"Oh no, Gina will be devastated," were the first words out of Charlie's mouth on hearing that Hugo was dead. The next were to ask what had happened.

"Hugo hung himself in his prison cell four hours ago," Robertson informed her.

"Fuck," she murmured. Since he'd already tried suicide by cop, this really didn't come as much of a surprise as it probably should have. "Where was his cell mate?"

"There wasn't one," he replied. "Hugo had been moved to solitary for his own safety after Braxton had earlier been attacked during yard privileges."

"Attacked?"

"Nothing too major," he said. "I'd say it was more of a warning shot to both he and Hugo to toe the line and keep their mouths shut."

"Brax was unlikely to ever talk anyway."

"True, but a little reminder every now and again as to the consequences should he do so, doesn't hurt."

Charlie looked more closely at Robertson's expression and saw something she'd missed earlier. "Is there something else you're not saying?"

"I just find the timing interesting," Robertson said. "They were already looking to place Hugo into solitary confinement to keep an eye on him even before Braxton's attack, yet there was no one within cooee of his cell when he killed himself," he said. "I had a private word with one of the prison officers and found that the regular checkups weren't so regular for a period of one hour."

"Arranged?"

He nodded. "But not by Hugo's former partners in crime."

"Hugo's not really dead, is he?" she murmured as she realised where he was going with this. "You're thinking the task force faked his death and Hugo is now in Witness Protection, aren't you?"

"Actually, I'm thinking we shouldn't be discussing any such scenario," he said. "Hugo Austin has officially been declared dead and now it's time for his family to grieve for him and then move on."

"Gina and the others should be safe now, if Hugo is dead, right?"

"My opinion of Hugo Austin is as low as it could possibly be, but I don't doubt his love for his mother and his brother and I'm sure he was thinking of them when he made this choice."

"To kill himself," said Charlie. She was a little more certain now that Hugo was alive and well, somewhere. She'd have liked to have seen justice with him in prison, but having some idea of the life a witness such as he will be forced to live, he was still in a prison, one where he'd never be able to see or contact his family from ever again and would be forever looking over his shoulder in fear of what was there. This latest development might also help Gina in the long run. She'd grieve for him obviously, but the alternative would have been spending years with the constant worry of something happening to him in jail, while also trying to cope with what he'd done.

"What about Gypsy Nash?" she asked.

"Already safely stashed away," he replied. "There are still people out there that need to be brought to justice and with their assistance, they will be," he said. "It will take time, potentially years even, but these people will be brought to justice."

"I hope so," said Charlie. "So that's it then, you're done here?"

He nodded. "I leave first thing tomorrow," he told her. "Graves will stay on for an extra day to tie up some paperwork, but I'm needed back in the City by noon for a full briefing." He glanced at his watch. "In the meantime, I intend to spend some enjoyable hours with the lovely Leah." He tilted his head to her, then left.

"Was that Charlie I just heard?" Martha said as she came out of the bathroom with her hair in a towel.

"Yeah, she just wanted to ask me how Gina was doing with the news about Hugo before she headed home."

Martha sighed at the mention of Hugo. There had been a time where she had loved Hugo, was even going to marry him, yet the only sadness she had felt on learning of his passing, was for Gina losing her son. She felt nothing for him these days except contempt, especially after he had tried to kill her fiancée.

"What's that," Martha said suddenly when she spied her fiancée trying to covertly slip something into her pocket.

"What's what?" she innocently replied.

"What did you just put into your pocket?"

"My keys," said Watson.

"Those keys which are sitting on the table right there next to you."

Watson glanced to her left. "Yep, that would be them."

"So your keys are in two places at once then?"

"Yep."

"You're up to something."

"Yep," Watson said with a cheeky grin.

"It better be good."

"It will be," she said. "Now go dry your hair while I get tea ready."

"Oh, poor Gina," murmured Joey when Charlie had told her the latest news when she finally got home from work. "I know she was hurt by his actions, but at the end of the day, he was still her son and she loved him."

"Yeah and from what Georgie said, it's hit Gina hard," said Charlie. "The poor woman. First she had to deal with the news her son was a murderer and tried to kill her husband and step-daughter and now this." Without any way of being certain either way about Hugo's death, Charlie had decided to view him as dead as a doornail. She hated keeping something like this from Joey, but no one could ever suspect that he might still be alive. It would be too dangerous to his family if there was even a hint his death had been staged and that just wasn't a burden she wanted to place on Joey. Besides, he really could be dead.

"This might be a bit insensitive, but Hugo chose to end his life, just as he chose to become a criminal," Joey said. "It's no one's fault except his own and now with Hugo dead, it at least gives Gina a chance to move on, instead of sitting on the sidelines while her son rots in prison." Joey frowned when Charlie smiled. "What?"

"I actually had the same thoughts, so if you're insensitive, then so am I."

"Then we're both a couple of insensitive gits," she said with a grin.

"I think Gina will be very aware that some of us won't be missing Hugo," said Charlie. "Not that we'll be going around saying that to her face. That's the last thing she needs."

