Hi, everyone. I am so sorry for not updating for so long. I was on holiday for a couple of weeks and then I had a chest infection from then till now so I've just started to come out of it. Thank you to everyone who has sent me messages and to those who have sent reviews for other stories (including the person who reread stories and reviewed them yesterday) and those who have been asking for updates. Sorry to have kept people waiting and thank you that you have not forgotten stories and still want to read on. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Four Hundred and Forty Nine

Ruby felt a lot better about heading off to school the next morning, thanks to the support she had received from her friends the previous day. She had been so anxious about returning to Summer Bay but it really hadn't been as bad as she had feared. In fact, it had been relatively easy so far.

"See you after school," she said, letting herself out of the car.

"Have a good day," Charlie and Joey said in unison, waving her off.


Outside the Surf Club, Penn hung back in the shadows, watching Marilyn and Miles talk. As usual, they were both very animated, although they seemed very serious. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he suspected it was something to do with himself and Alf. He muttered under his breath that he would get them. As far as he was concerned, this whole town was going down.


"Hey, Rubes," Dex greeted when his friend walked through the school door. "How are you?"

"Yeah, good thanks," she said, smiling warmly. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said. "Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

"I did," Ruby told him.

"What about your friend, Claire? Did she have fun?"

Ruby smiled.

"She really did," she said. "Thank you for making her feel so welcome. Especially you. She really needs to feel included and to know that she has friends so it's great that people are being so kind to her and making her feel part of the group."

"I think she's really nice," Dex said, trying to keep the dreamy smile from his face.


Charlie dropped Joey off outside the restaurant before she went to the station.

"I'll come and pick you up after my shift," Charlie said, kissing her partner goodbye.

They let it linger for as long as possible, unaware of Penn's watchful eyes, before finally forcing themselves to part for the day.

"See you later," Joey said, squeezing Charlie's hand and climbing out of the car.

She watched Charlie drive off down the road and then turned towards the Surf Club. She walked through the building but paused when she spotted Claire sitting quietly in a chair, nursing a coffee and looking at a newspaper.

"Hey, Claire," she greeted, approaching her table. "How are you doing?"

The young woman looked up, a little startled.

"Oh, I'm okay," Claire said. "Just um… looking at the job section."

Joey sat down.

"What kind of thing are you looking for?" she asked.

"I don't know," Claire said. "Anything really."

"What experience do you have?" Joey wondered.

"Well, I've worked in a café and in a library before, in a couple of shops… but I guess I don't have a lot of confidence right now so I don't know exactly how I'd sell myself to an employer…"

"One of my waitresses is about to go on maternity leave," Joey said. "Obviously it's only temporary because she'll be coming back but maybe… if you wanted… it would be a chance to build up your confidence?"

Claire looked startled but hopeful.

"You'd really give me a chance?" she asked. "Even after what I just said?"

"Of course."

"And after everything you've already done for me?"

Joey reached out and gently touched her hand.

"There isn't a quota on how much you're allowed or not allowed to do to support a person, Claire," she said. "You're part of our little family now and we'll do anything we can to help you. We care about you."

Claire stared at her, feeling vulnerable and emotional, like she dared not hope to believe she was telling the truth.

"So, what do you think?" Joey asked. "Fancy getting your bearings with me today? Paid, of course."

"I'd love to," Claire said, elated. "Thank you. Thank you."

Joey grinned.

"Let's get started."

She led the way upstairs.


John felt nervous approaching Sid but he had something rather specific on his mind and he didn't know who else to talk to about it.

"What's going on then, John?" the Doctor asked.

"It's just that… since the heart attack, I've been having this weird… death dreams," he said. "Is that… I mean… what is that?"

Sid felt bad for him. He looked utterly tormented.

"It's normal," he said. "You've been through such a lot of trauma, John. You nearly died. Anybody would be shaken up after that. I know it's horrible but it will settle. It'll just take a little time."


