How You Remind Me

[crazy_purple]

I felt kind of stupid starting yet another script, but I couldn't help it :rolleyes: It's about Kat and Alfie and the current storyline. Please reply :) (No, I don't know how you can be in a "grey mood" either but I liked the sound of it :D )

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Alfie entered the living room, drowning in a sea of his thoughts, and saw Nana sitting on the sofa watching TV. She turned towards him.

"You know, Alfie, there never seems to be anything good on telly these days," she said thoughtfully. Alfie smiled waveringly, and sat down next to her.

"No, there isn't," he agreed. He sighed. Ever since the appointment at the hospital, he had been in a mournful, grey mood. His mind kept fluttering back to the doctor's damning words - the person who he had known since birth was going to die and there was stuff all they could do about it. But the million-dollar question was: when should he tell her? Over dinner, he thought sarcastically. It wasn't fair. He had no-one left. Kat had left him, Spencer was God-knows-where, his parents were dead, and now his grandma was dying.

Nana looked thoughtful. She glanced at him meaningfully. "Alfie..."

"Yeah?"

"They said something to you at the hospital, didn't they? Something bad? I can tell."

Alfie looked at her, horrified. "No, no, I don't -"

"Alfie," Nana said sternly, "If something's happening to me then I'd think I have a right to know, wouldn't you?"

Alfie swallowed. His mouth felt dry. "I - I can't."

"Am I going to die, Alfie?" Nana asked matter-of-factly.

Alfie stared at her. She didn't look worried or upset; just curious.

"Um... they said..." he moved to face her. It was true, she did have a right to know.

So he told her, gently.

--------------------

more soon I promise, just got to go :)

[Charmed]

Poor Nana!

[crazy_purple]

Nana took the news calmly. She looked at Alfie.

"Darling, why didn't you tell me? I would have liked to know."

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I just didn't want to upset you..."

"I'm fine, darling," Nana said. "Everyone's got to go sometime, haven't they?" She smiled wanly. "I never thought I was going to be here forever, sweetheart."

"I did," Alfie said. His throat was tightening up, but he couldn't cry, not ever in front of her. "When I was a little kid and you were like the biggest person in the world to me."

He remembered that more than anything - sitting on the floor playing with some toy cars near his grandma's feet, her towering above him. She had always been there for him, to wipe away tears and comfort him after he had fallen off his bike. She had seemed like some immortal being to him then. Now she was just a frail old lady. Why did nothing ever last?

"But then you grew up," Nana said. "You're all grown up now, Alfie, you don't need me anymore. It's been you looking after me for such a long time now darling, didn't you notice? Not the other way round."

He looked at his knees, eyes blurring with restrained tears. "I don't want you to go."

Nana smiled. "You'll be alright. Just let's get one thing clear..."

Alfie looked up. "What?"

"No-one's going to be miserable. Okay? I don't want the time I've got left to be spent watching a bunch of miserable people cry over me. I'm going to have some fun, Alfie."

She smiled at him, looking excited. He smiled back weakly, and she hugged him suddenly. He was bigger and stronger than her, but for just a second it seemed like it had been when he was six and was upset because the boys in his street wouldn't play with him. She had hugged him then, too, and told him "I don't care what they say, and neither should you. You're my special little lad." But then he came back to the present, and she was dying and he had no-one left.

[crazy_purple]

The next day Alfie went to work as normal. What else could he do? Nana didn't want any fuss. Kat was on her stall when he got there. They had been alright so far, but they hadn't spoken or even looked at each other since he had left the Slaters' kitchen that Friday. It seemed so long ago now.

"Hi," he said hesitantly as she walked past him, her eyes fixed on a point in the distance so she wouldn't look at him. She didn't reply, but he knew she had heard him - her eyes had flickered with recognition.

He wanted to speak to her because she was, besides everything else, his best friend in the world. And he needed someone to talk to right now - a friend. But most of Walford had heard about recent events and were ignoring him. He was officially an outcast. Great. At the time when he most needed a friend. He felt a fresh burst of sadness bloom inside him, and then lessen into a dull ache. It hurt. He wanted Kat back so much that he felt like he might be physically sick with the pain of not having her near, in his arms. The people who hadn't already left him were leaving.

"Kat," he called to her. A feeling of unbearable loneliness had just descended on him, and he had to at least try to bridge the gap between them both.

At first she pretended not to hear him, but it started to seem ridiculous after he repeated it louder and louder, trying to get her attention, so she looked up, visibly annoyed. "What?"

Now she was looking at him, he didn't know what to say. Or rather: he did, he just couldn't get all the words out.

"Um..."

She frowned. "I'm busy... just - just - I'm busy," she finished.

"You got a stutter?" Alfie asked jokily, forgetting himself for a minute. He couldn't help it. The cheeky, jokey side of him always appeared when he wasn't paying attention.

Kat glanced up again, surprised. "No." she said shortly, but he saw she wanted to smile. He was encouraged by this, and went on.

"You sounded like you were doing a DJ thing for a minute just then," he said. "Scratching discs, or whatever it's called."

"What are you on about?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. Well, at least it was a reaction.

"Do you know, I'm not sure," Alfie said, putting his best thoughtful expression on. That time he was sure he saw the corners of her mouth twitch. She was trying not to smile.

"Um... how's Nana?" Kat asked. She wanted to divert the conversation onto something safe.

She saw Alfie's funny expression fade. He looked away. "She's alright."

Kat frowned slightly. "What's up?"

For a moment she forgot what had happened, that they weren't together anymore, and they were talking like they would have before. It was just a moment.

"Um..." Alfie looked at her, and she thought he was about to say something serious. But then (Big) Mo appeared.

"Don't tell me you're talking to him," she said, disgusted. She threw Alfie a dirty look.

"Nan," Kat said, annoyed. Alfie turned back to his stall, and the mask was back on. What had he been about to say? Well, he wasn't going to tell her now, was he?

She sighed and went to talk to a customer. What did she care, anyway? She didn't need to know everything that was going on in his life now. They weren't together. Just thinking that made her feel horrible. It was awful, being apart. She knew they both loved each other as much as they always had - and would they ever stop? - but things had changed. Things had happened. Too many things.

She glanced at Alfie for a second. He was wearing that shirt, the same one he had been wearing on that day when he had told her he loved her and didn't want her to leave. And then they had gone back to his place and snogged for about an hour - she grinned at the memory - and watched TV curled up on the sofa, and stayed up talking until midnight. Then they had curled up in Alfie's bed, too tired to do anything, but comfortable, and neither of them had ever been happier. Oh, what was the use in thinking about stuff like that? It was gone, it was over. She wanted to cry, but that was the worst thing she could do. Hmm, wasn't that a song from Grease?

She shook her head and turned back to her stall. Some things were better left dead.

[hayley]

this is absoloutly brill!

[crazy_purple]

Kat went back to the house later. She had felt like she was operating on autopilot ever since... ever since that night. She was alright during the day, it was just at night when the darkness closed in like a blanket and she felt so alone in her bed, that it got bad. Sometimes she would cry herself to sleep, and she would cry about everything she'd ever had a reason to cry about - Harry, Zoe, her mother, Alfie, Andy, the baby she'd lost, Little Mo... Just when she thought she'd got it under control, another half-forgotten image or scrap of sound would float into her head from afar: the creak of the floorboards as someone entered her bedroom on a pale dusky night when she was thirteen; the stiff starchy feel of the hospital bedsheets after she'd had Zoe; and before that, her mother, sitting at the kitchen table with her head in her hands, crying brokenly, for she had just found out something that no mother ever wants to find out. Kat remembered going up to her mother timidly, wanting to say she was sorry for causing trouble, but her mum had seen her and covered her face with a cry. Kat had never fully understood why her mother hadn't been able to look at her that night. Now maybe she did.

But today she felt okay. Talking to Alfie had been a breakthrough, she supposed. Maybe she had been wrong, maybe they could be friends. But only carefully, she thought. They'd have to be careful it stayed as friendship, nothing else. They had to keep their distance. She repeated these thoughts in her head. They couldn't let something like that table incident happen again.

She glanced down at the table as this thought occured to her. After she had told Alfie to leave, she had sat down at it and stared. Not cried - she had no room for tears yet - but just stared at it. For no particular reason, really. Then she had gone upstairs and cuddled up to her little sister, because she had known that that was the right thing to do. And she needed some right in her life.

Kat sighed deeply and went upstairs. There was nothing much to do. She climbed into bed after brushing her teeth, but couldn't sleep. She opened a bedside drawer, hunting for something. She knew she shouldn't, it wouldn't help her get over him, but she couldn't help it. She pulled out a creased, battered photo and curled up, gazing at it. She stroked the image on the photo - Alfie.

[Skits]

this is brill. it's showing a side of kat that we never see.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwww this is great! Its so sweet. Please post more soon :D

[crazy_purple]

While Kat drifted off to sleep clutching an old photo of her husband, Little Mo was downstairs watching TV with Charlie and their nan. Little Mo had been dealing with things in her own way, really. She had kind of shrugged her shoulders and got on with it, ignoring that her heart felt ripped in half.

There had been an atmosphere in the Slater house, though. Kat had told Little Mo that she and Alfie were over, because Kat loved Little Mo more, and that was that. But not with the others. Their Nan had been treating Little Mo in an offhand kind of way, speaking to her without any real interest. Little Mo supposed that was just how things were going to be. Mo had always seemed to like Kat more than any of her other granddaughters.

The show they were watching on TV had a woman in it who'd just found out her husband had been cheating on her. Little Mo shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You w**re," the woman on the TV said to the other woman.

"I think I'll just go and make a cup of tea," Little Mo said hurriedly. She jumped out and went into the kitchen and sank down on a chair by the table, head in her hands. If it was all over, why did she feel this bad?

She sighed and decided she couldn't be bothered to face them any more tonight. She trailed upstairs, shoulders sagging.

"Kat?" she whispered as she opened the door. She wanted to talk to someone. Even though Kat probably hated what she, Little Mo, had done to her and Alfie, she would listen.

But Kat was asleep, tucked up under the covers. One of her hands was poking out, and it was curled into a loose fist. Little Mo saw something in it, a sheet of paper or something. She tiptoed over to Kat's bed and cautiously unfurled Kat's hand to look at the object.

She let out a gasp, stricken by emotion. It was a photo of Kat and Alfie, taken in the living room at the Vic. They were both asleep, or seemed to be, on the sofa, and they were cuddled up together as though nothing could ever pull them apart. But something did, Little Mo thought, with a mixture of sadness and guilt.

She turned the picture over and saw the words "Get a room!!!" and a little smiley face scribbled on, in Zoe's handwriting. It must have been taken by her, when she was living at the Vic. Underneath that was written, more carefully, "I love you Kat, for all of eternity" presumably by Alfie. And then it was Zoe's handwriting again, saying "Soppy git". Little Mo smiled sadly to herself. Had she broken all that up? Had she? And what for?

She placed the photo back in Kat's hand carefully - Kat's fingers wrapped around it unconsciously - and slid into bed herself. She watched her sister sleeping until the tears came and blurred her vision, and ran down onto the pillow until it was soaked with guilty tears.

-----------------

You have no idea how hard it is for me trying to make Little Mo sound good:D when I hate her guts:mad:

[crazy_purple]

Alfie was keeping himself busy the next morning by discussing Nana's list with her. It was kind of an upsetting thing to do if he started thinking about it, but at least it meant concentrating on the good things and not just staring at an open grave, as Nana had put it.

"Alfie, there's one more thing," she said, in a moment of silence.

"What's that?"

"I'd like you and Kat to make up, darling."

Alfie looked at her, surprised. "Well, I'd like that too, but it's impossible, Nan."

Nana shook her head impatiently. "I don't mean get back together... just make friends again. That'd be a start, wouldn't it? And I'd love to see you happy again before I go, Alfie."

He looked away. "Yeah, me too."

"You'll try, then?"

"I can try, I suppose," Alfie sighed. "Probably won't get anywhere though. But if it's what you want Nan, then I'll do my best."

"Oh," said Nana happily, "You're too good to me, Alfie."

He laughed, but he didn't feel like it. He had tried to bury his sadness about Nana's condition, but it was really bringing him down.

Later on, he was out on the market, watching Kat wistfully (she occasionally glanced his way too, but was pretending not too) when he saw Nana wandering past.

"What are you doing out?" he asked in concern.

She looked at him. "Don't be silly Alfie. The sunlight won't melt me."

"Alright," he said. "But be careful though, yeah?"

"Yes," she said, smiling. She walked up to Kat, and Alfie felt his heart seem to jump into his throat.

"Hello Kat," Nana said.

"Oh, hi Nana," Kat replied. "Are you okay?"

"To tell the truth, I've been feeling a bit under the weather," Nana said.

"Oh, no," Kat said, genuinely concerned. "Do you need anything?"

'Well," said Nana innocently, "Would you come round later on? I just fancied a chat."

"Um..." said Kat hesitantly, looking in Alfie's direction.

"Alfie'll be out," Nana said quickly. "Come round about two-ish, won't you? I could do with some company."

Kat could hardly refuse. She smiled. "Okay."

"Good," said Nana, pleased. "I'll see you then."

[*kalfie*moon*]

this is so good! plz do more!! :D

[Kim]

Fantastic. Please do more asap. :)

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :D please do more soon

[hayley]

This is great! i love nana! shes very scheming though!! more asap!

[crazy_purple]

Kat went to the Moons' house at two o'clock, just as Nana had asked. She felt a bit uncomfortable about it - who wouldn't? - but kind of excited in an uneasy way. She knocked on the door and a few moments later Nana Moon opened it.

"Hello, Kat," she said, smiling. "Will you make me some tea, darling? Alfie always puts too much sugar in."

"Alfie's here?" Kat paused on the doorstep.

"Oh, no," Nana said. She looked innocent, but something in her eyes gave her a mischevious look. "He's on the stall, he won't be back for ages."

"Um... okay," Kat said uneasily. She followed Nana into the kitchen and put the kettle on. It felt kind of unsettling to be back here again, when a few weeks ago Alfie had been making cooked breakfast for her and she had wandered in wearing only the top half of his pajamas, and smiling in a sultry way. She shook herself mentally. Get a grip.

"One sugar?" she asked. Nana nodded.

"Alfie's a good lad, but he's terrible at making tea right," Nana remarked. Kat smiled vacantly - it was kind of painful to talk about him - and sat down at the table.

"How are you feeling then?" she asked.

"Oh, don't worry about me," Nana said cheerily.

Kat didn't like the sound of that. "Are you alright?"

"Right as rain, darling," Nana replied, but once again Kat thought she saw that impish sparkle in the old lady's eyes. She had never really got used to Alfie's grandma - she looked sweet and harmless, but she wasn't a fool. Nana always knew what she was doing, and sometimes she knew more than she seemed to. Kat understood why the Moons were so caring of their grandma, and she felt she loved her like she did her own nan.

"Kat," Nana said suddenly, breaking in on Kat's musings, "Have you spoken to Alfie lately?"

"Um... not really," Kat said. "We're not..."

She wanted to say that she and Alfie were keeping their distance, but it felt like a stupid thing to say.

"Well, I think you should," Nana said. She smiled at Kat. "You two ought to make friends again, darling. Alfie's been ever so sad without you to talk to - he's been moping around the house with a right face on."

Kat stirred uncomfortably in her chair. "I..."

"I keep telling him, if the wind changes it'll stay like that, but will he listen? No." Nana Moon trailed off, still looking perfectly innocent.

"I'm sorry," Kat whispered. She was on the verge of tears. "I've been sad too Nana."

"He misses you, I think," Nana said, watching Kat with a gentle expression on her face.

"I know. I miss him too." Kat was suddenly pouring it all out, all her grief over losing Alfie. Losing everything they ever had. Losing their future. "It's not fair, I want him more than anything but -"

Suddenly she heard the front door open and froze in mid-sentence. "It's only me!" Alfie called.

Kat jumped up hurriedly and scrambled for the back door, but Alfie entered the kitchen before she could escape. He stopped and looked from her to his nana guardedly.

"What..." he trailed off, and tapped his keys on the side of the fridge, flummoxed. "Why are you here?"

"I was just..." she looked to Nana for support. The old lady was sitting at the table with her arms folded, looking at both of them.

"I asked Kat round, Alfie," Nana said eventually. "I fancied a chat."

"Oh," Alfie said uneasily. "Well, I'll go -"

"No, you only just got here. I think you and Kat could do with a chat anyhow."

Kat and Alfie stared at each other uncertainly. When their eyes met, it felt as though there was a spark of electricity in the air. Same old, Kat thought half-angrily. Don't you dare fall for him again, you're up to your neck in it as it is. Remember what's-her-face. Mo.

Kat suddenly dashed out, trying to get to the front door to escape. She couldn't take any more of this - this rubbish. It hurt too damn much.

But Alfie followed her. "Kat, wait -"

"What?" she exclaimed, one hand on the doorknob. "What do you want from me, Alfie? There's nothing left to say!"

"There's plenty left to say!" Alfie said loudly. Too loud. He mustn't shout at her.

"What?!" she exploded. She moved away from the door in her anger. She hadn't even known it was there, all this fury... buried inside... Anger at him. Everything he'd done, every new way he'd found to hurt her. Even when they had been renewing their wedding vows on the kitchen table, as she had so eloquently put it, she had been pretty damn cheesed off at him. That was probably why he had been left with some rather nasty scratches on his back. Anger and lust, anger and lust... weren't they the things that governed her life?

"Well..." he fell silent, searching for the right words. If there were any.

"I'm waiting!" she shouted. "Anything more you want to tell me? Any more dirty little secrets? Because we might as well get them out in the open now, Alfie, we've nothing left to lose!"

"I bloody love you!" he shouted back. "Isn't that enough?!"

"No! No it isn't!"

"It should be!" he shouted. His voice broke in the middle of the sentence - what, was he thirteen again? - and that just served to p**s him off even more.

Kat threw her hands up in exasperation. She wanted to leave, nothing was physically stopping her, so why couldn't she? She stomped into the living room.

He followed her resignedly. "Kat, why do we always have to do this? Why can't we just be friends again?"

"I can't, Alfie," she said in a low voice. The fight was gone out of her now. "I just can't, alright?"

"Why not? What are you scared of?"

"Us," she said quietly. "Us and everything that goes wrong around us."

He was shocked into silence by such a straightforward answer.

"It always goes wrong," she said. She was crying. "It always gets *******ed up."

Alfie looked affronted by her language but said nothing still.

She looked up at him. "You never tell me the truth. Why won't you?"

"What?" he said, caught off guard.

"Tell me the truth," she said, tears coursing down her cheeks. "That's all I wanted, that's all you had to do..." she sat down on the sofa heavily, crying.

He lapsed into silence again, staring at her.

"Say something!" she exclaimed, getting worked up again. "Damn you, won't you say something!!!"

"She's dying," Alfie broke out suddenly.

[*kalfie*moon*]

please do more! :D

[crazy_purple]

Kat stopped. "What?"

"My nana. She's dying." Alfie said flatly.

Kat stared at him, open-mouthed. "Oh God, I'm sorry -"

"It's alright," Alfie said, looking off into the distance. His eyes were blurring up. This was the first time he'd told anyone. "She's making a list of things she wants to do before she - before -" He breathed in thickly.

Kat saw he wanted to cry. Her heart went out to him and she forgot everything; she only knew that he was her husband and he was in pain. She jumped up automatically and went to him, wrapping her arms around him without thought.

He sniffled in her ear. "She's gonna die and there'll be nobody left-"

She made him sat down on the sofa with her and hugged him to her closely, her hand stroking the back of his neck like she would with a child. He mumbled something more, trying to justify himself, but she didn't listen.

"It's alright," she whispered. "You can cry if you want."

She touched the back of his head, feeling the softness of his springy black hair beneath her fingers, and let him cry quietly - pretending he wasn't, the idiot - into her shoulder and neck. She realised how good it felt to be near him again. It gave her that odd squirmy feeling in her stomach, not a bad feeling, but a strange, secret one. She breathed in his aroma, a warm, clean-clothes smell that she had loved, and would love, all her life.

Somehow she knew he wasn't just crying for his grandma. He was crying for her, Kat, too. It occured to her that she was in the arms of a man who loved her and would gladly give his life for her.

"Alfie," she said, savouring the word. She remembered how she had loved it whenever he said her name (in certain circumstances...) and remembered thinking that never had there been a better sound in the world than that one syllable, spoken by him. She wondered if he felt the same. The word 'Alfie' meant so much: it meant stupid shirts that you'd see coming a mile off; it meant that lovely soft black hair and soulful brown eyes that'd melt your heart if you let them; it meant random presents for no reason, like the time she'd found a dozen roses addressed to her on no special occasion; it meant watching soppy films on the telly and snogging each other's faces off afterwards. Alfie.

You can't do this, a tiny voice in the back of her mind supplied. You can't, think of Mo, think of-

Who? she thought sleepily.

Your sister, the voice wailed, but was unheard.

She felt his breathing slow down and he wasn't crying anymore, but he wasn't moving out of the hug either. Aha...

"It'll be alright," she said gently. "I promise."

Alfie straightened up. Her arms were still around his neck. "Yeah," he said, sniffing.

She gazed into his eyes for a moment and then remembered herself. She pulled away from him and moved away. But oh God she had wanted to kiss him just then. Right then - when he had looked so lost and alone and vulnerable and emotional and everything, she would have liked nothing better than to simply kiss him, once, on the lips. Just a kiss. Was it too much to ask?

The answer was yes, of course. Yes, it was. Because one little kiss would lead to one huge kiss, and then tables would probably get involved. She sighed inwardly. It wasn't fair. Life wasn't fair.

"I'd better be going," she said quickly. "I - um... yeah."

She fled. From him. Running from her husband. Bah.

[squillyfer]

more this is great

[crazy_purple]

Kat went to bed that night in a funny mood. she was strangely content, but wasn't sure why. It felt like everything was alright with the world. But it wasn't. So why did she think... Oh, forget it. She got into bed and yawned, curling up. Tonight she didn't have to gaze at photos of Alfie before she could be calm. She gave a happy sigh and shut her eyes. The only thing that could make it better was if he was actually there beside her, his arm sneaking around her and maybe even feeling her up drowsily. She grinned in the dark. She missed him... but for now, memories would do.

At the Moons' house, Alfie was drifting off to sleep. It had been a long, surprising day, but now it was over and he could sleep. He thought of Kat. How it had felt, being close to her. He loved her to bits. Thoughts came and went in his mind like the tide of the sea. The one that kept recurring was Kat. Kat. Kat. He wanted her back. It was maddening. They both wanted each other like hell, why couldn't they be together? Of course. He knew. Her sister. He rolled over and frowned at the ceiling. He was starting to curse the day he had ever looked at Mo like that. He was such an idiot. He didn't love Mo. Why should he? Kat was the one for him. It all felt so ridiculous now - how on earth could he have ever wanted Mo over Kat? Had he been drunk?

Yes. It was maddening. He thought about how she had been breathing hard when she had hugged him to her, and how that had made her chest move up and down in such an interesting way... He groaned, tormented, and rolled back over again. Damn it. And he couldn't even look at a table now without thinking about that. He thought about Kat as he closed his eyes, and it calmed him a little. Kept his mind off the other stuff. The bad stuff. Trouble was, it put his mind onto different stuff, stuff that he shouldn't really be thinking about. Well, Kat wouldn't mind, he thought, and grinned sleepily. She'd probably be flattered, actually. Hmm... alright then. Stuff it. Stuff stuff, as he had said to Kat in a time somewhere far away. Before.

Outside in the pale midnight sky, clouds drifted past the moon in a neverending dance of fools.

[crazy_purple]

On Sunday, Alfie was having a (well-deserved, he thought) lie in, when someone knocked at the door. He sighed.

"What sort of idiot knocks on your door at nine a.m. on a Sunday?" he mused grumpily on his way to the door. He opened it.

"Alfie," Kat said. "How's Nana?"

"Alright," he replied, taken aback. "I didn't expect-"

"I brought some stuff round," Kat said determinedly, brandishing a bunch of flowers.

"Oh, no, she doesn't want-"

He met Kat's eyes and gave in. "I'll put them in some water."

She followed him into the kitchen. "And how are you?"

"Fine," he said uneasily. He didn't really want reminding that he had spent yesterday crying on her shoulder like a baby.

She smiled gently at him. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"How do you you do that?"

"What?"

"Read my mind."

She grinned. "I've had lots of practice."

He glanced at the floor. Awkward moments, don't you just hate them. And he was pondering over if she'd really want to know that he had spent yesterday night doing something he shouldn't have been doing while thinking about someone he shouldn't have been thinking about, when she said something that made him jump.

"Do you know, I slept really well last night," Kat said.

"Er...good?"

"Yeah. I wasn't worrying about anything. And I was thinking about you." she looked at him quickly, as though wondering if this was taking it too far. It probably was, but who cares?

"Me too," said Alfie quickly. Too quickly. Oh dear. And he was turning pink, he just knew it. I thought it was only girls that blushed, he thought, annoyed.

A smile played at the corners of her mouth. "Oh."

Great. Now she knew and he knew and he might as well paint it across his forehead that he wanted to sleep with her. Oh well. She already knew that. Nothing new. He frowned in embarrassment.

She was looking at him. Had she said something? He panicked.

"Um..."

"I said, we probably shouldn't be having this conversation."

"No," Alfie agreed.

They looked at each other for a minute. Alfie remembered suddenly that he was stood very close to the table. He glanced at it involuntarily. Kat noticed and there followed another awkward moment. Alfie was getting fed up of those. He broke the silence.

"You know, we must be the only people who can't bring themselves to look at kitchen tables."

Kat grinned despite herself. "Yeah."

[Kim]

:) Fab as usual, Please do more asap.

[*kalfie*moon*]

its really good! :D

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww bless them its great :D more soon

[Angeldelight]

'Tis amazing... fabarooney... post more soon...

[crazy_purple]

Kat walked into her bedroom later that day and her heart dropped like a stone. Mo was lying on her bed crying.

"Oh darling what's up?" Kat said, going to her. Mo shook her head, tears falling like rain.

"Tell me," Kat tried.

