21st May 2013. So it's the rest of the wedding... With this one I'm trying to show you the bits you didn't see last time. You can probably guess where this is going to go then, right? Because there was one huge element of their first wedding I didn't cover. And Joey has to work out how to 'fix' his wife... what will he come up with? Really not sure about this chapter... but can't work out how to fix it, so whatever...

Chapter 59.

"How are you feeling, Mrs Branning?" Joey asked as he held Lauren in his arms, swaying backwards and forwards gently.

"Happy..." she whispered as her head lay on his shoulder. Joey turned them slowly in time with the music. "I have everything I could ever want... right here."

"I'm glad about that, baby."

"Dad told me Alice and your mum are staying in Walford tonight... so we'll have the house to ourselves." She breathed, a small smile on her face.

"Are you sure you're not tired?" he whispered in her ear, kissing her face just in front of her ear as he saw her smile grow.

"Now that you mention it..." She even yawned and for a second Joey wondered if she was telling the truth, until he saw her wink at him.

"Then as your husband, I feel it's my duty to take you home and make sure you get an early night, baby girl." He said softly. He took her hand in his and they began to walk across the pub towards their family. He felt her other hand grasp both of theirs and she stood slightly behind his shoulder, leaning her head against his arm as they came to a stop. "We're going to make a move home. Lauren's still really tired." Their family smiled at them, not believing his words for a second but understanding, "We'll come and pick you and Alice up in the morning, mum." He kissed his mum softly on her forehead before ushering his wife out onto the street.

*JL*JL*

Joey lifted Lauren out of the car once they were home, her head falling against his shoulder. 'Well at least I'm going to get to carry her over the threshold,' he thought to himself. Now he just had to work out how to get her out of the dress without waking her.

Once he was in their room he knew he'd have to wake her. There was no way he was going to be able to take her dress off without some sort of help from her. And he couldn't leave her in it. "Baby girl..." he whispered, lowering his mouth to hers and kissing her deeply. He felt the moment she woke as her tongue brushed against his. Her arm also wrapped around his neck and she pulled him closer.

"You should've woke me up, baby." She whispered against his mouth.

"What do you think I just did?" he said.

She glanced around, "We're home..."

"Yes."

"In our room..."

"Yes."

Lauren stared at him, "I'm really horny, Joe..." she whispered.

He smiled at his wife. This wasn't a new thing - not that he ever complained. Lauren had become pretty obsessed with sex over the last couple of weeks... which had been somewhat of a challenge with her tiredness and heart issues. One he'd been more than willing to take up, of course. "Let me take your dress off you then?" He lowered her feet to the floor and held her as she got her bearings.

"Too slow, Joe. Need you now..." she whispered urgently. Joey swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. She took two steps back and sat on the edge of the bed. She pulled up the skirt of her dress, revealing stockings. "Don't you want to, Joe?" she breathed, her voice filled with desire.

"Have I ever let you down before?" he asked. He sat beside her and cupped her cheek as he kissed her tenderly. "Legs that go on forever, baby girl..." he murmured, his other hand drifting up her thigh.

"Not forever, Joe... but mum managed to find the sexiest maternity lingerie she could. She didn't do that bad a job either."

"You sent your mum shopping for lingerie...? For our wedding night?"

"Well someone wouldn't leave me alone long enough to go and get it myself. It was hard enough getting time to sort this dress out" She said, a smirk on her face. "Anyway she brought the stuff for last year too." She whispered, "Now, Mr. Branning... are you going to give your wife the best orgasm she's had since she got married for a second time?"

