EastEnders 1. Chapter 1

COMING ON SATURDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2014. THE SEQUEL TO 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS…

A CHRISTMAS STORY…

STAY TUNED…..


	2. PROLOGUE

**AN: ****Welcome to the second annual Christmas story written by me (74CrazyChick) and Eastendersfan444. This year we've switched chapters, I will be writing both the prologue and chapter 1 and we'll alternate from then on. Also you will need to have read last year's effort, '12 Days of Christmas' before you read this because this story is a continuation of it... So if you haven't... off you go! :-) You don't want to get on Santa's naughty list do you? He checks it twice! Go and read it now! **

**Oh, welcome back... Well, now you're all ready and up to date, here's the first chapter of A Christmas Song... this year we've chosen a theme of naming each chapter of the story after a Christmas Song... even the title of the story is a song title...**

**Here is the first chapter... the prologue... and it sets you up for the rest of the story, so there was only one song to choose... "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"... by Perry Como... a classic, I'm sure you'll agree. I can't swear they will all be songs like this but we needed to choose titles that would work with the story... so anyway, enough of this waffle... on with the story...**

**Prologue: It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas**

It was nearly Christmas once again and it would be nice to say it was shaping up to be another merry one but things couldn't be further from the truth. Well, for most of the residents of Walford that was anyway. There were three people who were looking forward to their Christmas. Lauren, Joey and Eve Branning loved the festive season, it was an important part of their family lives and Joey and Lauren were both looking forward to seeing their baby girl enjoying her first proper Christmas.

Lauren stood in the kitchen, watching the square through the window, going about their business as if it was just a normal day, not almost two weeks till Christmas. Two years ago tomorrow she and Joey had started their first twelve days of Christmas… which had ended with Lauren telling Joey she was eleven weeks pregnant with Eve on Christmas Eve and a wedding proposal from Joey on Christmas Day, surrounded by their friends and family in the middle of the square. Then they'd got married on New Year's Eve and their married life had begun.

She turned away from the window, hating seeing the square hardly decorated for the season. It was difficult to believe it was the same place as where Joey had got down on his knee and proposed to her, snow falling around them. She looked around their small flat, smiling as she saw the decorations that hung from the wall and on the tree. They'd made more of an effort than anyone, even the council. She and Joey had spent hours putting up the decorations over the last few nights, including the tree, wanting Eve to share in the excitement and build up to the day. Due to cutbacks, Walford Council hadn't even bothered with a tree in the middle of the square this year. The square just looked like it did at any other time of the year. The only giveaway that Christmas was approaching was the sound of Christmas songs playing on a constant loop in the market and an old bit of grubby tinsel around the door of the pub and a shabby looking bell that hung from one of the streetlamps. It was hardly worth the effort and Lauren almost wished they hadn't bothered because the little they'd done, just seemed to make it worse somehow.

She heard a murmur from Eve's room and put her mug down, pushing away from the side, "Coming, baby girl…" She pushed open the bedroom door, smiling when she saw Eve standing in her cot. She clapped her hands and held her arms in the air as Lauren approached her.

"Mamamamama…" she babbled.

"Morning, darling…" Lauren said softly, lifting her daughter into her arms. Eve gave her a sloppy kiss on her neck and Lauren giggled. "Shall we go and get you breakfast, baby?" she asked her softly, kissing the top of her head as she hugged her. She patted Eve's bottom and decided the nappy change could wait until after breakfast. She carried Eve into the kitchen and put her into her highchair. "What would you like today, Eve?" she asked as she put a bib onto her arms and tied it around the back of her neck.

Eve looked up at her, "cake!" she said, saying her favourite new word.

"Oh darling, we don't eat cake for breakfast…" she said, smiling as Eve looked up at her so innocently.

"Would you like porridge?" she asked, starting the game they played almost every day.

Eve shook her head from side to side, her ringlets bouncing around her head. "NO," she cried out.

"Would you like kippers?" she asked, screwing up her face in disgust because she knew Eve had no idea what kippers were. Eve still shook her head though, smiling up at her mummy. "Would you like jam on toast?" she asked, crouching down in front of her.

Eve nodded her head quickly, "pease…" she said and Lauren leant down, kissing her softly.

"Coming right up then, baby girl…" she said softly. She stood and put a couple of slices of bread into the toaster, pushing the button down to start it. She grabbed Eve's sippy cup from the draining board and filled it with some water, putting the lid on it and then placing it on the highchair tray for her daughter. Eve reached for it but Lauren moved it slightly out of her reach. "What do you say, baby girl?" she asked.

"Fanks mama…" she whispered.

"Good girl, baby…" she said, smiling at her daughter as she slid the cup back towards her. The toaster popped up a minute later and Lauren turned back to it, pulling out the toast and placing them on the side to cool slightly. As she got the jam out and waited for the toast to cool to a temperature that wouldn't burn her little mouth, Lauren thought back to last Christmas. It'd been their first one as husband and wife and also Eve's first. They'd planned originally to have a repeat of the previous year's Christmas run up but Lauren and Eve had both been struck down with flu a week before so they'd been forced to cancel it. In the end Christmas had been a bit of a washout. Both of the girls had still been poorly on Christmas day and Joey had to look after them both. They'd promised then that this Christmas would be better; it would be their best Christmas ever. She spread some jam on a slice of toast and cut it into small baby-size chunks. She lifted them and placed them on the tray in front of Eve.

"Fankoo…" Eve said, grabbing one of the pieces of toast and squishing it in her little fist before lifting it to her mouth and sucking on the end of it, grinning up at Lauren.

Lauren smiled back at her, "good girl…" she said softly. She turned back to the other slice of toast and put some spread and jam on it, cutting it in half and beginning to eat it. It was stone cold but over the last seventeen or so months Lauren had got used to eating her food that way. And she didn't care, she would do anything for her daughter… and her husband. She leant against the kitchen worktop as she ate her breakfast, watching her daughter suck on the toasted bread. If Lauren was lucky she'd eat some of it, she mainly just left the crusts but sometimes she ate those too. Lauren had settled into being a mummy so easily since Eve was born and she adored spending every day with her. Yes, she had to do some work but she had the flexibility to work from home and now that Eve was a little older she was able to entertain herself a little more. Anyway Lauren loved it and it never got boring because each day Eve seemed to pick up something new and Lauren loved all the time she spent with their daughter. She wished Joey got to spend more time with her than he did… with them both really but his time was being pulled away more and more, as he developed the club, trying to increase its profitability in the current tough climate.

"Gone…" Eve declared and Lauren turned her attention back to her. There was just a couple of chunks of crust left on the jam smeared tray. Eve was also wearing quite a lot of jam too as it was smeared all over her hands and face but Lauren didn't mind. The cheeky grin on her adorable little face was too cute to be annoyed with her. In fact she picked up her mobile phone and took a quick picture, firing it off to Joey. She grabbed a baby wipe and went to do some damage control, also wiping down the tray. Once Eve was a little cleaner Lauren opened the fridge and pulled out a small seedless Satsuma and a banana. She peeled the Satsuma, tearing apart the segments and putting them on the tray. Eve picked up one and popped it into her mouth, sucking it to death before she spat out what was left. Lauren peeled the banana as well, cutting it in half and beginning to eat some of it. The other half she cut into smaller chunks and then placed them with the Satsuma segments, retrieving some of the sucked pieces and discarding them.

It'd been her husband who'd brought up the plans for what to do for this year's Christmas. This time it was all his idea and Lauren couldn't say she didn't like it. There was two parts to the plan this time. The first part was for them both to spend the whole of Christmas Day with Eve, getting as many presents for her as they could afford, so they could spoil her and make the day special for her. It was just going to be the three of them for Christmas and Lauren was really looking forward to it. The other part of Joey's idea was for them to do special things for each other in the run up to the big day. Whereas two years ago they'd really thrown the boat out and had probably spent more money than they should've done, in an effort to try and ensure they impressed the other. This year would be different, this year ever spare penny was going towards Eve's Christmas, so instead they were going to do nice things for each other. Yes, some of the things Joey had suggested had been sexual… he'd said something about the two of them re-establishing the closeness of their relationship… which had naturally suffered a little since Eve was born. The last few months, since Eve had moved into her own room, things had got better but now they were going to make a more concerted effort to have some alone time together. They still both loved each other, that was clear to anyone, and the closeness between them was better now than it'd ever been but Lauren was looking forward to what the next couple of weeks would bring about. Tomorrow was the first day, much like it'd been two years ago and Joey was starting their tradition off this time. She wasn't sure what he had in mind but she was looking forward to finding out. All in all Lauren was definitely in the festive mood. It was most definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas for the home of Joey and Lauren Branning.

**AN: ****So there you go... that's the prologue over and done with. We both hope you enjoyed it... please send us a review and let us know what you thought... We're eagerly awaiting them... That's it for today, I'm afraid... you just need to come back tomorrow for another chart hit... Any ideas what song we could choose this time...?**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So here is the next chapter... written by me (74CrazyChick). The second one is called Baby It's Cold Outside... by Dean Martin... We hope you enjoy it...**

**Chapter One: Baby, It's Cold Outside.**

**Friday 14****th**** December 2018.**

Joey walked back to the flat after finishing work early for the day. His staff were running the bit of the bar that was open while the refurbishment was being done as they couldn't close completely at this time of year, it would be business suicide. One of his barmen was in charge of the whole club, with the builders also reporting any issues to him. This meant Joey could take the rest day off and he was looking forward to spending some time with his girls. He also had to give Lauren her first gift for their second twelve days of Christmas experience. He'd drawn the short straw this time… and had got the first day, although it wasn't a short straw really… not in his mind anyway.

He'd known this morning that Lauren was wondering what he had planned for the day and he hoped she liked her surprise. He slid his key into the lock of the door and opened it. He heard the quick footsteps of Eve as she heard him get home. "Dada…" she said, holding her arms in the air as she ran up to him.

"Hello baby…" he said, bending down and lifting her easily in his arms. "Where's mummy, eh?" he asked her. She pointed her arm towards the lounge and he walked them through to the main room in the flat. "Hey, babe…" he said, bending down to kiss the top of her head as she sat on the floor, tidying up Eve's toys that were strewn across the floor.

"You're home early…" she said.

"Managed to get the afternoon off… thought I'd come home and spend some time with my girls…" He looked at Eve and lowered his head to hers, blowing a raspberry against her cheek, making her giggle. "I saw your mum earlier…" he said, turning his attention back to his wife. "She said you should go to the salon and she'd do your hair for you…" he said.

"Are you saying I look a mess?" Lauren asked and Joey knew he was treading on sensitive ground.

"Far from it, babe… you know you always look gorgeous to me… it was your mum's idea. She said she had a gap in her clients this afternoon so she said you should head over there, as I'm home to look after this little one…" He looked down at Eve, smiling as he saw her head resting on his shoulder and she was watching her mummy intently as she sucked on her thumb, her teddy bear in the crook of her arm.

Lauren pushed herself to her feet, "I thought you wanted to spend time with both your girls…?" she said snarkily as she started to walk into the kitchen.

Joey grabbed her, pulling her against his body. "I do, Lauren… and I plan to… but I also think you deserve to have some time off… so take your mum up on her offer. Go, let her pamper you, maybe go for a drink or something with her at the Vic. I'll sort out dinner for Eve, bath her and put her to bed and then get our dinner ready for when you get home. As long as you're back here for half seven," he paused and kissed her softly. "Then when you're back, the two of us will have a nice evening together… just you and me…" He kissed her again, deeper this time and she moaned into his mouth.

"Okay, you win…" she said as she pulled her mouth from his.

"Don't I always?" he asked with a smirk. Lauren rolled her eyes and held her hands out towards Eve.

Joey passed their daughter over to her, "Now Eve, you need to be a good girl for daddy, okay?" Lauren said softly, "eat all your dinner, like a good girl… no messing around in the bath… and if you're a really good girl, daddy might read you a bedtime story…" Eve's face lit up at the word 'story' from her mummy. "Do you have a cuddle and a kiss for mummy before I go out?" Eve wrapped her arms around her mummy's neck, giving her one of her special hugs. Lauren squeezed her too, kissing the side of her head and then her face until she heard the little girl start to laugh. "Go and play with your dolls while mummy says goodbye to daddy, darling…" she said, lowering Eve to the floor and watching as she toddled off back into the lounge. She smiled internally as she heard the crate of toys she'd only just tidied away be tipped over once more. She saw the look of resignation on her husband's face and could no longer hide her smile. "Looks like you have tidying up to add to your long list of chores…" she teased him.

"Thanks babe…" he said.

"There's some tomato pasta sauce in the fridge that you can use for her tea and I've already made up her bottle, you just need to…"

"I have done this before, you know…" he reminded her softly. Her face flushed and she knew she was being too much. "Go and have a nice few hours with your mum. I'll call you if there are any problems but there won't be… Come back to me for seven thirty…"

"Okay…"

"Did you say something about saying goodbye to me…?" Joey hinted.

"I did…" she said, smiling at him. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him tenderly, winding an arm around his neck and holding him close. It was Joey's turn to moan as she brushed her tongue against his, her other hand brushing the side of his face.

"If you carry on like that, I'm not going to let you leave…" he breathed against her mouth, "And Eve will be in bed with no tea and no bath…"

"Then I'd better go, hadn't I?" She told him. "I'll see you later, Mr Branning…"

"You certainly will…" he said as she grabbed her coat and walked out of the flat.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren had been gone an hour and Joey was playing with Eve in the lounge. She was currently sitting on his back, gripping tightly onto his T-shirt as he moved around the room, playing horsey with his daughter. She was laughing hysterically, "More dada…" being shouted by her over and over. Joey was exhausted but Eve was showing no sign of being tired. She cried out "More dada," one more time but Joey stopped moving. He lowered himself to the floor, hearing another "More," being demanded.

"Daddy's too tired, Evie…" he said, reaching behind him and pulling her gently off his back. He rolled onto his side and pulled her towards him, "Let's have a daddy/Evie cuddle…" he said. She nodded her head as he pulled her into his chest and she wriggled against him to get comfortable. They lay on the floor for several minutes but then Eve pulled away from him and began to crawl over the floor. "Where are you going, Evie?" he asked her softly.

She rooted through her toy box and finally found what she was looking for. Putting it under her arm she got to her feet and walked back over to him. "Miter Pnk…" she said.

"Mr. Pink… what was he doing in your toybox, honey? He should be in your bed… keeping it warm for you when you go to bed tonight." Eve's arm tightened on her pink teddy bear as she looked down at her daddy. Joey glanced at the time. He needed to get started with everything he had to do. He sat up and then got to his feet. Eve was watching him carefully as he moved and she looked up at him as he towered over her. He lifted her in his arms and walked through to the kitchen. He put her carefully into her highchair and then placed a couple of toys on the tray in front of her so she was occupied while he went about doing what he needed to do. He looked in the fridge and found some mince that he was going to use later for the dinner he was going to be making. He also found the tomato pasta sauce so he grabbed some pasta out of a cupboard and soon put it in a pan to cook. He turned back to his daughter and smiled when he saw her playing with Mr Pink and some wooden blocks. She seemed pretty content. While she was occupied he moved through to the lounge, picking up the toys that'd been thrown on the floor and putting them back in her toybox. He lifted the heavy crate in his arms and carried it over to the side of the room, placing it back on the floor, the lid in place. He turned around and found the room looked pretty normal again. Let's just hope it stayed that way.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey poured the pasta sauce into the cooked and slightly cooled pasta. He stirred it into the sauce and then left it on the side, letting the pasta cool further but also warm up the sauce. While that was happening he turned his attention back to Eve, "Come on, sweetheart, Mr Pink has to go to bed now…"

"NO, DADA!" She shouted, hugging her pink bear against her chest.

"We don't want him to get messy, do we? Or he'll have to have a bath and then you won't be able to have him when you go to bed tonight…" he bartered. She loosened her grip and Joey prised the bear from her arms. He placed Mr Pink on the side and then picked up the bib, putting it on her arms and fastening it behind her. He picked up the bowl of pasta and took a little bit of it out of the bowl, eating it to ensure it wasn't too hot before he gave it to her. It was fine so he placed it on the tray in front of his daughter and she grabbed a piece of pasta in one hand. "Use your spoon, babe…" he said but she ignored him, shoving the pasta into her mouth and chewing it. Joey gave up trying to convince her to use a spoon, it wasn't that big an issue. They were still starting the whole introducing food to her and getting her used to textures and tastes. She sometimes used a fork or a spoon but they were happy for her to use her hands as well, as long as she ate the food, they could worry about table manners when she was a bit older. He smiled at her as she grabbed some more pasta and held it out to him. "You eat it, Evie… mummy and I will eat our dinner later…" She ate it, smiling at him as she chomped on her food.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

As was normally the case when Eve fed herself, she ended up covered in it but she was going to be having a bath very shortly anyway. He got as much of the sauce off her face and hands as he could before taking the bib off her too. He lifted her in his arms and carried her through to her bedroom. He put her on the changing table and carefully removed the clothes she was wearing, all the time talking to her. She lay there patiently, staring up at him as he stripped her down to her nappy. He then put her in her cot, leaving her to play once more with Mr Pink.

He walked into the bathroom and started to run the water, pouring in some bubble bath. It didn't take long for there to be enough water and he put her toys into the water, so they were ready for them to play with. He also got out a towel he could use once she was finished in the bath and placed it on the closed toilet seat. He walked back to her bedroom and lifted Eve once more out of her cot. She wasn't as compliant this time when he laid her on the changing table, wanting to play some more with her teddy bear rather than have her daddy take off her nappy. Fortunately for her daddy the nappy was a relatively clean one so her struggling didn't cause too much trouble.

He lifted her in his arms and carried her through to the bathroom. Her little face lit up when she saw the bubbles in the bath and he lowered her into it, kneeling beside the bath and placing a hand on her back to ensure he was close if she slipped. She started playing with the bubbles in the water and then she discovered the toys her daddy had put in the water. She spent quite a few minutes filling up cups with water and then pouring them back into the tub, laughing every time she managed to splash her daddy. Eve didn't like it very much when her daddy then washed her hair, instantly starting to cry and wriggle in his arms. "Baby girl, the more you struggle, the longer this takes… it won't get in your eyes, I promise…" Joey cajoled. She didn't listen, just wailing louder and trying to pull away from him. "Eve Branning… the more you fight me, the more chance there is of me getting the shampoo in your eyes…" he said but it fell on deaf ears. Joey had to persist though because he'd already put the shampoo in her hair. He hated it when she cried and she was certainly doing that now. His daughter and her mummy were the two people in the world that could wrap him around their little fingers if they cried so this was completely tearing at his heart. Eventually he was done and she was as clean as she was ever going to be. He lifted her in his arms, holding her above the water so some of the water would drip off her. She was still crying and finally he relented and stood her on the floor in front of him. He grabbed the towel and placed the hood of it on her head, wrapping the rest of it around her little body. He rubbed her gently to dry her and she stood stock still in front of him. She was watching his face, her crying gradually fading. He pulled his little baby cocoon towards him and cradled her in his arms. His thumb brushed her cheeks, wiping away her tears and she smiled at him. Joey got to his feet and carried her through to her bedroom. She was back on the changing mat and he dried the remainder of her body. He put a fresh nappy onto her and then dressed her in one of her onesies. He could see she was getting sleepy now but he was going to read her a bedtime story. She put her thumb in her mouth as her daddy lifted her in his arms, snuggling against his chest as he reached for Mr Pink. They sat in the rocking chair in the corner of the room and Joey took down one of her books from the shelf. She was currently into Spot the dog books but tonight he was going to read her a book about Christmas. Lauren had brought some a few weeks earlier and they were reading them to her so she would understand what was coming in the next couple of weeks. Some of the books were about the religious meaning behind Christmas and some of them were lighter fluffier stories. Tonight was one of the lighter stories as she was already nodding off. He started to read the book to her and after just five minutes she'd dropped off. He set aside the book and held her in his arms, watching her as she slept. He'd fallen in love with this tiny girl the first second he'd met her, in a similar way to her mother really but his love for Eve had never wavered which wasn't something that could be said about Lauren, regrettably. Eve was a completely different ball game, she'd captured his heart instantly, opening her eyes and seeming to stare up at him as he held her for the first time. In that moment he'd vowed he was going to be the best father he could be. He knew he was better than his own father but he also knew he could do more; he could be even better.

He lifted her in his arms, getting to his feet and walking over to the cot. He laid her gently on the mattress, making sure she had Mr Pink with her. He pulled the blanket up her body and leant on the side of the cot, watching her for a moment. He reached down to her, brushing some of her curls back from her face. If they were long enough he would tuck them behind her ear but her hair wasn't quite there yet. One day though… one day he would do that… because there was one thing he did know. He loved this little girl more than most other things in his life. In fact the only thing he loved more was her mummy.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked back to the flat, feeling pretty fantastic. Her mum had done a great job with her hair and she'd even done her nails afterwards, rather than go to the Vic. They'd had a chance to really talk to each other as well. Lauren told her about what she and Joey would be doing in the run up to Christmas. Her mum and brother had moved back to the square shortly before Eve was born and Lauren had been really grateful. She'd needed her mum those first few weeks, needing her support and knowledge. The first few days it'd been a real struggle for Lauren. As natural as it felt now to be a mother to Eve… those first couple of days it'd felt like she was a fish out of water. Her mum being there made it so much easier and Lauren could say for the first time in her life she felt closer to her than she ever had.

She opened the door to the flat and smiled as she smelt the most beautiful smell coming from her home. She took off her coat and hung it up, walking into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. Joey was stood with his back to her… and it was a breath-taking sight. "I don't know whether I want to eat whatever it is you're cooking… or to eat you…" Lauren whispered, clearly surprising her husband as he spun round to face her.

"After the effort I've put into this, you're eating this dinner…" he said, glaring at her, "I may let you eat me for dessert…" he added with a small smile.

"So is this the dress code for tonight?" she asked coyly, glancing down at the apron that was apparently the only thing he was currently wearing.

"You can wear whatever you like, babe…" he told her. "I'd better get on with dinner…" he said, turning around and resuming what he'd been doing when she came in. Lauren stood there for a good two minutes, admiring the view when her thoughts were interrupted, "Can you check on Eve as well?" he said suddenly.

"Was she good tonight?" Lauren asked as she walked across the room.

"Good as gold… she put up a bit of a fight in the bath when I washed her hair but was okay otherwise…"

Lauren looked back at him over her shoulder, "She always gets like that… Mum says she'll grow out of it…" She walked to Eve's room and opened the door. She smiled as she saw the nightlight with stars shining around the walls and ceiling. She also smiled when she saw that Joey had left on the fairy lights that hung from the wall. The same fairy lights he'd decorated their room with two years ago. Her room looked beautiful and it also enabled her to check on Eve without turning on the lights. She peered into the cot, smiling as she saw her little girl hugging Mr Pink tightly under one arm. She was completely zonked out, lying on her front, her bottom sticking up in the air which seemed to be how she liked to sleep. Lauren doubted she'd wake until the morning. She rested her hand on Eve's back, reassuring herself that she was still breathing and then walked back out of the room, closing the door softly behind her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was sitting at the table in the kitchen, drinking a glass of orange juice as she watched Joey serve up their dinner. "I hope you're being careful… and aren't burning yourself, Joe…" she said, smirking when she saw him roll his eyes at her words. "I'm serious… burns to… sensitive parts of your anatomy… could be difficult to explain."

He looked at her, "Firstly there will be no burns in any areas… sensitive or otherwise… because I'm wearing the apron…" he told her pointedly. He picked up their plates and walked over to the table, "and secondly, I'm pretty sure I have my own nurse who'd take care of any difficult to explain injuries… and there wouldn't be any need for me to have to explain them…" he said as he put the plates on the table. He sat down on his chair, smirking at her as he saw the look of disappointment on her face. "What?" he asked unnecessarily.

"I was kind of hoping you'd be taking the apron off now you've finished cooking…" she said, picking up her cutlery and looking down at her plate.

"And have you ogling me all night while I sit here, innocently eating my dinner?" he asked her, lifting his fork to his mouth.

"Joe, there is nothing vaguely innocent about you… you're pure wanton desire with one simple look… and I'm still going to ogle you, even if you're wearing the apron…" she said, smiling at him.

"Just eat your dinner, babe…" he told her gently.

They ate in silence for several minutes. Lauren had to admit the lasagne he'd made was fantastic and she promised herself she would reward him for his hard work very, very soon. "Can you get me another drink?" she asked him. He looked up at her, seeing the attempt at an innocent look on her face. He knew what she was up to but he didn't pull her up on it. Instead he got up and walked over to the fridge, pulling out the carton of orange juice and carrying it back over to the table. She watched him as he topped up her glass. He put the carton back in the fridge and turned back to face her, smirking when he realised where she'd been looking. He moved back to sit at the table and started to eat once more. He noticed that Lauren had finished her dinner and was sipping on her juice. She was staring at him and he had to admit he was finding it difficult to concentrate under her perusal. He literally jumped out of his skin when she made her next move, the innocence on her face perfected this time. He tried to maintain his composure but the way her foot was caressing his cock beneath the apron he was still wearing made it very difficult.

"Babe, please…"

"What, Joe?" she asked him softly.

"You're pushing me…"

"I thought you said I could have you for dessert?" she asked him. She glanced down at her plate, "I've finished my dinner and I'm still hungry…" she whispered. Her toes caressed his length even more and Joey gave up the pretence of not being affected. He dropped his cutlery on his plate, with a clatter and pushed back his chair. She frowned as her foot dropped once more to the floor. He stood up and reached behind him, undoing the apron and lifting it over his head, dropping it to the floor. He stepped to her side, holding out his hand towards her. Lauren took it and let him pull her to her feet. He strode across the room, pulling her behind him. He opened the door to their room and tugged her inside.

"What about the dishes?" Lauren asked.

"Fuck the dishes…" he growled as he shut the door and pushed her back against it, kissing her passionately as he ground his rigid cock against her body.

"I'd much rather you fucked me…" she whispered.

Joey smiled at her, "That can be arranged…" he told her, lifting her in his arms and carrying her over to the bed. Lauren giggled as he dropped her on the bed. He stood before her and she gazed up at him in adoration. "I love you, Mrs Branning…" he told her.

"And I love you… more than I thought I ever could…" she whispered. "Now will you please get down here and do what you just said you would…" she pleaded with him.

Joey climbed onto the bed, his hand brushing up her body. "You're overdressed…" he told her.

"Undo my dress…" She breathed. Joey reached behind her and slowly slid the zip down. He was surprised when he discovered she was wearing nothing else except for the dress.

"How did that escape my notice?" he asked her.

"Does it matter?" she asked him as she wriggled free of the garment.

Joey reached for a condom and quickly rolled it onto his length. Lauren moved back towards him and he quickly thrust into her body. They stilled, both breathing deeply for several seconds. Joey moved slowly above her, slowly making love to his beautiful wife, despite his earlier words. Lauren clung to him tightly, relishing every move he made. It seemed to take forever but eventually they both came together, kissing each other tenderly as they moaned through their peaks. "Happy first day of Christmas, babe…" he said softly, pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She smiled at him brightly, her whole face lighting up at his words and actions.

She pressed her lips against the inside of his wrist. "May we have many more…" she breathed.

**AN: Well I think Joey and Lauren both enjoyed their day... Eastendersfan444 and I hope you liked this chapter. Isn't Eve a little cutie? So adorable and her parents clearly dote on her... Back tomorrow with another hit... Don't forget to send a review and let us know what you thought... maybe you could have a guess at what the next chapter's song might be...? xx**


	4. All I want for Christmas is You

**Chapter Two: ****All I Want For Christmas Is You.**

**Saturday 15th December 2018**

Joey had had a busy and stressful day at the club and all he wanted to do when he got from home from work was have a long hot shower and play with Eve for a little while before she had to go to bed. And then he wanted to sit down in front of the TV with a beer or three and just relax. Throw in a takeaway and Joey would be a very happy man. He really wasn't in the mood for talking or being pleasant to anyone. He'd been doing that all day to various dim-witted morons who'd been at the club. All he was doing was having the bar changed slightly. Yet you'd think he was asking for the Taj Mahal to be built. The sketches he had were pretty straight forward and he couldn't understand why people were making such a pig's ear of it. It was too late to call the whole thing off as some of the remodelling work was already in progress. He blamed Lauren for the current mess the club was in and also the bad mood he was in. She was the one who'd talked to him into remodelling the club in the first place. Bring it into the 21st Century, was what she'd said. She'd taken the time to draw up some sketches to show him how the bar could look and he'd been blown away by her ideas. Now, however, he was severely pissed off. It was far more hassle than he'd expected it to be. Hassle he didn't need.

He walked towards the flat, his keys ready in his hand. He unlocked the door and stepped inside. He could the sound of splashing water coming from the bathroom as he shut the door and his mood grew darker. Lauren was probably bathing Eve and he wanted to have a shower. Dropping his keys in the dish by the door with a sigh, he took off his coat and hung it on the peg. He walked through to the kitchen and opened the fridge looking for a beer. He pulled one out and twisted the lid off, and took a long drink, almost finishing the beer in one go. He walked into the bedroom and saw a large gift wrapped box sitting in the middle of the bed. He sighed, he'd forgotten this was the second day of the Twelve days of Christmas gifts. If he was being truthful he wasn't really in the mood. He changed out of his suit and walked back to the lounge and sat down on the sofa. He picked up the remote control and turned on the TV, flicking through the channels until he found some sport. He settled back on the sofa, taking another drink of beer.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

He'd just started to relax when a he heard a giggle followed by little footsteps padding into the room. 'EVE BRANNING! Get back here!' Lauren called out, her voice sounded a little strained.

'NO!' Eve's little voice shouted back. Joey put the beer down on the table as a very wet and naked little girl ran into the room 'DADA! DADA UP!' she giggled urgently.

'You're all wet, Princess' Joey smiled as he scooped his daughter into his arms and onto his lap, not caring that she was soaking wet.

'I's baffed' Eve told him.

'So I see. You're very clean and you smell…' He leaned closer to her and sniffed her '…good enough to eat and daddy's hungry!' he licked his lips and pretended he was going to eat her. She squealed loudly.

'TOP DADA! TOP DADA! MAMA! MAMA! ELP EVIE!' she giggled and squealed as Lauren came into the room with a large towel.

'Joey!' Lauren frowned at her husband 'don't get her worked up, she needs to go to bed in a minute' her tone was a little snappish. Joey looked up at his wife and saw she looked more than a little frayed around the edges.

'I'll put her to bed' Joey told her. He stood up with Eve and took the towel from Lauren, wrapping it around his daughter. Lauren stroked her daughter's wet hair and smiled at her.

'Night night baby girl' she whispered and pressed her lips softly against Eve's cheek. 'Sweet dreams'

'Night mama' Eve whispered softly as she put her thumb in her mouth and lay her head on Joey's shoulder.

'Is everything okay?' Joey asked her before he left the room.

'Nothing a beer wouldn't solve' Lauren muttered as she went into the kitchen. Joey watched her go, a worried look on his face.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Half an hour later Joey came back from putting their daughter to bed 'she's asleep, finally' he said as he walked into the kitchen. 'I had to read the story to her three times'

'Oh, thank god' Lauren exhaled in relief. 'She wouldn't take a nap this afternoon and she's been running around like the energiser bunny all day and I haven't had time to even think about dinner let alone cook it' she told him. 'I'm sorry. I know you've been working hard all day' she apologised to him.

'And you haven't?' he asked her 'why don't we have a takeaway?' he suggested, Lauren looked up at him and nodded her head.

'A takeaway sounds nice' she replied, relieved she wasn't going to have to turn around and prepare a meal for the two of them.

'You've had a bad day?' Joey asked, putting his hand on her waist as his earlier anger towards her faded.

'Yeah, you could say that' Lauren replied, nodding her head. She rested her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around him.

'You and me both' Joey said 'those bloody builders at the club are doing my head in. They're completely fucking up the renovations' he told her.

'They are?' Lauren asked him in surprise. 'They're pretty basic designs' she said 'what are they doing wrong?' she looked up at him.

'I think the better question is what aren't they doing wrong?' he told her, rubbing his hands over his face with a sigh.

'I'm sorry' she said with a frown 'I know you weren't really all that into the idea of refurbishing the bar. I shouldn't have talked you into it' she told him, feeling a little guilty she was responsible for her husband's stress.

'Talked me into it?' Joey looked at her questioningly. 'Is that what you're calling it now?' he asked her raising his eyebrows 'because I think you'll find stunning me speechless with your very sexy body and seducing me with your womanly charms and then suggesting the idea whilst I was enjoying post coital bliss is a more accurate description of what you did' he told her with a smile, slipping his hand around her waist and pulling her against him again. 'Either way, I agreed to refurbish the bar. I alone am responsible for the tossers I hired to do the job. Tossers that may well be sacked tomorrow' he added with a frown. 'I don't know about you but I could use a nice hot relaxing bath' he told her softly. 'I'll order the takeaway whilst you run one?' he suggested. 'And then you can tell me why your day has been so bad?' he asked her. 'How does that sound Mrs. Branning?'

'That sounds perfect. You have a deal Mr. Branning' Lauren replied standing on her tiptoes to give him a firm but brief kiss. He slapped her lightly on the bottom as she moved away from him.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey kissed Lauren's neck as they lay together in the bath 'so why was your day so bad?' he asked her. Lauren sighed and he felt the tension return to her body.

'My boss threatened to fire me if I didn't start spending at least two days in the office' Lauren told him. 'She was a complete cow. She knows I have Eve to take care of now but she was insistent that I put her into day care or nursery for two days'

'She can't do that' Joey said with a frown 'can she?'

'No, she can't tell me what to do with Eve but she says that two days a week in the office was in the contract that I signed. She says I have to be available to meet with authors and discuss the illustrations for their books. But when I think about it I'm sure it was only one a day a week. I've looked for my copy of the contract but, as you know, my office is not the most tidiest room in the house and with an 18 month old running around demanding attention...' she trailed off. 'Oh! And she said one of the authors told her I did the complete opposite of what we agreed on the illustrations for one of her books and she refuses to pay'

'Did you?' he asked her.

'No! Of course not' Lauren frowned, turning her head slightly to look at him. 'At least I don't think so' she said with a sigh. 'I don't know. It was one of the books I was working on about 6 months ago' she said 'I have a copy of the story boards and the notes I made somewhere in my office but…'

Joey smiled, kissing her neck 'I think someone needs to do some tidying and filing' he told her.

'I know' she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder.

'Maybe you should quit the publishers' Joey told her 'we're doing okay at the club. Or here's another idea, you could try being self-employed if you wanted to. I bet there's a lot of authors that have to pay a huge commission going through the publishing house to get you to illustrate their books, you'd have loads of clients. You could work from home, once you've tided your office that is' he teased her with a smile.

'You'd be okay with that?' Lauren asked him, a little surprised that he'd suggested it.

'Of course I would' Joey told her 'If it makes you happy then I would be more than okay with it' he kissed her neck again.

'How did I ever end up with you?' Lauren turned her head so she could look at her husband.

'You were just very, very lucky' he grinned at her. Lauren giggled as she reached up to kiss him.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After they'd eaten, Lauren cleared up the takeaway boxes and put them on the side to go into the fridge once they'd cooled down. She walked back into the lounge and towards Joey. 'Do you want your gift now?' she asked him.

Joey remembered the large box on the bed and nodded his head 'Yes please' he said. Lauren held her hands out to him and he slid his much larger ones into hers. She turned around once he was on his feet and she led him into the bedroom. Joey watched as Lauren slid onto the bed and pushed the box towards him. He saw the excitement on her face and he sat down and pulled the ribbon, untying the bow she'd tied on the box. Joey lifted the lid and when he looked inside he saw a camera.

'I thought we weren't going to spend money on expensive gifts' he said to her, a little angrily as he peered inside the box.

'I didn't spend anything' Lauren said quickly as she heard the hint of anger in his voice 'this is my camera. I'm just lending it to you' she told him. Joey frowned, looking at Lauren clearly confused as to what he was meant to do with it. 'I thought…I thought…' He watched as her face turned pink and then bright red. 'I thought you could take some pictures of me…pictures only you would get to see…' she explained 'some sexy ones…'

Joey's face lit up 'naked ones?' he asked her hopefully.

'Maybe' she worried her bottom lip with her teeth.

'When can I take them?' he asked her 'Evie's sound asleep' he looked at Lauren expectantly, hopefully. 'Can we take them now?'

Lauren nodded her head 'if you want to, I just need to go to the bathroom first' she told him. 'Why don't you have a think about if you want me to wear anything…special for you' she leant across the box and kissed him softly before climbing off the bed and exiting the room. Joey grinned, this was one of the best presents she'd ever given him by far…it was up there with the Five gold Rings and 9 Ladies Dancing gifts from a couple of years ago, the first time they'd done the 12 days gifts…actually the more he thought about it all of Lauren's gifts had been amazing…well apart from the seven swans a swimming, that had lacked a certain something. He got up and walked to her bedside table, flicked on the baby monitor so they could hear if Eve woke up (which he prayed to god wouldn't happen). Opening the drawer he searched for the items he was looking for, giving a little "whoop" of joy as he found them. He lay them down on the bed and he stripped off his t-shirt and socks and then unbuttoned his jeans, slipping them off as well as his underwear, before pulling his jeans back on again. He'd just finished re-buttoning them when Lauren came into the room.

'I checked on Eve too, she's fast asleep, cuddling Mr Pink ' she told him as she looked down at the bed, a small smile spread across her face as she saw the pink baby doll nightie and matching thong she'd worn for him 'Oh you've chosen that little outfit have you?' she asked him. Joey nodded his head enthusiastically 'I'm not sure it's going to fit me now…I've had a baby you know' she reminded him, a little self-consciously.

'It will' he told her softly. 'Will you put it on for me?' he asked her.

Lauren scooped the scant fabric into her hands 'Turn around then' she said as she realised Joey was staring at her.

'I have seen you naked before' he replied.

'Turn around' she repeated firmly. Joey rolled his eyes, turning to face the window. He peered out at the square. The sky was clear and the stars were bright in the sky. All that was missing were the lights that usually hung around the square. Next year he was going to make sure the Council put them up. He wanted Eve to see how beautiful the square could look at Christmas. He was lost in his thoughts when he heard a soft voice behind him. 'I'm ready' Lauren whispered, he heard a little anxiety in her voice and he turned to look at her. The sight of her took his breath away just like it did when she wore this for him two years earlier.

'Wow…you look amazing' he whispered to her. He stared at her for a long time before he reached for the camera and hooked the cord around his neck, he smiled at her 'Ready baby?' he asked her. He took a few pictures of her looking at him awkwardly and then she smiled at him. She posed for him and Joey encouraged her to do more. She turned her back on him and turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. 'That's really great, babe' Joey told her, 'very sexy'

Lauren's initial awkwardness seemed to wear off as she posed more and more for her husband. She climbed onto the bed and moved to her hands and knees giving him an ample view of her cleavage. She grew more confident as she heard the click of the camera and the husky words of encouragement from her husband. She turned her back to Joey and pulled the baby doll dress over her head and peeked at him shyly over her shoulder again. Joey smiled, she was truly an amazing woman. Lauren turned on the bed, her arms crossed as she covered each breast with her hands. She flashed him with a giggle and Joey laughed with her. Joey continued to take picture after picture until she was completely naked. She lay across the bed with the baby doll nightie covering her intimate areas. Joey stood over her on the bed as he took more and more pictures. She really was a very sexy woman. And she was all his. 'Ready for the big finale?' Lauren asked him. Joey nodded his head and Lauren pulled the nightie away from her body and dropped it on the floor. Joey's groin tightened and he groaned softly.

'You're so beautiful, Lauren' he whispered 'so beautiful' he licked his lips 'are you sure you're okay for me to take this picture?' he asked her.

'Yes' she replied in a soft whisper. Joey pressed the button on the camera a couple of times and then put the camera down on the bed. Lauren watched as he undid his jeans and slipped them off, his impressive erection catching her eye. 'Something tells me you enjoyed that?' she said with a smile.

'I really did' he replied, nodding his head. 'I can't wait to develop the pictures' he smiled at her as he lay down beside her on the bed.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The camera lay on the bed, forgotten. The discarded condom wrapper lay beside it. Joey gazed at his wife's naked body, you really couldn't tell by looking at her that she'd had a baby 18 months prior. She looked just as slender now as she did before. 'You're so beautiful' he repeated in a soft whisper as he bent his head to press a soft kiss to her belly button as he moved over her. One of his hands trailed up her leg, starting at the ankle, feeling the soft silky smoothness of the skin beneath, he hooked her leg over his hip and thrust his hips forwards.

'AH! JOE!' Lauren cried out as he entered her swiftly.

'Ssh…you'll wake the baby' he murmured close to her ear as he withdrew to the tip and thrust inside her again with equal force. He moved again and again and they both groaned as he brought them to the heights of pleasure. She erupted around him like a fire cracker, her walls clenching around his cock tightly, he buried his face in the crook of her neck as his orgasm raced through him.

The only sound in the room was the sound of their rapid breathing and a slight snuffling noise from the baby monitor as Eve murmured in her sleep. Joey raised himself up onto his arms and looked down at her 'I love you, Lauren. You know that right?' he asked her.

'I do. I love you too, Joe' she replied pulling him down into a kiss.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

'Happy second day of Christmas, babe' Lauren whispered as she closed her eyes.

'Yes…Yes it was' came his reply. 'Thank you Mrs. Branning' He whispered. Lauren opened her eyes to gaze into his.

'You're welcome, Mr. Branning' she whispered back.

