Story's not getting as many reviews as it used to so if there is stuff you don't like; characters, storylines, anything at all please do tell me. And anything you would like me to incorporate into the story too. Just review and let me know and I'll do my best! Alternatively I could just end this within the next few chapters if you guys are getting bored – up to you :)

Hope you enjoy this chapter anyway!

Carrie :)

X

Weeks had passed and Joey's behaviour had not improved. She was skipping school, getting into fights and had even stopped communicating with her brother with whom she'd always been secretly quite fond. Brett was at a loss of what to do so he decided to speak to Charlie since she was the only one who seemed to be able to get through to Joey.

He knocked on the door of the girls' room and poked his head round. As he'd been counting on Joey was not there. 'Probably out getting off her face somewhere' he thought with disgust. It worried him that he couldn't look out for his little sister.

'Hey Charlie' he smiled at the younger girl who was sitting at her desk writing. Hearing him she turned and smiled back.

'Brett. Hey, what's up?' She replied

'I was wondering if I could talk to you.' He questioned 'It's about Joey.' Brett noticed Charlie's eyes look at the floor at the mention of Joey's name before looking up again and sighing.

'Sure' she replied unhappily.

*

The pair had been talking for nearly fifteen minutes yet had come to no conclusion about the reason for Joey's recent rebellion. Charlie of course knew but there was no way she could tell Brett about what had happened so she sat patiently while he struggled through the ideas of drugs, bad influences and boys or girls.

It surprised Charlie that Joey's family knew about her sexuality but she realised it shouldn't have. Both Fiona and Brett were very supportive people and it made sense for them to be unjudgemental (A/N – again Word says this isn't a word, I beg to differ). This made her think of her father and if she would tell him if she ever discovered she was...Charlie shook herself 'Don't go down that road' she reprimanded herself. She focused on what Brett was saying.

'I mean has she had a break up or anything?' He asked. It hurt Charlie to lie to him when she could see how distressed he was but she had no other choice.

'No. She hasn't been out with anyone since you guys moved here. Look Brett I'm sure if you just give her time she'll calm down. Maybe she just wants attention?' Charlie tried to end the conversation but Brett didn't budge.

'That doesn't make sense. Back in our old town she was a bit of a...well you know, a player' he stuttered 'You're saying she hasn't done anything with anyone here?'

Charlie again looked at the ground and cleared her throat, the guilt mounting inside her.

'Not that I know of' she squeaked out. Thankfully after a few more minutes of interrogation Brett left, none the wiser than he had arrived and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

She sat and stared at her work but realised she couldn't concentrate. She needed to find Joey. Throwing down her pen she grabbed a jacket off the back of her chair and, shouting a hurried goodbye to her father, rushed out the front door.

After fifteen minutes of inane wandering Charlie was starting to give up hope of finding Joey when she saw a lone figure on the beach. She walked towards it slowly but as it turned she saw that it wasn't in fact Joey but the last person she wanted to find.

She started to walk away quickly but was forced to stop at the sound of a voice.

'Charlie!' It shouted. After a moment's hesitation she turned round.

'What do you want?' She asked coldly.

'Just to talk. Please.'

'Roman I'm not interested in what you have to say' Charlie started to say but noticed the dejected look on her ex boyfriends face and realised that the feeling of betrayal and hurt that had been in the pit of her stomach wasn't there. She sighed and gestured to him.

'Go on then' she said and sat on the sand, patting the ground next to her so Roman sat.

They sat in silence for over a minute, Roman awkwardly playing with the sand.

'Firstly I want to apologise' he stated quietly. 'The way I treated you it was...' he trailed off.

'Terrible? Hurtful? Something nobody should have to go through?' Charlie offered

Roman hung his head and nodded. 'All of those things' he agreed. 'But what made it so much worse was that we were friends before we started going out and to think that I've fucked that up as well...' He stopped again as if searching for the words. 'I really like Leah' Charlie scoffed and turned her head away.

'No listen' Roman placed a calming hand on her shoulder 'I need you to know that it was nothing you did or didn't do. You were...are...perfect Charlie and if I hadn't fallen for Leah then you would be my dream girl.'

'But I'm not' Charlie muttered bitterly.

'I didn't want to cheat Charlie, you know me, and you know that's not what I'm like. But you were so excited about your birthday and I couldn't ruin that'

'But you could sleep with me?!' Charlie raised her voice 'Whilst you were getting off with my best mate!'

'All I can do is apologise Charlie. I did it because I truly did love you, even though I loved Leah.' The pair were silent for a moment before Roman stood up and brushed his trousers down. 'Well that's all I had to say. Thanks for listening and I am so sorry about everything. I miss you Charlie, I miss everyone.'

As he started to walk off Charlie shouted after him.

'Roman!'

He turned and looked back at her questioningly.

'It's my party tomorrow night. My house at eight. Can't turn seventeen without you can I?' She smiled when she saw Roman's whole face light up and her rushed back to hug her. She accepted his embrace with a sense of relief and the feeling of a weight being lifted off her shoulders.

'Tell Leah to come as well. I'd...I'd like for both of you to be there.' Charlie said.

Roman nodded and turned to go but turned back suddenly 'Charlie, one thing.' She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

'Could you...maybe explain to Joey that we're trying to get back to normal.'

Charlie laughed at the look of genuine fear in his eyes and nodded before exhaling quickly 'I will but I doubt she's even coming. I haven't seen much of her these days'

Roman looked surprised and pointed up to the pier 'Well right now she's up there with a guy. I figured you might be there so I made the mistake of approaching...bad idea.'

