As everyone asked so nicely ...

Chapter 7- Coffee?

Joeys POV

I stood in the doorway of the kitchen, having become slightly worried about the considerable amount of time they were taking. That and a few rather loud noises. I opened the door to catch the tail end of their conversation; I'd only caught a little so couldn't really make much of it. I could Hazard a guess though. what I did know though that Lauren looked on the verge of tears and for once Zoe looked like she, was comforting her.

"What's going on ?" I think the concern showed in my voice as Tanya looked at me with a really weird look, like she was analysing my actions.

"Oh nothing Joey… Just Lauren being silly" she smiled super sweetly. It was so forced and actually made me feel a little sick. I was not happy with that answer. Now way could I see Lauren getting upset over something small, I was sure there was more too this, she didn't seem the type to get flustered easily.

Lauren was wiping tears from her eyes now and had them completely glued to the floor. "Lauren?" I coaxed hoping for a little info. She didn't give it. Turns out Lauren had resulted to methods usually displayed by my daughter. She simple shook her head and stood up with Zoe in her arms.

"I'm going home" she whispered. God something had really gone on here. She looked so defeated. "Zoe, Lolly's going home baby, you need to go to Daddy ok?" she said the words and I could see she was reluctant to say them, as expected Zoe shook her head and clung to Lauren, who just wrapped her arms tighter around my daughter.

"How about we walk Lolly home?" Obviously Zoe liked that suggestion more and was already waving to Tanya. I had t stop a laugh from escaping. Her innocence could be so funny sometimes. I was half expecting some sarcastic comment or protest from Lauren but she didn't respond, she just wrapped herself and Zoe into their coats and turned her attention to the door.

"What about dinner… I've gone to a lot of effort?" She didn't in the slightest bit seem concerned that she'd upset her daughter all she was bothered about was the fact she wasn't able to serve her dinner.

"Well you can cross me and Zoe off the list, it was a nice thought but, I'd rather just go home." I tried to keep my tone friendly but my voice couldn't hide the fact I was annoyed. By the time I'd got my coat on Lauren and Zoe were at the bottom of the steps and out the door.

"You mean you'd rather go look after my daughter?" Tanya raised an accusing eyebrow at me

"Ye I would actually… some one's got to haven't they?" there was a definite finality to my voice as I said those words and they left no room for a response. After that I simple shut the door and walked out. Lauren was still waiting at the bottom on the steps and I could see she was crying more.

"Come on… let's get you home" My arm instinctively fell to the small of her back applying gently pressure to keep her moving, I was pretty sure she'd stop otherwise. The walk was silent, only Laurens heavy breathing and Zoe's shallow snores cold be heard. This was going to be hard. A. I was going to have to prize a sleeping Zoe out of Laurens arms and B. I was going to have to leave Lauren, two things that I really didn't want to do.

"This is me" Lauren stood staring blankly at her front door. She managed to move Zoe across to my arms as she placed a small kiss on her forehead. I waited for her to go in before I left. But she didn't even get that far. She fumbled with the keys in the lock, seemingly unable to find the right key. I placed my hand over hers, stopping her erratic movements.

"Lauren… Lauren stop." She moved the keys into her hand, her head dropped staring at the floor, before a sob escaped her lips. "Ey, hey, ey, come on… come on" she collapsed into my chest next to Zoe, I'd never seen her like this, it broke my heart to see it, her strong exterior crumbling around her . "Alright, I'm taking you back to mine" She weakly shook her head against me "I'm not leaving you like this Lauren, your upset."

As we walked our way back to my flat, she'd stopped protesting. "What's say I put Zoe to bed and then we have coffee and talk?"

"Coffee?" she questioned, I smirked realising the euphemism that that was sometimes used for. I opened the door to the flat letting Lauren.

"Ye you know hot caffeine filled Liquid?" it made her laugh like I'd intended "Just make yourself at home, I won't be long" she nodded as I disappeared down the small hallway, waking Zoe in the process.

"Joey?" I turned back to face her, she'd took her coat off and her wedged boots and I could see how tired she was. "Can I help… with Zoe I mean?"

"Zo, would you like Lolly to put you to bed?" she quickly nodded and held her hand out to Lauren, who virtually sprinted towards us. I watched as Lauren pretty much took over bedtime duty, mainly due to Zoe refusing to do anything without her, but still. "In the bed then baby… we having the story tonight or not?" she shook her head obviously too tired. "lay down then baby girl" she was soon snuggled into the sheets cuddling up to Fuzz. Most nights she'd be out within a few minutes of hitting the pillow. "Love you baby, sweet dreams". I kissed and hugged Zoe and went to leave, but noticed Lauren had stayed sitting on the edge of the bed staring at Zoe who was holding onto her.

"I think she wants you to stay , do you mind?" Lauren shook her head and relaxed next to Zoe, it was so strange how familial they looked. "I'll go make us those coffees then"


"She's fast asleep" Lauren spoke softly emerging from Zoe's room a few minuets later. She took the steaming mug of coffee from me and stood for a few seconds before sitting on the sofa, I could see her body instantly relax as she continued to drink.

"Want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Whatever it was I walked in on in the kitchen at yours… look you don't have to tell me, I mean there lots of things about me you don't know so I understand… but I'm here if you need to talk" I saw her stare into the mug for a while and ponder over her thoughts.

"His Name was Kyle" she suddenly piped up. I noticed now her legs were tucked up under her and she was relaxed a little more in to the back of the cushions. Her fingers drummed nervously on the ceramic, creating a gently tapping rhythm "I was with him for 2 years, met him at college when I was training"

"What happened?"

