Chapter Twelve

"Did you guys have a nice day reminiscing?" Alex asked when everyone was gathered back at home that evening.

"It was really great," Charlie said, smiling.

"I had fun!" Xander confirmed.

"No chance you want to move back here, is there?" Alex asked hopefully.

"Not that much fun," Charlie said certainly.

Alex sighed. It was her only real regret about relocating permanently to Summer Bay. Travelling and being away from her friends, popping back not often enough was one thing. But moving away for good felt different. She owed Charlie and Joey a lot. Really, she owed them everything. And she hated the idea of not seeing Xander grow up. She had stepped in as Joey's midwife. They had even named him after her.

"Oh well," she said. "A girl's gotta try!"

Willow watched with some guilt over keeping Alex apart from her friends. She was painfully aware of just how much Alex was giving up just to be with her. And now aware of everything her girlfriend had already been through, she was starting to think it was too much to ask.

Joey looked at Charlie, their earlier conversation playing on her mind. Would moving back to the Bay be the worst thing in the world? It wasn't something she had ever considered before. It wasn't something she thought she would ever consider. But she had forgotten the wonder of the Bay amid all her painful memories. And it had changed in all the best ways. And Alex was here and that meant a lot to both of them. Maybe it was something she and Charlie needed to talk about some more.

"But we will come and visit," Charlie promised. "And you guys are welcome to come and stay with us any time."

"Thank you," Alex said sincerely.

Willow echoed her thanks, still troubled by the sacrifice Alex was making.

"Oh, Will, you had a suggestion for tomorrow night, didn't you?" Alex suddenly remembered.

"Oh, yes, my friends are really keen to meet you guys," Willow ventured. "Of course, you already know Colby, Charlie. But my other friends would really like to meet you. So we wondered about inviting them over tomorrow, if you wanted to meet them?"

"We'd love to," Joey agreed immediately.

"Aww, it's like the in-laws getting together!" Ruby teased.

The following evening, Willow was nervous at the idea of Charlie and Joey meeting her loved ones. Charlie and Colby already got along but she wasn't sure if Dean would make an effort or not. He had been a little gruff when she had invited him and she knew he was still agitated over the fact she had been all set to up sticks and move away. Things had been so busy since then that she had hardly had much time to speak to him and he hadn't exactly gone out his way to meet up with her. She had hoped that by changing their minds and staying put for good in Summer Bay, everything would be resolved but the fact of the matter was that she had intended to leave. She had chosen Alex over her friends. And Dean wasn't one to forgive terribly easily.

"Stop worrying," Alex said, drawing Willow into her arms.

Willow smiled. She had never been in a relationship before where her partner could read her thoughts. And not only could she read her thoughts, she responded to them by reassuring her and trying to look after her.

"We're going to have a good time tonight, okay?"

"I'm just worried about Dean being rude to Charlie or Joey or… well, you."

"Because I tried to steal you away?" Alex asked.

Willow nodded.

"Well, I'm pretty sure I can take him," Alex grinned, making Willow laugh.

She stole a kiss.

"And Charlie definitely can."

Willow laugh out loud and kissed her again.

"I just don't see why we have to do this," Dean complained. "I don't even like Alex. Why have I got to hang out with her mates?"

"Because you love Willow and you want to make an effort for her," Ziggy replied as they got ready to go out that evening. "And why on earth don't you like Alex? She's great."

Dean looked directly at her, unsmiling.

"She tried to take Willow away," he said.

Ziggy shook her head.

"She did not," she replied. "She had a job opportunity, which she gave up because she loved Willow so much and wanted her to be happy. Isn't that a reason to like her?"

Dean shrugged and grunted, putting on his shoes. She thought she heard him mutter something like 'whatever'.

"So, these guys are your best friends?" Joey asked as they waited for the others to arrive.

