Graves and Joey talk about Martha as they walk towards the diner early the next morning. "Is Martha still wondering why you haven't been at the club recently?"
"Not for a couple of days." Joey grins, "At least not since Georgie went and had a word with her and threatened to put the phone in a very uncomfortable place if she kept calling me."
Graves laughs before getting serious. "You can't keep putting her off."
"I know, but I figure I can play the scared of being caught card a little longer."
"And then what?"
"I go to the club."
"You cannot be serious! Georgie would kill Martha, then you and then she'd blame me."
"When I said I'd go to the club, I didn't mean alone. If I turn up with you and Georgie, she may get the hint and if she doesn't, then I'm actually going to have to speak to her and convince her that nothing can happen."
"So you're definitely not going to sleep with her again?"
"No. Georgie was right, she's too unpredictable and it's too risky to stay involved with her on the off chance that she may say something."
"Just don't piss Martha off too much or she will come after you; either out of revenge or because she wants you even more, especially if Georgie keeps hassling her."
"I know that, but I'd already made sure that she knew I had doubts and with Georgie busting us like that, it makes it much more believable that I'm too scared to do it again. I may also have mentioned that my heart belonged to another."
"Who, Charlie?"
"Of course not. This was after our second time together and after what Charlie had just accused me of, I certainly was thinking of her in that way," leaving out the part where she had woken and thought for a moment that she was in Charlie's arms and not Martha's.
"So you're reluctance to sleep with Martha again has nothing to do with whatever you have going with Charlie?"
"No. If I thought I could get something out of Martha, I'd sleep with her, but she's too careful."
"Careful is not the word. With Rosetta gone, they seem to have gone to ground."
"I think with what happened on the Maru, Noelle Carter's body turning up and then the whole Robbo thing has probably got them a little spooked."
"We know Rosetta didn't go to see his mother, so where is he?" Graves asks, "And why did he leave?"
"Maybe they wanted him out of the way while we were sniffing around or maybe he's overseeing another part of their operation."
"None of our people have spotted him."
"Yeah, but then we really have no idea where the other areas of their operation are."
"It's too bad we couldn't have charged him with something just to keep him here." Graves nudges Joey, "Though you're no doubt extremely glad for his absence."
"Don't start."
"Come on Joey," nudging her again, "Give me the juicy details."
"Graves, unless you want to leave Dex a widower, quit with the nudging because unlike you, I do not kiss and tell."
"Ooh, so there are kisses to tell about," she teases her.
Joey grins.
"So what's she like in bed."
"Graves!"
"Just thought I'd try my luck in asking."
"And just when were we supposed to have had sex, better yet, where," Joey says, more in frustration at her and Charlie's inability to find any time to be alone together. "She has house guests and I live with you and my sister."
"You're getting cranky Joey, you should take her to a hotel," grinning at her, "Work out those frustrations of yours."
"Oh right, that would be a good look, the two of us seen at a hotel together."
"You do love making your love life difficult."
"I don't have a love life."
Graves puts a bit of distance between them, before turning and walking backwards, "Maybe not yet, but you're heading there," she says cheerfully, while she waits for Joey to draw level with her. "And you really need to be more careful around Charlie."
"Why?"
"You do a pretty good job at work and I doubt the locals have noticed anything because they think she's besotted with His Wonderfulness, but you two have a way about you and Georgie's most definitely suss."
"Why do you think we're having brekkie out today, with the way she's been glaring at me over my cereal, I kind of figured she knew."
"Not for certain and the glare could be more about the fact that you still eat fruit loops for brekkie."
"So I have a sweet tooth," Joey says with a grin, knowing how her thing for fruit loops drove her sister nuts. "It was only a matter of time before Georgie found out."
"She's going to be pissed."
"I know, but I don't think she will be that surprised."
"Probably not."
"I'm not taking this lightly Graves and while I have no idea where this may lead, I just couldn't help myself."
"Just be careful Joey, neither of us want to see you hurt."
"I don't want to get hurt either, but I really like her."
"Ooh, Joey's in lurve," Graves sings out.
Joey slaps her arm, "Shut up and behave, we're out in public."
