Chapter 5

After everything that had gone on, It seemed only right that the McDonalds found a way of celebrating there daughters recovery Jim and Liz thought. At first they were going to try and go on holiday with her but they really were strapped for cash at the moment. With neither parent having really been working lately, it wasn't an option.

But when Emily Bishop had suggested perhaps a small christening it had seemed the perfect way. It was going to be a party, something they could remember and share there joy with all there neighbours and friends. It seemed a good idea. Not to big, but just a lovely day.

They had always planned to do it, but they guessed every thing had been moving so fast that they really hadn't been able to think straight. If they had been then htey would have thought of it they were sure.

It was the big day. The big day of course, being the christening.

Today Katie officially joined the McDonalds in the eyes of god, and whilst that wasn't important to Liz, she knew it meant a lot to her husband.

So, dressing both herself and her daughter up, she went down stairs to see her husband and sons, all in suits, and not a court case coming up.

"Well don't they all look handsome?" she said to her daughter who looked at her bewildered.

"She looks so pretty," She Steve a bit sloppily who went over and took his sister from his mum, giving her a hug. "You ready?" he asked the little girl in his arms. She just looked up.

It was strange he thought. They all spoke to her as if she was going to reply at any moment already.

Andy looked at her smiling, her little face alight.

Jim could think of nothing else but what a little princess she looked in her christening robe. The long white dress went to well beyond her tiny feet.

"I hope she behaves her self in church." Liz sighed as she got her daughters bag ready. Nappies, milk, a bib…

"Of course she will. My little girl always behaves her." smiled Jim.

"Not what you were saying at three o'clock this morning." Teased his wife.

"Good point!" He had to agree.

They still had to get her to grasp the concept of a good nights sleep. He didn't know what she had against it.

There was a knock on the door at that point, and Bill Webster and Deirdre Barlow came in.

"Is our little god daughter ready for her big day?" asked Bill proudly.

"I think so," said Liz as she looked at her daughter.

"Every thing in the bag?" asked Jim as he picked it up.

"Pretty much." She smiled as she went over to the door to get a light jacket. It was June, so there wasn't really a need, but still. Just in case.

"Lets go troops." Said Jim as he led his family out of number eleven.

The family was pleased to see a good turn out for the christening. In fact, most of the street had come.

The pride Liz felt in her little girl as every one watched her get baptised was mad. She had come through so much in such a little space of time. And yet she was so beautiful, and she had such spirit.

As the water was poured on her head, instead of crying like a lot of babies did she laughed and smiled, gurgling in delight, as the priest baptised her.

"I baptise you Katherine Elizabeth, in the name of the son, the father and the holy spirit."

-

Every one who had been at the church went back to the Rovers; where Katie was parched round like pass the parcel till she went to her god father.

Bill who had seen quite a bit of the girl since she had been born was some what familiar to Katherine who hanged on to him as others came to take her.

"Give her a break!" said bill to any one who tried to take her, as long as they weren't related to her. Katie was hot and bothered, probably tired too. She has had enough of going round.

That day was the first time Katie met her Irish relatives too.

"She is a beautiful wee lass son." Jim's father said to him and his mum beamed as they watched her sit quietly with the Webster's.

"She's a bit of a bleater, aint she?" he asked as his wife came to his side.

"You ok?" he asked as Liz put her arm round Jim.

"Tired, been a long old day hasn't it?" she asked the three of them,.

"Oh yes. But a wonderful one." Said Maisy to her daughter in law. "She is so sweet Liz." She complimented her grandchild.

"I know. We wouldn't change her for the world." she said. "Nothing about her," she smiled.

"No one would. You couldn't ask for a better temperament in a baby. I know you were awful when you were her age, so Liz she must get it from you." She teased her son.

"Thank you mother." Said Jim.

The party was a real success, but at seven Elizabeth was thinking about getting off, so that they could get Katie to bed.

