Chapter 27

It wasn't long till the New Year had rolled about. There was come thing very special about this one though.

It was new years 1999.

The new year also brought a new century.

It was going to be a celebration like the street had never seen with every one dressing up.

Liz and Michael had traveled to the street for it and Andy had returned to be with his family as qwll.

They were all going to be together to ring in the new century together.

"Dad are we going to see in another century?" asked Katie.

"Well I won't but if you live to 108 then maybe you will." he smiled to her.

"I don't think I am going too." she said to him as she brought the cup she had been drinking out of in to the kitchen.

"You might" he said to her.

"Yeah right." she laughed as she put it down. "I don't think I'd liked too. I'd be very old, like Mrs Sullivan or Mrs Hunt….I never want to be that old. Can I go get my dress on now?!" she asked. She been checking every five minutes or so since twelve that day. She had just simply been so excited.

"Of course yer can, but be careful not to let Mrs Sullivan catching you say that. She'd clip yours ears and she'd be right too." Jim laughed. Rita would never have that, a nipper calling her old. Blanche maybe, but not Rita.

The best thing about this New Years she thought was it was a fancy dress street party. There was a fair on the street which had been shut off to cars for the night and they were all going to get involved, every one who lived on coronation street.

As it was fancy dress Katie had decided she had wanted to go as a Disney princess and when her mum got her a Belle dress from Beauty and the Beast for Christmas it was too only perfect.

Jim nodded, and Katie smiling skipped up the stairs and upon hearing her brothers in their room (though it was of course more Steve than Andy's now) she went in.

"Who are you too going as dumb and dumber by any chance?" she asked.

"Oh Steve, 'ent she funny?" asked Andy. But he had to say he thought she was funny. His little sister had a quick and witty tongue for one so young.

"What ever happened to our cute, sweet baby sister?"

"God knows."

They were two of the people who had seen her development from day one and they both had to say they were quite proud of her, she had been through so much and there she was smiling and joking with them.

Calling her over to him Steve opened his arm and gave here a cuddle.

"There is only four hours until you are eight years old." he told her,.

"Well done," she response.

Andy cracked up at his sister sarcasm but her face turned less sarcastic and kind and sweet quickly as she hugged the younger of the twins tight and kissed his cheek.

"I am glad you're my brother." she said to him.

"I am glad you're my sister too. Now go get ready. We can't have the Belle of the hall late can we?" he asked and she jumped off the bed happily to get ready.

Andy knew he could have expected them to be closer than he was with either of them now but he didn't think Katie was going to be so sarcastic (in a kind way) about Steve, though he found it hilarious and wished almost she knew him well enough to tease him in that fashion these days. But he had picked up on one thing.

"She never teases you in front of mum or dad does she?"

"Nope. She is smart, she knows she is dads blue eyed girl and does every thing she can to make sure it stays that way, but not in a devious way I don't think." he said to her. "I don't think she knows any other way though."

"She's always been his girl. Do you remember that first night when she was born nod when we were all scared, thought she was going to die."

"Shut up cheerful Charlie." said Steve, that really had been the darkest night he had ever had the displeasure to live through. He didn't like to remember it.

-

"Mum!" said Katie as she saw her mother.

"Hello sweet heart," said Liz as she went over and gave here cuddle. They had all just got out on to the street as the celebrations begun.

"Its only four hours till my birthday!" she said to her.

"So it is."

"What's your name dad?" she teased her mother.

The party was one of the best that street had ever seen,., It was certainly one of the biggest.. There were stoles, rides and karaoke.

Katie went about with Andy her mum and Michael for most of night as her father was helping out on one of the stales. She was having a great time. Her mother was distracted though. That was obvious. Her eyes always landed back on the father of her three children.

"Do you think mum and dad still like one another Andy?"

"What do you mean Katie?" he asked.

"I mean like each other like when they did when they were married." she said.

"No I don't think so sweet heart.," he said to here.

Katie wasn't going to give up though. To her it looked like there was some thing there. She never gave up hope. Her mum and dad were meant to be. She knew it even if they did not.

It was not long till she found herself running about the fair with her friends. She was with David Platt who she had known better since she had been going to school, also of course the Webster girls. It was great, she had never had such a fun new year, with all the fair grounds to go on.

"Ok, five minutes to go!" called Les Battersby over the micro phone as midnight approached. This was it. A new century was about to start.

Quickly she found the twins and they were near their father. Katherine knew should shouldn't feel as glad as she did but, Gwen had got ill with a stomach bug, therefore not been able to attend the celebration and was going to be having a quiet new year at home with her son to keep her company. Her mother seem to have also lost Michael and to Katherine's delight as the count down begun, she was just with her immediate family.

