I know, I know... I promised to give you all a weekly update but RL has kicked me big stylie! My laptop died and took every last bit of this story (and the other one I've been writing) with it.

As you can imagine I was gutted but you should have seen the hissy fit my Muse pulled. I had to watch helplessly as she stormed off, using rather crude hand and arm gestures in true Italian style.

Anyway, Ranger came and had a chat last week and explained that he needed to resolve this story so he could give Charlie a cuddle. I explained that he might not like the ending I had planned but he just gave me an 'I can kill you with my little finger in 50 different ways' stare. Needless to say I hunted down the muse asap and dragged her back kicking and screaming…

So, enough of my obvious insanity. Please find below the next instalment of Hello From the Other Side.

Please R&R – might help placate the muse…(and keep Ranger from killing me, gulp)

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Going back to the photos, Steph picked up a second one and showed it to Charlie. "This was taken when I still worked for my cousin. I used to hunt down and catch bad people. It was a bit like playing hide and seek." She explained in a way that her daughter would understand.

Charlie pulled in close and studied the picture. Ranger was leaning against his Porsche and Steph was by his side but at 90 degrees to him. He was obviously concerned and looking deeply into her eyes while saying something and tucking a curl behind one ear. There were people milling about and there was some sort of chaos going on.

"Mommy, wos dat?" she asked pointing to a ton of thick grey smoke that was billowing out behind them.

"Oh? That's just one of my cars. I'd just captured one of the bad people on my list and his brother didn't like what I'd caught him so decided to set fire to my car." What she didn't mention was the Molotov cocktail Jonty Bates had lobbed into the car while she was cuffing his baby brother that nearly took all three of them out.

It had been a very close call and it was the catalyst for her final and lasting split from Morelli. Only a couple of minutes before the photo was taken he'd arrived at the scene and stormed over and asked her what the hell she'd been playing at. Just as he'd started his tirade Ranger drove up and as he got out of his car he realised that Joe was about to go completely ballistic so had waded in and told him to cool his jets. Insults were traded, hand gestures were made and Morelli and Ranger threw punches which led to Big Dog and Tank pulling Ranger away before he could kill the cop who was already sporting a couple of impressive bruises and a bloodied nose. Ranger on the other hand wasn't even mildly out of breath and looked as immaculate as usual.

Four months later Ranger asked her out on their first real date…

"Where Daddy now?" Charlie asked as she studied his handsome face and the concern written all over it. Well, Steph could see it in every part of his frame and the look in his eyes.

"Hmm, Baby. What was that?" Steph asked, lost in the memories that the picture conjured up.

"Where's my Daddy?" she asked again.

o0o0o0o0o

Lucas blinked as he schooled his face to hide the surprise he felt. Damn, what should he do?

Delfia had filled him in on her conversation with and the promise she'd made to Stephanie. Should he divulge all that he knew despite the reassurance his mother had given her that they'd not tell anyone what they knew? Added to that, she was still in a very vulnerable place and nowhere near ready to be found?

Or did he kid on he knew nothing and try to blag his way out of it?

Mentally crossing his fingers he replied "The girl in the photo looked a bit like a teacher I met the other day. She was much slimmer, a bit too thin really, but she had blue eyes and curly hair."

"Where is she now?" Lula asked.

"No idea." he replied as nonchalantly as he could. "I was catching up with one of the organisers of this year's North Pole Express Show and asking him how things were going when a bunch of kids and their teachers came past. I don't think they were local as I didn't recognise their accents. The only reason she stood out was because one of the students spilled their drink over her and she shrieked about how cold it was."

Moments later Mama Manoso shimmied her way over to them, a big smile on her face and a glass in her hand. Grabbing Lucas by his elbow, completely oblivious to the tension surrounding the small group, she towed him off to speak to another cousin who'd flown in especially from Ireland. He didn't need much persuading to go and the relief was written all over his face.

Tank looked thoughtful for a moment as he watched the retreating figures. "Anybody believe any of the horse shit he was sellin'?" he asked casually as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Nope. Not a word." Celia stated neutrally.

"What total bull shit!" Lula added softly but with a lot more force.

