Waves of relief swept over Danny

"Oh my god. Thank God!"

Mickey turned around.

"I want to go in the ambulance with her." Mickey stated to the paramedics.

"Sure mate, of course. What about this lad and the baby though?"

"Oh, friends of ours will take them down."

"Right then, follow us then, and you can sit in the back with her."

Mickey silently followed the paramedics out of the flat. Danny called the guys to get them to the flat. He didn't think his son should be in the smoky atmosphere of Eddie's bar.

Boy that was weird. His son! Danny Blue, the one, the only, the unique, Danny Blue, had a son. Someone for him to look after. Delilah passed the little boy to Danny, wrapped in the white fluffy towel Ash had found earlier.

"Do you want me to stick around?" She asked Danny

"Yeah, please darling. I'd like some company."

"Do you have any names?"

"huh?" Danny had been deep in thought. What if Stacie had died? What would he have done?

"Names, for the baby." Delilah asked him.

Danny reached to scratch his head

"Watch for his head!" Delilah was there in a second, supporting the baby's head. "That's the most important to keep supported, let me show you. Put his head in the corner of your elbow, then you can do what you want with your other hand."

"I don't know anything!" Danny burst out

"I'm sorry?" Delilah asked, confused

" I'll be a crap dad! I can't even hold his head right!"

"No-one knows until they're shown. This way you can show Stacie how to do something eh? You learnt before her."

Then everyone entered the flat.

"Hey! We brought in some champers!" Billy yelled

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Albert asked

"Where's Stacie?" Ash was the only one to have noticed.

Everyone went silent.

"Erm…erm…I...I don't know how…Nurse, erm…can you explain?"

"Stacie went into post-natal shock. The labour had a great strain on her heart. Although the child was born perfectly healthy, Stacie had a series of small heart attacks. Your friend Mickey had to revive her, mouth to mouth, CPR, that sort of thing. It was touch and go for a few moments, but the paramedics brought her back. He's gone up to the hospital. I'll give Danny a lift there, I've got a car-seat, but you'll have to make your own way. Ash you could come with us too."

The lads stood in silence, apart from the baby's gurgling.

Mickey held Stacie's hand at the hospital. It had been a whole hour since Stacie had left surgery. The lads had arrived about two hours beforehand, and Albert Michael was being checked out at this moment. It had been such a shock to see the only girl he'd ever loved. She'd nearly died, and he'd have blamed himself. Of course, the paramedics told him that without his help, she'd have certainly died at the flat.

Kissing her forehead gently, he muttered

"I love you Stacie Monroe."

"I should think so too." Stacie murmured

"Stacie?!" Mickey had been startled, and called a Nurse across to check her out.

Stacie opened her eyes delicately

"Micks." She whispered

"Ssh…don't say a word…" Mickey whispered back, smiling too.

"The baby!"

"He's fine. Your very own Albert Michael's in with his Daddy."

"Mickey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Sure you cou-,"

"No I really couldn't have. You helped before the labour too. So in reply to what you said earlier…I love you too."

Mickey pressed his lips against hers.

Ash sat outside the small side room of the hospital. Delilah sat next to him.

"She'll be OK, Ash."

"I hope so."

Billy and Albert walked of to the canteen, sensing the two of them needed time alone.

"Three kids?" Ash asked uncertainly

"Yeah, two serious relationships and one one-night-stand."

"Is that all we were? A one-night-stand?"

"I didn't mean you. I got drunk one night, and that's when I conceived India. She's three months old. The other bloke, Mimi's dad, we were great together, he proposed, then he ran off with his secretary. Broke my heart. It was four years ago. But I got up, grew up, and grew stronger."

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"Leaving you. And my lad. I really am sorry."

"So you say."

"I wish I never had. It was the worst mistake of my life. I never stopped loving you."

"Oh, Ash…"

"OK, I get it. Don't worry about it. I had my chance and I blew it."

"Ash…"

"So tell me about him."

"Well, his name's Alex, christened Alexander, he's seven years old, quite tall, blonde hair, brown eyes, quite a heart breaker."

"What team?"

"Sorry?"

"Football team. What football team does he support?"

"Oh, Arsenal."

"NO!"

Ash made Delilah jump

"He cannot be an Arsenal fan!"

"Well he is!"

"I'll soon teach him."

"What?"

"I mean-if you let me."

"If I let you what?"

"Go back into your life, be a proper dad, be a proper fiancé/boyfriend. Whatever you ask, I'll do it.

"I'm not sure Ash-,"

"Please, give me one more chance."

"Ash…"

"I love you."

"Ash?"

Delilah pushed Ash to the back of his plastic chair-and kissed him tenderly on the lips.

At that moment, Mickey opened the door of Stacie's room.

"She's awake!" An excited Mickey told Ash, Billy and Albert, who'd been waiting round the corner as to not interrupt the lovers' reconciliation.

Everyone was happy. Like it was meant to be.