Ok, this is a bit of a weird chapter... It took ages for me to get it remotely how I wanted it and I'm still not entirely happy with it but anyways...

Chapter 13- Help

Lauren's POV

After that kiss and spending Christmas with Joey and Zo, things were much rosier. We hadn't quite established what to call things, we knew were more than friends; I think that had been obvious for a long time, although I didn't want to admit it to myself. To do so I felt I would have been letting myself down, after promising to not get involved in complicated relationships. I'd given up on that now; I was letting things play out just seeing where they would go. We'd kept things quite neutral, for Zoe's sake, not wanting to give her false hope when we weren't too sure where things were going ourselves. What I was sure of though, was the fact Zoe and Joe were already part of my life.

We'd spent New Year together the three of us, opting for a night in with a take away, watching the fireworks through the window. It seemed if the noise was combined with something as beautiful as the visuals of fireworks Zoe didn't mind so . It was now a few days later and Id' just settled down in front of the TV aiming for a relaxing night, when my phone rang. I groaned and answered it. All I heard were jumbled words, and panic. Suddenly I was aware of crying in the Background. "Ab's just calm down, and tell me what's wrong."

"Zoe's not well, she's full on screaming, I've taken her temperature and its high. I called Joey several times and left him a voicemail. I don't know what to do, she won't tell me, she looks in pain Lauren She's really unhappy. She's crying, and holding her ears, what the hell do I do?" Abi was talking at like 1000 miles an hour, I barely had time to register what she'd said, I could hear Zoe's heart breaking screams in the background.

"Right, Call Joey again, and get a cool flannel or something for her forehead, I'm coming over" I grabbed my keys and hung up to allow Abs to call Joey again, I didn't think he'd answer though,hence the reason I was going over. I ran as quickly as I could over to Joeys, all thoughts 100% on Zoe.

Abi frantically opened the door with Zoe screaming in her arms. My heart broke into tiny pieces. As soon as she saw me Zoe reached over and climbed into my arms. She was crying and hiccupping. "It's ok baby, come on, I've got you". Her little face was red and blotchy partly from crying, partly due to the fact she was sporting a temperature. She clung tightly to my arms, burying her face into my shoulder.

"Zoe… Baby, show Lolly where it hurts." She weakly pointed to her head and her tummy. "Ok baby" I smoothed her hair from her face, rocking her back and forth on the sofa. She'd calmed slightly since I'd got there, but was still crying.

"Did you call Joe again?" I asked.

"Yes, I left another message. I think his phone is off,"

"Erm, try calling Sharon, tell her to send Joey home it's an emergency, if that fails try Jack, if not, then… you'll have to go fetch him" She nodded and began pacing the room. She was talking to someone so she'd obviously got through.

"He's on his way" I sighed with relief as I turned my attention back to Zoe. Still rocking her, gently patting her back to try and stem her hiccups.

"Daddy's on his way baby… you should go Ab's go calm yourself down, I've got it covered." I could she was upset by what had happened as she didn't protest.

I'd given Zoe, some Calpol after finding it in one of the cupboards, that had been 5 minutes ago and she was no longer crying at least. I looked at her, and she seemed so tiny and frail. She was obviously sick, and she needed her dad. I needed her dad. She was settled a little more against me, her tears had stopped but she was still sniffling and hiccupping. The door opened and the familiar footsteps approached us in the chair.

It was Joey.

"Oh baby" he said soothingly. I didn't know who he was talking to me or Zoe. He'd been calling me baby, a lot lately.

He came around to me and gently knelt on the floor at the side of the chair, he ran his hand over Zoe's head "its ok Daddy's here, now" Zoe stayed curled to my chest but turned her head to look at her Dad. "You do look a poorly baby" he said feeling her forehead with the back of his hand.

"Are you okay?" He asked anxiously. I nodded "No you're not, babe" He reached over tucking my hair behind my ear. "Did Abi get you?"

"ye, she called in a panic, I got here as soon as I could, I've given her some Calpol, but I don't know I'm not too confident about its use." He walked over to us again handing a beaker to Zoe. She pushed it away and moved her head back to me.

"Alright baby girl" He looked at her and then up to me "Give it tonight and If she's still not right I'll take her to the doctors tomorrow. I nodded in agreement. "You want to stay?"

"Please, If you don't mind"

He shook his head "Of course not" We hadn't properly stayed over at each other's- Not properly. I'd fell asleep on his sofa a few times though. "I'll sort some stuff and we can stay in here with her tonight… if you're ok with that I mean?" I leaned forward and kissed him softly.

"Go get what we need"

Joey returned a few minutes later with a bundle of things. "I need the sofa babe… It's a sofa bed" I moved juggling Zoe in my arms, she whimpered and gripped tighter.

"Joe I think I'm going to bath her, might calm her down a little is that ok?"

