Hey guys sorry for the late update (Again) but my laptop decided to crash and I had to reboot. I hate computers when they don't work lol. Thanks again for all of your reviews. They really mean a lot. As for the Ruby and Summer thing...I've decided to let you guys choose since you're my readers and your opinions matter to me. So let's take a vote (Majority rules)...Yes or not to um...Rummer? Suby? Hmm...I'll have to think about that one. Hope y'all enjoy the chapter (Sorry for the lack of Joey in this one).
TheIrishGilmore: Thanks for the review! And don't worry...I didn't take offence. I love criticism. It helps me develop as a writer. I tried to take your advice in this chapter with regards to the Charlie/Ruby/Joey thing so I hope it's a little bit better.
Chapter 60
"It's going to be okay" Ruby whispered to herself as she wiped her clammy hand on her jeans and tried to ignore the nervous fluttering in her stomach "It's going to be fine" she took a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her nerves before she walked tentatively into the kitchen. She stopped in the doorway as she watched Charlie typing at her laptop, a cup of long cold coffee next to her "Um...Charlie?"
"Two seconds Rubz" after a brief moment of almost silence, the only sounded being the click of keys Charlie looked up and offered Ruby a warm smile "Hey"
"Hey" Ruby responded softly "Do you think we can talk for a minute? It's okay if you haven't got time I'll just wait until later or...Whatever"
"It's fine" Charlie said reassuringly as she stood up and stretched slightly "I've always got time for you. I need to take a break from this anyway"
"How long have you been working?" Ruby asked in concern as she followed Charlie into the living room.
"A few hours" Charlie shrugged as she sat down and motioned for Ruby to do the same "I'm fine...Honestly"
Ruby nodded and an awkward silence settled between them as she tried to think of what to say.
"So..." Charlie started after a couple of minutes when she couldn't take the suffocating silence any longer "What did you want to talk about?"
"It's complicated" Ruby said as she fidgeted nervously with her hands "I don't really know where to start or how to explain it so that you understand"
"The beginning's usually a good place to start" Charlie smiled softly as she took Ruby's hand in her own squeezing it comfortingly "As for making me understand...I can't promise anything but I'll definitely try"
"Okay" Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly before looking back at Charlie "I just...I need to tell you how I feel without you interrupting me...Can you do that?"
"Okay" Charlie nodded unsurely "I promise I won't interrupt until you're done"
"Right" Ruby said softly as she dropped her eyes to her lap "So...I just don't understand how you don't resent me or anything for what happened with Grant...I don't even know how you can look at me knowing where I come from..."
Charlie bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from interrupting even as she felt the need to disagree with her daughter.
"And I know what you're going to say..." Ruby sighed as she looked up at Charlie again "You're going to tell me what you and Summer have been telling me for weeks now...That it's not my fault and that how I was conceived doesn't change how you feel about me"
"It's true" Charlie pointed out quietly.
"Can you honestly tell me that you don't see him...You don't see what happened when you look at me?" Ruby asked sadly "Because a couple of days ago when the social worker was here you practically admitted it!"
"That's not what I meant" Charlie answered quickly "I wasn't talking about you Rubz...I was talking about him!"
"You seemed angry with me before that" Ruby countered "Not that I blame you at all. I wouldn't want to be reminded of something like that either. I just keep thinking..."
"What?" Charlie prompted softly as Ruby trailed off "What is it Rubz?"
"Is this the real reason you left me?" Ruby asked, her eyes growing slightly teary as she spoke "Because looking at me and seeing what happened was too much?" when Charlie merely gazed at her in shock she continued haltingly "I guess he's right...You have to resent me in some way after what happened. I mean I'm the result of your..."
"Stop it" Charlie said in a sudden loud voice her own blue eyes bright with unshed tears "Just stop it okay Ruby?" she exhaled deeply in an effort to calm herself down before she looked into Ruby's eyes "You have to listen to me Ruby...What happened to me was in no way your fault so I can't possibly be angry with you for that. I don't see him when I look at you...I see my daughter who I love more than anything and couldn't possibly live without. I can't picture my life without you in it...So no Ruby I don't resent you at all"
"But he said..."
"Don't listen to him" Charlie stated quietly "He's just trying to get to you"
"Okay" Ruby sniffled quietly before Charlie pulled her into a tight hug.
"Don't forget what I said" Charlie whispered as she held her daughter close "I love you no matter what, okay?"
"I know" Ruby nodded against Charlie's shoulder "I love you too...I just hate that I'm so connected to him"
"Just because you're connected to him it doesn't mean you're anything at all like him" Charlie informed her comfortingly as they pulled away "You're nothing like him"
"I'm sorry I doubted you" Ruby apologised guiltily "I was just..."
"You don't have to apologise" Charlie interrupted her with a small smile "I know...And it's okay. You..." she was cut off as the phone began to ring. She shot Ruby an apologetic look before she leaned across and grabbed the phone "Hello? Oh...Yeah..." she paused for a moment listening to the voice on the other end of the line before her eyes widened slightly in surprise "Really? That's great! Yeah...Thank you so much" after a few words of exchanged goodbyes Charlie hung up smiling widely.
"What?" Ruby asked curiously "Who was it? What are you grinning about?"
"We won!" Charlie exclaimed ecstatically "The social worker says that Grant lost his case against us because he's not credible or something"
"Really?!" Ruby exclaimed before she launched herself back into Charlie's arms almost knocking her off the couch in the process "That's beyond great!"
---
"Summer..." Cameron groaned as she followed her sister towards the kitchen "Would you just talk to me? Please?"
