Hi, everyone! I hope 2020 is treating you all well so far. And I hope you are all enjoying this story. I promise that Charlie and Joey will come face to face very soon! But not yet. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Six

Georgie Watson had mixed feelings. She had worked hard as a police officer all her life. It meant a lot to be recognised for that hard work and be asked to step up as Sergeant at Yabbie Creek Police Station. She was well aware that in the lead up to her forthcoming departure, her colleague and friend, Charlie Buckton had written a letter of recommendation for her, making it clear that no other officer would make a better Sergeant in her place. Inspector Joyce had allowed her to read the letter, which in the current circumstances, had almost reduced Watson to tears.

However, in the current circumstances, Watson wasn't sure she wanted the job. She wanted Charlie to still be in the job. She wanted her be at work, bossing everyone about. She wanted to be on patrol with her, laughing and joking the way they always had. The worst mistake Charlie had ever made was getting involved with Darryl Braxton. At first, Watson had laughed about it, thinking it had just been a flirtation or at worst, a hook up. That could be forgiven. Even Watson had to admit that he was attractive and she was as gay as a rainbow. But no. It had been more serious than that. Charlie had made some awful decisions, decisions which now looked like they could cost her more than her career. They could cost an amazing woman her life. It broke Watson's heart just thinking about it. Whatever she may have done, Charlie did not deserve that.

She couldn't get the memory of the crime scene out of her head. She had barely slept, waking up sweating and screaming at the image of her friend, her dear friend bleeding out on the floor. Dead. So very nearly dead. She was only grateful that her girlfriend of nine years, Jess was so kind, patient and supportive, even in the middle of the night when she had a long day of work ahead of her in the morning.

"And I'd like to introduce you to your new Constable," Inspector Joyce said, snapping Watson's thoughts back into the present moment.

She found herself face to face with a tall, blonde haired young man who extended his hand. She felt like she had met him somewhere before but she couldn't quite recall.

"Hi," he said. "I'm Colby Thorne."

Charlie was almost surprised to see Brax that morning. She couldn't quite put her finger on what was going on but he seemed distant. Ruby had been beside her almost every moment. Leah had also visited, as had Morag. Jasmine seemed to have hardly come off shift, also popping in to see her and do her obs. Casey had come with Ruby several times.

The person she had truly missed was Bianca. She had so desperately hoped that if one good thing had come from all of this was that they might become friends again. But alas, Bianca was obviously still angry with her.

Apart from that was Brax. He had visited her plenty but he just didn't seem to be… there. He held her hand but it didn't have the same warmth of once upon a time. He didn't look at her in the same way. Everything between them suddenly felt hollow and empty. She didn't know if it was just her. She was on a lot of medication and she felt very dazed and confused. But something really didn't feel right when it came to her boyfriend.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, kissing her briefly on the lips.

"Okay," she said.

She was a woman of brief explanations these days.

"How are you?" she asked. "You look… tired."

He looked hungover.

"I'm fine," he said, taking her hand.

She still felt like there was no life in either of them.

"Any news on… investigation?" she asked.

She was seeing a speech therapist, arranged by Alex but she felt like she was making slow progress. It had been pointed out to her that it was very early days.

"I don't know," he said. "I just beat him up and handed him over."

Charlie sighed.

"Why are you sighing like that?" he demanded. "You don't think the guy that shot my girlfriend deserves a beating? I should have killed him!"

"What good would that have done?" she asked, an effort to get the words out.

"It would have made me feel better," he said.

She didn't reply. What she wanted to say was that while she was hospitalised, what she wanted was for her boyfriend to be comforting her daughter and keeping her safe. She wanted him to trust her colleagues at the police station to bring her potential killer to justice, not become some sort of vigilante. She wanted him to be a father figure to her child and look after her.

But perhaps that's what the distance was between them. Before, Brax and Ruby had been close. Brax's sense of family, the way he looked after his brothers, the way he cared for Ruby, was one of things that had attracted her to him. But now, he seemed so lost and lonely. It hurt her to see him like that. It felt like she couldn't reach him. And it worried her that in such a moment of crisis, he had stormed off on his own mission and not looked around him and cared for those that truly needed him. What did that say for their future?

"You do understand?" Brax asked.

"I get it," she said.

"What else would you have wanted me to do?" he asked.

"Look after Ruby," she told him honestly.

"Ruby had half the Bay flapping around her," he said dismissively. "She didn't need me."

"She needed you," Charlie said certainly.

Brax dropped her hand and stood up.

"I don't need this," he snapped.

He barged out of the room without saying goodbye. Charlie remained in her hospital room alone.

