Chapter Twenty

"Have fun!" Ruby said, squeezing Charlie's shoulder and hurrying away.

Charlie was confused as Joey wheeled her to a table in the corner of the hospital gardens. On it was a rose in a vase and a spread of sandwiches and snacks including fruit and cake.

"She was just looking after the table for us," Joey explained, setting Charlie's chair in the right place.

Joey lent over and switched an electric candle on in the middle of the table.

"Thought it was safer!" she grinned.

"This is amazing!" Charlie said.

"I'll take you on a better date when you're out of hospital," Joey promised. "But I hope you like this for now."

"I love it," Charlie said.

She leant over. Joey met her halfway and kissed her. They held hands for a moment before Joey handed Charlie a plate.

"What would you like to eat?" she asked.

Charlie grinned. Joey blushed. She put a selection of food on Charlie's plate and handed it over a little shyly before serving herself.

"I hope I remembered everything you liked," she said.

She had ordered a hamper from the Diner largely based on that day from the boat. Charlie knew it.

"I remember that day so clearly," Charlie said aloud.

Joey gazed at her.

"Me too," she said. "When we were dancing and laughing."

"I was so desperate to kiss you," Charlie told her.

Joey smiled shyly at her, memories dancing in her head.

"It was all I wanted," she said. "It was the moment I knew I was in love with you."

"It was the moment I knew too," Charlie confessed. "One minute we were dancing and then we were holding hands and so close we could kiss and it just hit me like lightening. And then I did what I always do. I panicked and I ran away."

Joey nudged her.

"Left me to do all the clearing up," she joked.

Charlie just about managed to smile.

"I'm never going to be able to dance with you again," she said sadly. "I had my moment and I lost it."

Joey turned, turning Charlie's chair too so they were facing each other. She took both her hands. She gazed earnestly into her eyes.

"We are going to be together for the rest of our lives," she told her. "Or at least, I thought that was what I was signing up for?"

"Yes," Charlie said quickly. "That's what I want. Me and you. Forever."

Joey breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Then in that time, there is absolutely nothing that you and I won't be able to do together if we just try," Joey said. "If we want to dance together, we'll dance. This chair isn't going to hold us back, okay?"

Charlie tried not to feel overwhelmed. She felt overwhelmed about everything these days. She couldn't seem to help it. Joey lifted first one hand, then the other and kissed them. She smiled lovingly at Charlie who couldn't help but smile back. Joey shifted closer. Their knees touched but Charlie couldn't feel it. Joey reached out and put a strawberry to Charlie's lips. Charlie half laughed and bit into the strawberry. She kissed Joey's fingers.

"Nothing is going to hold us back," Joey promised.

She ran her hands up Charlie's thighs. Charlie began to feel the sensation when she reached her hips. She held her hands when she reached her waist, holding her in place. They kissed.

"I love you, Joey," she said.

"I love you too, Charlie," Joey said. "And I need you to do something for me."

"Anything," Charlie offered.

"I know it's hard," Joey said. "It probably feels almost impossible but you have to start thinks outside of the confines of this."

She nodded to the wheelchair.

"You have to stop thinking about the things you can't do, the way things have changed," Joey said. "Of course we might have to do things a different way. That doesn't matter. We're together. And together, we can do anything."

"I'm just so scared," Charlie admitted.

"What are you scared of?"

"That it's all going to be too much… too hard… for you."

Joey shook her head.

"No way."

"But what if we can't even… you know?" Charlie worried.

Joey chuckled.

"Charlie, I want you," she said. "That's it. We have time ahead of us to work out the details."

She kissed her softly, wrapping her arms around her. She trailed her kisses from Charlie's mouth, along her jaw and down her neck. Charlie leant back and closed her eyes, grateful that they were in a secluded spot. She felt Joey run her thumbs down her body, including over more sensitive parts of her. Her eyes sprang open when she stroked quickly but carefully between her legs.

"I think we'll be okay," Joey whispered.

