Here's the next chapter guys! Sorry about the late update...But thanks again for all of your comments! I love to know what you think of the chapters :)
Chapter 57
"Stop worrying"
"What?" Charlie was pulled from her thoughts at the sound of her daughter's voice. She gazed in confusion at Ruby who was sitting across the table from her "What do you mean? I didn't even say anything this time"
"You were giving me that look" Ruby explained as she leaned her head on her hand "The one that means you're thinking...and worrying. Probably about me"
"I have a right to worry" Charlie smiled at her daughter "It's what mothers do, right?"
"I guess you're right" Ruby nodded slowly.
"Anyway..." Charlie continued "Rachel said that we need to keep an eye on you for a while until we're sure that the treatment's actually working"
"Well it seems to be" Ruby shrugged "I feel way better now"
"Breakfast..." Joey exclaimed as she stepped over to the table and set plates in front of Charlie and Ruby "Is served!"
"Thanks Babe" Charlie grinned up at her wife "You're the best"
"I know!" Joey exclaimed dramatically as she leaned down and kissed Charlie gently "Or so you keep saying"
"Yeah..." Ruby contributed enthusiastically "It's great but ...Do you seriously think I'm going to be eat all of this?"
"You have to keep your strength up" Joey smiled as she reached out and playfully ruffled Ruby's hair "And your sugar levels"
"Right" Ruby shook her head in amusement at Joey's obvious concern "You two worry entirely too much"
"We worry appropriately" Joey corrected as she grabbed her own plate and sat back down between them.
"It's kind of our jobs" Charlie added smiling proudly at Joey's clear bond with Ruby "Even if you do find it kind of annoying"
"It's fine" Ruby shrugged and smiled weakly "I'm lucky to have you both"
"Is something wrong Rubz?" Joey asked as Ruby dropped her gaze to the plate in front of her "You seem kind of...Off today"
"I don't know" Ruby answered softly "I'm just thinking about things. It's not important...at least not in comparison to everything else that's going on right now"
Charlie and Joey shared a concerned look at the teenager's statement.
"If it's upsetting you it is important" Charlie said slowly "You know that you can tell us anything"
"I'm fine" Ruby sighed "There's just a lot going on right now. It's a lot to take in"
When it became clear that Ruby wasn't going to say anything else about the matter Joey tilted her head inconspicuously to the side indicating to Charlie that she wanted to talk to her in private.
"We'll be back in a minute Ruby" Charlie said before she stood up and followed Joey out of the room.
"Great" Ruby muttered under her breath as they left "They're talking about me"
"Maybe you should talk to her" Joey whispered as they came to a stop just outside of the kitchen door "Go for a walk or something...Try to get her to tell you what's wrong"
"Are you sure?" Charlie questioned unsurely as she looked back into the kitchen "I don't want to leave you with all of the mess or anything"
"Its fine" Joey assured her quickly "The most important thing is making sure Ruby's okay"
"Thanks Jo" Charlie pulled Joey into her arms and kissed her quickly "Have I told you how much I love you lately?"
"A few times I think" Joey smiled before she pressed her lips firmly against Charlie's "Now go...I'll be here when you get back"
"I'm going" Charlie laughed before she began to walk back to the kitchen.
"Charlie?" Joey called out stopping her wife in her tracks.
"Yeah?" Charlie asked as she looked over her shoulder.
"I love you too" Joey grinned mischievously "And I'll show you just how much when you get back"
"You're a tease Joey Collins" Charlie stated before she continued walking.
---
"So what's wrong?" Charlie nudged her daughter gently as they walked along the beach together "Did something happen at school? With Summer? Xavier?"
"We broke up" Ruby said dully.
"You and Xavier?" Charlie asked sympathetically.
"No me and Summer" Ruby rolled her eyes at Charlie's question "Yes...Xavier and I broke up"
"Well you and Summer have been kind of close lately..." at Ruby's sigh Charlie wrapped an arm comfortingly around her shoulders "I'm sorry Rubz...Why did you break up with him?"
"I didn't" Ruby responded "He broke up with me...sort of"
"What? Why?!" Charlie asked in surprise "What happened?!"
"He was complaining that I wasn't spending enough time with him" Ruby explained as she kicked irritably at the sand under her feet "And then he was blaming Summer for it so I told him to back off! I'm not just going to desert my friend when she's going something really big just because my boyfriend happens to be feeling neglected"
"So then what did he say?" Charlie asked curiously.
