Here is chapter two. Charlie and Joey are coming out to Ruby. Some bits are taken from the show, which I am sure you will recognise but I'm elaborated by myself! Love, IJKS xx

Chapter Two

Charlie was smiling stupidly to herself as she packed up a small bag in preparation for her trip with Joey. She could hardly believe how much she was looking forward to a weekend of staying away from prying eyes and just being happy with her girlfriend. Girlfriend. That word seemed so strange but so right. It was surreal. She jumped when she heard the front door burst open. Within seconds, Ruby had appeared in the doorway.

"Rubes!" Charlie exclaimed, feeling like she had been caught out. "Why aren't you in school?"

"Tell me I didn't see..."

Ruby trailed off and narrowed her eyes.

"What are you packing for?" she asked.

"Oh! Um... I've been booked onto a training course at work at the last minute," Charlie lied. "I was going to tell you when you got home. I..."

"Liar," Ruby accused.

Charlie blanched.

"What?" she managed.

"Did they book you on while you working all night?" Ruby asked.

"I..."

"No, they didn't. And there is no training course. You spent the night with Joey, didn't you?"

Charlie dropped the t-shirt she'd begun to fold. She swallowed.

"With Joey?" she squeaked. "How do you...?"

"I saw you, Charlie! I saw you pashing her!" Ruby bellowed.

Charlie began to protest. Her heart was racing. She wasn't ready for this. And she hadn't expected her to react so badly.

"I don't know it happened," Charlie finally said.

Ruby's eyes widened.

"But Joey and I are in love with each other."

Ruby shook her head and backed swiftly away.

"No way," she said. "You can't be. You're not gay, Charlie."

"I don't know what I am," Charlie told her. "I just... I love Joey and there's nothing I can do about it. I tried to... to ignore it but I just... I can't anymore. I love her."

"Would you stop saying that?" Ruby begged.

Charlie sighed and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened up, Ruby was still glaring at her.

"I'm sorry you found out like this," the police officer said reasonably. "I was honestly going to tell you after..."

"When?" Ruby asked. "After your 'training course'?"

Charlie nodded.

"Joey and I are going away for a weekend to..."

"Have uninterrupted lesbian sex?" Ruby squeaked.

She pulled a disgusted face. Charlie felt her heart sinking lower and lower.

"To spend time together," she corrected. "This is all so new and we just... we need a chance to get to know each properly and..."

"How new is new, Charlie?" Ruby asked.

"Last night was the first time we had..."

Ruby covered her ears and begged Charlie not to say anymore. The thought horrified and confused her. Charlie had always and only been interested in men. How could she change just like that? It didn't make sense.

"Ruby, I knew this would be a shock but you've never had a problem with gay people before..." Charlie tried, feeling helpless.

"No, I don't have a problem with people being gay," Ruby agreed.

Her voice was ridiculously shrill but she couldn't seem to tone it down.

"I have a problem with my straight sister suddenly declaring that she's a lesbian!"

"I'm not declaring anything!" Charlie argued, finally losing her temper. "What? Did you think I just woke up one day and thought, hey, this will be interesting. I'll give girls a whirl! Ruby, I have been so messed up over this whole thing. I've been fighting my feeling and breaking Joey's heart for weeks and I would have hoped that the day I finally started to accept myself, you might actually love me enough to try and accept me too!"

Ruby looked abashed for a moment. She fiddled with her hair, her mind reeling.

"I'm going back to school," she said. "I can't handle this right now. Have a good weekend with your girlfriend."

She stormed out. Charlie flopped onto the bed. Her joyful mood was well and truly over. Facing the ceiling and closing her eyes Charlie dug into her pocket and called Joey, bursting into tears as soon as she heard her voice.


Half an hour later, Charlie and Joey were seated on the sofa together in Charlie's living room. Charlie was resting comfortable against Joey's chest, although she was feeling very worked up. She explained in detail what had happened between her and Ruby.

"I just wish I'd been given the chance to tell her properly," Charlie sighed.

She snuggled against Joey a little more and they held hands. It felt strange to be facing a problem with someone on her side. Charlie was so used to handling everything alone.

"We both knew it was going to be a shock," Joey ventured. "It was a shock for both of us too. And we had time to get used to it."

