Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty Two

The church sat in stunned silence, nobody quite knowing what to do. The bride had sped off on a motorbike with another man and the groom had stormed out in humiliated temper. Finally, John stood up and cleared his throat.

"Right, um… well, I suppose this wedding isn't happening," he said.

"State the obvious!" Angelo called unhelpfully.

Charlie looked round, glaring him into silence.

"So, I suppose we should all call it a day," John concluded.

"We've still got all the catering," Joey told him. "And that was a wedding gift from us to Bianca and Vittorio so there's no point wasting it. Everyone is still welcome back to the restaurant for food and drink."

"Great!" John said, repeating what Joey had said.

Everyone was a lot more cheerful.

"Wait!"

Everyone turned to see Gina standing up. She looked nervous as she walked down the aisle towards John.

"It seems a shame to waste this beautiful church," she said.

John looked a little flustered.

"Why don't we do it?" she suggested.

"Do…?"

"Get married," she said. "Me and you. If… if you still want to?"

Xavier looked happily at April across the church. She beamed back at him.

"Of course I still want to!" John said.

Their friends cheered. Gina and John checked with the pastor who was more than happy to oblige.

"Xavier!" John called. "Will you be my best man?"

"Of course!" Xavier said, leaping up and rushing forward.

"I'll be your maid of honour!" Colleen pretty much demanded, hurrying towards Gina who had no choice but to agree.

Within a few moments, the ceremony was in full swing and with no objections or drama, Gina and John were married.


After the ceremony, everyone hung around for the photographs. It wasn't quite the outfit that Gina had planned for her wedding day but at least she was dressed up. To be honest, she hadn't ever planned to have another wedding day at all and today, she was happier than she could ever have imagined. She had surprised herself as much as anyone else when she had stood up and proposed to John but it had just felt right.

"What's this?" she asked, confused.

Xavier beamed at her, as Angelo appeared in the Mad Max car that Xavier and John had been busily doing up these past few months.

"I asked Angelo to go and get the car," he said. "We thought it would be nice for you to go to the reception in style."

Gina hugged her son and thanked him.

"Your carriage awaits," Angelo announced, opening the door for John and Gina.

"Uh oh," Charlie mumbled.

"What?" Joey said.

She looked up to where Charlie had her eyes fixed ahead of her. Robertson and one of Charlie and Watson's colleagues had just stepped out of a police car and they looked very determined.

"Sorry to break up the party," Robertson said insincerely. "Oh. You're not Vittorio and Bianca."

He looked John and Gina up and down.

"State the obvious," John said, echoing Angelo from earlier.

"Change of plan," Gina said. "What do you want?"

"Well, I don't like to do this in public but…"

"Then why come to a wedding?" Charlie snapped.

She had a horrible feeling she knew what was about to happen. Joey squeezed her hand tightly.

"You know the drill, Sergeant," Robertson said easily. "Justice waits for no-one."

He turned to Alf who was glaring at him.

"Sorry, Alf," he said. "But I'm arresting you for the murder of Penn Graham."

He handcuffed him and guided him towards the police car, ignoring the objections and gasps of horror. Charlie couldn't watch. Instead, she looked at Will. Guilt was etched on his face.

"Well, I am not going to be part of this farce anymore!" Joanna suddenly announced, stepping forward. "You two stepping in on the wedding that my daughter and the man she should have married paid for! That man being dragged off by the police for murder, no less! This whole town is a fucking shambles!"

Leah put her hands quickly over VJ's ears but he moved out of the way. He didn't want to miss anything.

"April, we're leaving!"

"What do you mean, we're leaving?" April snapped. "I'm not going anywhere! This is my home!"

"Not anymore, it's not," Joanna said. "We're leaving. Now!"

She grabbed her daughter's arm and dragged her towards her car.

"No!" April said. "Irene!"

Irene stepped forward, objecting. Nobody knew what to do.

"No," Joanna said. "You might think you're mother earth or whatever but April is my daughter. All you actually are is Bianca and April's landlady. And from my research an ex-alcoholic who works in a Diner. So I'd advise you to let me and my daughter leave in peace."

