Lauren woke up to the sound of her mum calling her.
"Lauren, you have a visiter!" She wasn't exactly pleased about this, but as she pulled on her dressing gown and headed down stairs, she was even less pleased with who her visiter was.
"Oh hi Joey." She sighed, but before Joey could speak, Tanya interrupted.
"Lauren, you never even mentioned Alice's brother was in walford! But then again you never really mention anything do you."
"Sorry it just seemed...irrelevant."Lauren spoke, her stare lingering on joey as she finished her sentence.
"Anyway what do you want?" Lauren questioned as her mum headed out to work. Joey laughed to himself at how direct she was.
"Erm well I was just checking if you got home orite last night..." Joey paused. "And I was wondering if you fancied showing me round the place, since I'm new and you're family and all that?"
"Oh, well erm, I'm busy today, sorry." Lauren answered.
"Doing what exactly?" Joey asked looking her up and down, still in her dressing gown. Lauren gave a guilty grin.
"Okay, maybe I have a little bit of time, I'll be 10 minutes" she said with almost a hint of excitement, as she ran out of the kitchen and made her way upstairs.
As Joey waited for Lauren he looked around the Brannings house, he picked up a picture of them all and smiled to himself, he was glad he'd decided to meet the rest of the Brannings.
"C'mon then, where you wanna go first?" Lauren asked as she crept up behind him.
"Oh erm, I don't mind, it's up to you." Joey replied as she interrupted his thoughts.
"Guess its the vic then" she grinned and headed out the door, Joey soon following.
They made their way over to the vic, in an awkward yet comfortable silence, Lauren wasnt exactly sure why Joey had asked her to show him around, it's not like she had been the most friendliest person when he arrived on the square.
"So, you and Lucy?" Lauren asked, her fingertips circling the glass of vodka in her hand.
"What?" Joey replied, slightly puzzled.
"I saw you both, outside the café the other day" she said, not moving her eyes from the floor.
"Oh, yeh, erm, that was nothing..." Joey shuffled awkwardly.
"You don't have to explain yourself Joey." Lauren laughed now looking up at him. "As long as you don't hurt her, she's been through a lot." She sighed.
Joey decided to keep quite about the fact that Lucy was more interested in him, as he was her. He didn't want Lauren to think he was a bad guy.
"Orite Luce?" Lauren asked, walking into the café, waiting for Lucy to finish her shift.
"Yeh great actually, Joeys coming round soon, he's talking me out...Lauren?" Lucy squealed excitedly as Lauren drifted off, looking disappointed.
"Oh, it's just I thought that we were going out today?" She sighed, just as Joey walked in.
"Orite girls?" He asked, smiling at Lauren, she smiled back hesitantly. She wanted to hate Joey, but she couldn't, it wasn't like he'd actually done anything wrong.
"You could always come with us?" Lucy suggested.
"Nah you're orite, I'll see you later yeah?" Lauren said as she walked out of the cafe, not giving either of them a second look. Why would she want to tag along with both of them, be the third wheel. She had better things to do, she thought to herself as she headed over to R&R.
"Lauren? Lauren!" Joey shouted from the other side of the square.
"What!" Lauren turned around as she saw Joey was catching up with her, he could tell she wasn't in one of the best moods.
"Whats wrong with you?" He asked, he didn't understand why she had such a problem with him sometimes.
"Nothing, can you go away please Joey!" She yelled, she didn't feel like talking to Joey right now, she was confused enough without having to deal with him.
"Whats your problem with me Lauren? I do wanna be your mate ya know." He said, taking a step forward as Lauren watched him closely.
"I...look I don't have problem with you, I just wanna be left alone orite?" At this point Joey noticed a red mark on Lauren's arm and the dark circles under her eyes.
"Why, whats happened? Lauren, has someone hurt you?" Joey asked frowning as he brushed her arm with her hand, she winced.
"Like I said its nothing Joey, just some bloke, I got rid of him." Lauren admitted.
"Where is he?" Joey whispered cutting her off, she stared at the floor, giving him no response.
"Where is he Lauren!" He now asked a lot louder and angrier.
"He's in R&R..." Lauren sighed. Joey turned around and practically ran to R&R, Lauren went after him, trying to catch him up.
"Joey, please leave it! What are you gunna do?" Joey ignored her, pushing open the doors to R&R and ran into the busy room, Lauren quickly following.
"Who was it Lauren?" Joey asked as calmly as he possibly could, but before Lauren could even react, a tall, dodgy looking guy walked straight past Joey and over to Lauren.
"Ahh so you changed your mind did you babe?" He asked her while grabbing her wrist.
"Right thats it, outside now mate." Joey told him, grabbing his arm and chucking him outside.
"Joey, please he's not worth it." Lauren pleaded, following them both outside, Joey not averting his gaze from the guy infront of him.
"Listen mate, she was well up for it before, I ain't done nowt wrong!" Before he could say anymore, Joey threw a punch, and the guy was lying across the floor, holding his bloody nose.
"You touch her again, and i'll kill you, you hear me?" Joey shouted down at him, pointing his finger in his face as Lauren pulled on his arm trying to get him to leave.
Joey was sat at the kitchen table in the Branning household. Lauren watched him as he inspected his bruised knuckles, finally kneeling to the floor and placing an icepack on his hand.
"Thanks." she smiled, looking up at him.
"For what?" Joey asked.
"What do you think, you muppet?" She replied, laughing slightly.
"You don't need to thank me you know Lauren" she nodded, her eyes moving up slowly.
They were trapped in a moment that felt like it went on forever, breaking the eye contact, she got up and walked over the cupboard, Joey getting up and following. She turned around, he was so close she could feel his warm breath on her lips as he took hold of her arm, tracing the bruise on her arm with his fingertips. He slowly moved his hand up to her face, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
"He deserved a lot worse." He whispered, only inches away from her face. She looked at him, and then back to the floor.
"You better go, Lucy will be waiting for you." she whispered as he sighed.
"Okay, yeh." He whispered back , nodding as he rubbed her arm and headed out the back door, leaving Lauren alone with her thoughts.
"Joey! Where have you been? What happened to your hand?" Lucy questioned as Joey walked into the cafe.
"Oh yeah, just some guy hassling Lauren."
"Joey! You can't just go round punching people!" Lucy replied, shocked.
"Yeh well... she's family ain't she Lucy, and she was a bit cut up about it, weren't she." He sighed, feeling slightly guilty about his, well he didn't exactly know what it was between him and Lauren that had happened earlier.
"Oh, right well I know what will make her feel better." Lucy said, with a grin plastered on her face.
"Yeh, and whats that?" Joey asked.
"My brother Peter's coming over tomorrow." Joey just looked at her blankly, wondering why Lauren would care that Lucy's brother was coming back to walford.
Slightly longer chapter tonight, may post again tonight if you're lucky ;)