Chapter Fourteen

Kate hated hospitals. It was the smell that put her off, and the memories. All she could think of was the fact that her mum died in this hospital, it was kind of ironic, so Kate thought, Ellie had come into the world in the same building that her grandma had gone out of it. Kate didn't really want to stay in that night. She knew what she was doing, she'd spent lots of time looking after India. It had been Donna that had convinced her to stay in she could have quite easily signed herself out and had Declan sign Elodie out but she had stayed in for Donna. Sleeping was the last thing on her mind, she was so tired but she just couldn't sleep not in the hospital where she didn't know who was walking in and out. She knew Ellie was okay, she was sleeping, but she was a baby, Kate's feelings would not let her give up and go to sleep. Harry coming home for Christmas was a surprise, but now she was so happy that he had, even if it had meant him sleeping on the sofa for it meant that Sophie wasn't without any family on Christmas morning.

Kate sat up on her bed and gently eased herself over to Ellie's cot. Ellie opened her eyes and looked at her mum, every time Kate looked at her daughter she fell in love all over again. "Hey Ellie" Kate cooed quietly "I hope you like your name, I hope you like your home and I hope you like me" Kate smelt the top of her head as she put her too her breast and winced a little as Ellie started sucking "oh Ellie, gently" Kate laughed "I'm glad you know what you're doing because this is all new to me, I've never breast fed before, your sister, Indy, she had another mummy before me but I've got you and Indy now, and I love you both"

Kate looked at her watch, 3:30am, it was Christmas day, this was definatly the best Christmas ever, even though she was starting it in a hospital, she was going to spend it with her girls, her Indy and her Ellie, things could not be more perfect. Kate heard the doors to the four bed room open and she looked up just in time to see Alice and Lucas coming in with a baby, wrapped in a blue blanket

"Hey" Alice smiled, a tired but beaming smile, the exact smile that had been on both Kate and Donna's faces just a few hours earlier "I'd like you to meet Joseph Fitzgerald"

"how was it?" Kate smiled "as bad as you thought"

"Yes, worse" Alice admitted "Lucas wasn't much help"

"Hey" Lucas was sporting a black eye, so black that it looked like he had his eyes shut "once you hit me it was quite difficult to be any kind of help"

"Sorry" Alice laughed and kissed him on the lips "I love you, Lucas"

"I love you too, and Joe" Lucas turned to look at Kate and smiled at her "how's the breastfeeding going?"

"Okay" Kate answered looking down at Ellie, who had fallen asleep "she's doing well"

"Good" Lucas noticed that Ellie had come off Kate and she hadn't realized, her top was open and her breast was hanging out "Kate, I think she's finished"

"Oh my god" Kate went red with embarrassment "I'm sorry Lucas"

"it's okay" he laughed and shook his head "I didn't see anything, I promise, just don't tell Declan"

"Okay," Kate laughed too "I will not be embarrassed, it's the most natural thing in the world"

"Good for you" Alice smiled, feeling slightly bad about choosing not to feed her baby with breast milk "I'm just going to bottle feed"

"It's your choice" Kate was actually a little surprised that Alice had made her decision but thought that at 3:30am on Christmas day, that wasn't the argument to be having.

Lucas felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and looked down at it. He saw the picture of Joe and Alice together that he had taken just a few moments before and on top of that was the message alert box. He opened the message and read it quietly to himself

'hey sexy, when you next free, don't care about A, come be with me. Luv u Lib xx'

'hey, I'm free now if u wanna meet up, sneak me in2 urs. Lucas xx'

"I'm going to go have a shower" Lucas smiled to his fiancee, he had come up with a reasonable excuse for getting out of the hospital to start a affair with his ex sister-in-law "and get some sleep, see you tomorrow"

"Sure" Alice smiled "we'll be waiting for you to come and get us"

Lucas hesitated as he went to walk out of the door. He knew that what he was doing was morally wrong, but he couldn't help himself, Libby was there offering herself on a plate to him and he would be mad to turn her down. He took one more look at Alice and Joseph before walking out of the door. It was now five o'clock in the morning, Lucas and Libby would be lucky to get an hour together before the general Christmas festivities started and Lucas would some how have to sneak out of the house. Was it worth it? Probably not but Lucas didn't care, this was exactly what he wanted to do, he was having his cake and eating it.