Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty
Ruby slept for most of the journey back to Summer Bay. She, Charlie and Joey had left Ross and Morag rather reluctantly but although Alf had given Joey as much time as she needed, Charlie's work wasn't as sympathetic. It wasn't so much that they didn't care but with her being one of a small number of Sergeants at the station, they needed her. And Ruby really shouldn't miss that much school if she could help it.
"Did you think about your Dad's suggestion?" Joey wondered, putting the stereo on quietly enough not to disturb her step-daughter in the back.
"Sort of," Charlie replied.
During one of many heart to hearts, Ross had suggested that he thought it was time for Charlie to take her Detective's exam.
"And?" Joey asked.
"It's... well... maybe," Charlie replied reluctantly.
She sighed, pausing in the traffic and drumming her hands on the steering wheel as she chewed her lip.
"Only maybe?" Joey asked, not wanting to let the issue go.
"I like the idea," Charlie ventured. "You know as well as anyone how desperate I am to make Detective one day. I hear there's one over in a place called Erinsborough who's younger than me. I saw his picture and he looked like he was twelve, to be honest, but I gather that he's in his twenties."
She grinned. Joey chuckled.
"I'd love to get to that rank in the force," Charlie said. "Especially if I can do it early enough for Dad to be proud of me. But at the same time, I don't think I'm quite ready."
"How come?" Joey asked. "You're an amazing police officer, Charlie."
She smiled. Charlie reached out briefly to squeeze her hand before beginning to move within the traffic again. It was so far proving to be a long journey home.
"I've only just been made Sergeant though," she said. "I don't want to run before I can walk. And then there's everything that's going on at the moment – we're moving house, you'll be setting up the restaurant soon if all goes to plan..."
"Charlie, I don't want my dream to interfere with yours," Joey said quickly.
"It's not," Charlie said. "The restaurant has kind of become my dream anyway. If you'll let me, I'd like to be involved in that... be part of it."
"You will be," Joey assured her. "I wouldn't even be doing it if it wasn't for you. Don't think I'll be forgetting that any time soon."
Charlie smiled and thanked her.
"I'm going to give it another six months," she decided. "And then I'll think about the whole Detective thing again. The time doesn't feel right just now. But soon."
The following morning, Charlie had no option but to hit the ground running. Before she'd so much as taken her jacket off, she and Watson were called to another graffiti attack. The vandal seemed to have particular favour – or dislike – for the caravan park and yet again, another van had been trashed. While they were on their way, Joey called to complain about the bait shop also being victimised so the officers had promised that they would be stopping at hers as soon as they could.
"Nice decor," Martha teased, approaching the bait shop.
Joey turned around and grinned.
"Cops are on their way," she said. "At least it's nothing offensive."
It just looked to be a random, orange tag so although she was keen to get started on the cleaning, she wasn't too fussed.
"Shouldn't you get priority or something?" Martha asked. "Dating the Sergeant has got to have it's perks, right?"
Joey smirked at her.
"It certainly does," she said. "But battling vandalism isn't one of them!"
Martha laughed and sat down on the step leading to the store. Sensing she wanted to talk, Joey sat down beside her.
"What's up?" she asked.
"I think I've turned into a bitch."
"And you're sure you didn't see anything?" Charlie asked the assembled crowd of Alf, Miles, Romeo and Nicole.
"Nothing," Miles said, taking the lead. "I guess it must have happened in the night."
"What about Colleen?" she asked.
"What about her?" Romeo asked.
"Well, she's a gos... I mean, she always has her ear to the ground, doesn't she?" Charlie pointed out. "She's got a pretty good awareness of what's going on in the Bay."
"To be honest, love, I think if she'd have caught anyone, she would have told the whole world about it by now," Alf pointed out.
Charlie nodded. He definitely had a point.
"Okay, well, if any of you think of anything, give either of us a call," she instructed.
"We will," Miles promised, showing them to the door.
"Charlie, how's your Dad?" Nicole asked as they began to leave.
"Bearing up," Charlie replied. "Thanks."
At one time, she and Nicole hadn't been able to stand each other. But now, Charlie could easily see what a sweet girl she was. And she hoped that Nicole thought more of her than she once had.
"Look, do you want to be with him?" Joey asked, getting right the point.
Martha had unhappily explained that she seemed to always be chopping and changing her mind with Liam. She knew it wasn't fair but one minute, she pulled him close and the next, she was pushing him away. She was either ignoring him or having random sex with him. Nothing made sense in her head.
"I don't know," she said, sighing heavily.
"Could I make a bold observation?" Joey asked.
Martha offered her unwavering attention.
"It's too soon," Joey said. "I know I wasn't your friend back then but by all accounts, Jack meant the whole world to you."
"He did," Martha agreed. "He still does."
"And you finally took the risk of being with someone new, even though it was so difficult to make that transition," Joey continued.
Martha nodded.
"And you loved him and he loved you but that was the only good thing about him. Otherwise, he was a bastard."
Martha hung her head.
"Sorry, but he was."
"I know," Martha said sadly.
