Cold Summer

[JosieTash]

MANY thanks for the EXCELLENT comments ………

…………AND to Red Ranger 1 & Sarah for your continual support of my fics !!!! I’m VERY glad you’ve REALLY enjoyed this one and hope you continue to do so in the future !!!!

Now, here’s the “movie length” FINALE of “Cold Summer” !!!!!!

CHAPTER 31 !!!!!!!

In Bathurst, Joey is in her little flat. She’s breastfeeding Danica [with April, Dex, and the sleeping Charlotte & Adrian not too far away] when Joey’s mobile rings ………

Joey “Can one of you get that? Don’t want to disturb Danica. She’s clearly muchly hungry today.”

April “I’ll grab. [she walks the very short distance to where Joey’s phone is] It’s Ruby. Wonder what’s “going down” in the Bay. [April answers the phone] Hey Rubes, how’s it going?”

Ruby [stressed voice] “I NEED to speak to Joey.”

April [looking straight at Joey] “Rubes says she REALLY needs to talk to you.”

Joey “Tell her I’m breastfeeding Danica.”

April “She’s …..feeding Danica right now.”

Ruby [sternly] “It’s LITTERALLY a matter of life or death.”

April [after she takes the phone away from her ear] “Joey, Ruby …..she sounds MEGA stressed. You should talk to her.”

Dex “I can bottle feed her. Too bad men don’t have boobs or I could do what you are now.”

April “You mean you’d give birth to our kids if you could?”

Dex “Um ……don’t know if I’d got THAT far, but, I would be cool if I could help Joey & these gorgeous girls this way AND yours & my kids ….by having boobs and all.”

April “Dex, you’re just ……sooooo one of a kind.”

Dex “I’d be worried if people STOPPED saying that bout me. Anyway, shouldn’t Joey be on the phone with Rubes?”

Joey “Yep. Here, Dex, take over from me with Danica. She soooo doesn’t seem like she is done yet.”

April [as Joey hands the already crying bub to Dex] “I’ll get one of the bottles you expressed earlier.”

Joey [after April hands her the phone, and as April goes to get some milk for Dex to give Danica] “Ruby, sorry about all that. What’s up?”

Ruby [sternly/emotionally] “What’s UP is that Mum’s in hospital right now having surgery after the River Boys SHOT her. Also, they tried to ROB our house today. Heath …….I don’t even want to THINK bout what he almost did to me AND they almost robbed Sexy Tales. Joey, this is all YOUR fault.”

Joey [perplexed] “WHAT ?!?!?!?”

Ruby [sternly] “The River Boys only started their crime spree AFTER it started to SNOW here.”

Joey “Wait, “back up the truck” here. WHAT did you say bout Charlie?”

Ruby “Right now, she’s FIGHTING for her LIFE. Gunshot wound close to her heart. I know you left town cos you couldn't deal with Mum moving on, but ……..[REALLY emotionally] I BEG you to make it STOP snowing!!!!”

Joey [shocked voice] “O M G !!!! I wanted to hurt Cha………[bewildered like voice] but NOT this much. [hopeful voice] Do you think she’ll make it?”

Ruby [worried voice] “Don’t know. From what Sid said, she lost a LOT of blood tween the time she was shot to when Georgie get her to the hospital.”

Joey “And what happened to you?”

Ruby [almost frightened voice] “Heath Br……Braxton. He ……..he ……”

Joey [cutting in, sensing Ruby’s DEEP distress] “No need to say ANOTHER word about that. [Joey looks about the room – seeing Danica contently being bottle-fed by Dex, with April REALLY worried about what Joey has reiterated] OK.”

Ruby “OK …….what?”

Joey “I’ll make it stop. There’s a full moon tonight ……but I think I’ll need my fellow “Angels” to make it stop.”

Ruby “That’s GREAT. Then you can come home and EVERYTHING will be back to …..well, what passes for normal in the Bay.”

