Chapter 3 – First meeting
A/N: Again I was amazed by the response to this story. Thought I'd tell you guys a little story about something interesting that happened to me today, I was walking to the village shop closest to my Uni and there's this field that has loads of donkeys in it so I thought they'd be harmless and so I went up to this really little fence that doesn't really look like it was stop an small baby from pushing it over but anyway this donkey charged at me, I thought it was going to eat me alive or something. I ran a mile. It was flaming scary. Anyway on with the story LOL
Chazny: I'm glad you love this. Sorry there was a bit of a wait but it's been hectic, back to uni so classes started up again. I think you might be right about Ruby not liking it LOL HappyHereford: LOL your review made me chuckle =D SallyAnn: You will get your wish! Drummer: I'm glad you love it, sorry for the wait, hectic week. Boo: Haha, yeah I agree Trey needs a good kick! RubyLover: I'm glad I could make you smile; I was hoping to get Ruby's character to be realistic. Jeany: It was such a compliment to hear that you are constantly checking for an update =D
I don't own Home and Away obviously or Joey would still be there and they wouldn't have Charlie with a guy. I love Home and Away but it insulted gay people everywhere the way they dealt with Charlie's sexuality after Joey left. But I LOVE the show!
Last time: "Haha mum, I just feel sorry for her. She doesn't know anyone. Just introduce her to some people or something, it's not like your gay and going to date her, now that wouldn't be cool."
XoxoxoxoxoxoxoX
"Ruby I swear to God if we are late you will be the one buying dinner tonight!" Charlie called though the house as she waited for her daughter to emerge from her bedroom ready to go to the parent teacher meeting Ruby's new teacher had arranged with her over the phone a few days ago.
"Gosh, Impatient much?" Ruby grumbled as she made her way to the back door grabbing her favourite coat as she passed by. "Anyway, what's the rush? I have to sit in a room with you and my teacher whilst you discuss how best to punish me for being naughty! We should wait a few more minutes, I like my freedom. Let me cherish it!" Ruby drawled theatrically.
"Move it drama queen, we are going to be late. I took the night off for this. Your teacher acted like there was more to this than you were telling me." That had Ruby shooting out of the door in no time, happy to hurry if it meant she didn't have to tell her mother the truth for a few more blissful minutes. Angry Charlie as a sister was bad, angry Charlie as a mum? Ruby really wasn't looking forward to finding out what that was like.
Getting into her car Charlie laughed to herself at how comical Ruby looked clearly avoiding Charlie's eyes, focused intently on something out the window in a bid to escape Charlie's wrath.
"You ok there Rubes?" Charlie smirked as she turned the key in the ignition, the car roaring to life outside their home.
"Yeah, peachy. Can you just drive? I thought you said you didn't want to be late."
"I don't." Charlie shook her head, Ruby really was growing up, and even though Charlie wouldn't admit it she kind of liked that her daughter was so rambunctious, it made Ruby who she was, trouble or no trouble.
Pulling out of the driveway Charlie drove through Summer Bay quickly parking up in Summer Bay Highs car park just outside the front entrance.
"You coming?" Charlie asked once she'd gotten out of the car and Ruby had made no effort to do the same.
"Do I have a choice?" Ruby pleaded with her eyes.
"Nope." Charlie laughed as she dragged Ruby out of the car and followed the teenager into the building to the new teacher's classroom.
Ruby knocked on the door softly before entering, Charlie slipping in behind her.
Hearing a soft knock on her door Joey turned around to be greeted by her fast becoming favourite student and . . . a very attractive woman. That's Ruby's mother? WOW. Joey stepped forward to greet the pair.
"Hello Ruby." She greeted the young girl before turning her attentions to the ravishing sight in front of her. "Any you must be Ruby's mother? I'm Joey, Joey Collins. It's very nice to meet you Miss Buckton." Joey held her hand out for the senior constable to shake, feeling sparks as soon has her hand came in to contact with Charlie's.
"Uh." Charlie stood still, unable to speak, she was surprised by the rush she got from holding the young teachers hand in her own, it almost felt like . . . dare she say she was attracted to the dark haired woman in front of her? But wait, I like men, I've always liked men. But she's . . . no Charlie!
"This is my mother, Charlotte Buckton but everyone calls her Charlie, you can't pull of Charlotte hey Charles?" Ruby teased her mother, oblivious to the reason her mother was standing there like a lemon unable to introduce herself.
Ruby's voice broke both women out of whatever trance had taken hold of them in the moments their hands had graced each other.