"And it's not like you can even hate him now because he's dead and that changes everything," Joey said. "I had a terrible relationship with my father but because he died so suddenly and tragically, I can't help but think of him with rose tinted glasses. I know it's not reality but it's the way I feel. And I can only imagine that you're in a similar position."
Martha nodded again, wondering why she hadn't sought Joey's advice sooner.
"So, personally, I don't think you're ready to be with someone new," the bait shop manager said. "I think you're trying to bury your pain, lose yourself in someone else but unfortunately, it's not going to work. You need to take the time to grieve. And you need to make sure that nobody – including yourself but also including Liam – gets hurt. I don't know the guy very well but from his past, and from what you said happened around New Year, he's pretty vulnerable. I know how terrible you'd feel if you pushed him over the edge. So, don't. Be friends with him. Be nice to him. But don't force yourself into something you're not ready for."
Martha smiled at the way Joey blushed at being so forthright.
"You're very wise for a twenty six year old," she commented.
Joey laughed and then shrugged.
"Just my two cents worth," she said. "I could be completely wrong but..."
"You're not wrong," Martha assured her. "You're definitely not wrong."
Annie and Ruby sat on the beach together after school, glad to have the chance to catch up properly. First Annie had been in Japan and the Ruby had had to dash off to the city to be with her grandfather. It had been far too long.
"So, how's life been back here?" Annie asked, having regaled her eager friends with all sorts of tales from Japan.
"It's been okay," Ruby ventured. "I mean, personally, I'm still settling down with Charlie and Joey being my parents and everything."
She was surprised when Annie didn't pull a face. She had never been all that supportive of Charlie being in a lesbian relationship.
"They seem pretty solid," was all she said.
"They are," Ruby grinned. "It's so nice to see Charlie in a happy relationship. She's been messed around and hurt so much in the past but Joey really loves her. And what's even more remarkable is that Charlie feels the same way. She actually worships the ground Joey walks on. She's never opened herself up to feeling like that about another person so Joey's very special."
"To be honest, I thought it was just going to be a phase," Annie admitted.
"I kind of did too, back in the beginning," Ruby confessed. "But I'm glad it's not."
"Is it weird for you though?" Annie asked. "Seeing your Mum with another woman? I mean, I'm not judging. I'm just asking."
"I thought it would be," Ruby replied. "And I guess it was at first but now, no. It's just normal. And I think the most important thing is for someone to be happy. I don't think it matters who it's with."
"Me neither," Annie agreed.
Ruby raised an eyebrow.
"I know I wasn't the most supportive person in the world before," Annie told her. "But I'm a different person now."
"A different person still in love with the same guy?" Ruby asked, changing the subject.
Annie blushed at the reference to Romeo. She sighed and nodded.
"I don't know where it's going though," she said. "I don't know where I'm going. We can hardly have a relationship with him if I'm in another country."
"Are you going back?" Ruby asked.
"I don't know yet. I guess I want him to make me stay. Anyway, how are things for you in the romance department? I'm sorry things didn't work out with Geoff."
"We just wanted different things," Ruby mused. "I wish him well. And things seem to be going nicely between Xavier and I again so..."
She smiled, thinking of her boyfriend.
"I'm really hopeful that things will work out better this time," she said. "Your first love is someone you ought to hold onto if you can."
Joey finished work and headed towards the Diner to meet Charlie for an early dinner. Her girlfriend was likely to be working overtime tonight so Joey was keen to get a few moments with her if she could. The police Sergeant was very eager to get this vandalism case wrapped up as quickly as she could.
"Hi, Elijah!" Joey called when she spotted the Reverend walking in the opposite direction.
She and Charlie had been going regularly to church for the last few weeks. Joey knew that Charlie was mostly going to make her happy, although she had expressed more interest recently. But Joey was enjoying being back as part of the congregation. It felt like she had come home somehow and it had helped to heal a lot of old wounds.
"Hi, Joey," he greeted warmly, stopping to talk. "How are you? How's Charlie's father?"
"We're okay, thanks," Joey said. "And Ross seems to be coping. He broke his arm but there weren't any head injuries or anything like that that could have made his... situation worse."
Elijah nodded.
"Look, I wanted to talk to you about Leah," Joey said, getting right to the point.
He exhaled rather sharply, looking distinctly uncomfortable.
"She thinks you're avoiding her," Joey said. "And she's pretty upset about it."
Elijah immediately denied it but Joey saw right through him.
"I know Miles told you she has feelings for you," she said. "And if you don't feel the same then that's fine but please don't avoid her. Please don't backtrack on the way you've been helping her piece her life back together. It's not fair."
"It's not that I don't feel the same," Elijah admitted.
"You're attracted to her too?" Joey asked hopefully.
He continued to look awkward.
"It's just... complicated," he said. "I can't really explain. Not now. But I'll take what you've said on board. I'll be more aware of my actions around her. I promise."
"Thanks," Joey said, beaming at him. "Have a nice evening."
"And you."
Feeling a little more reassured on her friend's behalf, Joey headed on into the Diner where her girlfriend was ready and waiting.
Next time... Tony starts his first day teaching, the teenagers audition for the school play, Nicole starts her internship and Leah loses her temper...