Charlie had already shouted a hurried 'Thank you!' to Roman and charged off down the beach to search for Joey. Unaware of what she was actually going to say. All she knew was that this behaviour had to stop. Charlie could see how it was affecting Brett and Fiona and even herself. She missed her best friend.

After five minutes she saw Joey stumbling about with her arm wrapped round the shoulders of a tall man with long blonde hair which was tied back in a ponytail. She recognised the face from around town and knew it to be that of Jake Hendry. Infuriated by the sight of an obviously smashed Joey being leered at by him she stormed over and yanked at Joey's other arm.

Joey frowned for a second before she recognised the person pulling at her wherein she grinned widely. 'Charlie!' She yelled out 'Jake this is my best friend Charlie, she's your biggest fan!' Joey was giggling to herself as she spoke.

Jake stuck out his hand 'Pleased to meet you' he purred, his voice as smooth as silk. Charlie ignored him and continued trying to tug Joey away.

'Come on Jo. We're going home' she muttered.

'What?' Joey slurred. 'But it's only...' Joey tried to look at her watch but found her eyes couldn't focus 'Whatever time it is'

Charlie saw with horror that Joey wasn't just drunk.

'What the fuck have you given her?!' she hissed at Jake who had given up trying to shake her hand. He smiled and Charlie saw at a set of perfectly whitened teeth.

'I've given her nothing. What she's taken on the other hand...' he trailed off, still smiling.

'Joey doesn't take drugs. She thinks they're stupid. Whatever she's taken you've given to her' Charlie replied

'Hey I'm still here y'know' Joey said frowning before quickly doubling up and vomiting over the side of the pier. 'Charlie I don't feel so great' she moaned when she came up for air.

'No I know you don't honey, that's why I'm taking you home' Charlie said, pulling herself away from glaring at Jake and his smug smile.

'That might be a good idea' Joey managed to say.

'Woah not so fast' came a slick voice as Charlie began to manoeuvre Joey into a position from which Charlie could support her. 'Joey's my friend too. I'll help take her home.' With that he hoisted her from Charlie's grip and into his arms.

Charlie shouted at him and followed as he began to walk down the pier with long strides.

'Put her down. I'm telling you to put her down or else.' At that he turned around, his smile gone.

'Or else what?' He growled, shoving his face into Charlie's 'Are you threatening me little girl? Because that isn't a wise idea'

Charlie flinched but kept her gaze steady. 'Just give me Joey back and we'll leave. My dad doesn't need to know about you giving her what I assume are illegal drugs.'

Jake barked out a laugh and Joey, now asleep, shifted in his arms.

'Daddy?! What the hell is he going to do?'

'My father is Ross Buckton of the police force. The only man I believe to have ever charged you with anything. Even if it was just petty theft' Charlie stated bravely and saw Jake's smile waver.

'You're Buckton's daughter?'

Charlie nodded slowly and began to see that her plan of scaring Jake off might backfire if she still held a grudge against her father. Jake's smile returned tenfold and he laid Joey, quite tenderly, on the floor. As he approached Charlie she noticed that there was nobody else around other than herself, Hendry and an unconscious Joey.

'You're daddy's good at his job no?' She heard Hendry say softly.

'Erm' she stalled for time 'I guess so'

'Well I wonder how he'll feel when he's put on the case of his own daughter's disappearance' Jake sounded genuinely interested, not as if he was just saying this to scare Charlie.

'Well actually he wouldn't be put on the case because of personal involvement so it would be some other –' Charlie stopped as she realised she was correcting someone who was probably planning on killing her, or at the very least kidnapping her. She could still see his smug smile which widened as he listened.

'Hoping to be a cop one day?' He asked 'Follow in daddy's footsteps?'

Charlie swallowed again and considered making a run for it but knew she couldn't leave Joey with a murderer. She cast her eyes around to look for some form of weapon she could use and her eyes focused on an old oar which had obviously been left behind by a negligent fisherman. She started to inch towards it but Jake noticed her eyes moving and reached it before she did. He picked it up and threw it behind him, still smiling.

'I don't want to do this...Charlie was it?' He murmured.

Incredibly she found herself nodding in answer to his question.

'See you're a friend of Joey's and I like her. She's fun but what with you being Buckton's daughter...well you see how it is' He gestured as if he found the whole thing like a slightly distasteful chore he had to do.

He lunged towards her quite suddenly and Charlie had no idea what he was going to do with her because just as he leapt she saw the oar swing round from the darkness behind him. He fell to the ground and didn't rise.

'Charlie, my head hurts' she heard a plaintive voice from the darkness call out and realised that Joey had woken up and hit Jake round the head. She rushed over to her and saw her once again throwing up over the side of the pier.

'Is he alive?' Joey asked nodding her head towards the body lying next to them. Charlie glanced over and nodded with relief.

'Yeah' she sighed 'I can see him breathing. He'll only be out for a couple of minutes at most so we should get a move on'

Joey agreed and hauled herself up off the ground. The two staggered home with Charlie supporting Joey for a lot of the way. When they reached the door Charlie got her key and let them both in after which they both quietly crept up to their room and got into bed in silence. After a few moments of nobody saying anything Joey spoke up.

'Charlie?' she said in a pleading voice. Charlie didn't reply and kept her back to the other girl. 'Charlie please talk to me. I'm sorry'

'You could have got me killed!' Charlie growled, sitting up 'Fucking killed Joey. And you're sorry?!'

Joey flinched in her bed. 'I didn't know what he was like Charlz. And I definitely didn't know he would try to hurt you'

Charlie didn't reply and silence reigned once more.

'I would never hurt you Charlie' Joey said softly and Charlie could hear that she was half asleep.

'I love you too much to hurt you...'

Party next chapter so a more light hearted and fun chapter after all the drama ;)