"I aim to please, baby girl..." he whispered, dropping to his knees in front of where she sat and he pushed the skirt of her dress higher. Lauren knew he was a sucker for her in stockings and suspenders, although for the life of him he couldn't remember how she'd discovered that little gem of information. Today she was wearing cream holdup stockings which had lacy tops and looked so delicate against her soft skin. He rolled first one and then the other down her legs and he pulled them gently off her feet. His hands brushed back up her legs and he pushed the skirt higher. His breath faltered as he saw the underwear, "Your mum chose well," he breathed. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt, suddenly feeling a little short of breath himself. He turned his head and kissed the inside of her knee, repeating the action to her other one as well. "Lie down, baby girl." He said, his eyes meeting hers for a second. Lauren leant back on her arms, still able to see what he was doing but meeting his request. Joey leant forward and kissed her knickers, or shorts really. They were white with small purple dots on them. The front section was patterned with a beautiful purple rose outline.

"Joe..." she breathed. She shifted slightly on the bed and he knew she wanted him to move it on.

"Relax, baby." He said, his hands slipping up to her hips and he slowly pulled her knickers down her legs. He lowered his mouth to her clit while his hands were still removing her knickers, sucking on her gently. Lauren moaned loudly and she wove her fingers through his hair, holding his head in place.

His mouth moved lower and she gasped as he licked the length of her opening. She had become much more sensitive in the last few weeks and Joey knew what she liked. He knew how to please his wife. He pulled her hips forward so she was right on the edge of the bed and he pushed her knees further apart with his shoulders. His mouth worked on her for several minutes, his tongue slipping into her every now and again. He never settled on one spot for too long, drawing out her arousal for as long as he could. She screamed his name as she came, making him smile against her damp skin.

"Joe, I hope you're not finished..." she gasped.

"We've got all night, baby girl."

Lauren groaned, her hand brushing over her stomach, "Bump's decided to join in the party..."

"Stand up, baby."

"Joe, you've just made me come so hard I'm seeing stars and I was practically dead on my feet before you did that." The room fell silent. "I didn't mean that..." she whispered.

Joey sat back on his feet, "Sit up, babe." His hands were clutching hers and he tugged her so she was sitting up.

Tears were running down her face and she was biting her lip, "I'm sorry..." she sobbed.

"Baby, it's fine." He brushed away her tears and rose up so he could kiss her softly. As he kissed her he got to his feet. He pulled her to her feet and against his body. He deepened the kiss again as his hand swept into her hair and cupped the back of her head. "Turn around," he breathed against her lips. She nodded her head and turned around. He pushed her hair over her shoulder and kissed the back of her neck. Gently his hand lowered the zip down the back of her dress, the small sleeves slipping off her shoulders and arms. The dress fell to the floor and he helped her step out of it. He removed her bra, leaving her completely naked. He picked her up and lay her on the bed.

Lauren's hand gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him down towards her, kissing him passionately. "Fuck me..." she whispered.

"Babe... I can't."

"I need you to..." She begged him, "I want you so badly, Joe. I've wanted you all day." Her eyes were so dark and he could easily see the desire on her face. "Ever since I saw you waiting for me at the top of the aisle... Ever since you held me in your arms when we got to mum's. It's your own fault. You're too sexy for your own good..."

"But bump...?"

"Will feel much better too if mummy gets what she wants." She bit her lip and her hand drifted down the front of his shirt. reaching his groin and squeezing him gently. It was the undoing of him.

"I don't want to hurt you..." he told her softly.

"I have a plan..." she admitted.

"Tell me..."

"Why don't I show you...?" He could see she was embarrassed about this but he was finding this demanding side of his wife a complete turn on. He nodded. She moved quicker than he thought she would and he watched in interest as she started to grab things.

"What do you want me to do, baby girl?"

"I think you'll catch on..." she said, throwing a smile at him over her shoulder. "While you're waiting, take your clothes off, Joe. Why is it always me that ends up naked while you're still fully dressed?"

Later he would swear his back was only turned for seconds as he practically tore his suit and shirt from his body but when he turned back towards the bed she was waiting for him and he was unsure how she'd got there so quickly. He stepped forward and his hand brushed her ass. If he hadn't been turned on before, he certainly was now. His fingers moved to her opening, sliding over her and feeling how wet she was. "Are you sure this is what you want, baby?"

