Chapter Fourteen

Charlie moved to get out of the car but Jack quickly stopped her.

"I need to see Joey," Charlie said desperately. "I need to make things right."

"You still have a bit more to see," Jack said.

Charlie groaned and sat back in her seat.

"What now?" she asked. "The afterlife."

He frowned. She apologised for being insensitive.

"Don't worry," he said. "I've got used to being dead. For the most part."

He thought of his precious Martha in Hugo's arms and was torn between sadness and anger. That was one thing about being dead that he hated. Unless he was to be given a specific mission like tonight, he would just have to sit back and watch her eventually go on the run with a criminal. He had seen his cousin's crimes and it made him sick that his wife would so easily forgive everything.

"So, where are we going?" Charlie asked.

"Into Joey's future."

The scene changed once more.

"Okay, my future's on a boat, I'm happy," Joey joked as she watched herself working on board a trawler.

She and Shane shared a small laugh, knowing it wasn't really true. She was still shaken at having seen Charlie die and whatever happened, she knew that would be an image that would stay with her forever.

"Maybe not so happy," she remarked, noting the glum expression on her future self's face.

"Ten points if you can guess what's on your mind," Shane said with a grin.

"Charlie, by any chance?" Joey sighed.

"Do you think she's missing me at all?" Charlie asked.

She and Jack were stood on the other side of Joey, also studying her.

"She misses you like crazy," Jack told her. "She cries herself to sleep at night."

"You don't need to laugh at me," Charlie snapped.

He held up his hands in defence.

"I wasn't joking," he said.

Clicking his fingers, he and Charlie found themselves in Joey's bunk below deck. Clutching a photo that she and Charlie had got as a laugh in a photo booth in Yabbie Creek, Joey was indeed sobbing her heart out, wondering if she had made a big mistake.

The scene changed to a picturesque, little house, complete with a white, picket fence and perfectly manicured lawn. Charlie guessed it was some years later and her breath caught in her throat as she saw Joey exit the house with a little boy.

She moved closer quickly and gazed at the woman she loved. She was beautiful, even more beautiful than the girl that Charlie already knew. Her hair was shiny and cut to just below her shoulders. Her natural beauty shone out as she held the little boy's hand in hers.

"How far in the future is this?" she wondered.

"Um… I hate to break it you but kids are the last thing I ever want to have," Joey remarked.

Undetected by herself or by Charlie, Joey and Shane walked up the garden path and out to the car with them.

"He belongs to your girlfriend," Shane explained.

"My girlfriend?"

"Her name's Izzy and if you don't mind my saying, she is seriously hot," he smirked.

She laughed and watched herself tuck her partner's son into his car seat. He looked to be about four years old and hadn't stopped chattering from the moment they'd arrived.

"She must be judging by how adorable this little guy is," Joey commented. "Although nobody could be more beautiful than Charlie."

"Take a look," Shane said.

They both turned as they heard a shout. A striking redhead stood in the doorway, waving like a loon. Joey was indeed struck by just how beautiful she was.

"You forgot his lunch box!" Izzy declared, walking down towards the car.

Joey watched herself accept the lunch box, scolding herself for being so silly. They kissed each other goodbye.

Charlie felt like she had been stabbed as she watched future Joey melt against this woman, Izzy's lips.

"I love you," Izzy said.

"I love you too," Joey replied happily.

They kissed again.

"Hurry up!" the little boy, Dylan hollered from the car, making them laugh.

"I'll see you tonight, okay?" Joey said, stealing one more kiss and climbing into the front seat.

Izzy waved as Joey set the lunch box on the seat, reminded herself not to leave it there and drove off in order to take Dylan to playgroup.

"Is Joey seeing this?" she asked, the words barely getting past the lump in her throat.

"Yes," Jack replied.

"Then why the fuck did we go through any of this?" Charlie demanded.

Her anger took his by surprise and he jolted when she thumped him in the chest and burst into tears.

"Charlie…" he said

"Why?" Charlie shouted. "Why let her into my darkest secret? Why let me know what's going to happen to me and give me stupid hope that maybe she'll take me back? Why bother coming back at all if she's just going to leave?"

"You don't know that she's going to leave," Jack pointed out.

"Of course she is!" Charlie yelled. "She's going to end up with the perfect life! A beautiful woman that loves her and a little boy that she never knew she wanted until she just saw him! Of course she's going to choose this over me! Of course she is!"

Jack reached out to hold her.

"She's not going to choose me," Charlie said, more broken than angry now. "She's going to let me go. She's going to let me die."

Next time… Jack drops a hint about Hugo as he and Shane's mission completes and Charlie and Joey agree to talk things through…