Sorry for not updating yesterday. I was at the hospital all day having neurology treatment and I forgot to mention it in my previous update. I should be able to update regularly now until Wednesday though. But anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Four Hundred and Thirty Two

Charlie woke up in Joey's arms and just for a couple of seconds, she was happy. Then it hit her, as she remembered that her little girl was in residential counselling care and not in her bedroom as usual, ready to insist that on a weekend, she shouldn't have to do homework. She kept her eyes shut, sighing heavily. Then she managed a smile as she felt Joey's soft lips on her cheek, lips and neck. It was a nice way to wake up, even in the circumstances.


"Have you spoken to Marilyn yet?" Indi asked, over breakfast.

"Not yet," Sid admitted.

He almost regretted opening up to his daughter about his romantic issues. But he was touched too that she cared so much. He hadn't realised how much she supported his relationship. Feeling awkward, Dex stood up and left the table, claiming that he had stuff to do. Indi shook her head and continued eating her breakfast. All their love lives were confusing right now. Her father was messing up his relationship with Marilyn. Dex fancied Marilyn. And tonight, Indi had big plans. She and Romeo were planning to do the deed. She was terrified.


Over at Summer Bay House, Romeo's nerves were not faring much better. For all his bravado, he had never had sex before and he was afraid of doing it wrong. What if he was rubbish and Indi laughed at him? What if she dumped him? He almost choked on his toast as he began to panic over all the things that could end in disaster.


"I just want the days to pass as quickly as possible so we can visit her," Charlie said.

She and Joey were finishing their coffee before they both had to go to work. There had been a rather abrupt shift change the day before so they had to make up their hours. Well, Charlie did. Joey could set her own hours but Angelo was starting back at the restaurant that day and she wanted to be there to support him. She also wanted to keep busy while Charlie was at work. She and her girlfriend both missed Ruby already.

"Me too," she said. "But they said that we could call this afternoon, didn't they?"

Charlie nodded.

"Hearing her voice will help," she said. "It'll let us know she's okay, won't it?"

"Absolutely," Joey agreed.


"Are you okay, Indi?" Sid asked.

His own romantic issues aside, Sid had picked up on his daughter's mood. She seemed preoccupied with something and that was a worry. She looked startled.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she lied.

Her father was the last person she wanted to talk to about sex with her boyfriend. In fact, she had no idea who she could talk to about it. Thinking it through, she didn't really have that many close girl friends that she could turn to.


Angelo took several deep breaths and entered the restaurant. He was nervous about starting back there, especially as word had got round extremely quickly about Joey firing him and why, but he was so happy that she had taken him back and given him another chance. It meant everything to him. And she and Charlie had literally saved his life yesterday, something he hoped they would never tell anyone about.

Paulie had seemed genuinely pleased for him when he'd told him about getting his job back. He'd nagged some more about when he was getting Xavier's money, of course, but otherwise they'd had a good evening. What Angelo hadn't told him was that he had made a big decision about the money and that Paulie was not going to like it.


"I don't want to go to work," Watson complained.

"Okay, you can stay here then," Kerri grinned.

Danny was away on a school camping trip and, anxious over having her boy away for two whole nights, Kerri had invited her girlfriend to stay for the weekend. Unfortunately, they had to part during the day thanks to work duties.

"I wish I could," Watson said, leaning in for a kiss. "But I have to fight crime."

She grinned and attempted to climb out of bed. Kerri shook her head and held onto her, keeping her in place. Watson giggled and gave in. There was no hope. She was definitely going to be late.


"Welcome back," Joey greeted when Angelo entered the restaurant.

He was relieved by her broad, genuine smile. He smiled back.

"Thanks," he said. "How are you?"

"Good, thanks," she said.

"Any news on Ruby?" he asked, wanting to show that he cared.

He was officially turning over a new leaf. He wanted to be a good man, the best version of himself that he could be.

"We're phoning this afternoon to check on her," she told him. "We can hardly wait."


Alf braced himself and approached Penn at his caravan. Since their conversation yesterday, his head had been stuck in a past he regretted. He was desperate to put it to bed and forget.

"Alf," Penn greeted. "Good to see you."

"The name Tulip O'Hare means nothing to me," Alf told him gruffly.

Penn looked almost stricken.

