karin from the cot in which she was lying, �Mummy�s here.� The familiar voice and touch softened the child�s crying as she nuzzled closely to her mother. Bray stirred as Danni returned to the bed with their daughter and sat down beside him. �Hiya,� he smiled sleepily, �I see she doesn�t want Mummy to have a good night�s sleep either.� �Looks that way,� Danni laughed. �Guess this is one bit we weren�t missing.� �Oh well,� he sighed, sitting up in the bed and drawing Danni close to him, �she�s worth it.� Danni nodded in agreement as she leant onto him, stroking Karin�s little fingers softly to lull the child back to sleep. Bray held his fianc�e close to his chest, keeping her warm from the cold night air, and kissed her cheek gently. She smiled up at him, then kissed him in return, before looking back down to Karin, who was again sleeping peacefully. Bray took their daughter from her arms and replaced her under the blankets in her cot, where she wriggled slightly but didn�t wake. He stood motionless for a minute, just to make sure she was alright, and also taking in the picture of his tiny daughter, who would change so rapidly, then returned to the bed. Wrapping his arms round Danni, he pulled the covers back over them and the whirling wind blew out a soothing lullaby as they drifted back to sleep. �Mummy!� Alyssa�s call echoed through the Mall in the early hours of the morning. Danni left Bray to finish dressing Karin and advanced towards the room in which the rest of their family was now sleeping. �What is it sweetie?� Danni asked as she neared the bed Alyssa was lying in. The little girl rubbed her stomach with one hand as she sucked the thumb of the other, tears running down her face. �Oh, does your tummy hurt?� Danni said softly. Alyssa nodded, moving her hand away from her stomach and pulling her teddy bear towards her. �I tell you what,� Danni began. �Will some love from Mummy make it better?� The child nodded again and sat up in the bed slowly, stretching her arms out to her mother. �How about we go and see Daddy?� Danni suggested as she hugged her. �Daddy!� Alyssa smiled. �O.K. then,� Danni stood up and lifted her daughter into her arms, �we�ll leave Dominic and Charlie to sleep a bit longer.� Alyssa�s thumb remained in her mouth as she clung to her mother with her other arm, dropping her head onto Danni�s shoulder. Danni kissed her cheek lightly as she carried her across the balcony. �Alyssa�s got tummy ache,� Danni explained as she passed Bray, moving to the opposite side of the bed and sitting down at the top. �Oh darling,� Bray leant across and stroked Alyssa�s cheek softly. She clambered across to him and received a loving hug before snuggling back up to her mother. Bray picked Karin up from the changing mat she lye on and the bottle from beside her. She gripped one of his fingers as she readily accepted the breakfast her father provided. �Aren�t Charlie and Dominic awake yet?� he asked, sitting down beside Danni. She shook her head, but was corrected as Charlene entered the room with Dominic toddling beside her. �What�s wrong?� she asked, looking worriedly at Alyssa. �Alyssa just doesn�t feel very well,� Danni replied, smoothing out the little girl�s dark hair as she hugged her. �Will she be O.K.?� Charlene walked round to Danni�s side of the bed as she held Dominic�s hand. �She�ll be fine,� Bray replied, �a cuddle from Mummy can make anything better, can�t it darling?� Alyssa gave a little smile, but brought her hand over Danni�s as it held her as if to say �I�m not better yet though�. Charlene helped Dominic onto the end of the bed, and then clambered up herself, wriggling in between Danni and Bray. She beckoned Dominic to sit on her knee and smiled as he crawled up the bed towards her. Bray�s smile mirrored hers as he copied the moment into his memory; surrounded by his family, everyone he loved. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Part 22: �She must be ill!� Bray exclaimed as he watched Alyssa sleep peacefully, cuddled up to Danni. �It�s not like her to be asleep during the day.� �Poor thing, � Danni said quietly as she stroked the top of her daughter�s head softly, �I�ll put her back to bed.� Bray turned his attention back to Dominic, Karin being asleep in her cot, as Danni carried Alyssa out of the room. �Is she O.K.?� Andy asked as he stopped next to Danni on the balcony. �Just an upset stomach,� Danni replied, �she�ll probably be fine when she wakes up. Off to see a certain friend are we?� Andy laughed. �Is it that obvious?� �Well when your smile�s too big for your face, it kinda shows!� He giggled again then headed off down the stairs. Danni continued along the balcony and found Cloe looking after Charlene whilst the child played with Sparkle on the floor. �Do you want me to take Charlie somewhere else?� Cloe asked as she watched Danni lye Alyssa down in her bed. �It�s O.K.,� she replied, pulling the duvet over the sleeping child, �just so long as you don�t make too much noise.� �We won�t,� Charlene looked up from the cat and smiled innocently. �I bet!� Danni laughed. �If she wakes up we�ll either be in our room or the caf�.� �O.K.� Cloe�s concentration returned to Charlene as Danni left the room. �Alyssa,� Danni called softly as she sat down on the bed where her daughter continued to sleep. She turned over in the bed and opened her eyes, looking sleepily at her mother. �Are you feeling better?� Danni asked, brushing the strands of hair from the little girl�s face. She nodded, slipping her thumb into her mouth and sitting up in the bed, stretching her arms out for a cuddle. �Shall we find you something to eat then?� Danni said as she hugged her. Alyssa nodded and let her mother carry her out of the room to the caf�. �Ah, how�s my little girl feeling now?� Bray smiled as he looked up from feeding Dominic his lunch. �A bit better, aren�t you sweetheart,� Danni replied as she took a seat next to her fianc�, Alyssa on her knee. The little girl lifted her head and gave Bray a smile, but then cuddled up to her mother. �I bet I can guess what you want,� Danni said as she straightened the top of the teddy bear print pyjamas her daughter was wearing. Alyssa looked up into her mother�s loving face. �Rice pudding!� she grinned. �Might have known,� Bray laughed, watching Danni as she stood up, sitting Alyssa back down on the chair, and moved towards the food cupboard. �Have you guys seen Patsy around?� Andy asked as he walked into the room. Bray shook his head and shared a smile with Danni. �Try looking in Charlie�s room,� she suggested, �she might be with her and Cloe.� �Thanks,� he grinned, �I will.� �Definitely love!� Bray laughed once Andy had left the caf�. Alyssa wriggled off the chair to join her mother as she heated the rice pudding. Danni lifted her onto her hip, stirring with her other hand. �Mummy love,� Alyssa said quietly as she gave her a kiss. Danni stroked her daughter�s cheek softly, �I love you too sweetheart.� Bray smiled as he looked across the room to them, but the peacefulness was broken as rain thudded down on the roof and lightning tore through the sky. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Danni Rewritten

By *Ella*

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