Hey guys! Thanks again for your review. They really mean a lot to me and inspire me to continue writing CJ. The next few chapters are going to contain a lot of Drama/Hurt/Comfort stuff so I hope that's okay! Sorry about the overall Crappiness of this chapter...I figured you all needed a quick update since it's been longer than usual so it was a bit rushed :)
Chapter 46
Joey bit her lip as she glanced in the rear-view mirror at Ruby who was gazing despondently out of her window, arms crossed defensively in front of her chest.
"Hey" Joey said suddenly as she turned her eyes back to the road "We'll stop by that Milkshake bar you like on the way to where we're going. I'll buy you whatever you want. My shout"
"Really?" a small smile formed on Ruby's lips "Anything I want? Even if Charlie says that there's way too much sugar in it?"
"Absolutely anything" Joey nodded content that she had gotten a smile out of the grief-stricken teenager.
"And I promise not to rant about sugar...too much" Charlie added from her position in the driver's seat. She glanced at Joey and smiled gratefully at her attempts to cheer Ruby up.
"Surprising" Ruby commented quietly, though she couldn't quite manage to use the same teasing tone she usually did.
"So who's ready for our trip?" Joey questioned brightly as both other girls turned silent again.
"You mean the one that you won't tell us about?" Charlie asked with a soft smile.
"Yeah" Joey nodded enthusiastically "It's going to be great. Trust me"
"We've been driving for four hours" Ruby commented as she leaned forward between their seats "Where are we going?"
"I already told you" Joey grinned "It's a surprise"
"Well are we almost there?" Ruby asked as she looked around at the unfamiliar roads "Because I have no idea where we are anymore"
"We'll be there in about an hour and we'll be at the milkshake bar in about 15 minutes" Joey answered. She leaned across Charlie and opened the glove box, pulling out a pile of CD's which she handed to Ruby "See if you can find something to amuse yourself"
"How do you know this place so well anyway?" Charlie asked softly "You seem to know your way around. You don't even have a map"
"I used to come up here a lot as a kid" Joey responded slowly "So I have a good idea about where we're going" she reached across the gap between them and lowered her voice slightly "Are you sure you're up for this?"
"I'm okay" Charlie smiled softly as she took Joey's offered hand and squeezed it lightly "I think the one thing that could make me feel better right now is spending some quality time alone with my family"
"Okay" Joey nodded in understanding "You know that I'm here if you want to talk though, right? I know things have been kind of hectic but..."
"I know" Charlie replied "Thanks Joey...I don't know what I would do without you"
"I second that" Ruby exclaimed as she leaned forward and slid a CD into the car's CD player "Thanks Jo"
Joey shrugged modestly "Anytime" she glanced back at Ruby as music began to play "Seatbelt Rubz"
"Yeah, Yeah" Ruby obediently sunk back into her seat and fastened her seatbelt.
"Lady Gaga?" Charlie laughed sceptically at her daughter's choice in music "Seriously Rubz?"
"Hey" Ruby pouted indignantly "This is good music! Maybe it's past your time..."
"Oi!" Charlie turned and grinned at the younger girl "I'm not that old"
"Yes you are" Ruby nodded with a smile.
"Joey am I old?" Charlie looked to her partner for back up.
"Yes Honey. No Honey" Joey answered robotically though she couldn't help the amused smile that lit her features "Whatever you say Honey"
"See?!" Ruby burst into laughter "I told you!"
"Hmmph!" Charlie huffed jokingly and stuck her bottom lip out "Fine...Just gang up on me!"
"We're only kidding" Ruby said when she finally calmed down "You're not really old..."
"Thank you!" Charlie exclaimed in triumph.
"Dinosaurs are a couple of years older" Ruby added teasingly.
"Ruby Buckton!" Charlie turned around and glared playfully at her daughter "You just wait until we get out of this car"
Ruby swallowed nervously.
"And that would be now!" Joey exclaimed as she pulled into a small car park next to the milkshake bar.
---
2 days later...
"I still can't get over how huge this place is" Charlie said as she looked around the woods in awe. She squeezed Joey's hand as she turned her gaze to the turbulent river at their side "Thanks Joey. You have no idea how much this has been helping"
"All I want is for you and Ruby to feel better" Joey said sincerely as they stopped "I hate it when either or both of you feel bad"
"I feel better" Charlie said softly as she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to Joey's lips "And I'm pretty sure Ruby does too" she glanced at Ruby who was walking ahead of them, having to squint slightly because of the dimming daylight.
"Good" Joey stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Charlie's waist "So you like the place?"
"Definitely" Charlie nodded and leaned her head against Joey's shoulder in a moment of peace "It's beautiful. And...Secluded. Just what Ruby and I needed right now"
Joey was about to say something when the wind's strength picked up and rain began to pour "We should get back to the cabin..."
"Ye..." a loud scream cut them off and sent tremors through them. They spun around just in time to see Ruby loose her balance on the corroding river edge and plummet the couple of foot into the dark depths.
"RUBY!" Charlie screamed as she pulled out of Joey's embrace and rushed towards the turbulent river. Without a second thought and running on sheer panicked desperation she dove into the dark water after her daughter. She almost gasped as the icy feeling of the water engulfed her. She squinted through the darkness managing to make out an arm and swam quickly towards it. She grasped it tightly and pulled Ruby towards her in a protective hold. Recognising the harsh conditions of the water and the hard wave mixed with debris coming towards them she turned her body to act as a protective shield. She immediately found the air knocked brutally out of her chest and struggled to resurface against the fierce current.
