Chapter 32
The blue car swerved round the corner at high speed narrowly missing another on coming vehicle. As soon as it was safely around the corner the driver accelerated dramatically and the car roared down the road. A split second later however a red car zoomed past it, knocking the blue car into the wall.
"JOEY!" Ruby shoved the older girl next to her gently "That's cheating!"
"Hey" Joey grinned her attention still focused on the TV screen in front of them "All is fair in love and gaming"
"I think we should restart" Ruby commented, in a mock annoyed tone "Because you keep cheating!"
"Fine" Joey rolled her eyes and restarted the game "But we've already restarted like five times and I still keep on winning!" she turned and grinned triumphantly at Ruby "Just like I'm going to do this time"
"I'm gonna kick your ass on this thing...You'll see" Ruby mumbled shifting forward slightly and narrowed her eyes at the TV screen.
Joey laughed out loud at the concentration on the younger girl's face "Fighting words for such a..." she trailed off suddenly "Uh..."
"Yeah, I'd stop talking if I were you Collins...If you want even a chance of winning"
"Collins?!" Joey laughed
"Trash talk" Ruby smirked "You use last names"
"Fine uh...Buckton....Bring it on!"
Ruby rolled her eyes in amusement but sat forward slightly as the game started "You're gonna lose..."
"Passed ya!" Joey grinned as her car shot past Ruby's.
"Not for long...."
"Hey!" Charlie said as she entered the room "I'm back!" she stopped and stared at them intently when she was greeted by silence "It's lovely to see you two too"
"Hey Babe" Joey greeted though she didn't take her eyes away from the game.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Charlie smiled as she slumped onto the couch next to Joey and focused intently on the screen.
"Nope"
Ruby glanced sidelong at Joey before she reached over and hit the brake control on her remote.
"Hey!" Joey exclaimed as her car stopped on the screen and Ruby's shot past "That's cheating!"
"Well you were cheating before" Ruby offered "As you said all is fair in love and gaming"
"Whatever" Joey muttered. She grinned when she finally passed Ruby and the finish line "Ha! I win! 6-4!"
"Charlie, could you tell your girlfriend that cheating is not winning?!" Ruby questioned frustratedly.
"Charlie, could you tell your daughter that it's not my fault she's a sore loser?" Joey countered, nudging Ruby playfully.
Charlie gazed wide-eyed at Ruby wondering how she was going to react to being referred to as her daughter. When the teen merely gazed at her expectantly Charlie responded shakily "Do you two ever stop bickering?"
"Nope" Ruby laughed "What would be the entertainment in that?" she stood up quickly "I'll just be a minute..."
Joey and Charlie watched in amusement as Ruby left the room and Charlie released a sigh of relief.
"What?" Joey questioned as she threw the remote down and moved closer to Charlie.
"I thought she would have freaked out when you called her my daughter" Charlie explained her eyes still on the doorway Ruby had retreated from.
"Oh" Joey said in surprise as she recalled her words "Sorry...I didn't even realise what I had said"
"It's fine" Charlie mumbled sadly "I'm not bothered about it...You have no idea how long I've wanted to be able to call her my daughter...I just thought that she would have a problem with it..."
"Well apparently she doesn't" Joey smiled softly at her "Maybe she's just starting to really come to terms with all of this stuff..." she leaned dup and pressed a gentle kiss to Charlie's lips "Hi, by the way"
"What kind of 'Hi' was that?" Charlie grinned as she moved forward and captured Joey's lips with her own in a passionate kiss. They pulled away slightly breathless "I've been missing your kisses all day"
"Well maybe you wouldn't miss them if you didn't go to work unnecessarily"
"Jo C'mon" Charlie sighed heavily as she turned slightly on the couch to face her pouting girlfriend "You know I have to go to work before I have to actually go back full time...Which I need to do soon because we're not exactly rolling in money"
Oh" Joey mumbled quietly "I think maybe I should get a job"
"A job?" Charlie questioned as she turned to face Joey "Why?"
"You're working too hard" Joey responded guiltily "And I really should start pulling my weight around here. Plus we have to pay for the wedding remember...Anyway what else would I do when you go back to work?"
