Ok I hope you guys like this fic, it's my first Charlie/Joey story so I hope you guys like it and review if you can, so I know if I'm going in the right direction.
Summary: Ok, so here it's been 3 months and 4 days since Joey left and her Trawler is just arriving back at Summer Bay. (I know you're all probably sick of the same getting back together storyline part, but I assure you I have some different surprises in store, and obviously message me if you have any suggestions etc, that might give me EVEN MORE ideas.) Ruby knows Charlie is her mother, and in this fic, she has moved back in with Charlie, Leah and VJ, trying to keep thing as normal as they were. Angelo and Charlie were together for 2 weeks but broke up when Charlie only wanted to be friends, as she had no strong feelings towards him.. and so my story begins... ENJOY!
P.S ! give it time.. it'l get more interesting!
Chapter 1
Hauling her bags on her shoulders, Joey looked up from the boat into Summer Bay, and breathed in the familiar air.
She smiled nervously as she took her first steps off of the trawler that had been her home for the past three months, reaching up to brush the few dark hairs away with her hand, that were blowing from underneath her beanie and into her eyes.
"I'll catch ya' Joe.." A rough voice came from the boat she just stepped off, "We'll be leaving in roughly two weeks or so, if you fancy joining us again." And he waved her off, walking back into the boat.
Joey looked up and nodded at the man, struggling to wave him goodbye with all the heavy bags she had with her. Looking at her watch she could see the flash of '17.02' and sighing, she began to walk towards the diner, hoping to grab something to eat before heading for her accommodation for at least the next two weeks that she was absolutely dreading.
*****
Ruby sighed at her mother as Charlie moaned, slumping into the couch.
"You know what Rubes, I really can't be bothered to cook tonight..."
"Well that's new," Ruby replied sarcastically, smirking as Charlie turned around to look at her daughter with raised eyebrows. "I'll stick something on if you like?"
"I was actually thinking we go out, just to the diner or something." Charlie excused Ruby's offer, getting up from her seat and walking through to the kitchen. "I fancy getting out for a bit, and don't want Leah cooking us something when she gets home, because she'll have been at work all day."
"Well she's still kind of cooking us it, AT her work." Ruby laughed.
Charlie offered a laugh back and silence fell a moment later. Ruby looked up to find Charlie staring at the calendar on the wall intently taking in the date. Ruby had noticed Charlie had done that quite a lot for the past week or so. She has also noticed that Charlie kept insisting on getting out the house whenever they could.
"Charlie?" Ruby questioned, bringing her mother out of her deep thoughts, turning to look at her waiting on what Ruby was about to ask. "Why haven't we eaten in for lunch or dinner for the past week?"
It was a simple question really, and Charlie hesitated in her answer, shrugging lightly and in replied, "I don't know, just fancy getting out. I never really noticed we hadn't stayed in to eat." And she averted her gaze to the ground.
Ruby glanced at the older Buckton, unsatisfied with Charlie's answer. "But just a few weeks ago you didn't want to go out because you think Angelo's still into you, and you didn't want to bump into him, and now it's like you want to be seen."
Charlie had in all truth forgotten all about Angelo when Ruby mentioned him, and didn't get time to answer her daughter when she butted in, "Are you starting to like Angelo again or something?"
"NO." Charlie answer was short and sure. It caught Ruby off guard and noticed partially a mock in Charlie's face. "No..." Charlie answered again. "I don't like Angelo."
"Oh ok." Ruby stated. "I was just wondering."
She walked over to the calendar beside Charlie and Charlie watched in confusion as Ruby skipped the pages, looking for any sign of what was on her mother's mind. It kind of clicked to her although, when she saw a mark in the calendar which caused Charlie to walk away from it and sit at the table. Ruby read it again. 'Joey's B-day! Woo!' It read. It was clearly written by Joey when she was there, and Ruby suddenly realised, with the read of a couple of words, what had been happening in Charlie's mind for the past few weeks.
She obviously knew Charlie was torn up, heartbroken to say the least, when Joey left. She gave it time, Charlie drank when she got home every night for the first week. Cried a bit for the second and did a bit of both for the third. Ruby had been there for her throughout it all. Within a month Charlie sorted herself out a bit, when Angelo arrived, and asked her out on a date. Then Charlie told Ruby that she was in fact her mother, and Ruby had moved out. Two weeks after getting together, Charlie broke up with Angelo, as she had no proper feelings towards the man, and he understood as much as he could, until Hugo spilled the news that Charlie was probably still droning over her 'long lost love', Joey, when he was talking to Angelo. Angelo then confronted Charlie about this, leaving her in tears.
Ruby moved back in with Charlie upon hearing the news, and after a lot of thinking. She had done her best to help Charlie through the departure of Joey, and there had been back to staying at Leah's as normal as it was since Joey left, until a week ago.
"You never actually liked Angelo did you, Charlz", Ruby realised out loud, as she turned to her mother. "You were trying to get over Joey."
Charlie looks up with sudden guilt in her eyes, but nodded slowly as tears began to stroll down her cheeks. Ruby rushed by her mother's side and took her in a tight embrace.
"It's been three months now, hasn't it, that's why your looking at the calander." Ruby questioned and she felt Charlie nod against her shoulder. Ruby pulled her mother away gently "And that's why you're going out? In case she's back. You wanna see her?"
"Mmhm," Charlie mumbled as she looked to the ground, like a child who'd been caught stealing sweets. "She said she'd come back." Charlie huffed.
Ruby sighed and hugged Charlie again. "C'mon" She said, "Let's go down to the diner." And she decided not to carry on the conversation further, so not to upset her sister-like mother more. She knew Charlie was hoping to see Joey any time in the next few weeks, but Ruby couldn't help doubt that, even though she had trusted Joey a lot in her presence. Ruby was also hung up on Joey's departure, even though it went unnoticed to most people, as she herself had made a friend in Joey.
They both left the kitchen, and Charlie locked the door as Ruby headed for the car.
*****
"Oh Joey I can't believe you're back, it's so good to see you! We've – I missed you so much!" Leah cried for nearly the third time, taking Joey into a warm embrace. "So that's one Caesar salad and a sprite?" She remembered Joey's order. Joey nodded and grinned at her ex-roommate's delight of her return to the Bay. "I'll bring it when it's ready." Leah scurried away, after asking Joey when she got back, not asking Joey any further questions like had she seen Charlie? Or Where was she staying? In case she fell into pity with the girl in case she was homeless again, but this time, it would be too awkward to ask her to stay.
Joey smiled looking around at the familiar faces she knew, and the not so familiar ones. Kicking her bag under the table more when Leah came over with her food five minutes later, she took in the smell from her dish and opened her can before offering Leah a small "thanks" and a smile as she walked away.
Just as she began tucking into her food, Aden spotted Joey sitting by herself, and was just as delighted as Leah to see his old friend back home.
By the time Joey was finished her food, Aden was sitting by Joey, telling her his 'last 3 months life story' to her, and she hugged and soothed him as he talked about Belle, and their marriage and then laughed and joked when they spoke of the things Joey had done when she was away on the trawler. Leah then brought over the cheesecake Aden had ordered for them both as a 'welcome home' desert for them to eat while they kept on catching up, and both lifted their forks licking their lips and they began to indulge in their cake.
Just then the door to the diner opened, and as usual Joey looked up to see who it was, trying to take in as many faces as she could to see who she knew and didn't. This time however, Aden had to look twice to check time hadn't stopped, to notice Joey's face had turned blank, fork in hand, half way between her lips and her plate and she was staring at the open door, not blinking, just staring.
To be continued...?
Review so i know whether to keep going with this or not :)
