So here's the next part of the story. I decided to continue it in the same story because well...I couldn't think of another Story title lol. Thanks so much for the supportive reviews through BTBR. I really appreciate them. This chapter is short and kind of crap because it's the first chapter but it will get better. Lots of Angst, Fluff and Drama promised.

Chapter 42

"RUBY!" Charlie yelled up the stairs "Have you seen my Keys?!" a brief silence followed before Ruby appeared at the top of the stairs with the keys in her hand and a guilty expression.

"Where did you get those?" Charlie narrowed her eyes at the teenager.

"You must have dropped them" Ruby said innocently as she walked down the stairs towards her Mother "I picked them up and forgot to give them back to you" she held the keys out.

"Right...Thanks Rubz" Charlie offered a small smile as she began to walk back towards the living room.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby asked as she followed the older girl back to the other room "You seem kind of strange today"

"I'm fine" Charlie answered as she plopped down on the couch "I guess I'm just tired that's all"

"You shouldn't be working so much" Ruby frowned as she sat down next to Charlie "You're going to wear yourself out"

"It's sweet that you care so much" Charlie laughed as she pulled her daughter into a one armed hug "But I'll be fine Ruby...And I have my time off coming up soon!"

"I know..." Ruby sighed softly "It just seems like we never get to spend any time together anymore and...Hey where's Joey?" the teenager frowned as she noticed Joey's sudden absence.

"She went out for a while" Charlie shrugged "I think she's gone to see Aden or something. Now what were you saying?"

"Oh...I was saying that we never get to spend time together anymore. You're always at work and Joey's always...I don't even know where Joey keeps disappearing to!"

"She's looking for a job" Charlie responded quietly as she leaned back slightly "Look Rubz...I'll call Joey and we'll go out somewhere today, Okay? I'll take the day off"

"You can do that?" Ruby asked in surprise "I mean...You'll actually do that?"

"Anything to spend time with my favourite daughter" Charlie winked as she stood up and walked over to the phone.

"That's a cop out" Ruby laughed "I'm your only daughter!"

"So you are" Charlie smiled and picked up the phone, dialling a familiar number "Hey Joey...Where are you?"

"I'm just hanging out with Aden" Joey answered on the other side of the line "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing's wrong" Charlie responded "But do you think you can make lunch today? I've taken the day off so...."

"Sure" Joey said happily "Aden has to work soon anyway so I'll be home in about an hour?"

"Yeah that should be fine"

"Okay. I'll be home soon. I love you"

"I love you too" Charlie smiled warmly before she hung up and turned back to Ruby "She'll be here in about an hour"

"Good" Ruby practically beamed "So where are we going?"

"I don't know" Charlie shrugged as she joined Ruby on the couch again "I was thinking we could go to the city...Spend the day there or something. What do you think?"

"I think that's a great idea!" Ruby stated enthusiastically as she leaned into the older girl. They sat there for a moment before a knock sounded at the door. Charlie groaned and stood up.

"I wonder who that could be..." she walked out of the room and to the front door. She started slightly in surprise when she saw who was at the door "Leah! What are you doing here?!"

"Charlie!" Leah hugged the slightly surprised brunette tightly "I haven't seen you for weeks! We've missed you..."

"Come in" Charlie smiled as she stepped back into the house. When Leah entered she shut the door behind her and began to move towards the living room gesturing for her friend to follow her.

"Hey Leah" Ruby jumped off the couch and hugged the older woman in greeting.

"Hey Ruby" Leah laughed as Ruby pulled her over to the couch to sit next to her.

"Not working today?" Charlie asked curiously as she sat on the seat opposite them "I figured you would be at the diner with it being so busy and all..."

"Nope" Leah shook her head "It's my day off. I just missed you both so I decided to come and see you. Sorry for the short notice"

"its fine" Charlie reassured her quickly "You're free to come over anytime you want to. We did live with you for quite a while so..."

"Yeah" Leah nodded slowly "The house is really quiet without you all" she glanced at Ruby warmly "Especially you. I don't think I ever quite realised how loud you really were until you moved out"

"I'm not loud" Ruby pouted. At Charlie and Leah's disbelieving looks she continued "Okay maybe I am loud but...That's only because it reflects the volume of my personality so...there!"

"Right" Charlie laughed at her daughters conclusion and turned back to Leah "We were heading out to the city in about an hour...You're welcome to join us if you want?"

"Thanks" Leah smiled "But I'd better be getting back to the house. You know...Even though I'm not at work I still have work to do"

"Hmmn" Charlie nodded sympathetically "I understand that completely"

"Your work's been hectic?" Leah guessed.

"Yeah" Charlie sighed and nodded "That's why I'm taking today off. I've hardly sent any time with Ruby and Joey for about three weeks"

"Where is Joey?" Leah glanced around as if just noticing the other girl's absence.

"She's with Aden" Charlie answered "She should be home soon tho..."

As if on cue the sound of the front door opening caused Charlie, Ruby and Leah to look up.

"Honey, I'm home!" Joey yelled jokingly as she moved towards the living room. Upon entering she looked slightly surprised to see Leah "Oh Hey Leah"

"Hey Joey" Leah smiled as she stood up "I was just heading off...I have a tonne of work to do at home"

"Oh...Okay" Joey looked slightly disappointed as Leah hugged her quickly "Well make sure you come back soon okay?"

