Just so I have mentioned it on every story, and at risk of boring people, please don't forget, you can buy my novel as an e-book on Amazon ('Shards of Glass' by Tessa Jane Lee). If you don't have Kindle or something like that then you can just download the application and read it online or on a phone like you do with fanfiction. Hopefully, this is all for a limited time only because hopefully it will be a proper book any day now... Fingers crossed, anyway. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the chapter and I thank you all for your support. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Fourteen

Two weeks later, Martha, Xavier, Alf, Miles, Leah, Colleen, Tony and Rachel stood as Hugo's coffin was lowered into the ground. Gina had stood by her decision not to say goodbye and although none of the others found it in their hearts to weep for him. They missed the person they had believed in but the person they were burying today was a stranger.


At the kitchen table, Charlie rubbed her eyes and drank her third cup of coffee. For the past fortnight, she had been plagued by nightmares. Joey had tirelessly comforted her but it was taking its toll on both of them. With Charlie off sick, she and her partner had agreed that Joey delay applying for jobs until after their holiday. Between them, they had enough to live on and both were keen to put themselves back together before stepping out into the world again.


The small number of mourners was dispersing when Angelo pulled up in a car with darkened windows.

"Have you seen enough?" he asked his passenger.

Hugo sat in the backseat of the car, watching his few family and friends attend his funeral. He felt sick about lying to them but dying was the only way that Martha would move on properly. If she thought he was alive, she would look for him; she would fail to let him go.

"Yes," he said.

Angelo drove off towards Hugo's new life under witness protection.


"Okay, I've run you a nice hot bath with plenty of bubbles," Joey said, creeping up behind Charlie and wrapping her arms around her.

She kissed her cheek gently and appreciated her smile.

"Thank you," Charlie said.

She accepted Joey's hand and allowed herself to be led up to the bathroom. Stripping off, she stepped into the warm water and already began to feel herself relax. Joey leant over her, holding her hand under the water.

"Try and relax, okay," she said. "And yell if you need me."

She moved to leave.

"I need you!" Charlie squeaked.

They both giggled. Joey happily returned to the bath, settling herself beside her.

"You want company?" she asked.

"Yes please," Charlie said, gesturing for Joey to join her beneath the bubbles.


Gina was sitting in the lounge watching mindless daytime TV when Xavier and Martha returned home. Too many people would have constituted some kind of wake so everyone else had thought better of going back to the house. They hadn't yet broken the news to Brendan about what had happened. He was vulnerable and too settled in his shared house right now to upset him, not when nobody felt strong enough to support him through his grief.

"The funeral was peaceful," Xavier ventured, hovering over his mother uncertainly.

"Good," Gina said without emotion.

She continued to watch the television. Sighing, Xavier headed into his room. He phoned Romeo, asking if he'd like to go for a surf. Rummaging around in his wardrobe for everything he needed, Xavier was shocked to stumble upon a wad of cash and a note. It read:

Dear Xavier,

You were always the better one out of the two of us. Please use this money for the goodness that I would never be able to achieve.

Love, Hugo

Xavier sat down heavily on the floor and stared.


The bath had turned out rather more romantic than Joey had intended, although she wasn't about to complain about it. Laying Charlie out on the bed to dry naturally, she leant over her, kissing her lips and proposing to make a nice lunch for the two of them.

"I could get used to this kind of treatment," Charlie grinned.

If she was going to be off sick and if she was going to be suffering with nightmares, then at least Joey's version of TLC was an upside.

"I hope so," Joey said.

She stole another kiss, finished dressing and then headed into the kitchen to make their meal.


Ruby and Geoff were on the beach when they spotted Romeo and Xavier leaving the water after a surfing session. At New Year, the former lovers had made a kind of peace and Ruby hoped that now, there wouldn't be arguments between them.

"Hey," she called.

Xavier blanched, which was quite a feat considering how pale he already looked. Ruby was worried. He didn't seem quite right.

"Hi," he said, approaching them.

Romeo followed behind him and Geoff tried to let go of Ruby's hand out of politeness but she refused.

"Listen, I'm so sorry about Hugo," Xavier said. "What he did to Charlie. I was going to go and apologise to her myself but I haven't seen her around."

"She's been kind of housebound," Ruby admitted sadly. "She keeps having nightmares and stuff."

Xavier apologised again and hung his head. She reached out and touched his arm.

"It's not your fault," she said. "You don't have control over your brother's actions."


Joey had just finished making sandwiches when there was a knock on the door. It was Aden.

"Hey," she greeted cheerfully, waving him in. "You want some lunch?"

"I'm good," Aden declined. "Do you have time to talk?"

"Sure," Joey said, leading the way into the lounge and calling Charlie for lunch as well as warning her to be decent as they had company.

A few moments later, Charlie appeared, fully dressed but still with wet hair.

"So, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Joey asked.

"Guess," Aden grinned.


Angelo deposited Hugo in his new apartment out of town.

"Are you all set?" he asked cordially.

"Got my name, my address, my history," Hugo confirmed. "Although I still don't get why you offered me the opportunity to avoid jail. You were determined to bring me down for this."

Angelo fixed him with a stern look.

"I think you're disgusting for everything you did," he said. "I will never stop judging you for your behaviour and the evil you've done. I know I'm far from an angel but my misdeeds have never been malicious."

"So, why are you doing this then?" Hugo asked.

"Because you know every single detail of this organisation," Angelo said. "Suzy is the key player and we need your help to bring her down. That's all."

He turned and left. Climbing into his car, Angelo sighed heavily, wondering again if he was doing the right thing. His boss had readily agreed to the plan but he felt guilty over not being truthful with Charlie. She'd been instrumental in bringing the case to a close. She'd rescued the prisoners and caught Hugo, nearly killing herself in the process. And now she thought Hugo was dead and gone when that was very far from the truth.


"Report back when you've sorted everything out," Joey instructed, seeing Aden out.

He'd come to see them for advice as to what to do and say when it came to Nicole who was desperately trying to communicate with him.

"He really is a nightmare," Joey tutted, returning to Charlie in the lounge.

Charlie grinned and welcomed her girlfriend into her arms.

"I am so glad I don't have to deal with that kind of stuff anymore," she admitted.

On Joey's quizzical look she explained the difficulties of trying to work out how someone was feeling and what she felt about other people.

"Everything's so simple now," she concluded. "I love you and you love me and nothing much else matters."

Joey smiled and kissed her.

"I agree," she said. "We are very, very lucky!"

They kissed again, getting immediately lost in the moment.


Next time... Charlie and Joey go on holiday, Joey ponders driving lessons and Charlie continues to battle with bad dreams...