"Senior Constable…" a blonde guy approached Charlie.
"Yes, Constable Jeffries?" Charlie turned, smiling.
"What's with all the formalities?" he asked as he entered Charlie's office and sat himself on Charlie's chair behind her office desk.
"Aden, get up there. You know we're both going to be in trouble if Sergeant Matthews sees you." Charlie said, now coaxing and pulling her friend off her chair.
Aden and Charlie has been friends since the start of their police training. They met each other on the welcoming party held on their dorm. Aden hitted on Charlie and Charlie flirted with him, but by morning, finding themselves sleeping next to each other, but fully dressed, Charlie and Aden somehow in their own way concluded that they were meant to be friends and nothing more.
"And since when did you start caring about getting in trouble?" Aden asked, now placing his feet on top of Charlie's desk, making himself more comfortable.
"Since they put my Dad in charge of this station!"
"Oh yeah… that… Daddy's the boss," Aden said, still not moving a muscle and still has his mocking tone in used, "which is why you don't have to fuss." Aden said grinning.
Aden knew Charlie very well or at least better than anyone. Being friends with the brunette for 5 years gave him the opportunity to get to know Charlie a little bit deeper compared to their other friends. Aden knew that Charlie doesn't really care much about what other people thinks of her or their opinion about her or doesn't really care about anything, really. She isn't the woman that just follows orders, unless she thinks its right. And that attitude of her made her respectable and gave her the position to be the senior constable at such young age; she follows her instinct and does what is right, even if it means going or doing the exact opposite of what she was told to be done. But also, that attitude of hers was the reason why she always gets herself in trouble with the higher officers. And it's not because Charlie was unprofessional, Charlie was actually very serious about her job and getting the job done, but it's because Charlie was 'that' good that she's giving their older and higher rank officers a ran for their money and most of the people working on their station knew that.
But of course, Aden knew it would be a whole different story when Ross's in the picture. Charlie might not care about what the Sergeant might say but she does care about Ross's words. Aden knew how much Charlie loves and looks up to her Dad and that's why Charlie was doing her best to change her ways a bit, so to not disappoint Ross in any way possible.
"Fine. Whatever. But if I get in trouble with my dad, I'm warning you… I will not help you pick up girls!"
As soon as Charlie finished her sentence, Aden was already on his feet, smiling innocently at his friend. Charlie smirked at him and sat on her chair that was just recently vacated.
"What do you want anyway?" she asked chuckling.
"Fancy going to a club after work?" Aden asked.
"Yeah, su---"
"Senior Constable, may I have a word?" Ross interrupted the Charlie and walks in, in Charlie's office.
"Yes Sir." Charlie replied.
"Uh-oh" Aden muttered to himself.
"I'll talk to you later Constable Jeffries."
Aden nods his head and then acknowledges Ross before heading out of Charlie's office. Ross then move and sat himself on one of the chairs across Charlie's desk and then turned to make sure that the door was shut.
"Going out tonight, Charlie?" Ross asked his daughter casually, winking at his daughter.
"Maybe…" Charlie answered cheekily and Ross smiled.
Ross and Charlie have a very good father-daughter relationship. They are both very professional in front of their colleagues and when doing work, but when it was just them in the room, it's a different story. Ross is a pretty 'cool' dad as Charlie describes him. He is very professional at work, a very loving husband to his wife, a great father to his daughters and a good confidante and friend to Charlie when she needs him to be.
"Don't stay up too late though."
"Dad… I'm an adult." Charlie complains like a kid.
Ross chuckled at his daughter's childishness, reason why no matter how old Charlie gets; she will always be Ross's first baby girl.
"I know. I'm just saying. Besides, you need to be up early tomorrow."
"Dad, tomorrow's my day off." Charlie reminded her old man.
"Charles tomorrow is Hugo and Joey's arrival." Ross this time, reminded his eldest daughter.
Suddenly, Charlie's face fell and let out a soft groan. She had totally forgotten about that or, she just didn't want to remember. There was a time in her life that she wouldn't want, not even dreamt of being away from Joey and Hugo. But now, she would just about willing to do anything to avoid seeing them, especially them together. Of course, this isn't a perfect world and you wont always gave that you want and Charlie had to live with that.
