Chapter Five Hundred and Three
"Well, I'm very impressed," Charlie said genuinely.
Ruby had driven her to school, where Charlie was due to take over the car and drive the rest of the way to work. Ruby had wanted to show of her driving skills and also impress any school friends that might be passing by that she had now indeed passed her test.
"Really?" Ruby said.
"Really," Charlie said. "And I know Joey is too."
They had already dropped Joey off at the restaurant before they'd gone to the school. Ruby looked suitably pleased with herself.
"Well done," Charlie added. "I'll come and pick you up after school and you can drive us home."
"Thanks, Charlie," Ruby said, shutting off the engine the way she had been taught and climbing out of the car.
At the farm, Marilyn was deep in thought. With her end date looming again, it was really all she could think about. She had had a reprieve for a while, thinking that Mitzy had lied to her but it turned out that at the last minute, before her own death, she had tried to protect her from the truth. So now, with the end of her life coming closer, she wanted to start finding a way to say goodbye. She had gathered together some of her things, things that were most important to her. And now the kids were at school, she called Sid over to where she was sat at the dining table.
Roo was sat at the Diner with Gina, grabbing a coffee before Gina had to head to work. They still had a lot to discuss regarding Martha and Hugo and the whole process was taking a long time, longer that Roo had anticipated.
"I don't want to know where they are or have any information that would compromise me," Gina said. "But I need to know that they're safe and happy."
"They're happy in as much as they're together and still in love," Roo said. "But it's hard to be on the run when you've run out of money."
Gina sighed.
"So I'm essentially withholding the money they so desperately need," Gina sighed.
Roo didn't reply.
"But I just… I can't get involved in this illegality," Gina said anxiously. "I can't get caught up in all of this. If something goes wrong… I'm all Xavier and Brendan have, Roo. In my heart, all of this is immoral. Even talking about helping them feels immoral."
"Even though he's your son?"
"My son who did something so disgusting, so abhorrent…"
Roo nodded.
"Your son who my daughter is on the run with, who my daughter has given up her whole life to be with…"
"Well, that was her choice," Gina said.
She sighed and shook her head.
"I just don't know what to do," Gina admitted. "But anyway, I need to get to work. We ought to pay for these…"
Roo rooted around in her bag.
"Oh, crap, I've left without my purse," she said, frustrated. "I hurried out trying to catch a lift with my Dad this morning so I was in a huge rush. Gina, I'm so sorry. Can I owe you?"
Gina hesitated a moment, aware but not mentioning that there often seemed to be an excuse for not paying for things when they met up. She was also aware that Roo was currently pestering her rather urgently for a large sum of money.
"Of course," she replied evenly.
"Thanks, Gina," Roo said. "Next time. I promise."
"You want me to choose something of your to remember you by?" Sid asked doubtfully.
"Yes," Marilyn replied.
He came to sit down with her at the table.
"Marilyn, are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well… I don't know… do you think people mind be a bit… confused… maybe… by what you're doing?"
"Why would they be confused?" Marilyn asked. "That's what people do when they're dying."
"Yes, If they have cancer or… But you don't…"
She looked upset, hurt and annoyed. He knew he had said the wrong thing.
At school, Dex caught up with Ruby. She was surprised to see him. He had been avoiding her for days.
"Hey, I saw you driving to school this morning," he said. "You passed your test then?"
"Yep," Ruby said, somewhere between proud and hesitant.
She didn't want to show off after what she had done to him.
"I am officially a driver."
"Well done," he said.
"Thank you."
And awkward silence fell between them.
"Listen, I know you don't really want to hear it but I'm so sorry for what I did…" Ruby tried.
He shrugged.
"It's okay," he said. "The laughter has died down somewhat. Some guy the year below us was caught with his hand in his pants in the stationary cupboard yesterday so most people are talking about that now."
"Wow."
"Yeah," Dex said. "I mean, at least go to the bathroom."