"I'm sorry," Mo gasped out. "I'm sorry Kat I'm so sorry I -"

"What? What about?"

"You and Alfie you should be together it's all my fault -" Mo gulped painful tears back.

Kat stopped. "No, it wasn't your fault..." The words felt all dry and wrong in her mouth.

"It was!" Mo looked at her, eyes shining. "You and Alfie would still be together now if it wasn't for me, and I hear you crying in the night Kat and you should be together, you should be -"

"You're babbling," Kat cut in.

Mo sniffled, a desolate sound, and wiped her eyes with her bedcovers.

"I already told you, me and Alfie aren't gonna be together no more, because..." Kat frowned - "- any more, I mean, because we just can't."

"Because of me," Mo said dully.

"Not all because of you, no - we just got to that point where there's nothing more to say and nothing more to do." Kat knew she was speaking rationally, being sensible - Alfie would be proud - and yet still part of her was howling in pain at the back of her mind and flying about kicking the walls. That was the part that would like nothing better than to take this snivelling, sorry excuse for a woman and show her what real pain felt like.

"That isn't true," Mo said. She rolled over onto her stomach. "It's because of me, and you know it."

Kat sighed. "Well, even if it was, it still amounts to the same thing. We're not together and we never will be again." She felt a strange bite of gloom gnaw at her when she said this. "Now I'll go and get you some hot chocolate, that'll cheer you up."

Mo sniffled miserably and Kat left the room. She wanted to cry herself, but she couldn't. Because that would upset Mo. Huh. Kat felt like there were two sides of a coin - Alfie and Mo - and she had to pick one or the other... She had chosen Mo, of course. Because she was her sister and she loved her. But...

At the Moons' house, Nana and Alfie were getting on with that list. Alfie was trying not to show Nana how upset this made him inside, but it was hard. He had let it all out the other day in Kat's arms, though - some kind of rubbish therapy, he thought. Oh, yeah, right. Cry your eyes out all over your wife, and be cured of all ills. Oh, dear.

"You know, I've always wanted to go to your grandad's grave, Alfie," she said sombrely.

"I'll se what I can do then," Alfie said jovially.

"Oh, you mean we could go?"

"Course," Alfie said. "If that's what you want, that's what we shall do."

"And I'd like to go and see your mum and dad, too," Nana said.

Alfie blinked. For a second he was confused. "Oh, you mean - yeah. Yeah."

He looked at his feet for a moment. Visiting his grandad's grave was all very well - he had never met the bloke, after all - but going to see his parents' graves, where they were buried together, was a bit... oh, he didn't know. He had once confessed to Kat that he felt like it was his fault they had died, because his dad had wanted him to fix something on the car but he never had... And then they were dead with a lorry squashing their car into a ditch, the car that Alfie had used to take his girlfriends out in. And Spencer had wandered around the house - he had been five, and Alfie twenty-five - asking Alfie, in a whiny voice: "Where's Mummy? Where's Daddy?" over and over.

[Kim]

Please do more asap. :o

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwww poor Kat and Alfie :( They should be together! Please do more soon :D

[crazy_purple]

Alfie saw Kat on the market a few days later and his face lit up. "Kat," he called to her. He had missed talking to her.

Kat looked up, frowning. "What?"

"Um... I just wanted to say hi," Alfie said uncertainly. She seemed jumpy this morning. "Never mind."

"Fine," Kat said shortly. Alfie blinked, confused. Just a few days ago they had been flirting - well, near enough - at his house, and now she would hardly give him a word. Typical. He would never understand women, he thought gloomily, for as long as he would live.

"You in a mood, or what?" he asked, perplexed.

Kat sighed. "No."

"Then why -" he paused. "Why aren't you talking to me?"

Kat didn't answer him at first. He tried again, but she looked up angrily. "Because, unless it slipped your mind, we're not together any more. It was you or my sister, and I chose Mo."

She turned away deliberately. She had had to do it, no matter how much it hurt her. Seeing Mo so upset the other night had made her remember everything... "Don't cry, Kit-kat"... Ridiculous, really. But she loved Mo and nothing should have ever interfered with that. No, she thought determinedly. From now on it was family only for her.

Hasn't it always been? that snide little voice at the back of her mind sniggered. Vice is nice, but incest is best, eh Kit-Kat?

Shove it, Kat replied - to herself? What? Well, I suppose this is what comes from having a warped mind. A little "evil voices are talking to me from my own head" couldn't hurt. As long as they don't tell me to burn things. She shook herself mentally. I'm alright. Amazingly, I'm not crazy, either.


------

more soon.... you wouldn't mind if I kind of went off on a tangent and started doing random flashbacks to Kat and Alfie's past, would you? I just got the idea then.... :rolleyes:

[Kim]

Excellent... Flashbacks are good too. Please do more asap.

[Chloe-Elise]

Brilliant :) please do more soon

[*kalfie*moon*]

:) more soon

[Angeldelight]

more more more... please post more... 'Tis fabarooney...

[hayley]

brill! you can do flashbacks!
Please do more soon!

[crazy_purple]

So I'm gonna do the flashback thing.... It may get creepy with Kat, for obvious reasons, plus I've just been reading Stephen King books so... :rolleyes: yeah. (It! :eek: )

------------

A crumbly brick wall outside a park in the poorer area of London. 1983. A thirteen-year-old girl sits, black hair swinging over her face, partially hiding her greenish eyes. She fiddles with a bracelet she is wearing - a charm with little silver cats hanging from it. Her schoolbag is on the floor between her feet. The sky is light, but there is a heavy feel to the air that indicates it may rain later.

An old lady passed by with her shopping and gave the girl a wide berth. Kat didn't look up. She was used to it. She tucked some strands of hair back behind her ear and, once the lady had passed, looked up.

If there was anyone around to see, they might be surprised by how pretty she is, in a strange way. There were the faded, purpley remnants of a bruise around her left eye. She wasn't wearing any makeup; that was the second thing that would strike an onlooker, if there was anyone around to see. Her eyes seemed to hold something, some knowledge; they had a haunted, almost ghostly look. A week ago, when she had got the bruise around her eye, she had told her parents that she'd got in a fight at school. They had accepted this, although the shouting hadn't died down for a while. Her father had demanded to know the name of the kid who had hit her; she had refused to give it. Which was just as well, since the kid didn't exist.

Kat glanced down at her schoolbag, which was slumped and tattered on the floor. She wasn't really bothered about school. It was just something that got her away from home, away from -

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

Kat glanced up, surprised. A middle-aged man with dark hair was standing nearby, looking at her. She looked at him warily.

"It's half past eleven, why aren't you in school?" the man continued, his eyes narrowing.

"Day off," Kat replied. It sounded ridiculous, even to her. But why should she care? He was just a nosey idiot.

The man frowned. "What school do you go to? I think I'll telephone them."

Kat jumped up off the wall. "It's none of your f*cking business."

"Hey!" the man exclaimed angrily. "How dare you talk to me like that? Hey! I'm talking to you!"

Kat ignored him and ran into the park. There were loads of hiding places in there, ones that only she and a load of druggies seemed to know about. He would probably look for her for a few minutes and then get bored and p*ss off. Good.

She crawled behind some bushes in a dark corner and knelt down, careful where she put her hands. There were needles and all sorts of rubbish in here. Once she had bumped into two of the druggie lot, but they hadn't bothered her, except to offer her some of their stuff. She had said no and got the hell out of there. She wasn't stupid.

She could hear that man wandering around looking for her, but he was far off. He wouldn't find her. He -

Suddenly she realised that she had left her schoolbag by the wall, and it had her name and school written on it. She cursed and hit the wall with her fist angrily. She was done for. Her dad would kill her, and her mum would - well, her mum would do that look she did sometimes, that despairing look. That was because of what Kat had said about what Harry had been doing to her, and how she was scared he might do something worse. And her mum hadn't believed her. And when Kat had still kept on saying it, crying her eyes out with the effort of telling this shameful secret, her mum had slapped her and not spoken to her for days.

Kat didn't know how long she stayed in that corner for, but the man had gone and her legs had gone numb where she'd been kneeling. It started to rain, big heavy droplets that splashed and dripped wetly onto the back of Kat's neck. She only had her school skirt, blouse and blazer on, and she was freezing. Eventually she got up and wandered round the park for a bit, watching how the ducks sought shelter and quacked in annoyance at the rain.

She was scared to go home, that was the truth. She always was nowadays. Just stepping inside the front door made her shudder and she wanted to run and hide, but nowhere was safe. If home wasn't safe, then where was?

The water was soaking her to the skin, but she stayed in the park. Her hair was plastered to her forehead with rain and it was dripping off the end of her nose. She sniffed and sneezed. Great. Now she was getting a cold. She leant against a tree and tried wiping her nose with her blazer sleeve, but that was soaked too. But the weird thing was, she didn't really mind. She picked up a few stones and tried skimming them across the lake, but they just plopped sadly and disappeared.

She gave up and squelched towards the park gates. She would wander around the streets for a while, maybe find a shop and buy some sweets. She felt around experimentally in her pockets, but they were empty. Alright then, find a shop and pinch some sweets. She flicked the waterlogged strands of hair from her face and shivered.

While she walked the streets, steadily getting wetter and wetter, she thought about running away. Could she? Could she really just not go home? Instead of turning left at the junction a few streets away, she could just carry on walking and hitch a ride into central London, then... Then what? Live on the streets?

The newsagents she had planned to go in and pinch some sweets from was closed. She groaned. She had really fancied some strawberry laces. It wasn't fair. She carried on walking, head down. When she got to the junction...

She looked left down the long road. It was a boring, tatty old street, the sort with beat-up cars in the front gardens and a few houses with boarded-up windows. Pure trash. She hated that street. She especially hated number 73 - their house. It was so dingy and dull. But that wasn't why she hated it. She could stand dullness. It was the other stuff...

She didn't turn left. With a toss of her head, she crossed the road and carried on walking.

[*kalfie*moon*]

this is great :)

[Chloe-Elise]

Aww poor Kat, brilliant writing though, please post some more soon :)

[squillyfer]

Yeah I meant to reply last night but err didnt (dont really know why oh well never mind) More soon this is fab

[crazy_purple]

Kat had only got half a mile up the road, dripping with rain, when she heard a car horn beep behind her. She turned around and saw her father's car slowing to a halt next to the path. The door opened from inside. Kat sighed and prepared herself for a huge telling-off. He got really mad whenever he found out she'd been twagging.

But as she slid resignedly into the front passenger seat, she saw that it wasn't her father in the driver's seat at all... It was the other one. Him.

"Your dad got a phone call from the school," he said conversationally.

"Is he angry?" Kat asked. That was one of the many weird things. She and him could talk with that peculiar directness, as though nothing much needed to be said. They had always been close. He had been her friend even when everyone else was mad at her for some reason or other.

"What do you think?" Harry said, turning the indicator on. Kat found herself smiling weakly.

He wasn't turning into their street. Kat glanced at him, and although he didn't meet her gaze, he seemed to know.

"Thought you might not want to go home right away," he said, answering the unspoken question.

She felt a rush of gratitude towards him, mixed with a weird cold feeling. "Yeah."

He drove into another street, and while he was changing gear, his broad knuckles (accidentally?) brushed the bare skin of her thigh. Her entire body seemed to turn to stone and she didn't dare move another muscle until he parked the car and undid his seatbelt. She undid hers with numb fingers and scrabbled at the door, wanting to get out for some reason that she didn't want to think about.

They went in a sweetshop and Harry bought Kat some strawberry laces. He had somehow stored the knowledge that these were her favourite sweets, and had insisted on buying a packet for her. To cheer her up, she supposed. They got back in the car and he drove back to their house, parking outside. He paused for a minute.

"Look, you know he only gets mad at you because he cares about you, don't you?"

Kat stirred in her seat. "Yeah."

"And he wants you to do well," Harry continued. "At school and that."

"I know," Kat replied. Her voice had gone all quiet.

"Good girl," he said, seeming satisfied.

Kat got out the car, her legs trembling, and went inside the house to face the music. The pack of strawberry laces was clutched in her right hand.

[Kim]

Please do more asap

[Angeldelight]

more more more... more more more... more more more...

[Chloe-Elise]

Wow its great,please do some more soon :)

[*kalfie*moon*]

more!

[crazy_purple]

March 3rd, 2004....

It was Alfie's 40th birthday, and he wasn't best pleased about it. Kat had been organising a surprise party as she had found out. She felt that Alfie should get a party; in Kat's mind, birthdays always went with parties. She wanted to make him happy (and have a bit of fun at the same time, naturally).

"Where's the cake?" she hissed to Ian, who was messing about trying to fix a banner to the wall.

"Over there!" he replied. "I told you about three hundred ti-"

"What's all this?"

Kat turned and saw Alfie. He didn't look happy.

"Um... surprise?" she said uncertainly.

"What have you done all this for?!"

"I found out it was your birthday," Kat said, trying to take his hand. "Come on, you've got some presents to open-"

"I don't want any presents!"

"I'll have them, then," Kat said jokily. "No, look at this cake, it's-"

"No!" Alfie said angrily. "I don't want any of this, alright? I hate birthdays."

He stormed out, leaving Kat, Ian and the rest of the room staring after him.

Ian cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Well, I'll clear this awa-"

"No, leave it," Kat muttered, and ran after her husband.


"Alfie!" She caught up with him and looked at his face, confused. "I don't understand, why -"

He looked away, as though he couldn't meet her eyes. "I told you, I don't like birthdays."

"Is it because you're 40?" she asked gently.

"I'm not 40!" he exclaimed. "I'm not..." he trailed off unhappily.

Kat took his hand in hers. "There's nothing wrong with being forty-"

"That's right, keep saying it, then!" Alfie said sarcastically.

"Oh, stop moaning!" she said, suddenly annoyed. "There's worse things going on in the world than you getting one year older!"

Alfie sighed, looking glum. "I just feel really... old..."

"You're not," Kat said sternly.

"I'm 6 years older than you..."

"So?"

"So..." Alfie frowned. "I can't help it. I just don't like getting older. I hate being old."

Kat rolled her eyes. "How about you tell that to your grandma, see how she feels about it?"

"When I was a kid," Alfie said, "The night before my tenth birthday, I was lying awake in bed and I could hear my mum and dad talking. They were saying 'he's growing up now, isn't he?' and all that stuff. And I just remember feeling really... sad... I didn't want to grow up. I just wanted things to stay the same forever."

"But they can't," Kat said gently.

"I know. Doesn't stop people wanting them to."

"Look," Kat said, pulling him down to sit on the stairs next to her. "I don't care how old you are. It's just a number, Alfie."

He still looked miserable. She carried on. "Remember what you said to me in that church, when you rescued me from that idiot?"

Alfie smiled slightly. "Yeah."

"How we'd be an old couple sitting on a bench at the seaside, sharing some fish and chips? Well..." she looked into his eyes. "That's what we'll be like. We can get all old and wrinkly together, can't we?"

He grinned. "Yeah, I could manage that."

"And in all this fuss about getting older," Kat carried on, her voice becoming seductive, "You forgot the best thing about birthdays."

Alfie's forehead wrinkled. "The cake?"

Kat paused. "Well, that as well. But the... traditional thing?"

Alfie's face lit up. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Yay!"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Right, how about we get back to that party?"

"I think we should. Yeah." Alfie jumped up. Kat laughed and they returned to the party.

------------------

sorry about the random flashbacks :rolleyes: they're gonna be from all over Kat's life now, I've gone a bit crazy :D

[Kim]

more!

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :D more soon please

[hayley]

more soon!

[crazy_purple]

Later on, Alfie had cheered up a lot. They were behind the bar now, and people kept bringing him presents and cards. He had propped them up on a shelf behind the bar happily.

"I hear it's your birthday," someone said. Kat turned around and saw Andy. She sighed.

"Yeah, it is," Alfie said.

"Forty, eh?" Andy said, raising his eyebrows slightly. Kat wanted to throttle him.

"Yes," she said loudly.

"Oh," Andy drawled, sounding bored. "Well, I got you something."

"You did?" Alfie said, surprised.

"Yeah," Andy replied. He was smiling, and Kat didn't like that smile much. He handed Alfie a little toy model of a car that Kat recognized as a mini version of his own.

"Thought you might like this," Andy said. "Well, I knew how Kat liked the big version, you see..." He turned away, that sardonic expression still on his face.

Alfie took the toy car, looking surprised but pleased. "Er... thanks."

Kat frowned. "Er, not at all."

Andy stopped. "I'm sorry?"

"I was, like, the queen of innuendo when you were still in short trousers," Kat said, annoyed. "And I don't like what you were insinuating just then."

"I wasn't insinuating anything," Andy said innocently, but a nasty smile played at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, you were dead wrong, anyway." Kat said. "And you're a crap driver."

Andy frowned. "Was that another metaphor?"

"Meta-what?"

"Never mind," Andy said superiorly.

"Shurrup," Kat said. "Well, men with big flashy cars, I'm always worried they're compensating for something."

She grinned innocently at him. "And of course, most of them are."

Alfie blinked. "Kat...?"

Kat smiled at her husband. "What? We're just having a discussion about cars."

Andy shook his head and wandered off. Kat got closer to Alfie and hugged him happily. "Happy birthday gorgeous."

[shannisrules]

great more soon !

[crazy_purple]

Back in 1983... (~warning, parts following on may be disturbing~)

Kat was feeling alone. Alone and miserable. Dad had just had a go at her for getting into a fight at school. It hadn't even been her fault. That b*tch Kelsey had brought it on herself. They had just had PE, and were in the showers. Most of the girls didn't care about the communal showers, but Kat hated them. she hated anyone seeing her body. She wouldn't quite work out the reason why for twenty or so years. She was wearing a swimming costume, and all the other girls thought she was odd. Last time they had called her a prude. She didn't even know what that meant.

So Kat had been getting showered as quickly as possible so she could get changed and leave, when she had heard Kelsey's voice saying her name. She turned and saw Kelsey standing under the silvery cascade of water, talking to her friends. They were gossiping about Kat. Kat felt her throat tighten. She heard her name again, and laughter, soft and sticky as melting soap. Her anger broke.

"Why don't you just take a picture?" She said suddenly. Her heart was beating like a drum.

They turned and looked at her. Kelsey was smirking. "What did you say? Didn't quite catch that."

Kat stepped out of the shower, a terrible dark emotion welling up inside threatening to choke her.

"Nice bruise," Kelsey said casually. "Birthday present?"

Kat's blood turned to ice and she glanced at herself. Near the top of her right arm was a dark, hand-shaped bruise, damning evidence of... something. She tried to cover it up, suddenly feeling ashamed, feeling horrorstruck.

"Still Daddy's little girl, then?" Kelsey said, a nasty smile on her lips. Kat hated her. She hated her for standing there like that, with no bruises, perfectly formed, unconcerned by her nakedness. Suddenly all the hate she had been building up for the last year or so rushed out and turned Kat's hand into a fist, and she had hit Kelsey, hit her so hard she had gone flying back against the wall, blood dripping from her split lip. Kelsey's friends had gasped, looking at Kat; one of them had said "you little freak!" (she would remember that, and the blood from Kelsey's lip, twenty-two years later). Kelsey had started screaming, and the PE teacher had rushed in. Miss Green had led Kelsey out wrapped in a towel, sobbing, and the ends of the towel had dragged along the wet floor. More than anything else, Kat remembered Miss Green's look, how she had looked in disgust at Kat.

But it was over now; Kat had been excluded for a week, she had been shouted and screamed at by her Dad, and now she was lying in bed gazing at the moon outside, thinking... thinking...

She heard a noise on the landing, but ignored it. A star had just come out in the night sky, over there. She wondered which one would be the one from Peter Pan. What was it? Second from the right, and straight on til morning?

Someone was on the other side of her bedroom door. She listened for a minute. They were breathing loudly. That was silly. Everyone knew, if you wanted to sneak about at night, you had to breathe really quietly and tiptoe like a mouse...

Kat turned her gaze back to the moon. She wondered if there really was a man up there. It was impossible, of course, but it was a nice thing to believe. That there was someone up there, looking after you. She pulled the covers over her chin a bit more. She wondered if she'd ever meet the man in the moon. No, that was silly. She was too sleepy to think. She sighed and shut her eyes, ready to drift off.

She didn't know that those few minutes would be the ones she'd remember forever. She didn't know that those, and the night, would stay in her mind forever like a bloody handprint.

[shannisrules]

wicked carry on!

[Kim]

Excellent, please do more.

[*kalfie*moon*]

Really good..Please do more!

[hayley]

excellent! please do more

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :D more soon please

[crazy_purple]

Her bedroom door opened suddenly and yellow light spilled in from the landing. Kat glanced towards it and saw the outline of someone standing there holding onto the doorknob.

"Dad?" she said uncertainly.

That moment, when she had thought it was her father standing there, would stay burnt in her mind for all time, although she didn't know it just then. It was what caused her to get that weird, nervous feeling whenever Dad entered her bedroom, even when she was 35.

But then her eyes got used to the dark and she realised it was him. Her body seemed to tighten and she froze. What did he want? He was drunk, whatever it was. He was hanging onto the door as though he might fall. What was he going to do to her? She swung her legs off the bed, wanting to get out, but he moved towards her. He was practically swaying - how much had he been drinking exactly? And what had it done to him? She felt a sudden flash of real fear, cold and numbing. Alcohol did things to him. It stopped him being her uncle, that man who she loved and who had helped her with her homework and pushed her on the swings and comforted her when she was hurt.... it turned him into someone she didn't know, someone who did things to her she didn't understand, someone she was scared of. And the worst thing of all was the realisation that these two people were one and the same.

He tried to grab her arm but it was the same place she had the bruise, and she yelped in pain and twisted away. But he was too strong, and he caught her and pushed her against the wall. He was close to her, uncomfortably close, and she could smell stale booze on his breath and foul sweat. His hand was going somewhere it shouldn't and she was struggling but he wouldn't stop. She was crying and she didn't even realise until her face was wet and her mouth tasted of salt. He shoved her onto the bed - it was still warm from earlier, but had lost all of it's comfort. He was doing something but she didn't know what and then he was on top of her and he was trying to kiss her, his mouth was all wet and blubbery and yuck and she was crying and trying to twist her head away. He pinned her down and he was trying to force her legs apart and all of a sudden she understood, it seemed she understood everything, and she had never felt so desperate and panicked as she had in that moment. She never would again.

And then there was a terrible pain and she was crying and whimpering like a rabbit caught in a trap. It was awful and she was dying inside. She twisted her head to the left, face wet with tears and snot and his spit, and saw the moon. It was floating there, a huge white circle, not moving, mocking her as she lay there weeping in pain. She could see the face in the moon, its eternal grin, and hated it. It was supposed to look after her, it was supposed to... She was biting her lip so hard there was blood on her mouth, trying not to cry out, and her hands had clenched themselves into fists and her fingernails were digging into her palms painfully. She didn't even notice.

She watched the moon smiling down at her and suddenly her hate for it transferred onto her mother. Mum hadn't believed her, she had hit her upside the head as a punishment for telling the truth. Mum had promised her that the man in the moon would never let anyone hurt her. She had lied. Her mother had lied to her. Why would she do that? She doesn't love me, Kat thought. She doesn't care. Well, serves her right for not believing me.

Kat squeezed her eyes shut so she wouldn't have to see any more, but she couldn't shut her ears and the sounds her uncle was making couldn't be escaped. The only thing she could do was pretend it wasn't happening. She needed something else to think about or she would go crazy. Nine times two is eighteen, she thought desperately. Nine times three is twenty-seven. Nine times four is... is... Times four by ten and takeaway four. Thirty-six. Nine times five is forty. Is it? No. She couldn't think straight. She was breathing hard and her lungs were whistling like a kettle when she breathed. The panic was making her throat go all tight and close up. It hurt less now, but she could hear his breathing and feel that thing that was hurting her. She wanted to die.

----------------

more soon, sorry for depressing you all on a Sunday evening :(

[hayley]

wow this is so good! masap!!
Dont worry- you havent depressed me!

[crazy_purple]

I keep realising that it's actually Kat I'm talking about here :crying: It's weird

------------------------------------

Kat lay in bed, trembling. Harry had left her bedroom a few minutes ago without a word, but he had thrown her a glance that said something she didn't want to understand. She hadn't moved since he had climbed off her bed, and now she was lying there on her back. She was afraid to move. There was a horrible hollow ache down there, where he had done that thing to her. She seemed to hurt all over. She had some idea of what it had been - Kelsey and the other popular girls talked about it in hushed voices, giggling like loons, while smoking and trying to look cool and grownup. Kat wanted to be neither of those things. She wanted to be a little girl, going to the park and playing on the swings, and eat ice creams and believe in silly, childish things like the Tooth Fairy and so on. But apparently she couldn't do those things anymore.

She had a terrible thought suddenly. What had just happened, what Kelsey's gang whispered about, had really happened. From what she had heard on TV and from her mother's magazines, once that happened you weren't a kid anymore. Kat stared up at the ceiling in horror. She wasn't a kid now? Was that true? So now she must logically be a grown-up. No, she didn't want to be a grown-up... Grown-ups did stupid things. They smoked and hit people and got drunk and got put in prison.

What if he told her mum? What if Harry told Mum what she had done? He might tell her what had happened. Kat gasped, scared again suddenly. Mum would throw her out, she would hit her again. She would be mad at Kat because Kat had done something that had caused Harry to do something bad, and Kat had ruined the family. Kat's thirteen-year-old logic worked this way. If she had been older, she might have realised. But she was thirteen.

Kat had never felt like this before. She felt soiled and dirty and disgusting. She wanted a shower. She could smell his sweat and booze on her, in her bed, everywhere. She felt contaminated. Suddenly she jumped up out of bed and ran to the bathroom, where she threw up for so long she felt empty and drained afterwards. There was that sour taste of bile in her mouth but she didn't rinse it out. She tried to use the toilet but it hurt to do that. She didn't know why. Down there was painful. She glanced at herself and saw ugly red marks on her thighs where he had shoved them apart. She stared at them, and then started to cry. Wracking sobs shook her and tears fell onto her lap. But she tried to be quiet. She didn't want to wake anyone up.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwwww,great writing but its so sad! I love the flashbacks,more soon please :D

[crazy_purple]

2005

Kat woke up with a cry, torn out of sleep by her nightmare. She had been dreaming about what had happened on that night when Harry had came into her room. She was shivering, although it wasn't cold. she registered that her cheeks were wet and realised she'd been crying - in her sleep? Was that even possible?

