Hi, everyone. Sorry for my week's absence. Don't worry, luckdog, nothing sinister. It was just my birthday, thankfully celebrated before the UK began social distancing. I hope everyone out there is keeping safe and well. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty Three

Watson knocked on the Charlie's door the next morning, clutching a plant pot as a housewarming gift. Joey opened the door, pleased to see her. Back in the day, Watson had always been kind to her; they had always been good friends.

"I just came to check everyone was alright after last night," she said. "And to bring you guys a housewarming gift."

She held out the plant, which Joey accepted gratefully. She stepped aside so that Watson could enter the house, calling for Charlie to let her know her friend had come to see her. Watson hovered in the lounge. After a moment, Charlie appeared, smiling a little awkwardly. She still felt shy about seeing people socially. She supposed it would take some getting used to.

"Hi, Watson," she said.

"Can I get you a drink?" Joey offered.

Charlie and Watson both placed coffee orders and Joey headed off into the kitchen. Charlie invited her colleague to sit down.

"It's good to see you, Charlie," Watson said. "Properly, I mean. Not a work call."

Charlie smiled, realising that she felt the same.

"We miss you at work," Watson added. "Joyce said that you might be able to come back in some capacity."

"That's the hope," Charlie said. "He's setting me up to take my Detective's exam. Then I could be office based but still work with you guys."

"I think you'd make an awesome Detective," Watson said sincerely.

"I don't know if I'll find being solely office base frustrating," Charlie admitted. "You know how involved I always get. But… then I guess I don't have a choice. My whole world's changed now."

"Well, the Charlie I know would never allow life to limit her in any way," Watson said. "Desk based or not, you know you'll be running the whole station."

She grinned, making Charlie laugh.

"I mean it, Charlie," Watson said. "Of everyone I've ever worked with, you are the person I've admired the most in my whole career."

Charlie fought the lump that was beginning to ache in her throat and she cursed herself for feeling so emotional at the moment.

"When I…"

Watson struggled with the lump in her own throat.

"When I came into your house that day, I thought… I thought you were gone," Watson admitted. "Anyone else with those injuries… Charlie, they would have died. But you survived. You fought back. And I can imagine you're feeling anxious and you might be struggling to adjust to life and how things have changed. But one thing is the same. You. You're still you. You're strong and capable. You've already defied the odds. So whether you're desk bound or you have to do other things in a slightly different way to how you used to do them, it doesn't really matter. Because you'll manage. You'll do it. You always do."

Charlie swallowed and thanked her quietly. She wiped her eyes as quickly as she could. Joey leant against the doorframe between the kitchen and the lounge, watching them for a moment.

"What she said," she remarked, walking into the room with their drinks.

Both women laughed.

"I didn't really think about you coming onto the scene," Charlie admitted. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about Ruby finding me but I didn't think about you. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Watson said. "We're cops. It's what we do."

"But when it's one of our own…"

"It's hard," Watson said. "It's one of the hardest things we face."

"I'm sorry," Charlie said again.

"But there was a happy ending to this one," Watson reminded her. "You survived."

Charlie nodded, a genuine smile on her face.

"I did," she agreed.

"So, are you still planning to go and see Charlie today?" Willow asked over breakfast.

"You're going to see Charlie?" Irene asked, trying and failing not to sound elated.

Bianca squirmed a little in her seat.

"I was thinking about it," she admitted. "Alex told me she wanted to see me."

Alex shifted a little awkwardly, not wanting all the credit for something everyone had been telling her for weeks.

"Love, we've all been telling you that!" Irene said. "But if the good Doctor has got through to you then I am not going to complain!"

She beamed at Alex who chuckled and sipped her coffee.

"Will Liam go with you?" Willow persisted.

"I don't know," Bianca said.

She had hardly slept for thinking about finally facing Charlie.

"We could go with you if you need some support," Alex offered.

She hoped it wasn't a step too far. She didn't really know Bianca that well, although she did spend a hell of a lot of time at this house now that she and Willow were dating.

"Would you really?" Bianca asked.

"Of course!" Willow said. "Bianca, she's going to be so happy to see you."

It was the afternoon and inspired by Watson, Charlie had agreed to go out for a stroll along the beach with Ruby, Aden, Joey and Jasper. She knew she had to face the world sometime and it was better to get it over and done with.

"I'm really proud of you," Joey said, helping Charlie on with her shoes.

She stood up and stroked her girlfriend's face. Charlie smiled, taking a deep breath. They were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Do your guests ever stop?" Aden remarked.

Ruby headed for the door, ready to politely turn away whoever it was. It had taken a lot of effort to persuade Charlie to leave the house. She stopped abruptly when she came face to face with Bianca.

"Oh," she said. "It's you."

"I knew this was a bad idea," the teacher said, turning away.

Willow and Alex both grabbed her and held her in place.

"Is Charlie home?" Alex asked politely.

"She is but we're about to go out," Ruby said. "For the first time since we brought her home from the hospital."

"Oh, right…" Alex said, feeling awkwardly.

It wasn't something she especially wanted to interrupt. But it had taken a lot to get Bianca here.

"Who is it, Rubes?" Charlie called.

