Chapter Two Hundred and Forty One

Joey had made good on her promises for a romantic night. After putting VJ to bed, the couple had eaten a delicious meal and gone for an early night. Lying in Joey's arms afterwards, Charlie realised that her concerns had melted away. She sighed in contentment.

"What are you thinking?" Joey asked, kissing her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Just about how amazing you are," Charlie grinned.

"Well," Joey said with mock modesty. "Those were some of my best moves!"

Chuckling, Charlie rolled over so that Joey was flat on her back. She covered her body with her own and gazed into her eyes.

"Thank you for wanting to be with me," Charlie said sincerely.

Joey looked puzzled.

"Where else would I ever want to be?" she asked.

Charlie smiled but Joey noticed the concern in her eyes.

"Charlie?" she said.

Charlie's smile got bigger as she tried to cover her own anxiety.

"What's wrong?" Joey asked.

"Nothing," Charlie insisted.

It was mostly true. There was nothing wrong anymore. But there had been. Joey flipped her over, pinning her playfully to the bed.

"I won't let you go until you tell me," she decided.

Charlie laughed and pointed out that having Joey's naked body pressed against hers wasn't exactly a bad position.

"Okay," Joey said. "I will never kiss you in that spot you love so much unless you tell me."

She smirked and ran her tongue ever so gently across the part of Charlie's shoulder that always seemed to drive her wild.

"Okay!" the police officer said quickly. "I was just... worried."

"Worried?"

"That you'd gone off me or something."

"As if I could!" Joey said. "What on earth would make you think that?"

Charlie sighed, struggling to find the words.

"Is it because of the house?" Joey asked. "But we've been looking at rental adverts all evening..."

"I know," Charlie said. "I know. You've totally put my mind at rest. I promise. I was just nervous before that."

"Nervous about what?"

"That you didn't want us to move in together or that... I don't know," Charlie sighed. "I had this horrible feeling that you'd worked out that you can do better than me or..."

Joey interrupted her with a kiss.

"I am the luckiest person in the world to get to be with you," she said firmly. "There's been no realisation that I can do better because I cannot do better. I'm sorry if I've been distracted and stuff lately. I'm sorry if I haven't been myself. But I promise you that it's nothing to do with you. I love you. I cherish you. You do not have to worry about anything like that, okay?"

"Okay," Charlie said quietly, more than a little relieved.

"But Charlie, you have to tell me when I'm doing something wrong," Joey said.

"You weren't!"

"If I'm upsetting you or anything like that," Joey continued. "You have to tell me, okay? You promised."

"I know."

"Promise me again," Joey instructed seriously, although she was smiling.

Charlie smiled back and swore to tell her if something was troubling her in the future.

"Good," Joey said.

Leaning down, she kissed Charlie's shoulder, succeeding in making her moan.

"Are you tired?" Joey asked when her girlfriend closed her eyes.

"Not in the slightest," Charlie breathed.


Joey was surprised to find Alf waiting for her when she arrived at work the next morning. He didn't look very happy.

"You're not demoting me already, are you?" she asked, mostly joking but secretly a little anxious.

Alf laughed and shook his head.

"Definitely not," he said. "But um, you are currently my only employee."

Joey paused.

"Sorry?"

"Aden quit last night," Alf explained.

Joey pulled a face. She was annoyed but she was also hurt.

"I'm hoping he'll come round and change his mind again," Alf said. "I think he's just angry with me for promoting you over him but..."

He sighed, feeling bad.

"I'll talk to him," Joey said. "I'm usually able to make him realise when he's being stupid."

Alf nodded but continued to look unhappy.

"He's pretty prone to temper tantrums, isn't he?" he commented.

"Unfortunately," Joey sighed. "But let me go and find him at lunch and hopefully we can sort this whole thing out."


Charlie arrived in the Diner at lunch time and was surprised to find Aden serving.

"Don't you work in the bait shop?" she asked curiously.

"Not anymore," he replied sourly. "What can I get you?"

"Um..."

"What are you doing here?" Joey snapped from behind her.

Charlie turned to see her girlfriend glaring at Aden.

"Working," he replied stiffly.

"So you really have quit the bait shop?" Joey asked in disbelief. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Aden yelled.

Joey stared at him, genuinely wondering what his problem was.

"Why the hell were you promoted above me?" Aden demanded as if Alf's decision was her fault. "What's so fucking special about you, Joey? You land on your feet in every damn thing you do and it's not fair!"

Joey, Charlie and several other customers turned to stare at him. Leah appeared from the kitchen, ready to step in if things kicked off.

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked weakly.

She felt unsettled. Charlie reached subtly and carefully for her hand.

"Everything is so perfect for you, Joey," Aden accused. "You've got the perfect girlfriend, a nice place to live, a good job, you're clearly the favourite with Alf, you're back at college, you're hurrying around town fixing everyone's problems! What can't something go wrong for you like the rest of us? I lost everything last year and you, you just sail through everything so easily!"

Joey let go of Charlie's hand.

