EastEnders 1. Chapter 1

**Well this story has taken a lot longer to publish than I'd anticipated... but then again it is also my longest story to date as well (both in chapter number and number of words). When I think back to the first few days of writing this, it very nearly got no further than a few thousand words... and then I sent it to my fabulous friend Eastendersfan444 and she convinced me to continue it (some would say bullied and nagged but not me!). She has read every word and helped me more than I could've hoped for – encouraging me when I became disheartened and gave me ideas when I wasn't sure what to do next. She even gave me some professional advice with a couple of the chapters which has (hopefully) enabled me to keep some realism to it. This story really wouldn't be what it is today (or anywhere near the length it is) if not for her so a massive huge fank you to her! **

**So here is my new story... which is my version of Eastenders and includes surprises throughout (I hope). It different to the show in many ways but it's kind of what I'd like to have seen in it. I hope you all like it and for Eastendersfan444 – BEARHUGS!**

**Sins of the Father.**

**Chapter 1.**

Joseph Christopher Branning was a sweet little boy who had been dealt a rough hand in the game of life. He was born to two parents, Derek and Sarah Branning and his life appeared perfect. He was surrounded by many family members and whenever any of them saw him, he normally had a smile on his face that could light up the whole of Walford. By far though the person who doted on little Joey Branning the most was his uncle and godfather, Max Branning. He had taken to his nephew as soon as he was born and it was a bond that continued to grow between them as Joey did. Unca Maxy and Auntie Tan were the best as far as Joey Branning was concerned too.

So, like I said, his life appeared perfect. But things were not as they seemed. Behind closed doors, life for three year old Joey was far from perfect. And it wasn't until Christmas Eve that anyone realised what a mess things really were.

This story begins with someone knocking on the door of number 5 Albert Square, the day before Christmas. It was early in the morning... about seven o'clock in fact and neither Max nor Tanya were expecting visitors, especially not at that time of the day. They both had already finished work for Christmas and were still in bed, planning on having a quiet build up to Christmas. Max threw on his dressing gown and ran down the stairs, heading for the front door, hearing the knocking starting to fade. It was still dark outside so he switched on the light as he pulled open the front door. What he saw would remain with him for many years to come.

There on the doorstep stood a crying Joey, which was a heartbreaking enough sight... especially for Max... but it wasn't that that shook Max up so much. It was the fact Joey was covered in blood... his clothes, his arms, legs and some of his face all a dark shade of red. Max crouched down in front of him and Joey dived at him, his whole body shaking against his uncle's as his crying strengthened once more. He finally felt safe in the arms of his uncle. Max noticed Joey was only wearing his pyjamas... he didn't even have shoes on... and he was freezing. Max picked up the sobbing toddler, staring at the door and seeing bloody handprints on it where Joey had been hitting it. What was going on?

**A/N: So there you go... What has happened at Joey's house? Just a little teaser... more to come later. Let me know what you think. Read and review. Back soon...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

"Tan..." Max called up the stairs and soon saw his wife walking down the stairs, concern etched on her face when she saw Joey crying in her husband's arms. "I need to go over to the house..." he said, "Can you look after Joey?" he asked her softly. Joey had other ideas however, yelping at the possible abandonment of Unca Maxy and his arms tightened around Max's neck. "It's okay, Joey... I'll stay here..." he said softly, feeling him relax again. He looked at Tanya and could see she was now aware that their nephew was covered in blood, "Phone Jack and get him to go over there..."

"I'll go..." she said.

"No, Tan... whatever has happened, I don't want you to see... not in your condition," he said softly, one of his hands settling on her ever-growing bump. Their first child was due mid-March and both of them were excited about starting a family together. She picked up the phone and made the call to her brother-in-law. The trio then went into the dining room and Max and Tanya sat down, Joey curled up on Max's lap, still crying although it had lessened in the last couple of minutes. Ten minutes later the front door opened and an ashen faced Jack appeared in the doorway, his eyes immediately drawn to the young boy his brother was holding.

"I've called the police..." he said softly.

Max frowned and glanced down at his nephew, Joey appeared to have cried himself to sleep in the last few minutes which Max was glad about, "What's happened?" he asked his brother quietly.

Jack glanced at his sister-in-law, "Sarah's dead..." he told them, hearing Tanya's gasp of shock as she took it in.

"The baby?" Tanya asked, her hand absently rubbing her own bump. Sarah and Tanya had found out they were pregnant within weeks of each other, Sarah slightly earlier than Tanya and she was due at the end of February. Jack shook his head and Tanya began to cry softly.

"There's blood all over the floor in the hallway and Sarah was lying at the bottom of the stairs."

"And Derek?" Max asked.

"No sign of him but I didn't go that far into the house..." Jack said. "I'll go back to the house and wait for the police. Do you want me to get some things for Joey?" he asked.

"We've got some things upstairs." Tanya said. It wasn't unusual for Joey to stay at their house every week or so and they kept some of his clothes at their house. Max and Tanya had also brought him a few toys which were stored in the bedroom he slept in when he was here as well.

"The police might want to send someone over here to check Joey." Max said, his hand rubbing his nephew's back softly. "He's covered in blood, which I'm hoping is Sarah's but just in case."

"I'll let them know." Jack said. He looked at Joey, seeing the blood all over him, "He came over here like that?"

"Yeah," Max sighed, "No shoes or coat... You saw the handprints on the door from where he was hitting it?" he asked. Jack nodded. Max held Joey a little tighter in his arms, as he tried to imagine just what the little boy had witnessed in the previous few hours.

"I'll be back in a while..." Jack said, as he looked out of the window and saw the flashing blue lights of the approaching police cars. Jack hugged Tanya softly, kissing the top of her head and then walked out of the room.

"Why don't you go and sort out some things for Joey to change into, babe." Max said.

"We should take him upstairs and give him a bath..." she said.

"We can't, babe. The police will need to see him," he said, "probably me too seeing as how I'm now covered as well. He threw himself at me as soon as I bent down to see him when I opened the door." Max brushed his hand gently over the back of Joey's head, for his own comfort as much as Joey's.

"God, Max... what do you think happened?" she whispered.

"I really don't know." He said and right now, he wasn't sure he was prepared to hear what had happened either.

*JL*JL*

Tanya busied herself with getting things for Joey sorted. She stripped the bed and put on the bedcovers they had brought especially for when he stayed at their house. They were Fireman Sam ones which was Joey's current fascination. He was obsessed with fire engines and the cartoon. Her and Max had brought him a large fire engine for Christmas and also a fire engine he could sit on and trundle along in. Both had been looking forward to seeing his face when he opened his presents but she wasn't sure that was going to happen now. She dug out some clean clothes for him as well and placed them on the bed. She looked around the room and made a list in her head of things they would need if Joey was going to stay with them, which she knew was what her and Max would want. She sat on the bed in his room and shed a few tears for her sister-in-law, wondering what awful things might have happened to the family in the previous 24 hours.

**A/N: So poor little Joey is a bit upset and his mummy is dead... Just what has happened in that house? Don't forget to read and review... I want to know what you think. Today is the only day you're going to get two chapters… it'll be one a day from now on. Back tomorrow with the next chapter.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Max went to the front door when the doorbell rang, Joey still in his arms, and found a policewoman and a man on the door step, both were looking at Joey's bloody handprints on the front door.

"I'm DCI Davis and this is PC Smith. Can we come in?" The man introduced himself and his colleague.

"Sure..." They went into the lounge and all sat down.

DCI Davis spoke first, "I understand from your brother that that is your nephew, who lives at number 23 Albert Square?"

"Yes..." Max said, his hand brushing through Joey's hair gently.

"Can you tell me what you know of the events this morning?" the detective asked, pulling a notepad from his pocket and getting ready to make notes.

"There's not much to tell. My wife and I were woken just after seven am by knocking on the front door. I came down to answer it and found Joey standing on the doorstep, in just his pyjamas, crying his eyes out. He was covered in blood and when I bent down to speak to him, he threw himself into my arms and started to cry even harder. He cried himself to sleep not long after. My wife called my brother Jack who went round to the house and then he came here and told us he'd called you and that he'd found Sarah dead at the bottom of the stairs."

"Do you know why your nephew came here?"

"I'm his godfather as well as his uncle. He spends a lot of time here. My wife and I are really close to him."

"And you have no idea of what has been happening at your brother's house?"

"No... seeing Joey like this, this morning is as much of a surprise to me as it is anyone else."

"I'd like to get a doctor to examine Joey to check he has no injuries. One of our forensic team is going to have to take photos of him... and take samples of the blood on both of you." The DCI said, "I'll also want him to talk to a child psychologist in order to find out what he can tell us about what has been happening at his home. Are you his next of kin, Mr Branning?"

"I should think so as he's my godson."

"You are entitled to be present when Joey is questioned but I will ask that you let your nephew answer the questions if possible. You can call a halt to it at any time if you feel Joey needs a break." The DCI nodded to the policewoman who left the room, "Can you answer some questions relating to your brother and his family for me, Mr Branning?"

"Of course. Can I ask if Derek was at the house as well? Jack didn't go in too far as he didn't want to disturb anything..."

"Your brother was not at the house." He replied.

Max stared at him, "You think he did this, don't you?" he asked softly.

"We would definitely like to speak to your brother before we could rule him out of our inquiries."

"So Sarah's death wasn't an accident then?" Max asked.

"The medical examiner hasn't determined a cause of death yet but it is looking likely that it wasn't natural causes." He answered, "I understand from your brother that Sarah was pregnant?"

Max frowned but nodded, "Yes, she was due at the end of February... my wife is expecting a couple of weeks later." His voice caught on the last few words as he thought about the sibling Joey was never going to have.

"And how old is Joey?"

"He was three a few weeks ago." Max said.

"Do you have a recent picture of your brother we can have?" the detective asked.

Tanya walked into the room and sat on the arm of the chair Max was sitting in. "Babe, this is DCI Davis, he's asking if we have a recent picture of Derek we can give him." Max said, squeezing his visibly upset wife's hand.

"I think there's one from Joey's birthday party... I'll go and find it..." she said softly. "Would you like a tea or coffee?" she asked the detective.

"A coffee would be great, if it's not too much bother."

"Is it okay for Joey to have something to eat and drink?" Tanya asked.

"That should be fine... My colleague has gone to get one of the forensic team over who will take the physical evidence we need from him and then you'll be able to clean him up and change him into some clean clothes as well. Do you need one of my officers to get some things for him from the house?" He asked.

"No, we have some of his clothes here from when he stays with us. There is a teddy bear, probably in his bed that it would be good to have. He loves that bear. If he's going to be staying here, he'll want him tonight," Tanya explained before leaving the room to go and make the drinks and find the photo.

"I'll get one of my officers to get the bear for you." He said, making a note of it in his pad, "Does Joey stay with you often?" DCI Davis asked.

"Sometimes... we like having him over here. Derek and Sarah let him stay with us every couple of weeks, I guess. We're a close-knit family, most of us live in or around the square. My wife and Sarah are... were... close friends with each other."

The front door bell rang and DCI Davis went to answer it, knowing it was his colleagues. PC Smith came back into the room along with a lady who was wearing white coveralls. She had a bag of things with her. "This is Sally..." DCI Davis explained. "She's going to take pictures of Joey and take samples from him and you... she will also examine him to make sure the blood isn't coming from him, although we doubt it is."

"I'll wake him up then..." Max said softly.

"Take your time, Sally will set up over here. There's no rush, Mr Branning." The DCI said softly.

Tanya walked into the room with a tray of mugs on it. She also had a sealed cup for Joey to use. Max gently shook the toddler, who opened his eyes and stared up at his uncle. He then looked around and saw all the people he didn't know, his bottom lip starting to quiver. "It's okay, Joey..." Max said softly, seeing him cower from them. "Me and your Auntie Tan are here... we'll keep you safe..."

"I brought you some juice, Joey... Would you like that?" Tanya asked. Joey nodded and she held the cup out to him.

"Fank you..." he whispered, drinking thirstily from the sippy cup as he nestled against his uncle. His eyes wide as he took in everything the strangers were doing.

"Joey..." Max said softly, his nephew looking up at him quickly, slight tension running through his frame. "These people are here because of what happened this morning..." he told him and he didn't miss the tears that appeared in the little boy's eyes and the way his cup fell from his mouth, his bottom lip quivering much more now. "Shh, Joey..." Max said, hugging him a little tighter. "You remember what I said about me and Auntie Tan keeping you safe?" Joey nodded again, "I promise you, if we are here, nothing will happen to you, okay."

"Unca Maxy..." he whispered, his teeth biting on his bottom lip, "I had an accident..."

"We will sort everything out in a bit, okay." Max glanced up and Sally nodded to him. She was ready to start. "These two nice police officers are going to sit on the sofa while me and you play a game, okay?"

"A game?"

"Yes... it's going to be fun..." Max said, "The two of us are going to go on that plastic sheet on the floor there and we're going to be very still... while this nice lady checks you over, okay?"

"Like at my birfday party, Unca Maxy?" he whispered.

"Just like that, Joey." Max said, kissing his forehead softly. He lifted Joey in his arms and moved so he was sitting in the centre of the plastic sheet. He lowered Joey to his feet. Tanya took the sippy cup from her nephew and sat in the armchair Max had been sitting in. "Are you going to say hello to this nice lady?"

"Mummy said not to talk to stangers, Unca Maxy..." he whispered.

"Oh yes... silly Uncle Max."

"That's very good advice, Joey," Sally said softly, "Your mummy is a very clever lady." She told him with a smile. Max's face saddened as he noticed how she wasn't referring to his sister-in-law in the past tense. "How about I introduce myself to you and then I won't be a stranger any more. Would that work?"

"No mummy said it was only okay if her or daddy knew them..." he said.

"Joey, what about if I say it's okay?" Max said, smiling as he saw his nephew mull that over. Joey smiled and nodded proudly at his uncle. "It's fine for you to speak to this lady... she's here to make sure you're okay..."

"Okay..."

Sally spoke again to the small boy, "Joey, my name is Sally." She said gently, "Can you turn to face me?" she asked. Joey did as she asked, his hand clutching Max's thumb as he stood in front of her. "Can you stand big and tall for me, Joey?" she asked him. He drew himself upright and stared at her as he watched her take photos of him. "Okay, turn to face your uncle, Joey..." she told him. Joey spun round to face Max and Max poked his tongue out at him, pulling a funny face. Joey giggled quietly.

"Unca Maxy..." he whispered as his laughing faded.

"Yes, Joey..."

"Is Santa gonna fink I's a bad boy?" he asked as his eyes caught the Christmas tree for the first time since arriving.

"Why would he think that, Joey?" Max asked him softly.

"Daddy told me so last night..." he whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"I'm sure daddy was just angry about something else, Joey... you haven't been bad... you're the goodest little boy I know."

Joey seemed to think about this and relaxed slightly. "Will Santa know I's here?" he asked.

"He's going to know exactly where you are, Joey... don't you worry..." Max reassured him.

"Are mummy and daddy going to come here soon?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, Joey... let's think about that later, okay?" Max said, unable to tell Joey that he was unlikely to see his parents again.

"Okay..." he stood silently for a few minutes, barely registering as Sally took swabs of the blood from the skin of his hands and feet. "Do you fink mummy is awake yet?" he asked suddenly. Max inhaled sharply but before he could answer Joey spoke again. He saw DCI Davis turning on a tape recorder and assumed he would be recording what Joey said, "I came downstairs and she was lying sleep on the floor..." he said. "I tried to wake her up but she din't. It was a silly place to sleep, Unca Maxy... she din't look comfy... and there was no covers or pillow. She forgot to have a baf too... she was all dirty..." he said, waving his hands between him and his uncle and showing him the blood on them. "I called out for daddy but he was gone. I'd heard him before ... him and mummy had been shouting weally loudly."

"When was this, Joey?"

"Afer I went to bed..." he whispered. He stopped suddenly and then put his hand over his mouth. Max frowned at him and pulled his hand away.

"What's wrong, Joey?" he asked him.

"Daddy said I's not sposed to talk bout it..."

"Talk about what?"

"When him and mummy fight..." he whispered. "It's our seeket... and no one else needs to know..." he added. His words almost made Max smile because they sounded so like Derek... but he didn't because suddenly Max had a nasty feeling there was a lot that had been kept secret. Things he wasn't going to want to hear.

**A/N: So Derek is a bad man, right? You haven't heard anything yet... this is called Sins of the Father for a reason... Let me know what you think... Read and review. Back tomorrow.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

"I think this is a secret you need to tell me about, Joey. Daddy won't mind..." Max said, glancing at the detective and getting a nod from him to continue. Sally had stopped her examination by this point, letting Joey speak rather than do something that would upset him further and stop him from talking. "Do mummy and daddy fight often?" Max asked, holding his breath, almost not wanting to know the answer.

Joey paused, staring at his uncle wide eyed. Was it really okay to tell him? He was being silly... of course it was okay to tell Unca Maxy... he was Unca Maxy... he'd never been angry with him in his whole life. He could tell Unca Maxy absolutely anything. "They fight lots." He admitted, "Mummy makes me go to my room if it gets weally bad... if daddy's proper angry... then Bear and me, we hide in my warbode and wait for it to be quiet." He bit his lip as something else occurred to him, "Bear's gonna be scared... I left him in bed... he won't like it."

"I'm going to send this lady to go and get Bear now, Joey," DCI Davis said softly, drawing Joey's attention to him as PC Smith got to her feet and left the house again.

Joey appeared mollified by this and looked back at his uncle. "How long do you have to wait for it to be quiet?" Max asked.

Joey shrugged, "Pends..." he said.

"What does it depend on?"

"How koss daddy is..."

"Do you know what daddy gets cross about?" Max asked, again dreading the answer.

"Everyfing..." Joey whispered. "Daddy's always koss. Mummy says I have to be weally weally good when daddy's home..."

"Does daddy get cross with you, Joey... or is it just mummy?"

"Mainly mummy... but sometimes I's bad too..."

"I think Sally should finish checking you over now, Joey," DCI Davis said, interrupting him as he knew Joey was likely to get upset and need comforting by his aunt and uncle and they needed to get all of the physical evidence from him that they could, "Then once she's done your aunt and uncle will able to get you in some clean clothes and you can have Bear again."

"'Kay..." Joey said.

Sally moved closer to Joey again, "I need to check that you aren't hurt, Joey... is that okay?" He looked at her and nodded. "Does it hurt anywhere?" She asked. Joey thought about it and nodded his head. Max's heart plummeted to the floor. "Can you tell me where it hurts?" Sally asked him softly.

"Here," he whispered, pointing to his arms and then his back.

"Would it be alright if I took your pyjamas off, then I can see if I can do anything to make the pain better?"

Joey looked at Max who nodded quickly, "Yes... if Unca Maxy does it..." he said. He stared at his uncle, stepping closer to him as Max removed his pyjama bottoms first. His pull-up pants were beneath but Max left them in place.

Joey seemed calm until Max went to remove his pyjama top and then he tensed. "You okay, Joey?" he asked softly.

"You'll be koss..." he whispered.

Max lifted his hand and cupped Joey's face, "Never..." he said gently. He moved his hands again to the top and slowly peeled it from his nephew. He heard Tanya's reaction first, the sharp inhalation of her breath. Max's eyes ran over his body, his heart faltering slightly as he saw bruises on Joey's arms that looked suspiciously like they were the size of Derek's hands. Sally was taking photos of Joey from the back and after a couple of minutes she asked Joey to turn so he was facing her. Tears flooded Max's eyes as he saw the vivid bruises on the back of Joey's shoulders and upper back. He hung his head, revulsion and hatred towards his brother swirling within him as he absorbed what Joey had suffered.

"I'm done..." Sally said softly. She began to pack away her things silently.

Max lifted his head and saw Joey watching him carefully, "You're koss..." he whispered, his arms wrapped around his body protectively.

"I am, Joey... but not with you, I promise." He whispered back. He held his arms open and Joey threw himself at him, wrapping his arms tightly around Max's neck. Max held Joey tightly against him, trying to control his own rapidly fraying emotions. After a couple of minutes, Max got to his feet and walked back to the armchair, Tanya moving so he could sit down with Joey on his lap. Tanya retrieved the throw blanket from the back of the sofa and wrapped it around her nephew so he didn't get cold, as he was only in his pull-up pants.

"Joey, would it be okay for your Uncle Max to ask you some more things now?" DCI Davis asked.

"Is Bear here yet?" Joey asked him distractedly.

"He should be here very soon, I promise..."

"Okay..." Joey said.

Max took a deep breath and looked at his nephew, "The bruises you have on your arms and back... did daddy do that to you?"

"I's not sposed to say..." Joey whispered.

"It's really okay to tell me, Joey, I swear to you..." Max said.

"You won't hate me?"

"Never...!" Max told him quickly.

He thought about it for a while but finally spoke, "He did, Unca Maxy... he said I was a bad boy and bad boys should be punished by their daddy's."

"Do you know what it was you had done to make him so cross?" Max asked.

"I left my cars on the floor and daddy trod on one and hurt his foot."

Max wrapped his arms around the small boy and pulled him close, "What did daddy do after he trod on your car?" he asked softly.

"He shouted at me..." Joey murmured. "Mummy was upstairs sorting out fings for the baby..." Tears were building in Joey's eyes and it broke Max's heart to see him getting upset. He longed to be able to tell him to stop but unfortunately he needed to tell them what had happened. "Daddy grabbed me by the arms and he shaked me weally hard..." Joey looked at Max, moving really close to him and whispering in his ear. Max's face paled and he looked at the detective. Joey was crying now and Max tried to comfort the sobbing boy, all the time wondering who was going to comfort him when this was done. DCI Davis raised his eyebrow as Max looked at him.

"Joey thought his arms and head was going to fall off because Derek shook him so hard." He murmured, his voice catching slightly as he spoke.

The doorbell rang and again DCI Davis answered it, leaving the family to comfort each other. A short time later Max's sister walked into the room. "Max, what's going on?" she asked, surprised to see Joey and the fact he was clearly crying. "There are police outside Derek's house..."

"Let's go into the kitchen," Tanya said. "Would you like something to eat, Joey?" she asked him. He nodded against Max's dressing gown. Tanya stood and ushered her sister-in-law out of the room.

DCI Davis walked back into the lounge shortly after, "Joey... I've got someone here who wants to see you..." he said, smiling at the boy as he turned towards him. Joey saw Bear in the detective's hand and held his arms out towards him.

"Let's go and get you all cleaned up first, Joey," Max said to him, "Then Bear won't get dirty and have to go for his own bath, will he?" He glanced at the other man, "Is that okay?"

"Yes, it's fine."

"We'll be back down in about half an hour..." he said, getting to his feet with Joey in his arms.

"I'm going to head back over to your brother's house to get an update. I'll come back in an hour or so. PC Smith will stay here and will let you know anything you need to." He said.

Max walked towards the kitchen and opened the door, poking his head into the room, "Babe, I'm going to go and give Joey a bath, okay?" he said softly. He could see his wife and Carol were hugging each other, both crying. Tanya looked at him and nodded.

"How is he?" she asked.

"I don't know..." Max said, because at the moment he had no idea how Joey was.

"I'll do him some breakfast when you come down again." She whispered, "Some clean clothes are laid out on his bed." She added. Max nodded and walked back out into the hallway.

**A/N: How adorable is Joey? And how tragic has his life been? I hate to say this... but it gets worse... Read and review – let me know what you think so far. Back tomorrow...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

Max was running the water into the bath. "Can I haf bubbles, Unca Maxy?" Joey asked as he stood near the doorway.

"I think we can manage that, Joey..." Max said with a smile, glancing at the small boy. The bath was ready just a few minutes later and Max turned his attention back to his nephew, holding his hand out towards him. "Time to get in then..." Joey ran to him but stood looking at the floor. Max lifted his chin and tilted it up so he was looking at him, "Tell me what's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I wasn't a big boy, Unca Maxy..."

"Why?"

"I din't tell you I needed a poo and I had an accident earlier too... last night... daddy was koss... I's sorry, Unca Maxy... I'll be big boy next time, I pomise."

"It's okay, Joey... It's been a tough day and everyone has accidents." He said, wiping away the small boy's tears, "Shall we go and sort you out and then you can get in the bath and get all this dirt off you, eh?" Joey nodded and soon they were in his room, Max quickly and efficiently removing his pull-up pants and cleaning him. He lifted Joey back into his arms and carried him back into the bathroom, lowering him into the water and then kneeling beside the bath. He started by washing Joey's hair, using the special shampoo they had for him. There was even blood in his hair and soon the water he was sitting in had a slight hue of pink. Once his hair was clean, Max turned his attention to the rest of his body, gently washing the blood off, having to scrub at the more obstinate patches. Finally he was clean again and Max lifted him out of the tub, standing him on a towel and rubbing him dry.

"Unca Maxy?" Joey said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"Yes..." he said softly.

"Is mummy wif Nana Julie?"

"Why do you ask that?" Max asked. Nana Julie was Sarah's mum, who'd died the previous spring.

"Mummy wasn't sleeping, was she...?" he whispered. "She was cold too... but she wasn't shivering like I do when I get cold..." He stared at his uncle, "She had a big boo boo, that even one of my peshal pasters wouldn't fix."

Max stared at him, "Mummy is with Nana Julie, Joey... they're going to look after each other..."

"In heben?" he asked.

"Definitely, Joey."

"Is the baby there too?" he whispered.

"Yes, Joey," Max whispered in reply. "Mummy took the baby with her when she went to see Nana Julie."

"They're not coming back, are they?" He asked. Max shook his head. "Is it because I's a bad boy?"

"No Joey... it's nothing you did, I promise." He lifted Joey and carried him into the bedroom. He pulled out the underwear Tanya has selected from the pile of clothes for Joey to wear.

"I don't wanna be big boy today, Unca Maxy..." he said softly.

"You want the pull-up pants?" he asked. Joey nodded. "I think we've got a few from when you were here last time." Max said, getting to his feet and walking across the room. He found what he was looking for and turned back towards the bed, finding Joey standing directly in front of him, clutching the towel around his shoulders tightly. He looked up at his uncle and Max's heart melted all over again. Max held his hand out towards Joey and the little boy slipped his hand into it. Max walked him back to the bed. Silently he dressed Joey in the pull-up pants and then some jogging bottoms and a hoodie, with a white T-shirt beneath it. "There you go... all done..." he said.

"Unca Maxy get dessed too..." Joey said, smiling at him.

Max smirked at him. Those few words were a sign of the normal Joey Branning and Max hoped it lasted a while. "Come on then..." He said, getting to his feet and holding his hand out towards him. He took it and walked beside him to Max and Tanya's room. Max lifted Joey up and placed him on the bed, "Stay there." He said. He walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a pair of jeans. He then went to select a top and smiled as he saw a white T-shirt at the top of the drawer. He opened another drawer and found just what he was looking for. "You gonna to be okay in here for a couple of minutes while I go and have a quick wash?" Joey nodded. Max stepped forward and kissed the top of his head, "Good boy..."

*JL*JL*

Max returned to his room a couple of minutes later and found Joey curled up on the bed, sucking his thumb. He looked at his uncle as he walked into the room, pulling his thumb out of his mouth, "We match..." he whispered.

"So we do..." Max said. Joey sat up on the bed and held his arms in the air, wanting Max to pick him up. Max did, needing the reassurance of his presence as much as Joey appeared to need him. "Shall we go and check Bear is okay?" he asked and Joey frantically nodded his head. The pair walked down the stairs and found DCI Davis standing near the window, talking into his mobile.

He saw Max and turned, pausing the conversation briefly, "Here you go, Joey..." he said, bending down and picking Bear up from the sofa, holding him out towards Joey. Joey reached for it hesitantly but the need for his stuffed friend overwhelmed any reluctance. He clutched him in his arms, his thumb slipping back into his mouth.

"I'm going to sort out some breakfast for Joey." Max said and the detective nodded, returning to his hushed conversation.

*JL*JL*

Max carried Joey into the kitchen and found Tanya in there, doing some washing up from the night before. She looked at them both and smiled, "Don't you both look cute?" she said.

"Boys aren't cute, Auntie Tan..." Joey said. "Don't be silly..."

"Silly, am I?" she said, lifting him from Max's arms and sitting him on the side. Her hands cupped his face and looked into his eyes. "So would you think it was silly if I was to kiss my little Joseph?" She said softly, "And if I asked you for a Joey hug too, would that be silly?" she asked him.

"Okay, Auntie Tan... cos it's you, I'll let you..." he said.

Tanya's eyes teared up as she kissed Joey on the forehead. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly, laughing suddenly moments later. "Did you feel that, Joey?" Joey nodded, "That's our baby... he or she was just saying hello to its big cousin." Joey pulled away from her and pressed his hand on Tanya's bump. He felt nothing. Tanya moved his hand further down and watched as his face lit up when he felt the baby kick where his hand was resting. "Do you want something to eat, Joey?" Tanya asked him. He nodded his head, "What do you want? Anything you like..."

"Pancakes?" he asked quietly.

"I think we can manage that... do you think you can ask Uncle Max if he'll make them. We know he makes the bestest pancakes, right?" Joey nodded vigorously and Tanya looked at him, nodding when she saw him bite his lip.

"Unca Maxy..." Joey said. Max smiled and looked at him, "Can I haf pancakes for beckfast?" he asked softly. "Unca Maxy peshal pancakes...?" he added for clarification.

"You want my special pancakes, do you?" Max asked him. Joey nodded. "How many pancakes would you like?" he asked.

"One for me and one for Bear..." Joey said, smiling at his uncle with pride.

"Okay..." Max turned to his wife, "How many pancakes does Auntie Tanya want, do you think Joey?"

"She wants two, I fink... and baby wants one as well..."

"That's a lot of pancakes... I'd better get started then, hadn't I?" Max said.

Tanya lifted Joey off the side and took him over to the table, sitting him in his booster seat and strapping him into it. She put a bib on him in preparation for him eating. She wouldn't normally but they didn't have masses of clothes to be able to change him into something else after their meal. She sat Bear next to him in the chair and then gave him a sippy cup of milk. She kissed the top of his head softly before walking over to her husband. She glanced at their nephew as he began to talk to Bear quietly, the tragedy of his morning momentarily forgotten. "How is he?" she asked Max.

"He knows what's happened..." Max said, a pained look on his face. "He asked if Sarah was with Nana Julie..." Tanya looked horrified. "He thinks it's his fault that they're gone." Max added softly, hugging his wife against his body. "If I ever get my hands on Derek..." he added in a growl.

"I know, sweetheart..." she whispered. "You'd better get on with breakfast, Max... Joey must be starving by now and I know I am..." Max turned back to the hob and began to prepare his special pancakes. Tanya went to the cupboard and got out the things they needed.

*JL*JL*

Max placed a plate of pancakes in the centre of the table and took his seat between his wife and nephew. He put two of the pancakes on a plate and passed it to Tanya. He picked up Joey's plastic plate and looked at his nephew, "Now did you say you wanted three pancakes?" he asked. Joey shook his head, smiling at him. "Oh... was it two then?" he asked.

"Unca Maxy, it was one pancake..." he giggled. "One for me and one for Bear..."

"You're right, it was." He put one of the chocolate chip pancakes on his plate, cutting it into small chunks for him. "What toppings do you want on your pancake, Joey?" he asked.

Joey's eyes ran over the selection on the table, "Syyup..." he said, "and magic cweam?" he added, a slightly hopeful tone to his voice.

Max picked up the bottle of maple syrup and began the usual routine with his nephew. It was good to hear him laughing and he wanted it to continue as long as possible. He poured a drop on the side of the plate, "Enough...?"

He shook his head, "MORE UNCA MAXY...!"

"You want more?" Max asked him with a smile.

"Pease..." he nodded his head vigorously.

Max smirked and drizzled the syrup over the rest of the pancake. He picked up the canister of cream and shook it, smiling as he saw Joey's head bounce up and down as he watched him shake it. He squirted the cream, into the pattern of a smiley face on his plate. He looked at Tanya, "Do you think we can let Joey had a few chocolate chips with his pancakes? As a treat...?"

"If he has some banana as well..." Tanya said, looking at Joey and finding him nodding his head.

Max stood and retrieved the chocolate chips he hadn't used and a banana. Tanya took the banana and cut a third of it into slices and put them at the top of the plate so they looked like hair on the face. Max sprinkled some of the chocolate chips on the plate, some on the eyes and mouth. "All done..." he said, picking up the plate and putting it in front of Joey, turning it so he could see the face smiling at him.

"Fanks, Unca Maxy, fank you Auntie Tan." He said, picking up his cutlery and spearing one of the pancake chunks with the fork and putting it into his mouth.

Max and Tanya both ate their breakfast, watching the three year old as he ate his food. About halfway through Joey started just pushing the food around his plate. "Try and eat a little more, Joey..." Max said softly, pushing the plate closer to him again.

"Don't wanna..." he said. Max had eaten his breakfast so he moved his chair closer to Joey.

"Will you try for me?" he asked softly, taking his fork off him and scooping up some of the banana. He held it in front of his mouth but it stayed shut. "Please, Joey..." Max said softly. He shook his head back and forth.

"I want mummy..." he whispered.

"I know you do..." Max said gently, brushing some of Joey's hair back off his face, "We talked about this. You know mummy isn't..." He sighed, placing the fork on the Joey's plate and removing the tray off the front of the booster seat. He unstrapped Joey and lifted him from the seat, sitting him on his lap. Tears were brimming in Joey's eyes as they bore into his and he couldn't refuse him. When all was said and done it had only been a few hours since he'd seen his mum's dead body. Tanya stood and picked up a cloth from the sink, wiping Joey's hands and face clean. "Are you finished with your food or are you going to eat a little bit more for your uncle Max?" He tried again. Joey nodded and Max picked up the fork again. This time Joey opened his mouth and let his uncle put the fork in his mouth. Over the space of the next ten minutes Joey ate two thirds of the rest of his breakfast.

"Full now, Unca Maxy..." he said.

"Good job, little man..." Max told him, wiping his face clean again.

**A/N: So what did you think? A little bit of sad with a little bit of cuteness too... Is Joey tugging at your heartstrings yet? He is mine... Let me know what you think – send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

The clearing of a throat made Max look towards the doorway of the kitchen, finding DCI Davis standing there.

"Sorry to interrupt, I need to speak to you, Mr Branning."

"Max, please..." He said as he got up and passed Joey to Tanya then following the detective into the lounge.

"I thought I should let you know that I've had to inform Social Services of the situation regarding your nephew." He told Max and Max frowned, "I don't think it should be an issue for you and your wife to have your nephew in your care but it's not a decision that is mine to make." The detective looked embarrassed by what he'd had to do, "The social worker should be here in a short while to speak to you and Mrs. Branning. She's going to want to see you both interact with Joey but like I said, I really don't see this being an issue. Joey clearly trusts you both or he wouldn't have come here this morning and he told you what's been happening."

"Not until it was too late for me to do anything about it..." Max muttered. He glanced at the man before him, "Any news on locating Derek?"

"Not yet but his picture has been circulated throughout London and the surrounding counties. We'll get him."

"You might want to speak to them in Manchester too... he had a lot of contacts up there. He lived there for a while before he moved back down here and met and married Sarah."

"I'll get onto them." He replied, "Once the social worker is here and has spoken to you, I need you to try and speak to Joey again."

"What do you want me to ask?" Max asked, his heart sinking at opening that wound again.

"I need to know if Derek has hit him before... or if last night was just a one-off. If he's ever seen his dad hit his mum. Also, I need him to tell us what he saw last night before he went up to his room and what he saw when he came downstairs this morning."

"He told me about that when I was bathing him."

"I need to get it on record."

"Okay..." Max glanced at the time. Was it really only eleven? "Can I call my brother to come over and sit with Joey while we're talking to the social worker?"

"Of course." Max picked up the phone and called Jack. The door bell rang while he was on the phone and DCI Davis answered it. He ushered in a middle aged lady as Max was hanging up the phone, "This is Joey's uncle and godfather, Max Branning." Max held his hand out towards her and shook her hand, "This is Gail Foster... she's been assigned Joey's case."

"Hello, Mr Branning. Would it be possible to meet Joey before I speak to you and your wife?"

"Yeah, I'll just go and get my wife, she's with Joey in the kitchen." Max walked to the kitchen and opened the door, finding Tanya sitting with Joey on her lap. He was playing with Bear, the three of them having a conversation. "Joey..." Max said softly, "There's a lady here that wants to meet you. She's waiting for the three of us in the lounge." Tanya lowered Joey to the floor, maintaining eye contact with her husband and seeing him mouth 'Social Worker' to her. She frowned; she didn't like the thought of them not having Joey staying with them. "Uncle Jack is going to be here soon. He's going to play with you for a little while so Auntie Tanya and I can speak to the nice lady."

Joey took Max's hand and trailed behind him as the small family walked into the lounge. Gail and the detective stood waiting for them. Gail crouched down to Joey's eye-level, "You must be Joey..." she said softly, frowning slightly when Joey hid behind Max's legs.

Max turned and picked up his nephew, "Sorry Gail, he's a bit shy around new people and he's having a tough day." He looked at Joey, who was staring at this new woman, while clutching Bear's arm and sucking on his thumb. "Joey, this nice lady is Gail." Joey clenched and unclenched his hand in a kind of wave at her. "Gail, this is my wife, Tanya." Max introduced. The door bell rang and Tanya looked at Max. "It'll be Jack..." he said.

The front door opened and soon Jack walked into the room, "Hello Joey..." he said, with a smile. He kissed Tanya on the cheek and put his hand briefly on Max's shoulder. "I thought me and you could go to the park for a little while... play on the swings and slide?"

"He'll need a coat and shoes..." Tanya said, frowning because she knew they didn't have any of those things for him. Not until they could get in the house across the square.

Jack smiled and went back out to the hall. He came back in with three or four carrier bags from Gap and a bag from Clarks shoe shop. "I went shopping..." he said, passing them to Tanya.

"You didn't have to do that, Jack..."

"We're family..." he said with a shrug, looking mildly embarrassed.

Tanya pulled out a pair of dark blue trainers and a red jacket. "Well, these look really nice, don't they, Joey, eh? Aren't you going to look the smart little boy?" Joey nodded. "Why don't you sit on Uncle Max's lap and I can put these shoes on for you." Max sat in the armchair, Joey sitting on the edge of his knees.

"I can do that, Tan," Jack said as she started to kneel down. He knelt in front of the armchair and put the shoes onto Joey's feet, fastening them securely. Max lowered their nephew to his feet and then Tanya put the jacket on him, zipping the front of it up. Jack picked up one of the carrier bags and pulled out a hat and some gloves and soon Joey was decked out for the cold. "You should leave Bear here, Joey..." he said, trying to pull him from his hand. The waterworks threatened and Joey looked at Max for support.

"Why don't you leave Bear with me, Joey...? He doesn't have a nice coat, hat and gloves or smart trainers like you do so he'll get cold." Max said softly, brushing away a couple of stray tears.

"No one's going to hurt him?" he checked.

"I'll keep him with me all the time... he'll be completely safe, I promise."

"Could you get some things from the shop for me as well, Jack?" Tanya asked.

"Sure... what do you need?"

"I'll write a list..." she said, finding some paper and a pen. "The main thing is some pull up pants for Joey... we've only got a few over here." She said, "And something I can cook for dinner tonight." She walked over to her handbag, "I'll give you some money..." she told him.

"Don't be silly, Tan... it's fine." Jack squeezed her hand and then picked up Joey. "You ready?" he asked. Joey nodded his head, "Wave bye bye..." he said as they walked towards the hallway. Joey waved his hand.

**A/N: So what did you think? More Joey cuteness... with an added twist of Bear. Bearhugs all round, I think... we're going to need them. Back tomorrow.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

Max and Tanya ushered the social worker and detective to the dining room table and the four sat down after everyone refused Tanya's offer of a drink. Max was holding Bear in his hand as it rested on his lap... determined to keep his promise to his nephew.

Gail started the conversation, reading through some notes she had in a pad, "DCI Davis gave some details to our office this morning of what happened and I have a few initial concerns regarding the placement of Joey with you both."

"Concerns?" Max said, reaching for his wife's hand and squeezing it.

"Yes, I'm wondering if it's such a good idea for Joey to be located in a place so close to where his mother died? It would be a constant reminder of what happened..."

"You think being somewhere else would be any better?" Max asked. "That little boy has lost his mummy this morning and he isn't going to see his father either. Don't take away the only family he has left." Max told her.

"Max..." Tanya said softly, seeing her husband was getting upset.

"That little boy has been through hell and that's just in the last few hours... we don't even know what else he's had to go through. Yes, Tan and I want him to stay here but we're not the only family Joey has here. He's got Jack... his Auntie Carol, two grandparents who adore him and cousins as well. We're really close to each other..."

"So close, you let him be abused...?" Gail said pointedly.

"To be fair, at the moment we have no idea if last night was just a one off." DCI Davis said.

Gail looked at the police detective dismissively, "I'd like some information about the both of you before I come to my decision..."

"What do you want to know?" Tanya asked.

"I can see you're pregnant, Mrs. Branning... when is the baby due?"

"In the middle of March..."

"And you don't think taking on a traumatised toddler will be an issue in addition to a newborn?"

"No... as I'm sure DCI Davis has told your office, Joey is a frequent visitor to our house and I think a newborn baby will be a good thing for him. He's excited about the baby... he was looking forward to having a brother or sister of his own." Gail frowned in her direction, "Sarah was pregnant too... it was due a couple of weeks before this one..." she said, her hand brushing her bump as the other wiped away the building tears. "We realise Joey is going to have issues after what has happened but we know that him being surrounded by his family will make it easier for him to deal with."

The social worker cleared her throat and referred back to her notepad, "What would your childcare arrangements be for Joey?"

"Joey already goes to the playgroup at the community centre. He's been going there a couple of mornings a week since September," Max explained, "He loves it there, he's made friends with some of the children. I'm sure it won't be a problem to increase his number of days there for the first couple of weeks. Tan and I both work locally, so if there was ever any problem, we could quickly be there." He continued.

"I'm going to cut down my hours in the New Year. I own and run a salon not far from here but it's a lot of hours on my feet and that's something that's becoming harder, so I'm going to reduce my hours and I'll be around for Joey... whenever he needs me." Tanya said softly, "We both will..." she added, smiling at her husband.

"So you think Joey will be happy living here...?" she asked.

Max sighed, "I know he will be. Joey spends time here with Tanya and I. He would stay here all the time. We have a room sorted out for him, some clothes and toys for him here. He likes spending time here. We treat him as if he's our son. He's my godson and I would move heaven and earth to do anything for him."

Gail stared at them both before making more notes in her pad. "You say you have family in the area... is there any other family?"

"No, both Sarah's parents are dead and she was an only child." Tanya said, "As far as I know there aren't any other relatives on her side... she always said she liked the fact there were so many of us nearby, that it was nice to be part of a large family." Tanya broke down in tears and Max hugged her, his hand brushing up and down her back.

Gail Foster got to her feet and walked into the hallway, speaking to a colleague on her mobile phone. She walked back into the room a couple of minutes later, "I've spoken to my supervisor and we've agreed that Joey can be placed here as an emergency placement but it will be reviewed by us again in the New Year. By that time hopefully the police will have made further progress in their investigation regarding your sister-in-law's death." She started to pack up her things and Max and Tanya watched her in shock. "I'll be in contact in the New Year then, Mr. and Mrs. Branning." She left the house quickly.

"I thought she was going to stay when we spoke to Joey again?" Max asked.

DCI Davis stared at him, as much in shock as the couple were. "I'm so sorry. I was under the impression she would want to be here too. I will be speaking to the department again... I'm very unimpressed by the way she just handled what is already an upsetting situation."

They heard the front door open and then there were small footsteps running into the room and Joey hurtled towards his uncle, "UNCA MAXY... UNCA MAXY!"

"Careful, Joey..." Max said, swinging him into his arms and onto his lap.

"I saw Santa!" Joey said excitedly, his face glowing with happiness and from the cold.

"Did you?" Max asked. He looked at Jack who stood in the doorway and his brother mouthed 'Grant' to him. "Let's take your coat and everything off shall we?" he asked as he pulled off the hat and gloves. He unzipped Joey's new coat and helped it off him.

"I'm going to pop to the shop to get those bits you needed. Joey was excited and wanted to tell you about what he'd seen..." Jack said with a smile.

"I'll come with you, Jack." Tanya said, "There are some more things we need." It wasn't long before they were both gone.

Max lifted Joey in his arms and walked them back over to the armchair and sat in it with Joey on his lap. DCI Davis followed him, taking a seat on the sofa and starting the tape recorder again to record what Joey was about to tell them. "Joey, you remember how you were telling me earlier about when your daddy got cross with you last night?" Joey nodded, his eyes widening as he was reminded of everything all over again. "I need you to tell us what happened, Joey..."

"Unca Maxy..."

"Yes..."

"Do I haf to?" he whispered.

"Yes you do, Joey." He said softly. "Here, why don't you have Bear back and he can look after you while you tell us?" He gave Bear back to Joey.

Joey hugged the tatty bear against his body tightly. "You won't be koss wif me?" he asked quietly.

Max tilted his chin up, "I promise, Joey... nothing you tell us will make me angry with you... or Bear." He reassured him.

"'Kay..."

"So you told us about your daddy shaking you... what made him stop?"

Tears were already forming in his eyes as Joey spoke and as the tears started it became harder and harder to understand what he was saying. "I was kying... and mummy heard me and came downstairs. Daddy was shouting at me and saying Santa wouldn't bring me any pesents. Then mummy was there and she shouted at daddy. He got weally angry then his hands were squeezing my arms and it weally hurt. Mummy came over and she was pulling his arm. He let go of my arm and was waving his arm in the air. He hit mummy on the face. She fell backwards." Max wrapped his arm around Joey and pulled him against his body.

"Was mummy hurt?"

"No... it was quiet after she fell. Everyfing topped. Daddy let go of me and went to mummy to see if she was okay."

"How did you hurt your back, Joey?" Max asked.

"When daddy let go of me I fell onto the floor and I hurt my back on the table." He whispered. "Mummy told me and Bear to go to our woom and I did. I changed into my jimjams and tucked me into bed with Bear and tied to sleep."

"Did you hear anything once you were in your room?"

Joey nodded, "It was too noisy to sleep... mummy and daddy were being weally weally loud. They were both shouting and I had to cover my ears cos it hurt. The noise got louder so me and Bear got scared. I got out of bed and we went and hid in the bottom of my warbode." Max brushed away some fresh tears from Joey's cheek and glanced at the detective, he was frowning in confusion.

"He means wardrobe..." Max explained quietly. He looked at Joey again, "How long were you and Bear there?"

"I took my pillow and kilt with me so Bear and me was snuggly and warm." He stopped talking.

"Do you want a drink, Joey?"

"Pease, Unca Maxy. Firsty..."

"Are you okay to wait in here while I go and get you one?" Joey nodded. "What would you like?"

"Beena?" he asked hesitantly.

"Okay." Max said with a smile. He looked at the detective, "Would you like a drink?"

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

Max left the room and got a cup of blackcurrant squash ready for Joey. He took a couple of seconds to compose himself, feeling the strain from the day beginning to take its toll. He looked up when he heard footsteps and was surprised to see Joey running towards him. He crouched down and Joey ran at him, "What's wrong?" he asked.

"The man went... his fone rang and he ran outside. I was lone... and I got scared. Need my Unca Maxy... keep me safe..." He was crying much like he had been when he first arrived at the house now and Max again cradled him in his arms. He picked up the juice for him and went back into the lounge, resuming their place in the armchair. Joey was still crying as Max passed him the sippy cup but he calmed slightly as he began to drink. He was lying against Max's chest and after about ten minutes his eyes started to droop, opening again every couple of minutes as he fought to stay awake.

"Go to sleep, babe..." Max whispered, "Me and Bear will stay here with you..." He took the cup from Joey and put it on the arm of the chair. His fingers brushed through Joey's hair gently and after another ten minutes he was fast asleep. Max stared at his nephew and felt his love for the sweetest little boy grow even further.

**A/N: So Max and Tanya might have a fight on their hands to keep Joey with them. Did Grant being in the story surprise you? And Joey has finally started to tell them what happened the night before... Is it going to get worse for little Joey? Please send me a review. I'm loving the reviews I'm getting for this story... I hadn't expected to get as many as I've done so far... so a huge thank you (and I'll send you all a BearHug as a token of my appreciation). And for the guest reviews, as I can't reply to those, thank you so much for your kind words. Back tomorrow...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

"Sorry about that..." DCI Davis said as he walked back into the room. He stopped when he saw Joey asleep on Max's lap.

"He cried himself to sleep." Max said. "He was scared after you ran out of the house and got himself worked up. I don't think you'll get anymore out of him today, I'm afraid."

"I really need to document his statement while it's still fresh in his head."

"Can you come back after Christmas...?" He saw the man about to ask him something else. "He's a three year old boy who's trying to deal with his mum and sibling dying. He's scared and upset and he just needs a day or so of normality. Or as normal as it can be after what's happened."

"I'm working again on the 27th, how about I come back then?"

"That would be good."

He reached into his jacket, "I'll give you my card, call me on the morning and we'll arrange a time for me to come over, depending on Joey's schedule." Max took the card from him. "The call I took when I ran off was from someone in Manchester, he'd been asking around to see if anyone had heard from your brother. There's a chance we might have a lead. I'll contact you if we make any progress before I see you in a couple of days."

"Thanks." Max said.

"I'll see myself out. Merry Christmas." He added, "I hope Joey has a nice couple of days with you and your wife. I'll call social services before I finish tonight and speak to them about that social worker."

*JL*JL*

Jack and Tanya made their way back to stairs to the front of the door, "I'll clean that off the door in a minute," Jack said, nodding at the bloody handprints near the bottom of the door. The police had told him earlier that afternoon that they'd photographed them so it was now okay for them to clean them off.

"You don't need to do that, Jack... Max or I can..." Tanya said.

"Tan, you and Max focus on Joey... on bringing up that beautiful little boy. This is the least I can do... and don't worry about tomorrow. Carol's doing dinner at her house... we didn't think Joey would want everyone around him after what's happened." He said as they stood outside the front of the house, "You and Max spend the day with Joey."

"But I've got all the food..." She said.

"We could come over on Boxing Day... Joey will have had some time to get more used to things... but we'll all help you with the cooking, Tan... you should be taking it easy now."

"I'm pregnant, not an invalid..." she said.

"You've got two children to look after now, darling." He told her softly.

Jack watched as tears flooded her eyes, "Me and Sarah were doing this together..." she whispered, "She was my support... if I was worried about anything I would speak to her. She'd reassure me that everything was okay. I was looking forward to the two of us raising our children together... What do I do now, eh? Who's going to help me when I don't know what I'm doing?" she asked, her hand stroking her stomach. "Who's going to help me when I have a newborn and a three year old both crying their eyes out?" she asked, tears running down her face as she looked at her brother-in-law.

"Max will... we all will, Tan. You don't have to do this on your own. That's what family is for. As for who can advise you... Carol can, she's had her fair share of children," He said with a smirk, bringing a laugh from Tanya, "If you're worried, I'm sure she would be there to offer some advice. You aren't going to have to do this on your own, darling, I promise." He kissed her forehead softly before smiling at her, "Now we'd better get this shopping inside... and I don't know about you but I'm freezing."

They walked into the house and found it quiet. They paused in the doorway of the lounge, seeing Joey sleeping in Max's arms. Tanya leant against the doorframe and stared at them both. Max glanced up and looked at her, misery written across his face. "What's happened, Max?" she asked him softly.

"Later..." he whispered, hugging Joey a little tighter in his arms.

"Let me take the shopping into the kitchen and unpack it all." Jack said. "You go be with your family," he said.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya sat on the sofa together an hour or so later. Joey was still sleeping, wedged between the two of them. He had woken a couple of times since Jack had left. There had been tears on both occasions and he was definitely clinging to both of them which they understood. Neither of them really minded either, they were pleased he was comfortable with being at their house.

"What happened earlier, Max?" Tan asked her husband. She'd been able to see how something was playing on his mind.

"The bruises on his back were because Derek dropped him to the floor and he caught his back on the table. Then he went up to his room and him and Bear slept in the bottom of his wardrobe all night..." He looked up at Tanya, "Why did we not know, Tan? I don't think this was a one-off... I think it's been going on for ages. How could we not see it?" Tears fell from his eyes, "How could I not realise what my brother was really like? My godson... this beautiful little boy... what has he had to go through in his little life, eh?"

Tanya reached across and squeezed Max's hand, "We're going to be here for him, Max..." she said softly. If there had ever been any doubt in her mind about whether Max was ready to be a father, it was gone now. "Darling, he loves us and he trusts us... we're going to be able to give him a good life and he'll grow up happy, we'll make sure of it."

"DCI Davis is coming back on the 27th... to get the rest of Joey's statement."

"Well, it's just the three of us tomorrow, the family are coming over on Boxing Day. Carol and Jack thought it would easier on Joey if he had a day with just us."

"He'll be okay, right?" Max whispered.

"Of course he will... he's got us..."

*JL*JL*

They had a quiet night, watching TV with Joey then putting him to bed for an early night. Tanya read him a bedtime story as he sat between the pair of them in his bed. Bear was sitting on his lap and he looked at the pictures in the book and pointed out each item his aunt or uncle asked him to. Joey was far from being a stupid little boy, for a three year old he was really clever.

"Time for sleep now, Joey..." Max whispered as he pulled the covers up to Joey's chin. "You need to sleep so Santa can come tonight."

"He'll bring me pesents?" he asked.

"Of course he will, Joey." Tanya said, her hand brushing through his hair.

"We didn't put out mince pies and some beena for Santa or a carrot for Rudolf..." he suddenly said.

Tanya and Max shared a smile, "Then we'd better go and correct that now, hadn't we?" Max told him. He pushed down the covers and smiled as he saw the pyjamas Joey was wearing. Unlike the ones he'd been wearing this morning, that were now in the trash, these had feet on the bottom of them, with little treads on the bottom so he wouldn't slip over on the wooden floors. The design of his pyjamas was Thomas the Tank Engine – another favourite of his in addition to Fireman Sam. He helped Joey climb down from the bed and then the three of them walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tanya opened the tin of mince pies she'd fortunately baked the previous evening and she took out two of them and placed them on a plate. Max took a glass out of the cupboard and poured a small glug of whisky into it and Joey found a carrot in the vegetable rack. "So where should we put these then, Joey?"

"In the lounge, Unca Maxy..." he said.

"Pick up the carrot then," Max said, lifting the plate and glass and walking from the room into the lounge. Tanya walked behind Joey as he followed his uncle, the carrot tightly clutched in one hand, Bear in the other. They placed the goodies for Santa (and Rudolph) on the table and Joey looked up at his auntie and uncle with a satisfied look on his face.

"Kissmass is going to be okay now, Unca Maxy, Auntie Tan... Santa and Rudolf will know I's been a good boy, right?"

Max swung his nephew up into his arms and kissed his cheek, "Of course he will, Joey." He kissed Tan on the cheek, "I'll just take him back up, I'll be down in a few minutes, babe." He said. He carried Joey back up the stairs and tucked him into the bed again.

"Unca Maxy...?"

"Yes Joey," Max said as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"When I saw Santa earlier..." he whispered, "he asked me to tell him what I really want for Kissmass." He said.

"That's what all the little boys and girls do when they see Santa, Joey... it's fine."

"Do you fink he'll give me what I want?" he asked, staring at his uncle intensely.

"Why don't you tell me what you said and then I might be able to tell you."

"I fink I asked for too much," Joey whispered softly. "I could share it with Bear... so it won't just be a pesent for me, not weally."

Max knelt beside the bed and moved closer to Joey's head, "I think you, more than any other little boy I know, deserves to have an amazing Christmas and nothing you ask for could be too much, Joey."

Joey stared at him, his eyes filling with tears but he blinked them away, "I asked Santa if you and Auntie Tan could be my new mummy and daddy..." he murmured, "cos you love me lots and lots and I love you too." He added. Max's mouth ran dry as the innocence in his words got to him. "You fink I was wrong don't you?" he sighed and clutched Bear closer to him.

"I don't think you were wrong, Joey." He whispered. "Shall I tell you a secret?" he asked. Joey nodded, "If I'd been asked by Santa what I wanted for Christmas, I would've asked for a son just like you... because I love you more than anything else in the world..."

"Part from Auntie Tan..." Joey said quickly.

Max smiled, "Apart from Auntie Tan." He amended.

"So I wasn't being cheeky?" he asked.

"You weren't being cheeky, Joey." He leant forward and kissed him softly, "Now sleep, Joey... or Santa is never going to grant you that wish, is he?"

"I'd be happy with a truck if that's too much..." he said magnanimously and Max had to smile.

Max walked to the door and pulled it to, leaving the landing light on. He walked back downstairs and sat next to his wife, pulling her into his arms. He was quiet for some time as they watched TV but at the end of the programme, he muted it and turned to Tanya, "He asked Santa... or Grant really... if me and you could be his new mummy and daddy, Tan..." he said softly. "He wants to live with us..." he said.

Tanya looked at Max and saw the tears that had been threatening throughout the day start to fall. She hugged him tightly, her hand brushing the back of his neck. "Then we give him his wish, sweetheart." She whispered.

**A/N: So Joey told his Unca Maxy what he'd asked Santa for for Christmas... That must mean that tomorrow is Christmas Day, right... maybe... Let me know what you thought and send me a review. Back tomorrow.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

The couple spent the rest of the evening piling the presents they'd got for Joey by the Christmas tree. Fortunately between the two of them they'd spent a fortune on the small boy, which given he was now getting nothing from his parents and after everything he'd been through today he deserved to be spoilt. Max put the carrot back in the kitchen, then they sat down and ate one of the mince pies each and Max downed the whisky, which he definitely needed after the day they'd had.

"Why don't we have an early night?" Max said.

"Yeah, who knows what time Joey's going to have us up tomorrow..."

Max stepped closer to her, "We should get used to it because in a couple of months, this one will make its entrance," he said, rubbing his hand over her stomach and feeling the baby shift beneath his hand. "Then our sleep patterns are gonna be completely screwed..." They walked up to their room and were soon both in bed.

*JL*JL*

The screaming woke them both but it was Max that got out of bed and went to Joey, telling Tanya to go back to sleep. Max turned on the light in Joey's room and found him sitting up in bed, his covers twisted around him. He was still screaming and tears were streaming down his face. Max moved to him quickly and pulled him into a hug. The screaming stopped instantly as soon as he recognised it was Unca Maxy who was with him but he continued to cry, the sobs eventually fading away to leave hiccups in their place. Joey pulled away from his uncle, frantically starting to look in his bed for something, already on the verge of tears once more as another tragedy struck. Max realised what he was looking for and helping in his search, detangling his nephew from the covers in the process. It was Max who found Bear about two metres away from the bed, between a cupboard and a bookcase and he rescued him and returned him to the small boys clutches. Max went into the bathroom and got a damp flannel, washing away the tears from Joey's flushed face. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. Joey shook his head violently. "Can you go back to sleep now?" Max asked, his fingers brushing through Joey's hair. Another shake of the head. "Will you try for me?"

"Has Santa been yet?" Joey whispered, his words broken by two hiccups.

"I don't know, Joey... but we need to stay up here until the morning because it's bad luck to catch Santa leaving the presents."

"But there will be pesents?" he asked.

"I'm sure there will, Joey." Max said softly, "Lie down in bed for me..." Joey did as he was told, Bear hugged tightly to his chest. "Close your eyes," Max whispered. After a couple of minutes Joey's eyes were closed and Max kissed him on his forehead before getting to his feet and returning to his room.

"He okay?" Tanya whispered as he climbed into bed.

"A bad dream I think..." Max replied, "He didn't want to talk about it." He hugged Tanya and kissed her forehead, "Go back to sleep, babe..."

Five minutes later the door to their room was pushed open and there was the sound of small padded footsteps on the floor, "Unca Maxy...?"

Max opened his eyes and found Joey (and Bear) stood by the side of his bed, "Joey... you're supposed to be in bed..."

"I's scared..." he whispered. He was looking at his uncle, eyes wide open and he was biting his lip.

Max lifted the duvet and held out his arm towards his nephew, "Come on then..." he said. He lifted Joey onto the bed, placing him between him and Tanya and soon he had the little boy wrapped in his arms. "Why were you screaming, Joey?" Max tried again.

"Bad deam..." he whispered, his face burrowing into the Max's T-shirt, Bear hiding his face from sight.

Max kissed the top of his head softly, "Okay..." he whispered, "Sleep now..." he added. Joey shifted in the bed a couple of times, edging closer to Max. His hand that wasn't holding Bear soon gripped Max's forearm tightly. Max forced himself to stay awake until he knew for certain that Joey was asleep this time.

It only took ten minutes for Joey to start to relax in his arms. His hand was no longer clutching Max's quite as tightly. "Unca Maxy... keep me safe..." he whispered softly before his thumb slipped into his mouth and he was asleep. Max could hardly breathe as he heard those words and he was worried what led to them. He had a bad feeling there was still much they had to learn.

*JL*JL*

Joey woke twice more during the night, not screaming but once he sat bolt upright in the bed and said, 'Mummy' and the second time he just burst into tears. Max and Tanya comforted him both times and eventually got him back to sleep. As a result of all this, all three of them slept in late. Max was the first to wake up and he smiled when he saw that Joey was asleep on his back, spread-eagled between both of them. His left hand held Bear and it was resting on Max's chest. His right hand was reaching out towards Tanya. Max lifted the covers and saw that his right hand was resting on his wife's bump and from the looks of it, baby was on the move beneath where it rested.

He shook Joey awake softly and he opened his eyes and stared up at him, "Merry Christmas, Joey..." he said, brushing his hair back from his face.

"Mary Kissmass, Unca Maxy..." he said in a whisper.

"Do you want to help me make a special breakfast for Auntie Tan?" he asked. Joey nodded. "Come on then..." he said. He picked Joey up and laid him over his shoulder, hearing him giggle and struggle in his arms. "Have you got Bear?" he asked, pulling Joey off his shoulder and into his arms.

Joey shook his head. "I left him with Auntie Tan and the baby..." he said, "He's gonna look after them... keep them safe..." he whispered in Max's ear.

Max frowned but said nothing else until they were in the kitchen. He placed Joey on his feet next to him and walked over to the fridge. He opened it and looked inside, "What do you think Auntie Tan would like for breakfast, Joey?"

"Choklate cake?" Joey asked, looking at his uncle hopefully.

"I don't think she'll want that first thing in the morning, Joey..."

"Oh..." Joey's face fell.

Max smiled as he saw the look of disappointment on Joey's face. "How about we make her a fruit salad?" he asked.

"Boiled eggs and soldiers?" Joey said quickly, clearly not swayed by the idea of the fruit salad.

"Or how about cinnamon eggy bread?" Max said.

"Mmm, I fink Auntie Tan would love that..." Joey agreed, a serious expression on his face. "I fink she might like hot choklate too..." he said, "maybe with some magic cweam on top... and marshmallows?" he said, staring up at his uncle innocently.

"I think she might, Joey... good idea. And a glass of orange juice because baby likes that too."

"I fink baby will like the marshmallows more, Unca Maxy..." he said matter-of-factly.

"Okay, well we'll take them up there and see if Auntie Tan wants to add them to her hot chocolate." He pulled out the ingredients he needed for the eggy bread and placed them on the kitchen table. "So Joey... do you want to help me make the breakfast?"

"What do I haf to do, Unca Maxy?"

"Well, I'm going to go and get the stool for you to stand on but you have to promise me that you will stand still on the stool and you come nowhere near the oven... agreed?" Joey nodded. Max did as he said and Joey stood, watching with interest what his uncle was doing. It didn't take long to make and Max made the hot chocolate while the bread was cooking on the griddle pan. He poured the glass of orange juice and grabbed a tray from the cupboard, putting three plates, some cutlery and two glasses on it. He put the two mugs on the tray and then turned to Joey, "Do you want to put the cream on the chocolate?" he asked, "With my help..."

"Can I?" he asked.

"Yes..." Max said, lifting Joey down off the stool and placing him on the floor again. He got the spray cream from fridge and shook it. He held the can upside down above one cup and held his hand out towards Joey. He stood in front of him and looked up at Max's face. "I'll put my thumb on the button and you press on my thumb with your thumbs okay?" Joey nodded and he did as his uncle said, the cream squirting haphazardly onto the chocolate and making Joey giggle. They repeated the action on the other mug.

"Who's the uva mug for, Unca Maxy?" Joey asked as Max put the cream away again.

"It's for you, Joey... but you're going to be really careful when you drink it so you don't burn yourself." He opened a cupboard and reached onto a top shelf, pulling a bag of mini marshmallows off the shelf, "Shall we go and see if you're right about the baby liking these?" Joey clapped his hands and smiled broadly as he saw his uncle pick up the tray. Joey ran ahead of his uncle, "Go carefully on the stairs, Joey..." he reminded him, waiting until his nephew was a good six or seven stairs ahead of him. "What have you got to say to Auntie Tanya after I wake her up?"

"Mary Kissmass..." Joey whispered.

"Good boy..." Max said, "No bouncing on the bed either, Joey. You'll make baby sick and spill the food... so you need to be calm and sit still, okay?"

"Yes, Unca Maxy... I be good boy, pomise..."

"Can you reach the door handle to push it open... but do it quietly, Joey?" Joey nodded and quietly turned the door handle, pushing the door open slowly and peeking his head inside. Max followed Joey through the door, impressed by how quiet he was being. Joey stood beside the bed while Max put the tray on the side. He then lifted Joey and the two of them sat on the bed. Max leant down and kissed Tanya softly on the lips. She stirred slightly and then opened her eyes and stared up at him. She then turned her head slightly and saw Joey sitting beside Max.

"There are my two favourite boys..." she said.

Joey looked up at Max and he nodded his head, "Mary Kissmass Auntie Tan..." he said, "And mary Kissmass to baby too..."

Tanya smiled at him and lifted his hand off the bed, placing it on her bump, "Baby's saying it back to you as well, Joey..." She sent a smile to her husband, her eyes filling with tears slightly which Max found a little confusing... but he would worry about that later.

"Joey and I prepared you breakfast, babe..." Max said, turning and lifting the tray, putting it down on the mattress in front of her.

"Wow... this looks amazing..." Tanya said.

"I helped Unca Maxy put the cweam on the hot choklates..." Joey told her. He reached across the tray, Max grabbing him around the waist at the last second to stop him spilling everything. Joey bit his lip, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around his knees, curling up into a little ball and starting to cry. "Sowwy... sowwy... sowwy..." he sobbed, flinching away from them both as they tried to comfort him.

"Joey, it's okay... No harm done..." Tanya told him softly. She pulled him against her body and hugged him, not letting him move away when he tried to pull away from her. "What were you trying to show me, sweetheart?" she asked him, her hand brushing gently through his hair.

He lifted his head and hiccupped a couple of times. "We bringed up marshmallows... for the choklate..."

"You did... well then we must have them now." Tanya proclaimed. She reached for the smallest cup and the bag of marshmallows she now saw on the tray. She popped a couple of them into the top of the mug and felt the side of it, finding it was cooler than the other mug.

"I put some extra milk in to cool it down..." Max said, his eyes still fixed on Joey, who seemed to be ignoring him.

"Here's your hot chocolate, Joey," Tanya said, "How about I hold the mug while you take a sip... blow on it first though, darling, so it doesn't burn your mouth." He blew into the mug a couple of times and Tanya helped him, then she held the mug while he took a small mouthful. "Is that nice?" she asked. Joey nodded and she giggled at him.

"Why you laffing at me, Auntie Tan?"

"You've got a creamy moustache, Joey..." She wiped away the cream before swooping down and kissing him softly. "Do you want some eggy toast, darling?" she asked and Joey nodded his head. Max put a slice on the plate he'd brought up for him and cut it into pieces for him. "Can you sit with your legs crossed, Joey?" Tanya said. He nodded his head and did as she asked. Max passed him the plate. He kissed the top of his head softly.

Joey looked at him and Max could see the fear in his eyes. It was a look that hurt him more than any other could. "You aren't in trouble, Joey... I swear to you."

Joey picked up a small piece of the toast and began to eat it. Max put his arm around his nephew, squeezing him slightly and feeling relieved when Joey didn't flinch from him. The family ate in silence, Tanya continuing to help Joey with his hot chocolate. Both of them found they were constantly touching Joey, hoping to reassure him that everything was okay. When they were done it was time to go downstairs. Tanya got out of the bed and turned to Joey, "Come on little man..." she said, holding her arms out to him. Max helped him to his feet and Tanya lifted him into her arms. "Shall we go and change you, darling?" He nodded his head as it rested on her shoulder. She walked them into his room and she changed his pants, again he chose to have another pair on. Tanya was more than aware from Sarah that Joey had pretty much been potty trained before this all happened. She was sure it was just a step back because of the emotional turmoil he'd gone through but it was a concern and her and Max needed to talk about this. She knew there was so much he still hadn't told them. "Where did you leave Bear?" she asked as she was putting his pyjamas back on him.

"He was looking after you and the baby when Unca Maxy and I made beckfast..." he said, frowning in concern as he realised he didn't have him anymore.

"You looking for something?" Max said from the doorway.

"Bear... has gone astray..." Tanya said as she lifted Joey back onto his feet.

"You mean this bear here?" Max said as he held Bear up in his hand.

Joey smiled widely and ran to his uncle, wrapping his arms around his legs in a hug. Max bent down and lifted Joey in his arms, passing him Bear. He held his hand out towards Tanya and then the three of them walked downstairs. "Did Santa come last night?" Joey whispered.

"We'll see in a minute when we're in the lounge, darling..." Tanya said.

Max lowered him to the floor, "Why don't you open the door, Joey?"

Joey twisted the door handle and pushed the door open. "Wow..." he gasped. "Are they for me?" he asked.

"Of course they are, Joey." Max said.

"Din't Santa leave you and Auntie Tan pesents?" he asked.

"He did..." Tanya said, taking his hand and leading him over to the Christmas tree. She crouched beside him and turned on the lights of the tree. "Doesn't it look pretty with all the presents under the tree like that?" she asked him. He nodded his head, staring at the fairy lights on the tree.

"It looks weally pitty, Auntie Tan..." he whispered. The doorbell rang and Joey froze in her arms, glancing at her face.

"I'll get it," Max said, pulling the door to the lounge shut as he walked to the front door. He wasn't sure who it could be at the door on Christmas Day. He opened it and was surprised to see Grant on the doorstep.

"Max..." He said, nodding his head in greeting. "I saw you were up and I wanted to bring these over to you now."

"Bring what?"

Grant looked behind him and nodded to someone he couldn't see. He turned back to Max, "Everyone heard about what happened yesterday... about Joey..." he said softly, an emotion he rarely showed. "He spoke to me yesterday and told me his Christmas wish... and it got me thinking." He glanced behind him again, a smile appearing on his face, "Me and some of the others were talking about it in the afternoon and we wanted to try and make Joey's Christmas a bit more special... after everything." Max frowned as he noticed other people walking up the steps to their house behind Grant. He was surprised to see Nigel Bates, Grant's brother, Phil, Alfie, Michael and Spencer Moon, Steve Owen and David Wicks. "These are presents for him, donated by everyone who was at the Vic yesterday..." Grant continued, "Everyone feels really bad about what's happened. He's a sweet kid and he doesn't deserve this. We look after our own in Walford..."

"Thank you... And please, thank everyone who gave something."

"How is Joey?" Alfie asked.

"He has ups and downs..." Max admitted, "The next few days are going to be tough on him."

"But he has you and Tanya..." Grant said.

"Yeah... we've been given custody of him, at least until the New Year... then," Max shrugged. "Sorry, please, bring those in," He said and he held the door wider so they could enter the hallway. "If you could leave them there?" Max said, pointing to the floor of the hallway, "I'd say you could take them into the lounge but Joey's in there with Tan and he's a bit skittish around people."

"It's perfectly understandable..." Grant said, clearly spokesman for everyone.

Soon there was a substantial pile of gifts stacked on the floor. Each man made their way back out of the house, shaking Max's hand or clasping their hand on his shoulder as they made their way back out of the house. Max shut the door once they were all gone and he headed back towards the lounge.

"Who was that?"

"Some of the guys from the Square..." Max said softly.

"On Christmas Day...?" Max walked over and he picked Joey up in his arms. In a repeat of his actions in Joey's room he took Tanya's hand and walked them towards the hallway. He opened the door and stopped, letting them see the pile of presents. "What are they?"

"Presents for Joey..." He said softly.

"For me?" Joey whispered.

"Yeah... everyone wanted to get you a present so you would know how much they all love you and because you've been a really good boy."

"Daddy was wrong, Unca Maxy, wasn't he?" Joey whispered.

"About so many things, Joey..." Max murmured, kissing the side of Joey's head.

"I'm going to get a pad of paper and a pen," Tanya said, "So we can make a list of who gave you what and then later this week we're going to sit down and write thank you letters to all those nice people, Joey."

"'Kay, Auntie Tan."

The small family unit spent the next couple of hours opening the presents from the residents of Walford. There were toy cars, books, a couple of DVDs (Fireman Sam and Thomas the Tank Engine), some colouring books and a large teddy bear that Joey thought was nice but not quite as good as Bear was... and certainly not a replacement for his bestest friend. Once Auntie Tan finished making a list of who to thank for what and Uncle Max had cleared away all the wrapping paper, there was still a large pile of presents for Joey to open – this time from his auntie and uncle.

Max and Tanya had both noticed the almost constant yawning from the little boy though and so Joey was tucked up under a blanket on the couch, Bear tucked in with him. They left him to get some sleep, moving into the kitchen to work out what they could have for dinner.

"What was with the tears earlier, babe?" Max asked as they both sat at the kitchen table.

She smiled at him, "Whenever Joey speaks to the baby... or touches my bump, it responds to him." She told him.

"Really?" Max asked. She nodded her head.

"Do you think we should see about getting Joey to speak to a counsellor, Max?" Tanya asked.

"Let's see how the next few days go, eh?"

"I think we're going to have to potty train him again..." Tanya said, "He just doesn't seem that interested now and Sarah said he'd pretty much got the hang of it..." She told him, "Now he's not even prepared to try."

"He's been through a lot," Max said.

"I know that... I just thought maybe we should consider a counsellor... Do you have any idea how to handle this because I don't? I want him to be that happy little boy again..."

"Let's see if DCI Davis can suggest anything when we see him the day after tomorrow." Max said.

**A/N: Poor Joey... now he's having nightmares... I wonder if he'll say what they're about? It's definitely going to be a bumpy ride for a little while for all of the Brannings. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

They had been in the kitchen for about forty minutes when they heard running footsteps and the kitchen door was shoved open, "UNCA MAXY... UNCA MAXY..." Joey flung himself against his uncle, scrambling to try and get onto his lap.

"Joey, what's wrong...?" he asked as he picked Joey up off the floor.

"Bad deam..." he gasped, burying his face in his uncle's chest, both hands gripping the dressing gown he was still wearing.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Max asked as he tried to soothe him. Joey shook his head. "Sometimes it helps to talk about stuff, Joey..." he said softly, "It might make the bad dreams go away."

Joey pushed away from his uncle and looked up at his face, "You fink so?" he asked.

"I can't say for certain but it's got to be worth a try... you need to be able to get some sleep, Joey."

"I deam about mummy and daddy," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears. He nestled against Max again, his hand gripping his uncle's arm.

"What about, Joey?" Tanya asked.

"About what happened..." he said, his eyes locked on his hand as it held tightly to his uncle.

"Wait a second, Joey..." Max said, nodding to Tanya as she stood and went to get a tape recorder. She set it up and pressed record. "Okay, Joey... tell me and your Auntie Tan about the dream you keep having."

"It's when mummy and daddy were fighting."

"The other night?" Max asked.

"Sometimes..." he said, "Or it was other times..."

"What happens when mummy and daddy are fighting?" Max asked.

"Mummy kies..." he whispered, glancing up at his uncle. "Daddy hurts her."

"You told us that mummy would send you up to your room when they would start to fight. Did you ever see them fighting?"

"Sometimes I would sneak back downstairs... if it went quiet I would go to see if mummy was okay..." he said softly, his eyes glazing over slightly as he seemed to get caught up in his thoughts. "Sometimes though, the fighting would start again and I'd see them."

"And the other night... what happened then?"

"They got louder and I could hear they were outside my bedroom. Bear and me was in the warbode and we was tying to 'tend we were here... so we knew we would be safe." Max and Tanya shared a look but Joey didn't notice. "Then it was all quiet..." he whispered, "Me and Bear was bave and we got out of the warbode... but Bear got really scared again so he stayed in my bed while I went to see if mummy was okay."

"And was she?"

Joey shook his head, "She was kying weally hard and I went to give her a hug but daddy came out of their room and he sceamed at me... telling me I was naughty." He curled up a little smaller on Max's lap, "I was so scared, I wet myself and that just made him kosser." He shuddered against his uncle and Max brushed his hand over his back. "I'd changed into my jimjams when I went up to my woom but I couldn't find my pull-up pants that I put on at bedtime." He whispered. "Mummy took me into my woom and she sorted me out but I could hear daddy banging and cashing downstairs." Tears fell down his face as he spoke. "Mummy tucked me into bed and kissed me nu-night and she shut the door to my woom when she left." He looked at his auntie, "She always leaves the door open and the landing light on but she shut it that night..." He closed his eyes, "I tied to sleep but it was too loud... daddy was shouting and things were breaking and then mummy sceamed." He stopped speaking for about a minute and Tanya and Max watched him. He seemed confused by what he was remembering, "I din't hear anyfing after that. I stayed wake for a long time but no one came upstairs. Mummy din't come to check on me. I thought they'd gone... and I got out of bed, Bear stayed behind cos he's a bit scaredy..." He blinked and looked at Max, his eyes so wide and full of tears. "Mummy was lying at the bottom of the tairs. I went down to her but she din't answer when I said her name. I held her hand cos she would do that if I fell over and it always makes me feel better... but it din't work. She din't move or wake up. I sat with her for a long time." He paused and turned to Tanya, "Can I have a dink please, Auntie Tan?"

"What would you like, Joey?"

"Can I haf warm milk?" he asked.

"Of course you can, sweetheart." Tanya stood and a couple of minutes later she gave him a sippy cup with some warm milk in it. Joey drank from the cup for some time, Max running his fingers through his short dark hair.

"How long did you sit with her for, Joey?" Tanya asked when he put the cup on the table.

"A weally long time... it was cold but I din't want to leave her alone. And I din't know what to do. I heard daddy's alarm going off upstairs and I membered you saying you got up at the same time as daddy so I knew I could come to you... I was scared though... it was dark outside still but it was dark at home too so I opened the front door... I had to stand on my tiptoes to weach the handle and I nearly fell over but then I was out of the door and I ran down the path." He bit his lip and looked at his uncle and auntie, "I thought you would tell me off cos I boke mummy's rules and was on the street outside the house on my own... and then I did it again and kossed the road to your house and I forgot to look to see if it was safe to do so but I wanted my Unca Maxy..." he whispered. "I din't want to be on my own no more..."

"You did the right thing, Joey." Tanya reassured him. "But you're right... you shouldn't do that again in the future unless me or Uncle Max are around... or Uncle Jack or Auntie Carol..." she added quickly.

"So in your dreams, Joey... what happens?" Max asked him softly.

"Me and Bear are in my warbode and then the door opens and daddy's there and he's shouting at us both. He drags me out of it and I drop Bear..." He takes a deep breath and bites his lip, "He's shouting at me but I can't hear what he's saying. He pushes me and I'm falling down the stairs... and then I wake up..." he whispered.

He starts crying again and Max hugs him tightly, shedding his own tears as he takes in what Joey's just told them. Tanya is right there with them, her pregnancy hormones making her more emotional anyway but seeing the toddler and her husband both crying is much more than she can handle.

Eventually the tears have subsided and Tanya get a tissue and wipes away Joey's tears and then his runny nose. "I think the time for tears is over for now, Joey... it's Christmas Day and I'm pretty sure there's a rather large pile of presents in the lounge for a rather special little boy... are you up for that?"

He nodded his head but yawned widely as he did so, "I's tired though, Auntie Tan..." he said softly.

"Maybe you should go up to your room and get some sleep..." she suggested softly.

He held his arms up and she lifted him up into her arms, feeling him hug her tightly, "Can I stay down here with you and Unca Maxy?" he whispered in her ear, "I's too scared..." he told her.

Tanya stared at him and the look on his face tore at her already fraught emotions, "Okay, Joey..." she said softly. She walked into the lounge and sat on the couch, lowering him to her lap. He laid against her, resting his head on her chest as she located Bear and gave him to him. She watched as he put Bear in the crook of his arm and then slipped his thumb in his mouth. His eyes drifted closed after a few minutes and she continued to watch him. She realised his other hand was resting on her bump and as she sat there she felt a little kick from her unborn child against his hand. His hand brushed her stomach as he slept and Tanya smiled at him softly.

**A/N: So we now know what Joey's having nightmares about and what has been happening. How sad was that? Is that all of it though? Let me know what you think? Back tomorrow...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Dear Rude Guest Reviewer (you know who you are),**

**I wasted my time reading your review and didn't find it very interesting either. I'm sorry that the story has bad memories for you but that doesn't excuse your total disrespect for me as a story writer or your unequivocal rudeness. Read the story or don't read the story that's up to you. You'll get no spoilers about the story from me because then there's no point in me posting the chapters. And I've spent five months of my life writing this and there is little point in me wasting all that time if I tell everyone what's going to happen! I would appreciate it, in the future, if you can't say anything nice about my story that you don't bother to review at all. As it is, it's difficult for me to respond to your review when you're a guest reviewer anyway... One last thing, are you feeling ignored now?**

**74CrazyChick**

**Rant over... On with the chapter...**

**Chapter 11.**

Joey had been sleeping for three hours and while he was, Max and then Tanya went and got dressed. Jack came round early in the afternoon, while Joey was back on Tanya's lap. There was another pile of presents from him, Carol and Jim and Dot in his arms.

"What are all those?" Jack asked, looking at the presents that had been unwrapped earlier.

"Grant and some of the others brought them over earlier... everyone in the square got a present for Joey." Max explained. He wiped his hand over his face.

"How are you both handling it?"

"What... the fact that our brother killed his wife... or the fact he's been abusing her and Joey for god knows how long?" Max snapped. "Or the fact that none of us knew what was going on...?"

"Max..." Tanya whispered, glancing at Joey as he stirred slightly at Max's raised voice.

"Sorry..."

Jack placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Let's go back to mine for a while...?" he said.

"I can't leave Tan on her own with Joey... what about if he needs me?" Max said.

"She can call you... It's across the street, Max." Jack said. "Just give yourself a few minutes breather, okay?"

"Go on, Max. We'll be here when you come back and then we can sort out this one and get something to eat."

*JL*JL*

About an hour after Max went off with Jack, Joey woke up. He looked around the room as soon as his eyes opened. "Where's Unca Maxy?" he asked.

"Uncle Jack came over and Uncle Max went back to his house with him for a little while. He'll be home soon..." Tanya reassured him.

"Is he koss with me?" Joey whispered.

"No, darling... the only person he's cross with is your daddy for being so mean to you." She said softly. "Now why don't we go upstairs and change you into some nice clean clothes rather than your jimjams?" she suggested.

"Can I haf bubbles in my baf?" he asked her.

"Of course." She said, smiling at him. He nodded his head and the two of them walked up the stairs to the bathroom.

When Joey was sitting in the bath he looked at his auntie, "Auntie Tan?" he asked.

"Yes, darling...?"

"Am I living here now?" he asked, watching her face carefully.

"Your Uncle Max and I hope you are, yes. For the time being, you are staying with us... but we need to speak to some people to get them to agree to us having you forever."

"But you want me to stay here?" he asked.

"More than anything, Joey." She said.

"Even afer the baby's here?" he said, his eyes widening.

"Definitely," she said, her heart breaking slightly at the vulnerability his question displayed. He was quiet for a few minutes, his hands pushing bubbles around the water as he thought through what she'd just said. "What are you thinking, sweetheart?" she asked him when she saw him frown.

"Are you and Unca Maxy going to be my new mummy and daddy?" he whispered.

"Oh, Joey," she breathed, her hands cupping his head as she leant forward and kissed his forehead. "We would like that very much... if you wanted to..." she told him softly.

"Can I call you mummy?" he asked.

"I would be flattered if you would..." she said.

"What does fattered mean?" he asked.

"It's flattered..." she repeated with a smile, "and it means I would love for you to call me mummy."

"I still love my mummy though..." he told her.

"I know you do, Joey... and so you should..."

"I could call you mummy Tan...?" he said softly.

She nodded her head, "I think that would be a good idea, Joey." She said, brushing her fingers through his hair.

"Is it okay for me to still love daddy?" he asked, tilting his head to one side. "Even if he scares me and hurt me and he made mummy dead?"

"He's still your daddy, Joey and he always will be. I should imagine there will always be a little bit of you that loves him."

Again he goes quiet but it's not for as long this time, "So will I still be a big brother?" he asked.

"Would you like that, Joey?" She asked and he's nodding his head so fast she wonders if he'll get whiplash, even before she finished the question, "Then I think this little one will love having you as an older brother." She told him with a smile. "Would you like a brother or a sister, Joey?"

"I finked I wanted a baby brother but I now I fink I'd like to be big brother to a little sister." He said carefully.

"Well in a few months time we're going to find out, Joey... and in the mean time me and your Uncle Max," she started.

"Daddy Maxy?" he whispered hesitantly.

"Of course, Joey..." she said, "So me and daddy Max are going to spend time with you, making sure you're settled here and that you know how much we love you."

"I love you too, mummy Tan..." he said.

"That's a good thing, Joey..." She told him, "That water must be getting cold by now... shall we wash your hair?"

"Pease..." he said.

Tanya pressed her finger on the tip of his nose, her hand then settling on his back, "Lie back in the water, Joey..." she told him, "then I can wet your hair for you before we wash it." He leant back in the water and she used her free hand to brush his hair off his face and wet it through. "Did you know I do this for a living, Joey?"

"You're pitty good at it, mummy Tan..." he said, closing his eyes as he sat back up and she massaged shampoo into his hair.

"Why thank you, kind sir..." she whispered. "Lie back again, Joey..." He did and she rinsed his hair. Ten minutes later she lifted him from the bath and rubbed him with the large white fluffy towel that almost drowned him. She lifted him and carried him into his room. He escaped her clutches as soon as she put him on the floor and she laughed as he ran across the room, completely naked. "Joey, you'll get a chill..." she giggled, trying to maintain a straight face and failing spectacularly.

"Mummy Tan... you've got to catch me..." he laughed and darted around the room.

"Joey... come here so I can put some clothes on you." She said. He ran round the room several times but eventually came to a stop in front of her. She grabbed him while he was stood still and wrapped the towel back round him, rubbing the towel through his hair. She lifted him onto her lap, "So are we going to try pull-up pants today or are you ready to do the big-boy pants and using your potty again like you were doing before?"

"Morrow?" he whispered, "maybe..." he added. He was watching her carefully, "Are you koss wif me?" he asked.

"Never, darling... just a little worried about you, that's all."

"Why?"

"Because your mummy told me you were doing so well with the potty and I don't want that to change."

"What if I haf an accident again... wouldn't you and daddy Maxy be angwy wif me?" he asked.

"We wouldn't, Joey... accidents happen. People make mistakes all the time, that's how you learn things, by making a mistake and knowing not to do that in the future."

"Morrow..." he whispered and Tanya nodded at him.

"Tomorrow." She said, kissing his forehead softly. She put a pair of pull-up pants on him and dressed him in some of the clothes Jack had brought the day before. "Let's go downstairs and wait for daddy Max, okay?" she said. He nodded and took her hand, walking behind her down the stairs, his free hand gripping the banister.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat on Tanya's lap as she ran a comb through his damp hair. Every now and again he winced as she encountered a knot. She didn't fail to notice that his eyes were locked on the window, "What are you looking at, Joey?" she asked.

"Looking for Daddy," he whispered.

"He'll be home soon..."

"Where do you fink my daddy is?"

Tanya knew he was no longer talking about her husband. "I don't know, Joey... but there are a lot of people looking for him and I'm sure they'll find him very soon. You just need to remember he can't get anywhere near you and will never hurt you again."

"I know that..." Joey said, turning to look at her. "You and Daddy Maxy will keep me safe." His eyes drifted to the pile of presents that were still waiting to be opened.

"Why don't you go and play with some of your new toy cars, Joey..." She suggested, "Oh and Joey, what would you like for dinner today?" she asked him. "Anything you want..."

"Don't we haf turkey today?" he asked.

"Normally yes... but the family are all coming over here tomorrow so we're going to have Christmas dinner then instead."

"But it's Kissmas day today, Mummy Tan...?" he said, his tone clearly saying he thought she was slightly insane.

"After what happened yesterday, your Uncle Jack and Auntie Carol thought we should have a day just for the three of us... and they thought you might not want to be crowded by everyone as well because you were so upset."

"But it's Kissmas today?"

"It is but we're having a day where it's just me and Daddy Max and you..."

"And the baby..." Joey added.

The baby kicked as he spoke and Tanya smiled. "And the baby..."

"So it's still peshal?" he asked.

"Even more special, Joey because you are our priority..."

"What's priroty?"

"It means you are very important to us and we want to spend lots of time with you..."

"But Daddy Maxy is gone?"

"Daddy Max is upset about what your daddy did to you, Joey and he needed a time out so he's with Uncle Jack for a little while. He'll be back soon..."

"Okay..." he said, although he was still frowning.

"So what do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Beans on toast?" he asked, biting his lip when he thought she would say no.

"I think we can manage that, darling," She hugged him gently and then lifted him off her lap and back onto his feet where he toddled off to play with his new cars. Once he was happily playing she walked into the kitchen and checked to make sure she had what she needed for their simple dinner. Given they were having a huge lunch and tea tomorrow when the rest of the family descended on them it made sense to have something small tonight. She heard the front door open and paused, listening to hear her husband walk in the house. She smiled as she heard the scampering of tiny feet following by the cry of 'DADDY MAXY!' from their owner. The kitchen door opened moments later and in walked Max looking slightly confused as he carried Joey in his arms.

