Hi everyone. And so it begins... the big reveal! IJKS xx

Chapter Sixty-Five

Charlie had been nervous all day. Leah would be at work that evening and VJ was staying with Stella. Charlie and Joey had arranged with Ruby for them to have dinner together at home. What Ruby didn't know was that Charlie was planning on telling her the whole truth about her parentage. Charlie was terrified but Joey was reassuring. Neither of them knew how tonight was going to turn out but both had agreed that it was for the best. Charlie didn't want to keep lying, especially now that Ruby had expressly said that if it was her in the position of her 'nephew' then she would want to know who her mother was.

"Penny for them."

Charlie looked up from her daze when Angelo put a coffee down in front of her. She smiled gratefully and he took it to mean that he was allowed to sit down.

"Are you okay, Charlie?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I've just got a lot on my mind."

"Anything I can help with?"

"No. It's something I have to deal with myself."

Angelo wondered if it was connected to the painful past he had found out about. He also hoped that perhaps Charlie was having some kind of problem with Joey. If she needed comfort, he would be right there.

"Well, if you need me, I'm here," he said.

She smiled gratefully.

"Thank you," she said. "I'm sorry I've been closed off lately. I just panicked when you'd found out about the baby. It wasn't something I ever wanted anyone to know. But I'm grateful that you care. You do mean a lot to me, Angelo."

He smiled back, thrilled.

"And you mean a lot to me," he said.

***

Joey worked hard all day, taking her lunch break with Aden and feeling nervous about what was ahead of her, Charlie and Ruby that evening. Telling Ruby the whole truth would be very hard on Charlie and Joey was just hoping that she would be strong enough to look after them both. Charlie and Ruby had been so amazing to her, welcoming her into their family, loving them in their different ways and giving her the opportunity to trust and laugh again. She hoped that they could all work through it together. She was the first to arrive home and jumped in the shower immediately. Once she was washed and dressed, Joey headed into the kitchen to start preparing the dinner she had promised to cook.

***

"Hey, do you want to come over tonight?" Xavier asked as he and Ruby walked away from school.

"Can't," Ruby told him. "I'm duty bound to having dinner with Charlie and Joey. I think they want to do some kind of bonding or something. Charlie's been so busy lately with work and the play and everything. I think they want to get caught up and remind me that they love me."

Xavier smiled. As much as he adored his brother, Hugo was never one for emotions and things like that. He certainly wouldn't arrange something nice like Charlie and Joey had, although Martha did try. Hugo was a lot nicer now that he was in love.

"Well have fun," he said.

***

Charlie arrived home from work to find Joey submerged in kitchen chaos.

"You've been busy!" she commented, coming over to wrap Joey up in her arms.

They kissed softly.

"How was your day?" Joey asked.

"A little fretful. I made some progress with Angelo."

"That's good," Joey said, knowing that her girlfriend had been feeling uneasy around him lately.

"And how was your day?" Charlie asked.

"A little fretful too," Joey admitted. "I had lunch with Aden. He's still so low. I wish there was something I could do for him."

"You're there for him," Charlie said, kissing the tip of her nose. "That's what counts."

Drawing closer, they kissed, only to be interrupted by Ruby.

"Do you two ever leave each other alone?" the teenager grinned.

"We've been apart all day!" Joey protested.

"Uh huh. Sure."

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."

"Okay, great! I'm going to go get changed. Don't start without me!"

Ruby skipped off to her room. Charlie and Joey exchanged nervous glances.

***

With dinner served, Charlie, Joey and Ruby sat down to their meal.

"This is delicious!" Ruby said. "You're officially the cook of the family."

Joey smiled and blushed. No matter how regularly they came, she still wasn't quite used to receiving so many compliments. Charlie and Ruby were always so keen to praise each other and her. It felt good to be part of such a family. She just hoped that tonight wouldn't wreck everything. As they ate, they chatted about their days. Ruby threw in the odd teasing comment, dripping with sarcastic humour.

"So, what's dinner in aid of?" Ruby asked when they'd finished eating. "We never make special food plans."

Charlie glanced at Joey and swallowed hard.

"Ruby, there's something I need to tell you," she said.

Ruby gave her sister her full attention.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"It's fine," Charlie said, nodding. "It's just... um... well, uh..."

Her heart was racing and she couldn't get the words out. Her palms began to sweat. Joey reached for her hand.

"Ruby, I didn't have a son," Charlie eventually said, just about managing to meet the younger girl's frightened gaze.

"Well then why did you...?"

"I had a daughter."

Ruby's bewilderment became even more apparent as she wondered why she would lie about the gender of her child.

"And the reason I've not gone looking for her is that I've been around for her entire life."

"Charlie, what are you talking about?"

"Mum and Dad adopted her," Charlie said, her voice shaking with nerves.

"Charlie, what are you talking about?" Ruby repeated, her voice becoming more urgent.

She was putting the pieces of the puzzle together in her mind but they were horrifying and she was desperate for Charlie to prove that it wasn't what she thought it was. Charlie took a deep breath and squeezed Joey's hand so hard they were both worried she might break it.

"Ruby..." she said tearfully. "You're my daughter."

Ruby's eyes bulged. She stared at the woman she had always called 'sister' in utter disbelief.

"Charlie, take that back," she said, her stare becoming a glare. "Why are you making something like this up?"

"Ruby, I'm not making it up."

"You think this is funny? Is this some kind of practical joke?"

She desperately hoped it was.

"I wish it was," Charlie admitted. "But it's not. I'm sorry."

"You are not my mother," Ruby said.

She got to her feet and began to back away.

"Ruby..." Charlie said, getting up as well.

"Get away from me!" Ruby warned.

Charlie stopped in her tracks.

"Ruby, please sit down and listen to me," she begged.

"Listen to what? Listen to you explain that you lied to me for my entire life?"

"Ruby, that's never what we meant to do," Charlie promised.

"Well that's what you did. You lie to me for sixteen years – elaborately – and then you sit me down to some dinner and tell me you're my mother, not my sister... that my whole life has been a lie?"

"Ruby, if you sit down, you and Charlie can talk," Joey ventured.

"Did you know about this?" Ruby asked.

"Charlie told me a little while ago."

"You're both liars!" Ruby declared. "I hate you!"

With that, she turned and fled. Charlie began to charge after her, calling her name.

"Give her time to calm down," Joey instructed, moving to hold Charlie gently round her waist.

Charlie turned round in her arms, collapsing against her shoulder and crying. It had gone as badly as they had both feared.