EastEnders 1. Chapter 1

After seeing Amy in the window of the Vic, Jack just walked around the Square for a while. He was unsure of what to do next, not sure Walford was home any more. But his mind kept going back to Lauren, his niece who broke down in his arms before her mother ushered her away.

She looks so broken, so upset, nothing like the Lauren he knew her to be. It concerned him greatly, that she was that way, worried that with everyone wrapped up in their own lives, she would just slip through the cracks and disappear.

Speaking to Roxy, arranging to have Amy the next day after playgroup, he found out more about his niece's behaviour – her split from his nephew, the fights with her friends and more importantly and the thing that concerned him the most, her unrelenting binge drinking, night after night.

Walking over to number 5, having decided to confront the issue head on and talk to Lauren directly; she wasn't a stupid girl, she was intelligent and confident with heaps of personality so the girl he saw earlier and the girl that had been described to him didn't make sense. That wasn't Lauren, that was a hurting shell of his sarcastic beautiful niece.

Knocking on the door, Tanya opening in and rolling her eyes when she saw him. "She's fine Jack." She spoke before he could. "More tears over that boy. She'll be fine." Jack wasn't reassured by that, he'd seen Lauren change over the years. Whether it was something big like Bradley dying or something smaller like the fuss Abi got in preparation for her exams; every time Lauren got hurt, another wall she built around her heart to protect herself. Unfortunately for her, the protection was needed against the two men in her life she loved and should have been protected by – her dad and her boyfriend.

Jack saw how broken and vunerable she looked in those few minutes she was with him, and it looked to him like she'd just given up. And he wasn't going to let that happen. She was his reason to stay in Walford, her and Amy.

"Tan. Just let me see her yeah? I am her favourite uncle" he said, smirking to try and lighten the situation. Tanya laughed. "Ain't got much competition with Derek as her only other option have ya?" she did step to the side and let him in though. "I doubt you'll get her to come down though."

Jack just nodded, deciding to take his chances and headed up the stairs. Knocking on her door, knowing it'd be locked and she'd be curled up, to no answer didn't surprise him. Instead of giving up though, he slid down the wall and sat down on the floor beside her door. "Lauren?" No response.

"It's Uncle Jack." Obviously idiot, he thought. And hearing a tiny snort, he realised he'd said that aloud and she agreed. "I'm sorry about Joey babe. Want me to punch him?" He offered, trying to just get any response from the girl, locked away inside her room. He heard a muffled laugh, or was it a sob?

"If I said yes, would you do it?" came the soft but sarcastic reply, and from it, he could tell she'd moved closer to the door. "Would it make a smile appear on your very miserable face?" "Probably" Before he could reply, she spoke again.

"For like a minute. Then I'd feel shit again." Honest answer, that he wasn't expecting. "Sooooo" he drawled. "Should I do it?" he teased, hearing her laughter made him smile in response. "Can you open your door babe?" he asked. "It's weird, talking to a wall." He didn't get a response, but the tiny click he heard gave him his answer.

Opening her door, he walked in, shutting in behind him and sitting straight down on the floor, giving her space. The room was dark, her curtains pulled, a pile of ripped up pictures and sketches on the floor by her bed. Half bottle of wine there, too. And lastly his niece, sat on her bed, duvet wrapped around her, tear stains down her face, staring at him, most likely wondering why he was there.

"Do I not get a hi Uncle Jack welcome back?" he teased, breaking the silence, seeing a half smirk in response. Something Roxy said played on his mind, and he couldn't help but ask. "Can I ask you something?" She raised an eyebrow. "Free country. Doesn't mean I have to answer though." The answer relieved him though, her sarcasm showed that she was still in there under all the hurt.

"I know he broke up with you" his words were blunt, and she flinched. "Thanks for the reminder" she said bitterly. "You can go now" She went to roll back over but he leaned over to stop her. "Wasn't done." She rolled her eyes. "Because he thinks you drink too much?" he questioned. Lauren just shrugged. "So why exactly are you still drinking?" This was what confused him. The Lauren he knew wouldn't have responded like this, she'd have taken Joey's rejection and been determined to prove him wrong.

"Because he doesn't want me either way" she broke down in sobs at her words, he quickly sat on her bed and pulled her into his arms. "Ssh ssh darling" He rubbed her back, trying to comfort the poor broken hearted girl. "I'm sure that's not true." He stopped her talking, having more to say. "And even if it is?" He tipped her chin to look at her. "You are Lauren Branning right?" He carried on. "Beautiful, sarcastic, stubborn, Lauren. Who could do anything, if she put her mind to it and wanted it enough." She sobbed more at his words, before coughing in surprise when he tipped her off his lap.

