a/n – just a bit of Joetina as they try to come to terms with what's happened to them. Btw just want to say that the views on what makes a good wife/girlfriend aren't mine honest.

Chapter 4

Joey shut the door quietly, undressed and slid into bed. He moved cautiously next to Martina and put his arm around her, hand resting on her bump. He was rewarded with a massive kick, his offspring obviously narked at the disturbance. Joey smiled, this baby was showing plenty of spirit already. Careful not to let it show, Joey was feeling far more positive about this pregnancy than he had been.

"Good night?" Martina spoke up.

"Not bad, not bad." Joey responded.

Actually it'd been quite good, just as well now he had two homes to support. And a third that he was beginning to renovate, though to be fair the rents he was receiving covered that and a bit more. Despite Martina's protestations that she was coping he had insisted on them opening a joint account that he was paying into. As he pointed out, babies were expensive and once she was on maternity leave she would only receive statutory maternity pay not her normal salary. And given that the child was his as well as hers, she needed to shut up about managing herself and accept that at the very least they'd share the financial burden.

Martina had been shocked at his outspokenness, it did remind her that it wasn't only her life that had been turned upside down. She did know enough of Joey to realise he wasn't the sort to deny any responsibility for his child. She was pretty certain he'd want to have more involvement in its upbringing than just financial, and that was all to the good. But, she didn't want him moving in with her, and he was spending a lot of time at hers. She couldn't work out whether he wanted to or whether he felt he ought to, and she certainly didn't want him there if it was out of a sense of duty. Whilst she had no idea how she was going to feel once the baby had actually been born, she might be bloody grateful for his presence then, she'd no intention of keeping the baby from him or his family.

She'd been more than a little touched by Adrian and Billy who had both offered her any help she might need in their different ways. Adrian, diffident, barely able to meet her eyes, offering to fetch anything she might want or see to the garden. Billy blundering on about how great having a kid was and saying he'd take her shopping or if she wanted any heavy work doing then he was her man. She'd thanked them both and sent them on their way, less harshly than usual.

Nellie had been good to her as well, accompanying her to ante-natal appointments with an, 'I can remember just how boring it is sitting around in those places luv. It'll be good to have a chat and a little moan, have someone to hold your coat and things while they prod you about.'

Martina, so used to maternal indifference, had found it made a nice change to have a mum around, to talk to and share some of her worries. She had taken to calling into Kelsall Street to see Nellie, and Joey had been surprised when he strolled in one Saturday afternoon to find Martina and his mam laughing away at the kitchen table. It was news to him, he hadn't known about the appointments or the popping in. He was pleased though, it was certainly going to make life easier if Martina and his mam got on. His mam had disliked everything about Roxy, and Roxy had positively hated everyone and everything about his family.

He knew Martina had been moved by Adrian and Billy, and he'd been proud of them, especially after their initial reactions to his news that he'd got the DHSS lady pregnant. To say they weren't impressed would be the least of it. Jack's reply to his letter was a postcard with 'WHAT?' Scrawled over it. And Aveline had chattered on about how good it would be to have a cousin a similar age, as her and Oswald were trying for a baby. Nothing had happened for them yet, and he could sense how she must be feeling, the longer it went on, with Martina getting nearer and nearer her time.

He gave a sudden sigh.

"Problem?"

"No sweetheart, just thoughts."

Martina turned to face him, "Oh?"

"I was thinking about Aveline." Joey decided it would be better to tell her the truth rather than have her speculating needlessly that he was bothered about her or the baby.

He had tried to follow Michael's advice, been blunt about financial support, was giving as much practical support as he could, given that Martina was content to let everything drift, and had been as determinedly non-committal about anything emotional, as she herself had been.

"Yeah, it's tough. I don't know what to say to her on the odd occasions we meet. It gets harder every time."

She leant forward and gave him a passionate kiss, running her hand down his body. One thing pregnancy hadn't changed for Martina thought Joey, despite his grandad's pronouncement that women lost interest in that sort of thing when motherhood beckoned.

