The Other Branning ~ Eastenders

Baby's Coming Home

Aria had been kept in the hospital for five weeks in total, as she had caught an infection which hadn't cleared quickly. "Grace Carter?" Aria's Doctor entered Aria's hospital room.

"It's Grace Branning, what's up?" She smiled.

"Aria is free to go home today. We're happy the infection is all cleared up and has been for about a week now. It's time to take your little beauty home. She's such a good little baba." Doctor Cleere let Aria grasp her finger. "Congratulations."

"Thank you! Thank you so much for everything you've done for my poorly bubs. Hear that, baby? We're off now." Grace picked up her daughter. "Daddy and Mark can't wait to see you."

•

"Look at her, my first little grandbaby. Seems unreal really." Jack placed his arm around his eldest daughter in a hug. "I am more than proud of you." He told Grace.

"Thanks Papa." Grace smirked, using her old childish for her Father.

"There's one more thing." Jack added "Amy and Ricky helped to make dinner tonight. So it might taste a bit gross, but we can get pizza afterwards if need be. JJ and Aria are lucky that they don't eat solids yet." He chuckled.

Grace turned the light out and left Aria to sleep, taking the baby monitor downstairs with her. "Graceeeee!" Amy ran at her older sister, jumping into her arms. "You're home for good?" She asked hopefully. Grace nodded happily.

"So is baby Ari." She told Amy.

•

"There are so many people living here now, Jack. We really do need a bigger house." Roxy said to Jack as they were finishing up dinner in the kitchen.

"Nah, its fine." Jack shrugged it off.

"Jack, babe, in about a month we can't still have JJ in our room in about a month. With Grace and Aria back living with us now, we've had to put Amy and Ricky in the same room. We can't put JJ in with Ricky anymore." She complained.

"Look, don't worry about it." Jack told her. "Grace and Aria won't be here for long. I have a bad feeling Gracie is planning on going to America when Mark moves back home. You know, Rox, there's no way I'm ever gonna be happy about that. But my daughter is a grown up, with a baby. She was going to go off travelling anyway, whatever she decides to do, I will support her anyway. As long as she always knows she has a home here."

Roxy smiled adoringly at Jack. "You're too good to them. You have four beautiful children who are so lucky to have you."

"Amy and JJ are the only two I've actually been there from the start. I was an awful Dad to Grace at the start. I was young, but it was no excuse. And Ricky was taken away from me." Jack sighed.

"We'll be fine." Roxy finally agreed.

Grace swooshed her way into the room, cradling baby Aria. "Dad, I've decided to give her the middle name Jaqueline, sort of after you." She told them. "Anyway, I'm off out to show off my beautiful little bubba." She grinned. "Amy! Come on kiddo, lets go out." Grace set Aria down in her carrycot. She put on her converse and opened the door.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked.

"Going to meet Lauren. She's got Lily and Arthur today, as well as Louie. So you can come and play with Lils. Happy?" Grace smiled at Amy.

"Happy, happy, happy!" Any shrieked loudly.

•

Amy ran off to play with Lily as soon as they reached Walford Park. "Hello, you." Lauren hugged her cousin. "Oh, Grace, you need to tell me what to do about Steven. He's got this brain tumour, but I can't spend another two months trapped inside his clutches! Josh is ready and waiting for me and Louie whenever Steven goes...but I just want to leave now."

"You're not a carer, Lauren. You're not his carer, if you're not happy don't stay with him." Grace offered her advice.

"But what about Steven's happiness? He's got two months left and he's gonna be miserable if I don't stay with him." Tears started to trickle down Lauren's cheeks.

"Lauren, you have to think about yourself. You have your own medical problems, and we can't let you sink back into that. You have Louie now, and he needs you more than anyone ever will. Forget about Steven, forget about Josh. Forget about men and come and stay with us. Dad would be happy to have you and Louie. Steven and Josh can both wait, until you're better. Anyone can see you're exhausted, you need to get your head straight, Lauren. You can't turn to the drink." Grace tried to persuade her.

"Honestly, I wish I had stayed with Joey. Everything would've been simpler. If people had let us, I wouldn't have turned to drink. There would've been no Peter, no Steven. The only good thing that came out of losing Joey, was having Louie." Lauren looked down at her sleeping tot lovingly.

"Joey's our cousin. What you did wasn't wrong, he wasn't your brother. Uncle Derek was wrong to keep you both apart, but you need to move forward, Lauren." Grace told her, as she slipped her phone out of her pocket, starting to scroll through her Facebook friends. "Go and check on the girls for me?" Lauren nodded, standing up to go and find Amy and Lily. Grace eventually found 'Joseph Branning' on Facebook and started to message him.

From; Grace Branning
To: Joey Branning
Hey Joe, haven't heard from you in a while. Lauren's missing you. A lot. I think she really needs you right now.

Grace pressed send as Lauren was walking back over. "Sorry to cut the trip short, just realised I need to get Lily and Arthur back to Martin in five minutes."

"No worries, I'll come and see you later." Grace smiled, her phone let out a ping and Lauren started leaving. Once Lauren was round the corner, Grace checked her phone.

From; Joey Branning
To: Grace Branning
Nice to hear from you, G. Saw you've just had a little one, she's a cutie. Sorry to hear about Lauren, there's nothing I can do.