*FLASHBACK*

Fifteen year old Lauren Branning groaned as the pain in her head kicked into full force at her slightest movement on the pillow. She cracked open an eye and the sunlight shining in through the curtains felt like it was blinding her, she frowned and put her arms over her eyes and then rolled onto her side. She groaned again and then froze as she felt someone move in the bed behind her. She held her breath and carefully and slowly rolled over and looked straight into the sleeping face of her best friend, 16 year old Joey Branning.

Yes. Joey Branning had the same surname as her but they weren't actually related. Well they were, but not by blood. Joey was adopted by her Uncle Derek and Aunt Rose when he was a 3 month old baby. So technically they weren't related at all.

Her mind began to race through last night, trying to find the moment that made her end up in bed with her best friend. She suddenly had a thought and she swallowed and peeked under the covers, and found that she was totally naked. She glanced over at her bed fellow and then, only when she was certain that he was fast asleep, she pulled up the covers and peeked at him, he was as equally naked as she was. She dropped the sheets and closed her eyes and covered her face with her hands.

'Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!' she repeated over and over quietly as her brain chose that exact moment to replay the events that led up to this nakedness. She and Joey were bored of the family party that his parents had thrown, and her parents strict no drinking rule. So she and Joey had swiped a bottle of wine from the liquor cabinet and taken it into Joey's room.

They thought that no one had seen them, but Joey's dad, Derek had. He wasn't as strict as her parents and didn't see the harm in letting the kids drink as long as they were in a place that they couldn't get into trouble. So he said nothing, but when his brother Max and his wife Tanya wanted to leave, he said that he would go and find Lauren. He stood outside Joey's bedroom door and heard the two of them drunkenly giggling. So he had lied to Max and told him that Lauren and Joey were asleep and that they may as well let Lauren spend the night. Max and Tanya happily agreed, not wanting to hear Lauren complain about how lame and dull the party was or complain that she had to go to the zoo with her family like some little kid. What Derek didn't know was the reason behind the drunken giggling.

Joey was boasting to Lauren about his well-defined stomach muscles since he had been going to Uncle Jack's gym and he had taken off his shirt to show her his six pack, or what he thought was his six pack. Lauren had poked his stomach and told him it looked more like a one pack than a six pack and that she had a better six pack than Joey and she had pulled off her dress to show him. That's when the giggling had stopped and alcohol fuelled teenage hormones and curiosity had kicked in, and Joey and Lauren had somehow ended up kissing in a way that cousins really shouldn't kiss and then things had progressed onto the bed and she and Joey had lost their virginity to each other, another thing that cousins really shouldn't do.

She climbed out of bed and quickly dressed, surprised to find that she felt more than a little sore between her legs, no doubt from their antics last night. She crept to the bedroom door and opened it quietly and crept down the stairs.

'Morning angel' Derek said loudly as she walked into the kitchen

'Morning' she grimaced

'Here, there's a couple of aspirin and a glass of water on the table' he nodded to the space next to him. 'Is Joey moving?'

'Nope' she sat down and gratefully took the painkillers and then picked up the coffee that she set down in front of her. 'Mum and dad…'

'Were fine with you staying here last night. Means that you've missed the trip to the zoo though. Not sure those zoo smells would have helped with your hangover today. You're welcome to stay here until you feel a little better' he said to her

She smiled at him 'Thanks Uncle Derek' she told him 'Where's Auntie Rose and Alice?'

'Gone shopping for the day' he told her 'Spending all my money' he smiled

A few moments later, they heard loud footsteps on the stairs and Joey appeared in the doorway wearing a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt.

'Lauren' Joey blinked at her 'What are you doing here?' he asked her

'Don't you remember son? You and Lauren snuck off to your room with a bottle of alcohol last night?' Derek asked his son

'Right yeah' he said and he looked at Lauren as he remembered what they had done.

Lauren licked her lips and drank some more coffee. 'I swear that I am never ever drinking again' she said with a frown. 'I have a full brass marching band playing and stomping in my head' she told them both

'Until the next time hey darling?' Derek teased her gently 'So what are you two up to today?'

Lauren looked at him 'Curling up on the sofa until you kick me out' she said with a hopeful smile

'You can stay as long as you want you know that' Derek told her with a smile 'Anyway I have to go to work, but Joey will be here to look after you won't you son?' he asked him

'What er… yeah sure' he nodded.

Lauren forced a smile onto her face 'Great. I'll be feeling sorry for myself on the sofa' she told them as she picked up her coffee cup and carried it into the lounge. Taking another sip she put it on the coffee table before lying down on the sofa and closing her eyes, as she slept she dreamt of feeling firm but soft lips against hers, soft gentle caresses on her naked skin, and Joey's face above hers.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

'Lauren Branning. I swear to god you space out deliberately so you can pretend that you have no clue what I'm talking about' Joey said as he nudged her sharply in the ribs.

'Ouch hey Joe! That hurt' she scowled at him and slapped him hard on the thigh. 'You're probably just droning on about Lucy's wedding arrangement demands again anyway' she told him rolling her eyes 'Like how she wants to you turn up to the church on a big white stallion' she teased him 'How she wants you to wear a pink suit and have her name tattooed on your arse'

'What's put you in such a bad mood?' Joey frowned at her concerned 'Is everything okay between you and Simon?' he asked her

'Yeah yeah they're fine' she nodded with a smile 'He's just not going to be able to make it back for the wedding, so I will have be dateless and Lucy's going to be pissed because it will screw her seating plan'

'Is he still away?' he frowned at her

'Yeah' she nodded

'That's how long now?' he asked her 'A month?'