"Did I miss something?" he asked her softly.

She smiled at him, "Joey asked if he could call us mummy and daddy. I said we would love it if he wanted to call us that... so you're Daddy Maxy and I'm Mummy Tan." She told him. He smiled at her before turning his attention to Joey.

"I finked you's left..." he whispered.

"I would never leave, Joey..." Max said gently.

"Good... would miss Daddy Maxy too much..." he murmured, resting his head on his uncle's shoulder.

"I would miss you too..." Max whispered, kissing him softly. "What's for dinner tonight then, mummy?" he asked Tanya with a smile.

"Beans on toast... as requested by a certain little man we both know and love."

"That's me, Daddy Maxy..." Joey said innocently.

"Is it?" Max asked in shock. "Well as it's you, it sounds like we're having beans on toast for tea tonight, doesn't it?" Joey waved his hands in the air, cheering at what his uncle had just said. His reaction made both the adults laugh. "So, is it present time yet?" he asked.

"PESENTS!" Joey cried, a huge smile on his face that neither of them had thought they would see again several times over the last day or so.

"Let's go and start opening them and then I'll make our tea later..." Tanya said.

*JL*JL*

Joey was super excited as he opened each present from his auntie and uncle. His fire truck was quickly pronounced his favouritest thing ever when he opened it... for at least a couple of minutes anyway, until he opened the next present which was just as exciting. Max and Tanya watched, delighted by the joy they could see on the little boy's face. Once all the presents were unwrapped he walked over to where they sat and hugged them both tightly, "Fank you, mummy and daddy."

**A/N: So Joey is pretty adorable, right? Let me know what you think so far. Back tomorrow...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

Max put Joey to bed that night, staying with him until he was asleep. He looked at him as he lay in bed, the duvet pulled up under his arms, Bear's head peeking out of the top as well. He thought through what had happened in the last few hours. He wasn't sure he knew how to describe how it felt when Joey called him daddy. In that moment he'd wanted it really badly. He wanted Joey to be his son... he'd never wanted anything quite as much as that one thing. Joey shifted slightly in the bed and Max looked at him, holding his breath and hoping he didn't wake up again. He didn't and once he was settled once more Max got to his feet and left the room. He pulled the door to and left the landing light on as he walked down the stairs.

"Joey okay?" Tanya asked. Max nodded, "Are you?"

"Kinda overwhelmed, you know?" Max admitted. He sat down and pulled her into his arms. "I wasn't expecting to feel this way," he said softly.

"About what?"

"Hearing him call me daddy like that?" he told her. He reached across and rested his hand on their child, "I know in a few months I'm going to be a dad... and I thought I was ready but hearing him say that... it took my breath away, Tan..."

"It did me too..." she whispered. "He's going to be okay, isn't he?" she asked him. "He's scared Derek is going to come and find him, Max."

"That will never happen, babe." He said, "He'd have to go through me and Jack and all of the men in the square before he would get anywhere near him."

"I can't believe they all brought those presents over this morning."

"Me either." Max said, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Grant Mitchell... secret softie..." Tanya said with a giggle. "Who'd have thought?"

"Not me, that's for certain."

"Is Joey going to be okay with all the family around tomorrow, do you think?"

"I hope so... we'll be there for him, he knows that." Max yawned, "Why don't we go to bed? It's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Okay." Tanya said. They spent the next few minutes going around the house, turning off lights and locking windows and doors. Max led Tanya up to their room and it wasn't long before they were both in bed.

*JL*JL*

The door opened and Tanya opened her eyes, she'd only been dozing because the baby was using her insides as a punching bag. "Unca Maxy?" his urgent whisper broke the silence.

Tanya sat up, "What is it, Joey?" she asked. He looked at her and she could see the tears on his face. She held out her hand and he ran around to her side of the bed, holding up his arms so she could lift him up. She hugged him tightly, "What's wrong?"

"There was a stange noise in my room..." he whispered, "I thought it was daddy trying to get to me... me and Bear got scared..."

"Do you want to come in here with me and Uncle Max?" she asked, smiling when she felt him nod his head vigorously. "Come on then..." she said. He moved off her lap and lay on the bed between the two adults, shifting closer to Tanya and pressing himself against her side. Tanya ran her hand up and down his back. The baby kicked hard and she moaned, her hand brushing over her stomach, trying to soothe the baby.

Joey put his hand on her bump, brushing over it, "Top it, baby..." he whispered, "You're making mummy hurt and that's not good..." he murmured. Tanya smiled as she heard his words and she squeezed him in her arms. It took her several seconds to realise the baby had stopped moving. It seemed the little boy she was holding had the magic touch. Tanya waited until Joey fell asleep again before she let herself drift off.

*JL*JL*

Tanya opened her eyes and saw her husband staring at her, "I see we had a little visitor again last night?" he said with a smile, glancing down at where Joey was still sleeping, his head resting on his wife's chest.

"Yeah, he said he heard something in his room and I didn't have the heart to make him go back there." She smiled slightly, "It was a good thing..." she told him, "He managed to get the baby to stop moving so we were both able to get a few more hours sleep."

"Good..." he said. "How about I look after this one while you go and have a nice bath... see if that'll settle baby for the day?" She nodded and Max eased Joey away from her, "I'll go down and put the oven on. Do you need me to do anything for dinner?" he asked.

"It'll be fine, Carol told Jack she was going to help with the food." Tanya said, "I'd better get up, I need the loo..." she told him.

"Bladder the size of a pea..." Max said with a smile.

"Laugh it up all you want, Max... it's your baby that's doing this."

"My baby?" he said, smiling as Joey murmured daddy in his sleep, "I thought it was something we did together, babe..."

*JL*JL*

Joey stood uncomfortably on the second step from the bottom of the stairs, shifting from foot to foot. "I feel toopid..." he mumbled.

"You look as cute as a button, Joey," Tanya said, pulling his jumper straight and taking one of his hands in each of hers. "Are you okay about today?" He nodded, "You're not worried about seeing all the family?" she asked, then worrying about whether she was inflicting her own worry on him.

"I'll be good, Mummy Tan," he said.

"You always are, Joey," she said softly, kissing him softly on the forehead. The doorbell rang and she went to answer it, hearing her husband walking around upstairs having been delayed in getting himself ready after he'd sorted Joey out. She opened the door and saw Jack standing on the doorstep.

"Merry Christmas, Tan..." Jack said, walking into the house and kissing her cheek. "Joey!" he said, bending down and holding out his arms for his nephew who ran to him and hugged him tightly.

"Mary Kissmas, Unca Jack..." he said.

"How's my favourite nephew doing?" He asked him.

"I's okay, Unca Jack... apart from this jumper..." he whispered loudly, "It's itchy..." he confided as he pulled away from his uncle and tugged at the neck.

"Oh dear..." Jack said, "Well I may have a solution for that..." he said, holding out a present towards him, "Open this..."

Joey tugged at the paper but frowned at his uncle when he saw what was inside. "Well, that's nice isn't it, Joey?" Tanya said. Joey nodded but they could both tell he wasn't convinced. "I think Uncle Jack is suggesting we put this on beneath your sweater that Grandma Dot knitted for you." Joey nodded again.

Jack smirked and turned his nephew's head towards him, "Joey, it's a white shirt... you can never have too many white shirts and I think you're big enough to wear one now... being the big little boy you are, so here is your first one."

"Fank you Unca Jack." He said.

"How about I help you put it on and then we can put the sweater back on you and see if it stops being so itchy?" Jack said. Joey nodded, holding the shirt out towards him. They walked into the lounge, Joey holding Jack's hand and Jack eased the red sweater over his head, trying not to smile at the pained expression on his nephew's face. Joey wrapped his arms around his body, conscious of the bruises that could be seen. Jack glanced at them, hating his eldest brother intensely as he saw the finger marks on Joey's little arms. Jack shook out the folded shirt and undid the buttons on the front. Joey straightened his arms and slid one of them into the shirtsleeve. The other soon followed into its partner and the little boy turned to face him again. Jack did the buttons of the shirt up and then tucked it into the black trousers he was wearing. He looked quite adorable in a cheeky kind of way. "Let's put the sweater back on, so it makes Grandma Dot smile when they get here... and she'll know how much you love her..."

"Can't I put it on later? When Gandma gets here?"

"No, Joey... it's Christmassy and she'll be here soon anyway." Tanya said from where she sat in the armchair.

"But..."

"No buts, Joey..." Tanya said.

"Okay, Mummy..." Joey said as Jack slipped the jumper back over his head. He didn't see the shocked expression on his uncle's face as he glanced at his sister-in-law. Once the jumper was in place Jack straightened the collar of the shirt so it stopped the jumper from tickling his neck again.

"Is that better?" he asked.

"Yes, fank you Unca Jack."

"Why don't you go and show Daddy?" Tanya said.

"'Kay Mummy..." Joey said, running out of the room and scrabbling up the stairs to find Max.

"That's new..." Jack said softly.

"He asked if he could call us mummy and daddy... and if it makes him happy..."

"He seems better today than he did on Christmas Eve..."

"It's a rollercoaster ride, Jack. We've had plenty of tears, don't you worry... and not all of them from him." She admitted.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" he asked her softly.

"We have no idea, Jack. We're working blind on this... Our priority is Joey and it always will be." She was getting quite defensive as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Tan. I don't mean to upset you..."

"It's fine, Jack." Tanya got to her feet as she heard Max walking down the stairs and she smiled as she saw Max walk in, carrying Joey. "There you both are..." She looked at Joey closely and thought she could see the telltale remnant of tears on his face and in his eyes. "You okay, sweetheart?" she asked him softly. He nodded, biting his lip. She turned away from him and picked up an object he'd put down nearly two hours earlier. She held it out towards him and he took it from her quickly, "Here you go, darling..." she said gently. Her fingers ran through his hair as he hugged Bear tightly.

*JL*JL*

A couple of hours later the house was much busier as most of the family have arrived. Tanya already knew that Joey was a little overwhelmed by it all. Robbie, Billy, Sonia and Bianca kept staring at him and Tanya knew they had been close to their Uncle Derek, adored him even. Much like Joey had done and she knew none of them were aware yet of the full story behind what had happened and been happening. She just wanted to give the small boy a big hug and look after him. She couldn't do that though, she was in the kitchen sorting out the dinner. Joey was currently sitting with Max, like he had been ever since Carol and her brood had arrived. He had become very clingy over the last hour or so and Tanya had an inkling that something was going to happen today... which wasn't a huge surprise for a Branning gathering.

*JL*JL*

Max lifted Joey and put him into his highchair that was situated between him and Tanya. He did the straps up and fastened the tray in front of him. His concern for Joey was growing as he'd become very quiet and had clung to him, almost in fear. He had relaxed slightly when Grandma Dot and Granddad Jim had arrived and had even sat on Jim's lap for a while so Max could help Tanya finish getting the food ready. Joey was very close to his Granddad and Max knew his father had a bit of a soft spot for Joey as well. There was just something about the small boy that brought these feelings out in a person.

Tanya walked in and placed a sippy cup of juice on Joey's tray. Joey was staring at everyone around the table, his eyes wide as he looked at the family around him. This was the first Christmas that Joey had really been aware of. Last Christmas he had been suffering with a bad cold and had actually slept through the whole meal, eating his food later that afternoon. So today, although not really Christmas day, was his first real family one.

The family sat down and after a few words from Max and Jim, they started to help themselves to food. Tanya put some turkey, a sausage and bacon and some peas on Joey's plate. She put a bib around his neck and gave him his cutlery. "Fank you, mummy..." he said just as a lull fell over the room.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," she said, brushing her fingers through his hair. Tanya glanced around the table and saw both Dot and Carol looking at her pointedly. Clearly they didn't approve of what Joey had just called her but like she'd said to Jack earlier, what they thought wasn't important to her. She just wanted Joey to be happy. Tanya kept an eye on him as Joey started to eat his food, he was completely focussed on his plate.

Everything changed when Bianca spoke to her mum. The room fell silent as she asked in a loud voice where Uncle Derek was. Joey dropped his cutlery on the tray of his highchair and she could hear he was breathing faster. She turned to him, seeing Max was already dealing with him. Tanya lifted the plate off his tray when Max struggled to undo the straps as Joey began to wriggle in his seat. Joey's face was flushed bright red and there were definitely tears building in his eyes.

Max took him out of the room after finally releasing him and she could hear him pacing backwards and forwards in the hallway after shutting the door behind him. She could also hear Joey crying and it broke her heart.

"Don't you think you should stop him from calling you that, Tanya?" Carol said sharply.

"He asked if he could and we just want him to be happy."

"But he's already got parents..."

"Actually he only has one parent... who's on the run from the police. He has a daddy who is under suspicion of killing his mummy and sibling. He has a daddy who hurt him and scares him and still gives him nightmares now. Neither of his parents are any use to him now so yes, Max and I are ready to take over and you may not like it and to be perfectly honest, at the moment I don't really care. All I care about is that darling little boy out there, who can't sleep at night because he thinks Derek is going to come and get him. I care about the fact he has spent most of the last two days crying and your daughter has just made him cry again." Tanya got to her feet and walked out into the hallway, closing the door and smiling at Joey and Max as they walked towards her, "Come here darling..." she said, holding her arms out towards him. He clung to her tightly, a fresh round of tears pushing to the surface and Tanya's own hormones broke the bank too. Max hugged them both and they stood still in the hallway, crying for the loss of the brunette who'd given birth to the toddler and the baby who would never get the chance to experience life.

**A/N: So now the rest of the family know a little more of what's been happening. But they don't know everything yet... that's on it's way. What did you think of Tanya being protective of her little boy? And did you notice baby Joey in a little white shirt? Adorable... Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

Max went back into the living room twenty minutes later, having ushered Tanya and Joey upstairs to his and Tanya's room. Joey had cried himself to sleep and Tanya was now also getting some rest, having been awake most of the night.

His dad looked at him in concern, "They okay, son?"

"They're getting some rest upstairs." Max told him softly.

"Was what Tanya said true, Max?" Dot asked.

"Which bit are you asking about?" Max asked.

"What she said about Derek hurting Joey?"

"Yeah..." Max sighed and sat back at the table, pushing his plate away, the conversation having finished any hope of his appetite returning. He noticed that Carol and Jack were clearing away the plates and Carol's kids were all now in the lounge. There was only him, his dad and Dot left at the table. "It's a mess, dad. I'm so angry with him..."

Carol walked back into the room and stopped, "He's your brother, Max. How can you say that?"

"Carol... you didn't see Joey when he first got here on Christmas Eve... You saw him later that morning... you saw he was covered in Sarah's blood. He told us that he found Sarah lying at the bottom of the stairs and he sat with her holding her hand. He tried to wake her up and then he came over here because he was scared. He has bruises on his body from his father and I doubt it was the only time Derek took his hand to him. So tell me again, Carol, how I should be feeling about my brother?" His question to her was practically spat out and she stared at him.

"Come on kids, we're going..." she said. Max didn't try and stop her and soon the Jackson family were leaving the house.

"Derek hit him?" Dot said softly.

"He gripped both his arms and shook him. He definitely hit Sarah as well... Joey told us so." Max covered his face with his hands, "Dad, how do we help him get past this?"

"You seem to be doing a pretty good job so far, Max," His dad said, his hand settling on his back in support. "You just have to love Joey and be there for him when he needs you." He added, "He loves you both and he obviously trusts you both or he wouldn't have come here on Christmas Eve."

"And the mummy and daddy thing?" Dot asked tentatively.

"He asked Tanya if it was okay for him to call us that... and she said he could call us that if he wanted to. When I got home from Jack's last night and he called me it for the first time, my heart almost stopped but it felt right, dad." Max looked up at his dad and Dot, "I would give anything for this whole mess not to have happened and for Derek and Sarah to be here but that isn't the case so we're going to focus on bringing Joey up the best way we can."

"We're behind you both with this, Max. All of us are." Jim said.

"Not sure Carol would agree with that." Max said.

"Leave Carol to me..." Jack said, stepping further into the room, having listened to Max as he stood in the doorway for the last few minutes.

There was a scream from upstairs and Max was moving within milliseconds of it starting and he was running up the stairs. He flung open the bedroom door and saw Tanya trying to comfort a clearly distressed three-year old. Max climbed onto the bed and took Joey into his arms.

"I'll go and get him a drink," Tanya said softly, wiping away her own tears. She walked out of the room and it was just Max and Joey. Joey was curled up into a ball against him and his whole body was shaking as he continued to cry.

"It's okay, Joey... I've got you, babe." He said softly.

*JL*JL*

Tanya walked into the kitchen and found Jack standing there. "You okay?" he asked when he saw her so upset.

"Better than Joey..." she whispered.

"What happened?" he asked.

"A nightmare..." she said. Jack looked at her worriedly. "It's not the first one, Jack..." she admitted, "and probably won't be the last either." She added quietly. She looked around the room, "Where is it?" she asked, frustrated as she opened and closed cupboard doors.

"What are you looking for?"

"His sippy cup," she muttered. "He's overheating and he'll need a drink when he's done... assuming he can when he gets hiccups..." She smiled at Jack when he produced the cup in front of her. "Thanks," she said, turning to the fridge and pulling out a carton of milk. They stood in silence as she heated the milk gently in a pan.

"How often has he had nightmares?"

"The first night we were up with him about four times I think. Then he came into our room and just slept in the bed with us. Last night he came into our room after a bad dream and again he slept with us. He doesn't usually want to talk about them but I know they were mostly about Derek and what happened." The milk was warm enough and she poured it into his cup, checking the temperature before she put the lid back on.

"Take that back up to him, Tan... I'll take Dad and Dot home and leave you to it."

"Sorry the day wasn't quite what we planned." She said sadly.

"Not your fault, darling," Jack said, kissing her forehead softly.

Tanya walked from the room and back up the stairs, her heart breaking again when she heard Joey still crying as she got closer to their room. She opened the door and saw Joey curled up against her husband, who looked almost as distraught as Joey was. He was talking to him softly but it seemed Joey wasn't even hearing him. "I've got some warm milk for you here, sweetheart," she said as moved to sit on the other side of bed. She held it out towards him, moving closer to him. He continued to cry and she wasn't sure he'd heard her but he took the cup off her and clutched it in his hand. His crying lessened and he took a mouthful from the cup, hiccupping as he did so. "Drink slowly, Joey..." she said, brushing her hand up and down his back. He looked up at her as he drank some more, doing as she said and drinking slowly. His eyes were so sad, filled with heartbreak... and fear. "Talk to us, darling..." she said. He shook his head. "We can't help you if we don't know what the bad dreams are about..." she told him softly.

"I's scared, mummy..." he whispered as he pulled the cup from his mouth.

"You always will be if you don't tell us what it is." She whispered to him.

He seemed to be thinking about what she had said, drinking some more of the warm milk. "I keep finking daddy is coming to get me..." he breathed. "That he's koss wif me for telling you and daddy Maxy what he was doing."

"You do know that you have to tell us all that stuff though, right?" Tanya asked him softly. "That we need to know everything... even the bits your daddy wouldn't want you to tell us."

"Yes, mummy..." he told her. "Can I stay in here wif you and Daddy Maxy tonight? I's too scared to be on my own... and Bear is too..."

Tanya looked at Max and saw the acceptance on his face, "Okay, Joey... just this once though." She told him.

"Fank you, mummy..." he whispered.

"And tomorrow, we go back to using your potty, okay?" she said softly. He nodded, sighing quietly but saying nothing else. "Good boy..." Tanya said gently. "Now let's dry away those tears, shall we?" she added, grabbing a tissue and wiping his face. "Shall we go downstairs and watch a Fireman Sam DVD?" she asked him.

"Wif you and Daddy Maxy?" he asked.

"Yes, baby because that's what families do..." Tanya told him.

"What about Auntie Cawol?" he whispered.

"Everyone has gone now, Joey..." Tanya said.

"I din't say fank you to Gandma and Ganddad..."

"We can go and see them tomorrow evening, Joey," Max said. He climbed off the bed and lifted him into his arms. "Come on little man..." he said.

Tanya smiled as she saw Joey kiss her husband's cheek, "Love you, Daddy Maxy." He whispered.

"Love you too, Joey..." Max said. The family went downstairs and Max put Joey on Tanya's lap while he went to put one of the Fireman Sam DVD's into the machine. He walked back to the sofa, slightly startled by what he saw. Joey was curled up against her, thumb stuck in his mouth while his other hand brushed over her bump. As he sat down he could see the baby was kicking against Joey's hand and a faint smile appeared on the little boy's face.

*JL*JL*

The family had a peaceful night. Joey went to sleep on the sofa with Max and Tanya and when they went up to bed, they took him up with them, placing him in the centre of their bed before they both got ready for bed. When they came back he was curled up in a little ball, Bear between his body and legs as he slept soundly.

Tanya and Max got into bed, both lying close to their nephew and placing a hand on his body. "He's going to be okay, isn't he, Max?" Tanya whispered.

"Of course he is, babe... he's got us and we're going to look after him." Max replied.

**A/N: So the whole family unit are struggling with the events and knowing what is the best thing to do. And Max finally got to say his piece as well. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

The next morning Tanya sorted Joey, putting him in his big boy underwear rather than his pull-up pants. She had nearly changed her mind about this when she woke up but Joey asked to wear them and he'd even asked to use his potty so she decided to strike while the iron was hot, so to speak.

Max had called DCI Davis and had arranged for him to come round to their house at eleven that morning. Max had asked if they could do it at their house as Joey was comfortable there and it was going to be a hard enough experience without making it somewhere strange as well.

*JL*JL*

Max opened the door and showed DCI Davis into the lounge. PC Smith was with him again. On the phone earlier Max had told the detective about what Joey had told them on Christmas day but he had told Max that Joey was going to have to tell him it too. Max wasn't happy about this but realised it was a necessary evil. He pulled Joey onto his lap, relieved to see he was clutching Bear knowing he was going to need his best friend in the next hour or so. "Joey, do you remember this nice policeman and policewoman from Christmas Eve?" he asked softly.

Joey nodded, "I member..." he said quietly.

"And you remember what you told us on Christmas day? About what happened on that night?" Joey nodded again, biting his lip and saying nothing. "You need to tell this nice man what you told us then... he needs to know what your daddy did to you and mummy that evening."

"Do I haf to, daddy Maxy?" he whispered.

"Yes Joey, you do..." he said softly. He knew he was going to need a little prompting, "So your mummy and daddy were fighting..." he said.

"They were outside my bedroom, shouting weally loudly. Bear and me were in the warbode, we wanted to be here... so we'd be safe but the warbode was the next best fing," he swallowed and took a deep breath, "It got weally quiet..." he whispered, "Me and Bear got out of the warbode, being bave... but Bear got weally scared again so he stayed in my bed while I went to see if mummy was okay."

"She wasn't okay though was she, Joey?" Max said.

Joey shook his head, "She was kying weally hard and I went to give her a hug but daddy came out of their room and sceamed at me... telling me I was naughty." He curled up a little smaller on Max's lap, "I was so scared, I wet myself and that just made him kosser." He shuddered against his uncle and Max brushed his hand over his back. "He was weally angwy when mummy sorted me out, he was banging and cashing downstairs." He was trapped in the memories of that night, the last time he'd seen his mummy alive. Tears fell down his face as he spoke. "Mummy tucked me into bed and kissed me nu-night and she shut the door to my room when she left." He closed his eyes, "I tried to sleep but daddy was shouting and things were bweaking and then mummy sceamed." He stopped speaking for about a minute and Tanya and Max watched him, as upset as they had been the first time he'd told them this. "I din't hear anyfing after that. I stayed wake for a long time but no one came upstairs. Mummy din't come to check on me. I finked they'd gone... and I got out of bed..." He blinked and looked at Max, his eyes so wide and brimming full of tears. "Mummy was lying at the bottom of the stairs. I went down to her but she din't answer when I called for her. I held her hand cos it always makes me feel better when she did it to me... but it din't work. She din't move or wake up. I sat with her for a long time."

"How long did you sit with her for, Joey?" DCI Davis asked gently, echoing the words of Joey's auntie from two days earlier.

"A weally long time... it was cold but I din't want to leave her alone. And I din't know what to do. I heard daddy's alarm going off upstairs and I membered Unca Maxy saying he got up the same time as daddy so I knew I could come here... I boke mummy's wules and was on the street outside the house on my own... and then I did it again and kossed the road to come here and I forgot to look to see if it was safe to do so but I wanted my Unca Maxy..." he whispered. "I din't want to be on my own no more..." Once again he dissolved into tears and Max and Tanya hugged him tightly.

DCI Davis watched them and let them have a few minutes so Joey could compose himself. He turned to his colleague, "Maybe you could go and make some teas?" She nodded and walked away.

Joey moved and whispered to his auntie, who picked him up and took him upstairs, Max watching them go. He looked at the detective, "He needs the toilet... we're trying to restart the potty training... today probably wasn't the best day to do that..." he said softly.

Tanya and Joey were back when PC Smith returned, with some milk in a sippy cup for Joey as well as a tray of mugs and a teapot, Joey had also calmed down by this point, "Joey, can you tell me if your daddy ever hurt you before that night?" DCI Davis asked.

Joey was drinking his milk and he stared at the police detective, his eyes so wide. Finally his drink was gone. It was time to talk. "Daddy would get koss all the time and when he was koss, he din't always know what he was doing, mummy said so. Mummy said he felt sowwy for what he did though... she would tuck me into bed and stop my tears and tell me daddy was sowwy. And that he loved me."

"How did your daddy hurt you, Joey?" DCI Davis asked.

"He usually hit me..." Joey whispered. "On the bottom or the back of my legs... once it was my head..." he told them, both Max and Tanya tensing as they heard what Derek had done. "One time mummy was out... visiting Nana Julie when she was poorly... and daddy picked me up from here after he'd finished work. I asked him what was for tea when we got home but he told me to go to my woom... there was no tea." He glanced at Unca Maxy and Auntie Tan, "I went up to my room and payed with Bear for a while but my tummy was wumbling. I was weally quiet when I went back downstairs and I went into the kitchen wifout daddy hearing me. I dagged a chair over to the fidge and opened the door, looking for somefing to eat. There was some milk in there so I took out the carton of it. I got a bowl of coco-pops and tied to pour the milk into the bowl but I dropped it and it fell over spilling all over the table and on the floor. When I tied to stop it from spilling I knocked the bowl on the floor. I tood fozen to the spot, I couldn't move. I heard him coming and I wanted to run but I couldn't." Joey was breathing quickly and Max lifted his chin and looked into his eyes.

"Breathe Joey... it's okay, you're here now... and you're safe..." he reminded him.

Joey nodded, taking a couple of deep breaths, "He started shouting as soon as he saw the mess I'd made. He gabbed my arm and pulled me out of the woom, dragging me to the lounge." He paused at this point and his hand reached for his Auntie's, squeezing it tightly. "He was still shouting at me... it was the kossest I'd ever seen him. I was staring at his face so he surpised me when he tugged me towards him. He pulled down my trousers and pants. I thought he was going to spank me." Again he stopped and there were tears rolling down his face, "He started to hit me... I wasn't sure what he was doing though cos it weren't his hand hitting me. Over and over he hit me, each one really hurt. My bottom felt like it was on fire. Then he moved to the back of my legs and the hurt got worse."

"You said he wasn't using his hand..." Max said, "What was he using?"

"His belt..." he whispered and Tanya and PC Smith both gasped at what he'd said.

"How many times did he hit you?" The detective asked. Joey shrugged. "How long did he hit you for?"

"A long time..." Joey whispered. "He didn't top till he heard mummy opening the door." Max wiped the tears from the small boy's cheeks and Joey glanced at him, gasping for air as the emotions overwhelmed him. "Mummy shouted at him when she came in the woom and she came over and picked me up off his lap. She took me upstairs and gave me a bath... the water hurt my bottom and legs and made me ky. It made mummy ky too and when she put me to bed that night she din't tell me daddy was sowwy." Max hugged him tightly as Joey cried and no one said anything, all watching the small boy sob against his uncle, shocked by what they'd been told.

"I think we should stop now..." Tanya said.

"I only have a few more questions," DCI Davis said, "then we're all done." Tanya nodded and brushed her hand over the back of Joey's that she was still holding. "Joey, you said to me the other day that your daddy and mummy fought a lot." Joey nodded, "Do you know for certain if your daddy hurt your mummy the other night and made her lie at the bottom of the stairs?" he asked.

"I don't know..." he whispered.

"You heard your mummy scream... how long was it before you went down to where she was lying?"

"I's not sure..." he said, "Me and Bear weren't sure if it was okay or not and we were arguing about it. I wanted to but Bear wouldn't let me... he wanted me to stay safe."

"Did you hear your daddy leave the house?" Joey shook his head. "Do you know what time it was when your mummy screamed?"

"Joey doesn't know how to tell the time..." Max said, his hand brushing up and down Joey's back.

"I heard daddy's watch beep..." Joey whispered.

"It beeps on the hour... it used to annoy Sarah so much because it did it during the night as well," Tanya said softly. "They argued about it several times," she added. Her words held a whole new meaning now.

"Okay, well I think that is all I need for now." DCI Davis said as he got to his feet. Tanya took Joey off her husband and Max followed the detective into the hallway, "There have been definite sightings of your brother in Manchester and the officers up there are closing in on him. It seems he's been aided by some of this associates though so it might still be a while before they have him in custody. I'll contact you as soon as I know any more."

"Thank you."

"I also spoke to Social Services and told them my feelings about the way you were treated. I would expect a call from them in the New Year... I don't think you should have any further issues with custody of Joey." Max showed both the police officers out of the house, shutting it behind them and leaning against it. He was exhausted and he was sure his wife and 'son' felt much the same.

**A/N: Not much to say really... apart from POOR JOEY! Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

Joey was asleep when Max walked back into the lounge, "How's he doing?" he asked.

"Cried himself to sleep again..." Tanya said. She looked up at her husband, "How did we not know?" she whispered. Tears fell from her eyes and she looked down at Joey as he lay in her arms. "A belt, Max..." she breathed. "He used a belt on this little angel... he was two years old, Max."

"I know, babe," Max said, his voice breaking as he murmured the words.

"All he tried to do was get himself some food and his dad took a belt to him?" Her body was shaking now and Max put his arm around her shoulders and pulled him against her. "How does he recover from this? I'm not even sure I know how to handle this and I'm not a three year old little boy who's lived it..."

"He's got us, Tan... we're going to be there for him..."

"What? Like we were when it happened?" Tanya turned her face to look at him, "How could Sarah let him do that to her son? She adored Joey... I know she did... so why would she let Derek treat her son that way? Why would she let him treat her that way? Especially when she was pregnant. She could've come to us, right? We'd have been there for her..."

"Of course we would. And I don't know, Tan... I really don't understand it either."

*JL*JL*

Mid-afternoon Joey woke, crying when he realised he was on the sofa on his own. Max and Tanya quickly appeared and he held his arms up for one of them to pick him up. Max was quick to answer that request and he smiled at his wife as he felt Joey wrap his arms around his neck. He was getting very used to this feeling and he hoped it was something that could continue for some time. "So Joey, would you like to go and see Grandma and Granddad this afternoon?" he asked him softly.

"Pease..." Joey mumbled into his shirt collar.

"Well, we'd better get you ready then, hadn't we?" Tanya said.

Joey lifted his head and looked at her, "Need wee wee, mummy Tan..."

"You do...?" She asked him with a smile, "Come on then, baby..." she said, taking him from Max's arms. She went up the stairs and into the bathroom. He stood on the floor and she quickly undressed him and then he sat on his potty. A couple of minutes later he looked up at her.

"I's done, mummy..."

"Stand up then, Joey..." she said, crouching in front of him. Sure enough he had done what he needed to in the potty and she wiped and redressed him with efficiency that would make you believe she'd been doing it for years. She pushed the step stool in front of the sink and told him to wash his hands while she cleaned up the potty. She then washed her own hands and dried both pairs. "Well done, sweetheart," she said softly. He lifted his arms again and she picked him up. "Let's go and tell daddy how well you did, shall we?" he nodded his head and they were soon walking into the kitchen, "Daddy, Joey was just a very good boy and used his potty."

"Well done, little man." Max said, "High five..." he added, holding his hand in the air. Joey held his hand in the air and Max hit their hands together gently. "Now I've got some sandwiches ready for us to have for lunch and I called Grandma and Granddad and they're looking forward to us going over there and getting the chance to see you, Joey."

"Weally?" Joey asked as Tanya put him in the booster seat at the kitchen table.

"Absolutely..." Max confirmed. The tray was in place in front of him and he put the plastic plate with two small sandwiches on it. "Cream cheese sandwiches for a special little boy..."

"Fank you, daddy." he said, picking up one of the square sandwiches and taking a bite. Tanya put a sippy cup of juice on the tray and as they both sat down to eat their own lunches they watched Joey happily tucking into his sandwiches and juice. Once he had eaten his sandwiches Tanya gave him half a banana and he ate that too.

Tanya wiped his hands and face as Max cleared away the plates and washed them up. "Let's go and put your new shoes on then, Joey." Tanya said, "And your coat, scarf and gloves." She lifted him out of the booster seat and he toddled towards the front door and came back carrying his trainers. Tanya pulled him onto her lap and eased the shoes onto his feet, fastening them quickly. His coat, scarf and gloves were put on when they reached the front door and Max and Tanya put their own coats on. Max helped Joey down the stairs with Tanya following behind. The couple each took one of Joey's hands and they led him over the road to Max's parent's house.

"Can I wing the bell, daddy?" Joey asked as they walked up to the front door. Max smiled and lifted him in the air so he could press on the doorbell, lowering him to the floor again after he wriggled in his arms. After a minute the door swung open and Joey greeted the person with glee, "Ganddad!" he cried.

"Little Joseph..." Jim Branning said, bending down and lifting the little boy into his arms. He squeezed the boy tightly and turned, carrying him into the lounge, Max and Tanya following them into the house.

"Joey, let's take your coat off you..." Tanya said as she walked into the lounge.

"'Kay, mummy," he said, scrambling off his granddad's lap and running over to her.

"Careful, Joey... just walking, alright..." she said softly as she took off his scarf and gloves.

"That's a very smart coat, you have there, Joey..." Granddad Jim said to him.

"Unca Jack gave me it, Ganddad..." Joey said excitedly. Dot walked into the room and Joey looked at her, a huge grin on his face. "Hello Gandma..."

"Ooh, I say... don't you look all grown up, Joey." She said as she sat down. "Are you feeling a bit better today?" she asked him.

"Yes, fank you, Gandma..." He walked over to her and kissed her softly on the cheek, "Fank you for the setter you knitted me too..." he told her.

"You're very welcome, Joey." Dot told him, "You looked very smart in it yesterday, I must say."

"Unca Jack gave me a shirt to wear under it..." Joey said.

"Did he indeed?" Dot said. Joey nodded his head, smiling proudly at his grandma. She glanced up and saw the smiling faces of Joey's aunt and uncle but she also saw the pain in their eyes, "Well when your uncle called this morning and said you were all coming over this afternoon I knew I needed to bake some cakes so a certain little boy could have a treat."

"You did?" he asked, licking his lips as he thought about the treat ahead.

"I did and they came out of the oven a while ago. They'll have cooled down now so how about me and you go into the kitchen and we decorate them?"

"Can we use choccy buttons?" he asked.

"I've got some just for us to use..."

Joey looked at Tanya, "Can I mummy?" he asked.

"Yes, darling." Tanya said. She looked at Dot, "Do you want a hand?"

"No... you stay here. Joey and I will be fine, won't we?" she said, getting to her feet. Joey took her hand and the two left the room.

Jim looked at Max and Tanya and he, much like his wife could see the pain on their faces, "How did it go this morning?" he asked. "I saw the police car outside your house this morning."

Max gripped Tanya's hand and they both shared a look, "I don't even know where to start, dad." Max said softly. "Joey told us everything... and it was horrific."

Jim reached for his son and squeezed his arm, "Tell me..."

"Hitting Joey wasn't a one-off, dad." Max said. Jim stared at his son, waiting for more, knowing there was more. "It sounds like it was a regular thing... he told us about the worst time... he used a belt on him dad... Joey was two. He hit him until Sarah came home and stopped him."

"God..." Jim said softly. "Is... is he okay?"

"He seems to be... it's swings and roundabouts..." Tanya said. "He was upset after telling us but since he's woken up from his nap, he's not been too bad. Not sure how he will be tonight though," she admitted.

"What do you mean?"

"He's been in with us every night..." Max said, "He has nightmares. Last night we didn't even try to make him sleep in his bed... he asked if he could stay with us and we let him. He only woke up a couple of times but he didn't wake up screaming."

"Has he told you what his nightmares are about?" Jim asked softly.

"Derek... he thinks he's going to come back for him." Tanya whispered.

"DCI Davis said that they're narrowing in on his location now... but they think he might be getting helped by some friends." Max said. The conversation stopped as they heard soft footsteps heading towards the room.

"Mummy... mummy..." he said softly, appearing in the doorway and jigging around on the spot.

"Do you need the toilet, sweetheart?" Tanya asked, receiving a quick nod of his head in reply, "Let's go up to the bathroom then..." Tanya said, ushering the small boy up the stairs.

"How are you really, son?" Jim asked his son.

"Disgusted, dad." Max told him, "With Derek, Sarah... with myself."

"Why yourself?"

"Because I didn't notice what was going on... Joey's spent a lot of time at our house... Tanya spent time with Sarah and neither of us noticed what he was doing to either of them." Max looked at his dad and he couldn't hold back the tears, "Dad, I just want to understand why Del would do something like that? What did Joey possibly do to deserve that kind of treatment?" Jim pulled his son towards him and hugged him, his hand brushing up and down his back as he gave in to the emotions he'd been holding back for quite a while.

Tanya reappeared at the door, Joey in her arms but she saw her husband and his dad and turned instead towards the kitchen. "How's Grandma doing with those cakes, Joey, eh?" she said softly.

"Is daddy okay?" Joey whispered.

"He's fine, Joey... he's just sad because of everything that's happened..." Joey didn't say anything else and when they walked into the kitchen they both sat at the table and helped Grandma Dot ice the remaining cupcakes. Joey was given the task of putting the chocolate buttons on top of each one. Dot and Tanya chose to ignore how he slipped one in every three of the buttons into his mouth, the cheeky grin from him as he did so and what he'd been through in his short life giving him a temporary get out of jail free card. After another ten minutes the cakes were done.

"I think they look really good, Joey. Well done," Dot told him and Joey smiled at her widely. "Shall we go and show Uncle Max and Granddad what we've done?"

"Pease, Gandma..."

"Okay, well you go in the lounge with Auntie Tanya and I'll bring the plate of cakes in..." The three of them walked into the lounge, Joey holding Tanya's hand.

"We iced cakes, Ganddad... look! Gandma's got them." Dot put the plate on the table in the middle of the room. "I put the choccy buttons on them after Gandma iced them..."

"Who's a clever boy, eh?" Jim said to his grandson, "Come and sit with Granddad, Joey?" Joey ran to him, almost sending the cakes all over the place but Tanya managed to catch the plate before it fell. "Easy there, soldier..." Jim said with a chuckle as he lifted him onto his lap. Joey saw what had nearly happened and his bottom lip began to quiver, cowering away from his Granddad and looking at Max and Tanya in fear. "It's okay, Joey..." Jim said, seeing his grandson on the verge of a meltdown. "Let's turn that frown upside down, shall we?" he said, lifting Joey's chin and looking at his face with only kindness on it.

"Sowwy, Ganddad... I's be good boy..." he whispered.

"I know, Joey..." Jim said. Joey leant against his Granddad and Jim stared at his son and daughter-in-law, suddenly realising what they had been dealing with over the last couple of days. Never had he seen Joey react the way he had just done. Joey had practically been shaking on his lap and even now, after he'd tried to reassure him he could feel the tension in Joey's whole body. Just what exactly had his eldest son done to this lovely little boy in his short life?

**A/N: Joey is one cheeky little monkey, isn't he? But I think we'll forgive him after everything he's been through. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

Max carried Joey home on his shoulders, bouncing him up and down and making him giggle as they headed back to the house. Tanya followed behind them, a small tin containing a few of the cupcakes in her hands. Max bounded up the stairs to the front door and opened it, ducking as he walked into the house so Joey didn't hit his head. Max lifted him off his shoulders and lowered him to the floor. Tanya helped Joey ease his coat off his body. The phone rang and Max answered it. Tanya could tell from the way his voice changed that it was a call relating to his brother.

"Let's go into the kitchen, Joey."

"I need potty, mummy..." he said so their direction was changed and they walked upstairs and into the bathroom, "Need it now, mummy..." he said urgently.

"You should've said at Granddad's, darling..."

"Din't need it then, mummy..." he said. She struggled to undo his trousers, "Oops..." he whispered, "I's sowwy, mummy... din't mean it." He told her, his breathing increasing in speed.

Tanya looked at his face and again the fear was there, "It's okay, Joey..." she told him, "It was an accident... It's as much my fault as it is yours... I should've been quicker getting your trousers off," She kissed his forehead softly. "Let's get you out of these wet clothes, okay?" she told him. She finally managed to wrangle her way into his trousers and removed the sodden clothes from him. He was looking at her and she could see how wary he was. She moved suddenly and he shrank away from her in fear. She opened the door to the bathroom and saw Max standing in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs. "Max..." she said softly. He looked up at her and she paused. "What's wrong?"

"They've found him..."

"Who? Derek?" She asked. She heard a shriek behind her and turned back to the bathroom, "Max... up here now..." She said in a loud voice, hearing him coming up the stairs behind her but she was stood in the doorway, staring into the bathroom, her heart breaking all over again.

Max stopped behind her, looking over her shoulder, "What happened?" he asked softly.

"We didn't get to the potty in time and he got a bit upset by that. I was coming to get you to help because he was starting to panic that he was in trouble... then I think he heard me say about D-E-R-E-K," she said softly, spelling his name rather than saying it, "and I heard him cry out and when I came back in here... this is what I found."

"Let me go and speak to him," Max said softly. She moved to one side and Max walked into the room, making his way slowly over to Joey. Joey seemed unaware of his approach as he tried to (unsuccessfully) bury himself under a pile of towels that he'd dragged off both the side and the towel rail. Max could see his whole body was quivering with fear and he had a vague idea what was going through his brain. As he got closer he could hear that Joey was whispering two words over and over and it made him pause briefly. His heart sank and he wondered when the bad news would stop... when he would stop hearing things that are even worse than what he'd already heard. He crouched beside Joey but his nephew ignored him... or more accurately was totally unaware of him... He moved closer, sitting beside the partially covered by towels lump next to him. "Joey?" he whispered, "You okay?" Joey's head shook from side to side, recognisable even beneath the towel over his head. "Talk to me, babe?" Joey was still whispering the same two words and it was getting faster and faster, each word blurring into the other. 'Badboybadboybadboybadboy...' Each word was like a knife to Max's heart and he wished he had found out about this so much earlier... then maybe Joey wouldn't be the same scared little boy he was now. "Joey..." he whispered again, his hand reaching for him but pulling away again when Joey screamed in fright. He looked at Tanya and saw she was crying, now sitting on the floor in the doorway. The bathroom looked like a battle scene, Joey's clothes strewn across the floor along with towels where Joey had ransacked them. And the three Branning's were victims of a very bloody war... the youngest of them the biggest victim of all.

Tanya moved from where she was sitting and came over to where Max and Joey were. She sat next to the Joey lump, "Joey..." she said softly. "Please don't cry..." she whispered, "The baby's kicking... do you want to feel?"

He stopped saying the words and seemed to be thinking about what she'd asked. He poked his head out from beneath the towels, his tear stained face looking at Tanya and trying to work out if she was tricking him or not. "I's be good..." he murmured, his breathing still a little fast.

"I know that, Joey..." she said. A hand escaped the towel cocoon and inched towards her. Tanya took it in hers, her thumb brushing the back of it gently. She pressed his hand onto her bump and moved it slightly as the kicking shifted. Joey giggled as he felt the baby move faster beneath his hand. The baby kicked really hard and Tanya murmured, "Ouch..."

"Sowwy, mummy... din't mean to hurt you..." Joey said.

"You didn't, Joey. It was the baby... he or she has a really good kick or punch..." Tanya explained. He giggled and it was a relief to both of them to hear it, "Did you hear me mention your daddy earlier, Joey?" she asked softly. He looked at her warily, nodding her head.

Max decided he needed to tell him, "It was the nice policeman on the phone, Joey... He was telling me that they've arrested your daddy. Do you know what that means?" he asked. Joey shook his head. He held his arms out to Joey and he shifted off the floor, clinging to a couple of the towels like security blankets and moved onto his lap. "That means they've found your daddy and have taken him to the police station. He's going to be questioned by lots of policemen there about what he did to your mummy and to you. He's in a lot of trouble, Joey and the very last thing on his mind will be you. He can't hurt you anymore, baby... You are completely safe."

"I was a bad boy, daddy Maxy..." he whispered.

"How so?"

"I wet myself... I's vewy sowwy... I'll be better in the footure. Pomise..."

"Mummy Tan told me, Joey. You aren't in trouble, little man. You told us you needed the toilet and you and mummy were trying to get there." He kissed the top of Joey's head, "It was an accident... no big deal, I promise you." Joey was watching his face, looking for the lie he was expecting to see. "Shall we get you all cleaned up?" he said.

"Pease, daddy..."

"We could have one of those cupcakes when we go downstairs..." Tanya said.

"Weally?" Joey whispered, biting his lip.

Tanya struggled to her feet, picking up some of the towels from the floor. She turned on the taps in the bath and started to fill it, pouring in some bubble bath, "Come here, baby..." she said, holding her hand out towards Joey. He took it and climbed off Max's lap. He toddled towards her, clutching the towel around him. Tanya eased it off his body, then lifting the jumper and T-shirt over his head so he was standing in front of her, naked as a jay-bird. "Joey, go stand with daddy while I clear up your clothes and get you a clean towel out." He turned away from her but she stopped him before he could walk away. She lifted him off his feet, draping him across her lap and hating the fact he froze as she did so.

"What are you doing, Tan?" Max asked, shocked at her actions.

"Max... look..." she breathed, tears already forming in her ears and blurring what her eyes were focussing on. Max moved forward and looked where she was pointing. On the back of his right knee was a mark... On closer inspection it was a scar and they both knew how he had got it. Tanya picked him up, twisting him as she moved him and hugging him tightly. "You poor little boy..." she whispered, kissing over his face. Joey struggled against her initially, obviously confused by what she was doing but then he relaxed when he realised he wasn't in more trouble.

Max turned off the taps and the couple silently put Joey in the bath. He stared at them both, still a little unsure of what was happening. "It's okay, Joey..." Max told him, his thumb wiping the remnants of his earlier tears from Joey's face. "There's a scar on your leg from where your daddy hit you with his belt. We hadn't seen it before and it upset Mummy Tan when she saw it."

"A car?" he asked, slightly confused.

"Scar... a mark on your leg. From the shape of it, I'd say it was from the buckle of the belt."

"Does it need a paster?" Joey whispered.

"No, Joey... no plaster needed... but the mark will be there forever..." Tanya said softly. She hated having to tell him that. To tell him that he would have a permanent reminder of what his daddy had done to him. As if killing his mummy wasn't bad enough...

Joey stared at them both and neither of them was surprised by the tears that flooded his eyes. "Was I a bad boy?" he asked.

"No Joey..." Tanya whispered. She reached for him, wanting to brush her fingers through his hair and offer him some comfort but she froze when he cowered from her. "Joey?" she said, a lump forming in her throat. "You do know that me and daddy Max would never do anything to hurt you, don't you? We both love you so much."

"Daddy said that too..." he whispered. "He used to say that to me and mummy..."

"We really mean it..." Max said.

"So did daddy..." he whispered.

There wasn't really much they could say to that. Everything he had just said was perfectly valid but they wished there was some way they could convince him.

**A/N: And you thought it couldn't get any worse... Oops. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17.**

Joey sat on the sofa with Max and Tanya. He had been quiet ever since the bath and they were both worried about him. Tanya went into the kitchen and she stood looking out of the kitchen window. Her shoulders began to shake and the tears fell down her face. She couldn't breathe and she felt hot. She needed some air. She walked to the front door and grabbed her coat, opening the door quietly. She pulled it to and went down the stairs, pulling on her coat as she did. She headed into the centre of the square and sat on the bench, staring across at the pub. The door opened but she was focused on her own anxiety and not anything else.

Jack saw his sister-in-law as soon as he walked out of the Vic and he could quickly see she was upset. He sat beside her and put his arm around her shoulders, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

She shook her head, wiping her eyes, "I should be getting back inside..."

"Tan, you can't go in like this. You're just going to upset Joey."

"Upset Joey?" She said, laughing slightly, "I can't see how that can be possible, Jack. He can't be more upset than he already is," She shivered slightly.

"Let's go into the Vic, you look like you could use a drink."

"Jack, I'm pregnant..." she reminded him.

"You are?" he said in mock shock, "And there was me just thinking you were letting yourself go a little bit." He laughed softly.

Tanya laughed and slapped him on the chest, "Jerk!" she giggled.

He stood and held his hand out to her, "Come on... One won't hurt."

"If my child ends up an alcoholic, I'm going to be blaming you, Jack Branning." She said softly as she took his hand and let him lead her into the pub.

"A whisky and a small white wine, please," Jack said to Grant.

The pub landlord returned in a minute with the two glasses. He placed them on the bar, "They're on the house..." he said when Jack tried to give him some money. He glanced at Tanya, her hand playing with the stem of the wine glass. "How's Joey?" he asked softly.

Tears flooded her eyes, one even rolling down her face, "It's been a difficult day..." she whispered as she wiped it away. She spent the next ten minutes telling both men some of what Joey had told them that day. "This whole thing has really hurt him. He's just three years old and he has major trust issues..." She glanced at Jack, "They've arrested Derek. Max was telling me and Joey freaked out... he tried to bury himself beneath a pile of towels, hiding from us because he's scared that his daddy is going to come back and hurt him again." She saw movement from the corner of her eye and she looked at Grant. She saw his hands clenched into fists on the bar and she frowned. "I managed to get him to come out from under the towels and was getting him ready for a bath." She lifted the glass and took a sip from it, closing her eyes as she remembered the next bit of the story. "He was walking back to Max when I saw it..."

"Saw what?" Jack asked.

"The scar..." she whispered.

"What sort of scar?" Grant growled and Tanya flinched. "What sort of scar, Tanya?" he asked, his voice softer this time.

"Derek hit him with a belt last summer... he told us and the police this morning... and he has a scar from the buckle on the back of his right knee."

Grant took two steps backwards at her words and turned and got two more whiskies, passing one of the glasses to Jack and downing the other himself. "Joey was two last summer, Tan," Jack said softly, "That can't be right...?" he said.

"It is, Jack..." Tanya took a deep breath, "We spoke to him after and told him we loved him and we'd never hurt him... we wanted to try and prove to him that things are going to be better now he's with us... and do you know what he said to us? He told us that Derek said the same things to him too." Another sip of wine passed her lips, "How do we convince him that it's going to be different now?"

"I can talk to him..." Grant said, staring at Tanya.

"You? No offence, Grant but I think you're more likely to scare him completely." Tanya said.

Grant glanced around the bar, his eyes settling on his elder brother as he sat at the other end of the room with his fiancée, Kathy. He turned back to Tanya and could see she'd been watching him, "I know a little of what he's gone through..." he murmured and Tanya bit her lip as she realised what he was saying. "I might be able to help him."

"You'd do that? For Joey?" Tanya whispered.

"Course I would..." Grant said with a small smile. He leant his forearms on the bar, talking in a murmur to the blonde and her brother-in-law, "Joey is lovely little boy who doesn't deserve the shit he's been dealt. I know what it's like growing up with a father like Derek. I know what it's like to not know how to trust people. I think I can help him... and I'd like to try."

"Max and I would really appreciate that, Grant." She reached across the bar and squeezed his hand, "I can't thank you enough for everything..." she told him, "The presents you all brought over on Christmas day... I wish you'd been able to see his face."

"It wasn't just my idea." He said, standing upright again, "Everyone in the square was shocked when they heard what had happened... I just suggested we did something for Joey. I know nothing can bring his mummy back but we could make his Christmas a little better."

"Well you did..." Tanya said, "So thank you. Joey, Max and I are going to do thank you letters to everyone tomorrow."

"Why don't you bring Joey in here either tomorrow or the night after and Joey can give the cards out to everyone. I think they'd love to see him," Grant said, "Unless you think it'll be too much for him..."

"It might but I think it's worth a try..." Tanya said.

"How about I come over and speak to him tomorrow morning?" Grant said, "I could take him to the park and we could talk... or you and Max could be there if you'd feel happier?"

"Actually that would be really great because Max and I could do with going shopping for some more things for him and some food." Tanya said, "Could you come at ten and then Max and I can make sure he's okay with you being there before we go out?"

"That's fine with me. I'll see you in the morning then." Grant said, "I'd better go and serve some of the customers."

"Thanks Grant." Tanya said. He walked away and Tanya looked at Jack, "I'd better get back to the house, Max doesn't even know I've gone out."

"I sent him a text when we came in here." Jack told her, wrapping his arm around her.

"Still, I don't want Joey to be upset." Tanya whispered, "Any more than he already has been anyway."

*JL*JL*

Tanya walked back into the house a little later. "MUMMY!" Joey shouted, running to the front door and hugging her legs.

"Joey, I'm going to trip over you..." She said with a smile, "Let me take my coat off and then we'll have a big hug, okay?"

"'Kay, mummy..." He stepped backwards and Tanya removed her coat and hung it up. She crouched in front of him and he wrapped his arms around her neck tightly. "I love you, mummy..." he whispered and those tears she'd managed to get rid of returned in an instant.

"I love you too, sweetheart... and I'm always going to..." she whispered.

"Can I haf a cupcake now?" he asked her softly and it made her laugh.

"I think we can manage that..." she laughed. He loosened his grip and Tanya stood up again, taking his hand in hers.

Max was standing in the doorway of the lounge, "You okay?"

"Yeah..." she said. She paused by him, his lips caressing her cheek softly before she got dragged away by a certain three year old.

**A/N: So Grant is going to speak to Joey... how do you think that will go? You'll have to wait and see. Let me know what you think so far. Back tomorrow...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18.**

Joey slept in their bed again that night. The subject of him sleeping in his room was never even mentioned. He fell asleep on Max's lap not long after their evening meal and Tanya had told Max about her conversation with Grant in the Vic. As they had the previous night they'd laid him in the middle of their bed when they went up to their room. Joey moved towards Tanya in his sleep once they were both in the bed and she pulled him against her, her hand brushing up and down his back as he curled up against her.

*JL*JL*

The next morning the three of them were up and ready early in the morning. Max and Tanya had told Joey over breakfast that Grant was coming over to look after Joey that morning. Joey had initially got upset, automatically thinking that Max and Tanya were leaving him like his mummy and daddy already had.

"We're going shopping, Joey... we'll be back in a couple of hours." Tanya said to him.

"I could come wif you..." he said.

"Shopping is boring, Joey, believe me..." Max said, "You've got the better end of this deal, I promise." He told him softly.

"And Grant is going to take you to the park so you're going to have a really good time, darling..." Tanya said. "We'll be home before you've even missed us..." she said.

"Are you sure?" he murmured.

Tanya nodded her head, "Now do you need to use your potty before Grant gets here?"

"Pease..." he said with a nod. Tanya and Joey went upstairs and while they were gone the doorbell rang.

Max opened the door and found Grant standing there. "Come in..." Max said. They walked into the lounge, "Thanks for doing this, Grant."

"Like I told Tanya last night... I just want to try and help Joey and I think I might be able to do that."

There was the sound of footsteps on the stairs and then Tanya appeared in the doorway, Joey peeking out from behind her. His hand was clutching hers tightly as he stared up at the big scary man. "Joey, you remember Grant, right?" Tanya said.

"Yes mummy," he whispered, moving very slightly from behind her.

Grant crouched down so he was at Joey's level, "Hi Joey..." he said.

"Hello, Mr Mitchell..." he murmured.

"You can call me Grant, Joey..." he said with a smile.

"Okay... Gant..." he breathed. He looked up at Max, "Can I play wif my cars, daddy?"

"If you want to, yes." Max said. "Mummy and I are going to go out in a minute... are you going to be okay with Grant?"

Joey held his hand in the air, "I's be fine, daddy... I's got Bear wif me," he said, his hand waving his friend around to show them all.

"Can I play with your cars with you, Joey? Would that be okay?" Grant asked.

"Sure..." Joey said, "but only me or Bear gets to play wif the fire engine... mummy and daddy gave it to me..."

"Okay, fire engine is a no-go zone..." Grant said with a smile. "Why don't you go and get the cars then?"

Joey looked at Max who nodded his head and he ran over to the box of toys that was near the window. He came back in seconds holding four or five cars in his hands. "Here you go, Gant... you can have the gween and blue ones."

"Thank you, Joey."

"We're going to go now then, sweetheart," Tanya said. "We'll be back in a couple of hours and if you need us, Grant will call us on daddy's mobile, okay?" she added, brushing her fingers through his hair. She bent down and kissed his forehead. "We love you, Joey." She breathed.

"Love you too, mummy..." he said back to her.

"See you soon, little man," Max said, picking him up and hugging him gently.

"Bye daddy." Joey whispered.

Max put him back on the floor and he stayed rooted to the spot until the front door closed as Max and Tanya left the house. Joey ran to the window, lifting the net curtain and poking his head underneath, his eyes fixed on them as they climbed in the car and then drove away.

*JL*JL*

Grant had sat on the floor near the armchair once Max and Tanya had gone as Joey stood by the window, waiting for several minutes before Joey eventually turned back into the room. He stood by the window, silently watching Grant as he sat there. Grant turned his attention to the cars Joey had dropped on the floor as he'd gone to watch his new parents leave. He picked them up, remembering 'his' were the green and blue ones. The others he just righted so they were standing the right way up, neatly next to each other. He picked up the green car and turned it in his hands, looking at it.

"What you doing?" Joey asked Grant softly.

"Just looking at your cars. They're really cool, Joey..."

"You fink?"

"Oh yes. My brother and I used to have toy cars when we were little too but these are a lot better than anything we had..."

"Mummy and daddy got them for me for Kissmas," Joey said, walking slowly over to where Grant sat, Bear peeking out from under his arm.

"They must really love you lots." Grant said.

"They say they do..." he whispered.

Grant didn't say anything in response, turning his attention back to the toy cars he was holding. After a couple of minutes silence Grant spoke again. "Do you think they aren't telling you the truth?" he asked him gently. Joey shrugged. "Why?" he asked.

"My weal mummy and daddy used to say they loved me too... but daddy was lying. He din't love me at all... I fink he hated me." He paused and bit his lip, "You won't tell mummy Tan and daddy Maxy what I said, will you?" Grant shook his head, putting down the cars and focusing completely on Joey.

"But mummy Tan and daddy Max have never been like that with you, have they?" he asked carefully. Joey shook his head. "Can I tell you a secret, Joey?"

"If you want..." Joey whispered.

"When I was a small boy, my daddy was like yours was."

"He was?" Joey gasped. "Did he make your mummy dead too?" he asked softly.

"No... he didn't but he would hit my mummy just like yours did. He hit me and my brother too but mainly it was my mummy and brother. I used to see it though which was just as bad."

"Why do daddy's do that, Gant?"

"I don't know, Joey... I wish I could say I did but I don't." He said. Joey sat down and picked up the other cars and the two played with them for a while. "Would you like to go to the park?"

"Can I go on the swings and the slide?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think we can manage that." Grant said with a smile, "Let's put these cars away first and then we can get ready to go out." Joey scrambled to his feet, picking up the cars and running over to his toybox, dropping two of the cars en route in his haste. Once they were all tidied away Joey took Grant's hand and they walked into the hallway. "Which coat is yours, Joey?" Grant asked.

"Silly Gant... my coat's the wed one," he giggled, pointing at the only small coat on the hooks.

Grant smiled and took the coat off the hook. He helped it onto Joey, buttoning up the front. "Right, we're ready to go now then..."

"Gant, you forgot my tainers!" Joey laughed.

Grant looked down at Joey's feet and smirked, "So I did! Silly Grant, eh?" Joey nodded. He put the trainers on Joey's feet, fastening the Velcro tops. "Ready?" he asked again, knowing he was still missing a few things.

"Mummy usually makes me put on a scarf and gloves."

"It's quite cold outside today, do you have a hat, so your head doesn't get cold?" Grant asked as he wrapped his scarf around his neck and helped him put the gloves on his hands. Joey nodded and again pointed to another hook. Grant grabbed the hat and pulled it onto Joey's head. "Right you're definitely all ready now, eh?" Joey nodded. Grant picked up a set of keys from the side and opened the door. He held Joey's hand and they walked down the steps, turning right and heading towards the park outside the community centre. Grant lifted Joey and put him on the swing, making sure he was holding tight onto the chains at the side. He pushed the swing gently and the higher it got the more Joey started to giggle.

"Gant..." Joey said as the swing slowed down sometime later.

Grant sat on the swing next to his and looked at the small boy, "Yes, Joey."

"Do you fink my mummy would hate me for loving mummy Tan and daddy Maxy?"

"I really don't think she would, Joey. She would want you to be safe and happy and living the childhood you deserve to have." Grant said gently, "And you have that with mummy Tan and daddy Max, right?" Joey nodded.

"Do you fink daddy will go to pison for what he did?"

"I think he will, Joey." Grant said, "And probably for a long time. He's in a lot of trouble."

"That's what daddy Maxy said." Joey said softly, looking thoughtful.

"You do know you can trust mummy Tan and daddy Max, don't you, Joey?" Grant asked him.

"You fink so?"

"Don't you?" Grant asked. Joey shrugged. "They love you very much, Joey. They always have done, ever since you were born. Whenever I've seen them since Christmas Eve, the things I've never doubted is that they're worried about you and they love you more than words. Never doubt that, Joey."

"'Kay." Joey whispered.

"If you ever want to talk about what happened, you can come and talk to me, Joey. I'll make time for you whenever you need me."

"Fank you, Unca Gant."

Grant smiled at the small boy who was now yawning. "Let's go back to the house, Joey. You look like you need a nap."

"I's tired..." he whispered.

Grant stood and lifted Joey into his arms, the toddler resting his head on his shoulder. He walked back to number 5 and opened the door. He quickly realised Joey was already asleep and he struggled to remove the coat, hat, scarf and gloves off him, fortunately not waking him in the process. He didn't want to risk putting him down though so he sat on the sofa with Joey lying on him.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya returned after a couple of hours, laden down with food to last them through to New Year. They had also picked up some more clothes for Joey and some other bits and pieces. They were hoping, after Max had spoken to DCI Davis, that they would be able to get into number 23 in the next few days so they could then retrieve any other things they needed for Joey but they also wanted him to have some things that didn't remind him of his home life.

Max took the food shopping into the kitchen and Tanya put the other bags at the bottom of the stairs. The house was quiet and she was concerned about Joey. What she saw when she walked into the lounge made her smile though. Joey was draped across Grant's chest, sleeping peacefully. Grant was also asleep although he stirred as she walked into the room.

"Did he tire you out?" Tanya asked as his hand wiped over his face.

"I didn't want to put him down when we got back in case he woke up and I guess I drifted off..."

"Do you want me to take him off you?" she asked.

"I can wait until he wakes... they can cope at the Vic without me for a little while longer." Grant said. He looked down at the sleeping boy leaning on him. "I spoke to him, told him a bit about my past..." he told her softly. "Nothing too detailed, just that I had been through some of what he has, you know?"

"Yeah." She said, sitting on the armchair.

"He's a bright kid, you've got here."

"I know..."

"He makes me wonder what it would be like to have one of my own..."

Tanya giggled, "How do you think this one came about?" she admitted, her hand brushing her bump gently. "As soon as he was born Max and I knew we wanted to have one of our own. It took us longer to get there than we planned though." She told him. "I'm glad we did now though... It was nice to be pregnant the same time as Sarah was..." She paused, swallowing the lump in her throat as she thought about her friend, "Joey's looking forward to being a big brother to the baby though..." she said. "How did he react to what you said?" she asked.

"You were right about the trust issues... he's confused about whether he can trust you or not. I told him he could trust you... that you and Max have only ever loved him and you just want him to be happy and loved."

"So he might be okay now? Or as okay as he can be after everything?" she asked. Max walked into the room as she asked that question, pausing as he saw his nephew and the pub landlord/hardman of Walford on the couch. He went and perched on the edge of the armchair with his wife.

"There's something else..." Grant said softly.

"What?" Max asked, his concern rising.

"He asked me if Sarah would hate him if he loved you two..." He saw the distress on both their faces when he told them this. "I told him she would want him to be happy and to have the childhood he deserved and that the two of you loved him very much. I said if he ever wanted to talk about stuff, he could come and see me and I'd make time for him."

"Thanks Grant..." Tanya whispered.

"Yeah, we're both grateful to you for doing this for Joey." Max said.

"He's a good kid... he deserved better and hopefully he's going to get that now." Grant said. Joey moved on him and opened his eyes, looking up at the person holding him.

"Unca Gant..." he murmured. Both Max and Tanya smiled at his words. They could already see the bond forming between Joey and Grant and they were glad he would have someone he could turn to if he couldn't talk to someone in the family.

"Look who got back while you were asleep?" Grant said softly.

Joey moved quickly, turning his head and smiling when he sees them both, "Mummy, daddy!" he cried out. He wriggled off Grant's lap and ran over to them, launching himself at Max. "You came back..." he whispered.

"We said we would, Joey."

"I know..." he whispered.

"I should be going..." Grant said, moving to the edge of the sofa.

"Fank you for looking afer me, Unca Gant..." Joey said, turning back to him and walking to him.

"You're welcome, Joey... you remember what I said, okay? I'm here for you to talk to if you want..."

"I will, Unca Gant..."

"Good boy..." he said, his heart lifting when he saw the huge grin appear on Joey's face. Grant made his way out of the house, his step a bit lighter than it had been earlier that morning. Who knew that talking to the little boy would be as cathartic for him as it had hopefully been for Joey?

*JL*JL*

He walked into the bar, "Where the hell have you been?" Sharon asked as soon as she saw him.

"I told you I was going out this morning..." Grant said to his wife.

"I didn't realise that meant all morning..." she snapped, "I've been here on my own all morning. Tracey phoned in sick and I couldn't get anyone to cover for her."

"I'm sorry, okay."

"So where were you?" she asked as Grant walked behind the bar and served a customer. He took the money and put it in the till.

He turned to her and studied her carefully. He stepped closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, "I've been thinking..." he said softly.

"Should I call the police?" she teased.

"I'm being serious..." he told her.

"So was I..."

"What do you say about us trying for a kid?" he asked her softly.

"Okay, what happened to you this morning? You've never mentioned it before." She looked at him and realised he wasn't joking around. "Where were you?" she asked again.

"I was looking after Joey for Max and Tanya."

"Joey?" she asked, unable to hide the surprise from her voice.

"Yeah. Tanya was in here yesterday with Jack and she was saying about what Derek did to that little boy and I thought I could speak to him... maybe help him."

"How is he?" she asked.

"Confused... scared... feeling guilty."

"Guilty?" she asked, lifting her eyebrow in query.

"He thought Sarah would hate him for loving his new mummy and daddy..." Grant told her softly.

"Oh, the angel..."

"Yeah..."

"So it's got you thinking then..."

"Yeah..." he said again. They stand in silence, the bar having quietened somewhat since Grant got back. "So...?" he breathed, kissing the top of her head.

"We'll see..." She said, smiling into his shirt, "I'll think about it." Grant smiled, already knowing what her answer would be.

**A/N: So Joey had a big impact on Grant and vice versa. Did you like it? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19.**

The next few days passed in relative peace and quiet. Max and Tanya noticed that Joey was still a little clingy and he couldn't be left on his own without him going into a bit of a meltdown. He was still sleeping in their bed with them every night and even then he would still have nightmares. He usually woke them at least once a night but one night he had woken up screaming five times. The following morning had been a very late start for all of them and Joey had spent most of the day dozing.

Today was going to be a difficult day though. The three of them were going over to Carol's house for tea and this would be the first time they had seen her since Boxing Day. Joey had already thrown a tantrum this morning, saying he didn't want to go and see his Auntie Carol; that she was a nasty lady. Tanya was all for them not going over; her mama bear tendencies had really heightened over the preceding days and she hated the thought of Joey being any more upset. Max insisted that they went though; his reasoning being the longer they left it the harder it would be for Joey to see them and he also didn't want to set a precedence of Joey getting his own way. A couple of hours later he wished that he'd heeded his wife's words but by that stage there was little he could do.

It had started so well, Joey had been distracted from his 'evil' Auntie Carol by the presence of his doting grandparents. Joey had sat on Dot's lap, his back to his cousins as they played in the lounge and he showed his Grandma and Granddad the new fire engine he'd been given for Christmas. Tanya stood near Jack, her eyes locked on Joey as he sat with Dot. The hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end and she knew something bad was going to happen.

Max's mobile rang as he walked into the room with some mugs for Dot and his dad. Carol trailed behind him and gave a mug to Tanya and a bottle of beer to Jack. Max answered his mobile, moving into the hallway to take the call. The anticipation seemed to climb within the room and Jack could obviously sense the way Tanya was feeling as he settled his hand on her back.

"You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Just feeling a bit apprehensive..." she murmured. Max walked back into the room and Tanya knew the call was about Derek just from looking at his face.

Carol was looking at him as well, "Was that about our brother?" Max glanced at Joey and saw him sitting tensely on Dot's lap. He knew who his aunt was referring to. Joey wriggled on Dot's lap and she lowered him to the floor. He turned and locked his gaze on Tanya on the other side of the room and began to walk towards her. "Come on, Max... we deserve to know what's happening with Derek."

"Carol..." Max said, staring at Joey's face and seeing a wealth of emotions written across it. He could also see Tanya was now moving towards the toddler too, knowing he needed his mummy and her special brand of comfort.

"Max... spit it out." She shouted.

"DON'T SHOUT AT MY DADDY MAXY!" Joey screamed, his right foot lifting off the floor and striking out at Carol.

"JOEY!" she yelped, clutching her ankle where his trainers had kicked her. Joey went very pale as soon as he realised what he'd done and he ran and hid behind the sofa, huddled in a ball, cowering in fear.

"Come out, sweetheart," Tanya said softly as she moved to the end of the sofa. Joey shook his head and shuffled further away from her. "It's okay, darling... Auntie Carol is very sorry for shouting..."

"Say sorry, Carol..." Jack said to his sister.

"I don't have anything to apologise for... it wasn't me that kicked someone was it?"

"CAROL!" Jim snapped, "Joey's a three year old boy... show some compassion..." Carol stared at her father.

While all the family was otherwise engaged Max moved to the other end of the sofa from where Tanya was standing and as Joey continued to back away from her, he edged closer to Max. Max picked him up as soon as he was in reach and hugged him in his arms, feeling his nephew collapse into tears. "Sshh," he said softly, walking backwards and forwards, brushing his hand up and down Joey's back. "Do you want mummy?" he asked him softly. Joey shook his head violently. "You know, I think mummy could use one of your hugs, Joey... do you think you can do that?"

"I's sorry, daddy Maxy..."

"What for, babe?" he asked.

"I's like daddy... I kicked Auntie Cawol... are the plice gonna come and rest me too?"

"Oh Joey... you are nothing like your daddy... I swear." Max told him. "Auntie Carol is very sorry for shouting at me," he glanced at his sister and saw the shocked look on her face as she watched her nephew's meltdown, "And the police aren't going to come and arrest you..." he told him softly.

Tanya walked over to them both and took Joey in her arms, kissing his forehead tenderly as she hugged him. "Let's go back home, shall we?" she murmured. Joey nodded his head as it was buried in her neck.

"Bear..." he whispered. Max heard the plaintive word and immediately started to search for the cuddly toy. Jim held him out towards his son and Max took it gratefully. He passed it over to Joey and watched as he clutched it against his body; his arms hugging around his own body and Max was fairly sure he was rocking backwards and forwards. Tanya looked at him, her face as pale as Joey's.

"Let's get you both home," he said to them softly. He ushered them out of the house and helped them back to number 5. Tanya went upstairs to the bathroom with Joey as soon as they were in the door and when they came back downstairs, Joey was in some new clean pyjamas (Winnie-the-Pooh) and he was wearing slippers to keep his feet warm. "I'm just going to go back over the road," Max said to Tanya, "I won't be long..." he told her.

"Okay..." Tanya said, "Joey and I are going to watch some cartoons on the TV." Max stood in the doorway and watched his wife and 'son' for a minute or two before walking out of the house again.

*JL*JL*

It was much later than he'd anticipated when he got back to the house. His dad, him and Jack had sat down with Carol and had spoken to her about everything. Max had told her everything Derek had done to his wife and son and Carol was aghast at what had happened. She hadn't realised how bad it had been. She actually cried when she heard about Joey being hit by Derek's belt. Max also explained about Joey's nightmares, about the panic attacks he'd been having and how he was clingy to him and Tanya.

He walked into the house and stood in the doorway of the lounge. Lying on the couch asleep was Tanya, Joey and Bear. Tanya was lying on her side with Joey facing towards her, practically curved around her bump. And Bear was squished between the two. He left them there and went to the kitchen, putting the plate of sandwiches and cakes that Carol had insisted on giving him on the side. He made a cup of coffee for himself. He walked back to the lounge but paused in the doorway as he heard Joey speaking softly. He peered over to the sofa and saw the sweetest thing he had ever seen; Joey talking to his wife's bump.

"Hewwo baby..." he whispered. "It's me, Joey... I's gonna be your big bruvva. Your mummy and daddy are my new mummy and daddy because my ones can't be mine no more. I hope you don't mind sharing wif me..." His hand brushed over the bump and he giggled softly when the baby kicked, "I haf to share fings at paygoup all the time and it's not always fun but most of the time it's okay." He stopped for a few seconds almost as if he's waiting for a response, "Mummy and daddy are the nicest people I know... their hugs are the bestest in the world... they hug me all the time at the moment which I kinda like. They make me feel weally peshal... so it's gonna be even betterer for you cos you're weally their baby. They love you already and I do too... I was gonna be a big bruvva before but that baby went with mummy to heben... now I get a chance to be one for you intead. We can pay together but the fire engine is mine... so you can't play wif that one. All the others are fine." He leant forward and pressed his mouth against bump, kissing it softly, "Ouch, baby... that hurt..." he moaned and Max smiled as he realised Joey had just received a punch or kick to the mouth. "I'm gonna look afer you when you grow up... tecting you from all the big kids so you don't get scared. Bear will help me too... you're always gonna be safe, baby... I pomise..." he whispered. "I've gotta go now... I need to use my potty... bye baby..."

"You okay, Joey?" Max asked softly.

"I need my potty, daddy." he said.

Max lifted him off the couch and carried him up to the bathroom, pulling down his pyjama bottoms so he could sit on his potty. Max sat on the closed toilet seat while Joey did what he needed to. "Auntie Carol is sorry for upsetting you, Joey. She told me to tell you that... and tomorrow we're going over there in the morning so she can say it to you too..."

"I's sowwy I kicked Auntie Cawol..." Joey whispered.

"I know that... and she knows that too... but tomorrow I think you should say you're sorry to her as well."

"Okay, daddy." The room falls silent again, "I's done now, daddy." he said. Max cleaned him up, redressed him and disposed of what he'd done. "Let's go and see if mummy is awake," Max said softly. They walked back down to the lounge but Tanya was still asleep. Max sat in the armchair, Joey on his lap.

"Daddy, when will the baby be here?"

"Not for a little while yet..."

"Do you fink it will like me?"

"I know the baby will love you just as much as mummy and I do." Max told him softly.

Tanya shifted on the sofa, her hands feeling for Joey and finding him not there, "Joey?" she said, opening her eyes and looking for him, on the verge of panic.

"I's here, mummy." Joey said from Max's lap.

Max saw her relax when she saw the two of them, "Joey needed the bathroom so I took him and sorted him out."

"Is everything okay?" she asked softly.

Max glanced at Joey, "Yes, it's all fine." He got to his feet and moved so he was sitting with Tanya, Joey still on his lap, "Joey... the nice policeman called me earlier..."

"You said they wouldn't rest me..." he whispered accusatorily.

"They were calling about your daddy, sweetheart," Tanya said, her hand brushing the side of his face.

Joey tensed and Max held him a little closer, "They're charging your daddy, Joey."

"I don't unstand?" he whispered.

"It means your daddy is going to have to go to court and some important people will decide if he was responsible for your mummy dying."

"But..."

"They're also going to ask him about the things he did to you, Joey," Max continued.

"Will he go to pison, daddy?" he asked.

"I think there's a very good chance he will, Joey." Max watches him after he tells him that, awaiting a reaction but he doesn't get one. "How do you feel about that?" he finally asks him.

"I fink he needs to be there... he's a bad man..." he looked at his uncle, "When I was naughty mummy would make me sit on the bottom step of the stairs and fink about what I had done wong. Is pison the same thing?"

"In a way, Joey, it's for people who've been really naughty." Tanya said, "and he's probably going to be there for a long time."

"Does that mean I get to stay here wif you?" he asked.

"We hope so, Joey." Max said.

"Good... I like it here..." he said softly.

They both smile when they hear him say that, "Joey, I think we should finish those thank you cards tonight, then we can give them out to everyone tomorrow. How does that sound?" Tanya asked. The last few nights had involved Max and Tanya writing numerous cards for everyone who had given gifts to Joey on Christmas Day. They would write the words that Joey wanted them to say and then Joey would put a cross at the bottom of each one with a crayon. They only had a few left to write but they were ones that Joey thought were special.

"I fink we should..." Joey said.

"Come on then, little man..." Max said, standing and walking over to the dining room table. Tanya got up and pulled out the cards they had been writing them in and the list she'd made on Christmas Day. Her and Max had brought them the morning that Grant was looking after Joey. They spent the next couple of hours ticking off the last few on the lengthy list. Once they were done Max and Tanya got them all some tea, using the food Max had brought back from Carol's which they sat down and ate in the lounge. Joey sat on the sofa, his knees pulled up to his chest, eating a sandwich. "Joey, there's something else we need to talk to you about..." Max said, glancing at Tanya and seeing her frown in confusion at him. "You remember what your mummy did when Hammy died?" he asked. Joey nodded, remembering his pet hamster that died about seven months ago. "Do you remember how me and mummy Tan came to your house one afternoon and I buried Hammy in the garden?"

"Yeah... it was a sad day, daddy Maxy..." Joey said softly.

"Well, the nice policeman has said that we can do the same for your mummy now."

"In the garden?" he asked.

"No, Joey... at a church." Tanya said. "In a special place called a graveyard... it's where special people get buried and then they go to heaven..."

Joey turned to Max, "You said mummy was already in heben..." he said with a frown.

"She is, Joey. What mummy Tan means is they have a party in heaven for your mummy... to welcome her and the baby there." Max explained.

"And Nana Julie will be there?" Joey asked.

"Yes, she will..." Max confirmed. "Now, Joey... I know you're very young and you're going to be upset but we need to know if you want to go to the funeral."

"What will happen?" Joey whispered.

"A vicar will stand up and read something from the bible. He'll talk about your mummy and say how much we all loved her. Then someone from the family can stand up and talk about your mummy too. We'll then sing a song and they'll put mummy into the ground."

"Won't she get cold?" Joey asked, "And dirty..."

"She'll be in a coffin, Joey," Tanya told him softly. "Like how mummy put Hammy in a cardboard box when we buried him, you remember?"

"Yes, she let me draw pictures on it..." he whispered.

"She did..." Tanya said.

"So afer mummy's in the ground, what happens then?" Joey asks.

"We all get a chance to say goodbye to her..." Max told him.

"I's never going to see her gain, is I?" Joey whispered.

"No, Joey," Tanya said, "but I was thinking daddy Max and I have lots of pictures of you and her together since you were born and ones from before you were born so how about we all sit down and choose our favourite ones and we put them all in frames and daddy Max can put them up on the wall. Then you'll see her every day and you'll never forget about her. We won't let you forget her, Joey..." Joey nodded his head, liking the idea of seeing his mummy every day.

"So Joey, do you want to go to the funeral?" Max asked softly.

"I do, daddy Maxy... I want to say bye bye to mummy," he said seriously.

"Okay then," Max said, "Well, mummy Tan and I will organise the funeral with help from Grandma and Granddad. Is that alright with you?" Joey nodded.

"Is there an outfit you liked your mummy wearing, Joey?" Tanya asked.

"Yes... the pitty blue dress with the likkle red flowers on it... She wore it to my birfday party..." he said, looking at her with owl-like eyes.

"I know the one you mean, Joey," Tanya said.

"We'll be able to go into the house later this week to get some things from there. I'll find that dress and we can get them to put it on your mummy so she'll be buried in it."

"Can I make a card for her?" Joey asked.

"Of course you can, Joey..." Max said.

"Can we put it in the coffing with her?" he asked, "Maybe I could make one for Nana Julie too..." he added thoughtfully.

"I'm sure we can arrange that, Joey..." Tanya said, glancing at Max and seeing him nod. Joey yawned. "Are you tired, darling?" she asked. He nodded his head. "How about we put you to bed?" He looked up at her, eyes filled with fear, "It's going to be okay, Joey... we'll put you in mine and daddy's bed and we'll be up later."

"Bear will be with you..." Max said, "keeping you safe..." Max picked him up and carried him upstairs to their bedroom. He tucked Joey into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. He looked so tiny, curled up into a little ball in the middle of their kingsize bed. Max lay beside him on the bed and Joey shuffled closer to him.

"Can Unca Jack speak about mummy at her funral?" Joey asked.

"If you'd like him to..." Max said. "Or I can..."

"Mummy Tan will want you to look afer her..." Joey whispered, "She's going to be sad... mummy was her bestest fend, daddy."

"You'll be sad too, Joey..." Max said.

"I know..." he murmured. His thumb slipped into his mouth and he hugged Bear a little tighter.

Max lay with Joey for a while, until he was sure he was asleep. Once he was satisfied that he was, he made his way quietly back downstairs.

**A/N: Joey has another meltdown... and kicks his auntie. Did you like the conversation Joey had with the baby? Super sweet. Yay, they've caught Derek... and now Joey is facing his mummy's funeral. How do you think he will cope? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20.**

The next day was relatively quiet. Joey went with Max over to see Auntie Carol in the morning and he apologised to her for kicking her the previous afternoon. Carol hugged him tightly and then when he pulled away she had slipped two £1 coins in his hand. He thanked her and her hand brushed the side of his face gently.

Max and Joey then went back to their house for some lunch. Once lunch was done and Joey had had a nap the family then went over to the Queen Vic, with the plan to hand out Joey's thank you cards. The pub fell silent as they walked through the doors and Joey hid behind Tanya's legs, feeling self conscious as all the people turned to stare at him. Suddenly a friendly face was in sight and Joey emerged, moving to him quickly, "Unca Gant..." he said and the man crouched down and held out his arms.

"Joey..." he said as the small boy wrapped his arms around his neck. "How are you today?"

"We's giving out fank you cards to people..."

"Are you indeed?" Grant said. "Well, maybe you and your daddy can go and do those and when you've finished I may have a treat for you..."

"You do?" Joey whispered.

"Of course I do..." Grant said. He lowered Joey back to the floor and Joey ran back to Max.

A few minutes later Joey and Max were walking around the pub and Joey was passing the cards to each person they came across. Finally there was only one card left to give out. Joey ran back to mummy Tan and held his arms up to be lifted up. She lifted him and sat him on the bar, Grant clearing a space for him to sit on. Joey turned to the landlord and held a card out to him, "Here you go, Unca Gant..."

"Is that for me?" Grant asked. Joey nodded. Grant opened the envelope and read the note quickly, smiling as he saw the cross at the bottom of the card. "Thank you, Joey." He said, "Do you know what I'm going to do?" Joey shook his head, "I'm going to put this card up here," he said, holding the card against the wall behind the bar, "then every time I see it I will remember it's from you and it will make me smile."

"Fank you, Unca Gant..." Joey said.

"Now, I think I said I had a treat for you, didn't I?" Grant said.

Joey nodded, "You did..."

"Give me a couple of seconds... it's out the back..." Grant said. He disappeared and returned a few minutes later, his hands behind his back. "I spoke to an old friend of mine and he's said that one day, when it's a bit warmer, you could go and visit where he works." Joey looked at Grant and the elder man could see that Joey was clearly unimpressed. "I have a clue about where my friend works. He gave this to me yesterday when I saw him." He pulled his hands out from behind his back and put the object on Joey's head. It was a fireman's helmet.

"He's a fireman?" Joey whispered in awe.

"He is... and he's looking forward to meeting you at the fire station he works at."

"To see a weal fire engine?" Joey asked.

"Yes... they have three of them where he works."

"Will he let me pay the tune?" he asked.

Grant frowned, not understanding what he was asking. "He means the siren," Tanya explained.

"Oh, I think that will be possible, Joey..." he smiled at the small boy, "So do you want me to arrange that?"

"Yes pease, Unca Gant..."

"Arrange what, Grant?" Sharon asked as she walked over to where her husband stood.

"A trip to the fire station that Bob works at," Grant said, "for Joey."

"Fank you, Unca Gant." Joey said, launching himself in the arms of the large man. Sharon's eyes widened as she saw her husband hug the little boy tightly. Suddenly his request from earlier in the week, the one she had initially dismissed, didn't seem such a ridiculous idea.

**A/N: So just a little filler chapter... I told you Joey had affected Grant. What did you think? Don't forget to send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21.**

Two weeks passed quickly as preparations were made for the funeral of Sarah Branning. Max and Jack took Joey to get an outfit to wear to the funeral. He'd asked them what little boys like him wore to funerals and they'd explained that little boys didn't normally go to funerals. After some talk between the three Brannings, they agreed what Joey should wear and had brought the clothes for him.

A week before the funeral they were allowed to go back into number 23 Albert Square and Max and Jack found some things from the house that they could use for Joey. Carol and Tanya had then joined them while Jim and Dot looked after Joey and they started the slow process of boxing up the rest of the house. It was a heartbreaking job for all involved but it needed to be done and they wanted to get it done as soon as possible. There were some things they were putting to one side for Joey to look at at a later date as they thought they might be things he would want as reminders of his mummy.

Two days before the funeral Tanya took Joey to the salon and gave him a haircut. His hair had grown a lot in the last month and she wanted it to be neat and tidy for the funeral. He wasn't that keen however and it took a little bribery from her before he would sit in the chair. In the end his hair was short at the back and sides and the top was a little longer and she gelled it so it was all spiky on top. She turned the chair and showed him in the mirror and the smile she saw in the reflection was reward enough.

*JL*JL*

The morning of the funeral dawned with Joey still sleeping in the bed with his mummy Tan and daddy Maxy. Tanya bathed him and did his hair, then took him down to the kitchen to have his breakfast, a dressing gown around his body so he didn't get it down himself and ruin what he was going to wear.

Once he was done Max, who had showered while they were having breakfast took him upstairs and the two of them got dressed. By the time Tanya was ready she walked down to the lounge and Max and Joey were waiting for her. "Well don't my two men look smart...?" she said as she looked at them both. Max was wearing a white shirt, black tie and a black suit. She had to bite her lip as her eyes drifted to Joey and saw him wearing a mirror image of Max, complete with a black tie. She walked over to him and crouched before him and her hands cupped his face. "You look so lovely, Joey... your mummy would so very proud of you now."

"Fank you, mummy Tan." He whispered.

"Do you think Bear should come with us today?" she asked him gently.

"Bear's too upset..." he breathed, his bottom lip quivering.

"Maybe he can go in my handbag and then if you need him, he can come out and you'd be there for each other."

"Okay..." he said.

Tanya reached for one of his hands, squeezing it gently as Max left the room and ran upstairs to get Bear from their bed, "If it gets too much for you today, you just let me or daddy know, okay?" she told him softly. "You don't have to do this..."

"I want my mummy to know I love her..." he whispered.

"She will always know that, Joey... she knew that from the day you were born..." she told him. She hugged him against her body, feeling him start to shake slightly. When they pulled apart there were tears on his face and Tanya wiped them away. Max reappeared in the room and he put Bear in Tanya's bag.

"The cars are here..." he told them softly.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat between Max and Tanya in the back of the funeral car that followed behind the hearse. Grandma Dot and Granddad were also in the car with them. Joey was very quiet during the journey, his hands clutching those of both his parents. He was a little apprehensive about what was about to happen.

*JL*JL*

The funeral had barely started and Joey was crying. He'd become distressed as soon as he'd seen the coffin with all the flowers on top of it. Mummy Tan picked him up and tried to comfort him but it wasn't working and he was just getting more and more upset as the minutes passed.

Tanya turned when she felt someone touch her arm. "I'll take him..."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded, "We'll go for a walk and have a little man to man chat..." he said.

Tanya passed Joey over to him, "Thanks Grant..." Just as he was about to walk away, Tanya reached into her bag and pulled out Bear. "You might need this..." she told him softly.

"We'll be round the front of the church." Grant said, walking away with the crying toddler and Bear.

*JL*JL*

Grant was sitting on a bench at the front of the church, Joey on his lap. He was crying intensely and Grant let him, brushing his hand up and down his back. Bear was gripped within Joey's arms, Grant having passed the toy to Joey as soon as they were seated. After five minutes Joey had calmed slightly. "Will mummy Tan and daddy Maxy be koss with me for not being there?" he asked in a broken voice.

"No, Joey... you're three years old and you're at the funeral for your mummy..." he said softly, "A lot of people get upset at funerals. Your granddad will be upset and he's much older than you are. Your aunties and uncles will all be upset... so they can't say anything about the fact you were too."

"But they all stayed there..." he whispered, "No one else left..."