She wiggled her bum and pressed herself backwards against him, his cock brushing against her. "Does it feel like I don't want it, Joe? I want you to fuck me..."

"And this is safe? I won't hurt you or bump?"

"Joe, I'm lying on a mountain of cushions and pillows. They're all protecting bump and supporting me. This will mean you'll be able to get nice and deep inside me... now are you going to do it or are we going to talk about it all night because I don't think my knees are going to..."

Joey smirked and thrust his length into her, causing her words to fade to silence, only a slight whimper coming from her. She was right, he was deeper than the other positions they had used in the last few months. The only downside to what he was doing now was that he couldn't see her face. He paused and suddenly had a thought. He pulled out of her again and heard her moan, "Don't worry... I'll be back." He bent down and kissed the base of her spine. "Close your eyes, baby." He waited, "Are they closed?"

"Yes..." she whispered.

Two minutes later Joey was feeling much better about what she wanted him to do and he was going to use this as an opportunity to make her face up to a few things. He pushed his length back into her, feeling her relax as he touched her again. "Open your eyes..." He could see she had done as he asked and he smiled at her in the reflection of the mirror. "I wanted to see your face..." She closed her eyes and Joey's heart sank. "Baby, I want to be looking into your beautiful eyes when we come..." he said softly. He shifted his hips and she moaned, her head still lowered so he couldn't see her face. His hands tightened on her hips, "Lauren Branning...!" His voice was sharp and it made her look up at him, tears on her face. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, "I will do what you want me to do... I will fuck you so you come so hard you forget what day of the week it is but there is one thing I want you to do in return. I want you to look at my face the whole time. You stare right into my eyes." She shook her head, "You remember that time just after you finished college... after your row with Abi when we had sex in the bathroom at your parent's house?" She nodded her head this time, "That day you saw what I see every time we make love, every time I look at you, didn't you?" She again nodded but he could tell it was only reluctant agreement. "You still don't believe me though, do you?" he asked her softly.

"No..." she whispered.

"Will I ever get you to believe me?" he said, shifting his hips again and hearing her moan.

"I don't know, Joe." She lowered her head again, "I'm sorry..." she whispered.

He pulled out of her again and pulled her body up from the pillows, "I'm not asking you to apologise, baby girl. I just want you to believe me." He brushed his hand down her body, "Look at yourself, baby..." he whispered in her ear. She shook her head. "Lauren, I don't know how to convince you of this apart from showing you. You have been beautiful to me since the first time I saw you. Since my eyes saw you I've never looked at anyone else. I've already found perfection so I don't need to look for it anymore. I didn't think you could get any more beautiful than you were that day but I was wrong. You're more beautiful every day and then just over thirty-one weeks ago you got pregnant. Now you have this issue with the way you look; it's like you resent bump for being there which I don't understand because I know you want this baby more than anything."

"I don't resent bump, Joe." She whispered.

"You act like it... Do you know how much it saddens me when I see you dress each day so that bump can barely be seen? I want you to show it. I want to see you showing bump to the whole world... do you know why?" he whispered. She shook her head, more tears falling down her face. "Bump represents how much we love each other, baby girl. Bump was created when we made love to each other. It's nothing to be ashamed of. You and bump are so sexy..." He shoved the pillows out of the way and urged her forward, climbing onto the bed behind her. "Look, Lauren. Really look at yourself..." His hand stroked the side of her body.

"I can't, Joe."

"Why not?" he asked. Her body was shaking from her sobbing and the tears that were falling.

"I don't see what you see. I think there must be something wrong with me. When I look in that mirror all I see is the scared little girl I drew in that picture."

"But you aren't that little girl anymore, baby girl. You haven't been for a very long time. You've grown up and become this beautiful woman that i love so fucking much. You're no longer that scared little girl. In a few weeks time we're going to have a baby, Lauren. You're its mummy. That child is going to rely on us for everything."

