AN: Just to forewarn you, this is the last chapter…enjoy.

Lauren was in the hospital for five days while they made sure that her surgical wound healed properly. Baby Branning stayed too, as did Joey, just like he had when she had her car accident.

When she was released he carried the baby in the car seat whilst a nurse pushed Lauren in a wheelchair out of the hospital. She got out of the wheelchair and they walked slowly to the car. Joey opened the back seat and Lauren got in gingerly and then he fixed the car seat in the back next to her. He closed the door quietly and he got in the front seat and he drove them home.

'Are the kids all there?'

'Nope, Mum's got them until 4:00pm to give us enough time to get settled in' he told her

'Good' she said with a sigh 'I don't think I could handle a welcome home ambush' she said to him

Joey smiled and he drive them home.

Once inside Lauren looked around the house, it was clean and tidy and she was pleasantly surprised. The house was filled with flowers and Lauren smiled at the scent that filled the room.

'Do you want to go upstairs babe?' Joey asked her

'Please' she nodded, Joey went up first and he settled the baby in the crib in their room, Lauren came in and she sighed and sat down on the bed. Joey tool her shoes off and then he picked her up carefully and sat her down in the bed, plumping the pillow behind her, he pulled the duvet cover over her and she smiled at him

'Thank you' she said softly

'Can I get you anything?' he asked her

'A little uninterrupted alone time with my very handsome husband would be nice' Lauren told him

Joey grinned at her and he took off his shoes and socks and he climbed in to the bed beside her 'I think I can manage that' he told her 'You know we should think if a name for the baby. We can't keep calling her baby Branning' he said to her

'What about Ella?' Lauren asked him as he put his arm around her

'I don't like Ella' he said shaking his head 'I had a cat named Ella when I was a kid'

'What happened to it?'

'Derek ran over it with his car' Joey said

'Oh' Lauren frowned 'Well have you thought of any names?' she asked him

'How about Isobel Marie Branning' he said to her

'Ooh! I like that' she said and she smiled 'Isobel Branning'

'Yeah? So is that what I'm registering her as?'

'Yes' Lauren told him nodding her head. 'Isobel Marie Branning'

'I'll do it tomorrow' he smiled and he kissed her head 'Can I get you anything?' he asked her

'Nope, this is all I need' she told him 'at least until the kids get here' she said 'Then I might need some ear plugs'

Joey laughed 'or they might need some because of Isobel' he said

'Let's hope that she's a contended baby like Hope was' Lauren said to him

They talked and dozed until they heard the kids come out at four. They heard footsteps up the stairs as Joey was changing Isobel's nappy.

'There you go it that better you little stinky bum' Joey cooed at her as he picked her up and gave her to Lauren.

There was a light rap on the bedroom door and Joey smiled and he got up and opened it. Four eager children pushed their way into the room.

'Oh look she's so pretty' Hope said and she looked down at her baby sister 'Can I hold her?'

'Of course' Lauren said 'Just be careful with her, she's just been fed' Hope took her from Lauren 'Babe? Can you help me I need the bathroom' she said to Joey

Joey helped Lauren to the bathroom and he waited in the bathroom with her whilst she used the toilet, he helped her stand up again and he pulled up her maternity knickers that she had to wear in case of bleeding after surgery.

'Thank you baby' Lauren said as she washed her hands

'You're welcome' he replied

When they went back into the bedroom all the kids were sitting on the bed with Isobel in the middle and they were all cooing and pulling faces at her.

'Okay when she wakes up in the middle of the night having nightmares I want the four of you to remember this exact moment!' Joey told them playfully 'Come on pick her up mum needs to get back into bed.

'How do you feel mum?' Hope asked her

'I'm okay' she said nodding her head 'A little sore but that'll pass'

'Dad said you had to have a hysterectomy' Hope said

'Yep' Lauren nodded 'No more babies for me' she said 'I'll just rely on you to have babies of your own so I can play with them'

'But not until you are much much older' Joey added shooting Lauren a "are you crazy" look, Lauren just grinned at him.

Lauren looked at her family. She was happy. She held out her hand to Joey and he took it and he sat down on the bed next to her

'Thank you' she said to him

'For what?' he frowned at her

'Thank you for falling in love with me' she told him softly

Joey smiled at her 'Thank you for letting me'

Hope smiled as her parents kissed.

As the months passed, Lauren's tumour was successfully treated by the medication she was given and she healed well after her surgery, the kids doted over their baby sister and Joey and Lauren found that they were almost redundant in any care giving when it came to Isobel.

As the years passed the kids could see how much their parents were in love and they could only hope that they too found a love like theirs. Their parents were playful with each other, they had their fair share of rows and then they made up again (much to the embarrassment of their children) they had a very active and healthy sex life and for that they gave no apologies.

One by one their children moved out and married and had children of their own. Lauren was known as Nana Lo and Joey and Grampa Joe. And they adored their grandchildren, especially Hope's first born, a son she named Patrick.

In total they had 24 grandchildren.

Many many years later on Valentine's Day the kids all gathered to visit their parents. They left their husbands, wives and children at home on this one day. Today was for them. For their parents.

'Right are you all ready?' Hope said as she looked at her brothers and sisters

'Yes' they nodded as they all got out of the car. They walked the long pathway, and the route that they all knew by heart.

They paused and smiled 'Hi mum, hi dad' Hope said softly. She bent down and she lay a bouquet of pink carnations on the ground by the foot of the gravestone. 'Happy Valentine's Day and Happy Anniversary. We miss you and we love you' Hope said. They all sat down around the edge of the grave and began to tell their parents about what had happened in the past year.

Joey and Lauren had lived until they were 96 years old, and as they both promised each other, they died together, tucked up warm in their bed, wrapped in each other's arms.

The End

AN: Thank you for all your reviews not just for this story but for the others that I have written.

Thank you for all for reading and for those of you who have taken the time to write your reviews, they have been very much appreciated.

Please R&R and let me know what you think of this final chapter.

Back soon with a new story….

xxxx