Guys,

Xtr75, yeah, I think Saff's going to look out for Joey as regards Marty, we'll see…..aww, I don't want the bubble to burst either. Let's hope it doesn't!

AJ. :-)

Chapter 26

They drove off in Charlies little blue car, towards their appointments at Michaels house. They discussed on the way how they could hardly believe it had been only 1 week since they met up again, and all that had happened in the meantime.

When they got there, Charlie parked outside Michaels house, and they walked up to his door, hand in hand.

Charlie knocked on the door 3 times, and gave him time to open it.

"Hey. Joey. Whatever happened?" Michael asked with concerned, as they walked into his house.

"Oh, I erm, was assaulted at work." Joey said quietly, looking down at her arm in the sling.

"Oh, I see. Umm. Well, we'll discuss that in a minute then shall we. Let me just see Charlie into the kitchen, and make us all a coffee first."

When the coffee had been made, Michael and Joey left Charlie in the kitchen while they went along to his study.

They sat down. "So." Michael started. "Let's talk about what happened at work shall we."

Joey nodded, and then recounted the events to Michael.

"How did you feel about it all Joey?" He asked.

Joey told him how she was terrified, when he started pushing her around, as it reminded her of her rape, when Robbo was too strong for her, and she couldn't get away from him, no matter how much she tried. She wiped a few tears away, as the feelings of helplessness and terror came flooding back to her.

Michael handed her a box of tissues.

She told him that she was was also physically hurt by the guy that assaulted her at the aquarium. She said she had scrapes and scratches from the ground, when he pushed her down. Plus, of course, she had a cut and swollen and strained wrist, which she had in the sling, to help it recover, and not over tire it.

Then she told him what had happened when Charlie came to the zoo with Constable Watson, after the assault, and how great Charlie had been since. Plus, how she charged the guy with everything she could possibly think of at the station afterwards.

"So, you've well and truly hit the ground running with Charlie then." Michael smiled.

"Yeah. She's been really lovely, looking after me, and making me go out and stuff, because I just wanted to hide inside." Joey said. "She knew exactly what to do to help me." She smiled.

"So, Charlie's been staying with you, and looking after you since the assault?" Michael asked.

"No." Joey blushed. "That is, yes, she's stayed a few times, to help me out and take me to the hospital for my follow up appointment, and to bring me here." She paused. "It made it easier for her, save her rushing about to get to mine in the morning."

Michael smiled. "I see. And how has that been? Her staying over?"

"We, you know, haven't, you know, slept together properly yet. We haven't made love yet." Joey smiled shyly. "I'm just not ready I guess."

Michael nodded. "Understandable Joey, it's very early days still."

"But we have slept in my bed together. You know, just cuddling." She blushed again. "And she's helped me bath and shower, with me not being able to use my arm that much."

Michael smiled again. "And you were OK with all that?"

"Yeah. I mean, we've been out before." Joey shrugged. "She's seen me naked before." She blushed.

"And how was Charlie?"

"She was, umm, shy to start with." Joey chuckled. "She got a bit hot under the collar at times. When she first suggested I needed help with a bath or shower, she knew I'd want to wash him off me, you know, as she knew how I'd feel, I'd want to be clean." Joey paused. "So she suggested she got Saff or Jess, my other housemates, to help me. I said no, I didn't want them to wash me. So she suggested she sent a home help nurse around. Which was really sweet of her." Joey smiled. "But I said that as she'd seen it all before, she may as well do it." Joey chuckled. "After all, she had offered."

"I see." Smiled Michael, chuckling to himself.

"Like I say, she was quite shy to start with. And I did wind her up." Joey smiled. "A lot."

"I bet you did." Michael smiled.

"But she was great. She took it as the laugh it was meant to be. And she tried really hard not to look or anything." Joey chuckled. "Not that I made it easy for her."

"I can imagine." Michael allowed himself a brief chuckle out loud. "And you were OK with her seeing you naked and helping you out, and sleeping in the same bed with you?"

"Yeah. I was." Joey nodded. "It's like old times. You know, being so close again. It's nice. Really nice."

"And although you're sleeping in the same bed, you say you're not ready to make love with her yet?"

"No. I'm not ready." Joey said, shaking her head. "Don't get me wrong. I can't wait. I mean. I'm in love with her, she's gorgeous, and well, very sexy, you can see that for yourself, obviously. But I just need a bit of time."

