Charlie and Joey sat silently together on the pier, making patterns in the still blue water with their toes. Charlie had moulded herself into Joey's side, her head resting on her shoulder. She felt safe and happy, Joey's arm wrapped around her waist, protecting her from harm. But the anger and hurt from Ruby's rejection was still fresh in her heart. "Why does this have to be so hard Joey? Why should loving you bring pain to my family? I have never felt so happy. I have never fallen so heavily in love. You are all I think about, all I want, all I need. I love you Joey, why can't she understand, why can't she be happy for us?"
Joey squeezed Charlie tighter, and placed feather light kisses across her forehead, sending waves of comfort through Charlie. She didn't think she'd have been strong enough to face all this without Joey. "She will come around Charlie, she loves you. This must be a shock for her. She has seen you fall in and out of love with men. She has known all your deepest desires, your hidden schoolgirl crushes, all of which have been about men. It's out of concern for you Charlie that she is questioning this. She doesn't want your heart to be broken again by rushing into something she believes that you don't really want, that isn't right for you."
Charlie heard the logic in Joey's words, but she just couldn't accept them. "Did Ruby think I just jumped into this without thought? That I thought I'd try being gay because I've had bad luck with men? That this is some silly fling? I know this has happened quickly but to me it feels like its taken years. If only she would listen! I'd tell her of the countless nights I agonised over this. How my feelings for you tore me apart, one moment filling me with joy the next ripping me apart with fear for what all this meant. How I had run away because I thought that being away from you would stop the feelings. But it hadn't, and being apart from you only made the feelings grow stronger, clearer."
Joey held Charlie tightly, letting the words flow from her. Charlie couldn't stop them. Everything she had kept inside of her over the past few weeks wasn't going to be contained anymore. She didn't want it to. As much as she needed to hear the words for herself, to justify why she was right and Ruby was so horribly wrong, Charlie realised that Joey also deserved to know the truth of her feelings.
"That still I had run from loving you because I couldn't face what the rest of the world would think of me. I cried myself to sleep every night, fighting my feelings, punishing myself for loving you because everyone told me it wasn't right. I pushed you away, hurting you time and time again, for her sake, and because I was a coward, scared of the opinion of everyone else in Summer Bay." Charlie was disgusted with herself.
"Yet you continued to love me, you weathered every blow because you understood; you were the first person to truly know me. No one had ever fought for me, and what I love the most is you weren't fighting to be with me but to free me from myself. To free me from my chains, so I'd be free to love, to be happy with who I am, whatever that may mean. You wanted me to stop thinking of others over myself. No one has ever known me more truthfully, seen through my mask and fought for me when I couldn't help myself. It was your unwavering love and belief in me that gave me the strength to free myself, allowing me to finally love you because I wanted to, needed to and because it was right! I just wish Ruby would understand how much I love you!!" Charlie felt the words rush from her and she stared out across the water, watching all the bad memories of the last few weeks float away into the cloudless sky.
"Thank you" Joey's simple whisper was barely audible over the creaking of the boats. Charlie raised her head from Joey's shoulder to find tears streaming down Joey's cheeks. Silently she kissed them all away; each kiss an apology for all the hurt that she had caused. Charlie took Joey's face in her hands and stared into her golden brown eyes before kissing her with all the love and passion she had. She kissed her for all the times she wished she had; when they had been running along the beach, that day on the boat, when she had returned from the city and when Joey had been leaving and she wanted her to stay. She kissed her to take away the pain and hurt. Charlie let her hands wander through her hair, down Joey's back and around her waist. She relished in the touch, wanting to claim every inch of Joey for herself. She felt Joey respond, gently pushing her down until she was lying beneath Joey, her back on the rough wooden pier. Joey explored Charlie's body with her hands, leaving a path of burning flesh in her wake. Joey kissed her passionately, letting go of all the hurt she had suffered. Charlie felt on fire, her heart sang and her mind exploded with all the sensations.
Their passionate embrace however was interrupted by heavy footsteps coming down the pier. "Oi get a room you two!!" Both girls looked up in horror and embarrassment, they had completely forgotten where they were. Luckily they were met by the grinning face of Aden. "I left my bag on the boat. I guess Nic owes me dinner?! I'll catch you later Joey!" Aden ran quickly back up the peir leaving Joey and Charlie lying in shock on the pier. Unable to stop themselves they broke into hysterical giggles. "I think we need a cold shower!" declared Charlie gently pushing off Joey before another round of giggles overtook her. Charlie lay on her back staring at the sky, her eyes watering from laughing so hard. Her vision was interrupted by Joey thrusting her hand out, pulling Charlie to her feet. "I agree" said Joey, a mischievous grin upon her face. Before she could realise what was going on Joey had grabbed her by the waist and pulled her off the edge of the pier, sending them both flying into the cool blue water. They surfaced, erupting into a chorus of giggles and shrieks. Charlie playfully scowled at Joey, before declaring war and launching an unforgiving splash attack. The two girls splashed and laughed, happiness enveloping them, Ruby and all she represented forgotten for now.