I'm not entirely sure why this chapter didn't upload yesterday. Mind you, I have been losing my mind and doing lots of daft things lately so maybe I just forgot to do it! But here is yesterday's update and today's will follow. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Two Hundred and Eighty One
The following morning, Ruby couldn't help but pick up on how serious Charlie and Joey both seemed to be feeling.
"What's up?" she asked. "Has something happened?"
Charlie raised an eyebrow.
"We'll tell you what's up with us if you tell us what's up with you and Xavier," she replied.
Joey tried not to laugh and distracted herself with sipping coffee.
"Nothing's up with me and Xave," Ruby denied. "He's just a bit... down at the moment."
"Down?" Joey asked.
"Yeah," Ruby replied. "Down. You know, because of what happened with Hugo and then this argument he and Gina have been having. It's hard on him. He's missing his brother."
Charlie nodded, choosing to believe her daughter, although she suspected it wasn't the full story.
"So, what's up with you?" Ruby persisted.
Charlie sighed and began to awkwardly explain all that had happened with Leah, Elijah and VJ recently.
Gina arrived home a little sheepishly after a night of passion with John. Technically, it wasn't against the rules but she did feel rather bad for abandoning her son like that. She'd agreed not to have John stay over that the house and even to let Xavier continue his boxing lessons with Tony, on the assurance that he would move back in with her and they would concentrate on being a family.
"Xavier?" she called, walking across the lounge.
She knocked on his door. When he didn't answer, she opened it a crack. Frowning, she noted that his bed had not been slept in.
"So, Vinnie has been in witness protection all this time?" Ruby asked in shock. "He didn't really die? Well, I mean, not until recently?"
She looked puzzled and let her mouth hang open without actually putting her slice of toast into it.
"Yes," Charlie said.
"And Leah knew?"
"Yes."
"But VJ didn't know?"
"Yes."
"But he does know now?"
"Yes."
"And Elijah was with him when he died?"
"Yes," Charlie said, a little flustered at having to say the same word so many times.
"Wow..." Ruby mused. "That's... big."
"Yes," Joey said, smirking a little at her girlfriend.
Miles took a deep breath as Marilyn pulled up outside Michael's house. He was nervous about his first appointment and although he and Marilyn squabbled from time to time, he was grateful for the support.
"Wish me luck," he said, taking another breath.
"Good luck," Marilyn said, trying to sound positive.
She felt terrible for what her new friend was going through and hoped that between himself and his loved ones, he'd come through it all unscathed.
"I'll be back in an hour to pick you up," she promised.
He smiled and climbed out of the car.
Arriving at school, Ruby took Xavier to one side. Annie and Romeo were distracted with flirting further down the corridor and Nicole had charged past to get to her design class early.
"Vinnie was in Witness Protection all this time?" Xavier asked.
"Yes," Ruby said, frowning at the thought of imitating Charlie and Joey.
"I don't believe it," Xavier said, shaking his head.
"Yeah, it's pretty much blown everyone's minds," Ruby said.
"No," her boyfriend replied urgently. "Don't you see what this means?"
Ruby looked blank.
"What if the same thing happened to Hugo?" Xavier said. "What if they faked his death and put him into Witness Protection too? What if my brother's still alive?"
"Aden!" Joey hollered when she spotted him coming back from a swim in the sea.
Her best friend paused and looked at her. She watched him have some kind of debate with himself before approaching.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey, stranger," Joey remarked. "Where have you been?"
Aden shrugged, mumbling that he'd been busy.
"With Justin?" Joey asked.
Aden tried not to look alarmed. He studied Joey's face, wondering how much Charlie might have told her about her investigation.
"Yeah," he said evenly. "We haven't seen each other in a long time. We've got a lot to catch up on. Sorry for not being around."
Joey gazed sadly at him, searching his eyes.
"Aden, what's going on?" she asked.
"Um... Xave, I don't mean to be rude or anything and I know you loved Hugo but... why would he end up in Witness Protection?" Ruby asked. "He wasn't a witness. He was a criminal."
She winced at the look of heartbreak on her boyfriend's face.
"I just... something isn't right here, Ruby," he said.
They turned to walk to class together.
"I mean, how do you explain the photo?"
"I can't," Ruby admitted.
"I'm going to find Angelo at lunch time and demand some answers," he decided.
"Answers?" said a stern voice behind them.
Ruby and Xavier both spun round and came face to face with Gina.
"Um..." Xavier faltered.
"You didn't come home last night," Gina accused, opting to leave out the fact that she hadn't either.
"Um..." Xavier repeated.
He glanced nervously at Ruby who only looked confused.
"I crashed at Ruby's," Xavier lied.
Ruby looked horrified.
"Is that right?" Gina asked.
"Yes," Xavier said more confidently.
Gina turned to Ruby with a raised eyebrow and repeated the question.
"Yes," Ruby said hesitantly. "He stayed with me. Sorry."
Joey was feeling decidedly unhappy as she tidied up the shop. In quieter moments, she liked to busy herself by making the place look nice. Working in a bait shop might not have been her career dream but she did like it. She enjoyed the responsibility that Alf gave her and he was a wonderful boss. Plus, there was still a vague connection to the fishing industry. It wasn't trawler work but it was good enough.
