Where Things Stand
Rated R
Chapter 2
Charlie does not know how her life could get any more complicated then it got when most of the town found out about her and Joey. God she misses Joey; she made Charlie feel safe and protected, that was when she was not freaking out about anyone judging their relationship. Nevertheless, she crippled their relationship by not trusting it with all her insecurities, then for the grand killing of it, she had to go and have an unfulfilling bonk with Hugo! 'Good god I'm such a pathetic screw up!' Charlie thinks and gives a disgusted snort. She just did not know why she had these strong feeling for Angelo, they were just there. Were they still there because there was no real resolution from their time before, or is she just projecting her unresolved feeling for Joey! 'This is making my head hurt' she thinks as she puts her head in her hands and sighs loudly.
"Are you alright Charlie?" Georgia asks with concern written in her dark eyes.
"Yes, just tired, thanks for asking" Charlie replies wearily.
"I just want to tell you that there is something up with the school trek excursion, no one has been able to get in touch with John Palmer and they should have been back by now", Georgia informs Charlie.
A cold shiver goes through Charlie, and all she can think is 'Ruby'. She gets out her mobile and calls Ruby's number, but it goes to voice mail. "Shit!" Charlie exclaims, she thinks 'there has to be a perfectly good safe reason why Ruby did not answer, well there better be or I'll have someone's guts for garters!' "Georgia call the highway patrol and ask them to keep an eye out for the bus, and then join me so we can start searching for it," Charlie commands.
"Right away Boss" Georgia responds.
After about half an hour of driving around a few of the inroad trails, Charlie stops the police car. "This is like looking for the proverbial needle!" Charlie exclaims with frustration. She is starting to get a really bad feeling that Ruby is in danger.
Georgia reaches over, gives Charlie's hand a quick squeeze, and says, "We'll find them, and they are all going to be fine, probably just a flat tyre".
Charlie starts to say, "you're probably right..." she is suddenly interrupted a loud explosion, "Ruby", Charlie screams, and with that, Charlie slams the car in gear and takes off like a bat out of hell towards the direction of the explosion.
Georgia yells at Charlie, "slow down for christ sakes, ya gunna get us killed! I know you're worried about Ruby, but she needs us alive!" Charlie slowly lifts her foot off the accelerator, "much better," Georgia sighs with relief.
On arrival at the site of the bus, Charlie is relieved to see it in one piece, before she gets out of the car she gets into her cop mode, barking orders at Georgia. "Radio for an ambulance, call for back up and let the station know to inform the school and students parents we have found them". Charlie surveys the crime scene, checking for any possible dangers before going over to Martha. She is crying and rapidly calling Hugo's name over and over, Xavier is beside himself with worry. When Charlie gets to them, she quickly looks to see where Ruby is, and relieved to find her sitting on the bus' bottom step. Charlie lets out a deep breath she did not know she was holding in, 'Rubes is safe' thinks Charlie.
Before Charlie can crouch down to check how Hugo is, Xavier grabs Charlie's arm and yells, "this is Trey Palmer's doing!"
Charlie firmly, but gently removes Xavier's hand from her arm and gently tells Xavier, "ok, we will deal with Trey, but first I need to find out how Hugo is". Charlie softly puts her hand on Martha's shoulder and asks, "how is he?"
"Do something Charlie!" Martha begs.
With that, Charlie checks Hugo vital signs, weak and thready pulse, but at least he has one, Charlie thinks. She looks up to see Georgia checking John Palmer, she put's Hugo into the recovery position and fines wounds to his back and neck. Charlie asks anyone for something to use as a pad to try to stop the bleeding, Xavier rips off his shirt and gives it to Charlie. She tears it in half and applies pressure to the wounds, trying to staunch the blood flow.
An hour later Charlie is at the hospital to get an update on Hugo and John Palmer's status. Ruby is in the waiting room with Xavier, she looks up to see Charlie and gets up and walks over to her. Charlie gives Ruby a quick hug, because she is still in cop mode, and asks Ruby, "how are you?"
