Author's note - This won't happen on EE, but blah I had a idea and couldn't write anything else until I wrote this. Post Joey punching Michel obv.
He was sat in the Vic, hand in an ice bucket, stewing. He couldn't believe his sister had slept with that scumbag, and then had the nerve to berate him for smacking the guy one. He could see his Uncle Jack glancing over him, watching him like a child, making sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Like swing for the prat again.
He wasn't even pretending to follow the conversation around him, they were mostly talking about his ex girlfriend, not a topic he wanted to join in on or catching up on gossip with Peter. Didn't like that guy either, and he got the vibe the feeling was mutual.
His attention span was broke by his sister arriving though. "I don't want another fight Al" he held his hands up in the air, he won't be apologising but wasn't going to goad his sister into another argument. She sobbed and fell into his arms.
"Alice, Alice? What's happened?" He tried to comfort her, all his group's attention on her too. She shook her head into his chest, mumbling but he couldn't hear her. Holding onto her arms, but stepping back he got her to speak slower, without the tears.
"I'm sorry, Joey. I was so horrible to you." She fell back into his arms, hugging him to her. Huh? He was confused. Fats raised an eyebrow at Joey over Alice's head. "What's brought this on ay?"
"I saw Lauren." That still didn't explain anything, he shrugged off Lucy's scoff at his ex girlfriend's name. "Well she's enough to bring anyone to tears" She muttered, her brother exclaiming her name, in defence of Lauren.
"What? Where?" Jack came to stand near the group having heard his troubled niece's name.
"The park, why?" Alice looked confused and upset, as Jack just nodded and broke off in a jog to try and find her.
"What happened with Lauren darling?" Poppy spoke softly, stroking Alice's back where she was still leaning against Joey.
"I told her what you'd done, said I hate you" Alice's voice cracked, far too emotional, more tears about to come. "Then..." Poppy encouraged.
"She told me the truth and then I felt really bad. I'm so sorry Joey." Joey patted his sister's back, shrugging off her apology. Still not really understanding what exactly his ex had told his sister to change her view.
"What exactly did she say babygirl?" Fats asked, what everything was thinking. Alice wiped at her face, accepting the tissue Poppy offered.
"She was so nice to me." "Makes a change" Lucy muttered again, Joey pulling a face at her.
"She said that you are my brother, you're supposed to be on my side." Joey squeezed Alice into a side hug.
"Well that's true. I'd do anything for Luce." Peter offered, the twins sharing a small smile. "But then I felt so bad for her." Alice cried out, tears appearing in her eyes again.
"She said I shouldn't hate you for it. That she wishes more than everything she still had her brother on her side." Joey felt his throat tighten, and could see Poppy looked confused. "Bradley." Was all Fats said.
"She must miss him so much." Alice said before leaning in to hug Joey again.
Leaning back against his headboard, ice pack on hand still after Alice had begged him to keep it on, he tossed his phone up in the air, caught it and repeated. He was debating whether this was a good idea. Whether he'd be confusing her, whether she'd even have her phone after Jack found her and Tanya's plans.
Pressing call, he was about to hang up when she answered. Too late to change his mind now.
"Thanks for what you said to Alice today." He mumbled, not knowing why she'd spoken to his sister.
He heard her take a deep breath in, obviously she hadn't looked at her caller ID as usual and his voice had surprised her. Not for long though.
"Most people start a phone call with hi you know?" He smirked when he realised she was throwing his words back at him.
"I'm not most people." He replied, her words back to her, smiling a little when he heard her laugh down the phone.
"But seriously Lauren, thanks. What you said, fixed things between us." He heard her sigh.
"Good. That's good."
The line was silent.
"And I've never said this, but I'm sorry. Y'know about Bradley?" He heard a sharp intake of breath when he said her brother's name.
Her voice was muffled when she finally replied. "Thanks." There was a pause. "Not many people say his name anymore." His heart clenched for her. That included him. Another thing he should have done, another thing that messes her up.
"I'm sorry." She laughed, it was tinged with bitterness.
"Don't be." Another sigh. "You didn't even know him." Doesn't mean he doesn't feel guilty for not realising she's hurting over the loss still.
"Doesn't mean I don't care." Wrong choice of words there, having been used in conversation with her, about her, before.
"Yeah well." Her voice had hardened. "Doesn't change anything does it?"
"Lauren..."
"Don't." He stopped, didn't even know what he'd have said anyway. "I've got to go. Not supposed to be on my phone."
He nodded, before remembering she couldn't see him and spoke "Okay."
"Joey.."
She paused. So he spoke "Yeah babe?"
There was still a pause before she spoke "I'm glad you and Alice are good now." That wasn't what she was going to say, he could tell.
"Yeah. Me too." He replied anyway. "You to thank for that." He offered, trying to remind her she had a place in his life.
"Got to be good for something right?" Before he could reply, she said her goodbyes and hung up.