Charlie clung onto her tightly. She hadn't dared investigate whether she could feel there. She was scared the answer would be no and her new relationship would be over before it had begun.

"When did you start misbehaving so much?" she asked.

Joey grinned.

"I've been waiting a long time to be with the love of my life," she said. "And I'll have to wait a little longer. For now, we eat."

She returned them both to the table.

"I tried to choose all your favourites," she said, seating herself as closely to Charlie as possible. "I hope you enjoy it."

Charlie smiled, although she was still feeling a little tingly from Joey's touch.

"It's perfect," she said. "Thank you. I'm so lucky to have you."

Having left Charlie safely on her date with Joey, Ruby had arranged to meet up with Casey. They needed to talk. At Casey's house, the couple sat awkwardly on the sofa. Neither of them really knew what to say.

"How… how's Charlie?" Casey asked.

"She's doing as well as can be expected," Ruby said.

"Brax is pretty cut up," her boyfriend told her. "He's hardly talking…"

"I don't really care about Brax," Ruby interrupted sharply.

Casey looked down. Ruby apologised. It wasn't his fault.

"I just… I'm sorry it didn't work out between them," Casey said. "I know Brax loves Charlie and…"

"He doesn't show it," Ruby said.

As if on cue, Brax appeared, showing a random dark haired woman out of the house. He was half dressed and froze just for a moment as he spotted Ruby on the sofa. Opting to ignore her, he returned to his room.

"He's just hurting," Casey tried.

"I don't care," Ruby said. "Mum has moved on too."

Her boyfriend looked surprised.

"She's found someone who will actually take care of her and love her and support her through everything that's happened," Ruby said confidently. "Brax is the one that put her in the hospital. Joey is the one that's going to get her out of it."

"Who's Joey?" Casey asked.

"Remember I told you?" Ruby said. "Her girlfriend. The one she dated before Angelo."

Casey nodded. He did remember. He had thought it was pretty hot that Ruby's Mum was bisexual, although he had opted to keep that particular thought to himself.

"And she's back?" he asked.

"They're on a date right now, actually," Ruby said. "They're in love."

Casey exhaled slowly.

"Charlie moved on from Brax pretty quickly," he commented.

"Not really," Ruby said defensively. "I don't think she ever stopped being in love with Joey."

"So she was just using Brax?" Casey asked.

"No!" Ruby snapped. "She was about to give everything up for Brax. Of course she loved him. Retrospectively, I think we all wish she hadn't."

She pulled a face. Casey frowned.

"But Joey is the light to Brax's dark," Ruby said. "Joey is the person who can rescue her from the place that Brax has put her in."

Casey gazed into Ruby's face for several moments. He felt broken by the level of anger he saw there. He wondered where the joy and the laughter had gone. She felt like a stranger to him now.

"And what about me and you?" he asked quietly.

The question took her by surprise. She asked him what he meant.

"Well, it's clear that you want nothing to do with my brother," he said. "That you want Charlie to have nothing to do with my brother. My family. What about me? Are you throwing me in there too? Because you've barely even spoken to me for days, Ruby. It's like you blame me for what's happened."

"I don't blame you, Casey," Ruby said but her voice was thin.

"I feel like I'm losing you," he insisted.

"I just have to focus on my Mum right now," she said. "She has to be my priority."

"And where do you and I come on the list?" Casey asked.

He reached out and took both her hands.

"Ruby, I want to support you," he said. "I want to help you look after your Mum. Please. Let me. I'll help you at the hospital. I'll listen to you. I'll do whatever you need me to. Just please stop shutting me out."

She didn't know what to do. She couldn't stop that nagging feeling that Casey was part of the reason Charlie was in such a mess in the first place. But she also loved him and felt like she couldn't turn him away. But then if Charlie had just turned Brax away in the first place, perhaps none of them would be in this situation now.

"Okay," she eventually said. "I'm sorry I've been so closed off. I do want us to work, Casey. I love you. I've just been so worried about Mum. I've been so scared."

