Hi

A big hello to anyone still reading this story! I've had some computer issues over the last few months, and I sort of got the last few chapters mixed up a little. My head's been a bit out of the game and I didn't realise until after posting.

But I think I've rectified that now, and I've just gone and uploaded chapters 11, 12 and 13.

I'll post the newest chapter, chapter 14, tomorrow.

Thanks again for reading and as always, please feel free to post your reviews/comments/thoughts!

Paperheart

Chapter Eleven

Two weeks later

"So, how's things?"

Senior Constable Charlie Buckton looked over at her junior colleague, Georgina Watson. There wasn't anything especially untoward about the question, except for the fact that Watson had a huge smirk plastered across her face.

Charlie glared at Watson before picking at what remained of her chicken caesar salad. After spending most of the morning at the station chained to her desk, knee deep in paperwork, she had jumped at the opportunity when her friend had suggested grabbing a bite to eat for lunch. It was a balmy midsummer's day and they were sitting outside one of the city's popular waterfront cafes.

Taking in her friend's mildly annoying yet somehow rather endearing cheeky grin, Charlie scolded herself inwardly. She really should have known better. Georgie's "lunch" was just an excuse to subject her to a grilling. And after the usual mindless chit chat about work and the weather, Charlie could sense that Watson was itching to move onto her favourite subject - Charlie's life. Or rather, her love life, to be more precise.

Desperate to throw Watson off the scent, Charlie decided to try and play it dumb: "Pardon?"

"Things, Charlie, things. You know, life... how's life?" Georgie chuckled, before taking a large bite out of her club sandwich.

"You know very well how my life is, Georgie. You see me practically every day. But if what you want to know is have I heard from Joey... then the answer is no," Charlie sighed, before taking a sip of her ice tea.

"Perhaps it's a stupid question... but there's this wonderful invention you might have heard of, called a telephone... have you tried calling her?" Watson asked, tentatively, but found herself regretting the question as soon as the words had escaped from her lips. She regretted the question because she already knew the answer. This was Charlie Buckton, after all.

"No, of course I haven't," Charlie replied, immediately regretting the blunt tone to her voice.

Was shagging me part of your investigation?

Charlie replayed Joey's cutting words over in her head. As much as she'd wanted to call Joey or even pay her a visit at the club, Charlie was still haunted by the harsh tone in Joey's voice. And although Charlie knew deep down she had overstepped the mark with the younger woman, try as she might, she couldn't bring herself to regret their passionate liaison.

"Why?" Watson didn't even bother to try and sound surprised. On reflection, it was undoubtedly another stupid question.

"What?"

Watson rolled her eyes: "Why haven't you called her, Charlie. I know you want to. It's written all over your face."

"Why? Because it's... it's complicated. As you very well know."

"I see," Watson nodded, sipping on her latte. "So are you not even the least bit interested in speaking to the woman you had unbelievably hot sex with?"

Charlie felt the colour immediately rush to her cheeks. In the years that she'd known her, Georgie was never backwards at coming forwards. It was both an endearing quality and an annoying trait.

Of course I'm interested. I am human, after all. And the sex was unbelievably hot. In fact, it was arguably the best sex I've ever had. Joey was amazing... the things that girl could do with her tongue...

"I'm sure I'm the last person she'd want to speak to," Charlie sighed, frustratingly stabbing at an innocent lettuce leaf with her fork.

"Why? We're you really that bad?" Georgie chuckled.

Charlie cast her friend and colleague a stern look. But she had no intention of taking the bait.

"I hate to break it to you George, but analysing my steamy make out session with you isn't high on my agenda for today - or any day for that matter."

Watson pouted, making no effort to hide her disappointment. "Come on, Charlie. I'm your friend. And as your friend, it's your duty to share these things with me."

"Forget it George. I'm not spilling. And you can stop it with the puppy dog eyes, too. They don't work on me. I'm not Alex."

"No, you're not," Watson replied, dreamily, at the mention of her girlfriend's name. "She's a lot more fun than you are, Senior!"

"I'll bet," Charlie said, with a mischievous glint dancing in her blue eyes.

Now it was Watson's turn to blush.

Elsewhere, across town at Fuel, Joey found herself being subjected to a similar grilling from her closest friend, Becca, as the girls busied themselves getting the club ready for opening later that evening. After some initial chit chat about work and the weather, Joey could also sense that Becca was itching to move onto her favourite subject - Joey's life. Joey's love life, to be more precise.

