Hearts aren't meant to hurt like this

I want to see how love can be the healing

"Annie.." Max spoke as he looked at his daughter for the very first time.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Linda spat angrily.

"Mum, not here. Max let's go upstairs." Ollie said as he guided Annie upstairs, Max following behind him.

Mick and Linda were quick to follow

"I can't believe this. I have another daughter..." Max spoke, slightly stunned.

"You're my dad?" Annie said softly, looking at Max for the first time.

"I am." Max smiled slightly.

"Why didn't you want me?" Annie asked quietly.

"Was I not good enough for you?" Annie continued.

"Sweetheart you've got to believe me. I was never told about you. If I'd have known, I'd have been over here in an instant." Max tried to explain.

"You mean... You never knew?" Annie asked softly, looking at Max.

"Never. I swear if I had, then I would've been here for you." Max said sadly.

He'd missed out on so much. This little girl sitting next to him was his daughter, but she might as well of been a stranger.

Looking towards Linda, Annie spat angrily.

"How could you not tell him? Didn't he have a right to know? Didn't I have a right to know my dad? Why did you take that choice away from me?!" Annie said as she began to cry.

Linda bent down to Annie's level and tried to explain.

"I didn't tell him because it was what was best for you then. I was trying to protect you." Linda explained.

"I don't need protecting! I'm 11! I deserve to have the right to get to know my dad, and you took that away from me. I don't know if I'll be able to forgive you for this." Annie said as she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Annie please-" Linda begged as she tried to explain her reasoning.

"Stuff your apologies, I should've known. You all knew and you all lied to me." Annie said as she ran to her room.

"I'll go." Max said as he went to stand up.

"No. I'll go." Ollie said as he ran after Annie.

Entering Annie's room, he found her wrapped up in her duvet.

"As cosy as it must be under there, I don't particularly want you to suffocate." Ollie said as he removed the cover as Annie groaned.

"I know this has got to be hard for you, and I'm sorry that I didn't tell you the truth. We've had so much go on over the years that each time that I wanted to tell you it just got pushed back and after a while I genuinely thought not telling you would be best." Ollie apologised.

"It's okay. I just wish that adults wouldn't lie. I can handle the truth, I'm not a little child anymore." Annie replied as she wiped her eyes.

"Here." Ollie said as he handed her a tissue out of his jacket pocket.

"Thank you." Annie said grabbing the tissue and cleaning herself up.

"You have a cry, you have every right to. The last few years, they've been absolute hell on earth and this is the last thing you needed. I'm so sorry 'nee." Ollie apologised once again.

Smiling sadly, Annie chuckled slightly.

"It has been pretty crap to be fair." Annie said as Ollie tickled her.

"Do you want to speak to Max? If not I can make him go." Ollie questioned.

"I'd like to speak to him. After all he is my... dad." Annie said firmly.

"Can you make Mum and Mick go though?" Annie asked as Ollie nodded.

"I can wait right outside the door for you." Ollie offered as Annie nodded.

"Good girl. I'm so proud of you." Ollie said as he helped Annie up.

Exiting Annie's room he pulled Linda and Mick to one side.

"Annie doesn't want you in there. She wants a chance to get to know Max on her own terms and having you both there is too much for her." Ollie explained.

"I'm her mum! I need to be with her!" Linda said as she tried to push past Ollie.

"Oh no you don't!" Ollie said as he lightly shoved Linda back to where she was stood.

"She's unsettled enough as it is, and you barging in will just make this into a bigger situation than what it already is." Ollie said firmly.

"Listen to the boy." Mick said quietly.

"You're of no use to her when you're in such a state. Calm yourself down and then speak to her later." Mick suggested as Linda nodded.

"She'll come to you when she's ready. Just give her time and space." Ollie smiled reassuringly.

Meanwhile, in the living room...

"I'm sorry about earlier." Annie apologised as she sat back down next to Max.

"It's okay. It's a lot to take in." Max smiled softly.

"So tell me about you." Max suggested.

"I like Power Rangers, Narnia and I love to read. I don't like people shouting. Mum shouted at me once when she was drunk and it.. it traumatised me. I was 5. I hate the dark. Ollie is my favourite person in the world." Annie smiled softly.

"Do you go to the park or the cinema?" Max asked as Annie shrugged.

"I've been to the park a few times. It's okay but Ollie doesn't like leaving mum for long so we can never stay for long." Annie explained.

Max felt his heart break. Annie deserved so much more than she had been given. Not that Ollie hadn't tried his best, but he was her brother not her parent.

"Your cousin lives with me." Max smiled as he pulled a picture of Abi Jr out of his wallet.

"That's Abi Jr. She's 14 now and she'd love to meet you." Max said as Annie studied the picture.

"She looks like me." Annie said softly.

"Like me." Max said as he turned Annie's head to look at his.

"I want you to come and live with myself and Abi." Max announced.

"Just think about it okay? You could come and live in Brazil, have a swimming pool you could go in every day. A private tutor. I can give you so much. I just want to have the opportunity to do so." Max said softly.

"Please can you go now?" Annie said softly.

"Annie.." Max said desperately.

"Please! I need to think." Annie begged as Ollie barged in.

"You heard her. Look, you're upsetting her!" Ollie said as he went over to Annie and asked if she was okay.

"Okay I'll go. But I'll be back." Max said as he smiled at Annie before leaving.

"Ollie... he wants to take me away." Annie said as she looked at him worriedly.

Ollie stared ahead, with fury in his eyes. If Max Branning wants a fight then he's going to get one. He wouldn't let Annie go without a fight.