Hey guys! Thanks for your comments on the last chapter. I was struck by a bit of writer's block and stuff but your reviews always help so...Here's the next chapter! Song is 'Wonderwall' (Cover version by Ryan Adams). I included it because I was listening to it on repeat while I was writing this chapter and felt it fit so...Yeah, you guys should really check out Ryan's cover. It's really different from the Oasis version...its great! Just discovered it tonight or well...This morning (I really have to start writing these chapters during the day instead of the middle of the night...Anyway hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 67
Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna give it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do about you now
"Something's going on with them" Charlie said quietly as she walked hand in hand with Joey through the corridors of the hospital "There's something they're not telling us"
"Who?" Joey frowned, her mind having been focused on other things.
"Ruby and Summer" Charlie rolled her eyes at Joey's lack of concentration "Are you even listening to me?"
"Yeah...Sorry" Joey apologised as they stopped next to the coffee vending machine "I was kind of distracted...So why do you think something's wrong with them?"
"You haven't noticed?" Charlie seemed shocked at the statement. She inserted money into the machine and pressed a couple of buttons before looking back at Joey "They're hiding something from us."
"Like what?" Joey asked cluelessly "They said they've told us everything they know"
"About what happened to them back at that house" Charlie answered "They're keeping something from us"
"Maybe you're being a little bit paranoid" Joey offered hesitantly as she handed Charlie her cup of coffee "I mean it's understandable...That you want proof that he didn't actually do anything to them. I feel exactly the same way"
"I'm not paranoid" Charlie sighed and moved to sit in the waiting room chair. She looked up at Joey thoughtfully "It's not even Ruby. It's Summer"
"Summer?" Joey echoed blankly in response "What do you mean?"
"I don't think she's telling us everything" Charlie shrugged "Ruby keeps giving her these looks. Like she's worried about her and then when I ask her about it she looks like she wants to say something but she can't"
"She can't?" Joey questioned sceptically "Why not?"
"Because she thinks that by saying something she's betraying Summer's trust in her!" Charlie persisted "I'm not paranoid or crazy Joey! You have to believe me...I'm not making this up!"
"Okay...Okay" Joey took a deep breath and sat next to Charlie, placing a comforting hand on her knee "It's okay...I believe you"
"Really?" Charlie looked into Joey's eyes searching for truth "Or are you just saying that so I don't get upset?"
"No" Joey smiled lightly at her wife "I trust you. I trust your judgement especially about things like this. You are the hotshot cop after all, right?"
"Right" Charlie chuckled at Joey's attempt to make her feel better "If you think so"
"I know so" Joey grinned "So run me through this again...Why do we think that Summer's hiding something about what happened at the house?"
"We'll talk and walk" Charlie said as they stood up. She grabbed Joey's hand lightly as they began walking "What she said just doesn't add up. She said that they escaped because she hit him, right?"
"Right" Joey nodded uncertainly "And?"
"With a bottle" Charlie continued "Why would he give her something that could be used as a potential weapon and how the hell did she get close enough to hit him before he realised she was going to?"
"Um...I don't know" Joey frowned "Maybe he wasn't watching them"
"Is that likely though?" Charlie countered as they approached the door to the room which was slightly ajar "I don't think that something he would do. Especially when she had a weapon in her hands"
"I don't..." Joey started to say before she was shushed by Charlie just as they reached the slightly open door.
"I don't understand why you're doing this" Ruby's hushed voice sounded from inside the room "You need to tell them what happened. You have to tell Cameron!"
"No I don't!" Summer exclaimed sharply "Nobody needs to know...Especially Cam"
Charlie and Joey exchanged confused glances at the conversation.
"Believe me now?" Charlie whispered.
"She's your sister!" Ruby argued "She has a right to know what happened!"
"Nothing happened Rubz" Summer sighed disdainfully "He didn't have time..."
"But he almost did" Ruby reminded quietly, a hint of guilt in her voice "And it's my fault that it almost happened. If you hadn't been trying to protect me..."
"This isn't right" Joey whispered suddenly her gaze disapproving "We really shouldn't be eavesdropping on their private conversation"
"Shhh!" Charlie shushed her quietly "We're not eavesdropping. We just..."
"Happen to be hanging around in the doorway listening to their conversation?" Joey offered sceptically "I think that counts as eavesdropping Charlie!"
"Wait..." Charlie said suddenly "Why have they stopped talking?" she backed away slightly from the door tugging Joey with her "Do you think they heard us?"