The room was pitch black save for a thin sliver of light coming through the curtains. It was silent. Kat could only just hear Mo's quiet breathing if she listened hard. Freddie made a snuffling noise.

Kat rolled over onto her side and pulled the covers over her. She realised she'd been doing that thing with her hands again subconsciously while she slept - there were bright red fingernail marks in her palms. Damn. That hadn't happened for years. She felt oddly disappointed in herself, as though she'd wet the bed or something. She had thought she'd trained herself to block those memories out. She had built up a wall between them and the rest of her mind. But who can decide what they dream?

When she had been with Alfie, if ever she had a nightmare, he would be there to hug her and comfort her when she woke up. He'd stop her being frightened. But now she was in bed by herself in the ebony night and there was no-one to tell her things were okay, that everything would be alright. She was scared. But she'd never, ever admit that to anyone. Except Alfie.

She wanted him back. She really did. Especially at times like this. And it was torture seeing Mo's baby. That was an entirely different thing, but still... On that night she had split up with Alfie, before Billy had grabbed the mic and said those damning words, Alfie had asked... he had asked... it hurt to even think about it. It was all she had ever wanted, but now she couldn't have it. If that stupid secret hadn't come out just then, they would have gone home later and got started on trying to make a baby. It wasn't fair. Right now, Kat thought, I could have been lying in Alfie's arms wondering if I'd got pregnant or not. All she had ever wanted was a baby... not just any baby, either. Alfie's baby. Now she'd never have it, or anyone else's for that matter. She didn't want any other man's baby. Just Alfie's. You're going round in circles, you idiot, she told herself.

But it was over now and she had made her choice. Her sister was more important than her husband. If she had made that choice, why couldn't she feel more happy about it?

---------

I've got that lyric "but who can decide what they dream" in my head now, and I don't know where I've got it from. :hmm: Help?

[*kalfie*moon*]

awwwwwww more soon!

[Kim]

Fab please do more soon :)

[crazy_purple]

Back in 1983

Kat stayed awake all night, lying on top of the covers. She couldn't bear to get underneath them, and she was terrified that something might happen if she closed her eyes. Eventually morning came and a few hours after dawn broke, people started moving around the house. Kat felt an increasing sense of dread. Still she lay there, not moving.

Half an hour later, she heard her mum's voice shouting up the stairs. "Kat? Are you getting up today or what?"

Kat swallowed. Her mouth felt dry. She forced herself to call back. "Yeah, just a minute."

She sat up in bed and, as if operating on autopilot, found a hairbrush and started brushing her hair. Lynne, Bel and Little Mo were all going to school. She wasn't; she was excluded for a week. Kat realised what this meant: she would be at home all week, at home with him...

She forced herself to keep moving. What should she wear? She pulled her nightie off over her head and looked at it as if seeing it for the first time. It was babyish; cotton with stars embroidered on it. She noticed a few drops of red stuff on it and threw it to the floor. Her heart was beating fast again. She looked at the bruises on the tops of her legs and grabbed some clothes out of a drawer, shoving them on hurriedly. She wanted to cover herself up. She put on jeans and a long-sleeved top; nothing like she'd usually wear. She braced herself and tiptoed downstairs, her heart thudding. She wanted to throw up again.

When she got downstairs she went into the kitchen and got a box of cereal out of the cupboard, just like normal. Her hands were trembling. Harry wasn't up yet. That was good. Maybe she could avoid him.

Her mum and dad were sitting at the kitchen table. Dad was reading the paper before he went to work and Mum was sipping coffee. Kat wanted to cry as soon as she looked at them.

"Finally," Mum said. "Thought I'd have to come and drag you out of bed."

Kat flinched at the words. Last night was burnt across her mind like a brand and every few seconds she kept reliving it. She wondered if it would ever stop. She sat down at the table and winced. It hurt to sit down. Her mum looked at her oddly.

"Don't you be getting a face on today, Kat, I'm not in the mood," Mum said moodily. "I've got a right headache."

"I'm not," Kat mumbled. Her voice came out as a squeak.

Suddenly there were footsteps on the stairs and Kat froze, a spoonful of cereal wobbling halfway to her mouth. Harry entered the kitchen, yawning. Kat couldn't move.

"My head," he moaned, holding it.

Her mum grinned. "Tell me about it. Next time we have one of your parties, we're staying teetotal, agreed?"

"Agreed," Harry said. He sat down at the table near Kat. He was ignoring her otherwise.

"Not off to school, then?" he said to Kat. She shook her head numbly. How could he talk to her like this, as though nothing had happened?

"She needs teaching a lesson," Dad said sternly. "That she can't just do as she pleases. She has to face the consequences. Right Kat?"

A single thought ran through Kat's mind: I got taught a lesson, alright - and that was it. She ran to the sink and threw up.

"Not in the sink!" Her mum cried, disgusted.

"Sorry," Kat said shakily, when she had wiped her mouth. "I - I think I'm coming down with something."

Her mum tutted. "Well, you'll be at home anyway. I can't stay to look after you though, I've got an interview and then work til four."

Why do you hate me so much? Kat thought, but banished the thought from her mind. She knew why. Because she, Kat, had told "stories" about family, and that was unforgivable. This is madness.

"I'm not doing anything all day," Harry offered. "I could stay."

Kat's blood ran cold. "No! No, I can manage, I'll -"

"That'd be great," Mum interrupted. "Thanks, Harry."

"No problem." he glanced sideways at Kat, and her insides seemed to shrivel.

And this is my punishment, is it Mum? To spend time with the man I told you had been doing bad stuff to me? Kat couldn't stop herself thinking. Well, she would survive. The worst had already happened, she supposed. What could happen? Well, he could do it again... she shivered, feeling cold suddenly.

Her hands hurt. She opened them out and saw cuts in the shape of fingernails, deep in her palm. There were flakes of dried blood stuck to them. She didn't even remember doing that.

[Kim]

Great, please do more asap.

[kirstienod]

Just started reading this, it brill well done

[Angeldelight]

more more more... more more more... post more soon...

[crazy_purple]

A few months later

Kat was crouching behind the wheelie bins at school, breathing hard, her raven hair hanging over her face. She could hear her pursuers. They were quite close now. Kelsey, her gang of vicious little female hoodlums, and three or four lads who had come along 'for a laugh'. Twenty-two years later, they would be called chavs, but for now there was no name for them.

"She went round here," one of the lads said. "Oi. Kel. She came this way."

There were footsteps, and Kat tried to squeeze herself between two wheelie bins to hide. She bit her lip, gripping a plastic part of the bin like a drowning man would clutch a rope.

"What you doing, you little scrubber?" a voice said. Kat looked up and saw Kelsey. She felt sick - she had been feeling ill a lot lately. Kelsey hated her because Kat had hit her. Kat might not have been so scared if it was just Kelsey there, but there were seven or eight of them. A gang. Oh, God.

"Hiding by the bins," someone else said. " I 'spose you're used to rubbish though, ain't ya?"

Kat crouched down further, trying to curl herself up so they wouldn't be able to get to her.

"Get up," Kelsey said, sneering.

Kat didn't move.

"I said get up! Are you f*cking deaf or what?" Kelsey started towards her, but Kat shoved with her heels and pulled herself backwards, away from her.

One of the boys joined Kelsey and looked at Kat, his upper lip curling into a smirk. "Come on, get up. We ain't gonna hurt ya - promise."

Kat looked around wildly, looking for help. There was no-one about apart from these lot. She was done for. She stood up slowly and came out from behind the bins. Might as well. Better now than later.

The boy grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She didn't even resist. "Well then," he said, breathing in her ear. His breath smelled of stale cigarette smoke.

"Hit me then," kat said. She couldn't be bothered anymore.

"Don't hit girls," the boy grunted.

"No, you don't, do you," Kat replied. "Very noble of you."

"Shut up," he said, angrily. "Don't mess us about. You're gonna get it."

"I'm not scared of you lot. You're like Robin Hood and his Merry Men."

His grip on her arm tightened and she cried out in pain.

--------

more soon gotta go

[crazy_purple]

"What makes you think you can say stuff like that to my man?" Kelsey said, moving closer. She had an ugly look in her eyes.

"Your man? He's what, thirteen?"

Kelsey sneered. "And you'd know better, would you?"

Kat didn't say a word. It occured to her suddenly that these girls, who played silly boyfriend-and-girlfriend games, pretending they were grown up, actually knew nothing about what adults did.

"So what do you want?" she said bravely. "I wouldn't think eight against one is fair, is it?"

"Shut your trap," one of the other girls said. Her name was Mandy and she was constantly chewing gum. She was in Year 10, but for some reason not the leader of the gang.

"Make me," Kat said quickly. It was out of her mouth before she could stop it and she cursed herself.

"Alright then," said Mandy coldly. Without even hesitating she smacked Kat across the face. Kat's head was thrown sideways and her cheek stung.

"Gonna shut it now?" Mandy asked, putting her face close to Kat's ear intimidatingly.

Kat didn't move her head, but looked Mandy in the eye. "You fight like a girl."

"What the f... well spotted, darling," the older girl replied sarcastically.

Kat's hand flew up in a fist - the blow glanced off Mandy's face and she fell back, clutching her nose. Kat saw a thin trickle of blood running from between her fingers.

The other girls gasped. The boy behind Kat grabbed both her wrists and jerked them back painfully so she couldn't move them. Kelsey stared at her wounded friend and her eyes narrowed.

"You're gonna pay for that!" she said to Kat.

Kat was breathing heavily. She struggled, but the boy wouldn't let her go. She brought her heel up and raked it down his shin, hard. He yelped and twisted backwards. Immediately she pulled loose and tried to run. She got a few yards but one of the other boys stuck his foot out and she tripped. She fell and slid painfully along the playground floor, scraping the skin off her knees and elbows. Someone yanked her upwards and struck her across the face. She shut her eyes and someone else - one of the girls, definitely - got her cheek with their fingernails. She felt a flare of pain and thought it might be bleeding. Then someone was rubbing a handful of gravel across her face and she was crying and a boy kicked her, once, twice, and -

"What are you doing! Get off her!"

She opened her eyes blearily and saw a boy trying to push the others away from her. Two against eight, Kat thought. I like those odds. She pushed her way upright while they were distracted. Rubbing the dirt off her face, she looked at the newcomer and realised he was in her maths group. Todd, or something. A quiet one.

"Leave her alone!" the boy shouted, fists clenched. "Eight of you against one girl, that isn't fair!"

"Cram it, foureyes," Mandy retorted.

"That's original," Todd said sarcastically, not even looking at her. "Did you hit her? Darren?" He looked angry.

The boy Todd had called Darren looked sulky. He was the one who had been rubbing gravel into her face. "What's it to you?"

Todd looked at Kat and she met his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, listen to the knight in shining armour," Mandy said, sneering. "You don't get knights with glasses though do you?"

"Mandy Aldman?" Todd said, looking at her. "Don't you go out with Jason Hardy?"

"How the hell do you know that?" Mandy said nastily.

"He's my brother." Todd said levelly. "And I don't think he likes bullies much."

Mandy's smirk disappeared. "So?" She looked unsettled.

"So, unless you want me to tell him what an evil little b*tch you are, you and the Seven Dwarves can hotfoot it on out of here." Todd cocked his head, staring at her. "P*ss off."

Mandy looked disgruntled. She looked at Kelsey, who seemed to have stopped being leader for now, and they trudged off. The rest of the gang followed them, using the hard-man walk (which made them look like teenage gorillas).
Kat and Todd were left alone by the bins. They looked each other up and down.

[crazy_purple]

The boy had sandy brown hair and glasses. He was taller than Kat but looked slim and a bit delicate, for a boy. Kat had seen him around school before but never spoken to him. He was one of those people who looked quiet until they actually spoke. She felt a curious liking for him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her warily. He didn't seem used to talking to girls.

"I'm fine," Kat said. She knew he was looking at her, but didn't mind. She wondered what he was thinking. Normally, if a boy was looking at her, she got a horrible sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. But this was different. She didn't know why.

"Your face is a bit of a mess," he said, and then stopped. "Oh I didn't mean-"

"S'alright," Kat said. They lapsed into silence for a moment. She glanced around the playground. "Do you know what time it is?"

He glanced at his right wrist, but it was bare. He looked flustered and glanced at his left wrist, where his watch was. "Five past. Break's been over for ten minutes."

Kat smiled, amused by him. She decided that she liked this boy. He was friendly and safe. She felt her face going a bit pink and was embarrassed. He was the first boy she'd ever thought about like this...

"Your name's Todd, isn't it?" she asked.

He nodded. "I don't know yours."

She recognised the question and smiled. "Kat."

"Oh. Well, hi, Kat," he said, grinning and holding out his hand. She was confused for a moment but then realised and shook his hand, smiling in surprise. She was genuinely happy, despite the pain from earlier.

"Do you want to go and sit by the pond?" she ventured. He nodded and they wandered over to the low brick wall around the pond. There had used to be fish in there, but the kids had thrown stones at them and the poor things had died. Kat felt sorry for them. She looked at her reflection in the water, and was surprised. Her hair was a tangled mess and her face was dirty, with bits of gravel and muck stuck to it and some nasty scratches. She wiped her face, wincing as she touched the scratches.

"You're right, I'm a mess," she said glumly.

"No, you're pretty," Todd said, and then looked embarrassed. Kat was caught off guard. No-one had ever called her pretty before. She let her hands fall into her lap and looked at Todd more fully.

"Am I?" she asked earnestly.

"Yeah," he replied. "You've got nice eyes." He turned pink. "Sorry."

Kat grinned. "Thank you for getting rid of them lot, by the way."

"That's okay," Todd said. "I hate those kind of people. They drive me crazy."

"Me too."

[crazy_purple]

When Kat got home that night, her mum took one look at her and gasped. Her dad was sitting at the kitchen table and he looked horrified to see the scratches on his daughter's face.

"Who did this to you?" he asked, staring at her.

Kat mumbled something and tried traipsing off upstairs, but her mum wouldn't let her.

"What happened?" Mum asked angrily.

Kat sighed. "Nothing."

"That one looks a bit deep," Mum said resignedly. "I'd better take you to the doctor's, see if it needs stitches."

Dad looked incredulous. "Aren't you going to ask her who did it?"

Mum glanced at him. "It's obvious she's not going to say anything. I'm not wasting my breath on her a minute longer."

She grabbed Kat's elbow and led her to the door.

"What? We can't go now," Kat cried.

"We can. It's open til six now, didn't you know?"

"Mum-"

"Shut up." her mum said calmly. "I've had enough of you. Get in the car."

Kat climbed into the car and her mum drove them to the doctors surgery, not speaking to her the whole way.

Once they got into the doctor's room, the doctor took one look at Kat and asked her mum if she'd wait outside.

"What?" Mum said, annoyed.

"Please, Mrs Slater... I'd like to talk to Kat alone."

"You're wasting your time. I just want to know if the scratches -"

"No, they don't need stitches," the doctor said. He sounded tired. Once her mum had gone, he motioned for Kat to sit down. She did. The seat was nice and comfy.

"So," he said, looking at her over the rim of his glasses, "Been in the wars, have we?"

Kat nodded. The doctor smiled grimly. "I see. Kids at school?"

"Yes," Kat said.

The doctor tutted. "Well, I hope you gave them some back."

Kat was surprised. Doctors weren't supposed to be... oh, forget it. What did she care?

"You were in a while ago, weren't you? A broken arm?"

Kat nodded, swallowing. That had happened when Harry had thrown her against the wall too hard.

"Well," the doctor said, sighing, "I don't like to say this, but I'm worried about you."

Kat froze. "W - why?"

The doctor looked at her compassionately. "Would you roll your sleeves up for me please?"

Kat's mouth went dry. She rolled them up slowly. The doctor looked at the healed up cuts and nodded once, looking a bit sad for some reason. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about? Everything you say here is confidential."

Kat shook her head numbly. There was plenty. But she wasn't about to tell. Not now, not ever.

"Well..." the doctor frowned, as if thinking, arguing with himself. "I... Kat, I really am worried about how you -" he cleared his throat, and changed tack. "How are things at home?"

"Fine," Kat said shortly. She wanted to leave.

"And are you all right medically? Healthy?"

"Yes, I'm fine," Kat said mechanically.

"Regular?"

Kat frowned. "What?"

"Your cycle, is it regular?"

Kat wondered what the hell he was talking about, and then it hit her. "Oh.. well, kind of. Not really."

She didn't like talking about things like this, but he carried on. "What do you mean, not really?"

Kat looked down at her knees. "I only ever had one. Ages ago."

His eyes narrowed. "How long ago?"

"Um... about five months or something. Maybe six. I don't remember." Kat looked at him, confused. "Why do you want to know-"

"Kat," he sighed, looking as uncomfortable as she felt, "Have you ever slept with anyone?"

Kat's entire body froze and her voice came out as a squeak. "No."

The doctor looked at her sadly. "I haven't had the pleasure of meeting your father, Kat. Can I ask you again?" he said gently.

Kat looked up, horrified. "Oh no, not my Dad, he'd never-"

He looked at her with that same sad, compassionate expression. Her lower lip started trembling. "No," she cried. "No, I haven't, I'm not a sl*t, I haven't-"

She started to cry for real.

[squillyfer]

this is brilliant do more asap

[Kim]

Brilliant, please do more asap.

[Chloe-Elise]

This is excellent,please do more soon.

[*kalfie*moon*]

please do more!

[crazy_purple]

The doctor looked at her gravely. "Six months, did you say?"

"About that long, yeah," Kat said, sniffling. Anything to get them off that other subject.

He took something off the side. "Can you do something for me? I just want you to do this."

At first she thought he had gotten mad at her and was going to give her an injection or something, but he passed her some oddkind of little container. "What is it?" she asked, wiping her eyes.

"There's a toilet just down the corridor," he said, motioning with his arm. "Just go in there and-"

Kat glanced at the thing in her hand. "You want me to... go to the loo in this?!"

The doctor kind of smiled. "If you will, please."

"But - why?" Kat asked, completely bemused. "And what if my mum sees me?"

"She's gone outside to cool off," The doctor said, glancing out of his window. He started doing something else, preoccupied, and seemed surprised that Kat was still there when he looked up. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't want to," Kat said uncertainly. She didn't know what any of this meant, but she knew it couldn't be good. Maybe she was ill. Maybe she'd got a disease and he wouldn't tell her. She stood there, numb with fright. "Am I dying?" she blurted out.

He glanced at her, surprised. "What? Where did you get that idea from?"

"I..." Kat trailed off.

"Kat," the doctor said, putting his papers aside. "You're not dying. I promise you that. Just go to the toilet, will you?"

Kat frowned and grabbed the doorhandle. For some reason, she felt more and more afraid with every step she took. She found the toilets and went inside.

A few minutes later, she re-entered the doctor's office, carrying the tiny container gingerly. For God's sake don't spill it, she thought, and choked back an obscene burst of laughter. The doctor nodded at her as she came in and opened a door which joined on to his room. He put his head round the adjoining door for a moment and mumbled something in a low voice to a nurse who was sitting in the next room. Kat had a sudden terrible feeling they were talking about her, and her heart sunk like a stone. The doctor took Kat's container and passed it to the nurse, who glanced at Kat and her eyes widened. The nurse said "a few minutes," to the doctor, who nodded. It was all very mysterious.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on, or what?" Kat asked. Her nerves were getting the better of her.

"In a few minutes," he replied. He started twiddling his thumbs and looking round the office. He noticed Kat's expression and sighed. "Toffee?" he asked, producing a bowl filled with sweets suddenly. Kat nearly laughed, but her knees felt weak. She accepted a toffee and chewed it nervously.

[crazy_purple]

A few minutes later, the nurse from the next room leant round the door and muttered something in the doctor's ear. The doctor's face fell and he looked grave, but it was as though something he already thought he knew had been confirmed. He turned back to Kat with a sorrowful expression.

"Sit down," he said. Kat did so, quickly. She didn't like the look on his face.

"Now, Kat..." he cleared his throat, and Kat was even more confused. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the doctor was upset, nervous even... but that was silly. Grown-ups didn't get upset or scared, least of all doctors.

"You know that question I asked you earlier," he said gently. Kat looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. "You didn't want to tell the truth, and I can understand that. It doesn't matter."

"I was telling the truth!" Kat said hotly.

The doctor sighed. "There's something important you need to know. It'll be a bit of a shock."

Kat frowned. "What?"

Now it was his turn to look away. He started shuffling through some papers on his desk. Kat suddenly began to hate him.

"Well..." he began. "You're not really ready for this at all, are you?" He gave her a pitying glance. "But... here goes. There's no escaping the fact that you weren't telling the truth when I asked you if you'd ever slept with anyone, but that's irrelevant really. What's done is done, I'm not about to ask you his name or anything like that."

Kat sat there, frozen to her seat.

"The long and short of it is..." he sighed again, looking uncomfortable. "You're pregnant."

[Kim]

Brill please do more asap :)

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :) more soon please

[hayley]

brill~loving all the flashbacks e.t.c! more asap! (please! :) )

[Skits]

this is brill. please do more soon.

[Angeldelight]

more more more... please post more soon...

[crazy_purple]

Kat's forehead slowly wrinkled into a frown. She wasn't sure she'd heard him right.

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," the doctor said. "You're still very young and I'm not at all sure if you'll be able to cope."

"W-what?" Kat asked. He couldn't possibly have said what she thought he had said.

He sighed sadly. "You're pregnant. You said it'd been six months. You're most likely around five months or more gone."

Kat shook her head. "I'm not."

"I'm sorry, I really am-"

"I'm not!" Kat cried. "I'm not! How can I be? He only did it once-"

She gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth, tears trickling down her face.

"It's alright," the doctor said quietly.

"I can't be I can't be I can't be-" she repeated. The doctor tried to say something and she cried "I'm not listening! I don't care!"

She saw the expression on his face and cried harder, until she could barely breathe. Little black and red lights were winking on and off in front off her eyes. The entire world seemed to be sliding sideways. Dimly, from far away, she heard the doctor saying "Kat? Kat?" Then it all went grey and she slid off the chair.

When she woke up a while later, she was in a different room. Her eyes were closed but she could tell - it smelled and sounded different. She could hear her mum's voice and the doctor's. He was talking quietly in a low voice, but her mum was repeating something over and over. She sounded like she was crying. Kat wondered if the doctor had told her about the - her mind pushed away from the forbidden word. She wanted to keep her eyes closed forever. Never wake up.

"I think she's come round," Kat heard the doctor say. She heard movement and opened her eyes quickly.

Her mum was sitting in a chair next to her, her face pale and wet with tears. She looked like she was in shock. Kat realised that she was lying on some kind of bed or couch. It was quite comfy. There was a thing that looked like a TV screen, with wires attached to it.

"Mum?" Kat said weakly.

Her mum sniffled and looked at her. The look seemed full of horror mingled with disgust. Kat's blood turned cold. Did she know-?

The doctor moved towards Kat. "Will you roll your top up a bit please?"

"No!" Mum interrupted furiously, tears shining in her eyes. "No, this is ridiculous - I won't-"

"Mrs Slater," the doctor said patiently, "I'm a doctor. I want to help your daughter. Will you let me, please?" His voice held an edge of disgust, Kat thought - or was she imagining it?

Mum fell into sullen silence. Kat rolled her top up slowly. It was true, her tummy was a bit bigger than it had been - but so what? She had been eating a lot. Kind of. But if you eat lots don't you get bigger everywhere, not just your stomach?

He put some cold stuff on her stomach and she gasped. It was freezing. He smoothed it out a bit and got some strange implement out. Kat frowned at it.

"Just relax, okay?" the doctor said quietly to Kat.

"Will it hurt?" Kat asked nervously.

"No. Not a bit, I swear," he replied. He looked sincere. Kat breathed out.

He started moving the thing about and a moment later, a picture appeared on the screen. Loads of grey stuff. Then there was a shape. Kat watched it in confusion. What on earth...

"Is that my insides?" she asked curiously.

"Yes," he said, watching the screen. When the mysterious shape appeared more fully, he pointed at it, looking at Kat's mum meaningfully.

"No," Mum said. "No. No. It can't be-"

She started to cry. Kat stared at her. She had never seen her mum cry before.

The doctor looked at Kat. "This is your baby."

For a moment Kat was confused, but she remembered what he'd said earlier. Then shock took over. "What..."

She could do nothing but stare at the screen. She could see it clearly now - the head, the body... her mouth was gaping open but she didn't even notice. She let out a choking sob. "No...."

It wasn't a baby. It was a horrible creature that he had put there. She felt nothing for it. It was like an alien. How could that be inside her, be living off of her air and things? She hated it, loathed it, detested it.

"Get it out," she whispered hoarsely. "Get it out. I don't want it. Get it out of me."

The doctor was looking at her with that same dopey expression. Why'd he have to tell her this? She hated him too.

"I said get it out!" she screamed at him. "Get that thing out of me!"

He turned the screen off, and Kat felt a rush of relief. "I'm sorry. We can't get rid of it."

The words were like a death knell. "Yes. You can. i know you can," Kat babbled. "I've heard about it. you just give me a tablet and then it's gone, then it's-"

"No." he interrupted. "We can't. It's illegal. You're too far gone."

"I don't care if it's illegal!" Kat shouted. "Just do it! Please!"

He shook his head. "No."

Kat stared at him, disbelieving, and then collapsed into helpless sobs.

[crazy_purple]

Back in 2005...

Kat was getting ready to open up the stall when she glanced across and saw that Alfie's stall was minus its owner.

"Mickey?" she called across. "Have you seen Alfie today?"

Mickey glanced at Kat and then at Alfie's stall. "No... I didn't realise he wasn't there."