**AN: Well…I think Joey loved the gift his wife gave him. His very own private sexy photo shoot! That has to be a pretty great gift right? And Joey's having the club redesigned thanks to his very talented wife. I think it's safe to say that they're both feeling relaxed and de-stressed now! And Evie is just so super cute! Guess what…. She gets even cuter! Leave us a review and let us know what you think….back tomorrow with another chapter from 74Crazychick… **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: ****So here is the third chapter of A Christmas Story and today's chapter is inspired by the song "Merry Christmas Darling"... by The Carpenters... such a beautiful song and this one is written by me (74CrazyChick) again. We really hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter Three: Merry Christmas Darling.**

**Sunday 16****th**** December 2018.**

Joey woke, smiling as he realised Lauren was still lying in his arms. It wasn't often they got to have a lie in… but it seemed today was the day for it. Usually they both had to get up so they could get on with their days, with himself rushing off to the club and Lauren either sorting out Eve or catching up on her work while Eve still slept. Eve was, unlike her parents, usually an early riser. Today she seemed to have slept in though… and despite this fact and that he was really comfortable holding his wife in his arms, there was a little voice at the back of his head that was concerned. He moved Lauren off his body and she rolled away from him, taking the duvet with her.

Joey slid out of the bed and padded across the room, grabbing some Christmas boxers Lauren had got him the previous year and slipping them on. He quietly made his way to Eve's room, turning off the nightlights and fairy lights before peering into her cot. He smiled as he saw her staring up at him, "Morning Evie… have you just woke up?" he asked her. He lifted her out of the cot and she curled into his body, much like her mummy was prone to doing. "Are you still tired, baby?" he asked her softly. Her head was resting on his shoulder and she was sucking her thumb, her fingers brushing his skin softly as her hand opened and closed. "Let's just change that stinky nappy, shall we?" Joey whispered as he got a whiff emanating from her bottom. He changed it efficiently, having had plenty of practice in the months since she'd been born. He'd tried to ensure he was as involved in raising Eve as he could possibly be and while it'd become increasingly hard over the last few months, with the re-development of R&amp;R's taking up much more of his time than he'd have liked it to, he still made an effort as best he could. Once she was in a clean nappy he didn't bother re-dressing her, instead picking her up in his arms and carrying her over to the rocking chair.

He sat in the chair, Eve lying sleepily against his chest. He brushed his hand up and down her back, hearing her sigh softly. Her eyes were fluttering shut already and he was sure she was going to fall asleep for another hour or so… maybe she was more like her mother than they'd realised. He sat there for a while, cuddling her against his naked chest and feeling her body heat ebbing through his skin. Once he was certain she was sound asleep he got to his feet and carried her through to their bedroom, climbing back into the bed and lying Eve on his chest. Her thumb had slipped out of her mouth now and she was sprawled on his body, dribbling slightly as she snored softly.

Joey pulled the duvet up his body, tugging it away from Lauren, to her disgust. She rolled back over towards him and pressed her body against his side. Joey smiled, suddenly having both the loves of his life in his arms. He couldn't be happier than he was in that moment.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey was still awake an hour and a half later when Eve woke for a second time. She was a little noisier this time, clearly hungry and she began to cry. "Ssh, sweetheart…" Joey said softly but it was too late, Lauren was waking too.

She opened her eyes, staring at her crying daughter, "Morning little one…" she breathed with a smile, moving her head forward and kissing Eve on the mouth. She brushed away the tears on her flushed face and it seemed to have done the trick, pausing her crying for a few seconds.

"I was thinking that the three of us could go out this morning…" Joey said softly.

"Where were you thinking?" Lauren asked, pulling Eve over towards her and sitting her daughter on her chest.

"How about we go swimming…?" Joey suggested, turning on his side, running his fingers through Eve's hair. "Would you like to go swim swim, Evie…"

"Joe, her name is Eve… not Evie…" Lauren scolded him.

"She likes me calling her that… don't you, Evie…?"

"Joe…" Lauren warned him.

"I don't know what your problem with it is… you call me Joe…"

"It's easier to say than Joey…" Lauren said. "You can't get any easier to say than Eve…"

"She likes it, babe…" Joey brushed a finger down the side of Eve's face. "You like it when I call you Evie, don't you, baby girl?" She gave him a beautiful smile as he spoke to her and that was confirmation enough for him. "See…?" he said.

Lauren rolled her eyes but didn't say any more about it, knowing she was fighting a losing battle. "So swimming?"

"Why not?" Joey said, "It's something we can all do together and you know Eve really loves it…"

"Okay…" Lauren said. She sat up, taking Eve with her, "Let's go and get ready then, shall we, baby?" Eve gurgled and giggled as they left the room and Joey smiled as he heard the two of them in Eve's room. He lay on the bed with his hands behind his head, wondering what he'd done to deserve being so happy.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey and Lauren left the house, Joey pushing the pushchair as they made their way through the square. They were heading for the tube station so they could go to the nearest swimming pool, two stops away. Eve was talking to herself, Mr Pink having been left at home so she didn't lose him… and he didn't end up taking an impromptu swim. It didn't take them too long to get to the pool and once Joey had paid, the three of them split up to go through to the changing rooms. Joey was already at the pool side when Lauren carried Eve out from the changing room. Eve was wearing a swimming nappy and Lauren smiled when she saw Joey holding Eve's little pink, dotty float suit. Eve liked swimming very much, she liked being in the water… the only thing she didn't like was being put in her suit. She put up a real struggle and it was definitely a two-parent job to put it on her. She walked over to Joey, "How do you want to do this?" she asked him.

"Same as normal. You hold her and I'll put this on her…"

"Are the floats in it?"

"Of course…" he said with a smile, "Got to make sure my little princess doesn't drown, right?" He bent down and blew a raspberry against Eve's tummy. She laughed really loudly so he did it again, putting one of her feet into the suit as he did so.

"No, dada…" she said, the giggling stopping quickly as she realised what he was doing.

"Be good for daddy, Evie… then we can go in the pool…" Eve was wriggling in Lauren's arms now and as Joey got her other foot into the suit he took their struggling child off her, walking over to a nearby bench and sitting on it. Lauren trailed after him, very familiar with the routine they had to go through now. She didn't understand what it was that Eve hated about the swimsuit but she always fought them really badly. Lauren was looking forward to the day when Eve could swim on her own and wouldn't need the security of the floats in the suit anymore. Joey held Eve as Lauren then took over trying to manoeuvre the swim suit onto her body. Joey was fortunately able to hold her relatively still but her feet were putting up a great deal of fight and Lauren saw her husband wince a couple of times as a little foot struck a more delicate part of his body. Finally the swim suit was on and the two parents carried their calmer child over to the baby pool.

The pool was a little quieter today, Lauren guessing that in the run up to Christmas other things became more important on the calendar than taking little children swimming. Joey carried Eve in his arms as they both walked into the pool and as Eve got closer to the water she got more excited. Joey smiled down at her as she started to kick her legs in the water. He lowered her gently into the pool, crouching down so the water came over his shoulders. Lauren stood in front of them both... about three feet away from them, holding her hands out towards Eve. Joey let go of Eve, watching as she began to paddle away, sinking slightly in the water. He remembered the first time they'd done this and how they'd both panicked when Eve's face had completely submerged under the water. They'd grabbed her out of the water, hugging her against them. It turned out Eve was perfectly fine and it was only when they'd pulled her out of the water sharply and began to fuss around her that she started to get upset. Lauren had asked one of the other mothers about it from a group she'd been going to and they'd discovered that swimming under water came naturally to babies as they'd done it for nine months when they were still in the womb. It was still pretty frightening to watch Eve as she did it... and one day they were sure she'd lose the confidence to do this... but for now, they were happy to let her go ahead, loving that she got so excited by it and seemed to be a natural. It wasn't very long before Eve had reached her mummy and Lauren cradled her in her arms, kissing her forehead gently. "Who's our clever little girl, eh?" she said softly, smiling at Joey when she glanced at him.

Joey stood in the middle of the pool, watching his two girls interact with each other. Eve's face was shining as she looked up at her mummy. Lauren put her hand under Eve's tummy and they both watched as their little girl kicked her legs, propelling herself in the water with just a little support from her mum. She got a little closer to Joey and he saw the look on her face, almost determination except she was far too young to know what that was. She kicked her legs harder, pushing herself through the water and Joey held his arms out towards her, ready in case she started struggling. Suddenly she was in his arms and he lifted her out of the water. "Well done, Evie…" he said and she giggled. He moved in the water so he was floating on his back, sitting Eve on his stomach.

She moved tentatively on his chest, leaning forward and kissing him softly on his mouth, "Luvoo, dada…"

"I love you too, Evie…" he told her gently.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren and Joey made their way out of the building, Lauren was pushing Eve in her pushchair this time and Eve was already fast asleep as she'd expelled all her energy in the pool. "I need to pop out and get a few bits, baby girl," Joey said, his arm winding around Lauren's waist. "I won't be long, I'll meet you back at home…"

"Eve and I can come with you…" she said.

Joey paused, "I'm getting you some things for Christmas…" he told her as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Oh, okay…" she said, "Don't spend too much, okay? Remember, we're supposed to be making it a special day for Eve…"

Joey stopped Lauren, stepping closer to her and kissing her softly, "And we will, babe…" he whispered, "but that doesn't mean I can't spoil my other girl too… just a little bit…" He kissed her again, bending down after pulling away and brushing his fingers through Eve's hair. Lauren smiled as she saw him brushing a curl off her face.

"She loves you too, Joe…" Lauren told him softly. Joey glanced up at her, smiling as he did so.

"I'll see you soon…" he said softly, standing and watching as she walked away with Eve. He turned and headed in the opposite direction, pushing his hands into his pockets and keeping his head down.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

It was a couple of hours before Joey returned to the flat and when he walked into the flat he found Lauren and Eve both asleep on the sofa. He smiled and moved quietly into the bedroom and hid his purchases. He'd brought her a few things for Christmas but his main purchase had been for later that evening. He made his way back into the lounge, leaning gently on the back of the sofa and looking down at his two girls. Every time he didn't think he could love them anymore, there was a moment and his feelings for them grew stronger. He stood again and went into the kitchen, starting to get things ready for dinner that evening.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"I should fall asleep in the afternoon more often…" Lauren said, startling Joey.

He turned to look at her and saw she was carrying Eve in her arms. "Did the two of you have a nice sleep?"

"We did, didn't we, eh?" Lauren said to Eve and Eve nodded her head. "What are you making for dinner?"

"Just a pie from your mum and some potatoes and veg…" Joey said, "and Evie is going to have beans on toast," he added.

"Sounds like daddy has got it all sorted out, Eve…" Lauren whispered. "Shall we go and play until your tea is ready?" she said and Eve smiled at her, her whole face lighting up. They walked back into the lounge and Joey could soon hear them building stacks of blocks on the floor.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Eve was sitting in her highchair in the kitchen. Joey placed her dinner on the tray in front of her and he put the cutlery near her hands. She picked up the fork and held it out in her hand towards her mummy, "Do you want me to feed you, Eve?" Lauren asked.

"Pease, mama…"

"Okay, baby girl…" Lauren said, scooping up some beans on the fork. Eve ate all of her dinner, Lauren feeding her each mouthful and she could see their little girl was tired. "Eve and I are going to have a bath when we're done here, Joe… and then maybe the two of us can put her to bed…" Lauren said softly.

"We could have an early night too… if you wanted…?" Joey said, leaning on the kitchen worktop and watching the two of them.

"Sure…" Lauren said, pulling the tray off the highchair and wiping Eve down. She lifted her from the chair, "I'll give you a call once we're done. Can you get her bottle ready, Joe?"

"Of course…" he said. "Are you sure you don't need a hand with anything?" he asked, smirking at her.

"I think we'll manage…" she told him.

"You know where I am if you realise you need help…" he told her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey took the bottle into Eve's room, smiling as he saw Lauren and Eve both bundled up in towels. "Why don't I get Eve dressed in her jim jams while you go and dry yourself…? By the time you're done she'll be ready for her bottle." Lauren nodded and passed Eve over to him. "Hello Evie… did you have a nice bath with mummy?" he asked her as he put her on the changing mat, patting the towel gently over her body to dry her. He put a nappy on her and then dressed her in her pyjamas. She was pretty much asleep already, her eyes drifting closed every few seconds. Lauren reappeared and placed the tip of the bottle at Eve's mouth. She began to drink it quickly, all the time falling further to sleep. "It still amazes me when she does that…" Joey whispered. Lauren pulled the bottle free and Joey picked Eve up, gently lowering her into the cot. He tucked her into the bed, making sure Mr Pink was in her arms and then Lauren passed him the bottle and he gave Eve the rest of her bottle.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey and Lauren made their way quietly out of Eve's room. "I'll go and serve up dinner," Lauren said, "and I'll put the bottles in the steriliser…" she said.

"I can do that while you'd sorting the dinner…" he said. They did as they'd said and then five or so minutes later they sat at the table and ate their dinner.

"The food was amazing, Joe." Lauren said, pushing her empty plate away.

Joey shrugged, "It was nothing… all I did was heat a pie your mum gave us and prep some vegetables. It's hardly dinner at Scarlett's…"

Lauren leant her elbows on the table, her chin on a hand. She reached across the table, lacing her fingers through his, "So what is it?"

"What's what?" he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

"My present for today…?" she asked.

His smile grew. "I got it earlier…" he told her. "Do you want me to go and get it?" She shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, although she didn't quite pull it off. He chuckled and got to his feet, "I'll go and get it…" He disappeared from the kitchen but was back again after a few minutes. He placed a small black carrier bag on the table in front of her.

Lauren looked at him and then peered inside the bag. "What is it?"

"What does it look like?" he asked.

"Chocolate willies… a willie shaped lollipop… and what looks like a candy bead bracelet, like you used to be able to get when I was younger…"

Joey smiled, "It's an edible G-string." He told her.

"What did you get these for?"

"I thought it would be fun… something different, you know…"

"Chocolate willies?" she asked, quirking her eyebrow at him. Joey shrugged. "Joe, these are nice… and maybe we can try them… some time…" she told him. She reached across the table for his hand, squeezing his fingers, "but not tonight…" she said softly. Joey frowned, not sure why she was saying no. "You see the only cock I want it my mouth tonight… is the real thing… not a chocolate substitute…"

"There's chocolate sauce in the bag too…"

"Another time…" she whispered. She got to her feet, leaving the bag on the table as she tugged on his hand. She pulled him behind her as she walked through to their bedroom. His suggestion of an early night was very appealing to her right now. "Ready for dessert, Joe?" she asked him as she walked backwards through the bedroom door.

"Maybe…" he told her.

"Me too…" She breathed, pulling him close and in for a kiss.

"Merry Christmas, darling…" he breathed against her mouth, "Happy third day of Christmas." He added. "Now did you say something about my cock and your mouth…?" Lauren smiled, pulling away from him and dropping to her knees.

**AN: ****AN: So the small moment between Joey and Eve with her snuggled up against Joey's naked chest is purely there for Eastendersfan444... it made her very happy. They all had a nice family day again and from the sound of it, Joey and Lauren are about to have a great evening too... away from our prying eyes unfortunately. Don't forget to send us a review. Back****tomorrow****with another chapter from Eastendersfan444... any ideas what song it might be?**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Four: ****I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus **

**Monday 17****th**** December 2018**

Lauren was the first to wake the next morning. She could hear a little voice on the baby monitor. Eve was awake and she was chattering away to Mr Pink. Lauren glanced at Joey and saw he was fast asleep. She smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, brushing her hand over his cheek as she climbed out of bed. She pulled on her robe and headed towards Eve's room.

'Good morning, baby girl' Lauren smiled as she walked into the room. She flicked off the lights and walked across the room to open the curtains and then walked to the cot. Eve was standing up, Mr Pink clutched tightly in one hand as she held the other up to Lauren.

'Hi mama' Eve replied with a big smile. Lauren picked her up out of the cot, kissing the little girls face as she turned and put her down on the changing mat. She changed her nappy as Eve continued to chatter away to Mr Pink.

Lauren picked her up again 'Shall we go and see daddy?' Lauren asked her.

'Pease' Eve nodded her head 'See dada'

'Come on then' Lauren carried her through to the bedroom and sat down on the bed.

'Dada seeping' Eve said 'dada pity' she said with a smile.

Lauren smiled 'Yeah, he is. Does Eve want to wake daddy up?'

'Yeah!' Eve clapped her hands together. Mr Pink fell to the floor. Lauren held her closer to Joey and Eve patted his face gently with her little hands. 'Dada…dada…Rake up…Rake up dada' Lauren bit her lip, trying not to laugh out loud as Eve's little fingers moved over Joey's face, trying to lift his eyelids up, poking up his nose before she tried to open his lips. Lauren saw a small smile on Joey's face and knew he was awake. 'Dada! Rake up…' Eve said again, getting a little frustrated with her sleeping daddy 'RAKE UP DADA!' she squealed loudly. Joey eyes opened and Eve squealed in glee clapping her hands. He sat up as Eve stretched her arms out to him.

'Good morning, princess' he smiled at his daughter.

'Hi dada' she said quietly 'Dada rake?'

'Yes, baby, daddy's awake' he said as Lauren moved to sit beside him. 'What time is it?' he asked Lauren

'Cake time!' Eve exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands once again and bouncing up and down on Joey.

'No cake for breakfast, I told you this yesterday remember?' Lauren shook her head, Eve pouted at her 'you can have toast and jam or a yoghurt or a banana'

'Bana' Eve said after a few seconds thought 'den cake' she announced. Lauren rolled her eyes and Joey laughed.

'At least she knows what she wants. What do you want for breakfast babe?' he asked turning his head to Lauren.

'Are you offering to make breakfast?' she asked him with a smiled.

'Yep' Joey nodded his head.

'Naked?' Lauren raised her eyebrows hopefully.

'In front of our 18 month old daughter?' he replied, mock shock on his face. 'I don't think so'

'Spoil my fun' Lauren pouted in exactly the same way Eve had minutes earlier.

'I knew I'd seen that pout somewhere before' Joey said with a smile 'where's my morning kiss?' he asked Lauren. Lauren smiled closing the distance between them, pressing her lips against his. Joey deepened the kiss until little hands pushed against both their faces, trying to break them apart. Joey chuckled softly. 'Looks like someone else wants my attention' he told her.

'Evie hungy' Eve announced.

'Then I guess daddy needs to put on some clothes and make both his girls breakfast' Joey said, putting Eve down on the bed with Lauren. He swung his legs out of bed and opened his bedside drawer, pulling out a pair of Christmas boxer shorts and he pulled them on. Lauren smiled as he got out of bed and scooped Eve out of bed. 'So what are we having for breakfast again, Evie?' he asked her as he carried out of the room.

Lauren laughed as she heard Eve's hopeful reply 'cake?'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After breakfast, Joey showered and got ready for work whilst Lauren and Eve played on the floor in the lounge. 'Are you two planning on getting dressed today?' Joey asked Lauren as he came into the room.

'Nope. Eve and I are going to have a lazy pyjama day aren't we, baby girl?' Lauren tickled her daughter

'Jamma day' Eve nodded her head. 'Miter Pink too' she looked up at Joey. 'Hi dada' she grinned up at him.

'Hi, baby' Joey smiled back at her.

'Dada tay...jamma's on' Eve said expectantly 'pay wiv mama…wiv Evie'

'Daddy can't baby. Daddy has to go to work' he told her softly. 'Daddy will see you at tea time' he reminded her. Lauren got up off the floor, picking Eve up too.

'Say bye-bye to daddy' Lauren told her. Eve waved at Joey 'There's a good girl'

'Bye-bye Evie….be a good girl for mummy' Joey told her, bending to kiss her cheek. He looked at Lauren 'bye gorgeous' he said softly as she turned her face towards his. He kissed her softly 'love you' he murmured.

'Love you more' Lauren replied softly. 'Have a good day at work'

'Thanks, I'll try' he nodded his head. Lauren and Eve watched him go and then Lauren turned to Eve.

'Well it's just you and me now baby, shall we start to pack your things for staying at Nana's tonight?'

'Miter Pink' Eve said firmly.

'Yes I'll pack Mr Pink' Lauren nodded her head with a smile.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked into the club at lunchtime, deciding she wanted to see what the builders were doing to the club and to her design. Despite her earlier words she hadn't ended up having a pyjama day with her daughter. Joey's words from last night were still bothering her. So she'd left Eve with her mum for an hour and had come to investigate and see I it was as bad as Joey had indicated. She looked around at the mess and rubble and frowned. It was as bad. She walked over to the table where she could see the plans laid out and she looked at them. She looked around for the builders but couldn't see any. She knew Joey had a meeting the other side of London with a supplier and wasn't due back until early afternoon. She walked around looking at the changes they'd already made to the bar and she shook her head. It was wrong. All wrong. No wonder Joey was pissed off with them. They'd completely ignored her designs and were doing something completely different. No doubt the end price would cost more than the original job would've done. She sat down on a stool and waited.

Half an hour later she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She slowly turned around and watched the builders come in to the room 'I'll put the kettle on' one of them called.

'I don't think so' Lauren said to him, he stopped in his tracks and looked at Lauren. 'You've just come back from lunch and you've had over an hour and a half, if you didn't find time to have a brew then that's your problem' she said sliding off the stool and standing up 'who's the foreman?'

'That'll be me, love' a heavyset man stepped forward.

'So you're the one leading this…rabble?' she asked him.

'Yep' he nodded his head proudly, thrusting his chest out in a masculine display.

Lauren nodded her head 'And you think it's okay to have over 90 minutes for lunch, and leave the club wide open when you know the owner is out? You think that it's okay to completely ignore the designs and come up with your own idea of how the club should look? Job not pricey enough for you? Is that it?' Lauren asked him. 'Adding in your own little extras?' she looked at him pointedly.

'The designs are flawed' he replied 'the bar would be better over there' he pointed to a small wall that had been built across one of the fire exits

'Really?' Lauren asked him 'and you have a degree in graphic and interior design?' she asked him.

'Well no but…'

Lauren cut him off 'You've sought planning permission for the changes that you decided you needed to make? Consulted with the owner? With the person who drew up the designs?'

'Well no but…'

Lauren spoke before he had a chance to finish his sentence. 'Has the health and safety coordinator look around?'

'Well no but…'

'That's what I thought. I have a couple of questions for you' Lauren said to him and she turned and walked towards the wall 'Follow me' the foreman exchanged glances with his men and followed her. 'What does that say?' she said pointing to a sign above a door.

'Fire Exit' he replied with a frown.

'Well at least I know you can read' Lauren said sharply and she turned to look at the man 'Explain to me how, in the event of a fire or a flood or any other emergency that might occur, are people supposed to get out of the fire exit with a bar slap bang in the way?' Lauren asked him.

'Well…you move the door…obviously' he said and he turned to look at his men with a laugh., rolling his eyes as if she was an idiot.

'Right…and have we asked you to move the door?'

'Well…no..'

'What have we asked you to do?'

'To move the bar'

'And explain to me how the pumps from the cellar are going to reach the bar all the way over here…when they are over there. Some 200 meters away?'

'They'll have to be moved' he replied confidently.

'And what's exactly underneath the area where you've decided to move the bar to?'

'I don't know'

'What do the plans say?' Lauren turned to ask him. He blinked and shrugged. 'Have you read the plans?' she asked him, he didn't reply this time 'do you actually know how to read plans?' she glanced at one of the other workman, a young blond haired boy. 'You' she pointed at one of them 'what's underneath the bar your foreman wants to build?' he hesitated slightly before walking to the plans.

'The sewer' he replied.

'That's right…the sewer' Lauren repeated 'so you'd see, if you'd actually read the plans, that it would be impossible to move the pumps to here' Lauren said looking at the foreman.

'Well I….er….' the foreman stuttered over his words as he realised he'd been caught out.

'You're fired' Lauren snapped at him.

'Now, wait a minute, darling. You can't fire me. Who do you think you are coming in here and mouthing off….Joey's the man who hired me and the man who will fire me' he raised his voice to Lauren and stepped closer to her attempting to intimidate her.

'The business is co-owned by me and I think you'll find as co-owner that means I have every right to fire you. Pack up your things and get out…you'll be hearing from our solicitors in regards to damages' she told him standing her ground 'You have fifteen minutes to vacate these premises before I call the police' the foreman glared at her and then stalked away to his equipment and started to pack up. 'Anyone else who wants to follow him go now' Lauren looked at the rest of the men one by one. No one moved. 'Right. This is what is going to happen now….'

Joey listened at the top of the stairs as Lauren fired his foreman and then reeled off orders to the remaining men. He smiled, she really could be feisty and bossy when she wanted to be. He was very proud of her and extremely turned on, he noted in surprise.

He made his way down the stairs as the foreman came up, mumbling and bitching about Lauren. As he stepped into the club he could see Lauren standing at the bar with a younger builder and they were looking at the plans, deep in conversation.

'Everything okay here?' Joey said as he walked over to them. Lauren looked up at him, seeing his eyes dark, burning with lust.

'Everything is under control' she told him 'this is Andrew. Andrew this is Mr. Branning. Andrew is going to be the new foreman. We've run through the plans and he is going to start to undo the damage that has already been done and then focus on the original plan and changes we need' Lauren told him 'Andrew tells me this can be done by the new year in time for the New Year's Eve Party we have planned' she said glancing at the newly appointed foreman. 'Isn't that right Andrew?'

'Yes ma'am' Andrew said confidently.

'That's good to hear' Joey nodded his head, biting back a smile as he heard him call Lauren ma'am.

'Andrew will be reporting to you or whoever is in charge every morning to detail what progress has been made and if there any problems. Andrew is in charge of the building and project'

'Okay' Joey nodded his head again. '9:30 my office' he told Andrew.

'Yes sir, Mr. Branning' Andrew nodded his head. 'Thank you' he turned and looked at his men. 'Pete, Frank, get to work demolishing that wall. Doug, Neil, this bar needs to be pulled apart by 6:00pm. The new bar is being delivered tomorrow at 8:00am and this area needs to be ready for fitting. Stan, Brian, the back area of the bar also needs to be pulled apart by 6:00pm. Tea Breaks are when I say they are. Problems or issues you come to me' he ordered them all.

'Yes boss' they shouted out as they accepted his orders.

Lauren watched as the men scurried about, Andrew picked up the plans and he carried them through to the kitchen. 'Walk me out?' Lauren murmured softly to Joey.

'Of course' he smiled, he followed her up the stairs to the door and she turned to look at him 'you fired my foreman?' he asked her. 'And you're co-owner now?'

'It was the first thing that came into my head' she admitted sheepishly 'are you upset with me?' she asked him, worry flickered in her eyes. 'He was ruining my designs and the club…I may have got a bit carried away…and I didn't really think about what would happen if the rest of the men went with him…'

'No, babe' he shook his head, reassuring her quickly 'I'm not mad at all' he told her. 'In fact I have to say that was pretty hot…watching you being all bossy and dominant…taking charge like that…I'm pretty turned on right now' he admitted to her. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him, she could feel his arousal pressing against her stomach. She smiled at him.

'So I see' she said softly 'but unfortunately I can't help you out with your…problem right now'

'Wait…where's our daughter?' he said, realising Eve wasn't with her.

'Packed up and having fun with Granny Tanya' Lauren told him, reaching up to kiss his lips 'she's having a sleep over'

'Is she?' Joey asked her 'And why is that?'

'Mmhmm, she is and you will find out later' Lauren told him 'I want you home at 7:00pm tonight, Mr. Branning. Do not be late' she told him firmly. 'Now, get back to work, earn money' she said, turning him around and pushing him gently towards the stairs.

'You're a slave driver' he teased her as Lauren slapped his bottom.

'7:00pm, Joe' she called over her shoulder as she left the club. 'You really don't want to be late'

'Yes ma'am' Joey smirked at her as he walked back into the club and saw all the men busy at work. He smiled and walked into his office, making himself a coffee. 'Mr. Branning?' Andrew knocked lightly on the door.

'Yes, Andrew?'

'I have a question, sir' he said. 'Your business partner said you hadn't made the final decision about the back wall behind the bar. If you wanted to have the same wooden panels there as the bar or if you wanted to knock back to the original brickwork?'

'What did my…business partner suggest?' Joey asked the young man.

'Knocking it back to the original brickwork, but she said it was ultimately your decision' Andrew told him nervously.

'And what do you think would be best?'

'I agree with your business partner' he told him 'the original brick work would bring much more to the design than the wooden panels.'

'Then that's what we'll do' Joey replied 'have you been foreman before?'

'No, sir' Andrew replied with a shake of his head 'I'm younger than most here' he admitted to him.

'Well you're doing an amazing job. Keep it up' he told him.

'Yes sir, thank you, sir'

'Call me, Joey' Joey told the young boy quietly 'except when my wife is here…then stick to Mr. Branning' he added as an afterthought.

'Your wife?'

'Yes, you've just met her' he told him with a smile. 'My business partner'

'Oh…I see sir' Andrew blinked in surprise. 'I'll get back to work then sir…Joey' he said, closing the office door behind him as he left.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked into the flat at 7:30pm. He would've been on time if he hadn't bumped into Max. Max had been over for dinner at Tanya's and Max was telling Joey how much Oscar doted on Eve and that Eve was a good age to have a little brother or sister. Joey was very quick to tell Max that the patter of another set of tiny feet was a long, long time away. It was nearly half an hour later before he could get away from him. Joey put his keys in the dish by the door, he shrugged his jacket off and hung it by the door. He could smell dinner and his stomach growled with hunger, he'd skipped lunch again.

'You're late' Lauren said with a frown as he walked into the kitchen.

'I know, I'm sorry babe. You can blame your dad, he caught me as he left Tanya's. Wanted to know when we were going to have a brother or sister for Eve' he told her 'I told him not for a long time yet' he said, Lauren glanced at him and then turned towards the oven 'you cooked steak?' he asked her, sitting at the table, too tired to even go and get changed out of his work clothes.

'Mmhmm' Lauren replied and she got the plate out of the oven and put it on the table for him. He frowned as he realised there wasn't a plate for her.

'You're not eating?' he asked her.

'I ate half an hour ago' she told him pointedly, she crossed to the fridge and pulled out a beer and unscrewed the lid, dropping it into the bin. She carried the beer over to the table and put it down in front of him. 'I have some work to do, I'll be a couple of hours' she told him and she walked out of the room.

Joey frowned, wondering what the big rush for him to be home at 7:00pm was all about if she planned to work. Maybe this was his punishment for being late. He frowned and looked down at his food. She'd made his favourite too. Steak and chips with fried onions and beans and fried tomato. His mouth watered as he looked at his plate. He was starving, he picked up his knife and fork and started to eat.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren's annoyance at his lateness had worn off an hour later and she popped her head around the bedroom door and saw he was dozing on the sofa. 'Joe…can you help me with something please?' she asked him. He jumped and looked around, before focussing on Lauren.

'What?' he blinked at her.

'Can you come and help me for a second?' she asked him.

'Sure…babe' Joey nodded his head sleepily. He got to his feet groggily and walked to the bedroom. He looked at the bed and saw she'd changed the sheets from this morning. Instead of the warm duvet they usually had for this time of the year, she'd chosen to put on some pink satin sheets. Fairy lights were hanging on the wall and jasmine scented candles were scattered around the room. 'What did you need help with?' he asked her, a slight frown on his face as he looked around the room.

'Take off your clothes' Lauren instructed him coldly.

'Excuse me?' Joey blinked at her, surprised by her tone.

Lauren folded her arms over her chest 'Are you deaf? I said take off your clothes' she used the same tone of voice she'd used when she was talking to the workman at the club. Joey stared at her, when he didn't move Lauren rolled her eyes at him 'are you just going to stand there like an idiot or are you going to get naked?' she asked him. Joey's hands moved to his tie and he undid it. He watched Lauren as she watched him strip, he loved the feeling of her eyes roving over his body. He took off his socks, leaving his boxers for last. 'Stop' Lauren told him 'I've seen enough' she said with a sigh. 'Get on the bed'

'Lauren, what…?' Joey started to say.

'When you address me you will address me as ma'am' she snapped at him 'is that clear?'

'Yes, ma'am' Joey nodded his head, crossing the room and lying down on the bed. Lauren walked over to him, climbed onto the bed and straddled his waist, she leant forward and opened the bedside table. Joey heard a metallic rattle as she reached inside and he wondered what she had in there. She produced a blindfold and she looked at Joey and she moved forward and put the blindfold over his eyes. 'La…Ma'am' Joey corrected 'what exactly are you planning to do?' he asked her.

'Well, that's for me to know and you to find out isn't it?' she replied cryptically.

She reached into the bedside table again and Joey felt her hands on his right wrist. She raised it over his head and a few seconds later he felt a cold metal object around his wrist and then a soft click. She did the same to his left wrist. 'Handcuffs?' he asked her 'really and a blindfold?'

'Stay' Lauren told him with a giggle. Lauren climbed off the bed and he heard her leave the room. He wondered briefly if she was going to leave him like this. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to figure out what she had planned for him tonight. He felt relief flood through him as he heard her return to the room, a cd suddenly started to play and he couldn't hear anything that was happening in the room and he had a sneaking suspicion that was part of Lauren's plan.

'Laur… ma'am, what are you planning?' he asked her.

'No talking!' Lauren told him firmly and he received a slap to his thigh that stung and made him jump.

'Ouch! Hey!' he exclaimed. 'That hurt!' Lauren licked her lips and she looked down at the things she'd laid out on the bed beside Joey. She stripped off her clothes and then removed Joey's boxer shorts. Leaving him naked and vulnerable, handcuffed to the bed and blindfolded. She moved to kneel on the bed and she picked up the first of her "tools". She looked at the instructions carefully before she opened the bottle and poured some of the contents into her hands. She sniffed it and smiled, rubbing her hands together before she put them on his chest and started to massage him gently. Joey could smell the oil as she massaged it into his skin. Joey groaned as her hands neared his hips. His cock twitched in anticipation as she moved closer and closer to it…then her hands were on his thighs. Joey let out a breath preparing himself for the feeling of her hand wrapping around his thick throbbing erection. But instead her hands stayed where they were, massaging his thighs. He groaned in disappointment.

Her hands stopped massaging him and he could feel the air on his skin, he shivered a little feeling the cold. He heard another bottle being unscrewed and moments later, the sound of her rubbing her hands together. Her hand circled his erection and Joey jumped at the unexpected contact. Her touch was gentle and slow and he groaned again, his hips rising in the air as he tried to make her rub harder and faster. And then, once again her hands were gone. Joey licked his lips and Lauren moved off the bed once more. She picked up the bottles she's used and put them back in the bedside table, closing the drawer. She straddled his waist and her fingers scraped over his chest. His thick cock was trapped between their bodies as she leant forward and licked his mouth with the tip of her tongue. After a few moments he felt a strange sensation on his erection. It felt like it was warmer than the rest of his body. Lauren dipped her tongue into his mouth and kissed him hungrily. Joey kissed her back eagerly, his tongue thrusting into her mouth. She rubbed herself on his erection and he could feel himself getting even harder than he was. Lauren groaned softly and she reached behind Joey's head to take off the blindfold. He blinked a few times trying to get his eyes to focus, he was thankful for the candles she'd lit. He looked at Lauren and saw she was watching him from under her eye lashes. He looked at her and saw all she was wearing was the Santa hat, he smiled as his eyes moved down her naked body to find one of her hands between her legs, she pushed a finger inside herself and she groaned loudly. Joey pulled against the hand cuffs, wanting to touch her. He wanted to grab her hips and thrust his cock into her as hard as he could. She slid another finger inside and moved her body up and then down again, he watched as her fingers disappeared over and over again as she fucked herself with them. She brought herself to orgasm and then removed her fingers and held them to Joey's lips. He sucked on her fingers eagerly, tasting her as well as a soft hint of raspberry. He moaned around her fingers. Lauren pulled them out of his mouth and she smiled at him. She moved down his body and she looked at his erection, she blew on it gently and looked up at Joey. The earlier warmth he'd been feeling returned and grew hotter, making his cock throb even more. Joey frowned, maybe he was having an allergic reaction to the oil she'd used. She blew on him again and then licked his length.

'L...L..ma'am…that's burning…' he told her.

'Sssh' she put her finger to his lips and licked him again, her tongue circled the head of his cock before she took it into his mouth. She slid his whole length into her mouth and sucked gently before letting him free. His cock was suddenly cold. As cold as ice. He frowned and Lauren smiled at him. She unwrapped a condom and slowly rolled it into place and positioned herself over his erection, gripping it firmly with one hand as she sank down onto him with a sigh. Joey groaned loudly as Lauren rode him. She leant back, resting her hands on his thighs, her breasts bounced with her movements. Joey struggled against the handcuffs. Lauren was gasping and moaning softly as she reached orgasm. She cried out his name as she exploded around him, the feeling of her tight warmth squeezing around him triggered his own orgasm and he pulsed inside her. She collapsed on his chest, her breathing rapid. Her eyes fluttered shut.

'Er..babe? The handcuffs' he reminded her. Lauren stirred and she reached for the key and she unlocked the cuffs. Joey rubbed his wrist briefly and then wrapped his arms around her, rolling them so she was beneath him. He lowered his head and kissed her hungrily, he stole the Santa hat she'd been wearing and put it on his head.

'Happy Fourth day of Christmas, Joe' Lauren murmured breathlessly when he broke the kiss. .

'Thank you, babe. And its Mr Santa to you' he grinned as he dangled the handcuffs between them. Lauren smiled up at him.

**AN: Well…Feisty Lauren certainly left a good impression on Joey! And Eve and Lauren are so cute. Lauren certainly told those builders what for! And gave Joey a pretty good night too! Back tomorrow with another chapter from 74crazychick Leave us a review. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: ****Here is chapter five of A Christmas Song. Tonight's instalment is called Merry Christmas Baby - a song sung by Christina Aguilera. So I'm pretty sure you'll like this chapter... it has a little bit of everything in it... and a lot of one particular thing... It was also the most chapter I struggled to write the most... blood, sweat and tears went into this chapter... so I really hope you do like it.**

**Chapter Five: Merry Christmas Baby.**

**Tuesday 18****th**** December 2018.**

"Ugh..." Lauren moaned as she struggled to wake up.

"What's wrong?" Joey said, pulling her back against his body, his hard cock pressing against her bottom.

"I've got to go into the office today..."

"Who's looking after Eve?" he asked, kissing her neck.

"Mum hasn't got any appointments this morning so she's keeping her this morning, then dad is having her this afternoon..." Lauren told him.

"Have you thought about what I suggested the other day?" he murmured in her ear, still kissing her.

"I have... I just don't think we can do it financially, Joe..." she said.

"We'd find the money," he reassured her.

"We've stretched ourselves financially with the renovation of the club..."

"Hey..." he said, pulling away from her, "Look at me," he said. She turned her head to look at him, seeing the serious expression on his face. She closed her eyes and then rolled over to face him. He stared at her face, his hand lifting and brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear, making her smile. "Do you think you could get the clients and have work when you want it?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head, "And you think the authors you work with will stay with you if you started on your own?"

"Yes... I think at least five of them would... possibly more..."

"So the only thing we need to check is what your contract says... make sure there are no clauses in there about you leaving to start your own business... or anything about taking authors with you when you leave... Once we're sure you can do that without breaching the contract, I think you should do it..."

"But the money..."

"Babe, we'll find it... If I have to work more hours at the club for a few months while you're starting up, then so be it... I just want you to be happy... and for Eve to be happy... and this is what you want, right?"

"Yes... it is... very much..."

"There you go then..." he whispered, lowering his head to kiss her, his arm winding round her body and pulling her close to him again.

"I need to get up..." she breathed against his mouth a minute later.

"I already am," he said with a smirk. Lauren rolled her eyes and Joey pouted, "Don't you want to help your husband out?" he asked her.

"I need to go to work, Joey..." she reminded him.

"I'll be quick... we can even do it in the shower... save you some time by multi-tasking..."

"You're going to get me in so much trouble..." she breathed as she rolled away from him and climbed out of the bed.

"Is that a yes?" he asked her.

"Have I ever said no to you before?" she asked him with a smile. Joey grinned and sprung out of the bed, chasing her through to the bathroom and she shrieked as he grabbed her from behind and swung her up into his arms. It wasn't long before he was pressing her against the tile wall of the shower cubicle, his fingers probing her opening. He removed them again just moments later and after a brief pause to roll on a condom, he was pushing into her, both of them moaning. He lifted her feet off the floor and wrapped them around his waist, pushing her back against the tiles as he moved slowly in and out of her. "God Joe… it gets better every time we do this…"

"You don't have to tell me, babe…" he panted.

"Faster…" she pleaded.

"Always happy to please you, baby girl…" he told her, his hips moving a little faster.

"Yes…" she moaned, "Yes, yes, yes…" Her body clamped down on him and she came hard. She kissed him passionately over and over, smiling against his skin as he began to pulse strongly inside her. He leant against her heavily and she clung to him, her hand brushing up and down his back.

Joey reluctantly pulled away from her and she looked at his face. "I guess round two will have to wait until tonight…" he told her, "Don't want you to be late to the office, do we?"

"Screw the office…" she said, her arm wrapping around his neck and pulling him back towards her. "Actually, I'd rather be screwing you…"

"Baby, now is not the time to piss your boss off… not if you're going to leave there and not if you want to start up as self-employed…" he told her, "I'll make it up to you tonight…"

"Promise…?" she whispered.

"On my life…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked out of the tube station seven hours later and she was looking forward to getting home and hopefully having Joey keep his promise from earlier. To say it'd been on her mind all day would be an understatement. She'd had a meeting as soon as she'd got to the office and at one point her boss had asked her the same question twice. It wasn't her finest moment and it was just another issue her boss had with her right now.

She walked through the market and then headed towards her dad's house. Her dad opened the door a moment after she'd knocked on it. "Hi dad…"

"Come in, babe…" he said. She stepped through the door and heard little running footsteps hurtling towards her. She just had time to put her bag on the floor and crouch down before Eve was on her.

"Mama!" she cried out, hugging her as tight as she could.

"Hello, baby… did you have a nice afternoon with Pops?" she asked as she lifted her daughter in her arms.

"Yes mama… we had cake!" she said, a huge smile on her face.

"You did?" Lauren exclaimed, glancing at her dad and seeing embarrassment on his face. "I hope that wasn't all you had…?"

