I hope everyone is staying safe and staying well during this time of crisis. Sending you all lots of love and well wishes. IJKS xxx

Chapter Twenty Six

"Are you okay?" Willow asked.

It was a couple of days later and she and Alex were on a date at Angelo's. Alex looked up, almost guiltily. Willow caught her eye.

"You seem really quiet," Willow said. "Are you alright?"

Alex plastered a smile on her face.

"I'm fine," she promised. "I just… Okay, my contract is finishing at the hospital."

Willow looked stricken.

"Like… you have to…? What does that mean?" she asked worriedly.

"It means I have to find a job at another hospital," Alex told her.

"But there aren't any hospitals for miles around," Willow said. "You'd have to commute so far…"

"Or move away," Alex said.

Willow felt like her heart was actually breaking. She could feel an actual pain inside.

"I mean, my next job might be on the other side of the country," Alex explained. "That's the idea of temp work. It's what I've been doing for the past couple of years. I've not wanted to settle down."

Willow focussed on not crying. She couldn't bear the idea of the woman she loved leaving her. Alex reached out and held her hands.

"I don't want to leave you," she said, as if she could read her mind.

"Then don't!" Willow almost begged.

Alex laughed softly.

"There is another possibility," she ventured.

Willow squeezed her hands tightly.

"There's a job at the hospital," she said. "A permanent one. I could apply for it."

Willow squeezed even tighter.

"Then do that!" she said. "Please do that!"

"You really want me to?" Alex asked.

"Of course!" Willow enthused. "I mean, isn't it a no-brainer? Then you can stay!"

"Just think about it for a second, Willow," Alex said. "I'm not saying no. Please don't think that. But if I take the job, what I'm doing is settling my whole life down here… with you. The job is permanent. It's not temporary. I'm not passing through anymore. It's real. It's an actual thing. I'm going to actually be living here. For good. Is that what you want?"

"It's absolutely what I want," Willow said without hesitation. "But I'm starting to worry that it's not what you want."

Alex lifted Willow's hands and kissed them.

"You are all I want," she said. "I just… I wanted to check. That's all. I feel a bit like I've been on the run these past couple of years. I haven't been able to settle. But when I'm with you, I feel like… like I'm home."

She looked down a little shyly, making Willow smile.

"Feeling that way makes me happy but it makes me a little scared too," Alex admitted.

"Why does it make you feel scared?" Willow asked.

"Because I know how it feels to love someone and have that love ripped away from you at a moment's notice," Alex replied honestly. "So I guess I'm scared that I could take this job and settle down here and then you might just change your mind. Then I'll have to start all over again… again."

Willow kissed Alex's hands this time.

"I love you," she told her. "And I cannot wait for us to live our lives together. Permanently."

"Well, let's do it then," Alex decided.

She leant across the table and kissed her, stroking her hair.

Later that evening, Alex and Willow left Angelo's, strolling along the beach front towards Alex's house.

"So, what happens now?" Willow asked. "You apply for this job and see what happens?"

"Pretty much," Alex said. "I'm quietly confident though. Just between you and me, the hospital approached me directly and asked me if I wanted it."

Willow looked delighted.

"So, it's guaranteed?"

"Well, not quite but likely," Alex said. "Then I guess I look a buying a house."

"You're such a grown up!" Willow chuckled.

Alex laughed and asked her what she meant.

"Just… then I buy a house!" her girlfriend said. "Just like that."

"Well, I had one before," Alex explained. "But I've been renting while I was temping because that made the most sense. It'll be nice to feel more settled again once I know I'm staying."

"I'm not sure I'll ever get onto the property ladder," Willow sighed.

Alex put her arm around her.

"Well, who says one day we won't have a place together?" she asked.

Willow smiled, imaging a happy future with Alex. She rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder, wrapping her arm around her waist. Alex stopped walking very suddenly. Willow straightened up. They were stood in front of a woman she didn't recognise but clearly Alex knew her. Willow glanced between the two women, trying to work the situation out.

"Well, I think we're all set for the party tomorrow night," Ruby announced.

"Excellent," Charlie said.

She was sat on the sofa cuddling both Joey and the dog. It was becoming a familiar routine of an evening and an enjoyable part of her life.

"I'm so glad you agreed to the party, Mum," Ruby said. "I think it'll be so much fun."

Charlie was worried that her daughter was behaving happier than she felt. She had not come home from her date full of joy. In fact, she had come home single. Charlie had tried to talk things through with her but Ruby had explained that she just couldn't see Casey in the same way as she had before the shooting. She had tried but she couldn't do it. So it was over. The Braxton Family were out of their lives for good. All of them.

