24th April 2013. So here is tonight's chapter... starring one little Oscar Branning. Such a cutie.

Chapter 16.

Joey and Lauren woke the next morning and they quickly began to pack all of Lauren's belongings. Her clothes were easily done so that didn't take long. It was her other bits and pieces that were more time consuming as she had to decide what she was taking and what she wasn't. Her dad walked in after they'd be working on it for an hour or so and he had a pile of boxes for her to use. "I got these for you babe." He said, putting them on her bed. "Do you want me to take the cases down for you?" he asked.

"Please, that would be great!" Lauren said, her eyes drifting around the room and seeing how much stuff she still had to sort.

"Uncle Jack's going to be helping us move your stuff over, so we can probably do it in one trip." Max surveyed the room, "You sure you're going to have room for all Lauren's things, Joey?" he chuckled.

"We'll manage..." Joey said with a smile and it earned him a kiss from his girlfriend.

By early afternoon everything was pretty much packed. Lauren was having one last look around her room and the bathroom before walking down the stairs. Her parents and Joey were waiting for her. She could feel her emotions beginning to surface and she couldn't meet any of their eyes. The front door opened to reveal Jack, Sharon, Denny and her little man. Seeing Oscar standing there was her undoing and tears began to fall down her face. She knelt on the floor and held her arms out towards him. He ran to her and wrapped his arms around her neck.

"I don't want you to go, Laur..." he sobbed.

"I've got to, little man," she cried. "I can't live here anymore. You saw what it was like here last night. It's not fair to everyone here, especially you, to be living in an atmosphere like that." She kissed the side of his head, closing her eyes and feeling more tears escape. "Anyway you'll still see me. Mummy and daddy are okay with Joey and me taking you out for a day each month and you can stay with us too, as long as it's okay with Joey's mummy, so you'll be seeing plenty of us." She pulled him away from her and brushed his tears away with her thumbs, a watery smile on her face, "And you remember what Joey said about calling me or Joey if you wanted to talk to us. I know mummy or daddy will let you, so you can speak to me every day. It'll be like I'm still here."

"So, stay..." he whispered.

"I can't, little man. I need to do this. I can't live at home for the whole of my life and I want to be with Joey. I love him and he loves me. You understand that right?" He nodded. "It doesn't mean I don't love you. You'll always be my little man... even when you're all grown up and you say you hate me calling you it." She smiled at him gently, "Now I need you to be a big strong boy for mummy and daddy because, between you and me, I think they're going to miss me too." She glanced at her parents and took a deep breath, "And you look after Abi too, okay?"

"Even though she was nasty to you last night?" he asked her.

"Yes, even though she said some horrible things. She's still your sister, Oscar. Things between me and her might be broken but I don't want you to be falling out with her too."

"I'll try, Laur."

"I know you will, little man." She leant forward and kissed his forehead. "I'm going to go now, Oscar... so you need to go with Sharon and Denny, okay?" she whispered to him. He nodded and took a couple of steps back.

He turned to Joey and lifted his arms in the air. Joey smiled and bent down to give him a hug, "Look after Laur for me, Joey. She needs looking after too sometimes, just like she thinks I do." He whispered.

"I will, little man, don't you worry." Joey whispered back to him. "We'll speak to you soon, okay?" he said as they separated. Oscar nodded and then walked over to Sharon and Denny. Sharon said goodbye to Lauren and then walked out of the house with the two young boys.

Lauren stayed sitting on the floor, her shoulders sagged as she watched her brother leave. Joey crouched beside her and hugged her tightly. "I hadn't realised how hard it would be to leave him." she admitted, "I knew it would be difficult but this really hurts..."

"Are you sure this is what you want, baby girl?" Joey asked her softly.

"It is, Joe. I know that." She told him truthfully, "I do, truly. It's just he's a little boy..."

"I know, baby." He whispered to her, cuddling her tightly as she cried against his shoulder.

TBC

A/N: I know it's short... but hopefully sweet. Back soon...