"Ganny gave me nanite, mama…"

"She'd run out of jam…" Her dad explained, "Eve was a little upset when I went over there to pick her up…"

"But cake, dad…?" Lauren said, "It's not exactly a balanced diet…"

"She had a banana as well… and it was only a small cake…"

"Fine…" she kissed her daughter on the forehead, "Sorry, dad… it's been a long day where I just wanted to be at home with my little girl…"

Max ushered her into the lounge and Lauren lowered Eve to the floor. She sat on the couch and watched her as she played with some bricks as she sat in the middle of the rug. "She was mid tantrum when I got there. Mr Pink had some marmite on his bottom and had to go for a bath… Eve was almost hyperventilating, she was in such a state… Your mum promised to have him washed and dried before Eve needed him for bed tonight." He told her quietly, trying not to attract his granddaughter's attention when he mentioned her beloved teddy.

"I'll send Joe over to collect it later…" she said.

"I only gave her cake because she was screaming so loud… you know what I'm like when one of my girl's cries…" he reminded her. "And I made sure she had some fruit too… she didn't eat any of her lunch your mum said."

"It's okay, dad… I know what she's like when she throws a tantrum… I've no idea where she gets it from…" she deadpanned.

"I think she's a little more like her mummy than you'd like to admit… she definitely has your drama queen tendencies, babe…"

"Dad… I'm hurt…" she said, smiling at him, seeing the funny side to their conversation. She turned again to Eve, "Time to go, Eve… daddy will be home from work in a little while… and it's his turn to give you a bath today."

"Dada!" Eve said.

Lauren got to her feet and started to put Eve's toys into the bag. "I'll get her bag from last night…" Her dad said.

"Thanks dad." Lauren said. She reached for Eve's coat and shoes and started to put them on her daughter.

"Da…da…da…da…da…" Eve sang and Lauren smiled at her.

"Yes, baby girl… daddy is looking forward to seeing you when he gets home…" Eve clapped her hands together as Lauren stood her up on her feet. Her dad appeared in the doorway, "Say goodbye to Pops, Eve…" she said, picking up the rest of her things and then moving to the door. Eve toddled over to her granddad and he bent down and hugged her, kissing softly.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay with all that stuff?" Max asked. "I can help you with some of it…"

"Actually that might be a good idea, dad…" Lauren said. Max bent down and picked up Eve in his arms, Eve kissing him by blowing a raspberry against his cheek.

"Come on poppet…" he said, kissing her again gently. They walked out of the house and back towards the flat a couple of minutes later.

"Thanks dad," Lauren said, once they were back at the flat.

"You know I don't mind looking after her for you… she's an angel and I adore her…"

"And she adores you too, dad." Lauren told him, "She has a lot of love for her Pops…"

Max smiled and stepped forward, kissing her gently. "I look forward to you giving me more grandchildren, babe… please don't wait too long to add more…"

Lauren smiled but said nothing, knowing he was more than aware of Joey's opinion on the matter.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren lowered Eve to her feet as they walked into the house and she ran off into the lounge, "DADA!" she cried a moment later and Lauren smiled. She stood in the doorway of the room, watching as she saw him sweep their little girl up into the air and holding her above his head. Eve giggled adorably, "Gain, dada…" she begged him.

"Okay, Evie…" he said, lowering her in his arms and then swinging her into the air again. Joey glanced her way and Lauren smiled at him. "Hey babe…" he told her. He walked towards her, Eve still above his head, flapping her arms in the air. Joey leant over and kissed her, Eve laughing as she saw her parents next to each other.

"I'll just go and get changed…" Lauren said.

"Has Eve had tea?" he asked.

"Only if you count cake and a banana as tea… and she didn't have any lunch… mum was a bit short of jam and could only find marmite…" Lauren told him as she grabbed her handbag.

Joey lowered his little girl, cuddling her against his body, "Nasty granny giving you marmite on toast, eh?" he said, screwing his face up in disgust.

"Joe… don't say that to her… what if she says it to mum?" Lauren scolded him.

"Ganny love Evie…" Eve declared.

"She does, Evie… she does…" Joey said. "Let's go and see what we can get you for tea then, shall we?"

"CAKE!" Eve shouted as they disappeared into the kitchen.

Lauren shook her head and walked into the bedroom. She tiredly stripped off her clothes, her thoughts partially on what she had planned later that evening. She'd broken the rules slightly today and was planning on giving Joey a present tonight, even though it wasn't her turn. She did like to surprise Joey every now and again and she was sure her gift would do just that. She dressed in an old T-shirt of Joey's and some jogging bottoms, scraping back her hair into a messy bun. She joined the rest of her family in the kitchen and found Eve was eating some baked beans… and her daddy was feeding them to her, to ensure she actually got some food into her for this meal. She seemed to be behaving too and not putting up any sort of fight, so Lauren was pretty sure she was starving. "Shall I start dinner?" she asked him.

"Sure…" He said, "I'll do the bath and put her to bed when we're done here… but I think she'll go down quickly…"

"She does seem tired… I'm pretty sure she was running round at dad's for hours…"

Joey grinned, "Did you have a good time with Pops, Evie?" he asked as he held the spoon out towards her. She nodded her head and Joey ended up missing her mouth and getting bean juice all over her chin.

"Dada…" she said, the expression on her face reminding him of her mummy so much in that moment it took his breath away.

"Sorry Evie… silly daddy…" He cleaned up her chin with the spoon and tried again.

Lauren shook her head, smiling as she saw the two of them interact. Sometimes Eve was so much like her daddy it was unreal.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked out of their bedroom a little while later. Eve was safely tucked up in bed and he was hoping that his wife would be up for a little fun. He walked into the kitchen and stopped, his mouth dropping open. "I see Santa's come early, Lauren…" Tanya said, a large grin on her face as she looked at her son-in-law… who was rapidly turning a dark red colour that matched the hat on his head.

Lauren giggled, looking at her husband, who spun around and walked back out of the room. "If he plays his cards right, he might do, yes…"

"I guess I should leave you to it then, darling…" she said, picking up the glass of wine Lauren had given her and downing the rest of it. "I hope Eve was pleased she had her Mr Pink back… I'm so sorry he got in a mess… and about the marmite debacle…"

"It's fine, mum… and Eve doesn't mind, she ended up getting cake at dad's…"

"He's such a pushover…" Tanya scoffed.

Lauren shrugged, although she did agree a little. "He was just trying to get her to stop throwing a tantrum… and she was hungry…"

"He's got Oscar tonight too…" Tanya said. "I'm going to go now… I said I'd meet Sharon at The Albert."

"Thanks for last night and today, mum…"

"You're welcome, darling… you know I love having her over… Just tell me when you need me to look after her again…"

"We will, mum…"

Tanya headed towards the door and Lauren trailed after her, "Enjoy your evening with Joey, darling…" She said with a knowing smile and Lauren blushed slightly but grinned.

"I'm sure I will, mum…" Lauren admitted as she held the door open and her mum walked out of the flat. She shut the door a couple of minutes later, enjoying seeing the slight look of discomfort on her mum's face as she no doubt imagined what would be happening between Lauren and her husband later. Lauren rested her forehead against the door as she tried to calm herself.

"Is something wrong?" His voice startled her, she hadn't realised he was back in the room. She spun round to face him, leaning against the door. Her eyes run up and down his body, smiling as she started at the Santa hat that was perched jauntily on his head. His naked torso looked divine and once again she thanked the lord that Joey spent those precious hours at the gym each week. Her eyes dropped lower and she had to bite her lip as she saw the boxers that clung to his hips. She hadn't noticed what was on them the first time he'd come into the kitchen but now she could see they had little branches of mistletoe on them.

"Nothing's wrong…" she said, surprised by how much she'd been affected by the sight of him in front of her. They'd been married for almost two years now and had been together much longer than that and sometimes it still seemed like they were in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. "Is that an invitation?" she whispered, her eyes locked on his boxers.

"What?" he asked, clearly not understanding what she was saying.

"The mistletoe…" she explained.

"Oh… if you want to… but maybe you should change first…" he said, "I left something on the bed for you…" he told her. "What shall I do with dinner?"

"It's in the oven… there's another hour before it's ready…" She told him with a smile, "We have plenty of time…" she breathed as she pushed away from the door and sashayed across the room to him. Her hand brushed his chest as she stretched her neck and kissed him tenderly. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes…" she told him.

Don't forget to bring some condoms with you…" he called after her as she disappeared into their bedroom.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked into the bedroom and saw the bag Joey had given her a couple of days ago sitting on her pillow. She smiled. She hadn't really looked at what he'd given her in any great detail so she'd see it properly for the first time in a couple of minutes. She walked over to her bag first and pulled out the present for Joey. She smiled as her hands ran over the cover and she put it on the bed beside what she was about to change into. She undressed down to her underwear quickly, walking into the bathroom and having a quick wash. She ran her fingers through her hair as she looked in the mirror and then made her way back into the bedroom. She opened the gift bag and her mouth dropped open as she saw what was inside. Well that was definitely something new. She remembered now that he'd said what he'd got her but she hadn't really taken in what he'd said… her mind had definitely been elsewhere at the time. She shrugged and pulled the G-string out of the box, removing her underwear and slipping it onto her body. It felt… strange… she wasn't sure she felt comfortable but if this was what Joey wanted… then it was what he would get. She felt very exposed after she removed the bra and then inspiration struck and she walked over to the dresser, opening a drawer and quickly finding what she was looking for. She remembered the first time she'd worn this for him. She pulled the baby doll over her head, the baby pink working well with the candy beads on the G-string she was wearing. She took a deep breath and picked up the gift for her husband and a handful of condoms, then walked out of the bedroom. It was now or never.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey was standing in the kitchen waiting for her when she reappeared and Lauren smiled as she saw his mouth drop open. "Surprise…" she whispered.

"I thought it was supposed to be my night to give you a present…?" he asked.

"There's nothing to say we can't both get a present…" she said, walking towards him. She had her hands behind her back and when she reached him she pulled them from behind her back and held her gift towards him, "In fact I got you something too…" she told him softly.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Open it and see…" she whispered.

For a moment Joey had a brief flashback of Christmas Eve two years earlier as he opened the photo album. Then she'd given him a DVD of pictures of the two of them and it had ended with him finding out he was going to be a daddy. He wondered what it was he was about to see this time. A sense of anticipation built inside him as he imagined what he was going to see on the first page and he opened the cover quickly, managing to hide his disappointment when it wasn't what he thought it would be. Yes, he loved the picture he saw there, seeing one of the photos he'd taken a few days earlier. One of Lauren completely naked but he couldn't help but feel a little bit melancholy when it wasn't what he'd hoped to see. He really needed to talk to her about it but he didn't want to upset her either…or cause a row. He continued to leaf through the album, each page revealing a new picture. She was gorgeous in each and every one of them.

"You're stunning…" he told her.

"I think the photographer took some good pictures…" she said softly.

"I take it you didn't take these to Boots to get them developed?" he asked with a smirk as he glanced at her.

"As if…" she said, "I went back to college and borrowed a dark room this afternoon. I finished work earlier than I thought and it didn't take me too long to print them."

"I love my present, baby girl…" he said as he reached the end of the album. He closed it with a slam and placed it on the kitchen table.

"So when do I get mine?" she asked, kissing his bicep as she stood at his side.

He grabbed her and lifted her off the floor, sitting her on the worktop and standing between her legs.

"How does now suit you?" he asked her.

"I could be convinced…" she said. She glanced down at what she was wearing, "Does this look as good on me now as you thought it did then?" she asked softly. "I know I don't look the same as I did two years ago…" she added, "Pregnancy changes you a little…"

"Babe, you look as amazing today as you did the first time I saw you…" he said. He lifted her hand off the side and moved it so it was resting on his boxers. "Does it feel like I don't desire you… that I think you aren't the most stunning woman I've ever had the privilege of looking at?" he asked her. Lauren said nothing. "You are simply the more beautiful woman I've ever met, Mrs Lauren Branning… and if I thought I could do it, I'd make love to you every minute of every day…" he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly.

Lauren pulled away from him and stared at his face, seeing he was telling her the truth. She could also feel that he wasn't lying to her… his thick hard length filling her hand effortlessly. She could see he was watching her, wondering what she was going to say next, "I like your way of thinking, Mr Joseph Branning… however our eighteen month old daughter and our jobs might have something to say about your plan…"

"I guess…" he said. "I'll just settle for as often as I can then…" he offered as a compromise.

"That works for me too…"

"And if I said now…?" he asked.

"I thought you'd never ask…" she told him with a smile, squeezing his cock in one hand and holding up the condoms in the other.

"First things, first…" he said, "I'm feeling a little peckish…" he said. He pushed her body down so she was lying on the worktop and pushed the baby doll up so he could see what she was wearing beneath. He pushed her legs apart and stared down at her. "Yummy..." he said, smiling at her. He bent down and kissed her stomach, smiling against her skin as she moaned softly. He gradually moved lower, Lauren smiling as he nibbled at the candy she was wearing. She closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy the experience of what he was doing and he surprised her by quickly eating through the candy and pushing his tongue into her core. He teased her with his tongue until she was so close to coming her body was shaking and then he moved away from her. His hands reached for her underwear and she realised he was about to tear them from her body.

"You can't tear them off me, Joe..." she reminded him. He frowned. "The candy will scatter all over the floor and we don't want Eve finding one and choking on it, do we?" She explained, glossing past the fact the candy had been on her body and she wasn't too keen on Eve having it for that reason alone, never mind the whole choking hazard scenario.

"Good point…" He reached for them and pulled what he hadn't eaten slowly down her legs. He dropped them into the sink blindly, his eyes locked on her core, unable to tear them from her. "How long till dinner?"

Lauren glanced at the time, "Not long…" she told him, "I thought you'd be quicker than that…"

"It takes time to appreciate beauty…" he told her, helping her sit up, "and if a job's worth doing… it's worth doing well…"

"Except now we have to stop because I need to finish getting dinner ready," she said as she slid off the worktop. "And I need to get dressed…"

"No, you don't…" he said, "There's only me here to see… and the view is great from where I'm standing…"

"I'm not cooking our dinner wearing just a baby doll…"

"Then take it off…" he stated.

"That is hardly going to help, Joe…" she said, shaking her head at his ridiculousness.

"It's quite liberating to cook in the nude, you know…" he breathed in her ear, standing behind her.

"I am not standing in front of the oven with no clothes on…"

Joey turned and walked over to the front door, grabbing the apron he'd worn the other night and taking it back over to her. He put it over the head and then tied it around her waist, "All sorted…" he said. "And if it makes you feel better…" he said, pushing his boxers to the floor and kicking them away.

Lauren looked at him and smiled. "And what do you plan to do while I'm slaving over dinner?" she asked him turning to the oven and switching on one of the rings.

Joey stood behind her, her hand sweeping under the apron she was now wearing. "You…" he breathed in her ear.

Lauren actually gasped at what he'd said but she didn't react otherwise. She still didn't think he would do it so she concentrated on the pans in front of her. His hand pulled away from her body and she relaxed slightly, focusing on the pan, stirring it continuously as the sauce heated. She was vaguely aware of a tearing sound behind her but was intently watching the pan she was stirring. She inhaled sharply when she felt him enter her from behind. He was really going to do it. She moved a shaky hand to the pan, moving it off the heat and she turned off the ring. Suddenly dinner didn't seem that important. He was stroking his length in and out of her body as quick as he could, moving deeply inside her body. She moaned, her head dropping against his shoulder. "Joe…" she whimpered.

"Do you like this, babe?" he asked her, his breath coming in gasps. He kissed her shoulder as he started to move faster.

Lauren's hands gripped the counter either side of the oven, relishing the way it felt for Joey to fuck her like this. It wasn't often they were as reckless as this… after all Eve could wake up at any moment… and anyone could knock on the door… "Oh my god, Joe… I'm so close…" she panted. "Harder…"

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded her head, unable to vocalise how much she wanted this from him. He paused his movements and wrapped an arm around her waist. He moved them away from the oven, sliding from her body as he did so… to Lauren's disappointment. Joey lifted her off the floor and leaned her over the counter. She lay her head on the side, closing her eyes as she felt him touch her core. It felt like forever but then his fingers were gone and he slammed back into her. Their height difference was eradicated this way and she knew it was easier for him to do this now. And she also knew she'd enjoy every single second of what was about to happen. Each thrust of his hips went deeper this time and Lauren couldn't move. She felt amazing and she hoped Joey was enjoying this as much as she was. "I fucking love you, Lauren Branning… I love that I get to tell everyone one I meet that you're my wife… the mother of my child… the woman I'm going to spend the rest of my life with…" His voice was becoming more strained with each sentence he spoke and Lauren could hear how much he was affected. "Merry Christmas baby…" he breathed, his cock exploding within the condom as he came hard. Lauren tried to muffle her scream, not wanting to wake up Eve, but it was impossible and they both froze for a few seconds, listening to see if she'd woke up. Silence rang through the flat and Joey continued to slam into her, both of them wanting this to last as long as possible. He slipped from her body a short while later, both of them still trying to catch their breath. He untied the apron, lifting her off the worktop and removing the apron from her. Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning against him tiredly. "What shall we do about dinner?" he asked.

"We could have sandwiches… I'm not up to finishing dinner right now… and I'm not really that hungry…"

"Me neither…" he admitted. "Fancy an early night? And dinner in bed?" he asked.

She nodded and they spent the next couple of minutes making themselves sandwiches. Joey filled a glass with water and they walked through towards their bedroom. Lauren pushed open the door to Eve's room as they walked past and they both paused, glancing into the cot to see if she was okay. She was fast asleep, Mr Pink gripped in her arms. "Night night, Eve…" Lauren whispered, smiling down at her daughter.

"Sleep tight, Evie…" Joey added. He looked at Lauren, leaning closer and kissing her temple, "Happy fifth day of Christmas, my beautiful wife…" he told her softly.

"The same goes for you, Joe…" she replied.

**AN: ****Like I said... there's a lot of one particular thing in this chapter... one hell of a lot of sex... but there were also some cute moments... and Max saying that Eve was as much of a drama queen as her mummy... the cheek! Don't forget to send a review. Back****tomorrow****with another chapter from Eastendersfan444**


	8. Blue Christmas

**Chapter Six: ****Blue Christmas**

**Wednesday 19****th**** December 2018**

Lauren put her sketchpad down on the sofa as she got up to answer the door. She glanced at Eve who was playing happily and quietly on the floor with some building blocks and a toy truck Joey had brought her. She opened the door and saw Abi there. 'Hi' Lauren smiled at her.

'Hi' Abi smiled back 'I can't stay I'm running late for meeting mum for lunch' she told her 'I just wanted to give you these' she said to her, handing her two carrier bags. Lauren took it from her and peered inside 'I hope these are what you meant when you called me' indicating to the first one.

Lauren looked through the DVD's and she smiled and nodded her head 'yes I did, they're great thank you' she told her sister. 'Thanks for picking these up for me. It's not exactly something I can do when Eve's with me'

'I can see why' Abi nodded her head 'you should've seen the looks I got from the checkout staff. I was so embarrassed.'

'I really appreciate you doing this for me' Lauren told her. 'I'm pretty sure Joey will too' she added with a grin.

'That's what sister's do' Abi reassured with a smile 'and I may have got a couple of DVD's for myself' she blushed slightly.

'Well, then Jay is going to be in for a great night too' Lauren told her as her sister's phone started to ring.

'It's mum' she told her, looking at her mobile.

'Then you'd better go, you don't want to keep her waiting. We're still on for lunch tomorrow?'

'I can't do tomorrow but I can do the day after?' Abi suggested.

'Perfect' Lauren grinned at her.

'And I want details!' she gestured to the bag and Lauren giggled.

Abi left and Lauren closed the door, walking back to the lounge. Eve was still playing on the floor. Lauren took the bag into the bedroom and hiding one of the bags in the back of her wardrobe. She couldn't wait to see Joey's reaction to the evening she had planned for them. She smiled to herself and walked to the kitchen, putting the groceries away for her special meal with Joey tonight. She walked into the lounge ten minutes later and she saw Eve had moved from the floor and was leaning over the sofa. She frowned wondering what she was doing. Mr Pink and the blocks and truck remained where they were on the floor. As she walked closer to Eve she could see her hand was frantically moving. Closer still and she saw Eve was leaning over her storyboard she'd been working on earlier. 'Eve! No!' Lauren exclaimed loudly. The little girl jumped at the loudness of her mummy's voice and turned to look at her, her eyes large and worried. Lauren picked up the storyboard that she'd been working on and saw Eve had added her own ideas. 'Bad Eve!' Lauren snapped at the little girl 'this is mama's work. You naughty girl!'

'Evie daw too…like mama' Eve said in small voice. Lauren stared at the now ruined storyboard she'd been working on for the last couple of weeks. She was supposed to be handing it into her boss in three days and now she had nothing to hand in. It was ruined and there was no way she was going to have enough time to start again. She took a deep breath and tossed the storyboard back onto the sofa and turned her attention to Eve. She snatched the pens out of the little girl's hands, placing them on the side out of the way and picked Eve up. She stood on something on the floor, causing her to almost fall over and she saw it was the pink teddy. She kicked it across the room and it hit the wall and fell on the floor. Eve's eyes filled with tears 'Miter Pink!' she exclaimed. Lauren carried Eve her into her bedroom, ignoring her daughter's words.

'Naughty girls get a time out!' Lauren snapped at her angrily 'You can stay in here until I say so' she put her down in the cot.

Eve scrambled to her feet, holding onto the bars as she watched her mama walking out of the room. 'Mama! Mama! Mama!' Eve cried out. Tears filled her eyes in confusion. She was only drawing like her mama did. 'MAMA! MAMA!' Eve screamed loudly. Lauren closed the door behind her, leaving Eve screaming and crying in her room. She tidied up Eve's toys before turning her attention to her work. She stared at the storyboard and gathered up her pens and took them into the office. She put them on the desk and went back into the kitchen. She knew she was going to get into even more trouble with her boss now and she was dreading having to go into the office later this week.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey looked at the time. The club wasn't that busy and he had other staff in serving the customers. He had a rare lull in his work and had no meetings today so he decided he'd go home and surprise Lauren and have lunch with his two girls, maybe he'd take them out to the Vic. He grabbed his jacket, shrugging it on and told his staff he was heading out and to call him on his mobile if they had any problems. As he climbed the stairs to the flat he could hear Eve screaming, he increased his pace wondering what had happened. He unlocked the door and found the lounge empty. He stuffed his keys into the pocket and headed into Eve's bedroom and found Eve in her cot.

'Sweetheart, what's wrong?' he asked her softly.

'Dada! DADA!' she cried out as the tears rolled down her reddened face. Joey scooped her out of the cot and held her against him. Eve snuggled against him, burying her face in his neck as she cried, clinging to him tightly.

'Sssh, it's okay Evie. Daddy's here' he said trying to comfort her.

'Where's mama?' he asked her. He'd thought she would be in the room with Eve and was now concerned as to where she was.

'Mama…mean….Miter Pink…Evie…Evie dawed like mama' she said between sobs. 'Mama kos…'

'Daddy's here now' He rubbed the little girl's back and walked into the lounge. He saw Mr Pink on the floor and he stooped down to pick him up. 'Here's Mr Pink, he's fine' he said 'look' Eve turned her head to look at her stuffed teddy and she took him from Joey. Her crying stopped quickly once she had her bear, although tears still rolled down her cheeks.

'Miter Pink!' she exclaimed in a whisper and then she hugged him close to her little body 'luvoo Miter Pink' she whispered.

Joey got to his feet and walked towards his bedroom door. He could hear muffled sobs coming from inside that room too and he wondered what the hell had happened. Eve heard them too and her own sobs stopped as she listened carefully. Joey had two crying girls to contend with. He pushed open the door and discovered his wife curled up in a ball on the bed, his pillow crushed against her.

'Babe…' he whispered softly. Lauren sniffed and wiped her eyes.

'Mama ky' Eve said softly. Joey sat down on the bed, his hand moving to rest on Lauren's hip and rub it gently.

'Lauren?' he asked her softly. Eve wriggled in his arms and he put her down carefully on the bed. He watched as Eve crawled over to Lauren and lay down beside her.

'Mama' Eve whispered to her. Lauren stopped crying and opened her eyes to look at her daughter. 'Miter Pink okay…see' Eve told her, thinking that was the reason her mummy was crying. Joey watched the interaction between his daughter and wife. 'Luvoo mama' Eve whispered.

Lauren wrapped her arms around her daughter, hugging her tightly 'I love you too Evie' she murmured, Joey smiled as he heard her use the same name he did. 'Mummy's so sorry she shouted at you, Evie' Lauren continued to talk to her daughter, as if Joey wasn't in the room.

Eve looked at her with her big brown eyes 'Evie naughty' she whispered and her bottom lip trembled as her eyes filled with more tears. Lauren's tears started again.

'No, baby girl. Mummy's naughty' Lauren told her softly. Joey got up and he laid down on the bed behind Eve, looking at Lauren, he reached across and wiped her tears away with his thumb.

'Evie sowwy' Eve told her 'I's payed not my fings' she shook her head, making Lauren feel worse.

'What happened, babe?' Joey asked Lauren but Lauren's attention was focused on her daughter.

'Baby girl, you didn't do anything wrong. Mummy did. Mummy's naughty' she told her again 'I shouldn't have left my things lying around like that. I'm so sorry I shouted at you and sorry I kicked Mr Pink…'

'Miter Pink okay' Eve told her, holding the Bear out to her, pressing his face against her mummy's. 'Kisskiss all better' Eve said with a smile. She tilted her head to one side to look at her mummy. 'Mama ky' Eve said softly, and she reached out and took her daddy's hand and wiped her tears away, causing Lauren to giggle. 'Dada make better' she told her.

'Can mummy have a cuddle?' Lauren asked Eve. Eve scrambled closer to her and hugged her tightly. Lauren closed her eyes as she held her little girl. 'I love you so much baby' she whispered, pressing kisses to her hair and face.

'Luvoo too' Eve murmured back. Eve's tummy rumbled and Lauren pulled away from her.

'What time is it?' her eyes moved to Joey's for the first time.

'A little after one' Joey told her. She was an hour late giving Eve her lunch.

'Eve's lunch…' she said and she looked down at the little girl who was now lying on her back between them, holding Mr Pink in the air and making whooshing noises. 'I forgot…' Lauren rolled off the bed and walked through to the kitchen, wiping her face. She opened the fridge and looked at what she could give to Eve for her late lunch.

Joey scooped Eve off the bed and carried her into the lounge and put her down on the floor. 'Dada'll be right back' he told her 'you play nicely' he told her.

'Yes dada' she replied, she crawled over to her toy box and found her crayons and paper and put them on the floor and started to draw. Joey moved into the kitchen, closing the fridge door and turning Lauren round to look at him.

'What happened?' he asked her.

'Let me just get Eve some lunch and then we can talk' Lauren told him, trying to turn around, Joey's held her in place.

'I came home to take you both out to lunch, I thought we could go to the Vic' he told her. 'Now tell me what happened to make both my girls cry'

Lauren sighed 'I left the room for a few minutes and when I came back she was leaning against the sofa. She was colouring in' she told him 'She said she was drawing like I do. When I saw what she was drawing on I lost my temper with her and shouted at her. I snatched the pens out of her hands and I put her to bed telling her she was naughty and shut her in her room'

'What was she drawing on?' Joey frowned at her.

'My storyboard for one of the books. I'd finished it whilst she was playing on the floor'

'How bad is it?' Joey asked her.

'It's ruined' Lauren told him looking down. 'I shouted at her, Joey' she said and her tears came again 'and I left her screaming in her room…'

'Evie's okay' Joey told her, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head.

'She's 18 months old…I shouldn't have left my work on the sofa with my pens and I shouldn't have yelled at her like that…she's just a baby. I'm a terrible mother'

Joey pulled her back to look at him. 'You're a great mother, Lauren' he told her firmly 'and under normal circumstances you wouldn't have yelled at her. This all down to your boss being a bitch about your job. She has a lot to answer for. You're unhappy there and it's beginning to affect your home life' he frowned at her 'I want you to quit' he told her firmly 'Go into the office after lunch and quit. I'll take care of Evie' he said

'Are you sure?' she asked him.

'Yes. All I care about is you and Eve being happy. I know you didn't mean to shout at Eve and you wouldn't have done if your boss wasn't putting so much pressure on you. I've got a good mind to go down there myself and have words with her. You're a great mum and Evie adores you' he told her softly. 'I adore you, you know that' he said softly.

'Are you sure it's okay me quitting?' she asked him.

'Yes, we can manage' he told her softly 'and I'd call the author of the book explain things to her before your boss tells her some bullshit story'

Lauren nodded her head 'that's a good idea'

'I do have good ideas on occasions you know' he said to her 'one of my best was proposing to you'

Lauren smiled at him and moved forward, kissing him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Joey felt little hands tugging on his trousers, and he broke the kiss to look down at Eve.

'Evie up…kisskiss too' she said.

Joey laughed as he bent down and picked her up. She wrapped an arm around each of their necks and kissed them on the cheek. 'Let's go have lunch at the Vic' he said with a smile.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

As soon as Lauren stepped out of the publishing house she felt better. As though a heavy weight had been lifted on her shoulders. Her boss's boss, Adrian, had been in the office when Lauren walked in. He'd been pleased to see Lauren and have raved about her work and the excellent feedback he'd received from authors whose books she'd illustrated. He was eager to hear about Eve and cooed over pictures of her. Lauren thought her boss looked ill at ease when Lauren said she'd come in to talk to her about her job and the changes she wanted to make to her contract. Her boss seemed to be backtracking on everything that she'd told her. Adrian looked a mixture of confused and angry, shooting looks of annoyance at Lauren's boss. Lauren had then shocked them both when she announced she was quitting. Telling them that the publishing house had left her no choice as they were putting too much pressure on her and making up impossible deadlines for her to complete the work by. She explained she'd personally called one of the authors to apologise herself for not being able to finish the storyboard in time only to be told she wasn't expecting it until February and not a week before Christmas as Lauren had been told.

As Lauren walked out of her boss's office she heard her name being called and Adrian was chasing after her. He'd tried to convince Lauren to stay and she calming and politely told him her family needed to come first. He promised her a very large severance pay as bonus, a thank you and apology all rolled into one. He told her she could expect to see it in her bank account in the next couple of days. He thanked Lauren for all her hard work and told her if there was anything he could to do help her she only had to call him. He was surprised when Lauren said she was considering going self-employed and then surprised her again by telling her he was sure they could work something out so she still had links to the publishing house. On her own terms of course.

Joey had seen the light in her eyes and the joy on her face as she recounted the events of the afternoon to him. Adrian had taken her for coffee and they'd talked about what she would need to do to start up her own business and Adrian had offered once again to help her in any way he could.

Joey was pleased to see the change in Lauren which had been instantaneous. Eve had picked up on it too, although after the events of the morning she was very clingy with Lauren and insisted on Lauren feeding her at tea time, Lauren bathing her and Lauren taking her to bed and reading her and Mr Pink a story, all of which Lauren was eager to do. Joey barely got a look in, not that he minded. His two girls had had a bad day and upset each other and they needed to reaffirm their bond.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

'She's asleep, finally' Lauren said as she came into the room. 'I had to read Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer story to her four times'

'So you two are friends again now then?' he asked her.

'Yes' she nodded her head with a smile. 'We are'

'She missed you while you were out. She kept asking me where you'd gone and when mama would be back' he told her.

'She asked me if I was staying home now when we were in the bedroom' Lauren told him. She looked at Joey and she smiled 'Are you hungry?' she asked him.

'Not really, I mean I don't want a big dinner, we had plenty for lunch' he said to her.

'Good, that fits right into my plans for tonight' she told him 'I'll be back in a second' she said disappearing into the bedroom. She returned with some DVD's and she sat down on the sofa with them. 'I thought we could watch some movies and work up an appetite' she told him. She handed the films to him. He looked through them. 9 ½ weeks, Last Tango In Paris. Fifty Shades of Grey, Two Moon Junction and the Karma Sutra. Lauren looked at Joey expectantly 'so which one do you want to watch first?' she asked him.

Joey glanced at her 'are you serious?' he said.

'Mmhmm' Lauren nodded her head 'why? You don't want to watch some sexy films with your wife?' she asked him.

'Of course I do…I just never would've assumed you would pick these films out for us to watch' Joey said to her

'Why? Have you seen them?' she asked him worriedly.

'One or two, yeah' he nodded his head.

'Oh' Lauren tried to sound casual but missed by a mile.

'I watched some with a group of mates when I was a teenager and we drank a truckload of beer' he explained to her, knowing what she was thinking. 'There was nothing sexual in it at all. Just a group of lads getting pissed and laughing at bits and bragging that we'd already done it' he told her 'of course in my case I had' he teased her, earning himself a slap on the thigh. 'Ouch, hey!' he exclaimed, rubbing away the sting. 'So have you seen any?' he asked her.

Lauren shook her head 'Nope' she licked his lips

'Any preference?' he glanced at her and she shook her head again.

'You choose' she said to him softly. Lauren swallowed as she watched Joey go through the DVD's, putting them to one side as he ruled them out.

'I think this one' he said to her and he stood up and too the DVD out of the case and walked over to the player and turning it on along with the TV. He put the disc in and returned to the sofa, putting his arm around Lauren as he picked up the remote and pressed play. She rolled out eyes when she saw Joey had picked Fifty Shades Of Grey. Joey squeezed her gently and kissed the top of her head.

Twenty minutes into the film and Joey turned to look at her 'Enjoying yourself?' he asked her softly.

'I could think of another way we could enjoy ourselves' she told him. 'I don't know about you but I'm feeling a little peckish now'

'I could eat' he said and he turned the DVD off. Lauren stood up and walked towards the kitchen, undoing her skirt as she went, dropping it to the floor and stepping out of it. Her blouse fell to the floor seconds later. Joey grinned. Lauren got to the fridge and she opened the door, picking out a strawberry and dipping it into some cream, she turned and held it out to Joey. His smile grew wider as he took off his t-shirt, dropping it on the floor at Lauren's feet. Joey but into the strawberry she was holding towards him, sucking her fingers into his mouth, 'mmm, delicious' he licked his lips. Lauren moved forward and kissed him, tasting the strawberry and cream he'd just eaten and then she turned back to the fridge and she pulled out some kiwi fruit she'd cut up earlier and fed it to him. 'Mmm, what else have you got in here?' he asked her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The two of them sat on the floor by the fridge, Lauren sitting on Joey's lap as he sucked cream off her nipple. Lauren had already slid a condom onto Joey's erection and she shifted on his lap, raising herself onto her knees and slowly impaling herself on his cock. The two of them were rocking gently as they strived to meet their peaks when a high pitched cry from the bedroom broke them apart and Joey groaned, resting his head on her shoulder. 'I'll go' Joey told her softly. 'I'll be five minutes max' he promised her, giving her a long lingering kiss. Lauren got off his lap and watched him walk towards the bedroom.

'Joey!' she called after him, he turned and she tossed his boxer shorts at him. 'You might want to cover up'

Joey looked down at himself and nodded 'good thinking!' he said. Lauren turned and she sat down on the floor and looked at the food they were eating, she plucked another strawberry out of the bowl and ate it. Five minutes turned into ten and Lauren shivered with cold. She pulled on Joey's t-shirt and stretched her legs out in front of her. She picked up the discarded condom wrapper and the unused condoms and put them in the empty bowl beside her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

'Look who's up' Joey said as he came into the kitchen carrying Eve, who was rubbing her eyes sleepily. Lauren could see the remnants of tears on her cheeks. 'She wanted her mama' Joey told her. Lauren opened her arms and Joey crouched down, passing Eve over to her.

'Hey baby girl' Lauren said softly.

'Hi mama' Eve said in a soft voice.

'Did you have a bad dream?' Lauren asked her as Eve looked at her.

Eve shook her head 'just wanted mama' she told her quietly.

Joey sat down on the floor next to Lauren and he picked a strawberry out of the bowl and bit into it.

'Mama's here' she told her softly 'mama's having a picnic with daddy'

'Evie do you want a strawberry?' Joey asked her holding one out to her, Eve turned her head away and then looked back at Lauren.

'Mama wead tory?' Eve asked her

'You want another story?' Lauren asked her, Eve put her thumb in her mouth and nodded her head.

'Pease mama' she mumbled around her thumb.

'Ruldoph?' Lauren asked as Eve lay her head on Lauren's shoulder.

'Pease' she nodded again.

'Okay, daddy will go and get the book and you and me will go and get settled in mummy's and daddy's bed, would you like that?' Lauren asked Eve.

'Seep wiv mama and dada?' Eve questioned.

'If that's what you want Evie' Joey said softly, she turned her head to look at him and she nodded, taking her thumb out of her mouth.

'Evie seep wiv mama and dada in big bed' she told him.

'Okay, daddy will be there in a minute' he said. He kissed Lauren's cheek and he got up, heading towards his daughter's bedroom. When he returned, Lauren and Eve were settled in the bed. Joey smiled and he climbed into the bed with them. Joey opened the book and he started to read.

'No dada…mama wead it' Eve scowled at him, Lauren smiled and took the book from him and she started to read.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren sighed, the evening didn't exactly pan out the way they had planned, she thought to herself as she looked down at her daughter who was snuggled between her and Joey in the bed. She sighed and looked up at her husband, his eyes met hers.

'Happy sixth day of Christmas, Joe' Lauren murmured softly.

'You too babe' he whispered, leaning over to kiss her, mindful of the little girl sleeping between them. 'Love you'

'I love you too' she replied.

**AN: Thank you for all your review. We are so glad that you are enjoying ACS. Joey's and Lauren's plans were called to a halt but a certain little girl but I don't think the two of them minded so much… Evie is so so cute. Back tomorrow with another chapter from 74crazychick **


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: ****Hello again (another song reference but alas not Christmassy). We're back with Chapter 7 of our little festive story and this one is named after a Christmas song by Daniel O'Donnell... not something I'd listen to as a rule but it fitted the theme of the story so we chose this one. We hope you like it.**

**Chapter Seven: A Christmas Kiss.**

**Thursday 20****th**** December 2018.**

Lauren left the house with Eve in her pushchair a little after nine o'clock. She hadn't planned on taking Eve with her but her ex-boss, Adrian had insisted she bring her along… and after last night Eve was still quite clingy and hadn't wanted to be left with her Grandma anyway. So they were heading for a meeting with Adrian to discuss more what they'd talked about the day before. Since handing in her notice the day before Lauren felt freer somehow and she was looking forward to the future… knowing she'd be able to pick and choose when she worked. It meant she could spend time with Eve and be there for her throughout the next few years… for her formative time…

She climbed onto the tube, pulling the pushchair on with her, thanking a young lad who helped her with that. Eve was chatting away to Mr Pink throughout the tube journey and was still doing so when they walked out of the station at the other end. Lauren headed towards the branch of Starbucks they'd arranged to meet in and she found a quiet table at the back, waiting for Adrian to arrive.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was feeling a little more overwhelmed by the time she left the coffee house again. It'd been a good meeting and she definitely had more information now than she'd had before… but it seemed more daunting. It seemed scarier and very difficult and she began to think that maybe her decision the day before had been a bit hasty.

Eve was sleeping in her pushchair, having been fussed over by Adrian for the first ten minutes of their meeting. He'd even brought her a cuddly toy from the office… one of the characters from a book Lauren had illustrated that'd had merchandise produced when the book sales rocketed. Eve had loved the little duckling a lot but Mr Pink still had pride of place in her pushchair.

Lauren rushed back to the house, Eve waking up just as they got home and Lauren unloaded her from the pushchair leaving her to play in the lounge. "Evie, I'm just going to get some paper to draw on, okay?" she said, "I'll be back in a few minutes…"

"Yes, mama…" Eve said, playing with the toy truck Joey had got her. Lauren shook her head, unsure what she found so fascinating about that truck but she played with it all the time. She walked into the spare room and grabbed a couple of sketchpads and was soon heading back to the lounge. Adrian had spoken to some of the authors Lauren had worked for and they'd agreed, in principle, with her continuing to draw for them. A percentage of their money from the publishing house would go directly to Lauren and it would be written in their contracts. Lauren would then work with the authors to the deadlines they requested but Adrian had explained to each of them that Lauren was changing the way she worked to spend more time with her family. Lauren knew it would take some juggling in order to get the balance between her home life and work life right, but the benefits of working this way would be much better for her and Eve. So it meant it would be better for Joey too as he'ld be pleased that they'd both be happier.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked home from the club, much earlier than he usually would do during the week. The renovations were coming on nicely, since Andrew had taken over as foreman… and his wife had taken charge. He smiled as he remembered hearing her having a go at the former foreman… and sacking him. It'd been quite arousing to hear her explain, pointedly and with authority, how she was right and they were wrong. There were many things about his wife that he loved but hearing her that afternoon, hearing how confident she'd been and the way she'd spoken to them had made those feelings even stronger.

So now he was going home. He'd called Lauren a couple of hours ago and told her he'd be leaving soon and then they could go out for the afternoon. Lauren kept reminding him that they needed to finish getting the Christmas presents for Eve. They'd been gradually buying things for her over the last couple of months but there were her main presents still to get. When he'd called her he'd suggested they went to get the last few things. She hadn't sounded that convinced but he could also hear Evie screaming in the background and he recognised that Lauren was a little frazzled. Therefore he wasn't sure exactly what he should expect when he got home.

He walked through the front door and could hear his daughter making a complete racket, hammering some of her toys together. "I'm home," he called through to the lounge, hoping he'd distract his little girl from all the noise she was making. Sure enough he heard her fast running footsteps and then she was wrapping her little arms around his leg as he took off his coat. "Hello, Evie… have you been a good girl today?" he asked, reaching down for her and lifting her into his arms.

Eve nodded her head in response to his question, "Yes, dada…" she said, "Evie… good…"

"Shall we go and see if mummy agrees?" he asked.

