Author's note - Let me know what you think :) xo
Abi crashed through the doors of the Vic, and panting turned to look expecting to see her sister right behind her. Actually she was surprised her sister hadn't managed to tackle her behind their house and the Vic if she was honest. Maybe there was part of her that wanted to know his answer too.
Speaking of Joey, there he was. Sat with Alice, Fatboy, Poppy and Lucy, urgh that girl made Abi's blood boil. She'd heard exactly what the blonde said to wind up her sister enough to punch her, and she deserved it. Had Abi been Lauren, she'd have punched the girl too.
"Oi!" Abi wasn't sure exactly how to ask what she wanted to know, so she decided to take a leaf from her sister's book, blunt and to the point. Joey just chuckled, obviously used to being addressed like that by Branning girls. "Nice to see you too Abs. Drink?" He offered. "From you? No."
Abi wasn't sure where her sarcasm was coming from, but she felt defensive of her sister. Wanting answers, wanting to protect her because no-one else seemed to be.
"You alright Abi? You don't seem like, well you." Poppy said hesitantly. "I've got a question for Joey." Abi said, sounding like an idiot she thought. He just raised an eyebrow. "And are you going to ask me it?" he drawled, urgh he and her sister were probably well suited. The doors to the Vic opening got Abi's attention.
"Took you long enough" Abi stated, raising an eyebrow in her sister's direction.
"Eh." Lauren shrugged. "I don't do running." Abi giggled, her sister's sense of humour was something she missed when Lauren was off her face drunk.
"Anyone want to say what's going on?" Alice asked, totally confused.
The sisters just stared at each other. Abi expecting and waiting for Lauren to stop her, and Lauren just having accepted it, wanting her to get on with it. "You ain't going to fight me?" Abi said, sort of confused, she'd been expecting her sister to kick off.
Lauren just played with the ends of her plait, attempting to look uninterested. "Hurry up then Abigail." Lauren said sarcastically. "Ask him what you want to ask, then let's go" She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I want a drink. Ice-cream will do. Hurry up."
Abi grinned though, her sister hadn't gone straight to the bar and ordered a vodka. Baby steps.
Abi could tell the group was totally interested in their conversation, especially Joey wondering what the hell the sister's were talking about.
"You don't make any sense." Abi turned her attention back to Joey when she spoke, hearing her sister's muffled snort at her choice of words. "What?"
"You loved my sister, or at least you told her you did." She raised an eye-brow. "I'm not conviced you did" Hearing Lauren's cough, Abi changed subject. "But that's not my point."
"What is your point then?" Lucy said snottily. "Nobody knows but you."
"Speak to my sister like that, and I'll punch you. Again. It'd be worth it" came Lauren's voice behind them, glancing at her Abi saw a full on Lauren bitch face, she was serious.
Trying to difuse the situation, Joey spoke "Abi what's the question?"
"You were perfectly happy with the idea of her giving up everything for you last year. But yet you didn't even attempt to stand by her and turned down her offering to give up the drink for you" Abi paused for a breath. "Like you wouldn't even like her try."
"She couldn't have done it Abi. She doesn't want to change." Joey mumbled, dragging his hand down his face, not believing this conversation.
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Abi lost her temper. "You didn't let her try. She would have given us up – all of us. For you." Abi's voice cracked on the last word. "She might not have been perfect, or totally sober straight away." She could feel Lauren coming to stand behind her.
"But I know my sister. And I know for you? she would have tried. For you." Abi had shell-shocked them all, especially Joey. Alice looked confused, so Abi decided to make a point. "Oh didn't you know?" she mocked.
"Your darling brother was going to start a new life with my sister, to take her away from everyone and everything, to be happy with him." She sarcastically said. "Didn't work out like that though did it?" Looking at Joey, she carried on.
"Probably for the best though. At least here she's got me. Who knows where she'd be if she'd ditched her away you ran away."
