Having spent a restless night hoping she wouldn't have to face Joey again today, Charlie throws back the covers, forcing herself to get out of bed.

"God Charlie, you look a wreck," Ruby remarks as Charlie makes her way into the kitchen.

"Nothing a strong coffee won't fix," she says, putting an extra teaspoon of coffee in her mug. "I haven't seen you around much lately."

"Yeah well, with school and all, I've been busy."

Charlie glances over at her, feeling a distance that never used to be there. "Ruby, why don't you invite your boyfriend over for tea."

"His name is Geoff, Charlie."

"Well why don't you ask Geoff over then."

"I'm not seeing Geoff anymore."

"Since when?"

"Since I caught him and April going at it like bunnies three days ago."

Charlie takes a sip of her coffee, wincing at the strength. "Ruby, you know you can talk to me about anything, even boys."

"Yeah, I know."

"Then why don't you?"

Ruby turns to look at her. "Charlie, I think it's great that you took on my guardianship after mum and dad died, but you're my sister, not my mother and sometimes it's hard to know how to talk to you."

"Talk to me as a sister."

"It's not always so easy."

"Well, I'm here for you if you need me."

"Thanks Charlie." She grabs her backpack, "I've got to get to school." She rushes out before Charlie could ask any more questions.

"It's still an hour before school," Charlie mutters to the empty room. After wincing on another sip of coffee, she tips the rest down the sink, deciding that drinking tar was no answer to her problems. "Great, now I have to pick up Georgie and go to work."

Following the smell of burnt food, Angelo finds his wife at the stove. Smiling, he moves behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Good morning Mrs Rosetta."

"Morning. I hope you like burnt bacon for breakfast," she holds up a well-charred piece.

"Looks yummy." He nibbles on her neck.

"Me or the bacon."

"You." He kisses her neck again. "I heard you get up last night, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, I just had a bit of trouble sleeping, new place and all."

"I think you'll love it here Joey."

"From what I've seen of it, it looks like a really nice place."

"It is," he assures her. "So what are your plans for the day?"

"I'm going to call dad and then have a look around Summer Bay."

Picking up the note of concern in her voice at the mention of her father, he holds her closer. "Joey, I know you're worried about being away from your father, but he's the one who encouraged us to move away."

"I just hate not being there for him."

"Your father doesn't want us putting our lives on hold just because he's sick."

"I'll never forgive myself if I'm not there when the time comes."

"If your father's health deteriorates, your mother will call."

"Step-mother." She shakes her head. "I still can't believe he married her."

"May is a very beautiful woman."

"She's only a couple of years older than me and she's your ex-girlfriend."

"Ok, so it's a little weird having my ex as my mother-in-law, but your father really seems to care for her."

"A little weird?"

"Ok, so it's a lot weird but it's you I love Joey," he turns her in his arms. "It's always been you." He kisses her to show her how much he loves her. He steps back, "I wish I didn't have to go to work."

"It's your second day Angelo, a no show wouldn't be a good look, even for the boss."

"I thought there were advantages to being the boss," he grins.

"Only in theory."

"Well then, as much as I enjoy burnt bacon, I think I'll grab something at that diner on the way." He kisses her again. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Joey picks up the fry pan, tossing it, along with the contents straight into the bin. "Guess I might actually have to learn to cook."

"Hey Charlie," Martha greets her when she arrives to pick her cousin up. "Georgie's just finishing with Jay's brekkie."

Charlie waves to Jay at the table. "Aunty Chuck," he yells out, waving his toast back at her.

"Aunty Chuck?" Charlie repeats to Martha.

"We have tried to explain that you're his mama's cousin, not her sister, but he's a little too young to understand yet, so for the moment, you're Aunty Chuck."

"I guess I can blame Georgie for the Chuck." She leans downs, kissing his cheek. "Aunty isn't so bad." She frowns at Georgie who had started to chuckle. "What now?"

In answer, Georgie points. Glancing down, Charlie groans at the vegemite stain on her shirt. "That's why I don't sit too close when I feed him, especially when I'm in uniform," Georgie says, still chuckling.

"You can borrow one of Georgie's shirts," suggests Martha, who was trying not to laugh at Charlie's resigned look.

"I have a spare at work, I'll change there."

"So Charlie, how are you today?"

Noticing Martha's lips twitching, Charlie rolls her eyes. "I can just imagine what Georgie told you about last night."

"She does have a way with words."

"Especially when it's at my expense."

"Come on Charlie," Georgie grins at her. "You have to admit, that it is rather funny."

"I don't think it's particularly funny finding out that I had slept with my boss's wife."

"They weren't married at the time and the more I thought about it last night, the more it did seem kind of funny, especially as it happened to you and not me." Charlie glares at her.

"Charlie, having this woman here may be a good thing," Martha says before the cousins got into things again.

