The next few chapters might be pretty emotional and a bit controversial but I hope you'll go with it. And you must know me well enough by now to know it'll all be alright in the end! Lol. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Twelve
It had been a weird week and Joey was trying not to be frustrated by Charlie's lack of communication. She couldn't help but fret that her girlfriend was changing her mind about them and was looking for a way out. The only reason that she felt able to be moderately excited about the baby she was carrying was because she had Charlie's love and support. She didn't think she would be able to cope without her.
"Honestly, I'm fine," Charlie said, although her face was saying the opposite.
She was tearful and looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as they sat at the breakfast table together.
"Charlie, please?" Joey begged. "I need you to be honest with me. If you're changing your mind about us…"
Charlie caught hold of her hand across the table.
"I will never ever change my mind about us," she stated so firmly that Joey believed her.
"Then what is it?" she asked, keeping hold of her girlfriend's hand. "What's wrong?"
"I'm just hormonal," Charlie told her.
Tears stung her eyes as she realised what she needed to do.
"I'm the pregnant one!" Joey laughed.
Charlie chuckled softly but the humour got stuck in her throat.
"Sorry," she said sincerely. "I just… Sorry."
Joey frowned, still not understanding what was wrong with her.
"There's nothing you can't tell me, Charlie," she insisted.
Charlie didn't want to test the theory. She squeezed Joey's hand and leant over to kiss her, promising dinner when she got home from work.
At work, Charlie took several breaths as she tried to pluck up the courage to phone a clinic just outside of town. Finally, she lifted the receiver and dialled. After a couple of rings, an inappropriately cheerful woman phoned and asked how she could help.
"I need… I need to book a termination," Charlie said.
She hung up and burst into tears without making the appointment.
Joey took several breaths and forced herself to leave the house. Without Charlie by her side, she hadn't ventured out much but if this was going to be her permanent home, she needed to be brave and face everyone, even if it meant risking bumping into Brett or Hugo.
She was very obviously pregnant now and her bump was really starting to grow. She was confused every time she looked down at her belly, torn between revulsion over what Robbo had done to her and quiet joy that there was a baby growing inside her and that she and Charlie were going to raise it together.
Arriving at the Diner, she ordered an orange juice from Colleen.
"Oh! Look at you!" the town gossip remarked. "Aren't you… um…"
She fought for a word to try and be polite.
"Pregnant," Joey informed her.
The older woman was so startled she dropped the glass for Joey's juice.
"Pregnant?" she exclaimed. "But you're… you're um…"
"A lesbian," Joey said helpfully.
Colleen looked exceptionally flustered. Joey tried not to look amused.
"So how… um…?"
"It's best you don't know," Joey told her.
Colleen continued to fumble around to create Joey's order while Leah stepped up and offered to take over.
"Thank you," Joey said when Colleen hurried back into the kitchen.
"It didn't looked like either of you were enjoying the conversation!" Leah remarked.
Opting to take her break, she poured a second drink and came to sit with her at a table.
"So, you and Charlie are starting to tell people about the baby then?" she asked.
"Yeah," Joey said. "We're past the twelve week mark and everything and well, I don't want people thinking I'm chubby!"
They both laughed at the joke.
"I'm glad you're feeling a bit more secure about everything," Leah said sincerely. "I can't imagine that it's been easy to accept the pregnancy and everything."
Joey exhaled slowly.
"There were times when I wanted to kill myself just to not be pregnant anymore," she admitted awkwardly. "I just… I felt like he'd left poison inside me. But with Charlie helping me… I feel like we at least stand a chance."
Leah nodded, touching her friend's hand.
"Has she… been okay lately?" she asked.
"No," Joey said. "But she won't tell me what's wrong."
Charlie cried out as Heath Braxton shoved her in the stomach and ran away. She stumbled to the ground, winded and in pain. She and Watson had been breaking up a fight but now didn't seem the right time to chase after them.
"Are you okay, Charlie?" Watson asked worriedly, helping her up.
"I need to get back to the station," Charlie replied urgently.
"I can't believe the baby can get hiccups before it's even born!" Joey giggled.
Juice had become lunch with Leah and they were thoroughly enjoying spending time together and reading the baby book. It brought back memories for Leah, who was also desperate to support her friend.
"I can imagine it would look pretty cute if we could see it," she said.
They both looked up when a shadow fell over them. It was Hugo Austin.
Charlie was out of the station almost as soon as she had arrived. Shaking and upset, she jumped into her car and sped over to the hospital where she took Rachel aside and begged to be seen.
"Um… sure," the Doctor said, leading her into a side room.
She shut the door to give them privacy.
"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.
"I think I'm having a miscarriage," Charlie told her.
"I um… I heard you were back in town," Hugo ventured. "And I just wanted to say…"
"Welcome back?" Joey remarked rather bitterly.
"Well, just… I'm sorry," he said, hovering anxiously.
He was a man capable of a lot of things but he still felt bad that he had broken up a relationship.
"And anything there might have been between Charlie and I is completely over," he added. "I'm not interested in her, she's not interested in me and there's nothing connecting us."
Without judging or quizzing Charlie on how she could be pregnant in a lesbian relationship, Rachel got her onto the bed and hurried off to find the correct equipment. She returned quickly with what was probably the same scanner she had used when Joey had come to the hospital. In silence, she turned the machine on and set everything up.
"How many weeks do you think you are?" she asked.
"Not many," Charlie said. "Eight or nine, I think."
Rachel nodded and put the cold jelly on Charlie's still toned tummy. Charlie held her breath and couldn't relax until she heard the familiar sound of the baby's heartbeat. She flopped back against the bed and closed her eyes in sheer relief.
"Baby's okay," Rachel assured her. "And judging by this, I'd say you're nine weeks."
Charlie nodded weakly. She was so relieved that her child was okay. She knew she could never go through with a termination. And that meant she had to tell Joey the truth.
"I know," Joey said simply. "It was a one night thing and there need be no repercussions. Charlie and I are back together and we're going to be a family."
Hugo was surprised. Joey had been furious when she'd found out the truth. He was surprised that she had returned to the Bay so quickly and had been so eager to get back together with her cheating partner.
"Well um… good," he said. "I'm happy for you."
"And I hear you're happy and in love with Martha now," Joey said. "Good for you."
He nodded and hurried off on his way.
"You handled that very well," Leah said, noting the anxiety now evident on Joey's face.
"Did I?" Joey asked worriedly.
"Definitely," her friend promised.
They were interrupted by Joey's phone ringing. It was Charlie.
Next time… Joey learns that Charlie is pregnant…
