thank you so much for the reviews, I'm not so sure about this chapter, Hopefully it's okay.

Chapter 3

Ruby knocked hard on the door of the Braxton house, hoping that her boyfriend was in to give her some much needed comfort. Although Charlie and Ruby had had a small talk before Angelo had arrived at the house, Ruby still had a lot of steam she wanted to blow off, and felt it would be better if she didn't talk to Charlie about it. She knew how much her mother was hurting and didn't want to make things worse for her by making Charlie concentrate on Ruby's feelings instead of her own. She breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened and she found Casey standing at the other side. She jumped up and threw her arms around him as she burst into tears. "Hey, Rubes" Casey said softly as he wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong?"

"Nic, Angelo, Charlie, the baby, everything's a mess" Ruby cried into her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Hey, c'mon" Casey placed a soft kiss on top of Ruby head "Let's go in and talk about this, yeah?" Casey said as he pulled back from the hug and lightly rubbed Ruby's arms. Ruby nodded in response to Casey before following him through the house and into his bedroom. They sat down on the bed, and Casey gently ran his hand through Ruby's hair before he tucked it behind her ear, not saying anything, but just waiting for Ruby open up about what was bothering her.

"We were on the beach talking, me and Charlie" Ruby started as she sniffed back her tears. "They were there to acting like a happy little family, throwing it in our faces" Ruby spoke with anger in her tone as she looked up at her boyfriend. "I lost my best friend and my father figure, mum has lost the love of her life…..and Case she's just found out she's pregnant….everything is such as mess and I don't know what I can do to help Mum"

"Rubes, all you have to do is be there for her and let her talk about how she feels and be that shoulder for her to cry on. You just being around her probably helps her so much" Casey said as he put his arm around Ruby and gently rubbed her arm. Ruby nodded lightly at Casey's advice.

"Yeah I guess so" Ruby sighed lightly "She's scared to have this baby alone. She hasn't said that to me, but I know she is"

"Well has she not done it herself before?" Casey asked "I mean you never mention your dad and I've never seen him around, so I figured she'd always been on her own with you"

"Ehm…" Ruby paused not knowing what to say. She didn't feel ready to tell Casey the truth about her parentage, but knew she would have to tell him something. "She wasn't alone" Ruby shook her head "My grandparents helped Charlie a lot" Ruby hoped this would be enough to silence Casey.

"Why do you always call your mum Charlie?" Casey questioned "Is it some whole young parent doesn't want to be called 'mum' cos it makes her sound older thing?" Casey laughed lightly at his comment.

"Case I didn't come around here to talk about my parents" Ruby said louder than intended, a hint of annoyance in her tone.

"Okay, sorry" Casey raised his eyebrows. "Rubes, Charlie isn't going to be on her own, as much of an idiot Angelo is for what he did to Charlie I don't see him turning his back on his kid"

"If you ask me he doesn't deserve to know" Ruby spat.

"Rubes" Casey said "I know he hurt your mum, and you, but he does deserve to know that he going to be dad and the baby deserves to have its father in it life"

"I never thought you'd say that" Ruby said, surprised with Casey's comment.

"Why's that?" Casey asked.

"Well after what your dad did to your mum, I didn't think that you would think that way"

"Yeah, I hate my dad for what he did to my mum, but at the end of the day, he is still my father and I would have loved for him to have been a part of my life. I mean, don't you wish on some levels that you knew your dad?"

"No" Ruby shook her as a look of disgust washed over her face. "I'm glad I didn't have anything to do with him"

"Ruby what…" Casey stopped talking as he saw the look forming on Ruby's face. Talking about her father was something she had never done, and that didn't look like it was about to change. "So this thing with Nic" Casey said bring the subject back to what Ruby had originally wanted to talk about. "Do you think you will ever be friends with her again?"

"No way" Ruby answered "I can't betray Charlie like that. Nic is responsible for the break-up of my Mum's relationship and she broke up my family, Case I don't want anything more to do with her"

"You know Rubes, your mum is pretty cool sometimes, I don't think she'd grudge you being friends with Nicole again one day"

"That's what she told me" Ruby said "But I don't want anything more to do with Nicole. She ruined my family. Her and Angelo both made me feel like I have no-where to belong anymore" Ruby said sadly as she bowed her head down.

"Hey, Rubes" Casey said "You have your Mum. When you two do get along, you have something really special, you'll always have her. And you have me. So, you belong here, with Charlie and me" Casey smiled as he put his hand under Ruby's chin and gently pushed her head up so she was facing him again. "I love you Rubes" Casey said softly "And I'm not going anywhere"

Ruby smiled upon hearing Casey say those three little words for the first time. Ruby had said it on a number of occasions but Casey had never said it back. "I love you too" Ruby smiled before she leaned in and kissed Casey softly on the lips.

*****

Angelo walked in the house and ran straight up to the bedroom, taking a seat on the edge of the bed, his head spinning with the news Charlie had just told him. Nicole walked across the room, having just placed George down in the cot for his nap. "Hey" Nicole smiled as she gently turned Angelo's head to face hers and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Angelo returned the kiss for a moment, before he pulled back and looked away from Nicole. "You okay?" Nicole questioned as she sat back in the bed and looked up at her boyfriend.