'Nearly two' Lauren replied 'He needs to go where the work is. I get that'

'I don't know how you do it' he told her 'you haven't seen your boyfriend for 2 months'

'We talk all the time on the phone, text, Skype'

'Do you have sex that way too?'

'And he comes back on weekends' she said ignoring his last comment

'And how many weekends has he been back since he left? One wasn't?' he asked her 'No wonder you are so moody all the time. You're horny'

'Why does every conversation about me and Simon have to come back to sex?' she asked him with a frown 'Why are you so obsessed with my sex life?'

'Or lack thereof' he replied

'Sex isn't all a relationship is about Joey. There are actual feelings involved, emotional feelings' she added as he opened his mouth to make a crude comment 'Like love and friendship and commitment, something that you really don't seem to know much about' she told him and she got up and walked to the ladies room.

Joey sighed and he got up and went to the bar and got another round of drinks for them both. He had just sat back down when Lauren came back. 'I got you another drink' he said

'I've got to go' Lauren told him

'Oh no don't go, please' Joey said 'I'm bored. Keep me company'

'Why don't you go and find Lucy? Annoy her' she told him 'You remember Lucy right? Your fiancée? The girl you're marrying in three months time?'

'Please… I want to be with you. You are my best friend you have to stay and keep me company' he pleaded with her 'Please, please?' He gave her the look that he knew she couldn't resist, the puppy dog eyes the pouty bottom lip. Lauren rolled her eyes and sighed

'Okay fine. One more drink Joey and then I am going home' she told him

'Thank you' he said grinning at her, she took her seat again

'You are such an idiot Joey' she shook her head trying not to laugh as she picked up her drink.

'What are your plans for tonight?' he asked her 'I was thinking maybe dinner and a movie at my place? You can stay over again if you like?'

'I do have my own home Joey'

'Yeah but you're never there. You practical live at my place now' he told her

''Yes maybe I do, but that will all change when you come back from your honeymoon with your new wife in tow. I really doubt she's going to want me staying over all the time. So I am going to start staying at my own place' she told him

'Just because I'm getting married it doesn't mean that we'll change. I mean we'll still be us. You'll still be my best friend' he told her softly

'Everything will change Joey' Lauren told him with a sad smile 'You'll be doing things that married couples do, you won't have any time for me. You'll see'

Joey looked at her with a frown 'I'll always have time for you' he shook his head 'it's you and me against the world remember, we have matching scars' he said and he held out his wrist to show her the jagged scar that he got when he stuck his hand through a barbed wire fence because she had caught hers and she was crying. 'We were 10 remember?' he asked her

'I remember' she said with a smile 'You always looked out for me'

'And I always will' he told her 'I promised didn't I?'

'Yeah you did' she nodded and she reached across the table to trace the scar 'I still can't believe you did that' she said as she remember

'I had to do something to make you stop crying'

Lauren's mobile beeped and she pulled it out of her pocket. 'Oh its Lucy' Lauren said and she opened the text message 'Oh god another dress fitting tomorrow' she frowned 'Kill me now please'

'If you don't want to be bridesmaid why did you agree to it?'

'Its not really like I had a choice. She only asked me because I'm your best friend and she vetoed your idea of me being the best man, in favour of her brother Peter. After you protested that I was an important person in your life she had no choice but to add me to the bridesmaid pool. You and I both know that she would rather have anyone but me in her wedding party'

'Luce likes you'

'Lucy tolerates me there's a difference' Lauren replied

'Lucy tolerates me too so that's something else that we have in common' Joey told her with a grin. Lauren rolled her eyes at him

'Yeah well you're the one that's chosen to marry her' Lauren told him 'rather you than me' she said as she picked up her drink and drank half of it down.

'I'm not the one in a sexless relationship' Joey frowned at her suddenly annoyed with her for reasons Lauren didn't know.

'Well on that note I am going to go' she told him 'Enjoy your evening' she got up and grabbed her bag and her coat,

'I'll see you in about half an hour then' he called after her as he watched her walk out of the pub. He sighed, picking up his pint and taking a mouthful. He really didn't understand what Lauren saw in Simon. He was never here, Never around when she needed him. He didn't like Simon. He would never say as much to Lauren's face but there was just something about the guy that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He didn't like him, he didn't trust him. And he certainly wasn't good enough for Lauren. Not that any of Lauren's boyfriends had been good enough for her, not in his opinion anyway. She and Simon had been together for 3 years. Lived together for the last one…when he was actually in Walford which wasn't much of the time lately. Joey frowned. He really didn't like Simon. Joey decided that he was going to go home.

Lauren let herself into her empty flat and she sank down on to the sofa with a sofa. She had no idea why Joey had got snappish with her. She sighed and got up and walked to the kitchen and peered into the fridge. It was almost empty and the food she had in there were growing some form of mould. Opening her cupboard she saw a box of cereal and a mouldy half loaf of bread. She frowned as her stomach rumbled. Sometimes she hated that Joey knew her so well.

She hated it a lot.

AN: So this is my new story. Let me know what you think you all know how…..

Do you want me to continue?

As always R&R