"Yeah, I think it will be," Charlie answered truthfully.

Everyone, minus any River Boys had been invited and Charlie was treating it as a chance to really see the people she knew and loved. Then it would be a springboard to get back into the community and start living her life. She was due back studying for her Detective Exam the following week, ready to get back into work.

"And um… Jasmine's coming you know…" Joey said, smirking at Aden.

He glared at her. Both Charlie and Ruby were immediately interested.

"I hate you," Aden said to his best friend.

"No you don't," Joey replied.

"I actually do," Aden informed her.

"Can you two stop squabbling and tell us what's going on with Jasmine?" Ruby begged.

"Nothing is going on with Jasmine," Aden insisted.

"He thinks she's pretty," Joey teased in a sing-song voice.

Aden threw a cushion at her. It missed and hit Charlie and Jasper. Jasper barked and jumped off the sofa. Charlie protested loudly.

"Hey! Disabled here!"

Aden apologised but kept glaring at Joey who cuddled up to Charlie and continued to smirk at her housemate.

"Jamie!"

The tall, blonde and very pretty woman stood in front of them, smiled broadly with her very pretty, perfectly lipsticked mouth. She said Alex's name and pulled her into a hug without really asking her permission. Willow felt tense. She felt uncomfortable and jealous. Why was this woman hugging her girlfriend? Who the hell was she? Alex pulled awkwardly away.

"What… what are you doing here?"

"I needed to see you," Jamie replied.

She glanced at Willow, who had shrunk back.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"This is Willow," Alex said, answering for her. "My girlfriend."

Suddenly, Willow stopped shrinking. She stepped forward and accepted Alex's hand, feeling proud to have been introduced properly. But the look Jamie gave her deflated her again. It was as if she was a mere irritation or insignificance.

"Great," she said. "Good for you."

She turned back to Alex.

"I need to speak to you," she said.

"Well, I'm busy right now," Alex said, still holding Willow's hand.

"I came all this way," Jamie protested.

"And you didn't let me know," Alex countered.

"How would I have let you know?" Jamie asked. "You don't exactly make it easy for me to keep in touch."

Alex wanted to say something rude about her getting the message but she remained silent.

"I can see you tomorrow," she said.

She suggested the Diner at ten in the morning. Then she left. Her head was spinning. Willow waited all of ten seconds before she hit her with the inevitable question: who was that?

"That would be my ex-girlfriend," Alex said.

Willow stopped walking. Alex nudged her along, not wanting Jamie to witness them talking about her in case they were still in her sight.

"But… your ex is here?" Willow asked. "The woman you were with for ten years?"

"Yep, that's the one," Alex replied.

"Why?"

"I don't know any more than you do, Willow," Alex said, trying not to sound annoyed. "You witnessed the whole conversation."

Both women fell silent. Alex felt confused. Their relationship was over. Jamie had abandoned her and turned her whole life upside down. Why would she suddenly come back? What had happened? How did she even know where to find her?

Willow felt like she was in freefall. She and Alex had just been talking about commitment and now her ex was suddenly on the scene. What did Alex think she wanted if not to get back together? And what chance did Willow have against someone Alex had been in love with for a decade? Suddenly all her hopes and dreams and plans felt like they were fading far out of reach. It wasn't fair.

"Have you seen her at all these past couple of years?" Willow asked.

"No," Alex said. "She walked out on me and that was that. We sold the house through lawyers."

She sighed heavily, digging her keys out of her handbag as they reached her front door. She stopped and turned to look at Willow, realising for the first time just how worried she looked. She reached out and cupped her face.

"There's nothing for you to be worried about," she said. "She's probably here because she needs a favour."

"Or she wants you back," Willow said, laying her heart out between them.

"I doubt it," Alex said. "But even if she did, it wouldn't matter. I'm in love with you and only you."

"Alex, you were together for ten years…"

"And now I'm with you," Alex said.

"But how does a few weeks compare…?"

"Jamie and I are in the past. We're done. I'm excited about the future. And that has you in it, not her."

They kissed.

"So… Aden likes Jasmine?" Charlie asked as she snuggled up in bed beside Joey that night.

Joey grinned.

"Maybe…"

"Does Jasmine like Aden?" Charlie wanted to know.

"I don't know that bit yet but I'm definitely going to do my utmost to find out," Joey said.

Charlie giggled. They kissed in the dark.