Casey reached out and hugged her, pulling her close. She allowed herself to be held by him and had to admit that it was nice to feel safe in his arms for a moment.

"I love you," Casey said, relieved to have broken through all her barriers at last.

"Well, Mum is busy on her date this afternoon," Ruby said. "Maybe we could go out for a walk or something."

Casey smiled and happily agreed, standing up and pulling Ruby to her feet.

"Can I ask?" he ventured. "When did you start calling her Mum?"

"When I thought I was going to lose her… I just… it felt… right," she told him.

Charlie and Joey had enjoyed their food but were reluctant to go back to the hospital room. Instead, they were still sat in the sunshine.

"Thank you so much for this afternoon," Charlie said. "It's so lovely of you to go to so much effort."

"It was no effort," Joey said sincerely. "I just wanted to do something that would make you smile."

Charlie genuinely smiled. Joey leant over and kissed her. Charlie closed her eyes. Joey ran her hands through Charlie's hair, pulling her closer and kissing her deeper. Charlie let her hand run up and down Joey's thigh, making Joey smile into their kiss. Neither of them ever wanted to stop. So they didn't stop for a long time.

Alex had eagerly finished work, shopped, cooked, tidied and got changed and was now waiting for Willow to arrive for their second date. She leapt up when there was a knock at the door, desperate for the evening the go well.

"Hey," she greeted, suddenly shy when she saw Willow in front of her.

They kissed. She invited Willow in.

"I brought dessert," Willow said.

Alex accepted the cake, one of the Diner's specialities and took it to the fridge.

"Dinner smells amazing!" Willow commented, following her through to the kitchen. "So do you."

She wrapped her arms around Alex, snuggling into her neck. Alex moaned, closing her eyes as Willow kissed her, running her fingers up and down her back before settling on her bottom. Willow grinned wickedly, kissing her lips.

"So, what's on the menu?" she asked.

"You said you liked spice so I've made chilli," Alex said. "I have sour cream, guac, salsa, nachos, the whole deal."

"Sounds perfect," Willow said. "And then after we've eaten…?"

Alex chuckled.

"Well, then we have the whole rest of the night to entertain ourselves," she said.

Joey had helped Charlie back onto her hospital bed. She knew she hadn't wanted to go back but she had promised not to leave her until she absolutely had to.

"Shall we get you into your pyjamas?" she said.

"Are you asking me to take my clothes off?" Charlie joked.

Joey stepped closer, smiling warmly. She kissed her, wrapping her arms around her. With a little effort and some worry, not wanting to hurt her or make her uncomfortable, she guided Charlie's trousers off, glad that they were loose. She slipped her pyjamas bottoms on silently, studying her long, slender legs, wishing that they would just suddenly work. She wanted to kiss her thighs, run her hands up them. But she knew there was no point.

She stood up, a smile plastered upon her face. She hoped it reached her eyes.

"Top?" she asked, the time she knew a glint had reached her eyes.

It made Charlie laugh. She put her arms up. Joey helped her out of her top. She gazed at her for a moment. Even with two bandages covering where she had been shot, she was perfect. Charlie shifted a little nervously. Joey reached out and ran her fingers across her skin, making Charlie shiver. She bent down and kissed her bare chest. Charlie leant her head back and closed her eyes. She never wanted Joey to stop.

After several long moments, she did, kissing her way back up to Charlie's mouth. She smiled shyly, reaching for Charlie's pyjama top and pulling it over her head.

"Shall we get you tucked into bed?"

"Do we have to?" Charlie protested.

"Unfortunately, I think I've probably exhausted you enough for one day," Joey said. "But we have a lifetime left to live together."

Willow cried out loudly and all but collapsed in a tangle of sheets on the bed with Alex. Her eyes were blurry and her head was spinning as she gasped for breath. Her heart was pounding as she pulled Alex close, holding her tightly and never wanting to let her go. She kissed her hard, their tongues playing together. She ran her hands through Alex's now very messy hair.

"I just… I don't…" she managed.

"What?" Alex worried.