Joey “I CAN’T do that. I …….can’t live there. Too many BAD memories. THIS is my home now.”

Ruby [upon being taken aback] “I …..I ……didn’t expect that.”

Joey “Rubes, I HOPE Charlie pulls through and I will do EVERYTHING I can to make it stop snowing but that’s it. That’s ALL I can do.”

Ruby [still taken aback] “Well, if that’s all you can do. Can you contact Em and the others? Mum’s my number 1 priority right now.”

Joey “Will do, as soon as I get off the phone with you.”

Ruby “That’s all I can ask. Catch you later.”

Joey “Let me know if Charlie pulls through. I can’t live in same town as her, but NEED to know.”

Ruby “Keep you posted.”

Joey “hangs up” the phone, and almost immediately sees a curious look from Dex and a SHOCKED one from April …..

Joey [crious/perplexed voice] “What???”

April “I always thought that when you finally decided to make it stop snowing, then we’d ALL go home.”

Dex “Mostly what she said, BUT wherever my girls are, I am.”

Joey “April, I’m NOT gonna change my mind. I’m staying here. My daughters, they’re staying here. You guys can work out the rest. I’m gonna call my fellow ‘Angels’. “

+++

Whilst Joey contacts Emma, we cut to the hospital where Ruby is at the nurse’s station. She’s just asked, for the “millionth” time, how her mum’s surgery – which has been going for quite a while now - is proceeding....…….

Nurse Julie [trying especially her best not to get frustrated by Ruby’s constant queries] “Like I “might” have said before, the MOMENT I hear something, you’ll know.”

Ruby [despondently] “Thanks, Julie.”

Nurse Julie [trying to take Ruby’s mind off her current sitch a little] “Bet Xavier would love for you to visit him whilst you’re here. [Ruby looks unsure] I’ll BEYOND contact you 1st thing when I hear ANYTHING bout Charlie.”

Ruby “Gonna hold you to that.”

Ruby informs the also stressed Bianca of what’s happening ……………

Ruby “Think if I ask Nurse Julie how Mum is one more time, she “might” break her Hippocratic Oath and bludgeon me to death.”

Bianca “Well, I think it’s GREAT that you LOVE your mum soooooo much that you HAVE been asking about her soooo many times.”

Ruby [as she & Bianca hug] “She’ll make it through. She HAS to. After all, I’m looking forward to calling YOU Stepmom.”

Bianca [surprised voice, as she hadn’t really realised that Ruby felt THIS strongly] “Rubes, It’d be a total honor to have you as officially my stepdaughter. This wedding, mine & my Charlie Brown’s, its gonna happen. There’s NO WAY she’s gonna die now.”

Ruby [happily, as she releases herself from the hug] “So, are you going to propose, or will Mum?"

Bianca “My answer depends.”

Ruby “On what?”

Bianca “On how much you want to know bout us in the bedroom?”

Ruby “Pass. [short pause] I’m gonna go see Xave.”

Bianca [as Ruby walks away] “Your mum’s usually the guy !!!!”

Ruby, with all kinds of the images of her mum & Bianca having sex in her head right now, makes her way quickly to Xavier’s room. Sasha is by the right hand side of his bed…….

Ruby “Hey, you two. Stupid question, but how’s it going?”

Xavier [as Sasha softy kisses his right hand] “Doctors want to keep me in here for a few days, given all that injuries I sustained when that moron went all totally caveman on me.”

Ruby “Xave, I’m ……. I’m …….. “ [she bursts into tears]

Sasha “What’s up, Ruby?”

Xavier “If it’s cos you’re beating yourself cos I got bashed, you shouldn’t. NO ONE coulda predicted that happening when you were trying to set me & this awesome cutie up” [as he looks adoringly at Sasha]

Ruby [trying to stop herself from crying] “It’s …..not that. Mum’s in surgery, Heath [sasha & Xavier see Ruby’s body shutter with revulsion] ..........AND ……top of everthing, Billy’s not here to help me through it.”