Kat frowned and looked in the direction of Alfie's house. She couldn't help it, but she was worried. Was he ill? Was Nana - she suddenly remembered everything and got even more worried. What if Nana was - was - she dropped the skirt she had been holding and hurried towards his house.

"Alfie!" she called, knocking on the door. "Are you okay?"

The door opened a few minutes later - by then Kat had worked herself up into panic - and Alfie was standing there in his pyjamas, yawning.

"What on earth...?" he frowned at her. "What are you doing?"

"You weren't on the stall - I thought Nana might be-" she trailed off, realising how stupid she must look. She wasn't supposed to care about what was going on his life anymore. She turned pink in embarrassment.

"Oh - what time is it?" Alfie said, looking surprised. he checked the clock in the hallway. "Oh, damn - I'm late again..."

Kat looked at the floor, feeling like a fool. "Sorry... I was just worried..."

He looked at her. "It's alright. You woke me up, anyway. I've been having too many lie-ins lately - must be my old age, eh?"

Kat grinned and they shared an unexpected moment, but then it evaporated.

"I'd best get dressed then," he muttered, and turned away.

"Bye," Kat said uncertainly, and Alfie shut the door. She gazed at it like an idiot for a few seconds, and then walked off, unaware that Alfie was doing the exact same on the other side of the door.

---------

please reply

[Kim]

Fab, please do more :) :o

[crazy_purple]

Two weeks later, Kat was coming back from a shopping trip in the centre of London when she noticed that once again, Alfie wasn't on his stall. She felt another stab of fear, but ignored it this time. She wasn't going to go charging round to his house again like a fool. She went home.

"I found a really nice top Stace," Kat said to Stacey as she went into the kitchen. "There was only one though, and it was in your size, so I got it for you." She smiled, feeling generous and happy. "Like it?"

Stacey looked at the top and her face lit up. "Yeah, it's great! Thanks," she said, with real pleasure. Kat grinned and sat down at the table.

Charlie turned around and looked at her, a funny expression on his face. "What's up?" Kat asked.

"Um... Nana Moon got taken to hospital while you were out." he said. "Alfie went with her. I don't know what was wrong, but I thought I'd better tell you..."

Kat jumped up, turning pale. "Which hospital?"

Charlie frowned. "I don't know."

Kat grabbed her bag and rushed out. Her dad called after her "Kat! They might not want you to-" but she ignored him.

She found Jake sitting on the bench in the park, looking glum. He looked up and saw her. "Suppose you've heard then," he said.

"How is she?" Kat asked quickly.

Jake sighed. "Not very well. I haven't been to see her yet, it was only a while ago they went..." he trailed off.

"And... is Alfie okay?" Kat asked nervously.

Jake glanced at her before returning his gaze to the ground. "He's emotional. Worried."

"Do you know what hospital they're in?"

Jake paused for a moment, and then told her. She nodded, eyes bright. There was nothing else in her mind except going to see them, to make sure Nana was alright. And Alfie.

"Kat," Jake called as she turned to leave. "Don't... don't upset him, will you?"

Kat shook her head, and hurried towards the bus stop.

[squillyfer]

Yay I love this script and i'm not really a kalfie fan but you are converting me do more asap

[crazy_purple]

:D Kalfie is one of the only reasons I watch EastEnders (...and that's kind of sad...:o )

------
Kat went up to the reception desk in the hospital. The receptionist looked bored.

"Um, 'scuse me..." Kat said. She hated hospitals. Nothing good ever happened to her in them.

"Yes?"

"I'm looking for Nana Moon -" Kat paused as she realised that no way was 'Nana' her real name, and at the same time thought 'What is her real name? Did I ever think to ask?'

"Is that her first name?" the receptionist said, raising her eyebrow slightly.

"Er, no, no it isn't..." Kat said, embarrassed. "Um... it's.... uh...."

"There are other people waiting," the receptionist said pointedly.

"Sorry," Kat said. And then she remembered. "Victoria! Her name is Victoria Moon," she said proudly.

The receptionist tapped something up on her computer. "Are you a relative?"

"Yes, I'm her grandaughter," Kat said quickly. Well, it was nearly true.

"Room 506. Fourth floor."

"Thank you," Kat said breathlessly, and hurried towards the lifts.

[crazy_purple]

Kat knocked quietly on the door of room 506. She could see Alfie sitting next to the hospital bed. Alfie turned round and looked surprised to see her.

"What are you doing here?" he asked as she entered the room.

"I was worried," Kat replied. She looked at Nana, who seemed to be asleep on the bed. She looked old and frail.

"She's unconscious," Alfie said. There was an IV drip attached to the back of Nana's hand. Kat remembered those from when she had been in hospital, after... after.

He looked at Kat more fully. "Why are you here?"

"I just said, I was wor-"

"About who?"

"Both of you," Kat said. He seemed angry and she didn't know why.

"Jake hasn't even got here yet," Alfie said. "We only arrived fifteen minutes ago. And yet you swan in because you were worried?"

"I was," Kat said uncertainly. "I thought she might be ill-"

"She is!" Alfie exclaimed. "I found her unconscious in the kitchen! I thought-" He buried his head in his hands.

"It's alright," she said, trying to reassure him.

"I don't want to lose her," he said. "I can't."

"It'll be alright." She put her hand on his back tentatively. "I'm-"

"Get off!" He shook her hand away. "Do you have any idea how hard you're making this?"

"What?" she said, confused.

"You! You're... I don't understand you! One minute you're telling me to buzz off and the next you're hugging me, and - and-"

"I'm sorry," she said. She didn't know what else to say. "I didn't mean to."

"I was trying to get over you," he said, with a bitter laugh. "To forget about you. And I was really trying, Kat, I thought I might be getting somewhere. But no. The second I try to get on with things at all, you pop up again, doing this!"

Kat stood up. "I only came to see how Nana was. I didn't want an argument."

"Well, tough. The world doesn't revolve around what you want, Kat."

Kat recoiled. She didn't understand why he was being like this.

"Go on!" he exclaimed. "Get out! I don't want you here."

Kat backed away, her eyes stinging with tears. She felt the doorhandle behind her, opened it and rushed out. She managed to hold in the tears until she got around the corner, when she slid down onto a bench and cried.

[squillyfer]

This is sooooooooo good

[crazy_purple]

After a while Kat looked up, tears drying on her cheeks. She stared at a poster on the opposite wall. How could he send her away like that? She had gone to see Nana, and he had shouted at her. Why? She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and stood up. She wasn't going to let him send her away like that. No-one else would get away with it, why should he?

She entered the room again with a determined expression. He looked up and sighed. "Not-"

"Shut up," she interrupted. "I'm not here to see you, I'm here to see Nana, and I'll be damned if you're going to stop me."

He stared at her, mouth open. She pulled a chair up to the opposite side of Nana's bed from where he was sitting and sat on it.

There was silence for a few minutes as Alfie tried to get his head around what had just happened. He glanced at kat and their eyes met by accident.

"Are you going to say sorry for shouting at me, or what?" Kat asked.

Alfie blinked. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"Alright," Kat replied primly.

"I was upset... I thought I was gonna lose her..."

Kat glanced at him. "I know."

"This is the same hospital that..." he fell silent.

"What?"

"It doesn't matter," Alfie said, looking at his hands.

"You can tell me," Kat said softly.

He sighed, looking pained. "This is the same one that my mum died in."

"I'm sorry," Kat said. She felt foolish.

Alfie didn't seem to hear her. "Dad died straight away.... instantly, they said... but Mum..." he breathed in, "...she went into a coma."

He fiddled with the bedcovers, not seeing them. He was seeing something else. Kat stayed silent, watching him. She wanted to hug him and comfort him, but she wasn't allowed to... She sensed part of him needed to say this.

"She was really badly injured... paralysed... she wasn't going to wake up." He looked at Kat for the first time, eyes shining with tears. "She wasn't going to... they kept telling me, but I wouldn't believe them... After five days they turned her life support off."

Kat wanted to cry too. He'd never told her anything like this before. She had the feeling he hadn't told anyone else, either.

"I begged them not to. I kept telling them they'd be murderers if they did, and they kept telling me she'd never wake up... and all the while Nana was sat at home, having to look after Spencer and keep him happy... we couldn't tell him, you see, he was too young... when her only son had just died. But visitors to the house, they couldn't even tell. she just... she coped. She never broke down. She looked after Spencer - he was five - even when he was having tantrums in shops, and at the same time she was making arrangements for Dad's funeral."

He wiped his eyes, staring at his grandma as she lay in the bed unconscious. "When they turned Mum's life support off, I was holding her hand... I remember she had this cut on the back of it where a bit of glass had gone in. She looked beautiful... her eyes were closed and this huge gash across her forehead... but she was my mum and she was beautiful..."

Kat realised she had tears running down her cheeks too and wiped them off hastily. She reached across the bed and took Alfie's hands in hers gently. His hands tightened around hers and she noticed he was still wearing his wedding ring. So was she.

[*kalfie*moon*]

aww this is so good. :)

[squillyfer]

I really want more

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww this so sad but brilliant!More soon please :D

[crazy_purple]

Just then a nurse entered the room and Kat and Alfie stood up. The nurse checked some things and fluffed the pillows or whatever it is nurses do.

"How is she?" Alfie asked nervously.

"She seems better," the nurse said. "She'll wake up soon. But she needs bed rest." She smiled at Kat and Alfie and left the room.

They looked at each other, and Kat realised with shock that she still felt that love she had always had for him when their eyes met. They both looked away.

"I might go and get a drink," Alfie said. "Do you want one?"

Kat shook her head shyly, cursing herself for her feelings. But her feelings for him couldn't be helped; she couldn't stop them. "No thanks. I'd best be going, anyway."

"You can stay if you want."

"No, I don't want to intrude," Kat said. They both moved towards the door at the same time and ended up both taking hold of the doorhandle at the same time. Kat looked up and him and their eyes met. Time seemed to freeze and the room seemed to fade away, so it was just the two of them, standing close together, hands touching by accident. Kat wondered if there was such a thing as fate. Was it possible that the two of them were meant to be together? If that was true, then nothing would keep them apart, not really... And that would mean there are no coincidences, and it is inevitable, and all those other catchphrases from movies that hinted at the same thing. Maybe it was inevitable that they would find themselves in situations like this. Maybe...

There were a million thoughts swirling around in Kat's head, and they all amounted to the same thing. She and Alfie stared into each other's eyes, and they both felt a strange stab of fear. Fear of what? Fear of each other...

As if in slow motion, she felt herself reach up... no, you can't do that, you're not supposed to... maybe it's fate, maybe there's a goddess of fate.... maybe there's a man in the moon.... maybe he's standing right next to you and you're too stupid to see it... ...and her lips met his. She just kissed him once gently on the lips and then pulled away. He didn't recoil; he didn't even seem surprised. It was a perfect moment; unspoilable.

Or it would have been if a sudden long, continuous beep hadn't filled the air and they had looked around, confused, and Alfie's eyes had widened in horror and he had ran to Nana and then a load of doctors had flooded into the room and told them to leave and....

[crazy_purple]

A doctor led them out of the room. "Please, we need some room, it's best if you stay out here."

"Is she going to be okay?" Alfie asked desperately, craning to look into the room.

"I couldn't say, sir," the doctor said. "Look, maybe you should sit down over here, calm down a bit." He left them at the bench Kat had sat down on earlier. Alfie sat down on it numbly.

"She'll be okay," Kat said, trying to reassure him, but it sounded weak even to her.

He looked at her and she saw the pain in his eyes. "Don't leave me."

"I won't," she whispered.

"I can't- I can't do this by myself-"

Kat grabbed his hands and held them tightly. "I won't leave you. I promise."

Something seemed to whisper in the air and she remembered what had happened earlier. All those thoughts running through her head about fate... No. She wasn't going to sit here and believe that Nana dying was fate. That was ridiculous, and horrible.

Alfie looked at her, sniffling. "Why'd you kiss me?"

She looked back at him. She could say anything. Anything at all. It didn't have to be true. She could say it had been a mistake, she hadn't been thinking straight, and so on. But that wasn't true. She had never been thinking more straight in her life.

"Because I love you," she said softly. "I've always loved you. Even before I'd ever met you... and I'm never going to stop."

He gazed at her. "I..."

There was the sudden sound of footsteps and they looked up. The doctor was walking towards them. He looked serious. Kat felt Alfie tense up, in anticipation of bad news. She didn't let go of his hand.

"Well?" Alfie asked. But he already knew. The doctor's face told them everything.

"I'm really sorry, but-"

Alfie shook his head wildly, bottom lip trembling, and Kat hugged him to her, crying herself. He put his arms around her, shaking, and they held onto each other in their grief.

[squillyfer]

Aww I want more this is so so good I look forward to reading more of this

[Kim]

Awwwww. So sad. :crying: Please do more soon.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwww Nana :crying: Poor Alfie :( More soon please :)

[Angeldelight]

more more more... and need i say it again... more more more... hehe

[crazy_purple]

I'll do more ASAP, but I got a stupid History essay to write about 1920s America. Bleh. Back soon x

[crazy_purple]

Kat and Alfie took a taxi back to the Square. Alfie felt numb. He couldn't really take it in; she couldn't be dead, not really. It seemed impossible.

Kat glanced at Alfie in the taxi. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, staring into the distance.

Kat opened her mouth to say something but shut it again, and looked out the window. It was getting dark. The Square seemed filled with shadows.

"Just here'll do," Kat said to the driver. She got out but Alfie didn't move. "Alfie?" she said, uncertainly.

He looked at her. "Yeah." He climbed out of the taxi slowly and looked around the Square, his face blank. Kat noticed it had suddenly gone dark, and shivered.

"Are you cold?" he asked, seeming to see her for the first time. He shook his leather coat off his shoulders and draped it around hers. She smiled slightly and put it on - it was too big for her and touched the floor, but it kept her hands warm. She breathed in the clean scent of Alfie and felt his warmth surround her.

"Will you - will you come to the house with me?" Alfie asked her awkwardly. "I can't stand being alone in there, not tonight..." There was such an expression of pain and grief on his face that she would have hugged him right then and there, if they hadn't been standing in plain view of the Slaters' house. She nodded.

The moment Alfie opened the front door his face fell. There was a pair of Nana's shoes near the bottom of the stairs. She won't be needing those now, he thought, and a tidal wave of sadness washed in. Kat offered her hand and he took it, grateful for the little bit of comfort.

"Come on," she said quietly. "This isn't doing you any good. You need some rest."

She led him to his bedroom and for a startled moment his mind did a backflip to when she had done that not so long ago, the night before Billy had picked up the mic and ruined their lives...

She made him get in bed and she knelt down on the floor next to it, watching him. "Go to sleep." she whispered. "You might feel a bit better in the morning."

"I won't," he said, but he was yawning already. He continued guiltily. "How can I sleep when-"

Kat put her hand on his head gently. "Please, Alfie. It might do you some good."

No, he thought sleepily. How can I sleep, alone, in this house? When it's now truly empty of anyone else? Jake's at the Vic, he won't care... It's only me now...

"Stay with me," he said, looking into her eyes. "Please."

Kat looked startled. "No, I can't-"

"You promised - you promised you wouldn't leave me," Alfie said. "I won't tell anyone. Just one night... I can't cope here by myself, I'll go mad..."

Kat sighed, torn by emotions. She shouldn't. But on the other hand, she should... she had promised, after all... Without further thought she kicked her shoes off and slid under the covers next to him. And she would be kidding herself if she hadn't already intended to do that, before he'd even asked.

"Thanks," he said awkwardly.

"It's okay," Kat replied. Unconsciously, she let her hand slide up and touch the side of his face gently. "I don't want to see you hurt."

She watched him drift off to sleep, her head filled with a whirlwind of emotions. Well, wasn't this a turn up for the books? In bed with Alfie... We're not doing anything, she thought defensively. But they were, really. As she watched him sleep, she realised that there was nowhere else on earth she'd rather be right now.

[*kalfie*moon*]

awwww more more!

[crazy_purple]

Kat woke up the next morning with the sun shining on the pillow next to her. For a moment she wondered where she was, but she saw Alfie lying next to her, asleep, and remembered everything that had happened. Nana Moon had died. She had comforted Alfie. And somehow they had ended up curled up in bed together. Nothing had happened, though. Kat frowned. She had told herself that she wouldn't do this, that nothing more would ever happen between them. But it had.

She watched him sleeping, the steady rise and fall of his chest beneath the covers. A golden sliver of sunlight fell on his face, illuminating the careworn lines of his face and some grey hairs, in among the black. She sighed. She loved him so much, why couldn't she be with him? Because of some stupid mistake that he had made, of course.

Alfie stirred and his eyes flickered open slowly. She had laid next to him hundreds of times in the mornings like this, and yet she still never failed to get that funny feeling whenever she saw the blueness of his eyes after seeing only his eyelids for a while.

For a moment he said nothing, and they watched each other silently.

"Thanks for staying," Alfie said eventually. He stretched and started to get out of bed. Kat jumped out of bed too, and she realised they were both wearing the same clothes they had been wearing last night. Of course.

"Will you be okay?" she asked.

He glanced at her. "Yeah."

Kat felt uncomfortable. "If you need anything..."

"I'll be alright," Alfie said bracingly. He didn't look alright.

"I can stay if you want," Kat said.

"No, they'll be wondering where you are," Alfie said, an edge of bitterness in his voice. He had no family left.

"Oh, yeah," Kat said. It seemed like she remembered her family only then, and she was surprised.

Suddenly Alfie's face clouded. "Oh, God. I'll have to tell everyone, won't I? I can't go through all that again..."

"Well, you'll have to tell them at some point," Kat said softly. "Don't worry... I'll be there."

He looked at her, startled. "What?"

"I said I'll be there," Kat repeated firmly. "I'm not going to leave you now. I've got a promise to keep."

Alfie's face filled with gratitude and he smiled weakly. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Kat said. She felt better somehow. "Now, I'll come back around here later. Are you going to get dressed?"

Alfie frowned. "I'd rather just stay in bed."

"You might feel better if you get on with things," she said gently. She saw his face, and added "But you can stay in bed if you want. I'll be back later, yeah?"

"Yeah," Alfie said. "Kat...?"

She was opening the door, and stopped. She turned back. "What is it?"

"I... I love you," he said uncertainly. He wasn't sure how she'd react, but she smiled gently.

"I know." she said. "I love you too. I'll be back soon."

She left and he heard her opening the front door downstairs. Then she was gone.

[crazy_purple]

Kat came in through the back door to the Slaters' house and saw the others sitting around the kitchen table. They looked up at her.

"Where were you last night?" Charlie asked.

Kat sighed. "At Alfie's house."

She saw Little Mo out of the corner of her eye, and she didn't look happy. Kat felt nothing.

"What?" Charlie exclaimed. "I don't want you with him, he's hurt you enough before-"

"Dad," Kat interrupted. "Listen. Nana Moon... she's passed away."

There were murmurs of shock around the table and Kat spoke on into the surprised silence. "Alfie was upset, so I stayed with him. I slept on the sofa."

She cleared her throat and looked away. It was only a tiny white lie...

"She's died?" Little Mo looked on the verge of tears. "I didn't - I..."

She hadn't known Nana was ill. Alfie hadn't told her. Kat felt a vicious burst of spite - Little Mo hadn't stayed in Alfie's bed last night, watching him sleep. Kat had. She was surprised at herself. Thinking about revenge, at a time like this?

"I'm sorry," Charlie said, looking glum. "I didn't know she was ill... did you, Kat?"

"Yeah, he.... he told me. He didn't mean to. He was..." she trailed off.

"Well," said Big Mo, "Don't let him draw you back in, that's all I'm saying."

Kat frowned. "I'm just looking after him."

She glanced at Little Mo and saw she had got a reaction. She shouldn't be doing this... Hadn't she chosen her sister over Alfie? But that didn't seem so important right now.

[crazy_purple]

Kat went back to Alfie's house after ten minutes. She was worried about how he would cope by himself. But that wasn't the real reason... there was a part of her that just wanted to see him...

"I'm back," she called as she opened the door. No reply - he was probably still in bed. She went into the kitchen and put the kettle on. She would make some tea for him and sit on the bed and look after him.

She waited for the kettle to boil and glanced around the kitchen. There were some photos scattered on the table; old ones, probably of Alfie and his family. Kat looked at them for a minute. Yes, she could recognise Alfie in them - a big cheeky grin and innocent expression. His mum looked pretty in the photos. Kat remembered what he had said to her in the hospital, about how his mum had been beautiful when they turned her life support off... She glanced at the other photos. Something was gnawing away at her, trying to get her attention. What?

The kettle boiled and Kat made the tea. She remembered how Alfie had tea - strong and no milk. She didn't know how he could drink it like that.

She went into his bedroom, saying "Are you feeling bet-"

She froze, staring at the bed. He was lying on it on top of the bedcovers, his face deathly pale. There was something clutched in his hand. With a cry, Kat ran to him - the cup of tea fell from her hand and smashed on the carpet. She pulled the thing from his hand and saw it was a bottle of pills.

"No!" she screamed. "No!"

She cradled his head in her hands, crying "No, no..." over and over. A terrible inhuman weeping came from her as she held her husband's lifeless body, the love of her life, in her arms.

[*kalfie*moon*]

nooooo! please do more!

[crazy_purple]

Kat stared at Alfie. He looked so pale... but he wasn't cold. She tried to think, but there was a mass of panicky thoughts clouding her mind. He's dead, he's dead... You've got to phone an ambulance! Now!.... He's dead.... He was looking at the photos of everyone who's died, and he decided to end it all.... Phone 999, you stupid cow! .... That's why he wanted me to tell him I loved him, so he'd know that someone cared...

Panicking, she let Alfie's body fall back onto the bed and ran into the kitchen. She nearly fell over but righted herself again and started scrabbling through her bag looking for her phone. She found it and punched in 999, shaking so badly her fingers kept missing the keys.

"I need an ambulance, my husband's took some pills, I think he's dead, I-"

"Calm down," the operator said soothingly. "I'll put you through to the service, what number are you calling from?"

Kat closed her eyes. He rmind had gone blank. Then she remembered and rattled out her mobile phone number. There was a connection tone and then someone was on the other end, asking her what the problem was, and she was crying into the phone, she could hardly get the words out...

"Calm down. It'll be alright," the person on the other end was saying. Kat knew they were meaningless words, he didn't know it'd be alright at all, he was just saying it... She took deep breaths and managed to tell him more clearly.

"We'll have an ambulance with you as soon as we can," the man on the other end said, and he was gone. Kat stared at the phone blankly. Then she remembered Alfie and she ran back to his bedroom, crawling onto the bed beside him, hugging him to her and crying into his hair.

"I love you I love you I love you," she kept saying into his ear. He couldn't hear her... "Don't leave me," Kat gasped. "I can't live without you, I can't, I need you..."

His eyes were closed. They might never open again. She would never see those blue eyes again... He would never cuddle her again... He would never kiss her again....

She kissed his forehead. She wasn't going to leave him. Ever. She had promised.

---------

Aaaand... that song this whole thing's named after, but I haven't even mentioned yet(I think it goes quite well with kat, don't you think?:p ):

It's not like you didn't know that
I said i love you and i swear i still do
And it must have been so bad
Cause living with me must have damn near killed you
This is how you remind me
Of what i really am
It's not like you to say sorry
I was waiting on a different story
This time i'm mistaken
For handing you a heart worth breaking
And i've been wrong, i've been down,
To the bottom of every bottle
It's the words in my head
Scream "are we having fun yet?"

[Chloe-Elise]

Noooooooo he can't die! :crying: Please dont let him die! :( More soon please :)

[Kim]

NNnnnnoooooooo. Please do more asap. :)

[crazy_purple]

Kat stepped up to the lectern, head bowed. She breathed in slowly and looked out at the room. It was a sea of black clothes. It seemed like the whole of Walford had turned up for Alfie's funeral. He had been laid to rest next to where Nana had (and it was only a day since Nana's funeral; how could this be happening?).

She glanced down at her speech that she had written beforehand, but it didn't seem enough. Reading that would be like reading from a script. She still couldn't believe he was dead. She caught a glance of her left hand, and her wedding and engagement rings sparkled up at her in some mockery of the promises they had made. She pushed aside the sheet of paper and breathed in deeply.

"Um... I can't believe this is happening," she began. She looked around the room, at the serious faces of all the people in black. They were watching her, and every single one of them noticed that she fiddled restlessly with her wedding rings as she spoke. "It was never meant to be this way. Me and Alfie were supposed to get married... have kids... and sit together at the seaside sharing fish and chips when we got old..."

She felt the tears coming and glanced downwards. It wasn't fair. She shouldn't be standing here telling them how sorry she was that her husband was dead. She and Alfie should be together. For ever and always. That was what they had said, that was what they had promised when they got married... And now it was all wasted, thrown away like a piece of rubbish. For what? It had all gone sour...

"I..." she started again. Spencer was sitting near the front and he was trembling with the effort of holding the tears in. Her family was sitting on the other side, in the middle. She got the feeling they had never forgiven Alfie, not really. Little Mo was sitting there, face pale... How dare she? How dare she come to cry over Kat's husband? He was the only man I ever loved, you b*tch, Kat thought. Then the room started to swirl around her and all the audience's faces were melting into one, and -

Kat's eyes flew open with a cry. She looked around wildly. White, clinical walls... the sound of footsteps and low voices constantly there... bleeping noises... She was in the hospital still. She sat up, supporting her head in her hands. It had been a dream. Alfie's funeral had never happened. At least not yet, anyway.

"Excuse me," she said to a passing nurse, "How's... how's my husband?"

The nurse looked in a hurry and didn't reply. Kat leaned back on the chair and shut her eyes. How had they ever got into this mess? The ambulance had arrived at the Moons' house and they had taken Alfie away... They hadn't let her go in the ambulance with him... She remembered running into her dad in the taxi and screaming at him to follow the ambulance, and he had looked at her in confusion but followed it anyway. But they had been delayed at traffic lights. Kat had shouted at him to go through them, but he had said he would lose his license if he did... She had been crying uncontrollably, and he had kept telling her to calm down...

And now here she was, sitting on a metal bench in the hospital, waiting for news. She hadn't even got to see him yet. She didn't even know if he was dead or not... That was the worst thing of all...