"Whatever you think baby, I trust you"

I'd bathed Zoe, and changed her pyjamas, the entire bath; she'd sat leaned against the side of the tub holding my hand. She was a little calmer now and I could tell she was tired as her thumb went to her mouth and she rubbed her eyes. "Come on beautiful, let's find Daddy and get Fuzz" she didn't reply, and by the time we'd reached the living room she was sleeping.

"She alright?" Joey asked looking at us both. He'd completely transformed the room, the sofa was now a double bed covered in a fluffy duvet and Zoe's Bunny. He'd turned the lights off and just had a lamp on at the side.

"Ye she's just tired now." He nodded placing a couple of drinks on the side.

"I've put you some stuff out… I didn't know if you wanted to change" I shook my head I was only in joggers and a T-shirt anyway. "You want the left or right side?" he asked indicating to the bed.

"I'd rather just have your chest to be honest" I smiled noticing him roll his eyes "Either is good"

"Ok make yourself comfortable." And so I did exactly that. I slid into the makeshift bed, balancing Zoe in my arms. Once Joey was in the bed, we shifted about a bit finally getting comfortable. I'd ended up like I'd joked, laying on Joey's chest, With Zoe lay across me. This felt perfect; it just sucked about the circumstances.

I was suddenly woken by Zoe's crying. I looked down at her seeing she was really pale with bright rosy cheeks. Suddenly she was being sick. I grabbed the towel from the floor and rubbed her back. "Shh, shh. Baby, its ok… joey, babe she's being sick, we need to get her to a hospital" Joey turned over and rushed over to lights switching them on.

"Hey, Lolly's got you baby girl..." I lifted Zoe in My arms, making sure to keep the towel for her. "You ok with her ? if I drive?" I nodded, how he was relaxed was unreal, I was crapping myself.

Joey grabbed the coats and car keys from the side ushering me and Zoe out the door. We were soon at the Land rover, Joey about to place Zoe in the car seat. "Sod the car seat Joe, I'm holding her" I sat in the back puling a blanket over Zoe and then the seatbelt around us both.

God knows how many speed limits he'd broken to do it, but Joe got us there in record time. I gathered Zoe into My arms as she cried the most heart-tugging sounds.

We rushed into A&E , joey giving over her details with such confidence. I was crumbling, I'd o anything to take the pain form her. Because she was so young and was being sick we were seen straight away and taken through to a cubical. "OK, are you Mum and Dad?" the doctor looked between the two of us, and Joey looked at me.

"Ye we are" I answered before Joey, the doctor didn't need out life stories. He took my hand smiling lightly at me.

"Let's take a look at this little girl then shall we?" I lay Zoe onto the bed; she'd gone so sleepy again in the car. I was crying now as Zo continued to be sick and cry. I was in Joey's arms as he held me against him.

"It's alright Lauren... she'll be ok" I continued to cry against him, my eyes ever leaving the frail little girl on the bed

"Well from what I can see Zoe's got a stomach bug, and she's a little dehydrated and has a slight temperature, I'll keep her in until the morning and we'll just go from there. Un-fortunately there's no medication we can give her just some Paracetamol to get her temperature down."

"Thank you doctor" Joey moved to sit on the chair pulling me down with him. "She's alright Hun, she's alright" I closed my eyes against his chest, taking in his scent. He called me Hun again too, obviously wasn't a mistake first time round.

"I need some paper work signing..." the doctor held out clip board to us, I was about to take it when I realised I couldn't, I hadn't got the legal right to. It seems Joey had already had that thought though and had signed the papers giving them back to the doctor.

"You should sleep Lauren… , I don't want both my girls I'll do I?" I looked to the doctor who was now dripping some medication into Zoe's mouth. she was still crying and reaching out for Me or Joey.

"Cant sleep... not now" I murmured, standing to hold Zoe's hand.

"You can sit on the bed with her if you like" The nurse said "We'll check on her in the morning." Joey nodded and thanked her as I brushed Zoe's hair from her face, she looked up at me, her eyes glazed. Thankfully she'd stopped crying altogether, she was just heavily breathing, finding her normal rhythm again.

"Hey baby... These nice people are making you better sweetie ok" Joey was watching as I spoke to her "Daddy and Lolly or going to be right here beautiful" she nodded and reached up for me, I turned to Joey. "I think she understands... do you want to lay with her"

"you can babe... I know your dying to hold her and she wants you too" he smiled kissing my head and then Zoe's as I settled onto the bed with Zoe in my arms. "Lauren... she really loves you, you know" My attention was back to Zoe, my eyes giving into sleep too. As I just floated in the stage between sleep and awake I swear I heard Joey whisper. "I do too"

Lots of Info in this chapter, which all builds to the rest of the story. It is a longer chapter and i'm sorry it's the only one for today :( see you tomorrow xxx