"Hey!" a voice exclaimed from behind them causing them to jump in surprise and spin around. They breathed a sigh of relief when they came face to face with a grinning Rachel.
"Hey Rach" Charlie smiled trying to look as innocent as possible "How...How's it going?"
"Fine" Rachel smirked in amusement as she watched them shift uncomfortably under her gaze "What about you two? What's with the incredibly guilty looks?"
"We didn't do anything" Joey blurted out "We...Um..."
"Are the worst liars ever" the doctor chuckled "Is there any particular reason you're standing outside of Ruby's room looking completely shifty?"
"No...Not really" Charlie shook her head "We're just...It's nothing"
"Right" Rachel shook her head disbelievingly "Well are you going to go in or stand outside all day? Because I need to talk to you before Ruby is discharged"
"Um...Yeah. Of course" Charlie blushed slightly before she turned around with Joey and followed Rachel into the hospital room.
"So are you ready to be released?" Rachel asked brightly despite Ruby and Summer's similarly sombre expressions.
Ruby's expression immediately brightened "Hell Yeah! Can I go now?!"
"Not yet" Rachel said causing Ruby's expression to drop again in disappointment "I have to talk to you for a minute first"
"Oh...Okay" Ruby nodded though she didn't look happy about it.
"Don't worry. It won't take long" Rachel smiled reassuringly "All you need to know is that you have to contact me immediately if you start to feel ill. If you experience headaches, nausea, muscle pain, lack of appetite...Anything like that" Ruby nodded and Rachel continued "I've already given Charlie your meds so you're about free to go"
"At last" Ruby sighed in relief "Thanks Rachel"
Rachel nodded and glanced at Summer who looked slightly happier at the news that Ruby was free to go but was still appeared slightly down "How are you feeling Summer?"
"I'm fine" Summer shrugged.
"Honestly" Rachel stated with a small smirk.
"It hurts a bit" Summer smiled with a sheepish shrug "It's not too bad though. It's getting better. Just cuts and bruises"
"Yeah, right" Ruby mumbled under her breath gaining herself a look from Summer "What?"
"Anyway" Rachel said as she began to walk towards the doorway "You're all free to go now, okay?"
"Thanks Rachel" Charlie smiled at their doctor and friend.
"No problem" Rachel offered a half smile and reached out to place a hand lightly on Charlie's arm "Just...Be careful, okay Charlie?"
"Okay" Charlie whispered in response as she watched Rachel walk away before she turned back to Ruby and Summer who were still locked in their stare "Who's ready to go home?"
"We'll talk at home" Ruby said to Summer just loud enough for Charlie and Joey to catch. They shared confused glances as Ruby got up from the bed.
"I'll talk to Ruby" Charlie said in a whisper "Will you...?"
"Sure" Joey said with a smile. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Charlie lips before pulling back and glancing at Summer "Hey Summer will you...Give me a hand with something?" she tilted her head in the direction of the door.
"Sure" Summer nodded as she got up and limped in Joey's direction "I don't know how much use I'm going to be like this though..."
Charlie watched as Joey and Summer walked out of the door before she looked back at Ruby "So...What's wrong?"
"Huh?" Ruby was slightly surprised at Charlie's blunt question as she pulled her shoes on "What do you mean?"
"With you and Summer" Charlie said as Ruby stood up from the bed "There's something that you're hiding. Or at least Summer is"
"Um..." Ruby swallowed nervously "Why do you think we're hiding something"
"I can tell" Charlie stated "If it has anything to do with Grant and what he did back at the house I need you to tell me Rubz"
"I wish I could" Ruby said her expression pained "But Summer...She trusts me and I can't betray her trust"
"So there is something wrong?" Charlie muttered feeling her heart plummet in her chest. Up until now she had been hanging onto the unlikely hope that she was wrong but Ruby's statement enforced the fact that there was something very wrong.
"I'm sorry I can't tell you" Ruby murmured apologetically as she stepped closer to Charlie "It's really not my place"
"I understand" Charlie said quietly "Just...Will you try to get her to talk to me? Or Cameron?"
"That's what I've been trying to do" Ruby said sadly "She's not listening to me...I'll keep trying"
"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled lightly and hugged her daughter quickly "Come on...Let's go home" she took Ruby's hand and they walked out of the room together.
