This is your last update for a few days. I will either be back on Tuesday or Saturday (11th) so I hope you enjoy today's update. And I can still receive reviews so please don't be shy! Hehe. Anyway, take care everyone and have a lovely weekend. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety Eight

While Ross had busied himself with taking Ruby and Geoff out for smoothies, Charlie had reluctantly popped into work and Joey and Morag had taken Martha back to the farm to talk things through.

At the police station, Charlie was glad to find Angelo working at his desk. He looked surprised but happy to see her. He stood up, smiling broadly.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" he asked.

"Amazing," Charlie said honestly. "You?"

His smile faded and said it was okay. Then he sat back down at his desk.

"What are you doing back anyway? You're not due till next year."

He grinned, always finding it amusing to refer to 'next year' when it was only a few days away.

"I'm not," Charlie explained, sitting down in front of him. "But I heard some news."

He sat back, interested and offering her his full attention.

"Hugo broke up with Martha."

"Really?" Angelo asked in surprise.

Charlie nodded before admitting that she thought he could be a flight risk now. Angelo sighed his agreement.

"What do we do?" he asked.


"I hope um... oh, what's her name...?" Ross faltered.

"Martha," Ruby told him gently.

He nodded.

"Martha. I hope she's okay," he said. "She looked very upset."

"I guess getting your heart broken by the guy you love is hard enough," Geoff mused. "But when it was the one guy you allowed yourself to love after your husband was killed..."

He shook his head and sipped his drink. Everyone felt terrible for her.


That evening, Charlie swung by the farm in order to pick Joey up and bring her home. Morag had decided to spend the rest of the evening with her great niece in order to console her.

"How is she?" Charlie asked once she'd said hello.

She began to turn the car around and headed back off the farm in order to go home.

"Hurt. Confused."

"What happened?"

"He just broke up with her. Just like that."

"Any idea why?"

Joey shook her head before offering her girlfriend a sly smile.

"If anyone's going to have a theory, I'd presume it's you. Or Angelo."

She screwed up her face at the sound of his name, making Charlie giggle.

"We don't know," she admitted. "I mean, if he is the guy that Angelo thinks he is then maybe it means he's about to run. But even so, it doesn't make sense. I mean, he and Martha have been smitten with each other for months. It's weird that he'd leave her."

"Especially after buying her an engagement ring," Joey commented.

Tearing her eyes away from the road for a fraction of a second, Charlie turned and raised an eyebrow.

"He was going to propose?" she asked.

"Looks like it," Joey said. "He told her that the ring she'd found was old and he'd bought it for Suzy but while Morag and I were there, Martha found the receipt. Last week."

Charlie sighed, feeling bad for her friend who had already been through so much.

"I just feel so bad for her," Joey continued. "I mean, I don't like the guy but he seemed to make her happy."

Charlie nodded. She felt exactly the same.

"Charlie, do you really think that he's the bad guy Angelo thinks he is?" Joey asked.

Charlie glanced at her, chewing her lip. It was the first time Joey had really directly asked her about the case.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"What does your gut tell you?" Joey asked, smiling gently and reaching over to rub her partner's belly.

Charlie giggled and then sighed.

"My instinct is saying that Angelo's right. But my heart doesn't want it to be true. I'm not Hugo's biggest fan and I haven't been since he hit on me that time."

They both pulled faces.

"But what happened between us is a bit different to what Angelo's accusing."

Joey nodded and reached for Charlie's hand.

"What's your plan now?" she asked.

"We'll be keeping a closer eye on him," Charlie said. "And hoping he doesn't try to skip the country. Or, if he does, that we can stop him before he does anything too evil."


Arriving home, Charlie and Joey found Ross with Geoff and Ruby.

"Yay, you're back!" Ruby chirped.

Charlie eyed her with mock suspicion, wondering why she was so pleased to see her.

"Because I love you," Ruby declared. "And because we got take out for all of us and it would have gone cold if you hadn't got back quick."

"Ooh, food!" Joey said, even though they had all eaten quite enough out on the boat.

That felt like a long time ago now.

"Yeah," Ruby said. "We thought it would be nice."

"And we got some DVD's," Geoff said, waving three cases in Charlie's general direction. "So, we thought we could eat and watch movies together. What do you think?"

"That sounds great," Joey said, pulling Charlie onto the sofa together.

Ruby stood over them, looking stern.

"And don't think you can make out the whole time," she warned.

"We would never...!" Charlie lied.