"No one else is three years old... and it wasn't anyone else's mummy either, Joey." Grant said softly. "Shall I tell you something, Joey?" Joey looked up at him, tears still pooled in his eyes and nodded. "Do you remember me saying that my daddy was the same as yours?" Joey nodded again. "Your daddy stopped because he did a very bad thing and the police arrested him..." he said, "My daddy stopped because he died. He was poorly, with a sickness and in the end he died from it." Grant said, trapped in his own memories for a few seconds, "Now I wasn't as young as you are when he died but when I went to the funeral, I cried my eyes out. And he wasn't even a very nice man. Your mummy was a lovely lady and she deserves to have everyone crying at her funeral. It's the right thing to do."

"Do you fink she's in heben?" he whispered.

"I have no doubt she is, Joey. All the best people go to heaven."

"So there won't be anybody to hurt her no more?" he asked.

"No, Joey. She's going to be at peace now."

"With Nana Julie and the baby... and Hammy..." Joey stated.

"Who's Hammy?"

"He was my hamster..." Joey explained. "He died earlier last year. We had a funral for him in the garden."

"We had a funeral for Roly a couple of months ago. We were very sad when he died too." Grant said, "Do you remember Roly?"

Joey nodded, "He was a pitty doggy..."

"He died in an accident and Sharon and I were upset so we had a funeral for him too. He was cremated..."

"What's kemated?" Joey asked.

"Instead of being buried, a person or animal can be burnt and the ashes can then be scattered or buried in a place that's special to them. So we had Roly cremated and then we buried his ashes in the gardens in the square."

"I din't know that..."

"I think you were on holiday when it happened."

"So Roly is up in heben with mummy?"

"I'm sure he is... she might be taking him for walks."

"What's it like in heben, Unca Gant?"

"It's a busy place, Joey. There are a lot of good people in the world and they all go to heaven when they die."

"How do you know that? If you haven't been there...?"

"My granddad once told me about it... Have you ever looked up at the sky at night, Joey?" he asked him. Joey nodded his head, "My granddad told me that all the stars in the sky are the angels in heaven looking down at us and making sure we're okay."

"There are loads of stars in the sky..." Joey whispered in wonder.

"I know... so there must be loads of angels too..." Grant said.

"I'm glad mummy won't be lonely..." Joey said.

"She won't be, Joey. And she'll be looking down on you and making sure you're okay as well. You're her special little boy and always will be. She'll be watching you closely."

"And she won't mind if I'm happy living with mummy Tan and daddy Maxy?" he asked.

"No. She's going to want you to be happy, Joey. That's all she's ever wanted."

"Where do all the bad people go, Unca Gant... if the good people go to heben?"

"They go to hell, Joey... and it's not a very nice place down there because they're bad people and they're all nasty to each other." Grant said.

"How bad do you haf to be to go to hell?" Joey asked, looking a little worried.

"What's wrong, Joey?" Grant asked.

"Daddy told me I was a bad boy... does that mean I's going to go to hell? I want to go to heben and be wif mummy and all the good people..." he whispered.

"I think that when a person dies, all of the things they've done are measured and if you've done mostly bad things in your life, then you're a bad person... and if you've been mostly good, you'd go to heaven. Even if you had been a bad boy, Joey... which I don't think you had been, all the good things you've done would more than balance it out." Grant reassured him.

Joey thought about what he'd said to him and seemed to be happy with his answer. "Fank you, Unca Gant." He said softly. "Fank you for looking afer me today."

"It's what friend's do for each other, Joey." Grant said.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya reappeared at the front of the church as soon as the service was over and walked over to where Joey and Grant were sitting. "Hey Joey," Max said softly, sitting on the bench. Joey held his arms out towards him. Max lifted him up and hugged him tightly. "Are you okay, little man?" he asked softly. Joey nodded but the tears had returned. "It's okay, Joey... you cry as long as you want to..."

"I'll leave the two of you to it," Grant said to Max and Tanya as he saw Sharon, Phil and Kathy walk around the front of the church. "You know where I am, little guy..." Grant said softly.

"Fank you, Unca Gant..." Joey hiccupped. Grant stood and passed Bear to Joey, his hand brushing the back of his head before he walked away.

**A/N: More Joey cuteness... His worrying that he might end up in hell because Derek told him he was a bad boy. And more Unca Gant... he'll be back again, don't worry. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22.**

Joey was quiet for a couple of days after the funeral, he spent most of the days playing with his cars or watching DVDs curled up on the sofa with Bear. Both Max and Tanya had returned to work, although they were taking it in turns to be with him while the other went to work. They knew that Joey wasn't ready to go back to playgroup yet but were hoping that by the start of the next week he might be. He needed to get back some sort of normality to his life.

*JL*JL*

Things were progressing in Derek's case. There had been a bail hearing and Derek was remanded in a high security prison. Jack had gone to see him and very nearly ended up punching him. Derek had no remorse for what he had done to Sarah; for the way he had treated her throughout their marriage. Jack had then asked him about Joey and he had become... well, smug is the best way to describe it and it sent fire through his youngest brother. Things descended from there really and Derek was dragged out of the room while another prison officer held Jack back.

*JL*JL*

Grant had spoken to Max the day after the funeral and they had organised that he could take Joey to his friend's fire station on the Friday of that week, this ended up being fortuitous because it was now coinciding with another meeting with Social Services. Joey's case had been assigned to the same social worker they saw on Christmas Eve which didn't really please either of the elder Branning's very much. Max had spoken to DCI Davis who had then called a friend of his in the department who was going to keep an eye on the case so for the time being they were going to have to live with it.

*JL*JL*

Joey wasn't aware of what he was going to be doing on Friday yet. And he certainly didn't know about the social worker visiting the house. Tanya was trying to get Joey dressed in the morning on the Friday but he was wriggling around.

"Why am I wearing my pull-up pants, mummy?" he asked, "I finked I was to use my potty now?"

"You're going out today, Joey... so the pull-up pants are easier."

"Where are we going?" he asked

"It's a surprise..." she said with a smile.

"When are we going?"

"I'm not going with you, Joey."

"Is daddy taking me somewhere?"

"No, not today."

"Oh..." he whispered, momentarily distracted enough that Tanya could dress him in a red T-shirt and some jogging bottoms. "Can Bear come wif me?" he asked.

"I think he can... maybe he'd like to go in your backpack then he's close to you at all times but you won't lose him."

"My Fireman Sam backpack?" Joey asked.

"Do you have another one?" she teased him with a smile.

"Bear would like that very much," Joey stated.

"Alright then... once I'm done with you, I will sort Bear out too." Joey fell silent, letting his mummy finish dressing him. She put him on his feet once he was dressed and he watched as she picked up Bear and put him safely in Joey's backpack. The doorbell rang as she was finishing getting them both ready and then she led him down the stairs and into the lounge.

"Unca Gant!" Joey exclaimed.

"Are you ready?" Grant asked.

"For what?" Joey asked, a frown marring his little face.

"Well, we've got a trip planned if I remember..." Grant said with a smile.

"To the fire station?" Joey said, bouncing on his toes. Grant nodded, "I finked we was going when it was warmer?"

"Well I talked to your daddy about it and we thought maybe you deserved a treat now... because it's been a tough week, hasn't it?"

Joey nodded his head, "Can I mummy? Daddy?" he asked at both his parents.

"Of course you can, Joey. You go and have a nice day with Uncle Grant and then you can tell us all about it when you get home, can't you?" Tanya said, easing his coat onto him. She then wrapped a scarf around his neck and put the hat on his head. "There... I think you're all ready!" she said with a smile, passing Joey's backpack to Grant.

*JL*JL*

Joey practically dragged Grant down the stairs at the front of number 5, eager to start his exciting day. Grant laughed and unlocked the door to his car, which was parked on the street. He opened the front passenger door and then turned back to Joey and lifted him off the floor, situating him in the car-seat and strapping him in. He got in the driver's seat and then started the engine. They were soon pulling out of the square.

*JL*JL*

The doorbell rang and Tanya went to open it, finding Gail Foster on the doorstep, "Please come in."

The social worker moved into the house, her head turning as she looked around the lounge, seeing Max in the dining room. "Where's your nephew?"

"Joey has been taken out for the day by a family friend..." Max said.

"He's not back at his playgroup?" she asked.

"No... we're hoping he will be returning next week but we're leaving it up to him really. He's had a difficult week with his mum's funeral on Monday." Tanya said, "Why don't we sit down?" They sat around the dining room table, in the same places as they'd sat on her previous visit.

"You let him go to the funeral?" Gail said, her shock at what Tanya said clearly written across her face.

"We gave him the option to go to the funeral if he wanted to. We wanted him to have the opportunity to say goodbye to his mummy." Max said, "He didn't stay very long though because he got very upset."

"What happened then?"

"Our friend who's taken him out today looked after him."

*JL*JL*

"Are we nearly there yet, Unca Gant?" Joey asked about five minutes after leaving the square.

"Not yet, Joey... but we'll be there soon." He said.

"Will I get to ride in a fire engine?" Joey asked, bouncing in his seat.

"I don't know if you will, Joey." Grant said, "but I think you'll be able to sit in one."

"Yay..." he said excitedly, still bouncing in his car seat and waving his hands in the air.

"Sit still in your seat, Joey." Grant said, unable to keep the smile off his face. He was as excited about this day as his young friend was.

*JL*JL*

"Who is this friend exactly?" Gail asked, starting to write notes in her pad.

"He's the landlord of the Queen Victoria pub in the square." Max said, "He has some understanding of what Joey's been going through... his father did the same sort of thing when Grant was a young boy. Him and Joey have bonded in the last couple of weeks."

"So you've let this man take your nephew out for the day?" Gail asked them in disbelief.

"He's taken Joey to visit a fire station where a friend of his works... Joey's obsessed with Fireman Sam and fire engines and he has been for a while. Grant wanted him to have some fun and his friend is a fireman, so Grant lined up the visit."

"Mmm..." Gail wrote something else down, she clearly wasn't impressed.

Max reached for Tanya's hand under the table and squeezed it gently. It didn't seem to be going as well as they'd hoped.

*JL*JL*

Grant drove his car into the fire station, making sure his car wasn't in the way if one of the engines needed to leave the station. He smiled as he heard Joey gasp. He was out of the car and opening the passenger door in a matter of minutes, "Now Joey, you need to hold onto my hand at all times okay... no running off..."

"Okay, Unca Gant..." he said. "Can we take my backpack?" he asked as Grant lifted him out of the car, "Bear wants to see the fire engines too..."

"Bear?"

"Mummy put him in my backpack so I din't lose him..." Joey explained. Grant reached for the backpack and held it in his hand as he carried Joey into the station. Joey's eyes were wide as he saw the large fire engine parked inside. "WOW!" he gasped as his head turned to take in everything he could see.

"Grant! Long time no see, mate." A tall man said as he walked over to Grant and Joey. "Is this the little boy you were telling me about?" he asked.

"Yeah, Bob, this is Joey." Grant said, "Joey, this is my friend, Bob. He's a fireman, just like Sam is."

"Hello Joey." Bob said.

"Bob..." Joey said shyly.

"So Grant wanted me to show you around the station and show you the fire engines... would you like that?"

"Pease..." Joey said, nodding his head as hard as he could.

Grant put him on the floor and Joey took his hand, the two of them walking behind Bob as he led them through the station, Joey's head turning wildly as he looked at all the sights around them. Bob showed them the fireman's pole and Joey asked if anyone ever got stuck sliding down it (like Trevor did in one of the episodes). Bob also showed them the kitchen and Joey asked if they had a better cook than Fireman Sam's station did (which they did apparently). He showed them the uniforms they had to wear which Joey thought were much better than the ones on Fireman Sam.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya sat tensely opposite Joey's social worker. She was still writing notes in her pad and neither of the Branning's thought the meeting was going well. "I'm still concerned that Joey should be placed elsewhere..." she finally said.

"Where else would he be placed?" Tanya asked.

"We have emergency foster carers that can take him in." She said matter-of-factly.

"You think it's better to take him away from people who love him and put him with strangers?" Max said, his voice rising as he spoke.

"It's your responsibility to ensure he has a balanced childhood. You've been keeping him away from his friends and you've allowed a complete stranger to take him out for the day. You knew I was coming today and I was hoping to see you interacting with Joey, seeing as how he wasn't here very long the last time I came to see you."

"We didn't think it was wise for him to be here when we were discussing his future with you." Max explained. "And like I said, Grant is a family friend, not a complete stranger as you put it... unlike the people you're suggesting you place him with..."

"I'm therefore not convinced here is the best place for him. Being here he will be faced with constant reminders of his mother and father."

"You don't know anything about Joey." Tanya said, the mothering instinct rising to the surface, "You haven't been here to deal with the nightmares he has every night. You haven't seen how he clings to us. He doesn't like being on his own... someone has to be with him all the time. We've finally restarted the potty training with him after him initially resisting even trying. Today is the first time he's not been with one of us for over a week. We haven't made him go back to his playgroup yet because he's been really upset since the funeral. Yes, okay it may have been a mistake for him to go to the funeral but we had to give him the option to go. The last time he saw his mummy she was laying in a pool of blood and he sat with her for hours on end. We didn't want that to be his last memory of her so we gave him the choice to go... so he would get a chance to say goodbye to her."

"And when it got to be too much for him, Grant took him away and they spoke about things. Grant's dad died when he was young too so he was able to explain things to Joey a little more..." Max said. "Okay, things haven't been easy since he came to stay here but we want him here with us. We want him to be with us because we can give him the childhood he deserves to have." He glanced at Tanya and squeezed her hand, "Joey had a conversation with the baby the other week. He was lying with Tanya on the sofa and I heard him talking to it as she slept."

"He did?" Tanya whispered.

Max smiled at her, he hadn't told her this, knowing it would upset her, "Yeah... he was asking the baby if it was okay to share us because his mummy and daddy couldn't be around for him anymore. He was saying how it's not always fun to share things because he has to do it at playgroup but most of the time it's okay. Did you know that every time Joey talks to or touches Tanya's bump the baby reacts? He told the baby that we're the nicest people he knows and our hugs are the bestest in the world – his words. He said we make him feel special. He said he already loves that baby and he's going to be it's big brother. He's going to play with it and look after it as it's growing up, protecting it from the big kids. He said that the baby would always be safe, he would make sure of it."

There was silence after Max finished speaking, "Be that as it may, Mr. Branning... it's still important that I see you interacting with your nephew."

"I'll go and ring Grant and see what time they're going to be back." Tanya said, going into the hallway and making the call.

*JL*JL*

Finally Grant and Joey got to the highlight of the tour, the fire engines. Bob showed them around the large engine with the ladder on top. He showed them where the hoses were stored and how the ladder was operated. Joey's eyes got wider with each new thing he was shown. Bob opened the door to the engine and Grant and Joey climbed into one of the front seats. Bob was in the other seat and he started the engine. Joey was beyond excited when Bob said Joey could press the button that turned the siren on. He pressed it, only slightly unsure that he wasn't going to get in trouble for doing so. The noise was really loud and Joey had to cover his ears to stop them from ringing... it was very exciting though.

Bob then took them to the back of the station and Joey got to watch some of the firemen using the hoses to put out a fire. Joey was stunned by it all and he could only think one thing. He really wanted to be a fireman when he was a grown up.

Just as Joey was wondering if the day could get better, Grant's mobile phone rang. Joey looked at him as he spoke. Grant turned back to him as he ended the call, smiling at the boy who was looking up at him. "Time to go home now, Joey," he said.

"But Unca Gant..." Joey whined.

"That was your mummy on the phone, she needs us to go back home because there's someone who wants to meet you." Grant crouched down in front of Joey, "Now what do you need to say?"

Joey turned to the other man, "Fank you, Mr Bob..." he said, "I've weally loved being here... I's gonna be a fireman too when I's gowed up..."

"It was a pleasure to meet you too, Joey." Bob said, "I have a present for you..." he said, "I'll be back in a minute." He walked away quickly.

"Do you have your backpack with you still, Joey?" Grant asked.

"Yes, Unca Gant..." Joey said.

"Shall we check to make sure Bear is still in there?" Grant said. Joey nodded and Grant slid the backpack off Joey's arms, having put it on him when they climbed into the fire engine. He unzipped it and they both peeked inside. There was Bear sitting inside, looking back up at them. Grant zipped the bag shut again and then onto Joey's back again. Just as Grant stood back up Bob reappeared.

"This is for you, Joey..." Bob said, holding something out towards him. Joey glanced at Grant who nodded his head.

Joey took the item and opened up the plastic bag he'd been given. Inside was a dark blue T-shirt that he opened up. On the front was two words that made Grant chuckle. 'Hot stuff' was written in white writing. "Wow..." Joey whispered, although he didn't know what the writing said.

"There's another one in the bag for Bear too..." Bob said softly, aware of Joey's little furry friend from Grant.

"Fank you, Mr Bob..." Joey whispered, "And Bear says fank you too..."

"You get Uncle Grant to bring you back sometime, okay?" Bob said.

"I think we'll be back, eh Joey?" Grant said. Joey nodded quickly. "Let's go then, Joey." Grant took the T-shirt from the small boy and put it back in the carrier bag. He lifted Joey into his arms and was soon strapping him back in his car seat, Joey's backpack and the carrier bag in the foot well of the car. Just as Grant reversed the car out of the space he'd parked in, one of the fire engines pulled out of the station, it's lights and sirens going. Joey gasped, his eyes locked on the vehicle as it roared away from the station. Once it was gone Grant started the drive back to Albert Square, he could feel the excitement bubbling out of Joey and he knew he had much to tell his parents when he got home.

**A/N: So Joey has had a good day... but he's unaware of what is happening back at his home. How will he react when he meets Gail Foster? What is going to happen next? She's got to change her mind when she see's Joey with Max and Tanya, right? Back tomorrow...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23.**

Joey knocked excitedly on the door and grinned up at Max when he opened the door for him. "Did you have a good trip, Joey?"

Joey nodded eagerly. He looked at Grant, "Fank you, Unca Gant... me and Bear had such a good time," he said without prompting.

"I had a great time too, Joey. We'll do it again, I promise." He told him. Joey lifted his arms in the air and Grant bent down for a hug, pressing a kiss against the top of his head as he pulled away again. Grant turned to Max, "Here's Joey's bag's, Bear is in the backpack, we checked before we came home." He said with a smile. "I'd better get back to the pub. See you later, Joey."

"Bye Unca Gant. Fank you..." Joey called after him, waving his hand as he watched him walk away from the house.

"Let's get you in the warm, eh, Joey?" Max said, ushering the boy into the hallway and taking his coat and other outside things off. Then he knelt down before Joey and looked him in the eyes, "Joey, did Uncle Grant tell you there was a lady here who wants to meet you?" Joey nodded, "She's here to sort out where you're going to be staying now you can't live with your mummy or daddy."

"I finked I was staying here wif you?" he whispered, his bottom lip already quivering as he thought of the prospect of having to leave his favouritest people in the whole wide world.

"That's what we want too, Joey but this lady has to confirm that and tell us it's okay." Max said softly, "You just need to be your normal self and she will come to that decision. Mummy Tan and I are trying our very best to make sure you can stay, Joey... don't worry, okay."

"Okay, daddy Maxy..." Joey said.

Max got back to his feet and took Joey's hand, leading him into the lounge. Joey hid a little behind Max's legs as they walked towards the dining room table, peering around him to stare at this new lady who was deciding his whole future. She looked like a scary lady to him. Max turned and lifted Joey, walking back to the dining room table and taking a seat. "Did you have a good time with Uncle Grant?" he asked.

"I sat in a fire engine, daddy Maxy..." he started, his words fast as he got super excited about everything that had happened that morning. "And Mr Bob let me pwess the button to make the noise... It was weally loud, I had to cover my ears."

"Wow, that sounds really great, Joey," Tanya said.

"It was mummy Tan... then we watched some firemen putting a fire out..."

"A fire?" Gail Foster said, quickly writing something else down in her pad.

"Yes, Mr Bob said they were taining... I wanted to go closer but Mr Bob and Unca Gant wouldn't let me... it was too dangous."

Max smirked as he saw the social worker practically deflate before them at Joey's words. "Did you see anything else?" Max asked.

"Oh yes...!" Joey exclaimed, "When we were leaving one of the fire engines came out and the lights were fashing and the noise was paying..." he told them both, "Can I be a fireman when I's gown up?"

"I'm sure that will be a possibility, Joey..." Tanya said, "You're going to have to study really hard when you go to school though."

"Unca Gant said he would take me back to see Mr Bob again," Joey said. He glanced at the social worker, "Do you fink that will be okay?" he whispered to his parents.

"I'm sure it will..." Tanya said, choosing to think positively about what her and Max were facing.

"I need to make a call," Gail told Max, standing and going into the hallway, pulling the door to behind her.

"I don't like her, daddy Maxy..." Joey whispered.

"She's just doing her job, Joey," Max said, although he personally shared Joey's opinion.

"Mr. Bob gave me a pesent..." Joey said suddenly.

"He did... what was it?" Tanya asked.

"A T-shirt... and there was one for Bear." Joey said, "Unca Gant had them..." he said, searching around.

Max passed Joey over to Tanya and then bent down to pick up the carrier bag from where he'd put it beside his chair and opened it. He pulled out both T-shirts and unfolded them. He laughed as he saw the words written on the front of each one. "These are really nice, Joey." He said, "I think you and Bear will look great when you're both wearing them."

"I fanked Mr Bob after he gave them to me, daddy Maxy..." he said, "Can I wear mine to bed tonight? Bear can wear his too...?" Joey asked his mummy. Before she could answer he spoke again, "Can I go to paygroup next week?"

"You want to go back?" Tanya asked.

"I miss my fends..." he whispered, "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is." Max said.

The door to the room opened again and Gail Foster re-entered the room. She stood near the door, "I've spoken to my manager and raised my concerns..." she said. Max felt his heart sink, already sensing that this was going to be a problem. "I've been authorised to take Joey..."

"But..." Max said.

"Now." Gail interrupted.

Tanya's arms tightened around the small boy. "You can't..." she whispered.

Max pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and made a call to his brother, hoping he would be able to help. He was talking to his brother as he saw the social worker walk over to his wife and try to lift Joey off her lap. Joey tensed and clung to Tanya as tight as he could. "Joey... you've got to come with me..." Gail Foster said firmly.

"Mummy Tan..." he whispered, looking at her with such sadness in his eyes. Joey tensed even more and tried desperately to curl up on Tanya's lap.

A few minutes later the front door opened and Jack walked into the room, frowning as he saw what was happening. Gail had finally managed to manhandle Joey away from Tanya and was carrying him towards where Jack was standing. Joey had started thrashing his legs against her once he was off Tanya's lap and he was wriggling in her arms. She shook him a little, trying to stop him and Joey screamed, his body going rigid and both Max and Tanya worried that he would get hurt by the social worker or he'd hurt himself.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Jack said loudly, glancing at his brother who was comforting his wife.

"I've been authorised to take Joey with me."

"What reasons do you have to take him?" Jack asked.

"It's clear to me that this is the wrong environment for Joey to be in... he will be placed in emergency foster care until a permanent placement can be arranged."

"How is this house the wrong environment for Joey to be in? He isn't being abused, neglected or mistreated. Max and Tanya have been focusing on making sure he's happy and well cared for. This house has practically been a second home for him throughout his childhood. This is where he should be!"

"I think your opinion is slightly biased, Mr Branning." She sneered.

"Have you even spoken to Joey and asked him what he thinks? I can guarantee you haven't or you would realise this was a seriously bad idea." Jack said, "You haven't asked him what his wishes are; what his feelings are... because if you had you would know he wants to stay here. He loves Max and Tanya as if they are his parents... he asked to call them mummy and daddy... he asked Santa for them to be his parents. Why would you think this isn't what he wants?"

"He's a three year old boy... he doesn't understand these things. He's too young to be able to make these decisions." She told him, "I'm just doing my job and looking out for the best interests of Joey..." she added. She shifted Joey in her arms. Joey had now stopped struggling and seemed to be trapped in his own thoughts and had been ever since she had shaken him. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be leaving now." She walked towards the hallway, pushing past Jack and striding to the front door. She opened it and carried the boy outside, the three elder Branning's trailing behind her. Tanya was distraught and Max was trying to comfort her but it was hard to do when he was almost as upset as she was.

Gail Foster opened the door to her car and started to strap Joey into the car seat she had in the back seat. She could sense that the situation was spiralling out of control and she wanted to get Joey away from this situation as soon as possible.

"Where's Bear...?" the small boy whimpered.

Gail managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes, she was quickly realising that the one downside of the job she was in, was dealing with the snivelling children. "You don't need anything, Joseph. You'll get given things when you get to your new home..."

"I wanna live with Mummy Tan and Daddy Maxy..." he sobbed, "I want Bear..."

She stood up and took a deep breath, slamming the car door and ignoring the yelp from Joey as he cowered in the back seat. She walked around the back of the car, her eyes drifting over the crowd of people who were starting to gather around the square. It was a shame none of these people realised the kind of situation Joey was in when he was living at home she thought to herself. She opened the car door and climbed into the driver's seat. Joey was crying in the back seat and she wished with all her might that he would just stop. She started the engine and pulled away from the kerb, slamming her feet on the brake and clutch as a car screeched to a halt in front of her car.

A man got out of the car and as soon as she saw him she sighed again. It was DCI Davis. He walked over to her and opened her car door, peering inside and seeing Joey, who was still crying in the back of the car. "Why are you taking Joey away from his home?" he asked her sharply.

"I'm concerned that that house isn't the right place for him to be."

"What concerns?" he asked her, lifting an eyebrow. "The child liaison officer hasn't raised any concerns with me about Joey being with his aunt and uncle. Joey is happy with Max and Tanya."

"Well..." Gail becomes flustered when he starts interrogating her.

"You have no authority to remove this child unless you can provide evidence of your concerns and even then you can only remove him with a Police Protection Order or with parental/guardian consent... neither of which you have. The only other method you have to remove him from their care is by obtaining an Interim Care Order through the Courts and I know you don't have that either." He stood up to his full height and Gail saw him nod to someone. She heard the back door of the car open and whirled her head round, seeing Jack Branning reaching into the car and carefully easing his nephew out of the car seat.

"You can't do that..." she spluttered.

"Until you have the proper paperwork in place, Joey is staying with his aunt and uncle," DCI Davis said firmly. "And I will be speaking to your supervisor regarding this matter. Should you take the matter that far I will also be supporting the Branning's in any case you bring against them as I see no reason why Joey shouldn't be in their care."

Jack carried Joey back to Max and Tanya who both hugged the small boy tightly. Tanya lowered herself to the stairs outside the house, pulling Joey onto her lap as she tried to comfort him. Tears were pouring down both their faces and Jack wasn't really sure who was comforting whom.

Quite a crowd had built up around the square and as DCI Davis moved his car out of the social worker's way and she drove away, some of the assembled people milled forward. Jim and Dot were first in line to check that their grandson was okay. Max sat next to Tanya and put his arm around her shoulders, kissing her temple softly.

"B...e...a...r..." was the only word uttered by an inconsolable little boy and Jack dashed into the house to find the much longed for toy.

Jack poked his head back out of the door, "Max, I can't find him..." he said softly.

"The backpack near the dining room table..." Max said, turning his head and checking his brother had understood. Jack nodded and disappeared back into the house. He was soon back and jogged down the stairs around the family, holding out Bear for Joey to take. Which he did, burying his face back into Tanya's body and using his little furry friend to shield his face from everyone's sight.

About fifteen minutes later Tanya and Max had both calmed down. "Why don't we go over to the Vic?" Jack said, "You all look like you could do with a drink and I think Joey needs a change of scenery for a little while... I'm sure he'd like to see his Uncle Grant anyway."

"Sounds like a good idea," Max said, "I'll just go and get a coat for Joey and Tan and my wallet and keys." He added. He barely left for more than a minute and Tanya put the jacket onto Joey as he sat on her lap. Apart from the initial word he hadn't spoken again and he was now sucking his thumb and the same hand was clutching Bear tightly by the arm. Max looked at Jack, "Why don't you take them to the pub, I'll just speak to DCI Davis and I'll come over in a few minutes."

"Okay..." Jack said. Along with his dad and Dot, Jack led Tanya and Joey over to the pub. Jim and Dot ushered Tanya and Joey to a table in the corner while Jack went to the bar, getting drinks for everyone from Sharon.

Grant saw the Branning's at the table and could see that Joey was visibly upset. It was such a turnaround from how he had been just an hour or so ago. He didn't disturb them but returned behind the bar and seeing Jack, walked over to speak to him, "Is everything okay with Joey?" he asked.

"No, the social worker just tried to take him from Max's. Max called me and then I called the police officer who was involved with the case. He managed to get here in time to stop her but Joey, Max and Tanya all got quite upset. I'm pretty sure Max is going to put in a complaint about her."

Max walked into the pub and over to the bar, nodding his head at Grant. "You okay?" Grant asked him.

"I've been better to be honest..." He admitted, picking up the whisky Jack had ordered for him and downing it in one. Grant got him another one, waving away any payment. "We've got stuff to talk about..." he said to Jack.

"Do you want me to have Joey for a while?" Grant said, "Give you a chance to talk about whatever you need to?"

"Are you sure you've got time?" Max asked.

"Always got time for Joey..." Grant said, smiling at the two men.

"Come on then..." Max said, picking up his second drink and heading towards the family. Grant followed behind the two brothers but hung back from the table, not wanting to crowd Joey. "Joey, Uncle Grant wondered if you wanted to go off with him for a few minutes."

Joey looked at Max and then turned to Grant, "'Kay, daddy." He pulled himself off Tanya's lap and scrambled across Max, pausing briefly to hug him. "Unca Gant..." he said, standing on the seat at the table and waving his arms in the air.

"Joey..." Grant said with a smile, bending down slightly and picking him up. "I've got to go and collect some glasses, Joey... do you want to help me?"

"Yes, pease!" Joey squealed.

Grant lifted Joey in his arms and put him on his shoulders, "Hold tight, Joey..." he said, laughing as Joey's hands gripped the sides of his head. He walked around the pub, picking up pint glasses that he stacked in his hands. Joey giggled as Grant moved quickly around the room, much like he had when his daddy Maxy had done the same thing just after Christmas. His previous trauma had faded into the past which had been Grant's plan all along. Grant walked back to the bar and handed over the stacked glasses to Tracey who loaded them in the dishwasher. He then moved to the other end of the bar and collected more glasses. Once the glasses were all collected Grant moved behind the bar again and moved Joey off his shoulders, putting him on the floor.

"What now, Unca Gant?"

"Well, we could go into the kitchen and see if there are any nice treats we can find..."

"That sounds like somefing I want to do..." Joey said confidently.

Joey took Grant's hand and they walked towards the kitchen, both of them unaware of several pairs of eyes watching them. Sharon was watching her husband, seeing a totally different side to him that was making her feel some emotions she hadn't ever thought she would feel. For the first time in her life she was seriously considering having a family. Seeing Grant interact with Joey was revealing to her something she hadn't ever thought she'd see.

Max and Tanya were watching Joey, pleased to see that the trauma of the last hour or so had seemingly been forgotten and they just hoped that would continue tonight. One thing they knew for certain... although they had always known it. They were going to fight to keep Joey with them. They wanted to raise him as their son... for him to be a big brother to their son or daughter. And if they had to take on the whole of the social services department then that was what they were going to have to do.

**A/N: Firstly, this chapter needs a big 'fank you' (and bearhug) for Eastendersfan444 as she gave me masses of advice and help with the technical stuff in this one. I wanted to make sure I got it right. I'm sure I've exaggerated the social worker's reaction in this (I hope so anyway) but it needed to happen. This will have repercussions for a while too. How heartbreaking was the family's reaction to everything? So Max and Tanya may have a real fight on their hands to keep Joey but DCI Davis is behind them and Unca Gant will save the day. Oh, and I forced myself to watch some Fireman Sam in research for this chapter too... which was great fun! Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24.**

"I know just the thing, Joey..." Grant said as he opened the freezer. "Do you like ice cream?" he asked.

"I love ice ceam!"

"We have several flavours for you to choose from." He said, opening a drawer and looking at the various different tubs, "We have vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, raspberry ripple and mint choc-chip..."

"Can I haf choklate and raspery ripple?" he asked, biting his lip as he wondered if he was being too greedy.

"We can manage that..." Grant said, pulling out the two tubs of ice cream. "Would Bear like some too?"

"I fink he'd like a likkle bit of nilla, pease Unca Gant..." Joey said.

"How about I put all three scoops in one bowl and you and Bear can share?" he asked with a smile.

"I fink that's for the best..." the small boy said sagely.

"And would you like cream and chocolate sauce?"

"Yes pease..." he said, watching in anticipation as Grant put the squirty cream and chocolate sauce on top of the ice cream.

"Let's go back into the bar so you and Bear can eat this, shall we?" Joey nodded and Grant picked up the dish, grabbing two spoons from the drawer. Joey walked in front of him as they walked back to the bar. Every few steps Joey would look over his shoulder to make sure Grant was still there... or maybe it was the pudding he was checking on... Grant could see the adults were deep in discussion so he chose a table a little distance from where they were sitting and put the dish down on it, sitting at the table. Joey stood beside the table looking at him and glancing at Max and Tanya. "Where's Bear?" Grant asked softly.

"Mummy has him..." he whispered.

"Why don't you go and get him and let them know where we are?" Grant said, "I'll stay here and guard the ice cream."

"Someone might teal it if you din't..." Joey said.

"Exactly," Grant said. Joey nodded and walked over to the table where the rest of his family were sitting. They stopped talking as he approached. Minutes later he was returning, his hand tightly gripping Bear's arm. Once he was back at the table he clambered onto the seat beside Grant, Bear sitting on his lap. He looked up at Grant expectantly. Grant passed him a spoon and tucked a serviette into Joey's T-shirt (in lieu of a bib).

Joey began to eat his ice-cream slowly and Grant could tell there was something on his mind. He waited for him to ask his question. "Unca Gant?" he whispered as he finished a mouthful.

"Yes Joey..." he answered softly.

"Why did the nasty lady try to take me from mummy and daddy?" he asked.

"I don't know, Joey..." Grant admitted, "I'm sure it was just a misunderstanding and your mummy and daddy will sort it out." He told him. "Were you scared?" he asked him gently.

Joey paused briefly but then nodded his head, "The bad lady shook me... like what my weal daddy did..." He took another mouthful of ice-cream.

"Isn't that Bear's ice-cream you're eating?" Grant asked, trying his best to keep the smirk off his face.

"Oh, he's not hungwy... he told me so," Joey explained, "I'll eat his... so it din't get wasted..." he added. Grant chuckled. There was definitely something about this little boy that made you not mind if he was cheeky. "Why are people staring at us, Unca Gant?" he whispered, drawing Grant's attention back to him. "They were doing it the other day too..." he said.

"It's because they like you, Joey..." Grant said, only lying slightly. He was sure they were staring because it was unusual to see him with children and recently he'd been seen quite a lot with Joey. He knew people must be curious. Whatever the reason, Joey seemed satisfied with Grant's explanation and he carried on eating his ice-cream happily.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya came to pick up Joey just as he was finishing his ice-cream and they thanked Grant for looking after their little boy. Joey took both their hands, entrusting Tanya with Bear, and the little family walked out of the pub and back towards the house. Joey gripped their hands tightly as they got closer to the house. "I need a wee, mummy..." he said as Max opened the door.

"Okay, sweetheart... we'll go upstairs and you can use your potty." She nudged him up the stairs and once he was done they went into his room. "Shall we put your jimjams on?" she asked him.

"But mummy, it's only just gone lunchtime..." he said.

"I thought maybe me, you and daddy could sit down and watch movies together... Have a nice lazy afternoon. Does that sound good?" Joey nodded his head. "Well then I think we'd better get you sorted out then hadn't we?" she said.

*JL*JL*

The family had spent the rest of the day watching Disney movies. Max and Tanya were surprised to find Joey hadn't seen the classics so they had watched Mary Poppins, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Jungle Book. Joey (and Bear) had liked the films a lot.

The usual sleeping arrangements had prevailed that night and once more he was plagued by nightmares, although this time it wasn't just the fear of daddy that woke him up. At least once Joey woke shouting out 'Go way... nasty bad lady...!' at the top of his voice. He'd fallen asleep again after that, his daddy Maxy's arms wrapped tightly around him to keep him safe.

*JL*JL*

By the time Monday morning came Joey had become calmer. On the Sunday he had spoken again about his wish to go back to playgroup so that was the plan they were working to. However both were prepared for him to change his mind at the last minute.

That didn't happen though. Tanya and Max dropped him off at the community centre, ensuring the relevant people had their contact details and making sure that Joey seemed settled before leaving him. However as soon as Joey saw his two best friends, they were forgotten and both were slightly relieved to see him smiling and laughing. Reluctantly they left him, Max walking Tanya to the salon before he made his way to the car lot and his irritable boss.

*JL*JL*

Max's mobile rang at quarter past ten but one sharp glance from Phil and he had to reject it. It rang again three minutes later, "Phil, it's the community centre..." Max said, hoping to appeal to his boss's good nature... if he had any. The door to the portacabin opened and Grant walked in, distracting Phil and giving Max the opportunity to accept the call.

"Mr. Branning, this is Sue Wright from the playgroup... I'm afraid there's been an incident and I require either you or your wife to come down. I tried to contact your wife but the line was busy..."

"What sort of incident?" Max asked.

"Joey's been involved in a fight with a couple of the older boys..." She said softly.

"A fight? Is he okay?"

"He's upset and asking for you and your wife... and his bear?"

"Bear is in his backpack that's hanging on the hook with his coat," Max said. He glanced at Phil and Grant and made the decision, "I'll be there in five or ten minutes..." he said. He ended the call and stood up, putting his jacket back on before heading to the exit.

"Where do you think you're going?" Phil snarled.

"Joey's been in a fight and I've got to go down to the playgroup to sort it out..."

"I don't pay you to deal with family issues during your work time, Max..." Phil growled, his good nature cowering under the desk he was sitting at.

"Go, Max..." Grant said, once again saving the day for Max and his family.

Phil started to argue with his brother and Max took advantage of his boss being distracted again and slipped out of the door. He walked quickly to the community centre, calling the salon on the way and getting to speak to Tanya. She said she would be able to leave work early and would be at the community centre as soon as she could.

*JL*JL*

As soon as Max walked through the door, Joey was hurtling towards him. There were tears on his face and he was still crying. Max bent down just in time to catch Joey. Joey sobbed into his shirt and jacket and Max looked at the approaching woman (who he assumed to be Sue Wright) in bewilderment. "What happened?"

"A couple of the older boys were teasing him..." She said softly, shame written across her face. "He was playing with Tyler and Arthur quite happily and then two boys started saying horrible things and Joey got upset... which led to more teasing. He ignored it initially but then they said something that was too much and he lashed out at them both, catching them both by surprise. They then started to try and retaliate but Tyler and Arthur caught our attention and we managed to break it up before Joey got injured."

"I see..." Max said. Joey was starting to calm down slightly now.

"I'm going to be speaking to both of the boys' parents about their behaviour... it's unacceptable, given their age difference to Joey and we had spoken to the children last week about everything..." she said softly. She looked almost as upset as Joey was by what had happened to the boy in her care.

"Is Joey in any trouble? Seeing as he threw the first punch?"

"No, Mr Branning. Tyler and Arthur both told me what was said before Joey hit out... this wasn't his fault... and to be honest, I think he's been through enough. I won't repeat what they said but suffice it to say, I'm not surprised that Joey retaliated. They were very cruel."

"Thank you..." Max said, knowing that the comment had to have been about Joey's parents.

"I do wonder if maybe he's ready to come back to playgroup full-time though?" she said, "I think maybe we should have just a couple of mornings a week to start and ease him back in gently. He was very quiet this morning and wouldn't talk to anyone other than his two friends."

"I'll discuss it with my wife and with Joey and we'll get in touch." Max said.

"I'll let you take him home now then." She said with a smile.

"Do you have Bear, Joey?" Max asked, having not noticed if the little boy was holding him before Joey flung himself into his arms. Joey shook his head. "Do you know where his things are?" he asked the lady in front of him.

"I'll go and get them for you."

"Thanks." He watched as she walked away. He saw two small boys standing nearby watching him intently. He smiled at them, recognising them as Joey's friends, although he couldn't say for certain which was which.

They both walked over to him, "Is Joey okay?" the smaller of the two asked.

"He will be..." Max said, "Thank you for what you did for Joey today..." he said, "For looking after him and making sure he didn't get hurt..." he clarified.

"He's our best fend..." the other one stated, as if it was obvious. "We don't like seeing him upset..."

"Me neither." Max said. Sue Wright walked back over and passed Max Joey's coat and backpack. "I was just thanking Joey's friends for helping him today." Max explained.

"Actually Arthur and Tyler made something for Joey last week... and I think they'd like to give it to him now..." she said, looking at the boys and them both nodding their heads eagerly. They ran off to the far corner of the room. A minute or so later they returned and one of them held out a large piece of paper towards the teacher. "Thank you Tyler..." she said.

"Joey, your friends have made you a present... do you want to have a look?" Max said to him softly. Joey turned his head and looked at them all.

The teacher held up the object in her hands and Tyler stepped forward (Max now knew who Tyler was...), "It's a picture of the fee of us payin'..." he said softly, his facing heating at the attention he had gained.

"What do you say, Joey?" Max said in a whisper.

"Fank you, Tyler... and Arfur..." Both boys smiled at Joey widely.

"Let's get you home then, Joey, eh?" Max said. "Can you take the picture from Mrs. Wright?" he asked. She moved closer and Joey took the picture with a whispered 'fank you' and then Max turned and walked them out of the building, making their way to their home. He opened the door to number 5 and went into the lounge. "Do you want to have a nap, Joey?" he asked the small boy as he sent a quick text to Tanya to tell her they were at home.

"Pease, daddy Maxy... I's tired." He yawned, backing up his answer to his daddy's question.

Max laid him on the sofa, sitting beside him and brushing his hair back from his face. He opened Joey's backpack and pulled out Bear, passing him to Joey's outstretched hand. "I'll stay here with you till you're asleep, Joey. Okay?" Joey nodded his head, his thumb slipping into his mouth. "When you wake up, mummy will be here looking after you. And I'll see you again this evening when I get home from work."

"I's sorry, daddy... for being a bad boy at paygoup... I's always bein' bad... you won't want me no more..."

"You weren't a bad boy, Joey... Yes, maybe you shouldn't have hit the boys but they started it." He said softly, kneeling beside the sofa, his hand again brushing through his hair. "And we're never going to not want you to be here with us, Joey... you're our little boy and we love you very much."

"I's sorry dough..."

"I know you are, babe..." Max told him. He sat and watched Joey as he fought to keep his eyes open. It took about quarter of an hour for Joey to eventually not open his eyes again. Max stayed sitting with him for a while before hearing the front door open. He walked out into the hallway and found Tanya taking off her coat.

"What happened?" she asked softly as Max pulled the door to the lounge shut, his finger over his mouth in a shushing action.

"He's asleep on the couch." He whispered before taking her hand and pulling her through to the kitchen, "A couple of the older kids were teasing him... then one of them said something, I don't know what but I can guess it was to do with what's happened and it was too much for Joey to take and he lashed out."

"Poor Joey..." she whispered.

"The playgroup leader is going to speak to the parents of the two boys about it. They spoke to the kids last week about Joey and told them not to tease him or be cruel." Max explained. "Tan, she wonders if he's ready to go back to playgroup yet. She said he was very quiet and would only speak to his two friends."

"Let's see how he feels. It has to be his decision, darling."

"I'd better get back to work... Phil's not in a good mood today." Max said. He hugged her gently and kissed her forehead before leaving the house.

**A/N: Joey has returned to playgroup and his friends (mini Tyler and Arthur – adorable too) but ends up in trouble. Can this little boy take much more? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25.**

Max walked back into the house several hours later, having received an ear bashing from Phil when he got back to the car lot. He hated working for the man but he was good at his job... which he was sure was the only reason he still had his job at the moment. Tanya was in the kitchen, finishing their tea as he kissed her on the cheek. "You're late tonight, sweetheart..." she said softly.

"Had to make up the time for this morning..." he explained. "Where's Joey?"

"In the lounge, playing with his fire-engine with Bear." She said, "Can you get him ready for dinner? Tea's nearly done."

"Yeah, I'll get changed as well..." he said. He walked into the lounge and found Joey playing with his cars and fire truck, Bear sitting beside him. "Time to tidy those away now, Joey. It's nearly dinner time."

"Okay, daddy Maxy..." he said, getting to his feet and putting the cars away in the toybox.

"Good boy..." Max said, he held his arms out towards him and Joey toddled over, "Let's go and wash your hands for dinner, eh?" he said as he picked his nephew up. They walked upstairs and into the bedroom, Max removing his shirt and tie and putting on a T-shirt and jumper instead. Joey sat quietly on the bed, waiting for him to be ready. "Did you have a nice afternoon with mummy?" Max asked. Joey nodded, not venturing to say anything. Once Max was dressed he lifted Joey off the bed again and they went into the bathroom, Joey standing on a little stool so he could wash his hands for dinner. Max washed his hands too and then dried both their hands on a towel.

He carried Joey back down the stairs and into the dining room. He lowered Joey into the high chair and strapped him in, putting the tray in front of him and Bear in the seat next to him. Max sat at the table and poured a glass of wine for him and Tanya, although hers was only small. She walked into the room and put a large plate and Joey's plate in front of her husband. "Can you cut that up for Joey?" she asked before turning back to the kitchen for her own food.

Joey started to stab at the food on his plate once Max put it in front of him but after a couple of minutes he put down the spoon and used his hand instead. "Use your spoon, Joey... not your hand..." Max said.

"No..." Joey said, picking up a piece of chicken in his fist and stuffing it into his mouth.

"Joey..." Max said firmly.

"Max..." Tanya whispered, her hand resting on his, to try and calm him down.

He glanced at her, "No, Tan... he needs to learn when he has to do as we tell him to." Max said firmly but being careful not to raise his voice. He turned back to Joey, "Joey, use your spoon..." he repeated. Joey stared at Max and then dropped his fork onto the tray and started to use that hand too. He looked at Max quickly and smiled at him. Max reached over and took the plate off his tray, "Are you going to eat properly, like a good boy?" he asked, keeping the plate out of reach of the small boys outstretched hands. Joey looked at Tanya for support but she was just watching the pair and wondering how far Max was going to take this. Max put the plate on the dining room table and turned back to his meal. "Eat, Tan..." he said softly.

"But..."

He looked at her and Tanya could see the pain on his face, "Eat..." he almost whispered. The faint sound of sobbing soon began from the high chair but Max ignored it.

"Max..." Tanya whispered, her heart breaking at the noise Joey was making. Her hormones and the pitiful noise Joey was making bringing tears to her own eyes.

"Eat..." he repeated. She did as he said but it was difficult going. Joey was crying really hard now and he kept looking at Max, hoping to find him watching him.

"I's sorry, daddy Maxy..." he eventually sobbed as Max nearly finished his food.

Max put down his cutlery and looked at Joey. "Are you going to eat properly if I give you your plate back?" he asked.

"Can daddy Maxy help me?" he asked in a whisper.

Max dragged the high chair closer to his chair. "Can you pass me a wipe, babe?" he asked Tanya. She reached for the pack of wet wipes on the side and he cleaned Joey's hands and face. "And a tissue?" he said gently. Again she gave one to him and he wiped Joey's cheeks and made him blow his nose, until he resembled the boy who'd sat down to eat his tea earlier. "How about a compromise, Joey?"

"What's a conpomise?"

"If two people fight with each other, sometimes they reach a decision that's in the middle of what they were fighting about. Now I want you to eat your dinner and you want me to help you... so if I was to say to you, you feed yourself one forkful of food... and then I'll do a spoonful..." He looked at Joey, "Does that make sense?" he asked. Joey nodded, picking up his fork. Max put the plate back on the tray of the high chair and picked up the spoon, "You go first, Joey..." he said softly. Joey carefully stabbed the fork into a piece of potato and lifted it to his mouth. He chewed it and then swallowed it. Max took the spoon and scooped up some peas, moving it to just in front of his mouth. Joey opened his mouth and Max popped it inside, "Good boy..." he whispered. They continued in the same pattern for a few minutes, Joey's food gradually disappearing off the plate. Max noticed he was holding the fork awkwardly and when he stabbed the fork into a piece of chicken, he saw the wince on his face appear and quickly disappear again. "What's wrong?"

"Hurts..." he whispered, biting his lip.

"Your hand?" Max asked, guilt hurtling through his body as Joey nodded.

"And my arm..." he admitted, putting his fork back on the tray.

"Let me see..." Max said. Joey held out his arm and it was hard for either of them to miss the wince from him as Max looked at his hand and arm. "How long has this been hurting?" Max asked him softly.

"Since paygoup..." Joey whispered, not looking at either of them.

"I think we need to go to the hospital, Joey." Max said. "I think you might have broken your arm." He said. "Why didn't you tell us it hurt?"

"Din't want you to be koss with me..." he whispered.

Max was lost for words at what Joey had just said and he removed the tray on the high chair, unstrapping him and then lifting him from where he sat and pulling him over to his lap. He hugged him tightly, trying to make sure he didn't cause Joey any further pain, "Let's go and get your arm sorted, okay?" Max said softly. He turned to Tanya, "Are you okay to drive or shall we call Jack?"

"I think we should get Jack..." Tanya said. Even though she hadn't had more than a sip of her wine she didn't enjoy driving very much now she was more heavily pregnant and found it quite uncomfortable. She went to grab the phone and made a quick call while Max got Joey's coat and slipped it on his right arm and around his shoulders. He then put Joey's trainers on his feet before hugging him again.

"I'm sorry for making you cry, little man..." he told the small boy softly, the guilt he felt had been climbing for a long time. "I had a bad day at work today. I wanted to punch my boss like you did those bullies at playgroup today but grownups can't do things like that so I was in a bad mood. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'm very sorry..."

"I's sorry too, daddy Maxy... I should eat my food proply... daddy used to tell me off for paying wif it too..." He looked up at Max, his eyes wide. "I's still a bit hungwy..." he whispered.

"Let's finish your food while we wait for Uncle Jack, okay?" Max said. Joey nodded and Max went back to the dining room table, sitting Joey on his lap for speed. He fed him the remaining mouthfuls of peas, chicken and potatoes. All that was left on the plate were the carrots – which Max knew Joey didn't particularly like, so he was prepared for a battle to get them eaten. "Can you eat the carrots, Joey?" he asked as he scooped up one and held it in front of his mouth.

"Cawwots are nasty..." Joey whispered, shaking his head.

"How about you eat one and then I'll eat one?" Max cajoled.

Joey thought about it, "Can I feed you?" he asked, a small smile on his face.

"Only if you promise to eat all the carrots..." Max said, smirking at him as Joey nodded his head. Striking while the iron was hot he placed the spoon back in front of his mouth and Joey opened his mouth and accepted the spoonful. Max then scooped up the next carrot and passed the spoon to Joey, who tried to take it with his bad hand, "Use your right hand, Joey." Max advised and when Joey looked at him with a frown on his face, "Use your other hand..." he amended, realising Joey didn't know his right from his left. Joey held the spoon up towards Max and Max dipped his head and took the carrot. Joey giggled as Max chewed it and then swallowed it. The whole process started again from there on. On the third round of carrots Jack and Tanya walked into the lounge, both of them smiling as they heard the giggling from Joey as he fed another carrot to his daddy Maxy. "Just one more carrot, Joey," Max said as he chased it around the plate. Once he'd caught it Joey obediently ate it and they were done. "When we get home, assuming it's not too late, maybe we can have some pudding..." he said softly and was rewarded with a big grin from Joey.

The family made their way out of the house, Max pausing briefly to pick up Bear from the high chair and then he fastened Joey into his car seat and got in the back of the car with him, talking to Joey softly as the car wove through the streets. Max and Tanya both got out of the car and went into the A&E department while Jack went to park in the car park. Tanya registered Joey at the reception and they went to sit down. Jack joined them a few minutes later.

The casualty department was fortunately quite quiet and it only took about forty minutes before a nurse came through and called out for Joey. Joey was, by this stage dozing against Max's shoulder as it was past his bedtime and it had been a tiring day. Max woke him up as they followed the nurse through to the triage area.

"What seems to be the problem with Joseph then?" the nurse asked with a smile.

"Joey got into a fight with some bigger boys at his playgroup this morning and it was only an hour or so ago that he told us he was in pain so we brought him down here," Max explained. Tanya stepped forward and helped Joey take his coat off.

The nurse examined Joey's arm and hand, paying particular attention to his wrist. "How bad is the pain, Joey?" she asked him softly.

"Is very bad..." he whispered, wincing as she moved his hand.

"Why didn't you say anything to your mummy and daddy when you first hurt it?" she asked.

"Daddy gets koss when I say I hurt..." Joey said innocently.

Max groaned, seeing the nurse look at him sharply, a frown and anger both clear on her face. "It's not how it sounds, Joey's daddy is my brother... he's a bad man who we've recently found out hurt Joey and Joey's mummy and is currently in prison awaiting his case to be heard in Court." Max explained. "Joey has been living with me and my wife since Christmas Eve and he's still adjusting to normal family life and learning how we'll react to things he does and says."

"And his mummy?" she asked tentatively.

"Mummy's dead..." Joey said, "We put her in the gound last week... but I got too sad at the church so Unca Gant looked afer me while mummy Tan and daddy Maxy were at the funral."

The nurse smiled at him, sympathy on her face but she had at least relaxed slightly since Max had explained the situation. "Well, Joey... we're going to have to get an X-ray done but I think you've broken your wrist." She told him. "You're a very brave boy because I know that must be pretty painful."

Joey shrugged, wincing again as the movement jostled his wrist, "I's had worse..." he said and the nurse looked again at Max and Tanya, shock on her face which softened slightly as she saw the obvious anxiety on theirs.

"Okay, well maybe... daddy..." she glanced at Max and he nodded in confirmation that was correct, "can carry you down to the X-ray department and we can take a special picture of your arm to make sure that I'm correct," she said, "then when you come back here I'll put a bandage on it."

"Why's it peshal?" Joey asked.

"Well, you see the camera takes a picture but when we see it on the screen afterwards, it'll show me the insides of your arm... I'll get to see your bones. That's pretty cool, right?" she asked Joey.

Joey nodded, "Can I see it too?" he asked.

"I'm sure that will be okay." She agreed.

"Will it hurt?"

"What? The X-ray?" she asked and he nodded his head. "No it won't, Joey... but you will have to stay very still while we take it. And mummy won't be able to come with us because X-rays aren't very good for the baby."

"Mummy better stay wif Unca Jack..." Joey said. Max smiled at him and picked him up. Joey leant forward and kissed Tanya on the cheek, "See you soon... look afer baby, mummy Tan... don't want baby to be poorly, not never."

"Let's get you better and we'll worry about baby when he or she is here, okay?" Tanya said softly.

The nurse led the two of them to the X-ray department and she made a game of putting an apron on him so he didn't get a dose of radiation anywhere other than his arm. Max was also given protection to wear as Joey wouldn't let him leave the room. The X-rays only took a few minutes to do and then Max and Joey walked back to the waiting room. Joey held Max's hand as they walked down the corridor, his head turning every now and again to look at everything around them.

The four Branning's sat for about twenty minutes before the nurse reappeared. She took Max and Joey back through to the triage area. "Well I was right, Joey... you have officially broken your wrist. So I need to put a cast on your hand and arm which will protect it and keep it in place while it's healing."

"Can I see my picture?" Joey asked.

"Of course you can." She stepped towards him and lifted him off the bed, lowering him to the floor and then taking his right hand and walking with him towards a nearby computer screen. Max followed behind them. She typed in a few things on the keyboard and an x-ray image appeared on the screen. "Here's the picture of your hand and arm..." she said, pointing towards the image. "Can you see that dark line across your wrist?" she asked him softly. Joey nodded his head. "That is the break in your bone."

"Will it always be boken?" he asked her. "Am I boken now?"

"No, Joey. Bones are very clever things... you see, what will happen when I put the cast on is it will keep the bones in your arm really really still. And over a few weeks the bones will mend themselves. Isn't that clever?" she asked him.

"Can I ask you somefing?" he said, tilting his head back and looking up at the nurse.

"Of course, Joey. I'll answer any question you have."

"Why didn't my real mummy get better then? She laid still for a weally long time and she was still boken..." he said. "Why is my bone betterer than hers?" he asked.

The nurse looked at Max, somewhat in shock at the question from a smart little three year old boy. Max smiled at her sadly and crouched down beside Joey, putting his arm around his waist. "Sometimes, Joey, the breaks in bones are just too bad for them to fix themselves. And your mummy didn't get seen by a doctor after daddy hurt her, so they couldn't put casts on her broken bones."

"But she was weally still... for a long time," he whispered, tears appearing in his eyes.

"I know, Joey... but she didn't just have broken bones, did she?" he said softly. Joey shook his head, a few tears falling down his face. "She was bleeding too, wasn't she? And the baby wasn't well either which would've affected mummy... It was just too much for them both to deal with..."

"So I couldn't safe her then?" he asked, his words stilted as his worry peaked at the thought he might have been able to save her.

"No, Joey. You said she wouldn't wake up when you found her, didn't you?" he asked him. Another nod of his tiny head, more tears joining the first few. "She was already dead, Joey. There was nothing you or anyone else could've done to make her better." He told him. He glanced at the nurse and saw her wipe away some tears from her eyes. It was very hard not to fall in love with Joseph Branning... he seemed to bring out that side in everyone he met. "Now, why don't we let this nice nurse put the cast on your wrist so that it will start to heal and when we get home, I think it might be ice-cream time."

"With choklate sauce?" Joey asked.

"Yes... and if you're lucky, mummy Tan might let me put some marshmallows on there too..."

"You fink so?" Joey asked eagerly.

"I'm almost sure of it."

They walked back over to the bed and the nurse went to get a couple of supplies. When she returned she looked at Joey pensively. "What's wong?" he asked, worry colouring his face again.

"I was just wondering if you were a blue, a green or a red person..." she asked with a soft smile.

"My favrit colour is wed... because it makes me fink of fire engines..." he said. "I's gonna be a fireman when I's gown up..."

"Well then, would you like a red cast on your arm?" she asked.

"Yes pease!" he said quickly. The nurse started to put the cast on his hand and Max distracted him from moving by letting him play with Bear. Joey turned to the nurse, "Bear says his arm hurts too..." he told her.

"Does it now..." she said with a smile. "Would Bear like a bandage on his arm as well?" she asked.

"Could he?" Joey gasped, he looked at Bear and then nodded his head, "I fink he should, he says it weally hurts."

"I think we have a small bear-sized bandage we can use... he won't be able to have a pretty cast like you though because the material we use to make the casts won't react very well with Bear's fur." She explained as she finished the cast on Joey's arm. Joey held Bear out towards her and she took him from him. "Is it his left arm too?" she checked. Joey nodded. "Well, let me go and get Bear sorted out and I'll be back in a few minutes. Is it okay if I take Bear with me?" she asked him.

"Okay... but he might ky cos he don't like being with stangers... and he'll get lonely." Joey said, biting his lip as he stared at his furry friend.

"I will be just moments." She said. "And when I come back I'll make your cast red."

*JL*JL*

Fifteen minutes later Joey and Max were walking back out to the waiting room. Joey saw Tanya and he ran over to her, "Look mummy, I've got a red cast on my arm... it's boken..." he cried out. Tanya hugged him tightly, kissing the top of his head as her emotions climbed at the sight of his little arm in a cast. "Bear boke his wist too so the nurse put a bandage on him." Joey held Bear out towards her and she smiled when she saw the little white bandage on his left arm.

"Let's get you home then, Joey." Tanya said softly.

"Daddy Maxy said I could have ice-ceam when I got home... with choklate sauce and marshmallows," Joey told her.

"Did he now?" Tanya said, looking at her husband's face and seeing the guilty expression he was wearing. "Well just this once I think we'll allow it but you have to clean your teeth for twice as long tonight so you don't have to have any fillings."

"Okay, mummy..." Joey said.

**A/N: So Max tries to set some boundaries for Joey but it doesn't go quite to plan and I'm pretty sure he ends up feeling really bad. Joey managed to hurt his wrist (as did Bear) and manages once more to wrap pretty much everyone around his little finger with his cuteness. Apologies for flagrant waste of NHS resources in this chapter but it was too cute not to have Bear get a bandage too. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26.**

The days passed quickly after Joey's incident at the playgroup. He didn't return again until the following week, once the parents of the two boys who he'd fought with had removed their sons from the group, mortified that their four and five year old sons had bullied and victimised a three year old, traumatised boy. Nothing was ever made of Joey hitting either of the other boys.

When Joey returned to playgroup he was the centre of attention because of his bright red cast – although by this time it had been decorated a little and by the end of the first day had been 'customised' even further. Uncle Grant had been the first person to sign it after mummy Tan and daddy Maxy, even Bear had signed it. Uncle Jack had mentioned to Grant the morning after the hospital visit about what Joey had done to his wrist and he'd then appeared at the door to see Joey, complete with a box of sweets and a new Fireman Sam DVD that had only just been released. Tanya had taken advantage of his presence to nip out and get some shopping and to check on the salon, Grant saying he would look after Joey until she came back. While she was gone they sat down and watched the DVD together (three times) and then played with Joey's fire truck which Joey declared Grant could now play with too.

*JL*JL*

There was only one cloud on the horizon in the life of Joey Branning... although he didn't know about it yet as Max and Tanya had held back from telling him, not sure how he was going to react. DCI Davis had called them to forewarn them that it was on the cards a few days after Joey hurt his wrist and it had sent Max into a furious rage and he'd had to go to Jack's for a few hours to calm down. It transpired that Joey was going to have to appear in Court against Derek. Despite the plethora of physical evidence of the events that evening, it was decided that the only reliable way to ensure they could get a conviction against Derek was for Joey to give evidence. Although Max had to wonder if a three year-old like Joey was really up to it.

A date had been set for the case too and that was also pretty lousy timing, as it had been scheduled for the beginning of March so there was a possibility that Tanya could go into labour and then no one would be there for Joey as Max would obviously need to be at the hospital. They were both concerned about this and it was stressing them both out which Max knew was not good for Tanya or the baby. Tanya's pregnancy had so far been relatively smooth but as the weeks progressed she was starting to struggle and was becoming quite uncomfortable now she was in the later stages.

Max and Tanya had arranged for Joey's new social worker to come around this evening to help explain to Joey what was going to happen. Gail Foster had taken a voluntary leave of absence from the profession after the incident with the Branning's and a much nicer lady (in Joey's opinion) was assigned Joey's case; although he was still hesitant around her when she visited. There had been deemed no problem with Joey staying with Max and Tanya and they were in the process of getting all the paperwork in place. His new social worker was also now helping with the new issue Joey faced, having dealt with cases like this before.

There was a lot that neither Max nor Tanya knew about this situation so she was also going to be there to explain to them as well as Joey. Max was already expecting tears and possibly a tantrum from Joey both of which were understandable. Max knew it was a hideous situation to be in and he wasn't three years old. He just wasn't sure how Joey was going to react to this.

*JL*JL*

The doorbell rang just as Max was clearing away the dinner plates and Tanya was cleaning Joey's face and hands. "I'll get it," Max said, going to the front door. "Hi," he said to the guest, ushering them into the house.

Tanya lifted Joey out of his high chair and he scampered towards the lounge, pausing slightly when he saw the visitor walk into the room. Tanya walked up behind him and Joey ran round to hide behind her legs, peeking around her to stare at the social worker who stood near the sofa.

"Hello, Joey." Miss Walsh said with a smile. "How about we all sit down and we can talk..." she said.

Joey clung to Tanya as they went to sit on the sofa, standing on the far side of Tanya, as far from the social worker as was possible. "Is she here to take me way?" he whispered as he sat beside Tanya, sitting as close to her as he could get.

"No, Joey... this isn't about that..." Tanya reassured him but it was clear Joey wasn't convinced. Max sat the other side of him but Joey stood on the sofa and climbed on his lap, cuddling against his body, not sure how the next few minutes were going to go and needing his uncle to protect him.

"Joey, I'm here to talk to you and your mummy and daddy about what's going to happen in a couple of week's time."

"Is that when you take me way?" he asked softly.

"No, Joey. You are staying here with your mummy and daddy, I promise." She told him. "This is about your real daddy..." she said, pausing once she'd said that, waiting to see how Joey reacted. They all held their breaths but Joey did nothing other than take a deep breath and blink his eyes a couple of times. "Has your mummy and daddy told you about where your daddy is now?" the social worker asked him. Joey nodded. "In a couple of weeks, your daddy is going to have to go to court. He's going to be asked what happened the night your mummy died. He has to account for his actions with you and your mummy... and he could go to prison for a very long time."

"Bad people go to pison..." Joey said softly. "People like daddy..."

"That's right, Joey. It is very likely that your daddy will go to prison." She said softly. "The people whose job it is to make sure your daddy is punished have spoken to me and they've said there is a better chance if you were to give evidence at the trial..." she told him.

"I don't have any evidunts?" he said, frowning at her. "Do I?"

"It means you have to go to the court and answer the questions from your daddy's lawyer and the lawyer whose trying to get your daddy punished. You have to tell them the truth about what your daddy was like... not leaving anything out. They have to know everything."

"But daddy will be angwy if I tells..." he whispered. He glanced up at Max, "I don't want to see daddy... he'll hurt me..." he said, his words coming fast as he began to panic, "Pease don't make me... I's scared... I'll be a weally good boy, I pomise... I can't give evidunts, daddy Maxy..."

"It's okay, Joey..." Max whispered, hugging him gently and rocking him from side to side. Tanya reached for Joey's right hand, taking it in both of hers and brushing the back of it gently.

"Joey, you won't have to see your daddy..." Miss Walsh explained.

He paused, turning to look at her, "I won't?" he breathed, the stress from his body reducing dramatically.

"No... for people who are very young like you, you can be in a separate room to where the court is to give your evidence. Everyone in the court will be able to see you and hear what you say but you won't be able to see your daddy."

"And daddy won't be able to hurt me?" he asked her.

"He won't... between where he'll be sitting and where you'll be, will be so many people whose only job is making sure he doesn't and can't get to you. You will be perfectly safe."

Joey looks at Max again, "I's scared, daddy."

"I know you are, Joey..."

"I'll be with you the whole time, Joey," Miss Walsh said.

"Can't daddy Maxy be there?" he whispered, "I want daddy Maxy to be there... he'll keep me safe... he always keeps me safe..."

"I always will, I promise, Joey... but Miss Walsh has to be with you. Much as I'd like to be, I can't be there with you. Mummy Tan and I will be in the Court watching you though." Max told him gently.

Joey looked at them both, his eyes widening in fear as he took in Max's words, "So daddy could hurt you?" he stuttered.

"He won't be able to hurt us..." Tanya told him.

"I fink mummy finked that too... and now she's dead..." he looked at his aunt, "I don't want him to hurt you or the baby, mummy. I can't lose anuva bruvva or sister..." he said, launching himself at her and hugging her tightly as he broke down in tears.

"It's okay, Joey..." Tanya said, her own tears beginning to escape as she heard him beg her over and over not to get hurt.

"Maybe I'll leave you to it, Mr Branning," Miss Walsh said softly, looking somewhat guilty at the anguish she'd caused. "I'll contact you in a couple of days to arrange the Court visit... and the lawyer will want to speak to Joey at some point before the trial." She told him as he led her back out into the hall.

*JL*JL*

Joey was still upset when they went to bed that night and he pressed himself against Tanya as soon as she was lying in the bed. Having him lying next to her like that was the last thing she needed, truth be told because Joey was like a furnace when it came to body heat but she couldn't get herself to release her hold on him either. He needed her and she swore she was going to be there for him.

**A/N: So Joey has a new social worker (and she seems much nicer than that nasty Gail Foster). He's going to have to give evidence at the trial... how do you think he's going to deal with that? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27.**

Two days later Max strapped Joey into his car seat and the three of them made their way through the streets of London to the Crown Court that Derek's trial was due to be held at. Max and Tanya had tried to explain to him what was happening but he hadn't reacted at all. He'd been very quiet all morning and neither of them really knew what was going to happen in the next few hours.

Max parked the car and then walked around to the back and got Joey out of his car seat. "You need to stay with me or mummy now, Joey... no running off, okay?"

"Okay, daddy." Joey said softly. Max could tell he was scared and it just made him more worried about what was going to happen in the coming days and weeks. The timing of the case had now been finalised and it was going to begin on March 8th... just seven days before the baby was due. It was certainly going to be a busy few weeks. Joey took Max's hand and it brought the elder man's focus back to the present.

"Let's go then, shall we?" Max said, glancing at his wife. The small family walked round to the front of the court and found Miss Walsh waiting for them.

"Hello Joey..." Miss Walsh said.

"Hewwo..." he said, his hands clutching both of his parent's a little tighter. He was still apprehensive of being around her.

"Well, we're going to go and show you around one of the Courtrooms, Joey." She explained. They followed behind her as she walked them into the building, signing them in and speaking to the man at reception. He pointed her in one direction and she led them further into the building. Max bent down and picked up Joey as they walked into one of the Courtrooms. Joey turned his head backwards and forwards and looked around the large room. Zoe Walsh turned to face Joey, "So Joey, this is one of the rooms where people like your daddy have to stand trial."

"Is this the room where he'll be?" Joey asked.

"It might be but the actual Court isn't allocated until the day of the trial. It will depend on other cases that are happening and whether they're finished and this room is free or not. All of the rooms are very similar though, Joey."

"Okay..." he whispered, his eyes still flitting around the room.

"Alright, so back here is where people like your mummy and daddy will sit to watch the case."

He looked at her, "Where will daddy be sitting?" he whispered.

Zoe turned and pointed towards the side of the room, "Just over there..." she said. "Do you want a closer look?" she asked.

"Can I?" he asked in surprise.

"Would you like to see what it looks like from up there?" she asked him. "You'll be able to see how far away he will be sitting from your mummy Tan and daddy Max. Would that help?" Joey nodded and Max put him down on the floor. He walked hesitantly over to Zoe and she held out her hand. Joey took her hand, only pausing slightly beforehand. The two of them walked over to the right hand side of the court and she lifted him up so he could sit in the chair where his daddy would sit in the Court.

"You can see so much up here..." he whispered.

"You can, can't you?" She said, "but look how far away we are from mummy and daddy?" she said softly, "Your real daddy won't be able to get to them from here. Also sitting in this box will be two officers from the prison to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone."

"How will they be able to see me?" he asked her, his shyness around her starting to disappear.

"In that corner over there," Zoe said, pointing across the room, "will be a screen set up, like a TV and when we sit in the other room there will be a video camera and our picture will appear on the screen in here. In the room we'll be in, there will be a smaller screen and we'll be able to see the lawyer who will be asking you questions."

"I won't be able to see daddy, will I?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"No... only the lawyers, Joey. The only other person you might see will be the judge if he has a question for you."

"Will the lawyers be scary?" he whispered to her.

"You will meet both the lawyers beforehand... and the judge..." she told him softly. "The lawyer who is trying to get your daddy to be put in prison will probably be nicer than the other one. The one who's defending your daddy is likely to ask you questions that are more difficult. But if there's a question you don't understand or know the answer to, you just say that to the lawyer. He will either ask the question in a different way so you can understand or he'll ask a different one."

"Do I haf to answer the kestions?"

"You have to answer them all and tell the truth... you'll get in trouble with the judge if he found out you were lying."

"Would I get put in pison?" he whispered, a horrified expression on his face.

"If it was a really big lie it's a possibility." She said.

"I's be a good boy, I pomise..." he told her quickly.

"Would you like to see where the judge sits, Joey?" The social worker asked him.

"Can I sit in his seat too?" Joey asked, smiling at her, his face lighting up with excitement.

"I don't think that would be a problem," she told him, "Let's get you down from there, shall we?" she said, lifting him from the seat and out of the stand. They walked over to the seats at the front of the Courtroom and she lifted him into the judge's chair. "So this is where the judge sits and he or she will keep an eye on everything that's happening throughout the case."

"So the judge is portant then?" Joey asked.

"The judge is the most important person in the room, Joey."

"But he won't be scary?"

"No, Joey... the judge will be your best friend in this room... apart from your mummy and daddy. He will make sure that the lawyers don't do anything they shouldn't do. He will make sure that you are okay and you don't get upset by any of the questions."

"Okay." He said, his eyes once more scanning the Courtroom. He smiled as he saw Max and Tanya sitting near the back of the room and he waved at them eagerly, a huge grin on his face. "It's weally high here, isn't it?" he said.

"It's so that he can see everything that's going on." She told him. She pointed to the right at the witness stand, "That is where the witnesses will sit and give their evidence."

"They don't all go to the room that I'll be in?" he asked.

"No... most witnesses are much bigger than you so they'll be in that stand over there."

"But I'm peshal?" he asked.

"Yes, Joey. You're very special... and you'll be in the other room so that your real daddy can't intimidate you."

"What does that mean?" he whispered.

"Your daddy could try to influence what you're saying and scare you and we don't want that, do we?"

Joey shook his head, "So he might want me to lie?"

"He might... or just not say some of the things that happened."

"But that would be wong, right? And I's be a bad boy if I lied...?"

"You would." She said with a firm nod of her head.

Joey pointed towards the right of the room, "Who sits there?" he asked.

"The jury sit there..."

"Who are they?" he asked.

"They are twelve people who are just like your mummy and daddy. They are asked to listen to the evidence from all of the witnesses and then they decide whether your daddy is guilty or not guilty."

"And he goes to pison if he's gilty?" he asked.

"Yes he does." She said.

"What about if he's not gilty?" he asked.

"Then he would no longer be in prison."

"And he'd come home?" he asked, biting his lip.

"Possibly..." she said, seeing the fear on his face, "but it's only a very small possibility, Joey. When they hear your evidence there is no doubt in my mind that they will find him guilty."

"You fink so?" he asked.

"I really do, Joey." She said, "Now shall we go and see the room that you're going to give evidence in?" she asked him.

"Pease... can mummy and daddy come too?" he asked.

"I think they should. I'm sure they'll want to see where you'll be. Let's go and get them, shall we?" she said. They walked back over to Max and Tanya and soon they were leaving the Courtroom and making their way further down the hallway towards another room. The room was quite small and Zoe showed Joey the screen set up inside and then he sat in the seat he would sitting in and where she would be sitting.

"Can I bring Bear wif me?" he asked her.

"I think so... if it makes you feel better then I don't think Bear's presence will be an issue."

"Okay." He said and that was it over and agreed to as far as Joey was concerned.

**A/N: Joey has now been to see the court and is starting to bond with his new social worker, which will probably come in handy when he's at the Court case. I wonder how the trial will go. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28.**

By the time the 8th March came round Joey had had several meetings in preparation of the trial. He had met both of the lawyers and the prosecution lawyer had gone through the questions that Joey was going to be asked by him. Joey had also met the judge who'd been assigned the case and Joey liked him a lot. He reminded Joey of his granddad and he had let Joey have a lolly. He even gave him one for Bear too, even though Bear wasn't there.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya got Joey ready on the morning that Joey was going to give evidence and Max dressed him in the same suit he'd worn to his mummy's funeral. They packed his backpack with cars and colouring books and crayons for Joey to play with while he was waiting to give his evidence. Uncle Jack was bringing Grandma and Granddad to the Court so they would be there and mummy was going to wait outside the Courtroom with Joey and then be there when he was finished so he wouldn't be alone.

The family set off to the Courtroom again and once they were there Joey and Tanya were shown to a room for them to wait in. Max found the rest of the family and they all came to sit with them until the case started. Joey was going to be one of the first witnesses called and he was starting to get nervous now. He clutched Bear against his body and when a Court Officer looked into the room and told them they needed to go into the Courtroom, Joey gave daddy Maxy a massive hug.

"You just remember what Miss Walsh said, Joey... you just answer truthfully and you tell them everything that happened. No more secrets, Joey, okay?" Max said, his hands cupping both sides of his face as he stared into the small boy's wide eyes.

"I pomise, daddy Maxy." He said. "Is it okay that I's scared?" he whispered.

"You have every right to be, Joey... but don't get too scared, okay. If you tell the truth, then everything will be fine." He told him, "Now I need you to look after mummy and the baby, okay? While I'm in Court."

"I will, daddy." he said. "They won't get hurt... I pomise."

"Good boy..." Max said, kissing him softly on the forehead and brushing his fingers through his hair. He kissed Tanya softly, his hand caressing their child before leaving the room and going to the Courtroom.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat on the chair next to Tanya, colouring in a picture with some crayons. His feet were swinging backwards and forwards under his chair and making it move every now and again.

"How are you feeling, Joey?" Tanya asked him softly.

"Scared..." he whispered, not pausing with his colouring but biting his lip after he finished speaking.

"You remember that you won't see your daddy, right?" she said. He nodded his head. "So what's got you so scared, Joey?" she asked.

"I haf to member what it was like living there..." he whispered. "I haf to tell eveyone how nasty daddy was..." he turned his head, putting down the red crayon he was holding and looked at her, "Daddy Maxy is gonna hear stuff and it'll make him sad... and angwy." He whispered to her.

"Are you worried what he will do when he hears it?" she asked and he nodded his head again. "Uncle Jack, Grandma and Granddad are all there with him." she whispered. He looked at her again and she could see he was close to tears. "It's going to be okay, Joey..." she said softly, putting her arm around his shoulders and hugging him gently. "I'll be waiting outside the room for you and when you're done how about we go and see if we can get some ice cream?" He shrugged his shoulders, turning back to his colouring book and starting again. His response was a clear indication to her of how worried he was. It was unheard of for him to not leap at the chance of having ice cream.

The door opened and Zoe Walsh stood in the doorway. "It's time for us to go and get ready, Joey." She said softly.

Joey froze and then he bent down and pulled Bear out of his backpack. His hand gripped Bear tightly and when he looked up at Tanya his bottom lip was quivering slightly and there were tears in his eyes. "There's no need for tears, Joey..." Tanya whispered. "You remember what daddy said to you earlier, you just need to tell the truth and you tell them everything they ask you."

"I will," he whispered.

"You've got Bear... you'll be okay... he'll keep you safe."

"Bear's scared too..." he breathed.

"Then you be there for him too..." She told him softly, "You know I wish I had a friend just like you have in Bear. You're always there for each other. You've been through a lot together and I think this is another thing you can do together." She glanced at the doorway, "Now you need to be a big boy and go with Zoe so she can get you all sorted out before it starts, okay."

"Will you come wif me and Bear?" he whispered.

"I'll walk to the room with you but I can't come any further, Joey." She said. She stood and Joey stood up too. She picked up his things and packed them all in his small backpack and then they walked over to the door where the social worker stood.

"Hi Joey." Zoe said.

"Hewwo Miss Walsh..." he said.

"How about you call me Zoe, Joey?" She said gently, "I'm not a stranger anymore, am I?"

"Okay... Zoe." He whispered.

"Is mummy going to walk to the room with us?" she asked.

"Can she?" he breathed, relief flooding through his body.

"I think that would be a really good idea... and I think mummy would really like it too."

At the door to the room they paused and Joey lifted his arms up towards Tanya and she bent down for a hug. "I'll be right out here when it's over, okay, little man?" she said softly. He nodded his head. She bent down and kissed Bear on the forehead and then kissed Joey in the same way, "That's for both of you... for luck."

"Fank you..." he whispered. He turned to Zoe, "I's ready now..." he said.

Zoe opened the door and they were in the room they'd visited a couple of weeks earlier. She led Joey to the small table in the centre of the room and made sure he was comfortable in his chair. "Would you like a drink?"

Joey nodded, "Mummy has some Beena for me..." he said.

"I'll go and get it from her... I'll just be a few seconds, okay."

"Okay," he said, although he hugged Bear on his lap a little tighter. She left the room and Joey looked around the room, it suddenly seemed much bigger when it was just him and Bear in it. "It's okay, Bear... there's no need to be scared..." he said, a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke to his best friend. "We'll look after eachuva, just like mummy said." He added, biting his lip and brushing at a tear that fell onto his cheek. The door opened and Joey looked at it quickly. It was Zoe back and she had a sippy cup of beena for him.

"Here you go, Joey." She said, walking back over to the table he was sitting at. She placed the cup on the table and looked at his face. She could see his face was a little flushed and he looked petrified and her heart went out to him. "Now the solicitor will be in shortly when there's a break and he'll come and talk to you... just like we practiced when we met him last week. Do you remember?" she said as she took her seat in the chair a couple of feet from him

"I do..." he said. He picked up his cup and took a couple of mouthfuls, staring at her with big eyes.

"Don't drink too much now, Joey... you might need it when you're giving evidence." He put the cup down quickly, almost as if it had scalded his hand. They sat in tense silence until there was a knock at the door. Joey watched warily as the door opened and the solicitor for the prosecution walked into the room.

"Hello Joey." He said. "Do you remember who I am?" he asked as he sat on a chair opposite Joey.

"Yes, you're Mr O'Leawy..." he said, "I met you last week."

"You did. Well done, Joey." He said, smiling at the little boy. "Now you remember what I told you was going to happen now, don't you?" Joey nodded. "Can you tell me?" he asked.

"You'll go back into the Court and then you'll be on that scween over there. And efreyone will see me on a scween in the Court. You're going to ask me kestions about what happened on the night mummy died and about daddy. Then the other man will ask me more kestions."

"Good boy." He said. He glanced at his watch and got to his feet, "Right, it's time for me to get in there. In a few minutes this screen will turn on and you just need to answer the questions as best you can, Joey."

"Okay, Mr. O'Leawy." The solicitor walked out of the room again and Joey fidgeted slightly in his seat.

"You okay, Joey?" Zoe asked.

"Can I move closer to the table, Zoe?" he whispered.

"Of course you can..." She moved to him and shuffled his chair forward slightly. "Is that better?" she asked him and he nodded his head.

"Fank you." He whispered. He jumped slightly as the screen sprang to life and he looked at it quickly. He could see a small section of the Courtroom on it and there in the middle of the screen were some very familiar and welcome faces. He could see daddy Maxy and Granddad looking right at him and it made him feel so much better.

*JL*JL*

Joey was relatively relaxed until the solicitor stepped into the screen, blocking the two most important men in his life from view. Suddenly things got a little scarier again and he could feel Bear shaking in his arms.

"Hello, Joey." The solicitor said.

"Hi Mr. O'Leawy." Joey said.

"Do you understand why you're here today?" he asked.

"I do." Joey said.

"Can you tell me?"

"I's got to answer your kestions and tell you the troof."

"Do you know the difference between the truth and a lie?" the solicitor asked.

"Yes sir. The troof is that the cast on my arm is wed. If I told you it was blue I would be lying." He waved his arm in the air to show him the cast.

"That's right. Thank you. Can you tell me what your full name is?"

"My name is Joseph Kistopher Bwanning... but I don't mind if you call me Joey."

"How old are you Joey?"

"I's free years old."

"Wow... you're getting pretty big, aren't you?"

"I guess."

"Can you tell me where you live?"

"I live in Albert Square. I live wif my Auntie Tan and Unca Maxy but I used to live wif my mummy and daddy." he told them.

"I see you have a special friend there with you, Joey. Can you tell me about him?"

Joey glanced down at his friend and then back at the screen. "This is Bear. He's the same age as me. Unca Maxy and Auntie Tan got him for me when I was a tiny baby. He's my bestest fend in the whole wide world." Joey held him tightly against his chest, "It's okay to haf him here, right? Zoe said it would be okay and he was too scared to be by hisself. He won't say nuffin' dough, he's pomised. He knows he's got to be weal quiet."

"It's fine for Bear to be there, Joey. Don't worry." The solicitor reassured him. "Okay, now I need to ask you questions about what happened just before Christmas and I know it's going to be difficult for you to talk about but we need to hear from you what happened. Is that okay?"

"I guess."

"Can you tell me what happened on the night that your mummy died?"

"And the baby..." Joey corrected.

"You're right. I'm sorry... can you tell me about the night that your mummy and baby brother or sister died?"

"Mummy and the baby went to heben to be wif Nana Julie and Hammy." Joey said. "We put them in a box in the gound at her funral and Unca Gant told me the angels were having a party to welcome them to heben."

"I have some pictures here, Joey." He turned to one side, "I'd like to present in evidence photos 1 through to 15." He turned back to Joey, "Miss Walsh has a copy of the photos for you to look at, Joey. Can you tell me what they're photos of?"

"They're pictures of me," Joey whispered as Zoe laid the photos on the table before him.

"How do you know they're you?"

"I was there when they took them... and it's the buises I had."

"How did you get these bruises, Joey?"

"Daddy..." Joey whispered, biting his lip as his eyes locked on the one of the bruises on his back.

"And how did daddy give you those bruises?" he asked softly.

"The ones on my back were when daddy dwopped me when he hit mummy and I hurted my back on the edge of the table."

"What about the ones on your arms?"

"Daddy shook me." Joey said.

"Can you tell me why your daddy shook you?"

"He hurt his foot on one of my cars. He was angwy 'cos I had left the cars on the floor when he'd told me to put them way."

"Is that the only time your daddy has given you bruises?" the solicitor asked. Joey shook his head. "You need to say the answer, Joey." He said.

"No sir." Joey whispered.

"How many times did your daddy hit you and give you bruises?"

"I's not sposed to say."

"You need to tell me, Joey... you remember how I said you had to tell us everything."

"At least once a week..." Joey said softly, his grip on Bear tightening. He reached for his sippy cup and lifted it, glancing at the solicitor to see if that was okay.

"Have a drink if you need one, Joey." He told him. "When was the first time your daddy hit you?"

"I's not sure." Joey said after having a quick drink.

"Why not?"

"It was a long time ago..." he admitted.

"Do you know what it was you did to make him cross?"

Joey nodded his head, "I came home from a party at my Auntie Cawol's and I had scuffed my new shoes. I had been paying wif my cousins in the garden."

"What did your daddy do?"

"He smacked my bottom weally hard."

"Did he do anything else?"

"I had to clean my shoes... and I had to pologise to mummy for rooning my new shoes."

The solicitor picked up one of the photos and held it up, "This picture shows a scar that's on the back of your knee. Do you remember how you got this scar, Joey?"

"Daddy gived it to me."

"What had you done this time?"

"It was last summer. He sent me to bed wifout any tea. He said I was a bad boy. Bear and me were in bed but I got really hungwy... my tummy hurt and it kept gwowling so I coun't get to sleep. I knew it was bad but I went downstairs so I could get some ceweal. I just wanted my tummy to top hurting so I could sleep. I spilt the milk when I poured it into the bowl of coco-pops and when I tried to clear it up I knocked the bowl on the floor."

"What did your daddy do to you to cause the scar?"

"He hit me with his belt on my bottom and legs." Silence hung in both rooms as the impact of what Joey had just said sunk in.

The solicitor let the silence continue for a little while before asking his next question. "That must've hurt a lot, Joey."

"It did... he hit me for a long time." Joey whispered, wrapping his arms around Bear and his own body tightly.

"Joey, what did you hear happen on the night your mummy and sibling died?"

"They were shouting and I could hear fings bweaking." Joey said. "Then I heard daddy go into their bedwoom and I crept out into the hallway. Mummy was sitting at the top of the stairs and she was kying weally hard. I went to give her a hug but daddy came out of their woom and he sceamed at me... telling me I was naughty because I was out of bed." He paused and took another sip from his cup. "I was so scared, I wet myself and that just made him even more koss. When I'd gone up to my woom I'd changed into my jimjams but I coun't find my pull-up pants." He whispered. "Mummy took me back into my woom and sorted me out but daddy was banging and cashing downstairs. Then Mummy tucked me into bed and kissed me nu-night and she shut the door to my room when she left. She never closes the door but she shut it that night..." He closed his eyes, "I tried to sleep but it was too loud... daddy was shouting and things were bweaking and then mummy sceamed." He looked down at the table, biting his lip. "I din't hear anyfing after that. I stayed wake for a weally long time but Mummy din't come to check on me. I thought they'd gone... and I got out of bed, Bear stayed behind cos he was too scaredy... Mummy weren't gone dough, she was lying at the bottom of the stairs. I went down to her but she din't answer when I spoke to her. I held her hand cos she did that if I fell over and it made me feel better... but it din't work. She din't move or wake up. I sat wif her for a long time until I heard daddy's alarm clock go. Then I went over to Unca Maxy's house."

"You must've been scared, Joey. Why didn't you go to your uncle's before that?"

"I din't want to leave her alone. And I din't know what to do."

"Did your parents argue a lot?"

"Yes, sir. Daddy was always koss and him and mummy would usually fight when he was angwy. He made her ky lots. And he would make me ky too... even though he said I shouldn't ky 'cos I wasn't a baby no more. He scares me and I haf bad deams about him... I's scared he's going to come back and get me and hurt me like he hurt mummy." Joey told him.

"Thank you for answering my questions, Joey." Mr O'Leary turned away from Joey and looked to his left. "I have no further questions." He disappeared from the screen and Joey relaxed, although he tensed again when the other solicitor moved into sight.

"Hello, Joseph... you remember who I am, right?" Joey nodded, not correcting him on the use of his full name. "You need to answer..." he said sharply and Joey tensed once more.

"Yes, I do. You're the man who's helping my daddy..." Joey said softly.

"I am. You told my learned colleague that your daddy hurt your mummy. Correct?"

"Yes sir." He said, only partially understanding his question.

"But you didn't actually see him hurt her, did you?"

"No sir." He whispered.

"So there's no way of you knowing if it was your daddy, was there?"

"I guess."

"In fact, it's highly plausible that someone else could've hurt your mummy."

"There was only us in the house…" Joey protested.

"Maybe someone else came into the house and hurt your mummy."

