More Than Friends {Waterloo Road}

9

Previously;
But before anything could happen, the doctor ran in. "It's your daughter. She stopped breathing..."
Now;

Max and Charlie ran to neonatal. Charlie was scared. She didn't want to lose her daughter before she even got to have her.

They ran in. Thankfully, a doctor had managed to stabilise Poppy. Charlie placed her hand in the incubator. "She's so small," she mumbled.
"She will grow."

Charlie looked at Max. She smiled. "We'll be okay. We always are."

One Year Later.

Charlie couldn't believe the events of the past few weeks. Max had been accused of harming Philip Ryan. As a result, he had been banned from seeing Poppy. Charlie hated how he had physically hurt a pupil.

Charlie walked downstairs. She had moved back with her parents. Poppy was sitting in her beanbag. She had a blanket and a bottle of milk.

Charlie went to her daughter and kissed her head. Poppy smiled up at her. James came downstairs in his boxers.
"Wouldn't you put on some trousers?" Charlie asked.

James rolled his eyes and made the two of them a coffee each. He went over to Poppy and kissed her head. Poppy giggled.
"Tell Jess I said hi," Charlie teased knowing she was upstairs.

James chuckled and went back upstairs. Charlie sat down with Poppy. Poppy toddled over to her.

Charlie pulled her into her arms. Poppy had Max's eyes but Charlie's blonde hair. She was a perfect combination of them both.

Poppy blinked. "D-Dada?"
Charlie sighed. She held her baby girl close. "I know baby."

Max sat in his new house. He hadn't seen his daughter in three months. He had missed her first birthday and he hated himself for that.

Max had been heavily drinking. He didn't care. All he wanted was to see his little girl.

James kissed Jess. He smirked.
"Look, we need to get Max to see Poppy," James told her. Jess nodded.
"I know."

James' bedroom door knocked. Jess crawled under the duvet as his mum came in. She smiled and pulled down James' boxers. She teased him as he spoke to his mum.

Charlie held Poppy close to her. Poppy babbled as she watched Peppa Pig. Charlie finished her coffee and sighed. She knew James was taking Poppy out for the day with Jess.

James came down. Jess was behind him. Poppy squealed. "Ooo!"
Jess smiled.

Charlie went to get Poppy some clothes. Jess and James sit with Poppy. She was sucking on her dummy.

Charlie came down with a pink dress and some tights. "Don't let her ruin this dress," she said.
James laughed. "Would I?"

James and Jess knew Poppy wouldn't ruin the dress. They were taking her to Max's house for her to open the presents Max had bought her for her birthday.

"Okay, I trust you two," Charlie said. She zipped up Poppy's coat for her and Jess took her backpack.

Charlie and James' parents came downstairs. They glared at Jess.
"Let's go babe," James said to her. Jess nodded and took Poppy's hand. They walked out.

James drove them to Max's house. Max opened the door and smiled. Poppy toddled as fast as she could to Max. Max scooped her up.
"Hello beautiful," Max said.
"Dada."

Max held her close. He had missed her so much. It shocked him that she still remembered him. Jess smiled. "Charlie talks about you to her all the time. She won't forget you," she told her brother.
Max kissed Poppy's head. He took her inside.

Jess and James sat on the sofa. Jess took off Poppy's coat for her. Max walked in with two bags of presents. "Wow. You've spoiled her."
"My only daughter. She has to be spoiled," Max said as he put them down in front of her.

Poppy began opening the gifts. She squealed at each one. Max looked at his sister. "Does Charlie know she's here?" He asked.
James shook his head. "Look mate. Charlie's Hurt. She doesn't want to believe you could do that but she's got mum and dad starting on her."
Max sighed. "Philip lied."

Poppy eventually finished with the presents. She toddled to Max. Max sat her on his lap. "You shouldn't have brought her here if Charlie doesn't know. She'll be mad if she finds out," he said.

James laughed. "A risk we're willing to take."

Max sighed to himself. He knew him seeing Poppy was a risk. But he wasn't going to give up on his daughter. Not when she was all he had in the world.