1st May 2013. Back to the UK for our favourite couple. I wonder what awaits them...

Chapter 28.

Joey and Lauren walked out of Gatwick airport hand in hand, laughing as they shared a joke with each other.

"Well you two look like you've had a good time..." It was Max, standing outside the exit of the airport beside his car.

"Dad!" Lauren exclaimed, running to him and hugging him tightly. "I didn't expect to see you here." She said softly.

"Lesley couldn't pick you up so she asked if I could."

He picked up Lauren's case and put it into the boot of the car, Joey following with his case. Joey helped Lauren into the back of the car, sitting beside her and clutching her left hand in his. "Where's mum?" she asked once the car was moving.

"She was busy so she couldn't come..." Max told her.

"That's a shame, I'd have like to see her." Lauren murmured. She leant against Joey's chest and squeezed his hand.

"I'm sure you'll see her soon... maybe you could pop over to the house later this week. I know she'd like to see you too, babe." Max said with a smile. Lauren closed her eyes and soon she was asleep, the weekend having taken a lot of energy out of her.

*JL*JL*

The door opened as soon as the car pulled up outside and Lesley stood in the doorway. Joey and Lauren both got out of the car and Max waved them away when they tried to help with the cases. "Go inside. I'll just be a second."

Joey and Lauren walked into the house and found a large number of their family gathered in the lounge expectantly. "Mum?" Joey asked softly.

"Mum, you're here!" Lauren exclaimed. "Dad said you were busy..."

"I was helping Lesley with the food..." Tanya said, gesturing towards the overloaded table.

"What's the celebration?" Joey asked.

"We thought you could tell us?" Max said as he walked into the room behind them and Lauren and Joey could see the puzzlement on all the faces of those gathered.

Lauren glanced at Lesley and nodded her head ever so slightly. Lesley clapped her hands together and rushed towards her son and his girlfriend, hugging them both so tightly. "Congratulations..." she whispered to them both.

Joey looked at Lauren, "You told her...?" he said softly. Lauren nodded with a smile at her fiance.

"Is someone going to let the rest of us in on it?" Max asked.

Lauren glanced at Joey and he nodded, "I asked Joey to marry me when we were away... and he said yes."

"Oh, sweetheart..." Tanya said, rushing towards her daughter.

Max clapped his nephew on his back, "She asked you, eh?" he said with a chuckle.

"Well, we always try and be different," Joey laughed, "but I have to admit she only just beat me to it... I was planning the very same thing." He added. "I had the ring and everything."

"A ring?" Alice said. "Show me!" she said to Lauren excitedly.

Lauren held out her hand towards her future sister-in-law and the women in the room all cooed over it. "So you had a nice time?" Tanya asked.

"Oh, it was amazing, mum. We went to this art museum. The pieces we saw were so beautiful, they took my breath away. I hope one day I'm somewhere close to being as good as they were."

"I told you, babe, you already are." Joey said, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her hair.

Lauren turned in his arms and kissed him deeply. "I love you, baby. You always know what to say to make me feel good..." she said softly.

The party began and everyone started to eat the food Lesley and Tanya had prepared. "I'm really pleased for you, Lauren," Jack said when he got to speak to her on her own.

"Thanks, Uncle Jack." She replied.

"You seem really happy." He told her, "You're practically glowing..." he added with a smile.

"It's all the sun I got." She said with a smile.

"I'm sure that's what it was," he chuckled and Lauren blushed, turning her head away from him so he wouldn't see.

*JL*JL*

Lauren was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water when her dad walked in, "You okay?" he asked.

She nodded, "I'm fine, dad. I'm just taking a breather."

Max looked at her in concern, "You're alright, right, Lauren?" he asked as he came to stand next to her.

"I'm fine, dad. It was a long weekend, that's all and I wasn't expecting everyone to be here when we got back."

Max looked at his eldest daughter, "So you asked him then?" he said softly.

"Do you think that's strange?" she asked him.

"No. Maybe for anyone else but for the two of you, I think it seems very right." He told her with a smile. "He was going to ask you though, he said?"

"Yeah... he had a ring. I beat him to it though." She shrugged. "I wanted him to know I was serious about our relationship."

"Did you think he doubted you?"

"Yes... no... maybe." She looked at her dad, "That day we took Oscar to Southend, he asked Joey if we were going to get married." Max frowned in confusion and Lauren smiled, "Your son said it's what people in love do, so he wanted to know if that was what we were going to do because we love each other."

"What did Joey say?"

"He told Oscar that he was planning on asking me but he was going to do it when the moment was right, that it had to be special." Lauren looked down at her feet, "When I heard him say that I freaked out a little and I think it made Joey worried. I thought he wasn't going to ask me and I thought it might be because I reacted badly when he spoke about it. I wanted him to know what I really thought about it and that I really loved him."

"And having a child together doesn't prove that?" Max asked her softly.