"Yeah," Willow said. "Colby and Dean, I used to run around with since I was a kid, back in Mangrove River. They're family to me. Ziggy is Dean's girlfriend. Mac is Dean's sister. And Jasmine is my housemate. She's recently lost her husband, he used to be a Federal Police Officer but he also owned the gym I manage. Jasmine owns it now. And she's also a nurse at the hospital Alex works at."

"And what do the others do?" Charlie asked. "Apart from Colby, obviously?"

"Dean runs a surf school and he also manages a board shop, owned by Ziggy's Dad. Ziggy is a mechanic. She works for Justin, you know, Leah's partner?" Willow explained.

Charlie nodded. She had met Justin multiple times now and she liked him very much. She and Joey had been visiting Leah each day with Xander, trying to help bring her out of her shock and trauma.

Over the years, she had known Leah to be in several relationships but she had never known anyone show the kind of devotion to Leah that she had seen from Justin these past few days. He clearly adored her. She just hoped that her friend's recent trauma didn't irreparably damage their relationship.

"And you probably know that Mac owns Salt, the restaurant," Willow added.

They were interrupted by a knock at the door. Willow leapt up and welcomed Colby, on crutches, inside.

"I brought this one along too," he said. "I hope that's okay?"

He gestured to his little sister, Bella, who didn't look thrilled to have been dragged along. But everyone knew that Colby was protective and Bella hadn't been having an easy time of it lately.

"Of course!" Willow said. "The more the merrier!"

She made introductions. There was another knock at the door as Dean and Ziggy turned up with plenty of beers. Willow was only partway through introductions when Mac and Jasmine both turned up separately but together.

"Right, well, everyone's here," Alex said. "I'll put the food out, shall I?"

"Right, mister, it's time for you to go to bed," Joey announced.

"No!" Xander protested.

He had enjoyed being allowed to stay up a little later, as his parents had friends round. He had particularly enjoyed playing with Dean. Ziggy had been amused to see how good her boyfriend was with the little boy, despite his insistence that he never wanted children.

"Come on, mate," Dean said. "You have to be a good boy and get your sleep or you won't grow up to be big and strong!"

Ziggy smiled quietly to herself. Xander hugged everyone goodnight, especially Dean and allowed Joey to take him to bed.

"So, anyway, we were grilling you about your former life in Summer Bay," Mac said, turning the group's attention back to Charlie, who shifted uncomfortably, especially now that Joey was no longer in the room.

"Well, Ruby and I lived here for several years just over a decade ago," she explained, glancing at her daughter. "We shared a house with Leah."

"Charlie was the local Sergeant and I went to Summer Bay High," Ruby filled in.

"And that's where you and Joey first met?" Ziggy asked Charlie.

"We had a brief but significant relationship in 2009," Charlie explained. "It didn't work out and I was entirely responsible for it failing. I just wasn't ready to admit that I could be in love with a woman. So Joey moved away and I fell into a series of relationship disasters, including, as I'm sure you're aware – Daryl Braxton."

"And I dated Casey Braxton," Ruby chipped in.

"Wow, that's some double dating!" Colby remarked.

"Quite," Charlie said.

"Who's Daryl Braxton?" Jasmine asked blankly.

"He was the leader of the River Boys, back in the day," Dean explained. "Serious criminal, big time gang member."

"And you're a cop?" Ziggy exclaimed.

"I was so in love with him that I was ready to give it all up," Charlie said.

Joey walked back into the room and took her seat back beside Charlie, snuggling up against her.

"Then a rival gang member shot and nearly killed me," Charlie explained. "A near death experience shot some sense into me, if you'll pardon the pun. I finished things with Brax."

"I finished things with Casey."

"We packed up and moved away to start a new life and…"

"And the first thing they did was run into me!" Joey finished. "And the rest, as they say, is history. We've been together ever since."

"Well, we're coming up to a year together now so looking at people who had a rocky start and have now been happy together as long as you have, that's definitely 'couple goals' as far as I'm concerned," Ziggy decided

Charlie and Joey were both touched.

"It's been strange to see this place so much the same but so different all at the same time," Joey remarked. "It looks the same but time has definitely moved it on since I last lived here. It seems much more inclusive."

