Again a huge thank you for your awesome reviews. They really help with the fic (Especially since I don't really watch H&A anymore so I don't really know what's going on). Anyway Hope you all enjoy this chapter...

Chapter 23

Charlie blinked sleepily against the light which filled her vision. After a moment she groaned and pulled the covers over her head, squeezing her eyes shut in a stubborn attempt to shut out the world. She reached out blindly for Joey and sighed heavily when her palm came into contact with cool sheets.

"Jo?" she pushed the sheets back and moved into a sitting position, scanning the room for any sight of her girlfriend. She sighed heavily when she noticed the room was empty.

"Damn it..." she moved out of the bed and pulled on her robe. She ran a hand through her hair and grabbed some clothes before dragging herself towards the bathroom. A while later she walked back out feeling slightly more refreshed by her shower but found that nothing could help the sense of dread she felt. She walked slowly into the kitchen and her expression brightened slightly when she noticed Joey standing there.

"Jo!"

"Charlie" Joey smiled "Finally decided to get out of bed than?"

Charlie shrugged as she made her way over to the other girl "It wasn't really much of a decision. I didn't want to get up but since somebody decided to leave me alone this morning..."

"Sorry" the younger girl said apologetically "I didn't want to wake you...Figured that you would need it for...You know"

"Where is Ruby?" Charlie murmured quietly "Is she up yet?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded "I checked a while ago...She must have gone out..."

"Good. That's...Good"

"It'll be okay" Joey pulled Charlie close to her "She'll be fine..."

"How do you know that?" Charlie questioned nervously "What if she totally freaks out? What if she moves out and leaves me?"

"She won't do that" Joey answered certainly "She loves you way too much to do that to you Charlie. You saw how she was last night...She's just worried about you!"

"I hope so" Charlie mumbled. She leaned forward and kissed Joey shortly "I missed you this morning by the way...I hate waking up without you..."

"I missed you too" Joey smiled softly. She squeezed Charlie's hand one last time before pulling away and reaching behind her for the coffee she had just made "Coffee? I heard you in the shower and thought you could use some..."

"You're a godsend" Charlie sighed dreamily as she took the cup from Joey's hand and sipped at it tentatively.

Joey shrugged "That's what they tell me..."

"Seriously" Charlie placed the coffee on the counter and pulled Joey closer to her wrapping her arms around her neck lightly "I don't know what I would do without you Jo. I definitely wouldn't be even considering telling Ruby about this..."

"Yeah well you know I would do anything for you..." Joey smiled modestly "Anything. Anywhere. Anytime"

Charlie didn't offer a verbal response instead she moved forward and captured Joey's lips with her own in a passionate kiss. Joey reached up automatically and tangled her hands in Charlie's long dark hair as the older girl gently pushed her backwards into the bench behind them. She gasped for breath when Charlie finally pulled away to breath. A giggle escaped her as Charlie lifted her by her waist and deposited her on the bench behind her.

"Wow" she grinned "You're surprisingly strong"

"I'm tougher than I look" Charlie returned the smile "You should know th..."

"Charlie?"

"What?"

"Shut up and kiss me" Joey tugged Charlie forward so that she was standing between her legs and kissed her fervently.

"At it again I see" Ruby smiled as she entered the house and walked over to the fridge grabbing a bottle of water. Unlike when she had first found out about Joey and her sister walking in on them like this was becoming completely normal to her.

"Shoot...Ruby" Joey mumbled as she pulled away. She pushed Charlie gently backwards and slid off the bench, feeling blood rush to her face "We...We weren't doing anything. Honestly...Really wasn't how it looked"

"Chill out Joey" Ruby laughed noticing both girls matching blushes "You sound like a teenager whose Mum just walked in on them..." she failed to notice Charlie's flinch at that as her gaze was focused solely on Joey whose blush was only brightening.

"But I mean...We weren't going to Y'know there. Because we...we have a bedroom!"

"Okay" Ruby smiled in amusement "If you say so Joey" she glanced at Charlie who was yet to say anything and her eyes clouded in concern "Are you okay, Charlie?"

"I'm fine" Charlie said weakly "It's just been a long week. I'll be fine soon"

"Okay" Ruby sighed knowing that she wasn't going to get anything else out of her sister than that "But...You know where I am if you need me, okay? I'm just in my room..."

"I know" Charlie offered her sister a small smile "Thanks Rubz"

Ruby nodded at her and motioned behind her "I'll just be...In my room" she smiled and waved their hands at them "Don't let me stop you with that..." she moved quickly out of the room and Charlie released a relived sigh.

