"I'm glad things went ok with your father," Charlie said to Joey after her girlfriend had revealed the surprise visit to her when she got home.
"Yeah, me to," she replied. "Part of me was nervous about seeing him again, but the other part was happy. He's my dad and though things are still a little distant between us, it was nice to talk to him without feeling like I had to be worried he was only manipulating me again."
"Are you sure he's not?"
"I'm sure," she said. "He's a broken man Charlie," Joey told her. "His partnership with the Rosetta's is over, he's admitted he was wrong about Angelo and to top that off, his marriage is over."
"Did May tell him who the real father of her baby is?"
"No, but I have an uncomfortable feeling as to who it might be."
Charlie looked at her girlfriend and remembering what Joey had told her in the past about May, she started to share that uncomfortable feeling. "You don't really think it is him, do you?"
"The timing fits," said Joey. "We were living at dad's place in the month leading up to our move to the Bay." Joey shrugged. "I guess we'll find out for certain soon enough," she said. "And if we're right, then I suspect that May won't be too upset about missing out on dad's money, not when she'll have Angelo's parents throwing money at her just so they can be a part of the baby's life."
"That poor kid," murmured Charlie. Being spoilt rotten had done nothing for Angelo and with his death, she had a feeling his mother would go even more overboard with his child. "Do you think he knew about the baby?"
"No way or his family would have been all over her before now," she said.
"Like your father would have been if that had been yours and Angelo's child," she muttered.
Joey set aside the clothes she'd chosen to wear out that night and looked to her girlfriend. "Charlie, I know you're still mistrustful of my father and you have every reason to be," she said. "I am as well, but with everything that has happened, especially when he realised how I could have been lost forever if Hugo had had his way, it's made him start to reassess things," she told her. "I'm not expecting miracles or anything, because he's at an age where he's very stuck in his ways on some things, but I honestly believe he's willing to step back and let me run my life the way I want it to be run."
"With me?"
"Of course with you dummy," Joey said with a grin. "Or do you expect me to rock up to that little holiday inn on my own?"
"We're just damn lucky we even have that holiday inn," said Charlie. "With every phone call ending with sorry, we're booked solid til Christmas, I was starting to think we wouldn't be going anywhere."
"Well, you found a place and now that our lives are settling down, we can focus on Christmas."
"God, Christmas seems to have come from nowhere this year," Charlie said. "And every year, I seem to get later and later with my shopping," she said. "I haven't even thought of pressies this year."
"I doubt we're the only ones," said Joey. "Though Martha did mention something about a tree miraculously appearing in their lounge room while she was out earlier, along with a truck load of presents, which Jay is over the moon at and already nagging them about opening."
"Georgie the Christmas elf?" joked Charlie.
"According to Martha, her fiancée is denying all knowledge of it," she said. "And I doubt Georgie would even have had the time to do all that shopping and wrapping recently."
"Then it sounds like something Irene and Belle would arrange on the sly," said Charlie.
"Well, I doubt our Christmas helpers will ever reveal themselves, but if they have the inclination, they can do the same here."
"I suppose we should really get a tree and put up some decorations around the place."
"Is that what you usually do?"
"Not so much the last couple of years," Charlie said. "Once Ruby hit her mid-teens, it was less about the decorations and more about the money we saved being better spent on her presents."
Joey laughed. "That sounds about right," she said. "How about one of those small plastic trees just for a bit of colour?"
"Or how about we start a new Collins/Buckton tradition and go all out?" Charlie suggested. "At least for our first Chrissy together."
"I kind of like the sound of that."
"Then it's done."
"So, what time are we meeting Graves and Shannon?"
Charlie glanced at the clock. "About an hour."
"Then if you start getting ready now, you might just be ready in time."
"I'm not that bad," she said. "And in my defence, any tardiness these days is always down to you."
"You mean, when I do this?" Joey said, conducting a private strip tease for her girlfriend.
"Maybe I should call Graves and tell her we'll be late," she murmured, chasing Joey toward the bathroom.
For the second time that day, Charlie was tapping her watch and waving an admonishing finger at her tardy younger colleague. "Let me guess, it was all Shannon's fault again?" She said to Graves, completely ignoring the fact that she and Joey had also been rather tardy with their arrival.
"Damn right it was," Shannon answered for her. She was grinning like the cat that ate the cream. "I can't resist being her distraction."
"That's obvious with the way you're always teasing me."
"I never hear you complaining," Shannon cheekily fired back.
"Why would I complain about being distracted by my beautiful girlfriend?"
Joey made a gagging sound. "Quick, too much sweetness, get me a bucket."
"Yeah, because you and Charlie are so different," drawled Shannon.
"Ruby would say we're a hundred times worse," said Charlie and they all shared a laugh.
"It's a shame we never did this more often," Shannon said as she and Graves took their seats.
"Kind of awkward when I was investigating them," Graves pointed out.
"You were just doing your job," said Charlie. "And I've been there myself," she said. "I love my job here, but sometime it is hard policing people you've known your whole life."
"Ever thought of transferring to somewhere new?" Shannon asked her.
