MOONLIGHT SHADOW 4

Thank you again for all your very kind comments and emails about episodes 1, 2 & 3 of this story. I am really pleased that you have enjoyed them. Knowing that they've put a smile on your faces makes writing them totally worthwhile. If only Home & Away could have realised the potential they had for a great relationship between these two characters. It's a damn shame! I do hope Kate Bell decides to come back soon. I'm guessing she will do ... eventually.

Moonlight Shadow 4 picks up exactly where episode 3 finished – the day after Charlie's birthday. In this episode, Joey plans to tell Brett about her relationship with Charlie. At the same time, good things start to happen for her - so she can begin to settle into living her life in Summer Bay and be close to the woman she loves. What will the residents think of their relationship. And will Charlie be able to cope with an admirer? All this and more to come in the upcoming chapters!

Chapter 1

"JOEY? IS THAT YOU?" The voice was loud, and the words were slurred.

Joey sighed. She knew this was going to be a bad day at the Collins household. It was just before midday and Brett was home – and he was drunk already. She followed the sounds of her brother muttering to himself, leading her to the living room where she found him slumped on the sofa.

"THERE YOU ARE! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN SINCE YESTERDAY?"

"Since when have you ever been interested in anything I do, Brett?"

"I was ...," he hiccuped then began again, "... I was ... worried about you, sis."

Joey didn't believe him. Sometimes alcohol gave Brett delusions of being a caring brother, especially when he sat alone in a stupor, thinking about his early family life with Joey and their mum and dad. It would make him teary, and for a few moments he would remember how much he once cared for her – before she had told him of her attraction to other women. Sadly, the feelings were always short-lived and he soon returned to his normal, brutish self.

There was no way she was going to tell him about Charlie today. Not only would he probably not remember anything about it the next day, but his emotions always became intensified when whiskey entered the picture – and the room reeked of it. She was worried he might turn nasty.

"I'm going to my room. You want anything? A sandwich? A strong coffee?" she asked.

"Rehab?" she muttered under her breath.

"More ice," he commanded – not asked. They were definitely of a different ilk.

Joey set her bag in her room and went to the kitchen. She got Brett some more ice for his whiskey, putting in plenty of cubes to water it down as much as possible. She also made him a sandwich and set it in front of him on the coffee table, hoping that if it sat looking at him long enough, he would be tempted to eat it. It would absorb some of the alcohol and the sooner that happened, the better – as far as Joey was concerned.

She left her brother, contented in the living room and went back to her room to unpack her things. Her mind wandered and she thought about Charlie. Just thinking about her smile made her feel better and she needed that. Brett had yet again managed to bring her down with one, very short conversation. It was a real talent of his.

She slumped onto her bed and put her feet up, resting her head back against the headboard and pulling her knees up tight to her chest. Brett shouted from the other room but she couldn't make out what he was saying. She strained to listen to him. It soon became obvious that he was shouting at someone or something on TV. Thankfully it wasn't her he was angry at. She lifted her headphones from the bedside cabinet and switched on some music to drown him out. She lay her head back and looked up at the ceiling. I need to get out of here, she thought.

--------x--------

It was mid-afternoon and Charlie was putting the finishing touches to her uniform. She had strung the heavy utility belt around her waist, buckled it, then tied her hair back. Ruby was at school and Leah was out with VJ. She felt a little bit lonely. She had been so used lately to having Joey within inches of her most of the time, and she was missing her already. They had parted not more than an hour ago. They'd get to see one another later that night, she hoped. Her shift finished at 9 o'clock and if need be they could go for a drive somewhere for a few hours. The thought made her smile as she locked up the house and left for work.

--------x--------

"Hey love ... I've been looking for you these past few days," greeted Alf when he saw Joey enter the Surf Club.

"Hi Alf ... sorry I was away all day yesterday."

"Oh ... doing anything nice?"

Joey could feel herself beginning to blush as she thought about Charlie's birthday. She quickly came to the conclusion that the word 'nice' was a huge understatement.

"Ehh ... just ... y'know ... girly stuff. Sorry ... I should have given you my number last time we spoke."

"Never mind, love ... you're here now. I've got good news for ya. We're all set to start the tours next week if ya feel you're ready."

Joey's jaw dropped wide open, her expression quickly turning into a huge grin. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah ... I've even got a few customers lined up already."

Joey could feel herself becoming nervous and excited at the same time. She'd never been a guide before and she wasn't sure she was up to the challenge, but she was going to give it her best shot.

"Alf ... that's fantastic!"

"I knew you'd be pleased, love. We just need to have a sit down ... sort out what you're going to include in yer talk. It doesn't have to be too in-depth ... just the main points really. I've brought a few books for you to take a look at ... to give you some help." He reached under the counter and produced anything but a few books – they were piled high and they thumped loudly as he set them on top of the bar.

Jeez ... that's more than a few, thought Joey. She tried her best not to frown at the thought of having to read through all of them in one week.