She looked at her dad, smiling at him as her cheeks reddened, "I want everything with him, dad." She took a deep breath, "I used to think committed relationships were for idiots and anyone who was in one was fooling themselves." She looked at her dad again and he had the decency to look embarrassed, knowing some of her thoughts about this subject were due to the mistakes he'd made in the past. "Then I met Joe and it didn't seem such a ridiculous idea. I want a child with him but more than anything I want him to be my husband. I want him with me forever." She crinkled her nose and tilted her head, "I guess that makes me sound really soppy?" she said.

"I think it makes you sound like someone in love and you're behaving like an adult. It's nice to see you like this, babe." He hugged his daughter tightly, kissing the top of her head. She yawned into his shirt. "Why don't you go up to your room and get some rest? I'll let Joey know where you are..."

"I think I will, if that's alright." Lauren kissed her dad on the cheek and then left the room, walking up to their room and laying on the bed, her eyes shutting instantly.

*JL*JL*

Joey smiled as he saw Lauren lying on the bed. She was curled up in a ball and it looked like she was fast asleep. He crouched beside the bed and brushed her hair back from her face. He still couldn't believe he was lucky enough to have found someone as lovely as her. He eased off her shoes and then covered her with a blanket before returning back to the family downstairs.

*JL*JL*

Ten thousand pounds. Lauren looked at the cheque in her hand in disbelief. Seven of her pictures had sold on the night of the exhibition and she now had ten thousand pounds. According to the gallery owner there was interest in the remaining five pictures from her show so this was apparently the first of several cheques she might be receiving. She'd gone to the show two nights ago with Joey and had mingled with many people, talking to them about her artwork. She'd been extremely grateful to see her tutor from college there and they'd caught up with each other. It had been a strange week on the whole, she'd had her hospital tests a few days earlier and then with the stress of the show as well, it had been a tense few days and today was her next appointment with her consultant. Joey had gone into work this morning but would be back in just over an hour. As yet he was unaware of the post she'd received.

The front door opened and Lesley walked through it, "Lauren?" she asked in concern as she walked into the kitchen. Lauren stood up and helped her with the shopping she was carrying. They both began to unload the bags and put everything away. "You alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. Just got money from the sale of some of my work in the post today. It took me by surprise, that's all."

"Some of your pictures sold? That's great, Lauren." Lesley said.

"It was ten thousand pounds..." she whispered.

Lesley stopped what she was doing and looked at her son's fiancée, "That's a lot of money, honey."

"I know..." She looked at the elder woman, "I hoped I'd make some money when I first agreed to it but I thought it would be a few hundred quid... not ten thousand. And that was only for seven of them. There are still five to sell and there is some interest, apparently."

"You should be proud, Lauren. I know Joey will be."

"I am... just a bit surprised as well."

"What time is your hospital appointment?" Lesley asked as they both returned to unpacking the shopping.

"Half twelve." She sighed.

"Are you worried about it?"

Lauren shrugged, "A little... no more than usual I guess but now I'm not on the medication it's a bit worrying."

"Would you like me to come with you and Joe? I can if you want me to be there..." She offered.

"No, it's fine. I'll be okay as long as Joey's there." Lauren said. As she said that the front door opened again. Joey was home and he was early.

He walked up to her and kissed her softly. "Hey babe..." he said, his fingers brushing through her hair.

"You're early..." she whispered.

"Yeah, the delivery was early and Steve was there so he said I could go."

"Tell him, Lauren..." Lesley said softly.

Joey looked at her in concern. "Tell me what?" Worry tinged every word he said.

"I got a cheque from the gallery. They sold seven of my pictures."

"That's great, baby." Joey said, kissing her again, relief written across his face.

"It's ten thousand pounds, Joe." She whispered.

"Wow... that's a lot of money." He said, staring at the love of his life. He hugged her tightly in his arms and glanced at the proud look on his mum's face. He knew she already thought of Lauren as a daughter and knew how much this would bolster Lauren's confidence about her work. "I'm so proud of you, baby girl." He told Lauren. He released his hold on Lauren and pulled his mobile from his jacket. He pressed the screen a couple of times and then passed it to her. "Tell your dad..." he told her gently.

Lauren blushed, knowing she should've already called her father. If it wasn't for him she never would've gone to college in the first place. He had convinced her to follow her heart and take this route. "Joey?" his voice said as he answered the call, "Is Lauren okay?" he asked.

"Dad, it's me..." she said softly.

"Are you okay, babe?"

"Yeah... Joey thought I should call you and tell you about what I got in the post this morning..." she told him softly.

"Okay..." he said but Lauren could hear the slight pause before he answered her.

"I got paid for the sale of seven of my pictures by the gallery."

"That's great, Lauren. I'm so proud of you."

"It was quite a lot of money..." she admitted.

"How much is quite a lot?" he asked.

"Ten thousand." She whispered. There was silence at the other end of the phone. "Dad?" Lauren eventually said.

"Sorry... did you say ten thousand pounds?" he checked.

She giggled, "Yeah... and they're still selling five of them. Those were just the ones that sold on the night."

