Thank you everyone for your feedback on my one-shot! I hope you enjoy this chapter... I've just posted and then deleted this chapter as I made an error so I hope it sorted it in time! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Eight

Charlie, Joey, Leah, VJ, Ruby and Xavier all had breakfast together. It was a little awkward, considering it was the first time that Charlie had ever permitted a boy to stay over at the house. She still wasn't too happy with it but in fairness, there had been exceptional circumstances.

"So, what are you guys doing today?" Charlie asked, trying to make conversation.

It was the weekend and she was particularly pleased to have the weekend off to spend with Joey.

"I'm moving into the farm," Xavier explained. "Mum's out this morning so Martha's going to pick me up at the house and help me transport my stuff."

Charlie nodded. She still felt sad about it all. Having had her own child walk out on her, she knew the pain that Gina was probably in now, although by all accounts, she had been the one to throw her son out this time. Charlie supposed that she didn't think he'd actually go. She hoped they would be able to sort things out soon, especially in light of all that had happened with Hugo.

"I'm going to help," Ruby put in. "What about you two?"

"We're taking Aden to collect Justin from the hospital," Charlie said.

"Oh, are they moving in together?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah," Joey told her. "Justin's still in crisis so Aden's invited him into the spare room. Oh, Charlie, he's also invited us round for dinner tonight. Are you up for it?"

"Sure," Charlie replied. "As long as I don't have to cook."

She grinned.

"As if you ever cook!" Joey remarked.

"I'll second that," Leah smirked.

"You two like to cook," Charlie pointed out. "And I like to eat. So, everyone's happy!"


Charlie and Joey deposited Aden and Justin safely back at home. There seemed to be a fair amount of tension between the siblings so they had made a quick exit, promising to be back at seven that evening in order to spend the evening with them and Nicole. Craving coffee, Charlie headed over to the Diner where Irene, Colleen and Leah were all working hard. VJ was busying himself with games on the computer. He looked a little swoony as Joey patted him on the head on her way to a table. Charlie snorted.

"What?" Joey asked, bemused.

"He's lurves you," the police officer teased.

"Oh, would you sshh?" Joey hissed. "He does not."

"Of course he does," Leah agreed, sitting down beside them on her break from serving hungry customers.

Charlie laughed again. Joey rolled her eyes and shook her head. They were interrupted by a very frustrated looking Miles throwing himself into a spare chair.

"What's wrong with you?" Leah wondered.

"Don't even ask," he sighed.

"We already did," Joey pointed out.

"Marilyn!" he squeaked, exasperated.

"What?" Charlie laughed. "She's nice."

"You don't have to live with her!" he complained.

All three women looked at him questioningly.

"She's gutted out the whole house," he said. "She's made us go all vegetarian and healthy."

"Not healthy?" Joey said with mock horror. "Heaven forbid!"

"I don't mind healthy," Miles protested. "But there is such a thing as too healthy. And vegetarian... Don't even get me started!"

"I like vegetarian food," Joey remarked. "If it wouldn't be so ironic that I work in a bait shop, I could see myself turning, you know."

Miles shook his head.

"I honestly don't know how much more I can take," he admitted.


"Are they actually dating?" Ruby wondered when she and Xavier were alone in his room.

The blonde boy shrugged as he continued to unpack his stuff.

"I don't think they even know," he remarked.

Ruby moved to sit beside her boyfriend on the bed.

"How do you feel about that?" she asked. "I mean, what with Hugo and everything..."

He shrugged again and sighed heavily.

"I don't know," he said. "I mean, part of me wonders how she could move on so easily. And part of me thinks she hasn't. Maybe this is her way of trying to heal. And it's not like when Jack died. Jack was a good guy. And I loved Hugo. He was my brother. But the more I find out about the stuff he was mixed up in, the more I don't think I ever knew him at all."


Aden was rummaging in the kitchen cupboards, trying to think of something half decent that he could put together for his guests to eat that evening. Justin sat at the table a little awkwardly.

"You look like you've got quite a good set up here," he ventured.

Aden turned and studied his brother.

"Yeah," he said. "I guess. Nice house, girlfriend, friends..."

"It's pretty cool that your best mate's a lesbian!" Justin remarked.

Aden laughed and resumed looking through the cupboards.

"It was nice of them to bring me back from the hospital."

"Yeah, they're good people," Aden said.

"How long have you known them all?" Justin asked.

