A/N: Here's the chapter for today. It's more fallout from Lauren and Max for Joey's story. It's also time for a little interaction from the rest of the Branning brood... well some of them anyway. Enjoy!

Chapter 16.

If Max had thought listening to Joey's tale the second time would be easier, he was sorely mistaken. In some ways it was harder because he knew what was coming. He also knew it wasn't any better for Joey or Lauren either. He could see the tension in both of them as they sat on the couch. DCI Marsden and her colleague were recording Joey's statement and every now and again they'd ask him a question or ask him to go into more detail. Detail Max didn't really want or need to hear. It was like a form of torture to hear it again and unfortunately Max knew this wouldn't be the last time he'd hear it.

Max clenched his fists as DCI Marsden asked to see the scars. She took photos of each one he showed her. Max was relatively fine with this until Joey pulled off his shirt and revealed the twelve circular burns down his back, which coupled with his recent bruises were a sight he'd rather forget. Bile threatened to appear when Joey showed them the scar on his hip. Max really needed to get some fresh air but he'd promised his nephew he'd be there for him during this and after everything he'd gone through in his life, the least he could do was back up that promise. He wouldn't be another Branning that let him down. And there was no way he was leaving Lauren to handle this on her own. No, Max knew he was going to have to be strong for them both.

DCI Marsden asked another question and Max was also building a list of his own that he wanted answers to. Those could wait for another day though. Max watched as Joey answered the question honestly, his words causing Lauren to start sobbing quietly. Her father watched as Joey took her hand in his, that one touch was enough to give her some comfort and her crying lessened a little. He knew he'd been right to allow them to be together. They complemented each other with their actions so well. He could see they were meant to be there for each. They belonged together.

The other detective turned off the video recorder they'd used to record Joey's evidence and Max turned to look at the female police officer, "What happens now?"

"We definitely have enough evidence to bring charges against your brother, Mr. Branning." She glanced at Joey briefly, "I'll be speaking to the CPS in the morning and confirming with them if there are any other charges we can use. Joey, I'd like to speak to your mother about this in the next couple of days. Will she be able to provide me with some corroborating information about the abuse you suffered?"

"Some of it. She doesn't know all of it though." He said quietly. "She doesn't know about what he did after they split up. I hid it from her."

"But she knew the rest of it?" She clarified.

"Yes."

"And she didn't do anything to stop it?" She asked. Max wasn't surprised she'd asked this. It was something he'd been intending to ask as well and he was interested to hear what his response would be.

Max watched as Joey became tense, scowling at the detective. "She was scared of him. She used to get hit by him as well."

"Why did she let you continue to see him after they split? She must've had enough to get sole custody of you both?"

"No, they had shared custody. He had a good lawyer for the divorce. Anyway Alice wanted to see him. I couldn't let her go there on her own. I had no choice."

"And Alice knows nothing?"

"Not until Uncle Max told her last night that it was Derek." Anyone in the room could hear the disdain in his voice when he said his father's name.

"Okay. Thanks for that, Joey. I realise it's difficult for you to talk about what your father did to you but I think we should be able to sort this out and make sure your dad is punished for what he's done." She got to her feet, followed by Max. "If you think of anything else, or if there's any questions you have, please do not hesitate to contact me. The CPS will be in touch with you when dates have been set for any hearings and will probably want to discuss the evidence you'll give in more detail."

Max showed the officers out of the house, leaving Lauren and Joey in the lounge. "Are you okay?" Lauren asked him in a whisper, already knowing he wasn't but having to ask.

He shrugged, "Worn out." He shifted closer to her but she noticed him wince as he did so. "Do you want me to get you your tablets?" He nodded and she was gone.

Max came back into the room, "Joey?" His nephew looked up at him. "Tanya called, Alice is coming over for dinner tonight. I think we all need to sit down and discuss a few things after, when Oscar is not around." Joey seemed to pale at his words. "I mean about what's going to happen now Derek is being charged. It's up to you when you tell Alice everything. If you want me to be there when you tell her, I'm there. You just need to ask."

Lauren walked into the room, a glass of water and two tablets in her hands. "Here you go," she said as she passed them to Joey. She watched as he took them and then passed her back the glass of water. "Why don't you lie down and get some sleep?" she suggested to him.

"It's all I seem to be doing," he grumbled, but all of them in the room knew that rest was what he needed.

"You're still recovering from what's happened, Joey. Don't worry about it." Max said. Lauren helped him lie down and then pulled a throw over him. He was already asleep before she got to her feet. She looked at her dad and he could see she was spiralling into an abyss of despair. "Come here." He said gently, opening his arms to her. She stumbled towards him, leaning on him heavily as she lost all semblance of control. He pulled her from the room, towards the kitchen and sat at the table, pulling her onto his lap, like he used to when she was a small girl. It was the best way he knew to offer her some comfort and if he was being honest, it gave him some comfort too. He needed his daughter close to him.

"God dad..." she whispered, once she'd calmed down a little. "How do I help him deal with this? I don't know what I'm doing. I feel useless." She rested her head on his shoulder, feeling overwhelmed with all they'd gone through in the last few days.