"Are you completely happy with this party tomorrow?" Joey asked.

Charlie nodded. She kissed Joey's shoulder.

"It'll be good for me," she said. "I just want to start getting on and doing normal things now."

"Okay, good," Joey said.

"So… what kind of normal things might a couple get up to at bed time…?" Charlie asked.

"I'm so glad you asked," Joey grinned, kissing her.

She guided her onto her back and straddled her hips, making short work of her pyjama top. Charlie smiled and closed her eyes as she felt Joey's fingertips on her, stroking her skin. She loved the way Joey touched her. Joey leaned down and kissed her.

"I love you," she whispered.

Charlie wrapped her arms around her, pulling her closer.

"I love you too," she said.

Alex and Willow collapsed onto the bed, exhausted, a pile of clothes on the floor beside them. Willow rested her head on Alex's chest, listening to her heartbeat for a moment.

"Move in with me," Alex said quietly.

Willow lifted her head in surprise.

"What did you say?"

"When I buy my new place," Alex said. "Move in with me."

"I thought you were worried about rushing?"

"I'm not," Alex said. "I want this. I want you, Willow."

Willow lifted herself away from Alex so that she could lie next to her. She stroked her face and kissed her.

"Talk to Jamie tomorrow," she said gently. "Settle things in your mind. And then ask me."

She kissed her softly. Alex ran her hands through Willow's hair, holding her close.

The next morning, Willow reluctantly sent Alex off to see her ex-girlfriend. She went straight round to visit Charlie and lament over her love life, feeling like it was on the precipice of ruin.

"Hey, this is Alex we're talking about," Charlie said. "She's not the kind of person who's going to treat you unfairly. She's not going to ask you to move in one minute and dump you the next."

Willow was buoyed by her friend's confidence.

"Well, she said she'd call once she'd seen her," she said. "Honestly, Charlie, she never said she'd dated a bloody supermodel!"

She shook her head in disgust, making Charlie laugh.

"She doesn't fit with Alex at all," Willow continued. "Alex is so down to earth and clever and so, so beautiful. But this woman is like a perfect kind of beautiful, like it's almost not real. Like she's stepped off a catwalk. She's almost so beautiful that she isn't beautiful, if that makes sense? And she seems really harsh too. Not a warm person like Alex. I don't know what she sees in her at all."

"Well, maybe twelve years ago, she was a different kind of person," Charlie said. "Maybe there's a reason why they're not together anymore."

"Well, this Jamie broke up with Alex," Willow sighed. "So what if Jamie clicks her fingers and…?"

Charlie put a firm hand on Willow's leg and told her 'no'.

"Alex has assured you that you are the one she wants to be with," she said. "Trust it. Trust her."

Willow sighed heavily, hoping her friend was right.

Alex sat opposite Jamie in the Diner, feeling somewhat awkward. She studied her face. She looked different. But she looked the same in a lot of ways. When they had first met, Jamie had been beautifully turned out, perfectly made up and wore nothing but designer clothes. She had looked like this. Alex hadn't been interested at first. But Jamie had been persistent and eventually won her over. Over time, Jamie had changed. She'd almost rejected her previous outlook on life, becoming quite the eco-warrior before suddenly dumping Alex and deciding she needed to go and find herself and go travelling. Now, it looked like the person she had found was the woman Alex had first met.

"It's good to see you," Jamie eventually said. "Thanks for meeting me."

"Well, it didn't seem like you were going to take no for an answer, so…"

She shrugged.

"How have you been?" Jamie asked.

"I've been fine," Alex replied. "Happy."

"So, I see you've moved on with someone new," Jamie said. "How long has that been?"

"A couple of months," Alex said. "It's new but it's special. She's special."

"What does she do?" Jamie wanted to know.

"She's a Personal Trainer."

Jamie burst out laughing.

"How the hell did you meet her?" she asked. "You're allergic to exercise!"

"I actually use the gym these days!" Alex laughed.

Jamie laughed harder.

"Oh wow," she said. "You must have been seriously hot for her to use her gym."

She shook her head and sipped her coffee, still laughing. Alex allowed herself a small smile. Eventually, she asked what Jamie wanted. Jamie stopped laughing.

"I want you back," she said seriously.

Willow and Charlie had persuaded Ruby to sit down for a whole five minutes. She had been rushing around all day organising the party.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Willow asked. "I mean, I could do with keeping busy."

"Why? What's up with you?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," Willow said.

"Alex's ex has turned up," Charlie said at the same time.

"Charlie!" Willow protested.

