Hey guys...First of all I want to apologise profusely for the ridiculous mess I made of the last chapter (I only realised after re-reading it that I had wrote Joey in a completely horrible out of character way). I hope this chapter makes up for that by rectifying Joey's character. I'm again really sorry to anyone who was annoyed. But...Thanks to those who still reviewed. Your reviews kept me writing this because I kind of wavered for a bit.
So...here's the next chapter (Longer than usual). Sorry if it seems a little bit rushed (I.e. has a few more spelling mistakes than usual) but it's again 4:22 am and I have to sleep because I have college in a few hours (I wanted to get this chapter up for y'all before I went). Hope you enjoy the chapter! (Sorry again for the last Chapter) :)
Chapter 52
"Hey" Charlie said quietly as she moved over to her wife in the kitchen and wrapped her arms around her from behind "What are you doing up so early? I missed you this morning..."
"Sorry" Joey apologised as she leaned into the offered embrace and sighed quietly to herself "I was feeling kind of restless and I didn't want to wake you up by moving around too much"
"its okay" Charlie responded softly "Did you go to sleep at all last night? I know you haven't been sleeping very well for the past few days..."
"I went to sleep for a while" Joey said honestly as she turned around in Charlie's arms "I just can't seem to stay asleep" at Charlie's concerned look she quickly continued "It's not serious. There's nothing medically wrong with me or anything"
"So you know what's stopping you from sleeping?" Charlie frowned in concern "What is it?"
"I do know" Joey answered guiltily "But you don't have to worry about it Charlie. It's nothing serious..."
"I do worry about you" Charlie stated seriously "I can't help that...Just tell me what's wrong Jo. I can't help if you don't tell me"
Joey hesitated for a moment before she nodded slowly and pulled away from the older girl's embrace "Okay" she took Charlie's hands and pulled her gently over to a chair. She paused nervously for a moment before she looked deeply into Charlie's blue eyes "It's about Ca..."
"Hey!" a voice sounded from the doorway causing Joey to look up sharply and drop Charlie's hands "Ruby..." she sighed in disappointment at the missed opportunity.
"Oh" Ruby bit her lip guiltily "Did I interrupt something? I'm sorry. I have the worst timing ever...I'm just going to go and let you finish whatever you were doing..."
"It's okay Rubz" Charlie spoke up, stopping her daughter from leaving "What is it?"
"I just came to tell you that I'm going out with Sum in about 10 minutes" Ruby responded slowly as she motioned to the door "I'll be out for a while. Just in case you worry...I'll have my mobile if you need me"
"You're going out with Summer?" Joey questioned, worry clear on her face "Summer as in Cameron's sister?"
"Yeah"
"I don't think that's a very good idea" Joey blurted out.
"Um...Why?" Ruby asked in confusion as she glanced from Joey to Charlie who seemed just as perplexed at Joey's strange behaviour.
"Oh...No reason" Joey shifted uncomfortably under their suspicious stares "It's just...Don't you have homework or something to do?"
"No..." Ruby answered before she focused her attention on her mother "So can I go Charlie?"
"Sure" Charlie nodded "Be back for dinner though"
"Got it" Ruby grinned.
"I'm going for a run" Charlie said as she stood up "We'll talk later okay Jo?" she pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips before she looked over at Ruby "Be careful Rubz"
"But Charlie I need to..." Joey started to speak but Charlie was already out of the door "Damn it!"
"Is something wrong Joey?" Ruby asked in concern as Joey dropped her head down to her folded arms on the table and groaned in frustration "You seem really weird today"
"Nothing's wrong" Joey said as she looked up at the teenager "Apart from the fact that I'm being a heartless liar right now"
"What?!" Ruby's eyes widened in surprise and Joey mentally kicked herself for her slip "What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter" Joey sighed quietly to herself.
"Does this have something to do with Cameron?" Ruby asked curiously "Or Summer?"
"How do you know that?!" Joey looked up at Ruby in shock "Did they say something to you Ruby?"
"They didn't have to" Ruby said knowingly "It's obvious from your reaction before that there's something going on with you and them. Plus Summer said that Cameron has been really upset for the past few days so..."