"I heard daddy shouting at mummy… it must've been daddy. He ran away afer and he wouldn't have done that if he han't done somefing naughty." Joey said firmly. "He would've called a doctor and they might've been able to make her boken bones betterer… like they did with my arm at the hopital." Tears flooded Joey's eyes as he spoke and he wiped his nose on his hand, then wiping away some tears. "He wouldn't have left me and Bear on our own. And I wouldn't have found mummy lying in blood at the bottom of the stairs. I's not lying... Unca Maxy told me I had to tell the troof and I am... you must be a bad man cos you're the one who's lying not me!" His last couple of sentences were said much louder and his body was shaking as he fought the sobs that were fighting to escape.

"I think that is enough, Mr. Brown." Said a new voice off-screen. "Court is in recess for thirty minutes to allow our witness some time to compose himself."

"I have no further questions for this witness anyway, your honour." The solicitor said, smirking at Joey through the screen.

There was a bang off the screen and it made Joey jump. He was silent for some time afterwards, even after the screen turned off, sitting forlornly on the chair, hugging Bear and crying quietly. There was a knock on the door and Zoe opened it, stepping back and letting the person in. Joey stared up at this new person in shock.

"Joey, do you remember who I am?" the man asked. Joey shook his head, not recognising the man he'd previously met. "I'm the judge of the Court case and we met a week ago but I wasn't wearing this then so that's probably why you don't recognise me. I was in the room watching your evidence a few minutes ago and I wanted to come in here and tell you that I thought you were a very brave little boy and I'm proud of you for telling the truth. I also think your mummy would be proud of you for doing what you just did too because it was a brave thing to do, Joey."

"Fank you, Mr Judge..." Joey said. "Can I ask you somefing?" he whispered.

"Of course you can." The judge asked.

"Why do you haf that silly white hair on your head?" Joey asked. There was silence for several seconds and then the judge laughed at him.

"I have to wear this... it's part of my costume. It makes people respect me and do as I tell them."

"Zoe let me sit in your chair last week."

The judge glanced at the social worker, who was trying very hard not to laugh. "She did, did she?" he asked.

"It was very comfy and you could see the whole woom from where you sit." Joey said excitedly.

"I'll let you into a secret, shall I, Joey?" the judge asked. Joey nodded. "They have to make the chairs comfy because we have to sit in them for very long amounts of time and sometimes it can be very tempting to fall asleep in it."

"I guess you'd get in lots of twouble if you did that...?" Joey giggled.

"You know, I think I would." He smiled at the little boy. "So is this Bear?" he asked, his hand waving towards Joey's friend.

"Yes sir... he's my bestest fend..." Joey said, "Would you like to see him?"

"If I could. I would be proud to meet him." The judge said. Joey held Bear out towards him and he took him, looking at him intently. "He looks like a very fine friend indeed, Joey."

"He's there for me when I need him," Joey whispered.

"Well he was a very good Bear for being quiet while you were giving evidence too. Now I spoke to your Auntie Tan outside and she said she was planning on taking you for some ice cream as a treat as you're now done. I told her the perfect place near here to go... I know the owner as I take my granddaughter there sometimes. I recommend the banana ice cream because it has real chunks of banana in it. And you should ask for caramel sauce because Amanda really likes it when she has it."

"Fank you, Mr. Judge."

"You're very welcome, Joey Branning." He stood and lifted Joey off the chair, taking his hand and passing Bear back to him before leading him out of the room to where Tanya was waiting.

"Mummy Tan..." Joey said, tugging his hand from the judge and running over to Tanya who was sitting on a bench at the side of the hallway. He clambered onto the bench and flung his arms around her neck, the stress of the last couple of hours finally got to him and he started to cry.

"He did really well in there, Tanya," Zoe told her quickly, seeing the confusion on her face as she brushed her hand up and down Joey's back to comfort him. "He answered all the questions clearly and only got a little upset towards the end when the defence lawyer tried to insinuate he was lying."

"Come on, Joey... Shall we go and get that ice-cream now?" Tanya whispered in his ear and he nodded his head vigorously. She pushed him away from her slightly and pulled a tissue from her handbag, wiping away his tears and getting him to blow her nose. "Does Joey need to come back?" she asked the social worker.

"No, both solicitors asked him their questions. And the judge seemed satisfied so I think it's okay for Joey to leave."

"Thank you for being there with him." Tanya said.

"It was no problem..."

Tanya and Joey walked out of the courthouse and Tanya turned in the direction of the cafe that the judge had recommended to her before going into see Joey. Joey ordered a banana split which had banana ice cream in it and lots of cream and some caramel sauce drizzled over the top. Tanya watched him eat it down, using the second spoon every now and again to take a mouthful for herself because Joey was never going to eat it all. He certainly looked happier and more contented than he had at any other time in the day.

"Mummy...?" he whispered after finishing eating a chunk of banana.

"Yes sweetheart..."

"Do I have to call my weal daddy, daddy?"

"Of course you don't, darling... what is your reason for not wanting to call him that?"

Joey shrugged, "I just don't fink he deserves to be my daddy no more. He's a bad man and he's done bad fings so it don't feel right to call him that."

"Okay, I can understand that... What do you think you should call him instead?" she asked.

"I don't know, mummy. That's where I's stuck..." he admitted.

"Maybe you should call him by his name..."

"Do you fink people will fink it's wrong?"

"I don't think it matters what other people think, Joey. You've got to do what is right for you... not anyone else." Tanya told him, "How about we discuss it with daddy this evening?"

"Okay."

*JL*JL*

Tanya's mobile rang a couple of hours later. Joey and her were shopping, getting some things for the baby and Joey. It seemed Joey had had a growth spurt since Christmas and a lot of his clothes they'd retrieved from number 23 were now too small for him. She hadn't bought masses as the weather would hopefully get a bit warmer soon, just a few basic staples that he could mix and match and layer up if it was really cold.

She answered her phone, "Hi honey..." she said softly, seeing her husband's name on the screen. She glanced down at Joey, "Yeah, we'll be back at the Court soon. We just need to walk back there." Max spoke to her again, asking her a question, "He's okay... he could do with a hug from his daddy Maxy though." She said with a smile. "See you soon, darling." She ended the call and looked at Joey, who was watching her, Bear wedged under his arm (and beneath his backpack strap). "Daddy wants to see you... and he's looking forward to a hug too. So how about we go back to the court?"

"Okay, mummy." Joey said, his hand slipping into hers.

*JL*JL*

Joey swung his arm backwards and forwards as they walked back towards the Courthouse and he held her hand tightly. They walked up to the stairs at the front of the building and in through the door, Joey struggling to get up the large steps but refusing to be picked up by Tanya. He knew she struggled to do that now and he rarely asked her anymore, unless she was sitting down. The only time she lifted him was in and out of the bath. Joey pulled his hand from Tanya's as they reached the top of the stairs and he saw Max waiting for them outside the front door. "Daddy, daddy, daddy!" he shouted, running towards him and flinging himself at Max.

Max caught him and picked him up, squeezing him tightly and kissing the side of his head, "How's my brave little man feeling?" he asked him softly.

"I's good, daddy." Joey whispered. "Was I okay, daddy?"

"You were amazing, Joey. I'm so proud of you for what you did this morning."

"I only told the troof, daddy... just like you said I should."

"I know... but it still took a lot of guts."

"I had ice-ceam..." Joey told him excitedly.

"You did..."

"With nana's and ceam and carmel sauce!"

"Well, you won't be wanting any tea tonight then will you?" Max told him, smiling at Tanya as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Mummy made me pomise to eat all my cawwots if I had ice-ceam... so I'd better have my tea, daddy." Joey said.

"Let's go home then, shall we?" Max said.

*JL*JL*

After tea Joey was sat curled up on Max's lap as they watched some cartoons on the television. Joey was sucking his thumb and hugging Bear tightly. As the cartoon ended Joey looked at Tanya, "Shall I ask him now, mummy?" he whispered, briefly releasing his thumb from his mouth.

"I think now's a good time, Joey." She said with a smile, seeing the look of confusion on her husband's face.

"Daddy, I was talking to mummy before and she said I should ask you..." he started hesitantly.

"What do you want to ask, Joey?" Max said softly.

"I don't wanna call daddy that name no more... cos I don't fink he's good enough to be my daddy no more. He's a bad man and he's done bad fings and it don't feel right to call him that... but I don't know what to call him... I asked mummy and she said maybe call him by his name... but what if people fink that's wrong. Auntie Cawol doesn't like me calling you daddy, does she?"

"I think you should do whatever you feel comfortable with, Joey. It's a decision only you can make."

"I fink I should call him by his name..." Joey whispered.

"You leave your Auntie Carol to me and mummy, okay?" Max said. Joey nodded and then gave a big yawn. "Are you ready to go to bed now?" he asked. Joey was still sleeping in the bed with them but they were trying to put him in the bed a few hours earlier, rather than him staying downstairs sleeping on one of them while they sat watching TV. They hadn't yet ventured to having him sleep in his room again but it was going to have to happen once the baby was born or he'd be disturbed whenever they got up for the baby. "Daddy'll take you up then, okay?" he said, lifting Joey into his arms and carrying him upstairs, Joey's eyes dropping shut with each step he took. Max tucked him into their bed, sitting on the side of the bed until he was sure Joey was asleep. He stood and bent down, kissing Joey on the temple before leaving the room, the door ajar and the landing light on.

*JL*JL*

Max walked into the lounge and poured himself a small whisky, not enough to be over the limit (in case he had to make a quick trip to the hospital) but enough to take the edge off. He sat beside Tanya and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, kissing her on the temple, like he just had with Joey.

"How did it go?" she asked him softly.

"It was horrific, Tan." He said softly.

"Zoe and the judge said Joey did well."

"You saw the judge?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he came to see Joey after he'd finished giving his evidence. He told me about the place we went to for the ice-cream. He told me Joey was very brave and answered all the questions well."

"He was, Tan... I'm sure there's still stuff we don't know. They asked him when it started and he couldn't remember... but he said the first time was after he'd been to a party at Carol's and he'd scuffed his new shoes because they'd been playing in the garden." He looked at his wife, "I remember that party, Tan." He whispered, "That was nearly eighteen months ago... so he would've been one, very nearly two. Joey said Derek would hit him at least once a week..." Max told her softly.

"Oh God..."

"Which means there were weeks when it was more than once." He added, more to himself than to Tanya. "How did we not suspect it, babe?" he asked her, "Why did I not see what he was like?"

"This isn't your fault, Max." She told him gently, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him against her. Silence surrounded them for several minutes.

"It was a girl..." Max said.

"What was?"

"Sarah's baby..." he whispered. "Joey was going to have a sister..." he added.

"They said at the trial?" she asked, her hand brushing her bump as she thought of the child that was lost to the family.

"Yeah, the pathologist covered it when he was giving his evidence of the injuries she sustained." He told her. "Sarah had a broken neck, he said... but there was evidence of injuries dating back several years, chips in her bones, healed fractures." He took a deep breath, wondering if he should tell her the rest of it, "He said why the baby died... do you want to know?" he asked, deciding to give her the option of whether he told her or not.

"Tell me..." Tanya whispered.

"He estimated that Sarah died at about 11pm as a result of her neck being broken, there were bruises around her neck from where his hands had throttled her. She also received a blow to the head which shattered the back of her skull and was where most of the blood came from, although she was also haemorrhaging from the placenta. He said Sarah's death would've been almost instantaneous."

"And the baby?"

"He estimated that the baby died somewhere between one and two in the morning. Sarah's death would obviously have impacted the survival of the baby and the loss of blood from the placenta was a cause for concern but her ultimate cause of death was because the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck."

Tanya didn't react outwardly, her mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour though. "Hug me, Max." She finally whispered and he was only too happy to oblige. She shed a few tears into his shirt as she thought about everything that had happened to her best friend. She felt guilty because she hadn't noticed what was going on and she knew Max felt the same. "Your dad must be heartbroken..." she murmured.

"Him and Dot..." Max said, "Jack was furious. He was watching Derek as the pathologist was talking and he said there wasn't any shred of remorse on his face. He didn't even look sorry when Joey was there." He kissed Tanya's forehead, "I don't think there's any likelihood of him not being found guilty, babe..."

"Good..." she whispered.

"The prosecution lawyer should be finishing his witnesses tomorrow and he thinks Derek will start his testimony in the afternoon. The jury might be out to deliberate as soon as tomorrow evening."

"I'll stay at home with Joey tomorrow." Tanya said, "I don't think he's ready for playgroup tomorrow... I think today is going to take its toll on him for a few days."

"It's been on the news as well..."

"What?"

"The trial... I heard it on the radio when I went over to the car lot." Max told him.

"So I should imagine everyone is going to know about it... another reason to stare at Joey."

"He'll be fine, babe." Max told her. "He just needs us to remind him how much we love him."

"I think I can keep up with the hugs and kisses," Tanya said with a smile.

"I'll let you into a secret..." he told her softly, "Me too..."

**A/N: So this was a big chapter... so much in it. Joey gave evidence. Bear shaking in his arms makes me well up each time I read it... Joey's very sweet isn't he and he tells the truth and tells the defence lawyer off too. And he's made the momentous decision that he doesn't want to call his real daddy daddy anymore. And Max told Tanya what was said at the trial about Sarah's death. Will they all get the result they want? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29.**

"NNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

His scream woke them both. He was sitting up in the bed, his whole body shaking, his breath coming fast as he curled his legs up to his chest. Max flicked on his bedside lamp and stared at the small boy currently resembling a ball on the bed between him and Tanya. He seemed unaware of anything around him.

"Where's Bear?" Tanya asked, seeing that Joey wasn't holding him like he usually would be. Both started to frantically look for Joey's furry friend and finally found him pushed under the pillow. Joey said nothing, his body rocking backwards and forwards as tears ran in torrents down his face. He stared across the room blindly, unaware of anything around him. Tanya pulled him against her body, her arm holding his shaking body against her. She kissed the top of his head and whispered to him, telling him her and Max loved him and would always be there for him.

*JL*JL*

The next couple of days held a few tantrums from Joey, who had definitely been shaken by giving evidence at the trial. The nightmares were back full force; each night broken several times by the plaintive cry of a traumatised little boy. The worst nights were when he woke up screaming. On those nights it usually took at least an hour to calm him down and even when he was calm he would cling to one of them for the remainder of the night... and he would often wake again before morning arrived.

It was clear to both of the adults that Joey was worried about what was going to happen to Derek. Would he be found guilty?

The trial was progressing slowly. Each day Max came home and told Tanya what was happening but all were frustrated that it was going very slowly. Derek hadn't started giving evidence until the third day of the trial and his lawyer had really dragged things out. Max was getting more and more discouraged with each passing day; his hope fading for the result they wanted being achieved. Derek's lawyer seemed to be trying to place the blame for what happened on a 'stranger' entering the house and Derek had left the house in fear for his life. Even if this was true, which Max seriously doubted, he couldn't believe that his actions would justify leaving a three year-old toddler on his own. By the end of the fourth day the jury were sent out to debate the outcome of the trial.

*JL*JL*

Max received a phone call late one evening. The jury had reached a decision, after three days of deliberating and the trial would resume the following morning. He told his dad and brother and they all arranged a time to go to the court the next day.

None of the residents of number 5 slept well that night. Joey had three nightmares, the baby kept Tanya awake and Max was thinking about what was going to happen the next day and considering how he would break the news to Joey if the worst happened. During the night he and Tanya witnessed the sweetest sight ever which took both their breath's away. The baby had been very active most of the day and when Tanya went to bed, it'd decided it was wide awake and was shifting around inside her belly. Tanya was also therefore unable to sleep and she spent some time restlessly turning in the bed while trying to not wake Joey although they had only been in bed for twenty minutes when Joey woke from a nightmare and needed comforting. Tanya pulled him against her body as she was already awake and she hugged him, speaking to him softly for a couple of minutes.

"Mummy, the baby is kicking lots and lots..." Joey murmured as the tears finally faded.

"I know, Joey. He or she has decided it isn't time to sleep yet and is keeping mummy awake."

Joey was quiet for a minute or so but then spoke again, although not to his parents. "Baby, you need to let mummy get some west. It's been a long day 'cos she's been looking afer me and I's makes her tired too." His hand brushed her stomach and settled on the foot that was tapping away beneath the surface. "You can't gets up now, baby... it's beddy times and mummy needs to sleep or she'll get sick and then you'll be sick too." He smiled as the kicking stopped and baby settled down. "Night night, baby. I's looking forward to meeting you and being your big bruvva..."

As he closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep himself, Tanya stared at her husband in mild shock, "The baby stopped moving..." she whispered.

"The baby already loves Joey," Max said back, "and who can blame it..." he added as he looked at the toddler fondly. He was the son he hadn't even known he'd wanted. He was hoping the baby would be a girl and then they'd have the perfect little family.

*JL*JL*

Joey was restless the next day, seeming to sense that today was the day that could potentially change his life irrevocably. Tanya decided that both of them needed to get some fresh air and she hoped it would give Joey the chance to burn off some of the excess energy he seemed to have today.

"Come on, Joey... let's go to the park?" she said, walking out of the kitchen and taking his coat off the hook, holding it in front of her so he could put it on. He ran to where she stood and put his arms in the sleeves, struggling slightly in his eagerness. He sat on the floor and put on his trainers, fastening the Velcro, his tongue poking out of his mouth as he concentrated on what he was trying to do. She watched him as she put her own coat on and then the two of them walked out of the house and down to the street.

Joey took Tanya's hand as they turned towards the playground. Once they were in the park, Joey pulled his hand away from hers and ran over to the slide, clambering up to the top of it. "Catch me, mummy..." he cried out to her.

"Go careful, Joey..." Tanya said, standing at the bottom of the slide. He pushed himself off the top of the slide and slid down to her, hugging her tightly once he reached the bottom.

"Can I go again?" he asked.

"Okay..." she said. He ran around again to the back of the slide and he was soon sliding down again. This happened over and over for the next ten minutes, his face becoming flushed as the cold and his excitement affected him. Finally he slid down and didn't run off again. "You okay?" she asked him softly.

He looked up at her, his eyes wide, "Has daddy gone to find out if Dewek is gonna go to pison?"

"He has, darling." She said, sitting beside him at the bottom of the slide, "How do you feel about that?" she asked. He shrugged. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Can I go on the swings now?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.

"Okay..." she said, not forcing him to answer. She knew this was a difficult circumstance. She trailed after him and stood behind the swing, pushing it gently.

"HIGHER, MUMMY!" he cried out as the swing rocked backwards and forwards.

"Hold onto the chains tightly then, Joey." She said, smiling at him. He did as she said and Tanya pushed him harder, the swing climbing higher like he wanted. He was giggling as the swing moved faster and soon he was laughing hysterically. It took her several seconds to realising the laughter had turned to tears and she moved to the front of the swing, slowing it down and crouching in front of him. "Come here, baby..." she whispered, holding her arms out towards him. He leant forward and she wrapped her arms around him, "Sssshhhh..." she murmured to him as his body shook against hers. She brushed her hand up and down his back, letting him cry.

"Everything okay?" someone said softly.

Tanya looked to her left and saw Grant standing there. "He's just a bit upset..." she said, swallowing the lump in her throat. She hated seeing her little boy like this.

"You look a bit uncomfortable down there. Do you need some help?" he asked her softly.

"Actually that would be really great." Tanya admitted. She turned back to Joey, "Look who's here, Joey?" she whispered to him.

"Unca Gant..." he murmured, his breath hitching slightly as the tears eventually dried.

"Let's get you and mummy back home, shall we?" Grant said. He lifted Joey into his arms and helped Tanya back to her feet. Using one hand to guide her back to her house, he carried Joey in his arms and into the house once she opened the door. "Shall I take him upstairs?" he asked, the little boy fast asleep against his shoulder.

"Just lay him on the sofa..." Tanya said, "He'll probably wake up in a bit and he'll want me when he does." He did as she said and Tanya draped a blanket over Joey, staring at him for a few seconds before walking out of the room with Grant.

"What aren't you saying, Tanya?" he asked as he walked behind her into the kitchen and she switched on the kettle.

"He has nightmares." She told him, grabbing two mugs from the draining board. "They were bad when he got here at Christmas... obviously. But they gradually became less frequent, maybe only one a night and he would just wake up and then go back to sleep again after a few minutes. Since the trial started and he gave evidence, we're back up to three or four a night and he usually wakes up screaming."

"I didn't realise..." he said softly.

"None of us did, about anything..." she murmured, staring into the mugs as she stirred the drinks.

"Tanya?" he asked.

She looked at him, seeing the concern on his face, "Sorry... it's just something Max said the other night. It's been playing on my mind ever since."

"What is it, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The first time Derek hit Joey..." she whispered. "He was one..." she admitted. Grant said nothing but Tanya could see the tension build within him and she didn't miss the way his hand clenched around the mug she'd just passed him. "Is it any wonder he has nightmares when he's had to go through all that?" she asked, not expecting him to respond to that either.

**A/N: So Joey hasn't handled everything very well, has he? And all this can't be doing very much for Tanya's health and that of the baby either, can it? And his nightmares are back... Can this family take much more? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**

**Oh and firstly, if I get fifteen reviews tonight, I'll post a one-shot I've written (well nearly anyway!)... I think you'll love it... It's pretty hot stuff!**

**Secondly, I was asked to explain a bit more about how the baby... or Joey's sister... died. She essentially died because Sarah died. If Sarah had got treatment, there was a chance that the baby could've been saved but in the end the blood loss and the cord being wrapped around her neck meant she was starved of oxygen and died as well... Whether this is completely accurate or not, I'm not sure... I did do some research but I'm not a doctor and I've possibly exaggerated it in order to add some drama. Anyway, I hope that is now a little clearer...  
**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30.**

It was just over half an hour before Grant and Tanya were disturbed, the sound of sobbing interrupting their chat. Tanya moved quickly to the little boy in the other room and he cried against her. "It's okay, baby..." she whispered to him softly.

"He's coming to get me, mummy..." his broken voice told her.

"Who is, darling?" she asked.

"Dewek..." he murmured, tears starting all over again.

"He's not, sweetheart, I promise..." she told him softly.

"But he might not go to pison..." Joey said, hiccupping as he spoke, "They might let him go... and then he'll come for me 'cos I told. I's wasn't sposed to tell no one." His breathing ramped up a gear as he spoke, panic setting in.

She pushed him away from her body and tilted his chin up so he was looking at her face, "I promise you, Joey..." she whispered, tears rolling down her own face as she spoke to him, "even if they don't send him to prison, he is never going to get to you. He would have to go through me and daddy first. We would never let him anywhere near you."

"But he might hurt you..." he whispered. "Or the baby..." he added, his eyes widening at the possibility as his eyes fell to her bump.

"He would have to go through me and the rest of the square before he could get anywhere near you, your mummy or the baby..." Grant said softly, standing in the doorway of the room, watching the little boy get very upset. "None of us will let you get hurt again, Joey."

"You pomise?" he whispered, his eyes boring into Grant's, trying to measure if he was telling the truth.

"I promise."

Joey stared at him intently and then Grant saw him relax slightly. "When's daddy going to be home?" he whispered.

"I don't know, darling." Even as she said it she heard a key in the front door. She glanced at Grant and saw him nod his head, indicating it was her husband. "Did you hear that, baby?" she asked Joey softly. He looked at her and she could see the indecision on his face, "It's daddy, Joey..."

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

"Uncle Grant told me it was..." she said. She lifted him off the sofa and lowered him to the floor, "Why don't you go and see?" she suggested.

"And Dewek won't be there?"

"Absolutely not!" she said emphatically. "He is never allowed in this house again..."

Joey walked slowly to the door, his hands clutching onto Bear's arm tightly as he dangled by his side. He leant against the doorframe and peeked his head around it, looking towards the front door. Grant saw a big smile break out on his face and then Joey was running, the tension disappearing from him in an instant as Max swept him up into his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Well, if it isn't my brave little man..." Max said, kissing the side of his head. He nodded his head at Grant as he walked into the lounge, "Come in, Grant." He said quietly, "Have a seat..."

"Thanks Max."

Max sat in the armchair, Joey still in his arms. No one said anything for several seconds but then Joey pulled away from him and looked at his face, "What happened, daddy?" he whispered, fear in his eyes again.

"Derek's gone to prison, Joey." Max said, "He got a life sentence and he has to stay there for a minimum of fifteen years."

"Does he die then?" Joey asked.

Max frowned, "Why do you ask that?"

"You said he was there for life... but you said he was there for fifteen years... so does he die when he's done in there?"

"You're very clever, Joey," Max admitted. "What happens at the end of the fifteen years will depend on whether he behaves while he's in prison and if the people who make these decisions think he has been good enough to be released..." he told the small boy.

"So he might get out..."

"By the time he does, you will be a grown-up, Joey. He will never be able to hurt you again."

"Weally?" Joey asked, hope colouring his voice.

"Really... It's all over. The lawyer, Mr O'Leary, he wanted me to thank you. He wouldn't have gone to prison if it hadn't been for your evidence."

"I just told the troof..." he said shyly.

"It was still a big thing to do, Joey. Not many people have gone through the things you've had to. Mummy and I are so very proud of you."

His face coloured pink at the praise from the man he idolised and Joey looked down at his hands. "Fank you, daddy." he whispered.

**A/N: So Derek has gone to prison for a very long time. Do you think justice was served? You'd think that would be the end of the story right... WRONG! Still so much more to come... I wonder what happens next... Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**

**My one shot will be posted shortly... ENJOY!  
**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31.**

Joey opened his eyes, finding himself in a bed that wasn't his. More confusingly it wasn't his mummy and daddy's bed either. He sat up in the bed and stared around the room, not recognising it at all. He held Bear's paw a little tighter, relieved he still had his friend with him. Where was he?

*JL*JL*

There was a knock on the door and Joey looked fearfully towards it, Bear's grip on his hand became tighter and Joey glanced at him, seeing the fear in his little black eyes and wondering if Bear could see the same look in his. The door opened and Joey bit his lip, scared of whoever it was who was coming into the room.

"Joey, dear..."

Joey relaxed as he saw the person, recognising the voice, "Gandma Dot... why's I here? Did mummy and daddy not want me no more?"

Dot walked into the room and sat on the bed beside her grandson. The little boy who reminded her so much of her own son when he was young and innocent, before he was touched by evil and changed. She prayed every night (and twice on Sundays) that this sweet little boy, who'd already been handed such a hard life, wouldn't become tainted by the experiences he'd been through; she couldn't bear the thought of him turning out like her son had. "Of course mummy and daddy still want you, Joey." She reassured him. "But the baby decided it was time to come and they had to go to the hospital. Daddy brought you over here before he took your mummy to the hospital."

"Mummy and the baby will be okay, won't they?" he whispered.

"Yes, Joey." Dot said. "We've all been waiting for this moment for a long time, ain't we?" Joey nodded. It had been almost two weeks since the trial ended and Tanya had very nearly been at the stage of being taken into hospital and induced. In fact she had been due to go there tomorrow.

"Does it take long to have a baby, Gandma?"

"Sometimes it can, Joey... but I think this baby is keen to make an entrance so I don't think we'll have to wait much longer." Dot told him, "Now do you want to come downstairs? Granddad is making breakfast."

"What's he making?" Joey asked as he slid off the bed, Bear under his arm and held his other hand out towards his Grandma.

"Well I tried to get him to make you some cereal," Dot said, "but he said something about you being a growing boy so when I came up here he had started to cook some sausages, bacon and baked beans."

"Can I haf a fied egg?" Joey asked.

"I think your Granddad might be able to sort that out." Dot said, taking his hand and walking down the stairs with him.

"Morning Ganddad..." Joey said.

"Hello, my little soldier..." Jim said, turning and smiling at his grandson. "Grandma Dot better get you in your booster seat because your breakfast is nearly ready. I hope you're hungry, Joey..." he said with a laugh.

"I's weally hungwy, Ganddad," he said. He turned to Dot and lifted his arms in the air, "Did daddy bwing my seat over?" he asked as Dot lifted him into the booster seat and strapped him in.

"Uncle Jack went and got it this morning before he went to work."

"Can I phone mummy and daddy when I's had my beckfast?" he asked.

"They're a little busy, Joey... but daddy said he would call you as soon as the baby was born." Jim explained. He walked over to the table and placed some cutlery on the tray for Joey's booster seat. "Now how many sausages would you like?" he asked.

"One pease..." Joey replied.

"What about bacon?"

"Can I haf two peeces?" he asked softly.

"And I bet you'd like a fried egg, right?" Granddad asked with a knowing smile.

"YES PEASE, GANDDAD!" Joey cried out.

"Okay, sit still while I serve your food up... and then maybe Grandma Dot can cut it up for you?" he said, glancing at his wife, who nodded. He walked back to the table a minute later and passed the plate to Dot and she started to cut the food into small chunks.

"When did daddy take mummy to the hopital?" Joey asked as he watched her.

"In the middle of the night, Joey." Dot told him.

"So the baby could be here now then?" Joey said, "I could haf a bruva or a sister?" he added excitedly.

"I think daddy would've phoned by now to tell us if that was the case..." she said, putting the plate in front of him.

Joey picked up his cutlery and started to eat his breakfast. He didn't say anything else while he was eating but both adults could see he was thinking about things.

"Which would you prefer Joey?" Jim asked, "A brother or a sister?"

"I want a likkle sister..." Joey said, "But I'd settle for a bruvva..." he added, although his heart was set on a little sister. He didn't realise how close to having a sister he'd already come.

*JL*JL*

Joey was sitting in his grandparents lounge, playing with his fire engine and Bear when the phone rang. He paused his playing as he heard Grandma Dot answer the phone. "Max..." she said and Joey turned to look at her quickly. "Yes, he's here. Would you like to speak to him?" She paused briefly, "Joey... daddy's on the phone. He wants to talk to you..." she said.

Joey scrambled to his feet and ran over to where she was standing, almost skidding over in his eagerness. Dot steadied him on his feet and held the phone to his ear for him. "Daddy?" Joey whispered, "Has mummy had the baby?" he asked.

He heard Daddy laugh in his ear, "She has, little man..."

"Is mummy okay?" Joey whispered.

"She's brilliant, babe. A bit tired but very very happy, we both are." He told him. "I'll phone Uncle Jack in a minute and arrange it but he told me this morning that he'd bring you in to the hospital. Mummy wants to see you... she wants to introduce you to someone."

"Who?"

"Your sister..."

Joey gasped, "A sister... weally?" Dot smiled at him, hearing the news from the little boy, who was grinning from ear to ear at what his daddy had just told him. She'd known Max and Tanya had both wanted Joey to be the first person they told. Joey would also be the first person to see the baby and to find out its... or her... name. "Is she pitty?" he asked.

"She really is, Joey. She's beautiful... and she's looking forward to meeting you." Joey heard a noise in the background.

"What's that?" he asked.

"That's your sister saying hello, Joey..." Max said, as the baby wailed behind him.

"Tell her to be quiet, daddy... because mummy is tired and needs her sleep. And she should be sleeping too..." Joey said matter-of-factly.

"Wait a minute..." Max said. When he spoke again his voice was further away from the phone, "Come on, my little princess, your big brother Joey says you need to be quiet so mummy can get some rest and he says you should sleep too." Joey smiled into the phone as within seconds the crying stopped. He looked at his grandparents with an even bigger grin on his face, a hint of pride beaming from him. Max was stunned as his daughter seemed to understand every word he said and as she had throughout the last few months of Tanya's pregnancy, she heeded all the words Joey said and fell silent, staring up at him with innocent eyes from where she now lay, in his arms. He turned back to the phone, "Well done, Joey..." he said quietly, rocking his daughter gently.

"What for?" he asked.

"Knowing just what to say. Joey, we'll see you in a little while, okay?" Max said softly.

*JL*JL*

Joey was sitting on the sofa, almost jigging on the spot as he tried to stay still. It had been almost an hour since daddy had called and he was itching to go and see his sister and parents. He had changed into a special outfit that his Grandma had selected for him and he was looking forward to mummy and daddy seeing it. He thought they would be surprised and like it a lot. Granddad had given him a present as soon as he'd finished speaking to his daddy and Joey had tore the paper off quickly, eager to see what he'd been given when it wasn't even present time. Inside the paper was a T-shirt that he'd unfolded and he frowned as he looked at it, "What does it say, Ganddad?" he asked.

"It says I'm a big brother..." Granddad told him.

"Wow..." Joey gasped. He looked down at the top he was holding. He was looking forward to wearing this top... because he really was a big brother now and looking after his baby sister was his top priority.

*JL*JL*

Joey sat in his car seat in the back of his Uncle Jack's car, Bear on his lap, looking out of the window and staring at the exciting sights of London. He suddenly spoke, "Unca Jack?"

"Yes, Joey?"

"Are we nearly there yet?" he asked. He was so eager to get to the hospital and meet this new little girl in his life.

"Not quite yet, Joey." Jack said, smiling at him in the rear view mirror. "It won't be long though..."

"Can we get somefing for my sister at the hopital?"

"I think we can manage that, Joey." Jack told him. He drove in silence for a few minutes and he could almost feel the anticipation from his nephew escalating as they neared the hospital. He was as eager as Joey was in all honesty. He knew how much Max and Tanya had wanted this child... just as much as they'd wanted Joey to stay with them. And now they had the perfect family.

*JL*JL*

Jack lifted Joey out of the car seat and they were soon walking into the hospital, Joey holding tightly onto his uncle's hand. They headed towards the gift shop after Jack asked for directions. "What do you want to get, Joey?" he asked as they walked through the door and both look around the shop.

"I fink she should haf a bear to look afer her and be her bestest fend, like Bear does me..." Joey said softly, waving Bear towards his Uncle to show him what he meant.

"A teddy bear..." Jack said with a smile, "Yes, that's sounds like a fine idea." He led Joey over towards that section of the shop and lifted Joey in his arms so he could see the selection on the shelves.

"That one there!" Joey proclaimed, pointing towards the shelf.

Jack smiled as he saw the bear Joey was pointing at. It was a bear that looked very similar to the Joey's own Bear, apart from the colour which was white whereas Joey's Bear was brown. This white bear had a red rose in its paw and Jack was pretty sure it was a left over toy from Valentine's Day but he knew his nephew would not be swayed from that choice. He picked it up and they walked over to the counter to pay for the gift.

"Would you like it gift wrapped?" the woman behind the till asked.

Jack looked at Joey who nodded his head, "Yes, please." Jack confirmed.

"Is this for someone special?" she asked as she wrapped the bear in paper.

"It's for my baby sister," Joey stated. He pulled away from Jack a little and pointed to his T-shirt proudly. "She came today and we're just bout to go and see her."

"Wow, well I think she's going to love this teddy bear, partly because it's a really nice bear... but I think she'll love it more because her big brother gave it to her."

"He'll keep her safe when I can't be there to 'tect her," he said sagely and the cashier glanced at Jack in concern.

Jack lowered Joey to the floor, "No running off, Joey. Stay in the shop." He said gently. He turned back to the cashier and handed her his credit card to pay, "He's a little protective of his sister," he said softly. "Can we put the present in a gift bag?" he asked, digging into his pocket and pulling out some change for the bag she produced. She placed the present in it and put some colourful ribbon through the handles, making it all curly and girly; something Jack knew Tanya would appreciate. "Thanks," he said, lifting the present off the side. "Come on, Joey." He said and the toddler walked back towards him, taking his hand.

*JL*JL*

As they walked towards the bed Tanya was in, Jack realised Joey was slowing down and he glanced down at him in concern. He stopped and crouched in front of him, lifting his chin to look at his face, "What's wrong?" he asked him softly.

"What if she don't like me?" he whispered, biting his lip at the painful thought. Bear was trapped beneath his arm as Joey held him tight against his body.

"She is going to love you, Joey." He said, hoping he was reassuring him. He could still see the worry on the little boy's face though. "Did you know daddy told me that whenever you spoke to your sister before she was born, she always did as you asked? Would she do that if she didn't love you?" Joey shook his head. Still he looked a little hesitant. "What else is bothering you?"

"Will mummy and daddy not want me now they haf their own baby?" he whispered.

"Joey... your mummy and daddy love you and have loved you ever since you were born. Just because they now have a daughter, doesn't mean they're going to love their son any less. It makes no difference to them that you aren't really their son." He paused, "Do you feel any different about them 'cos they aren't your real parents?"

"No..." he breathed.

"And they feel no different about you." He put his finger on Joey's chest, right above his heart, "In here, you are their son... just like your sister is their daughter." He told him.

"Okay, Unca Jack..."

"Now I think you should be giving this present to your sister, don't you... so here you go?" He passed the gift bag over to him and then ushered Joey into the bay where Tanya was situated. "Room for some visitors?" he said as they rounded the corner.

Max and Tanya both looked at Joey, huge smiles on their faces. "Joey!" Tanya said. "Pick him up, darling. I want a hug from my little boy." She instructed her husband.

Max climbed off the side of the bed and crouched down, Joey running towards him and launching himself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Hello, little man. Did you behave for Grandma and Granddad?" Joey nodded his head.

"Hi daddy." Joey whispered. He looked at Tanya and held out the present towards her. "We got my sister a pesent... to say happy birfday..." he told her.

"That's really lovely, sweetheart." Tanya said, "Come here and give mummy a hug, Joey." She said. Max lowered him onto the bed and Joey clambered towards her, his arms outstretched towards her, Bear held tightly in one hand.

"Careful, Joey..." Max said, standing at the side of the bed so he didn't fall off.

Tanya hugged him against her, her hands brushing up and down his back. Despite the fact she was exhausted she needed some time with her beautiful little boy. "Do you want to see your sister, Joey?"

"Can I?" he whispered, his eyes scanning the room and settling on the crib that was the other side of the bed from where he was sitting. He could see the lump inside but it wasn't close enough for him to get a better look.

"Max..." Tanya said, helping Joey sit beside her on the bed, her arm around his shoulders as Max walked around the bed and lifted up their daughter. He passed her to his wife, perching on the other side of the bed. "Meet your sister, Joey..." she said softly.

Joey (and Bear) stared at the small girl his mummy was holding intently. She was very pretty Joey decided. She was small too... she looked very delicate and his need to look after her and keep her safe intensified. "She's so bootiful, mummy..."

"She is, isn't she?"

"Daddy should open the pesent for her..." he whispered as he continued to stare at her sister.

Max picked up the bag and after struggling with the ribbon, he pulled the present out of it. He tore off the paper, smiling as he saw the gift inside. "He's lovely, Joey."

"I finked she should haf a bear to keep her safe too... and he can be there for her when I can't be..." he told them both seriously.

Tanya got a lump in her throat from what he'd said and she squeezed him tightly against her, kissing the top of his head, "That's really nice, Joey and I think she's going to love it... almost as much as she loves you."

"What's she called?" he whispered.

Tanya smiled at Max and then looked at Joey, "Her name is Lauren." she said quietly. "Lauren Sarah Branning."

"A pitty name for a pitty girl, mummy." Joey whispered.

"Her middle name is after your mummy, Joey..." Tanya said. Joey nodded.

"Lau..." his words faltered as he struggled to say her name. "LoLo..." he amended, looking at mummy and daddy for approval. Both of them looked happy with him. He leant forward and kissed LoLo softly on the forehead. "Hello, LoLo... I's Joey... your big bruvva." He whispered to her. "I love you, LoLo..." he said, pulling away slightly and seeing two dark eyes staring up at him. He fell even deeper in love with her in those few seconds... his life changing path again, deviating on a new tangent that would forever centre round his LoLo.

**A/N: Did you wonder where Joey was when he first woke up? Were you as scared as Joey (and Bear) was? And TADA... Lauren finally makes an appearance in this little story... becoming Joey's baby sister, as many of you suspected. Anyway, now the family is complete, although Joey was worried that would mean he was going to have to leave. Awww, bless him. Joey has his LoLo... and she's already leading him down a new path. And he got her her own Bear... to keep her safe when he isn't there. I think he may turn out to be a little over-protective, eh? What happens next? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32.**

"This is for you..." Joey said, pushing the wrapped box over the table to her. She looked at him and slowly undid the paper. She looked at him again as she opened the box.

"What are these for?" she asked him.

"LoLo, I got them... for you." He told her with a smile, "You watch me at the gym when I'm there. I thought maybe I could teach you."

"To box?" she asked, staring at the gloves in the box with a slightly bewildered expression on her face.

"They're pink, LoLo..." He told her, as if that explanation justified their existence.

"I can see that, JoJo." She giggled, smirking at him and poking out her tongue when he quirked his eyebrow at her.

"You know we've talked about you being able to protect yourself, LoLo." He said softly, glancing at his clenched fists and not seeing the look of guilt that washed over her face.

"Sorry, JoJo..." she whispered. She could see the pain on his face and she hated it... hated seeing him be reminded of his early childhood. Their parents had told her a few years ago that JoJo wasn't, in fact, her brother like she'd grown up thinking he was. It had surprised her initially and she'd cried for a few hours at the fact they had all lied to her but then her daddy came into her room and spoke to her. He told her about the little boy who'd stolen their heart and captured hers just as effortlessly. Her daddy had told her some of the things her JoJo had gone through before she was born and how it was never their intention to hide it from her, but her parents had simply been trying to make sure that Joey felt like he belonged at their house, as part of the family. Lauren had stared at him and she realised that she was behaving like a child and making this all about her. She felt ashamed of herself for reacting that way. It didn't change the way she felt about JoJo... in some ways it strengthened her feelings for him. He was the person she looked up to most in her little world. She looked at him now and could see he was trapped in his own thoughts. He got like that sometimes, lost in those dim distant past memories and Lauren wished there was something she could do to take his mind off it. "When do you want to start?" she asked him softly and he glanced up at her, brought back to awareness by her voice.

"How about after school?" he said, standing and tidying away their plates. "Come on, I'll walk you there."

"Joey, I'm fifteen, I can walk myself to school..." she protested, picking up her schoolbag and shoving in a couple of books.

"Yeah and I'm your big brother," he said, smirking as she caught her leg against the side of the dining room table and winced. "Come on, trouble." He said, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards him. "We'd better get going or dad will kill us both for you being late to school."

"Where are they anyway?" Lauren asked.

"I don't know, Lo... there was a note on the fridge telling us to get ourselves to school and college." He smirked at her, "which means I'm in charge so I'm going to walk you to school and then I'll be there at the end of the day to walk you home again."

"JoJo..." Lauren whined as they walked out of the house and Joey locked the door behind them. He trailed behind her as she walked across the square. He saw the tension in her shoulders as his friend walked towards them.

"Joey..." His friend said in greeting, smiling at him and Joey had to bite his lip to stop the smirk from breaking free as he saw Lauren roll her eyes. There was no love lost between his sister and friend, although he couldn't exactly work out why they didn't get along, in personalities they were very similar. Joey suspected that was the reason he was friends with Stacey in the first place.

"Stace..." he said, "I'll meet you there. I've got to walk Lauren to school." He said, jogging to Lauren and walking beside her.

"Isn't she old enough to walk herself to school?" Stacey said, glancing at Lauren, a look of disdain on her face.

"Yes, but dad asked me to, so it's what I'm going to do." Joey told her, not seeing the look she gave his sister.

"You'll be late for college."

"I've got a free period this morning... but you don't, so you should go."

Stacey stopped walked beside him but Joey kept going. "See you later." She called after them as Joey and Lauren walked out of the square.

Joey glanced at his sister, seeing the smirk on her face and frowning, "You don't have to look so pleased, LoLo..." he said.

"I don't like her and I think she's a pretty lousy friend," Lauren admitted.

"Well, she's not _your_ friend is she, babe?" he said testily.

"Nope." Lauren said, aware she was treading a thin line with her brother.

"She is mine though..." he said and silence fell between them. Slight tension built between brother and sister as they continued to walk.

Lauren thought about Stacey and she wondered if Joey would be so keen to be her friend if he knew the kind of person she really was. She doubted it but she wasn't going to test that theory. Stacey had moved to the square with her brother and his wife a few years ago and although she was a year older than Joey, they had been in the same year at school. Lauren had always thought she was a relatively easy person to get along with, she made friends easily, although she didn't have any really close friends but to many she guessed her life seemed pretty simple. And it had been, until Stacey Slater arrived on the scene. Stacey was a bully who took an instant dislike to Lauren. However she was only nasty to Lauren when Joey wasn't around. Every time Joey left the room to get them a drink Stacey would make a snippy comment to Lauren. Lauren wasn't sure what it was that the girl disliked about her so much, she hadn't even spoken to her when they met and Stacey had scowled at her and then pulled her hair when Joey wasn't looking. Whatever it was that Stacey thought Lauren had done, it brought about the same feelings in Lauren. There were few people Lauren disliked but Stacey was very near the top of that list, only surpassed by her hatred for Joey's real dad. There was another thing Lauren was pretty sure of, apart from the dislike Stacey had for Joey's sister... Lauren knew Stacey wanted to be Joey's girlfriend but she was also just as sure Joey wasn't interested in her that way. Lauren had asked Joey about it once and had been surprised by his answer. Stacey was far too high maintenance for him to think about going out with her was what he'd told her. Lauren just wished he would tell the girl that so she would give up... because really, at times it was embarrassing how she behaved around him. Lauren looked around and realised they were nearly at her school, "I can walk from here, JoJo..."

"Which part of me walking you to school do you not understand, LoLo?" he asked, with a smirk.

"I don't think dad will mind if you drop me off here..." she protested softly although she knew he wouldn't back down.

"To the gates, LoLo..." he said softly and Lauren shook her head, giving in to him as usual.

She sighed as they reached the gates, "I guess I'll be seeing you tonight then?" she said.

"I'll be here at the end of your last class." He told her with a smile.

Lauren stared at him, seeing the laughter in his eyes. "See you later, JoJo..." she said softly, stepping forward and rising on her tiptoes so she could kiss his cheek.

"Bye LoLo," he whispered, staring into her eyes, their gazes locked for a few seconds longer than was necessary. She turned and ran towards the door to her school, a quick glance over her shoulder before she disappeared into the building. "Damn..." he whispered as the door swung shut behind her.

**A/N: So hopefully you've spotted the time jump... We've now entered the second section of this story. And yes, Joey is a little protective of Lauren... but there's something else as well, right? Oh and this was written back in September/October time before it was announced that Stacey was coming back to the show... Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33.**

Lauren walked into the school, her face still a little pink after being dropped off by her brother at school. Anyone would think she was a child. She didn't need an escort to school... she was fifteen years old. Her red cheeks had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she'd kissed him on the cheek. No, nothing at all. Well, okay, maybe it did. His giving her the boxing gloves and offering to teach her to box had changed something between them too. She knew the reason behind it and she'd been expecting him to do something like this for a while now. She was surprised it'd taken this long for him to bring up her being able to defend herself if she was being honest. It had been more than two months now. She'd been expecting it ever since that day...

*JL*JL*

_Lauren picked up the post from the doorstep, going through it and seeing an envelope addressed to her. She took it out, putting the rest of the mail on the side and then walked into the lounge. The envelope was red and given the day it was, she was sure she knew what was inside. She just didn't know who it was from. She knew who she hoped it would be from but she was pretty convinced that wasn't going to be the case._

_She paused for a couple of seconds before running her finger inside the envelope and tearing it open. She pulled out the card inside and sure enough it was a Valentine's card. Her eyes ran over the front of the card, instantly knowing it wasn't from JoJo, because it wasn't his style. Even the cards he got her as a brother had a distinctive look to them and if he was ever to buy her a Valentine's card (which she knew he wouldn't) it would not be the one she was holding now. The card she was holding had a bunch of roses on the front and some hearts. She held her breath as she opened it, her eyes darting to the bottom and seeing the question mark which hid the name of its sender from her. She sighed, hearing the front door open and shoving the card back in the envelope and sliding it beneath a cushion, trying to sit normally as she looked up and saw Joey walk into the room._

"_You okay, LoLo?" he asked, grinning at her. "You look a little embarrassed."_

"_I'm fine, JoJo..." she said softly._

"_Is there anything I can eat? I've going for a run in a while and I could do with something to get me through it."_

"_Mum made some cookies last night, I think there are some left in the tin." She said. He loped off to the kitchen and she could hear him hunting for the biscuits. She picked up her bag from school and slid the envelope into it quickly, not wanting her brother to see and tease her about it. "I'm going up to do my homework," she called through to him and ran up the stairs._

_*JL*JL*_

_Lauren sat at her desk and pulled out the card again. She saw there was a message at the bottom of the card as she did and she read it. It was asking her to meet them. Well, at least this way she would find out who it was that sent it. She knew it was probably a really bad idea... she had no idea who it was she was meeting but she was intrigued. _

_*JL*JL*_

_She heard Joey go into his room and she snuck out, going down the stairs. She had time to go to meet whoever it was and still be back in time for tea. No one would even know she was gone. She opened the front door quietly and walked down the stairs at the front of the house. She walked around the corner and sat on the swings outside the community centre. She was a little nervous about who was going to show up._

_*JL*JL*_

"_You came..."_

_Lauren turned around in surprise, the person speaking to her having crept up behind her. "What are you doing here?" She said as she stared at him._

"_You got my card?"_

"_It's from you?" she gasped. She looked at Matthew Rose as he stood near her. He was the last person she'd expected to send the card... not that she'd really thought anyone she knew would've sent it._

"_I gave you a clue... the card had roses on it..."_

"_But you're... much older than me..." she whispered. He was older than JoJo and Lauren thought she was probably too young for him as well._

"_I like you, Lauren..." he said, sitting on the swing next to her._

"_How old are you, Matthew?"_

"_Twenty four..." he said._

"_I'm fourteen years old..." she said softly. "There are far too many years between us..."_

"_But you always smile at me when you walk past my stall..." he said, looking at her and frowning._

"_I smile at the down and out guy by the tube station... it doesn't mean I like him..." She explained._

"_You don't mean that..." he said and the way he was looking at her was starting to make Lauren feel uncomfortable._

"_I think I should go..." she said, getting up off the swing and starting to walk away. She stopped when he grabbed her hand. He tugged on her hand, pulling her back towards him, "Let me go..." she said softly, now scared as well as uncomfortable._

"_You know, it's cruel to lead a guy on Lauren..." he said, his hold on her hand tightening._

"_You're scaring me, Matthew..." she whispered, trying to pull her hand from his._

"_I just want you to go on one date with me." He said, tugging on her hand, pulling her towards him._

"_I don't like you that way..." she said softly. Her head was turning as she looked around to see if there was anyone who could help her. Then she saw him; her own personal saviour. "JoJo..." she whispered._

"_I'm talking to you, Lauren..." Matthew said sharply._

_Joey was running towards the community centre and he was nearly close enough for her to call out to him. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... "JOJO!" she shouted, her voice shriller than she expected it to be. He looked around for her, quickly seeing her. He looked at her face and saw the fear on it. He quickly changed direction, heading towards her._

"_Lauren?" he said, sizing up Matthew as he got closer, his eyes locking on how Matthew's hand was gripping hers a little too tightly._

"_Help..." she whispered. _

_He was at her side in an instant, pulling her into his arms, Matthew releasing his hold on her as soon as Joey was close. He turned to Matthew, "What do you think you are doing to my sister?" he said, his hand brushing soothingly through Lauren's hair._

"_I was just talking to her..."_

"_Take me home, please, JoJo..." Lauren pleaded with her brother._

"_In a minute, LoLo..." he told her, "I just need to deal with this first." He kissed her forehead softly then pushed her behind him, stepping closer to Matthew. "Do not come near my sister again, right?" he said, his voice aggressive as he spoke to him. "She's a little girl... and you're far too old for her... so go and be a pervert somewhere else..."_

"_What are you going to do if I don't do as you say?" Matthew said, standing and stepping towards Joey._

"_This..." he said, lifting his right fist and letting it fly, punching the market trader in the nose and hearing the satisfying crunch of bone as skin met skin. "If you come near her again... it'll be much worse..." he said threateningly. He turned, pulling his crying sister into his side and they walked back to their house._

_*JL*JL*_

_Lauren was leaning against Joey as they sat on the sofa. "I'm sorry, JoJo..."_

"_It's okay, LoLo." He kissed the top of her head, "Can I ask why you went to meet him?" he asked her softly._

"_I didn't know who it was... I got a card in the post and I was surprised someone would send me one. I wanted to know who it was from."_

"_You went to meet a guy when you had no idea who it was... do you know how dangerous that is, LoLo?" he said. "You could've been hurt and then what would I do, eh?"_

"_I know... I'm sorry, JoJo..."_

"_I just want to keep you safe, LoLo..." he whispered, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "It scares me to think that someone could hurt you..." he said._

"_I'm sorry..." she whispered again. She hated seeing the pain in his eyes and she pressed her face into his chest, feeling the tears she'd been holding back bubbling to the surface. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him and suddenly she felt safe again._

_*JL*JL*_

_Matthew Rose sat back down as Lauren and her Neanderthal brother walked away from him. He couldn't understand what it was that he'd done so wrong. He was only telling her he liked her. She'd been teasing him with smiles for months. She'd led him on. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and no jumped up brother was going to get in his way. He would get his date with Lauren Branning._

**A/N: So now we know why Joey gave Lauren the boxing gloves and wants to teach her boxing. I wonder what Matthew Rose will do next? Rest assured there are going to be flashbacks to the early years of Joey and Lauren... or JoJo and LoLo. And did you notice that Lauren has feelings for JoJo too? It should be interesting. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34.**

Joey walked slowly towards his college. He really should be walking faster if he wanted to have a bit of spare time before his first class but his mind was elsewhere. He thought back through the last fifteen years and thought about how easy it had been to be Lauren's big brother. He had been so scared before he met her that she wouldn't like him but she had literally hung on every word he said, just like she had before she was born. And Joey adored her just as much. He remembered those first months after she was born when he had helped his mum with everything. He had wanted to be involved. He didn't go to playgroup very often, wanting to spend time at home and bond with his new family. He hadn't wanted to go back at all but mum and dad had suggested he went back for two mornings a week. He had gone reluctantly but he was glad he did because he realised he had missed his friends, Tyler and Arthur. Each day he returned home though, running up the steps after his Uncle Grant picked him up from playgroup and dropped him back at the house. It became routine for the pub landlord to collect him and bring him home each day and it saved his mum from having to drag Lauren out for just five or ten minutes and Joey had cherished his time with his uncle.

His thoughts turned back to Lauren again, the fifteen year old version rather than the newborn baby this time though. Over the last couple of years his feelings for her had changed. He couldn't say what it was that brought about this change but he definitely didn't think of her as a sister anymore. He was torn about this too. It felt wrong for him to feel this way. It was something he had struggled with for a while and his main problem was he didn't have anyone he could talk to about this.

He'd come very close to talking to his dad about it but had backed out at the last minute. He wasn't sure what either of his parents would say about the way he felt. It felt so wrong but he was helpless to stop it. It was getting harder and harder to fight his feelings for Lauren, especially when she did innocent things like kiss his cheek. He doubted for a second there was any chance of her feeling the same way... especially as for most of her life, she had actually thought he was her brother.

In his heart Joey had probably always thought of Lauren as more than a sister. He had always been infatuated with her. He could think of so many times in his life where he had done things simply because she asked him to... even if he knew it was stupid or would get him in trouble. He still remembered the first time he'd done that... and how much trouble it had gotten him into.

*JL*JL*

"_JOJO!" Lauren shouted as Joey walked through the door. He had just got home from school and he missed his sister, just like she missed him. She dragged herself to her feet and walked towards him, dropping her Bear in amongst her toys._

"_Hi LoLo... did you miss me today?" he asked as he hugged her. Lauren nodded her head emphatically. "I missed you too, LoLo..." he said to her softly._

"_Joey, go and get changed out of your school uniform, sweetheart," Mummy said as she hung up Joey's coat. Joey looked at her and then ran up the stairs to his bedroom._

"_Mama..." LoLo said, waving her arms in the air. Tanya bent down and picked up her daughter, kissing her cheek softly. "JoJo pay..." she said, her bottom lip slipping into the perfect pout._

"_He will, darling... but first he has to change out of his school uniform. Then I'm sure he will play with you."_

"_You fink so, mama?"_

"_I'm pretty sure it's guaranteed, sweetheart." She smiled at her daughter and Lauren grinned back at her. It was clear that Lauren loved her big brother more than anything else in the world. There was the sound of footsteps running downstairs and Tanya lowered her daughter to the floor. Joey came back in the room, Bear dangling from his hand. It was fairly clear that Joey felt the same way about his baby sister too._

"_Pay with me, JoJo..." Lauren said._

"_Okay..." He looked around, "Where's your Bear?" he asked her._

_LoLo looked down, searching for her stuffed toy. Not finding it she turned back to where she'd been playing and saw the white bear. "Over dere..." she said, pointing at it._

"_I've got Bear with me... they could play together too, LoLo..."_

"_Are day best fends too, JoJo?"_

"_I think they should be, LoLo..." he said. He reached for her hand and took it, leading her back towards her toys. He sat down and Lauren sat beside him, practically on top of him really. "What do you want to play, LoLo?"_

"_Dess up..." she declared._

"_Again, LoLo?" he said. He still remembered the last time they'd played dress up and he had been forced to wear a pink hairband on his head, a bracelet around his wrist and somehow she'd put mummy's lipstick on his face. It had been like torture and then mummy discovered them and while she was cross about her lipstick being smeared all over Joey's face and she'd scrubbed his face really hard to remove it, she had insisted on taking a photo of him first._

"_Pease, JoJo..." she whispered, looking at him with such sad eyes and he couldn't say no to her._

"_Only if Bear and Bear play with us, LoLo..." he said, hoping he could spread the pain of dress up across the three of them, rather than just him._

_Lauren agrees and they play quietly for some time... dressing up the two teddy bears rather than Joey. After some time Lauren speaks again, "I think my Bear should haf a diffent name, JoJo..." she said to her brother softly._

"_What's wrong with Bear?" he asked, slightly insulted by her declaration._

"_She can't haf the same name as Bear... silly JoJo..." She said, "too fusing for us..."_

_Joey could see the logic in what she was saying, there was two Ben's in his class at school and people were forever getting mixed up. "So what do you want to call him?" he asked._

_Lauren picked up her bear and looked at it, thinking things over. "I fink it's a girl bear not a boy bear..." she said, "Is that okay, JoJo?"_

_Joey shrugged his shoulders, "It's your bear, LoLo... you can choose."_

"_She's a girl." She whispered. "Now what shall we call you...?" she whispered to her white teddy, who just stared up at her, clutching the rose in one of her paws._

"_Joey, Lauren... come and sit down, it's nearly tea time..." Joey got to his feet and ran to the kitchen. Lauren looked after her brother but stayed where she was sitting, stilling pondering her dilemma. "What are you doing still in here, eh, missy?" Tanya said, walking over to her daughter and lifting her off the floor, "I asked you to come into the kitchen, baby girl."_

"_I was finking of a name for my bear, mama..."_

"_Well you can think while you're having your tea."_

"_But mama...?" Lauren protested, pouting again._

"_Tea, Lauren..." Tanya said firmly. She carried her daughter into the kitchen and put her into her highchair._

"_Did you think of a name, LoLo?" Joey asked as mummy bought their plates over to the table. She placed one plate in front of Joey and then sat down and cut Lauren's into chunks. She put her daughter's plate on the tray in front of her._

"_No, mama bringed me in here..." she said as she stabbed her fork into a chunk of fish finger._

"_You can still think of a name, LoLo... we could talk about it while we're eating," Joey said._

"_I can't fink of nuffin' JoJo..." Lauren whined, "she's gonna haf no name and be sad and it's all my fault. I's a bad mama for my bear..." Tears started to form in her eyes and Joey saw that._

"_No, you're not!" Joey gasped, "The only mummy better than you is mummy..." Joey stated matter-of-factly._

_Lauren stared at her brother for a while. "Eat your tea, missy..." Tanya said to her, brushing her hand through Joey's hair as he went back to his dinner. She smiled at her son, seeing the slightly pleased look on his face as he saw he'd managed to stop his sister's tears._

"_Missy, missy, missy..." Lauren sang as she scooped up some baked beans. As she chewed them she stared at Joey, her eyes widening. She swallowed her mouthful, "I know what to call her, JoJo..." she said excitedly._

"_What, LoLo?" he asked, smiling at her._

"_Mama helped me..." Lauren stated as she put some more fish finger in her mouth._

"_I did, darling?" Tanya asked._

_Lauren nodded, "She's gonna be called Missybear..."_

"_That's a lovely name, sweetheart, now eat your tea."_

_*JL*JL*_

"_You can go and play in the lounge..." Tanya said to the two children as she wiped Lauren's hands and face, lifting her out of her seat. "Daddy will be home soon and then it's time for bed for both of you..."_

"_But mummy, I's older than LoLo... I's a big boy now, I should be able to stay up later than her..." Joey protested._

"_You may be older, Joey... but you also have school tomorrow." Tanya told him, used to this almost nightly argument, "Now go and play with Lauren and then when daddy comes home he'll give you a bath while I put Lauren to bed. Then I'll come and read you some more of your story."_

"_Mummy..." Joey said, determined to continue the argument._

"_Play with Lauren, Joey..." Tanya said._

_Joey sighed, "Yes, mummy..." he said, following Lauren into the lounge. "What do you want to play, LoLo?"_

"_We should haf a cewonny to name Missy..." Lauren said._

"_A christening?" Joey asked._

_Lauren nodded, "What happens at kissings?" she asked him._

"_Not sure, LoLo... I've only been to two... when I went to Tyler's brother's christening and your christening. I don't remember much cos Ty and I were playing conkers at the one for his brother and I couldn't see cos Unca Jack was standing in front of me for yours... but I remember mummy saying that Tyler's brother din't cry when the ficar wetted his head... I fink you must've cried a lot though... I remember everyone laughing really loudly."_

_Lauren looked at him, excitement in her eyes, "Missy's got to haf a bath, JoJo..." she said._

"_Are you sure?"_

_Lauren shrugged, "Mama and dada make us haf baths all the time... maybe Bear should too... so he can be kissened wif Missy?" she suggested._

"_When are we gonna do this?" Joey asked._

"_Now?" she said._

"_Okay..." he said, standing up and going to pick up Bear and the soon-to-be-named Missy._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya walked up the stairs, wondering where her children were. They had both been quiet for too long. She looked in both their bedrooms but they weren't there. She heard the sound of water splashing and her heart clenched. She moved quickly to the bathroom and pushed open the door. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she cried out loudly, staring at the pair of them in horror._

"_Bear and Missybear are being kissened, mama..." Lauren said, looking at her with a wide grin. _

"_Joey, why did you let Lauren do this... you should know better..."_

"_It was LoLo's idea, mummy..." Joey said, worry and fear on his face._

"_You should've stopped her!" She cried. She pulled Lauren away from the bath, Lauren dropping Missybear back into the water in her surprise. She tugged sharply on Joey's arm, feeling him tense as she dragged him to his feet. He had a soaking wet Bear in his hands. "Go to your room, Joey..." she said angrily and Joey didn't need to be told twice. "Leave Bear!" she called after him and she heard the plop of a sodden Bear on the floor before Joey's bedroom door was slammed shut. The sound of it snapped her out of her anger and her heart broke as she realised what she'd just done to the little boy._

"_Mama, Missybear's downing..." Lauren sobbed._

"_Mummy will rescue her in a minute, baby..." she said softly. "Let's get you changed into your jim-jams and out of these wet clothes first okay."_

"_I's sorry, mama... I made JoJo do it..." she whispered, "He said it was wong..." she admitted, tears falling down her face. Her words made Tanya feel even worse._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya was in the kitchen an hour later, feeling absolutely awful. She felt like the worst mother on Earth. She had tried to speak to Joey after putting Lauren to bed, as she'd fallen asleep while Tanya was changing her, but he ignored her completely. He had changed himself into his pyjamas (some slightly too small but still firm favourite Fireman Sam ones) and he was tucked up in his bed, facing towards the wall. As she was leaving his room she heard the soft sound of him sobbing and it broke her heart even further._

"_Where are the kids?" Max asked as he walked into the room. Tanya looked at him and he moved to her quickly as he saw the tears on her face. "Babe?" He glanced down into the sink and saw the two cuddly toys in her hands as she tried to wring some of the water out of them. "What happened?" he asked as he pulled her hands from the sink and hugged her tightly._

"_Lauren changed her bear's name to Missybear... and they decided to christen their bear's... in the bath..." she sobbed, closing her eyes as she had a flash of Joey's face from the bathroom appear, "I shouted at Joey, Max... and now he won't talk to me and is crying his eyes out in bed. I'm a bad mother," she whispered, echoing her daughter's earlier words._

"_You are nothing of the sort, babe..." he said softly. "Let me go and speak to Joey while you sort out the casualties..." he said, nodding towards sink._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya put Bear and Missybear in the tumble dryer and switched it onto a gentle spin cycle. She cried softly, leaning against the side and trying to work out how she could fix the mess she'd made. She turned towards the door and saw her husband walking back in, Joey in his arms. He was crying too and sucking on his thumb. "I told Joey that you should never go to bed on an argument so he wanted to come down and say he was sorry and get a kiss and a hug from his mummy..." Max told her._

_Tanya walked over to them and held her arms out towards him, "I'm sorry too, Joey..." she whispered to him softly, "I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, sweetheart, so mummy needs to apologise to you as well." She said, hugging him tightly. "Lauren told me it was her idea... but you need to think about things, Joey and not let her lead you astray. She isn't as old as you and doesn't understand where there are dangers."_

"_I will, mummy..." he murmured, "I's sorry..." he sobbed into her shoulder._

"_I know you are, darling." She said, brushing her hand down his back, "and mummy's sorry for shouting but I got scared when I saw you both playing near the bath."_

"_Are Bear and Missybear going to be okay?" he asked her._

"_They will be sorted out in time for bed tomorrow night. They're just having a ride in the tumble dryer and then I'll put them in the airing cupboard tonight and when you both go to bed tomorrow, they will be all dry again." She stared at him, "Will you be okay without him tonight?" she asked him softly._

"_I'll try, mummy..." he whispered._

"_Shall I take you back up to bed?" she asked him. Joey nodded his head, his thumb back in his mouth._

"_I'll go and get a takeaway, babe." Max said, kissing them both as she started to walk out of the room._

"_I'll see you soon..." she said._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya and Max were in bed much later that night but Tanya woke as she heard the door be pushed open. She knew who it was immediately as Lauren wasn't able to get out of her cot. She sat up in the bed and looked towards the door, seeing Joey standing in the doorway. "Joey?" she said softly._

"_I had a bad deam, mummy..." he whispered._

_Tanya climbed out of the bed and walked over to him, crouching before him and staring at his face. There were tears on his cheeks and a haunted expression that she wished had never been on his face. Unfortunately this wasn't the first time she'd seen this look but she hoped it would be the last time. "Do you think you can go back to sleep?" she asked him softly, "Or would you like to come into bed with mummy and daddy?" she asked._

"_With you, mummy..." he said._

"_Okay, darling... just this once though... because you don't have Bear."_

"_Is Bear sleeping in the airing cupboard?" Joey asked as Tanya stood up._

"_Yes he is. He's sleeping in there with Missy. Would you like to see them and check they're okay?" she asked him._

"_Can we?"_

"_I don't see why not?" She took his hand and led him out of the bedroom and to the airing cupboard. She opened the door and then lifted Joey into her arms so he could see Bear and Missybear side by side on the shelf. "See, there they are, sweetheart."_

"_Night night, Bear... night night Missybear..." Joey whispered before yawning._

"_Come on, darling, let's go back to bed..." she said, carrying Joey back to her bedroom. She placed Joey in the middle of the bed and then climbed in the other side of him from her husband. She was lying in the bed a few minutes later when she felt the bed shift and Joey pressed himself against her, snuggling up to her._

"_I love you, mummy..." he said softly, breaking her heart all over again._

"_I love you too, Joey." She told him, kissing the top of his head._

*JL*JL*

That day had affected him badly for several days and he had sworn to himself that he wouldn't let himself get into that situation again... but he had. Lauren just had to look at him with her big puppy dog eyes... and she could get anything she wanted off him. And the scariest part of that was... Joey couldn't ever see it changing.

**A/N: 'Missybear's downing'... pull on those heartstrings, LoLo! I hope you liked the flashback in this chapter... This chapter is one of my fave's so I really hope you like it. And this one tells you so much about how their relationship works. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35.**

As Joey walked along the streets towards college he thought through what Lauren had asked him a few months ago. About Stacey and her being his girlfriend. He had been shocked by Lauren's question... and a little disappointed if he was being honest. He hadn't really thought about it until Lauren mentioned it but once he did, he knew the answer. And it had nothing to do with what he'd told Lauren was the reason... well, okay it was partly to do with that. Stacey was most definitely high maintenance and she would no doubt do his head in if he was to date her. Really though the reason he didn't want to date her was because she wasn't Lauren. She wasn't the girl he loved with his whole heart... and he couldn't imagine sharing the space he saved just for LoLo with any girl. It didn't seem right.

He had tried that once before... and it didn't work. It was about that time when he realised what his feelings for Lauren were. When he knew that she was more than a sister to him. And much as he liked Poppy... she wasn't Lauren either and that had quickly become apparent.

*JL*JL*

_Joey was sitting in the school cafeteria with Tyler and Fatboy (formerly known as Arthur – don't ask, it's a long story...). They were talking about a football match they were playing in later that evening against a rival junior team and they were discussing tactics – utilising the salt and pepper pots, a sauce bottle and two empty butter wrappers for goalposts and a third one for 'the ball'. Joey was concentrating on showing them something he had been discussing with Uncle Grant for a couple of weeks when he glanced up and noticed both his friends smirking at him. "What?" he asked._

"_She's looking at you again..." Tyler laughed._

"_And all her friends..." Fats added._

_Joey rolled his eyes, this was nothing new. He went back to explaining to them the new move but neither of them was listening. "I'm wasting my time with this, ain't I?" Joey asked rhetorically._

"_You should ask her out, mate..." Tyler said, "She clearly likes you..." he added._

"_I'm not really interested..." Joey said softly, again nothing that hadn't been said before._

"_Well, I totally would if I was you, mate." Fats said. "She's well fit, man."_

_Joey rolled his eyes and cleared away the condiments, saving his explanation for another time – when their minds were more focussed on what was important. "Come on, let's get to class."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey sat in his biology class waiting for the teacher to arrive. He was wishing that Tyler or Fatboy was in some of his lessons, hating the fact they weren't in all the same classes together but with Joey still hoping to become a fireman in the future he was studying most of the sciences. Also because he was a bit of a brain box when it came to studying he was in the advanced classes for the sciences, maths and English and Tyler and Fatboy weren't. _

_The chair pulled out beside him and he turned to look at who it was. He was surprised to see Poppy Meadow standing there. "Is it okay to sit here?" she asked. Joey just nodded his head, slightly stunned she was doing this. "Hi, I'm Poppy..." she said, as she sat down, "as in the flower..."_

"_Hi Poppy... I'm Joey."_

"_Oh, I know who you are, Joey..." she said with a big grin, "Everyone knows who you are..." she added, her face reddening as she revealed a little more than she intended to._

"_So you're in the same Biology class as me?" he asked, a little surprised because he hadn't thought she was that bright (from what other people had told him anyway)._

"_Yeah. I love this class... it was my favourite at my last school... so I'm in the advanced class." She flashed another smile at him, "Any other subject I'm not so great at... but Biology is okay. I want to be a marine biologist... or work in PR... or be a hairdresser." Poppy said enthusiastically, making Joey smile slightly. "My mum says I have great people skills..." she continued._

_*JL*JL*_

_Within two weeks Joey had been asked out on a date... which prompted some teasing from his friends, until he reminded them that at least he had a date... unlike the two of them. They decided that they would go to the cinema one Saturday afternoon, as Joey didn't have a match that weekend and when Joey told his mum and dad that night, his mum had been ecstatic. She had washed his (favourite) shirt for him to wear and ironed it for him too. Joey thought she was going a little over the top but he daren't voice that opinion because it would've broken her heart._

_His dad drove him to Poppy's house and they'd picked her up. Joey (following his dad's instructions), opening the door for his date and then shut it for her once she was sitting inside. His dad had given him some money so Joey could buy some popcorn and drinks once they were at the cinema. As they were both fourteen years old, and Joey couldn't bear to have the mortification of his dad being there with them, the film they saw wasn't the film Joey really wanted to see but it was one they could get into without adult supervision._

_Joey had felt a little self-conscious as they sat in the screen. It felt like everyone was looking at the two of them and he was sure that everyone was watching him as he sat awkwardly next to Poppy. As this was his first date he wasn't sure exactly what he was supposed to do or what Poppy was expecting him to do. One thing was certain... he wasn't going to be kissing her... They watched the adverts and then the lights dimmed further and the film started. Due to the fact he was nervous Joey barely watched the film. He found he was too aware of what Poppy was doing... and what he was doing. He almost jumped out of his skin when their hands brushed as they both reached for popcorn and Joey thought he was going to die from embarrassment when she giggled at him. Complete mortification set in and he was grateful for the lights being off so at least no one else would know that he was blushing._

_By the time the film had ended (Joey would forever be unable to tell you what happened during it and he refused to watch it anytime after that), Joey just wanted to go home and he was sure there would be no second date... never mind the chance of any after that._

_The lights came on and Joey got up from his seat, turning to make sure Poppy was ready to go. She trailed behind him as they walked out of the screen and then Joey had another scare as she slipped her hand into his. He glanced at her and she was smiling at him, her face almost as red as the flowers she was named after. Maybe he wasn't the only one who had no idea what was supposed to happen. He smiled back at her and then the conversation started between them. They had to wait for Poppy's dad to pick them up so they had a hot chocolate each while they did. Both of them were more relaxed by this stage and Joey found he was actually disappointed the date was over once her dad collected them both and they dropped him off in Albert Square. He was still glad he didn't have to kiss her though._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey's relationship with Poppy had lasted six months and for a first girlfriend she had been pretty cool. She wasn't worried about the two of them hanging out together all the time and there were no public displays of affection at school. During their brief relationship Joey did experience his first kiss (which was another humiliating occurrence that was never to be spoken about again) but they didn't really do much more than that... which (after the first kiss) suited Joey just fine, thank you very much._

_The end of their relationship had been brought about by the pair of them deciding that really they were just good friends and that was all they were ever going to be. Two weeks later she started dating Fatboy – after they'd both checked with Joey that this was okay (which it was) and Joey was very happy for them. He decided that for the time being he wasn't ready for a girlfriend and when the time was right he would know and then make his move._

*JL*JL*

Joey smiled as he walked up to the entrance of the college. Poppy was stilling dating Fatboy and they were completely loved up – which received quite a bit of teasing from Joey and Tyler, although Joey was ever so slightly jealous of the pair. Not that he wanted to date Poppy, (he didn't)... but he knew he was now ready to embark on a relationship with someone. He just had a sinking feeling that the person he wanted was a little closer to home than it probably should be.

He sighed as he opened his locker and stared at the picture he had taped to the inside. It was a picture of him and Lauren from when they were really small. He smiled as his eyes locked on it. Even then she had been the centre of his world and he would've done anything for her. And little had changed.

He shook his head as he slammed the locker shut again and headed to his first class. He was officially screwed.

**A/N: Do you like the new cover for this story? No one's mentioned it... but it's going to change throughout this story periodically. So there were more flashbacks today... showing more of how Joey feels about Stacey, Poppy and Lauren. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36.**

Joey walked up to Lauren's school, a lot of things still whirring around his mind. He was still contemplating his relationship with LoLo and it was a quandary that he knew wasn't going anywhere soon. He got to the gate just as the final bell rang, signifying the end of the day and he stood at the gate with a smile on his face. Lauren walked out of the school and she smiled at him as she saw him waiting for her; her embarrassment from this morning had obviously disappeared.

"Hi JoJo..." she said as she got to him.

"Lo..." he said, "Come on, let's get home... I think it's going to rain soon."

"I wish you had a car, JoJo... it would be much better if you could drive me home... We'd get home quicker." Lauren said as they walked down the street.

"Don't you want to be in my company, LoLo?" he teased.

"It's not that, JoJo... you know that." Lauren's face flushed and she looked away from him, feeling so embarrassed by the way Joey made her get flustered all the time. "I just thought it'd be better when the weather is bad. Maybe you can use the money you've been getting from helping dad at the car lot."

"Maybe..." Joey said. He had started working for his dad back when he was fifteen. Washing cars for him at the weekends, inside and out... by hand. It had been better than any gym workout as far as Joey was concerned, although he'd done those too. Over the last summer he had spent more time at the car lot, watching his dad as he sold cars to customers. After a couple of weeks of watching, his dad let him loose on the unsuspecting public and it transpired that Joey had a gift for sales. And he was getting a small commission for every car he sold. He was saving this money for when he started his fireman training course but Lauren was right, maybe he could splash out a little bit of it and get a small car he could use as a run around. He'd passed his driving test a week after his eighteenth birthday so there was no hold-up on that front. He could see if his dad could help him find something that wasn't too expensive.

Joey glanced at his sister and could see the slight pink tint to her face... he had to look away quickly because seeing her like that always had a certain effect on his body and now definitely wasn't a convenient time to have that occur. He was definitely screwed.

*JL*JL*

Later that evening Joey and Lauren were still waiting for their parents to get home. They had both noticed that the car lot was closed when they got back to the square and when Joey tried to call their dad, his mobile phone just went straight to voicemail.

"I guess we'd better get our own dinner..." he said to Lauren.

"Come on then..." Lauren said, standing and walking towards the kitchen. Joey trailed after her, trying his hardest to not look at her bum as he did so. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly, then walking into the back of Lauren as she stopped in the doorway of the kitchen. Time seemed to stand still for several seconds as both teenagers tried to compose themselves. "You don't think anything is wrong, do you JoJo?" she finally whispered.

"I'm sure everything is fine, LoLo... they'll be home soon. I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for where they are..." he said, although even he doubted this was true. This was very unlike their parents and he was surprised to not have had a call or text from either of them. He glanced down at Lauren's face as she turned to face him, still standing a little too close to him for comfort. He was surprised again when she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Joey hugged her back, hoping like hell he could control the rest of his body as it fought every instinct he possessed. Lauren loosened her hold on him and pulled away, staring up at his face intently. Joey was staring back at her, wondering (not for the first time) what she was thinking. He was so deep in thought he never saw it coming... so when her lips pressed against his it took him longer than it should for him to react. He gripped her arms and pushed her away, a little harder than he probably should've done (or wanted to) but she had surprised him and he really, really wanted to keep kissing her so he was a little slow in pushing her away. "What are you doing, Lo?" he gasped.

"I would've thought that was obvious..." she murmured.

"We can't do that... you're my sister..."

"NO I'M NOT!" she screamed, tears flooding her eyes and pain on her face.

Joey took a step back, his brain fighting his heart and eventually winning. "I'm going to the gym..." he whispered before turning and practically running from the house.

*JL*JL*

Joey stood in the gym, trying to focus on hitting the punching bag that hung before him but it was difficult when all he could think of was how it had felt when her lips had been on his. He frowned and hit the bag a little harder, feeling the tension building in his shoulders and down his back.

"You imagining someone you know... or you just trying to break it?" said a familiar voice.

The voice broke through the fog in his head and he paused, grabbing the bag between both of his gloved hands. He turned his head, "Uncle Grant..." he said.

Grant looked at the boy he'd come to view as family and saw the inner turmoil written all over his face. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked. Joey shook his head firmly. "You want me to hold the bag while you beat the shit out of it some more?" he asked, knowing that sometimes Joey just needed to think things through before he could talk about it.

"Sure..." Joey murmured.

Grant moved around to the other side of the punching bag and gripped it tightly. He nodded at Joey and Joey lifted his fists, preparing to start all over again. Grant winced slightly at the first punch, feeling the force behind it. Joey set himself a gruelling pace and Grant studied him carefully, hoping that whatever the issue was, he would feel better at the end of this. After about twenty punishing minutes Joey leant heavily against the punching bag, his forehead resting on his arms as he panted heavily, trying to catch his breath. "Why don't you go get changed and we can go for a drink and have a chat." Grant said softly. Joey looked at him but said nothing as he turned and walked away from him towards the changing rooms.

*JL*JL*

Grant brought two coffees over to the table in the cafe and sat opposite his pseudo nephew. "Talk to me, Joey." He said. Joey glanced up at him, his face flushing red before looking down and studying his coffee instead. Grant took a sip of his drink and waited.

"It's Lauren..."

"Did the two of you have a row?" Grant asked. Joey shook his head, still looking into his mug. "Then what?" Joey glanced up at him and Grant was surprised to see embarrassment on his face. "You can tell me anything, Joey... you know that..." he told him gently.

"Not this, I can't..." he murmured.

"You remember when you were a small boy and you'd just started living with your parents?" Grant said. Joey nodded. "We spoke then, didn't we? I told you about what it was like for me when I was growing up and I said then that you could come and talk to me whenever you wanted to... that I would make time for you. That hasn't stopped just because you're a bit older now, Joey."

"She... I..." Joey's face paled and he pushed away the coffee, feeling a little sick. "I like her..." he whispered, his eyes now fixed on the table.

"That's good... seeing as she's your sister..." Grant said, not understanding what the issue was.

Joey looked up at him, "I don't mean like that... I LIKE her..." he repeated, stressing the word more this time.

Grant didn't know how to respond to that initially. "How long have you felt this way?" he asked him.

Joey shrugged, "Probably forever... but the first time I realised was when I was a similar age to what she is now..." He glanced up at Grant again, expecting to see shock and disgust on his face but finding neither. "I've fought how I feel so much... I know it's wrong... I shouldn't feel this way. I hate myself so much, Uncle Grant. How do I stop feeling this way?" He was clearly getting more and more upset as he opened up to the older man.

"What's brought all this on today?" Grant asked.

Joey's face flushed again and his fists clenched on the table surface. "She kissed me..." He looked up at his uncle again, "I pushed her away and walked out of the house... I didn't encourage her at all, I promise. She took me by surprise..." His words faded as he seemed to struggle to find something to say... wanting to fill the dead air between them. Grant obliged instead with a question.

"Have you spoken to her about the way you feel?" Grant asked. Joey shook his head quickly. "Do you think she feels the same way as you do?"

"It's wrong though, ain't it? She's my sister..." he said.

"That wasn't what I asked... I asked if she feels the same way?" Joey shrugged again, "Don't you think she's as confused about all this as much as you are?" he said softly, "And you running out of the house won't have made her feel any better will it?" He added.

Joey shook his head. "Mum and dad will hate me..." he said sadly.

"I don't think they will, Joey." Grant said, "You may have been raised as brother and sister... but you aren't her brother. You're her cousin and as far as I know, there isn't anything wrong with that. Yes, some people might not like it but I'm sure your mum and dad will just want the two of you to be happy." He reached over the table and pushed the cooling mug of coffee back towards the confused teenager, "Drink up... and then go and speak to Lauren and make sure she's okay."

"What about mum and dad?" he asked as he lifted the cup.

"Speak to Lauren first... once you talk about it and know where you both stand, then you can decide what you want to do next." Grant advised him. "If you ever need to talk, you know where I am..."

"This isn't something you've been through, is it?"

Grant smiled, "No... not exactly. You remember when you were about six that Sharon and I split up?" he asked. Joey nodded. "Her dad had come back to the square and then her half-sister came too... and a half brother showed up as well..."

"I don't remember that?" Joey said.

"Really? Oh... well, I guess you were quite young... and they were only here for about six months." He cleared his throat and took another sip from his cup. "Sharon and her brother... there was this spark between them, I guess... and they ended up getting together after we split up..."

Joey's eye widened, "With her half-brother...?" he whispered.

"Sharon is adopted... so really he wasn't a relation at all... but yeah, some people were bit off about it..."

"Why did it end?"

"He moved away from the square, couldn't deal with the attention of everyone. Sharon left with him briefly but she came back after a couple of months and then we got back together. We were only apart about a year..." Grant looked at Joey, "She spoke to me about her relationship with Dennis though... she told me how conflicted she was about it all and how much bad feeling there was between them and their father when it first started." Joey paled at that remark, "Her dad was a strange man, Joey and he was nothing like your dad is. Your parents will be fine if you decide to take these feelings further, Joey, I swear."

"Thanks Uncle Grant..." Joey said softly, finishing his drink, "I'd better get home and speak to Lo." He admitted, standing up and grabbing his gym bag.

**A/N: Well they kissed... pretty big news, right? As you can imagine they're both a little confused. Just as well Uncle Grant is on hand to help sort things out. Joey has some apologising to do, hasn't he? Let me know what you think! Back tomorrow...  
**


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37.**

Joey walked back into the house a short while after leaving Grant, finding his parents in the kitchen. "Hi," he said as he walked into the room. Lauren wasn't there. "When did you get back?" he asked.

"About ten minutes ago." His mum said, "You been to the gym?"

"Yeah and then I went for a coffee with Uncle Grant..."

"Why don't you go and get rid of that stuff. Tea will be ready in half an hour. Can you let your sister know as well?" she asked him.

"Okay..." Joey said, turning and making his way up the stairs. He dumped his bag in his room, promising to sort it out later. He had more important things to sort out now. He approached her door slowly, tapping on it gently and poking his head around the door. Lauren was lying on her bed and she had her back to him. "Can we talk, Lo?" he said softly.

"Go away, JoJo..." she whispered.

Joey felt awful because he could hear the tears in her voice. He ignored her and walked over to the bed and crouched beside it. "Please LoLo..." he whispered. "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did..." he told her.

"You made me feel bad, JoJo... like I was something you'd trod in..." she murmured and Joey's guilt climbed higher.

"Look at me, LoLo..." he asked her softly. She shook her head, moving further away from him. She'd created enough space for him to lie on the bed too, so he did just that, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling. "Don't you think we should talk about it, Lo?" he asked her softly.

"I think we should never talk about what happened ever again..." she whispered.

"LoLo... I'm really sorry I pushed you away... I was confused..." he told her. He turned his head so he could look at her, even though she still had her back to him.

"So am I, JoJo..." she admitted. "I don't understand the way I'm feeling..."

"Tell me, Lo..."

"I can't, JoJo... cause you'll hate me..." she murmured.

"LoLo, I could never hate you..." he said quickly.

"You promise?" she whispered.

"Absolutely..." he reassured her. The room was silent and after a slight pause Lauren turned over in the bed so she was facing him. She inched forward on the bed and Joey wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her the remainder of the way across the bed so she was lying with her head on his chest. He smiled as he saw Missybear in her arms. "I still remember the day I gave her to you..." he said softly. "I wanted you to like me... and I knew everyone needed a bear. My Bear always looked after me when I was small and I wanted you to have that too..." he whispered. "I never wanted anything to hurt you and yet, today, it was me that caused you pain." He turned his head to look at her face and he brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "I'm so sorry, LoLo..." he murmured, kissing the top of her head softly.

"I'm sorry for earlier, JoJo..." she whispered.

Joey was silent for a few seconds, "I'm not... well, for how it ended, maybe... but I don't regret what happened between us..."

"You don't?" she breathed, her body relaxing against his slightly.

"No, babe..." he murmured. His hand tilted her chin so she was looking up at him. He stared deeply into her eyes, "What made you kiss me, LoLo?" he asked her softly.

"Because you're you... and I love you..." she said softly.

"You love me... as a brother?" he asked her carefully.

"When I think of you, I don't think of you as my brother. I don't want you to be my brother... because how I feel about you..." she told him, bringing her hand up to her chest, "in here... it's not how a sister should feel for her brother."

"I feel the same, LoLo... I've always loved you..."

"Then why did you push me away?" she asked.

"Because I'm worried about mum and dad..." he told her. "I'm scared they would make me leave..." He admitted to her in a whisper.

"To them you are their son, JoJo... They would never make you leave."

"They might if they knew what I wanted to do..." he told them.

"What's that?" she asked him softly.

"This..." he whispered. He stared at her for several seconds and slowly he moved his face forward and pressed his lips softly against hers. The kiss was only brief but it held the promise of more. "Was that okay?" he asked her softly.

She nodded, "It was more than okay..." she admitted. "What now?"

"I think we need to talk things through and then decide if we're going to tell mum and dad..."

"If?" she asked, fear in her voice.

"When..." he amended with a smile. He kissed her again softly. "We'd better go downstairs, tea must be nearly ready..."

"I want to stay here..." she whispered, "with you..."

"LAUREN... JOEY..."

"See..." Joey said, a definite smirk on his face. Her bottom lip slipped out and Joey couldn't help but kiss her again, "You are going to get me in so much trouble, LoLo..." he breathed against her mouth.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren sat at the table as their parents brought in their plates. The family ate in silence and neither of the children picked up on the tension between their parents. Tanya stood and cleared away the plates once they were done. Lauren and Joey went to get up but were stopped by Max, "Sit down for a minute, kids... there's something your mum and I need to tell you..."

Joey and Lauren glanced at each other as they both sat back down. Did they know?

**A/N: Any ideas what it is you think Max and Tanya want to tell their children? Do they know about their blossoming relationship? Let me know if you have any ideas. Back tomorrow... ****maybe. I can't promise there will be an update tomorrow as I have a "date" in Leicester with a certain Mr Witts... if not, there will be two updates on Sunday instead.**


	38. Chapter 38

**So... for the record, David Witts is one mighty fine guy... and he can belt out a tune! So happy to see him today in Hairspray... and very glad my mum managed to not run him over as we were leaving the car park...! Silly boy walked in front of our car!**

**Chapter 38.**

"What is it, dad?" Joey asked once Tanya had rejoined them at the table.

"We wanted to tell you where we were today..." Max said, taking his wife's hand in his. "We went to see DCI Davis... although he's DCS Davis now. We received a letter from the prison about your father, Joey and we went to speak to him to get some advice."

"What did the letter say?" Joey asked.

"Your fa... Derek has applied for parole..." Tanya said, reaching over the table for Joey but the boy shook off her hand.

"It was supposed to be an indefinite sentence..." he said softly, almost reverting back to the small boy that turned up on their doorstep all those years ago.

"We know that, Joey. His sentence was that he could apply for parole after fifteen years... which he has now served. So that's why we went to speak to the policeman who was on the case... so we could see if there was anything we could do to stop him from being released." Max told him.

"And is there?"

"There's nothing we can do... but you can." Max said.

"Me? What can I do?" he asked.

"You would need to write a letter stating the reasons why you think Derek shouldn't be released."