------------

Ha ha I fooled you all there didn't I :p Sorry, that was evil of me

[crazy_purple]

Kat heard footsteps coming towards her and opened her eyes. A doctor was stood in front of her.

"Are you Kathleen Moon?" he asked.

She nodded quickly. "Yeah - is Alfie alive? Is he-"

"He's alive," the doctor said.

Kat nearly fainted with relief. "Oh God that's brilliant I-"

"But," the doctor interrupted, "He's unconscious and we think it might be a while before he wakes up."

"Oh," Kat said, derailed. "He will be alright, though?"

"We had to pump his stomach to get the tablets out and he's quite poorly..."

Kat gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "Is he alright? Will he get back to normal?"

"We're not sure yet," he replied. "It's just a matter of time."

"Can I see him?" Kat asked, almost crying.

"Yes, you can. He won't open his eyes for a while, though."

Kat thanked the doctor and went to Alfie's room. She pushed open the door uncertainly and it swung open. Suddenly she felt scared.

"Alfie?" she whispered. He was unconscious and there was an IV wire in the back of his hand. His wedding rings were shining under the unnatural lights.

She sat down on a chair next to his bed, feeling weak. He looked so frail and vulnerable... How could he have done this to himself? Kat took his hand and held it tightly again, like she had so many times before. It was only a day since Nana had died, in this same hospital...

"Kat," a voice said, and Kat nearly jumped out of her skin. But then she realised it wasn't Alfie, and there was someone standing in the doorway. It was her dad.

"Dad," she said, and that was it. She went to him and started crying like a little girl in his arms. He hugged her back.

"It's alright," he said. "He'll be alright."

"He won't," Kat said, wiping her eyes. "What if he dies? What'll I do, Dad?"

She went back to sit next to the bed again. Charlie pulled up another chair and for a moment they both watched Alfie sleeping peacefully, with an oddly angelic face.

"Why would he do this to me?" Kat said suddenly. "How could he even think about leaving me here?"

Charlie looked at her seriously. "Probably the same reason you wanted to leave us behind years ago."

Kat swallowed. "It's not the same."

"Well, we all felt exactly the same as you do right now," Charlie said gently.

"I wasn't leaving you lot behind. I just wanted to..." she struggled, remembering that night. "...I didn't want to live anymore. It was hurting me too much-"

She realised what she was saying and gasped, looking at Alfie. Her face filled with pain. "He didn't want to live anymore."

"No," Charlie said. "Seems like he didn't."

"Not even with me? I was going to look after him... I love him..."

"Maybe that wasn't enough," Charlie replied. "It wasn't enough for you, after all."

Kat looked at her dad, sniffling. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry I put you through all that..."

Charlie took her hand. "It's alright."

"Are you mad at me?"

"What for?" he frowned.

"For... for being in love with him," Kat said, gazing at Alfie. "It'll hurt Little Mo, and... and you don't like him...."

"I'm just worried he might hurt you," Charlie said. "I won't let anyone hurt you anymore, not ever."

She smiled slightly. "I know. But, Dad... you don't have to worry. He won't hurt me. He was really sorry about Mo, and his nana's just died, and he loves me..."

"Alright," Charlie said resignedly. "If you love each other and he's going to make you happy, then..." He cleared his throat. "Just promise me you won't upset Mo."

Kat stroked Alfie's motionless hand. "If he gets better. If he wants to get better. He might not want to be with me."

"Kat," her dad said, "He does. He's always loved you, I'm sure of that."

Kat gazed at her husband, lying there unconscious. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"We were going to have kids," she said, not taking her eyes off Alfie. "That night at the Vic, he asked me and we decided to... He would have made a great dad."

"He still can," Charlie said. He didn't know how to make Kat feel better. he wanted to cheer her up, but it seemed impossible.

"And I would have been a great mum..." Kat said. She looked at her dad. "I would have, wouldn't I?"

"Yeah," he replied. "Look, I'd best be off..." He stood up. She didn't move. "Are you coming?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm not leaving him."

[*kalfie*moon*]

Alfie can't die! please do more!

[squillyfer]

I really really love this its my favourite script on the boards. Do more soon

[Chloe-Elise]

Please dont let him die!I love this script,more soon please :D

[crazy_purple]

Yay, thanks :p

--------------

Kat stayed with Alfie until it got dark and the view of London through the window became vague and ghostly. Streetlights shone like little pinpricks of light all over the city. Kat stood by the window, staring out, her back to the bed. The moon was out. She could just make out the face, the man in the moon's. it was locked in that eternal benevolent grin, that promised so much but kept so few of those promises. Like her wedding rings, really.

Suddenly a hoarse voice spoke quietly. "Kat?"

Kat spun around and saw Alfie's eyes were open. She gasped and went to him quickly, kneeling beside the bed. "Are you okay?"

He frowned, looking pale. He couldn't seem to focus and the light was hurting his eyes. "I've got a splitting headache."

Kat laughed, crying at the same time with relief. "You're not dead!"

"Well, this isn't my idea of heaven..." he said slowly. He put his hand on his head and noticed the IV wire. "What - what's that?"

"It's keeping your fluids up, or something. Don't touch it," Kat said sternly.

Alfie stared up at the white-tiled ceiling for a while. Kat wanted him to look at her, to talk to her, but he stayed silent.

"So you found me then," he said eventually.

Kat touched his hand gently. "Alfie, you wouldn't believe how difficult it is to do away with yourself in Walford."

He didn't move. She watched him for a minute.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, trying to keep calm but her voice was trembling. "How could you try and leave me behind like that?"

He glanced at her for the first time. "Everyone's gone, Kat."

"I haven't!" Kat exclaimed. "And you're not going to get rid of me that easily, either."

"But they've all gone!" he said suddenly. "There's no-one left... no-one who cares..."

"I care," Kat said firmly. "You gave me a right shock, finding you like that... I thought you were..."

"Dead?" he said bitterly. "Yeah, I wish I was, too."

"Don't say that!" she said, shocked.

"Why not?" he asked, rolling onto his side to look at her. "Things are pretty rubbish while I'm alive, who knows, they might be better after I'm dead!"

She slapped him suddenly, and he recoiled.

"Yeah, I probably deserved that," he said reflectively.

"Don't ever say that," she said, her eyes shining with tears. "You can't die on me, not now... I need you."

"Do you?" he asked. "Do you, though? You've got all your family around you. You don't need a plonker like me, who - who had an affair with your sister, for God's sake."

"I don't care," she said. "I love you. And there's plenty of other people who care about you - Spencer, Jake, Danny, Maxwell... Peggy..." She started to run out of names.

"I know," he said, and he started to sound regretful. "But I just felt so... alone, and - and - useless... Like there was nothing left for me to do except die."

"I know. I've done it myself, remember?" Kat reached out and touched his face gently. "But you're never alone. You've got me, and loads of people behind you. You know what the Square's like for rallying around in a crisis!" she said jokily.

"Don't tell anyone," Alfie said, looking fearful. "You won't, will you? I don't want everyone to know."

"Alright," Kat agreed. They looked at each other for a moment.

"Kat," he began, "I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."

Kat smiled, still feeling shaken. "It'll be alright. I'll look after you."

[crazy_purple]

Kat went to visit Alfie as often as she could over the next two days, until the doctors said he was okay to be released. She went in to get him so they could get a taxi home. She hadn't told anyone on the Square about him, and had told her dad not to, but the news of Nana Moon's death had gotten around fairly quickly.

"Hi," she said, entering his hospital room. "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Well, I only had two get well soon cards," he said jokily.

"From me and Dad," Kat replied. "You told me not to tell anyone else."

"Yeah, I know," Alfie said. His smile faded as quickly as it had appeared. She offered him her hand and he took it.

For the last two days, he had appeared to be back to normal - trying to be his usual chirpy self - but Kat knew he was just pretending. Inside he was hurting. But she was hoping to cheer him up. Maybe she could make him better again. Maybe she couldn't. She knew enough to act fairly normally herself, and not pressure him or talk if he didn't want to talk. He could pretend all he wanted, but she knew how he felt really. From before.

They took the lift downstairs and walked out of the hospital. Kat became aware that Alfie was holding her hand tightly, like a little child would. She looked at him and smiled reassuringly. "It'll be alright," she said.

"Yeah," he replied, but sounded uncertain. They got in a taxi and travelled back to the Square. Alfie stared blankly out of the window most of the time.

Once back in the Square, Kat paused. Would he want to go back to his house, where all that had happened? But Alfie headed towards the house anyway, so she followed him, worried.

"Are you okay with staying in here?" she asked him.

"Yeah, fine," Alfie said. Kat frowned. He started towards his bedroom, and she followed him, but he turned around. "I'm just going to get changed."

"Um... okay," Kat said. Her expression said it all, and he sighed.

"I'm not going to try anything like that again. I promise."

"Cross your heart and-"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye," Alfie said, grinning. "That's a kids' rhyme."

Kat smiled back, glad he was cheerful enough to smile. "Ah, it's sacred, that one," she said jokily. "Kids keep promises better than adults do."

"Yep," he agreed. "Right, I'll get changed, then..." he wandered into his bedroom. Kat felt a horrible shiver run down her spine when she saw his bed, the place where she had found him and thought he was dead. She sighed and went into the living room.

A while later Alfie came into the living room where she was sat on the sofa watching TV. She couldn't stop the feeling of relief when she saw him.

"That's the same shirt you wore when-" she started.

"What?"

"When... when you interrupted that church service and I jilted that idiot."

Alfie smiled. "Oh, yeah. Wonder if you can still see the bloodstains?"

He sat down next to Kat. "Are you going to stay here, then?"

She looked at him. "I told you, I'm not-"

"-Not leaving me, I know. But won't your family get suspicious?"

Kat shrugged. "Stuff 'em."

He grinned. "Fair enough."

"I'm glad you're smiling again," she said.

He stopped and looked at her. "Well, I can hardly fail to when you're around, can I? Your wit and beauty-" He laughed, and then looked surprised at the sound.

"Stop making fun of me," Kat said, grinning.

"I'm not! I'm just saying..." he trailed off. "I don't think Nana would have wanted me to be miserable, you know?"

"No, she wouldn't," Kat agreed.

"No..." he said, looking thoughtful. "And you know what else she wanted? Us to get back together."

Kat looked into his eyes. "Yeah, she did want that."

"So..."

Kat looked away. "It's... we'd better take it slow..."

"It's Mo, isn't it?" he asked. "I knew you-"

"No, it isn't Mo," she said. "I just... want to make sure you're alright before we go into anything."

[crazy_purple]

A week later. Nana Moon's funeral had been held. Kat had been at Alfie's house a lot, but was still unsure about where they stood. At the moment she just wanted to look after him. They loved each other, she knew that... but somehow it didn't feel right just now.

Kat popped into the Slaters' for lunch. She was hardly ever in there anymore. When Alfie was feeling low (his moods varied, sometimes he was chirpy and normal, other times he was upset and grieving) she spent the night at his house, but nothing ever happened between them. He seemed to have got it under control now anyway; the funeral must have ended it for him and helped him say goodbye to her.

"Oh, you're back," Big Mo commented. "What is this, a hotel?"

"No," Kat said shortly. She found an apple in the fruitbowl and bit into it, so she wouldn't have to talk to them.

"Got a new boyfriend?" Stacey asked, grinning. Kat raised her eyebrows, a gesture which meant wouldn't you like to know?

"How's Alfie?" Little Mo asked suddenly.

Kat couldn't stop herself from glaring at her sister, but tried to hide it. "How should I know?"

"I saw you talking to him."

"Oh, and that's illegal is it?" Kat asked spitefully.

"Kat," Charlie said warningly. She looked at him and flopped back in her chair resentfully. She couldn't understand it herself. She wanted to be with Alfie, but she wouldn't take the first step and simply kiss him.... why?

After some more tense conversation, Kat headed back out to the stall. It was a busy day; after all, it was near Christmas. Little Mo also went off to the Vic.

Kat saw Alfie on his stall. "Are you back at work, then?"

"Yeah," he said. "Might as well. And this lot were just begging me to come back." He grinned, gesturing at the crowds of shoppers.

"Yeah, sure," Kat said, grinning.

His expression grew serious. "Kat..."

"What?"

"Will you just tell me something? What's going on - with us?"

Kat looked away. "I don't know."

"Well," he frowned, "Please just tell me either way... I mean, that time at the hospital, you kissed me and told me you loved me but... I don't understand, Kat."

"I do love you," she said.

"Then why can't we just stop beating about the bush and get back together?"

"Because..." she trailed off. "Oh, I don't know. It's complicated."

"It isn't at all!" he exclaimed. "That night, before it all blew to pieces, we decided we weren't gonna mess about any more, that we were gonna settle down, have kids, so on and so on."

Kat looked at her feet. "Yeah, we did."

"Well? What's stopping us?"

She sighed. "I do want to have kids."

"Well then! Come on. We don't have to stay here, we can move out of London... anywhere... start a family..."

He moved closer to her. "Tell me you don't want a baby."

She swallowed. "I do."

"Right the-"

He didn't even get to finish the sentence; she reached up and kissed him suddenly, putting her arms around his neck. He held her to him and the passing crowd and market traders gaped as they snogged in the middle of the Square.

[Kim]

This is Ace, Please do more asap :)

[squillyfer]

More!!!

[crazy_purple]

:eek: I hate my computer - I'd just written a huge part and I tried writing 'And' but I think I pressed Control + A by accident, and it all disappeared.... :crying: It wouldn't come back when I pressed undo either, because I'd typed 'nd' afterwards... :angry: And I just can't be bothered to write it all out again. :mad:

[crazy_purple]

Later, Kat and Alfie were lying in his bed together, cuddling up. He stroked her hair fondly and tucked a strand behind her ear.

"That was nice," she said dreamily, leaning her head on his chest.

"Yeah," he replied. "I missed you."

She smiled. "Missed you too. But I'm here now."

Alfie sighed happily. "So, do you think...?" He gestured towards her stomach.

"We'll have to wait and see, won't we?" she said, grinning. "It might not happen right away, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Alfie said.

"You really do want this, don't you?" she said, surprised. "I thought you were just saying all that stuff to get me into bed."

He grinned. "Well, it worked anyway, didn't it?"

Kat looked at him, amused. "No, I mean it... I didn't realise you really did want to have a baby..."

"Course I do," he said happily. He rolled his eyes. "It's not a very manly thing to say though, is it?"

"I don't care," she said, hugging him suddenly. "You can be as girly as you want. As long as you don't start borrowing my makeup, I don't mind." she said jokily.

"Cheers," he said, laughing. "I'm that bad, am I?"

"No..." Kat said. "I think it's nice you want to start a family, really."

"Mmmm," he said. He kissed her forehead suddenly and she laughed. "Are you going to tell them lot?"

Her smile faded. "Yeah, I suppose I'll have to."

"Well, we could wait..."

"No, it's best we get it over and done with," Kat sighed. "Come on. We'll go now, march right up to 'em and say 'we're together, like it or not!'" She jumped out of bed.

"Er, Kat... you might want to put some clothes on first...?" he said, grinning.

She looked downwards. "Oh, yeah. Have you seen my top anywhere?"

"No," Alfie said innocently.

"Come on, where is it?" she said, rolling her eyes.

"No idea," Alfie said, smiling mischeviously.

"Alfie! I'm not standing here all day with you staring at my chest! Now where are my clothes?"

"Over there," he said. He looked disappointed when she put her top back on. "Can't we just stay in bed?"

"No, we've got to go and tell -"

"But you've got more chance of getting pregnant if we do it lots," he said, looking like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.

She sighed. "Later. Now come on."

He got out of bed sadly and they both got dressed, sneaking furtive glances at each other.

"Ready?" Kat asked. He nodded, and they headed off towards the Slaters' house.

[crazy_purple]

Ooh, a cool link - http://www.bbc.co.uk/raw/games/ - if you get 10 out of 10 on one of the quizzes, you get an EastEnders DVD sent to you. Really easy, too.:cheer: I don't know which DVD it is yet though, they've done quite a few haven't they?

[squillyfer]

Yay they're back together, wonder how the family will take it!!!

[Kim]

More!!!!! :)

[Chloe-Elise]

Yay they're back together! :cheer: Brilliant:D more soon please

[*kalfie*moon*]

yay!! please do more!

[crazy_purple]

Kat marched in through the Slaters' front door, dragging Alfie after her. He hung back - he was worried about how they might react - but she insisted he came with her. They entered the living room.

"Knew you'd all be in here," Kat said. "There's that soppy old film on, isn't there?"

"I ain't watching it," Stacey said, hunching behind her magazine.

"I've got some news..." Kat said with grim determination. "We..."

The others noticed Alfie standing behind her for the first time; he had been in shadow before. Big Mo frowned.

"They're back together," Stacey interrupted. "Saw them snogging each other's faces off in the Square earlier. Disgusting." She turned a page in her magazine and stared at it. "Oh my God look at the state of her-"

"Stacey!" Kat said, annoyed.

"Is it true?" Little Mo asked. She was trembling slightly.

"Yes," Kat said firmly. Little Mo turned back to the TV, pretending not to care, but the look on her face betrayed her.

"What on earth do you want to get back with him for?!" Big Mo asked, looking at Alfie suspiciously. "He's a lying little toerag."

"He isn't," Kat said defensively.

"He bloody is! Why, Kat? There's all the blokes in London for you-"

"I don't want anyone else, I want Alfie," Kat exclaimed. "I love him. And... life's too short," she said in a quieter voice, glancing at Alfie. He smiled slightly.

Big Mo got up suddenly and advanced towards Alfie. He flinched backwards.

"If you ever mess her about again, I'll tear 'em off and bloody put 'em in a blender!"

Kat looked disgusted. "Nan!"

"I won't," Alfie said quietly.

"You'd better not," Big Mo replied.

"Mo, leave him alone," Charlie said.

Big Mo turned to him in surprise. "You're on his side?!"

"I'm on my daughter's side," Charlie said. "And if she wants to be with him, she can be with him."

Kat smiled gratefully at her dad. She turned to Alfie. "Well, we're gonna get off..."

"Why.... are you moving in with him?" Little Mo said suddenly. She had been silent for the rest of the conversation.

"Yeah," Kat said, grinning. She wasn't bothered anymore by her sister and Alfie's past. What's done was done, and she couldn't change it. She could only make things better. She looked at Alfie. "I just want to get some of my stuff from upstairs."

"Do you want me to help?" Alfie asked.

Big Mo rolled her eyes. "Oh, get him. Real knight in shining armour, eh?" she said sarcastically.

"Yep," Kat answered seriously. "He is."

[squillyfer]

That was great as always, do more asap

[crazy_purple]

Alfie followed Kat upstairs. She started rooting through her wardrobe and drawers and shoving stuff in a carrier bag. He watched her in amusement.

"You always were rubbish at packing," he said, grinning.

She looked up, brushing hair out of her eyes. "I'll sort it at your place. Will you empty that drawer for me and shove the stuff in a bag please?"

He opened a bedside drawer and noticed a photo right on top of the other things. He picked it up, curious, and saw it was of him and Kat, curled up on the sofa at the Vic, sound asleep. He smiled fondly.

Kat noticed what he was looking at. "I used to go to sleep holding that every night," she said softly.

"Well, you've got the real thing now," Alfie said jokily. He realised that the bed next to him was Little Mo's, and felt uncomfortable. "So... are you alright? About this?" he asked her seriously.

She smiled. "I'm more than alright. I've never been happier."

"Good," he said.

Kat pulled a top out of her wardrobe. "What...? That's not even mine." She chucked it on top of Little Mo's bed. She noticed Alfie seemed tense. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he said quickly. "I was just worried that you... you know... you might not really have forgiven me yet."

Kat's face softened. She moved towards him. "Don't worry about it. I forgave everything you ever did, when I thought you were going to d-"

He wouldn't let her say the word. "Okay then."

"If you want me to prove it..." Kat said slyly. She ran her hand down his chest and reached up to kiss him. He put his hand on the side of her head and dropped the photograph. It floated to the floor and lay next to Mo's bed.

Alfie pulled away, smiling. "So we're alright then?"

"We're fantastic," she replied. She wiped her lipstick off his mouth and he grinned, remembering all those times she had done that before. "Right, we'd better get this stuff packed up then."

They managed to get most of Kat's stuff in bags, despite a pause when they had an impromptu pillow fight for no real reason. Kat went to pick up two bags, but Alfie grabbed the extra one, which Kat laughed at. He ended up carrying three, and nearly falling over with the weight of them.

"What've you got in here?" he spluttered.

"Well, you wanted to be a gentleman and carry them for me," she said innocently. "You could have let me have one."

"Nope," he said, grinning.

"You're hopeless," she said, shaking her head. "Come on then."

"Are you going to stay at mine tonight?"

"Try and stop me," Kat laughed.

His face lit up. "Are we gonna have another go at trying to -"

"You've got a one-track mind."

"Have not," he said, pretending to be offended.

[squillyfer]

Yay!!!! More

[crazy_purple]

Alfie lay in bed, looking around the room. He couldn't sleep; he just felt too happy, if that was possible. He glanced fondly at Kat, who was sleeping on her side facing him. Some strands of scarlet red hair were falling down over her face. He brushed them back gently. He realised that he had never told her what he thought of her new hair colour. When she had first come back, he had been too shocked to see her, and it would have sounded weird to comment on her hair. But now he could talk to her about anything. He smiled. It felt too good to be true. Just to be able to see her and touch her again, to know that she was his wife again, was unbelievable. He wasn't going to let her go ever again. Not this time.

He heard a noise and looked at her. She was frowning in her sleep and her hands were clenched into fists. As he watched, she said "no" slowly, in a drawn-out way. She was sleeptalking, and having a nightmare by the sounds of it. His heart went out to her and he moved up closer to her on the bed.

"Kat?" he said. "Kat, wake up."

She looked distressed. He took hold of her hands and forced them to unclench, holding them tightly. She had done this before, usually when she was stressed or ill. He remembered, with a horrible feeling, how she had kept having nightmares in that time when he had been refusing to touch her because of Andy, and how he hadn't helped her. He hadn't had the courage. Well, now it was different.

"Please," she mumbled, "...don't..." Her eyes screwed up.

Alfie spoke loudly into her ear. "Kat!"

Her eyes opened suddenly and she looked around wildly. Then she saw it was him and relaxed. "I had a bad dream..."

"I know," he said softly. "It's alright, it's over now. Was it about Harry?"

She looked confused for a moment, and shook her head. "No... it was you... you were dead..."

Alfie stared at her. It was a bit disconcerting to hear that. "Well, I'm here now-"

"I was begging you 'don't die' but you did anyway..."

"Kat," Alfie said. "It was just a nightmare. It's alright."

She sighed and leant her head on his chest. "I'm sorry for waking you up."

"You didn't, I was already awake," he replied. "Couldn't sleep. I was thinking about you. Oh... I never told you yet... I like your new hair."

She frowned, and then remembered. "Oh, yeah. Thanks," she smiled. "I was wondering if you noticed."

"I can hardly fail to."



At the Slaters' house, Little Mo was getting in bed when she stood on something on the floor. It was that photo, the one she had seen before. She looked at it and then started crying. It was over. Kat and Alfie had got back together, like she knew they would do, and she was alone. But at least they were happy...




-----
The time is showing up on here wrong, can anyone tell me how to change it? thanks :)

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :D More soon please :)

[Kim]

More!!!!!!!! :)

[hayley]

just cuaght up! it is brill!!!

[squillyfer]

Pleeeeaaaaaaaase do more!!!

[*kalfie*moon*]

more more more!!!!

[crazy_purple]

It was a few weeks later. The Square's inhabitants hadn't really been all that surprised that Kat and Alfie were back together; most people just rolled their eyes. In a way, Kat was a bit disappointed by their reaction.

Alfie was watching TV on the sofa when Kat came in. "What are you watching?" she asked.

"A Columbo film," he replied. "It's good."

Kat laughed. "Isn't he that guy in the raincoat?"

"He's a detective," Alfie said.

"Ooh, you'll be sat there in your pipe and slippers next."

"Shurrup," he laughed. Kat grinned, pleased, and sat down next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I'm going to the shop," she said. "Anything you want?"

"No," he replied. "What are you going for?"

"I'm going to cook us something nice tonight," Kat said proudly.

Alfie grinned. "You can't cook."

She hit him playfully on his shoulder. "I can. Well, I'm not letting you cook all the time, it's not right."

"Why not?"

"Well.... it's not exactly very, um, manly, is it?"

"What are you on about?" Alfie said, amused. "Men are allowed to cook."

"Yeah, but sometimes I feel like I ought to make something for you instead of the other way round..."

"Look," he said, "I'd rather be girly as hell than have to live on your cooking every day."

"Huh!" she said, laughing. "Right, I'm gonna get you for that. Tonight I'll make the nicest... the best meal you've ever tasted."

"Ooh," Alfie grinned. "Are you sure?"

"Yep."

"What's the special occasion?"

"Nothing," Kat said. Then she paused. "Well, we might find out tomorrow. You know... if it's worked or not..." For some reason she didn't want to say the word "pregnant". She supposed she didn't want to get her hopes up.

"Oh," Alfie said, interested. "Do you think -"

"I don't know," she interrupted. "I'm not going to start thinking stuff now."

"Alright," he said. He kissed her suddenly. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said, smiling. She stood up. "Right... I'll leave you watching Columbus then while I pop to the shop."

"It's Columbo," Alfie said, but she was already gone. He grinned fondly and put his feet up.

[Kim]

Ace. Please do more soon.

[hayley]

oooh! i wonder if she is preggers?!?!

more soon please :thumbsup:

[crazy_purple]

Later that day, and Alfie had been banned from the kitchen. He was reading the newspaper in the living room and laughing to himself at the noises from the kitchen. Eventually Kat plodded in.

"Finished!" she said proudly. There was a bit of flour stuck to her cheek. Alfie stood up and followed her into the kitchen, grinning.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said innocently. "I'm just wondering what this wonderful recipe of yours will be like."

"Aha," she said. Alfie sat down at the table and she proudly handed him a plate of spaghetti bolognese.

