It was a few hours after Lauren had been admitted and Alice, Jack and Carol had all gone home, leaving Joey, Max and Tanya at the hospital. Lauren had slowly come round, her wrists wrapped in bandages, although they had spots of blood on them. Currently, Joey was sat next to her bed in a chair, holding her hand. However, when Lauren started to come round, she thought differently and turned her head to look at him and gathered up her strength to pull their hands apart, her eyes glaring coldly at him

'Go... Away!' she said coldly, turning her head away from him. Joey was hurt and waited a few seconds, before nodding and leaving the room, obeying her wishes, not bothering to wipe his tears away.

'Joey...' said Tanya, a hand on her heart, as she saw how broken Joey was. He quickly put his defence walls back up ad looked at Max and Tanya.

'I'm sorry. You're going to have to cope on your own!' Joey said, before bolting through the double, ignoring Max's screams of his names. He flew down the steps and out into the cold air. He stopped to catch his breath and then set of running, doing what he does best...

Alice was sat with Carol, a cold cup of tea between her hands, her make up down her cheeks. She sniffled and turned her attention to Carol.

'Auntie Carol? What happens to me now?' Alice asked, a million questions running through her head. She felt Carol put her arm round her.

'You can stay here for as long as you want. I'm not seeing you out on the street' answered Carol. Alive smiled at her aunt and nodded. She placed her cup down on the table and hugged Carol. After a few seconds, Alice pulled away, wiping her tears.

'I'm going to go for a bath' she said. Carol nodded, smiling weakly. When she head Alice walking about upstairs, Carol let her tears fall as she grieved for her eldest brothers' demise...

After Joey's exit, Max was steaming mad, but Tanya managed to calm him down before they had been to see Lauren. She had fallen back asleep, so they decided to go find a cafe somewhere in hospital. They were sat near the window, warm cups of tea in their hand, both in silence, until Tanya voiced what they were both thinking.

'What do we do?'

'About what?' asked Max, even though he knew exactly what Tanya was on about. He didn't want to believe this was happening again.

'Max, about Lauren we've been here before remember?' said Tanya

'I know we have! And we're not admitting her again!' said Max, staring at Tanya, his voice determined.

'Max! We have to! If she comes home like that... it'll be the whole Hayley thing all over again!'

'TAN! You admit Lauren back into a treatment centre... I'll never forgive you and neither will she!' said Max darkly

'I'm prepared to have her hate my guts, Max! I'd rather have her in a treatment centre than a pine box! Do you want to lose another one of your children, Max?' Tanya said, her voice getting louder. Max stared at her for a minute, knowing she was right. He sighed.

'Fine! You want to admit her back in, do it! But she'll never forgive you...' said Max, before walking out of the cafe...

Meanwhile hiding away in Lauren's room, Joey was curled up on Lauren's bed, her jacket under his head and his phone in his hands. He knew he was torturing himself by looking at pictures of them together, but he needed a better image of Lauren in his head, rather than the one of her lying in his arms, limp and lifeless. He swiped his thumb across the screen of his phone, to the most recent picture. They had sneaked out one night, and headed out of Walford for a night out. Joey had seen how happy she was and grabbed her, swinging his arm protectively round her and had snapped a photo, capturing the moment. He sighed and locked his phone, placing it on the bedside table and rolling onto his back, feeling something dig into his back. He got up and pulled back the bed covers to reveal a diary... Lauren's diary. He picked it up and stared at it. He opened it on a page and almost dropped it in shock as he saw the dried blood on the page, but he willed himself to read the diary entry. It was short.

November 18th 2012-12-19

I can't do this anymore. Joey acting like he doesn't give a damn about me, Mum and Dad are too busy with the wedding, Abi's with Jay all the time. I'm thankfully I have you to write in, diary. And someone to spill all my secrets to as well...

Lauren X

Joey closed the diary, after reading another entry, were it was pretty dark. He grabbed his phone and jacket and headed downstairs for the front door...

An hour later, Max and Tanya were in the waiting room, Tanya deciding against admitting Lauren back into a treatment centre. They were talking quietly, when Joey entered the room, out of breath.

'You need to read this!' he spluttered, his throat burning. Tanya took the diary and frowned

'Laurens diary? Joey, have you read it?' Tanya scolded

'Tan, you need to read it! It's been going on longer than we thought!' Joey said. Just then, a nurse entered the room and asked for Joey.

'That's me'

'Lauren would like to see you' she said. Joey nodded, casting one last look at Max and Tanya, before leaving the room.