Graves grins at Joey's flustered look, "You definitely need to get some."
"Keep it up Graves and you won't be getting any tonight with Dex."
"I hate it when you don't play fair," she mutters, aware that Joey could ruin her night with Dex just to get back at her.
"That's why I'm the boss." Joey nudges her, "So be nice to me or I may find a reason for you to stay in town tonight."
"The sooner you and Charlie do it, the better for everyone," she mutters under her breath.
Joey puts her arm across her shoulders, "Cheer up Graves, you know I wouldn't do that to Dex."
"Then I'm glad you like Dex or I'd be stuck here with you and Georgie all the time."
"Oh believe me, Georgie and I are more than glad to see the back of your mopey arse."
"I do not mope."
"Sure you do. Why do you think I give you time off? You come back all cheery and full of life, yet day by day your mood sinks."
"It doesn't, does it?"
"A slight exaggeration. Graves, I know what the first year of marriage is like, always wanting to spend time together."
"Please tell me it doesn't go downhill from there."
"Depends on the marriage. I can see you and Dex going at it like geriatric bunnies when you're in your 90s."
"Thanks for that image, I just lost my appetite."
"See, you're mopey because of your Dexter-withdrawal."
"I've really got it bad, haven't I?"
"Yeah you have and I can't blame you, Dex is a great guy."
"I got lucky with him, didn't I?"
"Definitely. Now come on, all this talking has made me hungry."
"Listen bitch," he says, waving the knife at Leah, "Just hand over all the money and no one gets hurt."
"Is there a problem here?"
Turning to face the voice behind him, the knife in front of him. "No problem as long as this bitch does as she's told."
"It's really dangerous to wave a knife around like that," Joey says calmly, "Someone could get hurt."
"Then why don't you fuck off before you get hurt."
"That really isn't very nice," her voice getting chillier. "Now put it down before I make you."
"And how will you do that bitch," he sneers at her.
Opening her jacket to reveal her gun. "With this."
Swallowing, he tries to maintain his tough composure. "Maybe I can stick you before you even have a chance to get your gun out."
"And maybe I don't need my gun to disarm you," her confidence worrying him. "And if I don't disarm you, then my friend to your left there will."
Glancing at Graves for the first time, he sees her gun too. "Fuck," he says in exasperation, putting his knife on the counter as he shakes his head at his bad luck. Graves moves behind and handcuffs him.
Leah comes around to the front of the counter, "I want to thank you Detectives."
"We're just doing our jobs."
"Yes, but I hardly think you came in here expecting to find a knife-wielding man."
Joey grins, "No, if someone's waving a knife at me in the morning, it's usually got butter on it and Georgie's on the other end."
Leah chuckles. "We haven't been formally introduced, I'm Leah."
"Joey and that's Graves."
"Just Graves is it?" Leah asks Graves.
"She likes the mystery."
Graves shrugs, "No, I just don't like my first name."
"You must really be getting a bad impression of the diner."
"It's hardly been boring, that's for sure," Joey says.
"I really am sorry about the hassles Colleen gave you when you first arrived."
"Your manager Irene already apologised."
"A free cup of coffee isn't much of an apology. As a proper apology and also a thank you, why don't you and Graves come over for dinner tonight, I'm sure Charlie won't mind."
"I'd love to, but my slave-driver boss has finally given me some time off and I'm off to see my husband, but my friend will be more than happy to accept." Graves smiles slyly at Joey, "You'd like that, wouldn't you Joey, dinner with Leah and Charlie?"
Glaring at her friend, Joey tells her to take their prisoner outside and wait for the uniforms to come for him.
"So, dinner tonight?" Leah asks, thinking that she was missing something.
Not able to think of a polite way to say no, Joey accepts and just hopes that she and Charlie could put on a good show tonight, because she had a feeling that Leah knew Charlie well enough to pick up on any obvious signs.