"Um... it looks nice," he said.

She blinked. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing! It actually does look nice!" Alfie said in surprise.

Kat grinned. "Well, what did you expect?"

Alfie picked up his fork and was about to eat some when Kat ventured "Um... I'm not sure, but I think I might have overdone it a bit with the spices..."

Alfie looked at the forkful suspiciously. "Oh, well - I can handle spicy stuff."

Ten seconds later, he was gulping down water desperately with his face screwed up. Kat looked embarrassed.

"What the hell did you put in that?" he exclaimed, getting another glass of water.

"Er... well, it said a pinch of chilli but I thought it didn't look like much and recipe books always pretend things are spicier than they are...." she trailed off.

"You're trying to kill me!" he said, staring at the plate. "I think my tongue's gone numb and everything!"

"Sorry," Kat said, her face red.

Alfie gulped down more water and then stopped. "Well, to be fair, it would have been nice if it wasn't for the chilli."

Kat looked miserable. "I can't cook."

"You can!" he said. "You can make... lots of things?"

"Like what?"

"Um... well, you can do really nice fryups... and salads and things... and once you made that cake, remember?"

Kat frowned. "I didn't really make that. I bought it off Ian and I thought you'd like it more if I said I did it."

"Oh," Alfie said. "It doesn't matter, though! I don't care if you can't cook."

"I can't do anything," she said. "I can't even clean. Furniture polish gives me headache."

"You can do lots of things," Alfie said firmly.

"Like....?"

"Um... well..." he leaned over and whispered it in her ear.

She turned slightly pink. "That doesn't count."

"It does!" Alfie said, sounded shocked.

"Well, you're the only one who appreciates it."

"So? Look, Kat, I've told you before, you're mad and you can't do anything right but I love you to bits."

"Alright then," she said, face softening.

He brushed the bit of flour off her cheek gently. "And we'll find out tomorrow, won't we? But... even if it doesn't happen right away, it doesn't matter..."

"No, it won't," Kat agreed.

"And I know one thing you'll be really good at," he said. "Being a mum."

She smiled and looked away shyly. "You'll be a good dad too."

He kissed her and for a few minutes they forgot everything; the busy world disappeared and they were just there, in their own world. They went to bed and left the disastrous spaghetti bolognese cooling on the table.

[hayley]

that is really really good!
more soon please! :) :) :)

[Kim]

Great. More :) :) :) :) :)

[crazy_purple]

Alfie found Kat making breakfast in the kitchen the next morning. She grinned as she passed him some toast. "See, I can cook something..."

"Yeah, right," Alfie smiled. He sat down and watched her for a minute. There was something he wanted to ask her but he didn't want to bother her.

She caught him looking at her. "What? Still ogling me?" she asked with a grin, sitting down next to him.

"Um... I was just wondering if, you know... any news?" he asked awkwardly.

Kat glanced down at her toast, smiling slightly. "Well, nothing's happened yet..."

Alfie's forehead wrinkled. "Is that good or bad?"

"Good," Kat said, rolling her eyes.

"Yay!" Alfie said happily. "Sorry - I didn't pay attention in Science at school."

She sighed. "It's not certain, you know..."

"No, but it's good," Alfie said. "Isn't it? You might be-"

"It's nine o'clock in the morning, Alfie. Just give it a day or two, will you?" She bit into her toast, looking distracted.

"Alright," he replied. "I was just excited, you know..."

"You're worse than me," she said, grinning. "I'm the one who's supposed to be worrying -"

"Yeah, but I don't know what's going on," he said. "You do, and if you don't tell me then I just get kept in the dark..."

"Oh, relax," she said, grinning. "If this it what you're like now, I dread to think what you'll be like when we actually get a baby."

He smiled. "I can't help it."

"Aw," she said. "I think it's sweet. You're too lovely for your own good, Alfie Moon."

"I try," he said jokily. Kat leaned over and he thought she was about to kiss him, but she pinched a piece of his toast. "Oi!"

"What?" she asked mischeviously, her mouth full. "I might be eating for two now, I need the extra food."

"Well you can get your own!" Alfie said, laughing. He looked at her fondly.

[crazy_purple]

Alfie had gone out to the shops later that day, leaving Kat at home. When he got back, she was reading a magazine in the kitchen.

"Didn't you get any butter?" she asked, rummaging through the shopping bags.

Alfie hit himself on the head. "Butter! I knew I'd forgot something-"

Kat looked annoyed. "I told you to get some."

"Sorry," he said. "I'll go back later." He sat down and started taking his shoes off.

"What's wrong with going back now? It's only across the street," Kat said, frowning.

"Well, I wanted to have a bit of a rest - and talk to my wife," he said cheerfully.

"A bit of a rest? You're lazy," Kat said in irritation.

Alfie looked hurt. "I'm not-"

"And you can't remember a simple thing! You're bloody useless!"

Alfie took a deep breath. "Alright, what's wrong?"

Kat frowned. "I'm not pregnant," she said grumpily.

"Oh," he said, not knowing what to say. "Well, we knew it might not happen right away-"

"I wanted it to, though," Kat said, sulking.

"You said yourself we shouldn't get our hopes up..."

"I didn't mean it!" Kat exclaimed. "I just... I really thought it'd work."

"It's alright," Alfie said. "We'll keep trying..."

"But I want..." Kat sighed, and tried again. It was the phrase she had wanted to say for years. "I want a baby."

"I know," Alfie said, trying to reassure her.

"You don't. You don't know at all." Kat remembered the absolute agony of having Zoe taken - no, not taken, stolen - from her, and how it had broken her heart when she had lost her other baby.

Alfie sighed. "It'll be alright, Kat. I promise. We'll have a mini Moon - loads of 'em if you want - and nobody will take them away from you."

She looked up at him, looking like she was about to cry. "How'd you know I was thinking that?"

Alfie reached over and touched her hand gently. "I just do. You trust me, don't you?"

Kat nodded firmly. He was the only man on Earth she would ever trust, probably. She wasn't sure she even trusted her father the way she did Alfie. But there was an obvious reason for that. It had been hard for her to learn to trust anyone again. "With my life."

"Right, then. I promise you, hand on my heart -" he actually did put his hand on his heart at this point, and Kat laughed although she felt like crying "-that by this time next year, we'll have a little Kat or Alfie to keep us company. Alright?"

"You don't know that," Kat said, wiping her eyes.

Alfie shrugged. "Okay then, if you don't believe that -" he leaned forward, grinning- "- I bet you that we'll have a kid by next year."

"Ooh, a bet?" Kat asked, grinning.

Alfie smiled, pleased he was cheering her up. "Yep."

"What are the stakes?"

Alfie considered. "That you never pinch my toast ever again."

Kat pretended to be shocked. "I don't know about that... and if you lose?"

"If I lose, you can steal anything off my plate, whenever you want."

Kat laughed. "Ooh, I like it. Alright then - you're on."

[Kim]

Fab. More :)

[*kalfie*moon*]

aww cute! more soon x

[crazy_purple]

Kat was curled up on the sofa feeling sorry for herself when Alfie came in. "Hey," he said quietly, and sat down next to her. "I thought you might need cheering up."

He passed her a carrier bag. Kat looked at him questioningly, and then pulled out a tub of icecream and a video from it. She smiled. "Thanks."

"No problem," Alfie replied. He fiddled with the video player and put the rented video on. "Hey, I got your favourite."

Kat picked up the video case. "Oh God, not Titanic again."

Alfie laughed. "I thought you liked it."

"I did... but it's three hours long and I've seen it a thousand times and I've got completely evil cramps."

"Well, you can't find anything wrong with chocolate ice cream, can you?" he said.

"No... I suppose not," Kat said, smiling slightly.

"Good," Alfie replied. "I'll go and get some spoons."

He left the room and Kat moved about on the sofa, trying to get comfortable, but it seemed impossible. Just then she noticed something else inside the carrier bag, wrapped up in another bag. She pulled it out and saw it was a book, a book about pregnancy and babies. She looked at it.

"Oh, you found it," Alfie said, coming back in. "I thought you might like it..."

"Yeah, it's... good," Kat said. "I think I'll have a read of it now..."

"Okay," he said, sitting next to her. He turned the TV off.

Kat read the first few pages and was soon absorbed in the book. She even forgot about the ice cream.

[crazy_purple]

The next day

"Do you know," Kat said, looking at the book, "There's all sorts of things I've got to do so there's more chance of getting pregnant, but all you've got to do is keep your bits cool. I call that unfair."

Alfie frowned. "Why do I-"

"Look at all this stuff," Kat continued. "Folic acid, no alcohol - and then right at the bottom they say you should sleep together. That's stupid."

"Kat-"

"Aw, look!" Kat interrupted, staring at a picture of an unborn baby. "That's while it's still inside, look... it's got its eyes closed... aw, it's cute..."

She cooed over the photo for a minute while Alfie rolled his eyes. "It's so gorgeous - it says here they can yawn and sneeze and do all sorts before they're born..."

"Kat!" Alfie exclaimed. She glanced at him. "I've got to go to work."

"Oh," Kat said, distracted. "Bye, then."

"Will you come and see me later?"

Kat turned the page in the book. "Oh, it's tiny..."

"Kat?"

"What? Yeah... alright."

Alfie sighed and stood up. "Bye."

Kat was entranced by the pictures in the baby book, but she heard the front door slam and was brought back to the real world. She suddenly remembered Alfie and jumped up, putting the book aside.

Alfie was trudging despondently down the street when he heard Kat shouting him.

"Alfie - wait!"

He turned round and saw her rushing towards him. She was in her dressing gown. He laughed in surprise. "It's November, you'll freeze!"

"I don't care. I forgot to give you this," she said, and reached up and kissed him.

He grinned when she pulled away, looking a lot happier. "I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

"Yeah," Kat said, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I got too wrapped up in-"

"Babies, I know," he smiled. "It's alright. As long as you remember me too!"

"I will," she said. She kissed him again gently. "I'll see you later."

"Alright. Now get inside before you freeze," he said fondly. She smiled and disappeared indoors, waving at him as she went.

[Kim]

Great as usual. Please do more asap.

[crazy_purple]

Alfie stood by his stall, watching the people walking past. It was freezing today and he was glad he had his leather coat on. He didn't have any gloves though and his hands were numb. He stuck his hands in his coat pockets and shivered miserably.

There was something stuck in the lining of his pocket. He worked it out and looked at it. He smiled to himself when he saw it was a little passport-size photo of him and Kat. It must have been taken ages ago in one of those photo booths, because Kat still had black hair in it. It must have been hiding away in his pocket all that time.

He saw Kat approaching out of the corner of his eye and smiled. "You came to see me."

"Course I did," Kat said, pinching his backside cheekily. "Wasn't going to leave you turning into an ice lolly out here by yourself, was I?"

"No," Alfie said. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Ooh, is that coffee for me?"

She handed him the cup of coffee. "Yeah. I don't know how you can stand it out here all day."

"Because I have you to come home to," he said, grinning and wrapping his hands around the foam coffee cup.

"Ooh, that's nice of you," she said.

They both stared around at the dismal Square for a minute. It was windy and grey.

"We ought to go on holiday," Alfie said suddenly.

"Yeah," Kat agreed.

"We could go somewhere sunny... nice and hot, with a swimming pool..."

Kat laughed. "Yeah, if we could afford it."

"Hmm," Alfie said. "We can dream, can't we?"

"Trouble is we're just not making enough money," Kat said sadly. "When we were at the Vic..."

They both sighed and looked across at the pub. They both remembered those lovely days when they had managed that place, and lived in the flat above. Well, it had been lovely for a few months, anyway. Until it had all gone wrong. It would work now, though. They were sorted out now. Kat frowned. It wasn't fair.

[crazy_purple]

A week later, Kat had decided she should tidy the living room. Alfie was watching her in amazement.

"What?" she asked, as he stared at her.

"You're tidying," he said, astonished.

"So? I can if I want," she replied. She pulled a stack of books from the bookshelf. "These need sorting, they're in a right jumble."

A ragged pile of envelopes fell from on top of the books to the floor when she did that, and she tutted. She picked the top one up and glanced at it. "This hasn't been opened."

"Eh?" Alfie took it from her and frowned.

"You know, I kind of thought the whole point of getting letters was that you should open them," Kat said, rolling her eyes.

Alfie opened the envelope and read the letter. "It's from the solicitors... it's about Nana's will..."

Kat stopped. "Oh..."

"They must have sent it when I was..." he cleared his throat, "...upset. I probably just shoved it away and frogot about it..."

He read further and his eyes widened. "What..."

Kat looked at him. "What is it?"

He glanced at her, eyes wide. "She, um... left us some money..."

"I didn't think she had any money-"

"Neither did I," Alfie said, looking shocked. "But she did, apparently..."

Kat frowned. "Alfie, what's up?"

"Three thousand pounds," he said quietly. "She's left us three thousand pounds..."

Kat gasped. Alfie nodded slowly.

"That's impossible," Kat said. "She didn't have money like that, did she?"

"That's what it says here," Alfie replied. He stared at the letter. "Kat, what are we going to do?"

"Well... you could phone the solicitors," she said. "If you want. I mean, she was your grandma..."

"I suppose I should," he said. "Three thousand.... I never knew she..." he looked at Kat suddenly. "Do you think I should phone them?"

"Yeah," Kat said. "If she left it to you, then.."

"Alright," Alfie said. "I'll phone them. Today." He frowned. "This feels weird. I mean, I've only just got over her being d-" He couldn't say the word.

[hayley]

this is great!! well done!!
more asap please! xxx

[crazy_purple]

The solicitors' office was a mass of leather and oak. Kat felt like she should be paying to sit on the chair.

"Good morning," the solicitor said, shaking both of their hands. He was younger than both of them, and Kat found this amusing. "I'm Mr Thompson."

"Hello," Alfie said uncomfortably. He had never felt at home in these sort of places.

"You've come about Mrs Victoria Moon?" the solicitor said, finding some documents and glancing at them. "Yes, we sent you a letter a while back."

"I kind of mislaid it until yesterday," Alfie said apologetically.

"Not to worry. You've read it, and so you know what Mrs Moon left for you in her will?"

"Um... something about three thousand pounds," Alfie said, smiling nervously.

"Yes, that's it. I can read you the precise wording in the will if you like?"

"Yes, please," Kat said.

"Mrs Moon specified that 'an amount of money, £3000 exactly, from my bank savings, is to be left to Mr Alfred William Moon, my grandson, to be spent in whatever way seems best to him - but it must be something that will make him happy. Also, he ought to hurry up and get back together with Kat because it's starting to annoy me'."

Alfie nearly laughed at the last bit, and looked at Kat. She smiled at him. He experienced a moment's sadness that she wasn't here anymore to see that her wish had come true, but it passed. He could imagine her watching them and laughing. He wondered if she was reunited with William.

"So," the solicitor said, "the £3000 can be transferred to your account right now, if you wish it to be."

He smiled at them both. Alfie considered. Well, she had wanted him to be happy...

"Um, yeah, sure," he said. "That'd be great. Thanks."

"I'll arrange it," the solicitor said. They went over a few more details, and then they were free to go.

Outside once more in the freezing cold, Alfie had a sudden inspiration. "Hey - we could go on holiday! Like we said before."

Kat grinned. "Yeah, we could." She linked arms with him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said. "She'd have wanted us to be happy, you know? You heard what she said in the will."

"Yeah, she would have... she was nice like that." Kat huddled closer to Alfie, shivering. "So we really could go off on holiday? Now?"

"Yep!" Alfie said happily. "To somewhere nice and sunny... Hey! We could go to Spain and see Zoe!"

Kat's face lit up. "Could we?"

"Definitely! We could stay for a week, two weeks... we could stay in a hotel or anything you want..."

"That's be brilliant!" Kat exclaimed. "Ooh, can we? Can we go?"

Alfie smiled. "Yeah. We'll have to book the flights and sort everything out-"

Kat flung her arms around him and kissed him. He hugged her happily.

[Kim]

This is fantastic, please do more asap. :)

[crazy_purple]

"You alright?" Kat asked Alfie. He nodded, although he was looking a bit green.

It was a week since they had visited the solicitors and now they were living the dream, flying to Spain. It had taken a while to get everything sorted out - just getting hold of Zoe on the phone was nothing short of a miracle - but now here they were. They were planning on staying for two weeks. Zoe had told them not to book a hotel, but she had apparently been too busy to tell them why. She was meeting them at the airport, and Kat couldn't wait to see her daughter again.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Kat asked uneasily. She had never been on a plane with Alfie before, and he wasn't looking very well.

"Fine," he said quickly. He stared out the window.

"We'll be there soon, it's alright," she reassured him. He nodded, but looked worried.

"I wonder if Zoe's changed much," she said aloud. "She's probably got a nice tan."

"Yeah," Alfie agreed. "I bet she'll be pleased to see you." He realised that opening his mouth probably wasn't the best idea, and slid down in his seat.

"Dad was a bit upset that he wasn't going," Kat said.

"Mmm?" Alfie murmured, his eyes now tightly shut.

"I'll take lots of pictures, though. He wanted a postcard, and all -" she glanced at Alfie. "Look, go to the toilet if you feel sick."

"Mmmf," he murmured, even quieter. Kat sighed, passed him a sickbag and put her fingers in her ears.

[Kim]

Fab. Please do more soon. :p

[Skits]

just caught up. brill as usual. post more soon.

[crazy_purple]

"Can you see her anywhere?" Kat asked, craning her neck to look for Zoe.

"She'll be here somewhere," Alfie replied. He felt better now they were off the plane.

Suddenly they heard a shout. "Mum!"

Kat spun round and Zoe was rushing towards her, enveloping her in a tight hug. "I missed you!"

"Missed you too," Kat said, laughing. "Here, let's have a look at you." She pulled away and looked at her daughter. Zoe had now got a tan and looked quite summery.

"Alfie!" Zoe exclaimed, seeing him. "Ooh, I'm so glad you two are back together. It's brilliant. I told you, didn't I? Before I went, I said you had to-"

"Yeah, you did," Alfie said, grinning.

"So," Kat said, "You wouldn't let us book a hotel, so where are we staying exactly?"

"With me!" Zoe said happily. "You see, Kelly went on honeymoon yesterday - for three weeks, the lucky cow - so I was gonna have the house to myself, but then you phoned, so it all worked out really well and I -" she ran out of breath.

"Kelly's got married?" Alfie asked. He was a little slow.

"Yep," Zoe replied. "To a man called Eden, would you believe it? He's gorgeous though. Kelly only wants him for his body, I'm sure of it." She laughed suddenly and grabbed a suitcase from Kat. "Ooh, this is heavy."

"I'd better not tell Spencer," Alfie said. "It'll upset him..."

"Aw, the poor love," Zoe said. "How is he?"

"Um... not at home," he answered. "He hasn't been for a while... so I suppose you two have got lots to catch up on?"

"Yeah, loads," Zoe said. "I hope you brought your swimming gear..."

"Eh?" Kat said, frowning.

"We have a swimming pool! In the garden!" Zoe said excitedly. "I shouldn't still be excited about it, it's been there ages, but I just can't get over it - it's brilliant..."

"A swimming pool?" Alfie asked, his face lightening up.

"Yep!"

"Wow..." he said, looking at Kat. She smiled. It looked like it was shaping up to be a good holiday.

"So how was the flight?" Zoe asked, as they moved towards a taxi.

"Alright," Kat said. "Alfie didn't like it. He got sick."

"Aw," Zoe laughed. "Don't you like flying?"

Alfie looked embarrassed. "I couldn't help it."

"Oh, never mind," Kat said. "We're back on ground again now. Come on - are you going to take us to this house of yours?"

"With the swimming pool?" Alfie broke in.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Yes, alright." They climbed into a taxi with all the luggage and were soon off.

[Angeldelight]

lol... more more more... more more more... i :wub: this fic...

[Kim]

:) More asap :)

[crazy_purple]

Kat whirled around in the house. "This is brilliant."

It was a little open-plan bungalow with two bedrooms and a bathroom. The kitchen and living room were in the middle with no walls separating them.

"Yeah, it's really nice," Alfie said.

"Ooh - this'll be your room," Zoe said, opening a door. She grinned as they looked around. "It was Kelly and Eden's, but they're gone for 3 weeks and I've changed the sheets so now it's yours..."

"Thanks," Kat said. "This is way better than a hotel."

'No problem," Zoe replied. "I'd better leave you to unpack then. Do you want a drink?"

"Um, yeah, please," Kat answered.

"Cocktail?"

Kat looked uncertain. "Um, I'm not really drinking alcohol anymore..."

"Why not?" Zoe asked, shocked.

"Well... um... it makes me do stupid things... and stuff," Kat finished lamely.

"But I can do really nice ones, and put ice in and we can sit by the pool and drink them..."

"Sorry," Kat said guiltily.

Zoe looked suspiciously at her. "Are you pregnant?"

Kat jumped slightly. "No."

"You are! That's why you're not drinking, isn't it?!" Zoe exclaimed, shocked.

"No! I'm not. I'm really not." Kat said, shaking her head.

"Well... alright then..." Zoe said, eyeing her mum suspiciously. "Coke with ice?"

"Yes please," Kat said. Zoe left to get their drinks.

"Well, I'm not yet, anyway," Kat said to Alfie. He smiled.

They spent a few minutes unpacking, until Alfie decided it was boring. "Can we go swimming yet?"

"It's Zoe's pool! You can't just-" she sighed. "Have you got your trunks?"

Alfie held up a pair of swimming trunks in answer. Kat laughed. "I thought you might have brought them."

"Course I did. But have you got your bikini?"

"Yes."

"Aw," Alfie said, pretending to be sad. "I thought you might end up swimming nude or something..."

"Not today. Come on then, we'll ask Zoe-"

But Zoe was already sitting outside. She waved to them through the open porch doors. "Come on!'

Kat laughed. "Alright then."

Alfie followed her back to the bedroom, but she gestured to the bathroom. "You can get changed in there, you perv."

When she had got into the bikini (she reflected that it might have been a bit of a mistake, it had been a year ago that she had last worn it, and she was now, amazingly, skinnier. It wasn't going to hold much in if she jumped up quickly while in the water) she left the bedroom. She found Alfie standing outside sheepishly, looking embarrassed. He didn't exactly look alluring in swimming trunks.

"Very nice," she said to him anyway. They went outside, and were immediately met with the warm rays of sun shining down. There wasn't much breeze; it was perfect weather for swimming outdoors. Kat sighed happily. This was way better than dingy old Walford.

[crazy_purple]

"Come on, get in," Zoe said, swimming up and down a bit.

"Oh, this is what's keeping you so nice and slim, is it?" Kat grinned.

"Yeah," Zoe replied. "It gets hot, so I just jump in."

"Shall we?" Kat said to Alfie. He nodded enthusiastically and jumped in, making the water splash Zoe. She laughed and flicked water back at him. He wiped his wet hair out of his eyes and looked at Kat, who was still stood by the side.

"Come on then," he said to her. "The water's nice."

She frowned. "I can't jump in, this bikini will disappear..." She climbed in carefully, holding onto the bikini top.

"What's up with it?" Zoe asked.

"It's loose," Kat said, grinning. "I've lost a load of weight since I bought it." That was because she'd spent months in prison, she reflected. But they needn't know that.

Zoe swam to the side of the pool to drink from her glass. "So, any news from Walford?"

"Not much," Kat said. She floated over to Alfie and he touched her back affectionately.

"Nothing at all? No-one's ill? Returned from the dead? Had an affair?"

Alfie looked uncomfortable for a second, but Kat didn't say anything. "No, nothing really."

Zoe sighed. "That's weird. Usually, that place is like the Twilight Zone. You never know what's going on."

"Do you miss it?" Kat asked.

"I missed you, and Dad, and the rest. Not the Square."

"Ooh, that reminds me - I promised him I'd take lots of photos of you for him." Kat paddled about a bit.

"Okay," Zoe replied.

"What are you doing?" Alfie said to Kat, amused. "You haven't even got your hair wet yet."

"I don't want to mess it up," she said primly.

'What? Oh, never mind that-" Alfie splashed her suddenly and she shrieked.

"I'll get you for that!" she exclaimed, splashing him back.

"No you won't!" Alfie grabbed her - she screamed, laughing her head off - and ducked her under.

She emerged a second later, half-laughing, trying to look angry. "What did you do that for?"

"It's a holiday!" Alfie said happily.

"Oh, right," Kat said. She seized him and tried to shove him underwater too, but he wouldn't go, and Zoe joined in, laughing.

[hayley]

oh wow that sounds fun! more please!

[crazy_purple]

After a while of messing about, they got out of the pool and lay on some deckchairs by the side, sipping their drinks.

Kat put her drink down and settled back in the chair. "I think I'll do a bit of sunbathing now."

"Topless?" Alfie said hopefully. Kat tried to hit him with a towel but missed.

Zoe rolled her eyes at them. "Now I remember why I only lived with you two for a few weeks."

"What? We're perfectly normal," Kat said, grinning.

"But otherwise you'll get terrible tan lines on you..." Alfie persisted, trying to look innocent.

"I won't. Now stop asking."

"Oh," Alfie said sadly.

Zoe shook her head, smiling. "You two are worse than ever... have you been stirring something into his drink, Kat?" she said jokily.

"No, he's like this all the time," Kat sighed.

"I'm not..." Alfie said.

"You are!"

"It's getting darker," Zoe said, before they got any further. "Insects'll come out soon."

"Oh," Kat said. "Suppose we'd best go indoors then."

"You sure you don't want a proper drink?" Zoe asked Kat. "I've learnt all sorts of new mixes, that bar's taught me loads..."

"Where are you working?" Kat asked. They carried on talking as they went indoors.

"Look, I can make some gorgeous cocktails..." Zoe said.

"No, thanks," Kat said. "I'm going to get a shower and go to bed, if that's OK..."

"Yeah, sure," Zoe said. "Do you know how to work the shower?"

"I'll figure it out," she replied, yawning. "Oh, I'm tired."

She went into the bathroom and Alfie and Zoe chatted for a while. About Kat, mostly.

"You will look after her, won't you?" Zoe asked seriously.

"Yeah, course I will," he replied. He was certain of that.

