Chapter Twenty

Everything in the world feels so wonderful right now. It's more wonderful than I could ever have imagined it being.

I am back at work and although I mostly have desk duties, I feel like I am starting to thrive. Obviously I can't go out and catch the bad guys anymore but Inspector Joyce has given me more of a Detective type role in terms of, rather than just boring paperwork and stuff, I'm getting a chance to really analyse cases and direct the officers below me to their next port of call. That's pretty cool and it makes me feel special. He also said that my health shouldn't prevent me from taking my Detective exam if that's what I really want. It is.

I sacrificed so much of myself when I was with Brax and I can hardly believe now that I was prepared to walk away from my vocation. I love that Joey is so encouraging of my work. She has more faith in me than I have ever had in myself and somehow gives me the confidence to override my physical condition and go after my dreams anyway.

Things with Ruby are also pretty wonderful. She is continuing her night classes and she's got herself a job as a lifeguard on the beach, which she is really enjoying. I think she misses Casey a lot and I know he misses her. I've seen the way they look at each other and even if it means having to interact with Brax, if Casey is the one that Ruby loves then she should be with him.

As for Brax, well, he's been aggressive now and again but not too badly. He got off all the charges against him with a hefty fine, which I gather he is struggling to pay. I heard on the grapevine that he's doing some sort of cage fighting competition in order to raise funds. Leah is pretty worried about him and I have to admit that he looks terrible right now, all bloodied and bruised.

But then, just as I feel sorry for him, he's nasty towards me or Joey and my compassion disintegrates. I know he's in a bad place right now and I do wish I could make it better. Unfortunately, the only thing he wants in order to feel happier is me and that isn't something I can't give him.

Firstly, I would never betray Joey. She is my rock and I am never, ever going to give her a reason to doubt me. Secondly, even without her in the picture, I couldn't go back to the life I was living before I was shot. It was wrong and so full of bad choices. I've come too far now to take it all back. I don't want to.

Health wise, I feel like things are getting better. I'm much, much better at keeping my inhaler with me. Actually, Joey and I got a load of them so I have one in every room of the house, one in my car, one in the drawer at work, one for my pocket and one for my handbag – you know, just in case!

I've needed the oxygen I have at home a few times but not as many as I expected. And it's been nearly two weeks since I got admitted to hospital so I think I am finally starting to make progress. Hooray!

And then there is Joey. She is the absolute highlight of my day. She has now formally moved into the house again and is paying half the rent on what is now our bedroom and contributing her full share to the bills and stuff. Home is the happiest it has been in a long time, really.

She has also set up her business here and so far, it's going really well. Last year, Romeo tried to set up a chartering business on the Blaxland with Alf as a silent partner but it didn't work out. There was all that mess with Harvey and it went terribly wrong. Now Joey and Romeo have partnered up, with Alf in the background and they're doing things professionally and properly this time. Joey has a lot of savings behind her, which she has been able to invest in the business so they have everything they need, including proper advertising. Suddenly, customers who weren't interested in Romeo in the slightest before, are flocking to make bookings for boat trips.

The idea is that she'll kick start this with Romeo here and then in January next year, she, Ruby and I will all relocate to the city. I can move stations, Ruby can start University and Joey can expand the boat business. I am so happy with how everything has turned out. And I feel so lucky that I have two people like Joey and Ruby who are willing to include me in their lives and actually work things around me so that we can all stay together. I love that we've become such a close and strong unit so quickly.

Yesterday, I booked the Blaxland myself through Romeo. Then, when Joey thought she was just going to work, I surprised her. Romeo had provided us with everything we needed and I persuaded Joey to spend the whole day out on the water with me – not that she took all that much convincing!

"Do you want to try steering?" she asked again, in much the same way as she had the last time we were out there.

"Yes, actually," I said.

She was surprised and stepped back so I could take the wheel. She was very impressed with how much I had learnt, especially when I helped her anchor the boat when we decided to stop for the lunch Romeo had prepared for us.

"When did you learn boats?" she wondered.

"After I got out of hospital," I explained. "I knew I had to wait until Valentine's Day to see you again because you were on your cruise so I decided to make myself better for you. That's why I watched all the DVDs, read all the books, learnt how to fish… And I got Romeo to give me sailing lessons as well."

She smiled thoughtfully at me.

"You do know you didn't have to do all of that though, don't you?" she asked.

I hesitated. I wasn't really sure what I thought.

"I feel so honoured that you went to so much trouble to bring me back to you," she told me. "But if you hadn't done anything more than dump Brax and tell me you loved me, I would have come back with you anyway. I would have still loved you the same."

I smiled at her level of commitment. Sometimes I can't help but marvel that someone as amazing as her could even think of being with someone like me, even if I am turning into a better person. And without sounding arrogant, I know I am better. I've made the changes I so desperately needed to. I've stopped this endless cycle of mistakes. I am finally exactly where I want to be – a cop, a good friend, a mother to Ruby and a girlfriend to Joey. I'm not sure how I even considered aiming for less than that.

"Thank you," I said softly.

She put her croissant down and moved to sit beside me on the bench. She took my hand and kissed it, a gesture that always elicits a thrill through me. It's so simple and yet so tender.

"Thank you for coming back for me," she said sincerely.

"Thank you for letting me," I replied.

We kissed in the sunshine and I've been in a haze of love since then. Romeo had set up blankets and cushions at the back of the boat, as I'd requested. It's what Joey had done the last time. We forgot our food and headed over to snuggle. One thing led to another and we made love for the first time since our reunion. It was wonderful. We had to stop a couple of times so I could catch my breath but we got there. We laughed and we cried and put every emotion into it that we felt. I've never experienced anything like it, not even with Joey the first time. The whole day felt like this perfect moment of pure bliss. I'm happier than I even thought it was possible to be.

So while I wouldn't put 'getting shot' on my list of priorities in life, I am glad that it happened. It was the wakeup call I needed to get me to turn my life around. When once I thought I didn't deserve anything good in my life, now I believe I do. I believe that I give out enough goodness to claim some back. I'm happy, settled and secure. This is the life I've always wanted. And it's the life I never want to let go of. In the space of a few months, all my dreams have come true.

Well, this is the happy ending Charlie should have had. I hope you have enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who had read and reviewed. I'm at the beginning of two new stories so when I have a few chapters under my belt, I will start posting them. Love, IJKS xxx