"You're lying," he said.

Alf shook his head.

"It means nothing," he repeated. "So leave me alone."


"You look like you've got the weight of the world on your shoulders," Nicole remarked when she ran into Indi on the beach.

Her school friend looked up, surprised.

"I kind of do," she admitted.

"What's up?" Nicole asked. "Can I help?"

"I've got a… um… a big night planned with Romeo tonight and um… I'm scared… I don't know who to talk to or…"

She sighed.

"I know just the person," Nicole told her.


Romeo felt like he was trapped within four walls and so decided to escape by wandering around the caravan park instead. He immediately bumped into Mitzy, drinking herbal tea outside her van.

"Hi," she greeted warmly. "How are you?"

"Okay…" he said weakly.

All he could think about was what might happen that night. He looked down and noticed her tarot cards on the table.


Joey was behind the bar when Indi and Nicole arrived to talk to her.

"Hi, girls," she said, welcoming them. "How are you doing?"

"Indi has a dilemma," Nicole explained, pulling up a stool. "And I told her that you're the guru of such problems so I brought her to you!"

Joey laughed.

"No pressure then!" she said.

Indi sat down a little more hesitantly. She and Joey hadn't really had much contact since everything had happened with Ruby and the alcohol. But she was relieved that her former boss was being so friendly.

"What's the dilemma?" Joey asked.

"Well, tonight, Romeo and I are supposed to… you know…?" Indi admitted.

"Okay…" Joey said, nodding in understanding.

"But I'm nervous…" Indi said.

"Well, that's normal," Joey said. "The first time you're intimate with someone is always scary. Have you ever done it before or…?"

"I have but he hasn't," Indi said.

Joey nodded, already vaguely aware of the situation from previous conversations with Romeo.

"And that's the problem," Indi admitted.


"Charlie, you've got a visitor," Avery said, getting his boss's attention.

The Sergeant nodded and moved away from her desk, where she had been teasing Watson for being such a smitten kitten. Her colleague had been late for work, thanks to spending the night with Kerri and Charlie was aware that they were spending the weekend together.

She made her way through to reception, where she found Liam waiting anxiously, hands in his pockets and toothpick in his mouth.

"Hi, Liam," she said. "How are you?"

"Worried about Ruby," he said, getting right to the point. "I know Joey called yesterday but…"

"Do you want to come in for a chat?" Charlie asked, gesturing for him to follow her into a vacant interview room.


"You're not put off that he was waiting for the right girl, are you?" Nicole asked. "That he was waiting for you?"

"No!" Indi exclaimed. "I think it's lovely! And so cute, especially considering his name…"

They and Joey chuckled.

"But I… I have a past and he doesn't, you know?" she said. "He's so innocent and I'm worried about… tainting him."

"Oh, Indi, don't worry about that," Joey said immediately. "He loves you and he doesn't think of you as anything less than perfect."

Indi looked up hopefully.

"You think?"

"I know," Joey said. "Honestly, he knows you and he loves you and that's all that matters. The only thing in question is whether you both feel ready to do it or not. Because it's a big step."

Indi nodded.

"It's not something you should rush into and it's not something you should do unless you love each other," Joey added.

Nicole looked down. She'd done it too many times without love. And even with love, she had made too many mistakes.

"I do love him," Indi said. "And I know he loves me."

"That's good then," Joey said. "And you feel ready?"

"I think so," Indi said, a little hesitantly. "I'm a bit scared…"

"Have you talked about it all with him? You hopes, your fears?"

"Well, um…"


Liam and Charlie sat opposite each other in the interview room. He suddenly felt nervous, like he was in some kind of trouble or something.

"I'm just so sorry for everything that's happened, Charlie," the former rock star said. "I feel like everything's my fault and I feel so bad about it. I don't know how to handle it all. I'm struggling to cope and I…"

"Liam, you can't take Ruby's problems on as your fault," Charlie said firmly.

It would be easy to blame him. But as far as she was aware, he had never led her on and he had never hurt her. Everything she had imagined with him had been exactly that – imaginary. It had all been in her head. And that wasn't down to him.

"But if I'd have done things differently…"

"What could you have done?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know but…"

"Did you lead her on?" Charlie asked. "Did you flirt with her or make a move on her?"

