Hey guys, Here's the next chapter. Thanks to all those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. Oh and Joey may seem slightly ooc in this chapter (But I think it's justified because of the circumstances. I mean...Who wouldn't freak out if they watched their wife/husband/bf/gf die?). So yeah...That's why she's out of character (Slightly). Hope you enjoy...

Chapter 77

"Are we ever going to talk about this?!" Charlie asked in frustration as she followed Joey into their bedroom "Or are we just going to avoid the problem?"

"There is no problem" Joey answered stiffly "I'm fine. We're fine. Everything is..."

"Fine?" Charlie finished disbelievingly "Come on Joey, do you really expect me to believe that when you won't even talk to me?"

Joey took a deep breath and turned around to face her wife "I am talking to you"

"No you're not" Charlie disagreed softly "Not really"

"What am I supposed to say?" Joey asked, her shoulders slumping somewhat in defeat "What do you want me to say, Charlie?"

"I want you to tell me what's wrong with you" Charlie answered firmly "I want...I want to know why we've changed"

"We haven't changed" Joey said instantly though her tone was considerably softer as she noticed that Charlie looked like she was fast approaching tears.

"But something else has?" Charlie asked in confusion "I don't understand. What's changed between us? Things have been weird since I..." she glanced down at her chest where she could still feel the constant throbbing pain of her bullet wound "Since that night. I need to know what's changed!"

"You, Okay?!" Joey finally exclaimed loudly "You changed!"

"Um..." Charlie merely blinked at her in surprise for a moment "What do you mean by that? I haven't changed"

"It doesn't matter" Joey shook her head sadly before she began to walk past Charlie out of the bedroom.

"Wait!" Charlie stated firmly as she grabbed Joey's arm in a strong grip to stop her from running off "You can't just say something like that and not tell me what you mean Joey!"

"It doesn't mean anything" Joey muttered tightly "Like I said, it doesn't matter"

"It matters to me" Charlie countered "Our marriage matters to me. I'm not going to let you walk away from me when I don't even know what I've done wrong! I'm not going to let what we have slip away" her gaze softened and her grip relaxed slightly "I love you too much to stand by and watch it happen"

"If you love me so much" Joey finally pulled her arm from Charlie's now loose grip and spoke tearfully "Why is it that you didn't think about me or Ruby before you decided to run off and try to kill Grant? Why is it that you didn't think about how you going to prison or dying would affect us?!"

"Joey..." Charlie whispered feebly.

"It doesn't matter what you say" Joey said as her tears began to fall thicker and faster "You can't take away the memories of what happened that day..." with that said she turned and walked out of the room.

Charlie stood frozen in shock for a moment before she shook her head and rushed after her wife "Joey, Wait a minute!" she ran down the stairs and after Joey towards the front door "JOEY!"

Joey finally stopped and spun around at Charlie's raised voice to respond with a yell of her own "WHAT CHARLIE?!"

Ruby and Summer who were situated in the living room exchanged worried glanced but didn't move from the couch.

"You can't leave like this" Charlie said as tears began to form in her own eyes and she stepped forward "Just...Talk to me. Please?"

"I can't" Joey took a deep breath though silent sobs still shook her body "I just need some time alone, okay? I...I need to think"

"What about?!" Charlie asked in frustration "Why won't you just talk to me?!"

"Because you didn't talk to me!" Joey exploded angrily as she too moved forward slightly, the events of the past couple of weeks finally catching up to her "You didn't talk to me about what was going on with you or anything Charlie! And you most certainly didn't think about me or Ruby when you took off to kill Grant!"

"I did it to protect you!" Charlie stated in a hard voice "I did it to protect our family! Why don't you get that?"

"You didn't protect us!" Joey yelled tearfully her fists clenching at her sides "You forced us to watch you die Charlie! You almost...Do you have any idea how that feels?!"

"Jo..." Charlie trailed off speechlessly "I'm..."

"Don't tell me you're sorry" Joey said as she dashed her tears away roughly "I can't hear that right now" she swore softly under her breath as the tears just kept on coming "You...You weren't thinking about us. You wanted revenge and you would have sacrificed anything to get it. You almost did"

"Joey, please..." Charlie bit her lips against her own tears as she began to move forwards. She stopped however as Joey took a step back, away from her.