"And that would mean he would have to stay in prison?" Joey whispered.

"If the parole board thought your reasons were serious enough for him to not be released."

Joey was silent for several minutes and he could feel the family watching him. "When is the hearing?" he asked.

"A week on Friday..." Tanya told him.

More silence. "Can I go to my room now?" Joey asked.

"Of course you can..." Tanya said. Joey was gone before she'd even finished speaking and within moments the family heard the sound of his bedroom slamming shut behind him.

Lauren got to her feet, meaning to head upstairs after him, "Leave him, babe..." Max said, touching her arm, "He just needs some time..."

"But dad..." she said, her head turning towards the door as she looked at it longingly.

"Help your mum with the dishes..." he said, kissing the top of her head gently.

"Okay dad..."

*JL*JL*

It was an hour before Lauren could follow Joey upstairs. She tapped on his door much like he had done just a couple of hours earlier. She didn't hear any response so she pushed open the door and saw Joey sitting at his desk. His college books were in front of him but it was clear he wasn't doing much work. She walked over to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her face and her heart broke because she could see he was really upset. She reached for his hand, pulling him gently to his feet. She then led him over to his bed and made him sit down on it. She stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. She was only slightly surprised to feel his body start to shake against hers.

Joey allowed himself to feel the emotions that had been numbed until Lauren held him so tightly. He had only let her see him like this one other time in her life... and then it hadn't been quite as bad as he was now. Mostly he had been comforting her until he froze and then it was her turn to comfort him.

*JL*JL*

_Joey had looked up as his bedroom door opened. In the doorway stood his baby sister, Missybear clutched under her arm and thumb in her mouth. "LoLo?" he whispered, sitting up in his bed._

"_I can't sleep, JoJo... mummy and daddy are fighting, JoJo..." she said._

"_Come here, LoLo..." he said, holding his hand out towards her. She ran over to his bed and scrambled up beside him, Joey helping her up. Joey put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his body. This wasn't the first night that mummy and daddy had fought with each other. It was becoming a regular occurrence and Joey didn't like it at all. Daddy had been working long hours and he was always tired when he came home. He didn't have time to play with Joey in the evenings anymore, Joey usually had to go to bed when daddy got home from work and LoLo saw even less of him. The arguments had gradually been getting worse but tonight's fight was the worst one yet and it was bringing back a lot of bad memories for Joey. He turned to the top of his bed and pulled Bear over to where he sat with LoLo and hugged him against his chest, just like his baby sister was doing with Missybear. There was a loud bang downstairs and Joey's head turned towards the door, panic on his face and he hugged Lauren a little tighter against him. She started to cry softly and Joey kissed the top of her head gently, his fingers brushing through her hair. Suddenly he had an idea and he pushed himself off his bed, holding his hand out towards his sister, "Down you get, LoLo..." he whispered._

"_Where we goin', JoJo?"_

"_We're going to hide, LoLo..."_

"_Hide, go seek?" she asked, a smile appearing on her face as that was her favourite game to play apart from dressing up. Especially with JoJo because he found the bestest places to hide._

"_Yes, just like that..." he said. She took his hand and slid off the bed. He walked across his room and opened the door to his wardrobe. "In you get, LoLo..." he whispered._

"_I's scared of the dark, JoJo..." she breathed, hesitation on her face as she looked at the warbode. She didn't want to be in the warbode on her own in the dark._

"_I'll be with you... I'll keep you safe. There won't be any need to be scared," he said softly, nudging her towards the cupboard. With one more glance at him Lauren climbed into the cupboard, relaxing slightly as Joey followed and sat next to her. Joey pulled the door shut and they were plunged into darkness, a slight whimper from Lauren as it did. Joey put his arm around her, feeling her curl up against his side. "It's gonna be okay, LoLo..." he said quietly._

_Lauren believed her brother and she relaxed slightly, "JoJo..." she whispered urgently less than a minute later, "I's not got Missybear..."_

"_She'll be safe, sis..." he said._

"_She's scared... I can hear her kying, JoJo..." she sobbed._

_Joey sighed and passed Bear to her, "Bear will look after you while I go and get her for you..."_

"_Look after her, JoJo..." she whispered, "She's my bestest friend 'sides you..."_

"_I look after you, don't I?" he asked her. In the dimness he could just make out her nodding her head. "Then Missybear will also be okay, won't she?"_

"_I guess..." she whispered._

"_I'll be one minute..." he said before opening the door and creeping out. He glanced back at Lauren and saw her sitting looking up at him in her Little Mermaid onesie pyjamas. She was sucking her thumb again but she whimpered slightly as he took a couple of steps away from her. He pushed the wardrobe door shut and he heard her yelp as she was plunged once more into darkness. He looked around his room and saw Missybear still sitting on his bed. He walked over to the bed, pausing slightly because it had gone quiet again downstairs. He leant onto the bed and dragged Missybear by her foot towards him._

"_YOU DID WHAT?"_

_Joey froze. The voice was a lot louder than it had been before. A door slammed and it spurred Joey into action. He grabbed Missybear and a pillow off his bed. As he walked back towards the wardrobe he picked up the blanket that was on top of a cupboard and continued back to his sister. He had one thought in mind, keeping LoLo safe. That was his number one priority. Always had been and always would be._

_Either mummy or daddy walked past his room and then went back downstairs and Joey dashed for his wardrobe, opening the door, throwing Missybear at her owner and clambering inside, struggling to get everything inside with them. Finally he managed it and he pulled the door shut again. LoLo was watching him as he arranged the pillow at one end of the wardrobe base and then he tugged on her hand and she crawled over to him. He nudged her so she was lying down and he lay beside her, spreading the blanket over them both. He wrapped his arm around her waist and hugged her close. _

_There was silence within the wardrobe while the world continued to bang and crash outside._

"_JoJo..." Lauren whispered._

"_Yes, LoLo..." he whispered back._

"_This is a stange game of hide, go seek... we're both hiding togefer... who's going to find us?" she whispered._

"_It's a special game, LoLo..." he said softly._

"_Peshal?"_

"_Yes, one we'll play if mummy and daddy fight..." he murmured, tightening his hold on Lauren._

_There was silence for a few seconds, "JoJo..." Lauren whispered again._

"_Yes, LoLo..."_

"_Mummy and daddy still love chuver don't they?" she asked him, "They fight lots..."_

"_Course they love each other, LoLo..." he reassured her, hoping he wasn't lying to her._

"_They won't spit up?" she whispered._

"_No, Lo..." he said. His fingers ran through her hair to calm her down and she relaxed against him._

"_JoJo..." Lauren whispered._

"_Yes, LoLo..." he repeated._

"_I love you the mostest..." she said._

"_I love you too, LoLo..." he said, smiling into the darkness._

_They lay in the darkness of the wardrobe for quite some time. Joey thought Lauren was asleep but she wasn't, she was listening to the events in the world outside their safe little cocoon. She could feel the tension in her brother's body increasing, his arms tightening around her and it scared her. Part of her knew he was scared about what was going on and that worried her... because JoJo was scared of nothing. Lauren closed her eyes and tried to sleep, the steady pace of Joey's heart filtering into her ear and soothing her._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey and Lauren had been in the wardrobe for a while and both were starting to doze when there was a loud crash and a scream from downstairs. The noises made Lauren jump, "JoJo..." she whispered but she got no response for her brother. "JoJo..." she repeated. She let go of Missybear and prodded a finger in Joey's chest. Nothing. Lauren bit her lip, panic building within her at the strange behaviour from her best friend and brother. She pulled herself from his arms and sat up, "JoJo..." she whispered, bending down to right in front of his face so he could hear her. She lifted her hand to touch his face and was surprised when she found his cheeks were wet. She frowned because she'd only ever seen JoJo cry once and that was because he was poorly and his tummy hurt. "Don't ky, JoJo..." she whispered. He said nothing so Lauren lay back down beside him. This time though she wrapped her arms around him and she hugged him tightly. In each of her hands were Missybear and Bear and she pressed them against Joey, needing the strength from their furry friends to look after her big brother. She didn't know what was wrong with JoJo but she was determined she was going to look after him... cos he looked after her all the time. Lauren and Joey stayed like that for a long time. It had gone very quiet in the outside world but Lauren didn't move from JoJo's side because she knew she had to stay with him until he told her it was safe... or mummy and daddy came to them. After a while though Lauren started to get scared and so she turned to Missybear and Bear for support, "Missybear, can you talk to me and JoJo... cos it's dark and I's fightened..." she whispered. She was silent for a few seconds, "I know you're scared too, Missybear but you need to be big and bave now... like JoJo was when he escued you. JoJo's the bavest person I know... he's not afaid of the dark like we are, Missybear... but he said that Bear would look afer us if he wasn't able to and right now he can't... so we've got to look afer him and keep him safe." She stopped whispering again, "Fank you, Bear... JoJo will fank you too for looking afer the free of us..." Bear and Missybear sat side by side behind Joey and Lauren tentatively reached for JoJo's face again, this time it wasn't wet anymore but he still wasn't saying anything so she couldn't relax yet. She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and squeezed him a little tighter in her arms, "I's gonna look afer you, JoJo..." she told him softly._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya walked upstairs to check on Lauren. She pushed open the door to her room and was stunned to find she wasn't in her bed. Her chest grew tight as panic set in and she quickly moved to Joey's room but again he was missing from his bed. She ran back downstairs and found her husband standing near the window with a glass of whisky in his hand. "Max, the kids aren't in their beds..." she said quickly._

"_What do you mean, they aren't in their beds?" he said, turning to look at her._

"_Exactly what I just said... they aren't in their beds." She snapped._

"_Well, they can't just disappear, can they?" he snapped back. His free hand brushed down his face and he sighed, "Sorry, babe... I shouldn't snap at you..." He put down the glass and walked over to her, "They've got to be somewhere, babe." He reassured her. "You check down here and I'll check upstairs."_

"_I've already looked in their rooms." She said, tears flooding her eyes as she thought of the children being lost. Something occurred to Max and he hugged her quickly, taking her hand in his and pulling her towards the stairs. "Max?"_

"_Come with me..." he said softly, heading for Joey's room._

"_I told you they weren't here..." Tanya said as they walked through the door. Max pulled her over to the wardrobe and he pulled open the doors, staring in and seeing Lauren and Joey curled up in the bottom. Tanya relaxed as she saw the two of them. "Lauren... Joey..." she breathed, crouching down._

_Lauren lifted her head off the pillow and looked up at her parents, smiling at them; revealing her gappy smile to them. "Hi mummy, hi daddy..." she said, "I's looking afer JoJo..." she whispered, her hand running through her brother's hair, just like he did for her._

_Max frowned and crouched beside his wife, "What's wrong with Joey, babe?"_

"_I don't know, daddy. He was fine when we first started paying hide, go seek... but then there was a skeem and since then he's been quiet. I've been looking afer him with Bear and Missybear..." she told them. _

"_Come here, darling, so daddy can check on Joey..." Tanya said gently, her heart racing as she glanced at her son again. Lauren wriggled where she lay but Joey's arms tightened around her._

_She giggled, "I can't, mummy, JoJo won't let me go!"_

_Max moved closer and brushed his hand down Joey's back, inhaling when Joey flinched away from him. "Joey..." he said softly._

"_Ow, JoJo, you're hurting me..." Lauren whispered as Joey's arms squeezed her tighter against him._

"_Come on, Joey... let go of your sister..." Max said gently._

"_We're okay now, JoJo..." Lauren whispered, "Mummy and daddy are here now. They found us in the warbode... so they win the game..." she told him. "We'll haf to find a better hidey pace next time, JoJo..." She looked at her brother's face again and her bottom lip quivered as she saw it much better now the doors were open. He looked very scared and he was kying again. "Don't ky, JoJo..." she murmured, kissing his cheek again. "We'll win next time..." she promised him. She reached up and wiped away his tears, unaware of how her mummy and daddy were watching them. Lauren bit her lip and moved her mouth to Joey's ear, "JoJo... you need to let me go... cos I need to use my potty weally badly..." she whispered urgently. Her words seemed to do the trick and she scrambled over him and over to her mummy. The two of them left the room and headed for the bathroom._

_Max moved forward and sat in the wardrobe beside him, lifting Joey onto his lap. "Talk to me, little man..." he said softly. Joey said nothing but he didn't pull away from Max either. "What happened, Joey?" he asked._

"_You and mummy were fighting..." he whispered._

"_I know. We're very sorry... daddy's work isn't going very well and mummy and I are a bit worried about things."_

"_It made me think of mummy and Derek..." Joey admitted. "I was scared..." he whispered. "Mummy screamed and I thought you had killed her..."_

_Max stared at the boy in his arms, complete devastation ravaging his body as he realised what his row with his wife had done to their son. They should've thought about the consequences of what they were doing when it was happening but the last six months or so had been difficult for the Branning family and although they had tried to hide it from the children, it was apparent that both of the youngsters were more than aware of the tension between them. "I'm sorry, Joey. Mummy and I were having a disagreement and it got out of hand... but it's all sorted now, I promise. It won't happen again."_

"_You and mummy are fighting lots. LoLo thinks you're going to split up," Joey whispered. He looked up at his daddy, "You aren't going to, are you?" he asked. "Cos I told her you weren't and I don't want to lie to her, daddy."_

"_No, we're not, Joey."_

"_Promise?" Joey whispered._

"_I promise..." Max said._

"_And mummy would say the same thing?" Joey asked, staring at his daddy intently._

_Max glanced up and saw Tanya and Lauren walk back into the room, "Why don't we ask her, eh?" he said softly. Joey nodded and they both looked up at the two girls as they walked over._

"_Ask who what?" Tanya said as she sat on Joey's bed with Lauren on her lap. She stared at Max and saw the emotions on his face._

"_Joey... and Lauren... are worried that we're going to split up, babe." Max said softly. "I told Joey we're not but he wants to know if you would say the same thing."_

"_Joey, darling... daddy and I love each other very much. We've been arguing but it's only because we're scared we might not be able to give you and Lauren the things you want and deserve..."_

"_Me and LoLo just want our mummy and daddy to be happy and to love us..." Joey whispered._

"_And a new dess for Missybear, JoJo..." Lauren whispered, making Joey giggle, closely followed by their parents._

"_You are a cheeky little monkey, Lauren Branning," Tanya said, tickling her daughter's tummy and making her giggle with them._

"_Mummy, top it..." she shrieked with laughter._

"_Okay, sweetheart," Tanya said._

"_Down, mummy..." Lauren said, looking up at her mummy. Tanya kissed her on the forehead and then lowered her to the floor. Lauren scampered across the room to JoJo and her daddy. She threw her arms around Joey's neck, "Fank you, JoJo..." She said softly, "for looking afer me and Missybear..."_

"_I always will, LoLo..." Joey whispered._

**A/N: So Derek applying for parole was Max and Tanya's big news... and I had a couple of correct guesses - so well done to the both of you! And another flashback (another of my favourites)... some cute Joey/Lauren moments... Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter 39.**

Lauren pulled away from him and looked down at his face, "You okay?" she asked him gently. He shrugged... which in Joey speak meant no. "Shift over..." she said, nudging his shoulder. He moved back on the bed and she climbed onto it next to him. They both lay down and again Lauren hugged him against her. Silence fell over the room for some time. "You never talk about him..." Lauren eventually whispered.

"It's not something I like talking about, LoLo..." he murmured.

"Oh..." Again silence reigned in the room.

"What do you want to know?" he asked her softly.

"It doesn't matter... you don't like talking about it." She said quickly, not wanting him to relive the bad parts of his life.

He moved so he could look at her face, brushing her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. "You can ask me anything, Lo..." he whispered.

She bit her lip, wondering if she could ask him what had been on her mind ever since she'd been told the truth. His hand caressed her face and she closed her eyes, letting herself enjoy what he was doing. She felt the bed shift and then his lips were touching hers and she sighed. It was a longer kiss than their previous ones and Lauren moaned as his tongue slid across her bottom lip. Never had she been kissed like this before... although to be fair, she hadn't really kissed any boy before today either. She trusted him though... so she opened her mouth and let his tongue slip inside. His thumb was brushing her cheek while the rest of his hand held her head in place. Lauren lost herself in the moment, craving more but scared at the same time. The need for oxygen intervened too quickly for both their liking and both were panting for air as they stared at each other. "Wow..." she whispered.

"Ask me..." he said softly.

"Did your dad hurt you?" she asked him softly. For a second he froze, seemingly trapped in his memories but eventually he nodded his head. "Was it badly?" she whispered.

Joey could see she was getting upset by her questions to him but he knew she needed to know. "Sometimes..." he said.

"Why did he do it, JoJo?" she asked as a tear ran down her face.

"I don't know..." he said, "I wish I did..." Joey closed his eyes and a memory was triggered of a long forgotten moment, he flinched before her each time his daddy's belt caught his bum and his thighs.

"JoJo..." Lauren murmured, hearing his breathing pick up and seeing he had zoned out. She lifted her hand and brushed her hands up his chest and then stroked the side of his face. "Hey..." she said softly as she saw him blink and frown as he stared at her. "You just zoned out on me, JoJo..." she told him.

"Sorry..."

"No, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have brought it up and made you think about it." She whispered.

"It's okay, babe..." He said, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms around her. "I was thinking about one of the times he hit me... probably the worst time I guess."

"You don't have to tell me, JoJo..." she said, seriously regretting starting this conversation.

"No, I want to, babe... I need you to know..." he whispered.

"Okay," she murmured but there was a large part of her that didn't want to know what he was about to tell her, that was regretting asking him in the first place. She'd be happier not knowing... she knew that now.

"I was really young... I think dad once said I was only two when Derek did it." He whispered and Lauren pulled away from him again, staring at his face. She was still unsure if he was really aware of his surroundings as he spoke; he was trapped once more in his memories. "I can't even remember now what it was I'd done to cause that reaction from him but I'm sure mum and dad know because I know I told them about it when I first moved in here." He inhaled sharply, his face paling as he lurched through what was the most painful experience in his life... apart from when his mum died, "I remember the strangest things about it though... not just the pain he caused... I remember the smell of his aftershave... seeing the cigar burning in his ashtray as I lay face down on his lap... the pain afterwards as I lay in bed trying to sleep that night... the tears on mum's face as she carried me up to the bathroom. It was the one time he hit me when she didn't try to convince me that he loved me as she put me to bed. We both knew that night that it wasn't true." He looked into her eyes, not surprised to see tears on her face. He lifted his hands and wiped her cheeks with his thumbs. "He pulled down my trousers and nappy so I was naked from the waist down. I remember the sound of him unfastening the buckle of his belt... I didn't know at that time what he was going to do. He told me I had to be quiet... that I couldn't cry but I did... I screamed the first time the belt hit my bottom. That just made him hit me harder though... and the harder he hit me, the more I cried. The pain was excruciating... my bum and legs were burning... I thought I was going to die."

"Oh, JoJo..." Lauren murmured.

"I can't even say how long he hit me for... it felt like forever but I guess it wasn't that long. He stopped when mum got home. I think she made him stop." He stared at her, "That day was the second worst day of my life... and it's one I have a scar to remind me of, every day."

"You've never told me this before... why now?" she whispered.

"You never asked before... and it's important to me that you know... That moment and when my mum died defined me as a person and made me who I am today. Yes, mum and dad had a lot to do with it too when I came to stay here, and you after you were born but everything stems back to those two days. If we're going to have a relationship with each other, you need to know that; you need to know me; the real me." He closed his eyes briefly, "The 'me' that I don't let anyone else see... that I can't let anyone else see..."

"I want to know that person..." she told him, "I love you, JoJo... I always have done and I look forward to getting to know you more."

"You already know me better than pretty much everyone else, LoLo."

"You know me too... you've been the person I'm closest to the whole of my life." She said. She hugged him tightly and Joey kissed her hair. They lay together for some time, arms wrapped around the other, both just enjoying the experience of being close to each other. A knock at Joey's door pulled them both apart, Joey sneaking a quick kiss before they sat up and moved away from each other. "Come in..." Joey said softly.

It was their dad, "You okay?" he asked in concern.

"I'm fine, dad." He replied, "I'll start writing the letter tomorrow, when I get home from college."

Max nodded, watching his son carefully, "You know where I am if you need to talk, Joey..." he reminded him. He turned his attention to his daughter, "Have you done your homework, babe?"

"Yes, dad." She told him, rolling her eyes as she looked at Joey, "I did it when I got home from school."

"Okay... well, don't have too late a night, either of you..." he said. He left them alone again moments later.

*JL*JL*

Joey was lying in his bed an hour or so later. Despite what he'd told his dad and Lauren, he was far from okay. He couldn't get off his mind how Derek could shortly be out of prison. He wondered what would happen if his dad was out. Would he come to get him? It was something that had bothered him ever since the tender age of three and had only got worse the older he got. He had broken the rules and had told everyone what Derek had done to him and to his mum. And he knew there was no way Derek was going to let that lie. This was his worst fear... and was it about to come true? He really hoped not.

**A/N: So you may think it's strange that Joey would tell Lauren about what Derek did to him but he needs her to know about the worst times in his life... and he doesn't like lying to her. Do you think Derek is going to get out of prison? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**

**BUT I WILL BE BACK IN A LITTLE WHILE... A ONE-SHOT HAS BEEN WRITTEN... TISSUE WARNING!  
**


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter 40.**

Joey barely slept that night and although he should've been exhausted, he got up in the morning with an excess of energy. He decided to go for a run, needing the time to compose his thoughts before he went to college. The morning had already had a rude awakening and after some much needed self relief Joey was keen to get out of the house and get his head sorted out. He moved quietly down the stairs and put on his trainers. He searched for his house keys but couldn't find them anywhere. Then he remembered dropping them on the cupboard by the couch in the lounge when he came back from the gym the night before. He pushed open the lounge door but stopped when he realised Lauren was curled up on the sofa, a blanket draped over her body. He frowned, wondering why she was there and not in her bed. He realised that the TV was on, the volume turned down so he could barely hear it. On instinct he walked over to her and crouched down, pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. He could see that she'd been crying and he felt guilty, knowing that what he'd told her the night before had caused this. He hated himself for upsetting her and even more intensely he hated Derek. Everything would be so much simpler for him and Lauren if things had been different; if his dad had never been around.

She stirred on the couch, slowly opening her eyes. "What are you doing down here, babe?" he asked her softly.

"I couldn't sleep..." she admitted, not quite able to look at his face.

He tilted her chin so she had to look at him and tears flooded her eyes, "Talk to me..." he whispered, his guilt increasing.

"I had a bad dream..." she said.

"Was it because of the stuff I told you last night?" he asked, already knowing her answer. She nodded, one lone tear falling down her face. "You should've come to me, LoLo..." he told her softly.

"I didn't want to bother you..."

"I didn't sleep very much anyway..." he admitted.

"Are you going for a run?" she asked, changing the subject as she saw how he was dressed.

"Yeah... I needed to burn off some energy..." he said.

"Can I come with you?" she asked. He stared at her. She'd never asked this before. Sometimes she would come to watch him play football... or watch him at the gym but she never wanted to run with him. "Of course you can..." he said. "Why don't you go and change into something comfortable for you to run in and I'll leave a note for mum and dad in case they wonder where we are if they get up before we're back."

"I'll be a couple of minutes..." she whispered, climbing off the sofa and kissing him softly on the cheek.

*JL*JL*

Five minutes later they both left the house. Joey made sure that Lauren warmed up properly, as she was unused to running and then they started their run. Joey had a set route that he ran; sometimes he changed it up a little but usually it was the same route. He turned down the same road as normal, sensing Lauren running beside him. He kept the pace gentle, not wanting to push her too hard. After about a mile she slowed down to a walk and Joey waited for her, jogging on the spot as he watched her approach. "Do you want to wait here and I'll pick you back up on my way back?" he asked her.

She scowled at him, "I'm fine, JoJo... I just needed a bit of a breather... I'm perfectly capable of keeping up with you!"

"Are you now?" he teased, smirking at her.

She stuck out her tongue at him before replying, "Yes, I am..."

"Do you want to make a bet on that?" he asked, a plan forming in his head.

She tilted her head to one side. "What sort of bet?"

"The winner gets to kiss the other one..." he suggested.

"That doesn't sound like too much of a hardship for either of us..." she smirked at him. "How about the winner gets ten minutes to do whatever they want to do with the other one?" she asked.

A lump formed in Joey's throat, his brain going off on a little trip of its own as he contemplated the prospect of winning that bet... because there was no way he was going to lose this... He heard a giggle in the distance and realised Lauren had already started, at a faster pace than she had been running and was heading off across the field without him. He shook his head and started to run, his eyes unconsciously lowering a little to settle on her bum as he ran after her. It turned out there was some benefits to coming second after all.

*JL*JL*

Joey had caught up with Lauren by the time they reached the edge of the square and he could hear her gasping for air beside him. He glanced at her face, seeing the way it glowed from exertion. He was momentarily sidetracked from what he was doing and he didn't see the puddle in front of him until he splashed into it, soaking himself. Lauren started to laugh at him, turning back to face him as he stood dripping in the middle of the pavement, shocked immobile because of his own inattention.

"I guess that makes me the winner..." she told him with a smile as she turned back towards the house and ran up the stairs to the front door. Joey jogged after her, accepting defeat magnanimously as he did so. Part of him wondered what she had planned for him...

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren walked towards their school and college together. Joey kept glancing at Lauren as she walked beside him. She seemed to have this inner confidence about her today that he was sure hadn't been there the day before.

They got to the point when they had to separate and head in different directions. "So, boxing at the gym after school?" she asked him, staring into his eyes intently.

"Huh?" he said.

"So eloquent, JoJo..." she teased him, "You... me... boxing lessons? You mentioned it yesterday and we never got the chance to have the lesson you promised me last night..."

"Oh, sure..." he said softly.

She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, maybe for a little too long but Joey really didn't care. "I look forward to you teaching me everything you know, JoJo..." she whispered in his ear and Joey gasped at the double meaning to her words.

She moved out of reach again, her eyes locking on his once more, "We'll discuss this later, LoLo..." he said, his body reacting slightly to the way she'd just hugged him and what she'd just said. He needed to get out of here... before he made a complete ass of himself. "I'd better get to college..." he said, pivoting on his foot and walking away from her.

He didn't see the small smile that appeared on Lauren's face... or the way her eyes dropped to his bum as he headed down the street. Once he was out of sight she turned and headed in the opposite direction, daydreaming about a certain dark haired boy she knew.

**A/N: So Lauren is definitely pushing all of Joey's buttons and she knows how to get a reaction out of him. Did you like their run? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter 41.**

There was an atmosphere between Joey and Lauren as they stood in the gym. He wrapped her hands carefully, giving her some additional support around the wrists and on her knuckles so she didn't hurt herself. The tension between the pair had been steadily increasing in the minutes since they'd left the house. Their mum had watched them with a smile as Lauren had ran into the kitchen after school, excitedly telling her that Joey was going to teach her to box. Lauren had produced the boxing gloves and showed them to her mum excitedly. Lauren had practically skipped over to the gym with Joey, her enthusiasm making him smile almost as widely as she was.

Then he'd begun to wind the wrap around her wrists and hands and the atmosphere between them was now literally crackling. Every now and again she would glance up at his face, seeing the concentration as he made sure he did it exactly right. He couldn't risk her getting hurt. Finally her hands were all protected. He slid each glove onto her hands, fastening them at the wrists and checking she was comfortable. Once that was done he led her over to a far side of the gym and started with showing her how to protect herself from punches. Lauren listened carefully, taking everything in; hanging on his every word. After about forty minutes she began to get bored though, "Are you ever going to show me how to hit something?" she whined, pouting at him.

"I will, LoLo... but there are other things you need to know first." He told her. Lauren rolled her eyes but fell silent again. The tension between them ratcheted up a notch as he moved behind her, talking her through her posture when she was fighting. She had started to zone out slightly until his hands settled on her hips and her body almost tingled at his touch. It was strange because it had never been like this between them before. He nudged her body so she was standing the right way and then he stood close behind her and demonstrated throwing a punch. She lost herself in watching the power and strength in his arm as it flew out in front of her and it took him at least four times repeating the action before she took in what he was showing her. "Your turn..." he said softly.

Lauren stood on the spot, psyching herself up for what he'd asked her to do. She really didn't want to make a fool of herself. Her breath hitched as his thumb stroked the skin between her leggings and vest top... she doubted he was even aware he was doing it but Lauren was VERY aware of him. She lifted her hands, shifting her balance from one foot to another slightly before throwing her arm out, trying to copy him as best she could. She pulled her arm back in and glanced back at him. They both froze, their eyes locked on each other for a few seconds and Lauren longed to kiss him but knew she couldn't. It was too much of a risk and everything was still so new between them, she didn't want to push it... and him... too far. "Was that okay?" she asked him, her voice sounding odd even to her own ears.

"It was good, LoLo..." he told her. He lifted her right arm and held it out in front of them both, his hand almost burning her skin as his fingers brushed down her arm. "Make sure you fully extend your arm..." he breathed, "... and rotate slightly from the waist, move with the punch..."

Lauren bit her lip and fought a battle with the moan that was longing to break free. Who had known boxing could be so erotic? "Shall I try again?" she asked, unable to look at him for fear of spontaneously combusting from the heat between them.

"Sure..." he said. Lauren repeated her earlier movement, hoping she made a better effort this time. "Good," he told her, "Again..." They repeated the same action over and over again as Joey corrected every little flaw he could see. Lauren particularly liked when his hands gripped her hips and he showed her what he meant by moving with the punch. She had worked up quite a sweat after almost an hour and Joey called time on the lesson. "Go and get your things from the changing room, LoLo... and we'll head home now..." he told her as he pulled off her gloves. He unwound the wraps from around her hands and as she walked away started to roll them back up, slipping them inside her gloves once he was done. She came out of the changing room and he saw she was wearing one of his hoodie's. He swallowed quickly, a pulse of desire ebbing through his body as she got closer to him.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body. She was pretty sure she had overdone it at the gym because she ached all over. She went into her room and dried herself, changing into her pyjama shorts and top. She ran a comb through her damp curly hair as she stared at herself in the mirror. She rolled her shoulders, wincing slightly as a jolt of pain ran through her. She tied her hair in a long plait as she thought through the day. She grabbed Joey's hoodie and put it on, wincing again at the sudden movement.

She quickly left her room and stopped outside the door to JoJo's. She knew he had gone in the shower as soon as she'd finished in the bathroom but he'd been in his room for a while now. She knocked on it softly and after a slight pause he called out for her to come in. She poked her head around the door and he smiled at her, "I think I've hurt myself..." she told him softly.

"What have you done?" he asked her quickly.

"My arm is killing me," she said. Their dad called them both down for their dinner at that moment.

"I'll have a look at it after dinner..." he told her, walking towards the door.

"Thanks JoJo..." she said, smiling at him widely.

He opened the door just in time to see her turn around and start to walk down the stairs. He closed his eyes as he saw what she was wearing... or maybe more accurately what little she had on. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried to refrain from watching her ass as she descended the stairs but it was mission impossible because his eyes were locked on their target and refused to budge.

*JL*JL*

Joey had disappeared quickly after dinner and once Lauren had done her nightly chore of the dishes she walked up the stairs. His door was open and she stood, leaning against the frame, "Are you busy, JoJo?" she asked softly.

He looked up and shook his head, "Is your arm still hurting?" he asked. She nodded her head, her left hand clutching her upper right arm. "Come in and I'll have a look at it..." he said. Lauren walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. "Take off the hoodie, LoLo..." he said as he stood up and strode over to her. She did, looking up at him through her eyelashes as she dropped it on the floor. Joey paused for a few seconds as he took her in. "Where does it hurt?" he asked, noticing that his voice was deeper than it normally was.

"All down here..." she told him as she pointed from her shoulder down to her elbow.

He took her arm in his hands and carefully moved it backwards and forwards, seeing the slight wince wash over her face as he moved it. He carefully moved it out to the side, "Does it hurt when you do that?" he asked her.

"A little bit but not as much..." she said.

"And does it hurt anywhere else?" he asked.

"Across the back of my shoulders." She answered.

"Sit on the bed, LoLo..." he instructed her, turning and walking across his room to his dresser. Lauren frowned at him but did as he said, not sure what he was planning on doing. She watched as he grabbed a bottle from the dresser and then strolled over to the bed, climbing on it and moving so he was kneeling behind her. "I think you've just overworked the muscles a little, Lo," he told her, "so I'm going to massage them to ease the pain."

"What's that stuff?" she asked, nodding her head towards what he was holding.

"Just something to soothe the muscles a bit." He said. He moved her plaited hair over her shoulder so it didn't get in the way. Then, after taking a deep breath and psyching himself up for this, he slipped the tiny straps of her top off her shoulders. He heard her breathing falter slightly and he could understand that reaction because he felt much the same way. He tipped a little of the bottle's contents on his fingertips and then rubbed his hands together. He rested his hands on her shoulders and then rubbed his thumbs at the top of her back.

"JoJo..." she moaned, her head dropping forward to reveal more of her back to him.

"Does that feel any better?" he asked after five minutes, where the only noise in the room had been the occasional soft moan from Lauren.

"You should think about insuring those hands, JoJo..." she whispered.

"The next bit might hurt a little, babe..." he told her, "You've got a real knot in your right shoulder and I'm going to have to work it harder to get rid of it."

"I trust you, JoJo..." she told him.

He manipulated her shoulder, easing the knot away as he did so. He could feel his body reacting to touching her like this but he concentrated on what he was doing to her rather than his arousal. That theory lasted until Lauren's hand settled on his thigh, gripping it as she groaned quietly. He moved his hands to the top of her arm and his fingers kneaded it gently, feeling the muscle relax beneath the surface. Her hand was gently stroking his thigh now and was creating havoc within his body. "Babe, you need to stop doing that..." he said softly.

"What?"

"Your hand..."

Lauren looked down and saw where her hand was resting, "Oh, sorry..." she whispered, pulling her hand away from him as if he'd burnt her.

"How's the arm now?" he asked.

She moved it backwards and forwards, "It's much better..."

"Maybe we should skip the lesson tomorrow." He said.

"No, JoJo... please, I want us to have another lesson..." she pleaded. "I want you to teach me..." He could hear the desperation in her voice and again the double meaning of her words affected him more than they should.

"I will teach you, LoLo..." he said carefully. "We're just going to have to take our time..." he told her. She pouted at him and he couldn't resist, swooping in and giving her a kiss. "You're going to get me in so much trouble..." he whispered, not for the first time.

**A/N: So what did you think of the boxing lesson? Pretty erotic, eh? And as for after... it won't be long till they take their relationship further, will it? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter 42.**

Joey opened his eyes. His room was dark and he wondered what it was that had woken him up. He groaned and the heels of his hands rubbed his eyes.

"JoJo..."

"LoLo?" he asked, glancing at the doorway even though he couldn't see her.

"JoJo..." she said again.

He reached for his bedside lamp and switched it on. She was standing in the doorway looking awkward and he could see she was crying. "Babe, what's wrong?" he asked, holding his hand out towards her.

She ran to him, throwing herself into his arms and crying softly against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, his instincts taking over. "I had a bad dream..." she sobbed, "You told me to come to you if it happened again... I'm sorry I woke you, JoJo..." She tried to pull herself out of his arms, "I'll go back to my room now... Sorry again..." she whispered.

"LoLo... stop..." he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it tightly. He pulled her back against him again, his hand brushing her back gently. "Was it the same dream?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head, her face pressed into his neck. "Tell me about it?"

"I can't, JoJo... it's too horrible for words..." She cried.

"Mum once told me that if you talk about something, it makes it not seem as bad as when you kept it to yourself." He told her, "and Uncle Grant always used to say I should tell him things that were bothering me."

"Why do you call him Uncle Grant?" she asked.

"Because he's like an uncle to me, LoLo... you've seen him... if I ever need help he's there for me. When I first moved in here he talked to me... he made me realise that I wasn't the only person who'd been through what I had. His dad was just like Derek but Uncle Grant was luckier because his dad didn't do it to him that much... more to his mum and brother. He understood what I'd been through in a way that no one else ever could. He was there when I needed him after mum's funeral. He took me to see his friend who works at a fire station."

"I didn't know that..."

"It was a couple of days after mum's funeral. He said I deserved a treat after a tough few days." He smiled at the girl in his arms, "I had the best time ever... but the day ended on a sour note..." he admitted.

"What happened?"

"The social worker tried to take me away from mum and dad... and she shook me and scared the crap out of me... it was a bit too close to what Derek had done the night mum died..." he told her.

"In my dream... it's about what you told me... I can see you getting hit by your dad... but your mum doesn't come home and stop him... he kills you, JoJo... then he leaves and I go over to you but it's me when I was a little girl not me as I am now. I'm holding Missybear and Bear in my arms and we're all crying because you won't wake up. I sit and hold your hand, staying with you so you aren't alone... and I don't want to leave you because I'm scared... Then I wake up and for a few seconds I think it was real... and I think you've left..."

"I'm not going anywhere, LoLo..." he whispered, sweeping her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. His fingers brushed the side of her face, "Your dream was a little like what it was like for me when mum died." He told her.

"It was?"

"Yeah. I held her hand too when she was lying at the bottom of the stairs, in a pool of blood. I was scared though because it was dark and Bear was up in my room. I must've sat there with her for hours and then I crept out of the house and ran over to this house because I needed my Uncle Maxy to make everything okay."

"Uncle Maxy?" she said with a smile.

"It was what I called him... actually I think I called him Unca Maxy... mum was Auntie Tan. Derek called your dad Maxy whenever he saw him... and your dad called your mum Tan so they were the names I heard all the time. Then once I was settled in here they became daddy Maxy and mummy Tan... and then it was just mummy and daddy. They saved me, LoLo... they showed what it was to be loved and part of a family... and then you came along and my life changed again. Everything became about you..."

"That must've hurt..." she whispered.

He frowned but then realised what she meant, "No, I don't mean like that... you were all I was interested in." He smiled, "Did I ever tell you about what happened when you first came home from hospital?" he asked her. She shook her head.

*JL*JL*

_Tanya and Lauren had been home from the hospital for a few days and were settling into the house. The whole family had faced an upheaval in the days that had just passed. Max and Tanya were adjusting to having a newborn baby in their lives. Joey was getting used to having a sister and he was also now sleeping in his own room again, rather than in with mummy and daddy. This hadn't gone down very well so far and if it wasn't Lauren waking the elder Branning's, it was Joey. The first night Max went to calm down Joey who had woken from a nightmare with a piercing scream. He had appeared at their bedroom door after a mad sprint from his room and Max had taken him back there, staying with him until he fell asleep. His second nightmare resulted in Max returning to his room and hugging Joey tightly to get him to calm down. In the end Max lay down with Joey, holding him against his chest and waiting for him to fall back asleep, Joey's hand tightly holding onto Bear. Max drifted to sleep at about the same time as Joey did and never returned to his room. This wasn't the last time this happened in the next few months but gradually Joey's nightmares faded and he was able to sleep through the night. And when Lauren began to sleep through the night as well and the family were much more at peace._

_*JL*JL*_

_By the first weekend after Lauren was born the rest of the family were chomping at the bit to meet the newest member of the Branning clan. Jack came over, bringing his dad and Dot with him and they all cooed over their beautiful niece and granddaughter._

_Just so he wasn't left out, Uncle Jack brought a present for Joey (which he thought was pretty fantastic) and he spent most of the time playing with the new garage for his toy cars after he'd opened it. By the time Carol and her children had arrived the house was full and Lauren was beginning to pick up on the hubbub in the house, getting a little restless as the minutes ticked by. She had been passed from one person to another for quite a while but eventually she made it back to her mummy's arms and after a few minutes she had dozed off. Tanya put her in the crib at the edge of the room and a lull fell over the house. Lauren's white teddy bear sat at the top of her crib, keeping a watch over her._

_A little later Tanya was in the kitchen, sorting out some teas and coffees for everyone while Max was dealing with a call from Phil about some missing paperwork. So neither of them was around when Lauren woke up again. She started with a whimper that only Joey heard. He stopped playing with his toy cars and sat up, staring at the crib. Nobody else moved but Joey pulled himself across the floor so he was sitting nearer to the crib._

"_Don't disturb the baby, Joey..." Auntie Carol said quickly. Joey glanced her way but chose to ignore her. "Joey, you'll wake her up..."_

"_She's alweady wake..." Joey said softly, his words backed up by a plaintive cry from the newborn. He turned his attention back to Lauren, "Sshh, LoLo..." he said in a whisper. He was kneeling beside her crib now and he reached into it._

"_I'm going to tell Auntie Tanya what you're doing..." Billy said as he stood a little way away from Joey. "Mummy said not to wake her up and now she's crying..."_

"_I's not done nuffin' wong..." Joey said, glancing at his older cousin before turning back to the crib. Joey reached into the crib and his finger brushed the back of Lauren's hand. Her hand grasped his finger tightly. Joey smiled at her, "Hewwo, LoLo..." he whispered. "You know I din't wake you, don't you?" he said. She let out a little whimper, her face screwing up slightly and her bottom lip quivering. "Hey now, don't ky, LoLo... mummy and daddy aren't too far way, I pomise and I know mummy will be back here vewy soon."_

"_Joey, come away from there," Auntie Carol said again but Joey still ignored her. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the crib. Joey looked up at his aunt and his eyes were tear-filled as he tensed in her arms, many horrible memories coming back in an instant. "I said to move away, Joey. You are such a bad boy at times..." she said sharply, slapping the back of his legs once. Joey squeezed his eyes shut, panic gripping his whole body. Jack and Jim both told Carol to let him go but she chose to ignore them as her hand gripped Joey's arm tightly._

_Lauren seemed to sense the tension in the room and began to cry in earnest. The door opened and Tanya appeared there, "CAROL...!" she said, seeing the abject fear on her son's face. She placed the tray of teas and coffees down quickly and made her way over to Joey and Carol, who was still holding him by the arm. "Let go, Carol..." she said firmly and her sister-in-law did as she asked, realising she had overstepped the mark. Tanya bent down and lifted Joey into her arms, feeling him start to cry against her shoulder. "Shh, darling..." she said to him gently as she walked over to the couch and sat down. She glanced at her daughter and saw she was upset as well, seeming to sense the tension in her brother. Her free hand reached for her, settling softly on her slightly rounded belly and brushing it gently. Her touch didn't soothe her daughter at all but at least Joey was getting calmer now. The room was tense and had been for a good few minutes now. Dot was passing around the cups of tea and coffee Tanya had brought in and Tanya could feel the way Jack and Jim were watching her. Joey was clinging to her tightly and she moved him to the other side of her body, putting her own body as a barrier between him and the rest of the family. His crying had stopped and as she squeezed him against her she realised he was watching Lauren. And Lauren was now beginning to really cry. Tanya picked up her daughter and held her against her chest. Despite her best efforts she wouldn't calm down. She lowered Lauren to her lap and hoped for some divine inspiration._

"_LoLo... shh, now." Joey said, bending down to whisper to her. "Pease stop kying cos I don't like it when you're sad... mummy's here now and she's looking afer us. She'll 'tect us from the bad people..." he whispered and Tanya couldn't help but glance at Carol. Never for a second did she think his words would have an affect but yet again she'd underestimated the bond between Lauren and Joey. Her daughter's crying fell to a whimper and then silenced completely. Joey smiled at his sister and then bent down and kissed Lauren softly. "Clever girl, LoLo..." he told her in a whisper. His hand reached for Lauren's again and the tiny baby wrapped her hand around one of his fingers, gripping it tightly as she stared at his face intently. Tanya couldn't help thinking that Joey was very clever too._

*JL*JL*

"So you see, you were everything... I only wanted to spend time with you." His face blushed slightly, "I fell in love with you the first time I saw you... and I've never stopped..." He glanced at the time, "You should be going back to bed, LoLo..."

"Can I stay here?" she whispered.

"I don't think mum or dad would like that..." he said.

"They don't have to know. We could go for a run in the morning and be gone before they even get up." She looked at him, her eyes reaching into his soul.

As had been evident throughout their lives there was no way he could say no to her, so even though he knew it was wrong, he replied, "Okay, LoLo..."

"Thank you, JoJo..." she whispered. He reached over and turned the lamp back off, plunging the room into darkness. Lauren wriggled closer to him as he lay back down in the bed, resting her head on his chest. Joey took a deep breath as she moved closer, feeling his body start to react and pushing down those feelings, burying them deep inside. "I thought we could make another bet tomorrow..."

He chuckled, "What will the wager be this time?"

"Another ten minutes..." she said, smiling in the dark.

"Already assuming you're going to win then, LoLo?" he said softly.

"Always..." she giggled. She shivered against him.

"Are you cold?" he asked her.

"A bit..."

"Sit up, babe..." he told her gently.

"JoJo?" she asked as she sat up.

He lifted up the duvet, "Come on then..." he said quietly, mentally preparing himself for the rest of the night. Lauren smiled at him and then moved, slipping under the covers and moving as close as she could to him again.

"JoJo?" she whispered after several minute's silence.

"Yeah..."

"Can you kiss me?" she breathed. "Like you did last time..."

He froze slightly. He wanted to say no... he knew he was just making things twice as hard for himself... probably very literally... but this was LoLo and he could never say no to her. He rolled over so he was facing her, her head tilting back so she could look up at his face. The moon was shining into his room and it was offering just enough illumination to make out her features. Moving slowly he lowered his mouth to hers, moaning softly at the moment he felt them. He licked her bottom lip and she opened her mouth, tentatively brushing her tongue against his as he swept it around her mouth. Kissing her was easy and difficult in the same breath. It was the most natural it had been with any girl and yet it was also the most complicated thing he had ever done. He wanted her... he wanted her badly but she was still just a young girl. There was a very large part of him that thought he was taking advantage of her. Add in the fact she was his cousin and that they'd been raised as brother and sister and it just got even worse. Their kiss felt endless and if it was down to Joey it would've continued for an eternity but the need for air dragged them both apart. "Get some sleep, LoLo..."

She kissed his cheek and then rested her head back on his chest, "That wasn't part of my ten minutes, JoJo... just so you know..."

He smiled into the dark room, "When are you planning on redeeming your winnings?" he asked her.

"You're going to have to wait and see..." she whispered.

**A/N: Another flashback and nasty Auntie Cawol makes a return. And they're sleeping together... although it's much more innocent than that sounds (obviously). Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	43. Chapter 43

**Chapter 43.**

Lauren opened her eyes the next morning and smiled as she realised she was lying in JoJo's arms. This was something she could definitely get used to. She looked at the time and saw they had a little while before they would need to leave for their run... so she decided to just enjoy her experience... she wasn't sure when she would get to do this again. They were laying together, her back to his chest and she had never felt as safe as she did now, in his arms. He moaned slightly and his arms tightened around her, pulling her closer to his chest. Lauren's eyes shot open, her eyes widening slightly as she realised what it was she could feel. It was amazing and mortifying all at the same time... and she was pretty sure Joey would definitely be the latter if he woke up now. She tried to pull away from him but he had her captive in his arms. "LoLo..." he moaned softly, pressing himself further against her. Her face flushed red... well, at least she had confirmation that it was her he was thinking about which caused his current predicament.

"JoJo..." she said softly, brushing her hand along his arm. Still no freedom. She tried to push an arm away and after much effort she was free. She clambered away from him, making a dash from the room and into the bathroom to die quietly in peace.

*JL*JL*

Joey opened his eyes and quickly found Lauren wasn't there which disappointed him a little. Then he realised he was aroused and was glad she hadn't been around to witness that because it would've been humiliating. He heard her in the bathroom and, with one ear listening to her moving around the room, he started to stroke his length. He closed his eyes, an image of her face appearing in his thoughts instantly. He'd like to say this was the first time he'd done this... or even the second... or that he'd only been doing it since the status of their relationship altered... but he hadn't. This had been going on for more time than he'd care to admit... since that first morning when he was fifteen and he woke up with an erection. He hadn't known what the hell he was doing... and it certainly wasn't something he was going to ask his dad about so he'd just done what felt right. And everything had been okay until his thoughts strayed to Lauren and then he came all over his hand in a matter of seconds, whispering her name as he did and it was over. There had then been several hours of soul searching and self-loathing to go through after that; times when he could barely look at his 'sister' without his face flaming a very dark red colour... or even more embarrassingly, his body reacting to seeing her; gradually over time though this faded. He would still imagine her when he was relieving himself and more often than not it was thoughts of her that got him in that situation in the first place but he could control himself around her now. Or he had been able to, up until a couple of days ago anyway. Now it seemed he was back to square one. His thoughts drifted to the previous afternoon, at the gym and his hand sped up. Lauren was far too enticing for her own good. He paused slightly as the bathroom door opened and he heard her stop outside his room. She tapped her hand on his door, "I'm just going to get changed into something for our run, JoJo." She said softly.

He took a deep breath, hoping his voice would sound vaguely normal, "'kay... I'll see you downstairs..." he replied. Seconds later he heard her go into her bedroom. Mentally his head was back in the gym, standing behind her as she threw punch after punch with her right arm. Then his thoughts shifted to the previous evening when he'd been massaging her shoulder. How he hadn't pushed her down onto the bed and had his wicked way with her, he had no idea... He imagined her turning to look at him over her shoulder, the slight curve of her breast on view as her body twisted. She had such a look of innocence on her face and there was love in her eyes and her lips were delectable and... he exploded all over his fist, his hand still moving as he eked out every last drop of his peak. He bit his lip to contain the moan that was dying to escape. Now he was in a quandary because he desperately needed to clean himself up but if he left his room, there was a good chance Lauren would think he was ready and would come out of her room at the same time. But he couldn't stay in his room either. Deciding to bite the bullet he dragged himself out of bed, avoiding looking at the state of his boxers (and hand) as he grabbed a towel and ran from his room to the bathroom. He was spared the mortification of seeing Lauren... he was safe. She would never know what he had just done.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was waiting for him by the front door as he walked down the stairs. She glanced up at him and he could've sworn he saw her eyes run up his body, pausing briefly at his groin... but he must've been imagining it. There was no way she knew... right?

"Hi LoLo..." he said, "You ready?" he asked. Her face flushed red and he frowned slightly. She nodded her head and turned quickly to the door, opening it and going down the stairs to the street.

"I left a note in the kitchen for mum and dad..." she called back to him when he paused in the doorway.

Joey walked down to the street and they both started to warm up. "Did you sleep okay last night?" he asked her softly. Again her face burned brightly and she just nodded her head. "Are you okay? Have I done something?" he asked.

"It's fine, JoJo..." she murmured, her eyes lowering to the floor.

He stepped closer to her and lifted her chin, "No, seriously... did I do something wrong?" he asked as he stared into her eyes. He frowned, "You were gone when I woke up... when did you leave?"

"Probably not long before you woke up..." she whispered, "Let's start the run, JoJo... it's nothing, I promise." She pulled herself away from him and turned, starting to jog across the street.

Joey started after her but the last few minutes were on his mind. It wasn't until they reached the park that he stopped jogging and stared after her, his eyes widening and his face paling as he realised what it all meant. SHE KNEW! He felt sick to his stomach and he was sure she did too... He stopped walking altogether, staring after her. How in the hell did he handle this?

"JoJo?" Lauren called to him as she turned to face him, having realised he wasn't running with her anymore. She saw his face and she knew he'd worked it out. She jogged over to him. "You okay?" she asked. He nodded to her and she smiled because this was a complete role reversal of outside the house. "It's fine, JoJo..." she said, looking at his face intently.

"You aren't horrified?" he whispered.

"You were asleep, JoJo... it's not exactly something you were aware of..."

His face flushed, "Did I do anything... say anything?" he whispered, feeling more mortified as the seconds ticked by.

"You murmured my name... and tightened your arms around my waist." He released his breath, not evening realising he'd been holding it. "JoJo... if anything, I'm flattered..." she told him softly, stepping closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek softly, "and a little bit turned on by it, if I'm being honest..." she whispered in his ear. She stepped away from him again, recognising the slightly glazed expression on his face and deciding to take advantage of it. "Now, I think we said we'd do that bet again, didn't we? Now, seems as good a time as any..." she said, turning and starting to run as fast as she could. Just like the previous day Joey wasn't following her. She glanced back and saw he was still stood in the same place. Had she broken him? She continued running, knowing she needed as much of a head start as she could get, because Joey was very quick and would soon catch her up. She wanted to win again because she had a plan...

*JL*JL*

"So are you going to cheat every morning, LoLo?" Joey asked as they walked along the road, on the way to Lauren's school. He had a free period again this morning so he was walking her there before heading into college.

"Maybe..." she said softly, slipping her hand into his, now that they were out of the square. "I don't think you'll mind, JoJo." She whispered, glancing sideways at his face.

"And when are you going to 'use' your winnings?" he asked, his thumb brushing across the back of her hand.

"I won't make you wait too long..." she told him.

"One day I will win, babe..." he told her.

She smirked at him, "I might let you..." she said softly, "There's a little part of me that wants to know what you'd do with your ten minutes..."

Joey stopped walking, deciding he was going to do some of his own teasing. "I can give you a sneak peak now, if you'd like..." he murmured, staring into her eyes. Her eyes widened and she glanced around, relieved to see there was no one around that she knew. She nodded her head and let out a small shriek as Joey dragged her down a small lane beside the corner shop they'd been standing outside of.

"Joey, what are you doing?" she asked him, "I'll be late for school..."

"You said you wanted a sneak peak... We won't be long..." he told her. He looked down the lane and then behind them, making sure no one was around, then he pushed her against the wall at the side of the shop and kissed her. His whole body brushed against hers and he knew she'd be able to feel his length pressing into her stomach. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth and hearing her moan softly. His hands had released hers and he now cupped each side of her face, his thumbs stroking the apple of her cheeks. She was panting for air as he dragged his mouth from hers, staring up at his face with glowing cheeks and shining eyes.

"It's unfair to stop there, JoJo..." she said softly.

"Well, we're going to have to... because you'll be late for school otherwise..." he said, smirking at her. "If you're good, I might just give you another sneak peak tonight..." he breathed in her ear, kissing the skin in front of it softly.

It was Lauren's turn to smile, "JoJo... you should know that I'm always very good..." she said, her hand brushing down the front of his body and skimming past his erection. "but you're right, I should go..." she said, pushing him away from her and starting to move towards the street again.

He grabbed her hand and tugged her back towards him, "You are so much trouble, LoLo..." he said, kissing her quickly on the mouth. "That wasn't nice, was it?" he said, pressing his hips against hers. This was escalating out of control now and they both knew it. She shook her head, smirking at him. "You're supposed to be nice to me..."

"I want to be very nice to you, JoJo... but I know your answer will be no..." she pouted.

His eyes darkened and he kissed her again, the passion between them both increasing. He leant his forehead against hers, breathing quickly, "School, now... Lo..." he said, "before I change my mind..."

"Another boxing lesson tonight?" she said as she put her bag back on her shoulder.

"I can't, I've got to write that thing for Derek's parole hearing. Tomorrow though, I promise." He said, "It'll give your arm and shoulder a chance to rest a bit. How are they anyway?" he asked her.

"Better... could probably do with another massage from you tonight though..."

"We'll see... Now, off you go..." he said, tapping her bottom with his hand.

"JOJO!" she said. He walked with her the rest of the way but they didn't say anything else. There was still this level of anticipation between them and they both definitely had a lot to think about.

*JL*JL*

Joey was in his bedroom finishing the letter to the parole board when Lauren got home. His last classes had been cancelled so he'd got home earlier than he'd originally thought. He knew Lauren would probably want to go to the gym as he was now free but he was serious about her giving her shoulder a chance to rest. He walked downstairs and through to the kitchen, finding her looking in the fridge for something to eat. "Hey, Lo..."

"JoJo... you scared me. I didn't think you'd be home yet." She said, looking at him quickly. She grabbed a couple of cheese triangles out of the tub and closed the fridge again.

"My class was cancelled so I got home a couple of hours ago..."

"So we could go to the gym?" She asked hopefully.

"Let's leave it a day..." he said, "I don't want you to strain your arm too much, babe."

"Okay..." she sighed but she looked disappointed.

"Why don't we go upstairs and talk about a few things..." he said softly.

She looked at his face, seeing that he looked serious. "I'm not going to like this, am I?" she said, biting her lip.

He took hold of her empty hand and pulled her behind him up the stairs and into his room. "Sit down, Lo..." he said as he began to pace backwards and forwards. She sat in the centre of his bed, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. He turned to face her and had to close his eyes, seeing the length of her legs she was revealing to him. "What do you want from this relationship, Lo?" he asked her softly.

"You... I want me and you to be together..." she said, frowning as she looked at him. Had she done something wrong? Did he not like her like that anymore? Had he just been pretending? Had he been lying to her?

"What are you expecting us to do in this relationship?" he asked carefully.

"I just want you to love me, JoJo..." she said in a whisper, "I want you to kiss me... and hold me in your arms... like you did last night. I want us to be boyfriend and girlfriend." She bit her lip, "Don't you want that too?" she asked, a tear falling down her face that she quickly wiped away.

"More than you could even begin to understand, LoLo..." he said gently. He walked over to the bed and she scooted herself up towards the top. He lay face down on the bed and turned his head to look at her. "Lo, you're fifteen years old..." he whispered.

"I know how old I am, JoJo."

"And I'm eighteen..." he said.

"I'm aware of how old you are too..." she said, rolling her eyes.

"This morning..." he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Lauren shifted on the bed, moving so she was lying beside him, facing towards him. "It made me want to do things with you that we can't do, babe." He said as he opened his eyes and looked into hers.

"Why can't we?"

"Because you're fifteen..."

"But I love you..."

"I'd be taking advantage of you..."

"I want you to take advantage of me, JoJo..." she whispered. "I want that with you... I really do." She bit her lip nervously, "I've never felt this way about any other boy... or wanted to do this with anyone else. You're special, JoJo..."

"So are you, LoLo... and that's why nothing can happen until you're older..."

"Nothing?"

"Nothing sexual..." he breathed, hating himself for putting that look of disappointment on her face, "I don't want to force you to do something you're not ready for."

"But..."

"Lo, please..." he begged her softly.

Lauren fell silent, knowing that she couldn't push him too far or he'd call the whole thing off. "Is that why you stopped me last night?" she whispered.

"Yeah..." he sighed.

"And there's nothing I can do to convince you, is there?" she asked him, "You're not going to change your mind?"

"I can't, Lo... however much I want to... it would be wrong..."

She moved quickly, moving off the bed, climbing over him and dashing for his door. He let her go... knowing there was nothing he could say to make this better. She slammed her bedroom door shut and Joey dropped his head to his bed, taking a couple of deep breaths.

**A/N: Did you like the start of the chapter? Poor Joey... he's going to have a hard time of it isn't he? Ha ha... So sensible Joey struck at the end and he's told Lauren they can't do anything sexually. I wonder how Lauren is going to take that... I'm sure you can guess. Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	44. Chapter 44

**Chapter 44.**

There was a whole different kind of tension between the two younger Branning's that evening and Max and Tanya quickly picked up on it. Tanya tried to speak to her daughter before dinner but Lauren refused to reveal what was wrong. During dinner neither of them spoke and their parents watched them in concern. It was unlike the two of them to fight. In fact they were pretty certain this was the first fight they'd ever had.

Joey skulked off up to his room as soon as he left the table and he wasn't surprised when there was a knock on the door a little while later. The door opened and his dad walked in, "Is everything okay between you and Lauren, Joey?" he asked in concern.

"It's fine, dad..." Joey said, hoping he wasn't lying. The thought of losing his LoLo from his life filled him with so much fear. It would kill him.

"Can you help out at the car lot at the weekend?"

"Sure dad... Actually I wanted to ask you if we could maybe get me a small car? I've got money saved and I thought it would be good for me to get a bit of experience."

"Okay... I'll look and see what auctions we've got coming up and then we can go and check it out. Mum and I will help with the car insurance..." Joey went to protest at that but his dad held up his hand, "There's one condition..." he added. Joey nodded. "You fix whatever is wrong between you and Lauren... tonight..." he said. "No going to bed on an argument, Joey... it just starts the next day off badly. And you might find you don't get a chance to put it right if you leave it."

"I will, dad." Joey said. This wasn't the first time his dad had said this to him; he'd said it when Joey had been upset after Missybear's christening (and near drowning) disaster and Joey had made up with his mummy then. He promised that today wouldn't be any different, just this time it was LoLo he had to make up with and he wasn't so sure it would be as easy.

*JL*JL*

"Can we talk?" he said softly, seeing Lauren lying on her bed, curled up in a ball.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait until I'm older?" she said bitterly.

"LoLo..." he sighed. He walked over to her bed and lifted her easily in his arms, sitting down and placing her on his lap.

"Are you sure you aren't taking things too far?" she said, tensing as he lifted her.

"You're my best friend, LoLo... I don't want to fight. I don't want there to be tension between us. I wish I could take back the things I said... that this was all forgotten..."

"Forgotten?" she said, horror written across her face as she looked up at him. She tried to move off his lap, struggling to get away from him... which was doing little for Joey's self control as she wriggled on his lap.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, staring at her face. Neither of them moved... silence hung in the air around them, barely a sound was made until Joey spoke, "Fuck it..." he whispered, his mouth meeting hers in a heated kiss. She wound her arms around his neck, her fingers brushing into his hair. He moved them, rearranging them so they were both now lying on her bed... he was almost half lying on top of her as the kiss they were sharing deepened. She was gasping for breath as he pulled his mouth from hers but he kissed across her cheek and then began to descend down her neck. He sucked on a sensitive spot and Lauren moaned, her hand pressing his face against her, encouraging him to do that again. And he did. He then rested his head against her shoulder, breathing deeply.

"I thought we were waiting till I was older?" she whispered to him.

He turned his head so she could see his eyes. "I changed my mind, LoLo... I can never say no to you, you know that..." he said quietly.

"So what happens now?" she asked, suddenly a little frightened at this huge step forward they'd just taken.

He could see the fear in her eyes, "We take things really slowly... much as I'd like to have sex with you now, I know you aren't ready for that... and that's fine. We take this at a pace you're comfortable with."

"What about mum and dad?" she asked.

"Let's give it a couple of weeks and see how we go... then we can think about telling them about us."

"I love you, JoJo..." she whispered.

"I love you too..." he said, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss.

"Joey..." Lauren whispered after the kiss ended.

"Yeah..."

"Can you move a bit..." she asked him.

He pulled away from her, "Sorry..." he said, moving backwards on the bed to give her some space.

"I didn't mean like that..." she said, her face glowing.

"I don't understand...?" he whispered.

"When you were kissing me earlier, you were lying on top of me... I liked the way it felt... I want you to do it again..." She could swear his eyes got bigger as he stared at her but after a brief pause he moved back towards her, staring into her eyes as he moved so he was lying on top of her again. Lauren went with her instincts and opened her legs so he could lie between them.

"Like this?" he asked softly. She nodded her head, her arms winding around his neck again.

"Kiss me..." she breathed, staring up at his face. Joey lowered his mouth onto hers and really he shouldn't have been surprised when her tongue licked at his bottom lip but he was. She had never made the first move before... well, apart from their first kiss that is. He felt her foot brush the back of his calf and he inhaled sharply, pulling his mouth from hers and staring down at her face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing..." he murmured. He kissed her again, almost savagely this time and Lauren liked it... a lot. He shifted his weight above her a bit but then froze, tearing his mouth from hers and resting his forehead on her shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked again, her arms tightening their hold on him when she felt him try to move away. He was breathing deeply, each ragged breath filling her ear. "JoJo, talk to me..." He lifted his head from her shoulder and looked at her face. It just took one small move of his hips and she knew why he'd stopped. There was no need for words when she could feel his length digging into her stomach, "Oh..." she said softly. "Does it hurt?" she whispered.

"If I don't do anything about it, it can do sometimes." He said, his face darkening in colour.

"Then you'd better do something about it, hadn't you?" she told him, not wanting him to be in pain. He started to pull away from her again, "Where are you going?"

"To do what you said..." he whispered.

"I meant here..." she told him softly.

"I'm not getting myself off while you lie there watching me..."

Lauren giggled, which didn't exactly help the situation, "Well, one day, I think I'd like to see that but what I meant was... couldn't you just do something here that would relieve it?" she said, her face flushing red.

"That's not fair on you though, is it?"

"Why not?"

"What...? It's okay for me to get my rocks off while you get none of the benefits?"

She lifted her hand and brushed the side of his face, "You know I said I wasn't ready for that part of our relationship yet?" she whispered. He nodded. "You were right... I'm not. I have no idea what we're doing here, JoJo and that scares me. If you were to do this now... with me... it'll make it less scary when we eventually go down that path..." she explained. As he had discovered many times before, he was never very good at saying no to her. So he nodded his head, biting his lip when she smiled at him. "Do you need me to do anything?" she whispered.

He moved back towards her, resting his weight on her again so she could feel his erection against her stomach. "Wrap your legs around my waist..." he told her softly. She did as he said and he moved down her body slightly so his length was now pressed against her more intimately.

He kissed her chastely, staring deeply into her eyes. His body had come alive in the last few seconds and there was a rapidly growing part of his brain that wanted to really be making love to the girl beneath him, but his sanity prevailed, knowing she wasn't ready for that. Her legs tightened around his waist and Lauren pressed herself against his length harder. He moaned, his arousal increasing, starting to throb painfully in his boxers. He shifted his upper body weight onto his forearms so they rested either side of her head on the bed. He stopped moving, staring into her eyes and only seeing trust pouring from them. He moved his hips against her tentatively and they both moaned. Her legs pulled him closer to her and he moved again, gradually increasing the pace he was moving at. He was so close and he knew it wouldn't take much to push him over the edge. It was Lauren (as always) that tipped the balance, her fingernails brushing through his hair and then he was pulsing against her, relief flooding his body as he came. It was probably the most powerful orgasm he'd had in his life.

"Wow..." she whispered several minutes later. He had collapsed on top of her after his peak. He'd tried to roll them so he was lying on the bottom but she wouldn't let him move.

'Indeed,' he thought but wasn't quite able to vocalise it.

*JL*JL*

After Joey had insisted on going to clean himself up, they had spent the rest of the evening in Lauren's room. Lauren in lying Joey's arm, sometimes they shared a kiss and they talked about memories of their past. Eventually it got quite late and the pair both went to bed.

**A/N: So Lauren managed to get her way... some things don't change, do they but Joey knew that already. That's not to say they are going to be having sex any time soon... but they might push the boundaries a little bit here and there. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	45. Chapter 45

**Chapter 45.**

Joey was only half awake when he felt her slip into his bed, pressing herself against him. "Lo?" he said softly, his voice breaking slightly as he struggled to wake up.

"Don't leave me, JoJo..." she sobbed, her hands clutching at his T-shirt tightly.

"Same dream?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head. His arms wrapped around her back and he held her tightly against him. "It's okay, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, "I'm right here... and I'm going nowhere. I'm yours... always have been and always will be." She didn't say anything and if it wasn't for the shaking of her body he would've thought she was asleep. "Talk to me, babe..." She shook her head this time. He was struggling to think of a way to help and comfort her when he felt her lips softly kiss the bottom of his jaw. How had she found that spot so quickly? He moaned in the back of his throat so she kissed it again then nipped it softly with her teeth. She kissed down his neck, returning several times to the spot that made him moan whenever her lips caressed it. Her hand slipped under his T-shirt and her fingertips brushed across his stomach, sending his senses into hyper drive. He would seriously question her inexperience if he hadn't grown up with her and he knew she'd never been out with any boy.

"Is this okay, JoJo?" she whispered hesitantly, her lips still brushing across his skin.

"It feels amazing, babe." He told her.

"I want to make you come..." she breathed against his neck.

"Lo..."

"No, JoJo... I don't mean touching you... I don't think I'm ready for that, yet... but I want you to come like you did earlier... I liked it... it made me feel good to know it was me that made you feel that way."

He pulled her away from him and looked into her eyes. He could still see the tears still welling in them. "Okay..." he told her, "but we're going to have to be quiet because if mum and dad find us together like this... then we're dead."

"Okay..." she whispered.

He kissed her softly, loving the trust he could hear in her voice. "Do you want to try something a bit different?" he asked her gently.

"Different how?" she asked.

"Me laying on the bed and you sitting on top of me... you move over me... it's the same as it was earlier except you'll control the speed of the movements and the pressure on me."

"So it really would be me making you come?" she asked.

"It always is, babe... but yes, it would."

"I'd like that..." she whispered.

"Give me a couple of minutes..." he said as he moved to sit up.

"Where are you going?"

"To put my joggers on..." he told her.

"Why?"

"I've only got my boxers on..."

"And...?"

He stopped, "Well it'll get a bit messier than it was last time... if you're okay with me staying like this, I don't mind..."

"I'm okay..." she said, smiling at him. "Messier, how?" she asked with a frown.

"Well, last time I came in my boxers but I had my jeans on so you won't have noticed anything... this time," his voice died away. "It'll be different..." he said, not sure how to put it into words without scaring her.

"Stay as you are, JoJo..." she told him. "So what do I do?" she asked hesitantly.

Joey rolled onto his back and pulled back the covers. Lauren's eyes ran down his body and she saw the bulge inside his boxers. To her virgin eyes it seemed impressive but she was hardly an expert on these things. "You need to sit or lie on top of me, babe..." Joey told her quietly.

"Okay..." she said. She moved quickly, sitting up and then shifting so she was straddling his thighs. She knew she needed to be higher up his body to do this but she wanted a moment first. His hands grazed the sides of her thighs and she closed her eyes, her body tingling from his touch. She took a deep breath and moved forward on her knees, keeping her body off him until she was in position. She stared into his eyes as she slowly sat back down on his lap. It felt different to how she'd imagined, feeling his hard, solid cock pressing against her. It was different to how it had felt earlier that evening too. She took a few seconds to watch his face and she could see the desire in his eyes. He wanted this... he wanted her. His body was already telling her that but his eyes said so much more. She tentatively brushed her body over him and saw him close his eyes, his fingers touching her thighs more firmly. She did it again, slower this time but pressing against him harder. He moaned softly and she smiled. "Shh, JoJo..." she reminded him.

"Need to kiss you..." he whispered, desperation in his voice.

She leant forward and pressed her mouth against his, his tongue sweeping into her mouth enthusiastically. She shifted her hips and the sensation of moving on him had changed again now she was leaning forward. She moved faster, feeling his length harden beneath her as she moved quicker. Her body felt different too... it felt like an electric charge was building inside her, all centred at the one spot where she was touching him. He brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. She had never seen him do that to anyone else. It was something that was only between the two of them. It made her feel special. She rocked on him, watching his face intently. "Is this okay?" she asked him softly.

"LoLo... it's amazing..." he said softly.

"Do you need me to do anything else?" she asked. She looked so confused and Joey took pity on her (and himself). His hands moved up to her hips and he guided her movements, his thumbs brushing under the little vest top she was wearing and stroking the skin at her waist softly. He could feel his orgasm approaching fast and he wasn't sure how she would react when it happened. He pulled her back down towards him, kissing her passionately.

"Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?" he asked her softly.

"JoJo..." she said, rolling her eyes. He would say that, wouldn't he?

"I mean it, babe..."

She stared at him and sighed, "I know you do..." she reluctantly admitted. She stopped her movements on him and smiled at him, "Are you ready, JoJo?" she whispered.

"For anything..." he whispered back. She smiled and moved again, pressing against him firmly as she rocked quickly on him. Their eyes were locked on each other and then his length throbbed beneath her and Lauren watched his face as he came. She smiled at him as he calmed. He hugged her tightly, kissing her shoulder tenderly. "I love you, LoLo..." he whispered to her. "I wish I could do the same for you..." he told her gently.

"I know, JoJo..." she breathed. "What I just did was enough... for now anyway." Joey pulled the duvet over them both, their bodies entwined as they began to drift off to sleep.

*JL*JL*

They woke late the next morning, Joey was in the same predicament as he had been the previous morning and while he was a little reluctant, Lauren wouldn't leave his room until he'd taken care of the situation. He wouldn't let her watch what he was actually doing but she was lying next to him while he did it. Then she started to kiss his neck and it was the undoing of him. He came over his hand for the third morning running and he'd have been embarrassed if it wasn't for the fact that Lauren was kissing him all over his face. Her hand brushed down his body and covered his, which was still inside his boxers, feeling the dampness in the front of the material from where he'd come twice in them. She squeezed it slightly, smiling at him. "I guess our run is out this morning..." she whispered.

"Yeah, we're a bit late this morning. You should be going as well... before mum and dad get up and find you in here."

"I know..." she snuggled up against him though, "I like being here though."

"And I like you being here but they will go mental if they see you..."

"I thought you said you didn't think they would mind about us being together?"

"I don't think they will... but there's a difference between them finding out about it when we decide to tell them and them finding us in bed together." He explained.

"You're right..." she sighed. She pulled herself out of the bed and walked over to his door. He couldn't help staring at her bum as she walked away. She turned back to him as she reached the door and smirked when she saw where he was looking. "See you at breakfast, JoJo..." She whispered before slipping out of the room, fortunately unseen by their parents.

**A/N: See how Lauren always gets what she wants from her JoJo... I wonder how long they can keep this a secret... and how do you think Max and Tanya will react when they find out? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	46. Chapter 46

**Chapter 46.**

Six months later things at the Branning house were still pretty much the same. There had been a few changes however. As a result of the letter Joey had sent to the parole board, Derek had been refused parole and was still in prison and it seemed he would be for quite a while yet. Joey had been very quiet after hearing this and the family had let him have some time on his own to absorb it all. He had kept himself apart from his family for several days, simply unable to open up to any of them. Lauren had slipped into his room each night during those days and he had held her tightly in his arms as they lay in his bed. She hadn't pushed him to do anything; she just wanted to give him some comfort and she had; she may not have realised just how much. Around day four of his solitude he sat the family down and told them what he was struggling with. He felt guilty... he felt bad for being responsible for Derek still being in prison; that his own fear of what would happen when he got released had made him be a coward. Lauren had clutched Joey's hand in both hers, squeezing it tightly as she sat beside him. Both his parents had moved to comfort him and had reassured him that he had nothing to feel guilty about. It had all helped somewhat but he was plagued with doubt still.

*JL*JL*

That doubt had remained until he had spoken to his Granddad about it; a person he knew would always tell him the truth... he wouldn't sugarcoat it. Then his Granddad said something that had stuck with him ever since. Joey still thought of it every day.

*JL*JL*

_He was sitting on the couch with his Granddad while Lauren was in the kitchen with Grandma Dot. "Talk to me, son..." Granddad said._

"_I feel like I've let you all down," Joey whispered._

"_Why would you feel like that, Joey?" he asked, "Do you have any idea how proud of you we all are...? How proud I am...? Your mum and dad too?" Joey shook his head, unable to look at his Granddad. "Tell me why you feel like you've let us down?" Jim asked his grandson, putting his arm around him and pulling him closer._

"_I think I might've been wrong, doing what I did..." he whispered._

"_Wrong about what, Joey?"_

"_Derek and his parole..." Joey admitted._

"_How were you wrong?"_

"_I should've given him a chance... I let my own fear get to me. He might not be the same person he was then... it's been fifteen years, he could be a different person now..." He turned his head to look at his Granddad, "I'm just like him, Granddad and that scares me..."_

_Jim stared at him for a couple of minutes, staring at the face of his young grandson. "You are nothing like Derek, Joey." He told him, "Yes, there are similarities between the two of you... You look like him... but you also look like me when I was your age... You look like a Branning. You have the same determination as Derek did as a young boy... but that's not a bad thing, Joey. It makes you strive to get what you want." He took a deep breath and made sure Joey was still looking at him, "But you aren't the same as him, Joey... Staying with Max and Tanya and growing up with your sister has changed you, not massively because in many ways you're still the same sweet little boy that turned up on their doorstep all those years ago but there is a kindness and a gentleness that Derek never had. Do you know what the biggest difference between you and Derek is though?" Jim asked him. Joey shook his head. "You feel guilt about your actions and that is something he never did. I watched him give evidence at the trial, son and he never showed any indication of remorse for what he had done to you or your mum. I was ashamed of Derek; ashamed of him being my son and I felt like I must be to blame, that I must've done something wrong when he was a child... but I've come to the conclusion since then that he's just a bad person. There is only one good thing that Derek has ever done... and that was give us you. And that is the only reason I'm glad he is my son."_

"_Thanks Granddad..." Joey whispered, hugging the older man tightly._

"_I love you, Joey..." Jim said softly, "You're my little soldier... you keep fighting for everything you want..."_

*JL*JL*

It had been easier for Joey after that discussion with his Granddad. Of course, he still had moments of doubt but usually at those times LoLo would be there. She seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to him; she would know when he needed her to hug him, kiss him or just be there for him. Their relationship had gone from strength to strength, although it was still a secret from everyone. They had thought many times about telling their parents but it had never seemed like the right time and both of them were a little reluctant to risk what they had.

Joey's life had changed a little in the September. Earlier in the year he had looked into doing a fire fighter training course, based in Southwark. His mum had been unsure about him doing the course when he first applied but his dad had spoken to her and then Joey had too, wanting her to be okay with him doing this. He'd reminded her how he'd wanted to do this since he was a small boy. He wanted to help people, he'd told her. She'd told him she was worried that he'd get hurt as a result of doing his job and she wasn't sure she could cope if that was to happen. He understood why she was so hesitant and there was a little part of him that was pleased she was so concerned about him but he told her he wouldn't be going into a fire alone and he'd be working as a part of a team. If he got the proper training, the chances of anything happening to him were small. Then he said he wouldn't apply if she really wasn't happy with him doing it because he didn't want to make her worry. She had looked at him for a long time and then said she backed his application and told him she was proud of him for wanting to do this... but if he got injured, she'd kill him herself. So he'd sent off his application form and a few weeks later he'd been accepted on the course. It began in the autumn and because he was at his training from 8.30am to 4.30pm, five days a week, this had impacted slightly on the amount of time he was able to spend with Lauren.

Because of the time Joey was on his course it meant the couple were only able to jog together two times a week, usually at the weekend (or really early in the morning during the week), their routine route still culminating in their usual race. They were also continuing Lauren's boxing lessons too and she was really progressing with it. Lauren still cheated whenever she could on their runs and seven months since they'd starting dating, she now had more than three hours 'banked'. Joey kept asking her when she was going to cash the time in but she would just smile and tell him he would know when.

Unlike Lauren, Joey didn't ever save the time he won, choosing instead to use the minutes to give her a new experience or to spend some quality time with her. Some of the things they did were new experiences for him too... having only had a small amount of relationship experience more than she did. Keeping their relationship hidden from their parents was becoming harder and harder though... especially when she crept into his room most nights. He knew he should make her stop but try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He liked sleeping with her in his arms. He liked waking up in the morning and finding her lying next to him. It made him happy and it made him fall a little bit more in love with her every day.

**A/N: So a little filler chapter to move the story on... but I do really like the flashback between Joey and his granddad. So what do you think is going to happen next? For information, they began dating in May. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	47. Chapter 47

**Chapter 47.**

Joey and Lauren's relationship was still in the fledgling stages despite the many months they'd been together. They kissed... a lot. Lauren had helped Joey come more times than he was comfortable with... he felt guilty because he wasn't able to return the favour to her. She still had bad dreams occasionally and she always came to him for comfort when she did. She'd sometimes tell him what they were about and they usually were because of him... which led to more guilt for him. He had grown even more protective of her a couple of months earlier when he made a startling discovery. One that cost him a friendship but strengthened his relationship with Lauren.

*JL*JL*

_Joey stood hidden in the alleyway, listening to the conversation between two people and not quite believing what he was hearing. He leant his head back against the wall behind him, closing his eyes as he heard the words from his friend to his sister/girlfriend. How could he have missed that this was happening? Why did LoLo never tell him? The voices grew closer and he listened intently._

"_You think you're so much better than everyone else, don't you..." Stacey sneered to Lauren._

"_What is your problem with me, Stacey? I've never done anything to you..."_

"_You've always thought you were better than me... even the first day I met you, you were looking down your nose at me." Joey opened his eyes and turned his head towards the front of the alleyway when he heard Lauren yelp. "I've just been keeping you in line, Lauren..." Stacey continued, "Making sure you knew who was important and who's the best person for Joey."_

"_And you think that's you?" Lauren whispered. Joey could hear the emotion in her voice and he wondered what Stacey was doing to her._

"_I know it's me, Lauren..." Joey heard footsteps and he moved further down the alleyway, around the corner, peeking back into it and seeing Stacey shove his LoLo back against a wall. Joey scowled as he saw Lauren wince when her head hit the brick behind it. His fists clenched when he saw Stacey put her hand on Lauren's neck, squeezing it tightly. "I'm who Joey should be with... it should be me that he wants to spend his time with... I'm his best friend..."_

"_And I'm family..." Lauren gasped._

"_You think that's important to Joey?" Stacey said, "Joey has no family... his parents abandoned him, just like mine did me..."_

"_What about your brother?" Lauren whispered._

"_Sean... Sean is only interested in his new family with Roxy... he doesn't want me hanging around. I have no one... apart from Joey."_

_Joey took a step back into the alleyway, needing to intervene before Stacey did something even worse, "No you don't, Stace..." he said, his voice hard as he looked at his friend... or former friend. "Let go of Lauren..." he growled._

"_I'm just telling her how it is, Joey..." Stacey said, not realising how close to the edge she was currently standing._

"_And how do you think it is, Stace?" he growled again._

"_I love you and you love me, Joey..." she said, turning her head and smiling at him, completely disregarding the angry expression on his face. "I know we're destined to be together, Joey... I've known it ever since the first day I saw you."_

"_You are so wrong it's almost funny, Stacey." He said, his voice hardening with each word. He glanced at Lauren and saw her wince as Stacey tightened her hold on her. "I could never feel that way about you... and the fact you think I would choose you over my family makes me wonder if you're completely right in the head or if you even know me. Now I think I asked you to let go of Lauren..." He stepped closer to them and Lauren's eyes met his, just for a fraction of a second but he hoped she knew how much she meant to him. "I said, let her go..." he spat each word at her as he got closer to the two girls._

_Stacey looked at him, "I love you, Joey... and I know you love me too..."_

"_I don't, Stacey. I never have... and I never will. My heart lies elsewhere."_

"_No it doesn't..." she gasped, fear on her face as she finally absorbed his words._

"_It does, Stace. I will never love you... You are... were... a friend..."_

"_Were?" She said, a tear rolling down her face._

"_Family always comes first for me..." he told her, grabbing the wrist of her hand that was still around LoLo's neck, "You don't want to get on the wrong side of me, Stacey..." he told her, "I promise you, you won't like me when I'm angry..."_

"_Stacey, what are you doing?" It was her brother, Sean and he stood in the entrance of the alleyway. He glanced at Joey, "I'm sorry, Joey..." he said, reaching for his sister and pulling her away from the Branning's. _

"_Keep her away from me and Lauren..." Joey growled as he pulled LoLo into his arms. She collapsed against him, gasping for breath as he stood staring at the Slater siblings._

"_That won't be a problem," Sean said. "We're leaving Walford..." he added softly. _

"_You are?" Joey asked._

"_We are?" Stacey cried out, this was obviously news to her as well._

"_Yeah, Roxy wants to go to Ibiza... a new start, away from the Square, her sister owns a bar out there..." he said, staring at Joey. "My sister won't be a bother to you anymore, I promise... We'll be gone by the end of the year." He turned, dragging his sister behind him. Joey and Lauren could hear her crying out for Sean to let her go. Joey pushed Lauren behind him, walking to the front of the alleyway and peering around the corner. He saw Sean pick up Stacey and put her over his shoulder, heading back towards their house, Stacey kicking and screaming for him to put her down._

_Joey turned back to Lauren, moving back deeper into the alleyway, "Are you okay?" he asked her softly. She nodded her head. "Has she always been like that with you?" he asked her._

"_Yes..." Lauren whispered._

"_Why didn't you tell me, LoLo?" he breathed, pulling her against his chest._

"_I wasn't sure you would believe me, JoJo..." she whispered. "She was your friend... and I thought maybe she was what you really wanted..."_

"_Even after we got together?" he whispered, pressing his mouth softly against hers. "She is nothing to me... in comparison to you... LoLo, even if we weren't together, I would always choose you..." he told her softly._

"_You would...?" she whispered, looking up at his face._

"_Always..." he told her as he brushed his mouth against hers, deepening the kiss after several seconds._

_Lauren moaned into his mouth as his tongue brushed against hers. He was pressing her once more against the wall but this time it was much nicer than it had been with Stacey. She could feel the strength in his body and she could feel his hard length pressed between their bodies. His mouth moved from hers, dragging down her neck and kissing her passionately. Lauren wanted him so badly but she knew that wasn't going to happen... not yet._

**A/N: Oh dear, Stacey really didn't know what she was stepping into then, did she? I wonder if she'll try to get her revenge before she leaves the square...? While I'm here... thanks to my guest reviewers - who I can't come back to about their reviews. They're all very much appreciated. Keep them coming! Let me know what you think so far. Back tomorrow...**


	48. Chapter 48

**Chapter 48.**

Joey and Lauren's relationship significantly changed on the day of his nineteenth birthday. It was a day of revelations for him and not all of them were good. It had started the same way most other days started, with Lauren lying in his arms. He opened his eyes and found her lying beside him, watching him as he slept.

"Happy Birthday, JoJo..." she whispered, moving forward and kissing him softly. She moved so she was straddling him and rested her hands on his chest. She smiled at him tenderly, "Do you want your present now...?" she asked, shifting on his (as was pretty much always the case these days) hard length. Joey moaned and closed his eyes. Lauren had got a lot more confident in what she was doing in the intervening months. "Actually I think we should wait until later, JoJo..." she said quickly before he could reply, moving away from him again and starting to climb out of the bed. She had got pretty good at teasing him too.

"LoLo..." he groaned, reaching for her, meaning to drag her back towards him but she managed to wriggle free from him; her hips swaying as she sauntered over to the door.

"Later, JoJo..." she said quietly, "After our boxing lesson..." she said, smiling at him over her shoulder. "I'm going to go and get ready for school." She whispered. Before she opened the door she ran back over to the bed and threw herself at him, kissing him passionately. "I love you, JoJo."

"Love you too, babe." He whispered, lifting his head and chasing her lips for another kiss as she pulled away from him.

"You'd better go for your run, JoJo..." she said softly, "Work off some of that excess energy you seem to have..." she giggled, her hand brushing over the duvet but pausing briefly on his erection.

"Very funny, LoLo..." Joey sighed, slumping back on the mattress.

"I'll make up for it later, JoJo..." Lauren whispered in his ear, surprising him. She was gone before he could say anything in response.

*JL*JL*

Joey got home from his course earlier than normal, his last class being cancelled due to a meeting being held that the teacher had to attend. He'd stopped on the way home and had brought some things he needed that he didn't like asking his mum to get for him. He went through the door and saw a small pile of post on the doormat. He rifled through it and saw one particular envelope that he pulled out. There was no postmark on the envelope and his name and address on the front was typewritten but Joey knew who it was from. He walked up to his room, holding the envelope and after a brief pause at his desk he sat on his bed. He wasn't sure how long he sat there for but it was probably a long time because the next thing he was aware of was the front door opening and closing again. He sighed and pushed the envelope into the cardboard box on his lap. He stood up and walked towards his desk.

"What's that?"

Her voice made him jump but it really shouldn't have. The box dropped out of his hand but he caught it before it could fall on the floor. "It's nothing, Lo..." he said. He pushed the box back into the bottom drawer of his desk and slammed it shut. "Someone said something about a boxing lesson?" he said, turning to her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

She frowned at him but then nodded her head, "I'll go and get changed and meet you downstairs." Her smile grew and she ran over to him, kissing his cheek tenderly before turning and running out of his room. He watched her leave then started to get his self ready for the gym.

*JL*JL*

Lauren's boxing lessons had continued as regularly as their morning runs did. Joey usually timetabled them through the week as he got home relatively early and they could have the lesson and be home again in time for their parents to get home from work. By having the boxing lessons during the week and the running at the weekend it reduced the risk of Lauren straining herself like she'd done those first couple of days. He'd taught her a lot of things now and she'd picked it up well. He no longer had as much need to worry about whether she could defend herself from an attack. Lauren had a pretty mean right hook and her follow up punch from the left was just as potent. She was his star pupil... and it had nothing to do with the fact she was the girl he loved.

Joey and Lauren made their way over to the gym together, their hands brushing as they walked side by side. As happened every session, Joey strapped Lauren's hands and wrists, then sliding her gloves on each hand. "I thought we'd try something a little different today, Lo..." Joey murmured as he was doing that today.

"Where is everyone?" she asked glancing around the gym. It was unusually empty.

He shrugged, his eyes locked on her, "No idea..." He moved around behind her, his hands placed on the tops of her arms, "As we're alone we can use the ring for a change." He said, pushing her in that direction.

"In the ring?" she said, glancing up at his face in surprise.

"Yeah, babe..." Lauren watched as he turned around and pulled out some more of the strapping and starting to wind it around his left hand.

"What are you doing, Joey?" she asked curiously.

He smirked as he looked up at her and she bit her lip because he looked so sexy. He always did but with the dimmed lights in the gym and the twinkle in his eyes, it was ridiculous how much she wanted him. He was still wrapping his hand and then he slid it into one of his gloves. Just before he put his right glove on, his hand reached into his shorts pocket and he pulled out two gum shields. "You should put this in, LoLo..." he whispered, holding one of them in front of her mouth. She silently opened her mouth and he slipped the guard into her mouth. He leant forward and kissed her softly, smiling against her mouth. "Come on, babe..."

"Youanteeooighoo?" she said around the mouth guard.

He smirked at her again, "Yes, I want you to fight me..." She stared at him, her eyes wide. "You're ready for this Lauren..." he said softly, trying to reassure her.

"Ionantoouroo..." she said.

"I didn't catch any of that..." he said. He held his hand, palm up in front of her face, "Spit it out..." he said. She wrinkled her nose in disdain but knew she needed to if she wanted to actually be able to communicate with him.

"I said I don't want to hurt you..." she repeated, her words much clearer this time.