Joey looked down in shame "I'm such a jerk. I'm lying to Charlie and I'm treating Cameron like crap. What sort of person does that make me?"
"Somebody who's desperate to protect their relationship no matter what the cost?" Ruby suggested as she moved closer and sat next to the older girl "even if it's in a way that could hurt them and others as well as unintentionally damage the relationship?"
"I'm an idiot" Joey muttered glumly as tears formed in her eyes "I didn't even hear Cam out"
"She's more than an old friend isn't she?" Ruby questioned quietly as she leaned forward slightly.
"Yeah she was...Much more" Joey nodded and looked up nervously "What am I going to do Ruby?"
"You're going to talk to Cameron" Ruby advised gently "And then you're going to tell Charlie the truth"
"Well I was trying to" Joey smiled lightly "Until you interrupted us. You really do have the worst timing"
"Sorry" Ruby apologised guiltily.
"its okay" Joey shrugged "I probably hadn't thought it through anyway. I would have just blurted it out...It's a good thing that I have time to think of how to tell her"
"Well in that case I'm not sorry" Ruby smiled.
"Thanks Rubz" Joey pulled the teenager closer and hugged her tightly "What would I do without you?"
"I don't know" Ruby replied wistfully as she pulled back "Suffer Endlessly? Wallow in self Pity? Freak out and get carted off to be checked?"
"Shut up" Joey smiled at the other girl "That was a rhetorical question"
"I didn't catch that" Ruby grinned mischievously "I thought you actually want to know"
Joey shook her head in amusement before her expression turned slightly more serious "So you've been hanging out with Summer a lot than?"
"Quite a bit" Ruby answered "We have a lot in common"
"I figured you would" Joey grinned "You've always reminded me of her actually"
"She seems to be a bit...Freaked out about something though" Ruby said thoughtfully "I asked her about it but she wouldn't tell me. And when I asked why she had moved to the bay she said something like it wasn't safe anymore. But she did tell me that she was worried about something that happened to Cameron before they moved here"
"Wow" Joey said in surprise "She must really trust you. She doesn't tell things like that to just anyone..."
Ruby shrugged "She won't tell me anything else" she glanced at the clock on the wall and jumped up quickly "Oh! I'm going to be late!"
"You seem kind of anxious to see her" Joey grinned teasingly "Is there something I should know?"
"What do you...Oh My God" Ruby cheeks reddened at Joey's playful insinuation "No! There's nothing...We're just friends. I mean we're and...I'm..."
"I'm only kidding Rubz" Joey laughed as she stood up and hugged the blushing teen "Now go. But be careful okay? Make sure you take your phone"
"Yes Mom" Ruby said sarcastically before she paused and grinned teasingly at the older girl "Or should I say...step-mom"
Joey crinkled her nose at the statement "That makes me feel..."
"Old. I know" Ruby giggled "That's why I said it. Serves you right for your earlier comment"
"Whatever" Joey huffed playfully "Just go"
"I'm going" Ruby said "Joey?"
"Yeah?" Joey asked expectantly.
"Make sure you tell Charlie the truth okay?" Ruby responded seriously "There's no way I can lie to her. I never have been able to actually. It's like she can read my mind or something...It's so annoying. And I swear she has some kind of tracking device tha..."
"I thought you had to go" Joey smiled at Ruby's inability to stop talking.
"Oh...I'm going" Ruby nodded "Bye Joey..."
"Bye Rubz" Joey watched Ruby walk out of the door before she took a deep breath, feeling slightly less sure of herself without the teenagers presence "I have to do this..."
---
"Hey Colleen, Can I get a coffee please?" Charlie asked politely as she came to a stop in the diner, still breathing quite heavily.
Colleen nodded and turned around to get the coffee giving Charlie time to glance around the diner. She paused when she noticed Cameron sitting alone at a table, her gaze focused unseeingly on a Magazine in front of her "Actually Colleen can you make that two coffees?"
"Okay" Colleen sighed dolefully but nodded anyway. After a moment she turned around with two cups in her hand "Here you are Charlie"
"Thanks" Charlie quickly paid and picked the cups up before Colleen could ask any questions. She moved tentatively over to Cameron's table "Hey" she felt a flash of guilt when Cameron jumped and looked up at her in alarm "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you...I thought you could do with some Coffee"
"Oh...Thanks" Cameron smiled warmly at the police officer as she placed the cup of steaming coffee in front of her.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Charlie asked.