"I caught him cheating with some girl from school" Ruby said miserably "It seems I'm not that hard to replaced after all. And then he told me it wasn't working anymore"
"Oh Rubz..." Charlie stopped and pulled her daughter into her arms "I'm sorry honey..." she exhaled heavily when Ruby returned the embrace tightly "I'm going to kill him"
"It doesn't matter" Ruby said quietly as she pulled away and smiled weakly at Charlie "I'm dealing with it but..."
"But?" Charlie pressed in concern.
"Summer's avoiding me" Ruby responded sadly "She has been ever since I got out of the hospital and...I don't know why. Not even Cameron understands it"
"People react in strange ways when they're faced with the possibility of somebody they care about dying" Charlie suggested insightfully "Maybe Summer's freaked out. She was terrified for you at the hospital that day Rubz"
"Maybe" Ruby muttered "I just wish she would talk to me"
"She will" Charlie reassured her gently "Just give her time Rubz...she'll come around"
"You're probably right" Ruby said before she hugged Charlie tightly "Thanks Charlie"
"Well isn't that sweet?" a mocking voice from their left caused them to pull away from the embrace and glance to the side to see Grant walking towards them. Charlie instinctively pushed Ruby protectively behind her.
"What do you want?" she asked sharply, her gaze focused on Grant "You're supposed to be staying the hell away from us remember?"
"Or what?" Grant grinned "You'll punch me again?"
"I won't stop myself" Charlie glared darkly at him.
"I just want to talk to my daughter" Grant smirked fully aware of the fact that referring to Ruby as his daughter would annoy Charlie "That's not a crime"
"I'm not your daughter" Ruby stated strongly as she looked out from behind Charlie "And I don't want to talk to you. I don't want anything to do with you"
"That's not a very nice way to speak to your father" Grant stated breezily.
"Just leave her alone!" Charlie said angrily.
"Look Ruby..." Grant looked at his daughter trying to look as sincere as he possibly could"I don't know what lies Charlie's been telling you about me but...They aren't true. I haven't done anything wrong. She's just pissed because she doesn't want to admit that she was sleeping around"
"What?!" Charlie exclaimed appearing completely stunned at Grant's statement "What are you talking about? I was not sleeping around..."
"What we did was consensual" Grant smirked "You know that you wanted it. You just don't want to admit it"
"I think you should shut up and go away" Ruby said furiously as she noticed Charlie's expression darken dramatically "Now!"
"I'm only saying" Grant shrugged casually "Come on. Think about it Ruby...If what she says happened really happened how could she look at you the way she does? Wouldn't she feel the slightest bit of resentment for you? Wouldn't she look at you and see what happened?!"
Ruby swallowed heavily at the statement "Shut up"
Grant grinned happy to have struck a nerve with the teenager "She's making me out to be the bad guy when it's really her who's the slu..."
"I said SHUT IT!" Ruby yelled furiously before she lunged forward. Charlie attempted to grab her but even she was too slow to react to her daughter's angry movement. She watched in stunned horror as Ruby jumped at the man sending them both sprawling to the floor.
"RUBY!" she shouted as Ruby proceeded to punch Grant with all her strength. She rushed forward and wrapped an arm around Ruby's waist pulling her off Grant "Stop it!"
"You're sick!" Ruby exclaimed furiously her eyes blazing with pent up anger "And if you ever talk about my Mum like that again I swear to God I'll kill you!"
"Damn" Grant smirked as he wiped a small streak of blood from his cheek from Ruby's surprisingly hard hit "Hit by two Buckton's in less than a week...I'm on a roll"
"I think you should leave us alone" Charlie said as she watched him stand up.
"For now" Grant said threateningly "I'll be back later" with that said he turned and walked away with one last smirk at Ruby.
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked in concern as Ruby sat down on the sand. She sat down next to her and took her daughter's hand which had already started to bruise because of the hit "That looks like it hurts"
"He's right" Ruby said suddenly as Charlie continued to look her hand over "How can I come from something like him? How can you even look at me when you know that's where I come from? That I'm the product of what happened to you?"