---
"CHARLIE!" Joey screamed frantically as she hurried along the river embankment "RUBY!" she spotted them a short distance ahead and immediately tried to get closer "CHARLIE! SWIM THIS WAY!" she felt immense relief was over her when she noticed Charlie had begun to struggle her way over to her. As soon as they were in touching distance Joey grabbed onto them both and pulled them out of the rough river.
"Thank God you're okay" Joey panted as she watched Charlie breathing heavily, still clutching Ruby protectively. She winced slightly when she noticed that Ruby had lost consciousness "Charlie? Is Ruby...?"
"The cabin" Charlie said monotonously as she stood up somehow managing to take Ruby with her "She's going to catch a cold. She needs to get warm..."
"What?! Charlie..." Joey watched in amazement as Charlie began to trudge along, carrying Ruby in a grip that didn't falter despite what she had just been through in the river. She shook her head and began to follow, rationalising Charlie's sudden strength with a burst of adrenaline.
---
"Charlie?!" Joey exclaimed as she watched Charlie gently place Ruby onto her bed "Are you even listening to me?" she had been attempting to gain the older girl's attention for the past few minutes but to no avail as Charlie's main focus at the time seemed to be getting her daughter to safety.
"Yeah..." Charlie nodded slowly "Sorry..."
"Ow..." a soft voice sounded causing both Joey and Charlie to look back towards Ruby who had slowly began to sit up.
"Ruby?" Joey asked in concern "Are you okay?"
"Yeah" Ruby winced as she moved her hand to the back of her head "I think I hit my head though...What happened? Why am I wet? Why is Charlie wet?"
"You fell into the river" Joey answered as she glanced unsurely between Ruby and Charlie "You must have hit your head and...Charlie jumped in after you"
"Wow...So that's the second time you've jumped in after me" Ruby frowned in confusion "How did I get back here?"
"Charlie..." Joey turned her bemused gaze towards Charlie "Charlie carried you back"
"You did?" Ruby asked in surprise as she too focused on her mother "Wow...How did manage that?"
Charlie shrugged "I just...couldn't think of anything but getting you somewhere safe. It was probably adrenaline" she moved forward and knelt at Ruby's side "Don't scare me like that again Okay Rubz? I don't know what I would do if..." her voice broke causing her to trail off.
"I won't" Ruby promised before she pulled Charlie into a hug "Thanks for saving me Mum"
"Anytime" Charlie winced slightly at the pressure of the embrace.
"What's wrong?" Ruby pulled back to look at Charlie and gasped when she saw the red liquid staining her shirt "You're bleeding!"
"Bleeding?!" Joey echoed in alarm as she sat on the bed "Where?"
"Just from the debris in the water" Charlie said as she stood up "It's only a couple of cuts and bruises. I'll be fine" she nodded towards Ruby "You should get changed out of those clothes though...Or you'll catch a cold"
"Okay" Ruby nodded concern still clear in her eyes "Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine" Charlie smiled weakly "I just have to get changed and patched up" she looked over at Joey who was staring at her in unadulterated worry "You'll help me right Jo?"
"Of course" Joey nodded instantly. She stood up from the bed and turned her gaze to Ruby for a moment "You should stay with us tonight...Since your bed's soaked"
"I don't want to crowd you..." at Joey's look she relented "Okay. As long as you're sure I'm not being a pest"
"You're not" Charlie assured her. She painstakingly leaned down and dropped a kiss on Ruby's forehead "Now get change before you get sick" with that said she took Joey's hand and led her out of the room.
---
"Do you feel better?" Joey asked as Charlie walked out of the bathroom in her Pyjamas.
"I feel achy" Charlie said as she sat down next to Joey on the bed "And I have more 'cuts and bruises' than I first thought"
"Oh" Joey frowned and glanced at the first aid kit next to her "Can I see?"
"Sure" Charlie sighed at the uncertainty in Joey's voice but began to unbutton her shirt anyway.
"That looks like it hurts" Joey winced at the large cut on Charlie's stomach and the dark bruise on her back as well as the other smaller cuts and bruises. She reached for the first aid kit and began to dress the wounds as gently as she could.
"Joey?" Charlie asked softly as she watched Joey's treat her cuts tentatively "Is there something wrong? I'm kind of sensing that there's something wrong between us"
"No" Joey sighed as she lowered her hands and looked back up at Charlie "It's just that you've been really distant lately and with everything that's happened...I think we've drifted a little"
"But are we okay?" Charlie asked nervously as she pulled her shirt back on "You're not...Going to leave me, right?"
"No!" Joey stated instantly "I love you way too much to leave you. It's just...We'll work through it, okay? We can do this"
"Okay" Charlie nodded slowly.
"And you have to promise that you won't do anything like that again" Joey continued "You and Ruby scared me half to death"
"I'm sorry" Charlie responded apologetically "It's just...All I could think about was that Ruby had fallen into the river and...My first instinct was to jump in after her. That will always be how I'll react. I couldn't bear to lose anyone else Jo..."
"I understand" Joey hugged Charlie lightly wary of her many injuries "It's okay"
"I love you" Charlie sniffled as she pulled back to look at Joey tearfully "I love you so much Joey" she leaned forward and kissed the other girl lightly.
"I love you too" Joey whispered before she returned the soft caress.
TBC