"Well, I think that calls for a celebration. Why don't the four of you come over to Walford tonight and we'll go out for a meal and a drink at the Vic?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea, dad? What about Derek?"

"Let me worry about him, okay? Me and Uncle Jack will make sure he gets nowhere near any of you. Please honey. We really miss seeing you and this is something that I want us to celebrate. I want everyone here to know how proud I am of my princess." He told her softly.

"Joey and I will be there. I can't answer for Lesley or Alice but I'll ask them and let you know." A few minutes later they ended the call.

"Ask me what?" Lesley said.

"Dad wants us all to go over to Walford tonight to celebrate selling my work. He wants everyone to know how proud he is of me. He said him and Uncle Jack would make sure Derek wasn't a problem." She glanced at Joey and saw the hard expression on his face, "You don't have to come if you don't want to, Lesley. If you're uncomfortable with it, that's okay but I think dad wanted you both to feel included in the family."

"We'll be there, Lauren." Lesley said, her eyes on her son though as she spoke.

"Mum..." he said.

"No, Joey. Lauren's right... this is something we should be celebrating and I refuse to let concerns about Derek run my life. I did that for far too long when you were a child. It stops now. It's not like he'll do anything with that many people around anyway, is it?"

*JL*JL*

Lauren was sat in the consultant's office with Joey. Her head was spinning as she tried to take in what he'd just told them. "How bad?" she asked.

"Well, it's worse than I'd have liked to have seen. I was hoping there wouldn't be any worsening and while the change is very slight, it's a change nonetheless."

"What does this mean?" Joey asked and Lauren could hear the tension in his voice. This was their worst nightmare.

"Well, I want to see you again in six weeks, Lauren. We're not quite at panic stations yet but I can't lie and say I'm not a little disappointed."

Lauren felt her throat tighten. She felt guilty for letting him down, not that it was because of anything she'd done. "So you aren't saying I have to go back on the medication?" she whispered.

"No, Lauren. If your condition continues to degrade at this speed, that situation might change, I won't lie but for now, I'm happy for you to continue as you are." He glanced at her results again, "Have you not felt any symptoms since our last appointment?"

"Well, I have been getting tired a lot recently," Lauren admitted, "but I've been really busy so I thought it was just that. I would've said something if I'd thought it was my heart." She glanced at Joey and saw him watching her. "Really, Joe... I didn't know." Tears were welling in her eyes as she spoke and he squeezed her hand.

They arranged another appointment for Lauren in another six weeks and the couple left his office. "Do you still want to go to your parents tonight, or do you want me to cancel it?" Joey asked her softly as they sat in his car.

"No, I want to. Let's not tell them about this, Joe. I don't want them to worry, not tonight anyway. I just want them to have one day when there isn't some drama about me." Lauren leant over and kissed his cheek tenderly, "Please Joe."

"Okay," he reluctantly agreed.

They were both quiet when they got back to the house and Lauren distracted herself by running herself a bath. She sat in the bath, bubbles surrounding her and it was only then that she let herself cry. When was she going to get a break? Why would this happen now when everything else in her life was going so well? She glanced at the diamond ring on her finger and she wondered what Joey was thinking about this. She knew how hesitant he was about the step they'd taken. While his need for them to have a child was as intense as hers, the background worry about her health and the possibility of losing her was a big concern to him. Lauren could only hope her condition didn't worsen any further because she knew it could push their relationship to breaking point if the time came when the consultant wanted her to go back on the medication. Lauren still wasn't sure what she would do if that situation arose but she had a pretty good idea she would be in a relatively lonely position against the rest of her family and that wasn't a place she wanted to be.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked into their bedroom and found Joey sitting on the bed. She knew he was waiting for her and he looked at her as she came into the room. "Come here..." he said softly. She moved towards him and let him wrap his arms around her, pulling her onto his lap. "It'll be okay, baby girl." He whispered to her. "We'll work this out. It's just a little stumbling block."

"I thought you'd change your mind..." she whispered, tears once again falling down her face.

"I haven't, baby. I know how important this is to you... It's important to me too. Don't get me wrong, I'm a little worried and I'm probably going to watch you like a hawk for a while but your doctor is okay for us to continue with this and that's good enough for me."

She began to sob in his arms a lot harder, although it was partly in relief now as well. He held onto her tightly, rocking her slightly in his arms. "I feel like I'm being punished for everything else in my life being so good..." she whispered to him brokenly.

"You aren't, baby girl. It's just bad luck. Let's just concentrate on tonight and then we'll talk about this more tomorrow. It's not a huge issue, I swear... just something we need to be aware of in the future." He kissed her softly, feeling her deepen the kiss. He knew she needed the reassurance from him that he was okay with this so he responded in kind to her and they were both breathing deeply when they finally pulled apart, "We should get ready for tonight..." he said.

TBC

A/N: Oops... my bad. Oh well... just a little blip. Back tomorrow for their trip to Walford.