Hi, everyone. Thanks for all your lovely feedback on this story recently. It makes for a very happy writer! Angelo's going to hold onto his suspicions for a little while but watch this space... Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty Three

On Friday afternoon, Ruby arrived home from school still feeling down. She'd had a better day and actually spent most of it hanging out with Xavier. It was nice to spend time with him again and although she wasn't prepared to admit it out loud or analyse what it meant, Ruby found herself very much remembering what she had liked so much about him in the first place.

"Hey," she greeted, walking through the kitchen door.

"Hey," Joey said, looking particularly perky.

Ruby eyed her curiously.

"I baked you a cake," her step-mother declared.

"Really?" Ruby asked excitedly. "Okay, don't tell Charlie because she'll make me check my levels and all that and I really, really want the cake."

"It's a diabetic cake," Joey told her.

"Cakes can get diabetes?" Ruby wondered in confusion.

Joey laughed and hugged her.

"It's a diabetic friendly cake," she explained. "Ruby friendly."

Ruby beamed at her.

"I bought a diabetic cook book today," Joey explained. "So that I can make sure that all my recipes are okay for you to eat. And today, I made cake."

Ruby hugged her again.

"You're the best," she said.

"Now, go on into the lounge. Charlie's waiting for you. I believe that rom-coms are the remedy for Buckton broken hearts."

Jubilantly, Ruby headed through to the lounge where her mother was indeed waiting for her.


It was nearing midnight and despite her best efforts, Ruby was almost asleep. Snuggled under a heap of blankets, the teenager was warm, happy and full of cake. Sleepily, she rested her head in Charlie's lap and enjoyed the way she stroked her hair. On the other end of the couch, Joey couldn't help but smile at mother and daughter, knowing the closeness would make her partner very happy.

"We're very lucky, you know, Charlie..." Ruby ventured, almost incoherently.

"We are?" Charlie asked.

"Because we have Joey," Ruby explained, her eyes firmly shut and sleep threatening to take over.

Charlie smiled at her and then at Joey.

"I know," she said. "We're very lucky."

"She made me a cake," Ruby mumbled, more to herself than anyone. "A Ruby friendly cake."

"She did," Charlie agreed.

"And she worships the ground you walk on," Ruby continued. "You can see how much she loves you just by the way she looks at you."

Joey looked down a little shyly. Charlie smiled.

"We mustn't lose her, Charlie," Ruby said. "Not ever."

"Not ever," Charlie promised. "I think we need to get you to bed now though."

"Oh, I'm not scheelpy," Ruby lied, yawning.

"Well, you seem kinda scheelpy," Charlie teased.

"I'll take one arm if you take the other," Joey offered.

Nodding, Charlie helped Joey get Ruby up and towards her bedroom.


Safely in their room for the night, Joey lay in bed and watched Charlie finish getting undressed.

"I do worship the ground you walk on, you know," she admitted.

Charlie turned to gaze at her. She moved onto the bed and pulled her gently into her arms.

"You make me feel so loved," she said.

"You are so loved," Joey replied, stroking her hair.

They kissed tenderly.

"I don't deserve you but I consider myself very lucky to have you," Charlie said. "And for the record, I can't help but worship the ground you walk on too."


The following evening, Charlie and Joey were getting ready to go clubbing. The plan was to go into the city in three cars – Monica driving Watson, Charlie and Joey; Brett driving Amber, Aden and Nicole and Angelo had agreed to drive Martha and Liam. Now that Martha seemed to have forgiven Angelo and considering he had invited himself to their night out, Charlie had decided to make him useful. Also, with the way he seemed to be around her at the moment, she didn't particularly relish the idea of him getting drunk.

"I'm still cranky about this, just so you know," Joey said, sitting at the dressing table and beginning to apply her make-up.

"Yeah, I'm getting that from the way you pout every time he gets mentioned," Charlie laughed.

She perched on the edge of the bed and pulled her boots on.

"I can't help it!" Joey protested.

She glanced at her girlfriend in the mirror.

"And if he so much as looks at you with lust in his eyes..."

"I don't think he will," Charlie said. "He looks at me a lot these days but... I can't quite figure out what he's thinking."

Joey turned round, eyeing her quizzically.

"How's he looking at you?"

"Like I've done something I should be ashamed of."

A smirk twitched at the corner of Joey's mouth. She moved across the room and straddled her girlfriend's lap, running her fingers through her hair.

"And have you?" she asked.

"No!"

Joey looked at her watch.

"We've got twenty minutes," she said. "Do you want to do something to be proud of?"

Pulling Joey with her, Charlie lay back on the bed.

"Definitely," she said.


It was pushing ten o'clock and everyone seemed to be having a nice time. Charlie and Joey were particularly enjoying being out of the Bay and having fun with their friends. As she suspected, Angelo was continuing to look at Charlie as if she had something on her face or he couldn't quite work her out but she was determined not to let it get to her. And fortunately, it wasn't getting to Joey either.

"I have to say, I never thought you'd ever come to a gay club with me," Joey admitted, sitting down beside Brett.

He chuckled.

"I can't say I ever saw it happening myself," he replied. "What can I say? She makes me a better person."

He smiled, looking across at Amber who was strutting her stuff with Charlie, Monica, Watson and Nicole on the dance floor.

"She's a nice girl," Joey agreed. "She's good for you."

"And for the record, I think Charlie's good for you too," Brett said. "I couldn't see it first. I was convinced that she was going to hurt you. But she's nice. I like her."

"Good," Joey said. "It means a lot that you two are willing to make an effort with each other."

"Jo, come and dance!" Charlie said giddily, hurrying over to take her girlfriend's hand.

Joey looked at her brother.

"Coming?" she asked.

"Alright then," he agreed, nudging Aden, Liam and Angelo to join them also.


At the end of the night, Charlie and Joey snuggled up in the backseat of Monica's car. It had been a wonderful evening and a good chance to let their hair down and have some fun. Even Angelo had been tolerable.

"You two better not be having sex in the back of my car!" Monica called from the driver's seat.

"As if we would!" Charlie said, turning back to kiss Joey.

"We might," Joey mumbled against her mouth.

"We might," Charlie agreed.


Next time... Charlie and Joey begin to wonder if there is still something between Ruby and Xavier, Mink makes more trouble and Hazem's mother makes a request to Leah...