Xavier & Sasha are taken aback by what Ruby has said. Neither are keen to ask her for further details as to what she meant about Heath. Seems like MUCH too raw a subject, but Xavier – especially now that he has Sasha - REALLY “feels for” Ruby ……

Xavier “Rubes, I don’t know if you can, but I HOPE you can.”

Ruby [bewildered] “I don’t think there was ANY English in that sentence.”

Xavier “Sorry, I meant hope you can contact Billy somehow.”

Sasha “Yeah, sounds like you need some love & care, [she kisses Xave on the right cheek] which is soooooooooooo what this boy is gonna get especially when he gets outta hospital. After all, the guy Xave tried to take on was, like, 14 feet tall.”

Ruby [as her tears ease] “Thanks, guys. That helped. I’ll see what I can do bout Billy. Should leave you two lovebirds alone.”

Xavier [as Ruby starts to head out of his room] “WAIT!!!! [she stops] What about your mum?”

Ruby [as tears well up in her eyes once more] “River Boy shot her.”

Xavier “I don’t “DO” prayer, but Rubes, may the force be with you.”

Ruby [after a DEEP breath] “You’re a “doll”, Xave. Sasha, don’t EVER let him go. I mean, he’s clearly not MY type, but he deserves someone. Yeah, someone VERY special. [she heads out of the room] Later.”

+++

In Bathurst, Dex finally gets the tearful, not long woken up, Charlotte to settle before …….

April “Dex, are we gonna talk about this? Joey’s off to meet up with her fellow you-know-whats to stop it snowing, so yeah, here’s my feelings. I love it in the Bay. All my friends and Bianca are there.”

Dex “But I’M here. My babies are here. The weeks I didn't know where they were, they almost KILLED me.”

April “What about everything else? Like uni, and a part time job?”

Dex “Bet you can transfer to the uni in THIS town. One of the BEST in the state, and there’s bound to part time jobs about. Think you’ve blended into this town nicely. Pete who runs the newsagent, he always seems to be ESPECIALLY friendly to you when we go in there. Could ask him for a job, now that old Mabel has taken very ill.”

April “He IS a kind old man. Not quite Bathurst’s answer to Alf, but getting there.”

Dex “So, what are you saying here?”

April “I’ll THINK about what you’ve said.”

Dex “That’s all I can ask.”

April “I’m gonna head out. It’s a GREAT day outside. Perfect day for a walk whilst I think bout this.”

Dex “Sounds ace. Hey, this’ll be the 1st time I’ve been alone with the triplets for quite a while.”

April “Want me to stay then?”

Dex “Nah. I meant that, being alone with them, in a GOOD way.”

+++

Whilst April head out for her hopefully decision making late afternoon walk, in Summer Bay, Ruby & Bianca are still waiting and hoping with anticipation for GOOD news about their beloved Charlie – who’s been in surgery for AGES. Ruby is cautious when she sees Sid, still muchly in scrubs, approach …….

Ruby [after she & Bianca get up from their seats and head in Sid’s direction] “How is she?”

Sid “The surgery was a success, but she’s not out of the woods yet. She’ll have to remain here in hospital for quite a while.”

Bianca “Is she awake?”

Sid “It will be a while before she is. She lost a LOT of blood. We’ve done ALL we can, now all we can do is wait.”

Ruby [after a deep breath] “Well, that’s something.”

Bianca “She’ll pull through, Rubes. Your mum she’s just sooooooo tough, and with the love we have for her, she’s GOTTA pull through.”

Ruby “Hope you’re right. At least what caused ALL of this should be over soon.”

Sid [intrigued voice] “What do you mean?”

Ruby “Rikki and the girls, INCLUDING Joey, are on their way to fix our weather problems.”