She faked a smiled. "I'll take them home with me today," she said as Alf went into the store room. "I'll just go get a wheel barrow ... or something," she muttered under her breath, furrowing her brow and shaking her head as she wondered how she would get them home. She'd never be able to carry them all!

Alf came out carrying two more books. He set them atop the pile. "There you go ... that's all you'll need."

Joey's smile widened and became even more false. All? Inside she was beginning to fret. She had never really enjoyed history at school and now it was going to be part of her job. She figured that maybe this would be different because it was all about local history, and not the boring stuff she had been made to learn at high school about Australian military history.

"I'll take some now, Alf ... and come back for more later."

Alf nodded in agreement. Joey reckoned she'd need to make several trips back and forth.

"If you can come back tomorrow afternoon ... we can talk about it ... and discuss wages too ... okay love?"

"No problem," said Joey. "I'll take some time to read over these later and tomorrow before I come see you. And I'll jot down a few ideas."

"Brilliant. See you then!"

Joey grabbed as many books as she could carry from the pile and made her way towards the exit, strugling to find a free hand to open the door. Alf smiled as he watched her go. He knew she was just the right person for the job.

--------x--------

Charlie had spent most of the afternoon following up a call the station had received from a member of the public. Someone had reported seeing a woman who appeared to be hanging around a residential area acting suspiciously. The caller had said she was dressed in camouflage-type oudoor wear and had been using binoculars and taking down sketches or notes. They thought she was possibly scouting the area for professional burglars, looking for alarm systems or weaknesses in home security. When Charlie and her colleague had arrived, the woman was nowhere to be seen. It had been a waste of an afternoon, in her opinion.

She leaned back against the bonnet of the car, waiting for Constable Farnsworth to return with some much-needed coffee. She took her phone from her pocket and began to write a text message.

"Can u meet me later? We can go for a drive.

Missing you – C xxx'

She searched for Joey's contact on her phone and pressed 'SEND.'

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Joey had just opened the front door when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. It played the sound she had especially chosen to tell her that Charlie was sending her a message, the sound of a harp being strummed. She liked that sound.

She walked past the living room, spotting Brett unconscious and still on the sofa, and entered her bedroom, setting the books down on her bed. She opened the message to read it, smiling as she imagined Charlie saying aloud the words she had sent to her. She wrote a reply ...

"Txt me when u r ready and I'll be waiting

outside my house. I have some good news.

Will tell u about it later – J xxx'

She pressed 'SEND' and sat down on her bed, glancing over the titles of the books she would have to study for the foreseeable future. 'Summer Bay – A History,' was the title of one. 'Myths and Legends of New South Wales,' was the heading on another – and it had a sketch of a headless horseman on the front. Every bloody town has a headless horseman legend, thought Joey. I'm going to have to find something more original than that ... otherwise the tourists will be so bored with me they'll want to jump ship and take their chances with the sharks.

She picked up the books and put them on top of a table near her bed, then made her way back to the Surf Club to pick up some more.

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It was 8:55 p.m. Charlie was five minutes from the end of her shift and she was so pleased to be going home. The day had not been stressful, or particularly eventful, but she was finally beginning to feel the need for sleep catching up with her after all that had happened the previous day – and they hadn't managed to get much sleep that night. She wondered what news Joey had for her. When she read the text message her first thought was that she had told Brett about them, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Had it really been the case, Joey's news would not have been at all good. Besides, World War III hadn't broken out in Summer Bay, so he must still be unaware.

She put on her jacket and tidied her desk to leave. When she got to her car, she took out her phone and made a call.

"Hi," said Joey tenderly.

Charlie's response was short and sweet. "I'll pick you up in half an hour."

"Wow you're keen ... not even a hello? ... or how are you? ... just straight down to business, eh?"

Charlie giggled.

"Okay," said Joey, "I'll be waiting." They hung up.

Charlie slid into the drivers seat and started the engine. She didn't have much time to get home and change her clothes – she'd have to hurry.

--------x--------

The car pulled up a few doors down from Joey's home. Joey was waiting outside for her, looking so pretty in her yellow blouse and black jeans. Her hair was loose and flowing as the breeze caught it. Charlie thought she looked beautiful.

Joey opened the passenger door and peered inside. Charlie was dressed in a tight-fitting white t-shirt and jeans. They accentuated her figure perfectly and Joey could feel her own heart beat faster just looking at her. She climbed in and closed the door.

"You look amazing," said Joey.

Charlie blinked slowly and smiled. "So do you. Ready to go?"

Joey smiled back at her. "Yes ... where do you want to go?"

Charlie looked deep into her eyes, beginning to feel the desire in herself rising. Joey caught a glimpse of wild Charlie for a few moments and she realised she was going to be taken somewhere very, very secluded.

"I've been thinking about that one all day," Charlie replied, "I'll find somewhere."

Joey smiled mischievously and raised an eyebrow. It was going to be another one of those nights!

To be continued ...