27th April 2013. So I'm still feeling pretty deflated after the show last night and having seen a clip of Monday's episode... I think that one will be even tougher to watch. Anyway, here is the next chapter of my little story and I really like this one. What's not to like... it's a Max/Joey chapter.

Chapter 21.

Joey was sitting in the lounge with Lauren when there was a knock at the door. He knew it was Max and he went to answer the door, kissing Lauren goodbye before he left the room. Joey had decided he was going to go out with Max for this conversation. Lauren was going to stay at home and finish unpacking the rest of her things. "Hi Uncle Max." He said as he opened the door. He grabbed his coat and walked out of the door. "I thought we could go somewhere else to talk." He said. Max nodded and the pair headed for his car.

"Where did you want to go?" Max asked as they got into his car.

"I wondered if you wanted to see the club?" Joey asked. "We can sit down and talk without anyone listening to us and it's about time I showed my face there."

"Sure." Max said, starting the engine and pulling away from the house, "Just point me in the right direction." After ten minutes Max pulled the car into a car park behind the club and they both climbed out of the car. "Nice place..." Max said as they walked up to the back door.

"It does alright..." Joey said. They walked into Joey's office and both sat down. "Can I get you a drink?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine. I'm driving anyway." Max stared at his nephew. "Lauren phoned me last night. She was upset."

"I know... I didn't mean to upset her." Joey said softly.

"I know how you feel, Joey..." he said.

"Because she's your daughter...?" Joey said, his eyes fixed on a picture of him and Lauren that sat on his desk.

"Well, yes... but that wasn't what I referring to. I know what it's like to watch someone you love struggle with an illness." Max wiped his hand down his face. "I take it Lauren told you about Tanya's illness a couple of years ago."

"Her cancer?" Joey said softly, glancing up at his uncle. He nodded. "It must've been difficult."

"It was. And I didn't see a lot of it. She was already a few months into her treatment when I came back from Manchester. I didn't even suspect there was anything wrong with her but I knew it was bad when Lauren begged me to stay. She told me about the cancer and then I spoke to Tanya about it and it broke my heart." Joey stared at his uncle, seeing the devastation on his face. "Knowing she'd gone through a lot of it on her own was worse than finding out about it. Tanya and I both know it brought on a majority of Lauren's issues with alcohol. It's one of the reasons why their relationship got so bad the more Lauren drank. Tanya felt guilty for putting that pressure on her and tried too hard to stop her. Once I was back I took over a lot of the care of Tanya. I wanted to be there for her but I didn't realise how difficult it would be. Seeing her going through the treatment was difficult but seeing her in the couple of days after she had the treatment was even worse." He paused and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He pulled one from the pack and played with it in his fingers, it was a nervous habit he'd developed over the last couple of years. "I know what it's like to see the most important person in your life suffer."

"But Auntie Tanya got better..." Joey whispered.

"I know... but we didn't know that at the time." Max said, "And there's still the shadow of fear in the background that it might come back. She's got the all clear but it's not a guarantee. It still scares me that I might lose her. It's something I live with every day, in the same way that Lauren and Abi do too. And Oscar will when he's old enough to understand."

"I don't know if I can watch her go through that..." he said, his fists clenching on the desk, not needing to clarify who he was talking about.

Max sighed, staring at his nephew intently, "You can and you will. It won't be easy, I can promise you that. In fact it will probably be the hardest thing you ever have to do but you'll do it. Do you know why?" Joey shook his head, "Because you love her. Because she's the most important person in your life and you'd do anything for her. Absolutely anything, even if it's the last thing you want to do." He said. "And you won't be on your own."

"It sounds like you've thought about this..."

"Ever since the day she was diagnosed. Tanya and I both have. No parent should ever have to watch their child die and I've already done it once. I dread the possibility of having to watch my princess die too. I hope to god her condition never gets to the stage where it becomes a reality but, yeah, I've thought about it." Max said. "It's right up there with the fear of losing my wife."

"I don't think I'm strong enough to do it..." Joey said.

"You won't have to do it on your own, Joey. I'll be there, every step of the way. So will Tanya, your mum, Alice... and Oscar."

"Oscar...?"

"Yeah, well, I'm hoping that this will be a long long time in the future, if it has to happen, so I know he'll want to be there for his Laur."

Joey is silent for several minutes and Max lets him think it all through. "I feel selfish..." he finally said.

"Why?" Max asked, not sure what his nephew was talking about.

"I feel like I'm pushing her into having this baby; that I'm making her take this huge risk with her health and she's doing it because she knows how much I want it."

"I think you're wrong..." Max said. "I'm not sure how much you heard when you were unconscious in the hospital but I heard her talking to you. I heard her say how she'd been thinking about having a child with you. When she spoke about it I was surprised because I'd never heard her say something like that before. Hell, I'd never even heard her talk about a serious relationship with someone... mentioning a child was a whole new ball game."

"I remember..." Joey said, a soft smile on his face.

"Then you know it wasn't you who convinced her to do this. She'd been thinking about it for a long time. She's got the Branning stubbornness down to a fine art. She's possibly one of the most stubborn people I know." He smiled as he thought of his eldest daughter, "She wouldn't be doing this if she didn't really want to. She wants this baby with you more than she's ever wanted anything in her life. She loves you, Joey... and she wants to have a child with you. I don't think you understand how amazing that is."

"I do." He said softly. "Were you scared?" Joey asked.

"When Tanya and my first wife were pregnant?" he asked. Joey nodded, "More than I'd ever been, at that time." He told him softly. "With Bradley... it was... well, I was only seventeen at the time so it was completely overwhelming." He smiled, "It was a little different with Lauren. No less scary, mind you. I was older then and with Lauren, I was excited. I'd messed up being a father with Bradley so badly and Lauren was my chance to get a do-over. I wanted to be the perfect father and for a while I think I was... then it was a bit like I tried to self-destruct it all. I've made many mistakes with my marriages to Tanya and I know I've caused all of my children a lot of pain throughout their lives, none more so than Lauren. I'd like to think I've gone some way to repair the things I've done." He smiled, "I hope you never make the same mistakes I do, Joey... and not just because it would mean I'd have to hurt you if you cause her anywhere near the amount of pain I've caused my family."

"I have no intention of hurting Lauren." Joey said softly.

"That's good to know, Joey... because I'd hate to have to hurt you." He smiled to lessen the sting slightly of what he'd said.

TBC

A/N: So I really love this chapter. I think it reveals a lot about Max. Do you think this will help Joey make a decision...? I wonder what it will be. So there will be a second chapter today... because I know you're going to want to see what happens when Joey goes home... so back later.