Hey guys, Thanks so much for all of your reviews. I appreciate your comments! Sorry for the late update but I was (And still kind of am) feeling kind of lost with this fic and more precisely the pairings I write. Hope you're still reading (And I'm really hoping you guys are still interested in my Rummer storyline?). Thanks to those who pointed that out in their reviews for chapter 81 btw. You made me feel heaps better...Oh and something weird is going on with my paragraph spacing so instead of ---- this is what my spacing between paragraphs looks like now: --Para--.

Boo: I wouldn't say that it is completely focused on Ruby/Summer since Joey and Charlie are still in it (Though granted not much last chapter). I still write about CJ but this particular storyline just happens to focus on Ruby/Summer. It's highly likely that when my next storyline starts I will focus almost completely on Charlie and Joey whereas Ruby/Summer wouldn't really have much screen time so to speak. It would be kind of boring if I only used one couple on all of my storylines...

Chapter 82

"I already told you!" Charlie exclaimed loudly as she walked into the living room with Joey hot on her heels "I'm not fleeing the country just because your psycho of a brother is being released from Jail!"

"I didn't say we should 'Flee the country'!" Joey responded heatedly "All I said is that maybe we should go away for a while"

"No!" Charlie responded instantly "I'm not being pushed out of my own town by somebody who may or may not come after me again Joey!"

"Have you forgotten what he did to you last time?" Joey asked in disbelief "He almost killed you! Not to mention trying to frame you for drug dealing"

"I remember" Charlie sighed and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation "But maybe you're overreacting slightly. There's not need to leave Summer Bay. He probably won't even try anything. Maybe he's actually learnt his lesson"

"I doubt it" Joey frowned knowingly "Brett doesn't do that very easily"

"I'm sure it's going to be fine" Charlie said comfortingly "But Jo...we can't just up and leave. I have work here, Ruby has school...We can't just leave"

"What if he does something though?" Joey asked in worry as she sat down on the couch "What if he hurts you or Ruby again? I'm only trying to stop that from happening..."

"Hey" Charlie soothed softly as she detected Joey's increasing agitation at the situation they were in "its okay. Nothing is going to happen to me or Ruby. I won't let that happen"

"How are you going to stop it though?" Joey exclaimed her eyes wide with alarm "There's nothing anybody can do to stop him if he tries to hurt you again"

"Joey" Charlie said softly as she placed her hands on Joey's arms "Look at me" she breathed a silent sigh of relief when Joey looked into her eyes "Nothing is going to happen to us. I promise, I'm not going to let that happen" she frowned in concern when Joey tensed next to her before pulling away suddenly "What is it?"

"Nothing" Joey lied as she stood up from the couch and took a step away from Charlie "It's nothing. Don't worry about it"

"It's obviously something" Charlie countered as she too stood up from the couch "Or you wouldn't have pulled away like that" she took a step forward towards Joey ~"Did I say something?"

Joey shook her head quickly "No"

Charlie frowned thoughtfully as she tried to think back to what she said. As she analysed her previous comment something occurred to her suddenly "Oh"

"Oh?" Joey looked up at her nervously "What do you mean 'Oh'?"

"You think I'm going to do something stupid again" Charlie muttered in realisation "Like I did with Grant and...That's partly why you're trying to get me away from Brett"

"It's not that I think you would do anything like that again!" Joey exclaimed instantly "It's just...I don't want you to have to go through that again. I don't want you to feel that you have to go to the extreme to protect us again"

"Its okay" Charlie offered a smile though it was weak "After what I did last time you have no real reason to trust my judgement"

"I do trust your judgement!" Joey countered sharply "I understand why you did what you did with Grant. This is different though. I'm worried about you"

"You don't have to worry" Charlie whispered as she stepped forward and tentatively took Joey's hand "Brett might not even do anything when he gets out of prison. Like I said he might have learnt his lesson this time"

"Are you seriously telling me you're not worried in the slightest?" Joey questioned in disbelief "Even after everything he did to you?"

"Of course I'm worried" Charlie smiled slightly "But there's nothing we can do right now. We can't up and leave because our lives are here in Summer Bay. So...I'm trying not to think about what's going to happen when he gets out. We'll have to wait until it actually happens"

"That doesn't stop me from worrying" Joey pouted slightly.

"I know" Charlie laughed softly and leaned forward to place a soft kiss on Joey's lips "But if anything does happen...At least we still have each other, right?"

"Yeah" Joey nodded though she still looked worried "I would prefer it if nothing at all happened though"

"Me too" Charlie smiled softly "I'm not doing a very good job of making you fell better am I?"

"Not really..." Joey sighed.

"Well than maybe I should distract you" Charlie smiled flirtatiously before she pulled Joey closer to her and kissed her soundly. It took only a moment for Joey to respond, her hands lifting to Charlie's cheeks.