Sid “That IS good to hear. No more snow chains and, as fun as they were when this 1st started, no more snowball fights with my kids. Dex might even come home.”

Ruby “Don’t know. DO know that Joey is staying put.”

Bianca “All I hope is that this snow stops AND my Charlie Brown comes back to me. Anything else is a bonus.”

+++

Bella, Cleo, Emma, Joey & Rikki arrive in the waters of Ireland, having gotten there via the Indian & Atlantic Oceans. There was a thought of going through the Suez Canal, but it seemed too much of a risk, especially given how quickly, even at “impulse”, the mermaids can swim going the long way. There were also thoughts of “merely” going to Mako Island off the Gold Coast, but Cleo especially went with Bella & Joey’s thoughts that since Joey started it snowing from the Irish moon pool, THIS one will be the best place to end the BEYOND unseasonal weather the Bay is having.

The mermaids enter the moon pool ………

Rikki “It’s getting dark. Can’t be long now before the full moon rises.”

Emma “Everyone remember, control and discipline start with the mind, so concentrate.”

Cleo “That old chestnut, eh?”

Emma “I KNOW that Joey caused it to snow all by herself, BUT she was coming at it from a point of vengeance. She’d gone Dark Side at that point. No offense intended, Joey.”

Joey “None taken. I KNOW that I was all Asajj Ventress when I used this place to make it snow in the Bay.”

Bella “Sooooooo glad we’re gonna reverse your “spell” here, and I can totally see Em’s point – that ALL of us using our powers for GOOD will cause the snow to dissipate.”

Not long after, the full moon is completely overhead of the moon pool. All 5 mermaids raise their arms to the sky, with their hands in position as though they are conventionally using their powers. ALL of them have Emma’s mantra running through her mind, and are concentrating as much as they possibly can. Bella, Rikki & Cleo, whilst feeling strained, don’t feel AS stressed as they did when they used their magic to stop a COMET from smashing into the Earth!!!!!

Joey, the one who caused it to snow, is the 1st to deactivate her powers ….rest assured in the knowledge that the reversal “spell” has worked. The mermaids, including Emma, just know that the affect won’t be instantaneous ….and eagerly await conformation of their success via the surf watch webcams on the Summer Bay Surf Club website [on their mobiles, of course].

+++

On the other side of the world, Tessa [caravan park house] is bawling her eyes out. Nicole is doing all she can to stop her bub from crying but NOTHING she is doing works. She knows it’s not anything like Tessa needing to be fed or changed or anything like wind or the like …….

Nicole [as she gently rocks her daughter in her arms, hoping her cries will cease] “Baby, I KNOW you’re missing Billy, but he’ll be here soon. Ruby’s promised me. [emotionally] PLEASE be a good girl for Mummy !!!!"

Moments later, Nicole can’t believe it. Tessa stops crying and seems VERY content. The young mum is VERY bewildered but pleased about what occurred, when Miles enters the room ……..

Miles [excitedly] “Nic, draw the curtains back and open up the windows. I’ll nurse Tessa whilst you do.”

Nicole “Miles, are you insane? Tessa, it’ll be too cold for her.”

Miles “No, it won’t. Just do it. You’ll LOVE what you see.”

Nicole “I’m dubious bout this, but you SOUND excited AND my girl ISN’T crying, so ……… “

Nicole hands little Tessa to Miles and heads for the nearby window. The curtains are drawn and the windows are shut in a bid to keep the cold out AND keep some warmth in. Nicole pulls back the curtains and she can’t believe it ……..

Nicole [shocked voice] “It’s ……it’s SUNNY outside. GOD, this is ……. I can’t believe it. There’s sooooo not even a cloud in the sky. It’s not snowing anymore !!!!!!!”

Miles [excited voice] “Yeah, isn’t it just the BEST.”

Nicole “Tessa, she sensed it. BET she stopped crying cos she knew. I’m soooooooo gonna take her out into the sun, as soon as I “thrown on” a bikini for the 1st time in AGES.”

