"Now that the meals are over we can relax and have a chat." Martha smiles gently at Joey, "I noticed you've been a little distant at times today."

"I have a lot on my mind and I still wasn't completely sure if it was a good idea for me to be working here."

"Joey, just because Charlie's got her tits out of joint and your husband and my partner haven't gotten off to a good start, there's no reason for that to stop us from working together or even being friends."

"They seem pretty good reasons, actually."

"Now that I've said it, I have to agree," Martha jokes. "Seriously though, Charlie will get over it."

"What about Georgie and Angelo?"

"I fear that's going to be ongoing, but I can hardly blame you if our partners have a personality clash." Joey nods, some of her tension easing at Martha's reassurance. "I'm a good listener, if there's something you want to get off your mind."

"Angelo wants to start a family," Joey says after a moment's thought.

"And you don't?"

"No."

"Didn't you talk about this before you married?"

"Yes and he accepted my decision."

"Only now he's changed his mind."

"Yeah."

"And there's no chance you will change your mind?"

Joey shakes her head. "It's not that I'm not ready to start a family, it's that I don't want a baby."

"Then Angelo needs to remember that or your marriage is going to have problems."

"He does understand my reasons, but now I feel guilty for denying him what he wants."

"You have no reason to feel guilty Joey, especially if you had already talked this over with him."

"Deep down I know that, it's just he seemed so disappointed this morning."

"Unless you change your mind or by some quirk of fate Angelo can get pregnant, then he's not going to get what he wants. Joey, it's your body and if this is something you don't want, then don't let him guilt you into giving in."

"This isn't something I'm going to change my mind over," she murmurs. "What about you, was Jay planned?"

"God no. We planned to have a couple of kids at least, just not until we were both a little older, so Jay came as a complete surprise to us. He was a very welcome surprise though and Jack was so happy at the prospect of being a father." She grows sad. "I only wish he'd lived to see our little boy." She shakes her, dispelling the memories. "Sorry, my mind wandered a bit then."

"It's ok, you obviously still miss him."

"He was a big part of my life and I will always have a place in my heart for him, but Georgie and Jay are my life now and one day, we'll add to our family."

"You're planning on more kids?"

Martha nods. "Of course it's going to take a different sort of planning this time, but we both love kids and want more."

"I'm sure Angelo would like me to be as excited by the idea like you are."

"Just because you're a woman it doesn't mean that you automatically want babies and you can't force yourself to change your mind."

"I don't know why I am making such a big deal of this, I guess, maybe." She shrugs. "It's just the move and other things are playing on my mind at the moment. Thanks for listening."

"That's what bartenders and friends are for."

"Everyone seems so nice here. You've been really great and Leah and Rachel seemed likely lovely people."

"They are and so is Tony, Rachel's husband."

"But not Leah's husband?"

Martha smiles wryly. "We're not real big fans of her husband. Brax is a real charmer and puts on a good front, but there's something about him that just doesn't ring true with some of us and it's not just his reputation as an ex-gang leader."

"Leah's husband was a gang leader?"

"The River Boys. They had a pretty bad rep for causing a lot of trouble and they were suspected of so much more, but nothing could ever really be pinned on them, especially Brax who always made out that any trouble was the fault of his Boys and not him."

"But he was the leader."

"Exactly, but with the front he puts on, most people want to believe he really is a good guy."

"You sound pissed at that."

"Because I am. Georgie grew up with the Braxtons and she's the first to admit that she was no angel, but people have been less willing to cut her slack than they have with Brax and it's frustrating, because Georgie's a wonderful woman and not the rebellious teenager she once was." She takes a calming breath.

"Your girlfriend was part of a gang?" Joey asks in surprise.

"Not really, she was just friends with the Braxtons more than a part of the gang."

"And now she's a cop."

"No doubt you'll hear a lot of talk about Georgie and the type of person she is, but that's mostly from people who have always thought the worst of her and have no idea of the woman she has become."

"Angelo has mentioned her a few times and I'm sorry to say, not exactly in a flattering way."