"The best thing in the world happened to me last year," she said darkly. "But the worst thing also happened. When I thought Alf was promoting you, I was the first to offer my congratulations. You're snapping at me as if nothing bad has ever happened to me. I can't even begin to describe the shit that's been thrown in my direction. But I thought, when some good stuff did happen, that you might actually be happy for me. I never thought, as my friend, you'd just be bitter and jealous!"

With that, she stormed out. Charlie hurried after her.


Out in the fresh air, Joey struggled to control her breathing and her tears. Charlie appeared behind her and pulled her gently into a hug.

"Why did he say those things?"Joey mumbled into her girlfriend's chest. "Why couldn't he just be happy for me? I was happy for him when I thought he'd got the job..."

"Well, maybe you're just a better person than he is," Charlie sighed. "I'm sorry, Joey. I'm sorry he upset you."

"We're definitely not friends anymore," Joey told her bitterly. "I can't believe he'd be so horrible."

"He's just jealous," Charlie said. "He probably didn't mean any of it. He'll apologise soon."

Joey sighed and pulled away. Charlie fell into step beside her as they walked towards the beach.

"I don't know if I'll forgive him," Joey admitted.

"I'm sure you will," Charlie said. "Aden's your best friend. You couldn't fall out with him for good – not after everything you've been through together."

Joey paused and gazed into Charlie's face.

"That's what I mean," she said. "How could he believe all of that when he knows what happened to me? I mean, he of all people know what I went through. He's been there. He..."

She sighed unhappily and caught hold of Charlie's hand.

"I never thought my best friend would behave that way towards me just because I'm getting back on my feet," she said. "It's not my fault that I got promoted, or that you encouraged me to go back to college, or that I've been allowed to keep the love of my life. And it's not my fault that those things haven't happened for him either."

"I know," Charlie said softly. "I know."


That evening, Charlie, Joey, Leah, Ruby, Xavier and VJ all crowded around the dinner table. Joey, still unhappy after her argument with Aden, had consoled herself with cooking for the whole family.

"Did he say anything after I left?" she finally asked Leah.

"He stropped about a bit," Leah admitted. "And I think he feels guilty about what he said to you but he didn't really speak to anyone about it."

Joey sighed and nodded. Silence fell on the group.

"This is delicious, Joey," Xavier said, trying to lighten the mood.

Both Joey and Ruby smiled at him.

"So, does anyone have any cheerier news?" Charlie asked.

"Reverend Elijah has offered me some private self defence lessons," Leah said immediately.

Charlie looked curiously at the way her friend smiled.

"That's good," she said.

"Yeah," Leah replied. "I think it will really help my confidence. So, thanks to you both for encouraging me."

Joey shrugged but managed a smile. She focussed on her food, having already decided she didn't really want to go back to the class. It was a relief that Leah didn't seem to need her anymore.

"You like him, don't you?" Charlie realised.

She blanched, not having quite meant to say the words out loud. Leah immediately denied an attraction and looked particularly horrified. Charlie apologised quickly but admitted she thought she'd seen a flicker of attraction between them.

"That can't be said for Joey, hey?" Leah teased, trying to avoid the attention.

Joey looked up a little startled.

"Sorry?" she said.

"You didn't seem to like Elijah very much."

Joey shrugged again and said she didn't dislike him.

"You refused to shake his hand!" Leah pointed out.

"I was busy," Joey lied. "I didn't really enjoy the class."

"What was up with you?" Charlie wondered.

"Nothing," Joey lied.

"Jo?"

Catching her girlfriend's expression, Joey remembered the promise they had both ended up making the night before about always being honest about their feelings.

"I don't really like the whole church thing," she admitted.

"Sorry, have we actually found someone that Joey doesn't see the best in?" Ruby teased.

Joey mock glared at her. Taking a sip of water, she admitted that she'd gone to church every Sunday when she was a child. She'd loved it but they hadn't turned out to love her.

"What happened?" Charlie asked worriedly.

"I confided in someone that I thought I might be gay," Joey explained. "They told the pastor and the next thing I knew, I was being 'spoken to' about correct and incorrect behaviour. They told me that if I was intent on beginning an immoral life then there was no place in church for me. I was only thirteen and I loved my faith so it kind of broke my heart a little bit. I tried very hard to ignore my sexuality for a good while afterwards but even if I'd have succeeded I don't think I could have stayed. The way the leadership were looking at me was horrible. I felt so judged. They made me feel like a terrible person."

She sighed.

"So I walked away and I've never been back. Therefore, I don't feel all that comfortable around church people. And I guess they don't feel all that comfortable around me."

Charlie reached tenderly for her hand. Joey sighed again but plastered a happy look on her face and said it was fine and that it didn't matter.

"I know people treated you badly," Leah ventured. "And I confess I don't know all that much about the ins and outs of that kind of church. But Elijah could be different, couldn't he?"

"Maybe," Joey conceded. "But I'm not all that interested in finding out. I'm glad you like him and that he's helping you and everything but I'd rather stay out of this part of it if you don't mind."


Next time... the bait shop is vandalised again, Martha thinks she could be pregnant and Elijah tries to talk things through with Joey...