6th May 2013. So it's got to be this month... right?

Chapter 37.

April.

Joey surprised Lauren for her birthday with a weeks break in New York, leaving on her birthday; it was also a belated honeymoon. They had an amazing time while they were away and for a few days they were able to forget about the pressures they'd left behind. During their time away, they'd become closer again and they'd found a renewed vigour in their sex life, forgetting about what they were trying to achieve and just concentrating on how much they loved each other. It also gave Lauren a chance to bring out some of the lingerie she'd purchased for their trip to Italy which led to many fun filled hours for them both.

They returned back to the UK, with smiles on their faces and feeling much lighter than when they'd left. They found Lauren's dad waiting for them at the airport, much the same as when they'd returned from Italy. They hadn't expected anyone to pick them up, having been prepared to get a taxi back to their house. "Dad?" Lauren said, hugging him as she walked up to him. "Is everything okay?"

"Let's go to the car..." he said. He took Lauren's bag off her and the pair trailed behind him as they left the airport. Once they were in the car and were driving back to their house. "There are some things I need to tell you," he said softly as they exited the airport.

"What is it, dad?"

"It's Alice..." he said gently.

"What happened?" Joey asked, immediately tense.

"She came to Walford." Max said, glancing at his nephew in the rear view mirror.

"What did he do?" Lauren asked softly, clutching Joey's hand in both hers.

"It wasn't him..." Max said and Joey released a breath he hadn't realised he was holding. "Alice arrived on our doorstep and she'd seen Derek during the day. She was upset because he told her he wanted nothing to do with her. Tanya called your mum and told her what had happened and your mum came over." He stopped talking briefly as he pulled out into busy traffic. "Alice told us she asked him why he treated your mum and you the way he did when he still lived with you and Derek didn't like the way she was talking to him. He went to hit her but he didn't. She said it was like he thought better of it mid punch. It scared her though and she tried to leave. He realised what he'd done and he grabbed her arm. She then asked him why he behaved the way he did. She wanted to know why he did what he did to you, Lauren. That was when he started talking about the pair of you and Alice stood up for you both, telling him he was wrong about you. He told her that if she supported your relationship and couldn't see how wrong it was he wanted nothing to do with her. She ran from the house and came to ours. She was telling us all this when your sister got home and she heard the tail end of what Derek had said to her. Abi started agreeing with him and Alice took exception to what she said and the way she was speaking. She surprised us all and went at Abs, pulling her hair and clawing at her. Your sister is a lot stronger than she looks, Joey. She even surprised your mum. We went to separate them but to be honest we weren't sure how to do that without getting caught up in it or making it worse."

"Wow. How did it end?" Lauren asked.

Max glanced at his son-in-law, "Abi got a lucky slap in and Alice fell backwards. She caught her head on the corner of a chair as she fell to the ground."

"Is she okay?" Joey asked in concern.

"She was taken to hospital..."

"When did this happen? Why didn't anyone call us?" Lauren asked. She had become very close to Alice since moving in with Joey. She had, in some ways at least, become a substitute for her real sister and to know it was her that caused Alice to be in hospital was almost too painful to absorb.

"It was late last night. You were already on your flight on the way home. Your mum asked me to meet you at the airport, Joey and bring you both to the hospital."

"How is she?"

"She's unconscious." Max told him gently. He changed lane and took the next turn from the road. "The doctors don't think there'll be any long term issues and they're expecting her to wake up within the next few hours. They want to keep her in, just to make sure there isn't anything they haven't spotted." He indicated and took another turn. A couple of minutes later he turned into the car park at Walford General Hospital. All three climbed out of the car and the young couple followed Max into the hospital. "There's one last thing you need to know..." he told them as they waited for the lift. The doors opened with a ping and all three walked into it, Max selecting the correct floor. "Derek is here..." he told them softly.

"Is mum okay with that?" Joey asked, a scowl appearing on his face.

"She's not ecstatic about it but she doesn't want to create a scene at the hospital. She's waiting until your sister wakes up and let her decide what happens with him."