Irene stepped back. She apologised to April.

"Come on," Joanna said.

Xavier bolted after them, calling April's name.

"And she'd be better off without you too! I wasn't able to save Bianca but I can save April."

She demanded that April get into the car.

"Sorry," April said sadly. "I love you."

Xavier chased the car for as long as he could, heartbroken that his girlfriend was being taken away from him. The mean part of Ruby couldn't help but remember the night that Xavier had been so smug that he was in such a happy relationship. But that memory was quickly overridden by sadness that her friend was being taken away. She genuinely liked April, even if the friendship had taken a long time to build.

"What do we do now?" Angelo wondered.

Charlie realised that everyone was looking at her and Joey. And Joey looked like she was about to burst into tears.

"Now, we give John and Gina a lovely reception," Charlie said, putting her arm around her girlfriend. "And all of us try to work out how the hell to prove Alf's innocence."

Everyone agreed. Angelo welcomed John and Gina into the car. Ruby watched Romeo comfort Xavier over his loss. She couldn't help but think it was really sweet of him to care so much.


A short while later, the whole wedding party, minus Alf, April, Joanna, Vittorio, Bianca and Liam, were back at Charlie and Joey's restaurant. Joey changed out of her bridesmaid's dress and into a smart suit. She, Charlie, Angelo and Claire were working for the reception but they were hoping to enjoy themselves too. However, right now, Joey wasn't sure she would ever smile again. She couldn't get the image of Alf being carted away by Robertson out of her head. What was going to happen to him now? How could they prove his innocence?

"Jo, do you want me to go to the police station? See what I can do for Alf?"

"What can you do?" Joey asked.

"I don't know. Support him somehow…"

"Not as a police officer though," Joey said sadly. "You need to be impartial."

"Maybe I should call Morag," Charlie suggested. "She should know. She could act as his lawyer."

"What about your Dad though?"

"Well, if she actually moves in with us then she could support Alf and we could help more with Dad…"

Joey nodded thoughtfully, still looking tearful. Charlie hugged her.

"I'll just go and call her," she said. "See what she says, okay?"

Joey hugged her again. Charlie slipped out into the back, pulling out her phone to call her step mother.


Ruby sat at the bar, chatting to Claire.

"Well, that was eventful," Ruby remarked.

"Probably the most eventful wedding I've ever been to!" Claire agreed with a nervous laugh.

"Welcome to Summer Bay," Ruby said with a wry smile.

"The fun never stops!"

"What fun did I miss?" said a voice.

They both turned to see Hannah, Claire's girlfriend walk in. Even Ruby had to admit that she looked stunning, all dressed up. She had been working and unable to make it to the wedding but, touched that Claire had invited her, had managed to leave work early enough to join her at the reception.

"Hannah!" Claire greeted happily. "I'm so glad you made it!"

Ruby tried not to feel jealous as they kissed each other in greeting.

"Good to see you too," Hannah said. "Hey, it's Ruby, isn't it? Claire has told me all about you. I haven't met you properly though."

"Hi," Ruby said, shaking her hand politely. "Nice to meet you properly."

"Can I get you a drink?" Claire asked. "Sorry I'm working. But it's pretty relaxed. I'll be able to chat."

"It's fine," Hannah said, ordering a beer. "I'm sure we can still entertain ourselves."

She hopped up on a stool beside Ruby who wondered how long she would have to wait to escape. She did not want to be a third wheel today. Thankfully, she was rescued by Xavier who, looking utterly miserable, threw himself on a stool on the other side of her.

"Where the hell has April gone?" he demanded, as if she knew the answer.

"I don't know, Xavier," Ruby said. "I'm sorry. But I'm sure she'll be back."

"That's not really helpful, Ruby," he snapped.


"You're a little quiet today," Marilyn noticed.

Nicole looked up, a little startled.

"Oh, I'm okay," she said quickly. "I've just not been feeling so great recently. But I think I'm just a bit nervous about my HSC results."