"Mama…" Eve said, her face lighting up as she clapped her hands together.

Joey carried her into the lounge and found Lauren picking up the toys scattered around the floor. "Hey, babe…" he said. "How was your day?" he asked her.

"Long…" she told him and he could see the strain around her eyes and in her shoulders.

He walked over to her, taking her hand and pulling her towards him, stopping her from what she was doing. He squeezed her hand and then released it, lifting it and brushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He leant forward and kissed her tenderly, feeling her kiss him back.

"Evie kisskiss…"

Before either parent could react Eve shifted in her daddy's arms and kissed them both wetly, dribbling slightly against their cheeks. They pulled apart and turned to their daughter, seeing the smile on her face as she looked at them both. Joey chuckled and jostled her slightly in this arms before peppering sloppy kisses across her face and making her giggle. He looked at Lauren again, concerned when he didn't see her smiling in return. He lowered Eve to the floor, "Why don't you go and get Mr Pink, Evie…" he said, spotting the pink teddy bear on the other side of the room.

"'Kay, dada…" she said, toddling across the room, a mission in her mind.

"Do you still want to go shopping for presents?" he asked Lauren.

"I don't know, Joe… my temper is pretty frazzled today… I had the meeting with Adrian and I don't know if I've made the right decision… it just seems really overwhelming. Then I tried to do some drawing when I got back and it was useless… I've got no work done and I just really want to have a quiet night with you…"

"Oh…" Joey said.

Lauren looked up at her husband, "I'm not going to like what you're about to say, am I?"

"James and Whit are coming over… James and I thought it'd be good to get another night in, as the bar is closed for the last time, before Christmas…"

"Joey… why didn't you ask me first?"

"I didn't think it would be a big issue…?"

"You know things between Whit and I are… strained…" she told him, folding her arms and glowering at him.

"She's trying, babe… she wants to be friends with you…" he told her softly, pulling her against his body and wrapping his arms around her. "And you know you have nothing to be jealous of… There's only one woman I want in my life… and that's you, babe." He breathed in her ear. "It was one night… many years ago… things between us were… complicated then and you weren't even around. We'd split up…"

"I know, Joe… but I can't help the way I feel…" she whispered, "Every time I look at her, I imagine the two of you together…" She looked into his eyes, "I know it's irrational… I know you don't want to be with her… And I know she's trying to repair our friendship but… it's not that easy…"

"She's with James now…" Joey reminded her. "It's one night…" he added, "and I'll reward you later… when they're gone…"

Lauren relaxed against him, resting her head on his chest, "I'm being a drama queen, aren't I?" she whispered.

"You are… but it's part of what I love about you…" he breathed, kissing the top of her head. They stood that way for some time and as the minutes passed, Joey felt Lauren relax more and more. "So… shopping…" he said softly.

"I'm not sure I'm up to it with Eve in tow…" she admitted. She tilted her head back to look at him, "How about I go and finish the shopping… you could take Eve to that new soft play area and have some time with her… she misses you and I know she'd love spending time with you…"

"It sounds like I have the easy end of the deal…" he said.

"You won't…" Lauren told him, "I'll get the shopping done in a fraction of the time without you both there… and Eve's in one of those moods today… she'll wear you out…"

"Hopefully she'll wear herself out first…" Joey said.

Lauren pulled away from him, "I'll go and get a bag of things ready for you to take with you… Why don't you go and get Eve ready for the car and then we can go in a little while."

"Okay…" Joey said, walking over to Eve and picking up her and Mr Pink. He passed the bear to Lauren as he carried Eve over to her bedroom so he could change her into something she could play in. He also put her coat and shoes on her. Once he was done, he grabbed his jacket and then carried her out to the car, strapping her into her car seat. She was chatting away to herself, her hand reaching for her daddy's face as he sorted out the straps of her seat.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey had dropped Lauren off at the shopping mall and was now driving to the nearby kid's zone that had opened a couple of months ago. They'd taken Eve there a few times now and she loved it a lot. It also gave her the opportunity to socialise with other children of her own age which wasn't something she did very often as Lauren was able to work from home. Joey felt this was important for her development as he didn't want her to grow up without any social skills.

He parked the car and climbed out of it, opening the back door and seeing the anticipation on Eve's face. She knew where they were and was clearly looking forward to it. "Come on, sweetheart…" he said, lifting her into his arms. He grabbed the bag that Lauren had packed and then shut and locked the car. He carried her into the building and paid for her to get in. She was babbling again excitedly as he walked through to the part that was sectioned off for the under-threes and once they were in it, he placed her on the floor.

Eve immediately headed towards the ball pit which was her favourite part of the whole building and she launched herself into it headfirst, re-appearing among the balls with a huge grin on her face. Joey joined her, sitting on the floor beside the ball pit and watching her as she batted balls out of her way.

"Dada…" she said, holding a ball out towards him.

"Thank you, Evie…" he said. She stared at him for a few seconds and then turned back to the balls. Once her attention was elsewhere Joey leant over her into the pit, hearing her shriek with laughter as he did so. He buried her with the balls and she kept fighting to uncover herself… but her daddy was quicker than she was. Every now and then though Joey would pause and she'd sit up and grin at him and he'd kiss her tenderly before starting all over again.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

They moved onto the climbing frame and slide and Eve went round and round in circles, trailed by her daddy as she climbed up the padded steps and then toddled along the platform, glancing to her right for reassurance from her daddy. He smiled at her and then moved a little quicker than her so he could wait for her at the bottom of the slide. The first time she was at the top of the slide she stood pensively, biting her lip in a way that reminded Joey so much of her mummy as she clearly wondered if she really wanted to do this.

"Come on, sweetheart…" Joey encouraged, smiling at her as he crouched at the bottom of the slide and held his arms out towards her. She sat on the edge, taking a few more seconds to build up the courage to push herself down the slide. Another two children, both slightly bigger than Eve came along the platform and Joey was worried she'd get barged out of the way but both the kids slid down another part of the wide slide with a confidence that Eve was lacking. She watched them and saw how they slid down and then she looked at her daddy, seeing him looking at her with a smile on his face. Taking a deep breath she gave herself a little shove and then she was sliding down towards her daddy, being swept up into his arms and getting a huge hug from him when she reached the bottom. She loved her daddy very much… he made her feel safe and that nothing could hurt her.

Once she'd gone down the slide once she regained the confidence she found every time she came to the play zone. That first time was always the same… she just needed a little reminder that she was going to be okay. From then on, she just ran round, safe in the knowledge that her daddy would be there to catch her at the bottom of the slide… or there to pick her up if she fell over and kiss better any booboos.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren had called Joey a little while earlier and had said she'd be finished in an hour. Not long after Joey started to gather Eve's things up, wiping her face and hands so she was clean and putting her coat back on her. He put her in the car seat, telling her they were going to go and get mummy. She grinned, cuddling Mr Pink in her arms and Joey went to get in the car.

By the time he'd reached the shopping mall Eve was fast asleep and Lauren was able to tell him what she'd bought. They got home relatively early and Joey carried in the shopping while Lauren brought Eve in. The presents were stowed away in their room and Lauren put Eve in her cot.

"Should we get her her dinner?" Joey asked as he walked out of their bedroom.

"Probably… just a little meal… and we can give her a bottle just before we go to bed… to top her up…"

"I can get her something…" Joey said.

"We can just give her one of those sachets we've got in the cupboard…" Lauren said, "I'll go and wake her up…" she said. "I think she can forego the bath tonight as well… I'll bath her in the morning as I'm off work tomorrow…"

"Oh yes… you've finished before Christmas now, haven't you?" Joey said.

"Yes… although I have some work to catch up on after Boxing Day…"

"Babe…" Joey said.

"I didn't get what I needed to get done today so I need to finish it before the New Year…"

"It's Christmas…"

"I know… but you're the one who suggested I did this, Joe… now I need to get on with it… I need to make this work…"

Joey sighed, hating that she was right but wishing she didn't have to do the work. "I know…"

"It not masses… just a storyboard for a new author Adrian has pointed my way. She wants me to suggest some illustrations… If I get it right, it sounds like it could turn out to be regular work…"

"I know… I just wanted us to have some family time…" he said, slightly sulkily. Lauren walked over to him and wound her arms around his waist as he reached into a cupboard and pulled out some food for Eve.

"We'll still have a special Christmas, Joe… I promise… It's just a few hours…" she whispered, kissing the back of his neck. He covered her hands with one of his and squeezed them but said nothing. "I'd better go and get Eve up so we can get her sorted out before Whitney and James come over…" she said.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked back into the lounge an hour later and found Joey waiting for her. "So what time are Whitney and James turning up?" she asked, sitting on the couch next to him.

"Half past…" he said, kissing her temple. "James said they were bringing something with them…"

"Should we be worried?"

"Let's see what they bring… and reserve judgment till then…" he told her softly. Whitney and James had been coming over to their flat for an evening every couple of weeks in the last few months. Whitney had been seeing James for almost a year now, meeting him at R&amp;R's one night the previous January while he was working. Since she'd met him, she'd been trying to reaffirm her friendship with Lauren, distancing herself from Lucy and making an effort to become a nicer person to be with once more. It was clear from his earlier discussion with Lauren that things were still pretty tense between the two girls but they were both trying and Joey had to admit he thought they'd one day be much closer friends but there were times, like earlier today, when he wondered if he was right. The evenings the four of them spent together were usually okay with only slight moments of tension and despite that tension, James and Whitney were the closest friends Lauren and Joey had. Joey would say James was one of his best friends and had been for a long time now. And he liked Whitney, that much had been clear ever since he'd arrived in Walford… just not as much as he liked his wife, obviously. And arguably his friendship with Whitney was the reason for the tension between the two girls but it was purely that, it was only friendship and that was all it would ever be now. In truth it was probably all it ever should've been because he was only ever interested in one girl since he'd first arrived on the square and any other girl he'd had a dalliance with had only been him fighting his feelings for that girl… for the woman who was now his wife. Normally when the other couple came over they either had a movie night or they played games of some kind. Tonight James had said he and Whitney were bringing something with them and Joey was a little worried, although he wouldn't admit that to Lauren because he'd seen the look on James' face and he was unsure how this evening would turn out. "Was Evie okay?" he asked, moving the subject onto a safer topic of conversation.

"She went straight down… your trip out with her earlier tired her out, I think…" Lauren said, curling up against him.

"Good…" Joey said, kissing the top of her head.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The doorbell rang about forty minutes later and Joey went to answer it. "Come in, guys…" Joey said, opening the door wide for them. James and Whitney walked through to the lounge and there was a slight pause of awkwardness as usually happened when Lauren and Whitney first met.

Joey entered the room and Lauren knew she needed to make an effort. "Hi, guys… would you like a drink?" she asked, stepping towards them both and kissing them both on the cheek in greeting.

"A beer would be great, Lauren…" James said, grinning at her.

"The room looks amazing, Lauren…" Whitney said, "The decorations are so lovely…"

"Thanks," Lauren said, a genuine smile on her face at the compliment. "We wanted to make a real effort… for Eve's sake… it's her first proper Christmas where she'll be more aware of what's going on… and we were both ill last year so it was a bit of a washout anyway…"

"I'm sure she'll have a great time…" Whitney said and the atmosphere thawed slightly.

"She will…" Lauren said. "Now what would you like to drink?"

"We brought a bottle of wine…" James said, holding up a bottle in his hand.

"Then I'll get you a glass of that…" Lauren said, taking the bottle from him and relaxing as this must've been what James had meant when he said he was bringing something.

"When you can get back, we can play the game we brought with us," Whitney said, taking off her coat.

"What game?" Joey asked as he took their coats from them.

"Truth or Dare…" Whitney said, smirking at Joey.

Lauren's mouth ran dry and she dashed quickly into the kitchen, her mind unable to stop remembering the look on Whitney's face.

"Make yourself comfortable, guys…" Joey said, taking the coats into their bedroom. He'd seen Lauren's face as she ran for the kitchen and he knew he needed to see if she was okay. This evening was starting to have disaster written all over it.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was in the kitchen and she grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge, a scowl gradually forming on her face. She took off the lids and placed them on the side. She took a wine glass out of the cupboard, wishing she could have one herself as she mulled over the conversation they'd just had. She uncorked the bottle Whitney and James had brought with them and poured a large glass for her 'friend'. She was really trying with Whitney… and she'd missed her friendship over the last couple of years but there was still this nagging doubt in the back of her brain that kept saying Whitney was trying to steal Joey off her.

"You okay?"

His voice should've surprised her but it hadn't. She'd known he'd come to see if she was okay as soon as she'd made her escape to the kitchen. His arms wrapped around her waist and he lowered his head, kissing her neck. "I'm fine…" she whispered.

"No, you're not… talk to me, babe…" he said softly.

"I'm just not sure…" She turned in his arms, looking up at him. "It makes me feel uncomfortable…"

"James said that dares would only be between couples…" Joey told her. He could still see the worry on her face and he knew what her biggest fear was. "Nothing will happen between me and Whit, babe… I don't need her in my life… I never did. It was always you… and it always will be…"

"Really?" she whispered, wanting to believe him so badly.

"Really…" he murmured, kissing her gently. "If you don't want to do any dares… you just need to tell the truth, babe…"

"Okay…" she sighed. "I'll get something for us all to eat during the game…" she said, turning back to the worktop and opening another cupboard door.

"What do you want to drink?" he asked her, stepping away.

"Some fruit juice…" she told him. He grabbed a glass from a cupboard and filled it with orange juice. He grabbed the bottles of beer and open bottle of wine and carried them into the lounge.

"Lauren will just be a minute…" he said, placing what he'd brought in on the table.

"We don't have to play this, Joey…" Whitney said.

"It's fine…" Joey said. He glanced up as he felt Lauren enter the room, smiling at her and seeing her relax. "I'll just go and check on Evie before we get started…" he said. He squeezed Lauren's hand as he walked past her and then walked to their daughter's room. He stepped inside, pushing the door to as he moved to the side of the cot. He stared down at her, seeing she was fast asleep, snoring softly. Mr Pink was held tightly in her arms. He reached down to her, pushing some of her curly hair back from her face, "Sleep tight, baby girl… mummy and daddy both love you very much…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked back into the lounge and sat on the couch beside Lauren. "So how does this work?" he asked.

"Well, we found this game on a stall in the market but there were some blank cards in it too… so we've added a few questions into it…" Whitney told them, taking a sip from her glass of wine.

Lauren was watching Whitney's face and she could've sworn she saw a slight smirk but maybe she was just being overly sensitive. "Okay…" Lauren said. "Let's start then." She said, sipping on her orange juice and wishing she could have some alcohol.

"Well volunteered, Lauren…" James said, grinning at her, "Truth or dare?" he asked.

Lauren glanced at Joey, "Truth…" she said, biting her lip and hoping she didn't live to regret the choice she'd made.

James smiled, "What is the first physical feature you look for in someone you're attracted to?"

Lauren smiled, "Nice eyes…" she answered quickly, not needing to think about it. "It was the first thing I noticed in Joe…"

"Yeah, right…" Whitney laughed, drinking some more wine.

"It was…" Lauren protested, resenting Whitney's comment… probably more than she should. "Yes, okay… it wasn't just his eyes that attracted me… but they were the first thing that pulled me towards him…" Joey smiled and kissed the top of her head as he hugged her against his body. "Your turn, Whit…" she said, a slight snap to her words.

"Dare…" she said, grinning at her friend.

Lauren rolled her eyes and reached for a card from the dare pile. "Lick your partner's ear…" she said.

Whitney moved on her knees, round to where James sat and knelt beside him. Lauren and Joey watched as she proceeded to caress James' ear with her tongue. It took a lot longer than Lauren thought was completely necessary and again she began to hope she didn't ever have to do a dare.

It was James turn next and he also chose to do a dare. Whitney picked up the card and read it out to him, "Go to the bathroom and change…" Whitney smiled evilly, "You must go commando for the rest of the game." James reluctantly stood and walked to the bathroom. The three of them waited and five minutes later he returned, dropping his boxers in Whitney's lap. She put them in her handbag.

"Your turn, Joey…" James said, sitting back down in his seat.

"Truth…" Joey replied, taking a swig of his beer.

"You two are boring…" James grumbled as he picked up a card from the pile. He read it and then looked up at his boss and wife. He shrugged, "Describe the situation when both of you felt so horny that you had to get frisky in public."

Joey had to think about it briefly but then remembered the perfect time… knowing it wouldn't be too embarrassing for his wife. "It was on our honeymoon…" he said, "We'd gone for a walk on the beach and it was relatively secluded but anyone could've walked past us and seen us at any time. We made love in a hammock, both completely naked…"

"You didn't?" Whitney gasped, almost choking on her wine.

"We did…" Joey confirmed, "Lauren was pregnant with Eve and she'd been getting more and more horny as the day had gone on and to be honest, it doesn't take much to get me in the mood when it comes to Lauren…" Lauren smiled but her face was starting to turn a little red. "It was really great sex and the thrill of possibly getting caught just made it even more so…" He smiled, "It was so great, we did it again… after a short break…" he admitted, "and we didn't get caught either time…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The game continued for a couple more rounds and so far Lauren and Joey hadn't had to do anything more than Joey kissing three areas of her body while he was blindfolded and having to guess what bits they were. Of course he'd been able to identify the three places (her arm, her neck and her stomach) as he knew her body like the back of his hand… to Whitney's apparent disappointment.

It was now Lauren's turn again and she hesitantly asked once more for a truth card. Joey read it out to her, staring into her eyes intently. "Tell one thing you're hiding from your partner and intend to hide it forever…" he asked her.

Whitney crowed with laughter, drinking more wine, emptying the glass so James could refill it. Lauren stared at Joey, her eyes widening and her face flushing. She could feel her heart racing in her chest as an awkward silence fell over the room. "Dare…" she finally whispered.

The three of them stared at her, surprised she hadn't said anything. "Why don't you just answer?" Joey prodded.

"I'm not hiding anything from you so I don't have anything to tell you…" she said, "So I guess that means I have to do a dare…"

Joey couldn't help feeling she was lying but he didn't say anything and simply took a dare card off the pile. His eyes widened as he read the card. It was a handwritten one so he knew it was one James or Whitney had written. "Put your hand in your partner's jeans and keep it busy for a five minutes…" he told her.

"Fuck…" Lauren breathed softly, only Joey hearing her. She looked at her husband, hoping for him to rescue her somehow from this but all he did was start undoing his belt and jeans. She sighed and shifted so she was sitting a lot closer to him. She could feel her face flaming red but she wasn't sure why she was the one who was embarrassed… it wasn't like she was exposing herself in front of their friends… but somehow it felt wrong to do this to Joey with them watching. Lauren moved her hand slowly towards his trousers before slipping them inside. She focused completely on Joey, trying to block out the fact their friends were in the room watching what she was doing. As soon as her hand settled on his cock, even above his pants she felt him start to harden. She moved her hand beneath his pants, wanting to be able to touch him properly. What was it Joey had said to her the other day? If a job was worth doing, it was worth doing well… She heard him breathe in sharply as her fingers wrapped around him, stroking him firmly. She did it again, squeezing him in the palm of her hand and smiling slightly as she felt him swell further. She twisted her hand on him, feeling him tense against her body. "Is that good, baby?" she murmured in his ear, hearing him moan as her thumb brushed over the tip of his length. She continued to stroke him, feeling him fight the arousal he was feeling and that just pushed her on. In the back of her mind she knew it was wrong but she wanted him to come… she wanted him to come harder than he had at any time of her doing this to him. That would really show Whitney she thought spitefully.

"Babe…" Joey said, placing his hand on hers above his jeans and stilling her hand.

She looked up at his face, "I'm just doing my dare, Joe…" she reminded him. "Aren't you enjoying it?" she said softly.

"You know I am…" he gasped in her ear. "But we're not alone…"

"I know that, Joe… now stop fighting it… my time must be nearly up…" She didn't think he'd do as she said but she felt him relax slightly and he moved his hand away again. She moved faster, not wanting their time to run out before she'd made him come. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, breathing deeply as her hand continued to stroke him. He moaned, a little louder than he intended to less than a minute later and she felt his cock throb in her hand. She continued to rub his length, feeling his orgasm fade slowly. Once it was done her time was up. She glanced up and saw James and Whitney staring at them, both looking slightly uncomfortable. Lauren mentally shrugged, it was their own fault. They'd suggested the game in the first place so they had to deal with the consequences of that suggestion. "I think Joe and I need a couple of minutes to clean up…" she told them with a smile.

"We'll go and get some more beers, right James?" Whitney said, standing up quickly and rushing into the kitchen, closely followed by her boyfriend. It pleased Lauren to know that Whitney was discomforted by what she'd just done… it was definitely an added bonus of her dare.

"I can't believe you just did that in front of them…" Joey told her.

"Serves them right for suggesting the game in the first place…" Lauren said as she pulled her hand from his pants. She got to her feet and then held out her clean hand towards him. "Come on sexy… let's go and clean the both of us up…" she said.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey and Lauren walked back into the lounge a couple of minutes later, all cleaned up, clothes where they should be and hand in hand. They sat back around the table, Whitney and James sitting side by side opposite them. "I guess it's your turn now, Whit…" Lauren said, smiling at her sweetly, "What'll it be?"

Whitney paused, not sure which to choose. "Truth," she finally said.

Lauren picked up the card and turned it over to read it. "Have you ever cheated on someone?" she asked.

Whitney's eyes widened and she glanced at James. "Well, I guess I did with Fats…" she admitted, her face reddening, "There was just something about Tyler…"

"So you never cheated on Tyler?" Lauren asked pointedly.

"No, of course not…" she declared. Her eyes darted to meet Joey's and Lauren didn't miss it.

"What was that?" she asked quickly.

"What?"

"You looked at my husband…" Lauren said, her voice low and dangerous.

"Babe…" Joey said, reaching for her hand but she shook him off.

"Lauren, please…" Whitney whispered.

Lauren's eyes widened as she realised what was going on, "You mean to say you haven't told James that you slept with my husband?" she accused.

"It wasn't like that… you weren't married… you weren't even dating…" Whitney said desperately. "You weren't even in Walford…"

"Lauren, stop…" Joey said to her softly.

"I didn't cheat on Tyler… we'd split up when Joey and I…" Whitney looked down at her hands. "It was once… and I was really drunk… It was a mistake and we both knew it the next morning…"

Silence fell over the room and the tension had climbed once more. Eve started to cry from within her room and Lauren scrambled to her feet, needing some time out of the room. She walked into the bedroom and found Eve sitting up in her cot, hugging Mr Pink tightly. Lauren reached into the cot and picked up her daughter (and the bear) and she walked over to the rocking chair, sitting down in it and rocking it slightly to try and calm her sobbing daughter, some of her own tears possibly breaking free. "It's okay, Evie… mummy's here…" she whispered, Joey's nickname for her slipping out unintentionally. She rocked her for some minutes and just as Eve was starting to calm down she began to cry again, much louder this time. "What's wrong, Evie?" Lauren murmured.

"Miter Pink…" Eve sobbed and Lauren realised the bear was now lying on the floor.

Lauren reached down and grabbed the little pink teddy bear and passed him to her daughter, "Here you go, sweetheart…" After a few more minutes of rocking Eve was asleep and Lauren stood and lowered her back into the cot. Unfortunately there was no delaying it any further, she was going to have to go back into the room… and back to that game.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren walked back into the lounge and she decided she needed to make amends for what had just happened. She hadn't exactly been the best of hosts. "I'm sorry for earlier, Whit…" she said softly. "It was uncalled for…"

Whitney looked at her and Lauren could see the hurt in her eyes, "It's okay, Lauren…" she replied, "I guess it's not something we've ever really talked about… or cleared the air about…" she admitted, "After all these years, it's been festering for too long… It needed doing…"

Lauren looked at James, "I owe you an apology too, James… it wasn't my place to tell you…" she said quietly.

James nodded his head, "I already knew…" he said, surprising both girls, Lauren felt her guilt ease slightly.

"You did?" Whitney gasped.

"Yeah, Joey told me when we first started seeing each other. He wanted me to know and to explain what happened… he didn't want me finding out from someone else and for it to come between our friendship."

Whitney relaxed slightly, "You never said…" she murmured.

"I figured you'd tell me about it when you were ready…" he said, shrugging, "It wasn't important… it was before we were together… and like you said, you both realised it was a mistake…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The game continued and the next three goes were all truths and easy for the recipient to answer. It seemed the tension was gone from the game until Whitney asked for a truth card again. Lauren once more grabbed a card, reading it softly, "Are you serious about your relationship?" she asked her friend.

Whitney was silent for several seconds and Lauren could see James start to frown at her non-response,

"Yes…" Whitney whispered, peering up at Lauren, "I'm more serious about James than I've been about anyone else… He means everything to me and I can't see a future without him in my life…" Again the room fell silent and Lauren smiled at her friend, knowing how much it'd taken for her to say what she just had.

Whitney looked really awkward as she sat there until James put his arm around her shoulders and he kissed her cheek, "I'm glad you feel like that, Whit… because I do too…" he murmured to her. He looked at the other couple, "I guess it's my turn," he said, clearing his throat. "I think I'll have a dare…" he said, his hand brushing Whitney's side as his arm was around her waist.

Whitney picked up a card and her face flushed red when she read what it said. She glanced at James and he wondered what she was about to say. "Kiss each other for two whole minutes…" she said softly.

"Well, that's not too difficult…" James said.

"I hadn't finished…" she added.

"Oh…"

"You must kiss but you can't touch each other… other than with your mouths."

"Mmm, well that's a little more difficult… but not impossible…" James leant forward, lifting his hand to touch her face.

"No hands…" Lauren reminded him. James continued to lean forward and then he was kissing his girlfriend. Lauren couldn't watch the two of them, a mental image of her kissing Joey sneaking into mind so she watched the seconds tick by instead. She knew that Joey wasn't watching either. Instead he was whispering in her ear, telling her how much he loved her and that he'd do whatever she wanted him to do once they were alone. "Times up." Lauren eventually said and the couple pulled apart, both breathing heavily.

"I guess that means it's my turn now…" Joey said. "I choose dare…" he said, grinning at his friend, who reached for a dare card from the table. Lauren looked at her husband as if he'd just grown a second head. How could he do this to her?

"Hug each other topless…" James said, grinning at Joey.

"No way…" Lauren spluttered.

Whitney snatched the card off her boyfriend, glaring at him when he started laughing at Lauren's discomfort. She read the card, "It says you can have your back to the rest of us, Lauren…" she revealed.

"Still…" Lauren protested.

Joey hugged her close, "It's okay, babe… No one will see anything, I promise…" he told her softly.

Lauren rested her head on his shoulder, her head turned away from their guests. She thought about what he'd said and she knew there was only ever one answer. "You know I can't say no to you…" she whispered.

"Come here…" he told her softly, lifting her off the floor and sitting her so she was straddling his lap. He pushed away from the sofa he was leaning against and pulled his T-shirt over his head. Lauren looked at his chest, forgetting for a moment what she was about to do. His hands settled on her waist, staring into her eyes intently. He lifted a hand and brushed some hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Lauren relaxed slightly when he did that and it took her a few seconds to realise he was lifting her top up her body.

"Joe…" she breathed as she became aware of what he was doing.

"It's okay…" he breathed. She shifted slightly on his lap and felt the way his body responded. He leant forward, kissing her passionately as he lifted the top further up her body. He pulled away from her, long enough to pull her top over her head and then his mouth was back on hers. His arms winding around her back and pulling her against him. She moaned into his mouth as the kiss naturally deepened. She froze against him when she felt his fingers undo the back of her bra. "It's okay…" he repeated, easing the straps of her bra down her arms and then letting it fall to the floor. His focus was on her completely and he pulled her against him once more, kissing her mouth deeply. She moved on his lap and he moaned into her mouth. One arm was around her back but his other hand swept up into her hair as he held her head in his place. Lauren could feel his growing erection beneath where she sat and the knowledge she'd got him hard made her feel a hell of a lot better about what she'd just done.

A noise broke them apart and they turned their heads towards where the noise had come from. The front door. Lauren looked around behind her, "Where did they go?" she asked.

"I guess they decided the game was over…" Joey said.

"Oh…" Lauren murmured, "They didn't get their coats…" she said.

"They probably decided they should just go…" he said, kissing the corner of her jaw. "Is that really important now?" he whispered in her ear.

"I guess not…" she replied. "So what do we do now?" she asked him.

"Well I have an idea…"

"You do?" she whispered.

Joey moved quickly, flipping them so Lauren was lying on the floor with Joey lying above her. He pressed his hips against hers, smiling down at her as she bit her lip. "What do you think?" he asked her softly.

"What did I say to you earlier?" she whispered. He frowned, his mind on other matters and unable to process what she was referring to. "I told you I can never say no to you…"

Joey smiled at her, "I find it pretty hard to say no to you too…"

"That's not the only thing that's hard…" she giggled. Joey rolled his eyes but turned his attention to the task at hand.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

They both lay in bed a couple of hours later, Lauren cradled in Joey's arms, her back to his chest. "Happy seventh day of Christmas, babe…" he breathed in her ear. Lauren smiled, her hand squeezing his tightly. They fell silent for a couple of minutes before Joey spoke once more. "Babe…" he said softly.

"Mmm…" she murmured.

"About what happened earlier…?" he asked her.

"Which bit…?" she said softly.

"When you were asked to reveal a secret you had from me…"

"I told you, Joe… I don't have any secrets…" she said.

"You know, you can tell me anything… that I'll be here for you… all the time…"

"I know…" she whispered.

"Just wanted to make sure you knew that…" he said, kissing the back of her head. He was snoring softly several minutes later. Lauren opened her eyes, staring into the darkness. She bit her lip, thinking about what Joey had just said to her.

"I wish I could…" she whispered into the darkness.

**AN: ****There are lots of bits of this chapter that I really like... the bits at the kids play zone in particular I love. We also had Whitney being introduced into the story... with a new man but there was tension between her and Lauren... which of course led to drama... but Joey was there for her. I don't think the game went quite the way Whitney and James really intended but there you go. Don't forget to see us a review... we want to hear what you think. Back****tomorrow****with another chapter... xx**


	10. santas list

**AN: So my turn again! I wondered what would happen if you had a husband who really hates DIY…what incentive could you give him to do the jobs…**

**Chapter Eight: ****Santa's List**

**Friday 21****st**** December 2018**

Joey rolled over in the bed and reached for Lauren, opening his eyes and frowning when he saw her side of the bed empty. He glanced at the bedside clock and saw it was barely 6:00am. He got out of bed, pulling on a pair of boxer shorts and he went in search of his wife. The kitchen and lounge were empty. He checked the bathroom and Eve's room. He paused in the doorway smiling as he saw his daughter was asleep on her stomach, with her bottom in the air, she looked so cute. Lauren wasn't there though. He walked through to the only room he hadn't checked and that was empty too. He frowned, wondering where she was. Walking back to the lounge he picked up his mobile and called her number. He could hear the jingle bells ringtone of her mobile coming from the bedroom.

Just as he was starting to worry, he heard a key in the lock and Lauren walked in. She was surprised to see Joey up. 'Hey' she said softly.

'Where have you been?' he asked her.

'I went for a run. I've been up since 3. I couldn't sleep. I'm going to take a shower' she told him and she walked through to the bathroom. She started the shower going and stripped off her clothes, stepping under the soothing warm water.

Joey went into the kitchen and made some coffee. He saw a list on the kitchen table and recognised Lauren's handwriting. He read through the list and saw it was made up of DIY tasks that she'd asked him to do over the past year and he hadn't got round to doing them, he groaned. He wanted to spend his day off relaxing in front of the TV and now it looked like he'd be getting hot and sweaty and not in a good way. Joey smiled as he read through the list again. Lauren had given him a little incentive against each task to make sure he did it. His girl was pretty bright she knew exactly how to wrap Joey around her little finger. He contemplated whether he could sequester some of the workmen from the bar…it'd be a way of getting through the list quicker and would ensure he got his rewards. He nixed that idea quickly, knowing Lauren would find our somehow and he'd be in serious trouble. She wasn't a woman you wanted to piss off…he knew that.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

When Lauren came in to the kitchen she saw Eve was up and having cuddles with daddy. Her little face lit up as she saw Lauren. 'Hi Mama' she smiled at her as she reached for her. Lauren took her from Joey and Eve hugged her tightly and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

'Hi baby' Lauren smiled at her. 'Did you sleep okay?'

'Yep' Eve nodded her head 'Good seeps' she told her. 'Mama mell yummy' Eve buried her nose into Lauren's neck and nuzzled her nose there. Lauren giggled.

'Thank you sweetheart. You do too. What does Evie want for breakfast?' she asked her.

'Ammy oast' Eve said around her thumb.

'Okay Jammy toast coming up' she said handing Eve back to Joey as she set about making breakfast.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren and Joey sat at the table, eating the bacon, scrambled eggs and toast Lauren had made for them, whilst Eve tucked into her own breakfast.

'So why couldn't you sleep?' Joey asked Lauren.

'I have a lot on my mind I guess' she told him 'you know with going self-employed' she licked her lips 'I need to figure out how it's going to work and if it's going to be profitable. I don't want to end up with me spending less time with Eve or you' she told him. 'And I don't want to do it if it's going to cost us more'

'Will you stop worrying about money, babe!' Joey told her 'The club is doing great, we have money in the bank and we're doing okay. You don't have to work if you don't want to. I can take care of us' he looked at her.

'I know. I just…I feel as though I should contribute to our finances. I don't want you to have to work longer hours and spend more time away from us either'

'That won't happen, babe. I promise' he told her 'You and Evie are the most important people in my life. Work will never take me away from you…not ever' he told her he reached across the table and took her hand in his.

'Thank you' Lauren smiled at him. They gazed at each other and a piece of jammy toast landed on their joined hands. The both turned to look at Evie who had a huge grin on her face.

'Evie done' she told them both.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was ready to go out. As she'd left Joey a list of chores to do she was going to take Eve out for the day so she didn't get under Joey's feet or distract him. She was going to take her to a play group for a couple of hours and then they were going to drop in on her parents and then she was meeting Abi for lunch.

'Okay I'm good to go' Lauren said and she looked up at Joey 'I've left you a list of chores you need to work though….all those little things that you've put off because you didn't have enough time or because Eve and I got under your feet. So we're going to give you the space to work on them.'

'So these rewards…?'Joey asked her.

'You'll get every single reward if and only if you complete the task next to them' she told him.

'What do I get if I complete the whole list?' he asked her.

'Anything you want babe' Lauren told him and she reached up and gave him a kiss. 'And I mean anything' she whispered. Joey's eyes widened as she said the words and his mind went into overdrive as he thought about what they could be doing tonight. 'Love you' she said stealing another kiss and she turned away from him and walked to the pushchair. She pushed it towards the door.

'Er…babe?' Joey called after her 'I think you've forgotten something' Lauren frowned she'd double checked everything, she was sure she hadn't forgotten anything. She had the changing bag, nappies, bottles made up, a change of clothes, some snacks for Eve. Some toys to keep her distracted and she also had Mr Pink in the pushchair. She frowned and turned round and saw Joey holding up Eve.

'Oh…oops' Lauren grinned at him and she walked back to him and took her daughter from her 'Mama nearly forgot the most important thing she needed to take! Silly mama' she carried Eve back to the pushchair and strapped her in.

'Mama illy' Eve repeated.

'Right are we ready to go?' Lauren said.

'Eve eady. Miter Pink eady' Eve said. 'Mama eady?' Eve craned her head in the pushchair so she could see Lauren. Lauren smiled down at her.

'Yes baby, mama's ready' Lauren replied.

'I have one question' Joey asked her 'How are you going to know if I've done these tasks?' he asked her.

'You have to send me a selfie of you and the completed task' she told him.

'Okay, so you don't trust me?' he frowned at her.

'How many times have I asked you to do the jobs on that list? And how many times have you lied to me and said you've done them?' she raised her eyebrows at him.

'Okay, point taken' Joey replied with a defeated sigh. 'Go. Have fun'

'We will' Lauren smiled at him. Joey heard the door close and he looked down at the list with a sigh. He hated DIY with a passion. But the sooner he got started the sooner he could finish…and get his rewards. He went into the bedroom to get dressed.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren watched as Eve played with a little boy she'd learned was called Joseph. He was a couple of months older than her, but the two of them had hit it off and followed each other around like shadows. Lauren felt a little bit tearful that Eve didn't even seem to notice she was in the room with her, and then she felt silly for getting tearful because Eve was having a good time and making friends. Joseph decided he wanted to play with the balls and he toddled towards them, turning to see if Eve was following him. Eve was just standing where they'd been playing with the blocks looking confused and worried. Lauren was about to get up and go to her, when Joseph smiled at her and held out his hand. The biggest smile lit up Eve's face and she toddled over to Joseph, taking his hand and he led her to the balls.

Lauren smiled to herself, the two of them looked so cute together. She snapped a picture of the two and sent it to Joey, with a text **"Eve's found her Joey already. xoxo"**

After play group ended Eve got tearful when Joseph had to go home with his mummy, she'd thought he was going to come home with her. So Lauren took her for a walk through the park and brought her an ice cream to try and take her mind off things.

After the park she dropped in on her parents, first her dad where Eve had fun playing on Max's "pooter" as she called it and then to her mum's salon, where she was currently having fun playing with Tanya's brushes. The little boy she'd been playing at the playgroup was now out of her mind.

'Okay Eve…are you ready to have lunch with Auntie Abi?' Lauren asked her as she sat in a chair at the salon.

'Abiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!' Eve squealed excitedly and she clapped her hands together, forgetting she had a brush in one of them, it clattered noisily to the floor.

'I'll take that as a yes' Lauren laughed. 'Well we'd better get a move on. We'll see you later mum. Say bye to Granny Tan'

'Bye Ganny Tan' Eve echoed like a parrot waving her little hand at her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was finally in the pub, waiting for Abi. Eve was in a high chair she'd borrowed from Alfie drinking some water from her sippy cup. Lauren had a coke in front of her and she pulled out her phone and looked at the texts she had from Joey. She had 7 so far. She opened the first picture and saw he was wearing a pair of jeans and the Santa Hat on his head. He was wearing nothing else. It also looked as though he'd oiled his chest and six pack up, she made a mental note to get some more baby oil before she went home. The first task he had to do was fix the washer in the bathroom tap so it would no longer drip. She could see the tap in the background and Joey was giving her a thumbs up. She shook her head, her husband was such a dork sometimes. The following 5 pictures were all pretty much the same, with Joey doing a thumbs up next to things he had fixed. The 7th picture was one of Joey pouting holding up his finger which had one of Eve's Miss Kitty plasters on it. Lauren giggled and fired a quick text back as she spotted Abi coming into the Vic.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey was sitting at the kitchen table, eating his lunch and checking through the list. He'd already done 6 of the 10 tasks Lauren had listed. So far he'd earned himself a peck on the cheek, a full on French kiss, a topless hug, a fully clothed hug, a shoulder rub and watching Lauren as she pleasured herself in the shower. He looked through the rest of the list and realised the jobs he really didn't want to do had bigger rewards. Fixing the runners in the chest of drawers in Eve's room was apparently worth a blow job. Joey decided that was going to be his next task. He grinned to himself at least if he didn't complete the list he'd get something he'd enjoy and benefit from.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Just before Lauren got home at 3pm, Joey had just finished getting dressed after his shower. He'd completed his last task and was feeling pretty proud of himself. He'd actually enjoyed doing the DIY jobs, although he suspected that was purely because of the rewards Lauren had promised him if he completed them. In addition to the ones he'd already won, he'd added, a kiss that lasts a full minute, a blow job, hand job, an hour long make out session on the sofa with some dirty sexy talk. And as he'd completed all the tasks he was allowed to do whatever he wanted to do to her. And he had the perfect idea, one she was going to love. It just needed a little preparation.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Eve rushed over to him as soon as Lauren took her out of the pushchair 'Dada…missed you' Eve held out her hands to him to be picked up. He bent down and scooped her into his arms.

'Daddy's missed you too, Evie. Did you have a nice time with mummy?'

'Yep' Eve nodded her head

'And were you a good girl?' he asked her as Lauren unpacked the pushchair.

'Course dada' Eve told him. Joey looked up at Lauren for confirmation.

'She was a perfect angel' Lauren smiled as she walked over to them both, she stroked Eve's curls and smiled at Joey. She carried the changing bag through to Eve's bedroom 'she's not had a nap though so she's probably going to have an early night' Lauren called through as she unpacked the bag.

Joey sat down on the sofa with Eve and she looked at her daddy, Joey watched her as she tilted her head first to one side and then to the other. 'What are you doing?' he asked her with an amused smile.

'Dada pity' Eve told him.

'Aww thank you baby, Eve is pretty too'

'Luvoo dada' Eve told him and she moved forward and lay her head on his chest. Joey smiled.

'Daddy loves you too Evie' he kissed the top of her head as Lauren came back into the room.

'I picked up some more baby lotion for Eve whilst I was out' she told Joey pointedly.

'I didn't use that much' he told her with a grin 'so tell me more about this little boy' he said to her as she sat down on the sofa beside him.

'Joey it was adorable. Eve was playing happily by herself with some blocks and then this little boy went over to her and handed her a block she'd missed and they started playing together. She completely forgot I was in the room' Lauren told him 'I could've left and she wouldn't have even noticed I wasn't there…she's already getting independent and doesn't need me so much' she frowned slightly, trailing off as she thought about how that made her feel. Joey turned to look at her.

'She'll always need you, you're her mummy' Joey told her softly. 'That's never going to change, babe' Lauren looked up at him and nodded her head, forcing a smile on her face.