Joey seemed confused. "You call your mother by her name." Ruby blanched, apologising to her mother with her eyes, it was still taking time to get used to not calling her Charlie, 15 years of habit is hard to break.
Charlie smiled at Ruby in acknowledgment of her silent apology before leaning down a little to kiss her daughters forehead, "It's ok baby." Joey stood and watched the exchange, overwhelmed by the love between mother and daughter. She longed to feel a love as strong as the one these two shared.
Charlie wrapped her arm around Ruby and smiled at Joey. "It's nice to meet you Miss Collins."
"Call me Joey." The young teacher smiled at both mother and daughter before gesturing to two chairs set up in front of her desk. "Please take a seat." Joey pushed down the attraction she was feeling for Charlie, she couldn't get involved with a student's mother, no matter how hot they happened to be. And Charlie was supermodel hot!
Charlie and Joey sat down next to each other in front of the newly qualified teacher, Ruby still had her hand wrapped safely in her mother's as they waited for the woman in front of them to start.
"Ruby? Do you want to tell your mother why I arranged this evening?" Joey asked the curly haired pretty teen.
"Uh . . . ok." Ruby turned to face her mother. "Well like I said the other day, I had a disagreement with Trey Palmer." Ruby looked down at her hand, still encased in her mothers. Joey smiled at the affection between them.
"And?" Joey encouraged softly.
"And I kind of may have . . . ok so I hit the guy." Ruby rushed.
"You hit him." Charlie was more than shocked, Ruby wasn't a violent person. "Ruby you know violence is never the answer. You know better than that." Charlie's tone was filled with disappointment, but what Ruby didn't know was that it wasn't in her but in herself, for not being a better mum to Ruby when she was growing up, or even a mum at all.
"But mum, the guy's a tool. You should have heard the things he was saying. You know what he did to Nicole, she's my friend mum, and he broke her, you of all people should know what it's like to be broken by a boy." Ruby instantly regretted her harsh words at the hurt she registered clear as day on her mother's face. "I'm so sorry mum. I really, really didn't mean it like that."
Charlie held back her tears; Joey was surprised to see a lifetime of pain flash in Charlie's eyes as the tanned woman took a deep breath to fight her tears.
"It's ok Ruby." The pair seemed unaware that Joey was still there.
"No mum, it's not I shouldn't have said that, I shouldn't have brought it up again." Ruby threw her arms around her mother apologising.
Charlie gently removed Ruby from her motherly embrace, lifting her chin with a delicate finger and placing a kiss on the teens forehead. "Ruby. It's ok." Admitting defeat Ruby smiled sadly before turning back to Joey, remembering that they weren't alone.
Joey smiled at the teen before handing her a tissue.
"Thanks." Ruby wiped away her tears before continuing. "I just. I wanted to stop him from saying all those horrible things; I only hit him because he said those things about Nicole."
Joey's eyebrows rose at that, from what she had seen of their altercation Ruby had only really reacted out of line when Trey had mentioned Charlie.
"Um Ruby. If I may just say something." Joey looked at Charlie and then Ruby. "I only saw you react to Trey when he was talking about your mother."
Charlie hung her head; she knew the truth coming out would hurt her daughter, which is why she had kept it quiet for so long.
"Ruby? Is that true?" Charlie squeezed her baby's hand.
"You don't understand Charlie!" Ruby stood up. "He was insulting you. He insulted us! He made it sound horrible. You're my mother Charlie, and I love that. I love you being my mum. Why can't he see that? Why does he have to make it seem wrong? He made me feel like a mistake Charlie. And he's right! How can you love me? How can you even look at me?" Ruby sobbed before running from the room in tears.
Joey sat there shocked, if she wasn't confused before she was now. She leaned over the desk to touch Charlie's hand in comfort.
Charlie jumped. The pain in Charlie's eyes broke Joey's heart.
"I uh. I should go after her." Charlie inhaled, before realising a shaky breath. "Please don't be too hard on her Joey. She's going through allot, can we reschedule? Please?"
"Of course." Joey smiled softly at the broken woman in front of her, she had an overwhelming urge to reach out and comfort her, take her in her arms and make her pain go away.
"Thanks." Charlie smiled a shaky smile before handing the teacher her personal card with her personal mobile number on it. "That's my personal number, call me and we'll arrange to meet. I think after what you just witnessed you deserve an explanation."
Charlie smiled one last false smile before running after her hurting baby.
A/N: So tell me what you think =)