Ruby was thrilled to receive a text from Claire telling her that Joey had giving her a job at the restaurant and that she was having a trial run there that day. So at lunch time, she headed over there with Dex.

"How on earth did all of this happen?" Ruby asked, as soon as she and her friend entered Bucktons'.

"She took pity on me when she saw me rooting through the job section of the paper," Claire said, setting a tray of empty glasses down behind the bar in order to put them in the dishwasher.

"I did no such thing," Joey said, appearing from the kitchen and making her newest member of staff jump. "I needed temporary cover for maternity leave, you needed a job. It made sense. There was no pity. Just opportunity for both of us and you're doing damn well."

She grinned, making Claire feel better.

"See?" Ruby said. "I knew you'd settle in well here. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Claire said shyly.

Ruby smiled and followed her step mother into the kitchen, hoping to score some food for lunch.


"That wasn't fun," Charlie said unhappily, as she and Watson left a house together.

They'd attempted to take a statement from a man who was frightened of living in his own home. The neighbours had called the police several times about domestic fights but yet again, the man wouldn't talk to them about what was happening at home. He was covered in badly disguised bruises. It was a horrible situation and neither Charlie nor Watson knew how to proceed in helping him.

"No," Watson sighed. "I want to protect him so much but…"

"Me too," Charlie agreed. "But if he won't…"

"Well, we won't give up on him," Watson decided. "We'll find a way."

Charlie nodded.

"Let's get lunch and clear our heads and hopefully something will come to us."


"Hey, um… listen, I don't know if this is coming completely out of left field but… I… Would you like to go out some time?" Dex managed.

Claire stared at him and nearly dropped the plate she was holding.

"Go out?" she asked.

"Yes, like… like a date."

Claire continued to stare at him.

"Would you?" he asked.

"Dex, I'm gay," Claire managed.

He flushed. Then he rushed out the door. Claire felt awful.

"What happened to Dex?" Ruby asked, when she and Joey walked back through the door.

"Um…"


Penn watched Alf bringing in some boxes from his car, presumably up to the restaurant. Having been watching the venue all day, he decided to seize his moment and approached him.

"I've been waiting for you all day," he said, following him up the stairs.

"Well, you wasted your time because I have no interest in anything you have to say," Alf snapped back, almost as if he had been expecting him.


"He asked you out?" Ruby asked incredulously, her mouth hanging open.

"Hey, I'm not that hideous!" Claire cracked. "You don't have to be quite so shocked!"

Ruby grinned.

"But you're gay," she said.

"I don't wear it like a banner," Claire pointed out.

"I guess," Ruby said, musing that just because she knew, she supposed not everyone else would.

Still, she couldn't help but giggle at the same time as feel sorry for Dex. He must be embarrassed if he had run out of the restaurant at the speed of light.

"Poor guy," Joey said. "He's not doing so well in the love department right now."

"Nor are the rest of us," Ruby reminded her, trying not to sound too glum. "In fact, there are more dating disasters now than when I left for the clinic!"

Joey hoped that her daughter wasn't feeling any anxiety about Liam. But her attention was quickly taken by a row that burst forth from the entrance to the restaurant. Leaving the kids and warning them to stay put, she hurried through the door and found Penn standing there with Alf.

"I'm going to make you wish you had never met me or my mother," Penn warned. "In fact, I'm going to make you wish you were dead."

"And I'm going to make you wish you'd never set foot in this town," Joey warned him right back, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she had even thought them though.

He turned to glare at her.

"And what exactly are you going to do?"

"I'm going to remind you that there is only one of you and Alf Stewart has the backing of the whole of Summer Bay," Joey said. "Whatever game you try, you're going to lose."

He stepped forward, his eyes boring into hers. Alf wanted to intervene, protect the girl he loved like a daughter but everything was happening so fast.

"You don't scare me," Penn told her.

She held his glare.

"And you don't scare me," she replied.

He left in a flurry of anger. Alf took hold of Joey.

