This will be my last update until after Christmas. Have a Merry Christmas everyone! :o)
"Aw, my poor little copper is all tuckered out," Joey teasing said to her sleeping girlfriend. Charlie just murmured in reply and rolled over.
"Guess we'll just have to catch up on that time together tomorrow," Joey murmured. She walked to the foot of the bed and undid Charlie's shoes. Poor Charlie. She'd ended up working overtime and so had pretty much just collapsed on the bed after she got home. At least she had made it as far as the bed and not fallen asleep on the couch, because this way she could cuddle up with her.
Joey pulled the sheet up over her. "That weekend away from all of this is looking even better," she whispered. She smiled when Charlie murmured an incomprehensible reply. She'd best leave her to get some sleep now.
"I'm going to miss this tub," Shannon said as she lent against her girlfriend who was sitting behind her.
"Mine is nowhere near as fancy or as big as this one, but you're more than welcome to it," Graves told her. "My bathtub is your bathtub."
"You certainly know the way to my heart," Shannon said with a grin. "First you get the name of the guy who attacked me and send a posse out after him and then you offer me your tub."
"Some say flowers do the trick, but I know differently," joked Graves and Shannon chuckled.
Shannon turned to face her girlfriend, ignoring the water sloshing over the sides as she moved. "I am so glad my car broke down in this town."
"And I'm glad you bumped into me that day and tipped my coke all over me."
"It's almost as if fate was playing a hand in getting us together."
"In that case, what does fate have planned for us tonight?" smirked Graves.
"This for starters," said Shannon, capturing Graves' lips in a passionate kiss that left both women breathless.
"Martha called while you were in the shower," Joey told her girlfriend when Charlie finally joined her in the kitchen the next morning. "She said it was ok for us to stop by before work since we didn't catch up with them yesterday."
Charlie nodded through a yawn.
"You look like you could do with a few more hours of sleep."
"The joys of overtime and extra shifts," Charlie said through another yawn. "I have another split double starting tomorrow."
"When does Angelo's replacement start?"
"In a couple of weeks," she replied. "We can cover his position easily enough, but with Georgie on leave till her face heals, we're stretched a little thinner than we can usually deal with."
"Maybe we should put our weekend away off for a little longer then," Joey suggested.
"Next weekend should be fine," Charlie said. "Georgie should be back on board by then."
With her elbows on the table, Joey rested her chin in her hands and grinned at Charlie. "But by then, are you going to be awake for our little soiree or too tired from all the extra work hours?"
"There is no way that I'm going to conk out on our trip."
"Promise?"
"Promise," she said through yet another yawn. "Now where's the coffee, because I need it extra strong today."
"Thanks Martha," Charlie said as she accepted the cup from her.
"Jesus Charlie, that's your third cup already this morning," Joey said.
"And at this rate, I might just make it til morning tea," replied Charlie and Martha laughed.
"Georgie's the same," said Martha. "I think coffee runs through their veins."
"That would explain a few things," Joey said and Charlie replied by poking out her tongue.
"Speaking of Georgie, where is she?" Charlie asked.
"She went back to sleep just after I called you and I haven't the heart to wake her," Martha told her. "I think the last couple of days has finally caught up with her, both physically and emotionally," she said. "And unfortunately, with all this stuff with John going on, I can't see the emotional rollercoaster easing up anytime soon."
"How did yesterday's visit to John and Gina's go?" asked Joey.
"Once Georgie had gotten through to Gina that she wasn't responsible for Hugo turning out to be such a giant dick, we ended up leaving pretty quickly afterwards," Martha answered. "Georgie really is trying with John, but it's not easy for her to just set aside years of resentment overnight. It's going to take time," she said.
"At least she's willing to try," said Charlie. "That's something I never expected her to do, even before I found out John was her father," she said. "The same with Shandi. I was so surprised when Georgie invited her for dinner that night."
"I think she surprised herself a little at that," Martha said. "But it was a sign that she was finally starting to accept they were her family and the same goes for her introducing Jay to them. She never would have done that unless she was ready to accept that they were a part of, not just her life, but of Jay's," she said. "However, accepting them was just the first step and unlike Jay who already adores them, it's not going to be as easy for Georgie to allow John and Shandi to get closer to her and so they're all going to have to work through her trust issues if they're to have any sort of relationship together."
