Chapter 23

Once everyone had left, the two were left alone with their new born. Harry was happily sleeping in the car seat that was sat in the middle of the living room floor, his parents sitting on the sofa looking completely lost. The two of them sat completely ridged and silent, their eyes fixed on Harry, he seemed to be the only one relaxed.

"What do we do now?" Lauren whispered, finally breaking the silence.

"I have no idea" Joey turned to face Lauren and smiled a very awkward I know as much as you smile.

"surely we should be doing something, I mean, Mum was always really busy when she had Oscar and it was never this quiet." Lauren leant forward and gently moved the car seat, looking at Harry with wide eyes.

"Lo, he's fine babe, he's just sleeping" Joey moved his hand down her back in a comforting motion, he felt her relax a little and after a couple of seconds she leaned into him, lifting his arm around her shoulder. "You worry too much baby"

"What and you don't? I saw you googling on your phone earlier when he had hiccups." She smirked and felt the vibration of Joey's chuckle through his chest.

"Ok, you caught me" Joey smiled and looked around the apartment, the sun was beginning to set now, an orange glow coming through the window. Lauren yawned next him as his fingers worked through her hair, lulling her to sleep. "what's say I run you a bath ay?"

"Harry will be awake in a while, he'll need feeding." She shrugged and closed her eyes

"I can feed him Lo, you need to sleep baby, you've been through a lot this last week, let me look after you ok?" his lips grazed her forehead and she gently nodded her head "Good" he scooped her up into his arms with ease, it still amazed her every time he did that, that those perfect arms could be put to such a good use.

"Joey what are you doing?" she giggled her arms wrapping around his shoulders.

"I'm carrying you. What does it look like ?" the smugness and sarcasm in his voice just made her giggle even more "Get ready while I run the water…" she nodded and proceeded to change, dropping her clothes into the hamper in the corner, before putting one of Joey's shirts d a pair of her leggings out for when she'd finished. It was only when she walked back to the bed she noticed the Moses basket on a stand at the side. She recognized it as Oscars. Her fingers traced around the side of it a small smile setting on her lips.

"Bath's done beautiful" joey's whispered voice appeared in the doorway of the en-suite. She looked at him with watery eyes. "Hey, I thought we had a deal ? no more tears…" his fingers brushed tenderly over her cheek, Laurens mouth curling into a slight smile.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a bit…" she couldn't finish the sentence as her tears fell. Joey pulled her into his arms.

"I know babe, go have your bath, you'll feel better I promise"

*JL*JL*JL*

Lauren sunk into the water allowing the mellowing heat to carry her away to somewhere she had no fears, no worries- to a place where she was able to forget everything. Things had been so complicated and confusing over the last week she felt she'd began to lose who she was, but it was Joey that kept her grounded. He gave her the reason to believe that everything would be ok, they would be ok and together, they'd give Harry the best they could.

She smiled to herself, a warm feeling rushing through her, hearing Joey talking to Harry. She guessed he'd woken up.

"Hi sleep head, you hungry baby boy?" Lauren could hear the murmurs from Harry and then Joey clambering around in the kitchen. The seconds past and she could hear Harry getting more restless. "Nearly done, alright Mr impatient…Just like your Mum"

Joey sat back on the sofa, feeding Harry. He definitely had a healthy appetite that's for sure, he was only small but boy could he feed. "All better ay? Hmm happy now your fed. Boy after my own heart…ye. I'll let you into a secret though H, your Mummy's a terrible cook, it'll be us boys cooking."

Joey remembered the first time he'd left Lauren in the apartment on her own since they'd moved in together.

*Flash back*

Lauren was in the kitchen staring at the oven like it was an unknown objet to her.

"It's called an oven babe…you know the thing you cook in" She turned around and wacked Joey across his chest.

"Ha bloody ha… I know what it is thank you" her hands were firmly on her hips, giving him the very unimpressed look. "You can bugger off out the kitchen now please… I'm cooking. Your leaving" She pushed him towards the door.

"Do not burn down the kitchen" he smiled before kissing her with a smile and leaving.

*JL*JL*JL*

Joey returned as instructed via text, about three hours later. The apartment was silent and there was a telltale smell of burning as he walked through the door.

"Lauren? What the…" he paused as he looked around at the devastation in the kitchen. Pots and pans were stung all around the room as well as several cremated pieces of… ye it was pretty hard to identify what it was that she'd burnt. Lauren appeared looking flustered and she set two plates down on the table.

"Not a word…" she warned as they sat at the table.

"Gave up on cooking baby?" he smirked digging into the Chinese.

"Well I kind of want you alive and after attempting several times to cook noodles several times. I gave up and decided to play it safe"

"That's noodles?" joey's eye brow raised looking at the burnt bowl of noodles on the side.

"Hmmm"

*end of flash back*

"She's not got much better I tell you son, all finished are we? Come on then" he lifted Harry to his shoulder and winded him. "I Think we should get you to bed Mr and Let Mummy have some rest ay" Joey laid Harry into the bassinette "We love you son"

"You're a big softie Joseph Branning" Laurens arms wound around his waist. "But I love you…"

"Good, else we'd have a problem would we?" she nodded and it was only then Joey noticed she was clad only in a towel. He took a sharp intake of breath "you look hot". Lauren blushed, her face heating in sync with her insides as Joey's hands wondered over her shoulders and down her arms.

"As much as I could really use you right now, we can't…6 weeks until that can happen again. That's if I'm even letting you near me again, I could do without another surprise like that."

"I know beautiful, for now we have a date with the TV and sofa, you can lay in my arms and forget about everything…we'll wake up tomorrow and start everything new"

"Sounds perfect"

Is everything really going to start new in the morning ? we'll see... thanks everyone for the reviews ! I'm having trouble with FF at the min and it wont let me review or send PM's so I really do appreciate your reviews xxx