Hey guys thanks so much for all of the reviews. I really appreciate them. Sorry for the rather shirt chapter and the cliff-hanger at the end. Only a couple more chapters to go with this story I think but...The sequel to Bless the broken road is coming really soon. Drama, angst, fluff, Ruby and Charlie and Joey loving guaranteed!

Chapter 10

Charlie glanced over as they walked hand in hand along the deck. The light was fading form the day but she could still see the grin that lit Joey's features "What are you so happy about?"

"Hmmn?" Joey looked over at her smile still firmly in place "What's not to be happy about? I'm here with the most beautiful woman on earth so...I'm ecstatically happy"

Charlie blushed slightly at the compliment as they came to a stop at the front of the boat "Well I don't know about that..."

"Hey" Joey pressed closer to Charlie and placed a hand under her chin lifting gently so their eyes met. She smiled adoringly "You are the most beautiful woman in the world" she leaned forward and kissed the other girl gently allowing her lips to linger for an extra moment.

Charlie smiled and glanced around slowly when they eventually pulled away "Hey...Do you know where we are?"

"Um...on a ship?" Joey grinned cheekily as she leaned against the railing and glanced down into the dark waters.

"Smart-ass" Charlie nudged Joey playfully "I mean...This is where our first kiss happened. Our first real kiss that is not the one before that..."

"Oh" Joey looked over at Charlie and nodded "So the one before that didn't count?"

"No" Charlie shook her head surely "Especially since I freaked out on you straight afterwards. This is definitely the place of our first kiss"

"Yeah..." Joey raised a hand to Charlie's cheek and stroked it softly "I guess you're right. But..." she lowered her hand to trail it down Charlie's arm "Wasn't this also the place you attempted to jump off the boat?" she wrapped her arms around the older girl's waist and pulled her close "Not planning on jumping anytime soon are you?"

Charlie smiled as she caught the hit of worry in Joey's voice "I haven't felt like jumping since I left him Jo. When I'm with you...I would never willingly let go like that"

"Good" Joey smiled softly at her "Because like I said the waters freezing and well...If you jumped I'd have to jump right in after you"

"Really?" Charlie smiled shyly at Joey's words.

"Really" Joey confirmed with a soft kiss "There's no way in hell I'm going to lose you now Charlie. You're just...I mean I..." Joey trailed off and frowned at her own inability to express how she feels.

"Its okay" Charlie smiled in reassurance "I know. You don't have to say it"

"But I should be able to" Joey sighed sadly "I'm sorry Charlie..."

"You don't have to apologise to me" Charlie responded quietly "This is just something you have to work through. And I'm going to be there every step of the way. I'm here to listen anytime when you feel like talking"

"Thanks Charlie" Joey offered a small smile.

"Are you kidding?" Charlie laughed softly as they both turned to look towards the vast ocean in front of them and leaned against the railing "After all you've done for me Joey...This is the very least I can do. You don't know what you did by showing me real...love. You saved me"

Joey couldn't think of an answer and instead slid slightly closer to Charlie so their shoulders were touching. After a moment of comfortable silence she spoke up "I can't believe that we dock tomorrow night"

"Hmnn. I know" Charlie nodded in agreement "It doesn't seem like just a couple of weeks since I got on this ship" she glanced over at Joey and smiled lovingly "I never thought when I got on this ship that I would be getting off it free from Hugo...Happy...In love"

Joey beamed at her in response and Charlie turned back to the ocean content with the reaction.

"So..." Joey coughed slightly and nudged Charlie gently "Are you looking forward to being back on dry land?"

"Definitely" Charlie nodded with a smile "I can't wait to see Ruby again, plus..." she reached for Joey's hands and tangled their fingers slowly eliciting a content sigh from Joey "You'll be there with me when I get off the boat"

"I most certainly will" Joey nodded in confirmation.

"Good" Charlie stated happily. A sudden gust of cold wind caused her to shiver slightly.

"Are you cold?" Joey questioned in concern as she stepped away from the railing taking Charlie with her. She pulled the older girl gently into her arms.

"No" Charlie's voice was muffled slightly by Joey's shoulder.

"That's too bad" Joey whispered as she placed a gentle kiss on the soft skin of Charlie's neck "Because I could always warm you up you know..."

"Uh-huh" Charlie laughed nervously and pulled away slightly from the embrace "Maybe we should go back to your room than because..." she blushed slightly and trailed off.

"Because what?" Joey grinned at Charlie's adorable blush.

"Because if you keep doing that I may not be able to control myself anymore" Charlie answered her blush only brightening by the second.

"I knew it!" Joey grinned triumphantly.

"Knew what?" Charlie asked in confusion.