"Don't worry about it, babe..." Joey said softly, "You'd have to get close enough to do any damage..." he teased her.

"Are you saying I couldn't do it?" she asked rising to the bait, just like he'd hoped she would.

He placed the guard at her lips again and she reluctantly opened her mouth, his fingers pushing the shield back into place. He put his own mouth guard in his mouth and then put on his other glove. He ushered her in silence to the side of the ring, lifting one of the ropes with his shoulder so she could slip underneath. His eyes may have dropped to her bum as she moved into the ring and they lingered there as he followed behind her, his eyes perfectly level with her pert little bottom as he slid between the ropes around the ring. Her eyes were shining brightly as he stood up and she knew exactly what he'd just been doing. They moved into the centre of the ring and he smiled at her, seeing the slight amount of fear on her face. This was good, he wanted her to be scared. He didn't want her to be over-confident and assume she was going to win. She was good... but she was no match for him. And that wasn't him being cocky about it... he was bigger than her and possessed more brute force than she did; he was taller than her and he was quick too.

Joey lifted his hands, defending his face, just like he's taught her to do and she took that as her cue to do the same. He nodded to her and Lauren took a deep breath. Using every bit of knowledge she possessed, all her months of training with Joey came flooding to mind and she threw her first punch. It was quickly deflected by Joey but she relaxed slightly when he nodded his head. She threw another punch with her right arm, closely following it with one from her left. The second one took him by surprise and it slipped past his gloves and caught him on the jaw.

Joey looked at her, shaking his head, slightly stunned by what she'd just done. He looked at her and she seemed just as surprised as he was. "Orry..." she mumbled through the gum shield, her face turning pink as she felt both embarrassed but delighted. He lifted his hands again and the bout restarted. They practically danced around each other, Joey watched her more carefully this time, not going to make the same mistake again. Her next punch was signposted this time and Joey deflected it away easily.

*JL*JL*

Their sparring continued for a while longer, Lauren throwing punches at him intermittently. Some of them were easy for him to defend and some weren't quite so simple and they hit their mark. Eventually he pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly against his chest. They were both sweating, neither had held back from what they'd been doing. Joey was so proud of her. He pushed her away from him again and lifted his gloved right hand, caressing the side of her face tenderly. She smiled at him and nodded her head. They stepped away from each other again and lifted their gloves.

Joey took a deep breath, not sure he could do this... and he knew she would hate it if he held back but the thought of hitting her was now beyond him. He should've thought this through more when he came up with the idea. He had thought this would be easy; this was the whole point of him teaching her so she could learn how to defend herself; protect herself from someone hurting her. So she could be strong and stand up for herself... in a way that his mum had been unable to. He lowered his hands and stepped away from her. Lauren frowned, watching as he turned around and leant against the padded corner. He felt her hand touch his back, the glove brushing up and down his back.

He took some careful deep breaths, his body starting to shake as the adrenaline faded. He heard her move closer to him, "JoJo, talk to me..." she whispered. He shook his head, his forehead resting against the padding. There was two soft thuds on the floor and he saw her pink gloves laying near his feet. Her hand brushed his back, gradually climbing higher. She pulled him against her and he went willingly. He always would. "I'm sorry, JoJo... it's okay, I understand..." she whispered in his ear. Her words surprised him because he wasn't sure he understood it himself. He pulled away from her, not able to look at her. He lifted one glove to his mouth and spat out the mouth guard, dropping it on the floor of the ring. The glove lifted back to his mouth and he tried to undo it using his teeth, growling when he failed. "Hey..." Lauren said softly, reaching for his hand and slowly undoing the glove, pulling it from his hand. She repeated her actions on his other glove and then started to unwind the strapping from around each fist. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close, her still strapped hands brushing into his hair. He sagged heavily against her and they both dropped to their knees. His body began to shake against hers and she could just make out three words as he whispered them over and over. 'I'm not Derek...' he murmured into her shoulder, again and again. "I know, JoJo..." she told him gently. She held him for a long time, gradually feeling the shaking in his body lessen. "Let's go home..." she whispered to him.

He nodded his head and pulled away from her, "Thanks..." he whispered.

"You don't need to thank me, JoJo... I should've realised and thought about it..."

He chuckled ruefully, "So should I..." He got to his feet and held his hands out to her, helping her to her feet. "Thank you for looking after me, LoLo..." he said quietly, lowering his lips to hers and kissing her softly.

"What else would I do?" she breathed against his mouth. "I love you..." she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Let's go home..."

"We should clear up..." he said, bending down to pick up their gloves and the strapping from his hands. He lifted her hands and removed the strapping from them, then lifting each one to his mouth and kissing her knuckles. "I love you too..." he told her.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren walked back into the house and Joey headed straight upstairs. Max and Tanya walked out of the kitchen, Tanya carrying a cake with some lit candles on top of it just as Joey was disappearing up to his room. They both frowned when they heard Joey's bedroom door close softly. Tanya blew out the candles and they looked at Lauren. "What happened?" Max asked.

"We were sparring at the gym... Joey's idea... and it didn't go quite as planned." She said softly.

"How come?" Tanya asked but Lauren could see the understanding on her dad's face.

"It was fine while I was hitting him... then it was his turn to hit me..." Lauren looked at the floor, "We should've thought about it..." she whispered.

"He couldn't do it, could he?" Max said. Lauren shook her head.

"He froze... he couldn't hit me..." She admitted. "I'll go and see if he's going to come down."

"We've got presents..." Tanya said softly.

"He'll love them, mum. I promise..." she said, reaching for her mum's arm. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She whispered, turning and running up the stairs.

**A/N: So Joey's planned lesson went a little awry. That alone proves how unlike Derek he is. Do you think Lauren will be able to make him feel better... and how do you think she'll achieve that? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	49. Chapter 49

**Chapter 49.**

Lauren knocked on the door to his room and pushed the door open, without waiting for a response. She knew she was unlikely to get one. Joey was lying on his bed, his back to her. "JoJo..." she said softly as she climbed onto the bed, her hand brushing his back.

"Don't, babe..."

"Mum and dad are worried about you... I'm worried about you..."

"I'm fine... I'm an idiot but I'm fine..."

"Look at me..." she whispered. He rolled over to face her and she could see the anguish on his face. "Tell me what you're thinking?" she asked him.

"That you're going to think I'm stupid and I'm not worth the bother." He said.

"Why would I think that?" she asked him softly.

"I've got issues..." he told her, "I've got so much baggage I need a whole bloody carousel to put it on." He added and she couldn't help but giggle at the humour in his words. It wasn't a funny situation but she wanted him to try to see the funny side. He looked at her sternly but it gradually faded to a smile.

"And dad says I'm a drama queen?" she giggled. "Come on, mum wants you to open your presents, JoJo..." She stood up, tugging on his hand.

"When do I get yours?" he asked as she pulled him over the bed.

"Part one... the parent friendly present... is downstairs... Part two... tonight..."

Joey stood up and he hugged Lauren. She tugged on his hand again and dragged him to the door and down the stairs. Their mum was just lighting the candles on his cake once more as they walked into the dining room and lounge. A rousing chorus of Happy Birthday was sung and Joey blew the candles out, hugging his mum and thanking her for baking the cake. She passed him the knife and he cut into it, giving each of them a slice of cake. They sat down and started to eat it. Both parents could see Joey was still quiet but neither said anything about it to him. Lauren was watching him closely too and when their parents cleared away the cake and plates and went to get his gifts, Lauren reached over and squeezed his leg. "I'm okay, babe..." he whispered but they both knew it was a lie.

Their parents returned with a small pile of gifts and cards. "It doesn't look much, I know..." Max said as they sat down. Lauren sprang up and dashed to the sofa, reaching over the far side and picking up a small gift bag that was hidden beside it. She sat back at the table and put the bag on the table with his other presents.

Joey looked at his parents, "I'm sure whatever you've got me is amazing..." he reassured them. He started with the cards first. The ones from Uncle Jack, Uncle Grant and Auntie Carol all contained money which Joey was surprised about. It was quite a bit of money in total.

"They thought you could use it to go on holiday with your friends in the summer..." Tanya said softly.

Joey smiled at her, "That would be pretty cool. I'll have to speak to the guys next week." He said, glancing at Lauren and seeing the look of horror on her face. He knew she'd hate the idea... and not seeing her would definitely be a downside to the holiday but it would be good to go away with his friends before real life started. He picked up the next card from the pile and opened it, finding it was from his Grandma and Granddad. The next card was from mum and dad and then the last one was from Lauren. He hoped he managed to hide the wince as he saw the word 'brother' on the front of it.

"Open your gifts now, Joey." His mum said once he had done all his cards. He could tell she was excited about him doing this.

He picked up a flat gift from his parents and slid open the paper. Inside was a folder with a gift certificate for a day at a racing track where he would get to drive a sports car. "Wow, this is fantastic..."

"We thought you could book it when the weather is a bit better." His mum told him.

"I will do, mum... Thank you so much... it'll be great," he said. "Maybe you could come with me, dad." He said, looking at him, knowing his dad would like and appreciate the day as much as he would. He smiled and nodded his head. There were two gifts left and he picked the one that wasn't from Lauren as his next to open. Even though it was the parent friendly gift, it was from LoLo... therefore it was special so he wanted to save it till last. The gift he was now opening was from Grandma and Granddad and he had no idea what they had got him. He tore off the paper and inside was a box. He opened it and stared at its contents. A watch... and it was a really nice watch.

"What is it?" Lauren asked.

"A watch..." he said softly. He was still looking at, loving it. It was exactly the kind of watch he would've chosen and it looked expensive – not that he was into getting things just because they were flashy but he knew this make cost a lot of money. He loved his grandparents a great deal and was overwhelmed by the gift they had got him. He promised himself he would go and say thank you to them both the next day. That left just one gift and he pulled it over towards him, glancing at Lauren and seeing her smiling at him shyly. He opened the gift bag, pulling out the tissue paper and laughed loudly, glancing at his girlfriend, whose face was now glowing bright red. She had remembered... So many memories came flooding back to him in that moment.

*JL*JL*

"_Mummy...?" Lauren murmured as they walked back into the house._

"_Yes, darling," Tanya said as she removed her daughter's coat and hung it on the hook. She then bent down and undid and removed the shoes off her feet as well._

"_Why do gown-ups get mawwied?" Lauren asked softly._

_Tanya stared at her three year old daughter and brushed her hair back from her face, adjusting the slide in the little girl's hair so it didn't hang in her face all the time. "Well, baby... grown-ups get married when they really love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together."_

"_She sure looked pitty, mummy," Lauren said._

_Lauren was talking about Kathy who had just married Grant's brother, Phil, "She did, didn't she?" Tanya agreed. "Shall we go and take your nice outfit off and change you into something you can play in?"_

"_Yes, pease..." Lauren held her arms up in the air and Tanya lifted her up. She carried the girl upstairs and into her room, "Where did daddy and JoJo go?" she asked her mummy softly._

"_Daddy had to go over to the car lot to do some work and Joey went with him..."_

"_I wanna pay with JoJo..." Lauren whispered, her bottom lip jutting out in a pout._

"_He'll be home later, sweetheart. He's spending time with daddy this afternoon." Tanya explained as she removed the dress Lauren was wearing. Lauren looked at her as she stood in her vest and knickers and she looked so heartbroken. Tanya knew Joey and Lauren were close to each other and sometimes she worried that her daughter would have no other friends other than Joey. "Why don't you play on your own?" she said as she pulled some clothes out for Lauren to dress in._

"_But I wanna pay with JoJo, mummy..." Lauren sulked, crossing her arms and frowning._

"_He'll be home later... Him and daddy are going to go and collect a car that daddy brought at an auction..." Tanya explained._

"_Fine..." Lauren huffed as Tanya pulled a jumper over her head and helped Lauren put her arms in the sleeves._

"_Now, I'm going to go downstairs and start sorting out dinner for this evening. Are you okay to play up here?" Tanya asked._

"_I'll pay with Missybear..." Lauren said, turning and pulling her friend off the bed, hugging her tightly against her chest._

"_Good girl..." Tanya smiled at her as she left her alone in her room._

_Lauren sat on the floor, Missybear on her lap, "What do we do now then, Missy?" she asked her little bear. The room was quiet for several minutes as Lauren (and Missy) pondered her question. "Good finking, Missy..." Lauren said after a while, "Stay here and I'll go get him." She placed Missy on the floor and then crept out of her room and along the landing, pausing briefly before pushing open the door to Joey's room. It wasn't often she went into Joey's room. They usually played in her room with her toys or downstairs in the lounge. This was the first time she'd been in his room without him being here. Once she was in his room she looked around, smiling as she saw his trucks scattered on the floor. Joey was messy and mummy and daddy were always telling him off for not tidying away his toys. She scampered over to his bed, feeling naughty for being in his room and grabbed what she'd come in here for. Without a second look she ran back out of his room, the door slamming shut behind her. She smiled at Missy as she sat back on the floor in her room, "We'll come up with somefing for us to do now..." she said sagely as she put Bear next to Missy. The three of them sat there for some time contemplating what they could do._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya was in the kitchen and she could hear Lauren moving around upstairs. She heard Lauren go into Joey's room and briefly wondered what she was doing in there. They all knew it was something Joey hated when anyone invaded his space. It was the one thing Joey was fiercely protective of and Lauren knew that._

_She sighed. She didn't want there to be any arguments this evening. Today had been a nice day and she didn't want it to end on a sour note. She turned back to the dinner and put the pie she'd just finished making in the oven._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya walked up to her daughter's room an hour later, she hadn't heard anything from Lauren for quite a while now which had a tendency to mean she was up to mischief. She pushed open the door to Lauren's room, peering around the door. Lauren had her back to her but Tanya could see she was playing with Bear and Missybear. "What are you doing, sweetheart?" Tanya asked._

_Lauren turned her head and looked at her mummy, "I'm making a wedding, mummy..." she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world for her to be doing._

"_You are?" Tanya said, "Who's getting married, baby?" she asked._

"_Bear and Missybear..." Lauren stated. She had lifted her hands and Tanya stared at the two bears she was waving in her direction. Tanya smiled as she saw her daughter's ingenuity at work. Missybear had one of Max's hankie's on her head as a veil, secured in place with what looked like one of the bangles Max had given her for their wedding anniversary. Bear had a tie around his neck that Tanya suspected was Joey's... the one he'd worn to the funeral and trial when he was a little older than Lauren._

"_Does Joey know that Bear is marrying Missybear, baby?" she asked. Lauren shook her head, frowning slightly. "Don't you think you should've asked, darling? He might not be happy about you deciding that his Bear is marrying Missybear..."_

"_But they love eachuva...?" she said, her frown deepening as she got confused by what her mummy was saying. They were only doing what mummy had said earlier. They wanted to spend the rest of their lives together because they were in love._

"_I'm sure they do, sweetheart, but Bear is Joey's... you need to ask his permission..." Tanya explained._

"_His mission?" she whispered._

"_You need to make sure he agrees to Bear getting married..." she told her._

"_Well, they haven't done it yet... Can we ask him now?"_

"_We could..." Tanya conceded, "Maybe you should invite Joey to the wedding?" _

"_Do you fink he'd want to come?" Lauren asked._

"_I'm sure he would, as long as he's okay with the wedding going ahead." She held out her hand, "Let's go and ask him, sweetheart." Lauren stood and shoved the two bears under her arm, her other hand taking mummy's. They walked downstairs together and Tanya picked up the phone. She dialled Max's mobile, smiling at her daughter as she looked up at her, a worried expression on her face. "Hi darling..." she said as Max answered the phone._

"_What's wrong, babe?"_

"_I have a little girl here who'd like to ask Joey a quick question..." Tanya said._

"_Okay..." he replied but Tanya could hear the confusion in his voice._

"_What time will you be home?"_

"_We're just going to the station to get the tube so we can collect the car. We shouldn't be more than an hour." He stopped Joey in the street and moved them over to the war memorial, getting him to sit down. "I'll just pass the phone to Joey..."_

_Tanya smiled at Lauren, "Daddy's just giving the phone to Joey now, darling." There was a rustling sound on the other end of the line._

"_Mummy?" Joey said._

"_Hello darling, are you having a nice time with daddy?"_

"_Yes mummy, we're about to go on the train."_

"_Well, that sounds like a lot of fun. You make sure you hold daddy's hand on there because it'll be busy today."_

"_I will, mummy." Joey paused a little and Tanya could hear her husband talking in the background. "Daddy says LoLo wanted to ask me somefing?" Joey said._

"_I'll just pass her the phone so she can ask you herself..." Tanya said, crouching before her daughter and holding the phone to Lauren's ear. "Ask him, darling..." she whispered softly._

"_Hi JoJo..." Lauren said, biting her lip and taking a deep breath, "JoJo... can I have your mission for Bear and Missy to get mawwied?" she asked him in a rush._

"_What?" Joey asked, not understanding all of what she'd said._

"_Bear and Missy want to get mawwied, JoJo... is that okay?"_

"_Umm, okay..." he said hesitantly._

"_Mummy said I should vite you to the wedding. Do you wanna come?" Lauren said, a little more confident now that JoJo had said yes._

"_Okay..." he said, again a little unsure._

"_Cool..." Lauren said, turning and running away into the lounge. She had plans to make._

_Tanya lifted the phone back to her ear, "Are you still there, Joey?" she asked._

"_Yes, mummy. What was she asking?"_

"_She said that Bear and Missybear are getting married... she wanted to know if that was okay with you and if you wanted to be at the wedding, darling." She gave him a moment to absorb what she'd said, "Are you still okay with it?"_

"_They're getting married?" he asked and Max looked at him in surprise._

"_She said they're in love with each other."_

_Joey smiled at his daddy, "Okay, mummy. I'll be there for the wedding later."_

"_See you soon, sweetheart. Have a nice time with daddy."_

"_I will, mummy. Bye." He said before passing the phone back to his daddy._

"_Should I be worried?" Max asked his wife._

"_Just Lauren sorting out a romantic engagement between furry friends." Tanya said with a smile._

_Max chuckled, understanding slightly more now. "I'll see you later, babe."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya sat on the sofa and watched Lauren as she made preparations for the wedding. Lauren stopped and sat still, clearly thinking about something. "What's wrong, sweetheart?"_

"_I'm missing some fings, mummy."_

"_What don't you have?" Tanya asked._

"_Missy needs some fowers like what Auntie Kaffy had..." Lauren said, "And they need wings to wear." She added, "And JoJo and I need to frow fetti..."_

"_Well I have an idea about the flowers, Lauren." Tanya said, "and I can probably help with the confetti."_

"_What about the wings?" Lauren whispered, "They can't get mawwied without wings." She had a worried expression on her face and Tanya could see tears threatening._

"_Why don't the two of us go and sort out the other two things and I'll have a think about the rings."_

"_Okay..."_

_Just a few minutes later the female Branning's left the house again. Tanya led Lauren over to the centre of the square and the two of them picked some flowers from the edges of the garden. Tanya held the small bunch in her hand and then led Lauren towards the market. She walked over to the flower stall and smiled at Tracey. "Can we have a little bit of string for these flowers, Tracey?" Tanya asked, "Lauren is having a wedding this evening and we've got some flowers for the bride."_

"_Wow, two weddings in one day, Lauren. That sounds like a tiring day..."_

"_Yeah." Lauren said but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. She was excited that her Missybear and JoJo's Bear were getting married... then they would be together forever._

_Tracey took the flowers from Tanya and put a little bit of twine around the stems. She also added a couple of Gerbera flowers to the bunch, giving it a final flourish of colour. She then tied some coloured ribbon around the flowers. She passed it back to Tanya with a smile and turned back to her stall, picking two more Gerbera's and cutting off a majority of the stalks. "For the groom and his best man..." she explained as she passed them to Tanya._

"_Say thank you to Tracey, Lauren." she said._

"_Fank you, Tacey..." Lauren said, clapping her hands together as she gazed at the flowers her mummy was holding. "They're weally pitty... Missy is going to love them so much." She added enthusiastically._

"_Okay then, sweetheart, we need to get the confetti now. I'm sure they have some in the shop, we can get some for you and Joey to throw later."_

"_Okay, mummy."_

_Tanya and Lauren walked into the shop and Tanya quickly found the confetti on the shelf. As she was about to leave she saw something else and an idea came to her. She picked up a few things from the shelves and walked to the till. "Just these please, Kat." Tanya said._

"_They're pretty flowers... are they yours, Lauren?" Kat asked as she sorted out the things Tanya was buying._

"_No, they're for Missy. She's getting mawwied later to JoJo's Bear." Kat looked at Tanya and laughed softly. She put the items into a bag and Tanya handed her the money. Lauren waved at the woman behind the counter as her and her mummy left the shop again, "Just the wings to sort out now, mummy." Lauren said as they walked back up the street._

"_I think I know what to do for that, darling, don't worry."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Max and Joey walked back up to the house after Max parked the car they'd collected at the car lot. Tanya was waiting for them in the hallway as Max opened the door. "Hello, darlings." She said. She stepped forward and pinned a flower to Joey's jacket that he was still wearing from the wedding earlier. She smiled because he looked like a mini version of his daddy, totally adorable. "Would you like to join the groom in the lounge, Joey?" Tanya said, "Lauren is with the bride at the moment, doing the finishing touches." Joey walked into the lounge, soon heard by his parents talking quietly to Bear._

"_What's going on, babe?" Max asked his wife._

"_Just go with it, darling." Tanya advised him, "It's just Lauren playing..." Max kissed her cheek softly, smiling at her as he heard the explanation from his wife, "By the way, you're officiating at the service." Tanya added._

"_Me? What do I know about weddings? I've only done it once."_

"_Max, please... for Lauren." She said softly, her eyes looking into his and making his heart melt. It was very clear where his daughter got that particular skill from._

"_Why can't you do it?" He asked, giving one last attempt to try and get out of it._

"_Because I've got to finish getting everything ready for the reception, I've got the wedding cake to sort out and I've been finalising the other details for the last hour or so. I've done my share already, it's your turn. Lauren wants you to be involved too."_

"_Okay... can I go and get changed first?" he asked, admitting defeat._

"_No... Lauren wants you to look smart for the photos... which I will be taking..." She told him with a smirk._

"_Daddy!" Lauren cried from in the lounge._

"_I think you're needed..." Tanya said, her smirk increasing in size. Max rolled his eyes but walked into the lounge with a smile on his face._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey stood in front of his daddy with Bear in his arms, a flower pinned to both of them (fixed to Bear's tie rather than his body). Joey looked a little nervous and he kept glancing behind him._

_Tanya turned on the stereo and 'My Heart Will Go On' started (which was Lauren's current favourite song). Joey (and Bear) looked back and saw Lauren (and Missybear) walking towards them. Lauren was wearing a pretty pink party dress and Joey and Max could see that Missybear was dressed in white, complete with veil and tiara. Both were holding the small bunch of flowers tightly. Lauren came to a stop beside Joey and flashed him a quick (but nervous) smile._

_A few minutes later Bear and Missybear had given each other rings (a small plastic ring each from Christmas crackers threaded onto some coloured string around their necks), swore their vows to each other and shared a kiss. Tanya ushered the four of them into various group shots and took photos, smiling as she saw Joey hold Lauren's hand and squeeze it tightly. Then it was time for the confetti which Lauren enthusiastically threw all over the happy couple (and Joey who was holding them). The pained expression on her daddy's face as he saw the mess was another picture which Tanya happily took._

"_Time for the couple to cut the cake I think..." Tanya proclaimed and she dashed into the kitchen, returning moments later with a cake she had asked Jack to go and get from the shop as a surprise for Lauren. Tanya had added some decoration to the top, writing 'To the happy couple, Mr and Mrs Bear' on the top in red icing. Lauren clapped her hands when she saw it and she told her mummy that Missybear was crying because it was so lovely. "I think it might be safer if the best man and chief bridesmaid cut the cake rather than the bride and groom." She said. She passed the knife to Joey and he and Lauren carefully sliced into the cake with applause from mummy and daddy._

_The family sat down and ate a slice of cake each, Joey and Lauren sharing their cake with the bride and groom. Max and Tanya went to go and clear up after the wedding (Max was the poor person responsible for hoovering up the confetti that seemed to have got into every nook and cranny possible). Joey looked at his sister, "That was a really nice idea, LoLo..." he told her softly._

"_Fank you, JoJo. I's glad you liked it. Missy is vewy happy with her choice of hubband." She told him, squeezing her veil wearing bear against her tummy._

"_Bear likes her very much too..." Joey said. He leant over and kissed Lauren on the cheek softly, causing her to blush but smile at him as well._

*JL*JL*

Joey smiled because one of the photos from the wedding was what had been pinned to the inside of his locker at college and he now had it in his wallet. No one would understand apart from Lauren why that photo meant so much to him... to them both really. In the last few months the photo had become even more significant for them.

Lauren (and his mum) had certainly surprised him that day but he'd got his own back on Lauren just a few months later. He smiled as he thought back to that day.

*JL*JL*

_On the morning of Christmas day when Lauren was three and Joey was seven, Joey got out of bed early. He rooted under his bed and found what he was looking for. A small present that he had purchased with his pocket money and some assistance from Uncle Grant. He looked at the small gift and thought back to several months earlier... this gift had come from a comment made by his daddy after the wedding of Bear and Missybear. Joey was pretty sure his daddy had meant it as a joke but it had stuck with Joey every day since then and he hoped LoLo appreciated the thought behind it._

_*JL*JL*_

_There was a soft tap at his bedroom door and Joey climbed back into bed, knowing who it was that was at his door. He pushed the gift under his pillow and then turned to face the door, "Come in, LoLo..." he said, just loud enough for her to hear. _

_The door opened and Lauren poked her head around it, smiling broadly at Joey as she saw him sitting up in bed, "Mewwy Kissmas, JoJo..." she whispered. "Can I come in?" she asked._

_Joey reached for the bedside light next to his bed and he switched it on, nodding his head at his sister. She scampered over to him and climbed onto the bed. Joey pulled the duvet over her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "Merry Christmas, LoLo." He whispered. "I've got you a present..." he admitted._

"_You haf?" she said, smiling up at her big brother. Suddenly she frowned, "I din't get you somefing... does that make me bad?" she whispered, "Will Santa take way my pesents?"_

"_No!" he said quickly, his voice louder than he wanted it to be. "It's just a little present, LoLo." He told her. "Actually it's really a gift for Missybear... from Bear..." he said softly. He turned and pulled the present out from under his pillow. He passed it to her and she looked at it excitedly, "Open it then, LoLo..." he whispered._

_She made rapid work of tearing away the paper and she gasped as she saw what was inside. "A teddy bear!"_

"_A baby teddy bear." Joey clarified, "I thought it was time Missybear and Bear had a baby together."_

"_Is it a girl or a boy?"_

"_You decide, LoLo..."_

"_I fink it's a boy. It looks like a boy..." Lauren whispered as she stared at the small bear in her hand. She glanced up at her brother, "You picks a name, JoJo..."_

"_How about BoBo?" he suggested._

"_BoBo..." she whispered, turning back to the bear. "That's a weally nice name, JoJo... BoBo, it is..." She leant against him, cuddling BoBo to her chest. She turned her head and kissed Joey on the neck, "Fank you for my pesent, JoJo..." she whispered._

"_You're welcome, LoLo..." he murmured._

"_Missy, look what JoJo and Bear got you..." she whispered to her bear. "They got you a baby boy to look afer and JoJo and I finked his name should be BoBo..." She placed BoBo in Missy's arms and Joey placed Bear with them, the two of them watching the small furry family bond with each other._

_*JL*JL*_

_On the morning of LoLo's fourth birthday, Joey was excited about today. His mummy had been his chief conspirator this time and he carried the present for his sister downstairs with him, sitting at the kitchen table and smiling at her. "Happy birthday, LoLo..." he said as he pushed the present across the table to her._

"_Is that for me?" she asked._

"_Is it someone else's birthday?" Joey asked. She shook her head, her curls dancing around her face. "Then it must be for you, LoLo..." he told her._

_She grinned at him and pulled the present over towards her. This time she was slower to unwrap the present than she'd been when he gave her her present at Christmas and Joey carefully watched her face, wondering how she would react. "It's anuva bear..." she exclaimed, pulling it out of the wrapping paper and staring at it wide eyed. "Anuva baby for Missy and Bear? Weally?" She slipped down off her chair and ran round to where JoJo sat, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. "We've got another baby, JoJo!" She squealed in his ear._

"_We certainly have, LoLo..." he murmured, his face heating as he saw his parents watching them both. "It's your turn to choose a name this time, LoLo... as it's your birthday."_

"_Mmm... okay..." she said. She pulled away from him and looked at him pensively. She chewed on her finger and bit one of her nails. "Any ideas, mummy?" she asked._

"_Is it a girl or a boy, darling?" Tanya asked._

_Lauren glanced at JoJo and then smiled and said, "It's a girl!" she proclaimed._

"_A sister for BoBo..." Tanya murmured._

"_Do you want another name starting with B?" Max asked, smiling as he saw the concentration on his daughter's face._

"_What do you fink, JoJo?"_

"_Yeah, why not..." he said._

"_B...b...b..." Lauren whispered. She looked up at her brother, "BeeBee..." she murmured. She lifted the small bear in her hand, her fur was a lovely honey colour and she had chocolaty brown eyes. "Hello BeeBee Bear..." She cuddled BeeBee tightly and then looked at her brother again, "I fink we should stop now, JoJo... no more babies..." She told him, her eyes wide and innocent. She missed the slight choking sound of her daddy as his coffee went down the wrong way; she missed the soft smile from her mummy as she watched the two children interact with each other. She didn't miss the slight look of disappointment on her brother's face though. "What's wrong, JoJo...?" she whispered._

"_I was thinking maybe one more?" he told her softly, his face pinking slightly._

"_Mmm... we'll haf to talk about it, JoJo," Lauren answered seriously._

*JL*JL*

Joey looked at Lauren as he pulled the small black bear out of the gift bag. She had a smirk on her face, "Well you did say we should have one more..." she said with a giggle.

"You're right, I did." He replied, smiling at her. He leant forward and kissed her cheek softly. He was touched that after all this time she'd remembered something he'd said when she was four.

"It's your turn to choose a name too..." She told him with a giggle, "Remember it's got to start with a B though..." she added.

"I'll have a think about it and get back to you..." he said.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart..." Tanya said, coming around to where he sat and kissing him lovingly. "Do you have any plans for this evening?" she asked, "Your dad and I are going to the Vic to meet Uncle Jack, if you and Lauren would like to come with us?" she asked.

"I've got some homework to do, mum..." Lauren said quickly, staring at Joey's face.

"You should've done that before you went to the gym, Lauren..." her mum scolded.

"I think I'd like a quiet night too, mum. I'm going out with Tyler and Fats on Friday but maybe we can all go out one evening at the weekend..." Joey suggested.

"Okay..." Tanya said.

Max pulled a £20 note from his wallet and passed it to them, "Get yourselves something to eat," he told them.

"Thanks dad." Joey said. Max came round and hugged his son, proud of the boy who'd come so far from the toddler he was when they'd first taken him in.

"We'll see you later," Max said and within a couple of minutes they had left the house, heading towards the pub.

As soon as the front door slammed shut Joey reached for Lauren's hand and pulled her over to him, lifting her onto his lap. He kissed her softly but it soon deepened. "Thank you, babe..." he whispered to her.

"Let's take this upstairs," Lauren gasped as Joey kissed down her neck. Joey shook his head. "Don't you want your other present?" she asked him in a whisper. Her words made him pause and then he stood, lifting her in his arms and while still kissing her neck he walked them out of the room and up the stairs. "JoJo, I need to go into my room..." she whispered once they got to the landing when it looked like he was going to take her into his room. He lowered her feet to the floor and kissed her passionately, pressing her into the wall behind her. Both of them were breathing heavily when he eventually ended the kiss. "Go in your room, JoJo..." she whispered, her eyes slightly glazed as she watched him walk into his room. She could hear him moving around, pulling the curtains shut and turning on his bedside lamp. Taking a deep breath she went into her room.

**A/N: So did you like the flashbacks in this chapter? I think it was flashback overload but they all seemed to flow with each other and I couldn't resist. I can just picture baby JoJo and LoLo in my head in these. Any ideas what Lauren's got planned for his non-parent friendly present? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	50. Chapter 50

**Please note - new cover today! Including the new family members...  
**

**Chapter 50.**

"Shut your eyes, JoJo..." Lauren said softly, as she stood outside his door.

Joey frowned but did as she said. "Okay..." he said and he heard the door open. He heard her moving around the room and was so tempted to peek and see what she was doing but actually the thrill of her trying so hard to surprise him was almost more enticing. "Can I look yet?" he asked.

"No... not until I say so, JoJo..." she said, her voice closer than he thought it would be. Joey felt the bed shift and then there was silence. She finally broke the silence, "You can open your eyes now, JoJo..." she whispered. Joey did as she said and found her lying beside him. She had taken her hair down, so it hung loosely around her face. She was wearing his hoodie again... it seemed to have permanently moved into her wardrobe but Joey didn't have the heart to ask for it back. He liked her wearing his clothes. "Hi..." she whispered, her face reddening slightly.

"Hi..." he said. He frowned when he couldn't see any present in her hands. "I thought you said you had another gift for me...?" he asked her gently.

"I do..." she said, her blush deepening. "I can unwrap it for you, if you'd like... unless you want to?" she whispered.

"Unwrap what, LoLo?" he asked, still pretty much in the dark.

She sat up slowly and he watched her face. He was so intently watching her face it took him some time to realise she was slowly lowering the zip at the front of her hoodie. It was about the forty second mark that he realised there was a lot of naked flesh beneath that top. Usually she had her pyjamas on beneath it but the top was so big on her it would hide everything when it was zipped up but today... there was nothing beneath and his mouth ran dry. "Happy birthday, JoJo..." she whispered when he didn't say anything. He stared at her, struck dumb as he stared at her chest. If he thought her bum was great... her boobs were a billion times better. Lauren watched him intently. She was a little concerned that she'd pushed him too far and she thought she'd just made a huge mistake. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, moving to do the top back up but his hand grabbed her wrist, not tightly but with enough force to stop her moving.

"Why?" he whispered, his voice cracking.

"I'm redeeming some of my banked time..." she said, suddenly feeling really stupid. She thought he would like it but she should've known he wouldn't want to do this. She was 'too young'. She felt like crying but refused to as that would just prove his point about why this was wrong.

"I meant why are you sorry?" he clarified.

"Because this was a mistake... I shouldn't have done this. I'll go and get dressed," she whispered, turning on the bed and moving to leave the room.

"Why do you think this is a mistake?" he asked her, "If you've changed your mind and you aren't ready, then that's fine... I'm not going to force you to do something you aren't ready for..."

"I am ready, JoJo," she said and she could hear the desperation in her voice. She had been ready a long time ago but there was always the doubt that Joey would push her away. She thought today would be different; that he wouldn't do that... but he was.

"Then this isn't a mistake, babe..." he said softly and for a few seconds his words didn't sink in. Lauren turned her head to look at him as she realised what he'd said.

"It's not...?" she whispered, watching his face intently. He shook his head, his face now heating up and Lauren relaxed slightly. He tugged on her hand and she moved back towards him.

"Can I finish unwrapping my gift?" he whispered in her ear once she was sitting back beside him. He then kissed the skin in front of it tenderly. She nodded her head and he kissed the same place again. He kissed down her neck and then his hoodie was being pushed off her shoulder as his lips danced over the surface. He pulled away from her, his breath shallow as he stared into her eyes. He moved towards her again and kissed her mouth, his hand lifting and brushing back some of her hair, tucking it behind her ear. His mouth moved across her face and then descended down the other side of her neck, gently grazing the surface of her collarbone as he nudged the remainder of the hoodie out of his way. Lauren held her breath as he pulled away from her, still staring into her eyes. Her breath faltered slightly as she watched his eyes slowly drift downwards. She felt vulnerable as she sat practically naked in front of him and she wished she knew what he was thinking. She knew it was silly to feel that way... this was JoJo... he would never do anything to intentionally hurt her. He loved her; she had no doubt about that but this was a whole different ball game to anything they had done before and she was really worried she wouldn't measure up to his expectations. "Can I...?" he said softly, drawing her attention back to him. Lauren looked at him and saw his hand, hovering in the space between them.

"You're allowed to touch your present, JoJo..." she whispered, biting her lip as his fingers moved closer. She gasped as he touched her, brushing the side of a breast with his thumb. He looked at her, panicking that she'd changed her mind.

"How much...?" he asked and Lauren frowned because she didn't understand. "How much time are you cashing in?" he said.

"One hour..." she whispered, "Unless you think you'll need longer..." she said.

"One hour sounds perfect..." he said simply, "As perfect as you..." he told her. "Can I hug you?" he asked.

"You never have to ask me that, JoJo..." Lauren said, smiling at him. He held open his arms and she almost launched herself at him, moving across the bed on her knees. She barely reacted as his eyes ran over the rest of her body. His comment about her had eased all her worries. She knew this wasn't a mistake.

Joey pushed himself upright and dragged her over to him, impatient of waiting for her to be in his arms. His hands ran down her back, unknowingly setting the whole of her body alight as he touched her. "Babe... this is the best birthday present I've ever received..." he told her softly.

"It may just be the best present I've ever given..." she admitted, shutting her eyes as his hands brushed over her back again. Lauren rested her head on his shoulder, watching his face as his eyes ran down her body. Her own eyes lowered and she could see the affect him seeing her was having on a certain part of his anatomy. It still took her breath away to know he reacted to her like that. She was looking forward to the day when she would know what it was like to make love to him; for that piece of him to be inside her. At the moment that was still a slightly scary thought.

"So what do you want to do with the time you're using...?" he asked her.

"It's your birthday, JoJo," she said.

"I don't want to do something you don't want me to do..." he breathed into her hair as he pressed his lips onto it.

She took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for what she wanted him to do; how she'd imagined tonight would go... and she had spent a lot of time imagining it. "I want you to touch me..." she whispered.

He lifted her chin, looking into her eyes and Lauren couldn't help but notice how dark his eyes were. "Where...?" he whispered.

"Everywhere..." she murmured. His hand came up and caressed her cheek and she pressed her face into his palm, closing her eyes briefly, not able to take the intensity of his gaze in that moment.

"With my hands?" he asked and Lauren's eyes popped open, looking at him in surprise. She had expected him to refuse.

"Yes..." she gasped, "and with your mouth," she added hesitantly, her face flushing bright red.

"Anything else?" he asked her, smiling at her tenderly. She nodded, momentarily losing the ability to speak. "Go on..." he encouraged her.

Lauren took a deep breath, "I want you to hold me in your arms. I want to touch your body the same way you're touching me. I want to lie in your arms and feel the heat of your skin warming me," she whispered quickly, her words coming out in a rush before she bottled out of it.

He smiled at her, leaning forward and placing his lips on hers in a tender kiss. "Is that everything?" he asked. She shook her head, her face flushing and she couldn't meet his eyes. "It's okay... whatever it is, baby... just ask me..." he breathed in her ear.

Lauren clung to him. There was one more thing she wanted but she knew he would say no... and it might end the whole evening in an argument which was the last thing she wanted. "It doesn't matter, JoJo..." she whispered. "Everything else is more than I could've hoped for..."

He moved them so they were lying on his bed, with him on top of her. "Trust me, LoLo..." he told her softly.

"I do, JoJo... more than anything," she said, tears flooding her eyes. He stared at her, giving her time to sort through everything in her head. After what felt like an hour but was probably just minutes, "I want you to make me come..." she whispered, fear etched on her face as she expected his rejection of her request.

"I don't know, LoLo," he said honestly and her face fell, a tear running down her cheek. "I'm not saying no... but I want you to tell me why you want this. I need you to convince me that you're ready for me to do this because it's a lot further than anything else you've asked for tonight. I don't want us to do this because you think it's what I want us to do. It has to be because you want it," His thumb brushed away her tear and he kissed her lips softly.

"I want to know what it feels like..." she replied, "When we're together, I know how much you desire me because it's clear to see." She whispered, her hips pressing up against his hard length to emphasise her point, "but I'm not sure you know how much you affect me. My birthday present to you is that I want to show you how much I love you... and I want you to know that it's you... and only you who affects me like that." Joey stared at her silently and Lauren held her breath, hoping he would agree to what she wanted. "Say something..." she whispered after several minute's silence.

"I love you, LoLo..." he said.

"Is that a yes?" she asked.

"It's a yes." He whispered, "I'll do everything you've asked me to..." he told her, "but it's going to take more than an hour..." he added with a smile, "and you can have it freely..." He pushed himself back onto his knees and stared down at her as she lay before him. His eyes ran down her body, pausing briefly on her breasts, "So fucking perfect..." he murmured, more to himself than her, although his words made her smile. He moved and before she knew what he was doing he was pulling his T-shirt over his head. She gasped as her eyes quickly dropped down from his face. All those hours in the gym were certainly worth it. He was perfection... and he was hers. She licked her lips and vaguely heard him chuckle. "See something you like then, LoLo?" he teased her. She nodded, her eyes fixed on his washboard stomach. It was better than she could've ever imagined. He moved towards her again, leaning on his arms so he hovered above her, "Do you know how much I love you right now?" he asked her softly. She shook her head. He lowered his body onto hers and she felt the evidence of his words pressed against her.

"That much?" she asked, lifting her eyes from his chest to meet his.

"So much more..." he whispered. He brought his upper body down to meet hers and they both sighed as their skin touched. Joey kissed her gently, taking his time to worship her mouth and make her realise how much she meant to him. He could feel her boobs pressed against his chest and he wanted to touch them properly with his hands. His fingers had only grazed the side of one earlier and he wanted more now. He eased himself off her body, moving so he was lying to one side of her. She looked at him in concern but he smiled at her. His hand grasped hers as it lay on the other side of her body and he squeezed it gently, interlocking their fingers briefly. He let go of her hand, tracing a finger slowly up her arm until he reached her shoulder. He paused there, his eyes drifting to his next target. Desire pulsed through his body as he moved his hand down so he could cup one of her gorgeous boobs. Lauren sighed softly at his touch and he worried that she didn't like it but one glance at her face removed that thought from his head. He brushed his thumb over her peak and she pressed her chest into his hand.

"JoJo..." she whimpered.

"Do you like that?" he asked her softly.

She nodded her head, "Your hand is so warm..." she murmured, biting her lip as his thumb repeated its previous motion.

He smiled as she writhed on the bed and he knew she was enjoying this. He lowered his mouth to her neck and kissed her gently, "Do you want more?" he asked, his question slightly muffled by her skin.

"Yes..." she sighed. He kissed across her shoulder, much like he had done earlier and then slowly he moved lower, eventually taking the peak of the boob he wasn't holding into his mouth. She moaned as he swirled his tongue around her nipple and his hand moved, brushing the underside of her breast. Lauren's hand moved to the back of his head and she was holding him in place which only confirmed for him how much she liked what he was doing. He sucked on her nipple as hard as he could and he heard the slight gasp from the girl beneath him. Then he lifted his mouth and blew a steady stream of air over her peak, feeling her back arch off the bed. He moved across her chest, moving his other hand to the one he'd just left. He started all over again, teasing her gently with his mouth and hand. By the time he was done, Lauren was a gooey mess on the bed, a small smile on her face as she stared at Joey. "Wow..." she said.

"That was everything, right?" he said, knowing it wasn't.

"No, JoJo..." she said.

He smiled at her, "Let's get into bed for the next bit, babe..." he whispered to her. He sat up and Lauren followed him, slipping beneath the duvet.

"You haven't changed your mind then?" she asked as he moved behind her, his arm slipping around her waist and pulling her back towards him.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" he breathed in her ear.

"I haven't, I promise."

"Me neither," he told her softly. His hand brushed her stomach and she felt her belly flip-flop in response. He then ran his fingertips from her hip to her thigh, "Knickers on or off?" he asked her quietly.

Lauren didn't know. "Which is easier?" she asked.

"Off... but on isn't that difficult if you'd prefer that."

She was going to answer with what she thought she should say but she changed her mind at the last second. "On..." she whispered.

"Okay, babe..." he breathed into her neck. "If you change your mind and want me to stop, you just need to tell me, LoLo. I won't be angry or get upset... I promise." He kissed the base of her neck softly as his fingertips ran back up her thigh and teased the elastic waistband, testing to see how she would react. She was tense and he knew that she was scared and unsure of herself. He pressed himself against her bum, knowing she would be able to feel his hard length. "Can you feel how turned on I am, babe?" he asked.

"Yes, JoJo..." she whispered.

"It's all because of you, LoLo... every single part of me desires you and wants you." He breathed in her ear and felt her shiver in his arms. "Still okay?" he asked and she nodded her head, her breathing slowing as he dipped one fingertip beneath the elastic.

"Is it okay that I'm scared, JoJo?" she whispered.

"Of course it is, babe. This is new for you and I'd be worried if you weren't a little scared to be honest." He told her, "Do you want me to stop?"

"NO!" she said quickly and Joey chuckled into her shoulder.

"Okay..." he reassured her. His hand ran back down to her thigh, stroking her skin, "Bend your leg, LoLo, so your foot is flat on the mattress..." he told her. She did as he asked and he kissed her neck, "Good girl..." Again his hand brushed along the top of her knickers but this time she was more relaxed. Deciding now was as good a time as any, he slipped his hand into her knickers, inhaling sharply as the enormity of what he was about to do struck him. His other arm wrapped around her waist and he brushed his fingers up her stomach and cupped a breast, feeling Lauren press herself against his hand and cock as he touched her. His fingertips slipped lower and he heard her gasp as he got closer. He held his breath as he ran his forefinger over her clit, feeling her body spasm at his touch. She was so responsive to him and he could feel his ego puffing up with pride. He pushed those feelings aside, now was the time for him to concentrate on making sure Lauren enjoyed this. "You okay, LoLo?" he murmured.

"Mmm hmm..." she whimpered.

He took a deep breath and reached lower, feeling how damp she was as his fingers brushed past her entrance. She moaned as his fingers brushed the same spot again, "So wet for me already, babe... so turned on..." he breathed.

"Stop, JoJo..." she said suddenly and Joey froze, worried she'd changed her mind; that he'd done something to scare her. He moved his arms from around her, hoping like hell he could recover this situation but his heart sank as she moved away from him and she climbed out of the bed. She turned to face the bed and must've been able to read his face and realise what he was thinking. He glanced up at her face and was confused when she saw a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. His mouth dropped open as she slowly bent down, giving him the perfect view of her cleavage, slowly pushing her knickers down her legs. She stood back up and looked at him, watching his face as he stared at her, completely naked in front of him. After a slight pause she slipped back under the duvet and repositioned herself in his arms, her leg bent once more. It was as if she hadn't ever left except now she was naked... and now he was fighting every instinct in his body that was telling him to make love to her. If he thought he was hard before... it was nothing compared to how he was now. He pushed himself against her bum again and heard her moan. She could feel the effect she had had on him too. His fingers brushed her clit again and she whimpered. Joey stroked one finger up the length of her opening and he heard her sigh. He held his breath, hesitant of her reaction this time, as he brushed two fingers over her, his touch a little firmer, slipping inside her momentarily during the movement. "More, JoJo..." she said and it spurred him on. He pushed the tip of one finger into her, feeling the warmth exuding from within her. He brushed his thumb over her nipple and she wriggled in his arms. His finger slid deeper into her and they both sighed. He stroked the inside of her body, not entirely sure what she would like and what she wouldn't. This was as new for him as it was for her and he was fairly sure she didn't know that. He pushed his finger in and out of her, moving slowly at first but gradually increasing in speed. Her hips shifted against him and he could tell she liked what he was doing.

"Are you ready for another one, babe?" he asked her softly.

"Please..." she whimpered.

He slowed down his movement and then pushed two fingertips into her. She was fine, still relaxed against him and he pushed them a little deeper. She tensed instantly and he retreated. "Sorry..." he whispered, kissing her shoulder tenderly.

"It's okay, Joe. It just felt different..." she whispered.

"I'll go slower..." he said, stroking the inside of her body this time as his two digits eased into her. She moaned again and this time he knew she was okay. She was tighter around him now and he knew that was because this was new for her. After a couple of minutes of gentle manipulation she had loosened on him again and he could feel her hips rocking against his body in a way that caressed his cock and edged him towards his own peak. He already knew this experience was going to be intense for both of them.

"Another, JoJo..." she moaned, sighing as he pulled his hand out of her briefly. He started again but this time with three fingers, sliding them slowly inside her; her body gripping his fingers tightly. "Oh, JoJo..." she said, her voice breathy.

"You're nearly there, babe..." he whispered to her. "Let yourself feel it, LoLo... relax and let it happen." He glanced at her face and knew there was just one thing that could make this even better, "Look at my face, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, "I want to see your face when you come... I want you to look into my eyes and show me how you feel." She turned her head and lifted her eyes, staring at him. He winked at her and she smiled back. "Are you ready?" he whispered and she nodded her head. He moved his head and kissed her softly, "I love you, LoLo..." he breathed against her mouth before pulling away and staring at her face again. His fingers moved a little quicker, feeling them slide easily in and out of her body. She bit her bottom lip, feeling the pressure building within her. Then he pressed his thumb on her clit and she was flying. Her eyes widened as her whole body came alive, sensations coursing through her as his hand moved inside and outside her body. She whispered his name, over and over, the word blurring together more and more with each repetition. His hand slowed down as he felt her peak fade.

"Don't stop, JoJo..." she whimpered, wriggling back against him. Her hand lifted and she caressed the side of his face, staring into his eyes, "Make me come again, JoJo..." she said softly, "Come with me..." she whispered. Joey was stunned by what she was saying and then she pushed her bum back against him and he groaned. His hand picked up speed again, a renewed spirit to his actions as he felt his own peak get closer. It only took a couple of minutes and then he moaned her name, his cock pulsing within his boxers as he pressed his hips against her bum, her second peak was smaller but the smile on her face as she sighed his name was possibly the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. "I love you, JoJo..." she whispered, her eyes closing slowly about ten minutes after her second orgasm.

Joey watched as she started to doze and he removed his fingers from her, pulling her into his arms, absorbing how it felt so different to when she normally slept in his arms. He had never loved anyone as much as he loved her and he was going to keep her safe. He would do anything to protect her. Nothing was going to hurt her; not without going through him first.

**A/N: So happy birthday Joey... I think it's fair to say he liked his present from Lauren. Don't you? So what next for our couple, I wonder...? Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	51. Chapter 51

**Chapter 51.**

Lauren woke and she knew exactly where she was. She was in Joey's arms and she could feel his mouth caressing her neck. Her stomach rumbled and she realised what it was that had woke her up.

"Hey beautiful..." he whispered, chuckling at the sound of her stomach. She opened her eyes. "I've ordered a pizza..." he told her softly.

"It's not very exciting for your birthday, JoJo..." she whispered, staring into his eyes.

"I don't need exciting..." he told her, "I've got what I want right here..." he added, kissing her cheek. "I'm going to go and wait downstairs, dinner should be here in a few minutes." He told her.

"I'll come too..." she said, starting to move to follow him as he climbed out of the bed.

He turned back and leant down, kissing her on the mouth, "Stay here, babe..." he breathed against her lips.

"But..." she protested, not wanting to be separated from him.

The doorbell rang and Joey pulled on his jogging bottoms and the hoodie she'd been wearing earlier. "See... I'll be back in a minute or two..." He left the room and Lauren slumped back on his bed.

It was about that time that she remembered she was completely naked and she pulled the duvet over her face. She remembered what Joey had done earlier and she felt embarrassed... even though she'd asked him to do it, she felt like she'd forced him into it. "Oh God..." she groaned.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly and Lauren froze. Her embarrassment increased as she realised he'd heard her. Could today get any worse? He climbed onto the bed and she felt him tug at the top of the duvet, eventually managing to pull it from her hands, "What's wrong?" he repeated. She just looked at him, her face glowing. "Why are you blushing, LoLo?"

"I should go..." she whispered. "Can you pass me my knickers?" she asked, mortified at saying those words but not prepared to climb out of his bed naked.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong?" he said softly.

Her stomach rumbled again and she glanced at the pizza box. "I'm embarrassed that you saw me like that..." she whispered, wanting to get this torture over.

"Embarrassed?" he asked, frowning as he tried to work out what she could have to be embarrassed about. Realisation struck. "About what happened earlier?" he whispered. She nodded her head, unable to answer or even look at him. "Do you know what that meant to me?" he asked her. "How much seeing you like that and knowing it was me that made it happen made me feel?" he added softly.

"Ashamed?" she whispered.

"Why would I be ashamed of what we did, LoLo?" he asked.

"I'm sure I must seem so naive to you. I threw myself at you earlier, JoJo... and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I'm not experienced and I don't know what I'm doing..." Tears were building in her eyes and as her words faded away they started to fall. She pulled herself upright, clutching the duvet to her chest. Joey tried to stop her but she stood up, bending down quickly to pick up her knickers and slipping them on. She grabbed one of his T-shirts from the floor and pulled it over her head.

"LoLo, please... don't go..." he said softly.

"I've got to, JoJo..." she murmured, her breath catching as she glanced at him.

"Have your dinner first..." he said.

"I'm not hungry..." she whispered before dashing from the room.

Joey stared after her but then climbed off the bed, running after her and catching up with her just outside her bedroom, "Stop, LoLo..." he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her back against his body. His hand rose and he lifted her chin, tilting her head so he could see her face, "I don't think you're naive... and I don't think you threw yourself at me. I said it earlier but I'll say it again now, that gift you gave me was the best present I've ever been given." Lauren rolled her eyes, "Don't do that, Lo..." he whispered. "I mean it... it's special to me that you would trust me enough to allow me to do that. It means everything to me... I don't know why you seem to think I'm an expert about this, babe... I've never done that with anyone else before you... you were my first too..."

"But..."

He cut her off, knowing what she's going to say, "I've only ever been out with Poppy, Lauren..."

She's silent for some time. "What about Stacey?" she whispered.

"I told you I could never go out with her..."

"There was that blonde girl...?" she said.

"Just a friend... we kissed a couple of times but it was never more than that..."

"But you're..." She bites her lip and he wonders what she was going to say.

"What?" he prods.

"You're beautiful... why wouldn't anyone want to go out with you?" she asks him, confusion on her face.

He ignored the fact she called him beautiful and focused on the rest of what she'd said. "I didn't say girls didn't want to go out with me... I didn't want to go out with them..."

"You didn't?" she whispered, frowning at him.

He shook his head, "I didn't want to because they weren't you..." he whispered, "I didn't want to date them because I knew what I wanted. I wanted you..."

"But you had no idea how I felt about you... what if I hadn't felt the same way about you?"

"I'd have probably died a very lonely man... with just my hand for company..." he smirked at her.

She giggled but then frowned again, "So if you've never done that before... how did you know what to do?" she asked him softly. He leant forward and kissed her and when he pulled away from her, his face was red.

**A/N: So that's a pretty nasty place to cut it off, isn't it? Poor Lauren being so embarrassed... and now Joey's just as embarrassed as she is. I wonder why? Send me a review. Back tomorrow... with a flashback...**


	52. Chapter 52

**Chapter 52.**

_Joey pushed open the door to the pub, glancing around and seeing his Uncle and the person he was here to see behind the bar. Hoping to hell he didn't see his dad or Uncle Jack he walked over to where his Uncle Grant was pulling a pint of beer. "Joey..." he said as he glanced up. "You shouldn't be in here... Did you need something...?" he asked. Joey nodded, glancing around the bar to see who was there. "Go through to the back and I'll be there in a minute, okay?" Grant said._

"_Thanks Uncle Grant..." Joey said, scurrying down the bar and through the door to the back of the bar. He stood for a few minutes awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs, shoving his hands in his pocket and praying to a god he wasn't sure he believed in that he could do this... because it was marginally better speaking to Uncle Grant about it than speaking to his dad. He looked up and saw Auntie Sharon walking down the stairs, his face flushing red instantly. He couldn't do this if she was going to be there..._

"_Hi Joey, love... you waiting for Grant?" she asked. Joey nodded, too scared to speak to her. "Why don't I go and take over in the bar and he can come through so you can talk to him." She walked into the bar, "You better go and speak to Joey, babe..." she said to her husband, "before he freaks out..." She smiled at her husband and nodded her head towards the fifteen year old boy waiting for him. "Take your time, Grant... it looks like he needs you..." she said softly._

"_Thanks Shaz..." he said, leaning down and kissing her softly. He walked through to Joey and saw he was watching him, his face a little red, "Let's go upstairs, Joey..." Grant said._

_*JL*JL*_

_They sat in the kitchen and Grant got them both a drink. "What's on your mind, Joey?" he asked as he sat down. Joey wouldn't even look at him. "It can't be that bad, Joey..." Grant said softly. "Give me a clue what it's about...?" Joey looked up at him and there was pure fear on his face, "Are you in trouble at school?" Grant asked, fishing to see if he got a response. "Are you being bullied?" Joey shook his head to each of his questions. "Talk to me..."_

"_Girls..." he squeaked, lowering his eyes to the table again._

_Grant relaxed slightly... at least it was a subject he was familiar with. "What about them?" he asked with a smile._

"_What do you do..." his words stopped and Grant could see he was struggling to find the right words._

"_Don't they teach you that stuff at school?" he asked as he realised what he was trying to ask._

"_Yeah... some of it..." Joey said. "Not what to actually do... or how it will feel..." he said softly, his face darkening in colour._

"_So this is about sex?" he asked softly. Another subject he was more than familiar with. Joey glanced up at him and shrugged. "Is that something you're thinking about doing, Joey?" Grant asked him, not sure if he knew which way he wanted his 'nephew' to answer that question._

"_No..." Joey said, his voice slightly strangled, his eyes were wide as he looked up at Grant. "I just... thought I should find out what's what now before I needed to know. I don't want to look like an idiot or make a fool of myself..." he admitted._

"_What's the most you've done with a girl, Joey?" Grant asked. He knew Joey could be painfully shy at times, especially around girls and there were times when Joey appeared almost scared of them, which Grant wasn't sure he really understood. He was a good looking boy. He'd avoided the spotty teenage years and sailed through the awkward gangly phase of puberty. His voice had broken recently with only a few mortifying moments but Grant knew in comparison to his own childhood, Joey had got away with it relatively unscathed._

"_I've kissed a couple..." he said, again unable to look at anything other than the table._

"_Have you had a girlfriend?"_

"_Only Poppy last year... but she was more a friend really."_

_Grant was surprised although now thinking about it he remembered the few months Joey had been dating the brunette. He couldn't understand why Joey didn't have more experience with girls though. At his age... Grant had... well, it was probably best if he left that thought there... "Is there anyone you're interested in?" Grant asked and had to hide his smile when Joey's complexion flushed red... that answered that question then. "Okay... let's talk about this then... what do you want to know? Ask me anything?" There was silence, "Anything at all, Joey..."_

"_How do you know if a girl likes you?" he eventually whispered._

"_She'll want to spend time with you. She might be direct and tell you she likes you... or she might look at you and you'll know; you'll be able to see it on her face." Joey frowned slightly. Grant let him mull that over for a few seconds._

"_Is it normal for me to be... you know... when I wake up in the morning?" he asked softly._

_Grant smiled at him, "At your age, yes it is. All boys your age go through that..." he reassured him._

"_I..." he shut his mouth abruptly and shook his head._

"_Say it, Joey..."_

"_I have to relieve myself..." he whispered, "Will I go blind? I heard Grandma Dot telling Billy that boys who do that go blind..." he said quickly, panic setting in._

"_Joey, you'll be fine..." Grant said, "I think your Grandma probably was just a little shocked... I'm guessing she caught your cousin at a time when both of them wished she hadn't..." he added. "What you're doing is perfectly natural... I promise."_

_The room fell quiet again and Joey was clearly still thinking everything through, sorting out the thoughts in his head. "When you're with a girl... what will they expect...?" he finally asked._

"_What will they expect you to do with them?" Grant clarified. Joey nodded. "Can I ask you something first?"_

"_Sure..."_

"_Why do you shy away from relationships?" Grant asked him carefully._

"_How do you mean?"_

"_Well, you went out with Poppy last year but it wasn't that serious... and there's been nothing since. I'm just surprised because you're a good looking boy. If I'd looked like you when I was your age, I'd have had girls clambering to get to me..."_

"_Tyler and Fats say that there are girls who are interested but..." Joey shrugged his shoulders._

_Grant could see he was tense and he still didn't understand why. "Joey, look at me..." Grant said. He looked up, "Until you can work out the answer to my question and try and get past whatever it is, everything you ask me will be irrelevant... I've seen you with Stacey and she's all over you. She would certainly be your girlfriend if you wanted her to be but you don't. I think if she was to ask you'd run in the other direction as fast as you could." Grant stared at him and saw some of the Branning stubbornness showing itself. "I can see you know what it is... I might be able to help..."_

"_The thought of being with someone like that scares me..." Joey whispered._

_Grant paused. That wasn't what he was expecting him to say. "What are you scared of?" he asked._

"_Being like Derek..." he whispered, glancing at his uncle, fear on his face. "What if I'm just like him and I get angry and hurt her? Or I kill her like he did my mum...?"_

"_Do you think that likely?" Grant asked. Joey shrugged again. "I don't, Joey. I've known you your whole life and I've never seen you lose your temper. You've had times when you've been angry but you've never lashed out at anyone... apart from those two boys at playgroup but that was just after your mum had died and they said horrible things so that's not a surprise. I've never seen you be that way with a girl though..."_

"_I kicked Auntie Carol once..." Joey whispered._

"_When?" Grant asked in surprise._

"_When I was three. She shouted at dad when he wouldn't tell her that they'd charged Derek. I guess he was scared of how I'd react to the news. I screamed at her to not shout at him and then kicked her."_

"_Joey, you were three... and you'd been through a lot... more than most adults ever have to deal with..."_

"_I still kicked her," he said softly. "What about if I get angry one day and hit someone I love? What if I become just like him?"_

"_I've had problems with my anger over the years, Joey." Grant admitted and Joey looked at him in shock. "When I was a few years older than you I joined the Army. I was there during the Falklands War and what I saw was difficult to handle. With everything that I went through when I was a small boy, I guess I was like a ticking time bomb at times. I've lashed out at people before and there are times when you just don't want to be around me... sometimes I need to vent. That changed a lot when I met Sharon. She gives me the stability I need and she loves me, even the bits of myself that I don't like."_

"_So you don't lash out anymore?" he asked softly._

"_There are times I want to... and then I go to your Uncle Jack's gym and I box..." he said. "I can release the aggression I'm feeling without hurting anyone."_

"_Do you think I could do that?" Joey asked him._

"_Take up boxing?" Grant asked. "I don't see why not. Why don't you come with me on Saturday and give it a go. It'll help you build strength for football too." He told him, "Now as to your other question... the best answer I have is that it depends on the girl, Joey." Joey slumped in his chair. "I'm sorry, I know that's not the answer you want or need but it isn't as simple as following a list of instructions. You've got to use your instincts and work out what she wants and needs before she even knows it herself..."_

"_How am I supposed to do that?"_

"_Stay here..." he said as he stood up, "I'll be back in a minute..." He walked to his bedroom and then returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, shutting the door behind him. He sat back at the table and pushed what he'd brought with him across to Joey._

"_What are they?"_

"_Reading material..." Grant said, "And you should read them – not just look at the photos. Make sure you find somewhere good to hide them and if your mum finds them, they didn't come from me, okay?"_

_Joey lifted the front page of the top magazine and his eyes widened noticeably. He slammed it shut quickly and his face was crimson when he looked back at his Uncle. "Thanks..." he said._

"_If you still have questions after reading those, we can have another chat, okay?" Grant said. Joey nodded. "I'll get you a carrier bag to put those in so you can smuggle them into your house. I'm serious about what I said if your mum finds those, by the way. If she finds out I gave them to you, I'm dead..."_

"_She won't find out from me..." he said, "I'll find somewhere good to hide them..." he added._

"_Under your mattress will be the first place she will look," Grant said, with a hint of authority on the matter._

_Joey suspected his uncle had been caught out by his mum (or maybe Sharon) with that hiding place. "Thanks Uncle Grant." He said softly._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey managed to last the rest of the day without looking at the magazines his uncle had given him. He had sneaked them into his room and they were securely hidden where no one else would find them. As soon as tea was over he was up in his room though... he had some reading to do. He grabbed a magazine at random and, after putting a chair in front of his bedroom door so LoLo didn't walk in and surprise him, he sat on this bed, his legs crossed and the magazine on the mattress in front of him. Taking a deep breath he opened it... and released his breath quickly as he stared at the picture in front of him. He vaguely remembered his uncle telling him to read the words in the magazine but screw that... the pictures were much more interesting. He could read the rest of it later. _

_Maybe._

_*JL*JL*_

_Over the next week or so Joey spent much time looking at the magazines. Admittedly the first few days were mainly staring at the pictures... and 'enjoying' them, if you get my drift, but eventually he did actually get round to reading the material within and he learnt quite a bit. _

_He returned to the pub almost two weeks after his last visit and this time he had a list of questions for his uncle. Some of them he was able to get answers for; some of them were a little more difficult and one left his uncle completely speechless (what does sex feel like?). By the end of it Joey wasn't an expert by any stretch of the imagination but the thought of doing that didn't fill him with dread quite as much anymore._

_He also started boxing at the gym with Uncle Grant on a weekly basis which he found he really enjoyed and according to Grant he had a mean right hook... that his uncle had discovered accidentally during one of their sessions._

*JL*JL*

"I did some research when I was a bit younger and spoke to Uncle Grant..." Joey admitted to Lauren as he looked at her face.

"You spoke to Uncle Grant?" she whispered. "I bet that wasn't fun..."

Joey shrugged, "He was okay about it really and it was easier to talk to him than dad or Uncle Jack about it."

"Well, it felt great from where I was..." she said softly, "so whatever he said seemed to work..."

"Good." Joey said, smiling at her. "Are you going to come back in here and eat our pizza now?" he asked her. Lauren nodded to him and he took her hand in his, pulling her back into his room. Joey sat on the bed and pulled her into his arms, settling her between his legs so her back was to his chest. He dragged the pizza box up to them and opened it.

"My favourite, JoJo..." she murmured, picking up a slice and starting to eat it.

"Of course," he told her softly, kissing her temple as he reached around her for his own slice.

After ten minutes the pizza was gone and they sat in silence. "Joey..." Lauren whispered into the silence of the room.

"Yeah?" he said, his arms tightening around her.

"Does that mean you haven't had sex either?" she whispered, peering up at him shyly.

He nodded, "Does that bother you?" he asked her quietly.

"No..." she whispered, "I like that it'll be both of our first times." She admitted. There was no doubt in her mind that they would do this for the first time together.

His hand lifted and he pushed her hair behind her ear, his hand cupping her face, "I wanted you to be my first time..." he told her. The tension between them ramped up and Lauren's breath quickened. "I wanted my first time to be special..." he said, "with someone who I loved..."

"That's what I want too..." she said softly.

"Good..." he whispered in her ear. He glanced at the time, "You should go to your room, LoLo..." he told her. Her bottom lip formed a perfect pout that she'd been mastering ever since she was two and he kissed her tenderly. "Mum and dad will be home soon and we can't let them find us like this..."

She turned her head and looked at his face, "Can I come back later?" she asked him softly. "I want to sleep in your arms..." she told him.

"If you wake up, come in... like you normally do, but babe, we need to be careful about this. And we probably need to work out when we're going to tell them about us. They need to find out but they need to find out from us... not work it out themselves."

"Okay..." she whispered. She turned on the bed and knelt between his legs, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him passionately. "Thanks, JoJo..." she whispered to him, "I'm glad you liked your present..." she said, smiling at him.

"I liked both of my presents..." he told her.

"You still need to come up with a name for our baby..." she reminded him.

"I know..." They both froze as they heard the sound of people walking up to the front door and one quick kiss later, Lauren dashed out of his room, shutting the door to her room just as their parents walked into the hall.

**A/N: So on a scale of one to ten how embarrassing was Joey's conversation with Grant... but it could've been a lot worse. And bless Joey – now we know what it was that stopped him from dating any of those girls (other than just because they weren't Lauren). Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	53. Chapter 53

**Chapter 53.**

Joey opened his eyes and knew that Lauren was in his bed with him. She was kissing the underside of his jaw which was probably what woke him up, "Lo...?" he murmured.

"Hi..." she whispered into his ear.

His hands pulled her closer, "Baby, you're naked..."

"Am I?" she giggled.

"LoLo, we can't keep doing this. Mum and dad are just down the hall..."

"But JoJo... I need you..." she whispered, moving so she was straddling his legs.

Joey was in one of those situations again. You know, the ones where he knew it was completely the wrong decision to make but unable to say no to her. He sighed and saw Lauren smile at him, knowing he'd capitulated to her demand. "What do you want to do?"

"You won't say yes to what I really want," she murmured. "so I won't even ask..." Joey was actually relieved by her words because if he was being honest, he wasn't so sure he would say no if she was to ask that particular question... not with her sitting on his lap like that. She shuffled forward on his legs and he moaned slightly as she pressed herself against him, he could feel his cock hardening already. She was far too enticing.

"Lo... you need to move..."

She sighed but slipped off his lap, dropping on the mattress beside him. "Take your top off, JoJo..." she murmured. He pushed himself upright and yanked his T-shirt over his head... there were some things he wasn't even going to put up a fight against. Lauren shifted so she was lying beside him, her chest pressed against his. Joey brushed his hand down her back, settling on her bare bum.

"I've dreamt about this..." he told her softly, "for a long time."

"What? Me sneaking into your room?" she whispered.

"No, holding you in my arms like this..." he said softly.

"I have too..." she admitted, "but in my dreams you aren't wearing anything either..." she added. Joey's mouth ran dry as she said that, his brain fighting every other impulse in his body. He so wished he could give her what she wanted. It was really tempting but he wasn't sure he could restrain himself if he did. "JoJo," she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"I want to see..." she murmured, her face buried into his neck as her natural shyness prevailed.

"Explain that to me, babe..." he asked her. She shook her head, "If you don't tell me, I won't be able to do what you want me to."

"You're going to say no anyway..." she breathed.

"Try me..."

She lifted her head and looked at him in the dim light of the room, "I want to see what you look like... naked..." she whispered so quietly he barely heard her.

"If I do that... we'll get carried away..." he said quietly.

"We won't, JoJo... I know I'm not ready for that... not yet... but I want to see all of you. I want to see what you look like." She looked into his eyes, hoping that he knew what she meant because she wasn't sure she could put it into words, "If you're not comfortable though, it's fine. I really don't mind..."

"Maybe another night..." he said hesitantly.

She smiled at him, "Okay, JoJo..." she said, stretching her neck towards him and kissing him tenderly.

"Are you disappointed?" he asked.

"No, of course not."

"I've got an erection... and..." words failed him at that point and he opened and closed his mouth several times. Why did it feel like he was that three year old boy again?

"You don't have to explain, JoJo..." she said. "It's really fine."

"Can I touch you?" he asked her softly, wanting to give her something at least. She nodded her head. His hands drifted up her body but because of how she was lying he couldn't touch her the way he wanted to. "Maybe you can move so I can touch you better..." he suggested.

"Where?" she asked simply.

"Sit on me..." he said.

"Are you sure?" she said.

"Yeah..."

She moved back to where she had been sitting earlier but he grabbed her hips and pulled her so she was sitting on his stomach. She moaned as she brushed over his hard length. He inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. He calmed himself and looked up at her face, she was watching him, completely oblivious to the fact she was naked. His eyes dropped from her face to her chest and he lifted his hands, cupping each perfectly crafted boob in the palm of his hands. He felt her press into his touch and he took that as a good sign. He stroked her skin gently and she sighed his name. "Feels so nice..." she told him softly when he looked up at her face. "Your hands are warm..."

His eyes fell to her chest again but after a couple more minutes they dropped further and he found he was looking at her opening. He hadn't really known what to expect. It looked different from in the magazines but so did Lauren... and that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She looked more natural and she was what he wanted... not any of those girls with their fake breasts. "Beautiful..." he whispered, not realising he'd said his thought out loud.

Lauren froze and tensed against him, looking at him and realising where he was looking, "Joey!" she hissed. He looked up at her face guiltily.

"Sorry..." he whispered.

"It's okay..." she said, after a brief pause. "You can touch me there if you want to..." she murmured.

"I can?" he asked her.

She nodded, "I'd like you to..." she admitted, "I need you to..." she breathed.

"God, LoLo..." he murmured, his eyes locking on the area between her legs again. His cock throbbed and got harder, a soft moan escaping from the back of his throat.

"Maybe you should take care of that first?" Lauren suggested.

"It's okay... Later." He said.

"JoJo... please..." she said, hating to think of him being in pain while he pleasured her.

"I'm not making myself come while you sit there looking like that." He said, his face flushing red in the darkness.

"Maybe I can help..." she said softly.

"We discussed that already..."

"I don't mean like that." Lauren said. Not waiting for him to say anything else she pushed herself back down his body, whimpering as she felt his thick length rub against her as she repositioned herself back on his lap. He tensed beneath her and she looked at his face. "You okay?" she asked. He nodded his head but she could tell he really wasn't. She leant forward, altering the angle she was touching him at and then started to rock against him. She had done this before, many times... although admittedly she normally had clothes on. She lowered her body so she was lying against his chest and kissed him tenderly, licking his bottom lip, asking for entrance to his mouth. Joey opened his mouth, a soft moan being released as she moved on him quicker. It felt amazing, his firmness pressing against her so intimately, just a thin piece of material separating them. Her own arousal was increasing and she knew it wouldn't take much for her to come. And she wanted to so badly... up until this afternoon she'd not been that bothered about it... but now; knowing how it felt... she wanted it again... and again. She pushed herself upright again, changing the angle and drawing a gasp from Joey.

"Faster..." he groaned, "and harder..." he gasped as she moved against him. He was practically seeing stars, his eyes fixes on her breasts as they bounced with her movements. She did as he said and he was so close. He glanced up at her face, seeing the concentration on it as she strived to give him what he wanted. He was close but he knew there was something else they could do. "Wait babe..." he whispered and she looked at him in concern. He pushed his body up and wrapped his arm around her waist. He rolled them both so he lay on top of her, feeling her hips twitch beneath his as he brushed his hard cock against her clit. Neither of them moved for a few seconds, until Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close enough so she could kiss him. Joey moved against her faster, each thrust of his hips rubbing the whole of his length across her clit. He wanted to be in her... he knew that now... his earlier inhibition was gone. He was ready for a full blown relationship with her... but he held back because he knew she wasn't.

Lauren stared up at him, seeing the intensity in his eyes. She loved how it felt, being with him like this. She wanted this each and every day with Joey. She wanted this and more. She was ready for everything... but she knew he wouldn't change his mind. She was still too young for this in his eyes but it was only a few more months until it would be legal and she could have everything with him.

**A/N: Awww... they both want the same thing but they won't tell each other because they don't think the other wants it too. Nevertheless, this was a big step forward in their relationship – don't you agree? Let me know what you thought. Back later... when is up to you... I could be persuaded to post the next chapter today... a once in a lifetime offer... so you know what to do! Convince me...  
**


	54. Chapter 54

**SAD FLASHBACK ALERT! - Just a warning...**

**Chapter 54.**

Despite what they'd agreed, by Christmas Eve their parents were still in the dark about the relationship between their son and daughter. The couple had come very close to telling their parents many times and then fate would step in and give them a sign it was a bad idea.

Joey could hear the family moving around downstairs as he woke on Christmas Eve. Lauren hadn't been in his room with him last night as she was getting over a cold and didn't want to give it to him. She would be with him tonight though because she knew he would need her and they both wanted to wake up together on Christmas morning.

Christmas Eve was an odd day for Joey Branning. It was always hard for him to get in the Christmas spirit because of the mixed emotions this day brought about for him. His parents knew he found it difficult and they would largely leave him alone, being there for him if he needed them but trying not to crowd him too much... much like they had done when he was three. With Lauren it was always more difficult. When she was really small she hadn't known why he would get so sad on that day and she was more than excited enough for both of them. Joey had tried to hide it from her as much as he could. In some ways LoLo made it easier for him because she'd known nothing about his past so when he was with her he could forget what had happened and be the normal little boy he sometimes wished he was. His first (or really his second) Christmas at 5 Albert Square had been such a difficult day... even more difficult than his birthday a few weeks earlier had been.

*JL*JL*

_Joey had gone to bed early on the night of 23__rd__ December having felt out of sorts all day but he'd been unable to sleep. He and Bear were both restless and there was a little part of him that was scared too. He desperately wanted to go to mummy and daddy but part of him was scared to do that as well. Every time he closed his eyes he got flashbacks of the events from the previous year. He didn't want to go to sleep because he knew if he did he was going to have nightmares. Finally his thoughts became too much for him and he pushed back the covers and climbed out of the bed. Bear cried out for him and he turned back, grabbing his arm and pulling him off the bed. He tugged a pillow off the bed and then walked over to his wardrobe. He threw the pillow inside and carefully placed his best friend leaning against it. He ran back to his bed, scared again now he was alone and he grabbed a throw that was on the end of his bed and ran back to Bear and the safe haven of the wardrobe. It had been a year since he had felt the need to take sanctuary like this. Previously it had always been in fear but tonight it offered him some comfort. He snuggled under the blanket, his arms holding Bear against him as tightly as he could. He laid there, the blanket pulled up to his chin, just his and Bear's head poking out of the top. He lay there, listening to the silence around him, the only sound being that of his breath and his heart. Every now and again he would hear a scream but those were all inside his head as he relived the most horrific night of his life. His body began to shake as he remembered walking out of his room and seeing his mummy crying. He had just wanted to hug her and there was a little bit of him now that wished she was here because he could do with one of her hugs. Her hugs had been amazing, one of the best things he'd ever experienced. She had smelt amazing too. She smelt of freshly baked cookies and sunshine. When he was in her arms it felt like being home. He had mummy Tan and daddy Maxy and little LoLo to hug... and although they were just as good as his real mummy's, they weren't what he needed now. Tonight he really missed his mummy. His thoughts drifted to her again, trying to remember what she'd looked like when she was happy and not crying. She'd been so pretty... her hair was really dark... just like his was and it had been long... longer than mummy Tan's even. It was all the way down her back. She had been tall and looked so graceful. A few months ago Joey had asked mummy Tan what his mummy had done before she became his mummy and mummy Tan had told him she was a dancer. She'd been a ballet dancer and she had met his... Derek... in a bar when she'd gone there with her friends after the last night of a show she'd been performing in. She had fallen for his Branning charm and they had got engaged and then married within the space of a year. Joey knew that it had been a while before he came along and in that time his mummy had adjusted to be being part of the Branning family and she was quickly best friends with mummy Tan. Joey sometimes wondered if Derek had only become the person he was after he was born. Was it something he did? That was a question that Joey was much too scared to ask._

_*JL*JL*_

_Max and Tanya got up the next morning, somewhat surprised that Joey hadn't already awoken them. Tanya went to see to their plaintively crying daughter while Max went to see to their son. Max pushed open the door to Joey's bedroom and peered around the door, his eyes widening when he saw that the bed was empty. He was about to leave the room when he spotted the wardrobe door was partially open and there was a small corner of material poking out of the bottom._

_Max made his way over to the cupboard and gently opened the door. He wasn't as surprised as he thought he would be when he saw his little boy curled up in a ball at the bottom of the wardrobe. The blanket from his bed was draped over his body, pulled up to his chin, Bear was lying beside him, held tightly against his chest. Max crouched down, going to shake him awake but as he got closer he could see the remnants of tears on his face. Instead of waking him he carefully lifted Joey (and Bear) into his arms, his fingers running through the small boy's hair gently as he stared down at him. He looked at the time and saw that one year earlier he had been doing exactly the same thing as he was now. He suspected that was the reason Joey was clearly upset. He could kick himself for not realising that today would be upsetting for the little boy. The past twelve months had been a series of highs and lows for the whole family but looking back at it now, Max realised that Joey had been getting quieter and quieter over the last week. He walked back over to the bed and lowered his precious cargo onto the mattress, pulling the duvet up over him. He heard Tanya moving around and then going downstairs, a gurgling Lauren with her. He sat watching Joey sleep for a few minutes then stood, bending down to kiss him on his forehead and brushing his hand over Bear's head gently before leaving them both in bed._

_*JL*JL*_

_Max walked into the kitchen and found his wife giving Lauren her morning feed. "Where's Joey?" she asked._

"_He's still asleep..." Max said softly. "I don't think he slept very well last night... he looked exhausted and he'd been crying." He explained. He walked over to her and kissed her softly, staring down at his daughter as she lay in Tanya's arms. It still amazed him how much his life had changed over the last twelve months. "How is she?"_

"_A happy little girl who only woke up once last night..." Tanya said softly. "Is Joey okay?" she asked him in concern._

"_I think we just need to give him some space today, babe. Today's got to bring back some bad memories for him."_

"_I know." Tanya said. "Maybe you should take Joey to see his mum... put some flowers on her grave..." she suggested._

"_I'll see if he wants to do that when he wakes up..." Max said._

_*JL*JL*_

"_MUMMY!" he screamed, his voice ringing through the house. It startled Max awake as he sat dozing in the chair next to Joey's bed. He hadn't wanted to leave Joey alone and now he was very glad he'd stayed. He moved to Joey, taking him in his arms and feeling him burst into tears._

"_It's okay, Joey..." Max said, brushing his hand up and down his back._

"_I miss mummy, daddy..." he sobbed._

"_I know, babe..." Max murmured, kissing the top of Joey's head tenderly. "Would you like to go and visit your mummy, Joey?" he asked him as the little boy's tears gradually faded._

"_Go to heben?" Joey whispered, his body tensing._

"_No, Joey... go and see where she is buried. Mummy and I thought you might like to go and see her today..."_

"_Why?"_

"_Why what?"_

"_Do people go and see gaves, daddy?"_

"_Yes, Joey, they do... they can go and visit a grave of a loved one at any time but quite often people go and see them on important days."_

"_Days like today?" Joey whispered._

"_Yes, Joey. Would you like to go?" he asked._

"_What do I do when I'm there?" Joey asked._

"_You can do whatever you want, Joey." Max told him, "Mummy suggested that we take some flowers with us to put on her grave. We can ask mummy and she will tell us what her favourite ones are..."_

"_She likes sunfowers, daddy. She said they made her fink of sunny days and made her smile..." he murmured._

"_Then we'll see if Tracey has any sunflowers we can take with us."_

"_Should I wear my suit again?" Joey asked._

"_I don't know if it'll still fit you... you've grown a little since then, my little man." Max said. "You can wear the shirt and jacket but the trousers will be a bit too small." He lifted Joey's chin so he could look at his face, "Why don't you go and have a wash and I'll speak to mummy and see if she has any suggestions."_

"_Okay, daddy." Joey said, pulling himself from his arms. As he walked over to the door, "Can Bear come with us, daddy?" Joey whispered, glancing back at him and biting his lip._

"_Of course he can. I'm sure he'd like to be there for you, Joey."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey stood next to his daddy, gripping hold of his hand tightly. He looked at the ground before him... seeing a shiny black stone to his left. "What's on the stone, daddy?"_

"_I'll read what it says to you, Joey..." he said, crouching beside the little boy and putting his arm around his waist. "At the top is your mummy's name... Sarah Louise Branning..." he said softly, glancing at Joey and seeing him bite his lip as he said his mum's name. "Then it says... A beautiful lady who's up with the angels. Taken from this earth too soon." Max continued, "Beloved mummy to Joseph Christopher, who she loved more than anything..." He stopped speaking then, staring at Joey's profile as he gazed at the gravestone._

"_I loved her too, daddy..." he finally whispered. "I miss her..."_

"_I know you do, Joey..." Max whispered._

_Joey looked at him, "I love living wif you and mummy Tan... but I miss my mummy. I need a hug fwom her..." he said, tears flooding his eyes._

"_It's okay to miss her, Joey..." Max said softly._

"_You and mummy Tan won't be koss with me?" he asked hesitantly._

"_Of course not, Joey. We know how special your mummy was to you and we can never expect to replace her place in your heart." He said._

"_I love you too, daddy. You and mummy Tan and LoLo are my new family... I love you all vewy much..." Joey whispered, fear on his face after his daddy's words. Was this the moment when he was told they didn't want him anymore?_

"_We love you too, Joey..." Max murmured, hugging him against his body. "Do you want to put the flowers on your mummy's grave?" Max asked. They had gone to Tracey's stall before leaving the square and Max was holding the bunch of flowers in his free hand._

"_Can I?" Joey whispered, his eyes wide._

"_I think you're the right person to do it, Joey." He held the flowers out to Joey and the little boy took them. He stepped away from Max, towards the headstone and bent down to place the sunflowers in front of the headstone._

"_Will she hear me if I speak to her, daddy?" Joey asked, looking back at him._

"_She will, Joey." Max said._

_Joey turned back to the grave and stood in silence for a while. Max watched him, seeing him looking so smart as he stood at her graveside. Tanya had chosen a dark blue pair of jeans for him to wear with his suit jacket and shirt. In many ways he was still the same little boy he was a year ago but he had changed a lot too. He still loved intensely. That had been evident ever since they'd known him but had become more so since Lauren's birth. Joey was her little guard dog, not letting anyone they didn't know get close to her. Max suspected it was to do with what happened to him but he was also sure it was partly to do with how Joey felt towards Lauren. Both of the children had a way of captivating your heart and gripping hold of it tightly. He turned his attention back to Joey as he heard Joey start to speak, "Hi mummy... it's been a weally long time since I's seen you and I miss you lots. I hope you're having a good time in heben with Nana Julie and my bruvva or sister. Can you keep an eye out for Unca Gant's dog, Woly while you're up there... you could take him for walks and he'll keep you safe and make sure nobody hurts you gain..." he said, "I's sure you know that mummy Tan and daddy Maxy are my pawents now... and I haf a baby sister. Her name's LoLo... but she has your name as her middle name, mummy. She's weally pitty... I fink you'd like her as much as I do, mummy." He said softly. "We got you sunfowers too... I know you like them. Ganddad and his fend Mr. Patick grew some in Ganddad's lotment in the summer. Ganddad let me plant the seeds with him and I helped him gowed them. We watered them efery weekend and when they were all gowed up, I looked at them and they made me smile cos they made me fink of you. I fink that was why Ganddad chose them for his garden. Mr Patick said they were taking up portant vegable space but there was no changing Ganddad's mind. I's glad we planted them too... they made the garden look like sunshine and when the wind blew they would dance and make me giggle." Joey fell silent for a couple of minutes. "I wish I could get one more hug from you, mummy... I don't member the last one you gave me... not proply. I'm sure you hugged me before you put me back to bed but I can't member it no more. All I can see when I fink of you now is when I sat wif you and held your hand. I's sowwy I coun't 'tect you from daddy, mummy... I'd do anyfing to keep you safe... I's weally sowwy, mummy. I guess daddy was wight... I was a bad boy... or I'd have topped him from hurting you... from making you dead." He began to sob at this point and Max stepped in, lifting him into his arms and hugging him tightly. He resorted to the one thing he knew would help in this situation, he opened Joey's Fireman Sam backpack and pulled out Bear, passing him to Joey, who squeezed him tightly as tears continued to fall down his face. Max watched as Joey stared intently, through his tears, at Bear for a few moments, as if they were having a private conversation. He smiled as Joey started to speak in reply to his furry friend, "I's know, Bear... I's know you and daddy will look afer me..." he whispered. "I's believe you..." he said softly. He rested his head on his daddy's shoulder and stared at the grave again. The tears were still falling, although not as fast as they had been. He didn't say anything else and Max let him absorb everything he'd just said._

"_It wasn't your fault, Joey..." Max softly told him once his tears had all dried, "Never think that... I promise there was nothing you could've done to stop your mummy from dying... all that would've happened was you would've got even more hurt than you did. It might even have killed you too and then we'd have been doubly sad... because we'd have lost you as well as your mummy." He whispered to him. Max stood by the grave, holding Joey tightly against him. They stood there for longer than he'd intended to do but he could tell that Joey wasn't ready to leave just yet._

*JL*JL*

Joey rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Going to see his mum's grave had become an annual routine for Christmas Eve and he would be going later this morning. There were two things that happened as regular as clockwork on Christmas Eve. He would visit his mum's grave and he would receive another card; hand delivered through the door... exactly the same as he got on his birthday and his mum's birthday.

He had only ever opened one of them. The first one he got. He had only been five when it arrived and he didn't read it. To be honest he couldn't read the writing but he'd seen who it was from and that was enough for him to know not to read it. He glanced at the time. It was time to get up. He had to get to the post before anyone else did.

He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. His mum and Lauren were rushing around the kitchen, baking mince pies, cookies and sausage rolls. "I'm going to go out in a bit, mum..." he said as he ate the toast that Lauren had put on the plate in front of him, her hand brushing his back tenderly, unseen by their mum. "Leave the kitchen once you're done and I'll do the washing up and clear it all away when I get home." He told them both.

"Washing up is my chore, JoJo," Lauren said softly, looking at him and frowning. She hated how sad he was on Christmas Eve although she could understand why he would be.

"It's the least I can do after you both spend time doing all this cooking, Lo..." he said. He heard the telltale rattle of the door and stood, picking up the last of the toast. "I'm going to go and get ready. See you later..." he said quietly.

He walked into the hall and saw a small pile of post on the doormat. He bent down and picked it up, seeing the familiar coloured envelope with the same typeset on it. He grabbed that one and put the rest of them on the side. He jogged up to his room, eating the rest of the toast quickly. He stared at the envelope in his hand, turning it over and over... Should he open it? He shook his head, he wasn't sure why he was even thinking about it... he couldn't even understand why he didn't just throw it away. Why had he kept any of them? He'd thought about throwing them away numerous times. Joey opened the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out the cardboard box. He took off the lid and saw the envelopes stacked in it. He took a deep breath and added the latest one to the pile.

"Who are they from, JoJo?"