"Um...Sure" Cameron said hesitantly as she recalled Joey's words from a few days ago "Go for it"
Charlie sat down and placed her coffee on the table "So Ruby and Summer seem to be getting along well"
"They are?" Cameron asked.
"Yeah" Charlie nodded "Ruby told me that she was meeting Summer today...Didn't Summer tell you?"
"She probably did" Cameron sighed deeply "I haven't been paying much attention lately...I've been kind of distracted by some things"
"Oh" Charlie said quietly "If you want to tell me I've been told I'm a great listener"
"Thanks" Cameron smiled faintly at the other girl "But I don't want to bother you...And I don't think Joey would want you to talk to me anyway"
"Why not?" Charlie frowned in confusion at the statement.
"It's complicated" Cameron sighed as she sipped at her coffee "And she should be the one to tell you...Not me"
"Well I'm talking to you anyway" Charlie stated "Do you want to go for a walk or something...?"
"I don't want to cause..."
"Trouble...I know" Charlie rolled her eyes and stood up from her seat "Are you coming?"
"Um...Okay" Cameron nodded tentatively and stood up.
---
"If you don't want to talk it's okay" Charlie offered as they walked down the beach side by side "I don't want to push you or anything"
"Thanks Charlie" Cameron offered Charlie a soft smile "For doing this I mean. After Mari...It's only been me and Summer for a while so I'm not really used to this anymore"
"Can I ask you something?" Charlie drew to a stop and turned to look at Cameron "You don't have to answer it if you don't want to..."
"Sure" Cameron answered reluctantly.
"The ring you wear on your chain..." Charlie's eyes moved to the gold chain which hung around the blonde girl's neck "Is it a wedding ring? I didn't realise you were married"
"It is" Cameron's hand moved to the ring "But I'm not married. My fiancé..." she swallowed heavily and turned her gaze to the ground "We were only together for about six months but we fell in love right away. I was in a bad place back then and she helped me through it...I just knew she was the one for me...but she died a while ago. It was totally unexpected...A Cerebral Haemorrhage the doctors said"
"I'm sorry" Charlie said gently as she placed her hand comfortingly on Cameron's arm.
Cameron shrugged "I don't know...Maybe I deserved it. Maybe it was my fault..."
"What?!" Charlie questioned in surprise "No...Cam, don't think like that. It wasn't your fault. You could never have done something to even remotely deserve for that to happen"
"Even if I hurt somebody I loved?" Cameron asked as she blinked back rapidly approaching tears "Before Marissa I mean..."
"I don't know what you mean" Charlie said quietly.
"Before I left the bay I was dating this girl..." Cameron admitted in a soft voice "I loved her...I did and she loved me but...There were things that interfered with our relationship. Her family for one...So I ran away from the bay...From her" she smiled tearfully at Charlie's slightly overwhelmed expression "You must be regretting talking to somebody as messed up as I am by now..."
"No..." Charlie shook her head slowly "Not at all...It's just a lot to take in right now. That's all" she looked back at Cameron firmly "It still wasn't your fault...Everybody makes mistakes"
"I'm sure you would change your mind if you knew the full story" Cameron sighed heavily.
"I definitely wouldn't" Charlie said reassuringly as they started to walk again.
---
"Cam!" Joey yelled as she rushed towards the blonde girl who was walking away from her.
"Look Joey...I'm sorry" Cameron said guiltily when Joey caught up to her "I know you told me to stay away from Charlie and all but..."
"You saw Charlie?!" Joey gasped in horror "Does she know about us?"
"No...Not really" Cameron answered "We were talking about things but...I didn't mention your name. I promise...I would never do anything to ruin things for you"
Joey nodded shortly as her gaze dropped to the necklace around Cameron's neck "So you moved on pretty fast from me than?" she flinched at Cameron's hurt look and immediately began to apologise "I'm sorry...I'm such a jerk!"
"It's okay" Cameron said as her gaze dropped to the sand "You didn't know..."
"Know what?" Joey frowned in concern "What is it Cam?"
