Two days later and Charlie is sitting in the diner, grimacing as Ruby smothers her chips in tomato sauce. "That is disgusting Ruby."

"There's nothing wrong with a bit of tomato sauce, mum."

"That's not a bit Ruby, that's a river."

Ruby shrugs, upending the sauce bottle again. Charlie turns back to her salad, "You haven't said much about the school dance on Friday night."

"That's because I'm not going."

Charlie looks up in surprise. "I would have thought some boy would have invited you."

"A couple did, I'm just not interested in going with them." Not telling her mother that she really wanted to go with April instead. "Nicole and April were going to bring over a couple of dvds that night, if that's ok."

Charlie nods, her plans for a romantic evening with Joey now shelved. "Nicole's not going either?"

"She just broke up with her boyfriend and she doesn't want to spend the night watching him suck face with this Freya chick."

"Freya?"

"She's only been at the school for a week and let's just say that when she's not wearing her school uniform, she's wearing some boy."

"Ruby, you shouldn't talk about another girl like that."

"Why not, it's true." Ruby leans forward, keeping her voice down, "She got busted doing it with Romeo in one of the storerooms."

"You're kidding!"

"Nope. Romeo's been bragging about it ever since."

"That doesn't sound like Romeo."

"Yeah well, now that he's done it, he thinks he's hot stuff, even though Freya's moved on to Nicole's now ex-boyfriend."

"Was Romeo one of the boys who asked you to the dance?"

Ruby nods her head, "And I bet if I had gone with him, he would have been bragging about doing me the next day."

Charlie chokes on her salad, "Ruby, please tell me you're not having sex with boys."

Ruby sniggers at her mortified look. "Relax mum, I have no interest in having sex with boys."

"That's good. Ruby, there's no rush to be with a boy like that and speaking from my own experiences, I wish I had waited."

"Then you wouldn't have me," Ruby points out.

Charlie smiles at her, "I don't regret having you Ruby, but having a baby at that age has a huge impact on your life and I don't want that for you."

"Mum, I can promise you that I won't be getting pregnant for a long time."

"Good, because I'm too young to be a grandmother."

"Yeah, but you'd be one hot looking nana, though."

"Please Ruby, don't even joke about it."

Ruby chuckles and goes back to her chips.

"Well, someone looks happy," Irene comments as she places their drinks on the table. "I thought you were making a mistake breaking up with Angelo, but you obviously made the right choice, love."

"Really?" Charlie says in surprise.

Irene smiles at her, "You just seem so much happier recently."

Wishing she could tell her why she was so happy, Charlie thanks Irene.

"If only she knew," Ruby sniggers.

"She will soon."

"Oh, oh," Ruby mutters, her good mood disappearing. Charlie looks over her shoulder, sharing her daughter's sentiment.

"Hey girls." Despite his annoyance at overhearing Irene's comments about Charlie being happier without him, Angelo greets them cheerfully, taking a chair from one of the other tables and pulling it up to theirs.

"Funny, I don't recall you being invited."

"Now Ruby, there's no need to be rude."

"Angelo, what are you doing here?" Charlie asks, extremely annoyed with him yet again.

"We haven't seen much of each other outside of work, so I thought I'd come over and chat."

"My daughter and I were already chatting Angelo and you and I have nothing to say to each other."

"Are you still pissed about the other day?" Charlie just glares at him. "I've already told you Charlie, I never meant to hurt her, I just kind of stumbled into her."

"You liar," Ruby accuses him loudly. "You deliberately elbowed her as you walked past her."

"Look Ruby, I don't know what that woman told you, but it was an accident."

"I saw you Angelo." Ruby stands up. "You went like this," she demonstrates for everyone in the diner.

"That's not what happened Ruby," Angelo says, trying to keep his temper in check.

"It is so. Everyone knows you hate her Angelo, so why don't you just admit that you deliberately hit her."

"Ruby, that's enough," he barks out.

"Angelo, don't you dare talk to my daughter like that."

