A nice long chapter for you as the Hugo saga hots up. I never quite understood it, myself and stopped watching partway through so there may be less sympathy for him from certain characters than I gather there was in the show! I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx
Chapter Three Hundred and Seven
On Saturday morning, Charlie reluctantly went to work on the promise that she and Joey were going out for a romantic meal that evening. She was planning candlelight and the full works and a real chance to reconnect. Sometimes it seemed that they spent more time sorting out everyone's problems instead of spending real time with each other. But the comforting thing was that regardless of how distracted they sometimes got, at the heart of it, they knew how much they loved each other and they knew that nothing would ever tear them apart.
Everyone had had a really nice time at VJ's party the previous afternoon, including Colleen. And Leah's little boy seemed to be a lot happier and a lot more peaceful about the situation that had occurred at the farm house. Now, everyone hoped that it would be able to settle down again. He had also started to express an interest in going to church, although Leah was a little concerned that his motive was more about spending extra time with Joey than learning about God.
Arriving at the station, Charlie had barely got her jacket off before Angelo appeared in her office looking extremely stressed out.
"What's happened?"
"Hugo's officially escaped from Witness Protection and I have very limited time to find him."
Charlie froze. She almost felt her heart constrict in panic. He had already told her that Hugo had disappeared but he'd implied that it was a minor error and that they would find him quickly. Apparently now, he had been gone for ages and the panic was on. For Angelo, the situation was only about concluding his case. For Charlie, it meant so much more than that. Hugo had almost killed her. He had abducted her and revealed exactly what kind of evil he was capable of. Charlie had battled terribly with nightmares and ended up in therapy again, having only just really recovered from everything that had happened with Grant. The idea that Hugo could be roaming the streets and heading back to the Bay was terrifying.
"Why did I agree to this again?" Ruby wondered as she and Xavier trekked up to the farm to see Martha and help her out on the farm.
Xavier caught hold of his girlfriend's hand, mostly just relieved to have her all to himself. These days, Ruby seemed to be far too engrossed in swooning over Liam Murphy to be terribly attentive, even though she knew how much stress he was under due to fretting about Hugo. And if he wasn't worrying about his brother or Martha, Xavier found himself continuing to seethe over his mother's relationship with John. Just thinking about it made him feel sick.
"Because I'm the most amazing boyfriend in the world and you're desperate to spend every moment with me that you can," he smirked.
Ruby giggled and nodded.
"I suppose that's a fair assessment," she agreed.
With her girlfriend busy at work and Ruby out for the day with Xavier and Martha, Joey had indulged in some trash TV before getting ready, cleaning the house and then heading out to the gym for a work out. She preferred the place when Tony had owned it and she didn't think she would ever really warm to John but she had to admit that his additions to the machines were great. Having showered and changed again, with a vigorous spring in her step, Joey grabbed a juice from the Surf Club and then headed out into the sunshine.
Aden sat on the beach in a sombre mood, staring out at the horizon as if it would give him some answers. Justin had been no help when Aden had tried to figure out what he'd done so wrong for Nicole to break up with him. And his now ex-girlfriend had refused to take his calls. The whole thing was hurtful and confusing and he was desperate for answers. It had taken a lot for him to put his heart on the line and make a go of things with Nicole. At the beginning, he had worried that he was betraying Belle's memory by moving on before he had even had to deal with the first anniversary of her death. But he'd comforted himself in the fact that Belle had wanted him to heal and be happy with someone else. And at least for a while there, Nicole had made him happy. He had even thought that one day, probably in the rather distant future, he might have fallen in love with her. But now it was over and he didn't understand why.
"What do you mean, Hugo's escaped Witness Protection?" Charlie demanded, her voice unnaturally shrill.
Angelo exhaled loudly and sank into the chair on the other side of his boss's desk.
"He stopped showing up when he was supposed to and nobody has seen him for weeks," he explained.
"And what the hell are you doing about it?" Charlie snapped. "Apart from looking self pitying and whinging to me."
Angelo winced at her harsh tone.
"I've been trying to find him, obviously," Angelo snapped. "I've been hunting for him and I think I might know where he's hiding out but I can't seem to pin him down."
"What do you want me to do about it?" Charlie asked, anxious not to get involved.
"I need you to help me find him," Angelo almost begged.
Charlie shook her head adamantly.
"No," she said.
"No?"