'Then this little boy decided he was done playing with the blocks and he went over to the soft ball play area and Evie's face…she looked so upset and confused, I actually thought she was going to cry and then he stopped and turned to look at her and held out his hand to her and her face lit up with the biggest smile I've ever seen' she told him, Joey smiled 'they were inseparable for the rest of the play group. When it was time to go home, she cried because she thought Joseph was coming home with us'

'Oseph' Eve sat up at the sound of his name. 'Oseph!' she turned and looked around the flat as if she expected to see him there. 'Oseph?' she looked back at Lauren and her little bottom lip trembled as her big brown eyes filled with tears. 'Oseph…' her voice broke as Lauren watched as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

'Oh sweetheart, it's okay, you'll see Joseph again' Lauren told her, reaching out and brushing her tears gently away with her fingers. 'They're having a Christmas Party on Sunday, I thought maybe we could go?' she looked at Joey expectantly.

'Pease dada… Evie go see Oseph? Pease?' Eve looked up her dad with her tear filled puppy dog eyes.

'Of course we can go, sweetheart' Joey nodded his head, unable to say no to either his daughter or his wife.

'Fankoo dada' Eve beamed at him, her tears forgotten. Joey shook his head with a smile, yeah, Eve was just like a mini Lauren.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Eve was playing happily on the floor after she'd eaten and Joey was watching the news. Lauren was content to be sitting beside him. The news finished and Joey reached for the remote and groaned when his shoulder hurt. He turned off the TV and looked at Lauren.

'Thank you for doing all those chores' she told him 'I really appreciate it and I know how much you hate doing DIY' she said and she moved forward and hugged him tightly.

'Your incentives made it a lot more enjoyable' he admitted to her. 'And I know I shouldn't need incentives to do odd jobs around the house. I mean it is part of the role of being a husband and father' he told her, hugging her back.

'I probably should've thought about incentives earlier' she teased him. 'I mean I wonder what else I can get you to do with the right…incentive!'

'Anything probably. You and Evie have me wrapped around your little fingers and you both know it' he grumbled. 'Makes it impossible for me to say no'

'Sit forward' Lauren told him. He did as she asked and she moved behind him and started to massage his shoulders, she could feel the knots in them and dug her fingers in harder to work them out.

'Babe, that feels so good' Joey murmured.

'Would you want to say no to something if you know it would make me happy? Or Eve?' she asked him softly.

'Well no' Joey said to her 'but what happens when Eve is seventeen and she wants a car or she wants to stay overnight at her boyfriend's house? What if she wants a pony? All she has to do is the puppy dog eyes and pout and I'm putty in her hands. Just like I am with you'

'So I just have to ask for a pony?' she asked smiling as she teased him. He looked at her and rolled his eyes. I think it's a little early for us to be worrying about cars and boyfriends' Lauren smiled. She's only seventeen months old' she reminded him.

'Well she's already met a boy' Joey frowned.

'He's 19 months old, I don't think you have to worry about him taking her away from you just yet' Lauren told him. 'Relax and concentrate on the shoulder rub' she told him.

'You have magic fingers' Joey told her with a smile.

'I aim to please' Lauren replied, kissing his neck.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Eve was fed and had been in bed for half an hour. Joey and Lauren had had dinner and were bac on the sofa. She stretched, reached over to Joey and pecked him on the cheek.

'Where are you going?' Joey asked her.

'Bathroom' she told him.

Joey nodded his head and sighed as he watched her go. A few moments later he heard the shower start up. He waited for a few moments and then he got up and walked towards the bathroom, pushing open the door. Lauren smiled as she heard him come in and she turned to look at him. Joey's eyes were fixed on his wife's body. She squeezed some shower gel into her hands and washed her arms and hands. Joey closed the toilet seat and sat down on it as he watched his wife in the shower. She washed her legs next and peered at Joey to see his eyes were focused on her hands. She smiled to herself and straightened up, turning her back on Joey as she let the water run over her. Joey licked his lips as he watched the water run over her back, over her perfect peach bottom and down her legs. His hands were clenched into fists on his lap, he was dying to get in there with her. She turned to the side, giving him a perfect side view of her. Lauren reached for the shower gel again, filling her hands with it and she ran her hands over her stomach, getting a good lather, before she turned to face Joey again, she slid her hands upwards and over her breasts. She closed her eyes as she imagined it was Joey's hands and not hers touching her. She moaned softly as she rolled her nipples between her fingers.

Lauren opened her eyes to look at Joey, biting her bottom lip as she slid her hand lower and lower until her fingers slid between her legs. She was so worked up she knew she it wasn't going to be long before she reached her orgasm. Joey swallowed as he watched his wife's fingers slide between her legs. Lauren bit back a moan as her wet fingers danced over her clit. Joey was so hard he was in physical pain and he had to undo his jeans to relieve some of the tension. His wife was an incredibly sexy woman, even if she didn't feel she was all the time. He hoped what he had planned for her later would remind her of a time she felt she was at her sexiest and would prove to her that Joey found her incredibly sexy. Lauren gasped again, bracing her hand on the glass door of the shower as he fingers danced over her clit, pushing her further and further to the edge. She came suddenly crying out Joey's name. She leant against the wall for a few moments and then turned off the shower and opened the door.

'Baby, that was very sexy' he told Lauren as he wrapped her in the towel he was holding. He pulled her close to him and he smiled at her 'I am so hard for you right now' he told her softly.

'That was kind of the plan' she grinned at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She stood on tip-toes to kiss him. Her tongue licked the seam of his lips and he opened them for her. Her tongue swept inside to caress his tongue. Joey groaned as she deepened the kiss. She was really going all out tonight. They were both breathless when the kiss ended and she smiled at Joey. 'I think that's another two rewards off your list' she told him as her hands slid down the front of his t-shirt, she reached the bottom and she pushed it up and kissed his chest. Joey pulled the t-shirt over his head, dropping it onto the floor.

Joey nodded his head. 'Definitely' he replied.

'So how many rewards are left now?' she asked him.

'Four' he licked his lips. Lauren stepped away from him briefly and let the towel drop from her body, she smiled as she trailed her hands up over her husband's chest feeling his muscles rippling beneath her fingertips. She circled her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. He could feel her naked breasts pressed against his chest and he groaned contentedly. 'Babe, you're killing me here' he whined as his erection throbbed painfully.

'You know I'll make it worth your while, baby' she whispered. She pulled away from him, walking to the bathroom door. 'Check on Eve and I'll meet you at the sofa in five minutes' she promised him and she blew him a kiss.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey looked up as Lauren walked…no, sashayed would be a better word, into the room. She was wearing a short red dress and she looked beautiful. 'Is Eve okay?' she asked him.

'Yep' Joey nodded his head. 'She's sound asleep hugging Mr Pink'

'Good' Lauren smiled at him. She climbed onto his lap 'Let's hope she sleeps through' she whispered as her lips brushed against his. Joey's hands moved to the small of her back as he turned and lowered her onto the sofa.

'We haven't done this for a long time' Joey said quietly, brushing his nose against hers. 'Just making out'

'No, we haven't' she replied 'We used to do it all the time when we were sneaking around' she said softly as Joey's lips moved to her neck 'mainly because there was nowhere we could go to have sex'

'We still managed to have sex though' he reminded her. 'The time in your dad's portacabin is a top ten memorable experience, one I will always cherish'

Lauren giggled 'we almost got caught by Abi' she reminded him 'how is that in your top ten?' she asked him. 'And we got caught by Derek…' she trailed off.

'I know we did, but the fear of being caught, the fact we were keeping our relationship a secret…well it added to the fire between us'

'That's very true, we had the fire' Lauren nodded her head and Joey pulled back to look at her and frowned.

'Had?' he looked down at her questioningly.

We still have the fire' she reassured him quickly, pulling him back into a kiss. Joey moaned as Lauren scraped her nails gently over his back, he shifted beneath him and he moved off her slightly. His back was against the back of the sofa and she was facing him. Her hand slid over his six pack and disappeared into his jeans. The first touch of her hands on his cock and he almost came there and then. His eyes closed and his head rested on her shoulder. 'Is that good baby?' she whispered.

'Mmm' he nodded his head.

'You're so hard, Joey. I can feel you throbbing in my hand. I can't wait to feel you throbbing in my mouth' she murmured softly. Joey groaned loudly at her words. 'I bet you can't wait until I give you a blow job can you?' she whispered 'I bet you can imagine what it's going to feel like. Having my tongue swirl around the head of your cock'

'Lauren…babe…' Joey whispered, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he fought off his impending orgasm.

'You like it when I use my teeth too, don't you' Lauren continued 'alternating between sucking and scraping my teeth over your cock. You know the bit I like best don't you?' she asked him.

'T…t…tell me' he stammered.

Lauren smiled at him and she moved forward and kissed his ear lobe. 'My favourite part of giving you a blow job is when you come in my mouth and I get to taste you. You taste delicious and I love swallowing everything you give me. I love swallowing your hot cum…'

She felt him pulse in her hand as he came hard. He groaned loudly, his hips meeting the movement of her hand as she worked him through his orgasm. She didn't stop stroking him until she felt him soften in her hand.

'Wow! That was fantastic' Joey told her opening his eyes and looking at his wife, his breath was ragged.

'Baby, I've only just started' she told him and she manoeuvred herself so she was eye level with his groin. Joey watched her through hooded eyes as she licked her hand clean and then proceeded to lick his cock clean.

Lauren smiled as she saw his cock twitch and harden again. This was exactly what she'd hoped would happen. Joey sighed happily as Lauren stroked and caressed him until he was fully erect again. She smiled and looking up at Joey she touched the tip of her tongue to the head of his cock. He smiled at her and she winked at him as she took him into her mouth.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey's hands tangled loosely in her hair as she brought him to the edge before she stopped moving her head, he felt his pending orgasm fade a little and then she started to move again, building him back to the brink once more before she stopped again. He closed his eyes and his head fell back onto the arm of the sofa. His orgasm faded once again and she started her movements once more. She was so good at this. He'd never had a blow job this good before Lauren…not during the time they were apart either. She was the best…at everything. He felt his orgasm building once more and this time she didn't stop when he expected her too, her fingers caressed his balls gently, rolling them in her fingers. His fingers tightened in her hair and he exploded in her mouth, with a hoarse cry, shooting pulse after pulse of his hot cum into her willing mouth. Lauren swallowed eagerly, still sucking on him, draining every single moment of pleasure she could from him. Once she was done she pulled away from him and looked up at Joey, licking her lips as she did so. Joey looked at her and saw she looked so pleased with herself and rightly so. She was incredible.

'I think I'm going to do DIY more often' Joey told her with a smile as she lay on top of him. 'You were really pleased I completed all the jobs weren't you?'

'I really am' she nodded her head with a smile 'thank you'

'You're welcome babe' he replied.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

A couple of hours later the two of them were still lying on the sofa together. Joey needed a little recovery time before he could move onto his plan for tonight.

'So…since I've finished all the tasks on the list you said I'd get to do whatever I wanted' he reminded her.

'That's true, I did' she said softly, wondering what it was Joey wanted to do.

'So, Eve is asleep, there's nothing but repeats on the TV, you didn't sleep well last night and I've been working hard all day so I think we should have an early night.' Lauren nodded her head and feigned a yawn.

'I am really tired' she told him as he stood up, taking her hands and pulling her to her feet. Joey led Lauren into the bedroom with his hands over her eyes so she couldn't see what he'd planned for tonight. 'Joey…what are you planning?'

'Wait and see' he told her as they came to a stop 'Can I trust you to keep your eyes closed?' he asked her 'no peeking?'

'I promise' she told him. Joey removed his hands from her eyes and moved further into the room. A few moments later she heard the sound of the sea rushing onto the shore. Then she felt Joey's hands cup her face and his lips brushed against hers 'can I open my eyes now?' she whispered.

'No, not yet' Joey replied. He stripped her clothes off her and then she heard a rustle of clothes as he stripped his off. His hands moved to her waist and he pulled her against him, kissing her hungrily and then he broke off the kiss and moved her a few more steps and he stood behind her. 'Okay you can look now' he told her.

Lauren opened her eyes and she saw Joey had draped a hammock over the bed. He'd put in a couple of cushions and draped a light blue see through piece of silk over it. It reminded her of their honeymoon 'Joe…it's beautiful' she whispered.

'It's not like the real thing, but I thought that maybe we could recreate that night from our honeymoon?' he said softly.

'What a perfect idea' Lauren told him and she turned around to face him, slipping her hands up his chest and circling her arms around his neck 'you are so romantic Mr Branning'

'I try' he grinned at her 'and you are so beautiful Mrs Branning'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Later the two of them were lying together, a tangle of limbs in the hammock. Lauren smiled happily. 'Happy eighth day of Christmas Joe' Lauren whispered sleepily.

'Thanks babe. You too' he pressed his lips to the top of her head and closed his eyes.

'You remember you're watching Eve tomorrow. I have some things to do'

'I remember. Sweet dreams baby' Joey murmured softly. Lauren closed her eyes and hoped she'd get a good night's sleep tonight.

**AN: Thank you for all the reviews for A Christmas Story… we are so glad you are enjoying it. We had a lot of fun writing it. Well I think Joey got all his rewards he worked so hard for and what a romantic man he is … recapturing their honeymoon with a hammock hung over the bed…Back tomorrow with another chapter by 74crazychick. **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: ****I'm back and tonight's update is named after one of my favourite Christmas songs ever... yes, it's Shaking Steven's... deal with it... It doesn't make it any less of a great festive song! So this chapter has cute Eve/Joey moments... some alone time for Joey and Lauren... and general Evie cuteness. Enjoy!**

**Chapter Nine: Merry Christmas Everyone.**

**Saturday 22****nd**** December 2018.**

Lauren was up early that morning, knowing she had a lot to do. Joey was sound asleep and she smiled as she pulled herself from his arms. He didn't even stir. She wasn't surprised since it had only been a couple of hours ago that they'd moved back out of the hammock. They'd taken it down in fact and then climbed wearily back into their bed, falling asleep once more in each other's arms. She started to make her way to the bathroom, but paused when she heard Eve in her bedroom. Clearly she was awake. She went into her room, "Hello Evie…" she said, mentally kicking herself for using Joey's nickname for her.

"Mama…" she said, sitting up in her cot, her arms held up in the air.

"Come on then, sweetheart…" she said, lifting her out of the cot. She patted her bottom and then quickly changed her nappy, not bothering to redress her in her onesie. She picked her up again, grabbing Mr Pink and carrying them both out of the room and back into her bedroom. "Daddy's looking after you this morning, baby… mummy's got some shopping to do…"

"Evie… sop…"

"Oh, baby… you'll have much more fun with daddy than if you come shopping with me…" she told her with a smile. She placed her on the edge of the bed and Eve quickly crawled over to where her daddy lay.

"Dada…" she said loudly, "Rake up dada…" she cried out.

Lauren smiled as she watched, knowing Joey was only pretending to be asleep and that he'd woken up when they'd first come into the room. He suddenly moved, dragging Eve over to him, her shrieking in surprise but laughing when Joey blew a raspberry against her tummy. "I'm awake, Evie… I'm awake," he chuckled against her skin.

"Hug…" she said.

Joey smiled at Lauren as he hugged Eve tightly against his chest. "I'm going to go and get ready," Lauren told him softly.

"Okay, babe…" he said. He smiled as she turned away from him, slipping off her robe and letting it fall to the floor. She walked to the door, completely naked and Joey groaned. "That's just cruel, Mrs Branning…" he said softly.

"Have a nice morning, Joey…" she said with a smile, turning her head to look at him once last time before she left the room.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren had sorted out Eve's breakfast before she left and this meant Joey could take a shower and get dressed… after a little alone time in the shower, relieving the problem his wife had created earlier. Once he was alone with his little girl he smiled, "Time for us to sort out a present for your mummy, Evie…" he told her.

"Cake?" she asked, grinning at him.

"No, babe… I thought we'd show your mummy how good you are at art…" He lifted her out of her highchair and then placed her on the floor in the lounge. "Play with Mr Pink for a couple of minutes and I'll be right back…" He watched her for a few seconds, making sure she was entertained and then walked into the bedroom. He opened the wardrobe and pulled out a bag of things he'd been buying over the last month or so. He carried them through to the lounge and spent a few minutes getting everything ready. He turned around to get Eve and saw her standing just a few feet from him, watching what he'd been doing. He lifted her up and carried her through to her room. He lay her on her changing mat and started to undress her… much to Eve's dismay. She tried to struggle, fighting every move he made, only stilling when he gave her Mr Pink. Once she was down to just her nappy he picked her up, "Mr Pink has to stay in here, baby girl…" He took the bear off her and placed him in the cot.

"Miter Pink…" Eve said, pouting when she looked up at her daddy, puppy dog eyes at the ready.

"We don't want him to get mucky, do we, Evie?" he said and she shook her head, "Remember when he had to take a bath a couple of months ago?" He asked and she stopped, clearly thinking about his question. Her mouth dropped open and she nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes and he knew she'd remembered the traumatic experience of Mr Pink having to be washed in the washing machine. "So we'll leave Mr Pink here, okay?" he said and she nodded, "Until we're all finished…" He carried her through to the lounge and sat her on his lap at the dining room table. Her eyes lit up as she saw what he'd placed on the table. "We're going to make mummy a Christmas card, Evie… a little masterpiece from her baby girl so she can see how much like your mummy you are…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

They spent the next hour with Eve placing painted handprints on the colour sheet of paper that Joey had folded in half. He also helped her paint some shapes on the paper. Once she was done with the paint Joey helped her put some glitter on the paint.

"I think we're done now, baby girl…" Joey declared and he lifted Eve into his arms, carrying her through to the bathroom. He started to fill the bath and then stood her on the floor, one-handedly removing her nappy. Once the water was ready and not too hot he picked her up and lowered her into the water. She grabbed one of the rubber ducks and began playing with him in the water. While she was distracted Joey grabbed some bathwash and he started to remove some of the paint from her hands, arms, body, legs and face. He hadn't realised this would be such a messy job and she wasn't the only one who was covered. He'd probably need a bit of a wash down himself.

Finally Eve was all clean and he lifted her out of the bath and stood her on the floor, bundling her up in a towel and drying her. She giggled as she stood there, letting him dry her off. He then carried her back into her bedroom and put a new nappy on her. She was starting to doze so he decided he'd put her in her cot to have a nap. This would give him the chance to clear up the mess and then himself too.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey had just finished getting redressed and he walked out of the bedroom. He poked his head into Eve's bedroom and smiled when he saw that Eve was still asleep. He had time to get her lunch ready before she woke up. The card they'd made earlier was now dry and he wrote a simple message for Lauren inside. It was now ready for them to give to her on Christmas Eve. He put on a pan of water so he could cook some pasta and then took the card into their room, hiding it in his bedside table.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

He picked up his gift for her for the day and looking through the pages,smiling at it. With any luck they'd have a lot of fun with it… mainly Lauren… but him too, hopefully. He took the book with him, putting it on the side in the kitchen so he could give it to Lauren when she got home.

The pasta was cooked and he stirred the twists into the tomato sauce. Leaving it on the side to cool slightly he went to retrieve his baby girl. He had to wake her up but he didn't want to leave her to sleep any longer or she wouldn't sleep that night. "Hello, Evie…" he said as she stirred in her cot, opening her eyes and staring up at her daddy. He lifted her up, "My beautiful little girl… did you and Mr Pink have a nice nap?" She nodded her head, leaning against his shoulder. "Well dinner is ready now, sweetheart," he told her, "So let's go and have that and then maybe mummy will be home soon…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren opened the door and she smiled as she saw Joey just finishing giving Eve her lunch. Eve turned and smiled at her, her face covered in tomato pasta sauce. "Hello, Eve… have you had a good morning with daddy?" she asked, bending down and kissing the top of her head, her fingers running through her dark curls.

"We had fun, didn't we, baby girl?" Joey said and Eve nodded her head, opening her mouth for another spoonful of pasta.

"Maybe mummy could finish giving you your lunch and daddy can go and get the food shopping out of the boot of the car…?" she said.

Joey got to his feet and passed the bowl of pasta to his wife, "Of course, babe…" he said, lifting his hand and brushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

Lauren passed him the car keys, "Don't do the stuff on the back seat… I'll get that in a minute…" she told him.

"Have you got me presents?" he asked.

"Maybe…" she said softly.

"I thought we were going to just get things for Eve this year…" he said, frowning slightly.

"It's nothing massive, Joe… just a couple of little bits…" she said, giving Eve another spoonful of food.

He smiled at her, moving closer, "Just as well I've got you a couple of things too then, isn't it?" he breathed in her ear. He went out of the flat and opened the car boot, bringing in many bags of food shopping. His wife had clearly been busy.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey and Lauren sat on the sofa a couple of hours later, Eve sitting between them and they were watching a Christmas cartoon. It was only recently that Eve would sit down and watch TV but Joey was convinced that it was probably more to do with the reindeer on the TV screen as she seemed to be obsessed with anything to do with Rudolph and the other reindeers. She was watching, completely transfixed as she sucked on her thumb, Mr Pink tucked in the crook of her arm. Joey's hand brushed the shoulder of his wife and she turned her head to look at him, smiling at him gently. "Love you, babe…" he whispered to her.

Lauren leant forward, "Love you more, Mr Branning…" she murmured before she kissed him gently.

"Mama, Wudy…" Eve said, pointing at the screen and breaking her parents apart.

"Yes, Evie… Rudolph…" Lauren said. Eve clapped her hands together, momentarily dropping Mr Pink in the process. She picked him back up quickly, a brief look of distress on her face for abandoning her best friend. She went back to watching the cartoon, surrounded by the three most important people in her life.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey went into the kitchen and made up a bottle for Eve. She'd be going to bed shortly so he was getting it ready. He smiled as he saw his gift for his wife on the side. He picked it up and slipped it into the back pocket of his jeans. Once the bottle was ready he walked back into the lounge, smiling as he saw Eve dozing on Lauren. "I'll take her, babe… put her to bed…"

"She should have a bath really…" Lauren said, her hand brushing over Eve's back.

"I gave her one earlier…" he admitted. Lauren frowned at him, "Don't ask…" he said. He lifted Eve carefully off her and she curled into his body. "Come on, baby girl… let's get you to bed…" he whispered to her, kissing her forehead softly. He walked behind the sofa, pausing as he remembered something, "Oh, this is for you, babe…" he said, pulling the book from his back pocket and holding it out to her.

"What is it?"

"Have a look…" he told her, "I'll be back in a few minutes…" He walked into Eve's room, sitting in the rocking chair and cradling his daughter, who was already in her pyjamas in his arms. He gave her her bottle quickly and even though she was pretty much asleep she drank it all down. He continued to rock her for a couple of minutes once she was done to make sure she was asleep. He lifted her to her shoulder, winding her slightly and then got up out of the chair and carrying her over to the cot. Soon she was tucked up in the bed, Mr Pink tucked in next to her and he placed a hand on her belly, his thumb brushing over her chest softly. He'd never loved anyone as much in the world, apart from Lauren, of course. "Love you, Evie… two more sleeps to go… mummy and I are going to give you the best day ever…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey sat down on the sofa, finding Lauren looking through the book. "I don't understand, Joe…" she said softly.

"It's a book of vouchers… that you can use tonight and anytime between now and New Year…before your annivversary" he said, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"There are a lot of vouchers, Joe…" she said.

"Then it's just as well that Eve has had an early night… maybe we should too…?" he whispered. Lauren smiled and nodded her head. He took her hand, pulling her to her feet as he got up. They walked into their bedroom, closing the door softly behind them. "So what are you going to redeem first?" he asked her, standing behind her and kissing her neck tenderly. She glanced down at the book and then tore out one of the pages in it, pressing it into his hand. Joey read it quickly, "A fine decision, ma'am…" he said, smiling at her. He pushed her gently towards the bed and once they were at the side of it. Joey moved his hands to the top of her jeans and he undid them with ease. He eased them off her hips, pushing them down her legs and she stepped out of them, kicking them to one side. He lifted her top, his hands brushing her stomach softly.

"I've changed my mind, Joe…" she suddenly said and Joey pulled away from her, looking at her in concern.

She lifted the book in her hand, rifling through the pages and finding the page she wanted and tearing it out. She held it up in the air and Joey read it quickly. He smiled and kissed the corner of her jaw softly. His hand settled on her stomach as she dropped the paper onto the bed, the book also joining it. He slid his hand down, pushing inside her underwear and then lightly touching her clit, earning himself a moan. He touched her again, a little harder this time and she let her head roll back onto his shoulder, her body putting in his hands. "Does that feel good, babe?" he whispered to her.

"God, yes, Joe…" she moaned, his touch teasing her repeatedly. She sighed as he pushed two fingers into her and then his thumb danced around her clit and she tried to shift her hips, wanting to increase the pressure he was touching her with.

"Patience, babe…" he told her and she bit her lip, taking a deep breath as his fingertips touched her G-spot. "Can you kneel on the bed?" he asked her softly. She nodded and moved, Joey moving with her so he was still behind her. His fingers moved deeper inside her, his thumb pressing more firmly against her clit and she was soon panting. "This is just the first step in me getting you to relax, baby girl…" he breathed in her ear and she shivered in his arms, hearing the desire in his voice. "You've been getting so stressed out in the last week about what's happening with your work and that's not what I want… I want you to be happy with the decisions you make… There's no need for you to get stressed…" he reminded her. She couldn't answer him even if she wanted to because he added a third finger and Lauren was very close to coming. "That's it, baby…" he murmured as she leant back against him. His other hand swept up her body, pushing under her bra and cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over its peak. He felt the moment she broke around him, a soft breathy moan falling from her mouth as her body rippled around his fingers.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren leant heavily against Joey, his hands still touching her but no longer _touching her_. Her eyes were closed and she still trying to calm her breaths. Joey eased her down so she was lying on the bed next to him, her body the most relaxed it'd been in days. As she lay there Joey nudged her so she rolled onto her front and he then sat up and removed her underwear from her complacent body. He got up off the bed and walked over to a cupboard on the far side of their room, grabbing a small bottle from the top of it. He undid the lid as he walked back over to the bed and as he climbed back onto it he squeezed a little of it onto the palm of his hand. He dropped the bottle on the bed and rubbed his hands together. He picked up one of her legs and started at her ankle, massaging it softly. He slowly worked up her leg before returning to the bottom of her other leg and started all over again. He squeezed some more of the massage oil onto his hand once he'd finished her legs and then started on her arms.

"That feels so good, Joe…" Lauren whimpered.

"Not even started yet, babe…" he told her. He finished her arms and then started working on the base of her back. She moaned softly, pulling her hair off her back and over her shoulder, giving him full access to her back. He worked in silence, her moans affecting his body as much as he was affecting her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

By the time he'd finished her back, Lauren was just a pile of goo on the bed… she was also very much in need of her husband. His fine work in relaxing her had also increased the desire that was now coursing through her body. The only problem with that whole scenario was that she was completely slimy, massage oil covering the whole of the back of her body. Joey was lying on the bed beside her, his fingertips tracing patterns on her bottom. "Where's that book?" she breathed.

His hand pulled away from her bum and a moment later the book appeared on the bed in front of her. "There you go…" he said, "Thinking of redeeming another one?" he asked.

"Maybe…" she breathed, going through the pages quickly. She found the page she was looking for, smiling as she tore it free from the book. "I want this… now…" she said.

"And what is that?"

"Shower sex…" she told him, smiling as she heard him moan.

"Another very good choice, Mrs Branning…" he said, kissing the top of her back gently. "And how would madam like that?"

"What would you recommend?" she whispered, smirking as she imagined him rolling his eyes.

"Well there is the firm favourite… the hard and fast variety… always a pleaser but can sometimes not be what you want…" he moved off the bed and Lauren could hear him removing his clothes, "Or there's the alternative… slow and passionate… a bit of a burner this one… as good as the first option but liable to last much longer…" Joey was walking around the bed now and then he quickly rolled her over and lifted her into his arms. She stared at his face, breathing deeply as he looked down at her. "There is of course a third option… only available to the more adventurous of participants…" he told him, a slight smirk on her face.

"What would that be, Joe?" she whispered, her hand coming up and caressing the side of his face.

"Both options one and two…" he said, "It takes a very special couple to be able to achieve this… but I think you and I might be up for the challenge…" He carried her through to the bathroom as he spoke, lowering her to her feet once he was in the room. She turned to face him, his arms wrapped loosely around her back.

"I think I might be up for option three…" she whispered, rising on her tiptoes and kissing him softly. "But I guess the important thing is whether you are…" she added, winking at him as her hand ran down his body and wrapped around his erection.

"You know me, babe… I'm always up for anything you want…" he told her. Lauren reached for the cupboard on the wall and grabbed a condom, tearing it free as she stared into his eyes, the intensity climbing between them. She rolled the latex onto his length, stroking him with her hand softly once it was on.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

They stood in the shower… well, really it was just Joey standing, Lauren was in his arms, her arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist. Joey pushed her back against the cold tile wall and he thrust into her body, both of them moaning as they kissed each other. He moved within her quickly, doing exactly what he'd said he would do just a few minutes earlier… fucking her hard. She clung to him tighter, staring into his dark eyes as he pushed into her repeatedly. His movements were so forceful, moving deeper each time he sank back into her. This was definitely as relaxing as what he'd done to her in the bedroom. She was really close now but she wanted Joey to come with her.

"Come with me, Joe…" she breathed. "Please come with me?"

He smiled at her and he moved faster, his hand slipping between their bodies and circling her clit, "Take me with you…" he sighed, his movements never faltering as Lauren opened her mouth in a silent scream of bliss. Her body clamped down on his length and it sent him over the edge, pulsing strongly inside her. His mouth settled on her neck and she brushed her fingers through the back of his hair as he kissed her skin so softly.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The water had run cold and Joey reached for the dial, turning it off. "I thought it was a two for one deal…?" Lauren whispered in his ear.

"It is… just thought we should relocate to somewhere a bit nicer…" He pulled away from her, slipping from her body. He kissed her softly, "Be right back…" he breathed. Lauren stayed leant against the wall, trying to catch her breath and Joey was only gone for a few seconds before he returned with a couple of towels in his hands. He'd removed the used condom as he'd left the shower, but Lauren knew it wouldn't be long before they needed another. He placed one of the towels over his shoulder and then shook out the other one. He wrapped it around her body as she pushed away from the wall. She leant against him, her head against his chest as he slung his own towel low around his waist. Really, it should be illegal how fucking sexy he was. She smiled as she saw the front of his towel shift slightly and she knew he would still be keeping the other side of his bargain.

He lifted her suddenly in his arms, making her shriek in surprise. He carried her back into their bedroom and placed her carefully on their bed. "Joe…" she breathed, smiling up at him. He climbed onto the bed, hovering over her. His hand pulled the towel loose from her body, almost as if he was unwrapping a present.

"I believe I said something about a second part of the deal…?" he murmured.

"Are you up for it?" she asked with a smirk.

"Do you even have to ask?"

"Not really…" she whispered. She glanced down and saw his erection poking out from his towel and her smile grew. Her smile grew more as she saw him tear open another square foil.

"I love you so much, Lauren… do you realise that?" he asked as he pulled away the towel from his body and then rolled the condom on.

"It's just the same for me, Joe… you're everything to me…" she whispered. "I can't imagine my life without you in it…"

"Me either…" he said. He lowered himself onto her and then he was sliding into her once more. They both sighed, almost in relief at being one once more. He moved slowly this time, pretty much in slow motion and with each move he made Lauren could feel her arousal increasing. It felt like he was touching her all over her body. It seemed to be forever as he gently made love to her. It was intense but gentle at the same time. It'd never been as good as this before… which, for them, was really saying something. Lauren screamed Joey's name as she came, both of them freezing momentarily as they remembered that Eve was in the room just across the hall and they waited to hear if she'd woken up. They were lucky… she hadn't. Joey's peak arrived a few minutes later, he grunted into her neck as he throbbed inside her and it started Lauren's second orgasm.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"Well, I'm definitely feeling relaxed now…" Lauren whispered a short time later. She was lying in Joey's arms, her head resting on his chest. His heartbeat was beneath her ear and she could feel it soothing her to sleep.

"That was the plan, babe…" he told her, kissing the top of her head. "Happy ninth day of Christmas, Lauren…"

"It was certainly that, Joe…" she breathed. "And I still have some vouchers to redeem…" she said, kissing his chest, a definite smile on her face.

"Not tonight though…" he murmured.

"Aren't you up to it, babe?" she asked, lifting her head and looking at his face, "I thought you said I didn't even have to ask… I guess you're an old man now…" she teased him.

"Hey, we'll have none of that…" he said, rolling her onto her back and hovering over her. "There's no need to claim all the vouchers tonight… there's plenty of time, babe…" he said softly. "After all we have forever…"

"We do, don't we…?" she said, lifting her head and kissing him softly.

**AN: ****Well I hope you liked that little effort... I think Lauren did too.****Don't forget to send us a review...****it makes us want to write more stories! Also thanks so much to everyone for the reviews so far... we've already got more reviews than we did for 12 Days of Christmas which is amazing. Back****tomorrow****with another chapter from Eastendersfan444. xx**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Thank you for all your reviews. Well Eastendersfan444 back for another chapter! Hope you liked it!**

**Chapter Ten: ****Christmas Is All Around **

**Sunday 23****rd**** December 2018 **

Lauren frowned as she felt something tickle her nose, she pulled her hand out from the warmth of the covers and rubbed her nose, she shifted in the bed and snuggled back against her pillows. A few seconds later her nose tickled again. Once again her hand appeared out from the covers and rubbed it again. A few more seconds later and she felt it again and then heard Joey and Eve giggling.

'Go away!' she frowned and she rolled over and pulled one of her pillows over her head and tried to go back to sleep. She felt her hair being tugged gently and she heard Joey whisper something to Eve

'MAMA RAKE UP! EVIE WANT CAKE!' Eve yelled at the top of her voice.

Lauren groaned and flipped back the covers angrily and got out of bed, stomping towards the door and pulling her robe almost violently off the back of the door.

'Uh-oh, it looks like mummy got out of the grumpy side of the bed' Joey whispered to Eve.

Lauren walked into the kitchen and she put the kettle on and then cut a slice of chocolate cake for Eve and she carried it back through to the bedroom and she put it down in front of Eve. 'Enjoy your breakfast baby' she told her softly and she marched out of the bedroom but not before flipping the finger at Joey. Before Joey could stop her Eve had plunged her hands into the cake and grabbed two handfuls of it and was then licking it off her fingers, smearing it over her face in the process. By the time she'd finished the cake and Joey got out of bed there was chocolate cake everywhere. All over the bed, all over Eve, in her hair and all over her onesie. Joey was also covered in chocolate cake. He glared at Lauren as he carried Eve out of the bedroom and into the bathroom. Lauren heard the shower start up and Eve squeal with excitement.

Lauren went into the bathroom and pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, walking back through the lounge, grabbing her bag, coat and keys and she left the flat, slamming the door behind her so Joey heard her leave.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Whitney walked into the café and saw Lauren sitting by herself in the corner with a coffee. She brought a tea to go and walked over to her. 'You're out early' Whitney said to her, taking a seat at the table. 'Everything okay?' she asked her friend.

'Joey pissed me off' Lauren replied with a frown.

'This early?' Whitney said 'it's barely 7:00am'

'And yet' Lauren shrugged, her words drifting off.

'Do you want to talk about it?' Whitney asked her. Lauren looked up at Whitney and shook her head. Yes they'd cleared the air a little but she wasn't about to discuss intimate details of their problems with her. Well they didn't have problems per se…it was Lauren's problem that Joey knew nothing about.

'No, not really' she told her shaking her head. 'I just…'

'Want to be by yourself' Whitney finished the sentence for her. Lauren nodded her head.

'Sorry' she said.

'Hey. It's no problem. I get it. You want to think things through in your head'

'Yeah something like that' Lauren nodded her head and she smiled.

'Well, I'll see you later. If you change your mind and want to talk about it, you know where to find me' Whitney smiled at her 'and don't worry, you'll figure it out' she reached out and squeezed her friend's hand.

'Thanks Whit' Lauren smiled at her. Lauren sighed as Whitney left the café, she finished her coffee and got up and walked out of the café. She wasn't quite ready to go home yet. She glanced at her dad's house and then at her mum's. She wanted to talk to someone but she wasn't sure which one would be more sympathetic to her cause. She turned to head back to the flat when she heard her name being called. She turned to see Max standing at the doorway of his house.

'Lauren? What are you doing out here babe? Joey's called, he's worried' he told her. Lauren sighed 'Look, why don't you come in for a bit hey, have a chat with your old man?'

'I should get back, if Joey's worried' Lauren said to him and she turned to go.

'I'll make you a bacon sandwich?' Max offered her 'you can have the bacon crispy just the way you like it?' he smiled at her, knowing her weakness for crispy bacon.

Lauren paused and she turned and smiled at her dad 'Okay, you're on' she nodded her head and she walked up the steps, she paused and turned to look at the square. 'I was just thinking how sad and pathetic the square looks this year. I mean I know the Council usually put up the decorations but due to budgets cuts they haven't bothered with any more than that piece of tat on the lamp post. The place doesn't feel Christmassy like it used to. Remember when we had a fair here one year. The lights and decorations were beautiful. And now look at it…it's like Christmas forgot Albert Square. I was so looking forward to taking Eve out on the square on Christmas Eve to look at all decorations and lights…but there's nothing to show her. Not even a poxy tree' she frowned with a sigh, going inside the house. Max looked around the square for a few moments, he smiled to himself before he followed Lauren inside.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren could hear Eve laughing as she walked up the stairs to the flat. She unlocked the door and let herself in. Her dad's three words of wisdom ringing in her ears. "Talk to him"

'Mama!' Eve exclaimed as she saw Lauren, she scrambled away from Joey, putting her hand on his face to help herself get to her feet and she ran towards her mother, her arms open wide. Lauren bent down and picked her up. 'Luvoo Mama' Eve murmured as she hugged her.

'Mummy loves you too sweetheart' she said hugging her daughter close to her. Joey sat up watching the interaction between the two girls in his life. He thought Lauren's face looked tearstained and he frowned wondering if his teasing earlier this morning had been the cause of her tears. He stood up and he walked over to them both.

'Are you okay?' he asked her, stroking Lauren's cheek with his fingers, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

'Mmhmm' she nodded her head, Eve wriggled in her arms and Lauren lowered her to the floor and she ran back to her toys. 'I'm fine. I'm sorry about this morning' she told him softly. 'I guess I had a drama queen moment' she told him. 'And I'm sorry I gave Eve c.a.k.e for breakfast'

'It's okay, babe' he told her 'I've cleaned everything up. And I'm sorry too'

Lauren took a deep breath and she let it out slowly 'Thank you' she told him 'I'd better go get ready for the Christmas party' she told him. Joey watched her walk towards the bedroom.

'Lauren? Are you still worried about going self-employed?' he asked her. She turned in the doorway to look at him, she shook her head.

'No, not since we talked it through' she told him softly.

'You would tell me if there was something else wrong wouldn't you?' he asked her.

Lauren blinked at him and nodded her head 'Yeah, course I would. Everything's fine' she lied and she walked into the bedroom.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After the Christmas party at the Community Centre, the three of them had walked back to the flat. They talked about Joseph and how cute he and Eve looked together. One of the mother's had commented to Joey and Lauren about how shy and unsure Eve seemed and told him that a brother or sister would help her come out of her shell a little. Joey had told the mother in no uncertain terms that they weren't planning another baby anytime soon and that they wanted to enjoy spending time with Eve and she'd be a lot older before they thought about having a brother or sister for her. He noticed that Lauren went unusually quiet after that conversation and so they avoided that mother for the rest of the party. Eve was asleep in her pushchair once they made it home. Lauren unstrapped her and carried her into her bedroom. She lay her down on the changing mat and checked her nappy and took off her party dress. She picked her up and put her in her cot in her nappy and vest, covering her with the blanket. She made sure Mr Pink was within reach for when Eve woke up.

She returned to the lounge and went through to the kitchen and made them both a coffee handing one to Joey 'I'm going to go take a nap' Lauren told him.

'Okay, babe' Joey told her with a smile 'I'll make use of the peace and quiet to check through the books for the club. James dropped them off for me earlier'

'Is everything okay?' Lauren asked him worriedly.

'Yes, everything's fine' he nodded his head with a reassuring smile.

'Okay' she nodded her head. She went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren made Eve her tea whilst Joey popped out. Eve was still tired despite the nap she'd had earlier in the day so it wasn't much more than an hour later that she was returned to her cot for the night. Lauren got the games out she'd planned to play with Joey tonight, although she didn't really feel like it. She will still upset about the conversation Joey had had with the woman at the Community Centre. They hadn't even discussed having another baby and Joey was happily going round telling anyone that would listen that they weren't planning on another addition to the family any time soon. She knew it wasn't fair of her to be angry with Joey, she hadn't exactly been honest with him about the way she felt. She wanted another baby. She didn't want to wait for a few years. She wanted to start trying now. She hadn't broached the subject with Joey because he'd already been very vocal about waiting, therefore he had no idea how she felt about things. She knew the sensible and grown up thing to do would be to talk to Joey about it. That was the advice her dad had given her and she knew if she'd spoken to her mum about it she would've given her the exact same advice. The only problem was that Joey was always telling her he could never say no to her but she was afraid he would say yes to them having another baby just to please her. And she didn't want that. She wanted him to want another baby too. She was also afraid that this_ would_ be the first time he'd say no to her and she didn't want to know what that would feel like.

She heard Joey come back in and she looked up as he walked into the lounge. 'Hey' he said to her with a smile 'I got chips, is that okay?' he asked her. The smell of the chips filled the room and Lauren's stomach growled.

'Chips for dinner is perfect' she smiled at him.

'And I got these for you too' he said producing a bouquet of flowers from behind his back.

'Joe! They're beautiful' she told him softly 'you didn't need to do that' she scolded him.

'I wanted to apologise for this morning, again. And I wanted to cheer you up a little, you've been a bit down today'

Lauren looked up at him feeling guilty. 'Thank you' she told him softly and she hugged him tightly 'I'm sorry I was grumpy this morning, I just didn't sleep very well that's all. I think I dropped off around 4am' she told him.

'Well, how about we have a lie in tomorrow?' he asked her.