"I'm sorry Charlie, but Ruby's had it in for me from the start and you've just let her get away with it."

"Angelo, just go."

"No Charlie, not until we talk."

"Angelo, could you please return the chair to where you got it from," Leah asks as she comes up to the table.

"In a minute Leah."

"No, now."

Angelo stands up quickly, knocking the chair over in his haste. "It's just a damn chair Leah."

"Is there a problem here?"

Angelo stares at Roman in annoyance. "There's no problem, all I'm trying to do is talk to Charlie."

"It sounded like she's not interested."

Realising he was making a scene, Angelo picks up the chair and returns it to the table where he got it from. "We still need to talk Charlie."

"There is nothing to say Angelo," she calls out as he walks away.

"That guy has a serious attitude problem," Roman says loud enough to be heard by everyone as Angelo storms out of the diner.

"Thanks guys," Charlie says, relieved that Angelo was finally gone.

"Dumping his sorry arse is the best thing you've ever done Charlie."

"Unfortunately Roman, Angelo doesn't see it that way."

"If he keeps bothering you, I can have a word with him."

Charlie smiles at him, pleased that they were now getting back to their old friendship. "Thanks for the offer Roman, but I don't think it would do any good."

"The offer is there. I'll see you guys later."

"I've got to go too," Ruby says, jumping up from her seat.

"You haven't finished your meal."

"I'll grab something later."

Charlie shakes her head as her daughter rushes away. "There's something going on with that girl."

Leah sits down in Ruby's recently vacated seat. "If there is, she'll tell you when she's ready." Leah rests her elbows on the table and leans forward, "So," she grins, "How are things going with Joey?"

"Frustrating," Charlie complains and proceeds to fill Leah in on their attempts to find time alone.

Leah laughs. "Aren't you forgetting something Charlie?"

"How hard it is to date?"

"No, that you have the perfect place to be alone."

Charlie looks at her blankly and Leah grins even wider, "Don't you have a yacht?"

Charlie groans at her own stupidity. "Fuck," she mutters. "Why didn't I think of that, especially as Joey loves boats."

"Glad I could help."

"This is perfect Leah, I have tomorrow off and Joey returns to work the day after." Charlie grins. "Can you prepare a basket for us?"

"Of course I can," Leah assures her, amused at Charlie's excitement. "Hadn't you better check that Joey's free first before you get too excited?"

"She'll be free."

"Irene's looking a little rushed off her feet, so I'll leave you to your planning."

"Thanks Leah and not just for today, but for being so accepting."

"We're friends Charlie and I know I haven't been that supportive of some of your relationships," meaning Angelo is left unspoken, "But there's something about this one I think is just right."

"I feel that way too and if I'd ever had this much trouble trying to find the time to be alone with someone in the past, I'd just have given up. It's special Leah, I'm not sure why, but it is."

Leah rests her hand on Charlie's shoulder, "Then do whatever is necessary to keep it Charlie." Squeezing her shoulder softly, she leaves Charlie to ponder that.

"I bet you're itching to get back to work now that the doctor's cleared you," Graves comments when Joey walks into her office later that day.

"I still have to wait until the day after tomorrow before I can officially return to work."

"Yeah, but you're back and your timing couldn't be better."

Knocking Graves' feet off her desk, Joey sits on the edge, "You've found something."

"Before I tell you, I'd just like to say how fucking annoying it is that your theories which you seem to pull out of thin air turn out to be right most of the time."

Joey smirks, "It's a burden which I've been forced to accept."

Graves snorts, "I'm just glad we're partners and I'm not on the other side." She hands Joey a folder. "The owner of the restaurant appears legit on the surface, but after digging a little deeper, I found out that Mr Moran is actually an 85 year old Alzheimer's sufferer currently residing in a nursing home."

"Well, well."

"Get this, his grandson is a friend of our mate Rosey."

"Better and better."

"His parent's restaurants definitely need to be looked into too. The silent partner who bailed them out is actually a corporation but I haven't been able to find out much about it, not even the name of the CEO or board members."

