Chapter Two Hundred and Forty Nine

Morag, Ruby, Charlie and Joey reluctantly arrived back at Morag and Ross's house, having spent most of the evening at the hospital. Ross had fallen down the stairs, hit his head and broken his arms. The Doctors had decided to keep him in for a few days. With him already suffering from Alzheimer's, they were concerned about the head injury, although his scans had come back clear from damage, at least.

"Thanks for coming at such short notice," Morag said as they piled into the kitchen.

She began fumbling around to make cups of tea. Noting how pale and clumsy she was, Joey delicately took over and guided her into a seat. Morag offered a smile of gratitude and closed her eyes in despair. Life was hard enough without accidents making them worse for her poor, dear husband. Charlie reached out and patted her hand gently. They hadn't always had the closest of relationships but that had changed somewhat when Grant Bledcoe had died. Charlie, Ruby and Joey had fully relied on Morag to see them through and she had helped a great deal.

"We can stay as long as you need us to," Ruby said.

Then she glanced at her parents.

"Can't we?" she asked meekly.

"Of course," Charlie said. "I'll call work tomorrow and explain. Joey, do you think you'll be able to have the time off too?"

"It's Alf," Joey smiled, bringing all their drinks over. "Of course he'll be fine. I'd be surprised if he didn't try to come up here himself."


That night, Charlie and Joey climbed into the bed in one of the spare rooms at the house. In the dark, Charlie cuddled up close to Joey, desperate to take some kind of comfort in her. Joey held her, choosing not to comment on the tears that were obviously falling. Keeping her arms around her, Joey kissed the top of Charlie's head, whispering over and over again that everything would be alright.


As predicted, Alf made his way to the city first thing in the morning and told Joey that he would meet them all at the hospital. Morag, Charlie, Joey and Ruby all drove over in Charlie's car, prepared to spend the day with their loved one. They also hoped that they would be able to bring him home soon. Ross spent so much time with carers and having appointments here, there and everywhere that he never felt truly comfortable in a clinical kind of place. He had tried to live in a care home for a while but as soon as they had been able to afford the extra care, he had been eager to go home to his beloved wife.


The following morning, with Charlie, Joey, Ruby and Alf all staying over, Ross was allowed home. His arm hurt and he was feeling extra vulnerable but he was glad to have his family around him. Everyone was eager to fuss over him and Joey offered to cook a special lunch for everyone to eat out in the garden in the sunshine.

Leaving the others to it, Ruby stepped into the kitchen where Joey was merrily singing and working away.

"Do you need any help?" the teenager asked a little meekly.

Joey turned and smiled at her.

"I'm fine," she said. "Go out and spend time with your family."

"Do I have to?" Ruby asked, immediately clapping her hand over her mouth.

She had only meant to think it, not say it. Joey stopped chopping vegetables and moved closer to her step daughter, gathering her into her arms the moment she burst into tears.

"Rubes?" she asked gently. "What is it?"

"I just can't bear to see him like that, Joey," Ruby sobbed into her shoulder. "He used to be this big, strong guy. He could do anything and everything. And now..."

"And now he's not very well," Joey whispered. "Now instead of him taking care of the people around him, we all have to be strong and capable. We have to look after him and make him as happy as he can be."

Ruby drew away, worriedly asking if she thought she was selfish.

"Of course not," Joey said, pulling her back into a hug. "It's normal that you feel the way you do. He's your Dad, for all intents and purposes. He raised you. You love him. Of course you're going to feel sad."

"But I look at Charlie and she just seems to be handling everything so well," Ruby said, gazing out of the window at her mother and grandparents.

"She cried herself to sleep last night," Joey informed her, sure that Charlie wouldn't mind. "She's just good at putting a brave face on."

"I'm going to put my brave face on too," Ruby decided.

"Go for it," Joey encouraged. "And whenever you feel it slipping, you just come to find me, okay? I'll be here for whatever you need."

"Thank you," Ruby said earnestly. "You really are the best thing that ever happened to us, Joey. I mean that."

Leaving Joey to look embarrassed and shy, Ruby smiled and dashed back into the garden.


That evening, with Alf having gone back to the city, assuring Joey that the bait shop could wait until Ross was ready for her to leave, Morag and Ruby both went early to bed. Sitting out in the moonlit garden, Ross thanked Charlie and Joey both for being there.

"Where else would we want to be, Dad?" Charlie said. "We love you. Of course we're going to be here when you needed us."

"Well, I haven't always been there for you, have I?" Ross said sadly.

"Yes, you have," Charlie said quickly but her father shook his head.

"I should have protected you from that horrible man," he said. "When he was a boy... when he did that terrible, terrible thing to you. I should have protected you. Even if I couldn't have stopped him, I should have saved you afterwards. I think I only made things worse. You spent fifteen years learning to bottle up all your feelings and it's my fault."

He sighed heavily.

"Dad, please don't be so hard on yourself," Charlie begged, reaching for his hand.

"It's all true though," he replied a little tearfully. "I let you down in the worst way, Charlie. I don't even understand why you still love me."

Charlie slid out from her seat and onto her knees in font of him, holding on tightly to both his hands.

"You're my Dad," she said earnestly. "I know that whatever happened in the past, you always tried to do right by me and Ruby. And I know that if you hadn't stepped in and taken care of her when I needed you to, she wouldn't be half the person she is now. She's incredible, isn't she?"

Ross nodded weakly.

"And that's because of you as much as me. You should be proud of that, not sorry."

Ross reached out and cupped his daughter's cheek.

"What about you though?" he asked.

"Aren't I incredible too?" Charlie teased.

They both laughed. So did Joey.

"Dad, you taught me everything I needed to know about life," Charlie said. "You gave me the strength and determination to become a police officer, just like I always wanted to. I'm thirty and I'm already a Sergeant. That's good, isn't it?"

"It's wonderful," Ross agreed.

"And you were a big part of that. And I'm even in love now!" Charlie enthused, reaching out a hand to bring Joey into the conversation.

Ross smiled at both of them.

"I'm the happiest I have ever been," Charlie continued. "I have a wonderful job, a loving family – which includes you – the most perfect girlfriend and I'm building up a wonderful relationship with my daughter. I've got everything a father would want for their child, haven't I?"

Ross looked at her seriously. For a moment, Charlie worried that he would grow confused and ask her who she was. If he did, she thought she might cry. But he didn't.

"I'm proud of everything you've achieved, Charlie," he said honestly. "And I thank you for believing that I'm part of it."

"You have always been part of it," Charlie promised. "And you always will be."


Next time... Charlie contemplates taking the Detective exam, the mystery tagger strikes again and Martha seeks advice from Joey...