Chapter Eighty-Three

"How did it go?" Joey asked as soon as she and Charlie had reunited.

Charlie sighed and nodded, forcing a smile. The meeting with Ruby hadn't been so bad really. It had laid out the fact that they had a lot of work to do but it was a big improvement on Ruby ignoring or shouting at her. It felt like there was a way forward now. She explained her feelings to Joey and then took her hand.

"I ran you a bath," Charlie said, pulling her to her feet.

"Really?" Joey beamed.

Charlie took her to the bathroom and Joey's smile widened when she saw that the water was hot and bubbly and the room was lit with candles. Charlie moved behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist, burying her face in her neck.

"Would you like me to scrub your back?" she asked.

"You can scrub anything you want," Joey replied.

Charlie kissed her shoulder and then closed the door. She unashamedly watched Joey strip off and step into the tub. Joey looked back at her.

"Aren't you getting in?" she asked.

***

Ruby left her former home and headed to the Diner. Now that she and Charlie had talked and made even a little progress, she was starting to feel a little bolder and braver. She knew she needed to call Xavier and decided to do it as soon as she got home. For now, she wanted to take a solitary walk along the beach and then go and visit a couple of her old haunts, to try and get the feel of Summer Bay again.

***

Ross and Morag had gone for a walk along the beach. It had been a long couple of days amid a long few weeks. Ross couldn't help but wonder how everything had gone so badly wrong. His happy family had been fragmented and every day that passed, things were getting worse with his illness. He was desperately afraid of losing everyone for good and he had no idea what to do about it.

***

Jai dragged Xavier to the Diner for lunch. His friend was too busy moping around these days over Ruby's departure and lack of contact.

"She'll be back, okay?" he told the blonde boy.

Xavier nodded and sighed. As each day passed, he couldn't help but think that she'd never come home, that she would stay in the city forever. With Geoff. He stopped still when he saw the familiar form of his girlfriend standing at the counter talking to Colleen.

"Ruby?" he said, almost in disbelief.

She turned slowly and made eye contact. Jai stepped back quietly as Xavier hurried up to her.

"When did you get back?" he exclaimed. "How are you? I've missed you!"

"I um... I got back yesterday afternoon," she told him. "I'm okay and I missed you too."

His face turned to thunder.

"You've been back since yesterday?" he said, horrified.

"Yeah, I just... I hung out at Irene's for a bit, went to see my family and..."

"And forgot that I even existed?" he demanded.

"Xavier..."

"How could you just abandon me like that, Ruby?" he asked, sounding more hurt than angry.

"I didn't..." she faltered.

"You did!" he snapped.

"I don't want to talk about this now," she decided.

She turned away, ready to leave the Diner but he grabbed her arm to pull her back. Before he knew what was happening, Ross had hurried forward from his seat and pushed him squarely in the chest.

"Dad!" Ruby squeaked.

Ross whirled around and accidentally hit the teenager in the face for all the Diner to see.

***

Joey lay in Charlie's arms in the bath, smiling contentedly as her girlfriend made gently patterns on her tummy. She tilted her face up to her and kissed her lips. The steam from the hot water had made their faces wet. Joey leant back against Charlie again and closed her eyes.

"What time do we have to be ready to leave?" Charlie asked, feeling like she could stay in that place forever.

"Five thirty," Joey said.

Charlie shifted, making Joey sit up as she reached down to the floor to where she had discarded her watch. She sank back, pulling Joey with her and told her that they had an hour. She lifted her hand from Joey's tummy to her breast, beginning to idly tease her. Joey closed her eyes and moaned loudly at her touch. Eventually, she shifted onto her front and kissed Charlie possessively, letting their bodies melt together beneath the water.

***

Ruby clutched her face and Ross looked like he was about to cry. Everyone else, especially Xavier and Morag looked startled. There was pin drop silence in the room.

"Ruby, I'm sorry," Ross managed. "It was an accident."

"I know," Ruby replied.

She touched his arm reassuringly. Morag came to stand next to him. Ross swallowed and turned back to Xavier and apologised.