"You shouldn't have done that, Joey!" he said desperately.

"He was threatening you!" Joey replied.

"He's dangerous!" Alf insisted. "Nicole has already been a victim of his. If anything ever happened to you…"

Tears glistened in his eyes. Joey hugged him.

"I said he doesn't scare me and I meant it," she said.

"He should," Alf said.

He scares me, he added silently.


Out on the beach, Dex was still suffering a great deal of embarrassment. So much so that he was considering doing the unthinkable and skipping school. He was a computer nerd. He had never skipped school in his life. But he knew Claire would have told Ruby and Joey about his clumsy pass and he didn't want to see Ruby and have her laugh at him. She was the closest friend he had and for a while now, they had been allies, both losers in love. And now, by hitting on her lesbian best friend, he had essentially alienated himself. Plus she had replaced him with Claire anyway.

Feeling glum, he was about to throw himself down on the sand when he spotted Mitzy just ahead on the beach. He felt even more miserable. She was, of course, the best friend of his other love – Marilyn – unobtainable Marilyn who was dating his father.

Still, she looked extremely down and the news was getting around now that she had come to be with Marilyn because she was terminally ill. He decided to put his own sadness aside and go to say hello, even though that time she kissed him to teach him a lesson still freaked him out.


Charlie and Watson arrived at the restaurant for their lunch amid a tense conversation between Joey, Alf, Ruby and Claire.

"Are we interrupting something?" Charlie asked curiously.

Alf and Joey exchanged glances.

"We've just had a horrible encounter with Penn," Ruby announced, having learned the lesson that honesty was the best policy.

"What happened?" Charlie asked urgently, immediately going into cop mode.

"He came in and started threatening Alf, telling him he'd make him wish he was dead," Joey said flatly.

"And then Joey got herself involved and now I'm concerned for her," Alf added gruffly.

"Worried enough to make a statement about him?" Charlie asked, concerned both for her friend and her partner.

"I don't want to press charges against him but Joey can do it for herself and she should," Alf stated.

"He barely threatened me," Joey argued. "This whole thing is about you, Alf, and you know it. And you have to do something!"

"I don't need people telling me what to do or how to handle this!" Alf insisted.

Watson and Charlie exchanged glances with each other and with Ruby and Claire as Alf and Joey began to argue about what to do about Penn.

"I think I'm just going to head back to school," Ruby said, inching out the door.

Claire looked at her helplessly.

"Okay!" Charlie interrupted.

Joey and Alf looked chastised.

"Joey, I know you want to help and we all love you for it but you can't badger someone into going to the police," Charlie said.

"Really?" Joey asked, raising an eyebrow. "How did we meet again?"

"That's not fair and not what happened," Charlie said evenly, although she was actually a little hurt.

Joey hung her head and nodded.

"But equally, Alf, Joey is completely right," Charlie continued. "This man is threatening you and the people around you. I don't know what hold he has over you. I don't know how or why but there is no reason why you should let this continue. You know that if you came and talked to Watson and I there is nothing we wouldn't do within the remits of the law to help you. And I don't think just sitting there and taking what this guy dishes out is the way to deal with this. However, I do understand that you're a very private man. And I do understand that this is a frightening and upsetting time. So all I will say is that I'm here, if and when you want to talk to me. And I'm sure you know that Joey only gets passionate about this because she loves you."

"I know," Alf said softly.

He turned to his friend.

"I love you too," he said. "You're like a daughter to me."

"And you're the Dad I always wanted," Joey told him.

They hugged. Alf turned to Charlie.

"I will think about what you've said, Charlie," he promised. "Thank you."


Back out in the sunshine, Dex was stood at the water's edge with Mitzy.

"I um… I don't want this to come out… wrong but I… uh… I heard…" he ventured.

"I have cancer," she confirmed.

He swallowed.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I…" she started.

Then she collapsed.


Next time… Vittorio declares his love for Bianca, Mitzy's condition deteriorates and Joey has an apology to make…