Charlie smiles as she feels the soft lips on hers. "Morning," she murmurs, opening her eyes, almost losing herself in the brown ones gazing back at her with love. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"A little stiff and sore. Did you stay here all night?"

"I told you I'd be here when you woke up."

"Yeah, but how did you get around visiting hours?"

"I told them that you were in danger and I was duty."

Joey grins, "You lied!"

"Only about being on duty. Joey, until Angelo is caught, we're all in danger and there was no way I was leaving you unguarded."

"No offence Charlie, but you were so out of it that you wouldn't have noticed if big foot had come crashing through the door."

"I'll have you know that I'm a very light sleeper."

Joey points to her chest. Gazing down, Charlie notices that her top and bra had been undone. She glares at the innocent look Joey was giving her as she buttons herself up. "I was just proving a point that you were dead to the world. You could leave it undone."

"I have no intention of flashing Giles."
"What's he got to do with it?"

"I had him stand guard in the corridor all night."

"I thought you were my guard."

Charlie grins sheepishly, "Ok, so I was too bloody tired." She gently caresses Joey's face, "I nearly lost you Joey, I'm not taking any more chances while he's still out there."

"I'm not going to argue with you on that."

"He's not going to go away, is he?" Joey shakes her head. "Yeah, I didn't think so."

"Did you actually get much sleep?" Joey asks, concerned about how tired Charlie sounded.

"It's not a lack of sleep, it's just everything that's happened lately."

"You know what we need?"

"What?"

"To take the boat out again."

Charlie smiles, "As I recall, there wasn't a whole lot of relaxing the last time."

"I didn't hear you objecting," Joey smirks.

"That was one of the most amazing days of my life," Charlie admits as she scoots closer to Joey. "It was the day you told me that you loved me."

"Was it the words or the demonstration that made it amazing," Joey asks in a suggestive voice.

"Joey!"

"If I recall, you said my name," she brushes her lips over Charlie's. "Over and over again," pressing her lips more firmly against hers.

"God Joey," Charlie groans, "Why do you have to make me want you so much at entirely the wrong times."

"Just a talent," she jokes.

"Well this time your talent isn't going to get you what you want." Charlie's resolve starts to melts at the puppy dog look Joey was giving her. "No," she shakes her head, "Not this time."

"Damn." Charlie runs her hand absently along Joey's side. "Charlie, what's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You looked a world away, just then."

"It was nothing."

"Charlie."

"I was just thinking how much my life had changed."

"In a good way, I hope."

Charlie smiles, "A very good way. I am so glad you walked into my life Joey."

"That's not what you were thinking when I first walked into it."

"No, I was thinking you were an absolute bitch and I just wanted you gone. Now though, I can't imagine my life without you."

"I feel the same way Charlie."

"We still need to talk about us and where we're going but I think that can wait until we get Angelo."

"Charlie, whatever happens, we'll be together and that's all that matters."

"Together as a family."

"A family." Joey's lip twitch, "I hope you're prepared for mine."

"You said you had a couple of foster-brothers. I know Hugo and is this Xav the other one?"

"Xavier. He went to school with Dex, that's how I met him. I did have another brother, Brendan, but he died in a car crash about 10 years ago."

"I'm sorry."

"It hit us all pretty hard but we had each other. There's also my step father John and his daughter Shandi."

"Am I going to meet all of them?"

"Of course, though catching up with Shandi can sometimes take forever."

"She busy is she?"

"She's a lawyer."

Charlie chuckles, "You make that sound so disgusting with the way you say that."

"I love my step-sister but I can't stand lawyers."

"Cops and a lawyer in the one family must make it interesting."

"Luckily Shandi's in family law and not criminal law so it's not too bad. Charlie, if we're to be a family, then that means you're going to be a step-mum to Harley." Joey pauses for a moment, "After what Angelo..."

Charlie silences her with her fingertip. "Joey, like you said, she's your daughter, not his and I think I've got it easier than you."

Charlie chuckles when Joey frowns. "Your daughter is pretty easy to love, you, on the other hand, get to be step-mum to Ruby." Charlie grins, "I know which I'd prefer."

"Charlie!"

"I love my daughter, but she can be a handful so I hope you're ready to play mum to a surly teenager."

"We already get along great."

"For which I'm glad."

Joey groans as she tries to sit up. "Joey, just lie back down."

"I need to move."

"Then let me help."

With the pillows rearranged behind her, Joey settles back against them. "God, I feel like I've been run over." She smiles at Charlie, "Care to take my mind off my worries?"

"If the puppy dog look didn't get you what you wanted, what makes you think this will?"

"Because you love me and don't want to see me in pain."

"Well, when you put it like that," she leans in, brushing her lips over Joey's before moving away.

"That's it!"

"I wouldn't want to put a strain on you."

"But," Joey's complaint was cut off as Charlie quickly moves back in, capturing her lips.

"I can't resist you Joey," she says between kisses.

Watching from the doorway, Gina clears her throat, trying not to laugh when Charlie goes tumbling off the bed in surprise. "Is this how you check her temperature now?" she asks with amusement. "With your tongue."

Charlie blushes as she gets to her feet.

"Gina, stop teasing her," Joey says, trying very hard to keep a straight face at Charlie's undignified fall.

"I'm not teasing."

"I should go get something to eat, check up with Ruby and give you two some time to talk."

"Charlie, you don't have to go."

"Joey, I think she'd like some time with you."