"The last thing I'd describe you as is useless, Lauren." He reassured her. "You've already helped him so much since this happened. When I think of what might have been if you hadn't found him in the gardens..." He kissed her forehead tenderly. "You just need to continue doing as you have been. You've already been so strong and he's going to need that strength from you to get through all of this. Promise me though, Lauren, if there is ever a time when you need some support from me, or the rest of the family, you just need to ask us. I'll be there for you, always." His hold on her tightened slightly at his words.

"Thanks dad." She whispered. "Do you think everyone in the square knows what Derek did?"

"I don't know, honey. If they don't now, they soon will."

"I'm not sure how Joey is going to handle everyone knowing."

"He's got nothing to be ashamed of. He's done nothing wrong. We just need to keep reminding him of that."

The front door opened and shut and Max looked up to see Abi walking towards the kitchen, "Is everything okay?" she asked, worried about Lauren when she saw her.

Lauren wiped away the tears on her face hurriedly. She didn't move from where she sat though, "Yeah, Abs. It's just been a long and tiring day." Max said to his youngest daughter.

Lauren moved as soon as she heard it, a loud shout from the lounge breaking the relative peace of the house. She was almost halfway to her destination before Max even registered it. She knelt beside the couch and brushed her hand through Joey's hair, trying to calm him down. Max followed her, standing in the doorway and seeing the two of them interact. He saw the moment Joey woke as he visibly relaxed when he saw Lauren there with him. He closed the door of the room, leaving them alone and went back to the kitchen. Abi was looking at him in concern. "Is he okay?"

"Yeah, Abs. He'll be fine. Your sister's with him now."

"Dad, is something going on between the two of them?"

"Yes. It's all fine though. Your mum and I don't have a problem with it. We just want both of them to be happy and it seems they've found that with each other."

"Won't people think it's a bit weird?"

"That's not our problem, Abs. If people want to think that way, they're welcome to. Lauren and Joey know we're okay with it and that's all that's important. At the moment my only concern is that the two of them are happy."

"But they're cousins..." she whispered. "Isn't that illegal or something?"

"No, it isn't. Abi, they need your support now so if you have an issue with this, then please keep quiet about it."

"No, it's fine. I just wasn't sure." She said but Max wasn't sure she'd truly accepted what he'd told her.

There was more noise from the hallway and soon Tanya and Oscar were in the kitchen. Oscar ran up to his father and Max lifted him up for a hug. His arms wrapped around the small boy. Holding his son in his arms made him realise all over again how Joey had suffered and he shared a pained look with Tanya, who stood watching father and son. "Where's Lauren and Joey?" she asked him gently, stepping closer and squeezing her husband's arm.

"In the lounge." Max replied softly, "Joey had another nightmare..."

"Did it go okay this afternoon?"

"What happened?" Abi asked.

"He spoke to the police." Max told her, "Yeah, there were a lot of questions but it sounds like they've got a case against Derek. I think they're going to charge him tomorrow."

The doorbell rang and Abi went to answer it. She let Alice into the house and they congregated once more in the kitchen. "Let's get dinner sorted. Abi, can you take your brother upstairs and get him to change? Your father and I are going to talk to Alice."

Abi walked out of the room with Oscar and Alice stared at her aunt and uncle. She was a little worried something had gone wrong. "Alice, sweetheart, Joey gave his statement to the police this afternoon." Tanya said.

"Okay."

"They're going to charge your dad," Max explained to her. "I'll find out tomorrow what the charges are but it's unlikely your dad will get bail and he's probably looking at a lengthy prison sentence."

"I guess I'd better contact mum then." She said, looking sad at the thought of leaving the square and returning to her former life.

"Well, Max and I have been talking and we wanted to discuss that with you and Joey this evening." Tanya said, "I spoke to my mum this afternoon as well. There are several options open to us. You don't need to rush off, Alice."

"Why don't I go and get us something from the Argy Bargy, save you cooking, babe? Gives us longer to talk about things as well."

"Good idea." She agreed, smiling at her husband brightly.

*JL*JL*

The family were sitting at the dining room table, having eaten their meal. Oscar had just gone into the lounge to play with his toys. "We wanted to get together to discuss the things that have happened over the last few days and how it's going to impact on the family." Max said, "Joey, Alice, I realise your dad was the reason you were here in Walford but Tanya and I would both really like it if you both were to stay in the area. We've missed out on both of you being in our family for most of your lives and we'd really rather not lose any more time with you both. Joey, I hope you know by now that you're more than welcome in our house and we can discuss that further in a moment." Max looked to Tanya as he stopped speaking.

"Now Alice, we know Whitney and Tyler both live over the road with you but we wondered if you'd consider a different option in the future. With Carol and Bianca due to return in a few months, long term where you're currently staying may not be viable when that happens anyway. There are actually two options we can consider. The first option is you could move in with my mum. Poppy has just moved in there and I know you're friends with her. The other option is a more distant option but it's one we'd really like you to consider. Essentially Max and I are planning a bit of remodelling for the house. We think we can convert it to put another bedroom in. We were thinking possibly in the loft. This would mean we would have space for you to stay with us. And therefore with Joey. You don't need to make a decision about that now but please know the option is there."