"Do you remember what happened last time I stuck my neck out to help you on a case? On this case?"
Angelo swallowed uncertainly.
"Hugo nearly killed me and I ended up in therapy. You then faked the fucker's death and duped me into believing I was safe. Then you got obsessed with me all over again and started stalking me and tried to break up my relationship," Charlie said curtly. "So, no, Angelo, I'm not going to help you. I'm staying as far out of this as I possibly can. This is your mistake. It's your problem. Deal with it yourself."
Angelo stared at her, more than a little stunned. He watched her open her laptop and begin to work, clearly dismissing him. With nothing more to say, Angelo left the room.
Ruby and Xavier exchanged anxious glances as they sat down at the kitchen table with Martha. They had worked for a little bit on the farm but noting Martha's distracted mood, Xavier had tried to find out what was wrong. It was then that she had sat the teenagers down and told them that Hugo's death had been faked and he was still alive.
"I can't believe this," Ruby murmured.
She wondered if Charlie had known about this. And if so, had she been in on it from the start?
"I knew it," Xavier said. "I knew something was going on. I knew they were lying."
Ruby was surprised to see how bitter he looked.
"I hate Angelo," he declared.
"Why Angelo?" Ruby wondered.
"I asked him weeks ago if Hugo was still alive and he lied to my face," Xavier replied.
"Well, in his defence, the police must have done this for a reason," Ruby said. "Going around and telling everyone the truth would have been kind of counter productive."
"How can you sit there and defend the guy after everything he's done?" Xavier asked.
"I'm not," Ruby faltered. "But... well, I don't think it's all his fault. I mean, he didn't make Hugo get involved in human trafficking or kidnap Charlie or..."
She trailed off, glancing at Martha and apologising.
"It's fine," Martha said softly. "I don't think I'll ever get my head completely around everything Hugo turned out to be capable of."
"But he was sorry for it," Xavier said desperately. "We can't keep punishing him for..."
He sighed heavily. While he was delighted to know that the big brother he idolised was still alive, he was now painfully aware that he would still probably never see him again.
"Does Charlie know?" Ruby asked anxiously.
Martha nodded.
"And Joey," she added. "But I gather they only found out recently. They weren't involved in the cover up. That was all..."
"Angelo," Xavier interrupted bitterly.
Joey had found Aden on the beach and come to sit beside him.
"She really broke up with you?" she asked.
Aden nodded sadly.
"I don't know what I've done wrong," he said.
"I'm not sure you've done anything wrong," Joey ventured.
Aden turned to look at her, desperate for any information she can provide.
"Aden, you haven't been happy for a long time," Joey said delicately.
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm still grieving for my dead wife!" he snapped.
Joey held up her hands quickly in defence.
"I'm not having a go!" she said.
He apologised quickly, aware that he should have known better than to think that Joey was being unkind.
"What I mean is, everyone has been aware of your pain," she said gently. "And it's understandable pain after everything you've been through. Justin has been posing a lot of questions to Nicole and I lately..."
"What kind of questions?" Aden wanted to know.
"About whether you're happy, whether you've got any direction in your life, if you want to stay in the Bay, if you want something different for yourself," Joey explained.
Aden sighed heavily, thinking back to his conversation with Nicole.
"She kept asking me about all of that," he revealed.
Joey nodded.
"And as much as he's pissed me off, he's right," Aden admitted. "I'm not happy. I'm not... unhappy exactly but I do kind of feel like I'm wandering blindly through my life. I'm not excited about anything and I don't find joy in things like I used to. There have only been two people in my life that I've ever felt a really deep connection with, two people that have really got to the heart of me and, as much as I care about her, Nicole isn't one of them."
"Belle and... Justin?" Joey asked.
"Belle and you," Aden told her.
Joey smiled shyly. It felt good to think about how highly her friend seemed to think of her.
"The happiest I've been since Belle died has been when you and I have hung out and had a laugh together," Aden said. "I never run out of things to say to you and you always manage to keep a smile on my face. Apart from spending time with you, everything else in my life has been pretty flat, especially since we lost the trawler and the when I left the bait shop. That was a seriously shitty decision. I like the Diner and everyone who works there and everything but I miss working with you."
Joey smiled again and put her arm around his broad shoulders.
"I miss working with you too," she said sincerely. "And I'm sorry we haven't really spent that much time together lately. I guess I've been caught up with Charlie and..."