'We have Eve remember? Lay-ins are few and far between nowadays' she reminded him.

'Okay, well then if Eve wakes early, I can keep her amused while you sleep in, and then I can make you breakfast in bed' he suggested.

Lauren smiled at him 'That sounds great' she told him and she reached up and gave him a kiss.

'We should eat the chips before they get cold' she told him softly.

'You put those in a vase and I'll sort the chips' he smiled.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Later after the chips were done, Joey took the empty papers and carried them into the kitchen, putting them into the bin. He poured them both some orange juice and carried the glasses through to the lounge. He looked at the coffee table and saw the games that Lauren had put there.

'Snakes and Ladders, Scrabble and Monogamy' he read out and he looked at her.

'I thought tonight we could play a game, just the two of us. Makes it a little more intimate'

'Snakes and ladders?' he raised his eyebrows at her.

'Not any old Snakes and Ladders, this game has got the Lauren Branning twist to it' she told him with a smile 'it's strip Snakes and Ladders. You go down a snake and you have to take off an item of clothing, if you go up a ladder you have to put one back on'

'Oh, okay. Interesting rules' he nodded his head 'Has a lot of potential' he said looking at Lauren's outfit. 'And how many layers do you have on?'

'Five' she replied with a grin.

'That's what I thought I only have 2, so I think you're at an unfair advantage already' he told her. 'Strip Snakes and Ladders has been vetoed' he told her. 'So tell me about Scrabble?' he moved onto the next game. 'I'm assuming this has the Lauren Branning twist to it too?' he asked her.

She nodded her head 'well the rules are basically the same as regular scrabble except it's rude words scrabble' she told him.

'You cheat at regular scrabble… so I'm thinking you'd also cheat at rude words scrabble too, so this is also vetoed' he told her 'so I guess this leaves us with monogamy' he said to her.

'Monogamy it is then' she said. She put the other games to one side and pulled Monogamy to the middle of the coffee table and took the lid off. 'So it says if we play this game properly it could take up to four hours, it also says that we need food. Since we've just eaten chips and I am so stuffed I may vomit if I eat anything else which would bring this evening's events to an abrupt close. It also says that we have to have alcohol and since I'm a recovering alcoholic who has no immediate wishes to relapse…we have to give that part a miss too' she told him.

'Good plan' he nodded his head. 'So how are we going to play it?' he asked her.

'Well there are some cards that have intimate questions on and some things we can do to each other…not dares per se but just little suggestions to get the other worked up a little, if you know what I mean' she said suggestively.

'Babe I don't need suggestive cards to get worked up. Being around you does that just fine' he assured her. 'But I'm game if you are'

Lauren nodded her head 'So we play just by reading the cards?' he asked her.

'Sounds like a plan' Joey replied. Lauren reached for the cards, 'shall I start?' she asked him taking the first card off the top.

'Wait a minute, Missy!' Joey said 'hand the cards over' he ordered her. She stared at him for a few seconds, before rolling her eyes and handing them over. Joey shuffled them thoroughly before handing them back to her. 'There that's better, I'm sure you hadn't read through the cards and put them in any kind of order'

'I do not cheat. You are just a bad loser' Lauren said indignantly. Joey grinned at her.

'Yeah. Okay, if that's what you need to tell yourself' Joey shot back with a laugh.

Lauren narrowed her eyes 'are we playing this game or not?' she scowled at him.

'Clearly I've hit a nerve' he grinned at her. Lauren poked her tongue out at him. She picked the first card off the top of the pack and looked at it. A huge grin spread across her face.

'It says here that my partner has to strip naked and stand on his head for 60 seconds' she told Joey. His face paled considerably and Lauren smirked at him, unable to keep a straight face.

'It does not!' he exclaimed 'give me that' he snatched the card away from her and he read it. 'You little liar!' he looked at her open mouthed 'It says that I have to give you flowers on a day you're not expecting it…I've already done that so…my turn' he said, reaching for another card. 'Crap. Tell your partner a rude joke' he read out. Lauren giggled. She knew Joey was really bad at telling rude jokes. He frowned as he thought about it. And then he grinned. 'I've got one' he told her looking smug. 'A nun gets into a cab and the driver keeps staring at her through the rear view mirror. "You know, Sister," the cab driver says, "I hope you aren't too offended, but I've always had this fantasy of getting a blowjob from a nun." The nun thinks for a moment and says, "I'm not too offended. I just have two requirements. One, that you be single, and two, that you be Catholic." Joey smirked already thinking about the punchline "Oh yes, Sister, I am single and Catholic," the cab drive replies, so they pull into an alley and the nun proceeds to satisfy the cab driver orally. After they're done, the cab driver begins laughing. "What's so funny?" the nun asks. "Ha ha!" the cab driver annnounces, "I fooled you sister. The truth is I'm really married and I'm Jewish!" Joey smirked again, chuckling softly. "That's okay," the nun replies, "My name is Bob and I'm on my way to a fancy dress party" Joey looked at Lauren and she burst out laughing.

'That was really good Joe' she said wiping tears away from her eyes. 'Where did you hear that one?'

'The boys in the club' he told her with a grin. 'They've had me rolling around the floor with laughter, and that's one of the tamer ones' he told her laughing with her.

'My turn' she said and she reached for a card. He saw her face colour as she read it to herself and she licked her lips.

'What does it say?' he asked her, she handed the card to him and he read it. Lauren looked up at him, watching him as he read the words on the card. 'Okay, well you know I'm not interested in that kind of sex' he told her 'Never will be, so you can choose another card' he told her 'And I think we should rip this one up' he said ripping the card in half. 'You know I'd never ever ask you to do that'

Lauren nodded her head and she picked up another card and read it, she smiled and put it back on the pile. She licked her lips and she moved over to Joey, slowly and seductively and she kissed him. A slow, long, sensual kiss. 'I love you' she whispered against his lips as she started to pull away.

'I love you too' Joey replied, cupping her face in his hand as she moved away from him. He kissed her again and pulled her onto his lap. 'How about we skip the game and go to bed?' he asked her. Lauren looked at him and she nodded her head.

'Okay' she whispered softly.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Ten minutes later they were in bed, Joey reached for Lauren and she licked her lips 'Do you mind if we don't tonight?' she asked him softly. 'I'm really tired…' her words surprised Joey as she'd been as eager as he'd been to come to bed five minutes earlier.

'No, or course not' he shook his head. He lay on his back and Lauren snuggled up to him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. 'You'd tell me if there were something bothering you, wouldn't you?' he asked her.

'Yes, of course I would' she murmured softly. 'Happy tenth day of Christmas baby' Lauren smiled as she kissed her husband again. 'I love you'

'I love you too, Lauren' he whispered back to her. 'So much, you know that right?' he asked her.

'I know' she nodded her head. 'We should get to sleep, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow. I want to get the vegetables and anything else I can ready for Christmas day so I can spend as much time with Eve before I get relegated to the kitchen' she told him softly.

'I can cook if you want' he suggested.

'Can we discuss it tomorrow? I'm really tired Joe' Lauren yawned.

'Course babe. Night' Joey said. A few minutes later he could hear soft gentle snores indicating his wife had fallen asleep. He lay awake long into the early hours worrying about what Lauren was keeping from him.

**AN: Well Lauren's certainly hiding something from Joey and he knows it too. When is she going to talk to him about it? I think she did wake up on the grumpy side of the bed this morning! Next chapter up tomorrow and it's another one from 74crazychick… (2 more sleeps!)**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: So this is my last chapter of this story (sob)... but to make up for it, it's a long ass chapter. Tons of cuteness... and romance... and everything in between. I really hope you enjoy it. It's named after the Christmas classic by the Waitresses...**

**Chapter Eleve****n: Christmas Wrapping.**

**Monday 24****th**** December 2018.**

Joey woke the next morning and carefully got out of bed. He was going to give Lauren her lie in, as she'd been so tired the night before. Having said that he'd been awake for hours into the night and he was still no clearer on working out what was getting his wife down. He was determined to pin her down on it today... and he didn't mean sexually... although that might work, he admitted to himself.

He walked into Eve's room, once he'd slipped out of the bedroom and was just in time to see Eve wake up. "Morning, baby girl..." he said quietly, turning off the baby monitor before bending down to pick her up. She was still half asleep and she snuggled into his chest adorably. It was the little moments like this with Eve that Joey relished and they reminded him how much he loved being a father. He also thought about the possibility of more children... It wasn't something he'd discussed with Lauren but he wasn't sure she wanted any more. She seemed perfectly happy with just Eve. And if Lauren was happy then so was he. "Come on, Evie... let's go and have a bit of father/daughter time, eh?" he whispered. He carried her into the lounge, checking to make sure he'd pulled the door to his room shut when he'd left it. He sat on the sofa, Evie sprawled across his naked chest, his hand brushing up and down her back as she slowly woke up. Joey lifted his free hand and brushed her hair off her face, trying to tuck it behind her ear, only for the curl to escape and return to its previous position. One day...

It took ten minutes for Eve to wake up fully, another similarity she shared with her mummy more often than not. She wasn't always a morning person. Most days she'd wake up bright and early and then there were other days when it was a real chore to rouse her... and if you did wake her up and forced her to get up, you'd certainly live to regret that decision for the rest of the day as she'd be in a bad mood until she went to bed again that night. So Joey knew better than to wake her up now.

Once she was awake she lifted her head off his chest, "Dada..." she said, smiling up at him.

"Hello, baby... did you have a nice sleep?" he asked and she nodded her head, popping her thumb into her mouth. "Let's go and get you some breakfast, shall we? Would you like boiled eggs?" he asked.

"Pease, dada..." she said around her thumb as he got to his feet and carried her into the kitchen.

He put some water into a pan and put it on the hob to heat and then put Eve into the highchair and strapped her in, putting a bib around her neck. He got a couple of slices of bread out, placing one in the toaster and pressing the button down. The other slice he put jam on and then folded it in half and cut it into finger size sandwiches. He placed them on Eve's tray and she picked up one, starting to eat it. Joey turned on the radio, turning down the volume, finding there were Christmas songs playing on the radio. He started to sing along with the radio as he got her breakfast ready. He smiled as Michael Bublé came on, a song he was very familiar with... the old Dean Martin classic 'Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!'

He turned to his little girl, "I sang this song for your mummy a couple of years ago, Evie... just before I asked her to marry me..." Eve was watching him as he spoke and it was almost as if she understood what he was saying but he knew she probably didn't. She smiled at him and shoved a bit more jam sandwich in her mouth. "And two years ago today was the day your mummy told me that you were coming into our world..." he said as he put an egg into the pan and set the timer. "In fact today is the reason you have your name, baby girl... because I found out about you on Christmas Eve... so we named you Eve..." He crouched in front of the highchair and smiled at her. Eve held out a piece of squidged up jam sandwich towards him and he took a bite from it, smiling when she giggled. "You eat the rest of it, baby... your egg is nearly ready..." He got back to his feet and the timer went off. He turned it off and removed the pan from the hob. He ran the egg under cold water to cool it enough for Eve to have it and while the egg was cooling he took out the toast and put a tiny amount of spread on it and cut it into soldiers. He took the egg out of the pan and peeled a lot of the shell off, putting it into an egg cup for Eve. He skilfully took a little bit of the top of the egg off and then moved it onto Eve's highchair. She'd finished most of her jammy sandwich now so he scooped up what was left and put it on the side to clear up later. Eve went to reach for the egg but he stopped her. "No, baby... it's too hot... Daddy will help you eat it, okay?" he said softly. He picked up one of the toasted soldiers and dipped it into the runny egg. Eve opened her mouth as he lifted it back out, her face falling when Joey lifted it up to his mouth so he could blow on it. He then held it out to her and copied her daddy, blowing out onto the yolky toast. Joey smiled, thinking once more how adorable his daughter was. She took a bite of the toast and he went to dip the remainder back in the egg while she ate what she had in her mouth.

He watched as Eve picked up one of the soldiers and she dunked it in the egg carefully, copying what he'd done. She then held it up in the air, her arm outstretched towards him. He smiled at her and leant forward, taking a bite. He fed her her next mouthful and she chewed on that, her arm still held out to him. He took another bite from her hand, a bigger one this time and he nibbled her finger and thumb, making her shriek with laughter.

"Is daddy trying to eat you, Evie?"

Joey and Eve both turned their heads to look at Lauren as she stood in the doorway. "You're supposed to be having a lie in…" Joey said. "I was going to make you breakfast in bed…"

"I did and it doesn't matter…anyway I don't want to waste the whole day sleeping when I could be spending it with my two favourite people…" she said, pushing away from the door and kissing Eve tenderly on the top of her head. She then stood and kissed Joey on the mouth, his arm winding round her waist and pulling her close as the kiss deepened.

"Kisskiss…" Eve shouted and they pulled apart laughing.

"Let me finish giving Evie her breakfast and then we can start getting on with the day." Joey said.

"I'm going to start writing a list of what needs to be done tomorrow before dinner and then working out what can be done before we go to bed tonight," she told him, walking over to the fridge and opening the door. She started to rifle through what was inside, jotting down times and temperature. Once she was done with that she walked back across the room and started writing it all down neatly on the paper. Joey continued to feed Eve the rest of her soldiers and then the remnants of the boiled egg. "What the hell…" Lauren said softly.

Joey turned to look at her, seeing her staring out of the window. "What's wrong?"

"Have you seen outside?"

"No, I've been concentrating on breakfast for our little princess… Why?"

"Look…"

Joey moved so he could see out of the window, squinting as it was still dark outside. "That wasn't there last night, was it?"

"No…" Lauren said, staring out and seeing that the square had been decorated… there was now a tree that was decorated, lights hanging from all over the place. "It looks beautiful…" she whispered. "I thought the Council had said they weren't bothering?"

"That's what the Gazette said… Maybe it was Santa…" he joked. "It doesn't matter who though, really… at least it looks like Christmas out there now…"

"You're right…" she said. She looked at him, "It really is Christmas, isn't it…" she smiled at him.

"Yes…" he whispered and he leaned down and kissed her softly. "Do you know what time the grotto is opening at the Community Centre?" he asked as he pulled away.

"Half eight… I booked it for Eve at ten so we have plenty of time…" she said.

"You had to book?" Joey asked in surprise. "I thought we could just turn up?"

"No, Joe… you have to book to make sure you get to see the big man…"

Joey smiled at her, "It's just as well you're here, ain't it, babe… or our little girl would totally miss out." He turned to Eve, wiping her face and hands with a wipe. He took the tray off the highchair and then unstrapped her, lifting her into his arms. "Isn't mummy clever?" he said. "And daddy's silly…"

"Silly dada…" she giggled.

"Hey, cheeky…" he told her.

"I'll go and get her dressed," Lauren told him, putting down her pen and then holding her arms out for Eve.

"I can start on some of the veg…?" Joey offered.

"We'll do it later…" she said, "Let's concentrate on our little girl this morning and we'll worry about tomorrow later. Go and have a shower…" She kissed Eve on her forehead, "Come on Evie… We've got a busy day ahead of us…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

About an hour later the three of them were ready and Joey was putting Eve's winter onesie (that looked like Rudolph) on her over her clothes. "Wudy, dada..." she said as he fastened the front of it.

"I know, baby girl... and you look completely adorable..." he told her. He slipped her feet into her shoes and fastened those too. Once he was done he held his arms out towards her and she toddled over to him, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly.

"Luvoo dada..." she giggled as he swept her into the air. He held her in his hands above his head and flew her in the air.

"Our own little flying reindeer..." Joey declared and Eve laughed loudly.

"Careful, Joe..." Lauren said softly as she joined them in the kitchen. She grabbed her coat and put it on, also taking Joey's off the hook.

"She's fine..." Joey said, pulling their daughter against his chest again and hugging her tightly.

"Down, dada..." she demanding, flapping her legs slightly as she tried to wriggle out of his arms.

"When we get outside, baby..." He told her, "Once we get down the stairs, okay?"

"'Kay, dada..." she said.

"Can you grab my wallet, babe?" Joey asked Lauren. She smirked and grabbed it from the side, walking over to him and pushing it into the pocket on his jeans as she stared into his eyes. "Tease..." he whispered and Lauren stood on her tiptoes and kissed him softly. She pulled away and then turned to Eve, kissing her too.

"Come on then, you two..." she said and they left the flat. Once they were out on the street Joey lowered Eve to the floor, making sure she was bundled up.

"Hold mummy's hand, Evie..." he said. Eve slipped her hand in her mummy's and Lauren passed Joey his jacket, that he quickly put on. He stood on the other side of Eve and she held his hand too. "Where first?" Joey asked Lauren.

"Let's go and show Eve the decorations?" Lauren suggested, "We have a little while before we go and see Santa..." They crossed the road and walked into the gardens. Lauren was watching Eve's face as she gazed around at the decorations... it was the same as it'd been when she saw the tree up in the flat the morning after they'd put everything up. Complete and utter fascination. They sat on the bench, Eve on Joey's lap as Lauren snuggled into his side and Eve kept pointing at the lights around the square.

Joey glanced at his wife, seeing the way her face and eyes were both shining as they took in Eve's joy.

"You okay, babe?" he asked her. Lauren nodded, smiling at him. Joey leant over and kissed her tenderly, "Love you..." he breathed against her mouth. Lauren couldn't speak, her emotions all over the place as she saw the sincerity on his face and was momentarily transported to two years earlier when she'd been sat on this very bench and he'd proposed to her. She hadn't thought she could be any happier than she'd been on that day... and yet, here she was two years later... and she was just that. She had her gorgeous husband, who would bend over backwards to keep her happy... or was that bend her over backwards and keep her happy...? She also had Eve and she hadn't realised how much having her daughter would change her life... and make it better.

Before Eve Lauren would still think about drinking every now and again... despite the risks to her health... even the threat it would've had on her then relationship to Joey wasn't a complete deterrent. Now though she wouldn't even contemplate it... she didn't want to... she was perfectly happy as she was. She rested her head on Joey's shoulder, her hand gripping his arm a little tighter.

The seat of the bench shifted slightly and Lauren lifted her head, looking beside her and seeing her dad. "Morning." He said, smiling at the three of them. "What are you three up to?"

"We're just admiring the decorations before Evie goes to see Santa..." Lauren said.

"Oh... do you like them?" Max asked, watching his daughter's face closely.

"Of course I do, dad..." Lauren said, "And look at Evie... she's captivated by them..."

"Good." Max said, satisfaction in his voice.

Lauren frowned as she stared at her dad, "Did you have something to do with this?" she asked.

Max glanced at her, seeing the suspicion on her face, "Maybe..." he admitted.

Lauren moved to her dad quickly, hugging him tightly, "Thanks daddy..." she whispered to him.

"I wasn't the only one... I just reminded a few people of how it's the season of goodwill to all men and women... and it was time we pulled together as a community to make sure everyone had a great Christmas..." he said.

Lauren pulled away from him and then kissed him on the cheek. "Did you all do it overnight?" she asked.

Max nodded, "A lot of us were up until three this morning finishing things off... There are some pretty tired people around today I should imagine." He said. He glanced at Lauren and then Eve, "As long as my girls are happy though..." he said softly. "Couldn't let Eve miss out on her first proper Christmas, could I?"

Lauren smirked, "You big softie..." she said, grinning at him. She looked at Eve, who was playing with one of her daddy's thumbs intently. "Evie..." she said. The little girl lifted her head, her onesie antlers flapping around slightly, "Have you got a hug for Pops... as he's made the square all pretty?"

Eve's face lit up and she started to clamber off her daddy's lap. Lauren reached for her hand as she walked along the bench seat, lifting her over her own legs and letting her walk the remainder of the way to her granddad. "Pity, pops..." she said, wobbling slightly as she stood on the bench precariously when she got distracted by the Christmas tree once more.

"Who are you calling pretty!" he said, grabbing Eve around the waist and pulling her onto the safety of his lap.

"You, pops...!" Eve declared, tilting her head back and grinning up at him. Lauren smiled as she saw two little dimples appear on her cheeks when she smiled at her granddad. Max began to tickle her and Eve shrieked with laughter, drawing the attention of several people that were bustling around the market.

"Are you going to Carol's tomorrow, dad?" Joey asked Max, his arm around Lauren's shoulders now Eve was sitting elsewhere.

'Nope. Tanya has invited me to spend Christmas with her and Oscar. Abi's spending the day with Jay over at Phil's' he told them both with a smile 'I'm looking forward to it.' he told them 'she's taken Oscar to see Santa this morning. Got up at the crack of dawn apparently' he looked at them both, "What are you doing this afternoon?" he asked.

"Not much... just getting everything organised for tomorrow..." Lauren said.

"You should all come out here this afternoon... Alfie and the market traders are putting on some drinks and music... have a bit of a sing song... Ian's laying on some mince pies... Get into the festive spirit... Your mum, Oscar, Abi, Jay and I are gonna be there... you should come too..." Max said.

Lauren glanced at Joey and he nodded, smiling at her, "Sure, dad... we'll be there. What time does it start?"

"About three... it'll be done by half five, so you'll be able to get Eve to bed in time... I think she'll really love it..." Max said, hugging his granddaughter again, "And maybe she'll be able to hear her daddy sing, eh?" he added, smirking at his son-in-law.

"Oh, she's heard him do that already today..." Lauren said, grinning at her husband. He pouted so Lauren kissed him softly. "We'd better get going," she breathed as they pulled apart.

"I thought it wasn't till ten?" Joey said, checking his watch and seeing it was only half nine.

"We need to queue, Joe..." Lauren said.

"Oh," Joe murmured, thanking god once again that his wife was around.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey stood with his arm around Lauren's waist, watching as Eve sat on 'Santa's' lap. Some of the other children, including Eve's friend Joseph, had screamed and made a real fuss when they were with him... and to be honest Joey couldn't blame them. Phil Mitchell dressed in a Santa costume was enough to scare even the hardest of men... but Eve was having a great time. A photographer took a couple of photos quickly as Eve sat on his lap, the antlers of her onesie and the little red nose at the top of the hood making the whole image adorable... even Santa was smiling. It seemed their daughter had the ability to charm most men, however much they might fight it... and the women too, if Joey was being honest. In a few years' time he was sure this was going to give him a few additional grey hairs but for now he was just going to smile and watch her as she stood on Santa's lap and then kissed him on the cheek. Phil's... or Santa's... face was a picture. He reached into the sack beside him and picked out a square box wrapped in pink paper and Eve started clapping her hands together in anticipation. He handed her the present, making she had it held tightly in both her hands and Lauren stepped forward, lifting her off Santa's lap and taking the present. "Fankoo, Santa..." Eve said, biting her lip as a look of worry appeared on her face.

"What's wrong, Evie?" Lauren asked her gently.

"Evie... good?" she whispered.

"Yes, Eve Branning... you were very good..." Santa reassured her. Eve smiled brightly and took hold of her mummy's hand as they went to find daddy. As they walked away Eve turned and looked back at Santa, waving her hand at him. Joey saw all this as he stood in the queue to pay for the pictures of his daughter and get their slip of paper so they could pick them up in an hour's time. He grinned, trying his best to hide it as he saw Santa wave back at her, a slightly disconcerting soft smile on his face.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey carried Eve in his arms as they walked out of the Community Centre. They walked through the market, smiling as they saw some of the market traders geeing up everyone as they did their shopping. For the first time this year, it actually felt like Christmas around the square and Joey could tell that Lauren was buzzing because of it. "Let's go into the cafe, get a coffee and something to eat..." Joey suggested.

"We can go home, Joe..." Lauren said, "We don't have to stay out..."

"Come on babe, it's Christmas..." he reminded her, squeezing her hand. They walked into the cafe and once Lauren and Eve were at a table and Lauren was sorting Eve out in the highchair, Joey went to the counter and ordered them a couple of coffees and a couple of cupcakes. He gave his aunt the money and she gave him back his change.

"Don't you want to get anything for Eve?" she asked.

"Lauren's got Eve's juice in her bag and she'll have some of my cake..." Joey said, "In fact she'll probably have most of my cake..." he amended, "It's her favourite new word..."

Carol smiled at him, still taken aback by how much her niece and nephew were well suited to parenthood, even after all these months. "I'll bring your coffees and cakes over in a minute, Joey..."

"Thanks, Auntie Carol... Merry Christmas..." he told her.

"Merry Christmas, Joey." She replied.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked back to the table and sat opposite Lauren, Eve sitting at the end of the table between them. "Pesent, mama..." Eve said, stretching her hands out towards the pink box on the table.

"In a moment, Evie..." Lauren said.

"NOW, MAMA!" Eve shouted.

"Eve Branning..." Lauren said, staring her daughter, "Where's that good little girl who sat so nicely on Santa's knee gone?" Eve's bottom lip started to wobble and tears were welling. "Maybe we should take this present back to Santa and tell him it was a mistake..." she said.

"Pease mama..." she whispered.

"How about mummy helps you open the present, Evie?" Joey said, reaching over to her and wiping away a tear. He hated it when she cried... when either of them did.

"Mama... elp..." she said. Lauren lifted the present, surprised by how heavy it was and then placed it on the highchair tray. Both of them started to tear away the paper until a box was revealed inside. Lauren opened the lid and she smiled as she peered inside the box.

"Look what you've got, Evie..." she said softly as she pulled the present out. Eve smiled as she saw the globe that her mum was holding in her hands.

"Wudy!" she said, smiling and pointing as she saw the reindeer and Santa inside the globe. Her face fell when she saw her mummy lift it up and then shake it. She was surprised when mummy lowered it to the tray again, "Mama?" she whispered.

"It's snow, Evie..." Lauren explained. She picked it up again, seeing the fascination on her daughter's face and she shook it. "You shake like mummy just did and then look... snow falling on Santa and Rudolph."

"Evie go..." she said, stretching out her hands to grab the globe.

"No, baby..." Joey said, "It's too heavy for little girls like you and we don't want you to break it, do we?" She shook her head. "Mummy or daddy will shake it for you..."

"Sake…" Eve whispered, staring at Rudolph intently, her little button nose pressed up against the snow globe. Joey smiled and reached for the glass orb. He was about to lift it when he saw his aunt walk over to them with their drinks. "Sake, dada…" Eve said, frowning at him.

"In a minute, poppet… Auntie Carol is bringing over our drinks… and I do believe she might have some cake for us all…" he told her with a smile.

Eve looked torn, staring at Rudolph and then turning her head and seeing the approaching cake. Her face brightening as she made her decision, "CAKE!" she said, a smile that lit up her face appearing quickly. She threw her arms out in her excitement, catching the snow globe. Lauren managed to rescue it before it fell to the floor and smashed. "Fankoo nani Cawol…" she said, her eyes locked on the cupcake in front of her daddy.

Joey smiled as she spoke, seeing how Carol's face softened when she heard what Eve called her. Nani was the closest Eve could get to saying auntie but Carol seemed to really like it… "Thanks Auntie Carol," Joey said. "Are you going to be at the square later?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be there with the kids and Bianca…"

"We'll see you there then…" Joey told her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"We should go back to the flat, Joe… Evie can have a nap before we go out again this afternoon… or she'll just get too overexcited…" Lauren said once they'd finished their cakes. Eve had, as anticipated, eaten a great deal of her daddy's cake and drunk all of her drink, never once losing interest in her present from Santa. They both looked at Eve as she sat still staring at her snow globe. Lauren giggled when Eve waved at Rudolph and it drew Eve's attention to her parents.

"Mama?" she said.

"Did you like your cake, Evie?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, mama… Wudy wants cake…" she declared.

"Does he now?" Joey said with a smile.

"Yes, dada… Wudy told Evie…" she told him, nodding her head.

"Well, let's all of us go home then, sweetheart… we should be able to find some cake for Rudolph there…" Joey said, removing the snow globe off the highchair and passing it to Lauren so she could put it back in the box it came it. Eve watched as it moved between her parents and her face fell when she couldn't see Rudolph any longer. Joey wiped her hands and faces, removing the chocolate smears and crumbs she was currently sporting. He then lifted the tray off the chair and loosened the strap around her waist, holding her in place. He lifted her into his arms, pulling her onesie hood onto her head once more. She wobbled her head from side to side as she brushed her hand down the side of his cheek. Her antlers flapped around her head and she giggled, the sound making Joey smile too. "Come on, baby girl…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The three of them made their way back to their flat and Joey carried Eve through to her bedroom. He stripped her onesie off her and all of her clothes until she was just in the vest suit she was wearing. He then changed her nappy, redressing her quickly and efficiently. He sat in the rocking chair with her in his arms, moving it slowly as he watched her face, seeing her eyes slowly drift shut. Once he was sure she was asleep he carried her over to the cot and put her in it gently.

He walked back into the lounge, pulling the bedroom to behind him. "She's asleep," he told Lauren. She was sitting with bags of presents for Eve on the floor beside her. There were also piles of wrapping paper, scissors and sellotape. "I guess I don't need to ask what we're doing now then?" he said.

Lauren shrugged, "They need doing sometime, Joe… and the sooner we start them, the sooner we're done."

"You're right…" he admitted, sitting in front of her, a gap between them. Lauren smiled and passed him over a roll of paper to open. While he was doing that she grabbed one of the bigger presents. They started to wrap the gifts together, Joey reaching for the stereo and turning it on, finding the playlist of Christmas songs on Lauren's iPod. He smiled as he heard the first song that started to play. "All I want for Christmas is you" He'd sung this to her just after she'd accepted his proposal. At the time all he'd been able to focus on was her. He'd been so relieved that she'd said yes… he'd hoped she would… especially after telling him she was pregnant but you couldn't count on anything with Lauren and he'd known that for a long time. He'd grown worried when she'd asked him if he was only asking because of the baby and in that moment he was so grateful that it'd been something he'd been planning for a while and that he'd made it special. He glanced up at his wife again and saw her smiling at him. She leant forward and kissed him softly. Joey tried to deepen it and when Lauren pulled away from him he couldn't help but pout.

"Later, Joe… we've got lots of things to do before we can do that…" she told him.

Joey leant forward and pecked her on the lips softly, pulling away quickly, "Okay… but you're on a promise…" he said.

"Noted." Lauren told him with a smile. It was amazing how motivational her words were and within an hour and a half they'd wrapped all of Eve's presents. "Let's put them in our room again and we can put them under the tree once Eve's down for the night." She said. "We ought to be getting her up in a little while anyway, if we're going to go out and meet everyone." They put the presents in their room and then both of them went into Eve's room. Their daughter stirred slightly as the lights turned on and she smiled up at them both. She clambered to her feet, holding her arms and Mr Pink in the air. "Put down Mr Pink, Evie." Lauren said, "We need to put some clothes back on you, darling… We're going outside in a little while… Going to see Pops and Granny…" She lifted her daughter out of her cot and carried her over to the changing mat.

"Pops…" Eve said, smiling brightly.

"And Granny," Joey added.

Eve's face fell slightly, "No nanite…" she declared.

"Absolutely not, Evie…" Joey said as Lauren removed her nappy and changed her. She then dressed her in some tights and a little denim skirt. Lauren put a pretty pink T-shirt which has Santa's face on it and Eve began to draw her finger over his face.

"Sit up, Evie…" Lauren said. She helped her daughter sit up and then put a soft brush through her hair. "Now, Evie… do you want hair slides… or a head band?" she asked.

"Dada toos…" Eve said, looking up at her dad in adoration.

"I think the head band and then it'll keep your little ears warm (not cold) too, won't it?" Joey said, his finger tapping the tip of her little button nose.

"Good thinking, daddy… don't want our little girl to get sick, do we?" Lauren opened a drawer as Joey stood near Eve, making sure she didn't fall off the side. She returned to them both after she'd found what she was looking for and she pushed the dark red head band over her head. She then pushed it back up, pushing her dark curls back from her face, just like her daddy had been trying to do for a long time.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"Before we go, babe… I think we should do our Christmas cards to each other…" Joey said as they walked through to the lounge from Eve's room.

"We can do that…" Lauren said. She sat Eve down on the floor in the lounge and gave her her teddy.

"Play with Mr Pink for a couple of minutes, darling…" she said.

"Show Miter Pink Wudy?" she said, looking up at her mummy hopefully.

Lauren glanced at Joey and he shrugged, "Okay baby girl. I'll get Rudolph out of the box for you and then you can show him to Mr Pink… and daddy will go and get his card…" She spent the next minute or so opening the present Eve had received earlier while Joey headed off to the bedroom.

Joey came back into the room and the two of them swapped places, Lauren heading off to the bedroom and Joey sitting down and shaking the snow globe for his little girl. She held Mr Pink against her chest, whispering 'Wudy' over and over and pointing at him as she showed her gift to her beloved bear. Joey smiled as he watched her and he only looked away when Lauren's hand settled on his shoulder.

He looked up at her and then sat back slightly, letting her sit on his lap. "Come here, Evie…" he said softly and she turned to look at them both. He watched the slight hesitation on her face as she glanced once more at her snow globe but then stood up and toddled over to where they both sat. Joey reached for her and lifted her up with one arm, sitting her on Lauren's lap. She rested her head on her daddy's chest and slipped her thumb in her mouth.

"Can we do my cards first?" Lauren said.

"Sure…" Joey said. She smiled at him and then held out two envelopes towards him. He took both from her and then opened the bigger envelope first. Inside was a card from Lauren and he kissed her to say thank you. Eve grabbed the other card from his hand and pressed it against his chest, seeming to understand it was from her. Joey pulled away from his wife, a grin on his face as he looked down at his baby girl. "Thank you poppet…" he said, taking the card from her. Lauren rested her head on Joey's shoulder as he started to open the envelope. He glanced at her face and noticed she was biting her lip. He couldn't work out why she would be nervous about this. He pulled the card free from the envelope and turned it over to look at it. His eyes widened as he realised the card was covered with pictures of his two girls. There was many pictures of Eve… a lot of them with Christmas themed clothing on… including the reindeer onesie she'd been wearing earlier. There was a couple of pictures of Eve and Lauren which he loved too. In the middle it said Merry Christmas Daddy.

"Do you like it?" Lauren whispered.

"It's amazing… I love it, babe…" he said softly. He turned and kissed her, "Thank you…" he breathed against her lips. He turned back to the card and opened it, smiling when he saw 'lots of love from Eve' written inside but underneath it in green and red crayon was two huge X's that Eve had put in there.

"Thank you too, baby girl…" he said, bending down and peppering kisses over her chubby little face until she started to giggle.

"Luvoo dada…" she said softly.

"Love you too, Evie…" he said back to her and she snuggled into his body. "Time for mummy's cards…" he said, picking up the cards he'd brought in with him. Eve grabbed them both and held them out to her mummy.

Lauren smiled and took the smaller card off her first and Eve's face fell. Lauren opened the envelope quickly, not wanting a tantrum to erupt and cause drama, spoiling the family moment they were having. She pulled the card free and smiled as she saw the card he'd got her. The words 'All I Want For Christmas is You…' written across the front. She read the inside quickly, sensing Eve getting fidgety and she smiled as she read the few sentences Joey had written. She glanced at him and he lifted his hand, pushing some hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. She smiled, "Love you too, Joe…" she breathed, turning her face slightly into the palm of his hand.

"MAMA!" Eve cried out, waving the other card in the air frantically, almost falling off her lap in the process.

"Careful Evie…" Joey said.

Lauren reached for her other card from her daughter and carefully opened the homemade envelope. She pulled out the card and tears filled her eyes as she saw her daughter's artwork splattered across the thick paper. There was colourful painted handprints and stars, glitter daubed across it as well. "It's beautiful, Evie…" she said. She lowered the card and saw Eve watching her. She leant forward and kissed her, feeling Eve's arms wrapping around her neck. "Thank you, Evie… you're such a clever little girl… and I love what you did for my card…"

"Luvoo, mama…" Eve said, sloppily kissing her mummy's cheek.

"Hey! Where's my kiss?" Joey said indignantly, his fingers starting to tickle Eve's sides.

"NO, DADA! NO! TOP!" She shrieked with laughter and Joey did stop. Eve scrambled to her feet and then flung her arms around her daddy's neck too, kissing him on the corner of his mouth.

Joey hugged her against his chest, pulling Lauren against him as well so he could hug them both.

"Thank you, my beautiful girls…" he told them softly.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"We need to go, Joe… or we'll miss the start… And we can't be out too late, can we? We've got a big day tomorrow…"

"You're right…" Joey said as Lauren slid off his lap and she walked towards the door. Joey got to his feet, holding a giggling Eve under his arm like a parcel as he followed his wife.

"Don't jiggle her too much, Joe… she'll be sick…"

"Do we have anything she can eat when we're out?" Joey asked. "I don't suppose they'll be catering for toddlers…"

"I'll just grab something," she said, "Can you put Eve's coat and boots on?"

"Sure." Joey said, grabbing Eve's coat and boots, Eve still giggling as he jostled her in his arms when he bent down for her boots. He sat her on the kitchen worktop and then pushed her Frozen wellies onto her feet. They were her favourite things for her feet because she just loved Olaf from the films and they had pictures of Olaf on them. Her mummy had brought them because they had a little fur lining at the top of them so they kept Eve's feet nice and toasty and they were red so went with a lot of Eve's clothes. Eve loved them because it meant she could stomp in puddles.

"Laf, dada…" Eve said once he'd finished putting her boots on.

"I know, Evie… Olaf…" he said as he put her right arm into the sleeve of her coat. Her coat was a dark red colour and Eve loved it because her mummy had one almost identical. "There you go, baby girl… all ready for a night in the square…" he told her as he zipped up her coat.

"Santa gone…" Eve said, looking down at her tummy, a frown on her face.

"He's just staying warm inside your coat, Evie…" Joey said, lifting her into his arms once more. "Here's mummy…" he said and Eve smiled when she saw that her mummy was wearing her red coat too.

"Don't my two girls look all Christmassy?" he said, wrapping an arm around Lauren's waist and kissing her forehead.

"I've got the things we might need for Evie…"

"I can always come back and get something if we've forgotten it." Joey said. He ushered his wife out of the flat, shutting and locking the door behind them and they walked down to the street.

They walked over to the gardens, seeing that was where people were starting to gather. The lights on the tree and hanging around the square were more visible now it was starting to get dark and Eve was gazing at the tree in wonder. Lauren hugged her mum when they got to where the family were all standing. "Hi mum… merry Christmas…" she said.

"Hi darling…" She glanced at Eve in Joey's arms and lifted her arms. "Do you have a hug for granny, Eve?" she asked.

"Nanite?" she whispered, her bottom lip wobbling slightly.

Joey kissed her temple gently, his hand brushing her back softly. "It's okay, Evie… there's no marmite tonight… I promise…" he told her. Eve looked up at him and then kissed him on the bottom of his chin as that was all she could reach when she stretched her neck. "Go and give granny a hug, Evie…" He passed his daughter over to Tanya and soon the little girl was hugging her.

"I went out especially and got a jar of jam today, Eve…" Tanya told her, "And no one else is allowed to eat any of it… it's just for you, sweetheart… no more Marmite, I swear…"

"Fankoo ganny…" Eve whispered.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The whole square was gathered in the gardens and the atmosphere was very festive. Lauren leant into Joey's side, his arm around her waist. They were both watching Eve as she stood next to her Uncle Oscar, who'd recently celebrated his 11th birthday with both his parents. She was holding his hand tightly as they stood near the front of the crowd but her parents were stood to one side, keeping an eye on them both.

"Eve seems to be enjoying her Christmas…" Max said as he and Tanya moved to stand near Lauren and Joey. Abi and Jay were standing with their friend on the far side of the square.

"Thanks to you, dad…" Lauren said, smiling at her dad affectionately.

"It wasn't just me…" he said quietly.

"Yes, but you came up with it and made it happen, dad…" Lauren told him, pulling away from her husband and moving to hug her dad, "Thank you for giving us a proper Christmas…" she whispered to him.

"You're welcome, babe…" he replied, hugging her back. "The look on your face and Eve's is thanks enough…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren and Joey smiled as Oscar and Eve walked back towards their parents. Eve stood in front of them, "Dada, up…" she asked, holding her hands in the air. Joey bent down and then swung her into the air, sitting her up on his shoulders. She gripped hold of his hair tightly as his hands wrapped around her ankles, holding her in place. The music began and then everyone was singing. Lauren had a flashback from two years earlier as the music for I'm dreaming of white Christmas started a couple of songs later and Joey smiled at her softly when she looked at him.

"Nothing to do with me, babe…" he said. Lauren tilted back her head and he kissed her, both of them ignoring the song for several seconds.

Eve pulled at his hair, leaning forward slightly, "Kisskiss…" she shouted, drawing the attention of those around her and several people laughed. Joey slid her down off his shoulders and the two of them hugged their daughter between them. The three of them stood in a little cocoon for a few minutes and it took them longer than most to realise.

Lauren pulled away from Joey and Eve, her eyes lifting to the sky. "What is it with this song?" she said, a large smile appearing on her face.

"No idea, babe…" Joey said.

"Did you and dada sake us, mama?" Eve asked, a small frown on her face as she held her hand out and caught a snowflake.

Lauren giggled, stepping forward and wiping away some snow from Eve's cheek, "No, Evie… this is real snow…"

"It's pity…" Eve said.

"It is, baby girl… just like you are…" Joey whispered, kissing the side of her pretty little face. "And just like your mummy…" he told her.

The song ended and everyone, Joey and Lauren included, were soon singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and several other Christmas songs. A little while later Alfie and Kat had bought out some mulled wine in glasses and Ian had set up a stand that was laden with mince pies. Max came back over to the family with three glasses while Oscar had a plate of mince pies. Max passed glasses to Joey and Tanya as his son handed round a mince pie to each of the family… well, apart from Eve. Lauren reached into the bag they'd bought with them and she pulled out a sippy cup and handed it to her daughter, who started to drink from it quickly. "Shall I go and get you something from the pub, babe?" Max offered.

"It's fine, dad… I brought something with me…" she replied, holding up a bottle of coke that she'd brought from home and had just pulled out of the bag.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

By almost five o'clock the gathering was beginning to thin. The snow had cut the evening short for many people, wanting to get out of the cold weather. The snow had really started to settle now and it was another thing for Eve to gaze at in awe. She was completely enraptured by it as it fell around her and she kept looking up at the sky.

