Thanks for the reviews guys! A bit of a slow, short chapter here but it'll pick up soon. I promise. Hope you enjoy anyway :)
Chapter 58
"This is messed up!" Ruby announced suddenly as she looked over at Summer "This is really messed up. The most messed up my life has ever been I think...And believe me my life has been pretty messed up sometimes"
"Um...Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?" Summer frowned in confusion as she sipped thoughtfully at her milkshake.
"I don't know" Ruby exhaled deeply "I'm just so confused. This is really..."
"Messed up?" Summer offered with a small knowing smile "You said that a few times"
"Yeah...Completely messed up" Ruby nodded in response "I don't know what to do about any of this...Charlie, My...My..."
"Your Dad?" Summer suggested quietly as she averted her eyes away from Ruby's.
"He's not my Dad" Ruby exclaimed instantly "He's nothing to do with me"
"Sorry" Summer apologised guiltily at Ruby's sharp tone "I didn't mean to upset you or anything. I was just saying. Sometimes I open my mouth without thinking and words just kind of come out. You should ignore me"
"its okay" Ruby offered the other girl a small smile of reassurance "I just hate that I have a connection to the person who..." Ruby trailed off and Summer nodded in complete understanding "Charlie says that she doesn't see him when she looks at me...That she doesn't see what happened to her..."
"Um...I'm sure that's true" Summer said in surprise at the twist in their conversation "Anyone can see that Charlie loves you to bits"
"I know..." Ruby nodded slowly "I just don't understand how she can't think about what happened when she looks at me..." she leaned forward slightly and dropped her voice "I mean I'm the product of her rape Summer!"
"Yeah..." Summer winced slightly "I know that Rubz. But it still doesn't change anything about how she feels about you"
"She says that she loves me no matter how I was conceived" Ruby said lowly. She grabbed her straw and began swirling it idly around in her milkshake "But when I look at him it makes me feel differently about myself. Like I'm disgusted with what he's doing but I'm also disgusted with myself for coming from somebody like him...Somebody who hurt Charlie more than I can ever imagine. It makes me feel like I'm part of the reason she hurt so much...I kind of am with the pregnancy and all..."
"Hey" Summer reached out and placed her hand atop Ruby's as the younger girl choked on approaching tears "Stop it Ruby. Stop thinking like that. Where you come from doesn't make you a bad person. It changes nothing about the way Charlie thinks of you so you shouldn't think any worse of yourself. You know that Charlie thinks the world of you. She would do anything for you"
"I know..." Ruby said sadly "I just don't feel like I deserve it anymore"
"Have you talked to Charlie about this?" Summer asked in concern "Because I know what she would say if you did..."
"I have...sort of" Ruby answered in a soft voice "I didn't tell he all of that though. I don't want to upset her anymore. You...You won't tell her will you Sum?"
"Ruby..." Summer sighed at the other girls request "You can't ask me to do that. This is important...Really important"
"It's not!" Ruby stated forcefully "At least not to Charlie...its all clear in her head. She doesn't need to know about this...It's only going to upset her. She doesn't need that right now"
"You should tell her" Summer advised gently "You can't go on feeling like this Rubz" she sighed when Ruby merely shrugged in response.
"Found somebody else already?" a voice sounded from next to the two girls causing them both to look up. Ruby winced slightly when she noticed Xavier standing there.
"What do you want Xavier?" she asked tiredly "And...what are you talking about? You're the one who dumped me remember?"
Xavier motioned towards the table. Summer and Ruby glanced down almost surprised to see their hands still joined. Summer pulled her hand away quickly as they both blushed profusely.
"So...?" Xavier asked pointedly "Are you going to answer me or not? It obviously didn't take you very long to move on from me..."
"Seriously?" Ruby questioned in shock "You cheated on me with somebody else and I'm moving on too quickly?!"
"So you admit it" Xavier stated "You're dating...A girl. Going the same way as your mother?"