"It's okay," he said.

"I just... I didn't see you and Ruby. I saw... I saw Charlie and that boy. I'm sorry."

Ruby stared at him in disbelief.

"You saw Charlie and my Dad?" she asked.

"That Bledcoe boy is not your Dad," Ross said quickly. "He's a monster. That's all."

Ruby nodded slowly, turning the name of her father over and over in her mind.

"I'm sorry," Ross said again.

He allowed Morag to escort him from the venue and take him home.

***

Charlie and Joey finished getting dressed, having got a little distracted between the bath and the bedroom.

"Are you nervous?" Charlie asked.

"A little," Joey admitted. "I was hoping the second night would be easier but..."

She showed Charlie her trembling hands. Charlie held onto them, kissing them both in turn before giving Joey's lips her full attention.

"We'll be fine," she promised. "And the bonus is that nobody we know will be in the audience tonight!"

***

Ruby headed home and was grateful to find Geoff making himself a snack in the kitchen. She'd cried for most of her walk and he immediately noticed her red rimmed eyes. Pulling her into a tight hug, he asked what was wrong. She broke down and told him everything that had happened.

***

Xavier sat down hard on the beach. Jai sat beside him, unsure of what to do or say. The scene in the Diner had been horrible for everyone and he couldn't help but fret over what the future would hold for himself and his friends.

"Just give her some time," he said, looking out to sea. "And approach with care. Think about everything's she going through and I know it's hard, but try to forget your own feelings. You can make it work, Xavier. You two are meant to be together."

***

Ross excused himself from Morag and went for a lie down. The events of the afternoon raced through his mind and he couldn't get the image of a quickly bruising Ruby from his mind. She may not be his daughter, but she was his granddaughter and he had raised her and loved her as his own. The thought that he could hurt her like that, filled him with fear and disgust. He closed his eyes to the world and begged silently for sleep.

***

"Hopefully the bruising won't get worse," Geoff sighed.

Ruby's jaw was already swollen and sore and it hurt like hell.

"Yeah," she agreed. "I don't want Ross to have to keep seeing it. He looked so guilty."

Geoff put an arm around his friend and she settled against his shoulder.

"Thanks for being here," she said.

"Of course I'm here," he replied.

"Geoff..." she began, sitting back up.

He eyed her with curiosity and caution. He had already come to know that tone.

"Ross mentioned my father's name," she said. "My biological father. I think I want to find him."

***

Charlie blanched when she stepped out on stage and found Angelo, Watson and several of her other colleagues from the force in the front row. She steeled herself to focus on her lines, playing a somewhat despondent Romeo.

***

Xavier left Jai and headed round to Irene's. He presumed that's where she was staying. He doubted she was ready to go home yet. He kept Jai's advice in his head, determined to be there for her and not for himself. He was devastated at the way she had been pushing him away and he was desperate to make things right.

***

"Rubes, do you think this is really such a good idea?" Geoff asked worriedly.

Ruby nodded, utterly determined.

"His name is Bledcoe. I just need to find his first name and then I can track him down. I mean, he must be on Facebook or something, mustn't he? Everyone is. Even famous people!" she said.

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd manage but do you really want to meet the man who raped your Mum?"

Ruby swallowed and sighed. She hated the thought of what had happened to Charlie in order for her to exist but there was a strong part of her that was desperate to come face to face with the truth, to know where and who she had come from. She sank back into Geoff's embrace.

"I have to know," she said quietly, gazing at the television even though it wasn't on.

"What the hell is going on?"

Geoff and Ruby turned in surprise to find Xavier standing at the entrance of the kitchen. Ruby jumped up like she'd been shot.

"Xave..." she said.

"Are you two seeing each other?" her boyfriend asked.

"What? No! Geoff was just..."

"I can see what he was just doing," Xavier told her bitterly.

She watched him helplessly as he turned and left in fury.

***

Waking up reluctantly from his slumber, Ross had a heavy heart. He'd made a firm decision about his future and he knew it would upset his wife.