Her voice startled him and he looked around at her, a guilty expression on his face, "No one important..." he said softly, putting the lid firmly back in place and returning it to the drawer. He slammed the drawer shut and then turned back to face her.

"That's twice now you've lied to me about them, JoJo... I don't like it..." she said, her eyes managing to communicate her hurt even more than her words did. He didn't know what to say to her without it being another lie so he remained silent. "They must be important or you wouldn't be keeping them." She said pointedly. "Is it another girl?" she accused him, her own insecurity revealing itself.

"No!" he replied quickly.

"Then who is it?" she said. Still he said nothing. "If you loved me, you'd trust me and wouldn't keep it a secret... you'd tell me..." she whispered.

His heart lurched and he looked at her, seeing the devastation on her face but not sure how to answer her. He didn't want her to know who they were from. "I can't talk about this now, LoLo... I need to get ready..."

She looked at him one last time and then turned, walking out of his room and going to her own, the door shutting behind her after she walked through it. Joey watched her leave, his heart breaking as he saw her shoulders slump. Why couldn't he tell her?

**A/N: Well I bet that wasn't the chapter you expected, was it? And oh no... they've had a fight... and it's Christmas Eve. Let's hope they heed their dad's warning and make up before the end of the day. Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55.**

Joey had left the house and decided to take the tube to the cemetery. He could've driven his car there like he usually did but the roads were busy with people running around on last minute Christmas errands so he was likely to spend time in traffic jams. He stopped at Tracey's stall and she silently passed him the usual small bunch of sunflowers, a soft but slightly sad smile on her face. It was another annual ritual he undertook and he handed her the money for them, his eyes locking on the photo in his wallet and wishing he had spoken to Lauren before he'd left.

*JL*JL*

Lauren lay on her bed and hugged a slightly tatty looking Missybear against her chest (the rose she was originally been holding had long since disappeared. Back when Lauren was five, it had been torn from Missy's hand by Wellard which had ripped her fur and she'd had to have emergency surgery to fix her (done by mummy) so Missy didn't lose anymore stuffing). Lauren had heard Joey leave the house, pausing outside her room for a few seconds before he went down the stairs. It hurt that he didn't trust her enough to tell her the truth. Several times over the years she had seen him holding an envelope in his hands and she had seen the box when he put the envelope from today in it... it was very full so she knew Joey had been receiving them for a while. When she'd seen him with them before it hadn't bothered her that much that he hid them... but now it did. She saw it as a sign that he didn't trust her. This only signalled bad things for the future of their relationship as far as she was concerned, which made her very sad.

*JL*JL*

Joey entered the cemetery, his head down as he walked the familiar route to his mum's grave. He'd been coming to see her twice a year ever since that first time of visiting her. When he was young it was usually him and his dad. His mum (and Lauren) had come a few times when he came on his mum's birthday as the weather was nicer but usually Joey liked it more when it was just him or him and his dad. Since he'd been fifteen he'd been coming on his own, preferring his own company and needing the space. He liked the solitude of it and he felt more comfortable opening up to his mum when he was on his own.

He walked up to the grave and spent a few minutes clearing away the dead flowers and weeds from it. He pulled out a pack of wipes from his pocket and cleaned the smooth surface of the headstone, wiping away some badly placed bird shit that decorated the top. He spent a couple of minutes in silent contemplation once that was done, his thoughts once more drawing back to the few memories of his mum that he had. He still missed her; every day he thought of her at least once. In recent months he had thought more about her; wondering how she would react to his relationship with Lauren. He took a deep breath and crouched beside the headstone, placing the flowers at its base.

"Hi mum... I can't believe it's been nine months since I've been here. I'm sorry I don't come more often but it's difficult for me to be here. I think about you every day though." He stopped talking and took a deep breath, "I've got so much to tell you this time, mum. My life has changed a lot over the last eight months." He stopped and stared at the gravestone, his eyes re-reading for the umpteenth time the words written on it. "I've fallen in love, mum... actually I've loved her for ages but I've told her now and she loves me back, mum. Everything about her makes me fall deeper for her." He chuckled, "Of course, there are some complications... it wouldn't be my life if it was easy, would it?" he said. "She's my cousin, mum..." he paused, his breath faltering at saying those words out loud. "I hope you don't hate me, mum because that would kill me." He held his breath, a little part of him almost expecting some kind of sign from her. He really wished he knew what she would say to what he'd just told her if she was still alive. "We've been seeing each other for almost eight months now. It started just after I came to see you last time." He knelt down beside the grave, his hands rubbing on his thighs as he nervously tried to compose in his head what he wanted to say. He needed to say it right, he wanted her to approve... it was right up there with his mum and dad approving of it. "It's LoLo, mum..." he whispered. "Every time I look at her, my heart falters. My whole world revolves around her, mum... and I'm not saying that just because I live with her and I've grown up with her. I know she's the one, mum. I know it in my heart. I would do anything for her... I'd die for her..."

*JL*JL*

"You okay, sweetheart?" Max said, standing in the doorway of Lauren's room and seeing her lying on the bed. She was staring at Missybear intently and Max had a flashback of the first time he took Joey to see his mum's grave and watching him do the same thing with Bear. He walked over to her bed and sat on the end of it, his hand settling on her calf. "Talk to me, babe..." he said softly.

"I'm fine, daddy..." she whispered.

Her words alone told him that she was as about as far from fine as she could be. Since the age of twelve, she only ever called him daddy when something was bothering her. "Now tell me the truth..." he said.

She glanced at him and he could see how upset she was, just be looking at her face. "JoJo and I had a fight..." she whispered. "He won't talk to me..."

"Lauren..." he said softly, pulling her up and into his arms, feeling her body shake as she started to cry, "I've told you both before, you need to sort out these arguments straight away... not let them fester away between you. It just leads to pain for all involved..."

*JL*JL*

Joey had finished pouring his heart out to his mum and he was getting ready to leave. He looked up at the sky as he realised it was starting to snow. He tipped back his head and smiled up at the sky, laughing softly as he felt the flakes get heavier, landing on his skin and melting instantly. "Thanks mum..." he whispered.

**A/N: The end might be unclear but it will explained better in the next chapter. Let me know what you thought. Back later...  
**


	56. Chapter 56

**So second (and last) chapter of the day...**

**Chapter 56.**

"Babe, you need to remember that today is a tough day for Joey..." Max said as he held her in his arms. Her crying had faded slightly in the last twenty minutes. "You know he struggles with this day... and he's been known to cut us off from him before. I'm sure whatever was said isn't as bad as you think it is and he didn't mean anything by it..." he whispered. "Joey loves you, Lauren... it's the one certainty I know." He didn't realise just how true his words were and it gave Lauren a little ray of hope. Max looked up, "It's snowing, babe..." he said softly. Lauren looked up and smiled softly. Joey loved the snow. Max turned his attention back to his daughter, "Try and put yourself in Joey's position, Lauren..." he told her gently, "When he was just three years old he lost everything... both of his parents, good and bad, were torn from his life and he was on his own. Can you imagine what that must've felt like for him?"

"But he has us now, daddy... we're his family now and we love him..." she whispered.

"I know, sweetheart. Joey knows that too... but today is the one day of the year that he's reminded of what he's lost." Max said, "Just give him a chance, babe... that's all I'm asking."

Lauren pulled away from him and looked at her dad, once more she realised what a selfish cow she was being. "I will, dad." She murmured. "I promise..."

"Good girl," Max said, kissing her gently on the forehead, "Now, do you have some spare time to help me wrap the presents for your mum?" he asked. Lauren smiled because he asked her this every year and she nodded her head, like she did every year too.

*JL*JL*

Joey stood on the crowded platform, trying to ignore the throng of shoppers around him. His thoughts were trapped on the memories invoked by the snow falling at the cemetery. The first time he'd ever seen snow was with his mum. She'd shown him it through the window one morning after it had snowed. Even though he was in his pyjamas she had put his coat, boots, scarf, gloves and hat on him and they'd gone outside. Joey had stared in wonder at the thick blanket of white that covered the square. She had laughed as he spun around. He'd asked her what it was and she'd told him it was snow... and that it was the angels throwing love down to the people on the earth below. As he stood on the platform he smiled again. The snow had been the sign he was looking for.

Joey wasn't looking at anyone around him, in fact he was avoiding eye contact with everyone... the emotions from the last couple of hours were now starting to take their toll. More people ebbed onto the platform and Joey got jostled forward, wincing as he got shoved hard in the back and someone else trod heavily on his foot. The tube pulled into the station and people were moving left and right, clambering to get on with their journey and get home before the weather got any worse.

Minutes later the train pulled away again, the carriages heaving with people, all desperate to get home for the festive season. Just one person was left on the platform and as the train moved out of the station some of the passengers noticed the one they'd left behind. A scream from two ladies filled the air as they saw the young boy lying on the ground, blood pooling around his body.

**A/N: And I believe that would be a cliffhanger... I'm off to hide in Joey's warbode with Bear. Send me a review and I'll read it when I'm not feeling so scaredy. Back tomorrow... and we're back to one chapter again from now on... sorry!  
**


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57.**

Tanya made her way to the door, opening it. "Can I help you?" she asked.

"Mrs. Branning?" one of the people asked.

"Yes... what is it?"

"May we come in?"

"Yes, of course..."

"Is your husband in, Mrs. Branning?"

"Yes... I'll just go and get him..." Tanya said softly, a feeling of dread building within her. She made her way quickly to the kitchen, finding her husband and daughter messing around together as they cleared up the mess in the kitchen. Her thoughts drifted briefly to Joey. He'd said he would clear up when he got home but that should've been a while ago. "Max, there are a couple of policemen here... they want to speak to us..." she said softly. Max and Lauren both looked at her, Max frowning as he took in what she'd said.

Max glanced at Lauren, "Stay here, babe..." he told her. He walked over to Tanya and took her hand in his, both of them moving to the lounge.

Thirty seconds after they left her Lauren followed after her parents, standing outside the room and listening to what was being said inside the room.

*JL*JL*

"Mr. and Mrs. Branning..." the first officer said to the couple. The two officers shared a look. "I'm afraid there's been an incident with your son, Joseph..."

Tanya began to cry against Max's chest. "What's happened?" Max asked, his hand brushing up and down Tanya's back.

"He was at a tube station and we're still investigating the exact events but he was stabbed in the back..." the officer continued.

*JL*JL*

Lauren leant heavily against the wall as she heard the words the policeman had said. Her chest felt tight and she couldn't breathe. All she could hear were the last few words the officer had said, 'stabbed in the back...' ringing in her ears over and over.

*JL*JL*

Max caught Tanya as she collapsed against him and he lowered them both into the armchair. "Is Joey okay?" Max asked the police officers softly.

"I'm afraid I don't have that information, Mr. Branning..." he replied.

"Is our son okay?" Max asked, his voice louder and it had an edge to it.

"We can take you to the hospital where he's been taken..." the other officer said.

"I need you to tell me how my son is..." Max demanded.

"Like I said, Mr. Branning... we just don't have that information..." the first officer said.

"Then get me someone who does have it..." Max said angrily.

*JL*JL*

Lauren sank to the floor, her whole body feeling numb as she imagined a life that didn't have her JoJo in it. Her vision started to fade and a sob rattled from her throat as the possibility of that thought suddenly seemed too real.

*JL*JL*

The first officer pulled out his mobile phone and dialled a number, moving across to the dining room to make a hushed call. The Branning's were literally falling to pieces as their world shattered. "Lauren..." Tanya whispered and Max pushed himself out of the chair. He walked to the lounge door and opened it, walking around the corner and seeing Lauren sitting on the floor. He knew she had overheard.

"Babe..." he said in a whisper, crouching beside her and hugging her against his chest. He could hear her breath coming in gasps and the sound of her crying would haunt him for days to come.

Lauren struggled against his embrace after a couple of minutes and he let go of her. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted up the stairs, rushing into the bathroom. Max heard her throwing up and then a minute or so later, the flush of the toilet.

He looked up as she appeared on the stairs again and he immediately noticed that Bear and Missybear were in her arms. She walked slowly down the stairs, her face pale and her eyes haunted and Max hugged her into his side when she reached him. They walked into the lounge and over to their wife/mother. The family united in their grief, trying to offer each other some comfort as they waited for news on their loved one.

*JL*JL*

The taps were turned on, the stream of water rinsing away the blood that was quite literally on their hands. The person stared at the reflection in the mirror, hating who they were turning into. Looking back at the water and seeing it was now clear... they wished their conscience was quite as easy to wash clean.

They pulled out their mobile and dialled a number. "It's done." They said, ending the call again without any further conversation.

**A/N: So it was Joey... and he's been stabbed in the back. Any ideas on who did it? Will he be okay? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 58.**

Lauren followed her parents out of the house, all three of them trailing behind the policemen. She could sense they were the focus of the square's attention again... just like they had been sixteen years ago today, although she hadn't been around then. She kept her head down, not wanting to see anyone looking at her because it would just cause her to breakdown again. She was walking a very fine line, only just holding it together. Actually, who was she trying to kid... she could barely breathe. Her dad's words to her earlier were coming back to haunt her... it was something he had always told them... you should never let an argument fester between you because it only ends up with both of you getting hurt. Well, JoJo had been hurt and she was most definitely hurting. Her dad held the back door of the police car open for her and her mum and then he climbed in after them both. The three of them sat in the back seat and one of the police officers drove them through the square.

"He's going to be okay, babe..." her dad said softly and Lauren wasn't sure if it was her and her mum he was trying to convince or himself. Lauren couldn't even respond and her mum just cried harder. Lauren could barely remember the journey, all she could focus on once they were out of the square was Joey. She looked down at Bear and Missybear as they lay on her lap and she wished she was back at a time when life was much more innocent. That thought brought her up short because she realised that JoJo's life had never been innocent... his life had always been marred by tragedy and she hated that of all the people this had to happen to, it had to be him.

*JL*JL*

Lauren waited with her parents in a side room at the hospital. They had been led in there to wait for news and the two police officers were standing outside the door. She was sitting on the far side of the room from her parents... she needed to be away from them for a while because her heart was slowly breaking. She was going to lose him, she knew it. She slid off her chair and pulled her knees up to her chest, Bear and Missybear stuffed between her legs and body. She wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her forehead on her knees. Tears ran down her face and she bit her lip to stop herself from making any noise and drawing the attention of her parents. This hurt so badly.

*JL*JL*

The door opened and Lauren lifted her head, holding her breath when she saw the doctor standing, looking at the three of them with a serious expression on his face.

"Mr and Mrs Branning?"

Her dad got to his feet and held his hand out to shake the doctor's hand. "Doctor, how is our son?" he asked quickly. Lauren watched the interaction between her father and the doctor.

"Your son was brought in almost three hours ago now. When he first arrived he had lost a lot of blood. The wound was about an inch below the fifth lumbar vertebra. I'm not sure your son would have even felt it happen; it probably just felt like he was shoved in the back..." Her mum turned to Lauren's dad, burying her face in his chest as the doctor spoke. "We believe that the blade was probably about four inches in length and it therefore penetrated quite deeply into Joey's abdomen. Both his iliac vein and artery were nicked at some point during the attack and that is why he lost so much blood. He was fortunate that the paramedics got to him very quickly and there was a first aid responder at the station who was able to give him quick treatment and stem the loss of blood." Lauren watched as her dad paled and she hugged Bear and Missybear against her a little harder. "Once they got him here, which we believe was probably within fifteen minutes of the attack and we clamped both vessels."

"What does that mean for Joey?" Her dad asked.

"He's gone down for surgery... I'm sorry we just had to take him down, we didn't have time to get your permission..." Her dad nodded at the doctor's words.

"Is he going to be okay? Will there be a long term issues?"

"He's still down in theatre so I'm guessing they've discovered some other damage once they'd opened him up. The vein and artery that were damaged both feed into the femoral vein and artery and because of the blood loss... there is the potential for there to be longer term damage but I'm hoping that because he was responded to quickly they should be reduced. There is a danger of infection and he will be put in intensive care for a few days so we can monitor his condition." He looked at Joey's notes quickly, "Obviously there is a risk with any surgery and once it's over, the surgeon will be able to give you a clearer outlook for him but I think we can remain positive."

Lauren slowly released her breath, not really listening as the doctor continued to speak to her parents. She hadn't understood a lot of what the doctor had said but she allowed herself to relax.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was dozing, her head lying on her dad's lap a couple of hours later but she woke up when she heard the door open. Their voices were quiet and she opened her eyes, finding another doctor talking to her parents, although she couldn't make out what he was saying. Her dad was running his fingers through her hair, just like Joey did sometimes as they were falling asleep and it was so soothing. The doctor disappeared and she pushed herself upright, looking expectantly at her mum and dad, waiting for them to tell her what the doctor had said.

"They're just taking him to intensive care, babe..." her dad said softly.

"Is he going to be okay?" she whispered.

"The doctor is hopeful..." he replied.

The rush of relief that flooded her body brought with it a tidal wave of tears and she collapsed against her dad, sobs wracking her body. She hid her face from them with Bear as she released the emotions she'd been keeping at bay for some time. Her mum brushed her back. After some time Lauren pulled away from her dad, "Can we see him?" she whispered to him.

"I'll go in and see him in a few minutes," he said.

"I want to see him, dad..." she said, biting her lip.

"Let me see him first, Lauren..." he said, "and I'll see if I think it's a good idea for you to see him..." he added.

"But dad..." she protested.

"Lauren, sweetheart..." her mum said softly.

"I need to see him..." She pleaded. "Please... I need to apologise..." she whispered. The tears were back and both parents glanced at each other, surprised by her sudden outburst. "Stop treating me like a little girl..." She tore herself from her dad's arms and got to her feet. "Everyone thinks I can't make my mind up about anything... that I'm just a baby still and I'm not capable of working out what is right for me." She spun around to look at her parents, "Well, I'm not a child... I'm fifteen years old and I know how I feel... I've known for a long time... I need him to know I love him..." Her last words were whispered, more to herself than her parents. Her guilt from falling out with him had been building within her ever since she'd walked out of his room this morning and now it was pouring from her, bubbling over in a torrent of emotion that she'd been determined to keep hidden from her parents.

"Darling..." her mum whispered, as she got to her feet and pulled her against her body, trying to comfort her. "He's going to be okay... and he knows you love him... you don't need to tell him you love him, he knows that already... he's always known it, you're his sister, Lauren."

Lauren pulled away from her mum, staring at her wide-eyed. Her breathing sped up and she clenched her hands by her sides, her eyes moving quickly between her mum and dad. "No! You don't understand..." she said raising her voice and shaking her head.

"Then explain it to us, babe..." Her dad said, standing next to his wife, his arm around her waist.

"I love him." she whispered, staring at them both intently. She could see that they didn't understand. She lifted her hand, placing it over her heart, "I know you see him as your son but in here, in my heart, he isn't my brother..." she whispered.

"What do you mean he isn't your brother?" Her mum asked with a frown. "Of course he is, darling..."

Lauren could see her dad had understood but she couldn't read what he thought about her revelation, "I love him but my feelings for him aren't how I should love my brother... I mean, I'm trying to tell you that I'm in love with him and he's in love with me... he's my boyfriend, mum." Tears fell down her face and she heard her mother gasp as she realised what Lauren was saying. She watched her daughter drop to her knees, "I need to be there for him. He needs me... and I need him. He's everything to me." She whispered, her body shaking again as she realised she'd finally told them what they'd been promising themselves they would do for months.

**A/N: Well, these cliffhangers keep coming, don't they? I think it's safe to say the cat is well and truly out of the bag. How are Max and Tanya going to react to this news? And is Joey going to be okay? And who could do something so horrible to Joey? Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59.**

Her parents had said nothing and when Lauren lifted her head and looked at them they were just staring at her. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see but their silence was turning her stomach. She clambered to her feet again and headed for the door, dropping Missybear and Bear in her hurry as she yanked the door open and ran out of the room. She saw a sign for the toilets and she headed for it as quickly as she could, dodging a nurse pushing a patient in a wheelchair as she did so. She ran into a cubicle as her stomach churned again. Unfortunately it had been several hours since she'd had anything to eat – and she thrown up all of that earlier – so the most she could do was her body heaving over and over again.

Eventually her body stopped but now the tears had returned, her whole body shaking as she realised what she'd just done. She hadn't meant to tell them but she could already tell that they weren't going to let her see him. No doubt it would be another thing she was too young for. She knelt in front of the toilet, her head resting on her arms as her heart broke. She was vaguely aware of the door to the room opening but she didn't pay any attention... no doubt she was making a fool of herself in front of some complete stranger.

"Talk to me, sweetheart..."

It was her mum and as she brushed her hand on Lauren's back, Lauren tried to compose herself but the sound of her voice broke the dams holding back her tears again and for a few minutes she lost herself in tears once more. Eventually she lifted her head and swivelled on the floor to look at her mum, leaning back against the side of the cubicle. "Where's dad?" she hiccupped.

"He's gone in to see Joey..." her mum said softly.

"Oh..." Lauren whispered.

Her mum sat on the floor next to her and pulled open her handbag. She passed her daughter a tissue and while Lauren was wiping away her tears and blowing her nose, she opened her bag again and pulled out two more items, "You dropped these..." she said, passing them over, "I thought you might want them..."

"Thanks mum..." Lauren whispered, hugging Bear and Missybear against her chest. They were only two of the things she needed though. What she really needed was in the ward down the corridor. "Do you hate me?" she whispered.

"Why would I hate you, Lauren? You're my daughter..."

"Because of what I just said..." She murmured, staring at Bear and Missy and seeing the sympathy written across their faces. They understood the situation she was in. They knew how much Joey meant to her and how much she meant to him.

Tanya moved closer to her and put her arm around her daughter, "Lauren, I love you... and I love Joey. I just want you to be happy... and if Joey makes you happy, then that makes me happy too."

"What about daddy?" she said, relaxing slightly at her mother's acceptance.

"He'll be fine about it too..." Tanya reassured her.

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"He loves you both, Lauren..." She smiled at her daughter, "I'm inclined to think Joey might be the only person he would be happy for you to be with."

"You think so?" she whispered. Her mum nodded. "Is JoJo going to be okay, mum? I couldn't bear to lose him..."

"I'm sure he'll be on the road to recovery soon." She looked around the room, "Shall we get up off this floor and go and see if your dad has seen him?"

"They might make us de-contaminate ourselves before we're allowed to see him..." Lauren giggled as they got to their feet and stared around the bathroom.

"Maybe..." Her mum said.

*JL*JL*

Max sat on his own, beside Joey's bed in the intensive care ward. Tanya was sorting out Lauren after her revelation. He couldn't quite get his head round that at the moment and instead his thoughts settled on a time when both children had been more innocent... before the introduction of hormones and relationships.

He hadn't been there to witness the one he remembered but Tanya had told him about it when he got home from work; after the kids were in bed.

*JL*JL*

_Tanya sat at the dining room table with Lauren on her lap. Joey was sitting opposite her. The kids were writing their letters to Santa. Joey was writing his own one but Tanya was writing it on behalf of Lauren. This would be Joey's second Christmas at their house... well, assuming you didn't count the first one which was too traumatic and not that festive._

_Lauren was looking at the toy section of the Argos catalogue. Every now and again she would point to something on one of the pages and Tanya would make a note of it. So far she had selected a toy cooker and a tea set of cups, saucers and tea pot. She was currently looking at some dresses for dolls which Tanya knew would be put on Missybear. "Mummy, mummy..." she said, "Dat dess..." she said, excitedly pointing to a pink and purple dress. She added it to the list while Lauren turned the pages and kept looking._

"_How are you doing, sweetheart?" she asked Joey while Lauren was distracted._

_He put down his pencil and looked up at her, "I's done, mummy." He told her softly._

"_Do you want me to read it and make sure it's okay?" she asked._

"_Yes pease, mummy." He said. He pushed the paper over to her and smiled at her. "Can I's go and pay wif my cars now?" he asked._

"_Yes you can, sweetheart." She watched as he got down from his chair carefully and ran over to play with his cars in the lounge._

"_Mummy..." Lauren said softly, pointing at a fairy princess outfit, complete with wand._

"_Okay, darling. I think that's enough, don't you? We don't want Santa to think you're greedy do we, baby girl?" Lauren shook her head quickly and then wriggled to get off her lap. Tanya lowered her to the floor and she scampered over to where Joey was playing. Tanya picked up Joey's letter and glanced at it._

_Dear Santa,_

_I's hope you fink I've bin a good boy this year. I've tied my bestest to be good for mummy and daddy. Mummy has asked me to come up wif a list of fings I want for Kristmas but there's really not very much I want. I've got most fings I want kos you gave them to me alreddy. I've got a mummy and daddy that luv both me and LoLo lots and lots. LoLo is my baby sister and she's the best sister I could eva hope for. I luv her and I want to 'tect her from all the nasty fings in the world. I guess if I could ask for one fing that would be it. That Lolo is kept safe... so that's all I want for Kristmas. You can't give me the one fing I really want... kos mummy's in heven so I can't have one more cuddel wif her. Maybe next yere, I'll want somefing you'll be able to give me. I suppose you could also get LoLo a colring book and some kraons kos she needs lots of practis, she keeps going over all the lines._

_I'll get daddy to put out a karat for Rudolf and some mints pyes for you._

_Lots of luv_

_Joey Branning )aged nerely 5(_

_Tanya swallowed the lump in her throat as she folded Joey's letter in half. He was such a sweet boy, he rarely asked for anything for himself. His priority was always Lauren... His wish for one more cuddle with Sarah really hit her hard and she knew how much he missed his mum still... understandably. However much her and Max were his parents now and treated him as much like their child as they did Lauren, there were still times when he wanted his mum to be there. Tanya put Lauren's and Joey's letters in the dresser cupboard and got the envelopes ready so they could be posted tomorrow. Then they would get cards back from Santa (via the Royal Mail). Her and Max would have to try to think of some presents for Joey as he hadn't really asked for anything for himself. It was a difficult enough time for Joey anyway and he'd been such a good boy, he deserved some amazing presents._

*JL*JL*

Max looked up and saw Tanya and Lauren walking towards him as he made his way out of the ward. That memory was very much in the past but in some ways Joey was still the same little boy he'd been then. His feelings for Lauren certainly had remained the same... so what Lauren had told them really wasn't a surprise... or it shouldn't have been anyway.

*JL*JL*

Tanya and Lauren walked towards the intensive care ward together, having washed their faces and hands before leaving the bathroom. Max was walking out of the room and he had a serious look on his face.

Lauren bit her lip, hugging Bear and Missybear a little closer. "Daddy?" she whispered.

He smiled at her and held his arms open. She ran at him and let him hug her tightly. For what felt like the fourth or fifth time that day she dissolved into tears, feeling him kiss the top of her head softly and brush his hand up and down her back. After five minutes she pulled away from him and looked up at his face again. "He wants to see you, babe..." her dad said softly, his hand lifting and brushing the side of her face tenderly.

"He's awake?" she whispered.

"He is... and he's asking for you..."

"Is it okay for me to go and see him?" she asked.

Her dad smiled at her and kissed her forehead, "I think you're old enough to make that decision, aren't you? Don't you want to see him?" She nodded. "Then I think you should go and see him... I don't want both my children being upset now, do I?"

"So you're okay with what I said?" she whispered, holding her breath as she awaited his answer.

"I'm okay with it, babe..." he told her softly. "Now you'd better go in there and tell that boy how you feel... and don't forget to make up for your argument from earlier... don't let it fester any longer, babe."

"Thanks daddy."

*JL*JL*

Lauren took a deep breath before she pushed open the door to the ward and she saw him turn his head towards her. "JoJo..." she whispered, tears flooding her eyes. She rushed over to the bed and flung herself at him, hearing him groan as she did so, "Sorry..." she whispered, remembering why she was visiting him and why he was lying in this bed. She pulled away from him slightly and sat in a chair beside his bed.

"S'okay, LoLo..." he murmured softly, staring at her face intently. His hand lifted and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I thought I was going to lose you, JoJo..." she said to him softly. "I was so scared when the police came and told us you'd been stabbed."

"Sorry for worrying you, LoLo..." he said in a whisper. He pulled her down towards him and hugged her against his chest, kissing the top of her head tenderly.

The room fell silent, the soft beeping of the machines around them the only noise, "So I might've told mum and dad about us..." she whispered, not able to bring herself to look up at his face.

He chuckled and she smiled, her head turning into his chest and kissing it gently. "Good..." he whispered. "I told my mum about us too... she made it snow..." he whispered.

Lauren lifted her look and stared at his face, "You're gonna have to explain that to me, JoJo..."

"One of the few memories I have of my mum is of her taking me into the square after it had snowed. She told me that snow was the angels throwing love down to the people on earth. I was at her grave and I told her about me and you. I was hoping for a sign from her and then it started to snow and I knew she approved." He told her softly. He stared at her, "I guess you think I'm insane now, right?"

"I'm wondering if you maybe lost a little too much blood..." she giggled and seeing her smile made him smile. She sobered up though and looked at him, "I don't think you're insane, JoJo... well, apart from maybe because you want to date me..."

"That doesn't make me insane, LoLo... it's possibly one of the sanest things I've ever done."

"You think so?" she asked him. He nodded his head. "I love you so much, JoJo..." she whispered.

"I love you more..." he told her. His hand lifted off the bed and brushed her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear, his thumb caressing the side of her cheek.

"You didn't ask what mum and dad said..." Lauren whispered.

"I'm guessing... seeing as you're in here, they're okay about it..." he said. She nodded, turning her head and kissing the palm of his hand. "So we don't have to hide it anymore...?" he asked softly.

"Nope..." she said, smiling at him. "Oh, I brought something for you... to look after you..." she whispered. She lifted Bear and then lifted his arm closest to her and placed his furry friend underneath. "Missy's here too..." she said with a smile, "They've been looking after me..." she admitted to him.

"Good..." JoJo whispered to her, smiling at her softly.

There was a knock on the door and Lauren glanced over her shoulder, seeing her parents looking through the window. "I don't want to go..." she whispered as she turned back to look at him.

"You need to get some rest, LoLo and so do I... Apparently if I behave I get to go home in a few days."

"Okay..." she said, getting to her feet. She bent down and her hand brushed the side of his face, "I'm glad you're okay, JoJo..." she whispered. She kissed him softly, feeling him respond against her mouth. She pulled away from him with a small smirk on her face, "And when you get home, I'm going to look after you..." she whispered, "and nurse you better..."

"There's a little bit of me that's looking forward to that..." he told her with a smirk, kissing her again.

"I can confirm that there is nothing about you that is little, JoJo..." she said, her smirk growing, "now get some rest and I'll see you later today or tomorrow... I've lost track of what time it is."

"Merry Christmas, LoLo..." he breathed.

"Merry Christmas, JoJo." She replied.

**A/N: Yay, JoJo's better... What a relief. I wonder if he knows who it was who stabbed him? Do you? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60.**

The police car drove the three of them back to the square and Lauren could see people staring at them as it stopped outside their house. Uncle Jack and Auntie Carol came over to them as they got out of the car. "Where have you been?" Auntie Carol said to her dad. "We were expecting you for dinner, Max... a phone call would've been nice... It's not too much to ask, is it?"

"We were at the hospital..." Her dad said softly. "Joey was stabbed on the way home from the cemetery yesterday afternoon..."

"What?" Auntie Carol gasped.

"Is he okay?" Uncle Jack asked.

"He's in intensive care but the doctors are hopeful..." Her mum said. Lauren hugged Missybear against her, her eyes locked on the ground. Her mum hugged her and she buried her face against her mum's chest. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you inside..." They walked into the house and Lauren went into the lounge.

Lauren stood in the doorway and looked at the Christmas tree, the piles of presents still beneath it. Her dad came up behind her, his arm around her waist. "We can open those in a little while, babe..." he told her softly.

"No..." she said quickly.

"What do you mean?"

"We can't do the presents until JoJo is home..." she whispered. "We can't have Christmas without JoJo being here." She pulled herself out of his arms and made her way quickly up the stairs. Christmas was over until Joey got home as far as she was concerned. She started heading towards her bedroom but changed her mind and went into JoJo's instead. She climbed onto his bed, pulling her legs up to her chest. Again she began to cry until she eventually cried herself to sleep.

*JL*JL*

Grant stood behind the bar, stunned into silence. He looked up at the man on the other side of the bar, "Thanks for letting me know..." he murmured. "Do you know how he is?" he asked.

Jack shook his head, "No... the police have just brought Max, Tanya and Lauren home... they've been at the hospital since last night." He picked up the whisky Grant had put in front of him, "Max said he's in a critical condition... but that he was awake though, so that's a good sign," he told him quietly. He downed the drink, "I'll let you know if I hear anything else, okay?"

"Yeah, sure..." Grant looked up as the door to the bar opened. It was a deliveryman. "I'd better go, I've got a delivery to sort out..." Grant went down to the beer cellar and stacked up the barrels of beer and crates of mixers the deliveryman had left. His thoughts were clearly elsewhere though and he dropped some bottles, hearing the distinctive smash of glass. He kicked the box across the floor, the sound of liquid spilling on the floor meeting his ears. He sat on one of the barrels. He couldn't believe that anyone would do something like that to someone like Joey. Joey was a sweet boy... He always had been. Joey had wormed his way under Grant's shell a long time ago. He had become someone who was somewhere between a son and a brother to him. Joey had given him a chance to be the parent he was never going to be. And every now and again he'd spoil him a little.

*JL*JL*

_Joey sat on the swing one afternoon after playgroup. Uncle Grant was sitting on the swing beside him. "So how do you like being a big brother, Joey?" _

"_LoLo is so pitty, Unca Gant. I really love her..." he said simply, as if it was obvious that he would feel that way._

"_It's been a few months now, hasn't it..." Grant said._

"_Yes, Unca Gant... LoLo's nearly six monfs old now..."_

"_And that means it must be nearly your birthday, right?"_

"_It's in forty-four days time, Unca Gant..." Joey said, managing to look pretty proud of himself for knowing how long it was till his birthday._

"_That sounds about right, Joey." Grant said, "So would you like to do something together for your birthday?" he asked._

"_Can LoLo come too?" He asked hopefully._

"_I think Lauren might be a little young at the moment... your mummy might not want Lauren to be away from her... but we'll go out with her one day, I promise." Grant smiled at him, "I know someone who'd really like to see you though... I was speaking to him the other day and he was asking about you."_

"_Who's dat, Unca Gant?" Joey asked, wondering who it could be._

"_Do you remember my friend, Bob?" he said._

"_Mr Bob... the fireman?" Joey checked._

"_That's the one..."_

"_I member, Unca Gant... Mr Bob was nice... he let me sit in the fire engine..."_

"_Well, there's an event happening at his fire station in a couple of weeks and he wondered if you wanted to come to the station again."_

"_Can I, Unca Gant?" Joey asked in wonder._

"_Well, I need to check with your mummy and daddy but I wanted to see if you were interested first..."_

"_I's trested..." Joey said, his head nodding up and down quickly._

"_Well, I will speak to your parents and check with them..." Grant said, smiling at the small boy. "Now, I think we should be getting you back home, eh?"_

"_LoLo's prolly still napping," Joey whispered._

"_Yeah, she might be but that's okay, you'll get to spend some time with your mummy, won't you?"_

"_Yes!" Joey said excitedly._

"_Come on then..." Grant said, lifting Joey from the swing. He carried him back to the little boy's house on his back, making Joey giggle as he bounced him up and down. Once he was at the top of the stairs he knocked on the door quietly._

"_Hi, Joey," Tanya said as she opened the door._

"_Mummy!" Joey said, holding his arms out for a hug from her. Tanya took him from Grant, hugging him tightly. "Did you have a nice time with Uncle Grant?" she asked him. Joey nodded his head. "Would you like a coffee, Grant?"_

"_Sure."_

"_Come in..." She held the door open for him and ushered him into the house. She put Joey on the floor, "Let's take your coat off, shall we?" She eased his jacket off and hung it on the hook._

"_I need the toilet, mummy..." Joey said quietly._

"_Let's go upstairs then, darling." She said, taking his hand and leading him to the stairs. She looked at Grant, "We'll be back down in a couple of minutes, Grant."_

"_It's fine, I'll put the kettle on."_

_*JL*JL*_

"_Go and play quietly with your cars, Joey..." Tanya said as they came back down the stairs a few minutes later. "Just be careful you don't wake up Lauren, okay..." she said softly, "I'll bring in some juice for you in a bit..."_

"_Okay, mummy..." he said, scampering across the room and starting to look quietly in his toy box, looking for his cars._

_Tanya walked to the kitchen, "Sorry about that, Grant..." she said as she saw him pouring hot water into two mugs._

"_It's fine... Joey and Lauren come first, obviously." He replied, "Actually there was something I wanted to ask you and Max..." he said as he passed her one of the mugs. "I know it's Joey's birthday in a few weeks and I was wondering if I could take him out for the day, a couple of weekends before? There's a weekend event at my friend's fire station and he was wondering if Joey would like to go there for the day?"_

"_Joey... I need to get him a drink..." Tanya said distractedly, putting down her own drink and grabbing a sippy cup from the side for her son. She took the drink to him and when she came back into the kitchen, she answered his question, "I'll speak to Max tonight but I can't see it's going to be a problem, Grant."_

"_Bob said he should be able to line up an actual ride in a fire engine for Joey..." Grant said softly._

"_Joey will love that, Grant." She said._

"_I hope so..." Grant said. "Maybe when Lauren's a bit older, Sharon and I can take them both out for the day, let you and Max have a day to yourself..."_

"_That would be lovely... when Lauren's a bit older though... I'm not quite up to leaving her yet."_

"_I guessed that." He said with a smile._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey walked to the tube station with his Uncle Grant. It was just over a week before his birthday and he was really excited today. Him and Unca Gant were going to see Mr. Bob again... at the Fire Station. Bear was almost as excited as he was and it had taken Joey ages to get him to sit like a good little bear in his backpack. In the end Joey had to promise that he would take him out so he could see if they got to go in a fire engine again and then Bear sat properly. His hand tightened on his Unca's as they walked down the street, Joey remembering what his mummy had said about holding tightly to his Unca's hand all day and not to run off._

_*JL*JL*_

"_Hi Mr. Bob..." Joey said when he saw his Unca's friend._

"_Joey Branning!" Bob replied, smiling at him widely. "A little bird told me it's your birthday soon... Is that right?" he asked as he crouched before Joey. Joey nodded his head quickly. "Well, I was speaking to my friends at the station and we wanted to make today a special day for you, Joey... seeing as it's nearly your birthday."_

"_Weally?" Joey breathed._

"_Yes, really. How old are you going to be, Joey?"_

"_I'll be four years old, Mr. Bob."_

"_Wow, four years old... you'll soon be old enough to be a fireman like me..." he said. "Now why don't you and your Uncle Grant come through to the rest room, there are some people in there that are looking forward to meeting you."_

"_Can we, Unca Gant?" Joey said, looking up at his uncle._

"_I don't see why not..." Grant said._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey's eyes were wide as they walked into the rest room. There were so many firemen in the room and he didn't know where to look first. "Joey, here's our first gift for you..." Mr. Bob said. One of the firemen walked over carrying a plate. On the plate was a cake in the shape of a fire engine and it had four candles on the top that were already burning. Everyone started to sing happy birthday to him and someone took a photo as Joey blew out the candles. His face was bright pink as the firemen all cheered him and he squeezed his unca's hand tightly, slightly overwhelmed by the attention._

"_Would you like your next present?" Mr Bob asked him._

"_Pesents? For me?" Joey gasped._

"_Yes, for you..." Mr Bob said with a smile. "If you'd like to follow me, Joey... Grant..." He led them from the room, Joey gazing round at the firemen who were all staring at HIM as they left the room. He didn't know where they were going. They were led into a room which had lots of lockers in it. "Have a seat, both of you," Mr Bob said. They did as he said and he walked over to one of the lockers, opening it. He pulled out a small pile of parcels and placed them in front of Joey._

"_Wow... look Unca Gant... lots of pesents for me..."_

"_Yes, you're a really lucky boy, right?" Grant said. Joey nodded his head._

"_I am..." Joey picked up the first present and tore off the paper. Inside was a blue T-shirt with the London Fire Brigade logo on it. The second present had a pair of blue trousers with reflective strips at the bottom of each leg. Both items of clothing were child sized and would clearly fit Joey. The third gift was eagerly opened and inside was a jacket that matched the trousers he'd just opened. Joey looked up at Mr. Bob, "Fank you, Mr. Bob..."_

"_Firefighter Joey Branning, you are out of uniform..." Mr Bob said firmly, folding his arms across his chest, "Please correct this situation straight away and report to the rest room where you will be assigned duties..." He said, "And you're going to need this..." he added, producing a shiny helmet from behind his back. He passed it to a smiling Grant and then left the room._

"_I's gonna be a fireman, Unca Gant?" Joey whispered in awe, "Like Fireman Sam and Mr Bob...?"_

"_Apparently you are, Joey... now you heard Bob... you need to get into your uniform..."_

"_Do I haf time to go to the toilet first?" he asked softly._

"_I think you should, Joey..." Grant said, "Are you okay doing that on your own?" he asked._

"_I can do it, Unca Gant... but can you come wif me... in case I's get lost?"_

"_Sure thing, Joey." Grant said._

_*JL*JL*_

_Grant fastened Joey's jacket and tugged it down so he was nice and smart. "I think I should take a photo of you in your uniform so your mummy and daddy can see you in it."_

"_Okay, Unca Gant..." he said, standing to attention with a big grin on his face. "We'd better go back to the west woom soon though. I's don't wanna be in touble wif Mr Bob..."_

_Grant took a quick photo of him and then they walked back to the rest room. Grant stood at the side of the room, watching with a smile as Joey walked over to Bob. He chuckled every time Joey looked up at his friend because he had to hold his helmet on top of his head because it kept slipping backwards._

"_Right then, men... out on parade..." Bob said. Joey looked around in confusion but one of the female fire officers stepped forward and took his hand, leading him through with the other officers. Grant trailed behind them, seeing Joey line up among the other officers, standing rigidly to attention when the others did. "Okay, we have a new recruit with us today and so we're going to show him the ropes." Bob said, "Firefighter Pugh, I would you to show Recruit Branning how we stow the hoses away in the appliances." He started, "Then I believe Recruit Branning should help Firefighter McGrew with cleaning Engine one. And after that he will help Firefighter Dibble in the kitchen... because I believe there is some cake for us all to eat." Joey's smile widened, "And before Recruit Branning will finish his shift, I think he should go out for a ride in one of the engines." Joey pretty much bounced on the spot as he heard this. "Now I just need to inspect Recruit Branning's uniform, make sure he's presentable and fit for duty..." Bob said, walking forward and standing in front of Joey. "Well, I can see that your uniform is straight and clean... exactly how it should be, so well done. I can see your shoes are nice and shiny, well done again, Joey." Bob lifted his hands, moving Joey's helmet slightly so it was straight on his little head. "All ready for your first shift, Recruit?" he asked him softly. Joey nodded his head, his helmet shifting again back to where it had been before Bob moved it._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey spent the next couple of hours with the firemen and women at the station. Grant took photos as Joey helped roll up the hoses, chuckling as he tripped over his own feet to try and win the competition of who could get the hose rolled fastest. Joey managed to win... just. Joey then washed one of the fire engines with a couple of the firemen, putting a lot of elbow work into cleaning the radiator of the engine while they cleaned higher up the appliance. He trailed behind Joey as he went into the kitchen area of the station and helped the officer by getting the right number of mugs out. He then got plates for everyone and held them up when the cake was sliced so each piece could be put on it._

"_Thanks for this, Bob... I wasn't expecting you to make such a big thing about him coming down here..." Grant said to his friend._

"_Well, it's not every day a little boy turns four is it?" Bob said, both of them watching as Joey sat between two of the firefighter's at the long table, eating his slice of cake, his legs swinging backwards and forwards on the chair. "Seriously, they liked him when he was here last time and I told them a bit about what he's been through in the last year and how much he wants to be a fireman. We just wanted to make today special for him. Sorry I conned you into bringing him down here..."_

"_Yeah, this doesn't look much like the family event you told me about..." Grant said with a wry smile._

"_Like I said, we wanted Joey to have a special day..." Bob admitted, "None of these men or women are on shift till lunchtime." He said, "They came in early so they could spend time with Joey for a few hours..." He told him, "and before you say anything, they volunteered for it. Now I think I promised a ride in a fire engine for a special little boy, didn't I?" he said, winking at his friend. "I do believe we could drop you off in Walford... so everyone will see him being a fireman..." _

"_I think you are about to make all his dreams come true, Bob..." Grant said. "Any chance of a lift?" he said._

"_I think we can manage that..." Bob said, "You'd better go and collect up Joey's things." He added. "He gets to keep the uniform by the way... but I will need the helmet back..."_

"_Where did you get that from anyway?"_

"_A couple of the girl's found an old uniform that was about to be scrapped and then one of the guy's wife knocked it up into a child-size version for us."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey sat in the back of the fire engine, sitting on Grant's lap as the fire engine drove through the streets of London. He had sat in the front seat for a couple of minutes before they'd left the fire station and he (and Bear) was shown the controls on the dashboard. He then moved to sit on Grant's lap as they pulled out onto the streets._

_Joey had come even more alive as soon as he'd got in the vehicle and his head kept turning as they drove through the streets. When they got to the outskirts of Walford and Joey recognised where they were he became even more excited. "Unca Gant, we're nearly home..." he said, "Do you fink mummy and daddy and LoLo will see us in the fire engine?"_

"_I don't know, Joey... you'll have to wait and see." Grant said._

_Joey hugged his arms around Bear as they drove into the square and then it stopped outside number 5 Albert Square. "Would you like to press the button for the siren, Joey?" Bob asked, turning round from the front seat and looking back at him._

"_Can I, Mr. Bob?" he asked._

"_I don't see why not..." Joey scrambled down from Grant's lap and leant through to the front, pressing the button and letting the siren blare. "Press it again, Joey... we don't want to deafen people..." The alarm was turned off again but Joey was now focused on the front door of his house. He could see his mummy and daddy standing on the doorstep._

_Grant got down from the fire engine and he lifted Joey down, taking the helmet off his head and passing it to Bob, "What do you say, Joey?" he said softly._

"_Fank you, Mr. Bob..." He then pulled himself up straight and saluted him, a big grin on his face._

"_At ease, Recruit Branning," Bob said, "Your shift is now completed and you are officially off duty..." He crouched down in front of Joey, "I hope you had a good day, Joey..."_

"_I weally did, Mr. Bob..." Joey's attention was caught by the movement of his mummy and daddy coming down the front steps of the house. Mummy had LoLo in her arms. "MUMMY! DADDY! LOOK!" he shouted as he ran over to them. _

"_Wow, look at your brother, Lauren..." Tanya said to her daughter as she shoved her fingers in her mouth. "Doesn't he look smart in his fireman's uniform?"_

"_I rode in a fire engine, mummy... and I wolled the hoses... I beat the uva firemen... and I had a birfday cake in the shape of a fire engine and it had four candles on it. The firemen sang happy birfday to me."_

"_Well, we're glad you had a good day, little man..." daddy said as he picked up his son and they both waved as the fire engine drove away._

"_It was so good, daddy." Joey said. He twisted in his daddy's arms and waved his hand. "Fank you, Unca Gant..." he cried out._

"_I'm just glad you had a good day, Joey," Grant said softly. He glanced over his shoulder, "I'd better be getting back to the pub, there's a delivery coming in soon."_

*JL*JL*

Grant looked up and saw Sharon standing in the doorway, a look of concern on her face, "I just heard, babe..." She said softly. She walked over to him and hugged him, kissing him softly, "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"A lot better than Joey, I should imagine..." he murmured.

*JL*JL*

The room was dark as the person moved back into their bedroom, having just returned home. News was rampant around the square about Joey's stabbing and it was just increasing the guilt they were feeling. Hate was building within them; hate for the situation they were in. They wished there was some way they could get out of this mess... but they just couldn't see one.

**A/N: How sweet is the image of a little Joey Branning dressed up as a fireman? Such a lovely image. I may have got a little carried away with that flashback... it's my favourite one. So I had a bit of drop in numbers of reviews last night... let's see if this chapter will bump the numbers up a little. SEND ME A REVIEW. Back tomorrow...**


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61.**

The phone rang in the middle of the night and Max answered it quickly. Tanya woke and heard his voice change, seeing her husband sit up in bed. "We'll be there as soon as we can..." he said quietly. "No, we'll come down... thanks for letting me know, doctor." He put down the phone and looked at her. "He's got an infection..." he whispered. "He's seriously ill, babe."

"Is he going to be okay?" she asked, dreading the answer.

"They don't know, Tan... He's unconscious and his body isn't coping well. He's really sick, babe..."

"We should let Jack know..." she said, "Call him and I'll go and wake Lauren..."

"We should leave her here... not disturb her sleep..." he said.

"Max, if we don't wake her and take her back to the hospital to see him... if something happens to him, she will never forgive us." She said as she climbed out of the bed. She looked at her husband and found him staring at her.

"You're right." He sighed, "Go and wake her..." He picked up the phone again and dialled Jack's number.

*JL*JL*

Tanya opened the door to Lauren's room but she found the bed empty. She frowned, knowing that her daughter had gone to bed pretty much as soon as they'd returned from the hospital. She turned from the room and went back out onto the landing. She glanced at the door of Joey's room and held her breath as she opened it, feeling her emotions climb as she prepared herself to look around his room. She released her breath quickly when she saw Lauren curled up on his bed, her arms wrapped around one of his pillows and Missybear. She could see that Lauren had been crying and the sight of the devastation on her face broke her heart almost as much as hearing that Joey was gravely ill once more. She walked over and sat beside her. She placed her hand on her arm and shook her gently. "Lauren..." she said softly.

Lauren opened her eyes and looked at her mum, "I'm sorry, mum... I know I should be in my room but I needed to feel closer to him..."

"That's not why I woke you up, darling."

Lauren became more alert and looked at her mum in concern. "What's wrong?"

"The hospital called, sweetheart..." she said softly. "Joey's not doing so well... he's got an infection..."

"They said he was going to be okay..." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"They said there was a possibility of him getting an infection, darling... they warned us of this..."

"They did?"

"Yes, darling... now why don't you go and change into some clean clothes and then meet us downstairs. We're going to the hospital in a little while."

"Okay..." Lauren whispered.

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya were waiting downstairs when Lauren walked down. Tanya smiled at her softly, recognising that she was wearing a T-shirt and hoodie that both belonged to Joey. Missybear was still clutched in her hand, even though she'd grown out of needing a teddy bear a long time ago. Missybear wasn't just any teddy bear though. She was a present from Joey... that he had given to her on the day she was born. She was special to both of her children, just like Bear was.

There was a soft knock on the front door and Max opened it, finding his younger brother on the doorstep. "You ready to go?" Jack asked.

"Yeah..." Max said but none of them were ready. None of them were ready for what they were about to face.

*JL*JL*

The car was quiet as Jack drove through the silent streets. None of them tried to make any conversation because there wasn't much for them to say. Jack got out of the car with them and when Max tried to tell him to go home, he spoke, "I'm not going home and pretending that nothing is happening, Max. Let me be there for you." He said to his brother.

Max didn't protest, he knew there was no way he was going to deter his brother and there was part of him that wanted him there. If something bad happened to Joey, he would need Jack's help to deal with his wife and daughter. He dreaded how Lauren and Tanya would react if anything happened to Joey. He wasn't even sure how he'd react if something bad was to happen. Something bad happened... that was as close as he could get to saying those words. He couldn't even contemplate the possibility of it happening.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked into Joey's room and moved to Joey's bed quickly. "JoJo..." she whispered, her fingers brushing through his hair gently. "What are you doing, JoJo? You're supposed to be getting better and coming home with us." She laced her fingers through his and sat on the chair beside his bed. She looked at the bedside table and saw Bear sitting there. He looked as miserable as she felt. She picked him up from the side and placed him near their combined hands. "He's gonna be okay, Bear... don't worry... we're going to make him better." She whispered.

*JL*JL*

Max, Tanya and Jack stood as the doctor approached them. "This is my brother, Jack... Joey's uncle." Max said. "Has there been any change?" he asked.

"Let me go and check him over again..." He replied. "Then I'll be able to give you a better idea..."

"Our daughter is in there with him at the moment," Tanya said as he made his way through to the ward.

*JL*JL*

The doctor walked in the room and began to check the machines that surrounded Joey. Lauren watched him in silence. "Would you like to come with me and I can update you and your parents about your brother's condition?" Lauren nodded but her heart sank as she followed him out of the room. "Let's go into the side room..." he said to her parents. Lauren slipped her hand into her dad's as they walked away from the ward and into a side room. She sat between both her parents, her mum taking a hold of her other hand. "Okay, Joey's condition isn't getting any better. I've just got the results of some tests and it appears that Joey has got Sepsis... I'd suggest that the knife he was stabbed with wasn't clean. Bacteria's got into his bloodstream and is running rampant throughout his body."

"What does that mean for Joey?" Max asked.

"His blood pressure is low and not recovering; his heart rate is too fast and at the moment both of those are my chief concerns. I've put him on some broad spectrum antibiotics but we might have to try something different if that doesn't have an impact soon."

"Is he going to be okay?" Tanya asked softly, feeling Lauren tense beside her.

"That isn't something I can say with any certainty at the moment. The next two to three days are going to be critical." There was a knock on the door and a nurse opened it.

"Doctor, we need you..." she said, her eyes darting to the Branning's.

*JL*JL*

The family waited in the side room, silently realising that the issue the doctor is dealing with related to Joey. None of them can relax and Lauren is the tensest of them all. The door opened and the doctor reappeared... they could all tell that it was not good news.

"We've had to put Joey on a ventilator..." he said softly. "He stopped breathing and I'm now concerned that there could be issues with his heart. We're going to take him down for a scan to check that out. It could take us an hour or so, so you should go and get a drink or some food."

*JL*JL*

The family returned to the intensive care ward just over an hour later, having gone to the canteen while they waited for Joey to have his tests. None of them had been that hungry and Lauren had again disintegrated into tears.

It was almost seven in the morning when they got back to the side room and Jack left them briefly, taking the opportunity to contact the rest of the family. He also called Grant to let him know.

**A/N: Yikes. I'm off to hide in Joey's warbode with Bear once more... Send me a review (but only if you have nice words for me – it'll make Bear cry otherwise). Back tomorrow...**


	62. Chapter 62

**Chapter 62.**

The hours were passing slowly and there was more family gathered with Max, Tanya and Lauren now. Jack had briefly left the hospital and brought his dad, Dot and Carol back with him. Carol and Dot were looking after Tanya, who was inconsolable about Joey. Jack was looking after his brother and Jim was focusing on his granddaughter.

"You want to talk to me, sweetheart?" he asked her softly. She shook her head. He put his arm around her and pulled her against him, kissing the top of her head. "He's going to be okay, darling..." he said to her gently.

"You don't know that, Granddad..." she breathed.

"Well Grandma Dot has been praying since we found out about it last night and if she doesn't have a direct line to God then no one does." He told her with a small smile. "Seriously, he's got everything going for him... he's a strong boy. He got treated quickly. The doctors and nurses are working hard for him. He's got all of us waiting for him to get better. He's got your mum and dad who have looked after him and been the parents he deserved to have... and he's got you."

Lauren looked up at him and she could see the way he was looking at her intently. "You know, don't you?" she whispered.

"That you love him?" he asked her quietly, glancing around the room and seeing the rest of the family caught up in their own conversations. "I've always known, Lauren... in the same way I've known that he loves you..."

"You don't think it's wrong?" she asked him hesitantly.

"No, I don't... I know there are some people who won't agree with me but I can't think of two people who are better matched for each other." He kissed her forehead softly. "Do your parents know?" he asked her gently.

She nodded, "I told them yesterday." She whispered. "We'd been planning on telling them for a while but something always came up that stopped us. I had to tell them yesterday though. I needed them to know... and understand how I was feeling and why I was so upset."

"How did they take it?" he asked her.

"They were okay... I was a bit of a drama queen about it, I guess." She glanced up at her granddad's face, her face pinking at her next admission, "It wasn't my finest moment..." she added, smiling at him.

"They love the pair of you." He told her softly, "They just want you to be happy."

*JL*JL*

In a room a short distance away from the Branning family...

"Can you get him ready?"

"Of course..."

"Make sure you keep an eye on him..."

"We will."

"Call me if there are any problems."

"There won't be, boss."

"I bloody hope not..."

**A/N: Sorry! I know there's no resolution to Joey's situation but these things take time. So Granddad Jim has always known about the two of them... did you like his reaction? Any ideas on what's going on at the end? Let me know what you think. Please send me nice reviews to cheer me up - I'm writing my next story and I've spent most of today crying as a result... Back tomorrow... with a longer chapter...  
**


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63.**

Lauren walked into the ward, her mother trailing behind her. There had been no change with Joey and the doctor had now put him on life support as a precaution in case his condition suddenly deteriorated. Lauren's step faltered slightly as she saw Joey lying on the bed and Tanya urged her forward. Lauren sat down on the chair and shuffled it further forward, picking his hand up and clutching it between both of hers. "Come on, JoJo... fight for this... fight for us..." she whispered.

Tanya watched her daughter, seeing her with Joey and realising the depth of her daughter's feelings for her 'brother'. She wasn't sure why she was surprised. Their relationship had always been intense. Joey had been there for all of the firsts in Lauren's life and being her first love shouldn't have been a massive shock to them.

*JL*JL*

_The Branning's went on holiday the week of Lauren's first birthday which was also Easter week. The weather had been good for the time of year and they thought they should take advantage of this so they'd booked a week's break in a holiday park in Devon. Joey had been excited because it was the first time he'd been on holiday. The children got strapped into their car seats, the car was loaded with everything they needed and with the radio blaring out children's nursery rhymes the Branning family had headed off._

_They had arrived early in the afternoon and found the holiday cottage they would be staying in quite quickly. Joey and Lauren played in the lounge while Max and Tanya unpacked all of the things from the car._

"_MUMMY!" Joey cried out after about forty minutes. Tanya quickly made her way to where the children were, worried something was wrong after hearing the urgency in Joey's voice._

"_What's wrong?" she asked._

"_Look, mummy!" Joey said, staring at his sister as she pulled herself to her feet, clinging tightly onto the sofa with both hands. Lauren had started crawling not long after Christmas but this was the first time she'd ever gone any further than using her hands and knees to get across the room. Joey sat just a short distance from her and he called her name to attract her attention, "LoLo..." Lauren looked at him, as she usually did when he said her name and smiled at him, looking pretty pleased with herself for what she'd just done. Her legs were wobbling slightly as she stood there and it was almost as if she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do now she was on her feet._

"_Max..." Tanya called back to her husband. He made his way into the room, just getting there in time to see Lauren take one hesitant step towards Joey and away from the couch. Her body teetered slightly as she let go and both parents unconsciously held their breath._

_Joey held his hands out to her and Lauren lurched towards one of them, holding it as tight as she could, lifting her foot and taking another tentative step. "Well done, LoLo..." he said softly and she giggled. Another step and Joey grinned at her, squeezing her hand in his. "You're doing it, LoLo... You're walking!" he exclaimed. At this point Lauren got a little overconfident and tried to take two steps one after the other, her body tilting forwards and her balance quickly getting the better of her. Joey grabbed her in his arms and hugged her against him, saving her from falling and keeping her safe, "I've got you, LoLo..." he whispered to her. Lauren turned her head and blew a raspberry against his cheek making him chuckle. She hadn't quite got the hang of kisses yet either._

_*JL*JL*_

_By the end of the second day Lauren was able to put four steps in a row before she toppled over but, apart from on one occasion, Joey had always been there to catch her. The one time he hadn't been there he'd quickly appeared at her side, wiped away her tears and kissed the palm of her hand better and all was right with the world again._

_*JL*JL*_

_The holiday was really good. Lauren's first birthday was spent on the beach, having a picnic and collecting shells. Lauren and Joey played in the sand together, making castles with Joey (and daddy) gallantly trying to fill the moats with water. The children laughed hysterically when mummy helped them bury daddy in the sand while he slept. They ate chips out of paper, ice creams in cones, paddled their toes in the sea and even rode a donkey. There was a nasty incident towards the end of the week when Joey teased Lauren with a long piece of seaweed, thinking she would find it funny but it just made her cry and he felt really guilty for doing it after but that was the only blot on the whole holiday. None of them wanted to go back to Walford at the end of the week but they had to go. And as it turned out it was a good thing because both Joey and Lauren has Easter eggs waiting for them from their Gandma and Ganddad and of course, Unca Jack. Unca Gant and Auntie Shaz also gave them an Easter egg too but that was a few days after they got back._

*JL*JL*

Tanya smiled as she remembered those few days away for the family. Joey had had the chance to just be the little boy he hadn't really had an experience of before. She remembered Lauren's first birthday and smiled at the memory.

*JL*JL*

_Joey sat next to his mummy as she read a book. LoLo was having a nap and daddy was reading a paper and doing a kossword puggle. "Mummy?" he asked her softly, putting down the car him and bear had been playing with._

"_Yes, darling..." Tanya said, looking up from her book._

"_It's LoLo's birfday tomorrow, isn't it?" he whispered._

"_Yes, it is, sweetheart... what are you thinking?"_

"_Can we get her a cake?" he asked._

"_We could..." She smiled at the lovely little boy beside her. _

"_Can I's take my pocket money wif me, mummy?" he asked her._

"_What do you want to spend it on?"_

"_I saw somefing in the shop yestday and I's wanted to get it for LoLo. I fink she's like it lots..."_

_Her heart melted. Joey was always so thoughtful and he was always wanting to buy things for his sister. He truly loved her. There had never been any of the jealousy that Tanya had read about in the baby books she'd got. She had been concerned, after Joey had been through so much that he would've felt pushed aside once Lauren was born but if anything it had given him some stability and gave him a purpose. "Why don't you go and get your shoes quietly out of your room, Joey and I'll speak to daddy about looking after Lauren while me and you take a trip."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Ten minutes later Joey and Tanya were walking down to the shops near the seafront. They stopped at the bakery first and Joey helped her select a large cupcake shaped cake that had pink icing on it. The lady behind the counter took the cake away and wrote LoLo in red icing onto it, putting it in a box for them. While she was doing that Joey and his mummy found a candle in the shape of a number 1 and they brought that too._

_Both were happy as they moved from that shop and then Joey pulled his mummy towards the toy shop that was just down the road. He was gazing through the window and once Tanya caught up with him he pointed out what he had seen. It was a fabric book that was brightly coloured and the story seemed to be about animals. They went in the shop and had a closer look at the book. The pages had animals on them that were stuck onto the book with Velcro._

"_I finked I's could read it to LoLo, mummy..." Joey said. "and learn her the words and the names of the aminals..."_

"_How much pocket money do you have, Joey?" Tanya asked her son. He slipped his backpack off his shoulder and opened the zip, turning it upside down and sending coins (and Bear) tumbling onto the floor. "Joey..." Tanya chuckled. Both of them started to pick up the coins, after Joey scooped up Bear and gave him a hug, whispering 'Sowwy' to him, then Tanya helped Joey count them up, arriving at a total of four pounds. Tanya looked at the price tag of the book and saw it was £5.99. "Well you don't quite have enough, Joey but I think daddy and I can put the rest of the money in for you, sweetheart."_

"_But it'll till be a pesent fom me, right?" Joey asked._

"_Absolutely, Joey..."_

_Tanya purchased the book and a sheet of wrapping paper while Joey placed Bear carefully back into his backpack and he put it on again._

_*JL*JL*_

_The next morning Joey helped Lauren open her birthday presents and she clapped her hands together (another thing she'd recently picked up) when he opened the one from him. They had spent the rest of the morning looking at the book while Tanya and Max got everything ready for the afternoon. Joey read the book to her, stumbling every now and again over some of the words but daddy was nearby to help them both._

_Tanya had smiled as she saw the way Lauren was looking at her brother and she didn't think her life could get any more perfect when she saw how Joey had put his arm around Lauren's shoulders, pulling her against his body as he pointed out the animals. _

_At lunch time mummy had produced the cake, complete with the lit candle on a plate and they had sung Happy Birthday to the slightly excited toddler. Joey and Lauren had blown then blown the candle out. Okay, it was mainly Joey because Lauren wasn't really sure of what she was supposed to be doing but she managed to purse her lips and blow out a little puff of air as she copied her brother. Mummy cut three slices out of the cake and the siblings shared their slice. _

_After their lunch and Lauren having a brief nap, the rest of the day had been spent at the beach. It had been a lovely day and it had proved once again how much Joey loved his baby sister... and how much she loved him._

*JL*JL*

Tanya wiped away a tear as she remembered that day but there was another memory from those first couple of years that had stuck with her over the years.

*JL*JL*

_Joey walked into the house after getting home from pre-school. He held the door open for Tanya as she manoeuvred the buggy with Lauren in it into the house. Joey took off his coat and shoes as his mummy undid the straps of the buggy and lifted Lauren out. Joey then helped LoLo take her coat and shoes off while mummy sorted herself out. _

_Mummy went into the kitchen to get them all a drink and start on the evening meal. Joey went into the lounge, Lauren trailing closely behind him. She sat beside Joey on the couch, leaning against him as they sat and watched cartoons. She was sucking her thumb and hugging her bear tightly in the crook of her arm as they both watched a Tiny Toons Adventures cartoon._

"_Do you want to watch anyfing else, LoLo?" he asked her as the credits rolled. Lauren shook her head. "What do you want to do now then?" he asked. He did this often with her. He would ask her questions in the vague hope that one day she would say something. It was yet to happen though. Lauren seemed quite content to remain silent, staring up at her brother with her big brown eyes. She pointed at their toys that were stored in the bay window of the room. She slid down from the sofa and toddled over to the pile of toys, her thumb well and truly stuck in her mouth. She lifted up one of Joey's cars and held it in the air, turning to face him and smiling around her thumb. "You want to pay wif my cars?" he asked. She nodded her head, bending down and putting the car on the floor. She picked a few of Joey's cars out of the toy box and put them on the floor. Joey moved to sit with her, pulling the garage Uncle Jack had bought him when Lauren was first born over towards them. "Which cars do you want to dwive, LoLo?" he asked her softly. She pointed at one of the red cars and a green one, knowing that the red cars were Joey's favourites. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide as they met his and he couldn't say no to her. "Okay, you can pay wif dose ones..." he told her. Lauren clapped her hands together three times, a cheeky grin on her face before starting to push the red car across the floor. Her bear was forgotten as she drove the car up the ramp of the garage and onto the roof. Her thumb had slipped out of her mouth and Joey could see the concentration on her face. It took him a couple of minutes to realise she was making a soft humming noise as she drove the car. This was new for his sister. "LoLo, can you say my name?" he asked her, his cars forgotten as he got excited about her maybe being able to talk. She looked at him and shook her head, a wide smile on her face as her hair bounced around her head. "Can you try?" Joey asked. "Can you say Joey?" he prodded. Lauren blew a raspberry at him, giggling as she saw the frustration on his face. "No, LoLo... JO...EY..." he said, slower this time. Another giggle slipped from her mouth and she turned back to the red car._

_Tanya walked into the room and stood in the doorway as she watched Joey and Lauren playing together. "Here's your drink, Joey..." she said, giving him his beaker of squash. "And your bottle, Lauren..." she added, passing the bottle of juice to her daughter. Lauren was still partially concentrating on the cars though and the bottle slipped, "Use both hands, darling," mummy reminded her. Lauren sat on the floor, relinquishing the car and held the bottle in both her hands as she drank from it, staring at Joey._

"_Can you say mummy, LoLo?" Joey asked her, still not tired of this game. Lauren just looked at him as she continued to drink from her bottle. "How bout daddy?" he asked._

"_She'll do it in her own time, Joey, sweetheart..." Tanya said, sitting down in the armchair._

"_But mummy..." Joey whined._

"_Don't push her, darling." Tanya said softly._

_Silence fell over the room as the two children drank their drinks. "Joey..." Joey said again, unable to give up the faint hope that she would speak. Still silence. Lauren put down her bottle and turned back to the car, again humming as she pushed the car around the top of the garage. Joey sat watching her for a couple of minutes before starting to play with the other cars. "Joey..." he whispered to her, hearing her giggle at him saying his name. "Come on LoLo... say it... say my name..." he pleaded with her._

_She paused and looked at him, shaking her head. She blew a raspberry as she pushed the car across the garage and down the ramp. Joey was silent for a while after that, a little bit of him sulking that she wouldn't do what he wanted to her to do._

"_JoJo..."_

_Joey barely heard it at first... it was several seconds before he realised what she'd just said. "What did you say, LoLo?" he asked her softly._

_She looked at him, her face reddening as she saw him staring at her. "JoJo..." she whispered._

"_Jo...ey..." he said._

"_JoJo..." she said with a shake of her head._

"_Joey that might be as close as she can get for the time being." Tanya said, "and anyway, you call her LoLo... JoJo seems a fair attempt at your name..."_

"_But my name is Joey." He said sorrowfully._

"_JOJO!" Lauren shouted, a beaming smile on her face. She pushed herself to her feet and stared at her brother. She walked over to him, managing to avoid treading on any cars – mainly because Joey shoved a couple of them out of the way. She stood beside him and held her arms out towards him, "JoJo..." she repeated, her arms wound round his neck and she hugged him tightly. "JoJo..." she whispered. Joey smiled... his smile growing each time she repeated his name. Suddenly he didn't care that she wasn't saying his name completely right. It felt pretty amazing for his name to be the first word she'd spoken. Lauren pulled away from him and then placed a sloppy wet kiss on his cheek, "JoJo!" she proclaimed with a huge grin at him._

_Joey nodded, "JoJo... and LoLo..." he told her._

*JL*JL*

Tanya smiled, realising she should've known then that it was always going to be JoJo and LoLo against the rest of the world. She looked at the couple again and her heart sank when the thought of JoJo being removed from that equation was just a little too close for comfort.

Lauren's head was lying on the pillow, next to his and Tanya could see that she was whispering softly to him. Words just between the two of them. One of her hands was tightly gripping his, their fingers interlaced, while her other hand was brushing through his hair.

**A/N: Baby JoJo and LoLo are back and being cute together... Hope that makes up for the dire circumstances Joey is in... Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64.**

The seconds... minutes... hours... passed slowly and there was little change in Joey. It was difficult for the family to convince Lauren to leave his side but they did manage it a few times. On one of these occasions Jim went in to see his grandson. "My little soldier... what are you doing to us, eh?" he said softly, staring at the boy who meant so much to the whole family. Joey and Lauren were his closest grandchildren and he knew his wife felt much the same. He remembered the time when they'd looked after the two of them for the first time after Lauren was born.

*JL*JL*

_Max was taking Tanya out for the day. It was their anniversary and it would be the first time they'd left both of the children for more than an hour or two. Tanya wasn't sure about it but Joey and Lauren would be spending the day with their Grandma and Granddad and they were excited about this. Both Jim and Dot had insisted they were more than capable of looking after two young children. Tanya gathered all of the things the grandparents would need. She put Lauren in her pushchair and then turned her attention to Joey. He was standing patiently beside her and she helped him do up his coat. "Do you have your cars with you, Joey?" she asked him softly._

"_Yes, mummy..."_

_Tanya turned back to the pushchair, tucking a blanket around Lauren's legs. "Where's Lauren's bear?" she asked as she searched for it._

"_He's in my backpack wif Bear and my cars, mummy," Joey said._

_Tanya smiled at him, "What would I do without you, eh?" She said, ruffling his hair._

"_Mummy!" he said, pushing her hand away from him and running his fingers through his hair, smoothing it back in place._

"_Come on then. Let's get you over to Grandma and Granddad's so I can come home and get ready for my day out with daddy."_

"_Where's daddy?" Joey asked._

"_Max!" Tanya called and Max appeared at the top of the stairs and jogged down to where they all stood. Joey held his arms in the air and Max crouched down and hugged him. _

"_Bye daddy..." Joey whispered._

"_Bye little man..." Max said, squeezing his son tightly. "Have fun with Grandma and Granddad. And look after Lauren."_

"_I'll always look afer LoLo, daddy," he said and Max knew that was true._

_*JL*JL*_

_Joey and Lauren had been at their grandparents for a while. Grandma walked in, "Would you like something to drink, Joey?" she asked him._

"_Yes pease, Gandma..." Joey replied. "Where's Ganddad?"_

"_He's just out with his friend, Mr Trueman... he'll be back soon."_

"_Okay, Gandma..." He turned back to playing with his cars but Dot could see his shoulders had slumped a little._

"_Would you like to help me in the kitchen, Joey?" she asked._

"_Can we make cakes?" he asked._

"_How about we make a cake for mummy and daddy?" Dot suggested. "For their wedding anniversary. It could be a present from you and Lauren."_

"_Can LoLo come wif us?"_

"_Of course she can." Dot walked over and picked Lauren up from the floor. She held a hand out towards Joey and he took it, the three of them walking into the kitchen. Dot put Lauren into her highchair that Max had brought over just before they left and fastened her into it. Dot lifted Joey onto one of the chairs and then she began to get out the ingredients they needed. Joey watched as she weighed them and put them in the bowl. She looked at him and smiled at him, "Would you like to stir the bowl?" she asked._

"_Can I's, Gandma?" he asked, pleased to be able to help her._

"_Of course you can..." Dot moved the bowl over to him, "Why don't you kneel on that chair and then you'll be able to mix the ingredients for me. You need to do it carefully though or the flour will go all over the place."_

"_Okay, Gandma." Joey did as she said and started to stir the cake mixture with the wooden spoon. Dot smiled when she saw his tongue was poking out of corner of his mouth as he concentrated on his task. After a couple of minutes all the ingredients were combined._

"_Well done, Joey." She said. "Now we need to pour the mixture into these cake tins and put it in the oven."_

"_You best do that bit, Gandma... in case I's spill it."_

"_Good thinking, Joey." Dot took the bowl from him and poured the mixture evenly between the two cake tins. Once the tins were both full she passed the spoon and bowl back to Joey, "I think you deserve to lick the bowl out, Joey."_

"_Weally?" he gasped. _

"_Yes."_

"_Do you haf anuva poon, Gandma?" he asked._

"_What for?" Dot asked as she put the cakes into the oven._

"_Then LoLo can haf some too..." he explained._

_She opened a drawer and pulled out a plastic teaspoon, "Here you go... but not too much. It might make her sick."_

_Joey took the spoon from her and put a small amount of the cake mixture on it. He then held it out towards his sister, "Here's you go, LoLo..." he said, "Some of the mixtor..." he told her. Lauren took the spoon from him and put it in her mouth – although most of it ended up all over her face. Joey giggled and Lauren smiled at him, pleased to make her brother laugh._

_Joey scraped all of the cake batter out of the bowl and by the time he was done the cakes were ready to come out of the oven. Joey and Lauren watched as Gandma put two wire racks on the table and then carefully pulled the cake tins out of the oven, using some oven gloves. "Now don't touch, Joey... or you'll burn your fingers." She warned him as he leant a little closer to look at the cake._

"_Mummy and daddy are going to weally love it, Gandma..." Joey said._

_*JL*JL*_

_An hour later the cakes had cooled and Dot put one of them on a plate. "What jam do you think we should use?" She asked Joey._

"_Stawby... it's daddy's favrite." He replied quickly._

"_Strawberry it is then." Dot spread the jam on the bottom layer of cake. She then made some buttercream icing and spread it on the cake. She placed the top layer back on the bottom half._

"_Wow, that looks weally good, Gandma..."_

"_It does, doesn't it?" She said. "How do you want to decorate it?"_

"_Choklate buttons?" he said._

_Dot smiled, knowing Joey was particularly fond of chocolate buttons. "I think we can manage that." The next ten minutes were spent with Dot making some icing to go on the top of the cake and then she let Joey place some chocolate buttons (that she always kept handy for when Joey came over) onto the icing on the cake. He ate a few himself and she even saw him give a couple to his sister... but only a couple as he didn't want LoLo to be sick._

_Just as they were finishing the front door opened and Jim walking into the house. "Hey, little soldier, what are you doing, eh?"_

"_Gandma and I haf been making a cake for mummy and daddy..."_

"_Well, that looks like a really good cake." Jim declared as he stepped closer to his wife, kissing her cheek softly. "Mummy and daddy will surely love it..."_

_*JL*JL*_

_Jim was sitting in the lounge with Joey and Lauren. Lauren was sat on his lap and Joey was making animal noises and making her giggle as he knelt beside the chair. Every now and again he would hide from her sight and Lauren would look around, wondering where he had gone. Then Joey would pop out from behind the chair, making her jump and then she would laugh hysterically, which in turn made Joey giggle. Eventually though both children's energy started to fade. "Time for you both to have a nap, I think..." Granddad said softly, lifting a dozing Lauren in his arms and placing her on the couch. He made sure her bear was in her arms. He turned to his grandson who was mid-yawn, "Come on, Joey..." he said, bending down to lift him up too._

"_But Ganddad... I's too old for naps..." he protested, but it was half hearted._

"_You're already halfway there, little soldier..." he said, putting him on the couch beside his sister. Bear was put in his arms just as his eyes fought to stay open and lost the battle one last time. He shuffled closer to Lauren, putting an arm around her waist as he softly started to snore._

_*JL*JL*_

_Tanya and Max walked up to the door of Max's dad's house and knocked on it softly. Dot answered it and ushered them both into the lounge. "Where are the kids?" Max asked._

_Dot pointed to the sofa and they both stepped closer, peering over the top and seeing Joey and Lauren asleep, lying side by side, bears in both their arms. "We thought they would wear you out, not the other way round." Tanya admitted. "We were worried what we'd find when we got back."_

"_Us oldies are made of sterner stuff than that, Tanya..." Jim teased her. "You should wake Joey... he's got a surprise that he made with his Grandma..." he told her. Dot left the room heading for the kitchen._

_Tanya walked around to the front of the couch and gently shook Joey, "Wakey, wakey, darling."_

_Joey opened his eyes slowly, "Mummy..." he said, smiling at her._

"_Did you have a nice day with Grandma and Granddad?" she asked._

"_Yes... LoLo and I's helped Gandma make you and daddy a cake."_

"_You did?"_

"_Uh huh and I helped to cook it with the poon and me and LoLo licked the bowl out afer, but not too much for LoLo in case she got sick and I put the choklate buttons on top of it too..."_

"_Wow... that sounds great, sweetheart."_

_Dot walked back into the room, carrying the plate with the cake on it. Joey sat up on the couch and softly shook his sister, "LoLo, mummy and daddy are back and we've got to gif them the cake we made." She looked at him in confusion but then sat up and looked at her mummy._

"_This is lovely, you two..." Tanya said, tears building in her eyes as she saw the apprehension on Joey's face. She bent forward and kissed his forehead tenderly, repeating her action on Lauren's face too. "I think it must be time for cake then..." she said._

*JL*JL*

Jim looked at his grandson, "You need to wake up, Joey... Lauren's really struggling with this. Your mum and dad are too but your LoLo... she's devastated by what's happened to you."

**A/N: Another cute flashback to take the sting off the sadness of the rest of the chapter... I hope. Let me know what you think. I'm going to set you a challenge... 15 reviews for this chapter before I post the next one... (and it's an important chapter tomorrow). Back tomorrow...**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65.**

The door to the room opened and the family looked up, Max, Tanya and Jack surprised to see a face reappear from the past. "Can I have a word?" he said, looking at Max. Max stood and walked out of the room. The family sat in tense silence until about fifteen minutes later when Max reappeared. He was clearly upset.

"What's wrong?" Tanya whispered, "Is it about Joey?" she whispered.

"Kind of..." he said, sitting back beside her and taking her in his arms, hugging her tightly as he composed himself enough to tell them. "DCI... I mean, DCS Davis thinks that Derek was behind Joey's stabbing..."

"Why? A revenge attack for Joey giving evidence against him is a bit late?" Tanya said.

"No... they think it was so that Derek would..." Max stopped speaking as he tried to collect his thoughts, "The prison arranged for him to be brought down here to see his son... who's so sick in hospital..."

"He's coming to see him... here?" Tanya gasped.

"How did he find out Joey was in hospital?" Jack asked.

Carol quickly picked up her handbag and pulled out her mobile phone, calling Bianca. It was easy to hear from Carol's side of the conversation what was going on but once she'd hung up, she confirmed it, "Bianca spoke to him yesterday... she told him." She said softly, shame written all over her face, "I'm so sorry, Max. I didn't realise..."

"When is he going to get here?" Tanya asked.

"He isn't..." Max told her, almost looking relieved at what he'd said.

"But you just said...?"

"He's escaped..." He told them. There was silence in the room for several seconds as Max let them absorb that information. "The police think he arranged for Joey to be stabbed so he could apply for them to sort out him being brought here and he then arranged for someone to help him escape."

"Do they think he's going to try and get Joey again?" Tanya asked.

"No... he'd be an idiot to come here. The police are searching for him now." Max told her, "DCS Davis is going to post some extra officers here, round the clock... just to be safe... but he doesn't think Derek would be stupid enough to come here, not after all his planning to escape." Max looked at his dad, seeing the barely contained fury on his face. "Dad?"

"Jim... calm down..." Dot told him softly.

"I just need some air..." Jim muttered, walking as quickly as a man his age could to get out of the room.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked out of intensive care, the nurses needing to do some checks on Joey and change his IV and sheets. She'd been quite happy to stay but given they thought of her as his sister... she decided it was probably a little inappropriate to want to help with the bed bath they were about to give him. She was trying very hard not to get jealous about the fact they were about to do that but the only thing keeping her calm was that it was their job and she was pretty sure they were professional enough to not molest a comatose patient. She hoped.

She frowned as she walked out of the room, seeing two police officers outside the room. She hadn't thought they would still be there. There had been an officer there the day before, just after Joey had been stabbed but he'd left yesterday morning when he'd taken her and her parents home. The hospital was going to increase their security presence to ensure no one could get to Joey.

She headed in the direction of the room the family were gathered in and was again stunned to see two more police officers outside the room. They stopped her from entering the room and after telling them who she was, one of the officers opened the door to check with her dad. She was eventually let into the room. "Dad, what's going on?" she asked. Five minutes later he had told her and she felt sick. How could someone do that to their own son? Just so they could escape prison... and to think Joey had felt guilty for getting Derek's parole kyboshed...

*JL*JL*

They woke up in a sweat, breathing quickly, staring around the pitch black room, searching for ghosts that weren't really there. They hadn't considered the consequences of their actions when they'd agreed to the job... not that there was any real chance of them turning it down. The consequences of making that choice had been made very clear to them.

They'd thought it would be simple. They'd thought they wouldn't feel guilty... but they did. They hadn't felt as bad about anything in their whole life.

They'd been working for Derek for years... since just after he'd been sent to prison. They'd received a visit from one of his friend's who'd encouraged them to do as Derek told them to. Again they hadn't really had any choice in the matter. So they'd been watching Joey. Seeing him grow from the small boy he was initially to the young man he'd become. Watching him for Derek... and reporting back, via a third party so Derek knew everything about his son.

They'd started receiving the cards for Joey from Derek a couple of years after he'd gone to prison. How Derek managed to get them out of the prison without the scrutiny normal prison mail went through was a mystery but he did. Three times a year the mystery brown envelope would come in the post for them. They would open it and then on the appropriate morning they would put the envelope inside through the door of 5 Albert Square... ensuring they hadn't been seen in the process. They had no idea what was in the cards... they just knew they had a job to do... they had to deliver them.

Then last week they'd received a call from a friend of Derek's and the plan was put into action. It hadn't been difficult; it had been surprisingly easy. Joey followed the same routine every year. All they had to do was wait for him at the tube station as he made his way back from the cemetery. They'd stood at the back of the platform, hidden from view by the heavy throng of commuters and last minute Christmas shoppers. They'd been watching for Joey, seeing him standing tall above the people around him. They'd kept their head lowered, face out of sight as they'd made their way through the crowd. The timing had been perfect as the number of people on the platform had swelled due to the soon approaching tube. They'd kept the knife hidden, only lifting their hand once they were within a few feet of Joey. They hadn't expected it to enter his body as easily as it had and maybe they'd pushed it a bit too far, they weren't sure. They kept the knife on them afterwards, hiding it back inside their jacket as they strolled out of the station once more. It was then just a case of walking to the next tube station and catching a train back to Walford.

It really had been that simple and yet, it was now so difficult to live with. They hated themselves. They hated what they'd done; what they'd been forced to do. They wanted to turn themselves in but they weren't sure if they were strong enough to do that. They glanced at the time, seeing it was nearly one in the morning. There was only one person who could help them with this. They would know what to do...

Decision made they made their way out of their room and found the person they were looking for in the lounge. Taking a deep breath, they whispered his name, "Alfie..."

**A/N: So Derek has escaped... and you've just been given a huge clue as to the stabber. Let me know what you think. So there's another big chapter next time... if we can get to 15 reviews tonight, I'll post it today (you have till 11pm), if not I'll be back tomorrow...**


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 66.**

There seemed to be no change in Joey's condition for ages and Lauren was fast starting to lose hope of him getting better. The police presence was still there and DCS Davis had been back a couple of times to speak to her dad. Lauren was standing outside Joey's room waiting to go back in when Uncle Grant walked up, Bear and Missy in her arms. "Hey kiddo..." he said softly.

Lauren looked at him and saw the strain around his eyes. She knew that Joey and Grant were close and as him and Sharon had never been able to have children, Joey was as close to a son as Grant was going to get. "Hi, Uncle Grant..." she whispered sadly.

He hugged her loosely, "How's our boy doing?"

She shrugged, her eyes fixed on the boy inside the room, "There hasn't been any change. He's still on a ventilator and life support. The antibiotics don't seem to be having much of an impact against the infection." She glanced up at Grant, "I don't know..." she whispered. "I'm never going to stop hoping he'll get better though..."

The nurses inside the room started to move quickly around the bed and Lauren watched in horror as one of them slammed their hand on the bright red button on the wall and then people were running towards the room. Grant's hold on her tightened as they both watched Joey's doctor race into the room and start barking orders to the staff around him. "Let's go and wait with the rest of your family, Lauren." He said softly.

"No..." she said, her eyes locked on Joey as his body started to thrash on the bed.

"Come on, Lauren... you don't need to see this..."

"I'm not leaving him..." she whispered, pulling out of his arms and stepping towards the door, her face peering through the window. Grant stood silently behind her, realising he wasn't going to win that argument but refusing to leave her on her own. He knew he should go and let Max or Tanya know but didn't want to leave Lauren by herself. He pulled out his mobile phone and dialled Max's number, telling him in a hushed tone what was happening and that he was with Lauren.

A couple of minutes later Max and Tanya ran up. This coincided with the sound of a shrill single beep in the ward. Grant couldn't look away from Lauren as she practically crumbled before them, tears were pouring down her face as she watched the medical team try to revive Joey, her heart racing in her chest as she thought the worst...

None of those gathered would be able to say how much time passed as they watched them try to resuscitate Joey. It felt like an eon but was probably less than a minute. The three Branning's and one Mitchell visibly relaxed as the doctor turned and headed towards them. Grant put his arm around Lauren and hugged her again as her dad tried to comfort her mum.

"As you've seen Joey's condition is worsening. He's not responding to the antibiotics as well as I would've liked." He looked at each of them individually, "We've stabilised him for now but I can't say for certain how long that is going to last for." He told them softly. "I wish I could give you better news but I'm afraid there is a very big chance that we're not going to be able to save him. I think you and your family should prepare yourselves for the worst."

"NO!" Lauren said, "He's not going to die..." she told him. "He's going to get through this... He's not leaving us..." She collapsed against Grant, "He's not leaving me... he can't... he promised..." she whispered.

Her parents moved to her and took her in their arms, trying to comfort her as best they could. All three were devastated by what the doctor had told them though and Grant slipped away, finding the rest of the family in the waiting room and telling them what the doctor had just said.

*JL*JL*

The doctor let all three members of the family sit with Joey, giving them some time with their loved one. Lauren was hugging Missybear and Bear tightly and she couldn't stop crying. She was surprised she had any tears left she'd cried so much in the last few days. She was sitting on the opposite side of the bed from her parents, her hand gripping his hand that lay closest to her. She lifted it and pressed her face against the back of his hand, feeling the heat from his body. His hand was so much bigger than hers; it practically dwarfed it. She wished she could lie with him and have his arms around her. She hated the thought of him fading away. She hated the thought of him not being around anymore. More tears fell because the likelihood of that happening was increasing with each passing minute.

She watched him, not wanting to waste one second of whatever time was left by not looking at him. It seemed wrong, him lying in the bed like this. He was such an active person and always had been.

