After all the angst, I hope you enjoy this chapter, which just shows how happy they are together. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Forty Four

It had been five days and Joey felt like she was permanently residing on cloud nine. On Sunday morning, she and Charlie had sat down with Ruby and negotiated moving her into a room all of her very own and Joey taking her place in Charlie's bed. Ruby had been more than agreeable and they had spent a long time moving things around and helping Ruby to make the place her own.

Since then, the three of them had lived in happy harmony. As usual, Charlie and Joey had shared parenting Ruby and juggled home life and studying. But already, they felt like more of a unit. Every time Joey thought about the future, she couldn't help but smile.

Brax had criticised her of course. He thought that Charlie kept Joey under the thumb and that she would be a lot happier if she left and moved back into the Penthouse with all their other friends. Joey had told him gently but firmly that she loved Charlie and was never going to walk away from her or Ruby.

Everyone else had been supportive and not all that surprised. Watson and Shannon in particular had been thrilled that their friends were back together and ready to start again. And it was becoming apparent that the pair of them were also getting closer in recent weeks and the dinner they had planned on Saturday night was looking more and more like a double date.

"Honey, we're home!" Joey called on Friday afternoon.

She had picked Ruby up from school as usual while Charlie was in lectures. But she normally got home just before Joey and Ruby arrived. The schedules between the three of them had so far worked out very nicely.

"Hey," Charlie greeted.

Ruby bounded towards her, dumping her small school bag on the floor and allowing herself to be scooped up into her mother's arms. Charlie spun her around and kissed her cheeks. Then she pursed her lips, silently demanding a kiss from Joey who was more than happy to oblige.

"How was your day, Little Miss?" Charlie asked Ruby.

"It was fine, thank you!" Joey giggled.

"Hey!" Ruby protested. "She was talking to me!"

"I am so sorry!" Joey teased. "I almost forgot you were there!"

Ruby tried to pout but only laughed instead. Still in her Mum's arms, she turned and smiled at her.

"My day was awesome," she declared. "I got ten out of ten in spelling!"

"Ten out of ten?" Charlie gasped. "That's amazing! Well done, you!"

"That totally deserves a reward," Joey said, sitting on the sofa and putting her feet up. When Charlie cleared her throat, Joey quickly kicked her shoes off and then resumed her position. Sometimes, she couldn't help but think that Charlie was such a Mum. And she wouldn't have her any other way.

"What kind of reward?" Ruby asked curiously. "Chocolate?"

Charlie chuckled and sat them both down on the couch at Joey's feet.

"Maybe chocolate," she conceded. "But not until after dinner."

Ruby pouted but agreed.

"Let's have dinner now!" she suggested.

Joey laughed.

"I've been on my feet all day!" she complained. "Give me a chance!"

"I could cook," Ruby offered.

"You can help," Joey told her. "But you're just a bit too little and cute to handle things on your own just yet."

Charlie sat back and smiled affectionately at her girlfriend and daughter, feeling utterly content.

That night, after a rather eventful dinner, Charlie tucked Ruby into bed, even though she claimed that she wasn't sleepy in the slightest. The five year old had fallen asleep half way through the first page of her story.

Exiting her daughter's room, Charlie smiled to find the lights dimmed, popcorn in a bowl and a DVD ready to play. Joey met her and took her by the hand to the sofa where they tucked themselves under the blanket Joey had dragged from the bedroom.

"What are we watching?" she asked.

"Latter Days," Joey told her. "You said you'd been wanting to watch it for ages."

"I have," Charlie said. "And not just because Amber Benson is in the cast."

Joey grinned and put her arm around her.

"You're lucky I'm not the jealous kind," she teased.

"As if you don't lust after her yourself!" Charlie pointed out.

"Fair point," Joey said, clearing her throat. "Moving on..."

Charlie smiled and snuggled a little closer. She kissed Joey's cheek and started on the popcorn.

"Have I mentioned that I love you?" she asked.

"Nope," Joey chuckled. "You've never mentioned it! You're far too busy swooning over Amber..."

Charlie giggled and kissed her again. She brushed her lips close to Joey's ear, making her tingle.

"I love you," she said.

"Well, that's good," Joey replied. "Because I love you too."

Next time… Charlie has a panic as she celebrates her birthday, Nicole and Angelo decide to get her baby back and Joey puts her foot down with Brax…