The Other Branning ~ Eastenders

That's my girl

"You ready?" Lee grinned goofily, at the entrance of the vic kitchen where Grace was gossiping with Linda. Ben was upstairs with Johnny, in tears because his boyfriend, Paul, had just died. Linda shot Lee a look as if to tell him to be more sensitive. "I can't help it! It's our four month scan today. My littl'un will be here in five months and I can't wait."

Grace grabbed her handbag, "come on then, let's go find out if we're gonna get a boy or a girl." She happily placed a hand on her now showing bump. She was proud of Lee, she'd expected him to reject their baby once she told him she was pregnant. She was still unsure as to whether Lee was ready to be a Daddy.

•

"There's your little baby. There's the head, right down to those tiny toes." The midwife rubbed the scanner over Grace's belly. Lee was staring at the black and white screen in awe, dumbfounded by his overwhelming sense of pride and love for their unborn child.

Grace looked over to Lee, smiling. "He's desperate to know if it's a boy or girl." She asked the Nurse.

"You're having a baby girl." They were told, Grace started getting over-excited. Lee was asking for pictures of the scan to show Linda and Mick. They were in their own little whirlwind of happiness.

Once the midwife had cleaned up and dried off Grace's stomach, they could make their way back out to the car. "Babe, I so told you it would be a little girl." Grace boasted. Lee smirked back, he was just excited about the baby all together. Boy or girl didn't matter to Lee, not when he was this happy.

"As long as our little monkey is healthy then I don't mind if we have a beautiful girl or a cool baby boy." He kissed Grace lovingly by the side of his car. "Besides, it just means we'll have to have a boy after we have our gorgeous girl. If she's anything like her mother, she'll be perfect. She's perfect anyway. Because that's my girl in there." Lee was grinning from ear to ear. He sighed. "We really need to get us a place of our own."

"No...Lee, we agreed. We'll stay with my Dad and Rox for six months and then we'll take our little family around the world. We've saved up so much and for this long now." Grace argued back. "We said we wouldn't let the baby stop us from going and she's coming with us."

Lee sighed at his wife's persistence. "You really think we should take the baby with us? There's all kinds of germs in other countries, diseases."

"There is in London too? She'll be seeing the world at such a young age. It'll be good for her. We'll protect her from anything but she can't be protected from everything. Just enjoy it, enjoy us, enjoy the baby, enjoy the world. We'll be free, Lee. Just the three of us." Grace encouraged Lee.

•

"Well?!" Linda clapped her hands in excitement as Lee and Grace made their way through the pub.

Lee smirked, teasing his Mother. "You're getting your very first granddaughter, Mum." He revealed. Linda started squealing, running around telling everyone her first grandchild was a girl. "She's gonna be all over you like a hawk now." Lee laughed at his wife.

"She's just excited, leave her alone." Grace stuck up for her mother-in-law. "She said we're going shopping tomorrow for baby clothes."

"At least we'll get loads of free baby things. Will be a lot of money saved for us." Lee shrugged.

Grace was surprised. "So...we're still going then?"

"Was there ever a question about that?" Lee winked back at her. "Whatever my girl wants my girl gets. That goes for both of you now. And if travelling the world for a year is what you want, then that's what we'll do. I've thought about it, and you're right - we should enjoy ourselves and our daughter." Lee told her. "It's just different for me, I've been in the army. I've seen a lot in my time while I was out there. Travelling the world isn't as big of a deal for me as it is for you. I've seen it, but I want you and our baby girl to see it too."

Grace smiled, she was aware that Lee always have into her. "However...I think you're right too. I think we should stay with my Dad for six months when the baby's born but still go away. But for a nine months rather than a year. Then we can use the rest of the money to put a deposit a house. Compromise?" Grace offered.

"Sounds perfect to me, baby." Lee grinned in agreement.

"What about Diana?" Linda bounced over to her son and daughter-in-law. "It would just be the perfect name for my first little granddaughter. My little princess."

"I am not giving my first daughter the same name as our dog," Lee pointed out. She's my little princess but not a Lady Di."

"I'm with my husband on that one." Grace chuckled at Linda. "But we can talk baby names tomorrow."

Linda grinned from ear to ear in excitement, "I can't wait. I've got so many ideas. I'm going to splash out on my little princess. Ah, I never had the chance to be girly with Nancy, and then all I had were boys! I'll spoil your little one rotten, Lee." Linda promised. They both knew she wasn't joking.

"You do that, Mum. But little baby Carter is not going to be a spoilt child, you hear?" Lee warned her.

"You're joking, right?" Mick butted in. "You're taking her off round the world at six months old! I'm only messing, kids, I'm sure you'll do a great job. Mugs." Mick beamed, laughing at himself. "And congratulations. Granddaughter, eh? Your Mums made up."

"Yeah. I can tell." Lee pointed over to Linda dancing around the pub singing about having a baby granddaughter.