"What about Abi?" Lauren asked in a whisper.

"For the moment she's staying at your Grandma Dot's. I can't tell you how disappointed me and your mum are with her, Lauren. And so angry too. I don't know what we're going to do, to be honest. I'm inclined to leave that decision to Alice too. I won't stop her if she wants to prosecute Abi." Lauren inhaled sharply at her father's words.

"It's what she deserves..." Joey said bitterly. Lauren looked at the floor; this was her worst nightmare. She wished there was some way they could avoid this situation but she'd made a promise. She squeezed her husband's hand, telling him she was okay with him revealing what they'd kept hidden. Joey looked at his father-in-law, "It was Abi that spiked Lauren's drink last year. She's the only person who would want to do it and who had the opportunity to do so as well."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Max asked.

"I didn't want you and mum to be put in the position you're now in," Lauren whispered. "I told Joey that if she did anything like it again, we would tell you... so here we are. I'm so sorry, dad."

"You shouldn't be apologising, babe..." Max said softly, his thoughts clearly on what they'd just told him.

They reached the ward where Alice was at that moment and they went in. Joey and Lauren both tensed when they saw Derek standing on the far side of the room. "Mum..." Joey said softly and she looked up at him.

She got to her feet and walked over to them, hugging them both tightly, "Did you have a nice holiday?" she asked gently.

"Yeah. How are you, mum?" Joey asked, his eyes darting over her shoulder and looking at his father.

"I've been better..." she admitted softly.

"How is she?" Lauren asked.

"Still unconscious... but they think she'll wake up soon."

"Why don't you go and get a drink or something to eat and we can stay with Al for a while?" Joey suggested.

"I'm sure dad can go with you. We'll call if she wakes up..." Lauren added.

She nodded and left the room with Max. Derek scowled at the couple as they walked over to the bed. Joey took a seat on the chair his mum had just vacated and Lauren sat on his lap. They both heard Derek make a disparaging remark behind them but they chose to ignore him. "Come on, Alice. Time to wake up now," Joey said softly, squeezing her hand. They sat in silence watching the young girl sleeping on the bed.

"This is your fault..." said a voice from behind them.

"We weren't even in the country, so I don't see how it can be our fault." Joey said defensively.

"It was the two of you your sisters were fighting over..." He said angrily.

Both of them chose to ignore him completely. There was no way any of this was their fault. They can't be blamed for something that happened when they weren't there. Lesley and Max walked back into the room about fifty minutes later and just as they did Alice stirred on the bed.

"Alice, baby..." Lesley said softly, kissing her forehead.

Derek stepped forward, standing at the end of the bed, his hand resting on her foot through the blanket, "Alice, darling. Dad's here for you." Lauren and Joey shared a look and it wasn't missed by the elder man. "Something you want to say?"

"Nothing at all..." Joey said, refusing to cause an argument.

"Mum..." Alice groaned, her eyes fluttering open and she winced at the bright light overhead.

"How do you feel, honey?" Lesley asked her daughter.

"Head hurts." She moaned.

"I'll go and get a doctor," Max said, leaving the room.

Lauren put her arms around Joey's neck, kissing the side of his face gently. "Do you have to do that here?" Derek snapped. "It makes me sick..." he added in disgust.

"If you don't like it, no one's forcing you to stay," Lauren said, glaring at her uncle.

He stepped towards her, "What did you say?" he growled.

"Del!" Max shouted as he walked back into the room and saw Derek moving towards his daughter and her husband. He grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the bed. "I think it might be best if you leave..." he said.

"She's my daughter..." Derek protested.

"First time you've remembered that in a while, ain't it." Max said sharply, "That certainly wasn't what you said to her last night." He added.

"Just go, dad..." Alice whispered from the bed.

"But sweetheart..." he said, looking at her.

"Go..." she repeated. "We don't need you here." She added, turning her attention back to her family.

TBC

A/N: I know... nothing baby oriented but I wanted to show that there are other things happening in their life too... maybe next month? But on the plus side - Alice has made her decision about Derek. And hooray... she told him to leave.