"Hand it to the fraud guys, they're the ones with the resources, let them sort it out for us." Joey grins wickedly, "And fill the ATO in on our suspicions of a second set of books that they most likely neglected to pay their taxes on, maybe a little tax audit may put the wind up them."

"That's vicious," Graves says with a chuckle.

Joey shrugs, "We're just doing our jobs and who knows, they may actually do us a favour and find something. What about O'Malley, anything there?"

"He's definitely got money problems, but so far, no one is coming to his rescue."

"He may not be desperate enough just yet."

"You still think we can get him to flip?"

"He has a gambling problem and I get the impression from the few times I've dealt with him, that if we can get something to use against him, he'll crack. Plus, it's not as if we're asking him to put the smoking gun in Rosey's hands, we're only after him to admit he lied about being with Rosey that night, but we need something to use as leverage to encourage him to loosen his tongue."

"What if he can put the smoking gun in Rosey's hands?"

"I doubt they would have risked anyone, even a crooked cop, witness Moreland's murder, but if O'Malley can put Rosey at the scene or even near it, it's not quite the smoking gun, but it's damn close to it."

"We may not have to wait too long for that leverage. O'Malley's barely making the mortgage payments and I've overheard the odd conversation saying that he's been gambling to try to make the money."

"Then it should only be a matter of time before he has his hands out."

"If there's any movement in his accounts, we'll know almost immediately."

"And when it does, unless he can produce a benefactor or legitimate source for that money other than legal gambling, then he's in trouble."

"Even with the legal gambling, he's in trouble Joey. It's in his file that he's supposed to be undergoing counselling for his addiction and that he's to report any relapses immediately."

"That's just a reprimand and more mandatory counselling, so we'll wait until he's in deeper."

"As for Burton and Joseph, I'm not sure they're dirty; I think they're just lazy, incompetent jerks."

"I think you're right. There's nothing to link them to any crimes or to Martha in anyway and since I made Charlie aware of our suspicions about them, she's kept an eye on them. She's had them paired up with other, harder working officers who have all said the same thing; the reason why Burton and Joseph have made so few arrests are because they're lazy and lack the instincts required to be police officers. One even said that an armed robbery could take place right under Joseph's nose and he wouldn't even notice because he'd be too busy chatting up some woman. Both are under review at the end of the year where it's likely they'll be told to seek employment elsewhere."

"So we still have Rosey and O'Malley to clean out."

"And we will clean them out."

Graves sits back in Joey's chair, grinning up at her. "So, are we all set for our big day out tomorrow?"

"Ah, the open sea, there's nothing like it."

"Even better when the view on board is just as nice."

"There is that too," Joey admits with a grin. "I should get out of here before Georgie starts going on again about how I should be resting."

"You've been cleared for duty Joey."

"I know but until I'm officially at work, she'll be on my back."

"Since when has that bothered you?"

"Georgie's had enough to worry about lately, so I thought I'd give her a break about worrying over me."

"Which is why you're here?"

Joey grins, "Which is why I'm here when she's not and as I came in the back way, only you and Hogan know I've been here."

"I take it Hogan's not going to talk?"

"I warned him that it would put Georgie in a bad mood if he did and no one wants that."

Graves looks at her, "I still haven't decided which of you has the worst bad mood."

"Prey you never find out Graves," she calls out over her shoulder as she leaves.

Having spent the last hour getting her boat ready, Charlie was now glancing at her watch, waiting for Joey to arrive. She smiles when she hears someone behind her. "You're early," she says, turning.

"That's what I call greeting with a smile," Angelo says as he jumps on board.

"What are you doing here Angelo?"

"I heard that you were taking that woman out today."

Taking a moment to again marvel at how quickly things could spread through the Bay, she glares at him. "Who I choose to take out is none of your business."

"I'm just trying to stop you from making a huge mistake." He leans toward her, "You need to stay away from that woman Charlie, she's bad news."

