When Joey's hands cup her breasts and her thumbs flick her nipples through her bra, Charlie almost climaxes from the unbelievable pleasure as their kisses grow more passionate.

"Oh shit," the sound of the voice behind them has Charlie jumping off Joey in shock.

"Oh god, I have no idea why I just did that," Charlie says, looking horrified at being caught. "I am so sorry, I should go."

Without waiting for a reply, Charlie picks up her stuff and bolts for the door, closing it behind her as Joey glares at Graves. "Wonderful fucking timing Graves," Joey groans out in frustration.

"So I take it you and she were," waving her hand suggestively.

"She was apologising."

"Damn, wish everyone apologised like that."

"What a mess." Joey rubs her face, "This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Sorry."

"No, it was probably for the best that it was stopped before it went too far."

"So I take it by the tonsil hockey that you've forgiven her." Joey glares at her, "Hey, I was just asking because last I knew, Georgie and I were playing the impenetrable wall to keep her away from you."

Joey sighs, "She never meant to hurt me and I just couldn't handle the agro anymore."

"Guess now I know why Georgie dragged me out nightclubbing at the last minute."

"Where is Georgie?"

"She hooked up, so I doubt we'll be seeing her again tonight and being the responsible married woman that I am, I got the hell out of there before the masses descended on me."

"That bad, huh?"

"Ok, so it was wishful thinking on my part that I was pushing them off me by the dozen, but the whole look but don't touch thing gets a bit boring after awhile and once Georgie left, I kind of just wanted out of there." Graves sits next to her, "If I'd known I was going to be interrupting, I would have gone elsewhere."

"I told you before, putting a stop to it was the best thing to happen."

"You sounded just a little pissed off that I did interrupt."

Joey leans back against the couch, "Fuck."

"Joey, are you ok?"

"I'm fine, it's just after everything that's happened, this just kind of took me by surprise."

"Believe me, it took me by surprise finding Charlie sitting on your lap with her tongue down your throat," Graves jokes, before getting serious. "She looked pretty into it Joey."

"She had too much to drink."

"That's lame Joey and as hot as you are, I've never had the urge to stick my tongue down your throat like that after I'd had a few. She's interested in you Joey and judging from what I've seen lately, you're interested in her."

Joey moans, "This can't be happening."

"So what are you going to do?"

"Nothing."

"Joey."

"No Graves, it's not happening again. Besides, she's going to go home, realise that she had too much to drink and that she made a mistake."

Graves goes to refute that but holds back. "Are you sure this is what you want Joey?"

Joey looks away as she thinks about it. "I'm not available Graves, it wouldn't be fair to Charlie if anything more happened, besides, she's still engaged." Joey turns back to Graves, her eyes sad, "And I don't know how she will react if she ever finds out the truth."

"She understood about Harley."

"That was just one thing and I never meant to tell her. There is still so much that she doesn't know and let's face it, they're big fucking things."

"Life is never dull with you around, that's for sure." Graves taps her knee, "Sleep on it Joey, you may see things differently in the morning. I'm off to bed."

"Night." Joey lies back on the couch, staring at the ceiling. "Even if I do see things differently, nothing can ever happen between us," she says softly, running her finger across her lips, remembering the feel of Charlie's lips there only minutes ago, sighing as her body remembers what it was like to have Charlie on her lap, her skin burning against her hands. "Shit, this is one complication I so did not need."

Charlie lies on her bed, no longer surprised that she doesn't miss Angelo sleeping beside her. Staring at the ceiling, her body still buzzing from the sensations Joey's touch caused, she tries to forget the feel of her lips on Joey's. "What was I thinking, this is so wrong," speaking to the empty silence. "I'm engaged, she's married." Charlie wipes the tears from her face, more confused than ever when she realises that Joey had more than willingly returned her kisses, had even placed her hands on her breasts. "Oh god," Charlie groans in sudden arousal as she her body imagines it was back there on Joey's lap, her breasts in her hands. Curling her body around her pillow as she tries to deny the feelings, Charlie makes a heartbreaking decision, "I can't do this, I can't break up a family; it wouldn't be fair on her little girl."

Waking from a restless sleep filled with dreams so erotic she'd needed a cold shower to dull her arousal, Charlie stares at herself in the bathroom mirror, her face still looking flushed. "She's married with a child Charlie, you need to walk away," she says to herself for the tenth time that morning, each time still as hard as the first.

"Mum, are you ever getting out of there."

"I'll be out in a minute Rubes." Sighing, she stares at her image a moment longer, repeating her new mantra for the eleventh time before leaving the bathroom.

"Jesus mum, you look like shit."

"Ruby, please don't speak like that," Charlie scolds her half heartedly.

"Mum, are you ok, you got in awfully late last night."

"I'm fine Ruby, I just had a restless night."

"So where were you?"