"No!" Liam said. "I swear, I…"

"Well then," Charlie said. "The only mistake you made was that you weren't honest about it with me from the start. But we dealt with that. And I know you've only wanted the best for her."

Liam nodded and ran his hands through his hair.

"Do you know how she's doing?" he asked.

"We're speaking to her this afternoon," Charlie told him. "I can call you and let you know. But we settled her in yesterday and although she was a bit frightened, she knew it was the right thing. Hopefully she won't be there for long. Hopefully she'll come home soon and everything will be just fine again."

Liam nodded.

"She's such a good person, Charlie," he said. "I do really care about her. And I want her to know that but I… can't because then she'll get the wrong idea or… How can I support her without confusing her and messing up her progress and recovery? I don't know what to do for the best, Charlie."

He hung his head.

"I'll speak to her nurse," Charlie offered. "I'll ask them what they think."

"Thank you," Liam said gratefully. "Thank you."


Later that day, with Indi and Nicole gone, Joey was not surprised when Romeo showed up at the restaurant. She was also not surprised at the subject matter he wanted to discuss.

"I tried talking to Mitzy about it, you know, Marilyn's friend?" he said.

"You turned to some other woman than me?" Joey asked in mock offence.

He looked panicked for a moment and then laughed when he realised that she was joking.

"I thought she could give me a tarot reading first, to see if she could let me know how it would go but it just confused me so I wish I hadn't done it," he admitted. "But I just… I don't know what to do, Joey. I… what if it's terrible?"

"Why will it be terrible?" she asked.

"Because I've never done it before," he whispered, his face flushing.

"Romeo, have you talked to Indi about all of this stuff?" Joey asked, fully knowing the answer.

She was ready to give him the same advice she had just given his girlfriend – communication. From what she could deduce, this couple had barely communicated at all on the matter. They were expecting to just do it and understand what the other needed and wanted without even talking.

"No," he replied.

"Then you need to," she told him.

"How?" he asked.

"Open your mouth," she said. "Say words. Say how you're feeling."

"But like… how?" he asked.

Joey moved from around the bar and took him to a spare table.

"Romeo, you need to talk this whole thing out," she said. "Really communicate. You need to work out what you both need, what you both want."

"But that's not… sexy," he frowned.

Joey sat back and shook her head.

"You think sex is like it is on TV and in the movies?" she asked.

"Well…"

"The best kind, in my humble opinion, isn't like that," she told him. "It's when you're so intimate with a person, so in tune with them, that you can laugh together, you can talk, you can learn and experiment. You can be so connected to another person that way. It's not all about being suave and sophisticated, Romeo, especially not the first time. It really doesn't work like that."

"Wait, you and Charlie laugh during sex?" Romeo asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Sometimes!" Joey grinned. "Every time is different for us."

"I just… don't want it to be awkward," Romeo sighed. "I want to be good."

"But that's where the communication comes in, Romeo," Joey insisted. "Look, can I be really blunt with you?"

He nodded. She had earned that right a long time ago.

"If you two can't be grown up enough to talk about it, you're not grown up enough to do it," she told him. "You need to be in a place where you trust each other enough and feel comfortable enough to be having this conversation with each other, rather than coming to me."


On his break from work, Angelo sought out Xavier. He got right to the point and told him that he didn't want Hugo's money after all but thanked him sincerely for being willing to give it to him, especially after all that had gone down between him and his family. He told him to hold onto it and invest it in his future, which is what Hugo had originally left it to him for.

Then he arranged to meet up with Paulie in a bid to break the news to him. This was part of the task he was really not looking forward to. But if he was going to make things completely right, it had to be done. He wanted to help his brother but he had to find another way.


Charlie came to the restaurant at her first opportunity so that she and Joey could go into the office and phone the clinic. They almost burst into tears just at the sound of Ruby's voice and were relieved to hear that she was well and had already made tentative friends with some of the other patients. Her Doctor was nice and the nursing staff were all kind.

"We're so glad to hear that, Rubes," Charlie said.

"We'll come and see you as soon as they give us the go ahead," Joey added.

"I can't wait," Ruby told them. "I love you."

"We love you too," they replied in unison.


Next time… Charlie and Joey take comfort in each other, Ruby bonds with her roommate and Paulie is angry with Angelo…