"What is it, Evie?" Joey finally asked when he saw the disappointment on her face.

"Where's Wudy?" she whispered to her daddy.

"Rudolph and Santa will only come when you're tucked up in bed with Mr Pink, Evie…" Joey told her, kissing her forehead tenderly.

Lauren smiled as she heard the two of them talking. She held out her arms and Joey passed her over, Eve looking at her mummy, possibly hoping for a better answer from her. "Santa and Rudolph only come to good girls and boys when they're fast asleep, Evie…"

"I wanna see Wudy…" she whispered.

"I'm sorry, darling…" Lauren consoled her. She turned to her parents, "Go and say night night to granny and pops… daddy and I are taking you somewhere…" She lowered Eve to the floor and the little girl walked over to Max and Tanya, watching her footsteps in the snow. Max bent down and picked her up, hugging her tightly and she giggled and kissed his face sloppily. She really did love her pops very much. He then passed her over to her granny and again Eve gave her a big smacker on the mouth.

"Luvoo ganny…" Eve said, smiling brightly. She glanced at her mummy quickly before turning back to her grandma. "Evie… good?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, sweetheart… Eve has been very good… She's always a really good little girl…"

"Santy come to Evie?"

"He will, darling… as soon as you're asleep tonight…" Tanya told her. Eve beamed at her, pleased by what she'd been told. Tanya passed her granddaughter back to Lauren and she hugged her daughter goodnight, wishing all three of them a merry Christmas.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren held Eve in her arms and she reached for Joey's hand and pulled him with her as they walked across the square. "Where are we going, babe?"

"I want to show Eve something…" she said softly, squeezing his hand. Joey followed her in silence as they continued through the square until they ended up at the edge of the Common. Normally they'd head towards the children's playground so Eve could go on the swings but this time they didn't, they stopped in the middle of the grass and Lauren looked round. She smiled at Joey and then passed Eve to him, taking a couple of steps away. "Evie, when me and your auntie Abi were little girls, a little bit older than you are now… if it snowed your pops would take me and Abs to the park… one just like this and we'd make snow angels."

"Sow anges?" Eve whispered.

Lauren nodded, "Shall I show you?" she asked.

"Pease, mama…"

Lauren turned and walked a little distance away from her daughter and husband. She sat on the ground in the snow, then lay down, her arms at her sides. Watching her daughter's face she moved her arms up and down in the snow as her legs also moved in the snow. Once she was done she got to her feet again and walked over to where they stood. "What do think, Evie?" she asked, "It looks like an angel, right?" She said, "Like we've got on the top of our tree…"

"Can I make anges too?"

"I think that would be okay…" Joey said. He lowered Eve to the floor and she toddled off, walking to the space next to where her mummy had just made her snow angel.

"Is this good, mama?" she asked as she sat on the floor.

"Yes, baby girl… now lie down… and then move your arms and legs in the snow like I just did…" Lauren said.

They watched as Eve repeated what her mummy had done. "That's it, Evie…" Joey said.

"Dada too!" She cried out so Joey walked over so he was the other side of her from where Lauren had done her angel and he lay on the ground next to her. He created his own angel, hearing Eve laughing as she watching him move in the snow. Once they were done they both got to their feet and Joey carried Eve over to where Lauren stood. "Look… mama, dada and Evie anges…" she declared, pointing at what they'd done.

"Yes, baby girl… a little snow family…"

"More…" Evie said but she was let down by the yawn that she released.

"I think it's time for little girl's called Evie to go to bed…" Joey said.

"Dada…" she said, pouting slightly, just like her mummy was prone to do.

"Just think, Evie…" Joey cajoled her, "the sooner you go to bed, the sooner Santa and Rudolph come to visit…" Eve brightened up at that and she slipped her thumb in her mouth and rested her head on her daddy's shoulder. They started to walk back to the square and by the time they got back to the flat Eve was fast asleep. Lauren opened the door and they walked into the flat. Joey carried Eve straight through to her room and the two of them changed her out of her damp clothes, changed her nappy and then dressed her in a Christmassy onesie. Lauren went to get Eve a bottle of milk for her to drink and Joey sat in the rocking chair, rocking his daughter gently. He stared down at her face as she slept and thought again about how grateful he was to have her in his life. Always one of the more stubborn Brannings, he lifted his hand and brushed a couple of strands of hair back from her face and tucked them behind her ear, smiling when the hair stayed in place. FINALLY.

He heard a chuckle from the door and looked up, seeing his wife standing there, leaning against the doorframe, "Finally got to do that to her then?" she said as she pushed away from the door and walked over, passing him the bottle.

"You've no idea how long I've wanted to do that…"

"She knows how much you love her, Joe…" she told him softly as he started to give her the bottle.

"I know… but it still felt like it was important for me to do it…"

"I love you too, Joe…" she told him with a smile. He smiled at her.

"Love you more…" he told her and she leant forward, kissing him gently.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

"So what have we got to do?" Joey asked as they quietly left Eve's room.

"I need to do some of the prep for dinner tomorrow," Lauren told him.

"I can help…" Joey said.

"You?"

"Hey, I resent that…" Joey told her, winding his arms around her waist and pulling her back against him. "If you remember rightly… when we got together, you burnt water and it was me that showed you how to cook…"

"Fine… you can help me…" she said, giggling as he kissed the side of her neck. "We'd get it done much quicker, if you stopped that…" she said.

"Spoilsport…" he whispered against her skin.

"Later…" she said, her hand covering his on her waist and squeezing it gently. "Come on… we've got lots to do…"

They walked into the kitchen and Lauren began to get what they needed to do out of the fridge. Soon they were washing, peeling and chopping the vegetables that Lauren had got from Peter's stall. They all went into a bowl of water in the fridge overnight. "Anything else?" Joey asked as he put the knives and chopping boards in the sink.

"Just putting Eve's presents under the tree…" she told him.

"I guess we'd better get on with it then, babe…" he told her, "cos I've got something else in store for you once we're done…"

"Oh yes?" she asked him softly.

"Yes…" Joey told her, pulling her against his chest and kissing her deeply. "Let's get on with it…" he murmured against her lips. They pulled apart and then walked into their bedroom, picking up some of the gifts they'd wrapped earlier in the day. It took a few trips for them both before they were all piled neatly under the tree. They went back into their room, checking there wasn't any other presents to be taken through.

"All done, Joe…" Lauren said. "Why don't you go and check on Eve? I'll be out in a minute…" she said.

"Sure…" he said, heading towards their daughter's room, grabbing the bags he'd put behind the door a couple of minutes earlier and sneaking them into Eve's room. He pushed them into the small space at the bottom of Eve's wardrobe, knowing Lauren very rarely went in there and certainly wouldn't before he gave these to her in the morning. He smiled, shutting the door to the wardrobe silently. He made his way over to Eve's cot and peered inside, his smile growing when he saw she was fast asleep, her little bottom in the air, her thumb in her mouth and Mr Pink hooked in her arms. He reached down and brushed his hand over her head, "Sleep tight, baby girl… and in the morning you'll get to see what Santa and Rudolph bought you…"

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked back into the lounge, frowning when he saw Lauren bending down in front of the tree. "What are you doing?" he asked, unable to stop the grin when he saw her jump.

She turned round, looking a little guilty and then rose to her feet, "I found a couple of gifts for Eve that I'd wrapped last week so I was just putting them under the tree…" she lied, staring into his face, hoping he didn't call her out on it. "So we're all done now…" she whispered and she saw him smile.

"I guess we are…" He said, walking over to her.

"So…"

He looked at her face, "Sorry, did you want something?" he asked, purposefully keeping his face blank.

"You said… you had…" Lauren bit her lip and looked down at the floor, "It doesn't matter…" she whispered. She turned away from him, standing staring at the tree, the lights on it the only thing lighting the room now.

Joey smiled as he saw her shoulders drop and he stepped closer behind her, "Did you think I'd forgot…?" he breathed into her hair as his hands settled on her hips. She shrugged. "The chances of me ever forgetting about us having some alone time together are unbelievably small, babe… You're pretty much the only thing I think of from the time I wake up until I go to sleep again…" he told her, his hands pushing under her top and stroking her skin softly. He began to kiss her neck tenderly, all the time his hands brushing her stomach.

"What are you doing?" she whispered.

"Keeping my promise from earlier…" he murmured in her ear.

"You are…?" she said, closing her eyes as his hands undid her trousers.

"Unless you want me not to?"

"No, I'm good…" she told him quickly.

"Soon you will be… very good indeed…" he promised her. They fell silent as he began to push her clothes out of the way until she was standing naked in front of him, her clothes scattered on the floor around them.

He turned her round to face him, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "You're very overdressed, Joe…" she told him.

"I'll catch you up…" he said, lowering his head and kissing her softly.

"I can help…" Lauren said, her hands moving to his jeans and beginning to undo them. She started to shove them down his legs but he stopped her.

"Wait a second, babe…" he said, digging his hand into a pocket and pulling out a handful of condoms. Lauren smiled, it not quite reaching her eyes but she held her breath and then pushed his jeans down his thighs. Soon he was as naked as she was and they stood in front of each other, staring into each other's eyes.

"Shall I do the honours?" she asked. Joey frowned and she pulled a foil square from his hand and held it in the air.

"Sounds a good idea to me, babe…" He said. The atmosphere between them climbed as she rolled the latex sheath onto his cock, her hand stroking him firmly and causing him to moan in the back of his throat. She took his hand and turned away from him, pulling on his hand. "Where are you going?" he asked her, tugging her back towards him.

"Our room…" Lauren said.

Joey shook his head, "Uh huh…" he told her, "I plan to make love to you here… beneath this tree…"

"What about Eve?" Lauren asked.

"She's tucked up in bed… fast asleep… If she hears anything, we'll just tell her it's Santa and Rudolph…"

"Wudy…" Lauren whispered with a smile.

"I guess it will be… a little bit…" he said, chuckling when he saw her roll her eyes. "Is that a no?" he asked as he kissed her forehead. He pulled her body against him, his hand stroking the curve of her ass as he kissed down her face until his mouth was on hers. She moaned into his mouth and her arms wound around his neck. He slowly lowered them both to their knees, continuing to kiss her. He laid his wife on the floor, partially lying on their clothes as he moved on top of her. He pushed his cock into her body, staring into her eyes as they became connected. It was as if there was only the two of them in the world, locked in their love for one another. He made love to his wife slowly, feeling their connection the deepest it had been since Eve was born. This was what he'd wanted to happen when he'd suggested they did this in the run up to Christmas… he wanted them to go back to the being the couple they were two years ago, before they got married. Not that he wasn't happy with his life as it was now… he was… and he wouldn't be without Eve for anything… but somehow over the last two years, they'd forgotten what it was that made them… them.

It wasn't long before Lauren was breathing his name, her body rippling around him. Joey came as well, pulsing deep inside her as he moaned her name into her shoulder. She clung to him tightly after he'd collapsed on top of her. They were both gasping for breath and neither of them were ready to move just yet. "We should move…" Lauren eventually whispered.

"There's no rush," Joey told her. "And anyway… I haven't finished with you yet…" he told her gently.

"You haven't…"

"Nope…" he breathed, kissing her neck tenderly.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey pulled free from her body, arousal already returning as he did so. He moved so he was sitting back on his heels and stared down at his wife. "Come here, babe…" he murmured and Lauren pushed herself up. Joey kissed her, his hands brushing over her body again and she could feel her body starting to respond. She reached for his cock and removed the condom, replacing it with a fresh one.

Lauren shifted so she was kneeling in front of him and she lifted a hand, cupping the side of his face,

"I love you, Joseph Branning…" she whispered.

"I love you too, babe…" he said. He moved quickly, getting to his feet and then he bent down and lifted her off the floor, causing her to shriek slightly. He strode towards their bedroom and she was sure that was where they were heading but he pushed her against the wall beside the bedroom door, his fingers delving between her legs, easing into her body and touching her intimately. She could already feeling her body starting to climb and he hadn't even entered her yet. He kissed her passionately and Lauren returned it just as enthusiastically, her fingers brushing through his hair, holding his head in place.

His fingers left her and then she felt the head of his cock at her entrance. She stared into his eyes, seeing the intensity in them and knowing this was going to be hard and fast. He slammed into her, taking her breath away and Lauren bit her lip, fighting back the moan that longed to break free. He fucked her quickly, both of them wanting this as much as the other. Lauren clawed at his back, digging her nails into his skin, feeling her peak getting ready to break free. Joey moved faster and then he exploded within her, taking her with him. She couldn't make a sound, she was so caught up in the emotion she was feeling. She kissed his face, moving across to the corner of his jaw as he continued to move inside her. She focused on that spot, knowing it was a sensitive spot for him. He growled, his hands clutching her hips as he gradually slowed his movements. Lauren bit him, soothing the mark with her tongue after, feeling the way they were both calming and wanting to draw it out a little longer. "Take me to bed, Joe…" she breathed in his ear and he did just that, carrying her into their bedroom.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey lowered Lauren onto the bed, moving to lay next to her. He kissed her tenderly and she kissed him back. "Happy eleventh day of Christmas, baby girl…" he whispered.

"And to you…" she breathed, "Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever…"

"I'm not done yet, babe…" he told her softly.

"You haven't?" she asked, smiling as she felt his length starting to harden against her thigh. "So I see…" she added. "I think I could be tempted… it'll be a chore, of course…" she told him with a smirk, "but a wife has to keep her husband happy, doesn't she…?"

"You little minx…" he said, kissing the smirk off her face. He rolled onto his back, taking Lauren with him and she sat on his thighs, removing his condom from earlier as he reached for a new one. She eased it on him and then rose up on her knees and sank onto him slowly. They stared at each other once Joey was fully seated within her and his hands brushed up her body and cupped her breasts, brushing his thumbs over her nipples and Lauren's head dropped back. She moved slowly on him, gently making love to him, telling him with her movements how much he meant to her. Joey frowned when he saw tears on her cheeks, "Babe?" he whispered, not wanting her to be upset.

She pulled her hand from his, wiping her face quickly, "It's fine… I'm fine… I'm really happy, Joe… I don't know what I did to deserve you…" she admitted to him.

"Me too, babe… When I think about the person I used to be and compare that to the person I am now… You've changed me… made me a better person…"

"It's the same for me, Joe… You and Eve showed me that there was a life which didn't have to include alcohol… that there is such a thing as a happy family life…" More tears ran down her face and Joey pushed himself upright, kissing her face, kissing away the tears. "Thank you for making me realise that someone could love me… that I was worthy of it…" she whispered to him.

"You and Eve are the only people I could ever love… and that is never going to change…" he told her gently.

**AN: So that's it from me for this story... Hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to review... and you've still got two amazing chapters (by the equally amazing Eastendersfan444) to come... Oh and finally MERRY CHRISTMAS! One more sleep to go! xx**


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have all had a GREAT day and that Santa brought you everything you wanted! Xx So let's see what Santa brought Eve, Lauren and Joey! Enjoy x **

**Chapter Twelve: ****Santa Baby**

**Tuesday 25****th**** December 2018**

By some kind of miracle Eve wasn't the first one awake this morning. In fact when Lauren checked on her she was still fast asleep in her cot. She was on her stomach with her knees bent and her little bottom stuck up in the air. Her ankles were crossed which made Lauren smile. Every now and then she would wriggle her bottom as she slept. Lauren stifled a giggle and crept out of the room.

She walked through to the kitchen and put the kettle on. Whilst she was waiting for it to boil she reread her list of instructions and timings she had to follow for the day. She'd read it at least twelve times yesterday since writing it. All the vegetables were ready, she and Joey had peeled and chopped them last night. There wasn't much for her to do until 12:00pm, which meant she had plenty of time to watch Eve open her presents and even play with her for a couple of hours before she needed to start cooking dinner.

She made two cups of coffee and took them back into the bedroom. Of course she was the only member of the Branning family awake…at the moment that was. She and Joey had gotten pretty horny last night after they'd put all the presents out for Eve to open today. They'd made love on the floor in the lounge, under the Christmas tree and then again up against the wall by their bedroom door. And then a couple more times during the night. The last time at 2:00am when Lauren had woken up feeling incredibly horny, so she in turn had woken Joey up so they could have sex. She wasn't sure he'd initially be that into it…but he was soon more than willing to take part. She looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 6:00am. She put the coffee she'd made for Joey down quietly next to the clock and then carried hers round to her side of the bed, putting it down on her table. She climbed back into the bed and snuggled up to Joey. He moaned softly in his sleep as Lauren kissed his neck and shoulder.

'Joe…' she whispered softly. 'Joe….' She blew in his ear softly. 'Joe…' he groaned again.

'I'm too tired to have sex with you' he replied sleepily. 'Leave me alone, woman!'

Lauren giggled softly and kissed his neck again 'It's Christmas Day Joe. Santa's been' she told him 'There's a stocking at the end of the bed with your name on it' she blew in his ear again. 'Rake up dada…Rake up…' she copied their daughter's words to him whenever she wanted either of them to get up.

Joey chuckled 'Only you could make "rake up dada" sound sexy' he said to her.

He opened his eyes and he moved onto his back. 'Does that I mean I can get a little Christmas morning sex?' she asked him batting her eyelashes at him.

'I'd say the possibility was very high' he told her as he looked towards his groin. Lauren followed his gaze and saw the duvet was pitched slightly with his erection.

'Yay' she clapped her hands and she moved closer to him under the covers. 'Merry Christmas me!' Joey laughed, shaking his head as his wife disappeared under the covers. Moments later he felt her take him into her mouth. Merry Christmas to him too apparently he thought with a smile.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

'My coffee's cold' Joey grumbled an hour later.

'I'll go make some more' she told him stealing a kiss. He watched his wife climb out of the bad naked and grab both their cups. He smiled and sat up, moving to the end of the bed to get his stocking. He got back into bed, pulling the covers over his lap as he waited for Lauren. Five minutes later she returned to the bedroom, handing Joey his cup.

'Thanks babe, any movement from Evie?' he asked her

'Nope, she's still fast asleep' Lauren said with a pout.

'We'll give her another half an hour and then we'll go wake her' Joey told her. 'Grab your stocking' he told her as she walked round the bed. Lauren pulled it off the bottom of the bed and climbed under the covers, careful not to spill her coffee.

'Open yours first' she told Joey. Joey smiled and shook the contents of his stocking on the bed. 'What the hell is this?' he frowned picking up what looked like a rabbit dropping.

'Oh, that's a chocolate covered raisin. I was eating them when I was filling your stocking' she told him. 'I knew I dropped one' she said reached out and took it from him and popped it into her mouth 'thank you' she smiled at him.

Joey pulled a face and picked up a round present. He unwrapped it excitedly and discovered Lauren had wrapped a Satsuma up. She giggled as he rolled his eyes and put in on the bed. Reaching for another small wrapped box which turned out to be a box of Maryland Raisins. 'Are all of these gag gifts?' he asked her as he looked at the two remaining wrapped presents.

'You'll have to open them to find out, won't you' Lauren told him. Joey rolled his eyes and he picked up the last two gifts. He opened the smallest first and he found a jewellery box inside. He opened it and inside he found a pair of silver cocktail glass shaped cuff links.

'Babe, these are great! Thank you' he smiled at her.

'I thought you could wear them at the New Year's Eve Party' she told him.

'They'll be perfect for that' he leant across and kissed her. 'Thanks babe'

'Open the other one' she told him. Joey picked it up and opened it and he found a little note pad that waiting staff would use to write down orders on. Joey looked at it and he flipped the cover over. 'You cheeky minx' he said as he saw Lauren's breakfast order.

'What? It's your turn to make breakfast this year' she told him with a smile

'I made breakfast last year' he protested.

'Only because Eve and I were sick. It was still my turn and I said I would do it…you insisted I stay in bed' she told him 'Please…your breakfasts are the best' she gave him her best puppy dogs eyes and sticking out her bottom lip in a pout for good measure.

'Okay, okay. I'll make breakfast' he conceded.

'Thank you. You are the best husband ever' she smiled and kissed his cheek. 'I'm starving' she said as she started to climb out of the bed.

'Hey, hold on a minute. It's your turn to open yours' Joey said to her.

'Maybe we should go and wake Evie up too…' Lauren said ignoring what Joey had said. Joey frowned, and snatched her stocking away from her and peered inside.

'When did you open these?' he asked her with a frown.

'I don't know…this morning…' she shrugged casually.

'This morning? What time this morning?'

'Around 3am. It's no big deal' she told him. 'Besides there were no actual gifts in there anyway' she frowned at him 'There was a Satsuma, a monkey nut and a fifty pence piece and a piece of coal'

'I guess someone's been a naughty girl' he told her with a laugh and then he narrowed his eyes at her 'What else have you opened?' he asked her suspiciously.

'Nothing' she told him 'There are no presents under the tree with my name on them'

'Had a good look did you?' Joey asked in amusement.

'Around 3:30am' she nodded her head 'I couldn't sleep…I was too excited' she looked at him sheepishly.

'Someone's been snooping' he teased her.

'I looked everywhere' Lauren said with a sigh 'I don't think you got me anything' she told him with a frown and another pout.

'I'm just better at hiding things than you are, that's all' he told her with a smile. 'Come on let's get breakfast ready hey?'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Twenty minutes later, breakfast was made and Lauren and Joey went through to Eve's room to wake her up. When they walked in they discovered she was already awake and was sitting up in her cot playing Peekaboo with Mr Pink. Peekaboo consisted of Eve holding Mister Pink in front of her and closing her eyes and then opening them again.

'Merry Christmas, gorgeous' Joey said. Eve's head turned towards the door and she smiled her parents.

'Mewwy Kissmass' she replied.

'Ready for breakfast baby?' Lauren asked as she walked towards her.

'Hungy' Eve told her nodding her head. Lauren picked her out of the cot, making sure she got Mr Pink too. Eve smiled and put one arm around her neck. 'Evie seeped…Santa and Wudy bin?' she asked them hopefully.

'I don't know Evie' Joey said with a smile 'shall we go and see?'

'Pease dada…Evie see' she nodded her head. Lauren carried her into the lounge, with Joey following behind her.

'Santy and Wudy bin! See Dada! See Mama! Evie good girl! Lots pesents' she exclaimed excitedly 'Open?' she looked at Lauren expectantly as her tummy rumbled loudly.

'I think we need to fill up your tummy first' Joey told her with a smile 'what do you want for breakfast baby?'

'Cake?' she grinned at Joey cheekily. He exchanged glances with Lauren and she nodded her head.

'Cake it is' he told Eve with a smile.

Eve clapped her hands excitedly as Lauren carried her to the kitchen, turning her head to look at the presents under the tree as she was carried out of the room.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After breakfast, Joey cleaned up whilst Lauren kept Eve amused whilst she was sitting in the high chair until the two of them were ready to watch Eve open her presents.

'Shall we go and open presents now?' Lauren asked her.

Eve nodded her head 'Evie's good girl' she told her.

'Yes, that's right you are' Joey beamed at her. He lifted her out of the chair and Lauren followed him into the lounge. 'You are such a good girl Evie, look at all these presents Santa left for you' Joey told her as he set her down on her feet. Eve looked around at all the presents.

'Which one do you want to open first Evie?' Lauren asked her. Eve toddled over to the Christmas tree and pulled out a smallish parcel and turned to look at her mummy and daddy.

'Dis one pease' she told them, walking back over to them. She sat down on the floor with a bump and giggled, she looked at the present and started to tear off the paper. Her face lit up as she saw what was inside. It was a Fisher Price Laugh and Learn pink puppy. Eve spent ten minutes playing with that toy before Joey prompted her to open another present. Lauren went into the kitchen to get a black bin bag to put the wrapping paper in. Eve's next three presents she opened were some new clothes, some tights and dresses that Eve told her mama were pity. One of the dresses was all sparkly and Eve wanted to put that one on straight away. Lauren told her she could wear it after all the presents were opened. She also had a set of little people Disney princesses which as Lauren predicted Eve loved, Joey had thought they were creepy and Eve would hate them. He was very wrong. Another gift Eve had opened were some Lego that made creative cakes which Eve loved and wanted to play with. Lauren told her she could play with them later but she had lots of other presents to unwrap first. Lauren and Joey loved watching their little girl's face when she opened her presents. They'd brought her a Leap Frog Musical Teapot Tea party set, a Tomy Aquadoodle, A Little Miss Kitty Nursery Centre where Eve could pamper and look after her toys. A Toddlebike that would help Eve with her balance and could be used both indoors and outside, 6 Christmas themed rubber ducks for fun time in the bath. Eve pointed at one of them 'Wudy!' she exclaimed excitedly, 'Baf now?' she asked hopefully.

'Later tonight sweetheart' Joey promised her. 'What else have you got?' he asked her.

She walked back to the tree and proceeded to open the rest of her presents. There were some colouring books from Granny Tanya, as well as some knickers and socks, which Eve didn't really care for. Her Pops had got her an Etch-a-sketch which was a bit too old for Eve but she could play with it later. Granny Tanya and Pops had also given her a cheque for some money to put in her bank account, something else Eve didn't care for and Joey had to rescue the cheque before Eve tore that up and put in the black bin bag along with the rubbish. Oscar brought her a Disney Princess Onesie to sleep in and some Frozen hair slides that had Olaf on them. Max and Tanya has also brought her the complete set of Disney cartoons on DVD. Abi had brought her three large A3 blank drawing pads as well as a set of Little Miss books for bedtime reading. Alice had given her some more clothes and some princess picture frames, one of which already had a picture of Alice in it, but had left room for other pictures to be added. Lauren and Joey had also brought Eve a child's steering wheel with lights and noises that could be fitted into the back of the car, a Chicco Safari Radio Controlled car, a Corn Popper Baby Walker, a Leap Frog Learn And Groove Xylophone that Eve was going to take with her whenever she had a sleep over and Granny Tanya's or her Pops. A Leap Frog Chat and Count phone, a Melissa Doug Pretty Purse that Eve announced was just like her mama's. And 24 jumbo Crayola crayons so she could be artistic like her mummy. Joey's mum had got her the biggest teddy bear Eve had ever seen in her life and she was a little afraid of it. Mr Pink had told her he was too so Joey had to hide the bear in their bedroom. She had also brought Eve some fuzzy felt and some learning books which Lauren was pleased with but Eve not so much.

The last thing Eve opened was a baby doll. Eve stared at her for a long time and she turned to look at her mummy and daddy with tears in her eyes. 'look mama…a baby' she whispered.

'Yes it is darling. Eve's baby' Lauren told her.

'Evie's baby' Eve whispered in awe as she turned back to the doll. She picked the baby doll up and held it in her arms 'she's aseep' she said 'daddy hold' she told him and she thrust the doll at him. Lauren smiled as Eve then went back to play with the purse.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Whilst Eve was distracted playing with her toys. Joey put the baby down on the sofa and Lauren gave Joey a large Christmas bag she got from under the tree 'Your turn' she told him. Joey took the bag from her, reaching inside for the first present. Lauren had brought him some shirts and t-shirts. A new pair of jeans. A bottle of her favourite aftershave for him to wear. She'd also given him a £50 iTunes voucher as well as a new iPhone. Eve had brought him a new wallet, already customised with a picture of her and Lauren in it. A t-shirt with Eve's smiling face on it and words that read "I'm daddy's little princess"

'Thank you Lauren, these are great' he told her and he moved forward and gave her a hug and kiss. 'I thought we weren't going to spend very much on each other this year'

'I know we did, we also agreed on 12 presents for Eve but I counted 15' she raised her eyebrows at him 'and besides I wanted to get you some nice things' she said. She looked at Eve who was now playing with her Little People Princesses. 'Everyone's got presents but me' she pouted.

Joey rolled his eyes. 'I got some for you' he told her 'wait here' he said and he got up and disappeared into Eve's bedroom and returned a few moments later with another large bag.

'Where did you hide those?' Lauren narrowed her eyes at him 'I looked in there'

'Never you mind!' he replied as he sat down beside her. Eve chose this moment to look up

'More pesents?' she asked excitedly, her toys forgotten as she crawled over to the bag.

'These are mummy's presents' Joey scooped her off the floor and turned her around to look at him, a frown on her face.

'Where's Evie's baby?' she asked him crossly 'dada 'posed to hold Evie's baby. Bad dada!'

Lauren smiled as she listened to Eve scolding Joey for being a bad dada. She looked in the bag and pulled out the first parcel. Unwrapping it she found a new black leather jacket, just like the one she'd been eyeing in the stores a few months back. The next parcel was the shoes she's also been eyeing. The next present was some very sexy lacy and silky underwear, which Eve had taken a fascination to and couldn't stop touching the soft silky fabric.

'Mummy wear now? Sow Evie?' Eve looked up at her.

'These are for daddy's eye only, baby' Lauren told her with a smile. Eve turned to look at Joey and checked to make sure he was still holding her baby.

The next gift was in a long thin jewellery box, Lauren's breath caught in her throat as she saw the ruby and diamond pendant necklace. 'Oh my God, Joey it's beautiful' she exclaimed. Eve peered into the box.

'Ooooh pity' Eve gasped.

'I'm glad you like it' he told her with a smile 'I was torn between the ruby and the sapphire one' he told her 'I think the jeweller was relieved when I made the decision, I was there for over an hour' he admitted to her.

'I love it Joe, thank you!' she told him with a smile, leaning over to kiss him.

'You're welcome' he replied 'seeing the look on your face is exactly what I wanted to see' he told her.

'DADA! Baby upide down!' Eve shouted suddenly.

'I'm sorry baby' Joey said holding the baby upright again.

'Evie do it!' she sighed just like her mother did and took the baby away from him and walked back over to her toys.

Lauren giggled. 'She turns more and more like you every day' Joey said smiling, 'there's a couple more presents in the bag, babe' he said to Lauren. Lauren peered inside and she pulled out a large on and small one. Both of the tags stated they were from Eve. She opened the first one and found a large bottle of her favourite perfume, the second parcel was a gift certificate to spend a day at a Spa for two.

'Thank you' Lauren said looking at Joey. 'I love everything' she told him.

'Good I'm glad' he replied, stealing a kiss.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

'Okay, I think we need to go and get dressed Evie' Lauren said to her daughter. 'Which dress do you want to wear?' she asked her. Eve looked up at her mummy and walked over to the pile of clothes and crouched down, she pulled out a dress from the middle of the pile and turned, holding it against herself. Lauren smiled when she saw it was the red sparkly dress.

'Dis one pease, mama' she said.

'Okay, come on then you' Lauren said, getting up and picking up Eve and the dress and carrying her into her bedroom. Lauren put her down on her changing mat, hanging the dress on the side of the cot and she changed Eve's nappy, putting her in a fresh one. Then Lauren put some socks on her feet and a vest and sat Eve up whilst she pulled the dress over her head. She did the button up at the back and stood Eve on her feet on the changing mat, keeping a firm hold on her.

'Oh, baby girl you look like a princess' Lauren said to her 'you are so beautiful' Lauren sat her down again, reaching for her brush and she brushed her hair through. 'Come on lets go and have a look in the mirror in the bathroom' Lauren picked her up again and carried her into the bathroom, shutting the door and standing Eve on her feet, letting her see herself in the mirror.

Eve stared at the little girl who was looking back at her, Lauren could see the wonder on the little girls face. 'Evie pity' she said in a whisper. Lauren crouched down behind her as Eve's eyes ran over her sparkly dress.

'Yes, darling you are. Shall we go show daddy?'

'Sow dada' Eve nodded her head.

Lauren took her hand and opened the bathroom door 'Joey!' she called out as she walked Eve slowly through to the lounge.

Joey appeared, obviously he'd been in the kitchen, he was wiping his hands on the front of the apron.

'Oh my gosh! Where's my little Evie?' he asked

'I's here dada' Eve said with a shy smile 'I's a pincess'

'Yes you are, honey'

'Evie pity' she said holding the sides of her dress with her hands and swaying from side to side.

'No, Evie's beautiful' Joey said to her. Eve beamed at her daddy and giggled.

'Can you watch her whilst I get dressed?' Lauren asked him.

'Of course, babe' Joey told her. 'Turkey's in the oven' he told her with a smile.

'Thanks' Lauren kissed his cheek as she walked by him, pausing to pick up her pile of Christmas gifts.

Twenty minutes later Lauren came out of the bedroom at the same time as Eve happened to look up. 'OH!' she exclaimed. 'Mama's a pincess too!' Joey turned to look at his wife. And what he saw took his breath away.

Lauren was wearing a green halter neck dress that was fitted at the top and then flared out at the waist. The ruby necklace he'd given her for Christmas was around her neck.

'Lauren…you're breath taking' he whispered as he stood up, Eve momentarily forgotten. He crossed the room and took his wife in his arms and kissed her, she wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss, his tongue swept into her mouth as one hand slid to her bum and squeezed gently.

Eve giggled as she watched her parents 'kisskiss' she said 'kisskiss'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Christmas dinner had been a success although Eve refused to eat sprouts no matter how hard Lauren or Joey tried to get her to taste them she stubbornly refused to open her mouth.

Joey cleaned up and the three of them retired to the lounge. Lauren put some Christmas music on and the three of them played with Eve's toys. Joey was sitting on the floor leaning against the sofa and Eve was on his lap. She was currently playing dress up with daddy. He was wearing her Frozen hair slides in his hair. Eve had also discovered when she opened her purse that she had some children's makeup in it too. So daddy was having a makeover. Lauren was directing Eve, telling her where to put the eye shadow and the lip gloss and blusher. Eve was in her element, she was having the best time ever. Lauren was laughing and giggling. Especially when Eve poked Joey in the eye, by accident, with the little eye shadow applicator she had.

After what felt like an hour to Joey, Eve stopped and she stared at her daddy, tilting her head to one side with a serious look on her face. 'd'fink mama?' Eve looked at her.

'I think daddy looks lovely. Don't you?'

'Dada's a pincess too' Eve announced and she clapped her hands. She rooted through her purse and pulled out her plastic phone and handed it to Lauren 'Piture mama. Take piture'

Lauren giggled, reaching for her own phone and she selected the camera option 'Look at mama' she said, both Eve and Joey turned to look at her. Lauren snapped six pictures.

'Sow Evie' Eve said, clambering off her daddy's lap. Lauren scrolled through the pictures with a big smile on her face.

'I think one of these has to go in her picture frame set' Lauren told Joey as she handed him the phone. He scrolled through the pictures.

'I don't look too bad' he said, 'she's done a pretty good job' he smiled. 'Thank you, baby' he said to Eve and he gave her a cuddle. Eve abandoned the purse and moved back to her pile of toys and pulled out the Little People Princesses and started to play with them.

'I'm a little hurt that you let Eve put makeup on you but when I wanted to you wouldn't let me'

'You wanted to put mascara on my eyelashes. Those wand thingies are lethal weapons' he told her with a smile 'and besides she's 17 months old!' he told her. 'How am I supposed to say no to her?'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Much later in the evening, Lauren and Joey were cleaning up the tea plates in the kitchen. Lauren was washing and Joey was wiping and putting away 'well I think Evie enjoyed this Christmas more than she did last year' Lauren said to him.

'Yes she did, last year she was more interested in the wrapping paper and the boxes. And she fell asleep half way through opening presents….so rude!' he laughed softly 'and I thought you hated the name Evie?' he said to her.

'I do…I can't help it, I hear you say it all the time and it's catching' she told him 'I find I'm calling her that without even really thinking about it' she frowned 'it's annoying'

Joey laughed 'she even calls herself Evie' he pointed out to her.

'I wonder what I can teach her to call you' Lauren said.

'Don't you dare, I like being called dada' he told her 'it gives me a warm glowy feeling right here' he pointed to his heart.

'She won't call you dada forever, she'll call you daddy next'

'It'll still give me the same warm glowy feeling' he told her with a smile.

'And what about when I call you daddy?' she teased him.

'Oh I get the same feeling just a bit further south' he grinned at her.

Lauren giggled as she reached for the last plate to wash up. 'You're such a perv!' she scolded him playfully.

'Thank you' he laughed at her.

'That wasn't meant as a compliment!' Lauren laughed harder.

They heard a soft noise over the baby monitor and fell silent instantly. 'I'll go' Joey told her, putting his tea-towel down on the side. Lauren finished the last plate and pulled the plug out of the sink, letting the water drain away. Joey came back with a smile on his face. 'She's still fast asleep. She's talking in her sleep.' he told her. Lauren smiled as she started to wipe down the work surfaces. 'I think she got everything she wanted for Christmas this year' Joey said

'And then some!' Lauren replied pointedly.

'She played with everything today, she was so happy' he smiled. 'I know that one of my girls was happy with her Christmas presents' he turned to look at Lauren, who currently had her back to him and as unaware he was watching her. 'What about my other one?' he asked her 'did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?' he asked her. He saw her pause for a moment.

'Yes' she said to him and she continued to wipe the counter down. 'Santa got me everything on my list' she replied.

Joey frowned 'did I forget something?' he asked her 'I know we agreed not to buy each other presents but we did anyway…did I miss some really subtle hint you dropped?' he asked her.

Lauren turned to look at him 'There were no subtle hints dropped for you to miss, Joe' she shook her head with a smile. 'Everything that you gave me was beautiful, and perfect and I loved every single thing'

Joey licked his lips 'What did I miss?' he asked her with a sigh. 'Is it the necklace?' he asked her 'I knew you'd prefer the sapphire one but I second guessed myself…'

'Joe…you didn't miss anything' she told him and she threw the cloth into the sink and walked over to him. 'I love the ruby necklace you gave me. And, no I wouldn't have preferred the sapphire one' she told him. 'Stop worrying about nothing' she said and she reached up and kissed him softly. She walked away from him before he could ask her anything else. Joey finished in the kitchen, turning the lights off as he left and then he went looking for his wife. He found her standing in the dark in their bedroom, looking out of the window. 'The square looks so beautiful all lit up like that' she said with a smile 'the ground covered with fresh white snow. It makes me feel even more Christmassy'

'Yeah it does' Joey replied walking up behind her and slipping his hands around her waist. Lauren smiled and leant back against him.

'And it reminds me of the day you proposed to me nearly two years ago'

'Couldn't have bloody snowed then could it' Joey grumbled.

'It did though, not at first…but when the snow machine broke it did, remember?' she asked him.

'Mmm, that's right it did' he nodded his head 'So it's our second wedding anniversary in a week's time. Two blissfully happy years of marriage. So is there anything you want?' he asked her.

'Just you' Lauren said softly. 'So, did Santa bring you everything you wanted this year?' she asked him, changing the subject.

'Yes. And some things I didn't. Like that hideous jumper from Auntie Carol' he said.

Lauren turned around in his arms 'you look gorgeous in it' she told him softly, sliding her fingers into the hair at the back of his neck as she gazed up at him, her heart skipped a beat. 'I'm so in love with you' she whispered softly.

'That's good to hear, because I feel exactly the same way about you. You are my best friend, my soul mate, my lover and my wife…'

'And your cousin' Lauren added with a giggle.

'Yes, thank you. And my cousin' he nodded his head 'you know me better than anyone, sometimes I think you even know me better than I know myself. You know what I'm thinking and feeling. You know when I'm worried about something, or when I'm hiding something…just like I do you…' he looked at her.

'I'm not hiding anything, Joe' Lauren shook her head, moving away from him. She walked to her vanity and sat down, starting to take her make up off.

'Really?' he asked her with a frown 'The game we played with Whitney and James…the question you got….'

'And I told you then I have no deep dark secrets that I'm keeping from you' she told him.

'And what about your sleepless nights hey? You were obviously worrying about something. Is it something you can't talk to me about? Because I thought we could talk to each other about anything' he told her. Lauren sighed.

'Yeah, we can' she looked at him in the mirror 'mostly' she sighed and put her make up wipe down.

'Mostly? What does that mean?' he looked at her with a frown.

'Joe, can we talk about this tomorrow please?' she asked him, turning in the chair to look at him.

'It nearly is tomorrow. Why not talk about this now?' he asked her.

'Because I don't want to end the perfect day with a fight' she told him, slipping out of the chair and heading to the door. He watched her walk through the door and he sat down on the bed as he started to undress.

Lauren came back a few moments later 'why do you think we're going to have a fight?' he asked her as soon as she returned to the room.

'Joe, please' she whispered softly. She started to walk round to her side of the bed when Joey caught hold of her hands and he pulled her to stand in front of him.

'Talk to me, baby' he said softly 'you have no idea what's going through my head right now' he licked his lips 'are you sick?'

'No' she shook her head.

'Is Evie?' he looked at her with frightened eyes.

'Of course not, I wouldn't keep something like that from you' she shook her head, stroking his cheek with her hand. 'Evie and I are both fine. Perfectly healthy'

'Then what is it? Is there someone else?' he asked her. She stiffened and pulled away from him.

'I can't believe you just asked me that' Lauren snapped at him. She moved round to her side of the bed, reaching under her pillow for the t-shirt she was going to wear to bed.

'What am I supposed to think? You won't talk to me' he snapped back at her.

Lauren spun round to look at him, tears rolling down her cheeks 'so you accuse me of cheating on you? On Evie?' she asked him 'I would never do that'

Joey swallowed, closing his eyes. He knew he'd just made an epic mistake. 'I'm sorry' he said softly. 'I know you'd never cheat on me, I shouldn't have said that. Forgive me?' he asked her. Lauren licked her lips as she turned her back on Joey and undid the top of the halter neck dress she was wearing, slipping the t-shirt on to cover herself. She wriggled out of the skirt and pulled back the covers on the bed. 'Babe, please. I don't want to go to sleep thinking you're mad at me'

'I'm not mad at you' she whispered as she climbed into the bed pulled the covers over her.

Joey finished getting undressed just as they heard a little voice on the baby monitor again. 'Dada? Dada?'

Joey sighed 'I'll be back in a little while' he said, pulling his boxer shorts back on again and he padded barefoot to his daughters room. Lauren listened to the baby monitor.