Ruby snorted with laughter. Dex grinned. They hugged.
"Listen, I had an idea," Dex ventured.
"Why don't I like this?" Ruby replied curiously.
"It's nothing bad," Dex assured her. "It's for Claire."
"For Claire?"
"I think we should go to a gay bar," Dex told her.
Ruby raised her eyebrows.
"For Claire," he reiterated.
"Why?" Ruby asked, a little more uptight than she expected.
"She spends her life hanging around with us, listening to us lament about our heterosexual dramas," Dex said. "Adrian. Graves. Alex."
Ruby frowned.
"Why can't we spend some time giving her the chance to meet a girl?"
Ruby considered it.
"I don't think she'd want to go to a gay bar," she decided.
"Why not?"
"I don't think it's her kind of thing," she said.
"Have you asked her?"
"No but…"
"Well then, why don't we ask her?" Dex said.
"Fine," Ruby said reluctantly. "But I don't think she'll want to go and I think the three of us will just look lame."
"Well, why don't we ask the others along?"
"Oh yeah like Xavier and Romeo would go to a gay bar," Ruby snorted.
"Who wants to go to a gay bar?" Xavier asked. "Dex?"
He grinned and raised his eyebrows. Dex wondered when gay jokes amongst teenage boys would ever go out of fashion.
"Nobody!" Ruby said.
"Claire," Dex corrected. "We were thinking of going to a gay bar with her so that she could maybe meet someone."
"If she wants to," Ruby said, oddly cagey. "I don't think she'll want to."
"We'll come," April told them.
"We will?" Xavier said. "I mean, what if I get hit on?"
"Just because you're a guy in a gay bar doesn't mean you'll get hit on, Xave," April said. "You don't get hit on by girls in every straight place you go to, do you? And besides, even if you did, would it matter?"
"No… I mean, no, but… I mean…"
April looked at him, unimpressed.
"Okay, we'll go."
"If Claire wants to," Ruby added.
"If Claire wants to," Xavier agreed.
Instead of going straight to school, Gina stopped off at the restaurant. It was closed but Joey let her in anyway. Relieved that Alf was busy in the back, Gina stole a few words with the boss.
"Sorry to bother you, Joey," she said. "I just wanted to pick your brains about Roo Stewart."
"Roo?" Joey said. "I mean, I don't know her that well…"
They had called a truce but the woman still made her a little uncomfortable after their battle for the love of Alf.
"She hangs out here quite a lot though, doesn't she? Because of Alf?"
"Yeah, she does," Joey said. "Pretty much every day."
"And does she…? This is a bit awkward… Does she pay her way?"
"Um…"
Joey tried to think.
"She has a tab most days and um… actually, I think Alf pays it off," she realised.
Gina nodded thoughtfully.
"As I suspected," she said. "Thanks."
"Is there something wrong?" Joey asked.
"No… well, yes… well, maybe," Gina sighed. "I think I might be being played."
She thanked her again and left Joey none the wiser.
Sid had been out for a walk. He knew he had upset Marilyn and the more he'd talked, the worse he'd made it. And the last thing he wanted to do was upset the woman he loved. But now, with a clearer head, he had returned. And he'd brought snacks and flowers. He found her still at the dining table, still sorting through her things.
"I support you one hundred per cent," he said. "And I would like to go through all these items with you and take one for myself. And help you decide who should have what. I care about what you care about and I believe in what you believe in. And I love you."
She smiled at him. They kissed.
Dex was rather pleased with himself by lunch time. His plan had rather gathered momentum and so far, providing Claire actually wanted to go, at the weekend she, he, Ruby, Xavier, April, Romeo, Indi and Nicole were all going to a gay bar in town. He had researched it thoroughly in town and it was predominantly of the lesbian persuasion, which was good and was good for young people. They were also unlikely to be ID'd on the door so those of them under eighteen could still get in even if they couldn't drink, although he suspected some of them would try their luck. Now he just had to get Claire and it seemed also, Ruby, to get behind the idea.
