…2007
"Please don't say anything to anyone Nick," begged Charlie. She didn't care if she sounded desperate because she was; Nick held her future in the Force and with Joey in his hands. "I'll take full responsibility if we're caught out," she assures him. "But please, don't say anything before the trial because they'll keep us apart and neither of us could bare that. Joey needs me and I need her. Please Nick, keep this between us."
"I don't know that I can Charlie. This isn't just about the impact this could have on the case or your career, it's also my butt on the line and what about Joey and Ruby when this is all finally over and you return to normal duties, what happens then?"
"Hopefully, we'll be together as a family."
Nick rocks back on his feet in surprise at Charlie's words.
"Joey is the type of woman I once avoided like the plague, because single mothers meant kids, but the Collins girls have a way of getting past your guard and," Charlie pauses, before looking Nick in the eyes. "They've well and truly gotten under my guard. Ruby is such a special little girl and so is her mum. I love them both and I'm very much in love with Joey, Nick and now I can't imagine my life without them in it."
Nick took a good look at the woman before him and he had to admit, as poor as Charlie's judgement has been, perhaps there was some good to come from this. Gone was the rather rigid and unsympathetic Constable who first arrived at the safe house, a woman, if he was to be brutally honest, he didn't believe would have made a good police officer, a fine administrator but definitely not an effective on-the-beat cop, now though, he could see in this woman before him, the potential not just to be a fine all-around officer, but one who has shown she can learn to be more compassionate and understanding when necessary. He sighs. He wished she had learned these things without letting herself fall in love though and as much potential as he now saw in Charlie, he wasn't sure he could just ignore her lapse in judgement. Cops relied on good judgement at all times and Charlie's was now compromised where Joey and Ruby were concerned.
"Nick?" Charlie asks a little nervously. She could see from his expression he was conflicted over what to do, at least she hoped he was conflicted and wasn't just trying to find the words to tell her he was going to report her.
"When I told you that you needed to learn to be more understanding and compassionate toward Joey, this isn't quite what I had in mind," he replies with a wry grin. "Are you sure this isn't just some fling that came about because you're spending so much time together?"
"It's so much more than a fling Nick," Charlie tells him in a confident voice. "And believe me, I didn't enter into this lightly. I weighed up the pros and cons to my career, to the case, hell, I even tried to convince myself that I was falling for her only because of our living arrangements, but dating other women just proved to me that it was Joey I wanted and as hard as I tried to hold back, my feelings for her were just too strong and it became impossible to deny them any longer. Nick, I really do love her."
"And you're willing to risk everything for her?"
"Yes," Charlie says without hesitation, surprising the both of them. It wasn't that long ago that her career meant everything to her, but now she saw it was just a job, a job she did love and hoped to keep, but at the end of the day, it was still just a job, while Joey offered her something she had never really dreamed of before, a family of her own and last night just made that all the more appealing. She may have been with plenty of women but none had even come close to moving her or making her feel the way Joey did and she wanted to feel that way forever. She did wonder though, what her father would say when it came time to show off her girlfriend and her daughter. Would he be upset at her for risking her career for a woman or would he just be happy that she chose to put love and family ahead of her career? She knew he always regretted putting work first and that it cost him his marriage so maybe he would be ok with her choice.
"I need time to think this through Charlie," Nick says after a short delay. Charlie tried not to feel too disappointed that he wouldn't tell her straight away and put her out of her misery, but as long as he was still thinking about it, then there was a chance he will keep silent, then again, he could easily go the other way and she and Joey would be forced apart until after the trial. She just wished she knew one way or the other. "I'll give you my answer later today," Nick says, before turning and leaving Charlie to her worrying.
Joey sipped her drink while she and Shannon watched their kids play in the back yard.
"Guess it's going to take some time to wipe that smile from your face," Shannon says with a smirk.
Blushing, Joey couldn't help the silly grin she knew was on her face, from getting bigger. "I'm just so happy right now."
"Gee, I never would have guessed that."
"Falling in love is the last thing I ever expected to happen to me, but now I see why people rave about it."
"And the sex is great too," adds Shannon, chuckling when Joey spits out the mouthful of drink she'd just taken. "Oh, my little babe in the woods, you have only just begun to learn the joys of being in love and having a loving, attentive and experienced lover."
"I just hope I'm enough for her," Joey says a little hesitantly.
"When I first met Charlie, this is the last thing I thought I'd ever be saying about a woman who acted like she had a giant stick up her arse."
"Shannon!"
"And that is, Charlie is actually an ok woman."
"She's more than ok."
Shannon grins at the defensive tone in Joey's voice. "I'm teasing Joey. She's crazy about you, so obviously she has her head screwed on right and the fact she's risking a lot to be with you, I think makes it a pretty safe bet she believes you're more than enough for her."
"I'm pretty lucky, aren't I?"
"Shit yeah. Not only is Charlie drop dead gorgeous, your daughter already loves her, so that's one hurdle you don't have to jump over."
"You speaking from experience?"
She nods. "Not everyone loves kids, especially when they're other people's kids, so finding someone who is happy to take on yours isn't always easy."
"You're a great lady Shannon and somewhere out there, is a woman waiting for you to steal her heart."
"Mandy was my first real love and I'm not sure if I'll ever really get over her enough to want to steal another heart."
"What would Mandy want you to do?"
"Move on." Shannon shrugs. "It's easier said than done though."
"Would I have met the criteria?"
"Yes and no. You're great with the kids, so that's a plus, but as attracted as I was to you, I never really felt that spark of passion and we we're always far better off as just friends, which no doubt pleased Charlie."
"Well, I'm certainly glad we're friends and like I said, there is someone out there for you."
Shannon just shrugs again, not too fussed just right now about finding someone.
"Ruby, slow down," Joey calls out as her daughter rushes to the bathroom to clean herself up. Shaking her head at her daughter's sudden deafness to her voice, Joey goes in search of her girlfriend. Finding her standing in her bedroom, staring out the window, she walks up behind Charlie and wraps her arms around her waist, planting a kiss on the back of her shoulder.
Charlie leans back against her, marvelling at how comfortable it felt in Joey's arms, despite her inner turmoil.
"What's wrong?" Joey asks, worried about her girlfriend's silence.
"Nick knows about us."
"What!"
Charlie turns in her arms and links hers around her. "Joey, it's going to be ok."
"What's he going to do?"
Hating the slight quaver in her girlfriend's voice, Charlie presses her lips to her forehead before holding her gaze. "He's thinking things through, but whatever happens, we're staying together."
"I want that more than anything, but Charlie, if he turns us in, then they'll most likely separate us, so how can we stay together?"
"I really don't know just yet, only that I'm not going to let anyone keep me from you." She takes a step back from Joey when she hears the front door. "Nick's back."
"Why do I feel like we're about to face the firing squad?"
Smiling, Charlie brushes her lips over her girlfriend's. "Hopefully it won't be that bad," she says, taking Joey's hand.
"Is that a good idea?" Joey says, looking down at their joined hands.
"It won't hurt to show Nick that we're in this together."
"Ok then, let's do this."