"Why do you need time Joey?"

Joey looked at Michael for a while. "I guess I'm afraid of getting hurt again." She said quietly, looking down at her hands while she fiddled with her fingers.

"You think she may be unfaithful again?" Michael asked softly.

"No." Joey shook her head. "I mean, I really don't think she will this time. She's changed. She's,...oh, I don't know, she's a lot more open, and not, ashamed or embarrassed to be seen with me now."

"So, how do you think she will hurt you?"

"It's just, I love her so much." Joey paused and sighed. "I guess, after last time, when I was so fragile and, well, so hurt by her being unfaithful, I'm scared of going to that place again, if it happens again, or if we break up again."

"Do you think she will hurt you again somehow?"

Joey thought for a moment before answering. "I certainly hope she won't." She smiled at Michael, before she continued. "I don't think she will. I think she feels the same as me, and I think she's ready this time, to, you know, make it last, and commit to me." She blushed. "Long term."

"Have you spoken about this?"

"Not really. I mean, we both love each other, and we tell each other that. And I'm learning how to trust her again, and I really think we'll be OK this time." She smiled warmly at Michael. "I think she thinks the same too. At least she acts like she does. I've told her, very briefly, that I'm not ready to sleep with her yet. "

"So, that's good isn't it? That she understands."

"Yeah." Joey beamed. "It's great!"

"I sense a but." Michael said. "You have something on your mind?"

Joey started fidgeting with her fingers again. "This morning, well last night too, my house mate, Marty, was kind of, you know, a bit suggestive towards Charlie. And I've seen him looking at her this week too."

"And this made you feel uncomfortable?"

"A bit, yeah." Joey nodded, and sighed deeply.

"Why?" He asked gently.

"Because, I guess, deep down, I'm worried about her being unfaithful again, I think everyone, every man that is, wants to sleep with her."

"Some people may want to Joey. As you said yourself, she's a very beautiful woman." He smiled at Joey. "But that doesn't mean she wants to sleep with them."

"I guess." Joey said.

"What did Charlie say about this? How did she react to his suggestiveness?"

"Well, she set him straight I suppose." Joey laughed. "No pun intended." She smiled. "She sort of replied to him, but implied, or rather confirmed I suppose, nicely, that she was with me, now, and in the future."

"Has she shown any interest in him?" Michael asked. "Has she flirted back?"

"No." Joey shook her head.

"Has all that not settled your doubts somewhat then?"

"Now I come to think about it, yes, I suppose it has."

"Maybe you should talk to her about it. Your concerns over Marty, or at least if some guy takes an interest, how you feel about it. Maybe it will help her know how to behave too."

"I suppose I should. You did say last week we need to talk about things. No use bottling things like this up is there." Joey pondered.

"Exactly. Maybe I'll mention this later, when we have your joint session, if you don't mind."

"No. I don't." Replied Joey.

"You've told me previously, the reasons and build up as to why she slept with Hugo before, and from what you tell me, there's nothing like that occurring this time."

"No, there's not."

"The circumstances of last time were pretty exceptional I would say, and very unlikely to happen again. Would you not agree?"

"Yes."

"So, Charlie is not like she was before, new to being out and gay, and under great stress from Bretts accusations, and being away from you for the night. You tell me she's much more comfortable, and open with you. You tell me she loves you, as you love her, and she wants to be with you."

"Yes."

"Then, logically, why would she have any interest in this Marty?"

Joey pondered for a moment. She shrugged, and smiled. "I guess she hasn't got any interest in him."

"So, Joey, you need to see the difference between your feelings and concerns about Charlie from before, and try and see about how you feel about her now, and what concerns you have now." Michael said. "We need you to understand the difference between the two occasions."

"OK." Joey nodded. "I think I get it."

"Good." Michael smiled. "I think it will help you separate the two different situations, and hopefully make it more clear for you."

They then talked about Joey going back to work, and how she would cope with all that, as that was where she was assaulted.

"Right, that's our time just about up Joey." Michael said, checking his watch. "I hope you've found it useful today."

"Yes. I have thanks." She said brightly. "It does help to chat things over with you."

"Good. Let's go and get Charlie to swap with you then." They got up and went to the kitchen. Charlie smiled when they walked in, and then went off with Michael to his study, as Joey made herself a coffee in the kitchen.