So, with a hopeful spring in his step, he and Ruby walked into the restaurant and tried to get Claire's attention.
Also in the restaurant, Leah was taking a break from her shift at the Diner. She had something on her mind.
"So, you haven't actually told VJ that you and Elijah have ended things between you?" Joey asked.
She had a break between customers.
"No," Leah admitted. "Every time I pluck up the courage, I just ask him about school or something or feign interest in one of his video games."
Joey frowned.
"You need to be honest with him, Leah," she said. "He's going to be more upset the more time goes on, thinking that you've lied to him."
"I know," she said. "It's just that he loves Elijah so much and I don't want to hurt him. I don't want to shatter this illusion that he has that we're going to all be this happy family one day."
"The sooner you shatter, the sooner he'll mend," Joey said.
"I hate it when you're right," Leah complained.
Joey chuckled and patted her hand.
"He'll be fine," she said. "He's made of tough stuff."
In her office, Gina knew she was being deceitful. But she couldn't help herself. And besides, she was now certain that she was being deceived. In front of her was Roo Stewart's credit score. Roo was broke.
On the other side of the restaurant, Claire was taking her lunch break with Ruby and a rather excited Dex.
"So, you guys all want to go to a gay bar with me so I can meet girls?" Claire said rather incredulously.
"Yep!" Dex beamed.
"Only if you want to," Ruby put in. "I mean, I totally understand if you don't."
"I don't!" Dex said. "Why wouldn't you? It'll be fun!"
Claire managed a smile.
"Yeah," she agreed. "It'll be fun. Thanks, both of you."
Dex ignored the fact that Ruby had done nothing other than try to put a dampener on things.
"Great!" he said. "Let's go this weekend then! All of us! We'll have a great time!"
Claire smiled, genuinely pleased with all the effort that Dex and the others were going to just for her. It meant a lot.
"Great!" she said.
"Great," Ruby replied.
Leah left just as Charlie arrived, exchanging pleasantries in passing. Charlie approached Joey and kissed her across the bar.
"Got time to take a break?" she asked. "I've got twenty minutes."
"I can always find time for you," Joey replied, calling to Angelo to staff the bar.
She also ordered a couple of soft drinks.
They took a table in the corner, eager to catch up with their day.
"What did Leah want?" Charlie wondered. "She looked like she had the weight of the world on her mind."
"Oh, VJ and Elijah," Joey told her. "She hasn't actually told Veej that she and Elijah have split."
"Oh," Charlie said. "That doesn't sound like a fun conversation."
Angelo brought their drinks over and they thanked him politely.
He smiled and walked away a little wistfully. He liked his job here but he did miss being a police officer, working in that high pressure environment, grabbing breaks here and there while working on tough cases like this Penn Graham murder investigation.
And he certainly longed to be able to take those breaks with a loved one like Charlie and Joey often did. But he hadn't ever really been able to sustain a relationship. His last proper relationship had been Belle Taylor, God rest her soul, and she hadn't really been into him. She had cheated on him with Aden Jeffries, the true love of her life. Then he'd had a fling with Charlie. And who knows, maybe it would have turned into something in a different life; a life where he hadn't killed Jack, a life where she wasn't destined for Joey.
"Anything else happen interesting today?" Charlie asked Joey when Angelo was back behind the bar.
"Nothing exceptional," Joey replied. "Although I did have a bit of an odd conversation with Gina this morning."
"Oh?"
"She was asking about Roo and whether she pays her way when she comes here," Joey said. "She indicated that she thought she might be up to something. Like she was tricking her or… something. She said she thought she was being played."
"Hmm…" Charlie said, trying not to launch immediately into cop mode. "And does she?"
"What?"
"Pay her way here?"
"Nope."
"Hmm…"
Joey half smiled. She loved watching her girlfriend's mind ticking over.