"I'm sorry I left you" Cameron said quietly "I didn't mean to hurt you or anything. But it seemed like no matter how much I loved you we could never work out..."
"I understand" Joey said quietly "But..."
"I was going to get married" Cameron blurted out suddenly as her hand rose once again to the ring on her necklace "I was a mess when I left you and Marissa...She helped me through it all and...I fell in love with her"
"What happened to her?" Joey asked softly as she took a small step forward.
Cameron took a deep breath and closed her eyes causing unshed tears to spill "She died...She's gone Jo"
"Oh Cam..." Joey felt tears burn her own eyes at the sight of her ex's pain. She took a step forward and enveloped the other girl in her arms "I'm so sorry..."
"She's gone" Cameron repeated heartbrokenly as they slumped to the ground together "She's gone and It's all my fault...And then I betrayed her after she died. It's all my fault. I didn't...I didn't stop him..."
"Shhh..." Joey soothed as she rubbed the other girl's back comfortingly "It wasn't your fault..."
---
"Charlie?" Joey whispered as she turned on the couch to face Charlie "I need to tell you something..."
"What is it?" Charlie pulled back slightly from their embrace and frowned in concern.
"You talked to Cameron today, right?" Joey asked nervously.
"Yeah..." Charlie nodded slowly as sadness washed over her "She was a bit upset"
"I can't do this" Joey said tearfully "I can't keep lying to you..."
"Lying to me?" Charlie echoed as she took Joey's hand and squeezed it comfortingly "What do you mean Joey?"
"Cameron isn't just an old friend" Joey responded in a soft voice "She's my ex. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth sooner. I was just so scared that it would cause problems for us that I wasn't thinking rationally and I know that's no excuse at all for lying to you...I should have learned my lesson after the last time. I'm such an idiot!"
"Cameron was your girlfriend?" Charlie asked in shock "You're the girl she ran away from because of your family? That was...you?"
"Yeah" Joey nodded. They fell into silence for a few moments before Joey spoke up pleadingly "Please say something Charlie...Anything?"
"You should have told me" Charlie said softly as her gaze dropped to their loosely entwined hands "Did you know she was coming to the bay? Is that what you were so worried about?"
"She warned me that she was coming. I was going to tell you..." Joey said honestly "But after what happened I didn't want to stress you out. I guess I just hoped that it was a mistake..."
"Do you still love her?" Charlie asked hesitantly as she looked up into Joey's eyes.
"Not like that" Joey said sincerely "Cam was my first love but...You're my true love"
Charlie smiled lightly and squeezed Joey's hand again.
"Aren't you mad at me?" Joey asked guiltily "I deserve it. I was so stupid..."
"It was stupid not to tell me" Charlie agreed "And it kind of hurts that you didn't trust me..."
"I do trust you!" Joey interrupted strongly "I just didn't want to stress you out and then...I didn't want anything to come between us."
"But" Charlie smiled lightly as she finished her sentence "You've told me now and that's all that matters. Just...Promise you won't lie to me again?"
"I won't" Joey swore before she leaned forward and kissed Charlie gently "I was so scared you were going to leave me..."
"You told the truth" Charlie said quietly as she pulled Joey back into her embrace "That's what's important right now"
"I love you Charlie" Joey whispered as she snuggled closer to the older girl.
"I love you too Jo" Charlie responded. She leaned down and pressed a kiss to her wife's head. They sat in silence for a moment before Charlie spoke up "So did Cam tell you what happened?"
"Yeah" Joey nodded her expression clouded with guilt "I can't believe I was such an ass to her when her fiancé only died a month ago. She said something I didn't quite understand though..."
"What did she say?" Charlie asked curiously.
"She said that she betrayed her Fiancé after she died...That she didn't 'stop him'...What does that mean? I asked her when she calmed down but she wouldn't tell me..." Joey frowned in concern.
"I have no idea" Charlie said thoughtfully as she leaned her head against Joey's.
---
A man whistled quietly to himself as he drove under the dark cover of the night, his headlights turned off to conceal himself further.
"Welcome to Summer Bay" He grinned as he pulled to a stop next to the sign. He stretched and ran a hand through his dark, curly hair "Welcome to Summer bay indeed..."
TBC