"Joey is my friend Angelo, I'll spend as much time with her as I like."

"People will start to talk."

"The only person talking about us, is you Angelo."

"I'm just looking out for you."

"No, you're trying to tell me who I can be friends with, now could you please leave me alone."

"Charlie, I love you and I just don't want that filthy dyke ruining your reputation."

"I've asked you before not to talk like that."

"Just stay away from her Charlie, she's only after one thing."

"Maybe I want to give into her," she blurts out before she thinks.

Angelo looks disgusted by the thought. "Don't be ridiculous Charlie, you're nothing like her."

Charlie takes a deep breath before she's tempted to say something she wasn't ready to reveal just yet. "Angelo, I'm not going to discuss this anymore with you, now, for the last time, leave me alone."

Angelo sits back with his arms folded. "I'm not going anywhere Charlie, not until you change your mind about taking that woman out."

"I'll have you arrested for trespassing."

"No you won't," he says with a confident smirk.

Charlie pulls out her phone. "10 seconds Angelo, then I'm calling the station and having them send a car. 10."

"You won't do it Charlie."

"9." He continues to smirk. "8." Charlie's finger hovers over the key pad. "7...6...5...4" Angelo starts to have second thoughts when Charlie starts pressing the buttons. "3...2...1." When she holds her phone up to her ear, Angelo stands up. "You don't have to call them Charlie, I'm going ok."

"In future Angelo, remember that we are not together and that stepping onto my boat is considered trespassing."

"I really don't know why you're being such a bitch Charlie, I'm only trying to look out for you."

"That's bullshit Angelo. You're more worried about how it affects your reputation when your ex starts hanging out with a lesbian."

"I just don't want my future wife getting the wrong reputation."

"I'm not marrying you Angelo now get off my boat and leave me alone, or the next time my phone is out, I won't stop."

Angelo bites back his reply and muttering to himself, he steps up to the wharf.

Joey scowls when she sees Angelo heading her way. When it looks like Angelo is going to say something, she veers right at the last minute and with a nice shoulder check, sends Angelo flailing off the wharf. "Oops, sorry," she calls out cheerfully as she continues on her way.

"Nice one girlie," one of the guys from another boat yells out.

"If you ever want to try it with a real guy and not a little pip squeak like Mr Policeman, I'll only be too happy to show you a good time," another calls out.

"Sorry guys, I have an allergy to men."

"I've got a cure," he yells back while grabbing his crotch.

"If it's still attached, it's not much of a cure, unless of course you want to," she makes a snipping motion with her fingers, making both men wince.

"We'll be right." Sharing a few more ribald comments with the men which makes Charlie blush as she listens in, Joey walks over to her. She shrugs when she notices Charlie watching her with a mixture of amazement and amusement. "Childish I know," she jumps nimbly onto the yacht with a huge grin, "But god it felt good to do that to him."

Charlie laughs, barely catching herself from kissing her. They both glance over as a furious Angelo drags himself out of the water to the loud and humorous cheering of everyone else there. Sparing a look of hatred for Joey, he storms away. "I take he was objecting to me being here?"

Charlie sighs, "He's trying to save my reputation."

"Are you sure you're not worried that people will be getting the wrong idea about the two of us going sailing together?"

"We're friends, if people want to make more of it, there's not much I can do about what they think."

"We're more than friends Charlie."

Charlie shrugs her shoulders, "Even if we weren't, people are going to talk and right now, I don't really care."

"In that case, Cpt Buckton, get us out there," she points to the open sea.

"There's not a lot of wind today, so I'll take it out under motor today."

"I don't care Charlie, as long as we're out on the water, all alone without any interruptions."

"I've left a strict warning about any phone calls unless it's a dire emergency.'

"Same here." Charlie stares unashamedly as Joey strips off her top, much to the delight of the other men, who wolf-whistle their approval. Wearing board shorts and bikini top, Charlie decides that Joey was right the other night, her bra did cover more than that bikini top did. Her good mood returned, they set off out to the open water.

