Mirror Man

Connie!.

Rachel, John, Danny and Mark, Mark in his chair squashed up to the end of the sofa so he could be as close to Danny as possible, waited nervously in the modern office of Harry Hunter-Moore, a tense silence hanging over the room as Harry flicked through some paperwork, checking his watch, almost 10am, Danny was about to see his 'sister' again, the little skank he'd last seen with an evil grin plastered on her face as she was being fucked into his sofa, by Dylan Cross.

Finally the call came through from Harrys secretary, that Connie and Mr Ambrose had arrived.

"You alright?" Mark fussed as he squeezed Dannys hand hard, the blonde was spacing out a bit, not knowing whether to stay or run, now his choice had been made for him when a knock came at the door.

"Y-yeah, I'm alright" Danny smiled weakly, huffing and pulling his shoulders back, "I can do this".

"WE, can do this", Mark kissed his hand and straightened himself up to his full height, as much as he could in his chair, while Danny smiled widely at him, feeling Rachels hand the other side reach for his, taking it in her warm grip.

Harry, getting up to open the door smiled apologetically at Danny, he really did feel bad for the blonde, and angry at Dannys birth mother, if she'd just let the family take him on, none of this would be happening, but that was history, this was the here and now, and he'd support his new found nephew in any way he could.

"Mr Ambrose, Miss Taylor, come in".

Danny watched as in through the door walked a stout man with a ruddy pink face, tallish but shorter than Harry, tidy suit and close cropped grey hair, hazel eyes and a soft roundish face, followed by a woman that didn't look anything like the pretty flowing haired Connie he remembered.

"It's M-miss A-a-ambrose now", the woman stuttered, Danny could tell by the slight lisp that she had at least one broken tooth, she'd always been given the best of everything as a child, excellent dental care included, there's only one way she could've acquired a broken tooth, she'd been punched.

When her face came properly into view Danny gasped as his eyes met hers, her deep brown orbs were dull, holding a pain inside not unlike the one he'd felt when all this business started happening around him, only hers was still raw.

Her beautiful long flowing wavy dark locks were gone, it was cropped close to her head, visible bruises on her neck in the yellowing phase, almost healed.

Simply dressed in jeans, trainers and a warm pink jumper, she was not the Connie he once knew, she was a broken Connie, a beaten Connie.

"D-Danny?", the woman looked over at the blonde with wide eyes, taking in his healthy face, his fuller body, his smart casual clothes and shoes, and the twinkle in the blue eyes that shone with the love bestowed on him by the Chandlers.

"Oh my god, Danny, you look so different", Connies eyes regained a little light as she looked straight at her brother, Dannys direct gaze hiding a multitude of feelings.

"How, how are you getting on Danny?", she looked at Mark, Rachel and John in turn, smiling as she caught the sight of the joined hands of the family sat the other side of the room.

"I'm good Connie, I'm very good" Danny spoke clearly, feeling the confidence he needed through the hands in his.

"That's good, um, this-this is Gerald, Gerald Ambrose, he.......took me on when mum and d.......", she stopped there, welling up with tears, wiping them away with her hands, "the-the Taylors threw me out, um, he's been so kind and-and he's helping me get back on my feet, and find a job and a place to live", the woman looked at the floor.

"That's good, I'm glad, he seems a decent man", Dannys eyes turned to Gerald who was sitting quietly, with a hand placed on Connies back in support.

"He's, he's been so nice.....to me, I don't deserve anything after what I did to.....you", Connie looked up straight into Dannys blue eyes.