*JL*JL*

_Lauren sat at the side of the field, like she had every weekend she'd been able to since they'd both been small children. She smiled as Joey once again got passed the ball and he made a dash several yards down the pitch. She held her breath as he headed towards the goal, wanting to close her eyes as she saw two boys heading towards him, both wanting to tackle him and stop him from scoring. She hated it every time this happened, scared he was going to get hurt in the process but she had to watch. He rarely lost these showdowns, usually coming off better as he'd dodge past them with practised ease. Come rain or shine Lauren always made it to a match if she could. She was fairly sure Joey liked her being there... she was his own personal cheerleader at the matches, always clapping and shouting wildly when he scored a goal, which was often. When she would cheer he would look at her with something akin to embarrassment on his face, his face flushing as she bounced on the sidelines. He was Walford under-21's top scorer and he had been for the last few years in any of the leagues the team was in. He was their captain and was more often than not made man of the match and last year he had won the player of the year for their league._

_Their matches usually had a big draw of people watching it, girls from Joey's school or college would often attend, Stacey was usually there... but Joey was only ever interested in one person's opinion of the game... well, two if you counted Uncle Grant. His main concern was what Lauren thought. He got a thrill from Lauren watching him play which was fantastic because Lauren loved watching him just as much. She always had done. She was only about two years old when her mum and dad had taken her in her pushchair to one of Joey's first matches. Uncle Grant had started the team the summer before Joey's fifth birthday and JoJo had been so keen to start playing, loving the fact he would get to spend more time with his uncle. And he had a natural talent for football. Tyler and Arthur were in the team with Joey too... along with some other boys from their school but it was Joey who had the most flair for the sport._

_When JoJo was five, Lauren could remember how excited he had been the first time he'd received his official football kit after making the squad and being put in the team for a match. He had put on the kit as soon as he came home from training and had only taken it off after much begging from mummy so she could wash it before his match. He had looked so proud as he stood on the pitch before the game started and he'd smiled at Lauren and waved his hand at her, a cheeky grin on his face. Lauren had watched, transfixed as the game began and it had been much the same ever since._

_She would still watch him play, the excitement building inside as he took control of the game, urging on the rest of the team when they needed motivating and barking out instructions as often as Uncle Grant did. She barely even paid attention to any of the other players now; her eyes were just focused on Joey. The older she got the more hypnotic the sight of him playing had become. She loved seeing the strength he possessed and the speed he used as he dodged easily through the players around him. She was fifteen years old and although she didn't really like the game itself, she couldn't stop herself from going to his matches. She loved that they got to spend time together. She would walk with him to the match and he would tell her about the players on the other team and the tactics they were planning on using. Lauren knew he was just talking it through and clearing it up in his own mind but she liked that he was including her in on it, even if most of it didn't make sense. After the match, if they'd won – which they usually had – Joey would be buzzing, especially if he'd played well and scored goals. Usually then he would take her to the cafe on the way home and they'd have a cake which they'd share. It was the highlight of Lauren's weekend, if she was being honest with herself. Quality time with JoJo._

*JL*JL*

Max and Tanya had left the room, unable to persuade Lauren to go with them; she wouldn't leave Joey on his own. Both of them were getting worried about how she would handle it when Joey was gone so they went to speak to Jim, Dot, Jack and Grant about it after leaving the room. Dot and Jack were therefore included in the small number of people who knew about the relationship between the couple. Dot had initially been very opposed to it but Jim reached for her hand and squeezed it, causing her to look at him. Once she looked into his eyes she went quiet and after a couple of minutes all opposition was gone. Max and Tanya didn't know what it was that transpired and changed her mind but they were glad she was now with them.

"How serious is it?" Jack asked.

"Very..." Grant said, glancing at Max and Tanya and seeing the surprise on their face. They obviously hadn't realised he knew. "Joey spoke to me about it before it started." He told them. "He was confused about his feelings and worried."

"Worried?" Max asked.

"That you would throw him out if they told you that they liked each other..." he told them. "That you would hate him."

"Why would he think that?" Tanya asked.

"Because there's still a part of him that can't accept he's your son... and he gets worried that one day you're going to change your mind about being his parents," Jim told them.

"Why has he never told us any of this?" Tanya asked.

"He doesn't want to upset you." Grant told them. Grant glanced at Joey's parents, "He's afraid of being left on his own..."

"We would never do that..." Max said.

"I know... and deep inside he does too... but every now and again he gets a little insecure." Grant explained.

"How long has it been going on?" Jack asked, looking at Grant for the answer rather than their parents.

"He spoke to me about it in May, I guess it was... Lauren kissed him and he panicked and ran from the house. I found him beating the crap out of a punching bag at the gym and he eventually opened up to me about it." Grant admitted, "I told him he should speak to Lauren, find out what the kiss meant and then if it was what he thought it was, they should speak to you both about it; and that he had nothing to worry about but I'm guessing they didn't do that...?"

"No... we found out when we were here on Christmas Day." Tanya whispered. "Lauren told us..."

"So how do we help Lauren deal with this... when it happens?" Max asked the assembled family softly.

"He's going to be okay..." Jim said firmly.

"That's not what the doctor said, dad." Max reminded him. "We need to prepare ourselves for it happening. I don't want to... it will kill me if it does but we need to do this."

"Lauren will never accept he isn't going to make it," Jim said softly.

"I know dad... but what can we do?" Max replied.

**A/N: Well I said it was a big chapter... I never said there would be any resolution... or that it was a "good" chapter. Who do you think is right? The doctor or Lauren? I'm sure I can guess which one you're hoping it will be... Of course the next chapter will equal the most number of chapters I've written in a story... and while I've told you it's more chapters... I haven't said how many more, have I? So who knows what's going to happen... Will this story have a happy or a sad ending? Anyway, send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


	67. Chapter 67

**Well I'm still reeling from tonight's show... I mean... WTF! Anyway...**

**Chapter 67.**

Lauren rested her head on Joey's chest, "Come on, JoJo..." she whispered. "Fight for this... fight for us... for me..." she begged him, not for the first time since she'd arrived at the hospital. She closed her eyes and tried to push the tears away, tired of only crying for the last couple of days. She was exhausted and she wished so badly that she was lying on the couch with Joey, both of them watching soppy Christmas movies and throwing popcorn at each other. She could remember last year so vividly.

*JL*JL*

_Joey was lying on the sofa watching a football match on the TV. It was 28__th__ December and both their mum and dad were at work, busy with the Christmas period. Lauren walked into the lounge, sitting on Joey's stomach as she sat on the couch. "This is boring, JoJo..." she whined._

"_Get off, Lo..." he moaned, pushing her weakly and ineffectively off him._

"_Entertain me..." she pleaded, sticking her bottom lip out and looking at him with puppy dog eyes. It was a look she'd perfected over the years and it worked just as well this time as it had every other time she'd used it._

"_Fine... what do you want to do?" He asked, turning his attention to her rather than the match, "We could go for a walk..." he suggested._

"_It's cold and raining... can't we just watch movies."_

_He stared at her, eventually sighing, "Fine... you find us something to watch and shift your arse so I can get up and I'll make us some popcorn..."_

_She smiled at him and stood up, finding the TV guide and then looking at the choice of what there was to watch. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned about ten minutes later with a huge bowl of toffee popcorn. They sat at opposite ends of the couch, the popcorn sitting in the space between them. They were on their second film that was admittedly probably a bit of a chick flick when a piece of popcorn whizzed through the air and landed in Lauren's hair. She looked at Joey quickly, "JOJO!" she said, pulling the sticky kernel from her hair. He just smirked at her and threw another piece. This time it hit her on her cheek and she swatted it away. She scowled at him and his smirk just grew. Another piece was aimed and with the precision of a sniper marksman it landed down the front of her top. "Stop it, JoJo..."_

"_Shot! And nope..." he chuckled, throwing three more pieces in quick succession._

_Two can play that game Lauren decided and she grabbed a handful, throwing it all wildly at Joey, most of it missing its mark by a mile. He laughed loudly and then popcorn wars started. Each of them was throwing it at the other, Joey's aim being much better than his sister's. Fed up of not being very successful, Lauren picked up the bowl and launched herself at him, tipping it over his head, covering both of them with what was left in the bowl. They were both laughing loudly at first but then the atmosphere between them changed to something unidentifiable. Lauren was sitting on his lap and staring at him and every part of her heart was telling her to lean forward and kiss him but her brain was telling her it was wrong and he would laugh at her and make her feel stupid. She had no way of knowing what he was thinking but he seemed as caught in his own thoughts as she was hers._

_Then their dad arrived home for lunch and he shouted at them both for creating such a mess. He'd slammed back out of the house, heading for the Vic to get his lunch with a veiled threat that the house had better be tidy when he and mum got home that evening._

_There was tension between Joey and Lauren as they cleared up the popcorn that was littering the room; both of them would deny it was there and it was probably only reasonably clear to see if you looked back at it later but that was the moment when Lauren's feelings for Joey had changed. _

_Once everything was tidy again Lauren slipped back up to her bedroom and she lay on her bed, thinking back through what happened. It had started with what felt like butterflies in her stomach as she thought about how she felt as she sat on his lap and stared into his eyes. She'd never felt that way about someone before and initially she'd thought it was because he was her 'brother' but then why would she want to kiss him, if that was the case? She tried to imagine what kissing him would be like (not doing a very good job incidentally) and she got that butterfly feeling again._

_It was two days before she was able to put a name to these feelings... and it knocked her for six. She was in love with him. She loved JoJo._

*JL*JL*

Lauren opened her eyes, looking at the machines around them quickly and seeing that he was still there. She couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep... the sound of his heart beat lulling her to sleep like it usually did. She sat up, moaning softly as her whole body protested the movement. At this rate she was going to end up in hospital too. She got to her feet, stretching her arms and legs and trying to remind her body what it felt like to have blood flowing through it again. The room was fairly dark and she wondered why she was still on her own with Joey... although she was grateful she was. She moved to stand near his head and leant on the bed, rising on her tiptoes so she could put her hands either side of his shoulders. "Come on Joey..." she whispered. "Open those eyes for me... please," She stared at his face, wishing with all her might that he would just do as he said. Then his eyes opened and she gasped, "Joey?" She saw the building panic in his eyes and she lifted her hand and brushed her fingers through his hair, "It's okay, JoJo..." she reassured him, "Calm down, please..." She hit the button on the wall calling for attention from the nurses and soon the door was opening. "He's awake..." she said, tears once more running down her face.

"I'll get the doctor..." the nurse said before turning and leaving the ward.

"Well done, JoJo..." she said softly, kissing his forehead tenderly. He lifted a hand and tried to pull the tube for the ventilator out of his mouth, her hand covered his and she shook her head, "Wait, JoJo... let's wait for the doctor to check you out first, okay?" she told him. His eyes searched her face, panic deep within them. "You're going to be okay now, Joey... I know it." She whispered, bending her mouth down to his ear. "I love you, JoJo..." she told him, needing to ensure he knew how she felt, just in case she didn't get the chance again. "I'm going to look after you when we get home... take care of your every need..." she said softly into his ear.

The doctor walked into the room and he started to check the readings on the machines. "You should go and tell your parents..." he said to Lauren softly.

"But..."

"While you're gone, I'll see about taking the breathing tube out..." he said to try and placate her.

She stepped closer to Joey, "I'm going to go and see mum and dad and everyone, JoJo." She whispered, kissing his forehead again, "Don't go anywhere..." she told him with a smile as she stood up.

*JL*JL*

Lauren left the ward feeling like she was walking on air. She practically floated down the corridor and opened the door, "He's awake!" she told them giddily, bouncing slightly before them.

"What?" Her mum and dad said.

"He woke up!" she squealed. Her mum rushed forward and hugged her tightly. "Come on, mum! Dad!" She said impatiently, pulling away from her mum. She saw the wide smiles on their faces as they followed after her, back towards the ward.

**A/N: Well that's fabulous news, isn't it? Do you trust me to give them their happy ever after? Is that the end of the story? Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow... or do you want another short chapter tonight? And it's the shortest chapter of the story...  
**


	68. Chapter 68

**I'll reply to all reviews tomorrow... My bed is calling... but before I go... here it is... the BIG REVEAL! Enjoy!**

**Chapter 68.**

"What did you think you were doing?" Alfie hissed.

"I wasn't given any choice, Alfie..." he whispered.

"You could've spoken to me! I'm your brother, Spencer. You've been helping that abomination for the past fifteen years!" He shouted. "Why, Spence?"

"He threatened Nana... and you, Alfie." He whispered, shame written across his face. "I didn't know what to do..."

"You come and talk to me. Or you talk to Michael... Derek doesn't scare him..."

"I didn't want you to get hurt, Alfie. Or Kat and Nana. I love you all..."

"And what about Joey, eh? What did he do to deserve all this?"

"I know..." Spencer whispered.

"You stabbed him, Spence... he's lying in hospital, fighting for his life. What about Max and Tanya? Lauren? What about what you've done to them?"

"What happens now then?"

"We go to the police and tell them what you did... and ask for their help..." Alfie told him seriously. Spencer looked at his brother and, not for the first time today, he wished he could go back in time and change everything that had happened.

**A/N: So did you guess it was Spencer? There were several people it could've been... I had one person mention it in passing... So we're past the length of my previous stories... so here is the big news... there 100 chapters in this story! Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	69. Chapter 69

**Chapter 69.**

Joey was lying in his bed, trying not to be bored. He'd been home from hospital just over a week now, having spent three weeks in hospital but was unable to really do anything because of his back. And he was still recovering from the infection anyway. He became easily tired and moving around was difficult and uncomfortable. He could just about manage the short walk to the bathroom unassisted but that was about it and that tended to completely knock him out afterwards. It had taken him an age to convince his parents to go back to work and stop molly-coddling him. Granted one of them came back around one o'clock to get him his lunch but other than that he was on his own.

Uncle Grant had set up a TV in his room and his dad had moved the DVD player up there so he had plenty to keep him occupied during the day but to be honest, all he wanted to do was sleep.

*JL*JL*

Joey groaned as he heard the front door open and close. He hoped it wasn't his mum or dad... they were starting to do his head in and that just made him feel bad because he knew he'd worried them a great deal since Christmas. He relaxed slightly when he recognised the sound of the footsteps as those of LoLo but she walked right past his room and through into her own. She didn't even call out a 'hello' as she went by.

If there was one person he was missing, it was LoLo. She wasn't coming into his room at night now because she wanted him to get better quicker but he was missing her so much. Usually she spent time with him when she got home from school though which helped compensate a little bit. He sighed as he realised he wasn't going to get any company this afternoon. Maybe she had a lot of homework to do.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Sleep was his friend and it came easily to him.

*JL*JL*

Joey opened his eyes and he knew instantly that he wasn't alone. He could smell her near him... she smelt amazing and it made him miss their closeness even more. He pushed himself upright, groaning in pain as he shuffled to the edge of the bed. "Do you want a hand?" she asked him softly.

"I'm fine..." he snapped, instantly regretting it. "Sorry, LoLo..." he said softly. He glanced at her and he could've sworn he saw tears in her eyes but when he looked at her closer they were gone. He continued moving, too quickly as it turned out and he had to lean on his desk, trying to catch his breath. "Actually a hand would be really great," he conceded, knowing if there was even a vain hope of him reaching the bathroom before it was too late, he needed her help. She smiled at him as she walked over, standing on his good side and moving his arm around her shoulders. She helped him slowly but steadily to the bathroom and he looked at her once he was in front of the loo. "You can go now..." he said, his face flushing.

She smirked at him, kind of loving the fact she'd embarrassed him. "Okay..." she said softly, rising on her tiptoes and kissing his cheek. He heard the door close behind him and he began to do his business. He could feel his energy fading fast and he leant against the back of the toilet. "Still convinced you don't need any help?"

Her voice startled him and he turned his head to look at her, "LAUREN!" he shouted. "Can't a guy go for a piss on his own..." he added, his voice quieter.

"Are you done?" she asked. He was and he re-dressed himself. He shuffled over to the sink but his knees buckled and Lauren grabbing him was the only thing that stopped him collapsing on the floor. Unfortunately she managed to press against his wound, sending a jolt of pain though his whole body that took his breath away. "Oh, God... JoJo, I'm so sorry..." she whispered as she saw him pale and realised what she'd done. He washed his hands quickly, trying to push down the nausea that was threatening. It was a fruitless task and before he could say anything to warn her or get her to help him, he threw up over himself and her. He was mortified.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered softly as she eased him down on the now closed toilet seat.

"It's fine... it was my fault anyway..." She reassured him. He couldn't say anything in reply. Lauren could see he was getting upset and she knew he was frustrated with his inability to do the simplest of tasks. She tilted his chin up so he was looking at her. "Hey... I'm your girlfriend... if you can't throw up over me, who can you, eh?"

"You're not helping, babe..." he whispered.

"Let's get you cleaned up, okay..." she said softly. She lifted his T-shirt off his body and threw it in the sink, promising herself she would clean it up later. "I think you should have a shower, JoJo..." she murmured.

"No energy..."

"I'll help you..." she offered. He stared at her, his eyes wide. She saw the look of mild panic in his eyes, "JoJo, I just want to help you and look after you..." she whispered. "Like I promised at the hospital..."

"I need to keep the dressing dry..." he said in a whisper. "Mum has some waterproof dressings... I think they're downstairs with the other dressings and my tablets."

"Don't move..." she said, moving quickly out of the room.

"Not a problem..." she heard him say as she started down the stairs.

Lauren walked back into the bathroom a couple of minutes later and she had several things in a bag she was holding in her hands. "When did you last take your pain medication?" she asked him.

"When dad brought them up with my breakfast..." he told her.

"Then you need to take some more, JoJo... you should've had them at lunch time..." She read the bottle and got out the tablets he needed. "What about the antibiotics?"

"It's not due till later..." he said.

She held up another bottle, not completely sure what the medication was for but knowing he probably needed it. Really, he was on that many drugs she was surprised he didn't rattle. "What about these?"

"Yeah..." he sighed.

She got those drugs out for him too, placing all of the tablets in his hand. She ran to his room and picked up the glass of water he had beside his bed and took it back to him. "Take them, JoJo..." she whispered. He did as he was told then put the glass on the side of the sink. Lauren gently walked around behind him and took one of the waterproof dressings out of the sterile wrapper. She carefully put the dressing over the top of the dressing that was already there, making sure she didn't press against his wound again. Once she was done she walked around in front of him. "How do you want to do this?" she asked.

"I don't know if I do..." he whispered.

"JoJo... it's either me... or you wait till mum and dad get home... sitting smelling of puke... and one of them helps you instead..." She told him carefully.

"Okay... okay..." he agreed.

"Good... now can you walk to the shower?" she asked him, "Or do you need me to help you?"

"I can walk but I will need some help..." he whispered, his eyes not meeting hers and his face flushing red.

"Tell me what you need me to do..."

"I'll need you to help me get undressed..." he murmured. "And... I don't know if I have the energy to stand in there for long..." His face was practically glowing now.

"It's okay, JoJo... just think of me as your own personal nurse..." she told him softly. "I'm totally at your beck and call..." she added. She took a step back from him, "Are you ready?" she whispered. He nodded his head but didn't look convinced. She held both his hands as he got to rather shaky feet. He swayed slightly and let go of one of her hands so he could grip the sink. Her hand moved to the waistband of his boxers and pulled at them slightly. She could see again that he was embarrassed.

"This is not how I imagined this happening..." he whispered.

"Me either..." she told him, "but it doesn't matter, JoJo..."

"It matters to me..." he sighed as her second hand joined the first and then she pushed them off his hips. He stood before her, naked for the first time but she was staring at his face, seeing how affected by this he was. She decided to even the score a little, pulling off her T-shirt and the tracksuit bottoms she was wearing, throwing them in the sink with his T-shirt. Her underwear followed but they were thrown on the floor as they weren't covered in his vomit.

"Can you stand here for a couple of minutes while I go and sort the shower out?" she asked him. He nodded and once he was leaning with both hands on the sink she moved quickly to the shower and started it running, getting it to temperature. She then grabbed some towels for them to use and placed them near the shower. She could feel the heat of his gaze watching her as she moved around the room and when she turned back and walked over to him, his eyes were dark with desire. She'd seen that look before and she knew that if she was to look, which she was trying to refrain from doing, he would be aroused. "Ready?" she asked him softly. He nodded and slowly she walked with him to the shower, keeping her hands (and eyes) on places that wouldn't cause too much havoc. Her hands were on his hips as he shuffled forward into the cubicle, Lauren walked behind him, pressing her body against his once he stood still, so he had the support from her should he need it.

"Babe..." he sighed, feeling her beautiful body pressing up behind his.

"We need to make this quick, JoJo... because if you fall, I'm not going to be able to get you back up..." she whispered, kissing the back of his shoulder softly.

"Can you...?" he asked her, turning his head to look at her. His eyes met hers, unable to voice the rest of his question but she seemed to understand him anyway.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded. "Let's do your hair first..." she said. She'd had practice of washing hair for people before, as she worked in her mum's salon on a Saturday doing that exact thing. He groaned as she massaged the shampoo into his hair. She didn't bother with conditioner or anything, given that time was of the essence and she picked up his shower gel. She washed his back, avoiding the bandaged part. She moved around to stand in front of him and stared at his face, into his eyes as she washed his chest and stomach. She washed his arms, stepping closer to him and kissing the bottom of his jaw tenderly. She washed his face and neck, smiling at him as he continued to stare into her eyes. He was all clean... from the waist up anyway.

Time seemed to stand still for a second and then he spoke, "Go on..." he breathed, quietly giving her permission. She started with his legs, still managing to avoid looking at _that _part of his body... which took some control on her part. Once his legs were done, she got back to her feet and stared at his face. She knew he could see the fear she was feeling in her eyes. This would be the first time she touched him... and it wasn't to do anything erotic like she'd thought it would be. "You don't have to, LoLo..." he whispered.

"But..."

He put a finger on her lips, "I'll do it... you just need to stand and support my weight a little more."

"Are you sure...?" she asked him.

"I'm sure..." he said, "but thank you." He added softly. He lowered his head and kissed her softly, sighing into her mouth as she licked his lower lip. Their kiss deepened and Joey moaned when they finally pulled apart. "Now I've got a problem," he admitted, with a wry smile.

"Well, you still need to be quick, JoJo..." she said, moving to his side and lifting his arm onto her shoulders.

"Watch me..." he whispered, staring into her eyes, their colour having dropped another shade darker.

Lauren's mouth went dry as she took in what he'd just said to her. She nodded her head and he kissed her forehead. She slowly lowered her head until she was looking at him, his hand circling his length. She bit her lip as his hand started to move. It wasn't how she'd imagined.

Joey watched her face as she watched him. So many different emotions were moving over her features and each one pushed him a little closer to his release. It had been a while since he'd done this. His hand sped up and he moaned softly, feeling his peak edge nearer. His left knee buckled slightly and he released his hold, using that hand to take his weight as he leant against the tiles. He closed his eyes, trying to push away the orgasm that had been so close and then he felt her wrap her small hand around him. His eyes shot open and he looked at her again just as she lifted her eyes to meet his. "Is this okay?" she whispered. He couldn't say anything so he just nodded. "What do I do now?" she asked him tentatively.

"What I was doing a minute ago..." he told her in a whisper. Her hand started to move on him and he sighed. "Grip it a little tighter, LoLo..." he told her. She did as he said and he moaned again, "Now move faster..." he said. Again she followed his instruction. He was so close now and he had no idea how she would react when he came. "I'm nearly there, babe..." he murmured. Her hand sped up again and he moaned as she twisted her hand on him.

"Was that wrong?" she asked quickly.

"No..." he gasped. "Again..." She repeated the movement and then he was coming, his junk shooting from him in long spurts, mingling with the water from the shower and draining away. She kept her hand moving on him, slowing down until his peak had completely faded. His body was shaking as she reached forward and turned the shower off. She grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around his waist. Then she put a towel around her own body. She let him lean on her as they walked over to the toilet, then pushing him so he was sitting down again. He needed a small break before he went back to his room.

She dried his body with a second towel and then placed it over his head and rubbed his hair. She looked unsure of herself again as she took the towel away and hung it on a rail to dry. He looked at her face as she stood again in front of him. He stretched up to kiss her softly, wincing slightly as his back protested. "Don't hurt yourself..." she whispered. He smiled at her. "Let's get you back into bed," she said, her face flushing as she realised the double meaning of her words, "You know what I..." she started and saw him smirk, "Fuck..." she whispered.

*JL*JL*

Joey was sat on the side of his bed again while Lauren looked for some clean clothes for him to put on. He watched in silence as she knelt in front of him, briefly having to close his eyes as he imagined a whole different scenario that involved her kneeling before him, his body reacting to that visual image he could now see. She lifted each foot into his boxers and then opened his towel, pulling his underwear up his legs. Once they were up to his thighs she got to her feet and helped him stand, getting him to lean his weight on her shoulders while she pulled his pants up the rest of the way. She eased him back down to the mattress and then helped him put the T-shirt back on.

"I'll be back in a minute, JoJo..." she said as she helped him lie back down and covered him with the duvet, "I just need to go and clean up the bathroom and I'll put some clothes on." He nodded his head but his eyes were already dropping.

**A/N: So I think Nurse Lauren Branning did a pretty excellent job with her patient then. And I'm sure Joey would agree with that. Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	70. Chapter 70

**Chapter 70.**

His dad helped Joey down the stairs, taking each step slowly and pausing halfway so Joey could catch his breath. This was a routine they did nightly as Joey insisted on sitting with the family for the evening meal. His parents protested and he could see the concern on their faces when they saw how much of an effort it took for him to join them but he was adamant that he did this. Tonight LoLo was looking at him with a worried expression too and he tried to reassure her with a smile as he sat down but it came off as more of a grimace.

*JL*JL*

"You two should go to the pub this evening..." Joey said as he toyed with his food. The infection had really kicked his appetite into touch and he barely ate his meals at the moment. The drugs weren't helping on that score either so he spent a lot of time trying to make it look like he was eating.

He was fooling nobody.

"We can't go out and leave you, can we?" Tanya said, frowning as she saw him lift up his fork but then lower it without taking the mouthful. He pushed away his plate and gave up the pretence.

"LoLo can keep an eye on me..." he said, "I'm not exactly going to be getting myself into any trouble, am I?" he added with a slight smirk. "I'll probably be asleep before you're even out of the door." His parents glanced at each other, "Please... for me... go out, have a good time and enjoy a pint..." he begged them.

"Okay, we'll go but only because everyone's been asking how you are." Max said. He looked at Lauren, "You call us if anything is wrong, okay." She nodded quickly. Max looked at his son again, "Now, can I take you back upstairs before you pass out at the table?" he asked and Joey agreed.

*JL*JL*

Their parents had been gone for about twenty minutes and Joey and Lauren were in their rooms. Lauren knocked on Joey's door and he told her to come in. She moved to his bed and lay down beside him, being careful not to jostle the bed too much. "Are you okay?" she asked him softly.

"I'm fine, LoLo..." he whispered.

They lay in silence for several minutes. "I've missed this," Lauren whispered.

"Me too..." he admitted. He turned his head to look at her and she kissed him softly. The kiss deepened quickly as their emotions took hold. When they pulled apart Joey looked at her face in concern, "What's wrong, LoLo?" he asked, brushing the tears away.

"I was so scared, JoJo..." she whispered. "When the police came and told us what had happened to you and then when you got so sick..." she closed her eyes as he pulled her closer against him, her head resting on his chest, "I thought I was going to lose you... especially when you got Sepsis" she told him, her words barely audible.

"I felt the same when I was lying on the platform. I didn't know what was happening but all I could think about was you..." he told her softly. It was the first time he'd really vocalised what had happened to him, apart from answering a few brief questions from the police.

Silence reigned in the room again as they both dealt with the ramifications of that day. "I don't want to wait, JoJo..." Lauren admitted. She shuffled against him and lifted her head off his chest, looking at his face and hoping he could see how serious she was about this. "I want us to be together now... I can't wait until I'm sixteen, JoJo... I want it now..."

"It's just a few weeks, LoLo..." he said.

"I know... so why wait?" she said. "Surely, if anything, the last few weeks should prove to us how short life is. I could've lost you without ever experiencing what it was like to make love to you. I don't want to wait... once you're better, I want us to do it."

Her words were wreaking havoc with his body and he had to close his eyes. He thought through what she had said and he knew, in his heart, that he could never say no to her. And he didn't want to either. "Okay, LoLo..." he whispered.

"Really?" she gasped; she'd truly expected him to say no. He nodded his head. She smiled at him and he'd never seen her look as beautiful, such was the expression of joy on her face.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.

"So are you, JoJo..."

"You can't say that about a guy, Lo..."

"Why not?" she whispered, "You are beautiful..." she added, her bottom lip slipping out in a pout.

He rolled his eyes and then dipped his head to kiss her again. He rolled onto his side, one of the most comfortable positions for him to lie in – assuming he was in exactly the right position. Joey stared into her eyes, seeing her smile at him softly. "What?" he asked.

"Can I come in here tonight?" she whispered.

"Yeah..." he said softly.

"I won't hurt your back?" she asked him. He shook his head. "Good..." she said, "I just want you to get better..."

"Me too, LoLo..." he murmured.

*JL*JL*

Lauren slipped into Joey's room about an hour after their parents had gone to bed. She was wearing her pyjamas. She slipped under the covers and slid across the mattress.

"Hey..." he said.

His voice startled her as she had been expecting him to be asleep. "You're awake..." she whispered.

"I am..." he confirmed.

"I thought you'd be asleep because of the tablets..."

"I haven't taken them yet..." he told her.

"JoJo... you're supposed to have taken them. I don't want you to be in pain."

"I'm not... my tablets earlier were late so I don't need them yet."

"Are you sure?" she whispered.

"Yeah, babe." He pulled her closer to him, his hand lifting and brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" he asked.

"Of course, I did..." she told him.

"How about if I said I was ready... now..." he whispered.

"You are?" she squeaked.

"I've been thinking about what you said ever since you said it and I realised you were right. I don't want to wait either. I want to make love to you." He told her. His eyes studied her face carefully. "Tonight..." he added.

"So you mean now... now..." she whispered.

"Unless you've changed your mind." He told her.

Her face flushed, "I haven't." She told him. "I am scared though."

"You have nothing to be scared of, LoLo..."

"What if I'm no good...?"

"What if I am?" he told her with a smile. "This is my first time too, LoLo... we just need to take it slowly."

"Okay..." she said.

"Why don't we start with you taking your pyjamas off, babe?" She nodded her head and pulled away from him. He watched as she climbed out of bed and began to remove her clothes, "You know, if I was fighting fit, I'd be doing that for you." He told her.

Lauren looked at him over her shoulder, smirking at him and turning to face him. She lifted her vest top over her head and shook her head, her hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. "I know you would, JoJo... and I'd let you..." Her hands moved to her bottoms and she bent down, much like she had done the first time she'd completely stripped for Joey, giving him the perfect view of her cleavage. He moaned and Lauren smiled at him. She climbed back into the bed and moved back towards him.

"Can you help me?" he asked her softly, nuzzling the side of her face as he whispered in her ear.

"Of course I can..." she said. She sat up and pulled back the covers, staring at his face quickly as she discovered his boxers had already gone. "I see you started without me, JoJo..." she said.

"Help me up..." he whispered. She tried from where she was sitting but she could see him wincing in pain.

"Maybe we should do this another night..." she said softly.

"It's fine... you just need to move a little."

"Move?"

His hands moved to her hips and he nudged her so she was sitting on top of his thighs. Her eyes ran down his body and then she looked back up at his face, "Up and at 'em, soldier..." she teased. She tugged on his hands and he sat up. She pulled his T-shirt up his body and then they were both naked. They stared at each other in silence. "We're going to have to be quiet..." she told him, "last thing we want is mum and dad in here..." she added. He pressed his mouth against hers and ran his hands down her body. He pulled her against his body, his length trapped between them and they both moaned. He started to lie back down but groaned as pain shot through his back. Lauren pulled away from him and then cupped the side of his face tenderly. "Wait a second..." she breathed. She moved off his lap and piled up the pillows behind him, gently easing him onto them so his back was supported. "Is that better?" she asked him softly. He nodded and she smiled at him, moving back to her previous position. "Now, where were we?"

Joey smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. Just as her mouth was about to meet his, "Right here..." he whispered.

*JL*JL*

Joey eased his finger into her body after five minutes of just kissing each other. She was already so wet and he could feel that she was close to her first orgasm. He stopped suddenly, "I don't have any condoms..." he said.

"I don't care..." she whispered.

"We're risking a lot, LoLo..."

"I don't care..." she repeated, looking him in the eyes.

He stared at her, "I'll be better prepared next time..." he told her.

She smiled as she heard him say the words 'next time'. She still couldn't believe that this was really going to happen, "I want this, JoJo. I want you."

"I want you too..."

She bit her lip, "I am scared though..." she admitted to him.

He smiled, "Me too."

"How do you want to do this?" she asked him, closing her eyes as he pushed another finger slowly inside her, stroking her gently.

"Like this." He told her.

"And it won't hurt you? Us being like this..." She checked, his comfort her top priority. She didn't want to do this if he was going to be in pain.

"I don't think so..."

"Okay..." she murmured.

"Okay..." he said back to her. Joey removed his fingers, his thumb brushing her clit softly. He shifted her closer to him and she rose up onto her knees. "It's okay, babe..." he told her tenderly. He wrapped his fingers around his cock and she slowly lowered herself so he was brushing her opening. She moved a little lower and they both moaned softly. It was several tense (and a little painful for Lauren) minutes before she was sitting on his lap.

"Wow..." she whispered, looking at his face.

"Yeah." He gasped.

Lauren leant forward and kissed him softly, shifting on his length and causing both of them to moan. Their tongues danced as she rocked on his cock, feeling him stretching her in a way she'd never been before. His hand drifted up her body and cupped one of her breasts, his thumb drifting over her peak. "Oh god... JoJo..." she whispered as she dragged her mouth from his.

"So good..." he breathed.

"Ow... stop..." she said suddenly and he froze. "I've got cramp..." she said, rubbing her calf.

"There is another way we can try," he murmured, his hand joining hers and rubbing her leg.

"How...?"

"Let's get rid of your cramp first..."

"Okay..." She moved off his lap so he could massage her calf, sighing slightly as he slipped from her body. It only took a couple of minutes and then the cramp eased.

Joey rolled onto his side and held his arms open, "Lie with your back against my chest..." he said quietly. She did as he asked, moaning as he wrapped his arms around her and held her against his body. He lifted her top leg, resting it on his and then placed the head of his cock back at her entrance. He pushed into her slowly, her body gripping him tighter from this angle. They took it much slower this time as Joey had to do more of the work. Fortunately they were both pretty keyed up already and when Joey pressed his thumb against her clit he felt her body fall apart. Her peak led to his and he moved a little faster in and out of her as he eked out their orgasms as long as he could. "I love you, LoLo..." he breathed into her neck.

"Love you too..." she said, squeezing his hand. They lay in silence for a couple of minutes and Lauren could feel Joey relaxing. She pulled away from him, turning and picking up his tablets from his bedside table. She held out a glass of water to him as well. "Take these..." she said. He didn't argue, gazing into her eyes.

"Stay..." he whispered, lying back down.

"Always..." she breathed as she settled back in his arms.

He kissed her forehead and put his arms around her. He felt alive for the first time since Christmas Eve.

**A/N: So how many of you saw that coming (no pun intended)? Do you think they were right to take that step? Did they take too big a risk? What's going to happen next? Let me know what you thought. Back tomorrow...**


	71. Chapter 71

**Chapter 71.**

Lauren opened her eyes and found it was time for her to get up. She looked up at Joey and saw he was still asleep, the tablets and last night probably knocking him out completely. She hated having to leave him but she needed to get ready for school and she couldn't have her parents finding her in bed with him. She laid her head on his chest for a second, turning her face and pressing her lips against his heart. She hadn't thought she could love him anymore than she had already but she was wrong. Last night had proved that to her.

She sighed as she sat up, dragging herself from his arms and slipping out of the bed. Quickly she put her pyjamas back on. She sat back on the bed and brushed her hand down the side of his face, kissing him softly. "JoJo," she whispered, feeling him stir slightly as he woke. She didn't miss the wince on his face as he moved.

"Lo..." he said, his voice deeper than normal as he struggled to wake up.

"I'm just going to go and get ready for school and I wanted to say goodbye. I didn't want you to wake up and be alone." She told him, her hand caressing the side of his face. "I love you, JoJo..." she whispered. He smiled at her and she knew he was still pretty much asleep. "Do you need your tablets?" she asked him. He nodded his head, pain clear to see in his eyes. "We need to get some clothes on you too, JoJo," she whispered. "Don't want to give mum and dad a fright, do we?" she teased him, winking at him softly. She moved round to the other side of the bed and helped him sit up. In a repeat of the day before she helped him dress in his boxers and T-shirt, then easing him back into a position he was comfortable in. She got out the tablets he needed and gave them to him and watched him take them. "Go back to sleep, JoJo..." she whispered softly, seeing him fight to stay awake. "I'll see you after school..." she said quietly as she bent down and kissed him. She walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

She turned to walk into the bathroom but she stopped when she heard a voice, "What are you doing, Lauren?"

It was her dad. She turned to face him, "I heard JoJo as I walked past. I just sorted out his tablets for him and made sure he was okay. He's just gone back to sleep, dad." She said, hoping he wouldn't see she was lying.

"Thanks babe..." he said, kissing her on the forehead before going down the stairs.

*JL*JL*

Lauren looked at herself in the bathroom mirror after she got out of the shower. She didn't look any different to how she had the day before and the day before that. She felt different though. She couldn't lie and say she wasn't in pain. She was sore in places she didn't even know you could be sore in but she didn't regret what they'd done last night... or what she'd done in the afternoon for him. She loved him. She had no doubt of that or about any part of their relationship.

*JL*JL*

School passed in a daze for Lauren that day. She was only barely aware of her classes, getting reprimanded by a couple of her teachers for spacing out when she should've been paying attention. Given what had happened to her 'brother' at Christmas, the school were a little more lenient though. The stabbing had made Lauren somewhat of a celebrity at school which she detested. She was always being pointed at by the other pupils and she tried to ignore it as best she could.

She was walking home when she had an idea. She happened to be passing the same corner shop where Joey had shown her how he would spend his ten minutes if he won one of their races. She slipped into the shop and found it blissfully empty. Striking while the iron was hot she purchased what she was looking for and hoped to hell she didn't look as embarrassed as she felt. She refused to meet the eyes of the man behind the counter as he handed her her change. She buried the items deep inside her bag and hurried home.

*JL*JL*

She walked up to Joey's door after school and knocked on it quietly. She didn't wait for an answer and pushed the door open. He was looking at her, a soft smile on her face that she had come to recognise as one he saved for her. "You're home early..."

"We got let out ten minutes early," she explained. "I brought us something..." she whispered, walking over to his bed and sitting beside him.

"What?" he asked as he leant over and kissed her rapidly heating cheek. She couldn't look at him as she passed over the box she'd brought, feeling unsure of herself once more. "Condoms?" he asked.

"Well, you said we needed them and you aren't exactly able to go and get them yourself." She whispered, "And I didn't think you'd want to ask dad or Uncle Grant to get them for you..." she added. She looked up at him, "Is that okay?" she whispered.

"You are adorable, Lauren Branning..." he murmured, pulling her towards him and kissing her deeply.

"So it's okay then?" she asked.

"Of course it is..." he told her.

"You'd better have these as well then..." she said, passing him another two boxes, her face turning scarlet as he laughed loudly. "What?"

"You liked what we did last night then?" he said, smirking at her slightly.

"You know I did, JoJo..." she said, "I just thought we should be prepared and it's better to have too many than not enough."

"Good thinking." He whispered in her ear, "Fancy using one of them now?" he breathed, his lips caressing her skin, feeling her blood start to pound as they settled on her pulse point.

"If you want to..." she said, looking at him through her hair as it hung in front of her face.

He brushed her hair back, tucking it behind her ear, "I will always want to... with you..." he told her.

"I'll be back in a couple of minutes..." she said, pulling herself away from him and walking towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to change..."

"You don't need clothes, LoLo... not for what I have in mind..."

"I know, JoJo... but it'll look weird if I'm wearing my school uniform when mum or dad gets home, won't it?"

"Don't be long..." he said. She smiled at him and then hurried to her room.

*JL*JL*

She walked back into his room less than five minutes later. She threw a pair of leggings and a T-shirt on his chair then turned to face him. She was standing before him in just his hoodie.

"Come here, babe..." he whispered, holding his hand out towards her. She wanted to run and throw herself at him but she held back and walked back over; not wanting to hurt him at all. His hands ran over her body, softly stroking the skin that was hidden by his hoodie. "You are gorgeous, Lo..." he told her quietly.

"You say that all the time..." she whispered, craning her neck to kiss his mouth.

"Because it's true..." he said. She stared at his face, biting her lip as she saw the intensity in his eyes. She shivered as his fingers brushed up her side. "You should take this off..." he whispered, his thumb brushing the underside of one peak, running over the lacy cup of her bra. "And your knickers..." he told her.

"Why don't you?" she murmured, seeing him swallow as he stared at her.

"I think I can do that..." he whispered. He pulled her against his body and she laid her head on his shoulder. He was sitting up in bed like she had helped him to the night before and she placed her arm across his stomach as she curled into him. "I want you so much..." he sighed against her hair.

"I want you too..." she said.

"I'm going to make you come, LoLo..." he told her. She kissed his neck softly in response. He pushed the top off her shoulders and it fell behind her, to be forgotten in an instant. His hands made quick work of her bra too. Joey took some time once her top half was bare, his hands caressing her boobs softly. Lauren watched as he lowered his mouth to one peak, his tongue brushing over her nipple and making her moan. He did it again and it got the same response. He tugged her and she moved with his urging so she was sitting on his lap, like she had been the night before... and many times before that. She arched her back as his mouth moved to her other breast, pressing her peak into his mouth and feeling him suck on it, sending sparks throughout her body.

"JoJo..." she whimpered, "Please..." Her hand ran up his back, brushing into his hair and holding his head in place. He gripped her hips and pulled her forwards and Lauren could feel how he had responded to what he was doing to her. "I want to touch you, JoJo..." she whispered, struggling to get the words out as he continued to work on her boob.

He pulled away from her and looked up at her face, seeing her dark eyes and flushed face. "Tell me..." he said softly.

Lauren took a deep breath, feeling her cheeks heat up as she saw him look at her so intensely. "I want to wrap my fingers around you..." she began, feeling the desire start ebbing through her own body as she spoke. "I want to stroke you like I did yesterday so that you come really hard." She could see the pure need on his face as she whispered the words to him, "Then I want to feel your cock inside me and I want us to come together..." she added.

"Oh god..." he whimpered. He kissed her mouth tenderly, brushing his tongue against hers. "Help me..." he breathed against her lips.

"How?" she asked, nodding her head.

"My clothes..." At his words she kissed him softly then moved away from him. His T-shirt was gone in a matter of seconds. She threw his duvet down the bed, her eyes staring at his obvious erection within his boxers. "Babe..." he whimpered and she glanced up at him.

"Sorry..." She said instinctively.

"Never be sorry, LoLo... I just need you to touch me..."

"Can you lift your hips?" she asked him. He nodded and did as she asked, Lauren tugged his boxers down his legs and off his feet. Her hand was drawn to his length, wrapping around him. She started stroking him softly, watching his face as she did so. Yesterday she'd been watching what she was doing and she hadn't really had a chance to see his reaction to her. He hummed softly and her hand sped up. His hand slipped between her legs, brushing across her clit through the material of her knickers. She released her hold on him and climbed over his legs so she was standing beside the bed, pushing her knickers down her legs as he watched her. She resumed her previous position, her hand gripping his cock tighter this time. His fingers brushed her opening and she moaned his name, the movement of her hand faltering slightly. Her free hand lifted his chin, raising his eye line from where he was touching her. "Make me come..." she whispered. She twisted her hand on his length and saw his eyes roll back in his head. "Do you like that, JoJo?" she asked him softly.

"I like everything you do, LoLo..." he told her, two of his fingers pushing inside her.

They looked into each other's eyes as the atmosphere heightened between them. Joey knew it wouldn't be long before he came and as it approached he pressed his thumb hard against her clit, hearing the loud moan slip from her mouth. They came together, both of them working each other through their peaks, kissing each other tenderly as they recaptured their breath.

*JL*JL*

Lauren leant against him once it was over, her lips brushing over his skin softly. "Well that was a bit messy..." she giggled as she looked down at her hand and saw the evidence of his release all over it.

"I warned you..." he said, referring to one of the first times he'd come in front of her.

"What do I do?"

"Well you could go and wash your hands..." he said, "Or wipe them on a tissue... or..."

She looked up at him, hearing the hesitancy in his voice, "What?"

"You could lick it off..." he whispered.

"Really?" she gasped. She looked down at her hand, trying to decide which sounded the most appealing... or the least disgusting.

"You don't have to, babe..." he told her.

She lifted her hand from him and pulled it up to her mouth. She couldn't look at his face as she hesitantly poked her tongue out so she closed her eyes. She licked at it a little and absorbed the taste. It wasn't as bad as she was expecting. He moaned as her tongue brushed over her hand again and she knew, without even looking, that he was watching her every move. It was all gone in less than a minute and she smiled at him when she opened her eyes again.

Joey leant forward and kissed her, tasting himself in her mouth as his tongue swept around it. He moaned as he felt his length start to harden again. He'd always suspected that if he was to have sex with Lauren it would be often. It didn't take much for her to make him hard... even coming a few minutes earlier hadn't seemed to have an impact.

It was quickly apparent that Lauren felt much the same because as they pulled apart she was already reaching for one of the boxes she'd given him. She pulled out one of the square foils and passed it to him. In less than a minute he had rolled the condom onto his hardening length. "You look like you've done that before..." she whispered, looking up at him with a curious expression on her face.

"Tyler showed me how to do it..." he admitted.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, "Tyler showed you...?"

His face reddened as he realised what she was imagining in her head, "Not like that... with a banana. It was a couple of years ago, just after he'd lost his virginity..." He shrugged his shoulders, "We practiced..." he admitted.

"Practiced...?" she whispered. "Why?"

"So that we knew what we were doing. We didn't want to look like idiots..."

"So are you ready to make use of your practice?" she asked him.

"If you are..." he told her. She nodded. "How do you want to do this?"

"Maybe like we started last night... it'll be easier on your back..." she said.

"Can't tell you how much I am looking forward to being better." He told her.

"I know, JoJo... but there's no point in us doing something to make your recovery longer. That would be the last thing I want." She told him. She moved back to where she'd been sitting earlier and straddled his legs, sitting on his thighs. She reached for him again, rubbing him gently a couple of times before moving him to rest at her entrance. "Ready?" she whispered, glancing up at his face.

"Always..." he told her. She shuffled forward and he pushed into her. Joey moved his hands to her hips and helped her ease onto his length. She sighed as she felt him stretch her open; it wasn't as painful this time... not pain free exactly but easier than it had been last night. It felt different with the condom too but she knew it was a necessary evil. There would come a time when the need for them would be gone, she decided. His full length was in her now and Lauren took a few seconds to just take in how it felt to have him inside her body. Mind blowing was one adequate description; intense would also work or fan-fucking-tastic. "You okay?" he asked her gently.

She looked up at him and guessed she'd probably zoned out for a little too long, "Sorry, just absorbing what this feels like..." she whispered.

"Feels pretty amazing from here, LoLo..." he told her.

"It does?"

He nodded, "I didn't know what to expect," he told her, having never got a satisfactory answer to that question from Uncle Grant, "It's like we were made for each other, your whole body is gripping my length... you're so tight around me..."

Lauren watched his face, seeing the desire and love written over it. She rocked on him as he paused for breath and they both moaned. "Oh god..." she whimpered, moving faster on him. He pulled her against his body, his hands brushing up and down her back as she moved up and down. Lauren pulled away from him and leant back on her hands, revealing the whole of her body to his view, the slight bounce of her breasts as she moved, the sight of him moving in and out of her welcoming body. It was an intoxicating sight. He ran his fingers up her thighs, barely grazing her skin. Her face was glowing as she stared at him. One hand climbed higher and cupped a breast, caressing it's fullness as she continued to move. She moved faster on him again and Joey could feel her body gripping him tighter as their ends approached. He could almost see stars as her body tightened on him and he wanted them to come together; to both feel that amazing high at the same time. He moved his other hand to her clit, circling his thumb around it slowly, watching her face as her head rolled back, desire ebbing through her. Her breath was erratic and if Joey had been paying attention he would've realised his was as well. "So close," she whimpered, trying to increase the pressure his thumb was pressing her body with, tantalisingly close to her clit but not quite close enough. "JooooooooooooJooooooo..." she sighed, tightening her inner core to grip him harder.

He closed his eyes, inhaling sharply as her body clamped down on him. He tugged her towards him, her body pressing back against his. He opened his eyes and looked at her face. "Faster, LoLo..." he whispered, feeling his peak so near. She silently did as he said, biting her lip as she tried to hold her orgasm at bay. "Nearly there, babe..." he murmured, his hands gripping her hips and guiding her in a rhythm that eased him along. He groaned and felt the impending explosion hit, his thumb pressing on her clit at that very moment and hearing her cry out his name. He whispered her name in her ear, telling her how much he loved her as he rode out his high along with her. They both stopped moving, just lying against each other. Joey couldn't stop kissing her; her jaw, her cheek, her mouth. Never had he loved anyone as much as he loved her.

**A/N: Well bless Lauren for taking the initiative and buying them some condoms. I think Joey liked his present. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	72. Chapter 72

**Chapter 72.**

By the time it got round to Lauren's birthday Joey was much better. He had been forced to drop out of his firemen's course but had been promised a place in next year's enrolment. He'd been disappointed but this gave him the opportunity to work on his general fitness, which had deteriorated since the stabbing.

His parents had returned to treating him the way he was before the stabbing, although this had had a slight blip when the police informed them that the person responsible for the stabbing had come forward and was being questioned. When they found out it had been Spencer Moon Joey hadn't ever thought he had seen his parents quite so angry... not since when Joey had first arrived at their house and his dad had disappeared with his Uncle Jack for a few hours to calm down. Uncle Grant hadn't been much better either and Joey got to witness his 'Uncle' at his worst... which had scared him more than he thought it would as it reminded him a little of Derek when he'd been a small boy. Uncle Grant had flown into a rage when Spencer was released on police bail and had gone into the pub with his brother and cousin. Joey was there with his family, on his first evening out since the stabbing... it was also the first time he'd been out of the house since he was released from hospital. News of Spencer's involvement had been running around the square for several days and Max had only just calmed down about it himself. When the Moon brothers and their cousin, Michael, walked into the bar all hell had broken loose. It was mainly Joey's dad and Grant who made their feelings known but everyone else hadn't been far behind.

It was Joey that brought a stop to it... well, Joey and Lauren. Joey had sat frozen, watching the events as they began to spiral out of control. He couldn't move as he watched the pub landlord start to shout and hurl abuse at the brothers. Even Lauren's presence beside him hadn't helped him; he was caught up in memories of his childhood, trapped back at a time when he'd been unable to escape and feeling very much the same now.

"DAD!" Lauren had shouted when she heard Joey start to hyperventilate and he'd turned round and looked at his children. He saw the haunted expression on Joey's face and all his anger dissipated, only to be replaced by worry and concern for his son.

Grant was unaware of what was happening and Max watched when he saw Joey cower in fear as the landlord moved towards Spencer and threatened to dish out his own justice. Max looked to Phil for support and they managed to drag Grant away, Alfie and Spencer leaving the pub shortly after. Once he was away from the Moons, Grant noticed the distress Joey was in and he felt guilty, hating how he flinched away from him when he went to speak to him and apologise.

Lauren was also upset by what had happened, hating seeing Joey so distraught and at this point she may have forgotten where they were and tried to comfort him like any normal girlfriend would do her boyfriend... by kissing him. It was clear the instant the rest of the pub realised what was happening and there was a growing murmur among the pub; a slight sound of disapproval from some corners of the room but acceptance from others. As the background noise became louder Lauren realised what she'd done and she pulled away from Joey, staring up at him with an apologetic expression on her face. She was surprised to see him smiling at her and then he leant forward and kissed her again.

"That's enough you two..." Their dad said, although the words weren't said in disapproval. Once they'd pulled apart again, Max turned his attention to his son, "You okay?" he asked him softly.

"Yeah... just... you know..." he murmured, slightly embarrassed by his reaction to what had happened.

"It's alright, Joey..." his mum said, "You shouldn't have to face the person who was responsible for nearly killing you." She added.

"It's not Spencer's fault, is it?" Joey said softly. "Yes, he stabbed me... but we all know who was really responsible for it, don't we? I'm sure Spencer had very little opportunity to get out of doing what he did..." he said.

Michael had been standing by the bar and he came over to the table, "Derek threatened Alfie, Kat and Nana..." he told them, "that is why Spencer did what he did... and he's truly sorry for it. He never meant to do the damage he did to you, Joey. He was just told that you had to end up in hospital and it had to happen on Christmas Eve." He explained, staring at Joey rather than anyone else at the table. "He is very sorry for what he did, Joey."

"I know..." Joey said softly. Michael stared at him for a second or two more then nodded his head and left the pub. "I think I'm going to head home..." Joey said softly.

"I'll come with you..." Lauren said quickly, looking at him in concern. Their parents nodded and the couple got up, Joey wincing slightly as his back protested the sudden movement. They left the pub hand in hand, walking across the square and back to the house.

*JL*JL*

Joey lay in bed a little while later, his arms wrapped around Lauren as he held her tightly against his body, her face buried in his neck and shoulder. They hadn't done anything apart from lie together, although they were both naked. "I'm sorry..." Lauren whispered.

"What for?" he asked.

"Kissing you like that in the pub... I did it without thinking."

"It's fine, LoLo..." he whispered.

"So I guess, it's out now then..." she sighed, "Everyone knows about us now..."

"I guess..." he said. "Are you okay with that?" he asked her.

"Of course, I am... Are you?"

"Absolutely." He replied.

"I was surprised mum and dad didn't say anything..." she whispered.

"I've had the discussion with them already..." he told her.

She pulled away from him, "You have?" she asked him in surprise.

"Yeah, a few days after I was released from hospital. I think you'd gone back to school by then..." he whispered.

*JL*JL*

_Joey was laid on the sofa watching something mindless on TV while dozing. He could hear his mum moving around the kitchen, cooking his favourite dinner in the hope it might entice him to eat something (which it was unlikely to). His dad was sat at the dining room table, working on some paperwork for the car lot. He could tell there was something his dad wanted to talk about and he had a small idea what it might be. After all, the subject hadn't come up since he'd woken up at the hospital. The only reason he knew his parents knew about his romantic relationship with Lauren was because Lauren had told him._

"_Do you want to talk about it, dad?" Joey asked him softly. His dad looked up and stared at him in silence for a couple of minutes._

"_I guess we should." He finally said. "Let me go and get your mum and we can sit down and talk about it properly." He went to the kitchen and Joey could hear the two of them speaking softly._

_Joey struggled to sit up, wincing slightly when it felt like fire was burning through his body. Maybe some more painkillers would be nice. He glanced down at Bear who was lying beside him, having been brought down by LoLo this morning, so he could look after Joey, "I think we might be in trouble, Bear..." he said softly._

_*JL*JL*_

_Max and Tanya sat on the armchairs, looking at the lounge. Joey waited in silence, Bear now situated in his arms. "Why didn't you tell us how you felt about Lauren?" His mum finally asked._

_Joey shrugged, his face going pale as the movement jolted his body. "I wasn't sure what you'd say..." he whispered once he could talk again._

"_But you could speak to Grant?" she stated, sounding disappointed that he hadn't talked to them._

_Joey was silent for almost a minute before he replied, "It was easier to talk to him because I didn't have to worry as much about what he thought..."_

"_Why do you have to worry about us?" Max asked._

"_Because she's your daughter..." he whispered._

"_And you are our son." Max said quickly._

"_She's your daughter and I know, if push came to shove, you'd pick her..."_

_Tanya couldn't sit where she was anymore and she rushed to Joey, pulling him carefully into her arms and hugging him as tight as she could without hurting him, "Joey, you are our son... I may not have given birth to you but I have known you the whole of your life. I've loved you for the whole of your life and I've been your mum since the day your real mum died. You are as much my child as Lauren is, I promise you... and we would never choose one child over the other."_

"_Mum is right, we just want the both of you to be happy." His dad said, "There are no legal reasons why you shouldn't be together and we've always known you were close." He smiled at him, "Lauren has listened to you and responded to you since before she was even born."_

"_She has been with you for all of her firsts... so being her first boyfriend isn't that much of a surprise..." His mum added, "We just ask that you treat her right and remember how young she is... but this isn't anything we wouldn't say to you about any girl you are dating, Joey. It has nothing to do with it being Lauren... and it's as much for your sake as it is for hers."_

"_So you're really okay with us being together?" he asked, his hand subconsciously clutching Bear's paw as he awaited their answer._

"_We are. We saw at the hospital how much she loves you. She wouldn't leave you on your own and she didn't ever want to not be with you. We're aware that there will be people who won't approve of the two of you being together but you have our support." His dad told him. "Grant and Uncle Jack and your Grandma and Granddad all know about the two of you and they're all behind you as well."_

*JL*JL*

Joey looked at Lauren, seeing her absorb what he'd just said. "They are really okay with us being together?" she whispered.

"They really are, babe..." he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her softly.

**A/N: Just a little chapter, explaining how Joey dealt with the conversation with his parents. What did you think about the confrontation at the Vic and Lauren revealing their relationship again (you'd have thought she'd have learnt by now...)? Send me a review. Back tomorrow... with Sins... **

**HOWEVER... I have a one-shot that I can post tonight... AS LONG AS I GET 12 REVIEWS BY 9PM AND THEN I'LL POST THE ONE-SHOT. I'M FAIRLY SURE YOU'LL LIKE IT... SO BACK LATER... MAYBE! XX  
**


	73. Chapter 73

**Wow - you really wanted that one-shot last night, didn't you? TWENTY+ reviews... thanks to you all... In case you didn't see it last night I've posted the one-shot... "Undisclosed Desires...". It's a bit different... but I hope you like it.**

**Chapter 73.**

On the morning of Lauren's birthday she was lying in his arms, like she did most mornings. She always looked so at peace when she was lying with him like this. She trusted him with everything; she'd even trusted him with naming the third child of Bear and Missybear. He smiled as he thought back to that morning, a week after his birthday.

*JL*JL*

_Lauren stirred in his arms and he watched her eyes flutter awake, "LoLo..." he whispered, his fingers stroking the side of her face softly._

"_Hi..." she whispered back._

_He bit his lip, his eyes glancing down her face and fixing on her lips. He bent down his head and kissed her tenderly. "So I've been thinking about it..."_

"_What?"_

"_A name..." he said, glancing up at her eyes._

"_For our new baby?" she asked, a smile teasing the corner of her mouth. Joey nodded. "Have you come up with one?"_

"_I have... I consulted with Bear on the matter..." he told her seriously, "so I hope Missybear likes it because Bear is quite adamant about the name we've chosen."_

"_That's very un-Bear-like..." she said, frowning at her boyfriend, hoping this wasn't an indication of a problem in the Bear marriage._

"_He's very particular about what he wants and likes..." Joey told her._

"_So what did you choose? Please tell me it at least starts with a B?"_

"_It does, LoLo..." he told her. "So the name we've chosen is... Brian..." he whispered._

"_Brian..." She pulled away from him slightly and looked at his face, "That's quite different from BoBo and BeeBee, JoJo..."_

"_Bear is quite determined to get his way with this..." Joey said._

_Lauren bit her lip, "Does Bear not like the names we've chosen for his other babies?" she whispered, wondering if he hated the names of the other bears._

"_He does... but they're older now... and he thinks the baby should have a more grown up name... like Brian." He told her. _

"_Will it be okay if we shorten it to BriBri until he's a little older?" she asked softly, "I think Missy would like that and then he can grow into Brian when he's a bit more grown up too..."_

"_I think Bear could cope with that compromise..." he said._

"_Good..." she whispered._

*JL*JL*

BriBri hadn't stuck as a name for very long and after just a month Lauren had decided she preferred Brian and so the little black bear was pronounced to be called Brian.

Joey turned his attention to his girlfriend as she stirred in his arms and he watched her eyes flutter open, pushing the hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear, "LoLo..." he whispered to her. "Happy birthday," he added.

"Thanks..." she said, her cheeks colouring.

"Would you like your present?"

"I should be going to school..." she said.

"It can wait until you get home..." he said, wishing there was some way for them to spend the day together. "You'd better go and get ready for school then." He said, rolling onto his back and putting his hand behind his head.

"You know I'd rather stay here with you, JoJo..." she whispered, pressing her lips against his cheek.

"I know..."

Lauren climbed out of the bed and crept out of his room, moving back into hers. She giddily moved around her room, hearing her parents getting up and moving down to the kitchen.

"LAUREN!"

"I'll be down in a minute, dad... I'm just going to go and have a quick shower... I'll be down for breakfast in a couple of minutes." She called back. She walked out onto the landing and saw her dad standing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Come down here for a minute, babe." He said and Lauren went downstairs.

*JL*JL*

Lauren pushed open the door to Joey's room. It had seemed an age while she was waiting for her parents to leave for the day. They had wanted to talk to her brother but Lauren had said she would tell him, knowing he was still asleep. She walked softly across the room and climbed back into the bed, letting his hoodie drop to the floor. She lay beside him, feeling his hand brush up her back and pull him closer. She kissed his neck, focusing her attention on the special spot under his jaw.

"LoLo..." he moaned, opening his eyes and realising it wasn't a dream. "You should be at school, babe."

"There is no school..." she giggled.

"Course there is, babe... it's a Wednesday..."

"School's closed for the day..." she whispered in his ear.

"How come..."

"Look outside..." she breathed to him softly. He stared at her face and then nodded his head. He dragged himself from his bed, ignoring the fact he was nude and he walked over to the window. He poked his head between the curtains and gazed in wonder at the square below. He felt her arms wind around his waist and she kissed the back of his shoulder tenderly. "I think your mum wanted us to spend the day together, JoJo..." she whispered, peeking over his shoulder and looking at the snow that covered the streets below. "The school is closed, the heating broke and they're trying to get it fixed..." she told him softly.

"So we get to spend the day together?" he said.

"Yeah, mum and dad have gone to work so we're alone for the day..." she murmured, her lips grazing his skin softly.

He turned round to face her, his hands cupping both sides of her face, "So do you want your present now?" he asked her again. She nodded. "Good..." He bent down and lifted her in his arms.

"JoJo... your back..." she said softly.

"Is all better now..." he told her. He strode back over to his bed and they were quickly back in it, Lauren lying beneath Joey. He started to lower his head to kiss her but stopped and looked at his bedside table. He stretched his arm towards it. Lauren watched as he reached for Bear and turned him to face the other way. She looked back at him and saw him watching her, "It seems wrong doing this with him watching us..." he whispered. She smirked at him and lifted her head, kissing him softly.

"So what do you have planned for me?" she asked him quietly.

It was his turn to smirk, "I plan to worship you..." he said, kissing her neck tenderly, "I plan on making you scream my name so many times your throat will be hoarse." He whispered, smiling as his mouth moved down her body, peppering kisses on it. "Do you like the sound of that?" he asked her as he took her nipple in his mouth.

"JoJo..." she whimpered, wriggling beneath him as desire pulsed through her body.

"I'll take that as a yes then, shall I?" he asked her pulling away from her, only for her hands to push him back where she wanted him. He did as she wanted for several minutes but then lifted his head again. He stared at her face, seeing the confusion on it, "Do you trust me?" he asked her gently.

"Of course, I do..." she replied. He smiled at her and lowered his head, kissing her breast but not settling in one place too long. Lauren looked down at him as he continued to caress her body with his mouth. She realised after a couple of minutes that he was gradually moving lower. "What are you doing, JoJo?" she whispered, tensing slightly.

"Showing you how much I love you..." he said, lifting his head and staring into her eyes.

"But you're going to kiss me... down there..."

He frowned, "Don't you want me to?" he asked her.

"I don't know... I hadn't really thought about it. Do you really want to?"

"I do, LoLo..." he said softly.

"Why?"

He was silent for a few seconds, "Do you remember when you made me come... that second night and it got all over your hand?" She nodded her head, "You licked it off your hand... I want to see what you taste like." He murmured.

"Can't you use your hands too?" she asked him.

"I could... if you really aren't comfortable with me doing it, that's fine, LoLo. I promised you that I would never force you to do something you didn't want to do and I meant it." He stopped speaking, seeing her thinking about his words.

Finally she broke the silence, "I trust you, JoJo..." she whispered.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She nodded. He lowered his mouth and kissed her stomach tenderly. "Thank you, LoLo..." he whispered. Lauren closed her eyes and let herself feel what he was doing. His mouth slowly moved lower and she gradually forgot about the general ickiness of what he was about to do and instead concentrated on how he was making her feel. He pressed his mouth onto her clit and Lauren was simply unable to stop her hips from shifting beneath where they lay, trying to increase the pressure he was touching her with. She couldn't help the moan as his tongue circled her, just like his thumb would when he touched her. He pulled away from her and she whimpered; now she wanted him there.

"JoJo..." she moaned and he lowered his mouth again, sucking on her clit and making the whole of Lauren's body tingle. Joey spent several minutes in that one spot and by the time he was done, his name was falling from her lips repeatedly. She was so caught up in what she was feeling, it took her some time to realise he'd moved lower. His tongue ran up her opening and her eyes shot open. WOW... so that was what all the fuss was about... Lauren had to admit, considering Joey didn't really know what he was doing, he was certainly having an effect on her. She was panting, trying to draw as much oxygen into her body as she could.

He pulled away from her, kissing her clit softly, "I take it you like it then..." he asked her softly.

Lauren's hand flew to his head, pressing him back against her body, "JoJo..." she whimpered, "Please..." He chuckled and then went back to work, enticing a scream from her in the space of two minutes. He kissed back up her body and then kissed her mouth, her taste flooding her mouth as he brushed his tongue against hers. Lauren couldn't move as she tried to recover from an intense orgasm, unlike any she'd experienced before. "You are going to be doing that again..." she whispered to him and he laughed softly.

"Happy birthday, LoLo."

*JL*JL*

Lauren opened her eyes and found Joey lying beside her, watching her. "JoJo..." she murmured, covering her face with her hands. "Stop it..."

"Why are you blushing, babe?" he asked her softly, kissing the back of her hands and then tugging them away from her face.

"I don't know..." she whispered, glancing at him.

"Are you ready for more?" he asked her.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" she said, smiling at him cheekily.

"I'm always ready for you, LoLo..." he breathed in her ear, kissing the skin in front of her ear. His words took her breath away. Joey pulled away from her and then he was lifting her in his arms and carrying her out of his bedroom. Had he forgotten that they were both naked?

*JL*JL*

"Joey, what are you doing?" she whispered as he lowered her feet to the floor.

"I need a shower..." he told her softly.

"And I need to be here because...?"

"I thought you might like to join me..." He said, dipping his head and kissing her gently.

"Oh..."

"Do you want to?" he asked. She nodded her head, her cheeks reddening. He pulled her towards the shower and started the water. While they were waiting for the water to warm, Joey kissed her, pulling her body against his. After a couple of minutes he took both her hands in his and walked backwards into the cubicle, pulling her with him. He pulled her into his arms, lifting her feet back off the floor. Lauren instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him. He surprised her by pushing her back against the tiles and deepening the kiss. She could feel his erection against the back of her thigh and she already knew where this was heading.

"JoJo... please..." she moaned as he kissed down her neck.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Always," she whispered.

"I'll just be a second..." he said, placing her back on the floor and turning away from her.

"Where are you going?"

"We need a condom..." he said.

Lauren reached for him and grabbed his hand, pulling him back, "JoJo..." she whispered. He turned his head and looked at her, Lauren shook her head. She squeezed his hand and tugged his hand.

"Are you sure?" he whispered again and Lauren kissed him, her free hand brushing down the back of his head to his neck and holding it in place.

"Does that answer your question?" she breathed against his mouth. Lauren wrapped her arms and legs back around his body, kissing his jaw tenderly. His hand came up and caressed her cheek and she pulled away from him, staring into his eyes as he eased his length into her. Lauren's eyes widened, it felt very different like this and she sighed as she felt him deep inside her. "I love you," she whispered softly and he smiled at her. He pushed her back against the wall and gripped her hips tightly. Each movement of his hips pushed him a little deeper and it wasn't long before they were both coming, Lauren just a couple of minutes before Joey. As his peak faded Joey sagged against her, slipping from her body. He buried his face in her shoulder, his breath heating her skin as he caught his breath. "I hope you're not expecting me to walk anywhere, JoJo..." she said softly, "I'm not sure I can remember how my legs or any other part of my body works right now..."

"I will carry you anywhere you want to go, LoLo... but maybe in a while... once I can remember how to do anything apart from stand here, holding you in my arms." Lauren giggled against his shoulder then kissed it softly. "Anyway, I think we both need to get clean first."

After a couple of minutes, Joey lowered her feet to the floor and stepped away from her. He took his time washing her hair, proving to her that he was just as good at doing that as she was. Then he washed her body tenderly with shower gel. Lauren smiled at him softly and Joey kissed the tip of her nose. She reached for the shampoo and did the same to him as he'd done for her, managing to get a moan out of him as she massaged his scalp. She washed his body, kissing him softly as she did so. It was only when she was washing his back that there was a problem. Her hands fell down to her sides as she stared at the scar on his back, its colour so red and violent looking against his skin. The sight of it brought tears to her eyes and she stood frozen to the spot, staring at it with rapidly blurring eyes. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, backing away from him before running from the cubicle and out of the bathroom.

Joey turned, staring at her as she grabbed a towel and ran out of the room. "What the hell?" He turned off the water and grabbed a towel for himself, wrapping it around his waist and then heading onto the landing. "LoLo..." he said, pushing open the door to his room but seeing she wasn't in there. He headed towards her room and poked his head around the door. She was lying on her bed and he could see she was crying. "Babe... what's wrong?" he whispered as he walked over to her and lay down beside her. He pulled her into his arms, wondering what the hell had just happened. "Talk to me, LoLo..." he asked her softly. "What's caused this, eh?" he whispered. His hand brushed up and down her back as her body shook against him.

"It's your scar..." she whispered. "It's the first time I've really seen it... it made me remember..."

"I'm sorry, LoLo..." he murmured, pressing his lips against her hair. He wished there was something he could do to erase the past five minutes.

*JL*JL*

Joey woke suddenly, realising he was asleep with Lauren in his arms. They were still in her room. He wondered what it was that woke him up and then he heard footsteps on the stairs. "LoLo..." he whispered, shaking her gently. She moaned softly and buried herself further into his chest. "Babe, someone's home..."

"What?" she said, her eyes popping open and staring at him. "Is it mum or dad?" She asked him.

"I don't know." He said.

"What do we do? If they catch you in here..." she didn't need to finish that sentence.

"I'm going to have to hide..." Joey said to her softly.

"Lauren... Joey..." It was their dad.

"Joey... where are you going to hide?" she whispered to him.

Joey looked around her room, "Wardrobe?" he suggested, smirking at her slightly. This wouldn't be the first time he'd hidden in a wardrobe, although never for this reason before. He got up and walked over to the cupboard, blowing a kiss to her as he pulled the door shut behind him. Lauren pushed herself up off the bed and she wrapped a robe around her body, scrunching her hair dry with the towel.

Her dad pushed open the door, "Hey babe, where's Joey?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, dad. I was in the shower... maybe he went for a walk...?" she said, turning her back to him as she continued to dry her hair. "I thought you were at work?"

"I just came home to get a couple of files." He said. "When you see Joey, can you ask him if he can spare me a couple of hours this afternoon? I've got a client booked in for this afternoon at three but there's a potential new business contact coming in as well."

"I'll tell him." She said. She turned and looked at him, "Dad, I'm trying to get dressed..."

"What... oh, sorry." He murmured, his face flushing, "I'll see you later, babe. Have a nice rest of your birthday."

"I plan to, dad." She whispered as he disappeared down the stairs and out of the front door.

**A/N: Well that was close, wasn't it? Just as well Max didn't catch Joey in the act with Lauren. I'm not sure what his reaction would've been. And Joey's back hiding in the wardrobe again... And the bear that Lauren gave Joey for his birthday has finally got a name... Send me a review. Can I get as many as I got last night today, I wonder... I hope so. Back tomorrow...**


	74. Chapter 74

**Sorry for the delay in posting tonight... I've had IT issues... all resolved now thankfully... so normal service has been resumed.**

**Chapter 74.**

Joey wound his arms around her waist, kissing the back of her neck as he pulled her back against him, "That was close..."

"Too close, JoJo..." she murmured. She was wearing some leggings and a T-shirt and she was holding his hoodie in her hands.

"Do you want this to stop?" he whispered, twisting her around so she was facing him.

"No, JoJo..." she said quickly, "We've waited long enough for this... we just need to be more careful." She murmured, her eyes fixed on his still bare chest. They dropped further and landed on the towel that was wrapped around his hips. She bit her lip as she saw the trail that disappeared into the front of his towel and she wanted to run her hands down his body and pull that towel away from his delectable body.

"What are you thinking, LoLo?" he asked. "Because whatever it is, your face is a beautiful shade of scarlet."

She glanced up at his face, "I want you..." she breathed.

"Again... LoLo, at this rate, you're going to wear me out..." he chuckled.

Her face deepened in colour and she licked her lips. "Is there something wrong with me?" she whispered.

"I was just teasing, baby..." he told her softly, pulling her against his chest. "I love the fact that you want me... because I want you just as much." He said, kissing the side of her head. He walked backwards, tugging her with him and sat on the edge of her bed. He tugged her onto his lap and she could quickly feel his hard length beneath her. "I've still got some time before I need to be at the car lot... and I want to make sure my girl has a good birthday..."

"Your girl," she whispered, kissing him gently. She pulled away from him suddenly and got up from his lap. "Just a minute..." she whispered when she saw him frown. She reached over to the top of her bed and picked up Missybear and her three children, "Come on Missy... I think you and the kids should go and spend some time with your husband..." she murmured. She walked with them quickly out of her room and into Joey's, placing the small family together on Joey's desk, looking away from the bed (just in case). As she was heading back to her room she grabbed a box of condoms from his bedside table. They'd better not risk it twice.

*JL*JL*

"Sorry..." she whispered as she went back into her room.

"Where are they now?" he asked, smiling at her.

"On your desk..." she said, sitting back on his lap again. "I brought these with me..." she whispered, holding up the box.

"Good thinking." he said softly. "I'm going to make love to you, LoLo..." he murmured, kissing her jaw.

She shivered in his arms. "Show me..." she breathed.

He smiled at her and then slipped his hand beneath her T-shirt. He pushed it further up her body until it was pulled over her head and dropped on the floor. His hands caressed her breasts through her bra before they reached behind her and undid it. He lifted her off his lap and stood in front of her. He made quick work of her leggings and knickers and then she stood in front of him; naked. He turned to the bed and pulled down the duvet. "In you get, babe..." he said softly. She did as he asked, staring up at him as she lay on the mattress. She watched as he slowly unfastened his towel, discarding it quickly. He moved to lay beside her, kissing her on the mouth softly. He really was so beautiful, but the sight of his naked body left her breathless. He rolled so he was lying on top of her and the passion increased between them. "Condom..." he whispered as he dragged his mouth from hers. He reached for the box she'd brought in with her and pulled one of them from inside. Lauren watched as he rolled it on himself, again thinking how stunning he was. And he was hers. He glanced up at her face, seeing where she was looking and feeling the heat rise within him. He moved so he was lying on her again, his length brushing against her clit and causing them both to moan. Lauren stared up at his face, her eyes taking in every detail of him. His fingers brushed across her opening and she whimpered. She shifted beneath him, trying to encourage him to touch her more. His fingers were moving faster and she could feel her peak edging closer.

"JoJo, stop..." she whispered, her hand brushing the side of his face.

He froze, staring at her, wide-eyed. "What's wrong? Have I hurt you? What did I do?" he asked softly.

"Nothing, JoJo... I just... I want you to be in me when I come..."

"I am in you..." he teased her.

"I meant you... not your fingers..." She said, her face glowing brightly as she stared up at him.

"Oh, well..." he smiled at her, removing his fingers from her and stroking his length with the same hand. He placed the head of his cock at her entrance and stared into her eyes, "I've thought about doing this so many times..." he said softly.

"We've done this before..." she whispered.

"Not in this position," he said, "I thought you might like this position... you like it when I lie with you like this... ever since you've told me you liked me lying on you like this, this has been all I can think about."

"Then why are we talking about it?" She whispered, kissing him softly.

"You're right..." he said. He took a deep breath and moved further into her. They both sighed as he filled her. Once he'd stopped moving Lauren lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist and he slid a little deeper, "Oh god..." he moaned, resting his head on her chest for a second as he composed himself.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"Feels so much better than I imagined..." he breathed. He lifted his head and stared into her eyes, loving her all the more when she smiled up at him.

"Make love to me, JoJo..." she whispered.

"It would most definitely be my pleasure." He said softly. He started moving against her slowly, easing in and out of her body.

"I love you, JoJo..." she told him softly.

"I love you too..." he said. He moved faster, feeling her tighten around him. "Is this okay?" he asked her. She nodded her head, smiling at him.

"Oh, JoJo..." she moaned, her back arching and pressing against his body. "I want more..." she whimpered.

"More?" he whispered.

She took a deep breath and looked at his face, "I want you to fuck me..." she whispered.

"What?" he gasped, staring at her in shock. Why would she ask him to do that? Did she not like what he was doing now? "Why?" he asked.

"I want you to lose control... I want you to fuck me hard."

"Don't you like what we're doing now...?" he whispered.

Lauren bit her lip, feeling awful. Her hand brushed the side of his face, "Of course I like this... but I want to try that too..." She stared into his eyes, "If you don't want to... it's fine. I love what we're doing now just as much..."

He stared at her face, thinking through what she'd said, "What if I hurt you?" he breathed.

"You could never do that, JoJo... I know it."

"It scares me..." he admitted.

"What does?" she asks him, becoming concerned. Suddenly he looked much younger and more unsure of himself than he had done since they'd got together. He didn't look like the Joey she was used to seeing.

"I'm scared to lose control..." he whispered. He looked at her and his eyes held so much emotion, "I worry that I'll lose myself so much that I'll do something I'll regret later."

"You could never do that, JoJo..." she lifted her head and kissed that special spot under his jaw. "Let's just keep doing what we're doing now..." she whispered, hating herself for upsetting him. She should've thought about it and known this would be an issue for him. She should've remembered his birthday and what had happened at the gym. "I'm sorry, JoJo..." she breathed against his skin, "I didn't mean to push you..."

Joey started to move again, soon resuming the pace he had earlier, moving his hips against her once more. He stared at her face, deep into her eyes and it wasn't long until he felt his peak explode from him. He kissed Lauren passionately, knowing that she was very close behind him. She cried out his name as she came, clinging to him tightly. He collapsed on top of her as both their peaks faded, physically and mentally exhausted.

*JL*JL*

Lauren brushed her hand up and down Joey's back, surprised that he hadn't tried to move off her. "I'm sorry..." he whispered.

"It doesn't matter, JoJo..." she reassured him, "I loved what we just did, never think that I didn't." She kissed his jaw once more, "I love everything we do together... because I love you." She whispered to him. "You never have to apologise for not wanting to do something, JoJo... You've always said that you wouldn't make me do something I wasn't comfortable with. That goes the same for me..."

He lifted his head and Lauren could see the devastation on his face, which broke her heart a little. "I love you too..." he whispered. Lauren hugged him again, hoping he felt a little better. He pulled away from her a little, turning them so he was now lying on his back and she was lying on him. "I need to tell you something, Lo..." he said softly.

Lauren lifted her head, hearing the seriousness in his voice and starting to worry. "What?" she asked him hesitantly.

"The letters..." he said, glancing at her. He saw the recognition of what he was talking about in her eyes. "I've been getting them for years," he whispered. "They're from Derek..."

"What do they say?"

"I don't know," he said. He saw her frown, "I've never read them. I only know they're from him because I opened the first one and his name was at the bottom..." he whispered to her.

"How often do you get them?"

"Three times a year..." he said softly. "Mum's birthday, my birthday and Christmas Eve..."

"Does anyone else know?" she asked. He shook his head. "Why have you never told mum and dad?"

"I didn't want them to upset them..." he admitted.

"Why have you kept them all, JoJo?"

"I've no idea," he said, "but I can't bring myself to throw them away." He looked at her face, "Does that make me stupid?" he asked her.

"Of course not, JoJo." She whispered, "I can't say that I completely understand why you keep them but I don't think it makes you stupid."

"I don't understand it either, if that makes it any better."

She smiled at him, "It kind of does..." she whispered, "And I love you too, JoJo..."

**A/N: So Joey has finally told Lauren about the letters. And possibly for the first time ever in their lives, he didn't do what she asked him to. Let me know what you think. Back tomorrow...**


	75. Chapter 75

**Chapter 75.**

Joey pulled himself from the bed, looking behind him at Lauren as she slept still. He bent down and kissed her lips softly, feeling her stirring as she woke. "I've got to go, LoLo..." he said gently. "Dad is waiting for me at the car lot." She started to pout but he stopped her, "Babe... don't. You know I'd rather be here... but dad needs me." He kissed her again, "I'll give you your present when I get back..."

"You mean to say earlier wasn't it?" she whispered.

"No..." he said, smiling at her tenderly.

"Well, that's something to look forward to then, I guess... while you're gone." She whispered, rolling onto her side and watching as he got to his feet and walked across her room. She wolf whistled and he turned back and looked at her, "Even better from the front," she giggled.

"It's cruel to tease, LoLo..." he murmured, bending down and picking up his towel from the floor.

"Says the naked man in the room..." she moaned, her eyes fixed on his bare bum. Joey groaned and walked out of the room, shutting it firmly behind him.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked back into the house a few hours later and placed a cardboard box on the table in the hallway, hanging his coat up and taking off his shoes. He stood in the doorway of the lounge and saw Lauren lying on the couch watching a DVD. Well, she would be... if she was still awake. He crouched in front of the couch and turned off the TV and DVD player. She didn't even stir. He pushed some hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear and she smiled, whispering his name. The front door opened and he heard their parents get home from work. "Wake up birthday girl," he said softly, kissing her mouth gently.

"JoJo..." she breathed as he deepened the kiss, his thumb brushing the side of her face.

"Hey..." he said, pulling away from her, seeing she was now staring at him. "Mum and dad are home. Dad's got takeaway for dinner..."

"Pizza?" she asked.

"Your favourite..." he said softly, nodding his head in response to her question.

She glanced behind him, "Oh, I missed the film..." she whispered.

"We can watch it later, if you'd like..." he said softly.

"Did you sell the car?" she asked as she sat up, reaching for his hand and squeezing it.

"What do you think?" He said with a smirk, "This is me you're talking to..." he added.

"Let me guess it was a tall leggy blonde and she fell for your charm..." Lauren said, pulling away from him and getting to her feet. She walked over to the dining room table and began to set it for their dinner.

Joey frowned and walked up behind her as she stood, her hands resting on the table, her shoulders slumped. "Babe... it was a fifty year old man, who was balding and smelt of stale cigarettes. It took me ten minutes and a test drive to sell him the car dad and I have been trying to get rid of since before Christmas. And I sold it for more than dad was expecting so he's pretty pleased about it too." He told her softly. His arm wrapped around her waist and he kissed the base of her neck gently, "Where's this coming from, LoLo?" he whispered. The kitchen door opened and their mum walked in. Joey lifted his head and looked at her. She seemed to realise there was something wrong and she turned and walked back into the kitchen, giving them a couple more minutes. He kissed her neck again, his hand slipping under her top and stroking across her stomach. "Talk to me, babe..." he breathed against her skin.

"Where have you been then..." she asked him.

"What?"

"You said it took you ten minutes and a test drive but you were gone for nearly three hours." She whispered. "I thought you wanted to spend my birthday with me..."

"I did... I do..." he said. "I went to get your birthday present... once dad got back to the car lot." He said. "It took longer than I thought it would... I had to get some other things I hadn't anticipated."

"So where are they?" she asked.

"Your present is in the hallway and the other bits I got are in the boot of my car."

"When do I get my present then?" she whispered, turning to face him.

"After dinner," he told her, pulling her into his arms and against his body. She looked up at his face and he lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her softly. "I'll go and tell mum and dad they can come in now..." he whispered, "Sit down, birthday girl..."

*JL*JL*

There were many empty plates on the table about forty minutes later, all of the family fit to burst. "Present time...!" Max declared and Lauren smiled, bouncing in her seat and clapping her hands like the little girl she used to be. Everyone apart from Lauren got to their feet, Max clearing away the plates and Tanya and Joey both went to go and get presents. Joey went out to his car and brought in some bags of things which he left in the hallway. He smiled at his mum as she came down the stairs. He left his presents in the hall, checking the box on the side before walking back into the lounge. Lauren frowned when she saw he wasn't carrying anything.

She didn't say anything about it as she opened her presents from her parents. She loved the clothes they'd brought her and the CD's and DVD's. "Thanks mum, thanks dad..." she said. She looked at Joey expectantly, "JoJo?" she whispered.

He smirked at her, getting back to his feet. He bent down and kissed her softly, "Be right back..." he whispered, walking back out into the hallway. He reappeared back in the room carrying a relatively large cardboard box. "Sorry it's not wrapped..." he said softly, sitting back down and moving his chair closer to hers.

She looked at him and then turned back to the box, tearing away the two small pieces of tape that held the lid loosely together. Inside appeared to be a mass of straw and at first she didn't see what her present was. Then the straw moved and she saw the small baby bunny rabbit nestled within it. "JoJo!" she squealed and the bunny flinched. She flung her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, "You got me a bunny...!"

"I talked to mum and dad about it... and checked they were okay with me getting it but I knew how much you wanted one." He said softly.

"Is it a girl or a boy?" she asked as she turned back to the box and pulled some of the straw away from on top of her tiny pet.

"The man at the store assured me it was a girl." He told her. "You should show mum and dad..." he told her, putting his arm around her shoulders.

Lauren smiled, reaching into the box and picking up the ginger ball of fluff. She held it in one hand, her fingers stroking the top of its head, brushing the long droopy ears as the bunny stared up at her, "How cute is she?" Lauren whispered.

"What are you going to call her?" Her mum asked.

Lauren thought about it briefly, "I was thinking maybe Bella..."

"That definitely suits her... She's lovely, babe." Her dad told her.

Lauren turned to Joey, "Did you get her a hutch? Isn't it a bit cold to put it outside? She'll freeze in this weather..." She reeled off her questions to him really quickly.

Joey held his hand out towards her and she took it quickly, feeling him squeeze it softly. "Bring Bella..." he said softly, as she went to put the bunny back in the box. They walked out into the hall and Joey stood in front of the pile of things he'd brought in from the car. "There's a food bowl and some food, a litter tray here, with some litter... and a little hutch thing for her to sleep in and I got some bedding for her too. There are a couple of toys for her to play with. Mum said we could set her up in the kitchen for the first couple of weeks, until she's toilet trained and then she can have free roam of the house... or the ground floor anyway..."

"She doesn't have to go outside?"

"No, she's going to be a house bunny..."

"Really?" Lauren whispered, lifting her hand and looking into Bella's eyes, "Did you hear that Bella? You can stay inside and spend time with me and JoJo... How cool is that?"

"Shall we go and get her sorted out?" he asked her softly, his arm around her waist as she leant against him, staring at Bella.

"Yeah..." Joey picked up all the things he'd brought in from his car, smiling as Lauren wandered off towards the kitchen with her precious cargo. They spent the next hour sorting out a little area to put the cage Joey had brought for Bella to use initially. Lauren sat beside the cage once Bella was in it, watching her bunny settle into her temporary home. Bella drank some water and then ate a piece of fruit they had put down and some of the pellets he'd brought. Lauren didn't move until Bella was sitting on her bed of hay and her eyes were closed... then Lauren got to her feet and launched herself at Joey, hugging him tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you..." she whispered as she kissed all over his face. "I love her and I love you." She added.

"Love you too, LoLo..." he said softly.

*JL*JL*

Joey was lying in bed, waiting for Lauren to come into his room. He was surprised she wasn't already there but he knew it wouldn't be long until she was lying in bed beside him. He heard the sound of her door opening and closing, the slight creak of a floorboard as she moved towards his room and then his door opening too. He looked up at her and smiled. She shut his door quietly and leant against it, staring at him. She was wearing more than usual today but as Joey's eyes ran over her body she started to remove them. She stood again a minute later, naked as she leant against the door again. "Why are you standing all the way over there?" he asked her softly.

"I'm wondering if you know how much I love you..." she whispered.

"I have a fair idea..." he said softly. "Come here..." he added, holding his hand out towards her. Lauren pushed away from the door and climbed into the bed with him, finding him as naked as she was. She wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing herself against his side. "Did you have a nice birthday, LoLo?" he asked quietly.

"It was the best one ever..." she whispered. "Thank you for Bella, JoJo... she's beautiful." She tilted her head back and looked up at his face. Their lips met in a tender kiss and she moaned as he brushed his tongue against hers. His hand brushed up her body and cupped her breast.

"I have one last present for you, LoLo..." he told her softly.

"You do... what's that?" she asked, already knowing what he was going to say.

"This..." he breathed as he rolled them over and pressed his hips against hers, showing her what he was about to give her.

"I think that might be just how I'd like to finish my birthday, JoJo..." Joey stared down at her face, seeing the desire for him in her eyes and he knew what he wanted to do. He reached for his bedside table but Lauren stopped him, "Not tonight..." she whispered.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, knowing the consequences of what they were about to do were huge.

"Yes." She said, lifting her head and kissing him softly.

He smiled down at her before running his hands down her body and gripping her hips. He pushed his length into her quickly, seeing her eyes widen as he thrust into her. He stared into her eyes as he moved in her; his pace faster and more brutal than how they usually did this. Watching her face and seeing the love on her face was the only way he could do this, he'd realised. He had wanted to give her the one thing he'd previously be unwilling to try and she was the only thing keeping him from losing it completely. He still wasn't convinced this was the right thing for him to be doing and there was a good chance that this could all be about to go horribly wrong but he was willing to try... for his LoLo. She moaned softly and Joey kissed her, swallowing the louder noise the next thrust of his hips evoked. She was already tightening on him and he could feel the way her fingers were running through his hair and scratching at his scalp. All of these things pointed to the fact she liked what he was doing... which was a relief. He hated to think that she might not like it. She pulled her mouth from his, gasping for breath as he moved even faster, her mouth grazed his face before settling on his hot spot just below his jaw and as her lips caressed there it was enough to push him over the edge, his length exploding inside her and making her come as well. She clung to him as his movements within her slowed, their peaks slowly ebbing away until he was just lying on her. He'd quickly learnt that she liked it when they lay like this afterwards; she'd told him once it made her feel safe. Eventually he did move though, draping her across his body and brushing his hands over her skin. She kissed his chest and whispered a soft thank you that just escaped before her eyes drifted shut.

**A/N: So do you think Lauren liked Bella the bunny and that she had a nice birthday? I think she did... especially when Joey gave her her final present. Who would've thought he'd do that? Send me a review. Back tomorrow...**


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EastEnders, Angst, Drama