A/N
Sorry for the delay in updating for this story. I've been insanely busy and my laptop died on my:(
I dont know if I should continue writing on this story, so please tell me what you all think. Your oppinion is valued and i do like your reviews :)
Enjoy !!
Chapter eighteen
As Charlie turned into the driveway and parked her car at home, she saw that Joey was already waiting for her. She had texted Joey and asked her if she would mind having lunch at her place. She didn't feel like the Diner was the right place to talk with Joey about her brother and his accomplices and to show her the sketches, particularly when Colleen was likely to be sniffing around for the latest piece of gossip. She smiled and waved to Joey as she got out of the car, going to the back seat to get the bags of food she had picked up from the Diner for lunch.
Walking up towards the house with her hands full and her eyes fixated on Joey who was also walking towards her, she suddenly lost her footing and started to glide towards Joey. Not able to maintain her balance, she began to fall. The next thing she knew, she was in the arms of a giggling Joey.
"You're not exactly Tony Hawk there" Joey joked, still holding Charlie in her arms.
"Ehhh what" was all Charlie could say, wondering what had just happened.
"You just took a step on VJ's skateboard... it looked kind of funny... but also a bit precarious" Joey said still giggling.
A little embarrassed, Charlie stood up, composing herself and grunting "Argh, I told that boy not to leave his skateboard around... it's an accident waiting to happen"
Joey couldn't help but laugh at Charlie as she started to walk towards the house, mumbling to herself.
Charlie heard Joey laughing and turned around "What's so funny?" she asked a little annoyed, still feeling embarrassed.
"Oh nothing really... I just think you look really cute when you're embarrassed and mad" Joey laughed.
Charlie's mood instantly changed from annoyed to happy. She blushed and smiled at Joey. "So are you coming?" She said trying not to show Joey that she was blushing.
"Yeah sure... and by the way... that's also totally cute" Joey said smilingly, walking towards Charlie.
"What's cute?" Charlie asked, a little confused.
"You blushing" Joey grinned, walking up to Charlie and taking the bags of food from her.
"Oh" Charlie said, blushing again.
"See.... cute again" Joey giggled, teasing Charlie.
"Oh... stop" Charlie laughed looking into Joey's eyes, immediately getting lost in them.
She gently put her arm on Joey's waist, pulling her in to give her a kiss. "Hi... you missed me?" she asked smiling.
"Uhmm ... you know I have" was all Joey could say before pulling Charlie in for another kiss.
"Yeah I know you have... who wouldn't miss this" Charlie cheekily replied pointing up and down her body.
"Oiii not full of oneself much are we?" Joey laughed as they both walked towards the house.
Once inside the house, they sat at the kitchen table talking and eating their lunch, holding hands across the table.
When they had finished lunch, Charlie stood up to put the dirty dishes in the sink and start the washing up. Joey got up to help and went to stand beside her. She could sense that Charlie wanted to talk to her about something, because her mood had changed and she had suddenly become very quiet. "Charlie, are you okay... is something wrong?" she asked softly, nervously placing her hand on Charlie's shoulder.
Charlie slowly turns to look at Joey. "Joey, we need to talk"
"Oh... ok" is all Joey could say.
She quickly removes her hand from Charlie's shoulder and looks away, fearing that Charlie is about to tell her she can't cope with her past and who she is. She readies herself for the heartbreak to come and looks up with tears in her eyes "Ok Charlie, just tell me... but please make it quick"
Charlie looks confused at Joey "What... what do you mean... make it quick?"
"Well you're going to end this aren't you... so please just make it quick" Joey whispers.
"Ohh god no Jo... I'm not... look I'm sorry if I gave you that impression but I'm not letting you go... ever... ok?" Charlie says looking straight into Joey's brown eyes.
Joey sighs with relief and lights up with a smile "Okay"
Looking into Charlie's big blue eyes, she moves closer to her. She feels Charlie's hands on her hips pulling her even closer. She puts her arms around Charlie's waist. Slowly, they move together and meet in a tender and passionate kiss.
They pull apart with their foreheads resting on each other's, still looking deeply into each other's eyes and smiling. They stay in that pose for a while, enjoying the comfort of being so close to each other.
"So what's on your mind Charlie?" Joey says breaking the silence.