"Well, if it carries on, perhaps you should see someone," Marilyn suggested. "You don't look well."

"Thanks," Nicole joked.

Marilyn gave her a quick hug and moved on. She too was preoccupied. Most people at the reception were. Everyone loved Alf. Nobody could believe that he had been arrested for murder.


Charlie emerged from the office and caught Joey's attention.

"What did Morag say?"

"Well, obviously she hit the roof about Alf," Charlie said. "She's desperately worried about him. She said she was going to call the police station and try to halt any interviews until she can get here. But that won't be until tomorrow. So the plan is that she and Dad will move in with us as soon as possible. That way we can share caring for him between us all and I'm sure other people will help out as well. And Morag can act as Alf's lawyer and she'll do whatever it takes to get him out of there."

Joey hugged her.

"Well, I'm relieved on all counts," she said. "For Ross and for Alf. The two most important men in our lives."

"They are indeed," Charlie agreed.


Will sat in the corner of the restaurant, nursing a beer and not really talking to anyone. Lily had gone off to dance with VJ so his responsibilities were thankfully limited for now. He couldn't get the image of Alf being put into the police car out of his head.

He had caused that to happen. He had betrayed his friend. He had blamed him for Penn's death. He was the reason that Alf had been humiliated in front of the whole Bay. Alf didn't deserve that. Alf deserved more respect and kindness than that.

Robertson had played him. He had found him when he was vulnerable and used him. And now it was too late.


Ruby had slipped away from Claire and Hannah and Xavier had long since wandered off in his own misery. She sat down at a table with Romeo, Indi, Dex and Nicole.

"Poor Xavier," Nicole said sadly, watching him attempting to be cheerful around his mother and John. "I can't believe that Joanna just dragged April off like that."

"Well, perhaps that will teach him not to be so smug about being loved up in future," Dex remarked.

Everyone apart from Ruby stared at him.

"I'm glad I'm not the only person to think so," Ruby said. "And um… while I've got you here, Dex. I just wanted to apologise for everything that happened between us."

Dex reached out his hand. They shook.

"Let's just forget about it," he said. "All just a misunderstanding."

Nicole was proud of her friend for apologising and sorting things out and relieved that Dex was being so kind about it. Because quite frankly, it was pretty much all Ruby's fault. And she had, by all accounts, been very unkind to him.

Ruby caught Romeo smiling at her, seemingly pleased that everyone was friends again. She was surprised when a little shiver went down her spine. Why had she never noticed what a great smile he had? And what a handsome face? No. No, Ruby, she thought to herself. Romeo is in a committed, happy relationship with Indi. He would never look at you. And even if he did, you could never move in on someone else's guy. That's against the Girl Code. She forced herself to look away from his suddenly gorgeous eyes.


Towards the end of the evening, Xavier, Angelo and Romeo sneaked out of the reception and decorated the Mad Max car with 'just married' decorations. Angelo offered to drive John and Gina to a hotel for the night so they could enjoy their first night of wedded bliss in peace.

Claire, Charlie and Joey, with the help of Hannah and Ruby, stayed back to clean up the restaurant after everyone had gone. Charlie and Joey noticed firstly that Hannah was really nice and secondly that Ruby didn't seem to be making an effort to get along with her.

Once everything was done, Ruby dropped Claire and Hannah off at Claire's house and then drove herself, Charlie and Joey home. It had been a long and eventful day.

Curled up in bed that night, Charlie and Joey tried to get their heads around everything that had transpired. They were happy for both Liam and Bianca and Gina and John. But more than anything, they were heartbroken for Alf. They were worried about how he was coping at the police station and whether he had been charged. They wondered what Morag would be able to do for him and also how she would cope with having to look after Ross as well as save her brother. Neither of them felt very hopeful for the future for their friend. Both of them were desperately worried about him.


Next time… Charlie confronts Robertson while Joey confronts Will, Alf is charged with murder and Morag and Ross prepare to move back to the Bay…