Unfortunately, she hadn't got any answers from Aden and she was becoming more and more concerned. She knew him well enough to tell that he was keeping secrets and Joey was desperately worried that Justin had got her best friend caught up in something dangerous. And generally, anything connected to Aden's Dad was likely to spell trouble.
Angelo was busily typing away at his desk when there was a knock on his door.
"Angelo, there's a kid here to see you," his colleague said. "Hugo Austin's brother."
The Senior Constable hesitated. The last thing he wanted was to have anything to do with the Austin family. That would surely only lead to complications.
"Send him in," he said reluctantly.
The officer nodded and gestured for the teenager to enter the room.
Charlie was just about to head off for lunch with Joey when her phone rang. She smiled as 'Dad and Morag' flashed up on her screen.
"Hi," she greeted warmly.
"Hi, Charlie," her Dad said. "How are you?"
"Pretty good, thanks. You? Is everything okay?"
"It's great," Ross enthused. "In fact, I'm feeling so good at the moment, I was wondering if you girls would be up for a visit this weekend? We'd like to see your new home."
"Oh really?" Charlie said happily. "That would be fantastic!"
"Look, without getting too graphic about what happened to your loved one, Xavier," Angelo said evenly, "Hugo was shot. It happened right outside this police station in front of Martha. He died at the scene, was given an autopsy and was then buried. You were at his funeral."
"But," Xavier argued. "We were never allowed to see his body. What if...?"
"I saw his body," Angelo said quickly. "I saw it, Xavier. And I'm sorry but Hugo's dead and he's not coming back."
Xavier glared at him. Unsatisfied, he stood and stormed out of the room, bumping into Charlie on the way and hardly even pausing to apologise. Curiously, Charlie knocked on Angelo's door.
"What was that all about?" she asked.
"He can't accept that Hugo's dead," Angelo frowned. "I'm not sure how much clearer I can make everything."
Joey sat at a table in the Surf Club, waiting for Charlie.
"Are you okay, love?" Alf asked when he walked by, collecting glasses.
"Yeah," Joey sighed.
He frowned when she didn't sound very convincing.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm just worried about Aden," Joey admitted. "He hasn't been himself lately."
Alf nodded and frowned, thinking of Miles.
"There seems to be a lot of that going round," he mused before heading back behind the bar.
Joey looked up and smiled just as Charlie entered the room, apologising for being late. Joey gave her a quizzical look when Angelo followed her in but was relieved when he headed straight up to speak to Alf.
"Coincidental lunch breaks," Charlie assured her.
Joey nodded and grinned.
"How's your day been so far?" she asked.
"I would have thought I could expect better from you two," said a voice.
Charlie and Joey looked up to see an unhappy Gina towering over them.
"Excuse me?" Charlie said irritably.
"Just because you might be okay with your daughter having her boyfriend round to stay the night, doesn't mean I'm okay with my son being that boyfriend," Gina said.
"What are you talking about?" Joey asked, genuinely bewildered.
"Xavier spent the night at your apartment last night," Gina said.
"No he didn't," Charlie and Joey replied in unison.
"Well, that's what he and Ruby told me this morning," Gina told them. "So, either they're lying to us or you're lying to me. Either way, I'd suggest you keep a better eye on your daughter."
Charlie was about to start yelling when the head teacher stormed away.
"What the hell was that all about?" she wondered, as if Joey had any more information.
They looked at the bar when they heard more raised voices. This time Angelo was arguing with Alf. Angelo then stormed away.
"Summer Bay is weird today," Joey decided. "Very, very weird."
That evening, as angrily requested by Angelo, Alf caught up with Xavier in a bid to talk things through with him. He felt wrong and dishonest, convincing a vulnerable teenage boy that his beloved brother was dead and gone when he knew it not to be true. Once again, he wondered how he had ever let Angelo convince him to participate in this lie. It was only likely to cause everyone more pain and suffering.
"He didn't stay the night," Ruby promised.
Charlie and Joey had sat her down for a talk as soon as she'd arrived home from school.
"Then why did Gina lay into us about him spending the night with you?" Charlie asked.
Joey remained quiet, letting her girlfriend and Ruby's biological mother take the lead.
"Look, I don't know where he stayed last night," Ruby said, not quite honestly.
Xavier had already explained that he'd waited out at the hiding place all night in case Hugo showed up.
"He didn't go home but he didn't stay here either," Ruby said. "I promise you."
"You and Xavier both told Gina that he stayed with us," Charlie pointed out.
"Xavier lied to Gina," Ruby said, her voice growing higher in pitch as her anxiety grew. "And I backed him up because that's what girlfriends do. But it wasn't more than that. We said goodnight when you told us to and then he left. I swear."
Charlie looked sceptical. Ruby seemed to be speaking in earnest. But something still felt very wrong, like something huge was going to sweep its way into town and surprise them all.
Next time... Nicole and Joey fret about Aden, everyone begins to worry about Martha and Ross and Morag come to see Charlie, Joey and Ruby's new home...