"Thank you Charlie," Gina says. "Though I'd like to talk to you later, if that's ok?"

"Of course," Charlie says hurriedly, hating her nervousness.

"You're not going to give her a hard time, are you Gina?" Joey asks once Charlie had left.

"Would I do that?"

Joey tilts her head, "Remember Jessica?"

"Joey, that girl was all wrong for you."

"You said that about all of them."

"And I was right, wasn't I?" She sits on the edge of the bed, "Joey, I know you think your relationships were disasters before Riley."

"They were."

"You were still a teenager, looking to get serious way too quickly, that's all." Her lips twitch, "And you have to admit, that you didn't seem too picky with some of your choices."

Joey smiles wryly, "I guess my judgement was pretty lousy."

"You got it right with Riley."

"If Riley hadn't died, do you think we would have lasted?"

Gina looks surprised by the question and takes a moment before answering. "I think you always would have loved and cared for each other, but I believe there would have come a time when you stopped being in love with each other and just been very close friends. Joey, where is this coming from?"

"It's just that my feelings for Charlie are so strong."

"Joey, don't doubt what your feelings for Riley were."

Joey sighs as she looks away. "She told me once, that she knew she wasn't the other half of me."

"Riley never doubted that you loved her." She takes Joey's hand in hers. "You both loved each other as much as you were capable of Joey, but neither of you was ever able to completely give yourself to each other because your traumatic experiences were holding you both back."

"I finally spoke to Georgie about it."

"I'm glad you finally did, for both your sakes." Gina looks at her, "You've also spoken to Charlie about your childhood, haven't you?"

Joey nods. "Charlie means a lot to you, doesn't she?"

"She's the one Gina."

"Joey, Riley was your first real love and she will always have a special place in your heart." She squeezes Joey's hand, "But it's perfectly ok to love someone again."

"I am so glad you're here Gina."

"I certainly wasn't going to stay away this time, not when I came so close to losing all three of you."

"We don't mean to worry you."

"You're cops, it's impossible not to worry about you." She brushes Joey's hair from her face. "Especially my little girl who has an uncanny knack for finding trouble."

"Even when I'm not looking for it," she mutters.

"Joey, what will happen with your job?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your hand injury and I'm assuming you and Charlie are going to stay together."

"One of us is going to have to make a decision about our career and if we're staying here or going to the city and as for this," she raises her injured hand. "I'll probably have to go onto restricted duties or even disability until we see how bad the injury is."

"You seem to be taking it well."

"I'm alive and I have my family, so I think I can put up with a bum hand." She looks down at her hand, "The doctor said that I may not get full mobility back, which means that I will have some. I'd have to retrain with my left to carry a gun but a lot of detective work is interviewing witnesses, going over crime scenes and pouring through evidence. As long as I'm not alone out there, I don't even really need to be armed."

"You know that I'd only be too happy for you to give away your police career, but I know how much it means to you."

"Being a cop is who I am and even if I have to dictate my reports into the computer or to another officer, I still believe I have a lot to offer."

"You know you'll have everyone's support, including mine."

"Thanks mum."

"You haven't called me that in a while."

"I know."

"It's ok Joey, I never expected you to ever call me that." She smiles, "It is nice though when you do."

"You've always been my mum, much more than my own ever was. How's Harley been, she's not getting into trouble again, is she?"

"Joey, I'd call you if she was. She misses you like crazy, but I didn't think it would be safe to bring Harley here with him still on the loose."

"She's safer in the city, though the thought of Xav and John babysitting her is kind of worrying."

"She does tend to have them wrapped around her little finger," Gina muses. "I spent some time with Charlie's daughter last night."

"She's a great kid, isn't she?"

"Ruby's a lovely girl and she adores you."

Joey shrugs.

"She also has a bad case of hero worship."

"What!"

Gina chuckles at her panic, "It's not that type of crush, but she definitely idolises you after what you did for her."

"I'm just glad I got there in time."

Gina studies her foster-daughter for a moment, "You've already made a decision, haven't you? You're not coming home."

Joey shakes her head. "It's strange, this is the last place I ever expected to be and I don't know if it's just because Charlie is here, but it just feels right and even if I hadn't been injured, I was going to stay."

"Charlie and Ruby will be happy to hear that."

"You're not upset, are you?"

"Joey, as long as you're happy, that's all that matters and it's not that far that we can't visit each other. It'll also mean that you get away from Brett."

"I feel bad for breaking my promise to Riley and I really don't want to cut him off, but he's given me no choice. I'm not going to have him questioning my parenting skills and trying to guilt me into quitting."

"It was more than that Joey."

"He wants custody of my daughter, doesn't he?"

Gina nods. "Brett's been sniffing around, asking a lot of questions, like how often you leave Harley with me, how often you miss school functions." Gina grins, "But if he thinks those are reasons to paint you as a bad mother, then just about every professional woman I know would fit into that category. He hasn't got a leg to stand on Joey, he wouldn't even be granted visitation rights if he took you to court."

"I know Harley will miss him, but I'm not going to put up with him disruptive our lives because he has a problem with me." Joey leans back, closing her eyes, "I really don't need this right now."

"Just let Shandi handle this, she can draw up a legal letter, telling him to stay away."

"I hope it's enough."

"Once he realises you won't play ball, he'll back down because he knows he's got no case."

"Can you call Shandi for me?"

"Of course. Now, if you're up to it, I want to know everything about Charlie."

Next Chapter, Charlie and Gina talk.