"The Truth Hurts"

Summary: Set after Charlie & Brett's car accident, Joey returns to the Bay to see her brother. Is Joey ready to face Charlie again? How will Joey react to finding out Charlie's moved on with Angelo...or has she? As the secrets and lies Charlie has been keeping about Ruby begin to unravel - who will Charlie turn to?

Disclaimer: C7 & Home & Away own all the characters/locations etc. I will be using some exact scenes from the show so full credit goes to H&A for them - I just use them for my own advantage to spin them the way we all wish they should have been.

Spoilers included on the latest Charlie/Ruby storyline in Aust. so if you haven't seen it or don't want to know...come back and read this fic in a few weeks.

Rating: K+

Firstly I'd like to say a huge thanks to AuthorW for helping me out with this fic. For providing me with some fantastic ideas and suggestions for this story. This story wouldn't be half as good without your input. So thanks! And keep those ideas flowing for the rest of the story lol!

Chapter One

Charlie paced her room silently. Thinking quietly to herself. Aden and Belle's wedding was so amazingly beautiful. They're lucky. They get to spend their whole lives together. I'm glad they found each other. I was lucky when I found – knock knock! Sighing she exited her room, looking back at her dress she wore at the wedding lying on her bed, then down at her normal clothes she had just changed into. Great that's...Angelo. Why did he have to insist we go out on a date after Aden and Belle's wedding? Not even sure if I should talk to him about the wedding. Belle is his ex after all. Could be an awkward conversation...another awkward conversation. That feels like it sums up my whole relationship with him. He's great guy really, accidental murderer aside, and he should be the perfect guy for me but....he's not. I know the reason why. Always have. He'll never be...Joey. Nobody will ever be Joey, I need to accept that and stop comparing him to her. Or else it will never work between us. She's not coming back, and Angelo's just...Angelo's just not the right person for me. So why am I with him?

Opening up the door, she found Angelo standing on the doorstep. "Angelo...hey," Charlie said politely. "Wow Charlie you look amazing," Angelo breathed. Charlie eyed him suspiciously. "Okay that was probably a bit much considering you're in casual clothing, and if I'd seen you today in your dress I'm sure I would have been more over the top...but you still look great," Angelo explained. "Right...um thanks. So where are you taking me today?" she said changing the subject. "It's a surprise. It's not too far from here, but rather than walk I thought we'd take your car. Sound good?" he asked casually. If only she would just trust me. I've made some mistakes, but all I want is for her to open up to me. We've gone through so much, and I'm not gonna give up on her. Keep pushing those walls around her, and they might just break...one of these days. "Sure. Why not? I'll ah just grab my bag," Charlie replied as she walked back into the living room to grab it. She paused hesitantly before re-entering the kitchen. Why do I have such a bad feeling about this date? I can't shrug it off. Is it about Angelo? Or is it just about the date itself?

Five minutes later the couple were driving towards the wharf. Angelo insisted on driving, as Charlie noted he really wasn't giving up on the whole secret date. Rather than let their conversations, which Angelo always initiated, die out, Charlie decided it was a good idea to talk about the wedding. Why not? Maybe if I talk about how completely in love Aden and Belle are...Angelo might realize that as much as we like each other...we'll never have the same thing. God why can't I just speak my mind and tell him I feel this way? Because I don't wanta be lonely. Making things work with Angelo is better than...being alone again. Anything's better than being alone right? "Belle's dress was beautiful, and Aden looked very strapping. It was really sad when Aden didn't turn up at first and Belle told everyone the wedding was off. And then Aden turned up...like her knight in shining armour," Charlie informed him. "Like I did with you?" Angelo asked sweetly. "Duh...not exactly. I just mean well...you know I don't like the whole hero complex. I don't need a guy to rescue me. It was nice seeing them so happy today. They found their soul mate. Gives us hope for the rest of us, that we'll also find that," Charlie told him. "And have you? Found yours?" Charlie stared out the window, "Yes." Angelo smiled. See I knew if I just gave her some time, she'd open up to me.