"I know but she wasn't just shocked. She looked absolutely disgusted."

Tears crept from Charlie's eyes. They landed on Joey's chest, causing her to sit them both up and gaze at Charlie's beautiful but sad face. She wiped away her tears with her thumbs.

"She'll come round," she said. "She loves you, Charlie. You two have a bond that can't be broken."

Charlie sighed heavily. She'd always feared that one day, something would happen to destroy her relationship with Ruby but she'd never thought this would be it. She'd never thought this was an option.

"It feels right being with you, Joey," Charlie said. "I hate being made to feel it's something to apologise for. I spent long enough doing that to myself. I just want to be happy for us."

"So be happy," Joey replied simply and sincerely.

They met in a soft kiss and then sprung abruptly apart when they heard Ruby's voice.

"Oh, you can't be serious!" the teenager shrieked.

"Ruby!" Charlie said, leaping up out of her chair.

Ruby headed back towards the kitchen, ready to flee. It wasn't even lunch time and she'd seen her supposedly heterosexual sister kiss a woman multiple times. It was too weird.

"Ruby, don't walk out on me again!" Charlie begged, giving chase.

Ruby turned around before she reached the door.

"You know what?" she said. "I came home to tell you I love you and that I'm going to support you or whatever but it doesn't mean I'm not completely freaking out, Charlie!"

Charlie let her tears flow freely.

"You shoving this in my face isn't helping," Ruby snapped.

Charlie was quick to anger.

"How was I meant to know you'd come back!"

"I live here!"

"You're meant to be in school!"

"Well sorry if I can't concentrate! You see, my big sister's just announced that she likes having sex with girls!"

"I like having sex with Joey!" Charlie burst out.

She then flushed and couldn't help but laugh. Ruby just pulled a face.

"What I mean is, it's Joey. It's not about being gay or bi or..."

She sighed.

"I don't have a clue what I am. I don't know what this means for my life. But I'm in love with Joey and you know what? I'm happy about it! I have never been so happy in all my life, Ruby. I have never been with someone so loving and kind, who makes me feel like the most special person in the world. I didn't know feeling like this was possible. I didn't think I deserved it even if it was. But I've got it and you can hate me or judge me as much as you like but I'm not walking away from her. I'm not letting her go."

Charlie turned a little breathlessly, facing away from Ruby and closing her eyes. Ruby stared at her. She'd never heard Charlie be that open and that passionate about anyone before. She wondered for the first time if this thing might be real. In the lounge, Joey was stunned to hear just how Charlie felt about her. Despite the difficult circumstances, she was thrilled. Standing up, she ventured uncertainly into the kitchen.

"Guys," she said.

Both girls looked at her.

"Why don't we sit down and talk this through?"

Ruby nodded and sat down in the chair nearest the fridge freezer. Charlie swallowed and stalled for time by making hot drinks. Joey came over and touched her hands, nudging her to sit down while she finished with the beverages. Ruby observed their interaction. Charlie, who was always so in control, seemed completely willing to do what Joey suggested. They gazed at each other for a moment and Ruby was startled to see pure love between them. Charlie moved to sit a little awkwardly at the head of the table. Joey finished their drinks and sat beside her, opposite Ruby.

"So, what is there to say?" Ruby asked.

She glared at Joey.

"Except that you've somehow managed to seduce a straight woman? Do you get extra points for that?"

"Ruby!" Charlie said.

She did not want anyone laying into Joey.

"If anyone started this, it was me, okay? Not Joey."

"You made the first move?" Ruby asked incredulously.

She didn't believe it.

"You were right that day when you said that there was something between Joey and I," Charlie began.

Joey looked surprised. She hadn't been told about any conversation like that.

"But it wasn't a one-sided thing. I was far from ready to admit it then but I was already falling so fast for Joey. It was already too late to go back, even then."

"And how did you manage to get from an attraction to..."

She pulled yet another face.

"When did she make a move on you?"

Joey shifted a little uncomfortably.

"There was something between us from the start," Charlie said firmly. "And it wasn't about anyone 'making a move'. There was just so much chemistry between us. We nearly kissed... and I started it. And then I ran away."

"Why couldn't you keep running?" Ruby asked.