"I thought I knew what sex was," Willow said.

The couple lay side by side, facing each other. Alex relaxed again, tracing patterns along Willow's arm.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just… sex was fine before," Willow said. "I liked it. It was fine. But with you it's like…"

Alex waited, hoping she was going to say something positive.

"It's mind blowing!" Willow finished.

Alex grinned.

"That's good, right?" she checked.

"Oh, it's good!" Willow laughed. "I never knew someone could make me feel like that."

She leant over and kissed her again, stroking her face and running her hands down her body.

"I mean it," she said. "I never knew someone could make me feel like you do. And not just physically, although that's wow… insane."

She looked deeply into Alex's eyes.

"You make me feel so happy, Alex," she said sincerely. "You make me feel so happy, so confident, so capable…"

"Well, you are capable," Alex said.

"I am so happy that you walked into my life," Willow told her.

"I'm happy too," Alex replied. "I didn't think I could open myself up to another person but you didn't really give me a choice, Willow. From the first moment I met you, it was like I'd met the other half of myself!"

She laughed shyly. Willow laughed too, nodding.

"You were finishing my sentences and giving me all this cheek!" Alex continued. "I was so desperate to spend as much time with you as I possibly could – which really isn't like me at all. I'm not the kind of girl to rush in or let my guard down very quickly but you meant so much to me so immediately. I couldn't help it."

Willow took her hand and kissed it. Then she nudged Alex onto her back. She kissed her mouth, trailing her lips south. Her heart was pounding as she prepared to do yet another thing she had never done before. Alex had been extremely skilled and Willow had no idea where to start. She was scared in case she was awful and did it wrong and Alex laughed at her. What if she stopped her and told her how awful she was? But if she didn't give it a go, she would never know.

She hesitated for a moment for fear that Alex would indeed stop her.

She didn't.

"One day soon, I will get out of here, won't I?" Charlie asked once she was tucked up back in bed.

"Absolutely," Joey said.

She was sat beside her, holding her hand.

"The three of us will go out all the time, break free of this place," she said. "Me, you, Jasper."

"I'll get to meet your dog?" Charlie asked.

"Absolutely," Joey said. "He's so desperate to meet you! He loves going for walks so you'll have to come with me to take him out. You can help me throw sticks for him."

Charlie smiled.

"And we'll go on dates to dinner and to the movies – not with Jasper," Joey continued. "We'll have to go on another boat trip as well. And we'll take a holiday sometime soon too."

"Do you really think we can do all that?" Charlie asked.

"Of course!" Joey enthused. "Why not?"

Charlie looked earnestly at her.

"I love you," she said. "I am so grateful for today."

Joey kissed her.

"I'm going to quit my job tomorrow, Charlie," she said.

The words surprised them both but Joey meant them.

"Then I'm going to find work here and somewhere to live," she said. "I'm going to start building a future for the both of us, Charlie."

Charlie squeezed her hand.

"Do you really mean that?" she asked.

"I do," Joey said.

"Then I'm going to speak to HR and find out where I stand with work," Charlie decided.

The words were a surprise to her as well.

"Obviously I can't chase the bad guys in a wheelchair and things are a little murky being that I was about to work my last shift but I at the very least need to speak to them and find out my rights," she said.

"Sounds like tomorrow is going to be a busy day," Joey said.

Willow and Alex lay curled up in each other's arms. Alex stroked Willow's hair, closing her eyes and breathing her in. She had definitely not laughed or pushed her away. There had been nothing to laugh at. Willow had turned out to be extremely talented. Alex was still recovering.

"It was definitely okay?" Willow checked.

"It was amazing," Alex confirmed. "I mean, if you want to try again…"

She grinned. Willow knelt over her, propped up on her hands. She stole a quick kiss.

"I was joking!" Alex protested. "You really don't need to…"

She stopped talking when she felt Willow kiss her thighs.

"Honestly, I wasn't asking you to…"

All coherent thought was forgotten.

Next time… Charlie and Joey take a big step…