A/N
Thank you so much for your reviews.
I decided to post this next chapter for drag queen princess sparkle… hope you like it sparkle ;)
It is a long chapter, but I hope you all like it. And please do review, it makes me feel like what I write is worth my while.
Enjoy!
Chapter seven
Holding the handle softly Joey pulled the door open slowly, wondering who would be visiting her, it wasn't as if she knew anyone in town, especially no one that would want to visit her, she quickly wondered if it would be Miles coming to check up on her, making sure she was enjoying her stay, he had done that a few times so far, just checking in with her, suggesting places to go or try like the surf club or the Diner.
The door fully opened allowing Joey a glimpse at who had come knocking, she almost gasped when she saw the female form standing before her, the long hair blowing softly as the wind caught it, lifting it from her shoulders, the smile illuminating her facial features.
"Hi, I don't know if you remember me or not, I'm the girl you saved the other night" Ruby grinned happily that she had caught Joey in the trailer, Ever since Charlie had let slip that morning that Joey was living in the trailer park she had mulled over visiting her to thank her properly. After a boring morning at school she had spent a lot of time thinking it over in her mind, when the bell had rung signalling the beginning of her free period which rolled into her lunch break, she had decided to just pop round on the off chance she would be in and invite her to lunch to show her appreciation.
Joey was completely frozen as she looked out at the younger girl she now knew as Charlie's sister, Ruby. Her mind suddenly began to run, a thousand questions rushing around her mind, questions like 'how did she know where I lived?' and 'does Charlie also know I live here too?
She suddenly began to panic at the thought of Charlie turning up on her doorstep too, there was a slight tinge of excitement at the prospect but the panic outweighed it at that moment, she suddenly realised the girl was speaking, she forced herself to listen to the girl not wanting to sound like some kind of social cripple.
"Yeah, sure I remember you, how are you feeling now?" Joey replied, glad when she had forced herself to pay attention so when the question came she wasn't stood speechless. She involuntarily found herself subtly searching behind the young girl, searching to see if Charlie was with her, she felt the pangs of disappointment wash over her when she saw that Ruby had come alone.
She couldn't understand why she was so disappointed, it wasn't as if she was expecting Charlie to come and find her, she didn't even want her to find her so why was she feeling so disappointed that she wasn't there, she shook her head, freeing her mind from the same thoughts that confused her daily since Charlie had entered her world.
"I'm fine… well besides this ugly thing" Ruby smiled cheekily as she pointed to the large bump on her head that was highlighted by some angry looking bruises.
"I'm Ruby by the way" She grinned again as she held her hand out expectantly to her hero.
"Joey, glad you're ok… well obviously except the little bump you've got there" she smiled awkwardly as she took Ruby's hand, shaking it firmly.
"So… I was thinking I would come round and ask you to come to lunch with me at the diner as my way to say thank you for your help" Ruby suddenly became nervous as she waited the answer, noticing how cold Joey's hand felt inside her own, realising she was still clutching the hand she pulled it away, trying to cover the slight blush that rushed to her cheeks.
Joey was completely taken back, she hadn't at all expected to be asked for lunch in thanks, she had never even been asked to lunch period, not since she was a normal kid at school who ate from her packed lunch with her friends.
"I dunno… I mean… well I'm a little busy… I'm supposed to…" Joey stumbled trying to decide whether to make an excuse or just allow the girl to show her gratitude to her.
"Come on Jo… It's just lunch, it's not like I'm asking you out on a date, come on its only at the Diner and I'm shouting" Ruby forced Joey to take in her pleading eyes, her lower lip pouting slightly, the same look she would give Charlie when she wanted something to go her own way, it never failed then either.
Joey couldn't control the grin that spread across her face when she saw the look Ruby was giving her, she wondered quickly how many times the young girl had used that face on Charlie, and how many times Charlie had succumbed to it as well.
"Well I guess if you put it like that… I mean I can't really refuse can I? let's go" She turned back to grab her keys, locking the door she followed Ruby who was walking slowly backwards, grinning at her mischievously, she wondered if she was silently celebrating her win over changing her mind.
"Mind if we walk along the beach?" Ruby asked as Joey pulled alongside her and fell into step.
"No, not at all, sounds nice" Joey smiled nervously back at her, her grin spreading when she saw the rush of excitement rush across the youngsters face.
