After returning from his grandmother's funeral, Charisma sat in the empty snooker room, he was drunk and his eyes were bloodshot red from all the tears. His mother couldn't get a flight so he had attended with only Josie and Vaseline by his side.

Charlotte Appleby had always been a huge part in his life, when his mother moved to Australia, Charlotte had been a great deal of comfort. Now she was gone, Charisma felt lost.

The door opened and Josie walked in, she was carrying two bottles of beer. She sat next to him and gave him a bottle,

"Hey how you feeling? Sorry, bad question. I know your hurting but it will get better." She said softly, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"I know it will, it's just that she is a huge part of my life. I don't know my dad for a start, my mum is half way across the world and the rest of the squad think I'm a joke so I have no one now."

"That's not true. We all care about you, you know what were like. We like a laugh but we don't mean any harm. I mean today Vaseline was asking after you. I care about you, we all do and I'm sure your mum loves you. Bayleaf told me the history with your family. Please don't be angry with him. Don't forget I'm still learning about you all even though I'm not the newbie anymore."

Charisma smiled a bit then he started crying and Josie hugged him to her. He looked up at her and suddenly he leaned in and tried to kiss her. Josie immediately backed away, knowing that he was in a vulnerable position.

"Look I'll take you home. Your not thinking straight." She whispered as she helped him onto his feet. Charisma smiled at her as he followed her outside.

Vaseline was smiling after coming off the phone with Marion, he hoped that it would be third time lucky with her, he hadn't been this happy in a very long time. He even stopped flirting with other women which was a first for him. He wasn't sure what it was with Marion, she just seemed to make him smile. He hoped that feeling would last.

He was worried about Charisma though and hoped that he wouldn't do anything stupid. He planned to take him out for the day in the morning as they were both off work. Vaseline cared alot about Charisma, they were good friends although he classed Malcolm as his best friend as they had started at the same time while charisma had started a year later.

Lynette was getting ready for a night out with Margaret, it was mere coincidence that she had become friends with the woman that was the mother of her sons best friend. Tonight they were going on the pull as Lynette knew Margaret was feeling lonely since her second divorce; Malcolm had mentioned it a few days before.

"Roland! I'm going now, please lock the door!" She called up the stairs. She looked fantastic; her blue eyeshadow empathised her almond shaped eyes and her figure looked great in her black body on dress. Vaseline looked down from the stairs and looked at his mother and sighed,

"Mum, why do you dress young? Your in your forties not twenties."

"Oh Roland, I'm going out to cheer up one of my mates, she's not been herself lately."

"Mum, there are blokes that will take advantage of you."

"I can look after myself Roland, you can be assured of that, see you." And she left. Roland sighed heavily, shaking his head as he retreated to his bedroom.

The next day, Charisma and Vaseline were in Hackney, sitting in the pub while discussing their love lives. This was a topic that Charisma always avoided and yet he had always invented fictional stories to impress his colleagues.

"So Charisma, there is this nice girl who works in the Blind Beggers, right up your street. She loves history too. Ideal first date." Vaseline said in a matter of fact tone of voice. Charisma swallowed hard, his grandmother's death still raw in his mind and his non existent love life plaguing him. While he appreciated that Vaseline was trying to take his mind off things, he just wanted to shut himself in a dark room.

"Yo, Charisma! Come on man! You need a lady friend or maybe a one night thing I mean that's just as good!"

"No I don't think so Vaseline. Anyway with what has been going on."

"I know but it will be good for you. Anyway when my uncle lost his wife he was dating after three months..."

"I don't give a shit about your uncle! He probably was carrying on with her before she died!"

Vaseline looked at his friend and was very worried about him and was shocked by his outburst.

"I'm sorry Vas. I better go."

He left then, ashamed by what he had said. Vaseline sat there, bewildered. He even ignored a text that Marion had sent, asking what time he would be meeting her.

Charismas love life had always been the subject of gossip at the station, Bayleaf often joked that the girls Charisma allegedly dated were in the books he read.

But the reality was; no one had an inkling about what his preferences were. They had never seen a woman on his arm and he never got off with anyone when he was out with them.

Then a thought hit Vaselines mind; what if it was because Charisma wasn't interested in women? It was a thought that never crossed his mind until now.

Vaseline finished his drink and headed off to see Marion with the thought that Charisma was possibly gay in his mind.