The Other Branning ~ Eastenders

Dinner

The Brannings were at the Carter's for dinner. Mick and Linda had arranged cover for the bar all night, so they could properly get to know their son's new girlfriend's family. Mick and Jack had already met, after sharing a smooch at Mick's stag do as a dare. Linda and Roxy had gotten over their differences about Dean, once Roxy had realised what Dean was really like. Nancy wasn't too sure on Grace, she didn't tend to like the girlfriends Lee chose, especially not after Whitney. Amy was just happily eating her dinner, she loved spaghetti Bolognese.

"So, Lee, what made you fall for my little girl? You'd better treat her right, 'coz she's a Daddy's Girl, and you know what they means." Jack warned him.

"That if your not the right man for her, her Dad'll throw her over his shoulder on her wedding day and get her out of there." Nancy sarcastically replied, it was her own account of what happened when Dad's didn't like their daughter's fellas.

"What?" Jack chuckled. "No, as long as my Gray's happy, that's what matters. She could be with the worst guy on the planet, but if he treated her right, I wouldn't mind as long as she was happy." Jack explained. "Grace and Amy's happiness is all I care about. And Roxy's of course." Jack beamed around at everyone that was sat at the table.

"Her smile, as soon as she smiled at me, I fell for her instantly." Lee faked a dramatic faint, making everyone laugh. "Nah, honestly, it was her eyes. When I was little, my Mum told me that when I fall in love, to fall in love with her eyes, because it's the only thing that wont age over time." Lee said, getting all embarrassed. Linda had a tears in her eyes, her eldest boy always did know how to make her well up.

"You remembered that? You were only five when I told you that." Linda's heart melted.

"Yeah, course, it's my first memory. And Johnny's actually." Lee told her.

"I just came to pick up the rest of my stuff, I'm staying at the B and B, Kim's. Incase you wanted to know for future reference." Whitney walked in, rambling on about herself as usual. "Oh." She gasped a little as she saw everyone sat around a table in the Carter's living room. "What's going on here?" She gave the all an evil look.

"Were having a family dinner, if you must know, Whitney." Linda snapped at her. "Get whatever you've come here for and go, please."

"You never had my family around for dinner." Whitney moaned at them. "Oh, also, what about my job? Please don't tell me your going to give it to that little tramp, I need this job or I can't pay my bills at the B and B."

"Maybe that's because your family is full of chavs. I mean, Bianca? Like we would actually have her to our house for dinner. She'd probably steal everything. Liam's pretty much on the run, and your brothers in prison for murder. We really want them in our house, don't we? Not to mention the fact your brother stole off of us." Nancy laughed in Whitney's face, handing her a bag full of her stuff.

"And you can forget about the job, Grace is no tramp." Lee added. "We've actually got erm, a little announcement." He told their two families.

"Please tell me your not pregnant." Jack stood up, he most certainly did not want his daughter having a baby at such a young age. She was only nineteen. "You had better not be pregnant."

"Chill out, Dad, I'm not pregnant." Grace laughed, reassuring him. She didn't want to be pregnant as much as her Dad didn't want her to be.

"No, not that. What is-is that, we, well-we-" Lee started.

"Spit it out, boy." Mick urged him.

"We've decided to get married!" Grace grinned. "In a couple of months. Two months and three days to be exact."

"Oh! I need to buy a new hat!" Linda squealed in excitement.  "We've got dress shopping to do, and invites to send, and oh there's so much to do!" Linda grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, starting to make a list.

"Serious?" Jack asked his daughter. "And your sure about this?"

"Sure as sure can be. Then we're going to travel the world." Grace told her Dad excitedly. "You know it's what I've always wanted to do."

"Well, them congratulations, honey." Jack hugged his daughter. "And Lee, I meant what I said-treat my baby girl right." He warned his soon to be son-in-law.

"Don't worry, I intend to." Lee assured him.

"Your going to go off travelling too?" Linda pouted. Her younger son, Johnny, was already travelling around the world with his boyfriend, Gian-Luca. Now her older son was going off as well. "Well, I guess if your going to travel, you may as well go and see you brother at the same time, mind you." Linda reminded Lee.

"Mum, Johnny will be at the wedding, so when we leave, we'll be leaving with Johnny and Gian-Luca." Lee told her.

"Well thank god! As well as you getting married, I'll get to see my little sausage at the same time!" Linda clapped her hands excitedly.

"Excuse me, what? Lee, we like only broke up a couple of weeks ago?!" Whitney exclaimed.

"Yeah, but. When you meet the one, you just know. And when you do, gotta put a ring on it. So, two months time. She'll be my wife." Lee grinned, kissing Grace on the cheek.

"I'm betting, fifty quid, when Lee and Grace get back from 'travelling' whatever they want to call it, Grace'll be pregnant." Nancy grilled them.

"Better not be. Marriage is enough for now." Jack warned Lee, before he could get any ideas.

"Agreed. It's enough money to pay for the wedding and travelling, without having to pay for a baby as well." Lee reassured Jack again.