"Baby" Angelo said quietly "She's having my baby"

"What?" Nicole said sounding shocked "Charlie's pregnant?" Angelo nodded lightly unable to say anything back to Nicole. "How far is she? Have the doctors confirmed it yet?" Nicole questioned.

"I don't know" Angelo shook his head lightly "She just said I couldn't move to Italy because she was pregnant"

"So she told you this after you told her about our plans to move to Italy?" Nicole asked and Angelo nodded.

"Yeah. I told her our plans and that nothing she could do or say would stop me leaving and then she said she was pregnant"

"I don't believe her" Nicole shook her head.

"What, you think she is lying?" Angelo asked as he rubbed his forehead.

"Well, yeah" Nicole said as she stood up from the bed. "Think about it Angelo. She clearly wants you back and then when you tell her you are leaving the country with me and nothing that she can say or do will stop that from happening she tells you she is pregnant" Nicole said as she walked across the room and leaned against the wall.

"Nic" Angelo shook his head as he stood up. "She wouldn't lie about this"

"You don't think?" Nicole asked "Angelo she was devastated when you left her for me. If she wants you back maybe she thinks this is a way of getting you. I just wouldn't trust her until you go to a scan and see that baby for sure"

"Well, I suppose" Angelo scratched the back of his head as he walked over to Nicole. "I'll go and talk to her again tomorrow and see if she can give me proof" Angelo said.

"I think that's wise" Nicole smiled as she wrapped her arms around Angelo's neck and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "You know what I love?" Nicole asked as she pulled back from the kiss and looked up into Angelo eyes.

"What, besides me?" Angelo grinned as he began kissing Nicole's neck softly.

"Mmm….yes, besides you" Nicole smiled as she pulled her head back so she was looking at Angelo again. "I love that we can do what we want whenever we want and we don't have that fear of being caught"

"I love that too" Angelo grinned before he began kissing Nicole, the kiss becoming more and more passionate. The couple began pulling at eachother's clothes as they made their way over to the bed.

*****
Leah found Charlie sitting on the couch, her knees up against her chest and her arms wrapped tightly around them. "Hey, the door was open, I hope you don't mind me just walking in" Leah said softly as she sat down on the couch next to Charlie. As she looked at her friend she saw that her eyes were red and puffy, and it was clear that her friend had been crying. "Hey, Charlie" Leah said sympathetically.

"He left" Charlie said as she kept staring straight in front, not looking around at Leah. "He just left"

"I know" Leah said softly as she gently rubbed Charlie's shoulder in comfort. "I know he left you, but Charlie -"

"No" Charlie shook her head "I told him and he just left" Charlie looked around at Leah as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"You told him what?" Leah asked feeling confused as to what Charlie was on about.

Charlie looked at Leah as she pursed her lips together. "I'm pregnant Leah" Charlie cried.

"Charlie" Leah said softly as she pulled Charlie into a hug.

"What am I supposed to do?" Charlie asked "I told him I was pregnant and he just left. What does that say about him wanting this baby?"

"I'm sure it was just a shock for Angelo" Leah said trying her best to keep her calm as if she was being honest, this news shocked her also. "Once it sinks in, he'll come right back around and be ready to talk about what you are going to do"

"What am I going to do?" Charlie questioned "This is such a mess Leah. I love him so much and to have his baby when he is setting up happy families with Nicole and George…..he said they were moving to Italy….I can't have his baby in Australia if he is in Italy. He won't can….this baby needs a father, he needs…."

"Italy?" Leah said sounding shocked with Angelo and Nicole's plans. "Charlie I am sure that now he knows you are having his baby he won't move to Italy. Angelo will want to be part of his child's life"

"I hope so" Charlie sniffed back more tears. "Leah, I'm so scared"

"Hey, Charlie, what are you scared for?" Leah asked.

"Because it's a baby" Charlie answered "I'm not ready for this" Charlie shook her head as she looked down. "And I'm on my own now. It would be hard enough to do this even if I was still with Angelo, but now I'm on my own and if he does still move away with his new little family then -"

"Then you'll have me and Miles, Morag, Ruby, Bianca….Charlie, you're never going to be left on your own with this child" Leah rubbed Charlie's back in comfort as she spoke to her friend. "So many people here in the Bay love you and will be here to help you. But Charlie, I don't think this is something you have to worry about because I don't see Angelo as the type of guy to turn his back on his own child"

"Thanks, Leah" Charlie smiled at her friends words. "You've really been great since…." Charlie trailed off unable to finish her sentence.

"Hey, it's alright. That's what friends are for" Leah smiled. "Now, have you had anything to eat today?" Charlie shook her head lightly in response. "Well that's no good" Leah said as she stood up from the couch. "You have to eat; especially now you are eating for two. Let me cook something up for you" Leah said as she made her way to Charlie's kitchen.

Please review, Danni