Waking the next morning to the pleasant sensation of soft lips against hers, Charlie smiles, kissing her back. "You're supposed to be taking it easy."
"That was yesterday, today is a whole new day," Joey replies between kisses. "And neither of us have to go to work so we can take it easy all day."
"Your mother is in the next room," Charlie murmurs against Joey's lips.
"We're sharing a bed Charlie, so I think she's clued into the fact we have sex," she says, not to be distracted. "And it didn't bother you that we slept naked last night."
"Sleeping is a little different to making love."
"If you let me," Joey says, moving her lips to Charlie's neck, "I can make you forget she's there."
Charlie groans as Joey's lips start a delicate path downwards. Wanting more control, she flips Joey onto her back, quickly moving over her, crushing their lips together. Her tongue demanding entry, Joey willingly grants her access. Charlie's heart races at the feel of their breasts pressed together while their tongues danced against each other. When Joey moves her leg between hers, the contact draws a gasp from Charlie as she starts to rock against her, the growing wetness between her legs allowing her to glide more easily over Joey's leg. Panting as she presses herself harder against Joey's leg, the movement causing their stiffened nipples to rub against each other. Stifling her cries against Joey's mouth, Charlie's body stiffens as her climax hits her. "Oh god," she gasps as she collapses on top of Joey, breathing hard.
A knock at the door has Charlie suddenly jumping away and nearly hiding under the covers. "Girls," Gina's voice comes from the other side of the door. "I'm taking Ruby shopping before I leave this afternoon."
"Righto Gina," Joey calls back, trying not to laugh at Charlie's panicked reaction. "She's not coming in Charlie," she assures her. Keeping her injured hand close to her chest, she sits up and kneels next to Charlie
Charlie closes her eyes, shaking her head, "She's killed the mood completely."
Grinning, Joey's hand slips between Charlie's legs. "Not completely, judging from the evidence."
"God Joey," she moans, "We really can't do this, not with your handicap."
Joey circles her finger, smirking when Charlie raises her hips. "My handicap didn't seem to be a problem before."
"I'm serious Joey...oh god," all thoughts lost as Joey enters her.
"Nope, definitely not a handicap," Joey grins as she slowly brings Charlie to her second orgasm of the morning.
"Enough already," Charlie begs some time later, her hips still rising to meet the torturous fingers inside her.
"Are you sure?" Joey teases, flicking her clit with her thumb, sending Charlie over once more. She grins when a strong hand grips hers.
"My turn," Charlie whispers, before spending what seemed like an eternity to Joey worshipping her breasts.
Revelling in the power she now held over her lover, Charlie ignored Joey's desperate pleas as she took her time on each breast, slowly working her way lower, pausing when she reached her destination. Kissing the inside of Joey's thighs, she smirks at Joey's husky plea. Moving back up so she could kiss Joey's lips, her fingers finally grant Joey's plea. Keeping her thrusts slow and steady, it doesn't take long before she feels Joey nearing her release. Dragging her lips away from Joey's, her tongue joins her fingers, plunging deep and sending Joey over.
"God Charlie," she pants as Charlie's tongue and fingers continue their gentle thrusts. She groans when Charlie once again moves back up, thrusting her tongue into her mouth, tasting herself as Charlie increases the thrusting between her legs. Raising her hips up to meet each thrust, she cries out against Charlie's mouth.
Holding her fingers still, Charlie gazes into her eyes. "Enough?" Charlie asks cheekily.
"Fuck," she cries out when Charlie wiggles her fingers inside her. "I'm injured Charlie, are you trying to kill me," she jokes, groaning softly when she feels Charlie withdraw.
Snuggling against Joey's side, she rests her head contentedly on Joey's shoulder.
"Charlie, you do realise that Gina and Ruby haven't left," Joey says a few minutes later.
"What!" Charlie says, bolting upright, only to scowl when she realises Joey was only teasing. "God," she whacks her shoulder lightly, "Don't do that."
"Charlie, you've had sex when your daughter has been under the same roof."
"It's different when it's your mother."
"Is it really?"
Charlie exhales loudly. "I suppose it is kind of stupid."
"Gina doesn't bite and she's well aware what loving couples get up to when they're alone."
