Chapter Two Hundred and Seventy Nine

The following morning, Charlie stopped at the caravan park on her way to work. Her main focus today had to be finding out where Larry was but she was also concerned for Miles's welfare. Rachel had spoken to him but, like he had said to her and Alf, the school teacher was keen to keep hold of his imaginary friend, his long lost daughter.


VJ hesitantly allowed Elijah to walk to school with him. He knew that it wasn't the Reverend's fault that his father was dead and that his mother had been lying to him all this time, but now, he had an association between Elijah and everything that was missing from his life.

"I wanted to talk through your feelings about what you found out yesterday," Rev Johnson admitted.

VJ sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. He didn't know what to say.


"I haven't broken the law," Miles said. "You know, minus the graffiti. But that wasn't me. That was Rabbit."

He hadn't even given Charlie a chance to talk before he'd started panicking.

"I'm not here about that," she said. "I'm not here officially."

He nodded at her uniform. She took her badge off and told him to pretend she was a civilian. Nodding reluctantly, Miles stepped back and allowed his friend to sit down.

"So, what is this about?" he asked anxiously.


Joey was working at the bait shop. She loved her job but she was very distracted. So much seemed to be going wrong at the moment; so many people seemed to be in pain. Leah had just found out that her first husband was dead and subsequently, VJ had had his world turned upside down. And Aden was behaving very strangely with Justin and wouldn't answer any of Joey's calls. It was extremely frustrating.


"He really said that about me?" VJ asked.

They had walked most of the way to school and were slowing their steps again as they approached the gates. VJ was in his final year of this school and next January, he would be starting at Summer Bay High.

"He adored you, VJ," Elijah confirmed. "You were the best thing in his life. Not a single day passed when he didn't speak about you. He had every photo on his wall and he carried you in his heart."

"What about now?" VJ wondered. "Do you think he carries me in his heart now?"

Elijah crouched down so that he was at eye level and holding the little boy's hand.

"Absolutely," he said. "Your Dad is peaceful and happy now and you're still with him."

"Up in Heaven?" VJ asked.

"Yes," Elijah confirmed. "He's up in Heaven and watching over you. And he loves you just as much as he always did. And I can promise you that it's a lot."


"I don't need counselling," Miles insisted, immediately dismissing Charlie's suggestion. "Having Rabbit around is a blessing, not a problem, Charlie."

"I know," Charlie said evenly. "But maybe if you had someone to talk to, you wouldn't feel so lost at the moment."

"I don't feel lost," he lied.

Charlie just looked at him. Miles sighed heavily and buried his face against his palms.

"Maybe," he conceded. "I'll think about it."

Charlie patted him gently on the shoulder. He looked back up at her as she dug her former counsellor, Michael's card out of her pocket and placed it on the table.

"He's really good," she said. "He's helped me through a lot of stuff. And I think he'll be able to help you too."


Ruby thanked Colleen with sincere gratitude as she accepted a book on the history of Summer Bay. She bumped into Joey as she hurried out of the Diner.

"Woah!" her stepmother said with a giggle. "Where's the fire?"

"Sorry!" Ruby squeaked. "I have a limited lunch time and I said I'd meet Xave."

"What's this?" Joey wondered, nodding towards the book.

Ruby turned it around and showed her.

"Is it for your school project?" Joey asked.

"Yes," Ruby lied. "Xavier and I are going to get working on it straight away."

She flashed her most innocent smile and then dashed off. Chuckling to herself, Joey approached the counter to order her food. Colleen was just about to serve her when Irene dashed out of the kitchen.

"Joey?" she said. "Can you come back here?"

A little confused, Joey nodded and followed her, only to find Leah sobbing in the store cupboard.


"I've seen this book before," Xavier mused when Ruby arrived and presented him with Colleen's gift.

He pursed his lips and tapped the front cover thoughtfully. Ruby watched him stand up and rummage through the shelves on the back wall.

"Aha!" he said triumphantly, bringing a book back and setting on the table, side by side with the other one.

