Chapter 1

Charlie ran her hand over her stomach and exhaled lightly as she looked out across the beach and watched him with her. She knew she had to tell him she was pregnant with his child, but she was hurt and angry, and a part of her felt he didn't deserve to know the truth. Sighing lightly she brought her hand up to her face and wiped away the lone tear that rolled down her cheek.

"Hey, you alright?" Ruby asked as she sat down next to her and threw her school bag down on the sand in front of them.

"Yeah" Charlie held the tears back as she turned to face her daughter. "I'm okay" Charlie looked passed Ruby and once again found a tear falling down her cheek as she watched Angelo scooping George up into his arms with Nicole standing close, smiling up at him.

"Yeah?" Ruby questioned "Then what's this for, hmm?" Ruby said as she wiped away the tear that was rolling down her mother's cheek. Before Charlie replied to her daughter, Ruby had turned her head around and saw what Charlie was watching. "I hate them" Ruby seethed.

"Ruby" Charlie said. "Don't…."

"Well I do. She was my best friend and he was like a father to me. How could they do that to me? To you? To us? After we let her move in with us, after all the help and support you gave her when she found out she was having Penn's child, and she goes and sleeps with your boyfriend. And then him, after all you have been through to get to where you are today. He pushed at you to get you to commit and then when you finally did he goes and has an affair"

"Rubes…"

"And she's like what, 11 years younger than him? It's gross" Ruby spat as she stared at Nicole and Angelo with a look of pure disgust on her face. "You know everyone's on your side, Mum, so don't…."

"I don't care about that" Charlie said softly "I don't want people feeling sorry for me. I just want…" Charlie paused as she bowed her head down and once again ran her hand over her stomach. "What am I supposed to do about the baby?" Charlie asked as she looked up at Ruby. Ruby looked at her mother and looked into her tear glazed eyes.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked as she reached forward and once again wiped a tear that fell down her mother's cheek. "You'll have the baby and you'll have me here to help. This kid will have the best big sister in the world, and the best Mum, we'll be fine" Ruby smiled as she gently patted Charlie's arm in comfort.

Charlie shook her head as she bit her lip. "I can't. Not without Angelo. Ruby I love him so much, I just want to be with him" Charlie fell into Ruby's arms as her tears became heavier.

"Charlie" Ruby said softly as she gently ran her hand though her mother's hair. "You deserve so much better than him. Anyone who can do that to you, they're not worth it"

"But I want to be with him" Charlie sniffed back even more tears as she sat back up and wiped her face.

"Why?" Ruby questioned "Mum, he cheated on you for months. Why would you want to be with someone who could do that to you?"

"I love him Ruby. I've never let myself…." Charlie trailed off as she looked up to find Angelo and Nicole walking towards them, Nicole pushing the pram, as George lay in Angelo's arms.

"Hey, Rubes" Nicole smiled down at her friend "How did you're exam go?"

"Just stay away from me" Ruby spat as she stood up from where she was sitting and picked up her school bag and flung it over her shoulder before she started to walk away.

"Charlie, can we talk?" Angelo asked as he looked down at Charlie. Charlie shook her head lightly as she stood to her feet. As much as she wanted to talk to Angelo, right now wasn't the right time.

"I need to go with Ruby" Charlie said as she ran after her daughter. "Rubes" Charlie shouted as she caught up with her. "Sweetie you don't have to stop being friends with Nicole just because of what happened with me and Angelo. She was…"

"She broke up my family Charlie" Ruby shouted as a tear rolled down her cheek. "She was my best friend. She knew how I felt about finally feeling like part of a family again after the truth came out and then she goes and ruins that's for me. I hate her. I hate them both" Charlie pulled her daughter into a hug as her tears became heavier.

"I'm sorry Rubes" Charlie sniffed back a tear as she comforted her daughter.

"It's not your fault" Ruby mumbled. "It was them, they…"

"No, I mean, I never even asked you how your exam went today"

"You've got more important things to worry about right now than my exams" Ruby said as she pulled back from the hug.

"Hey" Charlie shook her head as she wiped the tears from Ruby's cheeks. "You are the most important thing in my life Rubes" Ruby smiled lightly before she once again caught sight of Angelo and Nicole walking their way once more.

"Are they never going to give up?" Ruby sighed as she gestured for Charlie to look in the direction of Nicole and Angelo. Charlie pursed her lips together as she thought about talking with Angelo, and wondered what it was he wanted to say to her, but right now, Ruby was upset, and she would come before Angelo.