Charlie scooped up the last of the paper plates lying around the place and dumped them into the black plastic bag. Leah and Martha were kind enough to stay behind and help her do the bulk of the cleaning up. The surprise party had gone a treat with Ruby and everyone in the Bay was so happy to see her in such good spirits, all things considered. Alf even made one of his legendary speeches that managed to condense all his feelings down to a few short and sweet sentences. Ross took the opportunity to express his joy at how happy he was to see his daughter finally getting the chance to be a mother to the daughter she sheltered from the truth for sixteen years.
"Well I think that's the last of it", Martha said tying up the stuffed bin bag and placing it beside the others.
"I have to say it was really nice to see Ruby so upbeat. You must be happy to have her home?" Leah asked Charlie as she wrapped up the leftover food and placed it in the fridge.
"You know I actually can't believe how excited I am to have her here, at home, in OUR home", Charlie said, a smile on her face and a spark in her eye that had been missing for quite some time. "Buying this house and Ruby coming home, it finally feels like we're a proper family. I guess it just feels like there's so much I have to catch up on, sixteen years of catching up actually".
"Well from watching you care for Ruby as her sister, and seeing how you've coped with all of this, her diabetes and her injury, I think it's safe to say you are going to be a fantastic mum", Leah said as she gave her friend words of encouragement as she entered this new chapter in her life.
With one last wipe around, Martha and Leah bid Charlie goodnight and headed home. It had been a long day and Charlie could feel that she was dead on her feet as she sat on the couch and flicked on the TV. The sound of an opening door caught her attention and she looked up to find Ruby coming out of her new bedroom, a look of tiredness evident as she wheeled up to the couch to where Charlie was sitting.
"Hey you, were did you disappear to? Dad and Morag wanted to say goodbye to you before they headed back to the city", she asked her daughter as she leaned forward on the couch so she was closer to her.
"Oh sorry. I just felt a little claustrophobic so Nic took me for a walk around the block and when we got back I was tired so I went to my room for a lie down", Ruby said, but then she noticed her Charlie's expression had changed from happy to concerned. "I guess it's just coming from the hospital where I was used to having my own space to seeing everyone here all at once caught me by surprise", she said reassuring her mother that there was nothing to be worried about.
Charlie shook her head understandingly. She knew that it was going to take Ruby a while to adjust to normal life again. Well, as normal as things could be. Noticing that the TV was still on she flicked it off and put the remote back down on the coffee table. She turned to Ruby and noticed the younger Buckton glancing around her, admiring her new surroundings. The look of awe in her eyes making the whole experience of buying and decorating a house worthwhile for Charlie.
"I can't believe you did this. I mean buying a house is a pretty big deal", Ruby said, as if making sure that Charlie felt like she hadn't made a big mistake.
"Hey, what I said in the hospital about me loving you and how precious you are to me. I meant it. I wanted to show you that. I want us to start a new chapter in our lives as a family and this house. It gives us that opportunity. Rubes I love you unconditionally and no disability is going to ever change that", she said looking for a reaction from her daughter.
Eventually, after Ruby had given it some time to digest Charlie's words, she acknowledged them with a smile. But then her mood suddenly became a little more tense and unsettled. She looked at the newspaper on the coffee table realizing she had been out of touch with reality and then back up at Charlie. She swallowed hard as she tried to find the courage to ask the question she had been scared to ask at the hospital for the past few weeks. But she realized if she didn't do it now she never would. She though to herself...it's just like ripping off a band aid, the quicker you do it the less painful it is...and then she did.
"Mum, what happened to the guy who abducted me, Derrick??" she asked, dreading what was coming next.
Charlie sat up straight and let out a large breath of air as the words struck her like a tonne of bricks. She took a deep breath and then taking her daughters hands in her own she began to speak.
"Rubes, Derrick died in the crash. The coroners said he died on impact. He's gone", she said and then watched as Ruby let out a sigh of relief but then Charlie stiffened as she continued with what she hoped she never have to tell Ruby, at least not this soon. "But the other man, Derricks accomplice, he still hasn't been found, but they reckon that with Derrick out of the picture he won't be resurfacing anytime soon", she finished, realizing that last piece of information was more than like not comforting in the slightest.
Ruby stared into the distance. Feelings of anger and upset over John Doe out there leaving her with a deep rooted feeling of injustice. She bowed her head and closed her eyes until finally a tear came pouring out. She wiped away the tear with her hand and then removed the other form her mothers grasp.
"I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed", Ruby said almost as if trying to completely ignore what she had just heard.
Charlie watched as Ruby battled against her feelings and edged away from the couch and towards the corridor. It made her angry to think how unjust this situation was. But she sure as hell knew one thing. She would not rest until John Doe was brought down and her daughter was finally safe once and for all. She called after Ruby before she was all the way out of the living room.
"Hey, do you want me to help you?", she asked. although in the back of Charlie's mid she didn't care whether or not Ruby did, she was going to anyways.
Ruby, however nodded and waited for Charlie to catch up with her before continuing en route to her bedroom. Once they got inside, Charlie removed Ruby's night wear form the wardrobe and placed them on the bed. She stood over Ruby and helped her remove her top and put on her white t-shirt. Then lifting Ruby onto the bed she helped her to remove her bottoms, careful not to brush against Ruby's healing lower back wound. After putting on Ruby's pj bottoms, she helped Ruby lay on the bed and placed the duvet up around her chest. She then planted a kiss on Ruby's forehead.
Just as she was preparing to leave the room, she felt a tug on her wrist and turned to find a tearful Ruby staring up at her.
"Please stay, I don't want to be alone", Ruby pleaded.
Charlie's heart melted at Ruby's pleas. She couldn't believe Ruby felt like she had to beg her mother to stay with her. All she had to do was say the word and Charlie would do so.
"Ok", Charlie replied squeezing her daughters hand.
She removed her gold sandals and kicked them under the bed. She walked around to the far side of the bed and climbed in pulling the duvet up around her and snuggling up beside her daughter. As if by instinct she put her arm across Ruby's chest in a protective manner and engulfed her daughter in an embrace that nobody could tear her from. As Ruby lay there, safe in Charlie's embrace she felt herself getting drowsy. She turned her head towards her other and looked at her before resting her head against her mothers and falling to sleep. Charlie lay there with her arm around her daughter watching her sleep until she finally drifted off.
