Chapter Three Hundred and Six
Summer Bay was buzzing the next morning with news of Miles's heroic rescue. It had even got into the newspaper and his good deed certainly seemed to have given the school teacher a lift.
"We were heroes too," Joey mumbled at the Diner, in mock pout.
Charlie giggled and put her arm around her. Chuckling also, Leah came to join them at their table.
"You were," she confirmed.
Joey grinned. Despite her pretend complaints, she was more than a little relieved that Miles was the one enjoying all the praise. Firstly, if it hadn't been for him, nobody would have been rescued at all and secondly, Joey had never been able to cope with too much attention.
"Are you okay, Veej?" she asked.
The school boy was also sat at their table and looked distinctly down in the dumps for someone who had been given a day off school.
"Fine," he mumbled, staring down at the table.
Charlie, Joey and Leah exchanged worried glances. This was possibly the first time VJ hadn't spent an entire meal gazing at Joey.
"VJ?" Leah said worriedly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing!" VJ snapped. "I'm going to the beach."
With that, he stormed out of the building.
"I don't think even I can cure that," Joey said glumly.
"Yesterday must have really shaken him up," Charlie sighed. "Hopefully if we give him some time and space, he'll start to be able to talk about it."
Leah nodded but her heart felt heavy. Her little boy had been through so much already in his life and she hated to think of his experiences all stacking up to break him somehow.
"Hey, guys," Nicole said, looking as miserable as VJ had.
"What's life like living with a hero?" Leah asked, lightening the mood.
Nicole merely shrugged.
"I haven't actually seen him this morning," she admitted. "He was out before I left."
Leah, Charlie and Joey all looked concerned.
"What's up with you?" Joey asked, also concerned about Nicole.
"Justin keeps going on about how Aden isn't happy here and should leave town with him when he goes back to the army at the weekend," she revealed.
Joey's heart sank at the mere thought of her best friend leaving the Bay. It was true that he hadn't been the same since Belle died the year before but surely that didn't mean he had to walk out on his life?
"Well, that's not for Justin to say," Charlie said, trying to be positive.
"But I think he's right," Nicole admitted. "Right now, I'm terrified that there are only two reasons he's sticking around at all. And maybe those reasons aren't good enough."
"What are the reasons?" Leah asked.
"Me and Joey," Nicole replied.
"Oh, we're totally good enough," Joey said, trying to make light of the situation.
Charlie chuckled softly but saw the anxiety in her girlfriend's eyes. She reached for her hand under the table. Joey squeezed Charlie's hand back, full of gratitude.
"What are you saying, Nicole?" Leah asked worriedly. "You want Aden to leave?"
"No, of course not," Nicole said, exasperated. "But... I want him to be happy. And I want him to live up to his full potential."
"Being a soldier is an incredible, selfless job but it's not the only thing you can do to be a useful contribution to society," Charlie said softly. "He can live up to his potential here."
"But he won't," Nicole sighed. "He'll work in the Diner, support me through Uni and never be who he can really be. He'll muck around with Joey and make out with me but he'll always be haunted by everything that's happened here. He'll never be able to let go of Belle and he's going to spend his life looking backwards instead of forwards."
"I am not talking to you about this!" Rachel bellowed.
Charlie, Joey, Nicole, Leah and most of the other Diner customers jumped in fright as the Doctor charged angrily into the building, her anxious husband hurrying along behind her.
"Why won't you let me do this?" he demanded.
"Because taking John Palmer on in a boxing match is the stupidest fucking idea I've ever heard!"
Charlie, Joey, Nicole and Leah all looked a little nervous and opted not to interfere.
"I'm going to slip out and try to find Aden," Nicole decided, doing exactly that.
Rachel shouted at Tony one more time and then stormed back out the way she had come. Flustered, Tony hurried right after her.
"Oh, the joy of married life," Leah mused.
"What's wrong with married life?" said a pleasant voice behind her, making her jump.
"Elijah!" she squeaked. "Don't creep up on me like that!"