"Like I said, they didn't exactly hit it off and that's partly Georgie's fault. She's had it harder than most around here and it does affect the way she reacts to situations, especially when she thinks someone has it in for her, but don't believe everything you hear and try not to take it personally if she's a little cold toward you, she just takes time to let people in."

"I suppose it doesn't help that I hurt her cousin."

"Yeah well, when it comes to family, Georgie's responses can be rather unpredictable, from overprotective, to overreacting and with the way things are between her and Charlie, it really is hard to know what she will do, though this time, she's taken to protecting Charlie's heart."

"I hope that won't be necessary."

"Charlie's a big girl, she can look after herself, but it probably won't stop Georgie having her little digs, at the both of you."

"Rachel described their relationship as hot and cold."

"That's putting it mildly. They may be family, but they had very different upbringings and they really had little to do with each other when they were younger. By the time Georgie moved back to Summer Bay when she was 13, the cousins were virtual strangers and at the time, Georgie wasn't in the best place and Charlie was also older, in her last year of High School before she headed off to the Police Academy so once Georgie gave her the brush off a few times, Charlie basically gave up on her. Then when Charlie came back after her parents died, she was busy looking after Ruby and Georgie was struggling through her final years of High School, so once again, they basically ignored each other."

"That's kind of sad."

"Yeah it is. Anyway, Georgie and Charlie never really worked on their relationship until Georgie came back as a cop and now they're the closest they've ever been but there is still this barrier between them that they can't quite break through," her tone revealing her frustration of the situation. "The main problem is that Charlie just doesn't understand Georgie or how hard she had it while Georgie is touchy about her past and isn't the most open person."

"Sounds like they need to sit down and just have a good old talk."

"I wish it was that easy. Georgie keeps a lot of things to herself and the only way to get the answers some times, is to keep pushing her for them and unfortunately, that's something Charlie has never really done and I think that is one of the things that disappoints me the most, the way Charlie gives up on Georgie so easily."

"It must be hard for you to be stuck in the middle."

"It's not always the easiest place to be, especially when I love Georgie so much but am fully aware that at times, she is at fault."

"I guess I'm to blame this time."

"Believe me, if not you, then it'd be someone or something else. At lunch, things seem to have thawed between them somewhat, but I've arranged a family picnic for tonight, so they'd better be on their best behaviour." She grins suddenly, "I invited Irene along just to be safe."

"The lady from the diner, right?"

"That's right. She was also Georgie's foster mum and Georgie tends to behave whenever Irene is present, so I'm hoping the cousins can at least relax and have some fun together or at least stay civil to each other."

"Christmas must be an interesting time for your family."

Martha snorts. "That's an understatement, especially when you throw my mum into the mix."

"You all obviously care about each other though."

"My mum and Georgie could do without each other, but yeah, we care about Charlie and despite their problems, I know Charlie cares for Georgie." Martha looks Joey in the eyes, "You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but there is something I'd like to know." Joey holds her breath, having an idea of what she was going to ask. "What are your feelings toward Charlie?"

She lets her breath out softly while she considers her answer. "Charlie's a very beautiful woman but all I feel for her is lust."

"And that's all it is, lust?"

"Yes," she states firmly. "And it will soon fade. I love Angelo and he is who I want to be with."

"It almost sounds like you're trying to convince yourself as much as you are me."

"Things are a little confusing for me at the moment, but I'm clear on my feelings."

Martha nods at her answer, not sure if she believed her or not, but leaning toward not. There was just something about the way Joey spoke that made her think her feelings for Charlie were stronger than even she was willing to admit. She hoped she was wrong, for both Charlie and Joey's sake, because Joey had made it clear she wouldn't leave Angelo, which meant their love, if that's what it was, would stay unrequited and that would only hurt them both.

Walking toward the diner after work, Charlie pauses when she notices the familiar figure standing on the beach, staring out over the water. She couldn't deny that she still wanted Joey, but that was never going to happen and she'd finally accepted that. There was just something she needed to do first, before she could move on. She forces herself to walk toward Joey, reciting her motto about women over and over in her head as a reminder to stay strong.