"Oh yeah" the older girl nodded thoughtfully "That's a good point..."
"I was thinking..." Joey started nervously.
"Ouch" Charlie winced teasingly "Need a Tylenol?"
"Very funny Buckton" Joey nudged her girlfriend playfully.
"I thought so" Charlie smirked "So what were you thinking about?"
"The wedding" Joey answered "I was thinking that since we don't have much money we could just...Have a small wedding? Me, you, family, friends? What do you think?"
"I think that's a great idea!" Charlie beamed happily "It'll still be absolutely perfect!" she leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to Joey's lips.
"What will be?" Ruby questioned as she walked back into the room and sat back down in her seat.
"The wedding" Charlie answered "We've decided to keep it small..."
"Oh" Ruby nodded "Sounds like a good idea"
"I thought so" Charlie replied happily "This way, It'll be more intimate...We'll have our family and friends around us..."
"You'll have your family" Joey corrected sadly "I don't really have any, anymore"
Ruby glanced away uneasily.
"Hey" Charlie squeezed Joey's hand comfortingly "That's not true at all Jo...You have us. And we're your family, right?"
"Right" Joey agreed forlornly "And it's not that I don't appreciate that because I really do but...I guess I've just realised that my whole family is either dead, crazy, hates me or all of the above"
"It's their loss" Charlie wrapped an arm around Joey's shoulders and placed a kiss on her head.
"Maybe" Joey smiled lightly "I'm just kind of upset that Brett refuses to love me for who I am instead of who he wants me to be. I don't know why he can't accept me for who I am. He..."
"He's a fucking Idiot!" Ruby muttered.
Charlie and Joey gazed at her in shock. Charlie didn't know whether to chastise her daughter for swearing or grab her in a giant bear hug for showing her support to Joey.
"Oops" Ruby said as she noticed them staring at her "Did I say that out loud?" she glanced at Joey guiltily "Sorry Jo. I know that's not what you need to be hearing right now but if he can't accept you for who you are...and let's face it who you are is pretty damn awesome then he really is an idiot and he doesn't deserve you"
Joey threw her arms around the surprised teenager in a tight hug "Thanks Rubz"
"Its fine" Ruby pulled away slightly and shrugged "I'm just gonna...give you guys a minute..." she stood up and moved out of the room.
"See?" Charlie smiled softly at her girlfriend "I told you"
"Yeah" Joey nodded slowly "Wow..."
"You can't tell me you're surprised by that" Charlie rolled her eyes "C'mon Joey you know that Ruby adores you!"
"Yeah, I do..." Joey smiled as she leaned back into Charlie's embrace.
"She's right you know..." Charlie murmured softly "If he can't accept you for who you are he doesn't deserve you at all Jo...It's his problem, not yours"
"I know" Joey looked up at Charlie "Thanks Babe"
"For what?" Charlie smiled.
"For loving me..."
"Always" Charlie whispered before she leaned down and kissed Joey passionately.
"Woo" Joey grinned breathlessly when Charlie pulled away "You really did want to kiss me" she moved forward to return to the kiss but stopped halfway when Charlie shifted away "What?"
"Couch" Charlie reminded her "Your obsession with making out on this couch is weird..."
Joey pouted at her "Bedroom?"
"Nope" Charlie smiled shaking her head "We're going out tonight.
"We are?" Joey said in disappointment. She wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist and leaned into her side "But I thought maybe we could just stay in..."
"You're just trying to seduce me" Charlie giggled as Joey began to place soft kisses on her neck.
"Guilty" Joey grinned "Do we really have to go out? We could...make our own entertainment..." she slid her hand slowly up Charlie's leg only to have it playfully batted away.
"Yes" Charlie pressed a teasing kiss to Joey's lips "We do"
---
"Hey" Charlie leaned close to Joey "What are you drinking?"
"Just order me the same as you" Joey smiled back at the older girl "But I'm paying"
"No you aren't"
"Yes, I am"
"No" Charlie pulled Joey close and kissed her deeply before pulling away and grinning impishly "You most definitely are not!" she jumped to her feet and rushed over to the bar.