Ross noticed his daughter's sudden change of mood and again wondered not for the fist time, what went wrong with them. He remembered them being the 'Awesome Threesome' as what they call themselves and then somewhere along the lines, something got messed up and now Charlie and Joey could not stand each other.
"Charlie…" Ross started, "I know I… well, we've asked you about these loads of times but, what really happened?"
"What do you mean? Nothing happened." Charlie answered rather defensively and looking anywhere but Ross's eyes.
Ross eyed his daughter curiously. He has been a detective for years and to not notice Charlie's defensiveness would be an insult. Besides, he can tell it easily that there's something that Charlie isn't telling him, and though he wouldn't press it, he swore to himself that he will get into the bottom of it, even if it was the last thing he will ever have to do for his beloved daughter.
"So… one morning you guys decided to not get along?" Ross asked a little sarcasm in his voice.
"It's not that… it's just…" Charlie paused and then shrugged, "maybe we just out grown each other." She said.
Again Ross noticed Charlie's voice saddened and he smiled to himself. Not because Charlie was sad, but because it showed him that the old and true Charlie is still somewhere beneath the new Charlie; that even though it's becoming really rare to see the old Charlie nowadays, at least now he knew that it is still there.
Charlie sighed. He hates it that Hugo and Joey still affects her, that just a mention of their names and she feels like she's back to square one.
"Why can't they stay with you and Mum?" she asked meekly and frustrated.
It has been a month since she last talked to Hugo, asking her if he and Joey can stay with her in the city. Charlie tried very hard to say no, giving Hugo a lot of alibis, but eventually she gave in and said yes, not really had enough strength to turn down her unofficial brother. Reason why Charlie always go out nowadays, whenever she has a spare time, drinking her sorrow and the up coming arrival of the reason why she didn't want to come back to Summer Bay after her course. And now as if the universe was playing at her, her reasons, the people, the two people that she has been desperately avoiding will now come to her and live with her for an indefinite period of time.
"Because they didn't ask us. Hugo came to you, not to us."
"Maybe I should suggest it to them, ei?" Charlie thought out loud.
"Charlz… you know that is not very nice. They asked you, because they want and more comfortable to live with you than live with us, oldies." Ross reasoned and joked.
"OK. First, you guys aren't that old yet." Charlie stated, "Second, how can it be comfy for them or for us, when we all know that Joey and I would not last a minute together in the same room without chewing each other's head off?"
Ross shrugged. It's true, not only did Charlie and Joey stop being friends, but they also made a hobby of arguing with each other and annoy each other relentlessly.
"You're problem, not mine." He said, standing up and preparing to leave his eldest daughter's office.
"Thanks dad. Very helpful." Charlie said sarcastically.
Ross just smiled and gave her daughter a wink. And before steeping out of Charlie's office he said;
"Oh and If ever you happen to meet someone tonight, whether a guy or a girl, please write their name down so you wont forget." Ross teased and with that he left Charlie's office.
Charlie chuckled at her father's sense of humour and again thanked the heavens above for giving her the most accepting and understanding parents anyone could ever ask for.
Charlie has a reputation of being a player. Someone who can not commit to a relationship or has a commitment to not being committed. Her relationship doesn't go longer than 3 weeks and it wouldn't even take her a day to replace the previous one, whether it to be a man or a woman; Charlie was also known for her sexuality. Many people would label her bisexual, but Charlie herself isn't the one for labels. But really, she doesn't care. For her, if she finds someone attractive and is also interested in her as well, then that's good enough reason for her to go out with them, regardless of their gender. But because of her inability to commit, it usually doesn't last very long, which Charlie has no problem with. So far, the best relationship Charlie has were her relationship with her family and her job and that is because they were the only two things that she actually loves.
Charlie took a deep breath after massaging her temple. She then picked her mobile and typed in a message for Aden.
'Ade, I'll see you later after work. Same time, same place as the usual. –C'
And with that, she took her jacket and keys and officially ended her shift.
Ok I know I said I'll update the other story but I wasn't able to type the other and this was already set and typed and ready be post so I thought I'll just post this one instead. Thank you for the review… and please let me know what you think. Happy reading!!! Sorry for the type errors!
