Now, just to warn you, I am going on holiday next week so your last update will be on Saturday. And then I will be back to update you the following Sunday or Monday. But I hope you enjoy everything up until then. And I sincerely thank you for all your readings and reviewings. You make me so happy! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty One

Out in the fresh air outside the house, Joey struggled to catch her breath. She bent over, resting her hands on her knees, trying to calm down. Worriedly, Charlie rubbed her back and when she had straightened up again, she pulled her into a hug. She fell tears fall on her shoulder and held her a little closer.

"What happened there?" Charlie asked.

Joey looked up and wiped her eyes. She was pale and frightened.

"I just... snapped."

Charlie hugged her again and kissed the top of her head.

"Let's go home," she suggested.

She glanced at her watch.

"Ruby will be in bed but she might not be asleep yet so if we're lucky, we can have a cuddle when we get home. How does that sound?"

Joey managed a smile and nodded. They turned to leave but paused when they heard Joey's name being called. Turning back, they saw Joey's father standing on the doorstep looking distraught. Timidly, Joey approached him, tugging Charlie along with her.

"Was that true?" Martin asked. "What you said in there? Did Robbo rape someone?"

He felt sick with fear that Joey might have been his victim. He desperately that it was just something she'd heard on the grapevine. Joey clutched Charlie's hand and nodded.

"Who?" he asked.

Joey sighed. More tears began to flow. She sank down on the bench on the front porch. Charlie sat on one side of her and Martin took the other.

"Do you remember that summer when I started putting on weight?" Joey asked, staring out into the dark.

Martin nodded.

"I wasn't fat," Joey said sadly. "I was pregnant."

"You were twelve!" her father almost shrieked.

Joey shrugged.

"How could you be pregnant at twelve?" her father asked. "You were just a baby..."

Joey swallowed. She never thought she'd see the day when she was actually discussing this.

"What... what happened? You didn't have a baby. Did you?"

"I miscarried," Joey said. "I lost him."

She swallowed but the lump in her throat ached.

"And it was Robbo who...?"

Joey nodded. Charlie put her arm around her.

"And he... he raped you?"

Martin had almost whispered the offending word. Tears stung his eyes. Suddenly he stood up and turned back towards the house. Joey leapt to her feet as well. So did Charlie.

"What are you doing?" Joey asked.

"I'm going to kill him," Martin said, storming into the house.

Joey and Charlie hurried after him, arriving just in time to find Robbo pressed up against the wall while Martin held him roughly by his collar.

"I didn't do anything!" Robbo protested.

For all his swagger, he had always been a little afraid of Martin Collins.

"You raped my daughter!" Martin exploded. "You got her pregnant."

Erica audibly gasped. Brett's eyes widened. He stepped up to his father.

"Dad, she's lying!"

"She's not," Martin said firmly and slammed Robbo against the wall again. The younger man was obviously winded as he struggled against Martin's grip.

"Of course she's lying!" Brett said. "If she'd have got pregnant, don't you think we would have known about it? Where's the damn baby for fuck's sake?"

"Don't swear!" Erica snapped, knowing at the time that her scolding was pathetic in such a situation.

She stared at her daughter in horror. Had all of this really happened? Why would she lie? How could they never have known?

"Well?" Brett said, ignoring his mother and facing his sister. "Where's the baby? I don't remember you going into labour!"

"The baby died," Joey said quietly, looking at the floor. "I miscarried. I was too young and undeveloped to..."

She sank into a chair. Charlie sat beside her. Martin instructed his wife to get his handcuffs off his work belt.

"Dad?" Brett pleaded. "Come on! This is ridiculous! Just because it happened to Charlie, Joey's making up lies to be like her or something like that!"

Erica ignored her son and did as her husband instructed. Martin officially arrested Robbo and then called the police station for his colleagues to come and collect them.

It was eleven o'clock by the time Charlie and Joey arrived back at Charlie's parents' house. Ross and Sandra were still awake and immediately worried about the state their daughter and her girlfriend were in.

"What happened?" Sandra asked. "Are you okay? Did dinner not go well?"

Joey looked helplessly at Charlie. She deeply regretted saying anything. She hated people knowing what had happened to her. Even her family. Especially her family.

"It's complicated," Charlie said apologetically. "Can we talk in the morning?"

Sandra nodded uncertainly.

"Did Rubes get to sleep okay?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, she was out like a light after her little ice cream rush!"

Charlie looked stern.

"More ice cream?" she challenged.

"I'm her grandmother!" Sandra said. "I'm allowed to treat my granddaughter once in a while, aren't I?"

"She's going to turn into an ice cream at this rate," Charlie remarked. "But yes, visiting you guys is a special occasion so I don't mind."

Mother and daughter smiled at each other before Charlie led Joey up to bed.

Fifteen minutes later, in the private darkness of their room, Charlie and Joey held each other close. Charlie kissed the top of Joey's head as her girlfriend wept, shuddering in her arms and feeling like her world was ending.