"He cheated on me with my best friend, in my bed." My jaw dropped how anyone could possibly cheat on her was beyond me. She was beautiful, I knew if she was mine I would make sure everyone knew it, she was worth so much more than whatever idiot had done that to her. " We'd been having a few arguments, I wanted to start thinking about kids, and moving things forward. He didn't."

"What an ass" I proclaimed, Lauren stared at me. I hadn't meant to say that out loud "Why were you upset over him? has he been in contact or something?"

She shook her head "Mum blames me"

"WHAT?!" I shouted probably a little too loudly. "He cheated on you, you have to know that's not your fault" I moved to sit next to her on the sofa taking her hand in mine.

"Mum and Dad both got on with him, Mum said I pushed him into bed with my best friend because I was asking for too much." She was crying again "Best of it is she still talks to him"

"Lauren" She looked down "Hey… Look at me, you deserve so, so much more than him, if he can't see what he lost then he's stupid. Your beautiful Lauren, any Man would be lucky to have you and to have your children. You were made to be a mother. I think Your own needs to take a look at herself before laying into you" I'd heard things about Laurens parents. And to be honest I didn't think they deserved the title.

Her eyes were focused solely on mine and there was something new in them, I just couldn't tell what. "Thank you" she whispered.

I didn't quite know what she was thanking me for, I didn't need thanking, I was only telling the truth. Things fell into a strange silence over the next few minutes, I could tell there were things we both wanted to say, but neither of us had got the guts to do it. Deciding to bite the bullet i spoke up, she'd told me about her past. It was about time she knew about mine.

"Paige" her head shot up "Zoe's mum." I confirmed. "she was the definition of trouble. And I got pulled into it all. She was a horrible person and I can't say how much hate I have for her because of everything she did around Zoe." I took a breath noticing the soft tender glaze to her eyes. "I was only with Paige properly for about 4 months when she found out she was pregnant. There was nothing serious to the relationship and we'd both deemed it a bit of fun. When she found out she was 2 months gone already and was determined to get an abortion. Obviously I knew it was ultimately her decision but I knew I couldn't live with doing that. Paige wasn't in the best of situations really, she didn't get on with her parents, who were actually really nice people, and she was into … experimenting let's say. It took a lot of convincing but she decided to keep the baby, and I said I'd support her no matter what."

Lauren moved a little closer to me, her hand still held in mine. "When she was six months pregnant, Paige went AWOL. She just disappeared. Luckily she turned up a month later, looking a little worse for wear, but ok. Her parents took her in and me and her had a huge row. We decided that things between us were always going to be forced and that we should break up. So that's what we did. A few days before her due date I got a call in the middle of the night saying that Paige was in Labour. I got to the hospital and after a long 10 hours Zoe was born."

"When's her birthday?" Lauren asked

"August 4th"

"So she'd literally just turned three when you came here?" I nodded "No wonder she's so tiny"

"she was a small baby too though and it turns out Paige had been smoking throughout the pregnancy which created a few issues of its own. Once they were out the way things got a little better. I was still living with My Mum and Derek, who was completely against the whole situation I might add and Paige had been given a flat of her own. The first 18 months say were ok. We had our issues but sorted through them because of Zoe. Then Paige got a new boyfriend. He didn't like kids but loved the drugs and parties. I had Zoe two days a week and every other weekend and I'd begun to notice the changes in her."

"This was when she started to respond badly to loud noises?" I nodded and saw a few tears running down Laurens face.

"Ye, she'd become very quiet, she was usually a happy kid. At about 2 and half things had really started to go bad. Zoe's speech had come along really well but I noticed Paige was constantly silencing her." I braced myself for the next part "Last march I got a phone call in the middle of the night from social services. They wouldn't initially tell me what was wrong but asked me to meet them immediately at the police station. I knew something had happened."

"You must have been so sacred Joe"

"I was terrified like you wouldn't believe, I was taken to Paige's flat, and was told to prepare myself. Social services had been called out because of the noise and missed visits. When they turned up they had to break the door down to get in. When they did, they found Zoe curled in a corner covering her ears with Fuzz in her lap. There was music blearing and Paige was passed out with her boyfriend in the bedroom, drunk and dosed with heroine. They'd had to call me because Zoe was crying out for me and wouldn't let anyone near her."

Laurens hand shot to her mouth as she stared in complete shock. "Paige's hasn't been in contact since and there's an order stopping her coming any where near Zoe. Me and Zoe stayed with My Mum for a while, just until she was calmer and I was able to start working again. Obviously things didn't go down well with Derek. He wasn't there at first so things were fine, Mum doted on Zo but that all changed when he came back. He was horrible to me as a kid, partly because I wasn't his but honestly because he could be. He needed to feel some sort of power. Things kicked off and I made the decision to leave, Mum didn't want me too, but I knew it was the best for Zoe. she needed to be somewhere stable and somewhere she felt safe... and that was here."

"God Joey I'm so sorry" Lauren cried heavily obviously more affected by this than I first thought. "I'm so sorry" She sobbed as I pulled her into my arms. It took her a good 10 minuets before her breathing calmed. I looked down and noticed she'd cried herself to sleep, she was curled tightly under my into my arms. I knew now my feelings were far more than platonic when it came to Lauren. She was what I'd been looking for.


So there's Joeys back story as lots of you have been eagerly awaiting ... Back tomorrow with "Breakfast" xxx