Walking over to turn on the light, he looked over at her. "So are you Lauren Branning or not?" The girl in front of him was a fraction of the girl she could be, and he knew it even if she didn't believe it. She shrugged. "So get up." She glared at him. "We are going to the Vic – me and you." Before she could argue, he continued. "Soft drinks for us both, catch up, work out our next steps." His gaze softened at her. "You can lecture my choices, and I'll lecture yours." She did smirk at that.

"So get up, clean your face, change." He dictated. "You're a state." He teased. "I don't want to." She muttered. He rolled his eyes, stupid and stubborn, she was definitely a Branning. "So you are going to prove Joey, and Lucy, and Derek, and your Mum" he caught her gaze. "Going to prove them all right are you Lauren?" He scanned the room before speaking.

"Going to throw your life away because of other people. Bullshit. Where's Lauren gone ay?" He shook his head. "But if you want to waste away, in a pool of alcohol whilst everyone else is happy, then I guess I can't stop you can I?" He was blunt, but tough love was the option that he thought was best. He opened her door and went to walk away when she spoke, voice broken, so defeated.

"Fine. Give me 5 minutes. I'll try it your way."


	2. Chapter 2

Lauren dragged her feet as Jack tugged on her arm, pulling her behind him into the Vic. She'd thrown her hair up into a high bun and put some make-up on, but she knew she looked a state. Not enough sleep and too much alcohol probably caused that, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Ducking her head to avoid meeting anyone's gaze, she pressed herself closer to her uncle.

At the moment he was her only ally, well he and Abi but even her sister was starting to give up on her.

"Alright Rox." Jack greeted his baby mama. "Just a coke for me and Lauren?" He turned to face her. "A double vodka and orange?" she said hesitantly, rolling her eyes when she saw his face. "Joking. Jeez Uncle Jack, get a sense of humour already" he chuckled at her sarcasm. "A coke for her too please." Lauren rolled her eyes at this, her drinking wasn't even the big problem they were making it out to be. She could stop if she wanted to, she just didn't feel the need to.

Lauren tense when she heard her cousin's voice. "Uncle Jack!" Alice called across from where she was sat, lifting her head Lauren saw her sat with her old group of friends, and Joey. "I didn't know you were back." Paying Roxy and passing a glass to Lauren, Jack just smiled.

"Not been back long." Placing his hand on Lauren's lower back to guide her passed them, to a free table for them to sit at. "Just having a quick drink and catch up with my favourite niece" Lauren had to laugh at that, especially seeing Alice's face fall.

"You're my favourite uncle too" she added, grinning at him. "Ain't got much competition have I?" Seeing Alice's face Lauren felt a little bad, laughing at Derek's expense. "I dunno. You ain't rescued me from a burning building yet." She teased. "That's a point to Derek."

"You're obviously feeling better, back being a cow." Jack said, trying to keep an straight face but Lauren could see him fighting a smirk. She wasn't sure he was right, that she could be whatever he thought she could be. But he seemed to believe in her, and no-one else did, so she could at least try. "Whatever old man. Thought you wanted a catch up?"

* * *

With every few minutes that passed without something kicking off, Lauren felt herself breath more. Having been caught up on her Uncle's travels, and answering a couple of his questions in between stories from her childhood to keep things light, laughter came easily and Lauren remembered how much she missed her close bond with her Uncle.

"Another one?" Jack offered, them having already had two and having split a bowl of chips. Lauren just shrugged, not sure how much time her Uncle had spare for her. Jack rolled his eyes but stood up and headed to the bar. Waiting for Alfie to serve them, he turned to the group of young adults.

"Joe. Alice. Want to join us?" He offered, casually. "Just filling Lauren in on my visit to see your granddad." Alice was quick to agree. "I'd love to. Joey?" Joey's gaze flickered between his ex girlfriend and his sister. Jack decided to inform Joey of a small fact without actually telling him directly. "Lauren babe, orange juice again?" He asked, seeing her get up to go the the bathroom. "Yup. Please." She called over her shoulder walking off. He saw the surprise on his nephew's face and a subtle look at his watch to see what time it was. Yeah it was dinner time, and Lauren was sober. That was new.

"Sure. Okay." Jack grinned, as he turned his back, hearing Joey tell Lucy it was just a drink then he'd re-join the group.

Clutching the glasses, Jack walked back over the the table, the siblings following him, his niece not yet back from the toilet. "Sit down, sit down." He said, placing the glasses on the table. "So I've been filled in on Lauren's life" he looked directly at Joey when he spoke, seeing the younger guy not meet his gaze. "What's been going on in yours?"


End file.

EastEnders