"I like the way you think" Joey gasped breathlessly when they pulled away from the kiss. Her eyes slid shut as Charlie began to kiss a soft trail down her neck and she began to back them up to the couch.

"Helping?" Charlie murmured as they fell back onto the couch.

"Definitely" Joey stated in response before she tugged Charlie back to her and kissed her passionately. She moaned softly as Charlie's hand slipped under her shirt and trailed teasingly up over her ribs.

RING!

They pulled away from the kiss startled as the phone rang. Charlie was so startled in fact that she leaned slightly to the left and fell off the couch.

"Smooth" Joey laughed as she leaned across the couch and grabbed the phone.

"Whatever" Charlie grumbled playfully as she stood up from the ground and sat back on the couch.

"Hello?" Joey questioned as she answered the phone. She listened to the voice on the other side for a moment, her expression turning more confused by the second "Who...Oh, right. Nathan. Yeah, Sure I remember you. Ruby? She's...She's with you?" she listened for a moment and her gaze flickered to an annoyed looking Charlie "Damn it...We'll be right there"

"What happened?" Charlie asked as soon as Joey had hung up the phone "Where is Ruby? It's like...Midnight so I thought she would be in her room...Joey?" she narrowed her eyes at Joey who looked slightly apprehensive "Where is Ruby?"

"She's at the beach" Joey said carefully "Drunk"

"What?" Charlie exclaimed loudly as she shot up off the couch "She's...I'm going to kill her!" with that said she stormed out of the room, with Joey right behind her.

"Maybe you should calm down" Joey suggested quietly.

"Calm down?" Charlie questioned furiously as she pulled on her Jacket "My underage daughter is out getting drunk with a group of guys and I'm supposed to calm down?"

"Maybe you have a point" Joey nodded hesitantly as she followed Charlie out of the house and locked the door behind them "But Charlie you have to remember that Ruby..."

"I know!" Charlie stated angrily "I know that she's hurting right now for whatever reason but I'm not going to let her use that as an excuse anymore Joey. This is getting out of control. It's ridiculous!"

Joey was about to respond but thought better of it as she followed after her wife.

--Para--.

"Hey!"

Joey and Charlie watched as Nathan jogged up to meet them just before they reached him.

"You are aware my daughter is underage aren't you?" Charlie asked him tightly.

"Um...Yeah" Nathan shrugged as if the fact didn't matter at all "So?"

"So it's illegal!" Charlie practically yelled "Not to mention completely bad for her"

"Riiiight" Nathan rolled his eyes at her, obviously slightly intoxicated himself "She's over there" he motioned over his shoulder to where Ruby was sitting on the ground "I have to warn you though she's completely smashed"

Joey quickly moved away from Charlie and Nathan as she sensed her wife becoming angrier by the second. She walked over to Ruby just as Charlie continued to lecture Nathan and knelt down next to the teen "Ruby?" she shook Ruby's shoulder gently causing her to lift her head from her knees and look up at her fuzzily "Hey...."

"Joey...Hey, what are you doing here?" Ruby slurred, obviously drunk.

"Taking you home" Joey said with a slight smile "You'd better get rid of this..." she prised an empty bottle of beer from Ruby's grasp and chucked it to the side "And sober up before Charlie gets over here"

"Is she angry?" Ruby asked blearily.

"You could say that" Joey muttered softly just as Charlie and Nathan walked over to her. Nathan hovered apprehensively while Charlie knelt down next to Ruby and looked into her slightly dilated eyes.

"You are so grounded when you get home" she muttered trying to keep her anger at bay. She frowned as she noticed something and tilted Ruby's head to the side to reveal a red mark on her neck. Noticing Ruby's shirt was slightly undone she turned her furious gaze to Nathan who held his hands up in surrender.

"I didn't do anything after I noticed she was this drunk" he defended.

Charlie's angry gaze lingered on him for a moment before she turned her attention back to Ruby and quickly fastened the button's on her shirt "Come on Rubz"

"Where we going'?" Ruby slurred as she found herself being pulled to her feet by her mother.

"Home" Charlie answered irately as she began to move with Joey at her side.

"Bye Ruby!" Nathan called with a smirk before he turned around and walked back to his friends.

--Para--

"You still seem angry" Joey noted as she watched Charlie walking randomly around the kitchen the next day "Like...Really angry"

"I'm furious!" Charlie exclaimed barely able to contain the fury she felt "Do you blame me? She went out without telling me, got drunk and messed around with some guy! How else am I supposed to react to this?"

"Maybe you should try to understand from her point of view" Joey suggested apprehensively "Try to understand why she's doing this"

"I can't!" Charlie responded tightly "Because I have no idea why she's doing this other than the fact that Summer left and that really shouldn't be affecting her this much!"

"You know they were really close..."