"Not really," she said. "I know I only came back to take care of Ruby, but this is my home, even more so since Joey came into my life and I finally have my own station."
The waitress chose that moment to come to their table. "Can I take your order?"
"Ah, maybe just drinks for the moment," Charlie said and the others nodded in agreement.
"What are you two planning for Christmas?" Joey asked the duo across from her as they sipped their drinks.
"Honestly, I haven't even thought that far ahead," admitted Graves. "But usually, the extended family descends en mass onto some poor luckless family member on Christmas Day." She frowned. "Oh shit, I think it's my turn to host this year."
Joey chuckled at the look of horror on her face at that realisation.
"What about you Shannon?" Charlie asked her.
"It's just my brother Curtis and me and we kind of just get together for a meal at the local pub that holds Chrissy dinners every year."
"You and your brother are more than welcome to join me for Christmas," Graves said the words before her mind caught up.
"I don't want to impose."
"You wouldn't be," she said. "Besides, the second I tell my folks about you, they'll be at me to introduce you and believe me, you'll want the added reinforcements of all the others around you when you meet my folks."
"You're not exactly inspiring me with confidence."
Graves grinned at her. "They'll love you, but first, they'll have to subject you to rigorous questioning."
"Again, you're not inspiring me."
"How about this," she said. "By having Christmas with me, you'll be rescuing me from the inevitable inquisition of why I'm still single."
"You're not single anymore."
"Exactly, but without you there by my side, they might not believe me about you."
"You really want me there?"
"Yes," she said. "You and your brother are more than welcome."
"And you're certain your family won't mind?"
"Once I tell them about you, not only will they be expecting you to be there with us, they'll be celebrating that I'm not going to end up an old maid."
"That is cause for celebration," Joey interjected. "Another round of drinks to that."
"I think Georgie and Martha were planning a romantic night in," Joey replied to Graves' question.
"Another one?" said Charlie.
Joey's brow rose. "Is there a limit on how many romantic evenings a couple in love can have?"
"Of course not," she hurriedly said. "It's just that at this rate, Georgie's going to put me to shame."
"Everything doesn't have to be a competition."
"Have you met my cousin?"
"You're just as bad as her, you know that?"
"I have noticed that myself," added Graves.
"Just don't tell Georgie," muttered Charlie.
"Martha is right about wedding day dramas in the Bay," Charlie informed them when talk turned to the upcoming wedding. "I remember mum and dad telling me everything that went wrong with theirs and it was a lot."
"Everything works out in the end though, right?" Joey said.
"If you can survive the day."
"In that case, if we ever decide to get married, we're eloping."
Both Graves and Shannon were grinning at the stunned expression on Charlie's face.
"Oh relax Charlie, I'm not expecting a proposal tomorrow or anything," she assured her. "I'm more than happy with the way things are right now," she told her. "Besides, you have more pressing issues to deal with right now."
"I thought all was right with the world and we could now relax?"
"We can."
"Then what pressing issue do I have to deal with?"
"Well, it's going to be up to you and Belle to make sure that Georgie doesn't go all Bridezilla on us."
"No way am I going to be anywhere near Bridezilla de Georgie," Charlie adamantly stated. "Not without being armed."
"I'm with Charlie on that one," said Graves.
"We all have our burdens we must bear and this is one for Charlie."
Charlie looked to the heavens. "I love my life just as it is, so please don't let Georgie go all Bridezilla on me," she pleaded, which brought more laughter to the table.
"This night has been very enjoyable ladies, but it's time I got my distraction back to the hotel," Graves said a few hours later.
"What time are you heading off tomorrow?" asked Joey.
"Check out is at 10am and I don't have to be at work until the next day, so we plan on taking our time on the drive back to the city," she said. "Maybe stop off and see some of the sights along the way."
"Well don't be strangers in town," Charlie said. "You're both more than welcome to drop in anytime you're in the area."
"We might just do that."
"Oh Shannon," Charlie said to her. "Can I make a suggestion?"
"Sure."
"Make sure you set the alarm a few hours ahead, that way you can distract Graves without her being late."
"Where's the fun in that," smirked Shannon. "If my little Officer Perky can't say no, then she deserves to be late."
"Officer Perky?" giggled Joey. "Oh, I love that."
"Don't you dare say a word, Charlie," Graves warned her when it appeared Charlie was about to add her own two cents worth. "Or I'll make some suggestions to Joey on what she can call her own personal cop," she said. "Now, goodnight ladies and I hope to see you again."
"Bye Persephone," Joey couldn't resist saying and earned a glare from Graves.
"It's ok Perky, I'll make you feel better," Shannon told her girlfriend as they said their final goodbyes and left.
Charlie caught Joey's look. "No Joey," she said. "There is no way you are calling me Officer Perky or anything like it."
"My Prudish Love?"
"No Joey."
"My little Smurf?"
"No Joey."
"My blue eyed beauty with nice tits?"
"No Joey."
"My Little Love Muffin?"
"No Joey," said Charlie and she had a feeling it was going to become her mantra for the rest of the night.