"You didn't think about what we would do if you were gone did you?" Joey asked emotionally "You didn't even consider..."

"I was trying to protect my family!" Charlie insisted again.

"You wanted REVENGE!" Joey practically yelled "And I get that but...The fact that you were willing to give up on us to get it? I don't get that. I could never..." she shook her head as tears spilled down her cheek unrelentingly "I have to go..."

"Joey..."

"I need some air" Joey interrupted her before she turned around and walked out of the house. The door slammed closed behind her.

Charlie swallowed heavily as her own tears continued.

"I have to go after her" Ruby whispered as she tugged at Summer's hand "Sum? I'm going to go, okay? Talk to Charlie"

"What?!" Summer's eyes widened in alarm "No...Ruby, I can't do that. You know I'm not very good at the whole comforting thing..."

"You're good with me"

"That's different!" Summer protested "Rubz..."

"Please, Summer?" Ruby questioned looking close to tears herself "I just...I have to go after Joey. And Charlie..."

"Fine" Summer sighed but nodded anyway "I'll talk to her"

"Thank you!" Ruby hugged Summer tightly before she pulled away and rushed over to Charlie.

"It'll be okay" she whispered as she hugged her mother quickly. She quickly pulled away and rushed out of the door. Charlie didn't even seem to notice either of these actions.

"Oh Man..." Summer whispered as she wiped her suddenly clammy hands on her jeans. She hesitantly moved over to Charlie and waved a hand in front of her eyes "Charlie?"

"Huh?" Charlie looked up at her and blinked rapidly causing tears to fall down her cheeks "Summer?"

"Come on" Summer took Charlie's arm and pulled her gently towards the couch where she set her down lightly "Um..." she bit her lip and tried to think of what to do "Tea! I'll make you some tea..." she nodded to herself and rushed out of the room, silently cursing herself.

Charlie watched her go and sighed heavily. The teenager returned a couple of minutes later with a steaming cup of tea in one hand and a box of Kleenex in the other. She handed them both to Charlie and hovered apprehensively next to her.

"You can sit down you know" Charlie said tearfully.

"Oh! Right..." Summer blushed as she sank down onto the couch next to Charlie "I'm sorry, I'm not really good at the whole comforting thing or, or e-even the crying which is surprising since Ruby cries a hell of a lot...Not that I'm trying to say anything by that. I mean Ruby is the strongest person I know and well...I'm fine with being there for her, it's just...Other situations I tend to get all flustered and panicky and I usually make a fool of myself and make the other person feel even worse than they did before which is definitely not good at a time like this. I'm actually kind of inept..."

"Breathe Summer" Charlie smiled through her tears.

"Right" Summer said finding herself suddenly breathless "Ruby usually stops me before I get that far...Sorry"

"It's fine" Charlie shook her head and focused on the tea in her hand.

"So...Um, do you want to talk about it?" Summer questioned quietly.

"No" Charlie answered tearfully "Not really" she glanced sidelong at the teenager "I think Joey kind of hates me right now..."

"Joey doesn't hate you" Summer shook her head instantly "You know Joey she couldn't hate you. She's just upset and hurt right now"

"I hurt her" Charlie whispered more to herself than Summer "I hurt both of them by bringing Grant into our lives. It's my fault"

"It's not your fault!" Summer protested firmly "It's his and only his!"

"I shouldn't have done what I did" Charlie murmured "I shouldn't have put them through that. I should have had more control over myself...Over my emotions"

"I thought Cameron's rape was my fault" Summer blurted out.

"What?" Charlie frowned at the exclamation "What do you mean?"

"I-It was after Marissa died" Summer said unsurely "Cameron was a mess. Ignoring me and going to random bars. Then one night we had a huge argument and she took off to one of her sleazy bars. I was upset so...I drank until I passed out. The next morning Cameron was bruised and battered. I couldn't help but think that maybe it was my fault for not being able to help her...Because I let my emotions control me" she fell into silence for a moment before she shook her head and looked up at Charlie "Anyway my point is that it isn't your fault that you lost control. You're only human"

Charlie nodded slowly her teary gaze fixed thoughtfully on Summer "Does Cameron know about that?"

"No" Summer shook her head honestly "She doesn't and she's not going to either. Even though Ruby wants me to have it out with her..."