"If it's what they all want, which it seems like they do, then they'll get there eventually," Joey said.
"I hope so, because I'd love for Georgie to have a proper relationship with a father who loves her," Martha said. "She missed out on that growing up and she deserves it."
Fifteen minutes later, Joey pointed to her watch. "Charlie, hadn't you best be off to work?"
"Oh shit," she muttered. She jumped to her feet, grabbed her jacket and kissed Joey all in the one motion.
"I'd suggest laying off any more coffee for an hour or two," Joey bemusedly told her slightly hyperactive girlfriend.
"I'll see you later," she said, bouncing toward the door. "Give Georgie my love," she called out to Martha.
"Will do," Martha said, but Charlie was already gone.
"Maybe I should stock up on some decaf at home," Joey murmured.
"Nah, I tried that with Georgie once and didn't bother telling her when I served it up."
"What happened?"
"It wasn't pretty."
Joey laughed at the exaggerated graveness in Martha's voice.
"Get used to this Joey," she said. "You're in love with a cop, so you're just going to have to live with the consequences of that when it comes to their eating and sleeping habits."
"Charlie's worth it."
"That she is," said Martha. "And don't worry, today's caffeine effects will have worn off by the time Charlie gets to the Station."
"Till the next cuppa," Joey said with a grin. She looked around the room. "I only just realised how quiet it is in here," she said. "Where's Jay?"
"With granddad Tony," replied Martha. "After the recent revelations, I think Tony just needed to feel a closer connection to Jack, so he came by earlier to take Jay to the playground," she explained. "Poor Tony, he really has taken the news about Hugo incredibly hard and not just because he killed his boy," she murmured. "He's so angry and bitter at Hugo for all the lies he's told since that night, and now that the truth is out, Tony feels absolutely sick to his stomach that throughout this entire time, he had been talking to and sharing meals with his son's killer and didn't even know it," Martha told her. "And what makes this an even worse betrayal for Tony, was the way Hugo had been so supportive of him during those tough early months following Jack's death." She shook her head sadly. "All this time we thought that not knowing the truth of that night was hard, since it gave us no real closure, but now that we do have that knowledge, it's as if the old wounds have reopened somewhat, especially for Tony."
"And for you?"
Martha sighed heavily. "It's a reminder of how much I miss Jack," she murmured sadly. "I always will and I hate that Jay never got a chance to know his dad, but Jack is gone and as painful as his death was, I came to accept that he was never coming back and moved on with my life," she said. "And I know in my heart, that is what Jack would have wanted me to do." She glanced toward her bedroom and smiled. "Georgie is my future and I am so very happy with her."
"I should hope so, since you're planning on marrying her."
That made Martha laugh again. "I honestly can't wait for our wedding day."
"I guess you probably haven't had much chance to actually discuss the wedding with everything else going on."
"Yeah, we should have been planning for our wedding and Jay's adoption, but instead my fiancé was kidnapped and now we're having to deal with the fallout from learning that my ex killed my husband," she said. "And with the situation as it currently is, I just wouldn't feel right about asking my matron of honour to help with any of the planning, not when she has more important things on her mind right now," Martha said. "Tony really needs Rachel more than I do at this moment."
"Well, as one of your bridesmaids, how about I temporarily fill in for Rachel?" Joey suggested.
"It really would be nice for Georgie and I to focus on the positives in our lives and on our future together," Martha replied.
"Then why don't I go down to the newsagents, buy up on the wedding mags and we make a start on planning for the happy day."
Martha found herself nodding in agreement. This was exactly the tonic she needed.
Charlie sipped at her sixth coffee for the day while she read her text messages. She smiled when she saw the text request from her cousin. She'd forgotten about that.
"No probs, will pick up after work," she texted back.
At the sound of a throat clearing, Charlie looked up. Robertson was standing there. "There's been a development," he said. "Hugo Austin is dead," he stated matter-of-factly.