"Are you saying I can't do it?"

"Absolutely not. I have never doubted you being a good mother. Me, I have doubts about but you, never."

"Then what are you trying to say?"

"If you were still that scared little girl, you wouldn't be having this baby. Getting pregnant was a huge risk, Lauren, especially for you. And you had no doubts about taking it. You had less doubts about it than I did. You've been so strong throughout this, taking each hurdle we've faced in your stride. This isn't the only time you haven't behaved like a scared little girl. A scared little girl doesn't propose to her boyfriend, in a foreign language, might I add. A year ago I asked you to marry me that very same day and you said yes in less than a minute. A scared little girl doesn't do that." He kissed her neck softly. "There are times when I see you and I have to physically remind myself that I can't just ravage you because I want you so badly. Sometimes I forget we're not always alone. If we were, I would make you walk around naked all day, every day because the sight of you carrying my child makes me happy. It makes me proud to see you the way you look now. I want to see it all the time, baby girl. I want you to be proud of the way we feel about each other; I don't want you to hide it any more. Can you do that for me, baby girl?"

"You think I'm ashamed of the way I feel about you?"

"You're hiding our child..." he whispered.

"I'm not ashamed of it, Joe. I love it and I love you. I've married you twice now... doesn't that tell you how I feel?"

"So why do you hide bump?"

She pauses, not sure of the answer to that question, "How do I prove it to you?"

"I've got some more presents for you. I didn't take them with me today because I knew you wouldn't like them. I haven't even wrapped them... I'm not sure I even really planned to give them to you but I had to buy them..."

"What are they?"

"Stay here..." He told her. He watched as she lowered her head, her shoulders slumped slightly. He hated having to do this to her but he needed her to finally see what everyone already knew. He put his finger under her chin and lifted her head so she was looking in the mirror. "Try and see, baby... please." He kissed her cheek softly, his hand resting briefly on bump and feeling a soft kick beneath where it lay. He walked over to the wardrobe and reached into the back of it. Hidden inside one of the cardboard boxes she'd brought her things in was what he was looking for. He returned to the bed with several carrier bags which he placed on the bed in front of her.

"What's that?"

"Have a look..." he said softly, unsure how the next few minutes were going to go.

She peered inside one bag, "Maternity clothes?" she asked, glancing at him and he couldn't read her expression.

He nodded. "They're clothes I think would look on amazing on you. All of them are in styles you normally wear but they will show bump off." He watched as she pulled each thing from the bags.

"I don't know if I can wear these, Joe."

"Will you try... for me?"

She sat back on her heels and Joey was relieved to see she was looking at herself in the mirror. "I'll try." She whispered. "I still want you, Joe..." she whispered. "I'll look in the mirror." He stepped back to her side and lifted her head, brushing away the tears on her face. "I'd do anything for you, baby."

He lifted her in his arms and then sat on the bed and placed her on his lap, "I'm sorry..." he breathed in her ear.

She tensed, "For what?"

"I didn't mean to make you cry. I just want you to accept that you're beautiful. And I want you to be proud of your pregnancy."

"I am... I just get self-conscious when people stare at me."

"People stare at you because you're stunningly beautiful." He kissed her softly. "Now I'll tidy up this stuff while you sort yourself out..." He put her back down on the bed and turned to the clothes, putting them back in the bags.

"Huh?"

"Well, you wanted me to fuck you, didn't you?" he said, smirking at her.

"You still want to?"

"I always want to, baby girl." He told her softly as he finished packing the bags and turned, placing them in front of the wardrobe. When he turned back she was back lying on the pillows and he could see her face watching him in the mirror. The sight alone of her pert little bum re-ignited his erection and he strode back over to her, pushing back into her with no hesitation. He thrust against her, hard and fast, knowing she'd been through a lot and wanting to hold her in his arms once she'd come. He could feel her tightening around him and he knew he was going to be close behind her. Her face was glowing as he looked at it in the mirror. He smiled at her and she smiled back which made him feel a little better. She lifted herself on her arms slightly, her back arching and then she screamed his name. Seeing her let go as he watched her in the mirror pushed him to his peak, her name falling from his lips in a loud cry as he thrust into her one more time.