"I don't care!" Charlie interrupted loudly "This is stupid. She's falling in with the wrong crowd, drinking, probably smoking..."

"I don't smoke" Ruby's voice sounded hoarsely as she walked into the kitchen "I ended up coughing for like an hour after I tried" she slumped down at the table "Ow...I have a headache"

"That's what you get for drinking" Charlie stated unsympathetically "What the hell were you thinking Ruby?"

"I wasn't" Ruby winced at the volume of Charlie's voice "I've been trying not to" she shot Joey a grateful look as a glass of water and an aspirin were placed in front of her "I don't want to talk about it"

"You go out and get drunk and you don't want to talk about it?" Charlie fumed "Well tough...We are talking about it"

"Stop yelling" Ruby muttered as her hand shot to her head. She quickly took the aspirin in front of her.

"I will not stop yelling!" Charlie stated angrily "What the hell is wrong with you Ruby? Do you have any idea what could have happened with your diabetes? You could have killed yourself"

"You're being overdramatic" Ruby murmured.

Joey winced at the statement fully aware of the fact that it would only agitate Charlie more.

"Overdramatic?" Charlie echoed loudly "I'll take you to the hospital and we'll see what Rachel has to say about this, okay?" she gritted her teeth in annoyance when the only response she received was a blank stare "You're grounded"

Ruby shrugged.

"What the hell is going on with you Ruby?" Charlie asked in a low angry voice "Is this really all about Summer? Because you should have gotten over..."

Ruby stood up causing her chair to fall back onto the floor "I'm going out"

"What?" Charlie's eyes widened in shock "No, you're not...I just told you, you're grounded!" she watched speechlessly as Ruby walked out of the door, the front door slamming a moment later "What the..." she frowned when she met Joey's slightly disapproving stare "what?"

"You probably shouldn't have brought Summer up" Joey shrugged tiredly "You know she's a touchy subject right now..."

Charlie looked like she was about to argue before she sighed softly "Maybe I was being a bit insensitive"

Joey nodded almost imperceptibly "I'll go after her, okay?" she kissed Charlie softly before stepping back and offering a small reassuring smile "It's going to be fine"

Charlie nodded in response and watched in resignation as Joey walked out of the kitchen "This is such a mess..."

--Para--

"Ruby!" Joey yelled as she rushed after the slightly slower than usual teenager "Rubz, wait up!"

"What Joey?" Ruby swung around to look at Joey "Are you going to tell me to go back to the house and apologise? Because I can't do that right now"

"Charlie's just worried" Joey said as she kicked at the sand beneath her feet "We're both worried about you right now"

"You don't have to be" Ruby said as she diverted her gaze.

"Don't we?" Joey questioned sceptically "Come on Ruby...You're going out and getting drunk. That means something is very wrong with you"

"There's nothing wrong with me" Ruby said tightly "I just want to be left alone right now"

"Is this about Summer?" Joey asked hesitantly "Look Ruby, I know you're hurting right now..."

"No you don't" Ruby shook her head sadly "You can't"

"She was your friend" Joey said softly "And she left. I know that you're hurting..."

"Friend" Ruby laughed bitterly and furiously kicked at the sand "Right"

"I know it may not seem like that right now with her not contacting you" Joey said softly "But she was your friend. She really cared about you"

Ruby shook her head "I don't want to talk about her"

"Why not?"

"I just don't, okay?" Ruby yelled as tears formed in her eyes "It hurts too much to think about her!"

"Maybe Charlie is right" Joey stated tentatively "I don't mean to sound insensitive but you shouldn't be this messed up Rubz...You should be..."

"Don't tell me how I'm supposed to feel" Ruby said sharply "You have no idea"

"Well tell me!" Joey yelled in frustration.

"NO!"

"I'm only worried about you!" Joey said loudly "Just tell me wha..."

"I WAS IN LOVE WITH HER!" Ruby yelled as her tears spilled down her cheeks. Her voice dropped to a whisper and sobs wracked her body as she finally admitted the fact she had been avoiding "I loved her"

"What?" Joey eyes widened in shock "W-What do you mean?"

"I was in love with her" Ruby stated tearfully "I had been for a while before she l-left but I hadn't let myself admit it"

"You mean...You loved her as more than a friend?" Joey asked blankly.

Ruby nodded "I didn't want to admit it"

"Oh My God..." Joey muttered as she placed her hand on her forehead in pure shock "I thought there was something more but...I thought I was imagining..." she shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts "You were in love with Summer"

"And now there's nothing I can do about it" Ruby spoke through soft sobs "I don't even know if she felt the same way. But it doesn't seem like it right now..." she wiped roughly at her still falling tears before she turned away "I'll be back home soon. I just...I need to think"

Joey could only watch numbly as the teenager turned and walked away...

TBC