Gina missed a call from Roo. She wasn't a stupid woman and as far as she was concerned, the situation in front of her was obvious. Roo was broke and she had forced herself to come back to a town she detested for one reason only: money.
Hugo and Martha were not in trouble. Or maybe they were and they had presented her with an idea and an opportunity to save herself. She was presenting Gina with a problem she would be emotionally compelled to solve but it wouldn't be Hugo or Martha that would be in receipt of any of the cash. It would be Roo. Of that, Gina was certain.
Leah had picked VJ up from school and brought him home.
"Can I go and play my game?" VJ asked.
"In a minute Veej," his mother said. "I need to talk to you first."
He looked a little concerned and sat down at the kitchen table with her.
"What's up?"
"I need to tell you something," she ventured. "About me and Elijah."
"What about you and Elijah?" he asked worriedly. "Are things not going well?"
"Darling…" she said, reaching out to hold his hand. "Elijah and I care about each other a great deal but we talked a lot while we were in Africa and unfortunately, we can't make it work between us."
"But you got along so well," VJ protested.
"I know, darling and we do care for each other, we really do…"
"So why can't you make it work?"
"It just isn't right for us," Leah said. "I'm sorry."
"And this has been since Africa?" VJ suddenly demanded. "You've both been lying to me all this time?"
"I'm sorry."
"Yeah," he snapped. "Well, you should be."
He stormed out of the room.
Charlie was driving back to the high school to collect Ruby. Stuck at the traffic lights and aware that her daughter was going to be irritated at her running late, her thoughts drifted to Joey, as they very often did.
She had been pondering Roo for a lot of the day. She wondered what she was up to and if she was in some kind of trouble. It had seemed odd that she would visit Summer Bay. It was well known that she had fled the place and claimed to hate it here. Did she have an ulterior motive for returning?
And as for Joey, she couldn't help but wonder how she really felt about Roo's role in Alf's life. For so long now, Joey had been his surrogate daughter. Now his real daughter was here and thing were awkward to say the least.
She pulled up outside the school where Ruby was waiting rather impatiently.
Upon her child's request, Leah took VJ to the restaurant to see Joey. She tried not to feel put out that he would only listen to Joey. He wanted to talk to her instead. He had a crush and sometimes that was useful. The three of them sat down together.
"Joey, you know what's going on," Leah said. "I explained on the phone."
"Right," Joey said. "I understand you're quite upset, VJ."
"My Mum lied to me," VJ accused bitterly.
"She didn't mean to lie to you," Joey said gently. "Your Mum loves you."
"Then why did she lie to me?"
"Because she was trying to protect you," Joey said. "She didn't want you to be upset."
"Well, I am upset," VJ said unhappily.
"And that's understandable," Joey said evenly. "But do you think maybe you could look at things from your Mum's point of view? Maybe understand that she's probably a bit upset right now? And maybe she needs her son to look after her a bit and be the lovely, wonderful boy he usually is instead of being all grumpy because she didn't have the words right away to tell him what happened?"
She smiled. He managed to smile back. Leah was hopeful.
"Maybe?" Joey nudged.
"Maybe," VJ conceded.
"Good," Joey said triumphantly. "I'm glad. Because you really are a good boy, VJ."
"You are," Leah added. "And I love you so much and I'm sorry I upset you."
"I'm sorry too," VJ said.
He looked uncertain for a moment.
"Will I still get to stay in touch with Elijah?"
"Of course!" Leah said. "Of course! Elijah and I are still friends. We'll always be friends."
VJ looked relieved.
"Now, how about we go home, I cook your favourite dinner and we have ice cream for dessert?" Leah suggested.
VJ looked completely won over. They thanked Joey. VJ gave her an extra hug. They left, passing Charlie and Ruby on their way in, with Leah looking decidedly happier than she had earlier in the day. Charlie looked quizzically at Joey.
"Just another satisfied customer," Joey remarked.
Next time… Robertson is closing in, Roo falls foul of Gina and Leah is angry with Robertson…