Still holding her close, aware of the baby moving around as it settled, the feeling Joey kept having about being with Martina not being a bad life stole back over him. Was that enough though? Would he and indeed Martina, feel he'd, they'd settled for second best? And what the hell did she want?

His mind felt like a pan of boiling water, thoughts, ideas, memories kept bubbling up to the surface. One in particular kept popping up.

Joey was gazing out of the windscreen as he sat in the van waiting for the lorry to deliver its load of knock offs.

Next to him Vinnie sat reading a football magazine, muttering to himself. He had a couple of kids, recollected Joey, frowning as he tried to work out how old he was, about twenty-four/five perhaps.

"Vinnie, what's it like being a dad?"

"Eh?" Vinnie looked up. "It's sound, I guess."

"How old are yours?"

"My boy's six, and my girl's two." His eyes strayed back to his magazine.

"How did you feel before they were born, while your missus was expecting?" Joey was curious.

"The boy's hers, he was nearly three before we got it together. She wanted to give me a baby of me own, so it all happened quite quickly. But it's good. I take my boy to football each weekend and I take my girl to playgroup when I can, and yeah it's good. And my bird's great, she keeps a clean and tidy home."

He rustled his magazine, Joey nodded, it was about the longest speech he'd ever heard him make. "But Vinnie, how hard is it to get everything right?"

Vinnie stared at him. "You don't have to get everything right Joey, you just need to get enough right."

He returned to his magazine leaving Joey to stare at him, shocked by the profundity of his words.

Joey had pursed his lips, that phrase, you could change it to 'things don't have to be perfect they just need to be good enough.'

Joey shifted slightly, he was certain that he and Martina and a child or children wouldn't be perfect, but he was pretty sure they'd be good enough. Perfection was unobtainable, he was clear about that, but would good enough be good enough? And Martina, what about her?

He felt Martina's steady breathing and knew she was sleeping. He grimaced. She'd never opened up to him about what had happened in her previous relationship.

Another reflection bubbled up into his mind.

Martina had been looking after Kai, whilst Loretta took Chenet to the clinic. Joey was watching Thomas the Tank engine with him.

"Isn't that Ringo Starr?"

"Isn't what Ringo Starr?"

"The voice over."

"Yeah, I think so."

"Hey, I've just had a thought."

"Go on."

"We can work through the engine names, Thomas, Henry, George, Edward, James, Percy.." he stopped abruptly at the look on her face.

"Not Thomas." Her voice was quaking, tears streaming down her face.

He started to get up, but she left the room. He sat back down remembering that he couldn't leave a toddler unsupervised, even if he was engrossed by the programme.

That probably resolved one of his unanswered questions then, the name of the man who'd broken her heart.

Joey knew from Ev that he'd left her twice, and that in his opinion he was a complete bastard. He'd declined to say anything further and had clammed up when Joey tried to get more from him saying it was up to Martina to tell him. From Loretta he'd gleaned that he'd left her with a pile of debts. Joey had even tried to question Darrien, Loretta's partner but his contribution of, 'yeah, the guy was a total arsehole' didn't get Joey much further. But he knew she hadn't recovered from it all, not properly.

He cuddled up closer. "Oh Martina, what are we gonna do?"

He knew what she'd answer to that.

'Nothing Joey, nothing. Sometimes when you don't know what to do it's best to do nothing.'

It wasn't in Joey's nature to do nothing, he was one for being proactive. He'd have an idea then he'd get on and do it. Waiting for things to take their course was alien to him. Still she hadn't pushed him away, and she was engaging with his family, so he supposed he'd have to be content with things as they were. The nearer the birth had got, the more he was looking forward to it, not that he'd admitted that to anyone other than Michael. Just six weeks to go now and Martina was on her last two days at work. He'd booked a week away for them next week, a cottage in Kendall where they were right on the bank of The Kent, but only 5 minutes walk from the centre of the bustling little market town, with its pubs and restaurants. He had a few outings planned as well.

The feeling that everything was going to be all right seeped gently through him, as he too drifted off to sleep.