A little awkward at first, Leah and Charlie had quickly fallen back into their old friendship and now, staring into the bathroom mirror waiting for Joey to arrive, she was starting to worry that Leah would pick up on something between her and Joey. Judging by the look, no daggers, Georgina was sending her way at the station, Charlie suspects that her relationship with Joey wasn't all that secret, despite Georgina saying nothing. Having had the day off, it had taken all of Charlie's strength not to go rushing to the station to check on Joey when Leah had told her what had happened at the diner. "Oh god, please don't let me make a complete idiot of myself tonight." Hearing Joey's voice, Charlie takes a moment to gather her thoughts before joining them.
Having enjoyed a surprisingly humorous and relaxed meal, Joey and Charlie finally have a few minutes alone in the kitchen while the others make themselves comfortable in the lounge room. "Leah told me what happened today," Charlie says, suddenly wrapping Joey up in her arms.
"There was no real danger," Joey assures her.
"He had a knife."
"And I had a gun and Graves for backup."
Charlie leans back in Joey's arms, "It's just that after Robbo."
Joey stops her with a fingertip to her lips. "I knew what I was doing Charlie."
Taking her hand in hers, Charlie brings it to her lips, before holding it tight. "I really wish we could find a way to spend some time together."
"We will." Kissing her quickly, Joey moves away from her, "We shouldn't spend too much time out here or I don't know if I'll be able to help myself."
"Mum," Ruby's shout reminding them how easy it would be for them to be discovered. "Can you bring in the chips?"
"Just wait a minute Ruby," Charlie shouts back. "Maybe we can go out on my boat one day?"
"Damn, I can't believe I forgot about that," Joey's mood getting a whole lot better at the thought of being on the boat all alone with Charlie.
"We have been a little busy and had a lot on our minds."
Joey grins at her, a gleam in her eye. "Better make it a day trip," she says in a low, seductive voice, leaving a flustered Charlie behind as she picks up the drinks tray and heads into the lounge.
"She's a very private person," Leah notes as she and Charlie sit at the table, watching on as VJ explains to Joey how to play the Wii game.
"Yeah, she is," only too aware of how little she actually knew about Joey.
"From Colleen's description, I thought Joey was the devil incarnate, but she's actually quite charming and she's great with VJ and the girls."
Charlie chuckles, "Believe me, having seen the other Joey, I'd much rather this one."
"I must say, I am surprised that you and Joey are even on speaking terms considering she's here to investigate Angelo."
"No one is more surprised than me," Charlie says, her gaze firmly locked on Joey, "But somewhere along the line, we just started to get along."
Leah frowns at Charlie's expression, having noticed earlier the little smiles that came to their faces whenever their eyes met. Dismissing it as just her imagination, she asks Charlie how the investigation was going.
"Angelo hasn't been arrested, so I'm assuming there's no evidence."
"What if she does get the evidence and arrests him?"
"She won't, because he didn't do it," Charlie says, wondering herself now how she would react.
"Charlie, if you don't mind me saying, you don't really seem to be missing Angelo all that much."
Charlie looks at her guiltily. "No I'm not." Unable to maintain eye contact with Leah's questioning gaze, Charlie stares at the tabletop. "Is it bad that I've barely thought of Angelo since he's been gone?" She asks quietly.
"I take it that things haven't been going well then with Angelo?"
"Before he left, he was sleeping in the spare room," admits Charlie.
"I had no idea things had gotten so bad between you."
"We've been under a lot of stress at work and somewhere along the way, things changed between us."
"Changed?"
"We started arguing more and I stopped enjoying sex. It got to the stage that I just couldn't lie there and pretend that I was enjoying it."
"That wouldn't have gone down well with Angelo."
"He called me frigid."
Thinking that Angelo was a bastard and Charlie was better off without him, Leah asks Charlie what she intends to do when he gets back.
"I don't even know when he will get back. He called earlier to say his mother has taken a turn for the worst and he's not sure when he will get home. I know we really need to talk things over, I just don't think it's going to achieve anything."
Charlie glances over to the TV where Joey and VJ were now engaged in a fierce battle, Nicole and Ruby cheering them on.
"Charlie, are you going to end your engagement to Angelo?" Charlie's saved from answering by loud cheering and Joey hi-5ing Ruby in victory. Charlie and Leah chuckle. "I think VJ's in love," Leah jokes, noticing the way VJ was looking at Joey in awe, even though he had just lost.