Halfway through the film, with most of the pizza consumed, Charlie, Joey, Ruby, Geoff and Ross were all enjoying a romantic comedy. With her arm around her girlfriend, Charlie shifted and nuzzled in a little closer, placing a few gentle kisses on her neck.

"I told you to behave," Ruby warned, with the hint of a smirk as she sat cuddled up to Geoff.

"I wasn't doing anything!" Charlie lied.

"Yes, you were!" Ruby laughed.

"No! No, Joey had like a crumb or something on her neck so I had to..."

Joey burst out laughing.

"Your mother can kiss me whenever she likes," she told the teenager.

"And she does!" Ruby giggled.


The following evening, Charlie and Joey were seated at a corner table with Brett and Amber. Things had started off a little awkwardly, what with Brett and Joey's history and Charlie's memory of Amber having a crush on Joey earlier that year.

"What are you guys doing after this?" Brett asked, when Leah presented them all with their desserts.

"No plans," Joey said. "You?"

"Well, we were wondering if you'd like to go for a drink down at the Surf Club," Brett ventured, wanting the night with his sister to last longer.

Joey glanced at Charlie who nodded her agreement.

"Sounds good," the police officer said with a smile.


Hugo was in the Surf Club and getting sharp shrift by several of his friends. News of his break up with Martha had swiftly got round and nobody was happy with him. Also, nobody understood. Even mild mannered Alf had seen fit to give him a piece of his mind, as had Colleen, Morag and Leah who were all fiercely protective of Martha. Angelo was sitting in the corner, nursing a beer and shooting daggers in his direction, as if he had the right to judge.

"I just don't understand why you've done this," Tony said, having joined Hugo ten minutes beforehand. "I mean, you and Martha were so happy together, weren't you? She never thought she could be happy again after Jack but you..."

He shook his head. Hugo's guilt increased.

"I don't understand."


Brett, Amber, Joey and Charlie finished their meals and headed out into the open air.

"I'm so glad we're doing this, Jo," Brett said, as he and his sister walked in front together.

Joey smiled. It wasn't something she ever thought would happen but she was glad that she and Brett were making an effort with each other again. He had hurt her terribly when he'd turned against her and thrown her out.

"Me too," she said.

In the back, Charlie glanced at Amber. She was still amused that she'd liked Joey first and was now dating her brother.

"This isn't awkward for you, is it?" Amber finally asked.

"No," Charlie assured her.

"It's just that we didn't part on the best terms..."

"I hold no grudges," Charlie promised. "You?"

"No grudges here," Amber said. "And um... for the record, no feelings either. I'm absolutely committed to Brett."

Charlie grinned.

"I'm happy for both of you," she said. "And I'm glad there are no residual feelings!"

They laughed.

"Oh, um... Brett doesn't know anything about that so..."

"My lips are sealed," Charlie promised.


Angelo finished his pint and tried to look inebriated although in truth, he was stone cold sober. He was also a man on a mission. Getting to his feet, he approached Hugo who was now alone and looking sorry for himself.

"Did you do it on purpose?" Angelo asked.

Hugo turned round tiredly and glared at him.

"What are you talking about and why are you saying it to me?" he asked.

"Martha's been to hell and back over the last year..."

"Yeah, and you know all about that!" Hugo snapped. "If it wasn't for you..."

"Then you would never have had the chance to make her fall in love with you and then get her heart broken!" Angelo yelled.

Behind them, Charlie, Joey, Amber and Brett entered the Surf Club quietly. Hugo got off his chair, more than ready to square up to the police officer who had been intent on getting in his face ever since he came to the Bay.

"I think you need to shut your mouth," he warned.

Angelo clenched his jaw and puffed his chest a little.

"Make me," he challenged.

Hugo shoved him. Needing no further encouragement, Angelo punched him in the face. The Surf Club looked stunned for a moment before Charlie got her cop head on and leapt forward in order to break the boys up. Brett followed her into the fray and both were relieved that Hugo and Angelo both agreed to leave each other alone. Charlie turned angrily to Angelo.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You could get struck off for this!"

"I doubt it," Hugo said bitterly, clutching his now bleeding mouth. "He couldn't even get struck off for murder. Little fucking golden boy, isn't he?"

Charlie ignored him and focussed her attention on Angelo.

"You need to go home," she told him. "Now."


Next time... Angelo is suspended, Charlie has to go back to work prematurely and Tony and John fall out over the gym...