Ruby looks into Charlie's eyes and see concern, relief and what, fear, "I'm ok, a bit shaken is all", replying bravely.
Relief washes over Charlie before she says, "good".
"So have you found Trey?" Ruby asks slightly angry.
"No not yet, but we will", Charlie replies grimily. Ruby does a double take at Charlie, she has never seen her sister's eyes look that flat and cold before, it frightened her a bit. Seeing a look of fear in Ruby's eyes, Charlie quickly asks, "what's wrong Rubes?"
Ruby watches Charlie's eyes go from flat and cold to panic in an instant, "nothing Charlz, its ok", she says watching Charlie thoughtfully.
Charlie wondered what had caused Ruby to become afraid, maybe the shock of what could have happened has finally kicked in. Charlie tells Ruby that she will catch up with her at home, because she has to get back out there and search for Trey.
It is nearly midnight, when Charlie arrives back home, she is exhausted. All she wants is a hot shower then curl up in bed and get some sleep. After stripping off her uniform, and climbing into the shower, Charlie let the hot water soak in to her weary bones. She closed her eyes and whilst the water flows down her back, Charlie puts her forehead onto the tiled wall and lets her mind wander. Images and feelings come floating into her mind and body of the time when she was this tired and had Joey slipped into the shower and gently started washing her back. Charlie shivers as she remembers Joey hands slowly rubbing her shoulders then softly and slowly moving her hands down Charlie's back. Charlie had moaned with pleasure, especially when Joey's hands reached her butt and started to gently massaging it. Joey had then slowly ran her finger tips up the side of Charlie's tone body, up the side of her ribs, causing Charlie to shudder. Joey then brought her hands across Charlie's chest and cupped her breasts, at which Charlie moaned loudly. Joey kissed Charlie's right shoulder and then whispered in her ear, whilst gently but firmly squeezing Charlie's breasts, "want me to stop?"
Charlie breathed through the wonderful sensation that Joey's touch was giving her saying, "no", Joey had chuckled at Charlie's response.
Charlie breaks out her revelry as the water has started to cool. With a great sigh, Charlie turns off the water and steps out of the shower. She could not believe just thinking of that memory has made her so hot and wet. 'Got to stop doing this to yourself Charlz, you fucked up and you will never get to feel those wonderful sensual hand on your body again', Charlie thinks painfully.
Once in bed, Charlie's thoughts turns to the events of that day, Trey putting a bomb under the bus, the bus that Ruby was on. Ruby's name was on a list with other people's name, a list that Trey had written; the names were of people Trey had thought had hurt him. Charlie was terrified when she heard the explosion, all she could think was no, not Ruby, not her Ruby. Charlie starts to cry, even the mere thought of anything happening to Ruby, hurts and terrifies her. She sobs louder, and then there comes a quiet knock on her door. Ruby slowly opens Charlie's door to find her crying her eyes out. Upon seeing this Ruby rushed over to Charlie, climbing on the bed, Ruby wraps her arms around Charlie and gently asks, "Charlie what's wrong". Charlie is mortified that Ruby is witnessing this display of weakness, has she not shown Ruby enough of it just after Joey left.
"Nothing's wrong Rubes, go back to bed" Charlie said reassuringly.
Ruby snorts, "right Charlz, ya in here crying ya eyes out like a baby for nothing. Please tell me what is hurting you?"
Charlie turns in Ruby's arms to face her and howls, "I thought I lost you today!" Ruby is moved by the strength of Charlie's emotional display.
"Well you didn't, as you can see I'm fine", Ruby says as she kisses Charlie's forehead.
"I don't know what I would do if I lost you", Charlie's confession is full of so much grief, it tears at Ruby's heart and makes her fear for Charlie if anything did happen to her, what would Charlie do, a shiver goes up Ruby's spine.