"Utter baloney. He seriously needs lessons…" Added Lester with a shake of his head and a wry grin.

"So what are we going to do about it?" Tank asked.

"Damned if I know." Celia stated with a sigh, which just about summed it up for everybody else as well.

o0o0o0o0o

Steph blinked at the simple question, not anticipating that Charlie would ask it or want an answer. Her inner self snorted in derision. Charlie was a perfect blend of the both of them – calculating, observant and nosey as hell. Why would she not ask? Her inner voice questioned.

After a few moments she took a deep sigh "Well, you know how the princess and prince live happily ever after in your books?"

Charlie nodded, squeezing Bunbun as she tucked her head sideways down onto his and looked up at her mother with huge, innocent eyes.

"Well unfortunately they don't always live happily ever after. Sometimes an evil witch casts a spell so nasty that it can't ever be broken and the princess runs away because her prince forgets that he's still in love with her."

"S'ok." Charlie said with a confident look. "We kill the witch and the spell be broked."

"It's not as simple as that, Sweetie."

"Duh! T'is Mommy! The witch don't know you still love Daddy. We kills her and he remember." She added emphatically with a nod of her head.

"Sweetie, I promise it's not that simple and we can't go around killing people because we don't like them." she replied with a soft laugh.

"Why not?" Charlie countered back, her brows furrowed in confusion.

Steph nearly laughed again at her daughter's so simplistic and innocent take on life. Cupping her daughter's face she smiled down at her.

"I love you so much, Sweetie. You know that, right?" she added.

"I know Mommy but I wants to see Daddy as well. I wants him to smile at me like he did in Hawiwi wiv you." She added, stunning Steph with how much it hurt to hear those words.

Steph felt as if someone had winded her with a baseball bat, while stabbing her through the heart repeatedly with a large knife. She couldn't… she wouldn't… Jeanne Ellen Burrows probably had Carlos so under her spell that she'd never let him go. Besides, they'd never discussed it but he probably never wanted any more children. He already had Julie and she'd just assumed that that was enough as far as he was concerned.

How could she explain to him that they'd created another life? How would he react to the knowledge that she'd deprived him of the right to choose to accept their daughter into his life or not?

She'd always tried to make it so that her daughter never wanted for anything and knew she was well loved. Until now she'd always assumed she would be enough for Charlie but it seemed that since meeting Delfia and Lucas everything she did was turning into a catalyst for change...

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. I don't think that's gonna happen." She replied sadly. "Daddy loves someone else now so he won't want to see me."

"What 'bout me?" Charlie said softly.

"Come here, Sweetie." Steph commanded gently as tears threatened to fall. She had always known that having this conversation about Charlie's roots was going to be hard, but she never imagined just how difficult it would be. Trying to tell an innocent child that her father probably wasn't interested in getting to know her was heart wrenching.

Charlie was softly crying so Steph rocked them both back and forth and stroked her soft curls. "Oh Baby. It's going to be OK" she crooned softly as she held her precious daughter "It's ok, Mommy's here…"

Eventually her daughter's tears slowed then stopped altogether and she looked up at her Mom with eyes that seemed so old all of a sudden. "I know Daddy lubs you Mommy." She stated calmly "We just needs to find him so he can tell you. Pwomis. Find my Daddy so he can lub me too. Pease."

Gulping loudly she looked down. How could she deny this tiny scrap of humanity anything. "I'll try." She replied in a wobbly voice as she pulled her back in for a comforting hug. She just wasn't sure who was comforting who.

Tucking Charlie up in bed later, Steph looked at her daughter's innocent little face.

"You pwomis, Mommy?" she asked for the millionth time.

"I pinky pwomis, I mean promise." She replied, hooking their little fingers together much as she'd done with Delfia.

Backing out of the room she knew she had some thinking and planning to do, with Delfia and Lucas' help. She was not naive enough to think that the Garcia's hadn't discussed her past by now. She just hoped Lucas would agree to keep her secret a bit longer. At least until she figured out what to do.

o0o0o0o0o

So there we have it. Things are moving forward.

Maybe...

I have scoped out the rest of the chapters again and am attempting to put some flesh on the bones so please bear with me.

Bl**dy technology. Gah!