"Joey, you just beat a ten year old," Nicole says in amusement.
"Your point being?" Joey gives her a mock glare, "A win is a win, now, who's going to challenge the champion?"
"She really is great with them," Leah remarks as Nicole takes up the challenge.
"Yeah she is," Charlie says, wondering if she'd ever get to see Joey with her own daughter.
"Charlie, I've meaning mean to ask, have you heard anything about May?"
"I spoke to Sally yesterday. May's dealing with it the best she can and she's much happier at her mother's because she couldn't handle going home, none of them could."
"I don't blame them. Are you and Joey any closer to catching this guy?"
"I hope so."
Their attention is drawn by the cheering again, Joey's little victory dance bringing a chuckle to all.
"Nic, Ruby, I think it's time you turned in," Charlie says a couple of hours after VJ had already gone to bed.
"Mum," Ruby groans.
"Ruby, you're supposed to be at school earlier tomorrow to help Ms Russell set up."
"Actually, I should be going," Joey says from her seat next to Charlie.
"Are you sure?" Charlie asks disappointedly.
"It's getting late."
"Well, it was nice getting to know you better Joey."
"You too Leah."
"I'll see you out," Charlie offers. Without any privacy, they can do no more than keep their voices low as they say goodbye at the door.
"I had a great time tonight."
"Of course you would say that, you won five games in a row."
"Sorry I got carried away with the game."
"You're missing Harley, aren't you?"
"Like crazy." Looking over Charlie's shoulder, Joey sees that Leah was looking elsewhere so she takes a chance, moving forward, she catches Charlie by surprise, pressing her lips against hers. "I really can't stop doing that."
"You do like to live dangerously, don't you?" Thinking that anyone could have seen them.
Joey grins, "The reward is worth it. I'll see you tomorrow." Charlie waits until Joey was in the car, before turning back into the house, grateful that Leah was still otherwise occupied and wouldn't notice her flushed face.
After yet another day of failed attempts to spend time alone together, Joey and Charlie decide to take their lunch break at Charlie's. Handing Joey her juice, Charlie sits on the couch next to her. "Finally, more than two minutes alone."
"It is starting to get rather frustrating," Joey concedes.
"Frustrating, that's certainly one word for it."
Joey takes the glass from Charlie's hand, and sets both glasses onto the coffee table. Raising her hand to Charlie's face, "So why are we wasting time talking?"
Charlie smiles shyly as she leans forward, "I don't know if we have time, but." Joey looks at her inquiringly. "I want to be with you Joey."
Realising what Charlie meant, Joey looks at her in surprise, "Are you sure?"
"I know that since we acknowledged that there was something between us that we haven't had much of a chance to be together, but I've never been more sure of anything than right now." Standing up, she holds her hand out for Joey. Dragging her to her feet, she kisses her softly before leading her toward her bedroom.
Feeling more nervous now that they were standing next to the bed, Charlie lets Joey take the lead, her heart racing when she feels Joey's lips on her neck, her light kisses making it difficult to breath as she works her way to Charlie's lips. Joey raises her hand to brush a strand of hair from Charlie's face, "There's no going back if we do this."
"I don't want to go back," Charlie says as she kisses her hungrily. "God I want you Joey," she whispers against her lips, groaning into Joey's mouth when she feels her hands working on her buttons, her uniform shirt sliding off her shoulders, falling to the floor, the cool air on her naked skin doing little to dull the fire within. "Oh god," Charlie's voice catches as Joey cups her breasts through her bra, her senses in overdrive when one of Joey's hands finds its way to her back, her feather light touches driving Charlie crazy as the hand makes it way up her back. Joey captures her lips again as her hand expertly unsnaps Charlie's bra, pausing briefly to gaze into Charlie's eyes, before letting go, revealing Charlie to her.