When they were some distance from the wharf, Joey embraces Charlie from behind, kissing her shoulder, "Alone at last."

Charlie leans back against her. "I wish I had remembered about the boat earlier."

"It's ok," her lips on Charlie's neck as her hands find their way under her tank top, gliding over her stomach. "At least now that I'm better, we can enjoy it more."

"Joey, we have an entire day together."

Joey smirks as she feels Charlie trembling against her fingers, "I want to make up for lost time."

Charlie groans when Joey's hands find their way to her breasts. "Obviously the doctor was right, you are feeling much stronger."

"You're about to find out how much."

"At least let me put the anchor down."

Lying sated in each other's arms some time later, Charlie gently traces her fingers along Joey's wound. "I can't believe how close I came to losing you."

She rolls onto her side, "I'm here Charlie, that's all that matters."

"Yes it is."

"Charlie, are you ok, you've been a little quiet since we headed out." She grins suddenly, "Well, you weren't so quiet a few minutes ago."

Charlie chuckles, "I'm just glad there was no one out here to hear me." She runs her hand along Joey's hip, "I don't think I've ever been so vocal during sex before."

"I bet most of the time when you've been with a guy, Ruby's been asleep in her room."

"That's probably part of it but I think you bring something out in me."

Joey leans over, brushing her lips over Charlie's. "You didn't answer my question."

Charlie sighs and sits up. "There's still so much that I don't know about you."

"So ask."

"That simple is it?"

Joey gets into a more comfortable position, "I'll answer what I can."

"Where do you live?"

"That's what you want to know?"

"I want to know everything I can."

Joey nods in understanding. "Harley and I live in the inner city, but I grew up with my foster family not far from the beach in Manly."

"You're really close to your foster family, aren't you?"

"I tried to hate them at first. I was a right little monster when I arrived on their doorstep, but they stuck by me, made me feel like a part of the family and even though she didn't live with us, they included Georgie too." Joey spends some time filling Charlie in on her life with her foster family.

"You surf?" Charlie asks in surprise, enjoying every new thing she had just learnt about her girlfriend.

"Since I was 12. My foster brother taught me. I love being out there on the waves."

"Were you any good?"

"Won a few comps, I could even have gone pro, but being a cop appealed to me more."

"Just like your sister."

"She wasn't too happy when I told her I was joining up."

"Why haven't you been surfing since you've been here?"

Joey grins, "It kind of ruins the look I'm going for when the bad guys and everyone else see me in a bikini on a surfboard."

"I don't know, I kind of like the look, especially now."

Joey smirks, "I'm not wearing a bikini."

Charlie admires the naked body next to her. "Like I said, I like the look."

"The view from here is pretty good too," she says, running her hand along Charlie's naked thigh.

Charlie's heart races as it always seemed to do at Joey's touch. "You were saying before that your foster mum still had a way of making you feel like a poorly behaved child, even now."

"She does the same to Georgie."

"That's kind of hard to believe."

"About Georgie or me?"

"Both. So I take it that you're poorly behaved all the time then?"

Joey's eyes narrow and she moves so quickly that she catches Charlie unawares and before she could even blink, she was on her back with Joey's mouth over hers. Charlie groans when Joey's nipples rub against her already sensitised ones. "I'll show you poorly behaved," Joey murmurs, nuzzling her way along Charlie's neck and down further, pausing when she reaches her breasts. "I love your breasts," she whispers, taking a hardened nipple into her mouth.

"Oh God," Charlie cries out, closing her eyes at the intense pleasure Joey was bringing to each breast as she worshipped them equally. "Joey please," Charlie begs for the second time that day. Joey moves back up and captures her lips as she cups her hand between Charlie's legs. Charlie bucks her hips up, trying to encourage Joey to end her torment. Joey grins against her mouth, her fingers sliding back and forth through the wetness between Charlie's legs, never entering as she continued to deny Charlie what she wanted.