"There's nothing to talk about" Summer sighed sadly as she turned and looked at the older girl sadly "It doesn't matter...you have enough going on right now without me adding to your problems"
"You know you can tell me anything" Cameron said softly "That's how it's always been..."
"Not anymore..." Summer muttered.
"why?" Cameron asked in a hurt voice "I don't understand what changed with us...Ever since I was..." she trailed off and winced as she thought back to that night.
"Yeah" Summer sighed as she looked down at the floor "it doesn't matter Cam"
"I don't understand why you're do mad at me" Cameron stated in confusion "I don't know what I did to upset you but If you talk to me..."
"You don't know?!" Summer laughed bitterly even as tears formed in her eyes "Seriously?!"
"Well talk to me!" Cameron practically yelled in frustration "If you actually tell me what's wrong we might get somewhere instead of running around in bloody circles Summer!"
"Talking doesn't help" Summer informed her painfully "It didn't before...Remember?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about" Cameron admitted helplessly.
"Yeah...You wouldn't" Summer said knowingly.
"You're being cryptic" Cameron said in annoyance "We're not going to get anywhere if you don't tell me what's going on!"
"Than I guess we won't be getting anywhere!" Summer exclaimed angrily as she stormed out of the room with Cameron hot on her heels.
"Summer!" the blonde exclaimed causing the younger girl to stop "What the hell is going on? Tell me!"
"No" Summer responded furiously "Maybe when I'm sure you've actually started to listen to me again...I'll tell you"
"You're being really immature" Cameron stated heatedly "If there's a problem we should deal with it instead of arguing about it...Where are you going?!" she frowned as she watched Summer pull on a jacket.
"Away from your complaining!" Summer answered before she walked toward the front door.
"But it's..." Cameron was cut off as the door slammed shut "Dark...Damn it!" she slumped onto the couch and placed her head in her hand trying to think of what had gone wrong.
---
"Guess what?!" Ruby was practically jumping up and down as she spoke into the phone in her hand "I talked to Charlie and we're fine now...and the case has been dropped!"
"That's great Rubz" Summer spoke miserably from the other end of the line "I'm really happy for you"
"Are you okay?!" Ruby asked in concern as she noticed the sad and hoarse tone of her friends voice "You sound kind of upset"
"I'm fine" Summer sniffled quietly "I just had another argument with Cam back at the house...That's all"
"Where are you?" Ruby asked instantly "I'll come right to you"
"You don't have to do that" Summer spoke up quickly "It's dark out and with Grant around...I don't want you to get hurt"
"I can hear waves" Ruby said "Which means you're at the beach...I'll be there as fast as I can"
"But..." Ruby didn't hear Summer's protest and she hung up and rushed out of her bedroom and downstairs grabbing her jacket.
"I'm going out to see Summer" she said as she stepped into the living room and focused her gaze on Charlie and Joey "I'll be back soon"
"But it's late..." Charlie began to argue.
"I'll be careful" Ruby flashed them a reassuring smile before she moved out of the room and out the front door.
"Do you think she'll be okay?" Joey asked in concern as she glanced at Charlie.
"I'm sure she'll be fine" Charlie said unconvincingly.
---
"I'm here!" Ruby panted breathlessly as she dropped down onto the sand next to Summer "Sorry I took so long..."
"You really didn't have to come here" Summer said smiling weakly as she turned to face Ruby "I'm fine"
"You're not fine" Ruby said her expression only becoming more concerned as she shuffled to her right and wrapped and arm around Summer's shoulders "You've been crying...Which means you're not okay"
"Okay...I'm not" Summer admitted tearfully as she leaned her head against Ruby's shoulders "I was arguing with Cameron again and I stormed out"
"You shouldn't be out here" Ruby said softly "It's too dangerous right now"
"I know" Summer sniffled in response "But I needed to get out of the house"
"You could have come to my house" Ruby responded quietly.
"I didn't want to bother you" Summer said sadly.
"You couldn't bother me" Ruby said slowly "You know I'm always here if you need me" after a brief moment of silence she continued hesitantly already knowing the answer to the question she was about to ask "What were you and Cameron arguing about?"
"The same as always" Summer answered miserably "I don't know why I can't just talk to her about it...Or even talk to you about it"
"You make it sound like I'm your last resort" Ruby laughed softly.
"That's not what I mean" Summer replied quickly "You're far from my last resort..."
"I know" Ruby smiled "I'm just kidding Sum. I'm sure you'll be able to tell us some time. You just need to give yourself sometime"
Summer nodded slowly but frowned in concern when she felt Ruby shiver against her "You cold?" she pulled back slightly to look at the other girl to see she was wearing a simple tee and jeans.
"Kind of" Ruby nodded. She smiled when Summer pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her enveloping her in warmth "Thanks Sum"
"Anytime" Summer whispered. They sat in content silence for a few moments before Summer pulled away much to Ruby's disappointment and stood up offering the younger girl a hand "We should probably get back...I don't want you getting too cold"
"I was perfectly warm where I was" Ruby pouted as she grabbed Summer's hand and allowed herself to be pulled up off the ground.
"Sorry" Summer grinned as they began to walk slowly along the beach "But you'll be even warmer back at home"
"Are you coming with me?" Ruby asked hopefully "I'll get Charlie to call Cameron to let her know where you are..."
"Sure" Summer answered with a soft smile "If you want me to"
Ruby nodded and smiled brightly as they continued to walk, in the dim light "Of course I do"
"Did you hear that?" Summer said suddenly as she stopped and looked around in alarm.
"No..." Ruby answered "I didn't hear anything...You're being paranoid" she tugged gently at the other girl's hand and they continued to walk slowly "Anyway we'll be ho..." she trailed off as she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. The last thing she heard was Summer screaming her name before everything turned black.
TBC