"I met Nic as soon as I arrived in town. She lived here with her Dad when I moved in. He was in the army, actually."

Justin's eyes lit up. He was also a soldier and it had made his life complete.

"I've known Charlie for about a year and a half," Aden continued. "But I got to know her better when she got together with Joey last year. Joey and I have been mates for about a year. We used to work together on a fishing trawler."

"And now you work in a Diner," Justin said flatly.

Aden caught the tone and glared at him.

"And what's wrong with that?" he snapped defensively.

"Nothing," Justin said easily. "Just... well, it's not the most ambitious thing in the world."

"Just because I don't want to join the army, doesn't mean my life isn't worth anything," Aden said.

"I'm not saying that!"

"Well, it sounds like it," Aden replied bitterly. "I've worked damn hard to pick up the pieces of my life after everything that's happened to me. I've got a good life here now and I'm not about to walk away from it – not for anything."


Charlie and Joey walked home via the beach, hand in hand.

"I hope you've booked our anniversary off work," Joey said.

Charlie blushed and grinned. She could hardly believe she was about to celebrate a whole year in a relationship – and a happy one at that. She felt like she was finally growing up. She was in a real, adult relationship and now had the chance to be a mother to her daughter. They were moving into an apartment for just the three of them and she was actually contemplating a future with someone she loved.


Nicole arrived early at Aden's house and wasn't in the best of spirits.

"What's up?" her boyfriend asked as he tried to keep control of all his pots.

Joey was the chef in their friendship and he was struggling to cook something nice. Still, at least he was making an effort.

"I'm just not enjoying this internship as much as I thought I would," Nicole sighed.

She threw herself into a chair, looking miserable.

"Well, quit then," Aden said bluntly.

It was not lost on him that all Nicole's time seemed to be taken up with this Britt woman. Between school work and the internship, Aden felt like he never got to see his girlfriend at all.

"It's not that simple, Aden," Nicole sighed. "This could be a way into the fashion industry. I can't just..."

"If she's treating you like shit..."

"She's not," Nicole lied. "Well, she's..."

She growled in frustration and said it didn't matter.


That evening, Charlie, Joey, Aden, Nicole and Justin all crowded round the table and tucked into a surprisingly nice dish, courtesy of Aden.

"This is delicious," Joey enthused, pausing to sip her wine.

"Well, coming from you, that's a big compliment," Aden said. "Unless you're just trying to be polite."

"Ah, you know she's not polite," Charlie teased.

Joey pretended to look offended. Charlie merely smirked at her.

"That's a good point," Aden agreed.

"Hey!" Joey protested. "I have lots of manners! I could totally poke my tongue out at both of you and I'm not even going to because it's rude!"

Nicole snorted with laughter.

"It really is good food though, Aden," she said.

He smiled, thanking her and squeezing her hand.

"How are you feeling now you're out of hospital?" Charlie asked, turning her attention to Justin.

"Yeah, I'm feeling better," he replied. "Although I wish I knew what put me there in the first place."

"Have you managed to figure anything out yet, Charlie?" Aden asked.

The police officer shook her head.

"We've searched the stretch of road Marilyn found you on but so far, we can't figure out what happened. We can't find your car or where any of the excess blood came from. So if you do remember anything, Justin, be sure to call me."

"I will," he promised.

"She only needs a tiny bit of information before she can figure things out," Joey said. "She's a genius like that."

Charlie blushed and denied it but Joey remained adamant.

"I hope you'll still be saying sweet things like that to me if we make it to a year," Nicole said to Aden. "Actually, I hope you'll start saying them in the first place."

"I say nice things to you!" Aden protested.

He then glared at Joey, scolding her for making him look bad.

"I can't help being the most amazing girlfriend in the world," Joey giggled. "You should stop complaining and pay attention!"

"Yep!" Nicole agreed.

"At least I treat you better than that horrible Britt woman," Aden said a little more sourly than he meant to.

"Is that the intern woman?" Joey asked worriedly. "Are things not going well?"

"They're not the best," Nicole admitted. "But I'll get through it. I mean, I'm sure I'll start learning something eventually."

"You should stand up to her," Aden insisted. "Show her what she's missing out on by making you the coffee girl."

"It's nice when people live up to their full potential," Justin said, looking meaningfully at Aden.

The brothers glared at each other for a moment before everyone continued eating in silence.


Next time... Angelo meets Michael and steps up his pursuit of 'the truth', Leah and Elijah are awkward with each other...