"Ehmmm Joey. It's about the case... I've got something to show and ask you... that's why I asked you to have lunch here and not in the Diner" Charlie said taking Joey's hand and pulling her towards the table so they could sit down.
They sat down next to each other. Charlie could feel Joey tense up. She took her hand, entwining their fingers and stroking Joey's hand with her thumb.
Joey looked nervously up at Charlie. "So what is it you want to show me?"
Charlie looked at Joey "Ehmmm Jo, first I have to tell you something. Before I came back to you last night, I was sitting in my car down by the beach and this girl came running, screaming for help... she was scared out of her mind. I drove her home and tried to talk to her but she was too scared"
"Brett ?" was all Joey could say, looking down at the table.
"Jo I don't know but it could be. The girl came into the station this morning and gave her statement. She described two scary looking guys but the thing is Jo, this girl has this amazing talent and she drew these" Charlie took the folded copies of the sketches out of her back pocket, unfolded them and lay them down on the table in front of Joey.
Joey sat quietly looking down at the sketches, not moving or saying anything.
Charlie sat looking at Joey, still stroking her hand, waiting for some kind of response from her. When she didn't get any, she gave Joey's hand a little squeeze "Jo... honey, I need to know if you recognise these guys, if they are Brett's friends?"
Joey looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks. She nodded and whispered "Yes, those are Brett's friends. I'm so sorry Charlie for not being able to stop them. Please tell me that the girl is okay, that they didn't hurt her"
"The girl is okay, she is just a little shook up about it" Charlie said wiping away Joey's tears with her hands.
"Jo I need to ask you something else. These guys, were they the same guys that were after Ruby?" Charlie asked, still stroking Joey's cheek with her thumb.
Joey just nodded again and sobbed "I'm so sorry Charlie... I'm so sorry"
"Jo listen to me, you've got nothing to be sorry about. You saved Ruby that night and I will never forget that" Charlie continued to wipe away Joey's tears, holding her head with her hands, looking into her eyes, trying to comfort her.
Charlie took Joey's hands and pulled her up towards her so she could sit her on her lap. "Come here babe"
They sat for a while embracing each other, enjoying being close. Charlie was stroking Joey's back gently to soothe and comfort her.
"So what are we gonna do about it all? Have you got a big plan?" Joey sighed and whispered into Charlie's neck.
"Well I do have one idea Jo, but I don't know if it would work or how to tell my colleagues about it. They will have a lot of questions, for sure, and I don't know exactly what to tell them" Charlie said.
Joey looked up at Charlie, she was both curious and a little fearful about hearing Charlie's plan. "So what is your plan Charlie?"
"Well I was thinking that we could lure Brett and his friends out, using me as bait. I kind of fit the victim's profile and I could walk around in the evening to see if perhaps I could get them to approach me" Charlie told Joey. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was the only thing she could think of and the more she thought about it, the better and better it seemed.
"YOU WILL WHAT" Joey yelled and leapt off Charlie's lap. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Had Charlie not listened to her last night when she had told her how dangerous Brett is?
Charlie, did you not listen to a word I said last night? You cannot go out there and stop him, he is far too powerful for you" Joey said, worried and frustrated that Charlie appeared to be totally ignoring her warnings about Brett.
"Joey I really think it's the best chance we have to get them and it's not like I'm gonna be alone out there, I'll have backup from my colleagues" Charlie said a little surprised by Joey's reaction. She would have thought that Joey would be glad she had a plan on how to stop her brother.
"NO Charlie. I won't allow you" Joey yelled getting even more frustrated, tears starting to run down her cheeks again.
"You won't allow me? Well Joey, I'm not asking your permission. I'm telling you my plan" Charlie said also feeling frustrated and annoyed at how Joey was reacting.
"No Charlie I won't allow you. I won't allow you to go out there and get hurt. I can't lose you. If that were to happen, I would never be able to forgive myself, so NO Charlie I won't allow you" Joey yelled, getting more and more frustrated.
With tears running down her face, Joey turned to walk out the door. Charlie reached for her arm trying to stop her. "Where are you going?"
Joey turned around looking angry and hurt at Charlie "I'm going to find my brother and stop him, before you go and do something stupid."
She pulled her arm away from Charlie's hold and, still crying, left the house. She could hear Charlie call out for her, telling her not to leave like this, but all she could think about was stopping Brett, no matter what the cost. She would do everything in her power to protect the only person she had ever truly loved.