"It's not your fault, it's mine," Aden insisted. "Things were going okay until Justin showed up. But the revelations about our granddad and everything messed me up and the obviously everything that... happened. It probably would have been easier and quicker to deal with if I hadn't shut you out. You always seem to know the right thing to do."
Joey blushed.
"You're making me out to be some kind of saint, Ade," she chuckled.
He turned and grinned at her.
"Well, you have been my saviour for months," he said.
"Well, you were my saviour first," Joey reminded him.
He chuckled and hugged her.
"I guess we're both pretty awesome, hey?" he said.
"Absolutely amazing," Joey agreed with a giggle.
Deciding that she couldn't keep the truth a secret anymore, Martha took Xavier round to see Gina, Tony and Rachel. Crowded round the table with them in the house she had once shared with Jack and then Hugo, she blurted out the truth. She was met with stunned silence from her family.
Arriving home from work, Charlie looked and felt utterly shattered.
"We really don't have to go out tonight if you're too tired," Joey said.
She removed Charlie's heavy utility belt and instructed her to kick off her shoes. Guiding her onto the couch, Joey immediately began to massage Charlie's aching feet.
"No, I want to go out," Charlie said, although her eyes began to close.
She smiled as she felt the gentle, satisfying pressure Joey was applying to her feet. It was still amazing to her that Joey always seemed to know exactly what she needed, even when she didn't know herself.
"I could cook you something here and we can watch some DVD's or something," Joey suggested.
Charlie opened one eye.
"Don't you want to go out?"
"I'm easy," Joey said.
"I know!" Charlie snorted.
Laughing, Joey tapped her foot in a bid to scold her.
"Cheeky!" she said.
"But you love me," Charlie replied.
Joey smiled sincerely.
"Very much," she agreed.
"And I love you," Charlie said. "Which is why I want to fulfil my promise to take you out to dinner tonight."
"But you're tired," Joey objected. "And stressed. And there's clearly something you're trying to figure out how to tell me."
Charlie chuckled, wondering how Joey could possibly know her as well as she did. She'd spent her life concealing her feelings from the world. But Joey read her as easily as an already open book.
"There is something," she admitted.
Joey nodded patiently.
"But I really wanted to give you a special night," Charlie said. "I keep promising that we'll celebrate you passing your course and things keep getting in the way."
Joey pushed Charlie's feet gently out of her lap. She scooted closer and gave Charlie a tender, loving kiss that both left them a little breathless.
"How about this?" she suggested. "We celebrate me passing my course by giving me a chance to practice making something delicious for you, me and Ruby to share. Then when Ruby inevitably scurries off to her room to sing more of these songs that Liam's writing, we'll have a nice, hot bubble bath and then snuggle up in our PJ's with a movie. Then we'll complete the night by making mad, passionate love. Or else we'll fall asleep on the couch and stumble to bed half dead at two in the morning."
She grinned. Charlie couldn't help but laugh.
"That all sounds pretty perfect to me," she concluded. "Although I am very much hoping for sex instead of sleep."
Joey giggled and kissed her again before taking both her hands.
"Now, there is one condition," she said more seriously.
"Is it more kisses?" Charlie asked hopefully. "Because I can absolutely do that!"
Joey shook her head but smiled at her girlfriend's pout.
"What's happened that's making you so frowny?"
Charlie sighed heavily, keeping hold of Joey.
"Hugo's gone missing from Witness Protection."
Undetected, Ruby, who had just opened her bedroom door, slipped back into her room and sat heavily on her bed. Having caught Charlie's last sentence, the teenager's mind was now reeling.
Aden stormed back out of his house and towards the caravan park, where he hoped that Nicole would be at home. After his chat with Joey, he had gone to speak to Justin who, although he'd played things down, had admitted to putting doubt in Nicole's mind about the future of their relationship. Aden had been angry but also rather lost and confused over whether his brother was right. Things genuinely hadn't been the same since Belle had died and Aden did feel lost. He'd been convinced that he was happy and in control of his life but perhaps it took an outsider's perspective to see things for how they really were.
"Hey, Aden," Romeo greeted warmly when he knocked on the door.
"Hey," Aden replied. "Is Nic home?"
"Yeah, she's just in the kitchen," Romeo told him. "Go on through."
Romeo headed out of the house and Aden moved further into it, just in time to see Nicole trying to flee into the back garden.
