For those wondering who the kiss at the end of chapter 43 was between, it will be revealed; eventually.
Pausing outside Joey's room, Watson takes a moment to watch her sister with her daughter and Ruby. Spying Watson hovering at the door, Leah walks over to her, "She seems to be doing quite well considering what happened to her."
"That's good."
Leah frowns at her tone, "Are you ok?"
"I'm feeling a little dead on my feet."
"Look, why don't I keep an eye on Harley for you and you can catch up on some sleep."
"I need to talk to Joey first."
Leah grows concerned about her demeanour, "Georgina, what's going on and where's Charlie?"
Watson steps further away from the room, forcing Leah to follow. "Charlie's gone to work."
"She left without seeing Joey?" Leah asks in surprise.
Watson keeps her voice low, hoping her sister was too preoccupied to overhear. "Charlie just found out some things about Joey that she needs time to deal with."
"Like she's a widow?" Watson looks at her in amazement. "I'm a widow and I'm a mother so I kind of guessed from the way Joey behaved around the kids and also by the things she didn't say."
"Did you know that it was a woman that she was married to?"
Leah looks surprised, "That, I didn't guess."
"If you suspected, why did you never say anything to Charlie?"
"I thought it would be best coming from Joey."
"Joey never wanted this." She shakes her head, "I warned her away from Charlie because I didn't think she was ready and I didn't want to see either of them hurt and now they are."
"Your sister is certainly complicated and I can understand why she kept things to herself, but I can also understand why it would upset Charlie that she did."
"I get that Leah, but ever since we were kids, Joey's kept things to herself," she says, some of the old guilt about their childhood still there.
"You and your sister are very similar in that regard."
"Why do you say that?"
"Georgina, in all the time I've known you, you've never mentioned your parents and you never really spoke much about having a sister, though it's obvious how much you love her."
"I guess we are alike in that way."
"Georgina, if Joey and Charlie want to be together, they'll find a way to work through this."
"That's if Joey decides that she's worth it."
Leah frowns, "You don't think she thinks Charlie is worth fighting for?"
"I was talking about Joey being worth it, not Charlie. Joey is a strong woman, but when it comes to her heart, she can get kind of down on herself and she starts to doubt if anyone could actually love her."
"That doesn't sound like the Joey I've met."
"You've probably guessed by now that our childhood wasn't all that flash; at least Joey's wasn't and if Charlie can't forgive her, I don't know if Joey will be up to fighting for her."
"You've certainly changed your tune about them."
"I want my sister to move on and be happy and Charlie is the first woman I've seen her with where I believe that is possible."
"Charlie's had to deal with a lot since she admitted her feelings for Joey, not to mention the pressure she's been under with the investigations, but I think once she's had a chance to think things through, she'll be willing to forgive Joey."
"I hope so, because I don't know how Joey will cope if Charlie walks away."
"Maybe you should put this off until tomorrow. You're tired and Joey's probably tired again after dealing with Harley and Ruby."
"Joey will be wondering why Charlie hasn't come by, I need to tell her."
"Ok, then why don't I take Harley with me, give you two some time alone."
"I thought you were moving back home this afternoon?"
"I can hang around a little longer to look after Harley."
"Thanks Leah."
Following Leah into the room, Watson smiles at Harley talking animatedly with Ruby while Joey was struggling to follow what was going on.
"Harley, why don't you say goodbye to your mum and let her get some rest."
Looking like she was about to protest, Harley sighs exaggeratedly, rolling her eyes. Watson stifles a giggle at how alike she was to Joey as she hugs her mother goodbye. Once their goodbyes had been said and she was finally alone with her sister, Watson pulls the chair up to the side of the bed. "What did the doctor say?"
"That I'll live."
"Joey, be serious," she snaps.
"I'm tired and I'm sore but the doctor says I should be out of here within the week." Joey grabs her hand when she sees her sister's tears. "Georgie, I'm fine, really, I am." Watson shakes her head, unable to stop the tears. "Georgie, please don't cry."
"I never want to go through that again," she says tearfully.
"I'm sorry Georgie, I didn't mean to worry you, I just saw the guy there and what he was about to do to Graves and I just rushed forward without thinking."
"Joey, I probably would have reacted the same way, I just hate that I nearly lost you." Wiping away her tears, she takes a moment to regain her composure. "Sorry, I'm just a little out of it at the moment."
"No shit, you look worse than I do," Joey says, trying to lighten the mood a little.
"Gee, thanks."
"Go home Georgie, get some sleep before you end up in here with me."
"I just need to talk to you first."
Joey nods her head sadly, "Charlie knows, doesn't she and that's why she hasn't been to see me?"