"Um… hang on," Ruby said, leaving them on the doorstep.

She reappeared in the lounge.

"Mum, it's Bianca."

Charlie paused. She looked at Joey.

"It's completely up to you, Charlie," Joey said. "We can go out another time. I know you've been wanting to see her."

Charlie sighed and nodded.

"Is it okay?" she asked. "I'm not making excuses. I just…"

Joey stroked her face.

"We understand," she said.

Ruby dashed off to retrieve Bianca, Alex and Willow from the front door. Charlie was elated to see Willow and Alex. She didn't know how she would have coped over the last few weeks if it hadn't been for them and the other people who were close to her. She settled her eyes on Bianca who didn't seem to know where to look. Her expression was the expression she feared when it came to seeing other people. She looked anxious and afraid, like she didn't see her as the same person anymore. It was as if all Bianca could see the chair and not herself.

"Hi, Charlie," Bianca ventured.

"Hi," Charlie replied. "How are you?"

"I'm okay…"

She wasn't sure if it was appropriate to ask how Charlie was. How could she be after all she had been through? Joey invited them all to sit down. Aden took drinks orders as everyone accepted they were no longer going out.

"How are you doing, Charlie?" Alex asked.

Bianca cursed herself. Of course she should have asked.

"I'm doing okay," Charlie said. "The house is lovely and I'm being treated like a Queen."

"As you should be!" Willow grinned, making the others laugh.

"I'm sorry I didn't come to see you sooner," Bianca said.

"I understand," Charlie said, although her voice was hollow.

The truth was, she didn't understand. Had it been the other way round, no arguments would have kept her away. They would have made her rush to Bianca's side faster if anything else.

"No," Bianca said. "It's not acceptable. I just… I was so scared that you hated me. I was so ashamed of the way I spoke to you. And I was so scared. You could have died and I…"

Willow, Alex and Joey slipped discreetly out of the room as Charlie reached out for her friend's hand. Bianca burst into tears. Loud sobs wracked her body. Charlie stroked her hand, gently telling her that it was okay.

"It's not," Bianca said. "It's not. I'm sorry. I should have been by your side every day. We're best friends. I said all those awful things to you… If you'd have died…"

"But I didn't die," Charlie interrupted.

Bianca looked up at her through blurry, tear filled eyes.

"I didn't die, Bianca," Charlie said, Watson's words in her mind. "I survived. We said and did some shitty things to each other. But it's done, okay? Let's just forget about it and move on. Be best friends again? Please?"

"Can we?" Bianca asked.

"Please?"

Bianca moved forward and hugged her tightly. She drew away quickly, checking she wasn't hurting her.

"I'm fine," Charlie promised.

They hugged each other again.

With plans changed, Charlie was sat on the decking in the back garden of the bungalow, enjoying a lovely afternoon with her girlfriend, her daughter, her dog and four of her best friends in the whole world: Bianca, Alex, Willow and Aden. The sun was shining, music was playing and Charlie was starting to feel relaxed.

"Hey, we should have an actual housewarming," Aden suggested. "What do you guys think?"

Joey and Ruby agreed. Everyone looked to Charlie.

"Sounds good," the police officer said. "It'll give me a chance to see people again properly."

Inside, she was a little nervous at the prospect of encountering so many people. But she knew that the best thing to do was just dive in. She had been granted a second chance at life. She owed it to herself and her loved ones to live it.

"Let's get planning then!" Ruby said excitedly. "I'll write a guest list! Oh, it'll be so fun, Mum. People can see the house. And I know how much people want to see you."

Bianca noticed silently that Ruby had called Charlie 'Mum'. She realised that so much had happened that she had missed. She felt so cross with herself that she hadn't just rushed to her best friend's side when she needed her.

"Well, we're absolutely up for helping," Alex offered.

She sat holding hands with Willow who immediately agreed. Charlie smiled and thanked them, pleased that they had become such a unit so quickly. She also felt a little proud that she had been part of bringing them together. Who knew how long it would have taken them to finally get their act together?

"What are you grinning at?" Joey wondered.

Charlie chuckled and shook her head.

"Nothing," she assured her.

She lifted Joey's hand and kissed it.

"So, are you excited for the party?" she asked. "It can be a welcome home party for you and Aden too. We all have so much to celebrate, don't we? And I mean all of us. I'm alive. You and Aden have come home. You and I are together. Alex and Willow are together. Bianca and Liam are back together."

"Yeah, I guess we all do have a lot to celebrate," Joey agreed.

Ruby cleared her throat.

"What about me?" she asked worried.

"You have to celebrate the fact that you're the most amazing person on earth," Charlie told her firmly. "And that you have an amazing future ahead of you. You just need to talk to Gina about finishing your exams."

Ruby grinned.

"Good enough for me!" she said, getting back to her guest list.

Bianca felt touched to have been included. She just hoped that from now, she would be able to spend more time with Charlie and get to know her again. She was desperate to know what had happened with Brax and how she and Joey had got back together again. She felt like she had missed the most crucial moments of Charlie's life and it just hadn't been necessary or worth it.

Next time… Willow and Alex take a big step, Charlie gets a visitor and Joey gets upset…