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Pulling into the same spot as she had the day before, Charlie stepped out of the car and forced a deep breath, she could feel the butterflies fluttering excitably inside her fighting for control of her body over her nerves. She didn't know why she was feeling quite so nervous, she hardly even knew the girl.
She felt the fluttering of the butterflies increase with each step she took towards Joey's trailer, she swallowed hard, forcing the lump that had formed in her throat down as she stretched out her hand, allowing it to knock on the door.
She waited for a few moments, feeling a little sad that Joey had not rushed to the door to let her in and chat, she drew in a breath as she stepped closer, listening intently inside, trying to assess whether the van was occupied or not, she knocked again a little harder, waiting a few more moments in vain hope that Joey was home.
With a heavy sigh, she felt the disappointment flood through her, she began her walk back to the car, her mood dampened at having to return to the station without seeing Joey, not only that but she knew another long day was still ahead of her, She was determined to get some kind of break on this case, she really needed to break it open so she could get back to normal life, to a normal routine.
She rubbed her eyes as she dumped her body inside the car, wiping the tiredness from her eyes. The confusion from Joey was beginning to take its toll as well as the struggles with the case she had, with another heavy sigh she turned the key in the ignition, pulling away slowly from the main house and past the trailers onto the main road.
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The walk along the beach was enjoyable for both women, they spoke about trivial things to begin with, commenting on the weather or how calm the sea seemed today before Joey had asked about Ruby's love life.
Ruby had spent the remainder of the walk telling Joey all about her boyfriend Xavier, telling her about school and all the gossip that was going on, just before they reached the Diner she had given Joey the rundown on the main characters of Summer Bay and their roles within the community.
Joey tried her hardest not to talk too much about herself, only giving away snippets of information when it was necessary or asked for, she was too scared of what would happen if she accidentally slipped who she was into conversation, the same reason she had never before allowed herself to have any friends, but for some unknown reason, Joey felt pulled towards Ruby, not in the same force as to Charlie, but she still felt she was being pulled towards her.
Once inside the Diner, they had found a booth and sat looking over the menu as they deliberated over what they fancied for lunch, Joey couldn't help but feel thankful that she hadn't suffered the same fate as her mother and brother, who could only feed on blood.
She was still able to enjoy real food, still able to browse over a menu and wonder which would taste better the lasagne or the club salad, there were still moments when her urges become so strong that she felt the need to taste raw meat or blood, but on those few and far between occasions she fed from animals, trying to buy supplies from the butchers when possible.
She could never feed from a human, she had seen what the consequences of her brother's mayhem and thirst for human blood caused. She knew of the grief and sorrow her brother's need caused, the pain and horror that his feeding habits provided the world with. She would never allow herself to be part of the cause of that suffering.
"So, do you know what you're having?" Ruby grinned as she put her menu down on the table, looking at Joey expectantly.
"I'm going to go for the lasagne and a soda" Ruby added when Joey hadn't spoken for a few seconds.
"Yeah, that actually sounds delicious, I think I'll go for that too" Joey smiled back at her almost affectionately at her new friend.
"Cool, well I'll go and let Leah know and then I'll be right back, give me two minutes" Ruby smiled at Joey as she stood and made her way towards the counter, waiting while Leah finished up settling the bill with a customer.
"Hey Leah, can I get two lasagnes and two medium sprite's please?" Ruby returned Leah's smile.
"Of course, how's the head feeling?" Leah asked worriedly as she glanced at the bruise and bump on Ruby's head.
"Yeah not too bad" Ruby grinned at her, she had to admit she loved all the sympathy she was receiving.
"So… who's your friend, I haven't really seen her around much, is she new to the area?" Leah asked in hope she could gain some gossip from her flat mate, she hated to admit it but she could feel herself turning into colleen.
"Oh that's Joey, she's the one who rescued me the other night, thought I would bring her to the best establishment in town and treat her to lunch… you know… just to say thanks" Ruby smiled hopefully at Leah, who rolled her eyes knowing that Ruby's compliment was in hope of a slightly larger portion than the other customers received.
"Oh right, so that's the girl Charlie was telling me about… well why don't you go and sit down and I'll bring your food over when its ready" Leah smiled over at the new girl as she handed Ruby the drinks, she was thinking that when she brought them their food she should thank her as well for taking care of the young girl she had become so fond of, she felt a little upset when she thought of what could have happened to sweet, funny Ruby had Joey not been there to help her.
