A/N Ross doesn't have Alzheimer and Ross and Morag lived in the city while Joey was living with Charlie and Ruby but they moved back to the Bay when Ruby found out that Charlie wasn't her sister but her mother. They thought that by being close by they would be able to do some damage control.

Chapter three

Morag was still thinking about Joey when she walked into the living room where Ross, Charlie and Ruby were sitting. Ross who was attuned to his wife's moods picked up on her rather thoughtful frame of mind immediately.

"What's wrong honey? Didn't things go well with Aden?" He asked worried knowing his wife was fond of the young man.

"What? Oh no, Aden was fine. I met an old friend of his who just got back and he seemed really happy about seeing her again."

"Oh is that it? Aden's old girlfriend got back into town and you're jealous?" Ross teased. Morag chuckled at her husband's teasing and at the memory of Aden's comment as to why Joey wasn't interested in him.

"No, she's not interested in him because he wouldn't look good in a dress. But I was thinking about this friend of him though. She told us a bit about what happened to her after she left the Bay and I must say I'm impressed with her. She seems exactly the kind of friend Aden needs right now."

"That's good then isn't it? I think I would like to meet her since she seemed to have made an impression on my wife and we all know that that isn't an easy thing to do at all," Ross said grinning mischievously and looking at Charlie and Ruby for support.

"Don't look at me I'm staying out of this one," Ruby replied smiling.

"Me too," Charlie chuckled when her father turned to her.

"Hmm and you're easy to please right? However I'm sure you'll like her too and Charlie? I think you've met her before."

"I did? What's her name?"

"Joey, Joey Matthews," Morag replied which caused both Charlie and Ruby to look at her in shock and that didn't go unnoticed by Ross who started paying close attention to both girls.

'Joey? My Joey? But she said Joey Matthews not Collins so surely it couldn't be the same one. Oh get over yourself Charlie she isn't coming back. It's got to be a different Joey,' Charlie silently rambled to herself.

"Eh, I don't know a Joey Matthews," Charlie answered honestly cursing the slight trembling of her voice.

"But you do know a Joey Collins," Ruby added quietly.

"Yes, that's her, but it appears she goes by Matthews now." Morag replied.

Charlie looked at her in shock. Joey was back? And wait it was Matthews now? She was MARRIED?

"She's married?" Charlie asked her voice now trembling more than ever and the hurt obvious in her tone. 'How can she be married? She doesn't even like men in that way.'

"What? Oh, n…" Morag started to reply but was interrupted by Ross, who had noticed the hurt in his daughter's voice, asking:

"How did you meet this Joey?"

"I-I worked on her case," Charlie replied.

"She was in trouble?" Ross asked confused as to why both Charlie and Ruby seemed to be so shaken up about the return of Aden's friend Joey.

"Euh no she was assaulted and I helped her out," Charlie replied wondering if she should tell him the whole truth.

"And how did Ruby meet her?"

"She lived with us for a while," Charlie answered hesitating knowing her dad wouldn't approve.

"You let a victim of a case you were working on stay with you?" Ross asked disbelievingly.

"It was complicated okay. She didn't have anywhere else to go and that was kind of my fault so I asked her to stay with us for a while till she found a place of her own, but well we all liked her and didn't really want her to leave," Charlie said still hesitating if she should tell her dad the whole story.

"Yeah dad. It was really great having Joey around. We all really loved her," Ruby piped up looking at Charlie when she said 'loved' to encourage her to tell the whole truth.

"Then why did she leave?" Ross asked feeling that they weren't telling him everything.

"Because of me," Charlie whispered with tears in her eyes. She knew that cheating on Joey was the biggest mistake of her life and she would never forgive herself for it because it had made her lose the love of her life.

"Because of you? Did you have a fight or something?" Ross asked.

"Yeah, or something. I-I loved her dad. I fell in love with her and she felt the same way, but I was scared of what people were going to think, what they were going to say. We were going to take it slow and come out when we were ready but Joey's brother filed a complaint and I was forbidden to go near Joey until the officer in charge cleared me. Needless to say the whole town suddenly knew, my car was vandalized and I just got scared so I went to the beach, got smashed and slept with Hugo. I cheated on her," Charlie whispered the last part and willed herself not to cry. She didn't have the right it was her own stupid fault she should have been smarter, braver. But she hadn't been instead she had let Joey believe that what everybody else thought was more important than Joey's feelings. Joey deserved so much better than her. She sighed and hoped her dad wouldn't react to badly to the news that she had been in love with a woman.

"Jesus Christ Charlie! Are you kidding me?" Ross began nearly yelling at her. Charlie flinched and braced herself for an angry rant.

"You loved her and yet you cheated on her because you were scared? How could you do that knowing how much it hurts getting cheated on," Ross said his voice laced with disappointed remembering the times when Charlie herself was cheated on and how hurt she had been by it.

"You're not angry or disappointed or disgusted that I was in love with a woman?" Charlie asked confused because she had been so sure that her dad would have reacted disappointed if he ever found out.

"No Charlie of course I'm not. I'm not a homophobe! Ok, I didn't really expect it but as long as you're happy it doesn't matter to me. I love you I could never be disgusted by you, but I am disappointed. No not because it's a woman but because you cheated. I never expected you could do that to someone, Charlie."

"I know," Charlie whispered the tears that she had tried so hard to keep from falling, fell anyway which caused Ruby to hug her mother tightly and whisper words of comfort in her ear.

Ross and Morag looked on at the endearing scene playing out in front of them. Despite Charlie's distressed state it was heartwarming to see mother and daughter act so lovingly towards one another especially considering their fall out when Ruby found out that Charlie was her mother and not her sister. During those rough months Ross had feared that that was the end of his once tight knitted family since it didn't look like Ruby was ever going to forgive them. They even moved back from the city because of it, but eventually Ruby came around just like Morag had said she would and started to talk to him and Charlie again. It had been strained at first but they had pulled through and he liked to think that their bond was now stronger than ever.

"I'm sorry I upset you Charlie, but I'm glad to see you girls like this. For a while there I was scared that it would never again be like this."

Charlie had stopped crying, but was still in Ruby's arms since the latter didn't want to let go just yet.

"Me too. I'm sorry I was just hurt and upset but I still loved you and Charlie," Ruby said quietly.

"I know honey and I wasn't blaming you. I'm just glad we survived it. But back to the subject at hand. Did you know about all this Ruby?" Ross said gently.

"Yeah dad, I knew. I caught them kissing and I wasn't really enthusiastic at first because well it's Charlie and she just wasn't gay what with all the boyfriends and all."

"Hey!" Charlie protested halfheartedly because she knew Ruby had a point but despite all the previous boyfriends none of them had made her feel what she felt with Joey and everyone that came after Joey hadn't been able to achieve that either.

"You know it's true Charlie," Ruby teased before going on. "But once I saw them together and how happy Joey made her I was okay with it. I mean Joey's great and she made Charlie open up and laugh more so I really didn't have a problem with it.

Ross had listened intently and asked Charlie the most important question of the evening: "Charlie? Do you still have feelings for Joey?"

There will be some Charlie/ Joey interaction in the next chapter