"So..." she said quietly as she glanced at the younger girl "You and Summer got pretty close while you were away?"
"Um...Yeah" Ruby nodded thoughtfully.
"I mean she's hardly left your side since she woke up"
"Yeah" Ruby smiled lightly "I guess it's because we had to stick together when we were with him. Seriously Charlie...You have no idea what she did for me back there. I don't know what I would have done without her there. I don't know what Grant would have..." she visibly shuddered at the thought a felling of sadness passing over her at what he had done.
"I'll have to thank her sometime" Charlie said sincerely as she squeezed Ruby's hand sensing her sadness.
---
"Would you stop fussing?!" Ruby exclaimed with a hint of amusement as she entered the house with Summer hovering nervously at her side "I'm fine...You're the one who can't walk so technically I should be helping you through the door"
"Sorry" Summer smiled sheepishly "Habit"
"Come on" Ruby took Summer's hand and tugged her lightly towards the stairs "We need to talk...Or not talk. Whatever you feel like"
"But what about..."
"They'll be fine" Ruby assured her as they walked up the stairs with a little bit of difficulty from Summer's injuries.
"Well..." Charlie said as she entered the house and watched Ruby and Summer disappear up the stairs "I guess Ruby's still trying" she turned to Joey questioningly "Did you get anything out of Summer?"
"Nope" Joey shook her head "There's definitely something wrong with her though. I can't believe I didn't notice it before..."
"What do you think it is?" Charlie asked quietly as they moved into the living room and slumped onto the couch "Ruby said that she couldn't tell me because she can't betray Summer's trust so it must be something big. Maybe about what happened to her at the house?"
"But then why wouldn't she want to tell us about it?" Joey asked in confusion "I don't understand why she would feel the need to keep it to herself"
"Neither do I" Charlie sighed as she shuffled closer to Joey and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Joey wrapped an arm around Charlie's shoulders in response and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead "Hey" she said suddenly as she realised something "Where's Cam?"
"She's at the station" Charlie murmured quietly "She's having issues with Summer apparently"
"Maybe that's linked to whatever's wrong with Summer" Joey said hopefully "Wait...Did you say she's out alone when Grant's still out there? I'm going to kill her..."
"Georgie said she would keep an eye on her and drive her home" Charlie said quietly "She'll be fine"
"I'm sure she'll keep more than an eye on her" Joey smirked mischievously "I swear she's head over heels"
"Really?" Charlie asked "I thought they'd only been on one date?"
"That's all it can take" Joey shrugged "I mean I knew I was in love with you from the moment I laid eyes on you"
"Really?" Charlie blushed slightly as Joey nodded "You're such a sweet talker Collins"
"I know" Joey beamed "but you love me for it"
"That..." Charlie leaned forward and kissed Joey softly before pulling back slightly "I do" she quickly recaptured Joey's lips with her own in a deeper kiss.
---
"Sit" Ruby instructed with a soft smile as she pushed Summer gently down onto her bed "I know you're foot's hurting you"
"How did you..."
"I can just tell" Ruby shrugged as she hurriedly moved over to her I-pod and pressed play causing Music to sound through the speakers "Great...Now they probably won't hear us" She sighed softly to herself as she bounced over to the bed and plopped down next to Summer.
"You seem better" Summer observed with a smile "That's good"
"I am" Ruby nodded. She watched thoughtfully as Summer winced and shifted position "Are you okay?"
"Just a little bit of pain" Summer sighed as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed "It's not that bad..."
"It looks like it hurts" Ruby mumbled as she trailed a finger gently across a still healing scratch on Summer's arm.
"It's okay" Summer smiled lightly. They both fell into a comfortable silence after a moment, the only sound being the music that flowed from Ruby's I-Pod"
Backbeat the word is on the street
That the fire in your heart is out
I'm sure you've heard it all before
But you never really had a doubt
I don't believe that anybody feels
The way I do about you now
"I don't know your last name" Ruby said suddenly as she turned slightly to look up at Summer.
"You don't?" Summer asked.
"No" Ruby shook her head "What is it?"
"I don't think you'll believe me if I told you" Summer smiled.
"Why?" Ruby asked curiously "What is it?"
"My last name is...Woods" Summer answered seriously.
"Really?" Ruby laughed wholeheartedly for the first time in days "That's really ironic considering..." she trailed off and Summer nodded with a grin.
"Yeah..." she switched her position slightly and looked down at Ruby sincerely "Rubz?"