She snuggles back against Joey. "I guess it's the whole family thing, I'm still getting used to it and Gina might not bite, but she's still rather formidable."
Joey runs her hand along her back softly. "I'm not sure if anyone ever really gets used to our family."
"I hope you're joking again."
"Maybe a little. Seriously Charlie, I know my family can be kind of full on, but once you're in, you're in." She glances down at her, "And you're in, in a big way."
"It might actually be nice to have proper family get togethers, ones where I don't have to worry about being belittled or bullied."
Joey chuckles, "Don't bet on it, though with our family, it's done in a good natured way."
"Good natured bullying?"
"You saw us last night. It's not always like that, but when you put a bunch of headstrong people in a room, you're bound to get a test of wills and Hugo and Georgie do love trying to order us younger ones around."
Charlie props herself up on her elbow. "Do you like being ordered about?" she asks with a suggestive smile.
"Depends on the situation," she grins.
"I might have to test that out one day."
"I look forward to it." She glances over at the clock, "How long do you think Gina and Ruby will be gone?"
"Ruby and shopping tends to involve a lengthy process."
"Good. Then," Joey holds up her injured hand, "Care to help me with a shower?"
"I think I can be persuaded."
Giggling as they stumble out of the bathroom some time later, their lips never far from each others as their hands roamed, oblivious to the fact that they weren't alone until a cough gets their attention. Blushing, Charlie turns to find her daughter and Gina standing there with amused smiles.
"Nice to see you girls up and dressed," Gina says, her lips twitching at Charlie's obvious discomfort. "Well, almost dressed."
Looking down, Charlie blushes even more when she realises her shirt was halfway unbuttoned and her bra-clad breasts were on display. Shooting an innocent looking Joey a glare of annoyance, she hastily buttons herself up, thinking that even one handed, Joey was trouble. "I thought you'd be a little longer," Charlie says to Gina.
"I still have a few things to do before I leave this afternoon, so we finished up early"
"We brought fresh slices and lattes home, if you're hungry," Ruby says with a knowing smirk.
"I'm famished," Joey says, eyeing off the packages. "I hope you got extras."
"I always get extras when you're around Joey," Gina says with affection.
"I don't eat that much."
"Except when there's sweet food around."
Joey shrugs as she reaches for the goodies, scowling when Gina slaps her hand away. "Wait until everyone else gets theirs first."
Pouting, Joey leans against Charlie who was struggling not to laugh at her antics.
"Oh, for god's sake Joey," says Gina, reaching into the bag and pulling out a cherry ripe slice for her daughter.
Snatching it from Gina before she changed her mind, Joey happily starts in on it.
"A word of advice Charlie, don't leave anything sweet lying around," Gina says as she sets the food and lattes onto the table.
"Noted."
"So Ruby, did you leave anything in the shops?" Joey asks, glancing over at the bags Ruby had left on the floor.
"God, you're as bad as mum," she complains. "And only two of them are mine."
Joey raises her eyebrow at Gina. "I thought I'd get some Christmas shopping out of the way," Gina says in her defence.
"Right," Joey says. "A word of advice Charlie," Joey says in an imitation of Gina, "Don't let Gina loose in the shops."
"That's enough young lady," Gina warns her.
"Or what, I'll miss out on my present?"
Ruby and Charlie watch the byplay between the two, both a little bemused to see the two like this as the four of them enjoy their morning tea.
A few hours later, Joey and Charlie were out the back, relaxing in the afternoon sunshine.
"You and Gina looked a little serious just before she left."
"She heard back from Shandi."
"Good news I hope," Charlie says, finding her dislike for Brett even greater since Joey had told her what he'd been up to.
"Apparently he didn't react too well when Shandi's letter arrived," Joey says with some amusement. "He barged into her office and abused the hell out of her before tipping her desk over."
"And that amuses you?"
Joey grins, "Even before he had no claim on my daughter unless he tried to prove I was unfit, but getting himself arrested and dragged out in front of a dozen witnesses, he's not only blown whatever slim chance he may have had, he's pretty much played right into our hands. After that little display, it's going to be so much easier to have him legally kept away from my daughter."
"That is good news."
"I'd love to know what Shandi put in the letter to make him go off like that," she murmurs thoughtfully.
"She wouldn't have deliberately provoked him, would she?"
