The Other Branning ~ Eastenders

One American guy and a baby

Grace took a deep breath as she entered Beale's. Her features twitched as she walked up to Mark Junior. She was wearing a red dress and gold sandals. Heels didn't suit her anymore, being eight and a half months pregnant it was a challenge for her to walk in them. "I don't get this." She strolled right up to Mark's table. "I'm a bloated whale. I don't look half as good as I used too. Why choose me to hit on over Lauren and Whitney? They were totally looking hot today." Grace came straight out with it, telling him what was on her mind.

"I'm allowed my own choice." Mark Junior shrugged. "There's limited people in this city. You're beautiful, and I wanted to get to know you." He gave an honest answer.

"You're younger than me...plus I'm about to drop this baby any day now, you do not want to get messed up in my life right now, I'm telling you. Take the easy way out now because I'm in for a hell of a ride these next few months and I'm not one to drag others along with me." Grace put her foot down. Mark was hot, seemed like a nice guy, she didn't want to hurt him.

Mark smiled, pulling out a seat for her to sit down. "All I'm asking, is to get to know you. Just...be a friend. Show me around Walford, not everything has to be about seducing someone. I'm not going to manipulate you if that's what you think." He tried to reassure her.

"Cool. So if we're friends, then I'll tell you how messed up my life is." Grace chuckled. "So I slept with my husbands gay brother hence being pregnant. Then my husband cheated on me with Whitney and Abi, for months may I add. So now we're getting a divorce and my little girl will be born soon. Then in six months were going travelling. But instead of going travelling with my husband now I'm going on my own...with my baby. That's all you need to know, until you start to hear all the rumours when we start 'hanging out' as you call it."

"You're really not into having friends are you?" Mark Junior laughed at her.

Grace was surprised by his reaction. "Not really. I mean, Lauren's all I've got round here." She thought aloud. "I suppose I could use all the friends I can get when my little monkey turns up." She realised. "So, Mr American Guy, what's your deal around here?"

"I've just found out my Dad comes from round here. Grant Mitchell. All my life I've thought my Mum's husband was my Dad, turns out that he wasn't and my Mum had a one night stand. I met my real Dad...he didn't want to know." Mark looked into his drink. Vodka and Lemon. "So I'm sticking around for a while. Get to know my family. My Uncle lives around here and some other family members. So that's pretty cool I guess." Mark explained. "And you think you're the only one with a messed up life."

"We can be messed up together." Grace grinned for the first time since meeting the fella. "You're alright, actually, I was wary of you before."

"Well thank you, I'll take that as a compliment." Mark Junior winked back at Grace. "By the way, I've travelled. So if you ever need a tour guide to show you around America, come find me." He offered.

"I may well take you up on that. Now it's just gonna be me and Aria." Grace put a protective and loving hand over her heavily pregnant belly. "Ah! What the hell?" Grace's eyes widened in embarrassment. "Er, Mark, I erm, have to go." She went to stand up. "Ah!" She flopped back into her chair. "I'm sorry - I just wet myself. Not the kind of date
you hoped for."

"I don't think you wet yourself...you're in labour. Grace, you need to get to hospital. Come here." Mark Junior grabbed her arm, slipping it around his neck, using his other arm to carry Grace out of Beale's.

•

"My little girl." Grace was in tears, looking down at her own flesh and blood in awe. "I've never felt so proud. She's mine. Something so pure and innocent that you helped me bring into this world." She looked at her daughter whilst speaking to Mark Junior. "Most nineteen year old guys would go into meltdown when their date suddenly started having a baby in the middle of it." She chuckled.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a woman in need. And how could I resist meeting this little cutie?" Mark followed Grace's gaze to look at the newborn baby girl.

"Her names Aria, by the way. Aria Lexi Carter-Branning." She told him.

"It's beautiful," Mark Junior told Grace as they shared a moment sat on the hospital bed. "Who would've thought it, eh? I ask out a pretty girl and end up delivering her baby. My idea of a night out." He made a joke of it.

Just his goofy grin was enough to make Grace laugh back at him. "I must've been a mess through it all. Looked it as well."

"Nah, you look brilliant for someone who's just given birth." He brushed off Grace's remark. "Honestly."

Suddenly, the hospital rooms or swung open and the Carter's had arrived. Johnny immediately rushed over to be by Grace's side, he was eager to meet his firstborn child. Grace happily gave Aria to Johnny to hold. "My little Aria. My very own daughter." Tears sprang into Johnny's eyes, he felt an overwhelming sensation of love for the young baby staring back up at him. "I'm so sorry you went through the birth alone."

"I wasn't alone, Mark was here." Grace smiled from Johnny back to Mark Junior, who had his arm draped around Grace's shoulders.

"Didn't take you long to move on hen." Lee guffawed.

Grace rolled her eyes, ignoring him. "Linda, Mick, Johnny, for your benefit I will say that I'm not in a relationship of whatever with Mark. I'll admit we were on a date, but right now I don't need a man, I've got my baby."