This chapter is dedicated to CJ4Eva who read and reviewed every single chapter of this story the other day! I am astounded! And ever so grateful. And thank you to all the recent people who have reviewed for the first time after silently reading for a while. Glad to hear from you! I hope everyone enjoys the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Thirty-Six

"Has something happened?" Charlie asked Angelo.

He'd come to visit her for a couple of hours before work. Confused, he asked her what she meant.

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

He froze, picturing Grant's dead body before forcing the image away. He held her hand and smiled.

"Of course not," he said.

She didn't look completely convinced.

"Why?"

"It's just..."

Charlie sighed and told him it didn't matter. She had been thinking about Ruby's comment about Angelo the night before. It disturbed her. There was obviously something she wasn't being let in on and she couldn't figure out what it was. It bugged her and worried her. Relieved not to have to talk about anything difficult, Angelo relaxed.

"Okay," he said. "Well, I was thinking, when you're out of here, I might take some time off work and spend time with you."

Charlie looked and felt awkward.

"Joey said she'd look after me," she said. "I need twenty-four-seven care until the psychiatrist discharges me and... well, she's not working right now and she said she'd..."

Angelo nodded. His expression was bitter.

"Are you together?" he asked.

Charlie swallowed.

"Not exactly," she said. "I mean... we might be soon."

His glare turned her blood cold.

"What about me?" he asked.

"I really care for you but I just... I love Joey."

"Did you ever love me?"

She nodded.

"I'm just not in love with you. I'm sorry."

Her heart was racing and it was evident on the monitor. Angelo didn't seem to notice. His eyes were boring into her and making her very uncomfortable.

"I've sat here day after day," he said. "I proposed, I loved you, I did everything I could to make you happy, Charlie."

"I know," Charlie said softly.

"But it's not enough," he concluded.

She apologised. He stood up quickly. Her heart lurched.

"Look, why don't I give you time to think?" he said. "You've been through all this trauma and your head's not in the right space, is it? You're confused and you're hurting and... and there's so much going on. I know there's still a chance for us, Charlie. I love you too much to let you go."

She tried to object but he interrupted her.

"I'll give you some space, okay?" he said, kissing her lips without permission.

He smiled and hurried from the room.

Robertson was surprised to find Watson half asleep at her desk.

"Haven't you been home?" he asked.

Her uniform was rumpled and she had terrible bags under her eyes. She looked startled and shook her head.

"How come?"

"I know Charlie didn't kill Grant," she told him.

He was surprised by the desperation in her eyes.

"I know she's innocent. And I just... I've been trying to find proof."

"Have you found anything?"

"No," she sighed.

"I know you don't want her to be guilty, Watson but..."

"She's not!" Watson insisted. "I know Charlie. I've worked with her for over a year. She's not like that. She'd never..."

Robertson nodded and sighed.

"Did you read the latest?" he asked.

There was evidence that at some point in the days before Grant's death, he had been struck with a tazer. Repeatedly. And a photocopy of Charlie's letter to Joey proved that it was Charlie who did it.

"What do you think? If she's capable of torture, wouldn't she be capable of...?"

"No!" Watson interrupted. "She wouldn't. She didn't. I know it."

"I admire your loyalty," Robertson told her before heading into his office.

Charlie was feeling strange, not to mention lonely. Angelo had left an hour early so she had an empty visiting slot. She was surprised to find just how much she appreciated visits from anyone. She was also confused about how he had reacted to her telling him about Joey. He appeared to be in complete denial over it. She was surprised. Normally he was the kind of person to deal with things head on. Although, thinking back to how he had coped with Jack's death, pretending he'd had nothing to do with it, maybe the harder things were impossible for him to face. She hoped he would be alright. Now she had no idea where they stood.

Joey was cheerful when she approached Irene at the Diner.

"Hello, love," the older woman said pleasantly. "How are you? How's Charlie?"

"We're both pretty good," Joey said. "She's recovering well."

"Glad to hear it," Irene said. "What can I get you?"

"Um... well, actually I was after a job," Joey admitted. "Aden said there might be work on your trawler. I wouldn't be able to start for a bit but... Any chance?"

