The fire never happened in this fic. Kat and Alfie are still living in 23 Albert Square with Mo and Stacey.
4am.
It was all quiet and dark, with only the moon shining through the window, everyone in the house sleeping peacefully, until… Bert started crying again.
"Leave it… it's my turn…" Alfie said sleepily, still lying on his pillow.
"No, I'll go," Kat said as she got out of bed to reach out to her son. Alfie, without arguing, soon fell asleep again.
…
7am.
Alfie opened his eyes slowly and turned on his other side, to feel the bed empty. He sat up, wondering where Kat was. She probably woken up already, but it wasn't usual of her to wake up and not tell him. He got out of bed, to see Ernie still sleeping in his cot but the other cot was empty.
He tiptoed downstairs, not to wake Mo and Tommy, "Kat…" he whispered. No reply.
He walked into the kitchen… she wasn't there.
He walked into the front room and there she was… lying on the sofa, in her nightie, fast asleep cuddling Bert to her chest.
Alfie decided to make Kat comfortable. He took Bert off her chest and put him in his carry cot. He then, took hold of the blanket on the sofa and covered Kat and tucked her in, like a little girl. He moved her fringe out of her face and watched her sleep peacefully.
He stood up and took Bert back up stairs with him.
…
9am.
Kat finally opened her eyes and then realized where she had spent the rest of the night. She sat up worried; she remembered she fell asleep with Bert, until a note on the coffee table caught her eye.
'I didn't want to wake you up, I took Bert back to bed, and don't worry about the stall, I'll cover for you today. Love Alfie' she read.
She got up quickly and walked into the kitchen, "Stac!" she shouted.
"What's all this shouting?" Stacey said sleepily as she walked down the stairs and down the hall.
"You slept in as well?" Kat said as she put the kettle on, "the twins are alright upstairs?"
"Yeah I just checked on 'em, finally Bert gave us some peace and quiet," Stacey uttered, seated at the table.
"Yeah that's because he slept with me down here, I've walked around with him, then I just came down here, gave him a cuddle and he just fell asleep," Kat told her as she sat beside her, "where's nan?"
"She's spending the morning with Fat Elvis she said, I saw her coming out of the bathroom," Stacey said.
"Right… so I'm taking the twins then today…" Kat said as she stood up to pour some tea.
"What about the stall?" Stacey asked.
"Alfie's covering for me… to make it up for last night I suppose…" Kat said as she handed Stacey the mug.
"right... so I'll take Lilly to school and Tommy to nursery before I go to Blades…" Stacey added as she took a sip of tea.
"great, so day and night I'll have the twins then…" Kat muttered.
"Come on Kat, they're your boys… I know you're knackered but you'll enjoy a day out with them," Stacey told her, as she took her mug and headed upstairs.
…
"Come on ladies, get your stylish jeans… the cheapest on the market!" Alfie Moon yelled from Kat's stall.
"I hope you're making profits," Kat told Alfie, as she approached him, pushing the twins in the buggy in front of her. She wore her black fur coat and dangly earrings as usual.
"Ah there she is the love of my life," Alfie said with a smile, as he turned to see Kat and gave her a quick peck on the lips, "did you sleep well?"
"yeah, you could've woke me up you know," Kat told him.
"It's alright, I'm managing here on my own, you deserve a day off," Alfie told her.
"my hero…" Kat said with a smile, "anyway I'm off to the pharmacy to get more nappies,"
"Alright, do you wanna leave the twins with me?" Alfie said, as a customer approached the stall.
"No it's alright, I'll take them with me, it's better for Bert when I'm moving him around, he stops crying… I'll leave you to it…" Kat told him as she leaned in for a quick kiss, before she left.
"That cost 20 quid darling, but I'll knock off 10% just for you love," Alfie told the female customer, as she approached him to pay him, "cheers," Alfie said as he pocketed the money.
He looked around to see that Kat was out of sight and turned the other way. "Kush, watch the stall for me for a bit? I'll be back very soon,"
" because I have nothing else to do yeah?" Kush blurted out, as he saw Alfie leave.
…
"Ian!" Alfie yelled as he banged on his door.
"Alfie," Ian said, as he opened his kitchen back door.
"I met Peter on the fruit stall, he told me you were home," Alfie said as he walked in, "listen I came to talk to you as a mate…"
"what can I do for ya?" Ian asked Alfie.
"Would you lend me two hundred quid?" Alfie asked as he bent down on his knees.
"what?!" Ian said as he made a face, "do I look like I made out of money?"
"Please Ian," Alfie said as he stood up on his feet, "says the guy who owns a restaurant, the café, and the fruit stall,"
"Alfie, that's a lot of money…" Ian said, holding a mug in his hands.
"All I'm asking for is two hundred quid not a grand! Ian, please, I promise I'll pay you back by the end of the month… I just need it now, to surprise Kat," Alfie explained.
…
Kat pushed the buggy up to their front door, carrying a bag of supplies from the pharmacy.
"Alfie!" she called.
"In here!" Alfie called back from the front room.
"I've just had Linda Carter in my face, lecturing me about how to take care of my kids, just because I parked the buggy in front of the till while I was getting nappies from the top shelf!" she ranted as she left the buggy by the door and sat down on the sofa by Alfie.
"Why bother about what she says? You're the best mum these boys could have" Alfie told her, as he put his arm around her on the sofa.
"I'm knackered…" Kat muttered, as she lay back.
"I know… which is why I got a surprise for ya…" Alfie began as he looked at her in the eye, "tonight, you, me are off to a hotel in the middle of London!" he said with a smile.
"What? What about the kids? And where did you get the money from?" Kat asked as she sat up again.
"The kids will be fine with Mo and Stacey, one night won't kill 'em… and the money… let's say I've been saving up for a special occasion, which in this case, consider it as a late wedding anniversary/Christmas/birthday present," Alfie said smiling.
"Well… it's a bit weird, going away without the kids aint it?" Kat wasn't sure.
Alfie wrapped his arms around her, "Kat come on! Just you and me, like old times… a bit of the old…" as he whistled a tune at the end of his sentence and raised his eyebrows.
"Well yeah they'll be alright for one night I suppose," Kat said with a smile.
"That's my girl, come here," he told her as he pulled her in and started tickling her, while Kat filled the room with her loud giggles.
Next time: Kat & Alfie are off to their night away. But can they manage to spend their little getaway in peace?