Zoe stood up and stretched. "So it's for sure this time then?"

"Yep," Alfie said firmly. "Definitely."

"Good," said Zoe, pleased.

[Angeldelight]

awwwwwww bless Alfie... more more more... more more more

[Kim]

Fab. Please do more asap :cool:

[crazy_purple]

After Kat had left the bathroom, Alfie went and had a quick shower too, and then joined her in the bedroom.

"This is a nice room," he said. "Better than ours at home."

"I don't care as long as I'm with you," Kat said slyly.

Alfie recognised what mood she was in and grinned. "Oh, alright then." He sat down next to her on the bed. "Ooh, this is comfortable... I could get used to this."

"Yeah," she said, bouncing up and down a bit. "Do you think we should... test it?"

Alfie laughed. "Yeah, that sounds good."

They snogged for a few minutes and then fell back on the bed. Kat opened her eyes for a second and stopped.

"Alfie..." she said slowly.

"What?" he said, voice muffled as he was trying to kiss her neck.

"There's a mirror on the ceiling," Kat said.

Alfie stopped and rolled off her onto his back. "What..."

They stared up at the ceiling, frowning in confusion. It was true; there was a large mirror positioned right over the bed.

Kat laughed suddenly. "Blimey, I never thought Kelly was the sort..."

"Do you think Zoe knows?" Alfie asked.

"Probably," Kat said, grinning.

"That's weird," Alfie said, staring at his reflection. "Why would you want a mirror on the ceiling-" He realised suddenly and gasped. "Really?"

"Hmmm..." Kat said. She looked at him. "Do you still want to...?"

"Yeah!" he answered. "Course."

Kat rolled her eyes. "You don't find it creepy at all?"

"I can live with it," he said, and kissed her again.

Just then Zoe opened the door. "Ooh - sorry..."

"Never mind," Kat said, sitting up. "What's up?"

"I was just checking you had everything you needed," Zoe said. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the-" She gestured to the ceiling.

Kat grinned. "Oh yes, we noticed."

"I just wanted to tell you, it wasn't my idea," Zoe said firmly. "Kelly and her boyfriend - or should I say husband - are a bit... loved-up at the moment.."

"I can understand that," Kat said.

"Well... night then," Zoe said. She turned to go, but then paused at the door. "Um, I ought to tell you, the walls in this place are really, er, thin... and..." she blushed. "It was never much fun for me when Eden stayed over at night. I think I bought earplugs."

"Oh," Alfie said sadly. "So we can't... for two weeks... oh..."

Zoe frowned. "Oh come on, as if you two could go without for a fortnight? I just mean you should please be quiet about it... I'll have to make use of the earplugs..."

"Alright," Kat said. "Night then."

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :thumbsup: More soon please

[Kim]

:cheer: Great, Please do more asap.

[crazy_purple]

The next day Kat and Alfie woke up in each others arms. The sun was shining through the window and it took Kat a second to remember where she was. Then she realised: she was in Spain, on holiday with her lovely husband, and her daughter was here. She sighed happily.

Alfie yawned and looked at Kat. "You look beautiful."

She smiled shyly at the unexpected compliment. "Trying to get me into bed?" she said jokily.

"Hey, it worked." Alfie grinned. He brushed a strand of hair off her forehead. "I'm gonna go see what's for breakfast."

He stretched and slid over to sit on the side of the bed, looking for his clothes. He pulled on some jeans and Kat watched how his shoulderblades moved on his bare back. She could just see the little bumps of his spine when he bent forward. It occured to her that she never really looked at his back.

Kat started getting dressed too. She found that baby book in amongst her luggage, and smiled.

"You didn't bring that, did you?" Alfie said, noticing it.

"I must have just dropped it in without thinking," Kat answered. "Never mind."

She settled back on the bed and looked at a few pages, when suddenly Zoe knocked at the door. "Are you decent?"

"Yeah," Kat said, and Zoe wandered in.

"Sleep well?" she asked. "No, that's a stupid question, with him in the bed."

"Oi," Alfie said. "She's the one who snores."

"I do not-" Kat began, but Zoe suddenly noticed the book.

"Oh my God you are pregnant!" she said in a shocked voice. "Aw, when are you due?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "I'm not."

"But-"

"We're trying for a baby," Kat said. "If you must know. I'm not pregnant yet, that I know of."

"Awww!" Zoe said, looking from Kat to Alfie and back again. "That's really sweet, I wondered when I was gonna get a little brother or sister..."

"Yeah," Alfie said, looking embarrassed.

"How long have you been trying for?"

"Nearly two months," Kat replied. "It feels like longer."

"Aw, you'll be great parents...." Zoe said happily.

[hayley]

this is great! cant wait for the mini moon even though she isnt pregnant yet! well if she ever will get pregnant!! :) :) :)
more soon please! :)

[Kim]

Fab. Please do more asap. :cheer:

[Chloe-Elise]

Brilliant :D Please do more soon

[crazy_purple]

A few days later, Kat and Alfie had got used to living in Zoe's house and were having lots of fun. They had visited the nearby towns and attractions, and taken lots of pictures as Kat had promised her dad.

"I'm going out," Zoe announced. "I'll be back in a few hours."

"Ooh, have you got a boyfriend?" Kat teased.

Zoe grinned. "Yes, actually."

"Oh - what's his name?"

"Not telling," Zoe said, laughing. "Oh, all right then, his name's Jack."

"Do we get to meet him?" Kat asked.

Zoe hesitated. "Well, I don't know if we're quite round to 'meeting the parents' yet..."

Alfie was surprised to notice her using those words, but it seemed he was the only one. He liked Zoe, but she was Kat's daughter, not his. Not really.

"Okay," Kat said. "Well, have fun, yeah?"

"Ooh, I will," Zoe grinned. "You can go in the pool if you want while I'm out."

She left and Kat and Alfie looked at each other. "Race you outside," Alfie said.

Kat laughed. "Go on then."

They both got changed and hurried into the pool - Kat saw Alfie was going to get there before her and shouted him.

"That's not gonna work!" he shouted back, jumping in.

"Oh," Kat grumbled, following him in. "That's not fair, I've got more to put on than you."

"Who says you have to put anything on at all?" Alfie said mischeviously.

She splashed him with water. "You're such a perv, you know that?"

"Yeah..." Alfie said, grinning.

They messed about for a few minutes until Kat turned serious and said "I saw how you looked when Zoe said that thing."

"What thing?"

"About meeting the parents." Kat brushed hair out of her eyes. "You got a funny expression on your face. For a second."

"Oh," Alfie said. He turned over onto his back and floated there for a while. "Didn't mean anything."

Kat turned to float on her back too. "It doesn't matter. She was just saying it."

"I know," he replied. "It just sounded a bit... strange to me. I don't know."

Kat stared up at the clouds. They were floating across the sky slowly, like little puffs of cottonwool. "You don't have to be her dad, you know. No-one's asking you to."

"No," he said thoughtfully. "It's not that. I don't mind. It's just I kind of... got thinking." He glanced across at her and saw she was watching him. "About... when we have kids, and they grow up. They'll get boyfriends and girlfriends... it'll be weird...."

Kat laughed. "That's it? I thought you were upset about something."

"Nope. But we'll be parents one day, won't we? And we'll-"

"Alfie, shut up." She pulled him towards her. They kissed for a bit, floating around in the pool.

[Kim]

More!!!!!!

[*kalfie*moon*]

more soon! x

[crazy_purple]

A while later, Zoe came back from a date with her boyfriend to find Kat and Alfie lounging innocently on the deckchairs by the pool. They looked too innocent. She looked at them suspiciously. "What have you been doing?"

"Nothing," Kat said, shielding her eyes from the sun. "Just messing about in the pool."

Alfie couldn't stop himself from grinning a bit and Zoe frowned. "You've been up to something."

"What would we do in your swimming pool except swim about like idiots?" Kat said sweetly.

Zoe gasped suddenly. "Your bikini bottoms are on inside out!"

Kat glanced downwards and turned slightly pink. "Well, they fell off."

"They fell off," Zoe said.

"Yeah, you know they're too big for me," Kat said helpfully.

"Yeah, and I had to dive down to the bottom and get them," Alfie joined in.

Zoe glared at them. "You had sex in my pool, didn't you?"

"No..." Kat said. "We wouldn't do that, would we Alfie?"

"Oh, no, we wouldn't," Alfie agreed.

Zoe rolled her eyes and sighed. "You did, didn't you?"

"Sorry," Kat said guiltily.


----
more soon gotta go

[squillyfer]

LOL do more soon i love this script

[crazy_purple]

I'll do more tomorrow, I've got to go to bed :D There might be a surprise in the next ones... x

[Kim]

:rotfl: . Fab as always. More asap.

[hayley]

:rotfl: ! thats good!! more asap! :)

[Chloe-Elise]

:lol: Thats great! More asap:)

[crazy_purple]

Over the next two weeks Kat and Alfie enjoyed themselves and never wanted to leave... The prospect of returning to Walford, and the terrible British weather, seemed so distant and faraway. But soon, too soon, it got round to the last day of their holidays.

"Oh, I can't believe we're off home tomorrow," Kat said glumly, staring up at the sky. She and Alfie were lying in the deckchairs outside again - they had done this a lot, but who could blame them for making the most of the nice weather? Back home, it would be wet and rainy and dull by four p.m.

"No, I can't," Alfie agreed. "I could stay here forever."

Kat sat up suddenly. "Why don't we?"

Alfie glanced at her. "What?"

"We could. We could move over here, get a nice house like this... couldn't we?"

Alfie sighed. "We don't have that much money, Kat."

"No, I don't suppose we do," Kat said, settling back in her deckchair sadly. "It was just a daydream."

Alfie crossed his arms behind his head and screwed up his eyes to look at the sun. "Time flies when you're having fun, eh? It doesn't feel like we've even been here that long... but it's the 11th tomorrow and we'll be off back to Walford."

"Yeah," Kat said reflectively. "It's a pity-" Then she stopped, frowning. "Is it?"

"Is it what?"

"The eleventh tomorrow..."

"Yeah," Alfie said. "Flight back at half eleven in the morning... I'll have to keep hold of my sickbag..."

He glanced at her, thinking she would laugh, but she had sat up again and was frowning. "What's up?"

"I never was any good at maths," Kat answered.

Alfie grinned. "That's a bit of a cryptic answer, isn't it?"

Kat started counting on her fingers, and then glanced up at Alfie, eyes widening. "Alfie..."

"What?"

"I'm two days late..."

Alfie frowned. "Eh?"

Kat sighed. "I was supposed to start two days ago?"

"Start what?"

"Oh, for God's sake. Alfie. What's that thing we've been trying to do for ages?"

Alfie looked bemused, but then something seemed to dawn on him. "Oh..."

"Yes," Kat said, rolling her eyes.

Alfie's face lit up. "Really?"

"I'm not sure yet. You know I can't do maths to save my life. I think we ought to do a test... we need to find a chemist's somewhere..."

"Okay!" Alfie said happily.

[Jessie Wallace]

excellent, well done.

[Kim]

Fab. Please do more soon :D

[Angeldelight]

yay yay yay... a Kalfie bebe a tiny ickle bebe... yay yay yay

[crazy_purple]

Kat stayed in the house while Alfie went into town to look for a chemist's. Her heart was beating really fast. Could she really be pregnant, or was it just wishful thinking? She sat at the kitchen table, her fingers tapping relentlessly on the tabletop. What if she wasn't? Alfie would be disappointed. Kat wanted a baby herself, but intertwined with that was a fear of disappointing her husband. And that was kind of stupid; but she couldn't help it. Alfie wanted her to have his children; she wanted to have his children. They were both the same. So what was there to worry about? She sighed. Maybe this had all been a mistake - maybe she had been too certain that they would get kids, maybe she didn't deserve it. Maybe she had done too many bad things and she was being punished.

"I'm not pregnant," she said to herself, with a horrible certainty. "I can't be. I don't deserve kids. Me and Alfie will never have kids and he'll be upset and he'll leave me."

She stared at her hands. She was so afraid. She thought it was because she was scared she might not be pregnant, but the real fear, the one that dug away at her soul and made her cry when she didn't know why she was crying, was the fear that someone might take her baby away from her. That her mother might come into the hospital room and steal her baby - her beautiful tiny newborn baby - away from her, and deliver it into the hands of her father, who called her a wh*re when he got angry and was so disappointed in her. It was the disappointment she couldn't stand. The look on her father's face. And the sound of a baby crying in the night, but she wasn't allowed to go to it, oh no, because it wasn't her daughter but her little sister, of course. Of course.

[crazy_purple]

Kat heard the front door open and looked up. Alfie came in, grinning triumphantly. "Got it," he said, tossing her a box. It was a pregnancy test; she stared at it for a moment. An odd sense of déja vu had just descended on her. Two years ago, at the Vic on a rainy night, Alfie had bought her one of these and made her take it, and it had been positive. But that baby had been taken away from her too.

"Are you going to take it?" Alfie asked.

"Yeah," Kat said. "In a bit."

Alfie blinked and sat down next to her. "Well-"

"I've only just been," Kat said quickly. "I don't need it."

"Kat." Alfie looked into her eyes. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"No," Kat said. "Why would I be-" She sighed. "Yes. I am. Can you blame me?"

"It's alright," Alfie said comfortingly. "Everything'll be fine. If it's positive, that's brilliant, if it's not, it doesn't matter, we'll keep trying."

"But it does matter," Kat insisted.

Alfie touched her hand. "I love you. You know that."

"Will... will it be alright?" Kat said hesitantly. "If it's positive... will it..." she wanted reassurance, but couldn't ask the question.

"It'll be fine," Alfie said again. He seemed to know what she was thinking. "We'll end up with a lovely baby Moon, and no-one will ever take it away, ever."

Kat frowned. "I know, I just-"

"Ever," Alfie repeated. He grinned and took Kat's hand. "Trust me?"

"Yes," Kat said, sighing, but a smile was creeping onto her face. He was an idiot, but he always knew how to cheer her up.

"Good," Alfie said happily. "Now will you take it?"

"Alright," Kat said, her stomach doing a somersault. "I'll, um, be back in a minute..." She wandered to the bathroom, heart thumping. But not through fear anymore - through wondering what would happen.

[squillyfer]

Aww I hope they get their baby in the end they deserve it after all they've been through

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwww I hope shes pregnant! Brilliant,more asap :)

[Kim]

More!!!!!!!!

[crazy_purple]

Kat came out of the bathroom a minute later and went to sit down at the table, but stopped. "I need some fresh air." She strode outside into the garden and put the test to the side on a bench. She began pacing up and down.

"Hey," Alfie said, following her. "Don't worry..."

"I'm not worrying," Kat said. She bit at one of her fingernails nervously.

"It's a bad habit," Alfie commented.

"What?" Kat said. She glanced at her hand. "Oh."

"Wait two minutes, isn't it?" Alfie asked.

Kat looked at him. "Yeah. We're getting good at this, aren't we?" she said, with an edge of bitterness in her voice.

"You're not thinking about... last time, are you?"

Kat brushed her hair off her forehead, frowning slightly. "It doesn't matter. I'm just babbling. Forget it."

They fell silent. Kat continued pacing around the garden, nibbling her fingernails. Alfie stared at the swimming pool. The rays of sunlight were shimmering and bouncing on its surface. He checked his watch. "Should we look yet?"

Kat stopped pacing and turned to look at him. "Yeah. Yeah, I suppose we should."

They approached the bench together. Kat slowed down. "You check. I can't."

Alfie leaned over and looked at the test. He stared at it for a long time without speaking.

"Well?" Kat said in a worried voice.

Alfie turned to look at her, and the look on his face told her everything she needed to know before he said it. "We're having a baby."

Kat's face lit up and she and Alfie grabbed each other suddenly and hugged fiercely. She was nearly crying with emotion. She turned her face into his shoulder. "Oh God..." she said, in a muffled voice.

"We're having a baby," Alfie repeated, awestruck.

They hugged each other, jumping up and down in joy. But they moved too far backwards, and with a sudden splash and a laughing scream they fell in the swimming pool.

[squillyfer]

Yay!!!

[Kim]

Yay!!!!! Fab. Please do more asap.

[*kalfie*moon*]

YaYaY!!!!!!! please do more! :D

[Chloe-Elise]

Yay a baby! :D Brilliant more soon please :D

[hayley]

:cheer: yay!!

[crazy_purple]

Kat and Alfie had just climbed out of the pool, laughing, when Zoe came into the garden. She had just been out shopping.

"What the...?" she said, eyes widening. "You're soaking wet!"

"We fell in the pool," Kat said, giggling, and that set Alfie off again. They held onto each other, laughing madly.

Zoe eyed them suspiciously. "Are you drunk?"

"No," Kat gasped out, once she had managed to stop laughing, "I'm pregnant!"

"Yay!" Alfie added happily.

"Aw, are you?" Zoe exclaimed. "That's great..."

"I know!" Kat said. "We're having a baby..."

Alfie was grinning from ear to ear. "I'm gonna be a daddy."

Zoe rolled her eyes at them, but couldn't help smiling. Their happiness seemed contagious. "Well, I guess that's a pretty good holiday souvenir, isn't it?"

Kat started giggling again. "Yep. Must be something in the water round here, Zo."

"Literally," Zoe said, thinking of what Kat and Alfie had done on impulse in her swimming pool last week. The weirdos. She grinned. "So I get a little brother or sister then?"

"Definitely. Ooh, you better watch out, we'll have you lined up for babysitting duties."

Zoe's face fell. "Not when we're halfway across the world from each other. I might never see him or her."

"You will," Kat said to reassure her. "We'll come and visit, or you can visit us... if you wanted to, that its."

"Of course I'll want to!" Zoe exclaimed. "I'll come and visit you as often as I can - you'll have to keep me up to date with how you're getting along... send me pictures of the baby, won't you?"

"Course we will," Kat said. It seemed unreal. Less than an hour ago she had thought she would never get a child, but now they were all talking about 'the baby'. And there was a baby too... that was the thing that amazed her. It would be so tiny now, smaller than a frozen pea inside her... but it was still a baby. Her baby. She gave a happy sigh.

"Aw, I can't believe you've got to go home tomorrow," Zoe said. "It's just gotten exciting."

"Cheers!" Alfie grinned. "You mean we weren't exciting before?"

"No, just now I'm gonna be a big sister... Ooh, it's great!" Zoe sighed. "And it's what you've always wanted, isn't it?"

Kat smiled shyly. "Yeah."

"Yay!" Zoe said. She hugged Kat suddenly.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww bless :wub: A lickle baby! Great,more asap :D

[crazy_purple]

As Kat and Alfie got off the plane back in London the next day, they couldn't help smiling at each other. It was wet and rainy again, but nothing could dampen their spirits. Alfie hadn't even got ill this time on the flight; he had been too busy talking about the baby with Kat. He kept casting fond looks in her direction, and she was kind of enjoying the attention.

"I'm supposed to call Dad to pick us up," Kat said, searching through her bag for her mobile.

"Are you going to tell him?" Alfie asked.

"Well, yeah, I'm hardly going to keep it a secret - Hi, Dad," she said, as Charlie answered the phone. "Yeah, we're back. Alright. She's fine... Okay, see you in a bit then."

"I'll tell him in when he gets here," Kat said, seeing Alfie's face. "It's not really nice to blurt it out over the phone, is it?"

"No," Alfie said. He hugged her suddenly, and she laughed. "I just want the world to know that we're having a baby..."

"Me too," Kat replied. Her face lit up as she realised what it meant all over again. "God, I keep remembering that I'm pregnant."

"How's it feel?"

"Fantastic," Kat said, grinning. "Can't believe it's actually happening."

"Well, it is," Alfie said happily.

It started to rain even harder. Alfie took off his coat and draped it around Kat's shoulders. She smiled at him. "You idiot."

"Why?"

"Trying to be a gentleman..." Kat grinned.

"What? I am a gentleman," Alfie said jokily. "I've got references."

"I'm sure you have," Kat said. "Do they all make use of the word 'plonker'?"

Alfie pretended to be hurt. "Well, I come from a long line of plonkers, I told you before..."

Kat laughed. "Why am I not surprised?" She cuddled up to him, and he put an arm around her shoulders. "You're not really, you know."

"Aren't I?"

"No. Well, you might be an idiot, but you're my idiot and I love you."

"Awww," Alfie said, smiling. "I love you too..."

They gazed at each other for a moment before kissing. The rain splashed around them and ran down the back of Alfie's neck in a cold drip. He didn't mind.

There was the beep of a car horn and they broke apart. Charlie's cab was stopped in the road next to them. Kat smiled and wiped the smudge of her lipstick off Alfie's mouth before they got into the cab.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww I can't wait till they tell everyone :D Great,more asap

[crazy_purple]

They didn't tell Charlie straight away, but ended up chatting about the holiday and Zoe on the way back to the Square. When the cab pulled up outside their house, Kat decided to leave it for another time. She and Alfie got out and went inside the house, dropping their bags by the front door.

"We're back," Kat said. She flopped down on the sofa. "Wonder if anything interesting has happened while we were gone?"

"Well, let's see," Alfie said. "There's probably been a murder, a marriage, an affair, someone's got pregnant, someone's slapped someone else..." He counted them off on his fingers.

"Yeah..." Kat said. "It's never quiet in this place."

"Well, it definitely won't be now you're back," he teased.

Kat hit him with a cushion, then settled back on the sofa. She put both hands on her stomach. "It's weird to think there's something inside there."

"We ought to go the doctors," Alfie mused. "Then we could find out your due date and stuff."

"Yeah," Kat said. "Let's book an appointment - no, let's tell everyone first. No, we're better off waiting till after the doctor's said-" she saw him looking at her and trailed off. "What?"

He shook his head and grinned. "Nothing."

[hayley]

awwwwwww! this is so good! please do more!

[Angeldelight]

more more more... more more more...

[crazy_purple]

It was a couple of days later. Kat had been to the doctors and found out she was due in July; it felt really weird but amazing. She loved the attention from Alfie - he had been treating her like a princess. They had both gone back to work on their stalls on the market, and this meant lots of fond looks across the marketplace.

Kat was trying to persuade a woman to buy a skirt, and failing, when she felt Alfie creep up behind her. She smiled as his arms encircled her waist. "Boo," he said in her ear.

The woman scuttled off when Kat wasn't looking. Kat dropped the skirt back on the rack in disappointment. "I'm not selling anything nowadays."

"Me neither," Alfie said. "They all think it's junk... the other day, some kid wandered up and asked me 'why are you selling this tat'?" He looked hurt. "You don't think it's junk, do you?"

"No," Kat lied. "Course not."

"Good," Alfie said, perking up a bit. He leant down a bit and kissed the side of her face. "Love you."

Kat put her hands on top of his and moved them to her stomach gently. "I still can't believe it, you know. That there's a little person growing in here."

Alfie smiled. "Do you want to tell the others yet?"

"I don't know," Kat said, considering. "Well, I want to, it's just... I don't know how they'll take it."

"Oh, they'll be fine," Alfie said. "We managed to tell them we were back together, didn't we? And we got out of there with the same number of arms and legs."

Kat giggled. "Yeah."

"Tonight, then?"

Kat stirred uncomfortably. "I'm not sure..."

"What?" Alfie brushed a bit of hair back from her forehead. "Kat, not sure? Bloomin' heck. That's a turn-up for the books."

"Shurrup," Kat said, smiling. "Alright then. We'll go and tell them, tonight. I'll get those photos of Zoe developed and take them round, so we've got an excuse, and then..."

"You're making it sound like we're enemy spies or something."

"I'm not. I just want it to go right..." She stared off into the distance moodily. Then she blinked, straightened up and smiled reassuringly at him. "Sorry. Hormones, you know..."

Alfie grinned, rolling his eyes. "Never mind. Ooh, wait a minute-"

"What?"

Alfie was walking off somewhere. Kat watched him, intrigued. She sighed when she saw he was going in the direction of the flower stall, and saw him buy a rose. He jogged back to her and gave her the rose.

"You soppy old thing," Kat said, grinning. "You can't afford to do stuff like this."

"Anything for you," Alfie said with that old twinkle in his eye. She remembered suddenly how much she loved him, and it felt nice.

Kat reached up and kissed him, putting her hand on his cheek. She broke away and looked at the rose, twirling it in her hand. Her fingers were cold - she needed gloves, really - and the thorns itched at her hands, but it seemed like a perfect moment.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww they are so sweet! :D More asap

[Kim]

Awwww. Please do more asap :D

[crazy_purple]

A few minutes later, Kat saw Little Mo walking past. She called out to her and Mo turned round. "Mo, will you tell Dad we're coming round tonight?"

Little Mo glanced from her to Alfie and nodded. Then she paused. "Oh - aren't you going to that thing at the Vic?"

"What thing?"

"That thing," Mo said. "You know. The dance."

Kat frowned. "That's news to me."

"Oh, yeah, Peggy's organised it - it's supposed to be a romantic thing, a posh do, all nice dresses and wine and things. They're celebrating Sam being out."

"Oh," Kat said. She was kind of confused about where she stood with the whole Sam and Chrissie thing. It had got all mixed up. Never mind. "Is there a dress code?"

"Just posh dresses," Mo replied. "And ties for men. I might go with Billy." She looked at Kat, and it seemed like she wanted to hear something from her.

"That's good," Kat said, genuinely pleased. "I'm glad you're getting sorted out."

"Well, I don't know about that..." Mo shifted uneasily. "But we're giving it a go.."

"Alright," Kat said, thinking. It was all sorted out now, wasn't it? She and Alfie were together, where they were meant to be, and Mo and Billy were slowly getting closer again. That was good. Things were sliding back into place. Maybe they could really put it all behind them, everything that had gone wrong for both of the two couples. Well, she and Alfie had, but there was a question mark over Mo and Billy's relationship.

Mo went off to work and Kat looked at Alfie. "We could tell them tonight, couldn't we?"

"But I always look stupid in a suit."

"Tough. I fancy a bit of a posh do. We haven't had one for ages." Kat glanced at the clothes on her stall. "One problem though - I haven't got a dress."

Alfie sighed. "How much?"