*JL*JL*

Joey woke up the next morning, finding the spot beside him empty. He went into panic mode and clambered out of bed, getting to his feet and rushing to the door. He threw it open, completely ignoring the fact he was naked as he started to run down the stairs. His heart was racing as his mind ran through the various possibilities of where Lauren might be. He was about four steps down the stairs when the door to the bathroom opened. He turned around and saw Lauren standing, looking at him, confusion on her face. He moved up the stairs and took her into his arms, hugging her tightly and kissing her hair.

"Joe?"

"I was worried when I woke up and you weren't there." He said softly.

"I was having a shower and getting dressed." She whispered. "What do you think?"

He stepped back, his hands holding her at arm's length. She was wearing one of the tops he'd brought her. It accentuated bump magnificently and although he could see the slight fear in her eyes, he could see the slight pride on her face too. "Gorgeous, baby girl." He said, smiling at her.

"You'd better get ready so we can collect mum and Alice." She told him.

"I was hoping to take advantage of the fact we're still alone."

She turned to face him and took a step towards him, "You should've got up a bit earlier, baby." She said, "Now go and have a shower..." she said, slapping his ass quickly before moving away from him and back into their room.

*JL*JL*

Joey had a smile on his face as he drove the car into Albert Square. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at Lauren, seeing her hand resting on her bump, stroking it gently. "Bump awake?" he asked softly.

"Yeah..." she said, smiling at him.

He stopped the car outside her parent's house and reached across with his hand. She guided it in place and he felt the movement beneath where she put it. "Still amazing..." he said softly. He leant forward to kiss her and her hand stroked his jaw as she kissed him back.

"Thank you..." she breathed against his lips.

"What for?"

"What you did last night." She said, staring into his eyes.

"Which bit?"

"The clothes... and everything." She kissed his mouth softly. "I thought it about it last night when bump had me awake and you're right. I wasn't intentionally ashamed of it but I didn't really show bump off either. That changes today, baby. I promise, there's no more hiding it. I want everyone to know how much I love you and bump."

"I love you too, baby girl." He said. He helped her out of the car and they walked hand in hand up to the front door.

Tanya opened it and she hugged them both, "Look at you, Lauren. You look amazing, sweetheart." She said, her hand brushing bump. Lauren blushed slightly but she looked at Joey with a smile of pride on her face too as she walked into the house with her mum. Joey walked into the house behind her, pleased by what he was seeing. She was showing the confidence in herself again and it made him happy to see it.

Lesley came up to him, "What did you do, Joe?" she asked as she saw the marked difference in Lauren this morning.

"I dealt with it, mum. I think we've turned a corner today." Joey told her, "Thanks for what you said last night, it helped." He glanced at his mum and put his arm around her shoulders, "I do love you, mum. I know I don't tell you enough but I do."

"I know, Joe." Lesley said, smiling as she saw her new daughter practically glowing with her family swarming around her.

Joey glanced around, "Where's Abi?" he asked his mum quietly.

"She's upstairs. She's been told by Max and Tanya that she's to avoid being around Lauren. Lauren doesn't need the stress of her drama. Apparently Abi is abiding by their request."

TBC

A/N: So there you go... I had to break Lauren's last walls so that Joey could build her back up again. Did you like it? It was a chapter I found difficult to write and I'm still not sure about it. Back tomorrow...

Oh and I read the interview with Miss Jossa in Inside Soap this week and now I'm really worried about what the future holds for her! Slightly worried that my "Torn" story might be a little too close for comfort. I'd better be wrong but I am worried.