Charlie sneaked a look over at him. He's smiling. He thinks I meant him. I didn't. How can I possibly explain to Angelo that he'll always be my second choice? Not that I have a 'choice' in the matter. It's not like Joey's here and I get to choose. Even if she was...I hurt her so badly. She wouldn't choose me. So there's no harm in sticking with Angelo. Given time, maybe he'll turn out to be my true soul mate. Wanting to steer the conversation away from all this talk about soul mates, Charlie continued on about the wedding. "The speeches were so beautiful you should've seen Aden and Belle, they were really emotional. It was cute...why are we here?" Charlie suddenly looked out the window as she recognised the street they had just turned into. The one where Angelo parked his car, not a few metres down from a certain sailor girl's house. Why would he bring me here? This is a coincidence right? I mean it's not like he knows my...ex...used to live there. It's not like she's back in town...even though she should be. Three months...three months ended several days ago. Maybe she is back. No she's not, I can feel it. I was right when I said three months is forever. Besides it's not like I can simply say to Angelo, "Hey can I just pop over to that run down house over there? Just wanta see if my old flame is still out at sea."

"I know it doesn't seem like the most romantic spot I just...trust me. Hired a boat, all we have to do is go five or ten minutes out of the headlands. It's the most perfect spot, you're gonna love it," Angelo insisted. What the hell? No way is this a coincidence. A boat, a picnic, and a perfect spot? Déjà vu much? This can't be happening. It's like I'm reliving it all again. The date with Joey on the Blaxland. No not date, it wasn't a date at that point. But it's still our place. Where we both realized how much we felt for one another. I can't be here again...reliving all the pain of my mistakes. I can't be here with Angelo. "I'm not sure I'm up for going out on a boat really, I might've had too much champagne, I think," Charlie tried to make excuses. Angelo looked over at her strangely, "You seem fine to me." Charlie continued pushing for them to leave, "No I really would just prefer if we went somewhere else." Anywhere else that doesn't remind me of Joey. Who am I kidding? Every single place in this town reminds me of her some way or another.

Deep in her thoughts, trying to devise a good enough reason for them to leave, Charlie turned around to face Angelo while walking out onto the road. Not noticing the speeding red car screaming down the street, Charlie walked into its path. "Charlie, look out," Angelo tried to warn. The car swerved slightly to avoid fatal impact, but still clipped her harshly against her hip, crushing it with a loud crunch. Charlie collapsed onto the ground, unconscious. Angelo rushed to her side, checking for a pulse, as the car that hit Charlie swerved into a lamp post. "Charlie?" Angelo begged as he felt a pulse, but was still concerned how badly his girlfriend had been injured. "Charlie? Charlie," Angelo panicked as he realized she wasn't waking up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the driver get out of his vehicle, but all Angelo cared about was making sure Charlie was safe. One minute we're having a nice...slightly awkward conversation...the next...I can't lose her.

Charlie slowly opened her eyes, wincing as the pain from her hip sunk in. She blinked a few times, before looking down at her hip. The memories of the painful crunch of the car hitting her flooded her mind. Looking around she noticed a Doctor at the foot of her bed, looking over her medical file. "Ah Ms Buckton you're awake. I'm Sid Walker, I'm one of the new Doctors here and I'll be helping out with your case and recovery. How are you feeling?" Sid asked politely. "Like I got run over by a car," Charlie groaned. "Well I'll organise some more pain medication for that. But first I think you're family would really like to see you Charlie. They're outside and extremely worried about you, but if you aren't up to it..." Sid said. "No it's fine. I'd like to see my sister and Dad, and uh Morag I guess," Charlie winced slightly at the continuing pain. "What about Jo?" Sid questioned.

Huh? Jo? "Huh?" Charlie panicked. "Jo? Well when you were waking up, you groaned that name several times. I just assumed that was the guy out there with your family, you're um boyfriend," Sid mentioned. "Well um actually...I..." Charlie stuttered. Joey? Of course I asked for Jo. How can I possibly explain that to this Doctor? Or Angelo...if he had of been here...well I guess that answers the question of where my heart lies. Sid watched quietly as he saw Charlie struggle with her thoughts. "Well I'll just go get that medication and let your family in," Sid stated as he placed the chart back on the end of Charlie's bed and walked out of the room. Charlie turned away from the door, as she wiped away a tear that rolled down her cheek. My subconscious asked for Joey when I woke up. I should've known I couldn't just keep these feelings hidden deep inside. It doesn't matter how long we're apart, she's still the first person I think of when I open my eyes every day.