"Will do" Leah promised as she exchanged short hugs with Charlie and Ruby before leaving the room.

"I'm gonna get ready!" Ruby grinned as she jumped up from the couch and headed quickly upstairs.

"She seems happy" Joey noted as she slumped down onto the couch next to Charlie.

"Hmmn..." Charlie pulled Joey close and kissed her soundly "She is. We were talking and I found out that Ruby's been feeling a bit...Abandoned lately with neither of us really being around much"

"Oh..." Joey sat up and looked to where Ruby had left in concern "Is she okay?"

"I think so" Charlie nodded after a moment "I'm sure she'll be fine"

---

"I think we should go away for a while" Charlie said as she sipped at her drink "We might as well take a break while we can since I have time off work"

"Go away where?" Joey asked.

"Camping?" Charlie offered.

"Camping?" Ruby asked sceptically "Really Charlie?"

Charlie shrugged "It could be fun" she glanced over at Joey "What do you think Jo?"

"I think it's a great idea" Joey smiled supportively.

"Good" Charlie beamed and placed her hand on top of Joey's on the table

"As long as I get a separate tent" Ruby stated as a teasing grin formed on her lips "I'll never get any sleep if I have to share with you two"

"We're not that bad!" Joey protested.

"Yes you are" Ruby smirked. She frowned when she noticed Joey's attention had averted to over her shoulder "What's wrong?"

"Nothing" Joey sighed as she refocused on Ruby "Just these stupid women who keep giving us death glares"

"Where?" Ruby instantly turned around and responded with a glare of her own.

"Ruby!" Joey exclaimed in a whisper "Just ignore them!"

Ruby huffed and turned back around "Whatever...They're idiots"

Joey shrugged "I'm used to it" she risked a glance at Charlie who had suddenly turned very quiet "You okay Charlie?"

"Hmmn?" Charlie shook herself from her thoughts and smiled at them "I'm fine"

The three girls fell into conversation, forgetting the two women for the moment. After a while they stood up to leave the restaurant. Unfortunately the obnoxious women were leaving at the same time. As they passed they shot a glare at Charlie and Joey while muttering.

"I'm sorry" Charlie said pleasantly as she stepped forward to stand in front of the two women "Did you have something to say? It seems like you have a problem with us..." one of the women turned bright red while the other merely held her glare.

"I don't think you should be parading your 'Relationship' around like that" she said in a steely cold voice "It's not right!"

"Yeah?" Charlie raised her eyebrows at her and crossed her arms in front of her chest "Says who? You?"

Joey and Ruby gazed at Charlie in surprise at her defensiveness.

"Says everybody!" The women exclaimed in frustration "A woman should be with a man! This is wrong...It's a sin!"

"Right" Charlie laughed humourlessly "A sin...Of course it is. How silly of me to think anything else. You know what? If you actually knew what you're talking about it might be worth arguing with you..."

"I know what I'm talking about!" The women said her voice close to a yell "It says in the bible..."

"Blah Blah Blah" Charlie drawled much to the annoyance of the already incensed women "If you actually bothered to read the bible you would find that it doesn't actually condemn homosexuality. I'm assuming you've skim read it so you've just decided to take what it says in literal form"

"What?" the woman asked in confusion "No..."

"Technically" Charlie went on calmly "You're committing a 'sin' right now..." she gestured towards the women's clothes "Mixing two types of fabrics is 'condemned' in Leviticus'"

"This is ridiculous!" the woman huffed.

"Doesn't it say in the bible..." Charlie continued with a slow smile "That whosoever does not know love does not know God for God is Love? And that there cannot be a law against loving? And didn't St Teresa of Avila say 'The important thing is not to think much but to love much and so do that which best stirs you to love'?"

"I...Uh..." the women spluttered at Charlie statements "That doesn't..."

"What?" Charlie asked expectantly as she stepped closer to the woman "I think you should actually go and find out what you're talking about before you condemn other people...Now I suggest you get out of here before I arrest you for breach of peace"

"Come on...We're going" the woman barked.

"So soon?" the other women asked obliviously "Oh...Do you need to get home to Dick?"

Joey barely managed to hide a snicker behind her hand at the woman's words whereas Ruby released a soft giggle. Charlie was too busy glaring to find any humour in the situation. The women glanced at her once more before they rushed out of the restaurant.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Joey exclaimed as she wrapped an arm around Charlie's waist.

"Yeah...You sure showed them!" Ruby grinned at her mother "I didn't know you had it in you"

Charlie shrugged and blushed slightly "They were pissing me off...Do you think I went a bit over the top?"

"No" Joey smiled as she placed a soft kiss on Charlie's cheek "You were absolutely perfect but...How did you know all of that stuff?"

"I studied ethics and Philosophy" Charlie shrugged "It was part of the course"

"You never stop amazing me" Joey whispered as they made their way out of the restaurant.

---

Meanwhile outside of the city unknown to Charlie, Joey and Ruby the blue lights of an ambulance flashed as it sped to get to its intended target.

"Emergency" a voice crackled over the radio "The man's condition is critical. Hurry!"

TBC