"Abi." Lauren spoke, she'd probably gone too far. But it needed to be said. "I'm guessing you don't have an answer" Abi said, leaving it half a statement, half a question. Joey didn't answer, his gaze on her sister who was staring at the floor.
"I just you're just a coward."
"Abi!" Both Lauren and Alice cried.
"I do. Running away with her from your problems then. And running away from her now. You're a coward and she deserves more."
She turned to Lauren, who's eyes shone with unshed tears, lip bleeding from where she'd bitten it listening to Abi rant at her ex boyfriend, who she still loved. She may deny it, but Abi's not stupid.
"I love you and I mean it." She said, linking hands with her, and getting a weak smile in response. "Want to go home and watch the Kardashians and eat cake?" She said, offering her sister the only thing she could. Her. Hoping their bond as sisters might be enough to help Lauren, when everyone else had given up. Lauren nodded, but the duo had only moved two steps when Joey stood up and called her sister's name.
"Lauren."
Abi felt Lauren tense up, and squeezed her hand. Lauren didn't turn to look at him though "I think Abi's said everything." Joey flinched a little at that. "For today anyway." There was still hope, they both had hope that they could fix things, be back together, not wanting anyone else.
"Today I'm having a day with my sister." Lauren said more confidently, turning back towards them but still not meeting his gaze.
"Tomorrow then?" he offered, his attention on no-one but her. Her sister shrugged. "Lunch? So we can talk" he offered again. "About everything." His gaze wasn't even on Abi but she shivered anyway, it was intense.
His sister still shocked, trying to process the idea of Joey and Lauren leaving Walford together and the blonde, beyond pissed off at the turn in Joey after Abi's words.
Abi hadn't originally believed Lauren over the drink-spiking but having seen the way Lucy looked at Joey and having heard how spiteful she was the day Lauren got arrested, Abi did. Lauren may have still gotten drunk, without Lucy's input, but she'd failed before she'd even started with the blonde's input and it has cost her big time. It had cost her Joey.
And seeing how much it had affected her sister, having seen her shrug off and bounce back time after time no matter what happened family wise, but the break-up with Joey, broke her. Made all the pieces that had been previously cracked shattered and fall apart; ending in a massive melt-down.
"Um maybe?" her sister offered, not giving him a proper answer. Abi wasn't sure whether she was generally unsure about seeing him or whether she was making him work for it. Seeing his grin, and her sister's smirk in return she guessed it was a mixture of both but more the latter.
"Text me and we'll see?" Lauren spoke, squeezing Abi's hand, getting her to open the door so they could leave. "You know it." Was his reply, cocky grin back on his face. Although he did glance at his sister and it slipped slightly. Knowing she'd wanted details, he groaned.
"See you tomorrow babe" was the last they heard from him as they walked out, the doors swinging behind them, Lauren glanced backwards and a small smile graced her face. "Thanks Abi." Abi turned to her in surprise, Lauren didn't say thank you. Or sorry. She was 'allergic' to those words, just like she was weddings. "You're welcome I guess."
Walking through the garden area of the Square, having popped to the shops to get some sweets and cake, the sisters stayed arms linked. "I just want you to be happy and good" Abi offered, half expecting a sharp pinch from her sister and complaints of sappy stuff. "I know, Abs, I know."
"And that's more likely with Joey."
"Probably" Her sister shrugged one shoulder, flipping her hair, now out of it's plait and loosely curled, over one shoulder. "I don't know."
"You love him though." Abi stated, seeing her sister nod. "And you are going to try?" Another nod. "Then it's all good." That got a laugh. "It's not good." They got to the bottom of their steps.
Stalking up them two at a time, something Abi's legs weren't long or graceful enough to do, Lauren turned to her "But maybe, things might be. Soon." That was good enough for Abi.
"Now strawberry or chocolate?" Life drama not solved, but getting there, over, it was time for the girls to just be normal teenage sisters, bickering over TV and ice-cream flavours. And they both, especially Lauren, appreciated the normal all the more, knowing it definitely wasn't always this good.