'You going to read it?' asked Max. Tanya shook her head

'I can't. It's an invasion of privacy' said Tanya. Max glared at her and snatched the diary out of her hands.

'We need to know how long it's been going on, Tan!' Max shouted, ignoring Tanya's gasp of horror...

Joey was sat with Lauren, holding her hand, his thumb stroking the back of her hand slowly and comfortingly.

'I didn't mean to be so cold earlier on... I'm sorry' she said, her voice weak. Joey shook his head and smiled

'You've got nothing to be sorry for, baby. You don't need to apologize to me' he said, smiling. Lauren smiled back.

'I really don't deserve you, Joey. After everything I've put you through...' her sentence stopped when Joey kissed her. Lauren placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him deeper, both pulling away when they needed air.

'I love you, Lauren. I truly do' Joey said, his forehead pressed against hers, their eyes locked together. Lauren felt a stupid smile spread across her face.

'I love you too, Joey' she said, watching as Joey's face showed shock, then happiness as it was the first time she had said the words to him in person...

Lauren was let out the next day, under strict conditions that she wouldn't be left alone at any time. Her parents had picked her and Joey up, and she felt happy to be going home. She arrived back in Walford and smiled at the snow was starting to fall. She entered her house and was drawn into a hug by Abi.

'I was so worried, Lauren!' she said, before hugging her again. Lauren chuckled and hugged her back. Tanya went into the kitchen to make cups of tea, and calm herself down. She watched as Oscar was scooped up in Laurens arms and, at seeing Lauren's bandaged up wrists, made a decision...

A few hours later, Max, Tanya, Abi, Lauren and Joey were relaxing in the living room, watching a movie, Tanya glancing at the clock every ten minutes. She swallowed the last of her wine and topped her glass up, making Max frown. Near the end of the movie, there was a knock to the door. Lauren frowned as she got up to answer it. Everything was silent, except for the movie playing, until Lauren's scream rang through the air. Joey and Max jumped up and rushed out into the hallway, seeing Lauren was restrained by two doctors a paramedic.

'WHOA! WHATS GOING ON!' Max demanded, as Joey appeared at the side of him, both of them ready to fight for Lauren.

'THEYRE ADMITTING BACK INTO HOSPITAL!' Lauren screamed. Max froze at Laurens statement, just as Tanya walked form the room.

'I'm sorry, darling. I really am, but I don't want you at home when you're ill' cried Tanya. Laurens eyes darkened.

'I'M NOT ILL' she screamed, as Tanya handed one of the medics a night bag.

'I'll bring some more clothes tomorrow' Tanya said to the medic, who nodded and went to put the bag in car.

'JOEY! DADDY! DO SOMETHING!' Lauren shouted, as the doctor started to pull her from the house. It was then when Joey came out of his shock. He and Max rushed forward and pulled Lauren away from the doctors, Joey wrapping his arms round her protectively.

'Your not coming in here and taking my daughter, without an explanation!' shouted Max. One of the doctors, Paul sighed.

'We got a call from Mrs Branning a few hours ago, wanting to admit Miss Branning into hospital because she is ill, and from what I can see from her bandaged wrist, she does need professional help' Paul said. Max and Joey whipped their heads to Tanya, who was silently crying.

'YOU! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T DO IT!' screamed Max. Joey loosened his grip on Lauren as he battled with his willpower not to say something bad to Tanya. Lauren let a shriek as Paul grabbed hold of her and hauled her from the house.

'JOEY! JOEY! PLEASE, DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME AWAY!' Lauren screamed as she gripped the doorframe with her hands. Joey lunged forwards, but Tanya grabbed him back, seeing Abi had hold of Max.

'LET GO OF ME! LAUREN! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS US! DON'T TEAR US APART AGAIN!' Joey shouted, struggling to get out of Tanya's grip, tears quickly making their way down his face.

'JOEY! DAD!' Lauren screamed, as Paul managed to free her hands and walked her to the car, putting her in it and getting in besides her, shutting and locking the doors, before his colleague started to drive out of the Square. Joey and Max managed get free of the holds Tanya and Abi had on them and sprinted outside, down the steps and through the gardens, chasing after the car. However, they fell to their knees and watched as the car picked up speed and turned left, vanishing from sight.

'LAUREN!...' Joey screamed into the cold night air, Max pulling him in for hug as they both cried for Lauren...

*please don't kill me!* Next chapter, Lauren admits to Joey who really killed Derek :D Oh and Hayley (who I mentioned in this chapter) is the friend Lauren lost... :D R&R X