"Oh god, you're gorgeous," Joey gasps at the vision before her. Feeling exposed standing there half-naked in front of Joey, Charlie steps into her, gasping when her nipples brush against Joey's shirt. "She's going to be the death of me," she thinks as her shaking hands make slow work of Joey's buttons. Joey grabs her hands gently, smiling as she releases them. Keeping her eyes on Charlie's, Joey finishes what Charlie had started, her shirt joining hers on the floor. Charlie stops her when Joey starts to remove her bra, "Let me." With more confidence, Charlie moves her hands behind Joey, her fingers fumbling a little at the clasp before meeting with success. Grinning a little sheepishly, Charlie slowly slides Joey's bra off, finding herself staring unashamedly at Joey's breasts. Joey gently lifts her chin with a fingertip, her lips finding Charlie's again.
Losing all sense of time, Charlie finds herself on her back, totally naked as Joey moves onto the bed beside her. Starting with Charlie's lips, nuzzling her way along her neck, Joey kisses her way down Charlie's body. "So perfect," she murmurs against Charlie's breast, the warmth of her breath sending a jolt through Charlie, surpassed moments later when Joey's mouth finds her nipple. Charlie cries out when Joey takes the nipple into her mouth, her teeth gently grazing over the sensitised nipple as her fingers gently pinched the other nipple.
Charlie's hands grip the sheets tightly as Joey's mouth finds her other nipple. Panting breathlessly, her body alive with sensations she had never experienced before, Charlie's unable to stop the moans escaping as Joey continued to torture her. "Joey, please."
Smiling at the desperation in Charlie's voice, Joey devotes a little more time to Charlie's over-sensitised nipples before reluctantly moving away. Covering Charlie's body with her own, Joey gazes down at her with undisguised lust as she allows her breasts to rub sensually against Charlie's, their nipples dancing against each other, making them both gasp in pleasure at the contact, Charlie's hands gripping Joey's hips almost painfully. Joey captures her mouth again as her hand moves lower, feeling Charlie's belly flutter as she runs her hand gently over her skin, moving lower still, Charlie's legs opening of their own volition. Joey groans against Charlie's lips when she finds her wet and more than ready. Running her fingers through the wetness, not quite entering Charlie, teasing her, making Charlie arch her hips off the bed as she tries to end the torment, "Please Joey," Charlie's voice barely a whisper. Finally relenting, Joey enters her, her lips cutting off Charlie's cries as she draws her finger slowly out, before plunging back in. Raising her hips to meet each thrust of Joey's finger, Charlie feels her orgasm nearing.
"Ohhhh, God," she shouts out moments later as she climaxes. Her body still shaking from the powerful orgasm, Charlie's unprepared when she feels a second finger enter her, climaxing immediately. Her hips now thrusting up of their own accord as Joey's fingers continued to draw incoherent cries from her, her breath coming in increasingly frantic pants, Charlie's lost to the pleasures of her body and Joey's tortuous fingers. "Charlie," Joey's voice a rasp, her plea somehow making it through Charlie's haze of desire. Her hand moving with unerring accuracy between Joey's legs, Charlie gasps as she runs her fingers through the heat there. "God Charlie," Joey groans in pleasure, nearly climaxing when she feels Charlie inside her for the first time. Their mouths working hungrily against each other, their fingers quickly finding a rhythm together, it doesn't take long before they're crying out together, their climaxes leaving them both spent.
"Oh god," Joey says weakly as she collapses on Charlie, every nerve in her body still quivering. With what little strength she had left, Joey rolls on to her back by Charlie's side. Charlie rolls onto her side, resting her head on Joey's shoulder, her eyes closed. "That was absolutely amazing."
"Yeah, it was." Joey chuckles, "You know, when you said come home for lunch, this isn't quite what I was expecting."
"I don't want to move but we really do have to get back to work."
Joey sighs, "I know. How about a cold shower first?"
"We'll have to share if we don't want to be late back."
"Sharing sounds good."
When neither of them move, Charlie opens her eyes. Finding the view she had too hard to resist, Charlie leans forward, gently taking Joey's nipple into her mouth, the unexpected move drawing a gasp from Joey. Too wrapped up in their renewed explorations, neither hear the front door opening, nor the footsteps that were drawn to the bedroom by their sounds of passion and neither realised until it was too late that the bedroom door wasn't closed.
"Oh my fucking god!"