Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review the last few chapters. I really appreciate it. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Four

The party approached and most of the town had turned out to bring in the New Year together. Charlie and Joey had finally gone to help set up, evading reasons why they were late and then everyone had gone home to get ready. Now, Charlie and Joey were happily dancing together, surrounded by other couples such as Ruby and Geoff and Rachel and Tony. Charlie was eager to let her hair down, knowing that she would be back at work in a couple of days and her romantic bubble with Joey would at least partially burst for the time being. She was, however, looking forward to the holiday that Morag and Ross had booked for them at the end of the following month.


Martha lay in bed with Hugo. She'd come back to the farm to get changed, having left Bambang to go to the party with Tony, Rachel and Gina. Hugo had stopped by to collect the last of his stuff, one thing had led to another and now, here they were.

"So, um... does this mean...?" she ventured.

Hugo shook his head. Martha's heart sank. Abruptly, she climbed out of bed, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.


"What has got into you anyway?" Nicole finally asked.

It looked like they would be bringing in the New Year together in a jail cell so she supposed she ought to start talking to him again at some point. Instead of replying, Aden pulled a letter out of his pocket and handed it over. Opening it up, Nicole began to read.


Leah approached the bar and ordered another drink. She was looking out for Hazem to arrive, hoping that he would. He was a nice guy and she was looking forward to seeing him again if she got the chance. Widowed twice – or at least that was what everyone believed – and with her last partner being locked up for murder, Leah hadn't had much hope in romance until she'd met Detective Robertson. Even though she knew it wouldn't work out with him, geographically if for no other reason, he had single-handedly restored her faith in love so she was hopeful that 2010 would bring her some romance.

"How are you doing?" she asked Miles who was sat beside her.

He looked miserable. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. After everything that had already happened to him, with losing his wife and daughter, he thought he had finally been given the chance to start again with Kirsty, Ollie and the baby. She could hardly imagine how he felt now that he had lost them too.

"Things will get better, Miles," she told him confidently. "I know it's a bleak time right now but you never know who's around the corner. You could fall in love any day. You could find someone so special. You might even know her already."

Without warning, Miles leant in and kissed her.


With nothing else to do, having been suspended from work, and against his better judgement, Angelo left his apartment and headed towards the Surf Club. He wasn't sure if it was sadder to be bringing in the New Year at home on his own or at a party where nobody liked him. But at least at the party, there was beer. There was also the opportunity to gaze at Charlie, so long as it wasn't obvious enough for Joey to start yelling at him.


"So, what does this mean?" Nicole asked, folding Belle's letter back up and handing it back.

"It means that she wants me to move on," Aden said.

Nicole studied his face, struggling to read him.

"Is there anyone you want to move on with?" she asked quietly.

He gazed at her for a moment, considering admitting his feelings. Instead, he shook his head and folded the letter back into his pocket.


"What did I miss?" Martha asked.

She'd walked into the Surf Club just as Miles had hurried out. Joining Charlie, Joey and an anxious looking Leah at the bar, the girls quickly filled her in on Miles taking Leah's words of encouragement the wrong way and kissing her.

"Oh dear!" Martha remarked.

"Didn't you like Miles once upon a time though?" Charlie asked.

She and Joey held hands. After such a romantic day together, neither cared to be too far apart for long.

"For a while," Leah admitted with a blush. "But now... now he's just my friend. Oh, I feel so bad. I mean, I get why he might have misconstrued what I was saying but..."

She shook her head. Martha opted to order a round of drinks for them all, surprised that Charlie was on soft drinks.

"I want champagne at midnight," the police officer explained. "And that always makes my head go fuzzy so I thought I'd give myself the best chance of survival!"

Joey giggled and kissed her.

"Isn't she cute?"

Martha rolled her eyes in amusement.

"What happened to you, anyway?" Joey asked. "You're late."

"Pot, kettle!" Leah snorted.

Joey poked her tongue out, grateful that they hadn't been grilled for excuses.

"I saw Hugo," Martha said. "We um..."

"Oh, are you back together?" Leah asked hopefully.

"No," Martha said sadly. "We... well, we, you know... but he still doesn't want to be with me."

Leah pulled her friend into a hug, feeling desperately sorry for her. Over her shoulder, her eyes lit up when she spotted Hazem walk through the Surf Club doors.


"So, it that why you've been so weird lately?" Nicole asked. "You're struggling with Belle permitting you to move on?"

"I guess," Aden said.

"And you hate Liam anyway so I guess seeing most of your friends in relationships isn't so easy?"

Aden nodded, silently debating as to whether he ought to tell her the whole truth or not. He turned to gaze at her, taking in her hair and beautiful face, etched with worry.

"Well, at least you don't have to worry about that now," the blonde girl said brightly. "Not with me anyway."

"You don't think you and Liam will get back together?" he asked.

"He cheated on me with some cheap tart," she said, a little more venomously than she'd intended. "We are dead in the water. Over. Done with."

"I hope you find someone who'll treat you right," Aden said honestly.

"I hope you find someone who can make you happy," Nicole replied.


Charlie and Joey were sat at one of the tables in the Surf Club and having a lovely time. The whole town had turned out, including Angelo who was parked at the bar looking like the most miserable person in the world. But aside from him, everyone seemed happy. Leah was merrily flirting with Hazem, Ruby was looking delirious, dancing with Geoff, and even Martha was smiling and chatting to Liam and Bambang.

"Do you think someone should go after Miles?" Charlie asked.

For all the fun she was having, she did feel sorry for him. And he had left the party a little drunk and disorderly – not to mention embarrassed.

"Maybe," Joey said, chewing her lip as she pondered the predicament.

"But then maybe he'd prefer to be left alone," Charlie mused. "He was pretty embarrassed..."

"Well, you have a special bond with him..." Joey teased.

Charlie blushed and hissed at her to stop it.

"Here, kissy, kissy," Joey continued.

Charlie seized the moment by kissing her instead. Joey giggled and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend.

"Don't worry," she said. "I fully accept that you had to kiss some frogs before you got a princess!"

"Oh, you reckon you're a princess, do you?" Charlie smirked.

"You'd better think so too!" Joey squeaked.

Charlie wrapped her arms tighter around her, kissing her one more time before pulling back to gaze into her eyes.

"You are definitely my princess," she promised. "And don't you ever forget it."


Across the room, Angelo ordered another beer, trying not to watch Charlie and Joey kissing and looking like they lived their entire existence on cloud nine. It made him sad and it made him bitter. He wondered if he would ever be able to move on. Pausing, he listened into Martha telling Liam that she wouldn't be surprised if Hugo skipped town altogether. Cancelling his beer, and choosing to ignore the fact that he could already be over the limit, Angelo stood and headed towards his car. If there was one way he could possibly move on, it would be to close this case and get out of town.


"Nic, the thing is that..." Aden began.

They were interrupted by an officer unlocking their cell and telling them that for now, they were free to go. Outside in the evening air, Aden and Nicole wondered how they would get home.


Next time... Charlie is called back into work, Xavier worries about Hugo as he prepares to leave the Bay...