Charlie and Leah cleaned up the kitchen after dinner and made an effort to keep Ruby's mind off Derricks escape and for a while it was working. Although Charlie had a feeling that Ruby was putting on a front so she wouldn't have to deal with it. Geoff had called over earlier to comfort her and to distract her but the quality time seemed to fail as Ruby spent most of the time pushing him away. Fearing Derrick would track them down and hurt the both of them.
Leah called VJ. They had decided to take a trip to see Leah's family for her brothers birthday. They were going to celebrate in Greece so they had a long flight ahead of them. Ruby and Charlie bid them farewell and then retreated to the living room where they made their way to the couch. Ruby sat down first and Charlie placed a couple of cushions behind her for comfort. She quickly ran out into the kitchen and ran a check on the windows and door, checking anf double checking to make sure they were definantly locked.
When she was satisfied that all was secure she returned to the living to Ruby who was watching t.v. Charlie crossed the room and sat down next to Ruby, grabbing the blanket hanging on the back of the couch and laying over Ruby and herself and snuggled up next to her daughter. The atmosphere in the room was tense but neither of them dared to speak about Derricks escape, They didn't want to admit that Ruby's life may be in danger. Again. Ruby sat up straight. She turned towards Charlie and looked at her and Charlie looked back. She wanted to know something and she felt this would be the only thing to get her mind off the current situation.
"Mum, what happened, you know, after I was born and you left?", Ruby asked. She looked at Charlie's expression and she looked a little don trodded. "You don't have to answer that, I was....I was just wondering", Ruby finished before looking down at her hands.
"No, it's ok. You should know", Charlie said sitting up and taking a hold of Ruby's hand.
"After you were born, I couldn't bond with you. I mean the nurses and mum and dad tried but after everything that had happened I just couldn't. When we brought you home another while went by and I still couldn't...I just felt so unprepared and out of my dept. So one night I packed a bag and left for Aunty Michelle's and I stayed there for the year", Charlie said as she relieved those moments for Ruby.
"I was a complete mess when I got there. Michelle didn't know what to do with me or how to help. But somehow just being there it started to heal me....hold on, I have something to show you", Charlie told her as she picked herself up off the couch and made her way down the corridor. She walked into her bedroom and opened her wardrobe She knelt down and reached into the very back and then she pulled out a rather large box. She got back onto her feet and picked up the box and then walked back down the corridor and into the living room.
Charlie put the box on the coffee table and pulle it over to the couch and sat it right in front of it. Ruby looked at it puzzled.
"What's this?", she asked.
"Open it", Charlie told her.
Ruby looked at her, then back down at the box. Charlie walked around the table and sat back down beside her. Ruby hesitated for a second and looked back at Charlie.
"It's ok, go ahead, open it", Charlie encouraged her.
Ruby finally opened the box. She was surprised. Inside she found a pink baby blanket. The one Ruby slept with right up until she was five years old. She stroked the material and it still felt as soft to the touch as it had when it was brand new. Beneath the blanket was a teddy bear. It was the first thing Charlie ever bought Ruby when she was a baby. Ruby loved that teddy bear. She brought it with her everywhere she went. Next she pulled out a thick photo album. Ruby red in colour with Ruby's phot album engraved across the front of it in gold,elegant letter. She opened it up and the very first picture she saw was a picture of her when she was a baby, it was little crumpled.
"I took that picture with me when I went to Michelle's. I don't know why, but when I was leaving, I just couldn't leave it behind", Charlie explained.
Ruby continued flicking throught the book. It had a picture of all the major events in her life. Her first birthday, her first day in school, her first Christmas. Everyting picture detailing her life up to now was in it including the date. One page had an envelope with a lock of Ruby's hair from her first hair cut. She closed the book and continued to search through the contents of the box. She found a couple of her old baby grows and the hospital bracelet from the day she was born. A couple of pictures caught her eye to the side, they were paintings. Pictures Ruby had drawn when she was a little girl. One was a picture of her and Charlie on the beach eating ice cream and making sand castles. Charlie smiled when she saw it.
At the very bottom were dozens of diarys. When she opened them they were filled from bact to front with Charlie's thoughts and memories. All of Ruby as she grew up. Some of the pages even detailed trips to the hospital for routine check ups, parent teacher meetings in which Charlie expressed her joy at how smart her beautiful daughter was and still is. Even memories from Ruby's time playing little league soccer were put in ink to be remembered. Ruby smiled. She remembered as a little girl trying to find out what Charlie was always writing about. She never thought she would actually get to read through her diary.
"There's one other thing that's not in the box", Charlie said.
She reached inside her pocket and pulled out a gold locket. Engraved on the front of it was a heart with a guardian angel wrapping it's arms around it. Ruby's name and her date of birth were engarved on the back. It was a beautiful locket and Ruby studied every detail of it. Charlie opened it and looked inside. She handed it to Ruby and a tear came to her eye. On one sde was a picture of Ruby as a baby, only a couple of weeks old and she was smiling. The other picture was a picture of Ruby today, with Charlie. Charlie began to get emotional as she watched Ruby analyse the pictures.
"I carry the locket with me everytime I'm working for protection. It reminds that no matter how dangerous or how hard a situation might be I have something much more precious I need to take care of and it get's through those moments until I'm safe and I'm home", Charlie explaind through tears.
Ruby began to cry. She put her hand up to her mouth and sobbed. Charlie leaned into her and rubbed her back.
"Mum, I'm sorry for all the stuff I said before when I found out. I was angry and I didn't understand why you did it.....", Ruby tried to continue but Charlie cut her off.
"Ruby you have nothing to be sorry for okay. You were upset and you were hurt and I completely understand that. I just want us to have a close relationship again. Like used to", Charlie said as she hugged Ruby.
Ruby released herself from Charlie's embrace. She wiped away her tears and smiled at her nodding at what Charlie had just said.
"Mum, I'm really tired, I think I'm going to go to bed", She said, she clearly was drained.
Charlie nodded at her with a half smile. She stood and helped Ruby to her feet and they walked down the corridor. Ruby climbed into her bed and lay down. She practically dozed off the second her head hit the pillow. Charlie pulled the duvet up over her and kissed her on the forehead. She turned on the light beside Ruby's bed and turned off the main room light. If Ruby were to have another panic attack she didn't want her to wake up in complete darkness. Charlie walked out of the room and closed the door over but didn't close it completely.
She walked back into the living room and sat back down on the couch, looking at the box. She put everything back into it neatly and closed it over. She sat there in silence. The she pulled out the locket and opened it. She stared at it. Studying it. She could feel fear boiling it's way up to the surface of her stomach and it made her feel sick. Her daughter's life was in danger again. It felt so surreal, but it was happening. Charlie clenched the locket in her fist, anger now surfacing. Ruby's life maybe in danger, but this time, Charlie would be ready to whatever it takes to protect the one thing in her life she held dear.............
Hey sorry my updates have been few and far between but school just seems to get in the way. Anyways after reading back over my story I realised I never fully explored the transition of Ruby and Charlie from mother to daughter in a more intimate way so that's what I tried to do that in this chapter. I hope you like it. It kind of fills in some blanks from Charlie's past that were never really explores on the show itself. Hope you like it