He chuckled and apologised as he took Nicole's now vacant seat.
"I didn't creep," he assured her. "Everyone else was too busy watching Rachel and Tony launch into World War Three."
Charlie snorted, which made Joey giggle.
"How are you feeling after yesterday?" the police officer asked the Reverend.
"A little tired," Elijah said. "And embarrassed. But I seem to be in a better mood than young VJ."
He turned to address Leah.
"Do you know he's out there looking like all Christmases and birthdays have been cancelled for the rest of his life?"
"Yeah," Leah sighed. "He's been really down since yesterday. Not even Joey was able to cheer him up."
"I consider it to be an epic fail," Joey said dramatically.
"I'm sure he'll come back to you when he's ready," Elijah assured her. "I haven't even known him that long but even I know that for him, a day without Joey is like a day without sunshine."
"He's not the only one," Charlie said, gazing lovingly at her girlfriend.
Out on the beach, still sullen and feeling lost, VJ watched Miles on the beach, building a sandcastle big enough to resemble a shopping centre. He was sure that his mother's best friend was also talking to himself, as if there was someone there with him. He had been behaving strangely recently and everyone seemed worried about him. But he had also saved all their lives last night and for that, VJ would always be grateful. Sighing heavily, he glanced back at the Diner, supposing he probably shouldn't have stormed out so abruptly earlier. It was just that everyone kept asking what was wrong and he couldn't seem to fathom an answer.
Aden was on the sofa when Nicole knocked on the door of her old house. She let herself in when he called out that she could and her heart sank at how disengaged with the world he seemed.
"How are you?" she asked tentatively, perching on the edge of the sofa.
"Yeah, okay, I guess," Aden sighed. "I don't want Justin to go at the weekend."
"You'll miss him?"
"Yeah," Aden told her. "I know there's been a lot of stress going on right now but it's been nice to spend time with him again. I feel like we're getting back a friendship we've never actually had before."
"Will you visit him?" Nicole wondered.
"He's asked me to go with him, actually," Aden admitted.
Nicole looked startled.
"He did?"
Aden nodded and switched the television off, swinging himself into a sitting position.
"Are you going?" Nicole asked fearfully.
"I might," Aden revealed. "Do you think you could get time off school?"
"Oh, like for a weekend or something?" Nicole asked, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I was thinking of a bit longer, actually," Aden said. "I really feel like I need to get out of here for a while. I didn't realise how empty my life was until I nearly got sent to jail."
Nicole's heart sank all over again.
"You think your life's empty?" she asked in a meek voice that didn't suit her.
Aden sighed heavily and clasped his hands together for a moment, unsure of how to phrase what he needed to say.
"I don't want to join the army," he said honestly. "But... I look at everyone around me and everyone seems to have so much direction in their lives. Justin's serving his country. Joey's about to launch a new business. Charlie's a cop. You're going to become a famous fashion designer. And Belle... well, she was going to hit the big time in journalism. She had a passion. And she wanted more for me than hanging around the Bay flipping burgers or selling bait. She wanted me to go to Uni. She wanted me to find out who I really am and what I want to do with my life. I put things on hold because I wanted to marry her and look after her until the end. Now... now I feel like I'm wasting my life."
Nicole knew he didn't mean it to sound as harsh as it did but the words still stung. And he had unwittingly helped her make up her mind about what to do for the best.
VJ reappeared in the Diner full of apologies for Leah, Charlie and Joey. Elijah was still at the table.
"Don't worry about it," Joey said affectionately. "You've been through a lot."
VJ nodded and sank into the chair beside her.
"Yesterday really scared me," he admitted. "I couldn't even sleep last night."
"That's understandable," Elijah said gently. "It was a horrible time for all of us. We nearly died."
VJ paled at the memory.
"But we survived," he added quickly. "And that's something to celebrate."
Joey grinned at VJ who returned the gesture.
"Hey, maybe you guys should have an 'I Nearly Died But Didn't' party," she giggled.