"I'm sorry, she overheard me with Brett."
"I've only got myself to blame, I really should have told her myself."
"You were going to Joey, I'm the one who stopped you."
"Yeah, but I really should have told her before we made love, I just couldn't find the right way."
Watson squeezes her hand, "Charlie hopes you can work this out Joey, she just needs time," she tries to reassure her.
"Georgie, if she can't handle this, how the hell will she handle the rest?"
"These were personal things you chose not to advertise, the rest you've kept," she stops herself. "The rest we've both kept from her for a very good reason and even though she will probably be hurt, she will understand why we did it."
"You hope she does and do you think she will feel like that when she finds out about Martha?"
"You and Charlie weren't even together at the time."
Joey glares at her sister, "That's a lame argument."
Watson shrugs, "I know, but it'd probably work if it wasn't Martha who you had slept with."
"That's the biggest problem I think, that it was Martha."
"Joey, she knows what Martha is like, you just have to hope that she'll believe that you didn't want to sleep with her."
"I didn't." She shudders, "Being with Martha made my skin crawl. I suppose I have Graves to back me up that Martha drugged me the first time."
"The second time you can always blame Charlie for upsetting you so much that you screwed that murdering bitch."
"Yeah, I'm sure that would go down really well. No, I'm just going to have to convince Charlie that Martha meant nothing and that it was only work."
Watson smiles in relief at her sister's determination. "You're going to fight for her then?"
Joey grins, "Too right I am. Riley was my first love and I will always miss her, but she'd be the first to tell me that I have to move on." Joey's smile drops a little, "I just hope I can."
"Riley really wouldn't want you to be alone."
"I know and until Charlie, I never even dreamt that I could move on, but even with what I feel for Charlie, I still can't stop feeling guilty when I'm with her."
"That'll stop Joey and are you sure that some of the guilt isn't about lying to her?"
Joey looks thoughtful as she thinks that over. "Maybe it is. I hate lying to her Georgie, I just want this to be all over."
"So do I."
Hating how tired her sister sounded, Joey watches her carefully. "How are you Georgie, I mean really?"
"As well as I can be under the circumstances."
"You need to start looking after yourself more, especially now."
"I am trying, but life keeps getting in the way."
"Take a couple of days off, get away from here and get some proper rest."
"I can't leave while you're in hospital, I need to be here to look after Harley."
"Just promise me that once I'm back on my feet you'll take a break."
Unable to resist her sister's concerned look, she nods. "Joey, about Harley, Brett was pissing me off so I kind of told him I was going to take her to her grandmother's."
"I'm glad you did. I know I promised Riley that I'd let her brother be a part of Harley's life if anything happened to her and I know that Harley would miss him, but I don't know how much longer I can put up with that arsehole."
"He wants me to talk you into quitting."
"Not fucking likely." Joey sighs, "He hated Riley being a cop, he hated the fact that she married a cop and that most of our friends are cops and he blames Riley's job for her death."
"And now you're interested in a cop."
"Yeah, that's really going to make him happy, especially with the way he's been lately. He's been having all these digs about me never being around, always working and dumping Harley on other people to look after."
"You do no such thing!" Wishing now she had decked the guy earlier.
"I do work long hours."
"So do millions of other parents. Joey, you are always there for Harley and since Riley died, this is the first time that you had to leave her behind."
"I wish I could keep her here, but I can't, not with Martha and Rosetta around."
"The secrets already out and no doubt it's all over town by now."
"I know, but I don't want Martha or Rosetta to see Harley or even glimpse her."
"Joey, she'll be safe, we'll never leave her alone and once she's with her grandmother, they'll never find her."
"If anything ever happened to her," she's unable to finish the sentence.
"Nothing will Joey."
"I bet right about now that Brett's wishing he'd opposed the adoption."
"It's what Riley wanted and you've been Harley's mum for 8 years Joey and no matter what Brett says or does, you're her mother."
"I hate breaking my promise to Riley, but I'll do whatever is best for our daughter and if that means cutting his disruptive arse out of her life, I'll do it."
"Can I help?" Watson says with a grin.
"You can pick up the pieces after I'm done with him."
"You realise that he won't make it easy."
"I don't care and besides, he really has no say in the matter."
"Well, I can't say that I will miss him."
"Me neither. Georgie, what did you tell my family about last night?"
"Nothing yet. I wanted to wait until I had news on your condition and I haven't really had a chance today to call them. I'll let them know that you're ok and that I'll be dropping Harley off in a week or so."
"Make sure you tell them that I really am ok and that they don't have to come and see me; I don't want them as targets Georgie."
"Neither do I."