"So how's things?"

"No."

"No what?"

"Don't even think of going there, Becca."

"Going where?" she asked, trying to sound innocent but failing miserably.

Joey flashed her friend a warning look, before proceeding to wipe down her share of the tables.

Unfortunately for Joey, when Becca had a bee in her bonnet about something, she was as relentless as a hungry Great White shark.

"So... I take it from your demeanour that you haven't heard from a certain sexy senior constable, then?"

Joey rolled her eyes and groaned. She wasn't in the mood for an interrogation. Over the course of the past two weeks, she'd replayed her encounter with the gorgeous senior constable over and over in her head countless times. Whilst there was no denying that she felt an intense attraction to the beautiful police officer, Joey had so far dismissed any thoughts she may have had about contacting her.

"No, Bec. I haven't heard from her. Besides, I'm sure I'm the last person she'd want to speak to," Joey sighed, furiously rubbing at an invisible stain on one of the tables.

"Really? I find it hard to believe that you were that bad."

"Funny, Becca. Funny," Joey said, casting her friend another warning glance.

"So... dare I ask... why don't you just call her?"

Was shagging me part of your investigation?

Joey replayed her cutting words over in her head. Try as she might, she couldn't forget how harsh she'd been to the policewoman. And as much as she'd wanted to call her or even pay her a visit at the station, Joey had a gut feeling that Charlie probably felt she had overstepped the mark that night. But try as she might, Joey couldn't bring herself to regret their passionate liaison.

"Earth to Joey, come in Jo?"

"What?"

"Why...don't... you... call... her?" Becca said, annoyingly emphasising each and every word.

"Because... because I'm not interested, okay."

"Rubbish! I don't believe you," scoffed Becca. "I know you well enough to tell when you've got the hots for someone. It's written all over your face!"

Of course I've got the hots for her. I am human, after all. And the sex was unbelievably hot. In fact, it was arguably the best sex I've ever had. Charlie was amazing... the things that woman could do with her fingers...

"Becca... please..."

"Oh, come off it. I don't believe for a second that Joey Collins is going to let a hottie like that slip through her fingers. Just give her a call, woman!"

"Well in case it escaped your attention, I didn't exactly get her number."

"Well it's not like you don't know where she works. Just look for the building that says POLICE," shot Becca.

"And it's not like she doesn't know where I work, either," Joey shot back.

"So what then? Hate to break it to you Jo, but there's every chance you're gonna bump into each other again. Seems to me it's inevitable. So if I were you, I'd bite the bullet."

Joey sighed. Although she was inwardly delighted at the thought of seeing Charlie again, she felt unbelievably awkward over the prospect.

"Besides, I bet you're just dying to see her in her uniform... or more to the point, out of it!" Becca added. She continued to look at Joey with a cheeky knowing grin, before a wet tea towel found its target, wiping the smirk off her face.

The next day

Charlie Buckton's apartment

It was just after four o'clock in the morning and the phone suddenly started to ring, rudely disrupting the early morning silence. Half asleep and half awake, Charlie groaned in annoyance. Rolling over in her bed, she made an attempt to wipe the sleep out of her eyes. She wasn't exactly getting much sleep lately, thanks to thoughts of a certain sexy brunette invading her dreams, practically every night.

Charlie glared at the illuminated florescent numbers on the alarm clock that was sitting innocently on her bedside table.

Four o'clock? You have got to be kidding me! What insane person makes a phone call at four o'clock in the morning? And more importantly, what insane person answers the bloody thing?

For a few fleeting seconds, Charlie made no attempt to pick up the phone. But after the ninth or tenth ring, she pretty much got the distinct impression that whoever was calling wasn't about to give up anytime soon. Of course, Charlie could just as easily have unplugged the phone line and gone straight back to sleep. But truth be told, she was now completely wide awake and rather intrigued - or more to the point, annoyed - as to who could possibly be ringing her at such an ungodly hour.

Reaching over, Charlie cautiously picked up the telephone: "Hello?"

"Charlie?"

"Watson? What's up?" Charlie said sleepily, running a hand through her unruly hair.

"I'm so sorry, Charlie... I've got some bad news. It's... it's about Kristen."

Letting out a deep inarticulate moan, Charlie was at a loss as to what on earth her ex-girlfriend could have done to warrant Watson calling at such a ridiculous time of the morning.

"Kristen? What about her?"

"She's... she's dead, Charlie."

TBC