Robertson knocked politely on Charlie's hospital room door. Entering, he saw Charlie's face fall.

"Sorry," he said. "I know I'm not someone you particularly like seeing."

"Are you here to arrest me?" she asked, getting right to the point.

"Not yet," he said, sitting down. "But I am here to tell you that when you leave hospital, if Watson hasn't succeeded in her little mission, you will be formally charged with Grant Bledcoe's murder."

Charlie sighed and closed her eyes.

"I didn't do it," she said, although she knew it would do no good.

"Let's hope Watson's plan works then," he replied.

Opening her eyes, she questioned him over what Watson had to do with anything.

"She believes in your innocence about a thousand per cent," Robertson explained. "And she literally pulled an all nighter trying to prove it. Maybe she'll succeed."

At two o'clock when Ross and Morag came to visit, Charlie asked them to ask Watson to come in and see her. She put a brave face on as she explained that she would eventually be formally charged with the murder of her rapist. Her father looked more distressed than she did and he held onto her tightly.

"We'll get you out of this," he said. "We can make it right."

Angelo froze when he overheard Robertson on the phone talking about charging Charlie when she was released from hospital. Guilt flooded him and his desire to tell the truth and save her was almost overwhelming. Sinking down at his desk, he knew he couldn't do it. He loved Charlie more than anything but the idea of going to prison, probably for two life sentences as his get out clause over Jack's death was unlikely to stand, was too much. He looked at Watson. She looked like death warmed up. Maybe they could work together to save Charlie without him having to confess.

"No chocolates?" Charlie pouted when Joey arrived in her room.

"Will trashy magazines suffice?" she asked, waving a handful of gossip magazines at her.

Charlie beamed at her and Joey smiled back, making her way over and placing them on her lap. A little shyly, she leant forward and placed a soft kiss on Charlie's mouth. She was pleased when she felt Charlie return the gesture. Things were feeling more natural by the day.

"How are you?"

Charlie sighed and suddenly looked very sad.

"Charlie?" Joey asked worriedly.

"They're going to charge me when I leave hospital," she said.

Joey looked stricken.

"What?" she said. "How can they? You didn't do it!"

"Doesn't matter," Charlie sighed. "Looks like I get to spent the next fifteen plus years in jail."

Joey held onto her hand. She tried to focus and not break down. Charlie needed strength now. Joey didn't want to let her down.

"I could tell them..."

"No," Charlie said quickly.

They'd talked the day before about Joey telling the police she'd done it. Charlie knew she meant it but she was not willing to let it happen. Joey sighed, wracking her brains for something, anything that would help.

Ross and Morag sat down to lunch together at home. Both were feeling desperate over Charlie's news. What good was it for her to wake up and then go to prison for something she didn't commit? How would that ever make her happy to be alive?

"We need to find who did this," Ross said. "I mean, if someone loved her enough to kill the man who raped her then surely they love her enough to confess and not let her go to jail?"

Morag sighed. She still had her suspicions about Angelo. He'd killed before. He seemed the most likely candidate. She opted to keep her theory to herself, however. The last thing Charlie or anyone needed was for Ross to charge at Angelo all guns blazing.

Charlie was amazed that even in the circumstances, Joey was capable of making her feel good. They were holding hands and Joey had firmly asserted that Charlie would not go to prison, that she and Ruby would develop a wonderful relationship and everything would be perfect.

"And how do you fit into all this?" Charlie asked curiously.

Joey smiled.

"I get to wait patiently until you tell me what role you want me to have."

Charlie gazed at her. She broke her hand away and stroked her face.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," she admitted.

Her confession surprised her but she meant it. Joey beamed at her and leant a little closer.

"If you want to," Charlie added. "If... I mean, you probably don't... We haven't talked about what happened when you left and now we have to deal with..."

Joey leant forward and kissed her. Charlie immediately got caught up in the love flowing between them. For the first time since they had reunited, they let the kiss develop. Joey felt thrills running through her and Charlie's tongue touched her lips. She welcomed her inside, melting into her and never wanting the moment to end.

"Get the fuck away from her!"

Joey drew back sharply. She and Charlie blanched as Angelo stood in the doorway looking furious.