"Mmmhm?" Ruby hummed in response as she closed her eyes.
"Um..." Summer lay back on the bed and turned slightly so she was level with Ruby "About what you said at the hospital..." she paused for a moment but when Ruby merely nodded she continued "I don't blame you for what happened and...You shouldn't blame yourself either, okay? I chose to do what I did...Nobody forced me to"
"Okay" Ruby whispered as she nodded slowly "But I still don't understand why you won't tell anyone about what he di...Almost did"
"I don't see the point" Summer shrugged sadly "And...I don't want Cameron to know. She'll only get upset. There's no point"
"There's something wrong with you two" Ruby said observantly "That other secret you're keeping...From me too"
"Do you really want to know?" Summer asked quietly.
"If you want to tell me you know I'll listen" Ruby answered as she moved her hand to rest comfortingly on Summer's "But if you don't want to...Or you don't feel like you can..."
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead the way are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
But I don't know how
"Cameron was engaged to a girl called Marissa" Summer said in a hushed voice cutting Ruby off "She loved her more than life itself. I mean everybody love Marissa because she was just the most lovable person you could meet..." she smiled tearfully to herself at the memory "But...She died. The doctors said it was a cerebral Haemorrhage or something and Cameron lost it. She started drinking every night and some of the day too, she didn't talk to me, Didn't listen to me...hell she wouldn't even look at me most of the time. She spent most of her time at Random bars" Summer sniffled slightly before she tentatively turned her hand over and grasped Ruby's "Then one night we had a big blow up and I was really furious at her. I was upset to begin with because of Marissa and all and...Cameron left to go to one of her sleazy bars leaving me in the house by myself. I don't know why but I grabbed a couple of bottle of JD and locked myself in my room...Drank until I passed out. The next morning when I finally dragged myself out of my room I found Cameron all beat up" she closed her eyes for a moment causing tears to fall silently "If I hadn't been so petty, If I hadn't got drunk...I could have done something. I could have stopped what happened to her!"
"Summer" Ruby shuffled closer and hugged Summer tightly to her "There's nothing you could have done...It's not your fault"
"It is!" Summer protested weakly through her soft sobs "I could have done something. I should have done something to help her. I shouldn't have been so pathetic"
"You were hurting" Ruby said softly "That's not pathetic. It's human" they fell into a small silence apart from Summer's occasional shudders and sobs.
"I'm sorry" Summer mumbled as she began to pull away from Ruby's embrace "I..."
"Why do you always apologise?" Ruby responded quietly as she pulled Summer gently back to her "It's okay"
"I guess I don't like being so weak around other people" Summer sniffled lightly as she looked up at Ruby "But...With you it doesn't feel as bad. It feels okay"
"Good" Ruby smiled softly.
"I don't want Cameron to feel guilty for what almost happened" Summer admitted suddenly "Because I know she will. She'll blame herself"
"You have to tell someone" Ruby said quietly "Will you try? If you don't want to tell Cameron you can tell Charlie..."
"I'll try" Summer sighed at Ruby's persistence "Ruby?"
"Yeah?" Ruby asked quietly.
"Thanks for this" Summer mumbled as she gestured towards their embrace "It means a lot to me that you'll listen...Not many people do"
"Of course" Ruby smiled sincerely in response as she wiped a stray tear from Summer's cheek "I'll always listen"
I said maybe,
You're gonna be the one that saves me
And after all
You're my wonderwall
---
"What was that?" Joey gasped as she pulled away from the kiss and glanced behind Charlie towards the doorway.
"I don't know" Charlie mumbled "Probably just Ruby and Summer..." she sighed heavily and stood up "I should check" she walked to where the noise had come from with Joey right behind her. She stopped short when she noticed a letter on the floor bearing her name and bent to pick it up. She opened it hesitantly and her breath caught in her throat as she read the single sentence.
Charlie,
I'll be back (Tell Summer I said we should give it another go),
G
"Shit..." Charlie muttered under her breath. She pulled the door open and stepped outside looking frantically around for any sign of him but found none.
"What do you think he meant?" Joey asked nervously "Give what another go?"
"I don't know" Charlie muttered horrified at the implication "I really don't know Joey..."
Today was gonna be the day
But they'll never bring it back to you
By now you should've somehow
Realized what you've gotta do
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do
About you now
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead the way are blinding
There are many things that I would like to say to you
But I don't know how
TBC