"Maybe you should say something," she told her husband. Not a huge speech, and as soon as a few of the people who had been standing round them heard her make such a suggesting it was thought a good idea by most people.

"Well," he said as the pub feel quite, once bet had rung the bell. "I wasn't expecting to say any thing so first off me and Liz wanna thank yer all for coming terday. It means a lot ter both of us to have all our mates and family round us.

"There was a time when I am sure you all know, me and Liz thought we weren't going to get here. When we thought we were going to lose our little girl. In fact she even had a small Christening the day we took her back in with just me, Liz, and the twins there," he remembered and tears clouded his eyes as he remembered. But he blinked them back, "but here we are and I just wanna thank Katie really. It's her day and she made it possible by being so strong, these pass six months. She is a diamond, and she's me little princess, I don't care what any one else says. She the most beautiful girl in the world. I'm proud she's my daughter." he said as he raised his glass. "To Katie!"

-

"You did so well." Said Liz as she came back down stairs. Her sons were still out and it was just her and Jim for a change. There daughter was stairs, happily asleep after her day.

"So did you." he said as he took her hand and pulled her close to him.

"Not as well as you. Nearly made me cry what you said." she said as he kissed him

"All of it truth. But I forgot to thank you. For giving her to me. So I'll do it now. Thank you Elizabeth!" he said as he kissed her.

"I couldn't have don't it with out you." She said as she sat on the sofa next to him and snuggled it to his embrace which was warm and tender by nature. "I seem to remember you playing a part in it." she smirked and he gave a light hearted chuckle.

"Yes, me too."

He smiled. He didn't think he was ever going to be happy like this again. Not once he had left the army. But he was

"Liz?"

"What is it?"

"You are happy, aren't you?"

"Of course I am darling. I have got you, the twins, and now Katie. What more am I ever going to need?"

-

Katie was turning one already.

Jim couldn't believe how fast his little one was growing up.

But was she really?

It was just her age that had really changed.

He remembered when he had been told there was going to be side affects, but seeing them was more painful than he had thought it was going to be.

She was a year old but the boys had been much more developed by now. He remember when he came home he had been shocked by how much they had come on.

They had been practically walking, yet she was only just crawling, slowly and awkwardly at that. Where as Andy and Steven had nearly been talking yet she was still babbling.

"She is pretty happy though isn't she?" said Deirdre as she held her niece in her arms. "Hey aren't you?" she smiled as the baby looked at her mother.

"Yeah she is." Liz smiled back at her.

"And you?" she asked. "are you still happy?"

"Yeah I guess. Pretty happy just like her but it is half hard some times. Being an older mum and dad," she said to her. "Especially an older mum."

"She is a bit of daddy's girl isn't she?" Deirdre asked.

"Every time Jim walks in her face lights up." sighed Elizabeth. "He encourages her no end." she sighed. "Not easy when it is me who has to look after her all day but there we are."

"She doesn't know any better." sighed Deirdre.

"Maybe not but he does." she said to Deirdre. "And I guess I am just a little bit jealous buoy it to. I always thought if we had a girl she would be a bit of a mummy's girl."

"Men go potty for little girls and they like it. I wish I had been able to give a dad to Tracy when she had been Katie's age."

Liz nodded. She wouldn't really change it, but her daughter could be so awkward when her father wasn't there. Still she supposed when she had been ill it had always been him who had been with her. She had always had her daddy. She must have got used to him when she was that little new born in the incubator. It had been him who had always been there to hold her when the nurses and doctors had been poking and prodding her. Liz had wanted to kill them for touching her baby girl. He had been a lot cooler. It was strange to see what the street had done to them. She would have thought it would have been the other way round.

"I guess you can't fault him at father hood this time." she said. "Better a daddy too caring and doting then one who isn't enough."

"I could not have said it better myself." said Deirdre as the door opened.

"Steve you better not be coming in if you don't have a job." his mother said to him.

"I am working on something, so I am," he said taking the mick out of his father.