"So who's going to get the new room?" Abi asked, excitement in her eyes as she looked at her mum.

It was Max that answered. "Lauren and Joey." The two looked at Max and Tanya in shock, having not expected them to say that..

"Wow. Really?"

"You'd be okay with us..."

"I've already told you we're happy for the two of you to be together, Joey." Max said.

"Together?" Alice asked.

"Joey and I love each other." Lauren said. Tanya gasped at the mention of the L word but a small smile slipped onto Max's face at his daughter's admission. He wasn't as surprised as the rest of the family by what she'd said.

"But you're cousins?" Alice asked.

"That's what I said..." Abi muttered.

"Girls, there is nothing wrong with cousin's being involved with each other. Yes, some people may have a problem with it but our main priority is that Joey and Lauren are happy together. Anything else we can handle as a family." Max stated.

"Are you okay with this Alice?" Joey asked his sister, needing to know what she thought.

"It's a bit of a shock. I wasn't expecting you to say this. I've seen how close the two of you are this week. I didn't realise it was this though."

"So you're alright with it?" he asked again.

"I'm not sure at the moment. What happens if you split up in the future... it will tear the family apart if you do. Are you sure you want to risk that?"

"That won't happen, Alice," Lauren whispered. Lauren got up from her seat and moved so she was balanced on Joey's lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him surprisingly gently. Alice stared at the two of them but looked away and ignored them when they tried to get her to say something else.

"Does anyone else have anything they want to say?" Max asked once it became clear that conversation was over.

"I'd like to say something if that's okay?" Joey said.

"Go ahead, son."

"Actually it's two things. Firstly I'd like to say thank you to both of you, Uncle Max, Tanya. For the last couple of days and for taking myself and Alice into your house."

"You're more than welcome, Joey." Tanya said.

"The second thing is... well, I guess I feel I need to tell you all the reason this is all happening. I can't go into massive detail... I've already done that twice today and I can't face it a third time but I can tell you some of it." Lauren leant forward and kissed him softly on the cheek, her hand brushing the other side of his face, "I know Max has told you that it was Derek who put me in hospital but there is much more that he hasn't told you." Joey paused, looking at his sister intensely. She smiled at him reassuringly but he knows she has no idea of what is coming. "Derek first hit me on my fourth birthday and it's been a pretty regular occurrence ever since then."

"Joey?" Alice gasped. She reached for him, touching his arm to comfort him. She couldn't hide the hurt she felt when he shook her hand off.

"Sorry Al, but I can't do this if you start doing that. This is so difficult for me to talk about." He took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before slowly releasing it. "Derek's physical and mental abuse began when I was four and continued up until just before he went to prison. This week was the first time since I arrived in Walford that he hit me."

"I'm so proud of you," Lauren whispered to him, squeezing his hand tightly once he'd told them.

Joey was intently watching his sister's reaction and he could see she was struggling to either believe him or accept what he'd just said. "Alice?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked him softly.

"I couldn't..."

"Did mum know?"

"She knew about it before they got divorced. I don't think she knew that it continued after that time. I hid it from her."

"Why wouldn't she do something about it if she knew?"

"Are you saying you don't believe me?" he asked her in shock.

"I don't know what I think, Joey." She got to her feet unsteadily, "I guess I need to think about this. I think I'm going to go back over the road. Thanks for dinner, Uncle Max, Tanya." With that she walked out of the house, the door shutting loudly behind her.

"I..." Joey was struggling and everyone could see it. His face paled and he pushed at Lauren to get her to move. Lauren stood and watched as Joey fled the room, running up the stairs. She could hear the sound of him revisiting his food seconds later and she glanced at her dad briefly before moving, following the same path as her boyfriend just had. She walked into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the bath, watching Joey suffer, not sure how to help him through this.

Once he'd stopped heaving, he sagged against the porcelain and shut his eyes. Lauren reached forward and pulled the flush, "She didn't mean it the way it sounded, Joe." She told him, her hand brushing up and down his back as she moved nearer to him.

"How do you know that?" he muttered.

"I should imagine it's hard for her to hear how the whole of her family kept something this huge hidden from her. She's in shock and I think she probably feels a bit guilty that she didn't notice."

"What about if I told her everything and she decides she wants nothing do with me?" he whispered, scared at the thought of his sister rejecting him.

"That will never happen. She loves you, Joe and she always will." She said to him, so sure of it and earnest with her words that he had to believe her.

"What did I do to deserve you, Lauren Branning?" he asked as he smiled at her, a look filled with love.

"Just being you was enough." She replied, her own smile matching his as she leant forward and hugged him tightly.

TBC

A/N2: I know Alice's reaction is a little out of character... I just wrote as if she found it to difficult to reconcile the person Joey was telling her about with the person she is used to living with. Hope you liked the interaction between Max and Lauren and Joey and Lauren.

Let me know what you think... send me a review!

Not sure if I'll be able to post a chapter tomorrow... will try as soon as I can to update again. Have a Merry Christmas anyway.