'Hi Dada' Eve said sleepily.

'Hello princess, what are you doing awake?' he asked her softly.

'Miter Pink gone' she looked at him with wide eyes and then she looked around her cot. Joey smiled seeing a large bump under the covers.

'He's still here darling, he's just playing hide and seek' Joey told her as he pulled back the covers to show her teddy.

'Peekaboo Miter Pink' Eve whispered. Lauren smiled as she listened.

'I think it's a bit late for Mr Pink to be playing hide and seek. You give him a cuddle and you both go back to sleep okay?' he told her.

'Kay dada' Eve yawned 'It too late for peekaboo Miter Pink. We pay morow' she scolded her teddy softly. She listened for a moment and then she smiled and kissed her teddy. 'Miter Pink say sowwy' Eve told Joey.

'He did. Well Mr Pink is a very good teddy isn't he?' Joey smiled at her. Eve nodded her head as she snuggled back under the covers 'Night night, baby girl' Joey said as he covered his daughter and teddy up again. 'Love you'

'Luvoo dada…luvoo mama'

'Mummy loves you too baby' Joey brushed his hands through her curls. 'Sweet dreams' he whispered as her eyes drifted shut. Joey watched her for a few moments, feeling his heart swelling with love for the little girl in the cot.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren heard Joey come back into the room and he closed the door quietly behind him, stripped off his boxers and climbed into bed. 'Are you still awake?' he asked her.

Lauren contemplated not answering for a second, pretending she was asleep. 'Yes' she whispered.

'I'm sorry, Lauren. I don't want to fight with you and I don't want you to go to bed upset. We've had a perfect day and I don't want to ruin it because I have a big mouth and my brain didn't engage' he told her softly. Moving onto his side. 'I love you' he whispered softly 'with all my heart'

Lauren closed her eyes and she rolled over to face him 'I love you too' she replied softly.

'Can I have a hug?' he asked her. She moved closer to him in the bed and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly 'I'm sorry I upset you' he whispered into her ear.

'I know you are, it's forgotten and you're forgiven' she whispered back.

'Yeah? Does that mean I can have a kiss too?' he asked her. Lauren smiled and pulled back to look at him. She nodded her head and moved forward and kissed him softly. Joey deepened the kiss and Lauren moaned softly as Joey moved her pressing her back into the mattress. She could feel his arousal growing against her thigh. He looked down at her when the kiss ended 'Are you tired?' he asked her softly. Lauren knew that wasn't what he was actually asking her. He was asking her another question entirely.

'Not for you' she replied.

Joey smiled and he kissed her again. One of his hands slid up under her t-shirt pushing it up as he slid his hand towards her breast. She pressed herself into his hands, arching her back and sliding one leg over his hip.

Moments later, Joey pulled away from her and reached into the top drawer of her bedside table, pulling out a couple of condoms. Lauren looked at them, and she suddenly felt herself overcome with emotions. She closed her eyes. Joey looked back at her and saw a solitary tear roll down her cheek.

'Lauren?' he questioned 'what's wrong?' he asked her softly.

'Nothing, I'm fine' she told him as she brushed the tear away, she smiled up at him, reaching for the condom he held in his hand. He held it out of her reach.

'Talk to me please…' he murmured softly. Lauren closed her eyes again.

'It doesn't matter' she told him 'because you don't want to and I don't want to make you do something just to make me happy' she told him softly.

'I don't want to do what?' he frowned 'Make love? Because I can categorically say that I do. I always want to make love to you' he told her. 'What don't I want to do?' he asked her softly.

'You told dad and the woman at the Christmas party that you wanted to wait' she looked up at him.

Joey blinked at her, momentarily confused as he thought about the conversations she was talking about. Realisation dawned on his face. 'You want to have a baby?' he asked her in a whisper.

Lauren nodded her head 'I really do, but you don't so…we wait' she told him.

'Babe…' he started to say, but Lauren cut him off.

'It's okay, Joey. Now hurry up and put the condom on' she told him. She watched as he opened the bedside drawer and dropped the condoms back inside, closing the drawer again. This time it was Lauren who was confused. Joey bent his head and he kissed her, deepening the kiss as he pushed his tongue into her mouth. When he broke the kiss he smiled down at her.

'I think having another baby is a great idea, I only said we wanted to wait to Max and that woman because I didn't want them to pressure you or us into it, because I thought you didn't want another one just yet' he told her 'I wanted it to be our decision' he told her with a smile 'I want to have another baby too, Lauren'

'You…you do?' she asked him in surprise.

'Yes' he nodded his head 'God, yes. I've been imagining having another little Evie running around' he grinned at her. Lauren looked at him and she smiled.

'It's all I have been imagining for a couple of months now' Lauren admitted to him.

'Why didn't you say anything?' he asked her softly.

'Because we talked about it before and we agreed we'd wait until Evie was older' she told him.

'Evie is older' he told her and he smiled down at her, brushing her hair behind her ear tenderly. 'So…are we officially trying for another baby?' he asked her.

Lauren nodded her head 'Yes please' she whispered with a teary smile.

'Okay then' Joey replied brushing his nose against hers. 'Where were we?' he murmured against her lips.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

'Happy twelfth day of Christmas, babe' Lauren whispered to him softly.

'You too, darling' Joey replied 'Hey, if we've made a baby tonight, we can call it Noel if it's a boy and Holly if it's a girl' he told her.

'No child of mine is going to be called Noel!' Lauren scowled at him.

'We'll see' Joey grinned into her hair.

'We could call him Angel if it's a boy' Lauren whispered into the darkness. Joey was quiet for a long time.

'No son of mine is going to have a girly sounding name!' he told her 'Angel? Really? Are you serious?'

'Oh, okay there, _**Joey**_' she emphasised his name. Joey frowned and rolled them both so she was beneath him again.

'Are you saying my name is girly sounding?' he glowered down at her.

'Mmmhmm' she nodded her head with a grin.

'Is that right…well then I think I better show you just how manly I am then hadn't I?' he asked her.

'You should' she nodded again. Moments later they both gave a contented sigh as he slid inside her.

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed Santa Baby. Eve was certainly a spoiled little girl! She got a lot of great gifts! And Lauren and Joey are going to try for another baby! YAY! **

**The last chapter will be posted tomorrow at 7pm. Thank you everyone for all your reviews. Xx **


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: Well folks, this is the last chapter to this year's Christmas story. 74crazychick and I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. Leave us a review.**

**Epilogue: ****Wonderful Christmas Time **

Today was December 12th 2019. Lauren, Joey and Eve were getting reading for Christmas again. He'd just been sent into the kitchen to make some hot chocolate for his girls as they watched TV in the lounge. Eve would be going to bed soon and Lauren was tired too and so he didn't think she'd be far behind Eve. As Joey waited for the milk to boil he thought about his most memorable days over the past year.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey walked into the house and smiled as he watched his wife playing with Eve. The two girls had covered the floor of the lounge with sheets of A3 paper that Lauren had taped together, there were various coloured paints all around them and the sheets of paper was covered in hand prints and foot prints.

'And what are you two up to?' he asked them both. Eve looked up at him 'Dada!' she exclaimed with a big grin and started to run towards him. Lauren caught her with an arm around the waist just before little paint covered feet hit the carpet.

'Hey! What we did say Evie?' Lauren asked her.

'Tay on paper' Eve said looking at her mummy with a grin on her face. 'Look dada Evie have bue feet' she raised one of her legs in the air to show him. 'Mama's are lellow'

'So I see' Joey smiled at her as he came into the room, he crouched down near to them and he stroked Eve's cheek with his fingers, wiping away a speck of paint. 'You and mummy have been busy'

'd'like it?' Eve asked him.

'I do' he nodded his head 'it's a masterpiece. I think I'll get a frame and hang it in mummy's and daddy's bedroom' he told her. Eve's face fell and she looked at Lauren.

'Mama said Evie's woom' she whispered.

'Yes, we'll hang it in Evie's room' Lauren nodded her head 'maybe we can make another one for mummy's and daddy's room?' she asked her, Eve seemed to like that idea and she nodded her head with a grin and turned to look at Joey 'Make anuver one for dada' she told him.

'Okay, but it better be as good as this one' he told her. Eve smiled and she turned and held on to Lauren as she dipped her foot in the blue paint and she walked across the paper. Joey looked at his wife expectantly 'So…I have a question' he told her 'how do you two plan to get clean?'

'We're having a bath later' she told him.

Joey nodded his head 'and how do you plan to get there with paint on your feet?' he raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

Lauren looked at him with a frown on her face as she thought about it 'well, clearly I didn't think this all the way through' she said softly.

'Clearly' he told her shaking his head with a smile. 'Need some help?' he asked her.

'Yes, please' she nodded her head. Joey picked Eve up first and carried her through to the bathroom, standing her in the bottom of the shower, he stripped her clothes and nappy off her easily and then pointed a finger at her.

'Stay' he told her firmly 'do not touch anything' he warned her. Eve giggled and nodded her head. Joey then went to get Lauren. 'Come here you' he said, taking her into his arms and carrying her through to the bathroom. Eve moved into the corner so Joey could put her mummy down. Eve watched as Joey stripped her mummy too and she covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled at how funny she thought it was. He reached over to the controls and started the shower running. Showering both girls with cold water, causing both Lauren and Evie to scream. Joey laughed and turned on the hot. 'Get cleaned up and I'll go start dinner' he told them.

'Yes daddy' Lauren said biting her bottom lip as she turned to look at Eve. Joey slapped her lightly on the bottom and Eve giggled again.

'Dada panked Mama!' she exclaimed looking up at Joey. 'Mama naughty'

'Mummy's always naughty' Joey told his daughter with a wink 'not like Evie. Evie's my good girl'

'You like it when I'm naughty' Lauren replied with a grin.

Joey shook his head as her words travelled to a certain part of his anatomy 'I'm leaving now' he told her and Lauren giggled as he shut the bathroom door behind him.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey was waiting for Lauren in bed later that night, she'd gone to the bathroom and then went to check on Eve. He smiled as he heard the two of them talking on the baby monitor.

'Mama?' Eve asked

'Yes, Evie?' Lauren replied softly.

'When's Wudy coming back to see Evie?' she asked her.

'Next Christmas sweetie' Lauren told her 'remember we talked about it, Rudolph and Santa have gone back to the North Pole to have a holiday and then they start making toys for next Christmas' Lauren told her.

Joey heard nothing for a few minutes and he thought Eve had fallen asleep. 'Mama?' he heard Eve's sleepy voice again.

'Yes, Evie?' Lauren whispered softly.

'Luvoo'

'I love you too, baby girl, so does daddy and Mr Pink' Lauren replied, Eve's arms tightened on Mr Pink and she smiled. 'Go to sleep. See you in the morning' Lauren brushed her hand over her daughter's tummy, pulling the covers up over her. Eve pushed her thumb into her mouth and her eyes fluttered shut. Lauren smiled and she walked quietly out of the room and headed towards her husband. She closed the bedroom door, giggling when she heard Eve tell Mister Pink off.

'Miter Pink, I's tired. Top talking to me. Go to seep' she told him, she gave a sigh 'Mama said Wudy and Santy come back next year' she said 'Luvoo too Miter Pink'

Lauren slipped into the bed and looked at her husband. 'She'll be asleep in a little while' Lauren said

'I think I need to have words with Mr Pink about talking to Evie and keeping her awake at night' he said to her.

'I swear you're as bad as she is' Lauren said shaking her head 'the way the two of you talk to the bear…'

'You're just jealous because Mr Pink doesn't talk to you too. And I'm not surprised he doesn't since all you do is stand on him and kick him across the room and throw him into the cot. You're a bit violent with him' he told her seriously 'Didn't you ever have a teddy as a child?' he asked her 'one you loved more than anything in the whole world?' he asked her.

'I was sick on him when I was two and he was thrown in the bin' she replied. 'I didn't have a teddy after that' she told him.

Joey frowned at her 'really?' he asked her.

'Abi was born shortly afterwards' she explained to him. 'And mum and dad told me I had to be a big girl'

Joey frowned at her, rolling onto his side. 'Babe, that's kind of sad' he told her.

'Yeah it was, but it doesn't matter now does it?' she asked him. 'Besides who needs a teddy to snuggle up to at night when I have you?' she smiled as she moved into his arms.

'That's very true' he replied as he kissed her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL* **

Lauren and Whitney had both taken pregnancy tests earlier in the year. It turned out Whitney was pregnant. Lauren was not. But as disappointed as Lauren was for her own negative result. She was thrilled for Whitney and James and the two girls were spending more time together as a result. James and Joey's friendship had blossomed too as James questioned Joey on the joys of being a father. Joey was pleased for James but also secretly jealous that Lauren hadn't fallen pregnant yet. They'd been actively trying since Christmas day and yet two months later, Lauren wasn't pregnant, but Joey knew it would happen sooner or later. He was hoping for sooner because he couldn't wait to be a father again and hold his new born son or daughter in his arms.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The next day he remembered with vivid recall was the night of Lauren's birthday…well it wasn't actually Lauren's birthday. It was March 26th, two days before Lauren's 24th birthday, due to a party being thrown at the club on her actual birthday. And Joey had arranged a very special night for her. He'd talked James and Whitney into babysitting, call it a trial run if you like for when they became parents themselves. Joey had to work a little later than he'd planned to so he arranged to get ready at the club and then he'd pick Lauren up, it was almost date like. And God knows they didn't really have the chance do have any of those when they first got together. Mainly they were just searching for places they could have great sex. To say he was excited about this date was an understatement. He was also excited about seeing the look on Lauren's face when he gave her the present he'd got her.

He locked up the club and headed towards the house. He spoke to the driver of the taxi that was already outside the house and stashed his bags inside. He walked up the steps to the flat, unlocking the door and letting himself into the flat and smiled seeing James and Whitney already there. 'Lauren and Eve are in the bedroom' James said 'Eve's helping Lauren get ready' James smiled.

'EVE! Put that down!' they heard Lauren's voice coming from the bedroom.

'I's just looking mama' they heard Eve's reply.

'Whit!' Lauren called out. Whitney got up, smiling at Joey as she walked to the bedroom. A few moments later she came out with a pouty faced Eve.

'But I's just elping mama get pity' Eve frowned. 'Dada likes lellow'

'Daddy does like yellow' Joey told her, Eve turned at the sound of his voice.

'Dada late!' she said, scowling just like Lauren did and then she reached out to him with her arms. Whitney handed her to him and she hugged hum 'dada pity' she smiled up at him.

'Thank you, baby' he smiled back at her 'have you been a good girl today?'

Her big brown eyes widened with innocence and she nodded her head 'Uh-huh'

'I beg to differ' Lauren said from the doorway. Joey's eyes met hers and his breath caught in his throat as he looked at the vision in red that stood before him.

'Wow' he whispered 'you look stunning' he said to her.

'Evie elped' Eve sad quickly, her head spinning to look at her mummy. 'See mama pity'

Joey couldn't see any yellow on her and he smiled, wondering what Eve was trying to get Lauren to wear. 'Well, I think we better make a move' he told her 'the taxi is waiting outside'

'Taxi?' Lauren asked him, raising an inquiring eyebrow, wondering where Joey was taking her. He nodded his head and he turned to Eve 'Now you're going to be a good girl for Uncle James and Auntie Whitney aren't you?' he asked his daughter.

Eve thought for a moment, her eyes darting between James and Whitney 'I fink so' she replied. Joey and Lauren bit back smiles at her answer.

'You only think so?' Lauren said, crossing over to her and tickling her sides. 'You're going to have to do better than that.' Eve squirmed and giggled as both her parents tickled her.

'TOP…PEASE…TOP!' she squealed 'UNCA JAMES ELP ME!'

James laughed standing up and holding his arms out for the little girl. Joey handed her over with a smile. 'Be a good girl, Evie' Joey told her as he stroked her cheek with his fingers. 'Love you'

'Luvoo dada' she replied with a smile. She lay her head on James shoulder and pushed her thumb into her mouth.

'She's not had her nap this afternoon' Lauren said to them both 'so when she goes to bed she should go straight off'

'We're reading her the Christmas Stories, it's the blue covered book' Joey said 'She likes the one about reindeers best'

'Wudy' Eve whispered around her thumb.

'All right, we'd better go' Joey said and he turned to look at his wife 'are you ready?'

'Yes' she smiled at him. 'Night Eve. Be a good girl for mama okay?'

''Kay Mama' she murmured around her thumb.

'Night baby' Lauren kissed the little girls cheeks and then took Joey's hand in hers and she followed him to the door.

'Have a good time' Whitney called out after them.

'So what naughtiness did my little munchkin get up to today?' Joey asked her as he led her outside to the waiting taxi.

'Let's just say we need to buy some more yoghurts' Lauren told him.

'I thought you got some today' Joey said as he opened the car door for her.

'I did, but I got distracted when Alice called and when I came back to the kitchen she'd eaten three of them and smeared the other three all over her face and hair and the kitchen floor' Lauren told him. Joey got in beside her and shut the door. 'She said she was just putting cream on her face like I did' Lauren told him with a smile. 'I took some pictures' she said reaching into her purse and pulling out her phone and handing to him. Joey smiled as he looked through them. 'She looked so cute I didn't have the heart to tell her off and besides she missed her nap so…' Lauren trailed off as Joey handed her phone back. 'Do you think Whit and James will be okay?' she looked at Joey 'we've never left her with anyone apart from mum and dad before…'

'She'll be fine. And Whit and James will be fine too' he told her softly, 'stop worrying and enjoy tonight' he told her.

'What_ are _we doing tonight?' she asked him. 'You've been very secretive'

'You're about to find out' he told her softly 'we've never had a date before and there's something I've always wanted to do' he told her 'If I'd have had the money back when we first met, this is how I would've liked us to spend our first date' he told her softly.

'We never dated' she replied.

'Exactly' he replied softly, taking his hand in hers.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

The taxi pulled up outside a tall building and Joey helped Lauren out of the car and paid the taxi driver. He carried the bags in one hand, his other clasped hers tightly. Lauren looked up at the building and saw the name on the front. She hadn't been to many hotels but she knew this was an expensive one. 'What are we doing here?' she asked him.

'You'll see' he told her. He led her inside and let go of her hand 'Stay here for a second' he told her softly as he slipped her coat off her shoulders. Lauren nodded her head, she glanced around at the architecture of the hotel, taking in the marbled walls and floors, the ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Classic works of art hanging on the walls. She swallowed, she felt out of her comfort zone in places this, places that were grand and expensive. She felt like she didn't belong there. She looked at Joey and saw he was heading back towards her. His coat had also gone and she saw he was wearing a tuxedo underneath. She swallowed. Her husband was a very good looking man. He could've had his pick of women, truth be told her still could. But he'd chosen her. She smiled up at him.

'You look gorgeous' he told her 'very sexy. I love you in red'

'You love me in any colour' she stated matter-of-factly.

'That's true, I do' he nodded his head with a smile 'tonight I love you in red' he told her. He took her hand 'shall we eat?' he asked her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren was amazed when she walked into the restaurant. It was a five star hotel with a world famous chef in the kitchen apparently (one that Lauren had never heard of, not that she watched a lot of cooking shows) Joey smiled as she looked at the menu, not sure what to have.

'Money is no object' he told her 'you can order what you like' he told her.

Lauren looked up at him 'Joey we can't afford this' she replied, shaking her head.

'Yes, we can' he said. 'I'm going to order oysters for starters, what about you?'

'Oysters sound good' she smiled back at him.

Joey loved the look on his wife's face as she savoured the tastes of the foods she was eating. Her main course was lobster and then for dessert she had a chocolate creation which she declared was almost better than sex. Joey amended that by telling her it couldn't be better than sex with him. After they'd eaten and enjoyed after dinner coffees. Joey pushed away from the table and held out his hand to her. Lauren smiled and took it. 'Where are we going now?' she asked him.

'I want to dance with my beautiful wife' he told her softly.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After the dancing, Joey took Lauren's hand and led her to the hotel lobby. She thought he was going to get their coats but he bypassed the front desk and headed towards the lifts. She followed him silently and he pulled a keycard out of his pocket and opened the door. He gestured for Lauren to step inside first. 'Wow, Joe' she exclaimed as she moved into the room. She heard the soft click of the door closing behind Joey and then his hands moved around her waist, and his lips were on her neck.

'We're not here for the night' he whispered softly 'I didn't think James and Whitney were up for all night with Eve and besides I prefer sleeping in my own bed with you, but we have a couple of hours so before I start unwrapping you, you should unwrap the gift that's on the bed' he told her.

'It's not my birthday for two more days, Joe' she reminded him softly, leaning her head back so her husband had better access to her throat.

'I know and I have gifts for then too, but this one, I can't wait any longer to give you' he told her softly. 'So go open it' he whispered, pulling away from her.

Lauren walked over to the bed and she sat down and carefully tore the wrapping paper off the box, she lifted the lid and saw tissue paper which she removed carefully as Joey watched her. She peered into the box and was stunned by what she saw inside. She reached in with trembling hands and pulled out a book. Not just any old book. Her book. The one she'd written and illustrated whilst she was pregnant with Eve. It had once been a pile of papers in her desk drawers in her office. Joey must have found it when he was helping her tidy it up. She ran her fingers over the dust cover and then her name. She opened the cover and saw a dedication inscribed in the front.

"_Happy birthday my darling Lauren, I love you always. Joey xxx" _

'Do you like it?' he asked her.

'I love it, Joe' she whispered softly, her eyes filled with tears as the thoughtfulness behind this gift.

'That's not all' he said 'there's something else in the box' he told her with a smile. Lauren didn't want to put the book down. She loved it. It was one of the best gifts she'd ever been given. Lauren glanced into the box and she saw a brown manila envelope. 'Before you get mad at me. I needed a little help in getting the book printed and bound and I asked Adrian and he was great in helping me. He saw the finished product and what is in that envelope is all down to you, babe' he told her. Lauren looked up at him. She was intrigued and she reluctantly put the book down and she picked up the manila envelope and opened it.

'OH MY GOD!' she exclaimed 'it's a book deal' she told him 'I've got a book deal' she said and she turned to look at him 'they want to pay me to write and illustrate my own books'

'I know' Joey nodded his head.

'I've got a book deal' she told him and she leapt off the bed and flung herself at him. 'Thank you' she said 'I love the book' she told him 'it's an amazing gift Joe, thank you' she told him softly wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

'All I did was get your book printed and bound, the book deal was all you' he told her with a smile 'You are a very beautiful and talented woman' he said softly 'Not to mention intelligent and sexy and…'

'Shut up and kiss me' she whispered pulling back to look at him.

'That I can do' he replied with a smile.

What happened after that was something Joey remembered as if it happened only hours before instead of all those months ago. He and Lauren had always had a great sex life, but that night…that night was one of the best nights they'd ever shared together. So much so that even after they returned home and let Whitney and James go home, they'd continued to make love until the sun started to rise.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

On the morning of May 7th Joey was lying in bed, dreaming. He was dreaming that he was James Bond and he was currently chasing an old enemy who'd kidnapped the daughter of a very dear friend of his and he was tasked with bringing her back alive. Of course when he'd killed the bad guy and rescued the girl, she was so pleased with him that she'd wanted to do something for him to show just how grateful she was. He'd tried to tell her no, that blondes weren't his type, but before he could stop her she'd dropped to her knees in front of him and unzipped his pants.

Joey had groaned as he felt her lips surrounding his length. He moved his hand to the back of her head, tangling his fingers in her hair as her head bobbed up and down. Joey groaned loudly, his dream was feeling so real suddenly. He glanced down and saw a brunette head. He smiled 'Lauren' he murmured softly. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back as he let himself enjoy what was happening to him.

Moments Joey came with a loud cry that he tried to muffle with his arm so he didn't wake Eve. He felt lips move over his stomach and then slowly moving higher. Lauren smiled at him as she pressed her lips to his. 'Happy birthday, baby' Lauren whispered in between kisses.

'It's starting out to be the best birthday ever' Joey replied with a smile.

'You said that last year' Lauren smiled as Joey rolled them so she was beneath him, she wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head.

'It's not every day I get woken up with a blow job' he told her softly. He bent his head and kissed her.

'You get more than one morning blow job a year' she reminded him. 'A lot more'

'Yes I know, but today's my birthday so it makes it even more special' he replied with a smile. He gazed down at his wife 'I love you so much…I fall in love with you more every day' he told her.

'Me too' she replied as he rolled her so she was beneath him. Joey smiled and bent his head to kiss his wife and he slowly began to make love to her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Later that night, Joey smiled as he heard Lauren tell Eve to hide because daddy was home as he walked through the front door and then when he came inside she had to jump out and yell surprise. He waited a few minutes, taking off his jacket so he could drop them as soon as he went inside, when everything was quiet he opened the door.

'PRISE!' Eve shouted as loud as she could jumping out from behind Lauren. 'HAPPY BIRFDAY DADA!' she squealed and ran towards him as fast as she could. Joey crouched down opening his arms wide to catch her. He wrapped his arms around her and got to his feet, Eve hugged him tightly. 'Happy Birfday' she said pulling back to look at him.

'Thank you Evie' Joey smiled at her.

'Dada, prised?' Evie asked him anxiously and he felt her little body tense in his arms.

'Yes, daddy's very surprised' he nodded his head, Eve relaxed and gave him a kiss before turning her head to look at Lauren.

'See, told you' she said cheekily poking her tongue out at her mummy.

'You're such a cheeky little monkey' Lauren said walking over to Joey. She reached up and gave Joey a kiss.

'Happy Birthday, Joe' she told him softly 'we have gifts and cards for you on the coffee table.

'Are all of these for me?' he asked her.

'Yep. Not all from me and Eve though. Alice and your mum sent some over and Whitney and James did too, so did my parents and Abi.' she told him. 'You make a start and I'll check on dinner'

'Are you cooking a roast?' he asked, smelling the delicious aroma's that were coming from the kitchen.

'Roast lamb' she nodded her head.

'That's my favourite' he replied.

I know' she smiled. 'I'll be back in a second'

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

When Lauren returned, Joey opened his presents (with the help of Eve). Lauren had brought him some flying lessons which he was thrilled with. As well as some new work shirts. The last present from Lauren, Eve had opened before Lauren could stop her.

'Ooh…mama nudie!' she exclaimed.

Joey took the picture from his daughter, looking at the picture. It was one he'd taken at Christmas. Lauren was draped in the pink see through chiffon baby doll nightie as she lay on the bed, the Santa hat on her head. 'Is this for my desk in my office?' he asked her.

'Where ever you want to put it' she smiled nodding her head.

'I'm going to be a walking hard on' he told her with a smile. 'I love it, thank you' he reached over and kissed her, deepening the kiss with a moan.

'Dada, open Evie's pesent' Eve tugged on his trouser leg.

The two of them pulled apart and Joey looked at the present from Eve. It was the biggest one left. He smiled 'Okay, this is a big one, Evie are you going to help daddy?' he asked her. She nodded her head and helped Joey unwrap the box.

'Dada do the rest' she told him. Joey opened the box and balloons floated up into the air. 'Baoons!' Eve clapped her hands. 'Baoons!'

Lauren and Joey smiled at the joy on Eve's face 'this was all her idea. I asked her what she thought you would want for your birthday and she suggested this. A box of balloons, although I suspect this is more for her than you' Lauren told him with a smile. 'She also suggested we bake you a c.a.k.e' she spelled the last word out to him.

'I love them Evie, what a clever little girl you are, knowing exactly what daddy wanted for his birthday, thank you baby girl, I love them'

Eve smiled and hugged her daddy again 'Happy birfday dada' she whispered in his ear and kissed his cheek. 'Baoon for Evie?'

'Yes Evie can have a balloon' he said catching the biggest one there and he tied the ribbon loosely around her wrist 'there' he smiled at her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

After they'd eaten dinner, and some of the cake that Eve told him Lauren had helped with, Eve was in bed and Lauren brought out another gift and handed it to Joey. He stared at the wrapped shoebox size present that was now sitting on his lap 'Open it then' Lauren said barely able to contain her excitement. Joey looked up at her and then back at the box.

'I thought you'd given me everything?' he asked her.

'Nope' she shook her head. 'I have one more thing to give you. I saved the best 'til last' she told him with a smile. She chewed on her bottom lip as Joey tore the wrapping off the box. He lifted the lid off the box and inside he saw lots of tissue paper. He pulled all that out, glitter and sparkling confetti fell onto his lap and the floor, he looked up at Lauren and she was smiling at him, her eyes shining as she watched him. Once he removed all the tissue paper he saw a small odd shaped gift wrapped present in the bottom of the box. He was intrigued as to what it could be. He carefully unwrapped it, wondering what she had got him. As he pulled the paper away from the gift he realised what it was he was now holding in his hand. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at the two pink lines on the test in his hands. 'Happy 30th birthday, Joe' she whispered softly.

'Really?' he asked her 'we're pregnant?'

Lauren nodded her head 'Six weeks today' she said softly.

'Six weeks today?' he repeated, looking at the stick again.

'Yes' she licked her lips 'Six weeks'

Joey put the stick back in the box 'come here' he put the box on the floor and Lauren was in his arms 'Babe, I'm thrilled' he told her softly. 'I'm over the moon. You give the best birthday and Christmas presents ever' he whispered against her neck. 'Thank you'

'I didn't do it by myself. You had a huge part to play in this' she replied pulling back to look at him. Lauren smiled as she saw the tears rolling down his cheeks, she reached out and brushed them away. 'A huge part' she said moving forward and kissing him softly. 'So I should be thanking you too. I love you' she told him.

'I love you so much Lauren' he told her, hugging her tightly 'do you feel okay? Is everything okay?' he asked her.

'Everything's fine and I have never felt better' she told him.

'When did you find out?' he asked her, pulling back to look at him.

'A couple of weeks ago' she told him with a shy smile 'I thought I'd save telling you until your birthday' she looked at him. 'Are you mad that I didn't tell you straight away?' she asked him.

'No, babe. I'm not mad at you' Joey shook his head as he stood up, pulling her to her feet. 'I'm so definitely not mad at you' he told her and he bent down and swept her legs into his arms and he carried her into the bedroom, kicking the door shut with his foot.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Joey grinned as he thought about the lovemaking that'd occurred between the two of them that night, a celebration of the news she'd given him. He also remembered the day they sat Eve down and told her the news. It was just before her second birthday party a couple of months later..

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Lauren and Joey has sat Eve down on the sofa and they knelt down on the floor in front of her. Eve looked at them both with wide eyes and her arms tightened on Mr Pink.

'Sweetheart, mummy and daddy have something they want to talk to you about' Joey told her softly.

'Evie been bad?' she asked them both, her eyes worried.

'No, baby. You haven't been bad. You're a good girl' Lauren said to her. Eve smiled at them both, pleased by what she'd heard. She looked down at Mr Pink.

'See, told you' Eve whispered to the pink bear and she poked her tongue out at him.

'Evie' Joey said, attracting his daughter's attention once more. 'Do you remember your friend Joseph?' he asked her. Eve nodded her head

'Oseph, Evie's fend'

'That's right and what has Joseph got now?' he asked her. Eve wrinkled her nose as she thought about the question.

'Cake?' Eve asked.

Lauren and Joey both smiled 'no sweetie' Joey shook his head 'Joseph has a baby sister, remember?' he asked her.

'Baby melled' Eve said pinching her nose between her fingers as she pulled a face. 'baby tinky'

'Well this is going well' Lauren muttered with a sigh. She got up and sat on the sofa next to Eve and picked her up and sat her on her lap. 'Do you remember what you told mummy you wanted for Christmas this year?' she asked her.

'Uh-huh, Evie want a itten' she told her confidently.

'Yes that's right you did. You said you wanted a kitten but there was something else that you wanted too, can you remember what that was Evie?' Lauren asked her.

'A baby ister, so Evie can play wiv her'

'That's right. You said you wanted a baby sister' Lauren smiled at her daughter, she tapped the tip of her nose 'you're a clever girl remembering that aren't you hey?' she asked her. Eve nodded her head, pleased with the praise she was getting from her mummy. 'Well, mummy is going to have a baby so that means that you will have another brother or sister to play with'

'Evie no want bruver, Evie want ister' she said stubbornly.

Joey smiled, moving to sit beside Lauren. Eve looked at him 'Well we don't know what the baby will be yet. It might be another little girl just like you, or it might be a little boy like Joseph' he explained to her.

Eve seemed to like that idea 'Eve have own Oseph?' she asked him, Joey nodded his head.

'Yes baby, Eve could have her own Joseph to play with all the time'

Eve thought about it for a little while and then nodded her head 'kay' she said 'Where's baby?' she asked, looking around the room excitedly.

'Well, the baby is in mummy's tummy' Joey told her. Eve frowned and looked down at Lauren's tummy. 'The baby's not ready to be born yet, we have a little while until he or she is ready'

'Baby in mama's tummy?' Eve asked she reached out and put her hand on Lauren's stomach 'Is baby iding?' she asked clearly confused.

'No, the baby's not hiding' Lauren smiled shaking her head. 'The baby is going to grow big and strong inside mummy'

'How'd baby get inside mama?' Eve frowned in confusion. Lauren grinned and she looked at Joey

'Yeah, Joe. How did the baby get inside mummy's tummy?' she asked him. Joey rolled his eyes at her, shaking his head with a smile as he looked at Eve.

'Daddy gave mummy the baby' he told Eve, thinking this explanation would placate the little girl.

'How?' Eve asked him. Lauren's grin widened.

'That's a very good question Evie' Lauren said and Evie beamed at her in delight 'Joe, why don't you tell Eve how you gave mummy the baby' she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement and mischief. But Joey wasn't put off.

'Well, because daddy loves mummy so much, he wanted to give mummy something special to show her how much he loves her, so he put a baby in mummy's tummy' Joey said to her 'the baby stays in mummy's tummy until the baby is ready to come out' he said to her.

'Oh. I see' Eve said as if Joey's explanation made perfect sense to her. Lauren giggled as she knew Eve had picked this phrase up from her when she was talking to people on the phone. Joey thought Eve had finished asking questions, but he was wrong. 'When?' she asked.

'Not until after Christmas' Joey told her.

'Will Santy and Wudy know to leave pesents for baby?' she asked him worriedly.

'Yes, Santa and Rudolph won't forget to leave presents for the baby, don't worry about that' Joey smiled. Eve looked at Lauren's tummy and she put her face close to it.

'Hewwo baby, I's Evie' she whispered 'I's your big ister' Lauren felt her eyes fill with tears as her baby girl talked to the baby growing inside of her. 'Dis is Miter Pink, he's my best fend…' she trailed off and looked at Joey as a thought occurred to her.

'Will baby have Miter Pink now?' she asked him.

'No, darling, we'll buy the baby a teddy bear of their own. Mr Pink is yours' Joey told her with a smile.

'Mama and dada buyed you a Miter Pink of your own' she whispered 'Luvoo baby' she said pressing a kiss to Lauren's tummy. She looked up at Lauren and her face fell 'Mama ky'

'They're happy tears, baby girl' Lauren told her 'come give mummy a hug' Eve scrambled up and hugged Lauren tightly, pressing a wet sloppy kiss to her cheek. 'I love you so much and you'e going to be the best big sister ever' she smiled at her.

Eve grinned at her 'Luvoo mama. Luvoo dada' she said hugging Joey too. 'Can Evie go pay now?' she asked them

'Of course darling' Joey said helping her to the floor.

They weren't sure Eve really understood what they'd told her, but when Granny Tanya and Pops came round later that afternoon for Eve's birthday, Eve announced proudly that she was going to be a big sister because daddy had put a baby in mummy's tummy. Joey still grinned as he remembered that day. His daughter was so bright and he was so proud of her.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

There was one thing that Joey was certain of and that was that Christmas 2019 was certainly going to be a good one and he had a lot to look forward to in 2020. Joey smiled as he carried the hot chocolate back into the lounge, passing Eve's sippy cup to her.

'Fankoo dada' she said with a smile.

'You're welcome, sweetie' he replied softly. He handed Lauren her and she smiled as she saw the little marshmallows in her cup.

'Thanks, babe' Lauren said as he sat down beside her carefully so he didn't jostle her. 'Did you remember the…' a packet of peanut M&amp;M's appeared in front of her. 'Thank you' she smiled at him. Eve took a sip of her drink and then gave her sippy cup to Joey to hold. She turned her head and pressed her ear to Lauren's belly. Lauren's hand stroked Eve's hair gently.

'What are you doing Evie?' Joey asked her in amusement.

'Ssh dada. I's hearing' she shushed Joey. Everyone went quiet for a little while and then Evie looked up at her mummy with big wide excited eyes. 'I's hear it mama. I's hears the baby sing Wudy songs'

'See I told you' Lauren said with a smile. 'The baby loves Christmas too' she told her.

'Does the baby love me?' Eve asked.

'Of course the baby does' Joey said softly, he reached out and placed his hand on Lauren's belly 'the baby loves you because you'll be his or her big sister and the baby loves mummy and daddy' Joey told her. 'It's late munchkin, I think it's time for someone to be in bed' he told Eve.

'Can I have Wudy story?' she asked him.

'Of course' Joey nodded his head 'say night to mummy'

'Night mama. Luvoo lots' Eve said, Joey helped her stand on the sofa so she could hug Lauren.

'Love you too, baby girl' Lauren kissed her cheek, Joey picked her up and Evie squealed.

'Hey, it's bedtime' he said, thinking she was throwing a wobbly because she didn't want to go to bed.

'Evie say night to the baby' Eve said to him, Joey smiled and he lowered her so she was closer to Lauren's belly. 'Night night baby. Luvoo much' she whispered and she pressed her lips to Lauren's belly. Lauren smiled and Joey carried Eve through to the bedroom. He lay her down on the changing mat and undressed her, put on her night pull up pants and then dressed her in her Rudolph onesie and carried her over to the rocking chair. He sat down and started to read. A few minutes later she was asleep. He carried her over to her bed and slipped her underneath the covers, making sure Mister Pink was within reach. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear with a smile. Her hair had been finally long enough for him to be able to do that since Christmas Eve last year and he'd tucked her hair behind her ear every chance he got since then. He wasn't sure she knew what it meant yet, but he was sure one day Lauren would tell her.

'Sweet dreams darling' he whispered and he walked out of the room, making sure the safety gate was secured before he left. He went back to rejoin Lauren in the lounge.

***JL*JL*JL*JL***

Three hours later, Lauren went to the bathroom and then went to bed. Joey went to the bathroom after her, and checked on his sleeping daughter. He smiled at the sleeping girl in her bed. Eve was an unexpected blessing. They hadn't been actively trying to have a baby, but then again they hadn't always been careful. When Lauren had revealed to him she was pregnant, he'd never been so happy and terrified at the same time in his whole life. Now Lauren was pregnant again and he was excited and still strangely terrified. Being a father had been so much easier than he'd thought it would be. It made him realise that his own father was just a waste of space and not really father material. He watched Eve sleep for a little while longer and then headed through to the bedroom and found her looking out of the window. 'You and Evie would spend all your time looking out of the window staring at those Christmas decorations if I let you' he told her.

'It's what we do all day when you're at work' she said with a smile as Joey slipped his arms around her, resting them on her belly. 'I can't believe you organised all this' she said softly 'and worked all through the night to get them all up'

'Not just me, your dad helped, so did the rest of the square' he reminded her. 'Besides, the look on yours and Evie's face made it worth the effort' he told her, kissing the side of her neck.

'We should get to bed, we have a busy day tomorrow' he told her 'don't we?'

'Yep. The busiest' Lauren agreed with him.

Joey felt the baby kicking against his hands. 'Uh-oh, someone's awake' he smiled.

'Been awake for a while' Lauren said softly as she leant back against Joey.

'I hope this isn't a sign for things to come' Joey said 'this one being awake at all hours of the night'

'We were pretty lucky with Evie. She's a good baby, a good sleeper' Lauren said 'this one could scream the house down all night and only sleep during the day. Like Reece'

'Oh God, I hope not. James is walking round the place like a zombie because of sleepless nights' he said, thinking about his best friend. Whitney and James had a son nearly two months ago and Reece had a good pair of lungs on him and hated night time. He'd sleep all day and scream all night, to the despair of his parents. Joey hoped their baby wouldn't do that. But Joey knew, if this baby turned out to be the opposite of Eve he would endure his fair share of sleepless nights too. 'This one will be as good as Evie was' he told her softly 'I just know he will'

'He?' Lauren turned round to look at him. 'You think it's a boy?'

'Yep' Joey nodded his head 'I do' he told her. 'I just wish I knew for certain'

Lauren licked her lips 'I thought you didn't want to know' she said 'I thought you wanted to be surprised'

'At the time I did, but now I want to know. I wish we'd asked what the sex was' he said with a frown. Lauren walked to her bedside table and pulled out an envelope, she turned and held it out to him. 'What's this'?' Joey frowned, taking it from her.

'I asked them to write down the baby's sex and seal it in an envelope in case we changed our minds' she explained to him 'I guess now's the time we open it' she sat down on the bed and Joey did too.

He flipped the envelope over in his hand and saw it was still sealed 'you haven't opened it?' he asked her. Lauren shook her head.

'I've wanted to, so many times' she admitted to him, 'but we made a promise that we'd wait' she said softly 'but if you want to know then I say we open it' she told him.

Joey nodded and he tore the envelope open. Lauren watched as a huge grin lit up Joey's face. He showed her what was written on the card and she smiled too. 'Happy?' Joey asked her.

Lauren grinned too and nodded 'Yes I'm happy. You?'

'Yes' he said, cupping her face in his hands and moving forward to kiss her. 'I'm thrilled' he told her.

**AN: Well there you go. The end to this year's Christmas story and yes before you ask we are planning on another one next year… In fact we are already busy writing it! Thank you all for your reviews on A Christmas Story we've enjoyed reading them…. SO until next Christmas…Bye Bye! Xx **

**(PS. Don't worry 74crazychick and I have plenty of other stories that we are writing for next year! **

**The End **


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EastEnders, Romance