"When are you planning on telling her?" Joey asked quietly, her eyes still on the door. She wrapped her arms around Charlie from behind and pulled her close in an attempt to offer comfort.

"I'll tell her tonight..."

"Charlie..."

"I'm not putting it off" Charlie interrupted her "I just don't think I'm ready yet...I'll tell her later"

"Okay" Joey sighed.

---

"I can't do this!" Charlie fretted in panic "I can't Joey! I can't do it!"

"Charlie..." Joey stood up from the couch and clasped Charlie's hands in her own "You have to...You have to do this..."

"No" Charlie shook her head adamantly as tears formed in her eyes "I don't have to...She's going to hate me. I know she will!"

"How many times have I said this?" Joey questioned as she lightly brushed Charlie's tears away "Ruby could never hate you! She loves you!"

"Not after this" Charlie mumbled "Not after I tell her the truth!"

"She won't just stop loving you!" Joey countered gently "She couldn't and...This is Ruby we're talking about!"

"No!" Charlie stated breathlessly "I can see how this is going to go...I'm going to tell her the truth and she's going to hate me for lying and Move out...I'm going to lose her again! I know I am, it's just..."

"Charlie you need to calm down" Joey instructed gently as Charlie pulled away from her "You're going to hyperventilate, you're going to make yourself sick and you're going to terrify Ruby..."

Charlie shook her head slowly and leaned against the wall "I can't do this..." she sat down on the floor when she realised that she was shaking too much to stand "I can't lose Ruby...I can't do it!"

Joey quickly moved to kneel next to her and pulled her into her embrace "You're not going to lose her...It's going to be fine"

"You don't know that!" Charlie muttered tearfully when she pulled away "She's not going to understand Joey!"

"You have to tell her" Joey whispered "You know you ha..."

"Hey" a voice behind them interrupted their conversation. Both girls looked up to see Ruby standing there. When the teenager noticed Charlie's state she rushed over to them and knelt next to Charlie, concern clear on her features.

"What's wrong Charlie?" she asked in alarm "And don't tell me it's nothing because you're crying and you look like you're going to faint!"

Charlie stayed silent, unable to speak.

"Are you sick?!" Ruby guessed in worry "You two have been arguing haven't you? I can tell that there's something wrong...Has somebody said something to you? Was it Hugo? Because I'll go and sort them out for you...Seriously" she looked back and forth between them "Will SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

Charlie stood up slowly using the wall to support her "I'll tell you..." she wiped tears quickly away from her eyes and motioned towards the couch "Maybe you should sit down Rubz..."

"Okay..." Ruby reluctantly released her sister's arm and sat down on the couch.

"I'll give you two some time alone" Joey said quietly. She attempted to pull her hand from Charlie's but Charlie held on tight.

"I need you here" Charlie said quietly "Do you mind..."

"Not at all" Joey answered sincerely.

Charlie released Joey's hand and turned her attention to Ruby "Rubz..."

"What's wrong Charlie?" Ruby questioned fear clear in her eyes "Are you sick? You're not sending me away or anything are you because..."

"Ruby!" Charlie interrupted quietly "I'm not sick and I'll never willingly send you away...you know that" she swallowed hard against the lump developing rapidly in her throat "What I'm about to tell you is big...Huge actually. And after I tell you, you might hate me..."

"I could never hate you" Ruby said instantly.

Charlie took a deep breath and looked into Joey's dark eyes for the courage to continue. She was met with a look of complete support and she turned back to Ruby "I'm not your sister"

"Ouch" Ruby winced, seeming genuinely hurt "That's kind of harsh...I mean whatever I did I'm sure it wasn't that bad..."

"I'm not doing this right" Charlie muttered to herself. She stepped closer to Ruby "Ruby, listen. This isn't easy for me you know and before I start to tell you this you have to know that I love you more than life itself..."

"I know that" Ruby responding, anxiety clear in her eyes "I love you too..."

"When I was fourteen" Charlie started quietly "Something happened and...I fell pregnant..."

Ruby gaped at her sister but nodded for her to continue "okay..."

"I'm not your sister" Charlie repeated softly.

"You have got to be kidding..." Ruby jumped up from the couch and her hand shot to her mouth "You're not telling me this Charlie...You're...You're not my Mother!"

"Mum and Dad didn't want anyone to know about it..." Charlie continued shakily "They told me to give her...you up after you were born. They...They said that it was for the best and that..."

"No..." Ruby mumbled, shaking her head "This is not happening. You're my sister!"

"I couldn't cope with a baby at that age. They took you and told you that I was your sister. It was supposed to be easier but..."

