Just to let you know, you won't find out the truth about Joey and the River Boys for a while – not until we reach the point where they actually joined the show. But I thought I'd drop in a few earlier teasers! I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty

The next day was Saturday and Charlie and Joey were glad of a lie in. They'd ended up having a fairly late night so it was nice to snugly up and stay under the blankets for as long as they could get away with. In the afternoon, they were taking Leah to the Diner to check on the reconstruction work and then Charlie had a counselling session. But other than that, the day was theirs.

"Why don't we cancel all our plans and stay in bed all day?" Charlie suggested, snuggling a little closer.

She placed a gentle kiss on Joey's collarbone before trailing her lips up her neck. Smiling, Joey turned and caught her in a kiss.

"I'd love to," she said. "But Leah needs us. And you need Michael."

Charlie pulled a face.

"I was thinking of stopping the sessions..." she ventured.

"No."

"But I'm doing much better!" Charlie protested. "Aren't I?"

Joey felt compelled by her girlfriend's concerned look. She reached out and held her hand.

"You're doing fantastically," she encouraged. "But until you go a week without a nightmare, I think you should stick at it."

"But he makes me talk about what happened," Charlie sulked.

"Oh, the absurdity!" Joey teased. "You go to counselling after a traumatic event and he makes you talk about it? I don't know what he's thinking."

Charlie sulked more.

"You're not helping," she said, rolling over to face the other way.

Joey cuddled up behind her.

"Oh, come on, Charlie," she coaxed. "You know I'm just teasing."

"Don't care," Charlie mumbled.

Joey kissed her back and then her neck. Her hand snaked round to cuddle her.

"Aw, you know you're not really mad at me..."

"Am too," Charlie said, not caring if she sounded like a petulant child.

Joey moved back down and placed a tender kiss on Charlie's shoulder. Charlie felt a thrill go through her as Joey touched exactly the right spot. Forgetting all about her bad mood, she moaned and turned around in her girlfriend's embrace. Joey grinned triumphantly.

"Forgive me?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, okay, I wasn't really mad at you," Charlie admitted. "I just really, really hate counselling. I hate talking about my feelings and all that crap."

She sighed heavily.

"You're doing a lot better, Charlie," Joey said sincerely. "Three nightmare free nights out of seven is amazing progress and it's only been a few weeks. Just give it a tiny bit more time? Please?"

"Okay," Charlie agreed. "How long do we have left in bed?"

"About..."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Are you decent?" Ruby called through the wood. "I need to talk to you."

"One sec!" Charlie called back.

She and Joey hurried to put t-shirts on and then called her in.


"Can I help you?"

Geoff looked up from where he sat on the church pew. A broad, tall man approached him.

"My head is just full of junk," Geoff admitted sadly. "I thought coming here might help."

The man moved to sit beside him.

"I'm Elijah," he said. "The new parish Reverend. I've got time to listen if you want a sounding board."

Geoff sighed heavily, wondering where he would even begin to explain.


"So, he just snapped at me and wouldn't apologise for picking a fight with that guy," Ruby explained. "He said he wished you hadn't been there to break it up. But he also said that he didn't understand himself anymore. He doesn't feel able to escape all the anger inside him."

"I don't know what to suggest, Rubes," Charlie admitted. "It sounds like he has a lot of issues he needs to work out."

Ruby nodded.

"Maybe just give him time," Joey suggested. "I mean, at least he seems willing to talk to you about it. That's a positive, right?"

"I guess," Ruby said. "I mean, before, he seemed to be shutting me out completely. But he did open up last night."

"I'm sure it'll be okay," Charlie said, patting her daughter affectionately on the arm.

Ruby sighed dramatically and stretched out on the bed.

"How do you guys manage to be so perfect together?" she wondered. "You never run into problems."

"Yeah, not now!" Charlie remarked. "You do remember what I was like before I met Joey, don't you?"

Ruby sat back up and nodded.

"You were a mess," she agreed.

Joey snorted.

"Thanks!" Charlie remarked.

"You said it!"

"You could have said it nicer!"


"Ready?" Joey checked.

Leah took a deep breath and nodded. With Charlie and Joey on either side of her, she headed inside the Diner.

"Wow," she said.

"It's coming along really well," Joey said, turning in a circle and looking around.

"Definitely," Charlie agreed. "A few more days and the place will be as good as new."

Leah smiled happily, feeling relaxed for the first time in what felt like forever. Charlie stepped up and put a friendly arm around her.

"Before you know it, you'll be back behind that counter like nothing ever happened," she said confidently.

Leah breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that her housemate was right.


Charlie dropped Leah and Joey back at home and headed off to her counselling session. She had complained a little more to her partner about having to talk about her experiences but Joey had promised a reward later so she had left with slightly more of a spring in her step.

"How are you feeling today?" Michael asked when she'd got settled.

"Better," Charlie said. "I was just saying to Joey this morning that I don't think I need the sessions anymore."

"You do realise that you've been saying that since the first one?" Michael pointed out.

Charlie coloured and sat back against the couch.

"I've been having fewer nightmares," she said. "But I still have this horrible sense of the whole thing hanging over me. And I don't understand why."

"What specifically do you think is hanging over you?" Michael asked.

"I don't know."

"Is it something you feel you need to talk about or something you feel you need to do?"

"I don't know."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm not too helpful, am I?" she asked.

Michael smiled and assured her that they would get there in time.


Joey was cooking dinner for everyone and dancing round the kitchen in merriment when Charlie arrived home that evening. Standing in the doorway, Charlie couldn't help watching her for a little while.

"Rah-rah-ah-ah-ah, roma-roma-ma, Gaga, ooh la-la, want your bad romance!" Joey sang merrily into her wooden spoon.

Charlie snorted. Joey jumped in fright.

"How long have you been standing there?" she demanded, feeling flushed with embarrassment.

"I want you're horror, I want your design," Charlie joined in. "Cause you're a criminal as long as your mine. I want your love – love, love, love – I want your love!"

Singing gave way to giggles which led to a kiss.

"Maybe you should call yourself The Singing Chef when you get your own restaurant," Charlie remarked.

"I can't even tell you how hard it is not to sing in class," Joey admitted.

Charlie laughed and sat down.

"Any sign of Rubes?"

"She's seeing Geoff," Joey said. "Told me not to cook her anything so it's just me, you and Leah tonight."

She turned back to the stove.

"How was counselling?"

"Michael thinks I need to go and see Martha," Charlie said. "He thinks it will help me get some sort of closure. What do you think?"

Joey nodded.

"I think that could be a good idea."

"Will you come with me?" Charlie asked in a smaller voice than she intended.

Joey turned and gazed at her.

"Of course I will," she said.


Next time... Geoff makes a decision about his future, Charlie and Joey visit Martha, and Leah and Ruby hear about Charlie and Joey's moving plans...