August 2014.

"How's the food preparation going, Jean?" Kat asked her beloved relative, who was busy slicing away in the Queen Vic kitchen.

"Yes, yes almost done! All is good!" Jean said with a smile as she waved her hands in mid air.

"You know you don't need to help… I know you're not staying for long," Kat told her, stepping a few steps away from the fridge.

"It's alright Kat! I miss you and all this! And besides I'd do anything to help you out" Jean said as she pointed at her 8 month pregnant belly.

Kat smiled and turned to leave, but stopped again, "It's nice to have you and Lily back, Jean," she said with a smile and left. Jean smiled back, but was still worrying about the fact she was yet to tell Kat and Alfie the real reason she came back.

…

"Any chance of getting served?" a punter at the bar asked.

"Pint love yeah?" Kat greeted him as she stepped behind the bar. She took a glass but soon made a face, "oh… we're out… Alfie!" she called.

"Alright, I'm here! Just slipped out to the loo," Alfie said as he stepped behind the bar.

"Barrel needs changin'" Kat told him.

"Right, I'll do it… and I thought I told you, no bar work for you," Alfie called from down the hall on his way to the barrel store.

"Well someone needs to serve the punters!" Kat yelled back.

"so are you gonna get me a drink or what? I've been here ages!" Cora moaned, seated across the bar.

"Well Cora since you asked so nicely," Kat added sarcastically and faked a smile.

"Gin and tonic please Kat," Cora faked a smile back.

…

Later on in the afternoon, the famous pub on Albert Square calmed down a bit. Kat was putting clean glasses away, when Alfie hugged her from behind and whispered in her ear, "you should take it easy and rest you know,"

"Alfie I'm fine… I used to manage this place when I was pregnant with Tommy, didn't I?" Kat said as she turned to face him.

"Yeah but this time it's different, ain't it? You are not carrying one moon, but two little moons in there…" Alfie said as he touched her belly.

"Alright… come here," Kat said as she took her hand and led him down the hall away from the bar, "I'm not going upstairs unless you come with me," Kat said with a seductive smile.

"What? What about the pub?" Alfie asked confused.

"Tracey and Nan can manage…" Kat added as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

"Are you sure?" Alfie asked her back, as he took a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"It's not gonna hurt the babies if that's what you're worried about," Kat told him, "come on," she added as she nudged his shirt.

"I know that but Kat, you're past 8 months now, maybe you feel uncomfortable, I dunno…" Alfie still wasn't sure about Kat's suggestion.

"Exactly, I'm pregnant, hormonal and I want my man right now," Kat said before she hurriedly leaned in for passionate kiss.

Alfie broke it off, "right okay… upstairs now!" he told her as she turned around to go upstairs.

"I can't run up the stairs like we used to…" she told him as she walked up the stairs slowly.

"Yeah and I can't carry you either, you must weigh as much as an elephant by now," Alfie teased, behind her.

"You should shut up if you wanna get something from me!" Kat told her husband as she reached her bedroom door.

…

The next morning, Kat slept in. She was the last one to wake up and enter the kitchen, to find Mo and Alfie seated at the table and Jean flipping sausages from the pan to clean plates.

"ooh what's all this?" Kat said as she held her belly and sat down.

"Cheers Jean… that looks lovely…" Alfie said as he smiled at his sausage, bacon and beans. Mo just started digging in her plate without saying a word.

"Ooh nothing special, just my way of saying thank you for letting me stay…" Jean said with a smile, as she brought a plate over for Kat.

"Oh no thanks Jean," Kat said as she put her hand over her mouth.

"Kat you alright?" Mo asked her granddaughter.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm just having one of those… tightenings… like those false labour alarms I had when I was gonna have Tommy…" Kat said, "what do they call 'em again?" as she held her belly.

"Wait, do you wanna go to the hospital?" Alfie stopped eating.

"No you muppet, it comes and goes, it stopped now… and I only felt another one last night… they're not regular Alfie…" Kat explained, "can I have a coffee instead please Jean?"

"Yeah sure, I'll make you one…" Jean said with a smile as she hurriedly stood up from the round table to serve Kat.

"So for karaoke night tonight, I was thinking of giving away a free bag of crisps with every two pints… how's that for promotion during happy hour?" Alfie said as he finished eating.

Kat made a face, "and you think punters are gonna buy an extra pint, just for a packet of free crisps?"

"You gotta use your brains, Alfie!" Mo butted in.

"how about we do a raffle?" Kat suggested, "you know.. sell raffle tickets and the winner gets a bottle of wine and champagne,"

"Hmm.. or I could call Ian and arrange a prize dinner at the Beale's! see? Sorted!" Alfie said with a smile on his face.

"And you think Ian is gonna give you a special discount, is he?" Kat made a face.

"I'll arrange something, you just count on me, yeah?!" Alfie said as he stood up and kissed his wife on her forehead before leaving the kitchen.

"Can I trust him?" Kat asked sarcastically as she looked at Mo and Jean.

"Yeah I think it's a nice prize!" Jean smiled from across the table.

"Yeah if you like Ian's cheap food and tacky wine, it is!" Kat said before she took a sip of coffee.

"But the idea of winning will encourage the people to buy tickets and that's what you want at the end of the day, isn't it? Ah Stacey is gonna feel home again, she missed all this!" Jean said as she took a bite of toast.

"Stacey?!" Mo asked confused. Kat looked up.

Jean stopped eating, "well yes I meant to tell you… Stacey might be coming home…"

"What?!" Kat asked confused.

To be continued...

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