"We're very much a community of live and let live," Colby said. "We accept everyone. Pretty much."

"See, you two could move back here now and we could all live happily ever after!" Alex suggested.

Charlie and Joey exchanged glances. Ruby noticed.

"Would you move?" she asked her parents.

"No!" Charlie said quickly. "You know we don't belong here. That's why we moved."

"Well, that was a long time ago, Charlie…" Ruby ventured.

"No," Charlie said. "Not even to be with my bestie. Sorry, Alex."

Alex pouted and leant against Willow, who stroked her hair idly. She felt sad for her. She knew her girlfriend was going to miss her best friends when they left.

"Did you live here a long time before you left, Joey?" Mac asked.

"Born and raised," Joey said. "It took a lot for me to say goodbye to the place."

"Which is why you should move back!" Alex tried.

Joey laughed.

"So, let's change the subject… Dean, Ziggy… How did you guys get together?" she asked.

It had been a successful evening and everyone had had a good time.

"I have to admit, they're nice," Dean said, walking back down the street, his arm around Ziggy. "Even the cop."

"Yeah, they are nice," Ziggy said. "I think Alex really wants them to stick around."

Dean nodded.

"It would be cool if they did," Colby admitted. "Charlie was kind of scary to work with on Leah's case but she definitely knows her stuff. If she was in charge of the station she would make a huge difference."

"Maybe if we all hassle them in combination, they'll change their minds," Mac suggested.

"The kid was cute," Dean commented.

"You were cute with the kid," Ziggy remarked.

"Don't get any ideas," he warned her, kissing her cheek.

Willow and Alex kissed their way to the bed, falling back on the mattress.

"I think tonight went pretty well," Alex remarked. "We combined our friends and there wasn't a single explosion!"

"Not even with Dean and Charlie, our two most explosive friends!" Willow grinned.

"They actually got along really well," Alex agreed, stealing another kiss.

Willow beamed at her. Then she frowned.

"I'm sorry we can't get them to stay," she said, suddenly sad and serious. "I know you're sad that they're going home soon."

Alex sighed.

"I am sad," she admitted. "But I'm also excited about spending the rest of my life with you so I'm focussing on that. I'm focussing on the good part."

She smiled happily. Willow kissed her.

In their room, Charlie checked on Xander who was sleeping soundly. She slipped into bed beside Joey who was waiting for her.

"Willow's friends seem nice," she remarked in their usual hushed tone.

"They do," Joey agreed. "It's nice to see Alex fitting in with a happy group of friends. They all seem to have welcomed her in as part of their gang."

Charlie nodded.

"Charlie, it's okay to feel a bit sad," Joey said gently. "I miss her too."

Charlie sighed heavily and hugged Joey tighter.

"I want her to be happy," she said. "I just… miss her. Yeah."

"Well, there is the option that everyone kept posing to us tonight…"

Charlie froze. She found Joey's eyes in the dark.

"You're not actually suggesting…?"

"No… but… I miss Alex already," Joey said. "I've missed her so much this past year but that's been believing that she was coming home. Now that we're going to sell her house and say goodbye to her… Now that the only time we're going to see her, the only time that Xander is ever going to see her is during a visit a few times a year… Well, that does change things."

"But we promised we'd never come back here," Charlie said.

"But we have and it's different in so many ways," Joey said. "I'm not saying, please can we move? I'm just putting it out there as an option, if we think losing our best friend is too much for us."

Charlie sighed.

"You could easily get a job here. I could absolutely look at moving the business here. Xander hasn't started school yet so it's good timing," Joey continued. "Shall we think about it?"

Charlie nodded and kissed her, resting their foreheads together.

"Let's think about it," she agreed.

"And bearing that in mind, I've decided I'm going to see Brett," Joey said bravely.

Charlie was surprised.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"It's time."

Next time… Joey comes face to face with Brett and Charlie has an interesting evening with Watson…