Aden pulled into the caravan park and parked the car.

"You ready for this?" he asked Joey.

"As I'll ever be," she replied.

She climbed out of the car and opened the back door, reaching in and unclipping Jasper who bounded excitedly out onto the grass. The three of them walked up to Summer Bay House and knocked. They were greeted favourably by Alf Stewart who happily rented them a van at a discounted rate. Jasper was very eager to meet him.

The friends settled themselves into a van with the dog. Joey sat on the bed, ruffling Jasper's fur.

"Well, this is going to be cosy," she said.

"I've slept in worse places," Aden remarked. "Not to mention with worse people!"

"Yeah," Joey laughed. "Me too!"

She lay back on the bed and the cried out when Jasper jumped on top of her.

"Woah! Dog! You're too big for that!"

He jumped off her. Joey remained flat while Aden unpacked his bag.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked. "Are you going straight to the hospital? Am I tagging along? What are we doing?"

"Aden, it's like you're verbalising the dog! I honestly have no idea," Joey said honestly. "It's just so weird being back here. I never thought I'd ever come back here again. I thought I'd cleansed myself of this place."

"Yeah," Aden sighed, sitting down beside her. "So did I."

"At least your ex isn't here," Joey said wickedly, sitting back up.

"Yeah, my ex ran off with Angelo Rosetta!" Aden balked, standing up and throwing a pair of balled up socks at her head. "I mean, come on!"

Joey chuckled.

"Well, he had my ex first so…"

She pulled a face.

"I mean, there must be something about him but I never saw it myself," Aden said.

Joey threw the socks back to him. He caught them easily and put them away.

"Honestly, they're shacked up with their baby and everything," Aden said, shaking his head. "They post family selfies on Facebook!"

"Do you wish that could have been you?" Joey asked seriously.

"No," he replied equally as seriously.

She budged up as he joined her on the bed again.

"I could never have given Nicole that life," he said. "I wish I could have but I just couldn't. One day, maybe I'll meet the right girl and we'll have a happy life together but it's going to take a long time for me to be in a place where not every girl gets immediately compared to Belle."

Joey put her arm around him.

"And besides, essentially, I've already met my number one," he added with a grin. "I'm very happy with you and the dog."

Joey laughed and gave him a squeeze.

"So, about Charlie…"

Ruby had gone to visit Charlie and this was a much warmer visit, which Charlie appreciated greatly. She had brought her some treats and her iPod so that she could listen to some music. She wasn't up to reading yet but she hoped that while she was stuck in here, she would eventually be able to pass the time by catching up on some books or something.

"Everyone is asking after you," Ruby said. "I can hardly cross the street without someone stopping me, wanting to know how you are."

"That's nice… people care," Charlie said.

She was genuinely touched that she had received so many kind messages. She just longed for something… anything from Bianca.

"What day is it?" she suddenly asked.

"Monday," Ruby told her.

"Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Mrs Austen said I could finish early," Ruby said. "I've done all but one of my exams."

"What about the last one?"

"She said I can re-sit and not to worry about it," her daughter explained. "Please don't worry, Charlie. Everything is in hand. All you have to focus on is getting better."

"If it's not too late, you should try… the exam, Ruby. I don't want you to… to mess up your future… for me," Charlie tried.

"I'm not messing anything up, Mum," Ruby said firmly.

The word slipped out without her thinking about it. It startled them both. A lump ached in Charlie's throat. Ruby had never called her 'Mum' before but she had been thinking of her as her Mum so strongly these past few days. She'd thought saying the word directly to her, while she was awake, would feel weird but it didn't. It just felt right.

"Is that okay?" she asked quietly. "To call you that?"

Charlie just nodded, feeling overwhelmed. Ruby leant closer, still holding her hand.

"I didn't mean to upset you," she said. "I'm sorry."

"You didn't," she said. "I just… you've never… before."

"When you… I thought I was going to lose you," Ruby tried to explain. "All I kept thinking was I never got the chance to really tell you how much I love you. And to tell you that you are my Mum. And that I'm glad about it. And I do love you… Mum," she said earnestly.

"I love you too," Charlie replied.

Willow smiled broadly as her new friend, Doctor Neilson approached, dressed in sportswear, ready for the free personal training session she had offered her the night before.

"Well, well, well," she said. "You actually turned up. I'm impressed."

"I'm a woman of my word," Alex assured her.

The two women smiled at each other.

"Good to know," Willow replied. "Shall we get started?"

Next time… Alex and Willow bond, Alex stands up to Brax and Joey and Aden begin to settle into the Bay…