Joey nods, "Absolutely. Shandi's like the rest of my family in how she views Brett and she would have worded the letter in just the right way to ensure he reacted badly."
"You still feel a little bad to be cutting him out of Harley's life though, don't you?"
"Harley loves her uncle, so yeah, I do feel a little bad but when she's older, if she wants to renew the relationship, I won't stand in her way." She glances over at Charlie. "There was something else, something which concerned you."
"Me!" Charlie says a little worriedly
"The legal community is abuzz with the news that Morag Bellingham has retired from the bench."
"Shit," Charlie says, stunned by the news. "Other than the odd report on my father's health, I haven't heard anything from them since dad was transferred to a hospital in the city."
"She took news of her daughter's crimes pretty hard and her death even harder."
"I never even considered my father and Morag and how they must be feeling," Charlie says with a bit of guilt. "God, I'm the one who killed their daughter."
"You didn't have a choice."
"I know that." She rubs her temples. "They must hate me though." Charlie sighs heavily, "Even more than they hated me before."
"Charlie, you can't worry how they feel about you."
"I don't even know why I am. My father has never given a damn about me and Morag has always been indifferent toward me."
Joey moves closer to her, gathering Charlie against her side. "You've moved on from them Charlie, don't let them drag you back."
Resting her head on Joey's shoulder, Charlie agrees. "I have a new family now."
"One that isn't going to let you down."
"I love you Joey."
"I love you too." She grins, "It's getting a little warm out here."
"Maybe we should go inside."
"Sounds like an idea."
"We can watch a dvd."
Joey frowns, "That's not what I had in mind."
"I know, but you're forgetting that Ruby, April and Nicole are inside."
"Oh, right," she says disappointedly. "Oh well, a dvd it is."
"Dibs on the choice," Charlie says, jumping to her feet.
"What are you, five," Joey accuses her, before pushing past her and racing to the door.
"I called dibs, Joey," Charlie calls out, chuckling when Joey turns and pokes her tongue out. "God, it's hard to believe this is the same bad arse bitch who made my life hell," she muses as she follows after her.
A week later, with no sign of Angelo or the evidence they were so desperately after, things had nonetheless, started to settle down. With Joey visiting her daughter in the city, Charlie was missing her terribly and could barely keep her eyes off the clock as she counted down the minutes until she would return. "God, still another hour," she mutters, her thoughts distracted by the doorbell. Getting up, she's surprised to find Colleen standing at her door.
"Sergeant Buckton, I've come to see how you are."
"I'm fine," she says, a little wary as to why Colleen was here.
"I've felt so bad for some of the things I've said, especially now that I know what an evil person that Const. Risotto was, so I baked you your favourite chocolate cake."
"Thank you Colleen, but it really wasn't necessary and I have to admit to being surprised that you're here, considering what I did to Martha."
"There was always something wrong with that girl and I don't blame you for my niece's death, Sergeant," she says. "This is a small town in which we live and we can't really avoid each other, so I've come here to make peace with you."
"Then please, come in."
Colleen glances around the house, "Where are the others?"
"Ruby's out with her friends, Joey is in the city visiting her daughter, Dex went with her to see his sister, Hugo and Georgie have gone out for a romantic meal and Graves is in the shower."
"Maybe I should have brought the cake around when you were all here."
"I'm sure it will keep until the others are back. Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No thank you. I just wanted to bring the cake around and I really should be heading home, my Lancey is coming home tomorrow and I want to do some more baking."
"How is Lance?" Charlie asks as she takes the cake from Colleen.
"He's good."
Opening the door for Colleen, they're both startled when a figure suddenly appears in front of them.
Charlie groans as she comes to. Her mind still groggy, she blinks at the brightness of the light shining directly into her eyes as she tries to move, only to find her arms and legs restrained.
"You can't get away," a low voice says, startling Charlie.
Squinting at the direction of the voice, Charlie can barely make out the silhouetted figure because of the glare of the overhead light. "Show yourself, you coward," she dares, trying to keep the fear from her voice.
Her eyes widen in terror as the silhouette nears, the light clearly glinting off the large knife held out toward her.
"You've cost me a fortune and now you have to pay."
Charlie cries out in agony as the knife starts to slice into her skin.