Sweeping down he took his sister in to his arms, he smiled. He had adjusted and he had got to be a better big brother as time went on. "You're glad I'm home aren't you?" he asked and she gurgled. "See, at least some one loves me." he teased.

"I do love you darling, I'd just love you with a job more." she said making her friend laughed.

"Well I better be off Liz I have to go and get the dinner ready for Tracy." said Deirdre as she got up.

"Right you get off love I better do the same, and this one will want feeding in a bit." she said as she stroked a hand down her daughter's hair. She had turned a bit more blonde than she had when she had been a new born, but to Liz she was always going to be the image off her father.

Opening the door, Deirdre smiled and walked out as another came in.

"You alright Deirdre?" asked Jim and she nodded.

"Yes, but I got to get off now so I'll see you later." she said and he nodded.

"Have a good day darling?" asked Liz as she went over to him and gave him a cuddle.

Dropping a kiss in to her hair before turning to his squirming daughter, trying to get to him desperately.

"Hey has some one missed her daddy?" he asked soothing as he took her in to his embracing. "'Cos I'll tell yer some thing lil' un I missed you." he said laughing at her alight face.

Liz smiled at them. They were her life as well as there sons. And if Katherine was happiest when she was with her daddy then so be it.

"I'm going to do bangers and mash tonight. You go get ready," she told Jim before going in to the kitchen,.

It wasn't just the fact her daughter had no favour in her that was getting to the mum.

Liz was restless. She had always enjoyed the time when she was with her daughter on her own. When Jim was not there she was fine it was when he was there that she played up.

But she needed her life back. She had to get back to work she thought if she stayed home all day a lot longer, she was going to go mad.

Even if it was just a shift at the Rovers every other night it was going to be ok, better than it was. She needed adult company.

"You ok?" she heard a voice ask her. It was Andy. "You look very thoughtful," he observed.

"I will be, but I need to talk to you and your brother and father at dinner." she said to him.

It was true.

So she did the dinner, and the boys got Katie in her high chair, and Liz feed her ever tiring daughter. That was another concern. Katie tired a lot easier than the boys had,

"I want to go back to work," she said to them.

"But mum if you do then who is going to have Katie?" asked Steve and Liz knew by the look on Jim's face he was not in favour of such a idea.

"It wouldn't be in the day." she said to him. "Just a shift sat the pub at night or some thing."

"I don't think you should." said Jim. It was a fact. He didn't like the idea.

"I knew you wouldn't. But I need time out. If I stay in lot longer, then I am going to go mad." she said to him.

-

That had b en the day the problems in the McDonald marriage had come back. Whether it was because he was so possessive of her or because she had gone against him Liz was never know but things were deteriorating between them.

"What's going on here?" she said to him two months later.

It was a Sunday morning. Time they had traditionally always had together with Katherine. But today when she had risen he had not been there with their baby in his arms, in bed with two cups of teas fereshly made on their bed side table as she had been expecting and as she got down stairs, she found him putting a quiet Katie in to her buggy.

"I'm taking my daughter down to the duck ponds, that's what." he said as he got his jacket on. It was a fresh march morning.

"Well wait a sec I can change and come with you." she said to him but he shook his head.

"I want her to myself for a bit." he said to her.

But he was always having her to himself now. Every other night. She was never going to understand him.

"Ok, well have a good time." she said to her daughter who waved back at her., but the feeling of rejection hurt her, as it begun to linger in her stomach.

"Come on then princess."

Jim didn't know why he felt such resentment towards Liz for the job. He had just liked it when he had known she was at home he guessed. When he had known no other man was looking at her.

Known she wasn't going to get in any mischief.

"What do you think wee lass? Is dad being silly?" he as asked her. Jim had got her out of the pram and Katherine was standing up on shaky legs, clinging on to him, babbling on happily, making nonsense noises as he sat on a bench in the park with her.

"Just what I thought so it is." he laughed at her.