"I should go after her" Charlie murmured in realisation "Joey, I mean"

"Maybe you should let her cool down?" Summer suggested tentatively "Ruby's with her"

"Maybe" Charlie frowned as she leaned her head on her hand. She turned it slightly to look at Summer "Tell me something. Anything to distract me"

"Um..." Summer looked lost for what to say for a brief moment "Erm...Cameron and I are leaving in a couple of days. Back to England" she nodded to herself and smiled sardonically "I don't know what I'm going to do"

"What you're going to do?"

"Ruby" Summer said simply "Ruby is the first person I've let get close to me for a while...I don't think I can do it again. When I go back to England...There's a chance I won't come back"

"It's going to be okay" Charlie whispered as she placed her hand on Summer's arm.

---

"LEAVE ME ALONE RUBY!"

"JOEY, WAIT A MINUTE!" Ruby yelled through her pants as she chased after the other ridiculously fast girl "JOEY, C'MON!" she felt a flash of relief when Joey finally stopped right next to the edge of the ocean "Joey..." she caught up to Joey and stopped next to her breathing heavily.

"I know you don't want to talk to me" Ruby said through her gasps for air "And it was probably not a very good idea to chase after you but..."

"What?" Joey asked through her tears as Ruby trailed off "What are you going to say Rubz?" she dropped down onto the sand, her shoulder shaking with almost silent sobs.

"I'm sorry" Ruby whispered as she knelt down next to Joey and placed a hand on her shoulder "I'm sorry that you feel you can't talk to me and..."

"How could she do it?!" Joey questioned tearfully "How could she just..." she shook her head in disbelief.

"She was trying to protect us" Ruby answered quietly "She lost control because she was trying to protect us...because she loves us!"

"Did she though?" Joey glanced at a surprised Ruby "Did she really protect us? Are you seriously telling me that you don't think about what happened at that hospital?"

"No...I'm not saying that" Ruby shook her head sadly "I do think about it but...We need to try to understand Joey. We need to understand that Charlie was just being who she is. She's not a cold blooded killer but she would do anything to stop us getting hurt. Including breaking rules and taking risks. That's just who she is"

"I don't know what to do" Joey confessed in a whisper "I keep thinking about what I would do if I lost her and...It terrifies me."

"Talk to her" Ruby suggested softly "You need to go home and talk to her Joey. Let her explain. I was just as pissed off as you in the beginning but if you talk about it you'll be fine" she lowered her voice slightly "I really don't want you two to break up"

"We're not going to" Joey reassured her quietly as she pulled the teen into her arms "I promise"

---

When Joey and Ruby finally walked back to the house it was just turning dark. Joey unlocked the door and entered the house with Ruby just behind her before they made their way slowly to the living room.

"Charlie went upstairs" Summer said quietly as she looked up at them from the couch. Joey nodded and left without a word.

"Hey" Ruby whispered as she sank into the half embrace Summer offered her "Is Charlie okay?"

"She's still kind of upset" Summer admitted softly "I'm sorry I tried to make her feel better and I even told her about that thing with Cameron"

"The fact that she slapped you?" Ruby asked feeling anger surface at the thought "Or the other thing?"

"The other thing" Summer chuckled "And the slapping thing is okay...It didn't even hurt much"

"I don't care" Ruby huffed "She shouldn't have done it"

Summer shrugged and they fell into a comfortable silence.

---

"Hey" Joey whispered as she leaned on the doorway to the room she shared with Charlie "I'm sorry about before..."

"You don't have to apologise" Charlie said as she stood up "It was my fault"

"I was being stupid" Joey admitted as tears formed once again in her eyes "I shouldn't have said all of that stuff. I know that you would never willingly hurt me or Ruby. You were only trying to protect us"

"I was irrational though" Charlie said "You have every right to be angry at me"

"Promise you won't do it again" Joey requested tearfully "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you. I can't even imagine..."

"I promise" Charlie said sincerely as her own tears surfaced "I..." she was cut off as Joey rushed forward and kissed her passionately. Though surprised Charlie responded quickly.

"I love you" Joey whispered as she pulled back slightly "I love you so much"

"I love you too" Charlie responded honestly before she kissed the other woman again and walked them back until they fell onto the bed.

TBC