Her father picked her upon so she was the same height as the rest of them and the chanting begun.

"10…9…8….7" it was very loud with all the residents of the street saying it together "6…5…4…3…2…1!"

That was it. They were in a new century. The people out of the street went mad, and every one was hugging and kissing each other.

Katie was soon dancing among every one else, with her elder brothers, and it was only now tiredness begun to kick in for her. She had been so hyper before. And she had been right to be. However every thing had to end some time.

She soon sought her parents out of the crowd. Even though it had been a brilliant night she felt she was more than ready for bed.

When she got to Jim, she saw he was talking with Liz. She was unable to hear their conversation for all the cheering and music but she was sure her mother was smiling fondly at her father sand he seamed to be happy too as he looked at her.

The next minute her mothers head turned to the floor, a meekness having come over her. That was very uncharacteristic of her. Her mother was anything but meek where it came to her father. She had never allowed Jim to lord it over her.

It was then that she saw her father raise his hand to her chin tenderly and turn it upwards at his face. They were looking in to each others eyes and a smile appeared on Liz's face as Jim's neared hers.

They were going to kiss! Katie was sure of it!

"Jim!"

Damn! The moment had been broken! Garry headed over to his friend to wish him a new year but Jims' eyes hardly left his ex wife for a moment. He seemed quiet annoyed at his best friend. It was then Katie came out of hiding in the shadows and went over to her mother.

"Mum, I'm tired, can go to bed?" asked Katie.

"Of course you can birthday girl," she said taking her hand.

"Dad can we have the house keys?"

"No need sweet heart, I'm feeling tired too, I'll come with you." he said

"Ok, night Gary." Said Katie.

"Good night poppet." He replied to Katie. "We'll bring your birthday present over in the morning." He said to her and she nodded.

In no time at all she was in her pyjamas her mother having tucked her in to bed.

"Night, night my little un," said Liz kissing her on the fore head.

Where had the past eights years gone?

"Night mum," she said to her, and Liz smiled at her once before, before turning off the light and going back down stairs in to the living room where she found Jim waiting for her.

The atmosphere was tense.

"Did you mean what you said out there?"

"What do you think?" she said to him. Her eyes found themselves full of tears. "Why else would I say it?"

"Then….if your that unhappy with him….don't go back…Elizabeth stay with me."

"How can I? When we're together all we do is hurt one another. Then the kids get hurt!" she wasn't going to let them be hurt again.

"What if it didn't have to be that way this time?" he pleasured.

"How could it not be? It's what we do Jim… we fight and we get angry."

"Yeah but….we love each other…I love you."

"And you know I feel the same way but how on earth are we ever going to be able to love each other with out hurting each other?" Liz said as she begun to choke back her tears. "It is all we have ever done since we were sixteen." She told him.

"Yeah about we support all love each other too." He said to her pleadingly.

"Name one time."

"Think back eight years. Where were we at this exact time?"

- Flash back -

Liz lay in the hospital bed. Her head was aching and her body felt as if it had been broken.

It had been a relatively short birth but an exhausted one for the elder mother.

Her hand reached out for her husbands and he gave it to her quickly. Jim had not yet cried and it felt as if she had been doing so ever since she had felt her waters brake.

"Where is she?" she begged him to tell her.

"Intensive care." He whispered quietly to her not wanting her to get upset.

"Is she going to get better?" she begged him to tell her.

"I don't know yet. The doctors don't even know." He explained to her, kissing the hand he was holding.

"She was so small when she …Jim I don't want to loose her she is our little girl." Her pale face was shattered with grief after what she had just been through. It was all so wrong. She still had another two of three months of pregnancy to go thorough.

"The only thing that can save her is a miracle, and I don't think we are going to get one… do you?" she asked.

"Yes I do."

He had to believe it was going to bee, to keep himself going. He had to think they were all going to go home, that his daughter was going to get through this. He had to be strong for his wife because there was no way she could be, "We're going to take our girl home."

The alternative was unbearable.

- End flashback-

Liz nodded. He was right. They had supported and loved each other in a good way the night there daughter had been born. And there had been other occasions.

"And I was right. She did come home and she is safe upstairs in bed." Jim felt tears burn his eyes. "I know it is mad, but I still love you, and can't forget you. So please, I am begging you don't leave me…not if you don't really want to be with him. This is your home. It's where you belong. It's a new century. Let it be a new start for us."

An: Just one or two chapters left now.