"Oh, I could rent one," Kat said. "Girls do that for proms and stuff."

"Okay," Alfie said, brightening up. "I was just thinking, we can't really afford to buy one, not with a -"

"- baby on the way," Kat finished his sentence. "I know. If I go out for a bit then, will you look after my stall for me? Pretty please?"

She pouted, and he sighed. "Alright then."

"Ooh, you're lovely," Kat said. She handed him the stall money and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll be back when I've found a dress."

"When will that be?" Alfie called after her, but she didn't hear him. He sighed.

[hayley]

i think alfie may be there a while then! please do more its great! :)

[crazy_purple]

The special night at the Vic was due to start at eight p.m. Alfie was standing in front of the mirror in the hallway, grumbling about his reflection.

"I told you I look stupid in a suit," he mumbled. "I look like a penguin or something."

He heard Kat coming down the stairs and looked up, then gasped. She hadn't let him see the dress she had hired until now. It was long and midnight black, and was quite low-cut. Alfie grinned and let out a long, appreciative wolf-whistle.

"Nice?" Kat asked as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Very nice," Alfie said. He offered her his arm and she took it, smiling.

When they got to the Vic, the night had already begun. Some of the men's eyes widened at the sight of Kat, but she ignored them. Alfie bought her some orange juice and they stood at the bar for a few minutes.

"Are you working all night?" Kat asked Little Mo, who was standing behind the bar.

"No, just until half past," Mo said. "Then I'm gonna join in with Billy." She waved to Billy, who was sitting by himself in a corner. Mo was wearing a pink dress and had her hair up; she looked quite nice. Alfie was careful to only glance at her; Kat was saying nothing, but he could be sure that she was taking mental notes on every look he gave Little Mo.

Kat dragged Alfie onto the dancefloor. He went reluctantly, but was more than happy to put his hand on her waist. Their song came on and they started dancing haphazardly, giggling.

[squillyfer]

aww they're so cute. more soon

[crazy_purple]

Later on, Kat and Alfie sat down around a table with the rest of the Slaters. Alfie's hand crept sneakily onto her leg but she brushed it off. "Um, me and Alfie have got something we want to tell you..."

"What is it?" Charlie asked.

"You're pregnant!" Stacey said jokily.

Kat stared at Stacey, annoyed. Stacey looked back, confused, and then gasped. "Oh my God, you are and all!"

"Well, yeah. I'd have liked to have told them myself though..."

Stacey slumped back in her seat. "I was only messing about, I didn't seriously think you were..."

"Are you?" Little Mo asked.

"Yes!" Kat exclaimed. Alfie grinned.

"How long have you known?" Stacey said.

"A week or so... we found out when we were in Spain." Kat flashed a fond look at Alfie.

"Well... congratulations," Charlie said, looking at Kat. "It's really good news. You two deserve it."

"Well, she does, I don't know about him, the little toerag-" Big Mo interrupted.

"Nan," Kat said patiently, "Alfie's my husband and I'm carrying his baby, so you could at least try and be civil to him? Please?"

"I could try, I suppose," Big Mo said, looking at Alfie darkly.

"Yeah, it's brilliant," Little Mo jumped in. "You'll be really happy..." She took a deep gulp from her drink so she wouldn't have to say any more.

"Thanks, Mo," Kat said. She smiled happily. "I reckon me and Alfie'll be getting off then-"

"You mean you haven't already?!" Stacey said to her pint glass, but no-one was listening. It was no good being a comedian if no-one ever listened.

[squillyfer]

lol at stacey

[Kim]

awwww. More!!!!!:D

[*kalfie*moon*]

awww cute! please do more!xx

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww, more asap :D

[crazy_purple]

A few weeks later, Kat and Alfie were in the Vic when Peggy approached them. It had been a while since Sam had left, but Peggy seemed to be coping well.

"Alfie," Peggy said, on the other side of the bar. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Ah, I'm sorry Duchess but I'm a married man," Alfie said jokily. He was in a good mood because earlier that day he and Kat had gone for the first baby scan at the clinic, and they had seen the shape of their baby on the screen. Now a printout of the image was in his pocket, and he kept getting it out so they could both admire their unborn baby's likeness.

Peggy smiled. "No, Alfie. The thing is - well, much as I love owning this pub, I was never really cut out to actually run it, if you see what I mean. It's too much hassle nowadays."

"Yes...?" Alfie said, not really seeing what she was getting at.

"So, I want someone to manage the Vic," Peggy said, looking at him. "And you did a decent job of it before, better than anyone else that comes to mind. So I'll give it to you straight - do you want the job back?"

Alfie's mouth fell open. "Really?"

"Definitely," Peggy said firmly. "You've got experience, you're good with customers, and I don't know, but somehow it feels more like the Vic when you're behind the bar."

Alfie's face lit up. He looked across at Kat. "What - what do you think?"

"Well, it'll pay better than the stall," Kat answered. She frowned slightly. "But then we woudn't be able to chat all the time across the marketplace..."

"Oh, don't be silly," Peggy interrupted. "You didn't think I was gonna leave Kat out, did you? You two come as a package nowadays." She smiled. "No, you can both come back, if you want to that is. Phil's looking at houses nearby, we'll be moving out soon anyway, so you can move back in upstairs whenever you like - so, are you up for it?"

Kat and Alfie looked at each other, surprised but happy. Alfie answered for the both of them. "Yeah, course we are!"

"Good," Peggy said. "I'm glad. I wouldn't have wanted some stranger moving in - I like you and Kat, you know the ropes. Besides, you can't work on the market forever, not with a little one on the way."

Kat grinned happily. "Thanks, Peggy. You don't know how much this means to us."

[squillyfer]

Yay thinks are finally on the up for them

[Kim]

More soon please.:)

[Chloe-Elise]

Awww cool more soon please :D

[hayley]

awww! this is great! more soon please :)
xxx

[crazy_purple]

Kat and Alfie eventually moved into the Vic three days later. It wasn't exactly difficult, as it was only across the Square, but they had a lot to carry.

"How many pairs of shoes do you need?" Alfie asked Kat, lugging a binbag full of her stuff across the street.

"Lots," Kat said, biting into an apple. She was feeling lazy today and was making him carry all but the lightest bags.

"Can't you help a bit?" Alfie asked.

"You wouldn't make a pregnant woman do heavy lifting like that, would you?" she replied innocently.

Alfie chucked the bag down in the back of the Vic. "Course not," he said wearily.

----
got to go!

[Kim]

Short, but still great:). More asap please:D

[Chloe-Elise]

Great :D more asap :)

[crazy_purple]

Sorry about that, I had to run
------

Kat and Alfie got all their bags upstairs and stood there, looking around.

"We're back," Kat said.

"I can't believe it," Alfie said. He plonked himself down on the sofa. "I never thought we'd end up in here again, you know?"

"Me either," Kat replied. "It hasn't changed much... same old, same old..."

Alfie looked at her. "You don't regret it, do you?"

"Moving in? No... I just thought they would at least have changed the wallpaper." She wandered through into their old bedroom. "Ooh, do you remember this?" She turned to him, grinning.

Alfie smiled. "I wasn't going to forget, was I?"

"We never did get to christen every room in this house..." Kat said mischeviously.

"Oh, not that again," Alfie said with a grin.

"What? It's traditional."

"Only for you," Alfie said. He put his hand on her back. "This was the first place we ever-" He stopped, turning pink.

"You soppy git," Kat said, laughing. "Nostalgia trip?"

"Well... when Den kicked us out on Christmas Eve-"

"If I was there I'd have kicked him where it hurts, and told him where to go, the cheeky beggar," Kat interrupted.

Alfie smiled. "I know you would. But when he kicked us out, I was upset and I asked him how he could do it to us, but he just said 'I'll change the sheets". I just saw red... I would have stove his head in right there-" He stopped suddenly, realising what he had said.

"It's alright," Kat said. She stared at the bed for a minute. "Well, now he's dead."

"It's not that," Alfie said. "Just... it was our bed..."

"And now it is again," Kat said. "You know, you must be the only person I know who'd get that worked up over a bed."

"It had loads of memories... the first time we - you know - and all those times we stayed up, cuddling..."

Kat rolled her eyes. "You're still a soppy git."

"And you love it," Alfie said jokily, back to his cheeky self.

"Ooh, I do," Kat said, grinning. "Hey, do you fancy a break from all this strenuous house-moving?"

"Strenuous? I carried everything!"

"Same thing," Kat said. "Do you remember when we used to run up here everytime the pub wasn't busy?"

"Yeah," Alfie said. "They were good times..."

"Mmm," Kat said. She reached up and kissed him. "Pub isn't busy now..."

"No, it isn't," Alfie agreed.

[Kim]

Brill:) More soon please:D

[Chloe-Elise]

Awww bless them! More soon please :D

[hayley]

:D excellentae!

[crazy_purple]

Eight months later. Kat was now nine months pregnant. Alfie kept running round after her and doing things for her - it was quite good really. She was proud of her bump and already felt like she loved the baby, even though she hadn't seen it yet. She and Alfie had decided not to ask what sex the baby was, so it would be a surprise when it was born. When it was born. Kat couldn't imagine that, really. She had got so used to being pregnant, to being two people instead of one, that she couldn't really believe that soon she and her son or daughter would be two separate people. They wouldn't share things anymore; it wouldn't be living off of her oxygen and food. It would be alright, though. Kat got bored sometimes of lugging the huge bump around with her everywhere, and she needed to go to the loo a lot more often. She never sat down unless she had to, because it was difficult to get up again. But she wouldn't change it for the world.

Kat and Alfie had gone round to the Slaters' house. They were throwing an impromptu party for Little Mo and Billy - the two of them had announced that they were finally back together. Now Kat and Alfie were sitting quietly on the sofa. The others were drinking and messing about, but Kat wasn't really in the mood. She felt more like sitting peacefully for a while. Or better still, lying down. She felt sleepy so often nowadays. She supposed the baby took a lot of her energy up.

"You can join in with them, if you want," Kat said to Alfie. He was watching Stacey playing pin the tail on the donkey. Well, when the Slaters had a party, they definitely had a party.

"Nah, I'd rather stay here with you," Alfie said. He smiled at her. "You look tired."

"I'm alright. I could just do with a lie down," Kat replied. She stifled a yawn. "Little Mo wants us here though."

"Mmm," Alfie said. He glanced at Little Mo. She looked happy, and he was glad. He regretted causing her pain before, but it was over now. They were all back to normal. Well, as normal as you could get with the Slaters, anyway.

"It's not fair, you cheated!" Stacey shouted after seeing she had completely failed to pin the tail on the donkey. "You moved it after I pinned it!"

"You're just a sore loser," Mo grinned.

Stacey went into a sulk and stomped off into the kitchen to pour herself a drink.

"I hope that's not alcohol you're planning on drinking, young lady!" Charlie called after her.

Stacey didn't answer him. Charlie rolled his eyes and looked at Alfie and Kat. "You two are quiet."

"I don't really feel like partying," Kat said. She leaned her head on Alfie's chest. "Maybe another day, yeah?"

"Are you alright?" her dad asked.

"I'm fine," Kat said. "Ooh - the baby just kicked." She took Alfie's hand and placed it on her bump, then put hers on top of it and laced her fingers around his. They both smiled a second later when it kicked again.

[Kim]

Fab. More soon please:)

[hayley]

awwwwwwwwwwww! thats brill!

[crazy_purple]

The Slaters eventually tired of drinking and the party games, and sat down near Kat and Alfie.

"No, come on, you can't stop partying now..." Stacey said, bouncing around. She seemed drunk. "You're boring..."

"Oh, shut up, Stace," Big Mo said. "Plonk yourself down here."

Stacey did so, and the five of them looked at Kat and Alfie expectantly.

"What?" Kat asked, unnerved by the attention.

"What do you want to do?" Big Mo asked. "You've been sat there all evening, you're right partypoopers."

Alfie frowned. "Kat's tired."

"That's no excuse! Before, you used to party til the break of dawn and not get tired!"

"I'm pregnant, unless you didn't notice," Kat interrupted.

"Oh, fine then," Big Mo said. "I still think you're boring."

Kat couldn't think of anything much to say to that, so she stuck her tongue out at her nan.

"That's more like it!" Big Mo exclaimed.

"Oh, shurrup the pair o' yez," Stacey interrupted, slurring her words slightly. "Who wants to play Truth or Dare?"

There were murmurs of disagreement, but Stacey rolled her eyes. "Mo, you will, won't you?"

Little Mo nodded warily. "Alright then. Billy will as well."

"Hey!" Billy said, but they ignored him.

"Right, you're all playing whether you want to or not," Stacey said firmly. "Now - who's going first? Kat, since you've been so lazy."

"I have not been-"

"Truth or Dare?" Stacey asked.

Kat sighed. "Truth."

"You always used to be a Dare girl!" Big Mo said indignantly. "We used to be able to get you to do anything - run down the street with your knickers on your head -"

"Shut up, Nan. Right, Kat..." Stacey thought of a question. "You ever cheated on anyone?"

Kat turned slightly pink. "Yes."

"Aha," Stacey said, grinning rather drunkenly. "On Alfie?"

"You're only allowed one question," Kat said quickly.

"Alright then, I'll let you off... Alfie!"

Alfie looked up. "No, don't ask me- oh, go on then. Truth, if you must."

"You ever.... kissed... another man?" Stacey started giggling at her own question. Kat rolled her eyes.

"Um..."

Kat was surprised to see Alfie turning red. She gasped, half-laughing. "You haven't?"

"Only as a dare!" Alfie said quickly. "I was only thirteen or something and someone bet us twenty quid that we wouldn't, and that was a lot of money then, and-"

"Alright," Kat said, laughing. "I never knew that, that's all."

"We didn't open our mouths," Alfie mumbled, blushing fiercely. "And I didn't like it, if that's what you're thinking."

"Eh, it's all coming out now," Big Mo said. Stacey had started laughing uncontrollably.

"She's drunk," Charlie said reproachfully.

"Well, I'll take over then," Big Mo said.

But suddenly they were interrupted when Kat gasped. It wasn't a loud sound, but it meant something so huge that they all turned to look at her instantly.

She had clapped both hands onto her bump and looked shocked. "I think... my waters just broke."

"Ew," Stacey giggled from the floor.

Alfie stared at Kat, his mouth falling open. "Does that mean...?"

"It's time," Kat said. Her voice seemed to come from somewhere far away.

[Chloe-Elise]

:eek: The baby! Fab,more asap :D :cheer:

[hayley]

ooooooooooooooooh!

[Kim]

Great. Can't wait for the next part.

[crazy_purple]

The Slaters (except Stacey, who was giggling to herself again) immediately clustered around Kat, all talking at once. Kat held up her hands. "Don't - don't crowd me." Her voice quivered a bit and she looked at Alfie for support. She looked like a scared little girl.

"Charlie," Alfie said, taking control of the situation. "Will you drive us to the hospital?"

"Yeah, of course," Charlie replied, looking at Kat with concern. "Are you all right, love?"

"I'm having a baby," Kat said wonderingly. She glanced at Alfie. "Help me up."

Alfie stood up and pulled her up after him. She wobbled a bit, feeling overcome by strange emotions, but Alfie supported her firmly. He remembered something suddenly. "Oh - the hospital bag's at the Vic-"

"You'd better go and get it. We'll wait in the cab," Charlie said.

Kat clutched at Alfie's arm suddenly, looking frightened. "Don't leave me."

"Only for a minute," Alfie said reassuringly. He kissed her on the forehead and ran out across the Square. A tumult of emotions filled his mind. His wife was having a baby. They were actually going to get a baby, after so long. He shook his head. If he started thinking about it he'd get distracted. He hurried up the stairs in the Vic and grabbed the holdall which was packed with things Kat would need for the hospital. He ran back out onto the Square through the pub, and Garry shouted after him jokily "Oi Alfie, where's the fire?"

He spun around quickly and said "Kat's having the baby!", hardly believing it himself. Then he was gone, running back across the Square and jumping into Charlie's cab, where Kat sat fidgeting and looking worried. He took her hand and held it. She smiled nervously at him.

Back in the Vic, the regulars were murmuring over Alfie's announcement. Peggy, who was standing behind the bar, declared "Right, if you lot don't cough up on 'congratulations' cards, you'll be barred!"

[Kim]

lol Peggy. Fab, more asap please:)

[crazy_purple]

It was a few hours later at the hospital. Kat was still in the first stage of labour.

"It's taking ages," she complained to Alfie.

"Well, it's not my fault," he said.

"Sorry. I don't mean to take it out on you, it's just annoying... and it hurts..." She sighed and lay her head back on the pillow. "When will we be able to see him or her?"

"I don't know. Soon."

Kat groaned. "I feel sick."

Alfie looked worried. "You're not going to throw up are you?"

Kat moved her head to face the other way. "Oh, I need a drink."

"You're not allowed to drink anything-"

"Not even water?" Kat licked her lips. They felt so dry.

"The nurse said not... you can have an ice-cube though..."

Kat rolled her eyes. "Oh, an ice-cube. I'm well chuffed." She turned her head away from him again and started to sniffle. "It's not fair. I hate this."

'What?" Alfie asked, confused.

"It hurts! It feels horrible! I want to throw up and go to the loo and cry, all at once!"

"Well, you did it before..." Alfie said weakly.

"That was years ago, and it almost killed me!"

"You'll be alright," Alfie said, trying to reassure her. "I'll be here."

"Fat lot of good you are."

Alfie felt hurt. "You don't need to -"

Kat's emotions changed once again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to - I'm just hormonal..."

-----
more tomorrow gotta go

[*kalfie*moon*]

awww please do more!!

[Kim]

Great, more asap please:D

[Chloe-Elise]

Brilliant,more asap :D

[crazy_purple]

The clock crept slowly round to midnight. Kat was getting very bored and in discomfort.

"You're getting around to 9cm now," the midwife remarked. "It shouldn't be too long to wait." She left the room again. She kept doing that. It was like musical chairs.

"I wish she wouldn't keep sticking her hand up there," Kat complained to Alfie.

"It's her job," Alfie said tiredly. He had drifted off several times in the last hour, but Kat kept shouting at him when he did, so he was trying to keep his eyes open.

"Well, it's a bit impersonal." Kat yawned. "I'm shattered."

"Me too," Alfie agreed.

Kat frowned at him. "Excuse me, have you been in labour for five hours?"

"No," Alfie murmured. His eyes slid shut and his head leant backwards against the wall. He had been sitting next to her bed all the time, except for when he got up to go to the loo and to bring Kat some magazines.

Kat noticed and jabbed him hard with a rolled-up magazine. "Don't you dare fall asleep! The cheek of it!"

"Sorry," Alfie said. He started tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair. Then he checked his watch. "Another contraction in about thirty seconds, I reckon."

"You've been timing?" Kat grinned.

"They're getting closer together..." Alfie said, an edge of excitement in his voice.

"Oh, yeah. That makes you happy, does it? I'm glad you can feel that way." Kat lay her hands on her bump. "You have no idea how much they hurt."

Alfie took one of her hands. "It'll be alright."

"Pffft," Kat scoffed. There was a shadow of fear that seemed to hide behind her face.

A second later, she cried out in pain and clutched at Alfie's hand. "Oh, God-" she groaned.

"It's alright. You're okay. You'll be-"

"Help," Kat said mournfully, her face creased up in pain. His heart went out to her. He hated seeing her like this, in pain, and knowing there was nothing he could do about it.

[Chloe-Elise]

Awwwww bless, poor Kat :( Fab,more asap :D

[crazy_purple]

A few moments later and the pain was passed, at least until next time. Kat relaxed her taut muscles and shut her eyes, laying her head against the wall. She was propped up in bed wearing a hospital gown.

Alfie touched her shoulder gently. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head slowly, eyes still closed. Her hair was sticking to her forehead with sweat. He wanted to brush it behind her ears, like he always did, that trademark gesture, but he couldn't. That would be stupid. Kat sniffled a bit and he realised she was crying.

"Don't cry," he said, surprised. This wasn't normal. Usually she was strong and would never admit she was hurting, or even show this much emotion. Now she just looked vulnerable and frightened.

"I'm scared," she said in a small voice. A tear crept out of the corner of her eye and glistened there. "It hurts."

"It's alright," Alfie said, and cursed himself. Why did he keep repeating that? It didn't mean anything.

"What if it goes wrong?" Kat murmured. She opened her eyes and looked at Alfie, a pleading expression on her face. "What if it dies? What if-"

"Stop it," Alfie said. Suddenly he was frightened himself, but not for the baby - for Kat. "You're worrying yourself."

"I can't help it..." Kat said, her eyes flickering. "It's going to go wrong. I know it is. I don't deserve a baby. I've done too much bad stuff-"

"Stop it!" Alfie exclaimed, loudly this time. She took notice and stared at him, her eyes wide. "You shouldn't say those things!"

"I..."

"No. You're just torturing yourself. It's not fair on you, and it's not fair on me, either. You're having a baby!" He laughed suddenly, and the sound surprised them both. "Why are you acting like you're dying? It's ridiculous!"

Kat looked down at the bedcovers. "I... I'm sorry. I'm just... so scared I'm not gonna get a baby to look after..." Tears spilled hotly out of her eyes and dripped onto the bedcovers slowly.

Alfie moved closer to her and pulled her towards him, into a hug. She resisted for a moment but then leant on him, sniffling. After a minute she was calm.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm acting like a right idiot, aren't I?"

"No," Alfie said. He touched the back of her head and stroked her hair gently. He could feel the bulge of her stomach against his body as he hugged her.

"You better not tell anyone," Kat said, half-laughing in a wobbly way.

"I won't," Alfie agreed. She was back to relatively normal, and he was glad. Just then, another contraction came, worse than the last, and Kat squeezed Alfie, trying to transfer some of the pain onto something else. He didn't mind.

[Kim]

Awww. More asap please:)

[*kalfie*moon*]

awww!! more please!

[Angeldelight]

more more more... more more more

[Chloe-Elise]

Brilliant,more asap :)

[crazy_purple]

Ten minutes later, and the contractions were pretty much constant. Kat pushed the call button for the midwife, who had disappeared off somewhere.

"She'd better come back soon," Alfie said with some alarm. "I'm not delivering it..."

The midwife hurried back in suddenly. "I'm very sorry about that, it seems like everyone's babies are coming at once today - not enough staff, that's the problem-" She glanced around guiltily. "Anyone asks, I never said that."

"Just - do something-" Kat said, panting. She had been using the gas-and-air pipe for a while but it wasn't really helping much.

"You're ten centimetres dilated," the midwife said, checking. "It'll be on its way."

She washed her hands again quickly and looked at Kat. "Do you know the breathing method?"

"I went to the class," Kat said. "I- owwww!" Alfie held her hand and she clenched it tightly. She took a few gasping breaths and screamed in pain. Her face was white.

"But you didn't pay attention," Alfie finished for her. He knew she needed to keep focussed on something, think about something, anything but the pain.

"It was boring-"

The midwife kind of half-smiled and checked Kat again. "Okay, we're in business."

"No..." Kat moaned.

"It's alright. I'm here," Alfie said, moving closer to her.

"Jesus Christ-" Kat hissed through clenched teeth. "Oh, God, oh hell-" She started weeping, but no tears came. She groaned in agony.

"Mary," Alfie threw in for good measure, trying to make her laugh, to take her mind off it.

"Her too- oh, f**king-"

"Kat!" Alfie exclaimed.

"Well, you have a baby then!" she shouted, breathing hard. "Arrrrrgh...."

"The head's coming," the midwife told them.

Alfie looked, and his eyes widened. "Ooh..."

"Oh God it hurts-" Kat said mournfully, her voice drawn out. Alfie had lost all feeling in his hands were she had been gripping them.

"You're nearly there now, it's gonna be alright-" Alfie said to her. Her eyes turned to him. She trusted him.

"One last push," the midwife said.

"I can't," Kat moaned, her face screwed up.

"You can, go on... please, Kat..." Alfie said. "You can do it. Just one last push..."

Kat shut her eyes and pushed hard. For a moment pain filled her world but then she heard a sudden crying. She opened her eyes so fast the room swam in front of her eyes, but it cleared and she saw what the midwife had got: a tiny, wriggling thing, its body slick with blood and fluid. Kat blinked and stared at it. That came out of me, she thought dimly. Then a rush of emotion filled her and she gasped. Its my baby, she realised with shock. I've actually got a baby.

[Kim]

Brill, more asap please:)

[crazy_purple]

"Is he okay?" Kat asked breathlessly, before she even knew what gender it was.

"He's fine," the midwife replied, after doing the routine checks quickly. "Congratulations, you've got a healthy baby boy."

She gave the baby to Kat, who reached out for it, desperate to hold him. He wriggled and gurgled in her arms. She stared at him, a tumult of emotions racing through her body. Her mouth was open in wonder and surprise that this little thing really belonged to her, that she had made him.

Alfie moved up close to them both, leaning towards them. "He's perfect," he said in a low voice. Kat glanced at him and saw he too was emotional and trying not to get teary. He smiled in wonder at his baby son. It was amazing to think that was what he was. His son.

The baby stared up at his mother's face, his little mouth open. Kat cautiously touched his tiny pink hand with her finger, and gasped when his fingers curled around hers in a surprisingly tight grip. Then she really did start to cry, but with happiness. Tears flooded down her face but she made no effort to wipe them off. She had never been so happy. This was her baby, and no-one was going to march in and take him away from her. It was a perfect moment.

Alfie brushed the tears off her cheeks gently. She looked at him and their eyes met in connection. There were so many thoughts flowing between the pair, they didn't know what to say. Eventually Alfie leant forward carefully and kissed her very gently on the lips, then pulled back. The baby watched them curiously. Kat smiled warmly at him, and then looked back down at her son. He was so tiny and perfectly formed. She wondered if he would look like Alfie when he got older, and smiled more.

"I love you," Alfie whispered to both of them.

The midwife interrupted them. "It'll be the afterbirth coming in a minute," she said quietly.

Kat tensed up slightly. "You'd better hold him." She looked at Alfie, and he took the baby from her, holding him so carefully it was as though he thought he might break. He cradled his son to him and gazed at him, amazed.