VJ's eyes lit up.
"Maybe a party isn't the best idea..." Leah said doubtfully.
"It is!" VJ insisted.
Elijah grinned and nodded his agreement.
"Well, with a theme like that..." Charlie smirked.
"We could invite everyone from yesterday," VJ said excitedly. "And Miles because he saved us. And Charlie and Joey."
"We didn't really do anything," Joey pointed out.
"You helped save us too," VJ insisted. "Plus, both of you nearly died but you didn't as well."
Leah looked alarmed.
"At New Year," VJ reminded her. "With Hugo. And last year with that bad man... Joey nearly drowned."
Joey shifted uncomfortably but nodded. She supposed he was right.
"So, all of us that nearly died but didn't can kick back and have a fun party," Elijah concluded.
"Let's start planning it now!" VJ said happily.
Miles sat with Rabbit on the beach, having finished building their castle of sand.
"This is goodbye, isn't it?" he said sadly.
Rabbit nodded.
"It's the right time," she told him. "You're better now. You don't need me anymore."
"I do," he insisted. "I do."
"I love you," Rabbit said sincerely. "I came here to help you get back on your feet and you've done that now. You're at the beginning of starting again and you need to do that without me."
She reached out and hugged him. Both of them were in tears.
"Mum's coming for me," Rabbit said, pointing into the distance.
Miles's breath caught as he saw his late wife on the shore, gesturing for their child to join her.
Colleen looked a little longingly after the party that had just left the Diner. Excited by their own plans, Leah, Elijah, VJ, Charlie and Joey had gone off to organise their evening. Leah had whipped up some food, VJ and Elijah had devised the guest list and Charlie and Joey had offered to go shopping for decorations.
"I think Colleen wanted to be invited," Joey mused when she got into the car with Charlie. "I feel a bit bad for not inviting her."
"It's VJ's thing," Charlie reminded her. "She'll get over it, I'm sure."
"I think you should go to the city," Nicole ventured.
Aden nodded.
"I think it'd be good to have a break," he agreed.
"I mean for good," Nicole told him.
He looked up sharply, shocked and confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I think you should go to the city with Justin and find yourself," Nicole said. "Figure out who you are and what you want."
"I will," Aden said. "And then I'll come home and follow through with my plans."
He smiled cheerfully but Nicole's heart broke. She shook her head.
"You're never going to be happy here, Aden," she said. "You've been through too much and the Bay represents too many tragedies. You need to move on and let go. And so do I."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Aden admitted, gazing uncomprehendingly into her eyes.
Nicole swallowed. She considered reaching for his hand but resisted.
"You and I don't have a future, Aden," she said softly.
Aden narrowed his eyes in sheer confusion.
"Sorry?"
"We don't belong together."
"What?"
"It's over!" Nicole said desperately.
Aden just stared blankly at her.
"I'm sorry," the blonde said softly.
Without another word, she hurried out of the house.
An hour later, Charlie, Joey, Leah, Elijah and VJ were doing the final preparations for the party.
"Hello?" Colleen called through the house.
Leah and Charlie exchanged an awkward glance.
"I made you all some cupcakes," Colleen explained. "But don't worry. I won't stay. I know I'm not invited."
She looked sad. Joey felt compassionate.
"Next time we have a party without an exclusive theme, you'll absolutely be invited," she promised.
"And thank you so much for the cupcakes," Leah said sincerely.
"I haven't tasted them," Colleen admitted. "I'll just check if they're okay."
Charlie squeaked as she nearly fell of a chair, upon which she had been balancing in order to put some balloons up. Joey rushed forward and caught her, scolding her for being careless. Charlie pouted. Joey kissed her.
"It looks like we're all having near misses at the moment," Elijah chuckled.
Colleen grabbed everyone's attention when she started choking.
Next time… Angelo and Charlie have a big case on their hands, Xavier finds out that Hugo is still alive and Aden can't tell Nicole that he loves her…
