The Other Branning ~ Eastenders

The other child

Roxy settled JJ and put him down in his Moses basket, only two weeks old and already been to his first funeral - the Legend that was Peggy Mitchell. She kissed her baby son's forehead and made her way downstairs. Jack was ordering pizza for their tea, Grace was sat colouring with Amy. Lee was pouring drinks in the kitchen.

"How long until you have your baby, Gracie?" Any pondered, picking out a new pink colour to use.

Grace smiled back at her little sister. "Six months and two weeks." Lee entered. His face a picture of excitement and nervousness, "and I can't wait, at all." He grinned. "How are you finding having a little brother then?" He asked his little sister-in-law.

"JJ's ok, not as good as having a big sister though." Amy hugged Grace.

Someone was banging on the door, shouting at Jack to open up. As Roxy and Jack were in the kitchen, Grace went to answer. "Can you be a bit quieter?! JJ's asleep upstairs." She sighed. The woman, Roxy's cousin, Sam Mitchell, was standing there with a young boy, of about the age of six. "Can I help you?"

"Go on." Sam pushed the boy into Grace.

He stumbled into her and she caught him. "Be careful, she's pregnant you know." Lee tutted as he walked lady into the kitchen.

"Ricky, go your Dad and family live there." Sam turned on her heel and strutted off.

Grace looked down at the boy and realised who he must be. Richard Mitchell - her Dad's unknown son who none of them had ever even met before. "So you must be Richard?" She said, more of a question than a statement. He nodded. "I'm your big sister, Grace. And, Amy!" She called her eight year old sister over, "this is our other brother, Richard. I think he's going to be staying with us for a while." They made their way through to the kitchen, Richard has latched onto Grace's hand, after seeing Amy hold her other hand.

"No! Jack," Roxy was giggling as Jack tickled her. Grace smiled, she loved finally seeing her Dad and Roxy together. It was great for Amy, plus they now had JJ too.

Grace cleared her throat to catch Jack and Roxy's attention. "Erm, this is Richard. Sam sort of just left him on our doorstep." Jack was taken aback, he was lost for words. This was the son he had never met before. He was shocked, frozen in place.

"Richard...I'm your Dad." Were the words Jack finally chose.

Richard nodded. "Yeah, I know..." He looked to his feet, obviously feeling awkward. He'd just been left by his Mum who didn't want him, and now Jack wasn't showing any signs of wanting him. JJ started crying through his monitor.

"Richard, how would you like to come and meet your baby brother?" Jack offered, bending down to be at Richard's height. "These are your sisters, Grace and Amy, and your little brothers upstairs, he's called JJ." Jack told his son, Richard nodded in agreement and went with Jack.

Roxy looked at Grace. "Amy, go and play with Lee in the other room." Grace told her little sister. Amy left. "What the hell was that? I literally answered the door and Sam shoved him at me." She explained to Roxy.

"I have no idea. Sam's my cousin but no one ever really knows what's going on with her. All I know is I guess we're gonna have one extra dinner plate at the table. He's Jack's son and your Dad's a brilliant father. I mean look at you, and Amy. I don't think Amy would be the sweet girl she is if it was just me raising her. I couldn't handle being a Mum for the second time if it wasn't with Jack. Your Dad would never give up on one of his kids."

"I came here single, with no kids and one little sister. Now I'm married, with a baby on the way and three little siblings. Life is crazy." Grace chuckled as Jack came downstairs with JJ and Richard.

Roxy and Grace followed them into the front room. "Oh, Richard, this is my Grace's husband, Lee." Amy introduced them.

"Amy," Jack said her name in a warning tone, "be nice to your brother and Grace is his sister too." He told her, he could tell Amy was getting jealous, or over protective, because she called Grace 'hers.' Amy stuck her tongue out at her Dad.

"I'm taking Ames to school tomorrow still. Right? You want me to ask about enrolling Rich?" Grace asked Jack and Roxy.

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Richard, do you know if Mummy's coming back? Is she taking you back to Spain?"

"No. She doesn't want me to go with her. She said you were her ticket out." Richard looked innocently up at his Father, Jack could see tears in the little boys eyes. Jack felt sorry for him, and an overwhelming surge of love for his son. He picked Richard up and hugged him.

"Well, we want you here. Me, Roxy, your sisters and your little brother. Tomorrow Grace is going to look after you because I'm working, you can go to the school and ask about joining, ok?" Jack mentally started making plans. Where Richard would sleep, who would look after him during the day, how he would get to know him.

"Mum needs us to go and help at the pub. There's too many people there." Lee whispered into his wife's ear.

Grace nodded back at him. "Yep, I'll look after Rich tomorrow and take and pick up Amy. We should go over to the pub, it's Rich'a grandmas funeral party and Rox and Amy's family, we should really be there. We can come back for the pizza later." Grace suggested, without telling them it was really because Linda needed them back.

"Yeah, she's right. We should probably be there. For auntie Peggy at least." Roxy agreed.