"SHUT UP!" Ruby yelled tearfully, finally succeeding in silencing Charlie "You're telling me that my whole life was a lie? That...That the people who I called Mum and Dad are really my GRANDPARENTS?!"

"Ruby..."f

"No...This is not happening!"

"Do you remember at the hospital?" Charlie questioned softly "The scar?"

"They said it was a Caesar scar..." Ruby mumbled "But you said it was something else"

"I lied"

"Yeah you seem to do that a lot!" Ruby stated angrily "You've been lying to me for my entire LIFE Charlie!"

"I didn't want to..."

"Don't give me that SHIT!" Ruby shouted as tears spilled down her cheeks "If you didn't want to than you didn't have to!"

"Rubz, Please..." Charlie said quietly sniffling back her tears "I didn't want to lie to you...I had to..."

"No you didn't!" Ruby growled angrily "You could have told me before...But you decided to just keep on lying to me didn't you Mum?!"

"Ruby, I'm sorry..." Charlie stepped closer to Ruby "It wasn't my..."

"Stay away from me!" Ruby whimpered softly as she backed away "I don't even know you anymore! Have you ever been truthful with me?!"

"I have!"

"No" Ruby mumbled shaking her head adamantly "You haven't...I have to...I have to get out of here." She turned around quickly and rushed out of the doorway. Charlie immeditaly dropped onto the couch, sobs racking her body.

"Charlie..." Joey stepped closer and placed a hand on her back.

"Go after her" Charlie said tightly. She looked up at Joey with heartbroken blue eyes "Please Joey...Go after her!"

Joey hesitated slightly before she dropped a kiss on Charlie's head and raced off after Ruby.

---

Joey slowed her sprint down when she noticed Ruby slump down onto the sand, her shoulders visibly shaking with sobs. She sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders comfortingly. Ruby instantly turned fully into the embrace and sobbed softly into Joey's shoulder. Joey could do nothing but hold the teenager tightly to her and stroke her hair comfortingly until she calmed down.

"Did you know?" Ruby said softly when she pulled away "that she was my mother?"

"She told me a couple of days ago" Joey admitted quietly "She was having nightmares and I kind of forced it out of her"

"Nightmares?" Ruby questioned "Nightmares about what? Giving me up?"

"No..." Joey responded hesitantly.

"Then what? More secrets?!" Ruby laughed bitterly "And I thought our family was screwed up before..."

"Charlie was raped" Joey said softly. She wasn't sure that Charlie would want her t tell Ruby this but the teenager had to have all of the information.

"What?!" Ruby turned her gaze to Joey sharply "She was...Charlie was raped?!"

"When she was fourteen" Joey nodded sadly "That's what she was having the nightmares about..."

"Oh My God..." Ruby turned her once again teary eyes back to the ocean "She...She must really hate me than..."

"No!" Joey said instantly "Charlie doesn't hate you at all...She loves you Ruby! Right now...She thinks that you hate her"

"I don't hate her" Ruby said quietly "I could never hate her...No matter what she does..."

"Can't you just talk to her Rubz?" Joey pleaded "She never meant for this to happen and she's really tearing herself up about it...She thinks that you're going to leave her..."

"I can't talk to her right now" Ruby replied "I need time to process all of this...But I will come home with you..." she stood up slowly "I just...I need time, okay Jo? I can't be around her right now..."

"Okay" Joey nodded. She stood up and wrapped her arm around Ruby who leaned into her as they walked.

"Joey?"

"Mmhmn?"

"Make sure she knows that I don't hate her okay?" she said softly.

"Okay" Joey nodded.

---

When they got home the living room was empty and for that Ruby was grateful.

"I'm going to head to bed..." she said quietly "'Night Jo"

"Goodnight" Joey murmured. She watched as Ruby rushed into her bedroom before she walked into the bedroom she shared with Charlie.

"Charlie?" she asked softly when she noticed the other girl curled up on top of the covers. She pulled her shoes, Socks and Jacket off before climbing into the bed and wrapping and arm around Charlie.

"Was Ruby Okay?" Charlie said softly.

"Yeah" Joey nodded "She's in her room...I'm sorry Charlie"

"Does she hate me?" Charlie whimpered quietly, turning around in Joey's embrace.

"No" Joey said firmly "She just needs time Charlie..."

"She said that she doesn't want to talk to me didn't she?"

"Yeah...But she doesn't hate you at all"

"I lied to her!" Charlie sobbed into Joey's shoulder "She isn't going to just forgive me for that Joey...I'm losing her!"

Joey held onto Charlie tightly, pushing back her own tears.

TBC