"I think you should back off a bit Xavier" Summer said in a soft voice as she leaned forward slightly "Ruby really doesn't need this from you right now"
"Shut up" Xavier snapped at her "I'm not talking to you. Why don't you go and drink some tea or something?!"
"Oh My God..." Summer rolled her eyes at the stupid stereotype, unable to help the smirk that tugged at her lips.
"Ruby..." Xavier turned back to Ruby and looked at her pleadingly "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do any of that stuff. I was just upset that you wouldn't spend any time with me...Can we try again?"
"Xavier..." Ruby groaned as she leaned her head on her hand "Will you just leave me alone...Please? I can't even think about that right now..."
"But Ruby...."
"She said leave her alone" Summer said defensively "So just leave her alone"
"Fine whatever" Xavier huffed "If you ever decide to talk to me I'll b around Ruby" with that said and one last glare in Summer's direction he turned and walked from the diner.
"Thanks Sum" Ruby said gratefully "I just can't deal with him right now"
"I understand that" Summer said quietly "Ruby?"
"Yeah?" Ruby responded as she looked up in concern "What is it?"
"Is my accent really that obvious?" Summer asked in alarm.
"What? No" Ruby laughed at her friend's obvious worry "No it's not...Xavier was just annoyed at you and he's not exactly the wittiest person so...He said the first thing that came to his head that would annoy you"
"Oh" Summer smiled in relief "Good...That's good"
---
"I'll get it!" Charlie called as she walked out of the living room, wearing a contented grin. She pulled open the door and her grin dropped to be replaced by a look of complete confusion at the woman standing in front of her "Um...Hi"
"Hello" the woman greeted with a polite smile "My name is Terri and I'm here to speak to...Charlie Buckton? And Joey Collins?"
"Um...Yeah" Charlie nodded though her expression remained confused "What's this about?"
"Maybe we should do this inside?" the woman suggested as she looked around awkwardly.
"Okay" Charlie stepped back unsurely and allowed the woman inside, closing the door after her. Joey chose that exact moment to appear from behind her.
"As I said" the woman said quietly "My name is Terri. I'm from Social services and I need to talk to you both"
"Social services?" Joey questioned in obvious alarm "Why do you need to talk to us?"
"An allegation has been made against you in regards to your daughter" Terri stated as she crossed her arms in front of her "an allegation of abuse"
"Abuse?" Charlie's eyes widened in shock at the statement "Somebody said I hit my daughter?!"
"Yes" the woman nodded in response "As I said serious allegations have been made against you. It has been suggested that in light of your recent violent outbreaks you've turned on..."
"Violent outbreaks?" Joey interrupted in disbelief "What violent outbreaks? Charlie isn't violent"
"You assaulted a Mr. Grant Bredcloe" Terri said "Ruby's biological father? He's accused you of abusing your daughter as you've probably worked out by now..."
"I would never do anything to hurt my daughter!" Charlie exclaimed angrily "He's making it up...I'm a cop for God sake!"
"I understand your frustration" The social worker said quietly "But I have to follow up on any allegation which means I have to talk to your daughter"
"She's not here right now" Charlie said stiffly "She's out with a friend"
"That's fine" Terri responded as she dug into her pocket and pulled out a business card which she handed to Charlie "But we'll need to schedule a meeting soon. If you could give me a call..."
Charlie nodded slowly still seemingly in shock "okay..."
"For what it's worth..." Terri said in a soft voice "I think it's obvious that he has his own agenda in this..."
Charlie watched numbly as the woman let herself out before she turned to look at Joey, visibly shaking with fury "He's doing it Jo...He's trying to take her away from me. I knew this would happen...I knew it!"
"I know..." as soon as Joey spotted tears in Charlie's eyes she stepped forward and hugged her tightly "He's not going to though. It's not going to work...Ruby's not going anywhere"
Charlie nodded through her tears as she clung tightly to her lover "I can't lose her Joey. Not now..."
"I know" Joey soothed lightly as she pressed a soft kiss to Charlie's head and silently cursed Grant "You won't lose her. I promise..."
TBC