"God, I love her" Joey smiled as she watched Charlie walk over to the bar. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of her seat, releasing a content smile.
"Hey" Charlie smiled when she returned and sat down next to Joey "Not falling asleep on me are you?" she wrapped an arm around the younger girls' shoulders and pulled her close.
"No" Joey opened her eyes and gazed intently at Charlie "I'm anything but tired Charlie...Believe me"
"Huh" Charlie swallowed heavily at the desire in Joey's eyes "Okay..." she picked her drink up off the table and took a quick sip trying to ignore the feeling of Joey's hand drawing slow circles on her thigh under the table.
"Charlie" Joey whispered huskily into the older girl's ear.
"Hmmn?" Charlie hummed as she twirled the straw slowly around in her drink.
"I want you...Right now"
"Wanna head home?" Charlie grinned as she turned to Joey.
"I don't think I can wait until then" Joey countered playfully "Got anywhere closer?" she leaned forward and kissed Charlie slowly.
"Are you still doing this?!" a male voice sounded from above them. Joey and Charlie pulled away and looked up to see Brett standing in front of them "After all that happened with her..."
"I thought you were supposed to be leaving us alone!" Charlie narrowed her eyes angrily at Brett.
"I'm not talking to you" Brett snapped "I'm talking to my sister...You're just taking advantage of her"
"What do you want Brett?" Joey sighed dolefully as she stood up from her seat. She felt Charlie get up with her and glanced at her grateful for her support.
"I told you Joey, I want you to come home with me!"
"I have a home" Joey said softly "And I have a family who accepts me for who I am..."
"She doesn't LOVE you!" Brett growled furiously "She's just playing you Jo...You have to listen to me..."
"No!" Charlie stepped in front of Joey protectively "You have absolutely no right to say that I don't love her Brett!"
"Joey come on!" Brett pleaded "You're not gay, why can't you just be..."
"What?!" Joey questioned sadly "Normal?"
"Yes!" Brett exclaimed "You were normal before this bitch turned you..."
"Don't call her that!" Joey said angrily "And she didn't turn me anything. I love her and if you can't accept that then just go away. I have all need"
Brett's expression dropped as he detected the end of the conversation. He turned to Charlie and glared at her venomously "This isn't over. When you're least expecting it..." he trailed off and smirked at her before he turned and walked away.
Charlie swallowed heavily as a shiver ran down her spine at Brett's words. She tightened her grip on Joey's
---
"Ruby?" Charlie called as she knocked lightly on her daughter's door.
"Come in" Ruby called back from behind the door. Charlie entered the room and closed the door behind her.
"What's up?" Ruby asked from where she sat on her bed. She patted the bed next to her ad watched as Charlie sat down next to her.
"Nothing" Charlie shrugged "Can't I just sit down and talk to you?"
"Yeah" Ruby said slowly "But you're looking really freaked out so...What's wrong?"
"You remember when I was stabbed, right?"
"Of course I remember" Ruby winced slightly at the memories "What's this about Charlie?"
"You and Joey were there for each other, right?" Charlie asked. At Ruby's nod she continued "If anything were to happen to me...You would be okay, right?"
"NO!" Ruby reached for Charlie's hand and grasped onto it tightly "Of course I wouldn't be okay Charlie...Why? What's going on?!"
"I'm sorry" Charlie sighed regretfully "It's just Joey's brother making stupid threats. That's all..." when Ruby continued to stare at her fearfully Charlie wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close "I just need to know that if I'm not around to protect you that...You'll be okay. I need you and Joey to be okay"
"We won't be okay though" Ruby tightened her grip on Charlie slightly "We need you here with us. I need you!"
"And I'll fight through heaven and hell to stay with you" Charlie dropped a kiss onto Ruby's head "I promise. But you have to know..." her voice broke slightly and Charlie coughed to clear her throat "I love you so much Rubz"
"I love you too" Ruby said quietly.
They sat still for a moment before Charlie stood up and smiled weakly at her daughter "Just don't forget that okay?" she ruffled the teenagers hair playfully before walking out of the room.
Ruby gazed after her in unadulterated worry.
TBC