Ruby had returned to the table, picking up her earlier conversation of the residents of summer bay, pointing out people and explaining who they were and what they did, dropping in little bits of gossip as she went along, she had just finished telling an amused Joey all about Colleen Smart and her gossip queen title, describing to her some of the more likely comments she would be sure to hear before she left the bay, when Leah approached the table carrying two hot plates.
"Here you go girls, two lasagnes, I hope you're hungry" Leah smiled at Ruby whose eyes widened in glee when she saw the sheer size of the lasagne sitting on her own plate.
"Thanks Leah, this looks gorgeous" Ruby grinned up at her causing Leah to blush slightly, she never was one to take compliments well, even over her cooking which she knew for herself was normally delicious.
"Hi Joey, I'm Leah… I live with Ruby and Charlie" Leah turned her attention to Ruby's dark haired lunch date. "I just wanted to thank you, you know for helping Ruby the other night"
"Oh it was nothing really, anyone would have done the same" Joey waved away modestly, feeling herself blush slightly at the attention being drawn her, she noticed Leah's face straighten, the warm smile replaced with a seriousness.
"No, not everyone would have done such a heroic act… you saved our Ruby from god knows what that night" Leah forced the smile back to her face when she noticed Ruby wince, her mood suddenly becoming a little more sombre as she realised for the first time the full extent at what could have happened to her.
"So if you're not busy tonight, I would really like for you to come for dinner so I can show my gratitude, it will just be the three of us and my son VJ" Leah smiled hopefully at Joey.
"Is Charlie not going to be home for dinner again?" Ruby asked the hint of disappointment not subtle enough in her voice for the other two women not to notice.
"No sorry Rubes, she was in here earlier on grabbing a coffee, she said something came up at work and she had to work over a bit… so what do you think Joey, will you come… please?" Leah pleaded slightly at the end as she returned her attention to Joey once Ruby had shrugged off Charlie not being home again.
Joey sat silently contemplating since Ruby had asked about Charlie, she didn't know what to do, there was a part of her that really wanted to be a part of a normal family meal, to have some company whilst she ate instead of the silence that normally joined her whilst she ate. But there was another part of her that was too afraid to get too close, what if they found out who she really was.
"Come on Jo, it will be fun, and Leah is an amazing cook" Joey was torn from her thoughts by Ruby's pleading thoughts, she glanced up and saw the same pleading expression on her face that she couldn't resist earlier either.
"Please come Joey, I would really like to thank you for what you did for Ruby" Leah followed Ruby's suit and put a pleading smile on her face. She glanced between them, noticing how they both nodded softly, almost answering their pleads for themselves.
"Sure, thanks it sounds lovely" Joey smiled thankfully towards Leah who felt relieved that she could thank the girl in the way she knew best, a little disappoint washed over her quickly when she realised that Charlie was going to miss out on the meal.
"Great, come round for seven o'clock, I better get back to work" Leah grinned as she peered over her shoulder and saw Colleen flustering and rushing about causing amused smiles to all her patrons' faces.
"Well I had best get back to school, lunch break is almost over so I will see you tonight" Ruby grinned as she and Joey exited the diner in synch after spending an enjoyable meal, spent mainly with Ruby telling Joey funny stories about events that had happened in the bay or back at boarding school.
"Yeah, I guess I'll see you at seven" Joey smiled sheepishly towards the younger girl, flinching suddenly when she found herself encased in a tight embrace.
"thank you so so much for rescuing me… you're my hero Jo" Ruby whispered into Joey's ear before pulling away and sheepishly heading back to school.
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Joey stood nervously outside the house, fidgeting with the zipper on her jacket. She had never been invited to dinner before; she didn't quite know how to go about it. She wasn't sure whether she was supposed to bring something or if bringing something would be rude, she wasn't even sure what she was supposed to wear, was she supposed to dress up to these kinds of things. She felt like running back to the trailer, every muscle in her legs urged her to just turn around and run but her brain and heart told her that she couldn't do that to Leah or Ruby. Taking a deep breath, she walked up the steps and towards the door and rang the bell.
As the door swung open, she heard Ruby squeal in excitement before she even saw her in front of her, Ruby face held a massive grin as she greeted her new friend once more.