Several minutes later, Charlie was surrounded by Ruby, Ross and Morag. Angelo had gone off to get her a glass of water. "Are you sure you're not in any pain?" Ross asked her. "No, I'm much better now my hips back in place. Stop worrying," Charlie tried to convince him. "Is there anything we can get for you?" Ruby asked her big sister. "No. I guess you heard how the accident happened?" Charlie realized as she stared up at her father and step-mother. I knew I should've just told them about Angelo and I. But maybe I knew why I didn't want to tell them deep down. Because admitting I'm in a relationship with him to my family means...I really am in a relationship with him. "Charlie they know about Angelo," Ruby informed her. "I'm sorry Dad," Charlie apologised knowing her father was not going to be happy or approve. Ross proved her right when he responded, "I'm not gonna pretend that I'm over the moon about it, given the history for all of us. But it's not really up for us to judge is it?" "Might've been nice if we heard it from you first though," Morag finally spoke up for the first time. I guess she's right about that Charlie admitted.

Angelo strode back towards Charlie's hospital room, cup of water in hand for his girlfriend. Before entering the room, he bumped into Dr. Walker. "You're the guy treating Charlie. How is she? Really? I know Charlie will probably put on a disguise, masking her pain," Angelo told the Doctor. "You're not wrong about that," Sid agreed, "But she's a tough one. We'll give her some more pain relief shortly and I'm sure after a few days rest here she'll be right to go home. She'll be on crutches for a little while, might need some physiotherapy to help her back on her feet for a while. The nurse, Julie, informed me she's a cop, so I think she'll be on desk duty for a while, before she's ready to get back into the swing of things...um ah..." "Angelo. Angelo Rosetta," Angelo struck out his hand to shake Sid's. "Right...Angelo of course," Sid shook his hand. Well that's interesting, Sid thought to himself. "Well I should probably get in there and check how she's going," Angelo said as he moved towards Charlie's room.

Angelo walked in quietly moving behind Ruby and Ross, who were next to Charlie's bed, and leaned over to pass Charlie the cup of water. Complete silence since I walked into the room, that's not a good sign Angelo realized even though he knew how Ross and Morag would react to him being Charlie's boyfriend. "Hey," he whispered. The party turned as Brett was brought into the room and the nurses placed his bed on the opposite side of the room. Ruby recognised him instantly, turning straight to Charlie demanding "What's he doing here?" Angelo noticed Ruby's reaction and questioned the younger girl, "You know that guy?" "Yeah he's...ah a friend's brother," Ruby struggled as she looked at Charlie, unsure if Charlie had ever told Angelo about Joey. I'm certain she hasn't, she won't even talk to me about Joey. I know she still misses her, she tries to keep it hidden. I know she's trying to move on with Angelo but she's only making things harder on herself. She'll never love him the way she loves Joey. But what do I know, I'm just her little sister right?

"He's the guy who hit Charlie," Angelo informed the group. Brett did this to me? Did I really deserve this for what I did to Joey? Oh God Joey, I can't let Angelo find out about her from Brett. "Brett was driving the car?" she demanded, then yelled "Angelo please leave it," as he strode over angrily at Brett. "For the record mate I know you were speeding you were well over the limit," Angelo shouted at Brett angrily. "No Angelo, don't please," Charlie begged her boyfriend, knowing precisely where this conversation could end up if Angelo didn't keep out of it. "Where do you get off having a go at me mate? I'm not the one who caused the accident," Brett accused. "You are gonna be charged with dangerous driving," Angelo continued to harass Brett. "Dad make him stop it. It was my fault," Charlie begged. It was my fault. Maybe not the accident entirely but...everything else with...Joey...that was all my fault. "Yeah that's right. You got a family, you wrecked the only family I ever had. Joey's never coming back 'cause of you," Brett yelled across the room. Charlie held back the tears threatening to release. 'Joey's never coming back 'cause of you.' Those words hit Charlie hard. She's not coming back. I knew that three months would turn into forever. I was right, she'll never forgive me.