"I've never thought about that" Charlie said honestly as she looked up into Ruby's tear filled eyes "I don't see him when I look at you. You're nothing like him Rubz. I don't know how many times I have to tell you...You're my daughter and I love you no matter how you were conceived. That will never change. I promise"
Ruby nodded silently and flung herself into Charlie's open arms "Charlie?"
"Yeah?" Charlie asked quietly her own eyes shining with unshed tears as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's head.
"I love you too" Ruby sniffled quietly.
---
"This is getting ridiculous!" Charlie ranted as she paced back and forth in front of Joey "It's like we can't escape him. He's just everywhere...And he thinks that he can just say whatever he wants to Ruby. That he can make her think that I should hate her because of how she was conceived. I don't know who the hell he thinks he is. I should get a damn restraining order against him..."
"Charlie Honey..." Joey stood up and pulled Charlie close, planting a soft kiss on her lips "Calm down for a minute. You need to breathe"
"I can't!" Charlie stated though she had visibly relaxed into Joey's embrace "He just really pisses me off!"
"I know" Joey said quietly "I get that. I..." they were cut off by a knock at the door.
"That better not be him..." Charlie groaned as she pulled away from Joey though she knew by the sound of the knock that it wasn't Summer or Cameron. She walked over to the door and pulled it open not at all surprised to see Grant standing there "What do you want now? I told you to go away"
"I thought I should warn you" Grant grinned at her "That I'm considering pressing charges"
"Against who?" Charlie asked disbelievingly "Ruby? She's sixteen years old for God-sake!" she felt herself relax slightly when Joey joined her at the door and placed a soothing hand on her back.
"Against you" Grant corrected "You did assault me after all"
"You're a rapist" Charlie pointed out incredulously "And I'm a cop...Who's going to take your side?"
"We'll have to see" Grant smirked "I'll consider not pressing charges if you co-operate though"
"Co-operate?" Joey frowned "What does that mean?!"
"Let me see Ruby" Grant said his gaze still on Charlie.
"What?!" Charlie looked horrified at the request "Absolutely not. Ruby doesn't want to see you and I wouldn't let you anyway. I wouldn't let a sick pervert like you anywhere near my daughter!"
Grant's smirk rapidly faded "Well don't say I didn't give you a choice. I'm going to see her anyway you know...She can't escape me for long"
"You need to stop threatening them and get the hell away from us" Joey advised as she glared darkly at him "You have no right to see Ruby after what you did so I suggest you leave before you're hit for a third time. If I find out that you've touched her..."
"Whatever" Grant laughed at Joey's hanging threat "What are you going to do? There's nothing any of you can do...Whereas I can do whatever I want"
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"You'll see soon" Grant smirked "I'm done negotiating...You won't know what's hit you."
"Just go away!" Joey stated angrily "Or I'm going to throw you out"
"I'm going" Grant rolled his eyes and walked away for the second time that day.
"Thanks Joey" Charlie sighed as she leaned back against the doorway "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't gotten rid of him"
"its fine" Joey nodded still seeming angry at Grant's earlier threats "I'm not just going to let that bastard threaten our daughter like that. He has absolutely no right. I hate that he thinks he can ju...What?" Joey stopped talking at Charlie's surprised look.
"You said our" Charlie said quietly, a small smile forming on her lips "You said 'Our daughter'"
"Oh" Joey's eyes widened in alarm "I'm sorry...I just crossed some kind of line didn't I? I didn't mean to say that. I mean I'm not going to start throwing adoption papers at you or anything...It was just spur of the..." she was cut off as Charlie pulled her close and kissed her deeply. Though she was slightly surprised she returned the kiss right away and threaded her fingers through Charlie's dark hair pulling her even closer. She moaned softly as Charlie deepened the kiss even further sliding her tongue past the younger girl's lips.
"Wh...What was that for?" she asked breathlessly when they finally pulled apart.
"I love that you care about her so much" Charlie said her eyes glittering with tears "That you think of her like that"
"I do..." Joey nodded sincerely "You know you and Ruby mean the world to me"
"God I love you" Charlie breathed quietly before she pulled Joey back into a passionate kiss. She inhaled sharply as Joey's hand moved to her breast "Joey..."
"Hmmn?"
"I need you to make love to me right now" Charlie gasped.
"I would like nothing more" Joey grinned as she began to kiss her way down Charlie's neck and attempted to lead them upstairs at the same time.
TBC