Charlie grinned and shrugged.

"Nobody is allowed to be mad at me about anything," she said. "I nearly died."

Willow snorted with laughter.

"How long are you going to play that card for?" she asked.

"Until further notice," Charlie replied.

"It's getting seriously boring," Ruby complained. "I can't do housework, I nearly died. I can't make dinner, I nearly died. We have to watch the TV shows that I want to watch, I nearly died."

She rolled her eyes but grinned.

"You can do whatever the hell you want, Mum," she said. "Because you did nearly die. And I will never forgive you for that."

"Nor will I," Willow said. "To be honest, you should really be making it up to us."

"That's a good point, actually," Ruby agreed.

"Hey, I don't think that's very fair," Charlie protested. "You can't be mean to me…"

"I nearly died!" they all chorused.

Alex just stared blankly at Jamie for a moment. She couldn't find any words. She had honestly never thought that this would be the reason for her visit.

"Are you going to say anything?" Jamie asked.

"What the hell am I supposed to say?" Alex asked.

"Well, what do you think? What's your opinion?" Jamie asked.

"I think you're insane!" Alex blurted out.

Jamie looked hurt. Alex felt bad.

"I'm sorry but… how could you just waltz back into my life and say that?" the Doctor asked. "You just… you walked out on me. We were planning to spend the rest of our lives together and you just… left. You just left me, Jamie."

"I was having a… a crisis," Jamie tried to explain.

Alex wasn't feeling sympathetic.

"I just… I didn't know what to do," Jamie said. "I saw this life of monotony ahead of me. And I'd become so involved in all my causes. And this little voice in my head was pushing me on to go and explore the world and find the right direction. I needed to find myself."

"And what did you find?" Alex asked. "Because you look more like the girl I met twelve years ago than the woman who left me two years ago. And also, a life of monotony? Thanks very much. Charming!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I just…"

She sighed heavily, trying to explain.

"I've changed a lot in the last two years. I've learned a lot. And as much as I've lived and learned and experienced over the last two years, the whole time I knew there was something missing."

She tried to reach out and hold Alex's hand but Alex quickly moved out of reach.

"You were missing," Jamie said. "I needed you by my side. I wanted you by my side."

She met Alex's eyes.

"Haven't you missed me?"

"Of course I missed you," Alex replied. "It took me such a long time to get over you. You broke my heart. You destroyed me. If you'd have found me a year ago, six months ago even, then this would have been a different conversation. No matter how badly you broke me, I might well have been too weak to send you away, although I hope I would have had more self-respect than that. But things are different now."

"Because of that woman?" Jamie asked. "Come off it, Alex. You can't choose two months over ten years. No way."

"I'm in love with her," Alex said. "She makes me so happy."

"Happier than I made you?" Jamie asked.

Alex paused.

"She's never made me sad like you did," she finally answered.

"She hasn't had the time!" Jamie spat.

"It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!" Jamie insisted. "You can't throw us away for…"

"I'm not!" Alex reminded her. "You already did."

Jamie shook her head.

"No," she said. "I don't buy it. I don't accept it."

Alex half laughed.

"It's not for you to accept," she said. "Willow and I are together and that's the end of it. You're not part of the story."

"Well, I'm here so I kind of am," Jamie said. "And let's face it, you've never been able to ignore me."

Alex arrived at Charlie's house, where she knew Willow was visiting.

"Do you guys want me to leave you to it?" Charlie asked.

"No, of course not," Alex said, following her into the lounge where Willow was waiting anxiously.

She sat down beside Willow and hugged her.

"What did she want?" Willow asked worriedly.

"Well, okay, you were right," Alex admitted.

"She wants you back?" Willow half yelled.

Charlie and Ruby felt suddenly awkward.

"I told her where to shove it," Alex said. "So stop panicking, okay?"

Willow nodded but she wasn't entirely sure this would be the end of it. Jamie didn't seem like the kind of woman who would take no for an answer.

"So, can we go back to the question I asked last night?"

"Ooh, what question?" Ruby asked eagerly.

Charlie scolded her. Ruby apologised. And then asked again, making them all laugh.

"Well?" Alex asked. "Will you?"

"This isn't a proposal, is it?" Ruby blurted out.

"We've only been together a few months!" Alex exclaimed.

"But yes, I will move in with you," Willow said. "If that's what you really do want?"

Alex kissed her.

"You are all I want," she pledged.

Next time… There's a gate crasher at Charlie's welcome home party and Aden and Jasmine begin to bond…