"I was sorting things out with Joey."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Charlie smiles at her daughter, "Things may still be a little awkward between Joey and I, but she'll be happy to see you."

Ruby hugs her and gives a quick thank you before running off.

"Where are you going Ruby?"

"To invite Joey to breakfast with us."

"Ruby, there's no rush."

Charlie jumps when she feels arms wrap around her from behind. "Jesus Angelo, you scared me."

"Sorry," he says, nuzzling her neck as his hands start to slide up her body.

"Angelo, please don't."

He steps back more frustrated than ever at being denied. "I'll see you at the station," he snaps as he storms from the house. Charlie watches him leave, trying to feel some guilt at denying him the intimacy he so desperately wants, before shaking her head, telling herself that she had given in to his demands too many times in the past and it was about time he realised that it wasn't all about him and his needs. "Oh, who the fuck am I kidding," she mutters to herself, knowing the real reason she didn't want the intimacy with Angelo was because she wanted it to be with Joey.

Sitting with her daughter at the diner, Charlie grows increasingly nervous as they wait for Joey to arrive.

"Mum, what's going on?"

"It's nothing Ruby."

"Come off it mum, you've been so quiet I feel like I've been here all alone."

"I'm sorry Ruby, I guess I'm still a little nervous about what to expect around Joey," Charlie admits.

"Things went ok last night though, right?"

"More than ok," Charlie says a little too enthusiastically. Ruby narrows her eyes as she notices the faint flush on her mother's face. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Joey striding toward them.

"Hey Joey," Ruby greets her with a hug.

"Careful Ruby or you'll squeeze me to death," Joey jokes as Ruby loosens her hold.

"Sorry, I just missed you."

Rustling her hair, she grins at Ruby's look of annoyance, "I missed you too." Joey takes a seat at the table, trying to keep her eyes from Charlie. "I hope you haven't been giving your mother too much trouble over this." Charlie watches the easy interaction between Joey and Ruby, glad that she hadn't ruined their friendship.

"Only when she deserved it," Ruby she says with a twinkle in her eye.

Joey chuckles, "I'd hate to get on your bad side Ruby."

"I don't have a bad side."

Charlie snorts, then blushes when Joey and Ruby turn their gazes on her. Shrugging, "As one who has seen all sides to Ruby, I can tell you, there is a bad side."

"Don't listen to her Joey."

"Gee, I don't know Ruby, you're a teenage girl, that kind of implies you have multiple sides and one's more than likely to be a bad side."

Charlie chuckles at the look on Ruby's face. Folding her arms across her chest, Ruby glares at them, "I know what mum was like at my age, what about you Joey?"

Charlie looks at Joey, still unsure how she reacted to talking about her childhood, she relaxes when she sees that Joey seemed unconcerned by Ruby's question.

"Oh, I definitely had a bad side."

"So you got into trouble a lot," Ruby asks excitedly.

"Ruby, perhaps we could leave the interrogation until another time," Charlie says.

"It's ok Charlie, I don't mind."

"Just so you know Joey, if you answer one question, another ten will follow and someone has to be heading off to school."

"Aww mum," Ruby groans.

"You can talk to Joey later."

With a show of reluctance, Ruby stands up, muttering to herself about being stuck in boring school as she leaves the diner.

"So, did you get into a lot of trouble?"

"Probably not in the way that Ruby thinks." Joey grins, "I got a lot of detentions because I had this really bad habit of telling the teachers off when I thought they were wrong."

Charlie laughs, "Somehow that doesn't surprise me." Catching Joey's eyes, Charlie realises with that one look into those warm brown eyes, how hard it was going to be to walk away from her feelings when all she can think about is being in her arms again and kissing her lips.

"Charlie?"

Charlie shakes her head, "Sorry, my mind wondered."

"Are you ok?"

"I was just thinking about last night."

"It's ok Charlie, we both had too much to drink. Let's just forget it ever happened."

"Right." Charlie agrees, thankful that Joey had the strength to do the right thing, despite her heart breaking.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Joey asks, concerned by Charlie's odd behaviour.

"Yeah, it's just been a long few days."

"No kidding."

"Joey, what about Graves?"

"She won't say anything."

"You two are really close, aren't you?"

"Yeah, she's one of the few who puts up with my shit."

"I'm another one who will put up with your shit." Charlie grins, "Within reason, of course."

Joey chuckles, "Be careful Charlie, I might feel the need to test out your limits on that."

"I've been dealing with you for awhile now, I'm fairly confident I have a high tolerance by now."

"Charlie, I really am glad we sorted everything out."

"So am I. Do you want a lift to the station?"

"Nah, I have my car out front."

"I'll see you there then."

Joey watches Charlie walk away, a sigh escaping her lips, pleased that they had been able to slip back into their developing friendship, but wandering at what could have been.

Charlie had barely walked into the station, when Hogan was calling her over.

"Charlie, the body of a young woman has been found."