"How do you figure that?"

"You've spent months pining over what was essentially a fantasy because you never really believed you'd see her again, but now that she's here and in the flesh."

"And taken," Charlie mutters sadly.

"Yeah, but knowing that you can't have her, it means that you can finally put the fantasy to rest and move on."

"I hope so," she says, not really believing it. "Are you ready to go Georgie?"

"Just a tick." She cleans up Jay's face of vegemite, kissing his forehead and then pulling Martha into a kiss that leaves them both slightly breathless.

"You just had to do that, didn't you," Charlie mutters as Georgie joins her at the door.

"I always kiss Martha goodbye," she says innocently.

"Not like that you don't."

"Whatever. I'm driving."

"You are not getting behind the wheel of my car."

"I'm a better driver than you Charlie."

"That's debatable and you have this problem with the speed limit."

"What problem?"

"You tend to be on the wrong side of it." She jumps behind the wheel. "I hope you're not going to give Rosetta a hard time today."

"I'll be on my best behaviour."

Charlie shakes her head. "That's what I'm afraid of," she mutters softly.

Charlie's hopes of a quiet day are short lived when they arrive at the station to find Angelo waiting for them. "Const. Watson, I'd like to see you in my office."

Charlie looks at Georgie, who shrugs. "Hey, not even I can piss someone off without even being here." She walks toward the office, "At least I don't think so."

Charlie winces at the sound of Georgie's voice coming from Angelo's office.

"You can't do that!"

"You're hardly in the best physical condition Constable, which is why you'll man the front counter until I am satisfied that you are physically capable of performing your duties."

"It has never been a problem," until you, she adds silently.

Angelo sits back in his chair, "Do you really believe your disability doesn't affect your work?"

"I don't see it as a disability and neither does the department or I would never have been cleared to return to duty in the first place."

"Really?" he says in a doubtful tone. "You reinjured yourself just recently because you fell while trying to apprehend a suspect."

"I slipped on a wet rock," she says through gritted teeth. "It could have happened to anyone."

"So it had nothing to do with your limp?"

"Nothing at all."

"Well I'm not convinced and until I'm satisfied your disability doesn't affect the performance of your duties, you are confined to desk duty."

'You can't just come in here, tell me I'm not up to my job and assign me to desk duty when my doctor has cleared me for full duties."

"I'm the senior officer here, Constable and it's my job to assign the duties for my officers in the way that I think is best for this station." Georgie squeezes her fists shut tightly. "Do you have something to say Constable?"

Wishing she could tell him what she really wanted to say, she merely shakes her head and storms from his office, heading for the locker room.

Angelo sits back, admitting to himself that he was being a little harsh on Watson, but Sergeant Harris' concerns about her were weighing heavily on him. He looks again at the pages that Harris had left for him, detailing his suspicions about Watson's association with criminal elements. "I won't have corrupt officers in my station and I'll get rid of you any way I can."

"Georgie, what's wrong?" Charlie asks after following her into the locker room.

"He's basically grounded me."
"He's what?"

"He's put me on fucking desk duty because he thinks I can't do my job." She slams her locker door closed.

"Georgie, calm down and tell me what happened."

"According to him, I'm some gimp who isn't up to doing my job." She sits on the bench, her head in her hands. "I worked hard to get back Charlie and he swans in and tells me I can't do my job."

"He just doesn't know you and maybe it wouldn't hurt for you to take it easy for a day or two."

"Not you too." She pushes Charlie's hand away from her shoulder. "I'm fine ok."

"Georgie, your leg could fall off and you'd still say you were fine." She sits down next to her. "It was a nasty fall you took the other day and your limp has been more noticeable because of it."

Georgie looks her in the eye. "Do you think I can't do my job?"

"I know it doesn't affect your work Georgie, but Rosetta doesn't and that's because he just doesn't know what you're capable of yet."

"Because all he sees is a disabled woman."

Charlie winces, knowing how much her cousin hated that. "Give him a couple of days, then he'll see he's made a mistake."

"The guy has it in for me Charlie."

"Don't be stupid, he's only just gotten here."

"You heard Rosetta last night." She sits up and imitates Angelo from the previous night, "Your file didn't mention you'd had a baby." She shakes her head in annoyance. "We both know I wasn't Harris' favourite person, so God only knows what's actually in the damn file."

"I think you're reading too much into it Georgie."

"You always did think I overreacted with Harris." She stands up and walks over to the door. "I hope you're ready to give Rosetta a chance Charlie, because you'll be stuck with him in a car all day."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, didn't I mention that part," Georgie opens the door. "Since your usual patrol partner has now been grounded, he's selected you as his tour guide for the time being."

Charlie stares at her, horrified at the thought of spending the day with the husband of the woman she wanted.