Miles “OK. I’ll bail whilst you get changed. We can go outside, the 3 of us, together.”

Nicole [as Miles exits her room and shuts the door] “Yep.”

Nicole quickly gets changed and eagrley carries Tessa down the stairs where she is greeted by Miles in the main room …..

Miles [as he holds the door closest to the dining table open] “After you, ladies.”

Miles, Nicole & Tessa exit the house and oh so GLADLY feel the warm sun on their skin for the 1st time in SOOOOOOOO long ……..

Nicole [yells out excitedly] “Thank you, “Angels” !!!!!!!!!!!!!”

+++

The mermaids on the other side of the world are “over the moon” that they’ve reversed Joey’s evil spell AND there’s celebrations THROUGHOUT the Bay !!!! The VERY warm usual summer sun is quickly melting the thick layer of snow ALL over the Bay. Whilst all that is going on, there’s ANOTHER big celebration ..........with Ruby & Bianca totally by her bedside, Charlie wakes up ………….

Ruby [excitedly] “Mum !!!!! You don’t know how happy am I to see you. We were soooooooooooo praying for you.”

Bianca “I’ll go get a doctor.”

Ruby “Nah, I will. You two deserve to be alone for a bit.”

Charlie “Rubes, you’re the best. Hug me before you go”

Ruby “All too easy. [Ruby leans down & hugs the still lying down Charlie] Thank you for coming back to us.”

Bianca “Amen to that.”

Ruby [after the hug ends] “I’ll go get someone.”

Not long after Ruby had left the room, she returned with Sid in tow. They find Chanca hugging and softly kissing, as Charlie is now sitting up in bed ……..

Ruby “Mum, you’re just BRILLIANT !!! [Charlie looks at her curiously] I’ll demonstrate. [she goes over to the window and opens up the blinds, and says excitedly] Tada !!!!!”

Charlie [shocked voice] “O M G !!!! The sun !!!!!”

Bianca “We TRULY do have “Angels” in our midst !!!!”

Ruby “Stopped snowing AND the sun came out JUST before you woke up.”

Bianca “The sun AND the “Angels” bought you back to life.”

Sid “There’s most likely a more scientist explanation, but who am I to challenge the notion of the mother of my grandchildren being involved.”

Ruby [upon seeing the curious look on her mum’s face] “Will tell you ALL about it …… “

+++

One week later, EVERYONE in the Bay gathers on the main beach for a BIG party ……celebrating together that it’s stopped snowing/it’s TRULY sunny Summer Bay again ……with NO snow remaining, thanks to the strength of the UBER warm sun !!!!

Charlie is back on her feet and just out of hospital, but there was NO WAY she was missing this. Xavier is also out of hospital, and he & Sasha are pleased when they see Ruby arrive at the party with Billy ………

Xavier “Good to see you again, Billy. Sorry about what happened.”

Billy “Being without someone to love you, I totally get that.”

Sasha “Rubes, I don't see your mum here anywhere, or Bianca. Your mum still recovering?”

Ruby “They’ll both be here soon enough. They “might” be making an announcement when they get here. Speaking of mum, where's YOURS, Xave?”

Xavier [dejectedly] “Well, let’s just say she lost a bet with John and that, Rubes, the people who are in a 2 piece swimsuit like you are gonna have an increase on their numbers soon enough.”

Ruby “How you feeling bout this? I mean, I bet you kinda wish that your mum’s & John’s bet included Billy – given that both you AND Shannon Reed found out his secret.”

Xavier “I’m sooooooooooooooooo glad that a scientist didn’t find out. Well, for the most part, cos the thought of my mum’s arrival is ……..” [his voice trails off]

Sasha “Embarrassing.”

Xavier “Got it in one.”