"You Charlie Buckton..." Joey leaned close to Charlie "Are warm for my form!"

"Uh..." Charlie laughed out loud when she realised what Joey had said "I can't believe you just said warm for your form out loud Jo..."

"Actually...Neither can I" Joey cringed slightly "But that doesn't change the fact that you...want to kiss me, you want Huuuug me, you want to loooove me"

Charlie shook her head in amusement at what she had to admit was a pretty impressive Miss Congeniality Impression "That would have made even Sandra Bullock proud"

"Thank you!" Joey grinned.

"And for the record..." Charlie tugged Joey forward "I am very warm for your form Joey Collins"

Joey swallowed heavily at the desire which laced Charlie's voice. A moment later her lips were claimed in a searing kiss which sent shockwaves through her body.

"Well what do we have here" a voice sounded suddenly.

Joey pulled away from the kiss and looked over to where the voice had come from. Her expression instantly dropped when she saw Hugo standing there "Why is it that you always turn up at the most inopportune times?"

Hugo smirked at her but kept his gaze locked on Charlie "I was actually hoping I could talk to you Charlie...Alone?"

Joey frowned and glanced at Charlie who tightened her grip on her hand.

"Whatever you have to say you can say it with Joey here" Charlie replied in a steely voice though there was still a hint of trepidation in her voice.

"Fine" Hugo tensed in anger but made no other move. He took a deep breath and attempted to soften his expression before he turned back to his ex "I just wanted to give you another chance to come back to me. I'm sorry about how I was before Charlie. I promise I'll do my best to change"

"Um..." Charlie gaped at him in unadulterated shock "I can't be with you Hugo. I don't love you"

Hugo frowned and stepped forward. He stopped however when Joey visibly tensed "Come on Charlie...That doesn't matter. You know that I care about you. I'm the only one who could besides your bratty daughter"

"Don't call her that!" Charlie exclaimed as her expression darkened.

"You know I'm right!" Hugo stated firmly "She couldn't love you Charlie...You know that. Everything I told you while we were together...It's all true. I mean I bet she hasn't even told you that she loves you, right? Because she can't!"

"I think you should shut up!" Joey said angrily when she noticed Charlie's posture deflate next to her showing that Hugo had hit a nerve. Joey couldn't help but feel guilty that she was the cause.

"I can't be with you" Charlie repeated slowly as she began to walk away with Joey.

"You don't know what you've done!" Hugo called after them. They merely carried walking until they reached Joey's room.

"I can't wait until he can't bother us anymore" Charlie sighed sadly as she watched Joey close the door "I hate that he can make me doubt myself like this...That he can make me doubt how you feel for me"

Joey stared at her guiltily for a moment before moving forward and capturing her lips in a passionate but impossibly tender kiss.

"What was that for?" Charlie gasped with a smile when they pulled apart for air.

"I'm going to show you..." Joey leaned forward and kissed Charlie slowly "Exactly how much I feel for you" she pulled back and pulled Charlie's shirt up and over her head, tossing it across the room. She gazed at her lovingly for a moment before she moved forward and kissed her passionately allowing her hands to tangle in dark hair. Charlie responded just as enthusiastically as her hands moved to Joey's waist. She stepped back and tumbled onto the bed pulling Joey with her.

---

Hugo sighed heavily as he watched Joey and Charlie leave. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled a number her had memorised.

"Keith?" he questioned when the phone was picked up "Do it. Do it right now!" he paused for a moment obviously listening to the voice on the other end "No, I'm not upset and I don't care how long it's going to take just fucking do it okay! Or...You know what will happen" he flipped the phone shut and smirked thoughtfully.

---

"Wow" Charlie panted as she snuggled close to Joey "That was...Wow. If that's how you feel for me I'm one lucky girl"

"Then I guess you are" Joey smiled indulgently as she ran her fingers slowly through Charlie's long dark hair. Her expression turned slightly more serious after a moment "Seriously though Charlie...You shouldn't listen t what Hugo says about us. You have no idea how much I feel for you...even though I can't say it right now..."

"Hey" Charlie sat up slightly in alarm when she noticed tears forming in Joey's eyes "It's okay Jo...I get It okay?" she leaned forward and kissed the other girl tenderly "It's okay. I can wait until you're ready. You know I love you"

Joey nodded slowly and offered a small smile as she looked up into Charlie's sincere blue eyes "I lo..." she was interrupted by a sharp Jolt to the ship which sent things flying from surfaces in the room. The lights flickered before finally dying and she immediately grabbed Charlie and held her close bracing herself for anything else that might happen. Charlie hung onto Joey just as tightly as terror flooded through her.

TBC