A/N: This is something of a potential CJ fic. For the foreseeable future it is a 'C' fic if you like. I wanted Charlie to really come to terms with herself before going back 'there'. I hoped to create a character that would be a comfort to Charlie rather than challenging her full on which is all the poor thing seemed to get in the first place. All comments, complaints and suggestions are welcome, I will post what I can when I can if you want more. This is my first attempt, so apologies if it's a tad short.

/Eversong

Nothing left here. Jess sat at the airport with what little she could carry on the plane with her; an iPod given to her by her wife for her 25th birthday engraved with a message of love, and a small black messenger bag with overnight essentials. The rest of her belongings were awaiting her in storage, awaiting her new life. A tear escaped her as she flipped over her iPod to read the message, "All my love, forever".

Three hundred and forty-seven days ago Jess's wife had died aged just twenty-six. Jess had driven her and two friends to town for a drink to catch up for the year. Emily usually called Jess within a couple of hours, needing to go back home to her wife. That night, after three hours Jess had received a phone call from the hospital. Emily had been knocked down in the street by a speeding taxi and there was nothing they could do to save her. She was gone, and in that instant Jess lost everything. That was the first night in seven and a half years she had slept alone, and she still hadn't become used to it.

Now she was picking up the pieces of her life, trying to grasp something to focus on. The last year had been hard, she had tried to keep working for the same company for which both her and her wife had worked for three years, but she couldn't stand being in the office and walking past Emily's desk with someone else sitting there. She was able to do most of her job from home, but that was almost worse, the empty house they had once shared too painful to remain in for any length of time on her own. In the end Jess had volunteered to do the job no one wanted. Jess was a computer engineer, specialising in communication systems. The company outsourced their skills to businesses of all kinds ensuring all aspects of their IT and communication systems were maintained and repaired as and when needed. The job no one wanted was on the other side of the world; Australia. A small town port needed a skilled engineer to help set up and maintain state of the art communications services between the port and the emergency services. Jess looked at her phone, 6am, the flight would be boarding soon. Hating to be late to anything, she gathered her bag, shoved phone and iPod in two pockets and made her way to the gate, She checked a piece of notepaper still in her hand with an address on it, a house she had bought unseen and her home for the foreseeable future; 11 Wavecrest, Summer Bay, Australia.

"Charlie!" Ruby yelled from the kitchen; no answer. Ruby sighed. She thought her sister was getting better. Since Joey had left Charlie seemed to be picking up the pieces in her usual stoic manner. But lately she had seen her slip down hill again. Ruby knew now how strongly Charlie had felt for the woman; most relationships that had lasted much longer had taken her sister less time to get over. Clearly Charlie's usual 'head-in-the-sand' coping mechanism was failing her this time. She just seemed to have found and lost so much so quickly, still so confused about how she felt and it was all unravelling.

Ruby's train of thought was interrupted by her sister's appearance in the kitchen. She handed her a coffee and kissed her on the cheek before running out to school, promising to meet at the diner for lunch.

Jess woke in the alien bed she had slept in. She opened her eyes and lay completely still, almost unblinking. This was it, time to start her new life properly; although she didn't start her new job officially until tomorrow there were a few things she felt she needed to do before-hand. She wondered what the people would be like around the town. Wondered if she would be up to the job. Wondered if the man she was coming in superior to would respect her. Her mind was heavy, but she dragged herself up and to the shower with relative ease.

Stepping out the shower, Jess dried off more quickly than she was used to in this new heat and dressed in dark jeans and a light, short-sleeved jumper. Completing her morning routine, she grabbed her phone and left the house walking towards the bus stop checking the timetable for Yabby Creek.

Charlie arrived at the station and absent mindedly made her way over to the coffee pot, poured a mug and went to her office. She found herself sitting at her desk, surrounded by piles of papers. She let a sound slip from her lips, "Ugh". Thankfully, she wasn't faced with the mountain for long; Watson appeared at the door.

"Senior?" A look from her boss told her it was okay to continue. "There's a domestic in town, McGrath is going down there, but I need to stay for an appointment with a witness. Are you able to go with him?"

"Sure" Charlie responded, trying not to sound overly eager to get out of the office, "I'll be right out."

Jess arrived outside the Yabby Creek police station and took in the sight before her. It looked pokey and informal. She guessed she still felt like a tourist here, nothing was quite what she was used to. She took a breath and headed up to the door and walked in.

"Hi." she said to the female officer behind the desk.

"Can I help you?" Watson responded, a little sharper than Jess had expected. The officer caught herself and smiled as Jess fumbled with her words. She took her phone out of her pocket and looked at the screen she had left it on.

"I wondered if Senior Constable Buckton was here today? I have been told that she probably wants to see me." Watson pondered the woman's words, she didn't have much to go on here. From the accent Watson assumed the woman was English. She had long dark unruly looking hair, was casually dressed and she guessed about the same height and age as Charlie. She couldn't immediately place her as someone Charlie would 'probably want to see.' Jess picked up on the officer's apparent confusion,

"Sorry, I should have explained." She smiled lightly, causing Watson to do the same. "I'm the new engineer for the port." Watson immediately put it together in her mind and allowed her smile to grow further.

"Of course, yes Charlie wants to see you. I think she wasn't expecting you until tomorrow, you're on the list of people to call!"

"I'm not technically starting until tomorrow, I just thought I'd try my luck, get myself sorted."

"Well, if you want to see her today she should be back soon. She's down for the office today but had to go out for a job. If you want to wait?" Jess pondered the offer and Watson studied her thoughtful features. "I can get you a coffee if you want to take a seat?" Watson thought their guest might need a push.

"Thanks." Jess's decision had been made for her and she couldn't very well back out now. She gratefully accepted the mug of coffee handed to her by the officer and took a seat where shown. Watson advised that the Senior Constable shouldn't be long and if she needed anything just to shout over. Jess smiled and Watson went back to her desk.