Joey looks pensive all of a sudden. "Georgie, how long do you think it will be for Charlie to come and see me?"
"Give her a day or two Joey, with everything that happened last night and learning what she did today, she needs time."
Joey nods. "I know you're worried how I'll be if Charlie and I don't work out, I am to, but right now, I need to think about Harley; I've nearly made her an orphan twice now in a matter of weeks so I can't fall to pieces now."
"I really do hope things work out."
"So do I but I need to be prepared for the chance that it's over. Can we stop now, I'm kind of tired and you need to sleep as well."
Watson stands "I'll be in later."
"No Georgie, you need your rest. I'll be fine."
Being careful of her injury, Watson hugs her and kisses her temple before scuffing her hair.
"Georgie!" She cries out in annoyance.
"Oh please, you already have bed hair."
"You know I hate it when you do that."
"I know. Call me if you need me."
"Georgie, stop bugging me and get the fuck out of here before I have the doctor sedate you."
"Yep, that's more like the sister I know and love."
Satisfied that her sister was going to ok for the rest of the day, Watson hugs her again before leaving for a well-earned sleep.
Ruby jumps when the front door slams shut, "Jesus mum, keep it down, Georgina's sleeping."
Charlie grimaces, having forgotten she'd invited her. "How long has she been asleep?"
"Since she got here this morning; she looked pretty wiped out when she got here."
"I know how she feels," Charlie groans, slumping down onto the couch next to her daughter. "Where's Harley?"
"Leah called Joey earlier and told her she'd take Harley to her place for the night so that Georgina could have a decent sleep and not have to worry about taking care of her."
"That was nice of her," Charlie's voice lacking enthusiasm.
"Are you ok mum?"
"It hasn't been an easy day with the investigation."
"I still can't believe it was Liam."
"No one can." Charlie stands up, "I might go and run a bath."
"Mum, what's going on?"
"I told you, it's just the investigation."
"Then why didn't you come back with Georgina to see Joey this morning?"
"I had to go to work."
"Mum, please tell me what's wrong."
Sighing, Charlie sits back down. "I found out some things about Joey today that kind of threw me."
"Finding out she had a daughter was certainly a surprise."
"Well there's more."
"Like what?" Ruby asks, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Like the fact that her husband was actually a wife and Harley is not actually her daughter."
For the second time that day, Ruby's jaw drops in shock. "Joey's gay?" Charlie nods. "Wow. So where's her wife then?"
"She died, 14 months ago."
"Oh god, poor Joey."
"Harley was Riley's daughter."
"And Joey's," Ruby says.
"Sorry?"
"Joey may not have given birth to her, but if you saw them together, it's obvious that Joey loves her as her own and Harley feels the same."
"You're right." Charlie rubs her temples, "I'm really not thinking at the moment."
"Mum, you know what this means, don't you?"
"No."
"It means that there's nothing stopping you from being together."
"It's not that easy Ruby."
"Why not?" Ruby asks, confused by her mother's mood.
"Because she's been lying to us this whole time."
Ruby leans against her mother, resting her head on her shoulder as her mind goes over things. "You know mum, I don't think I ever actually heard Joey mention a husband, even when I was bombarding her with all those questions that day in the diner, she never actually said anything."
"You didn't exactly give her time to answer Ruby and whether I or anyone else asked her or not, it doesn't change the fact that Joey deliberately let us believe that she was married."
"Her wife died mum and she still wears her wedding ring so obviously her marriage was important to her and how do you know she wouldn't have told you the truth if you'd just asked her."
Charlie sighs, before conceding, "I think she has tried to tell me."
"I get why you're upset, but you need to talk to her mum, find out why she did it."
"I'm just so tired and confused at the moment, I don't think I should speak to Joey until I have a clear head."
"You're not ending it with her though, are you?"
"It's about trust Ruby, and right now, I'm not sure if I can trust her."
"Give her a chance mum."
"I'll talk to her Ruby, but I have no idea what will happen and before you ask, yes, I'm still breaking it off with Angelo."
"Good."
Charlie chuckles at her enthusiasm. "Now how about laying off your mum for a while and letting me have a bath."
Ruby jumps off the couch, "I'll go run the bath for you. Oh, since Georgina's staying with us, I'm assuming Graves will be too, but what about Joey?"
"If Georgina hasn't found somewhere else for them when Joey gets out of hospital, then yes, Joey will be staying here too."
Ruby grins, "You'd better work things out with her then or it will be extremely uncomfortable around here if she's staying."
"I want things to work out," she murmurs to herself as she follows after her daughter. "I just don't know if it will."
Next chapter, Joey receives a visitor at the hospital.