a/n This is about half way through series 5, Jack is back and Freddie is living at Kelsall Street. Shifty is living with grandad again, and Roxy unexpectedly rears her head.

Chapter 7

Joey pulled up at number 30, moved the cones and got back in. His phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello, Joey?"

"Roxy?"

Oh God, what was she ringing him for?

"Where are you?"

"I'm still in Birmingham. Listen, my divorce will be coming through in about three weeks. How about that then? I'll be free." Her voice, low and husky, sent tremors through him.

He swallowed, "That's er, that's great news."

"So?"

"So what?" He wondered where on earth this conversation was going.

"So, will you marry me?"

He slumped back against the seat, bit late for her to be suggesting that now. For one crazy moment he wanted to say yes, and to hell with everything else, but he managed to stammer out, "er look Roxy. I've got a baby now and another one on the way."

There was a shriek down the line, animal like in its pain, then the sound of the phone disconnecting.

Joey sighed and put the phone away. Roxy. Oh Roxy. He'd sincerely hoped to never hear from her again.

Her voice could still make his insides melt, despite everything she'd ever done to him, despite being content with Martina and Micky and looking forward to baby number 2, hearing her voice again had opened up all the dormant longings, the old dream forcing its way through his mind of him, her and her son, in that big white house in Gateacre. A million miles away from the reality he was living in.

He shook his head, finished parking, lifted out the baby, kissed him and went in.

His mam grabbed him as soon as he entered and pushed him back outside.

"Mam?" Joey was puzzled.

"It's our Aveline Joey, I don't know what to make of it." She shook her head. "Yesterday I told her about Martina, I had to Joey, now she's showing we can't lie about it."

He sighed. "So what's happened?"

Nellie leant forward and whispered in his ear, looking around as if frightened the neighbours might hear. "She's put a cushion up her jumper Joey, and she's telling everyone she's pregnant."

"What?" Joey gritted his teeth. First one thing, then another. He'd already had an awkward conversation with Jack this week. He'd met Jack in one of the few surviving Dock Road cafés and over breakfast had broached the subject of his brother's fragile temper. It had been all smiles and bonhomie when they'd collected him from the airport, but his later confession that he was broke seemed to have led to alarming outbreaks of aggression. It was still very much fresh in his mind.

"Why the moods Jack? It's not like you."

Jack shrugged, "I'm pissed off."

"What with?"

"Life. I struggled at home to make a decent living, I got in debt, then more debt to clear the debt. So I went to the States to make some money to pay off me debts, and I was a failure. Nothing went right, nothing. I didn't make any money, apart from what Eddie paid me for working in the shop. Everything I tried I failed. The only thing I was good at was making sandwiches. So to come back I have to go cap in hand to me family, and me dad has to sell his flat to get me out of trouble. I'm sick of it all Joey. I've tried to find a job, nothing doing. I've tried the buying and selling game, but I'm no good at that, that's how I got into debt in the first place. I mean we take it out of Adrian, but he held a job down for years, he's had poems published. You've always been a success, Aveline's married her way out of failed dreams, even Billy's got a decent little business. But everything I've ever touched has been a disaster." He slumped into his seat.

"Hey now Jack, you can't keep thinking like this." Joey tried to console him.

"Why not? It's true enough." Jack wasn't to be comforted.

Joey shook his head. "You had good days Jack."

"Oh yeah, once in a blue moon. I mean I borrow money off Shifty for a piano, turns out to be crap and then I find Shifty nicked the money from grandad in the first place." He paused, "and I can't even get a woman anymore."

"Give it time Jack, your ego's a bit bruised." Joey tried to make him feel better. "I mean we've all made a balls up there. Adrian's Magdelana seems to have taken the money and run, Billy and Julie are divorced."

"You're alright though. You've got Martina, Micky, another baby coming. What more do you want?" Jack sounded positively envious, deep down he wanted nothing more than to settle down and have a family of his own.

"Yeah, but she's not Roxy." It escaped his lips before Joey even realised he was saying it.

Jack frowned, "Roxy? Joey you're not still hung up on her are you? I mean Martina wouldn't be my choice, but I thought you were happy with it all."

"I am but," Joey fiddled with a salt cellar, "well Roxy was a big part of my life and I've never really finished with her. Everything was just left hanging. And Martina's great but, well I'm not sure she'd have wanted to me to move in if she'd not been pregnant." He drummed his fingers, "I dunno really."

"Why you having another one if you're not sure about things?" Jack could not believe what he was hearing. He was tempted to grab his brother and shake the living daylights out of him. He had everything that Jack desired, yet he still wasn't satisfied.

"Don't want an only child. And it's not that I'm not sure, I'm just not sure." Joey shrugged.

"Makes sense that kidda." Jack had to chuckle at Joey's reasoning. "On a different note, she's back isn't she?"

"No, she's in Birmingham as far as I know. Anyway I haven't seen her since, oh before we went to Rome." Joey answered truthfully.

"No," Jack shook his head, "not Roxy, Lilo Lil. She's back, I can tell by the way dad is."

Joey drew breath. "Yeah she is. That's why…"

"He's got the allotment shed done up like a tart's boudoir."

Joey nodded. "I've spoken to him till I'm blue in the face about it not being straight and not fair on me mam. Know what he said?"

"He's a free spirit." Jack was disparaging.

"Nearly." Joey grimaced. "That he's not husband material and he's selfish."

"Thirty odd years married, five kids later and he says he's not husband material, bit late isn't it?" Jack shook his head in disbelief.

"Dad is dad Jack, he's not gonna change now." Joey spoke evenly.

"Yeah, he's a still a selfish bastard." Jack was even more hacked off with his dad than usual. He eyed Joey and the thought went through his mind that Joey was going to be heading the same way if he wasn't careful. Joey had been the first of them to forgive Freddie and welcome him back, in a way that Jack couldn't bring himself to do.

"You know what Jack? I'm so glad you're back. I really missed you." Joey spoke from his heart, he'd missed Jack so much.

"Yeah, I'm glad to be back. I just need to get a job or something." At last Jack was able to give Joey a smile.

"And you will Jack, and you will." Joey beamed at him before turning his attention to his congealed omelette.

He dragged his mind back to the present family catastrophe and handed Micky to his mam.

"Ok mam, I'll talk to her."

He went in, ready to do what he could. To his surprise she was sitting normally on the sofa, Oswald at her side, talking to Jack who had the cushion in his hand.

"Sorted smart arse," he smirked at Joey, whacking him in the stomach with the cushion.

Joey grinned. He'd meant what he'd said, he was glad Jack was back, he'd missed him a great deal more than he'd expected to. It was so good to have someone to share the load a bit at Kelsall Street.

Oswald took her hand. "I will go for that test darling. I can see it all means so much to you."

Joey raised his eyebrows and made for the kettle.

"Mam, I've something to see to in a bit so can I leave Micky here?"

"Course luv. Where's his things?"

"In the car."

Jack held out his arms, "come on then fella," and took him from his mam.

Joey smiled as he went to get the kit. It was great having a family to rally round and care for each member. From the youngest to the oldest they were all safe and warm, with his mam at the centre. Something Roxy had never been able to understand, and thank God Martina did.