"Nic," he begged. "What? You won't even be in the same room as me now?"
The beautiful blonde girl sighed heavily and turned back to face him.
"I don't really know what there is left to say," she admitted glumly.
"Well, I think I understand a little more of why you broke up with me," Aden ventured. "I had a long talk with Joey and then Justin. But really, Nic, this is a mistake. So what if I don't have much direction in my life right now? So what if I'm not that happiest I've ever been in my whole existence? That will all come. The important thing is that we care about each other. I want to be with you. Please don't push me away."
"Tell me you love me," Nicole suddenly demanded.
Aden looked startled and immediately began to sweat.
"Sorry?" he said.
"We've been together for months but all you've ever admitted to is caring about me," Nicole said. "Surely it should be more than that by now."
"Well, it's not really that simple," Aden sighed. "I can see myself saying it and feeling one day but... well, I explained about that before. Months ago. Why does it have to matter right now?"
"Because if I'm truly worth hanging around the Bay and flitting from one dead end job to another for, then it should be love," Nicole said.
Aden sighed heavily. The last person he'd said the words to was Belle and although he no longer felt like he was betraying his late wife by being with another woman, loving that woman was another matter.
"Nic..." he tried.
"We're not meant to be together, Aden," she said certainly. "And it breaks my heart because I do love you. But I can't see you being miserable and not be able to change it. And I can't cope feeling about you the way I do knowing that you're probably never going to feel the same. I think Justin's right – you do need to go away and find yourself. And you need to do it without me."
Aden gazed at her as she turned and made her way towards the stares. His heart pounded and he longed for her to look back and change her mind. But she didn't.
After a delicious dinner, Ruby announced that she was going to go and visit Xavier to work on their school project together. She hadn't quite come clean about that particular lie yet, although she did feel guilty about it. It had been a hard road to get to a place where she, Charlie and Joey were a happy family unit and she felt bad about essentially betraying that. The only comfort she could take from the situation was that there was obviously a lot her mother was keeping from her too. Perhaps secrets were acceptable if they were to protect people and intended for the greater good.
"Ruby seemed a little preoccupied," Joey mused as she began to clear their plates away.
"Yeah," Charlie said. "Although, I guess Xavier is pretty stressed about Hugo. He's suspected for a while that Hugo was still alive and it's been pretty difficult for him, without even having confirmation. At least, I hope he hasn't had confirmation."
Suddenly she looked very worried.
"Martha wouldn't be so stupid as to tell him and the others the truth about Hugo, would she?"
Joey moved to sit back at the table and looked directly into her eyes.
"Hopefully not," she said. "Especially in light of the current circumstances. But whether she chooses to spill the beans or not, there's no point you stressing about it now. You'll just have to deal with it if and when it happens."
Charlie nodded. She reached out and stroked Joey's beautiful face. Then she leant in and kissed her lips.
"How about that bath?" Joey suggested.
Ruby met up with Xavier on the beach, having called him urgently away from the intense discussion he had been having all evening with Martha, Gina, Tony and Rachel.
"I have to tell you something," Ruby said anxiously. "But you have to promise me that you're not going to flip out."
Forgetting about Hugo for a moment, Xavier panicked that she was about to break up with him and start dating Liam.
"Okay..." he said uncertainly.
"I overhead Charlie telling Joey that Hugo isn't in Witness Protection anymore."
Xavier's mouth hung open as he stared at Ruby in the moonlight for a moment.
"What did you say?" he managed.
"Hugo's left Witness Protection," Ruby said. "That's all I heard, I swear, so I don't know exactly what's going on but Charlie sounded pretty stressed about it. I guess she and Angelo will have to try and find him or something."
Xavier nodded and sighed heavily.
"Let's hope they fail," he said.
"Mmm... this is way better than going out to dinner," Charlie said happily.
She was resting between Joey's legs in a hot bubble bath, facing away from her and resting her head against her body. Joey had treated them to a bath bomb and lit the room with candles and both were thoroughly enjoying the chance to relax together.
"Absolutely," Joey said. "Although I'm not sure I'm in the mood for either a DVD or sleep."
Charlie turned her head slightly and caught Joey's cheeky grin.
"Nor am I," she confirmed. "Nor am I."
Next time… Ruby quizzes Charlie about Hugo, Aden leaves town with Justin and Xavier is reunited with his brother…