"Joey come in, let me grab your coat" Ruby grinned happily as she almost dragged the coat from Joey's back before hanging on the coat stand beside the door, Joey noticed Leah stood beside the oven, stirring the last few ingredients into the salad bowl.
"Hey Joey, you made it, go on through and sit down, dinners ready" Leah grinned over her shoulder as she handed Ruby the dish containing the salad before moving back to the oven.
"Ruby, pour Joey and I a glass of wine please" Leah called through into the lounge where she had set the bigger table up and laid it nicely for the meal, if there was one thing Leah loved more than cooking it was entertaining guests and wowing them with her table laying skills.
"Veej dinner's ready" Ruby called as Leah entered the room carrying pizza's before rushing back into the kitchen to grab the chips, once all of the meal was through she placed herself at the table opposite Joey and smiled warmly at her.
Suddenly the quiet was shattered as VJ ran into the room dressed in last year's vampire costume, false teeth and all. He lifted his cape to cover his fangs as he eyed Joey suspiciously before running and pretending he had not been visible as he moved from his stood spot to his seated spot.
"Vat's for dinner mother, blood soup?" VJ almost hissed as he put on his best Dracula voice, raising his eyebrow as he watched his mother smile adoringly at him.
"No Veej, its home made pizza, salad and chips" Leah laughed softly as Ruby shook her head amused.
"Ahh… I vant to suck your blood" VJ announced in his most practised vampire voice.
Joey was a little confused, her mind was racing as she stared at the little boy, did they know? Was this their way of letting her know that they knew all about her? Was it some kind of joke, were they mocking her? She felt sick, she moved her stare from VJ and noticed the amused expressions on Leah and Ruby's face.
"I'm sorry about VJ… he's been like this since Ruby let him watch Twilight with her a couple of weeks ago, everything is vampire this and blood that at the moment" Leah smiled at her, ruffling the young boys head who hissed at her causing her to laugh a little more.
Upon hearing the explanation, Joey relaxed feeling a little foolish at how she had reacted, the poor little boy was just acting out over a movie he saw and there she was almost blaming the entire family for mocking her. She shook her head, determined to enjoy the night.
"Oh, I haven't seen that one" Joey announced, quickly turning towards Ruby when she heard the gasp and saw the horror masked on her face, wondering what she had said wrong.
"I can't believe it, you haven't seen the best movie of all time? The ultimate vampire movie? The film that's so big in every country and its awesomeness amazes everyone? You're seriously telling me that you're in the one percent of the world that hasn't seen it – even though the others in your group live in deserts with no electricity and have a valid reason for not seeing it?" Ruby couldn't hide the shock on her face. She seriously thought that every person in the western world should have seen the film. She watched in horror as Joey shook her head sheepishly.
"Well I think we are going to have to do something about that!" Ruby stated, quickly glancing at VJ who sat nodding excitably that he had an excuse to watch the movie again, having been banned from watching it after he got to the stage where he was watching it four times a day, causing everybody else to miss their programmes and suffer watching the same scenes over and over until Leah had enough.
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Charlie groaned as she realised that she hadn't taken the information in again, it was at least the fifth time she had read just that one paragraph having given in on the paragraph before it.
She had hoped to work late and study the case, wanting to get ahead with the latest reports but it was proving a lot more difficult than she had imagined, she was tired, hungry and fed up being confined in her office with the only company being photos of the dead women.
Dumping the file on her desk she sighed, she wondered if she should grab a coffee before starting again and hopefully retaining some of the information, she heard her mind almost laugh at her, mocking her for being stupid enough to think that another cup of coffee would actually make her concentrate more than the last several she had drunk since returning to the station.
She glanced to her watch, wondering if it were too late to call a pizza from the Yabbie creek, noticing that it was only five past seven she sighed, she must be overworked if it felt like eleven at night but was only seven, but at least that meant if she left now she would be able to share dinner with Ruby, Leah and VJ.
The thought of spending some time with her sister and friends quickly caused a smile to erupt on her tired face, she grabbed her jacket and rucksack, rifling around in the side pocket she grabbed her keys and made for the door, waving to the officers that stood in the main foyer pretending to work as soon as they noticed her, but right at that moment there was only one thing on her mind, and it wasn't reprimanding the guys for not working as hard as she was.