A/N at the bottom.
5 years. 1826 days. A lot can change. A lot has.
Having left Walford behind late summer of 2014, Jacqueline Jossa was a household name, her exit storyline had been a great one and the 6 months leading up to it ever better. And actually 5 years on "Jacq Jossa" was still a household name. Succeeding where many soap stars didn't. Leaving behind the 'drunken damaged' east end girl, who in real life was being dubbed the next 'Lacey Turner' again, people full of speculation about her. They had high hopes she'd succeed, her talent would break the soap star curse but they had their doubts. They wanted to know what her future held, both career wise and personally, wanting to know when she'd marry her fiancée Tony who had left a few months before her, and if it'd be a big soap wedding like they, the public wanted.
She stepped away from the Eastenders and soap world bubble slowly. Trying to work out where that naive 17 year old she was when she was cast, had gone. In her place a 21 year old stood, the British Soap Award's Best Actress and Sexiest female, fresh out of soap, wondering if she'd made the right choice and confused how all of her friends suddenly seemed to be on a totally different life plan to her.
A couple of one off BBC shows, a panto stint as Cinderella (where ironically her old screen boyfriend's theatre actress of a girlfriend was her understudy) a whole bunch of Celebrity Juice later, her break came. A Danny Dyer film, slightly out of her comfort zone but she adored him and the script so took the chance.
3 movies (2 sequels and a short independent film which ironically but happily for her, her 'big sister' was the lovely Lacey), a Topshop modelling contract and a couple of one-off trips back to Walford later, Jacqueline was content. She was 27; beyond happy with her career choices, sharing a awesome apartment in central London with her best friend Tony, still as close to her family and friends as ever and a very loving Auntie Jacq to her 4 nieces/nephews and all of her god-children.
But when the call comes from an old East End friend (Her relationship with her cast were a mixed bag; some of the cast she'd stayed in contact with, some she had a lot more to do with (people like Shona and Lorna) than she did with others (David and her on-screen parents). others she lost contact with, some she cared she had (Hetti and Ricky), some she didn't (Jasmyn and Khali)) wanting to bring the old 'Summer of '13' gang back together for a big reunion party, and possibly even a ~ 'Eastenders After Dark – where are they now' special, Jacq jumped at the chance and said yes, straight away, surprising a few people.
It would change her life...
Preview for a later chapter..
"You know a few years ago, I was sort of in love with you" he said with a chuckle, causing her heart to stop for a split second. "Shut up" she said sarcastically back, mentally begging him to. Please shut up, you almost tore my relationship apart with your sweet personality and cheeky grin, and you don't even know it. "I was!" he declared, still laughing. "It's funny how things work out then."
A/N - Firstly thank you if you just read that, please let me know what you think. Such a random idea I know, but it got stuck in my head. Obviously it is a real person fic, so if that's not your thing, don't read but please don't report either. It will be Jacqueline/David, but there will be lots of focus on the others too, which I've never really done before. And don't worry, I haven't abandoned my other fics, I will be updating them at some point.
Please let me know your thoughts :) xo