Charlie's heart was racing, her body quivering uncontrollably as she lay powerless under Joey. "Please, Joey." Unable to deny Charlie any longer, Joey enters her, Charlie's hips raising to meet each thrust of Joey's fingers. Panting as her pleasure increases with each slow, rhythmic thrust inside her, Charlie feels her climax nearing. When her nipple disappears back into Joey's mouth, she arches her back, thrusting her breast hard against Joey's mouth. "Oh god, that's it...ahhhhhhhh," she screams as her orgasm overtakes her. Joey cuts off her scream with her mouth as she continues the gentle, slow thrusting, rhythm. Sensing Charlie was nearing again, Joey moves back a fraction so she could watch the pleasure on her face, each thrust driving Charlie closer and closer to the edge.

"Charlie, open your eyes." Charlie shakes her head, unable to do anything except thrust her hips against the exquisite torture of Joey's fingers. "Charlie, open your eyes," Joey asks again. Hearing the plea in Joey's voice, Charlie opens her eyes, drowning in the brown orbs which were gazing at her with love. "I love you Charlie." Those whispered words driving Charlie over the edge as she experiences the most intense orgasm she'd ever had.

Charlie could barely breath, overwhelmed by the intensity of her orgasm and Joey's declaration of love. Joey gathers her in her arms and just holds her. "Oh my God," Charlie gasps when the spasms running through her body had finally stopped. "You destroy me Joey."

"In a good way?"

Charlie laughs, "Oh, most definitely in a good way. I have never felt anything like that." She snuggles against Joey, "Did you mean it?"

"Yes." Joey caresses Charlie's face, gazing into her eyes. "I love you Charlie Buckton."

"I love you too, Joey Collins." Their lips meet in a kiss filled with love and passion. Charlie moves over Joey as their kiss deepens. "I love you so much," she whispers against her mouth, her slender fingers gliding across Joey's belly before dipping lower. Joey gasps when Charlie's fingers slip between her legs, running her fingers through her wetness. Charlie grins at the way Joey opened herself to her, in more ways than one. Increasing the pressure of her fingers without entering her, she bends and takes a nipple into her mouth.

"God Charlie," Joey groans in pleasure as Charlie moves to her other nipple. Not for the first time that day, Charlie is surprised at how much she enjoyed kissing, sucking and nibbling on Joey's breasts. "Charlie, I need you."

Charlie turns her attention back to Joey's mouth, her tongue demanding entry which Joey happily obliges. Charlie enters Joey at the same time, Joey gasping into her mouth as a second finger joined the first. Their tongues danced wildly as Joey's hips thrust hard against Charlie's fingers, her breath coming in pants against Charlie's lips as her hips bucked frantically. Charlie wrenches her mouth from Joey's the moment she feels her tighten around her fingers, Joey's body arching at the powerful sensations wracking her body, her cries unintelligible as her climax rips through her.

"Oh god," she moans weakly as she lies spent in Charlie's arms. Kissing the shoulder that was under her head, Joey sighs in contentment. "So, was our second time as memorable as the first?"

"Definitely and so was the third time."

"I did promise you a night of passion until the sun rises, but would you consider a day filled with passion until the sun sets."

"No offence Joey, I doubt you could lift a feather at the moment."

Joey props herself up on her elbow. "A bit of food, a bit of wine and time in the sun and I'll be right to go."

"So all I have to do is wine and dine you?"

"Yep."

"I can do that."

"I'm actually not that hungry yet," her eyes roam the length of Charlie's body, "At least not for food."

Charlie chuckles, her hand cupping the back of Joey's neck and pulling her down as they work on their appetite.

Charlie lies back in the bath, tired, but in a good way as Joey had lived up to her promise of a day filled with passion until the sun set. Charlie closes her eyes, amazed at how many things she had learned about Joey in between their lovemaking and even more amazed at what she had learnt her own body was capable of experiencing. She knew that Joey was keeping things from her still, but there was one thing that made it easier. "She loves me," she murmurs happily to herself.