She didn't want to be horrible but she couldn't understand how this had happened. She was straight and she would never be able to entertain the thought of doing it with a woman. She was still getting her head around the idea of one day doing it with a boy, with Xavier. How could you just switch teams like that?

"I tried," Charlie said. "Joey will confirm that I tried!"

The lovers exchanged a glance. Joey nodded.

"It wasn't a decision that either of us made, Ruby," she said. "It just happened."

"We were driving each other crazy," Charlie said. "Or maybe I was driving us both crazy. I don't know. But she was leaving me... after everything with Robbo and I... I had to make her stay. I needed her. So I kissed her."

Ruby wrinkled her nose in distaste. Then she frowned.

"The Robbo thing was weeks ago," she realised. "Have you been doing it since then?"

"Do you have to focus on the sex side of things?" Charlie asked, exasperated.

"I'm sorry but that's pretty much what it's about!" Ruby argued.

"No, it's not," Joey said gently.

Both women turned to face her.

"It's about falling in love with each other," she said. "Look, Ruby, we didn't plan any of this. I was absolutely stunned when I realised that Charlie liked me. I mean, I never thought I'd ever be so lucky as to be loved by someone like her. But it's real. It's happening. And I know how much you and Charlie love each other so can't you just support her? Even if you don't like me or me being with her... can't you just...?"

"I do like you," Ruby said quietly.

Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"I think you're nice. You're funny. And you're really brave. And I've never heard Charlie speak about anyone the way she's spoken about you. She doesn't do relationships. She doesn't do love. She never has."

Charlie cleared her throat self-consciously. She didn't want Joey to think badly of her before they'd even started.

"I just... it's a lot to get my head around."

Both women nodded.

"We know," Charlie said. "It's been a really confusing time."

"But now you're all secure and like... a couple now?" Ruby asked, wanting to get her facts right.

Charlie turned and smiled lovingly at Joey who smiled back. Ruby found the interaction very interesting.

"Yeah," Charlie confirmed. "We are."

"And you're going to be all out and proud and everything?"

Charlie nearly choked. Joey instinctively reached out to hold her hand. She was thrilled when Charlie didn't pull away. Ruby studied the physical contact between them. It was definitely weird to see her sister holding hands with another girl. But Charlie looked strangely comfortable.

"I'm not about to join in a parade," Charlie told her. "And the reason we want to go away this weekend is because we want to be strong and united, we want to know who we are as a couple. But yes, when we get home, we will start telling people about us."

"Dad and Morag?"

Charlie nodded.

"And Leah?"

"We'll tell her next. It's her house and that's only fair."

Ruby nodded, still looking at Charlie and Joey's clasped hands. She sighed heavily and looked at their faces.

"Well then, I guess I'll get used to the idea," she said.

Charlie smiled in relief.

"Really?" she said.

"Yeah," Ruby confirmed. "I love you, Charlie. I'm not going to destroy us because you've fallen in love with someone lovely, just because she's a girl."

Joey smiled too, feeling shy.

"And hey, there's an upside," Charlie said more cheerfully. "From now on, whenever Joey stays over you won't have to give up your room!"

"Woah!" Ruby said, leaping to her feet. "That is far too much information!"

Charlie giggled and blushed at her over-share. It was strange that all these honest notions about her relationship with Joey were tumbling out of her.

"Okay, I really do have to get back to school," Ruby said. "But... we're cool. I can cope. And I'll do my very best to keep quiet until you're ready to tell."

"Thanks," Charlie said, hoping she'd keep to her word.

She stood up and tentatively embraced her sister. Joey watched from her chair and smiled, glad that there was some kind of resolution.

"What time are you leaving for your romantic weekend away?" Ruby asked.

"Well, I was going to wait until you got home from school to say goodbye," Charlie said.

"You don't have to wait," Ruby said. "Leah's back tonight anyway so just go and get the most out of your weekend, okay?"

She refused to entertain the connotations to what she'd just said. She hugged Charlie again and said goodbye. Charlie sank back into her chair. She and Joey held hands. Ruby suddenly rushed back inside. Charlie panicked for a moment until Ruby hugged Joey.

"I didn't want you to feel left out," she grinned before skipping off again, her mind still reeling.