Nicole is also VERY pleased to see Ruby’s b/f, as is little Tessa can sense that her fave cuddly toy person is near, so Billy, for a short time during the party, morphs into a cuddly toy dolphin, which Tessa ADORES !!!!!

Speaking of babies, the sunny celebration is a permenant farewell to 3 of the Bay’s youngest residents ….Adrian, Charlotte & Danica Collins, along with their mum Joey AND April & Dex. There’s tearful hugs all round – and the goss that whilst April & Dex will attend the uni at Bathurst, April scored that part time job at the newsagent, with Dex now helping Joey AND the Sexy Tales crew. Joey & Dex will be responsible for web design, advertising and ALL orders that cum through the business's webite. Because of the new arrangements, Joey et al have found a 2 bedroom flat, not THAT far from the 1 bedroomer that they’ve lately called home. Dex gets the BIGGEST hug from both Indi and Sid whilst Ruby UBER hugs April & the triplets before Dex, April [having said goodbye to Bianca before she bailed from the "Hunter House” to go to this party], Joey and the triplets head off to their car and exit the Bay!!!!

Nearby, Gypsy is enjoining the day with her kids AND Angelo. Lily especially was skeptical about her mum’s new "hook up", but is slowly getting used to him being around, to the point where she’s vowed to HATE Gypsy FOREVER of she messes things up with Angelo – the man who saved their mum’s life.

No Summer Bay event would be without a moving speech form Alf ….MUCHLY soulfully describing the Bay’s spirit in the light of MUCH adversity, with a special “nod” not only to the police but the “Angels” as well !!!!

Rikki [to her fellow mermaids] “Think we should celebrate with a swim”

Cleo “Yeah. Ronnie, here I come.”

Bella “You’re “hopeless”, my Toy Boy.”

Cleo [after she softly kisses Bella on her right cheek] “You wouldn’t want me ANY other way.”

Emma “Belay all that. Shouldn't we wait for our housemates to get here?”

Rikki “SOOOOO don’t know WHAT I’d do without you, Em. [loudly, after she kisses Emma on the lips AND gives her wife a loving SPANK on the arse] “Hey, look at THAT !!!!”

The mermaids and EVERYONE at the party are fixated on the same thing ……Gina, in a bikini !!!!!, surfing – with John also riding the waves close by to his wife !!!!

Xavier [despondently] “My life is soooooo over. How embarrassment.”

Sasha [as she gives him a hug] “You’ve ALWAYS got me.”

Nearby, Ruby & Billy are chatting with Nicole [with Tessa, of course, close by] when …….

Ruby “It’s been just the BEST day. Sure I farewelled April, but it’s GREAT that she’s REALLY really with Dex now, and Bathurst ain't THAT far away …..given how I drive sometimes. [she eagerly sees two people dear to her finally arrive] Best of all, today’s just about to get SOOOOOO much better.”

It’s Charlie & Bianca who’ve just arrived, hand in hand like they have been almost always since they got together. After Chanca make their way to the centre of all the festivities …..

Charlie [loudly] “Everyone, your attention please. [just about everybody complies with her request] I LOVE this woman more that life itself, so now [Charlie kisses Bianca softly on the lips before she gets down on one knee on the awesome, sun soaked beach, and says lovingly] Sexy Miss Scott, my soulmate and TOTAL bestie, will you marry me?”

Bianca [uBER excitedly/happily, as Charlie slips the ring on her finger] “YES, my Charlie Brown!!!! A MILLION times YES !!!!!!!!"

Bianca eagerly helps her new fiancé to her feet, before they both MUCHLY hug and PASH, with Ruby [as Billy stands behind her with his hands & arms round her waist] ESPECIALLY happy for the 2 most important women in her life !!!!

THE END !!!!!!!!!!!!

NOTE – I BEYOND loooooooove this h2o/H&A cross universe, so there’s bound to be an as-yet-totally-not-even-thought-of-at-all 5th fic of this saga !!!!! …….sometime in the future !!!!!

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