"She has a good support base around her, so I'm sure she'll be fine in the long run."

Charlie nodded. "I still wish things had gone differently."

"There are times where I still feel the same way about Angelo," she said. "If only he'd done this or that, he might have avoided causing Martha's accident and still been alive, but it happened and it can't be changed and he paid for his mistakes with his life, just as Hugo has."

"Well I've certainly made my share of mistakes, but there is one I don't regret at all."

"Oh, which one is that?"

"Falling in love with a married woman."

"Which married woman?"

Joey's reaction confused her at first, till she realised she was jerking her chain. "Very funny," Charlie said.

"I'm not proud of my own actions in my marriage, but at least I owned up to them and was honest," said Joey. "Eventually," she added with a wry grin. "We both could have done things differently though."

"Yeah, we could have," she murmured. "Like I said though, I don't regret falling in love with you."

"Nor I with you."

"Oh god, you're not going to get all kissy face again are you," Ruby said when she walked past them on the way to the kitchen.

"Actually, we thought we'd wait for you, just so you could watch," Charlie cheerfully replied.

"You're such a wonderful and thoughtful sister," Ruby sarcastically said, but she was smiling. "Whose turn to cook tonight?" she asked.

They all pointed at each other and said at the same time, "Yours."

Martha followed the sounds of soft romantic music and enticing aromas coming from the next room. "My, you have been busy," she said when she walked into the room.

"Yeah, preparing a tea like this is really hard work," replied Watson.

Martha raised her nose and sniffed. "That Italian place in Yabbie Creek?"

"Busted," grinned Watson. "But in my defence, finding the phone number to the restaurant and then convincing them to deliver was hard work."

"Ok Georgie, what are you up to?"

"First, lets have a drink," she said, taking Martha's crutches and then handing her a glass.

Martha frowned when it rattled. She held it up to the light. There was something sparkling in her glass. "Oh my god," she whispered. "Is that what I think it is?" she said, tipping it out onto her hand.

"I know you've already accepted my proposal, but I wanted to make it a little more romantic."

"Georgie, I don't care how you proposed, only that you did."

"Then you don't want the ring?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

"I didn't say that."

"I'd get down on my knee and really do this properly if I could, but the embarrassment of trying to get back up would kill the mood, so here goes," Watson said as she gently took the ring from her palm and held it before her. "Martha Holden, you are my world and I love you with my whole heart, so will you do me the honour of being my wife and marry me?"

"Yes, I will marry you," she said again. Even though she'd already accepted before, there were tears of joy in her eyes when Georgie slipped the ring onto her finger. "When did you get this?"

"I was actually on my way to pick it up when Hugo waylaid us, which of course didn't exactly go to plan, so I asked Charlie to pick it up for me today."

"It's beautiful Georgie, it really is."

"Just like you," she replied. "As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get it."

"For someone who claims to have no idea about jewellery, this really is exquisite Georgie."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I love it Georgie, just as I love you."

"I know I won't really miss Robertson when he leaves, but I do know someone who will," Charlie said to Joey as they sat out on the back porch, enjoying the evening air.

"Yeah, even though Leah knew heading in that he wasn't sticking around, she'll definitely miss him," said Joey. "But after Brax's betrayal cut her so deeply, Robertson has at least reminded her that there are good guys out there who are willing to make her feel special and in that, he's done his job," she said. "He really has done wonders for Leah's self-esteem and has made her feel beautiful and wanted once more."

"You think it'll encourage her to go on the prowl now?"

Joey chuckled at the image of Leah on the prowl that just popped into her head.

"What's so funny?" asked Charlie.

"Never mind," she said. "As for Leah from here on in, I think she'll certainly be more open to dating than she was before," Joey said.

"With who though?" murmured Charlie.

"Looking to do some matchmaking, are we?"

"Hardly," she replied. "I'm just looking at the available men in town and I honestly don't see one who would take Leah's fancy."

"Did you expect her to get with Brax?"

"No," said Charlie. "But honestly Joey, there's really not much choice for the single ladies in town, whether straight or gay," she said. "Not to mention that Leah already knows most of the single men around town, since everyone goes to the Diner."

"I guess the pickings here might be a little slim," murmured Joey. "There will be someone out there for Leah though," she said. "She deserves to be happy."

Now it was Charlie who was chuckling. Joey raised an enquiring brow in her direction. "Sorry, I'm just laughing at us sitting out here discussing other people's love lives like a pair of old gossips."

"Well, our love life is already settled, so we have to talk about someone's."

"Or we could dispense with the talking altogether and go for hand on contact," suggested Charlie with a smirk.

"Are you forgetting that we told Ruby we'd sit up and watch a movie with her?"

Charlie groaned. "What was I thinking when I did that?"

"That you're a good person for wanting to spend time with your sister," Joey said. "And there's always later for the hand on contact," she reminded her.

"I knew there was a reason why I loved you."

"Me or my hands?"

"Every part of you."