"What are you talking about? If you're trying to cause more trouble for yourself," Angelo demanded. "Angelo stop it," Charlie screamed at him. I'm in enough pain already, I don't need this right now. "Ow ow," Charlie winced in pain. "For God's sake look what you're doing. Come away," Ross demanded as he stormed over to Angelo dragging him away from Brett. "What's going on in here?" asked one of the doctors as he entered the room. "Um she's in quite a bit of pain," Ruby informed the Doctor. The Doctor leaned over Charlie with his stethoscope against her chest, "Take some deep breathes for me okay Charlie. I'll top up your medication. And I strongly suggest you all go home, give our patients some rest." "I'd like to stay if I could," Angelo informed Charlie. "No I just wanta sleep," Charlie refused.

"That's fine. I don't mind sitting here next to you, make sure Speed Driver over there doesn't give you a hard time," Angelo insisted. "Angelo really I think it would be best if--" "Charlie, I'm staying. You don't get a say in this," Angelo stated as he grabbed a chair and moved it beside Charlie's bed and sat down. "Fine," Charlie sighed, knowing it wouldn't do any good to argue with him. Ross stared at Charlie's reactions to Angelo staying closely, knowing full well his daughter didn't return the strong feelings Angelo had for his daughter. Nevertheless he didn't want to intervene, so he simply said lightly, "We'll see you sweetheart." Morag led Ross out of the room, as Ruby yelled out "I'll meet you at the car in a minute." Turning to face her sister, Ruby once again asked "Are you sure you're alright sis?" "I'm fine Rubes. I'm sure I'll be even better once I get more pain meds into me," Charlie tried to smile.

Joey made her way silently into the hospital. Shaking the feeling of dread that had washed over her since she entered the building, she walked over to the front desk. Nurse Julie was sitting at the station, filing some patient records when Joey walked up to her. "Hi. I'm here about my brother, I got a call saying he was in a car accident. Brett Collins," Joey said. "Right yes, he's just returned from having an X-ray. Nothing serious, just a lot of scrapes and bruises, along with some whiplash. He should be right in a day or so. He's in room 215...which is just down the hall there to your left," Julie informed her. "Right thanks. When they X-rayed him, they didn't happen to X-ray his head to check he has a brain at all did they...Never mind. Can't believe he's idiotic enough to run down some girl by accident. How is the girl he hit? She's not..." Joey asked lightly. "Well she's in worse shape. Dislocated hip, and plenty of bruising but I believe she'll be okay after a few weeks rest," Julie explained. "Thanks. I suppose I should go see him now," Joey sighed as she headed off to the hospital room.

Ruby rolled her eyes at Charlie. "Okay I believe you this time when you say you'll be fine. I should get going, Dad and Morag are waiting on me. Make sure she gets some rest," she instructed Angelo. "Absolutely," Angelo smiled. Ruby leaned forward and hugged Charlie slightly. Charlie tried her best to ignore the pain it caused. Joey stood at the door of the room for a second, before sighing heavily and slipping in silently. Moving directly to her brother's bed, she didn't even bother to look over at the other people in the room. Just a quick visit, make sure Brett's okay, maybe stick around for a few days, then I'll get outta town. Don't wanta bump into...anyone right now. "Brett. How ya been?" she asked quietly. Brett stared up at his sister, "What are you doing here?"

Ruby whipped around the moment she heard Joey's voice. Angelo noticed how curious and surprised Ruby appeared, as Charlie closed her eyes trying to ignore the voice in her head. That's all it was. Just a voice in my head. Joey's not coming back. "Geez Brett, the hospital called about the accident. Thought I'd stop by, make sure you're alright....what's wrong?" Joey finally asked as she watched how angry Brett seemed. Ruby whipped back around to see Charlie's reaction to her former flame's return. Shaking Charlie's hand, Ruby realized her sister was afraid of facing Joey. Charlie slowly opened her eyes, taking in the view of her ex-girlfriend standing a few metres away. Angelo observed how Charlie stared intently at the young girl that had walked into the room. Who is she? As if answering his question, Charlie finally found her voice, murmuring "Joey?" Angelo noted the young girl stiffen at the sound of her voice been called. Turning around slightly, she looked almost scared as her face fell upon the two Buckton sisters...or well Charlie more specifically. Joey stared at her ex across the room, noting the guy sitting next to her...holding her hand. Joey steeled herself, holding back the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, as she finally uttered the name she'd been avoiding saying for three months – "Charlie?"