They were the same.

"Colleen gave this to Hugo when we first moved here," he said.


Sitting on the floor of the store cupboard, Leah tearfully explained to Joey and a newly arrived Charlie that Elijah had come to find her and broken off their relationship.

"Why?" Joey wondered.

She'd thought that they were in love.

"He said that listening to VJ tell him all about how much he misses Vinnie... it broke his heart. And he thinks we need time away from him in order to process Vinnie's death."

"Maybe he has a point," Charlie ventured.

Leah looked up sharply.

"I mean, it's not like he's saying he doesn't like you anymore," Charlie explained. "I think he's trying to do the right thing to give you space to sort your head out."

"But I don't want space," Leah frowned. "Is that bad?"

"Of course it's not bad," Charlie said, glancing nervously at Joey.

"It's definitely not bad," Joey said. "Everyone deals with these things in different ways."

"I know I knew Vinnie was alive," Leah sighed. "And a big part of me always hoped that he would find his way back to me. I cried myself to sleep last night. And I have to grieve for him all over again. But I don't want to do that without Elijah. He's helping me. And he was with Vinnie when he died. If anyone can guide VJ and I through all of this, wouldn't it be him?"


Ruby and Xavier arrived at the hiding place outlined in the book of the history of Summer Bay. It was referred to as the Old Battery, right on the outskirts of town, cut off from everywhere that they normally spent time by a large fence.

"I think it's through there," Xavier said, pointing to what looked like a small shelter, away from the water.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Ruby asked hesitantly. "Isn't it dangerous? I mean, there are 'keep out' signs everywhere."

"Exactly," Xavier said. "Who in their right mind would come snooping around here?"

He smiled. Ruby continued to look uncertain but followed her boyfriend as he scanned the fence in a bid to find a way through.


Charlie had wangled the afternoon off work and convinced Leah to come round to the apartment with her in a bid to get away from things for a while. Joey had had to go back to work. Alf was very lenient but she didn't want to take advantage.

"Elijah!" she called when she spotted her pastor and friend walking along the beach looking utterly miserable.

He glanced up, sighed and approached.

"I suppose you've spoken to Leah," he said gravely.

"Between the sobs and hiccups, she said that you'd told her that you think you should spend some time apart," Joey admitted.

He sighed heavily and sank down to sit on the step outside the bait shop.

"I miss her already," he said.

"Well, maybe you made the wrong choice," Joey suggested.

"I'm trying to do right by her, Joey," Elijah said. "That's why I didn't want to get involved in the first place. I knew all of this would be complicated."

"She's grieving for her husband," Joey said. "And it's a wound that will probably never heal. But from what she said to Charlie and I today, it doesn't mean she doesn't want to be with you. She cares so much for you, Elijah. She doesn't want to face this without you."

"I did the wrong thing, didn't I?" he realised.

"She's over at our place now with Charlie if you want to change your mind."

Without another word, Elijah leapt off and dashed towards his car.


In the Battery, Xavier and Ruby stood and stared silently. They had been about to explore and find the right place to hide the money when they'd happened upon a loaf of bread and a picture of Hugo and Xavier. Minds spinning, the teenagers tried to figure out how on earth both things, but especially the photo, had got there.


Charlie and Leah were busily putting the world to rights when there was an urgent knock at the door.

"Joey?" Leah wondered.

"She wouldn't knock," Charlie pointed out, standing up and opening the door.

She was surprised when Elijah burst in, apologising for interrupting and looking longingly at Leah.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I made completely the wrong choice."

Leah stood up, looking hopeful. Charlie stepped back and busied herself in the kitchen. She wasn't quite leaving the room, considering that it was all open plan but it seemed polite enough.

"I don't want us to spend time apart," Elijah said. "I care about you too much. I thought I was doing the right thing but now that you're in my life, I don't think I could cope without you."

Leah moved forward and kissed him.


Next time... Charlie gets strict with Ruby and Xavier, Gina spends the night with John and Xavier hides out at the Battery in hope of finding Hugo...