I've had a particularly terrible couple of weeks and been pretty much housebound. Fanfiction has been getting me through so thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. It's meant even more than usual and it already means a lot. Subsequently, I have written way ahead in this story so I will start posting it every day again for a little while unless anyone objects. I hope you enjoy the chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Two Hundred and Fifty Nine

Charlie and Angelo queued up in the Diner for their morning caffeine fixes. The restaurant was busy but they were at least now second in line. Leah served the man in front. As he turned to leave, he spotted Charlie standing behind him. He smiled.

"Hi," he said. "How are you doing?"

"Hi, Michael," Charlie replied.

Once upon a time, she would have felt awkward, bumping into her counsellor in public. But with only two sessions left to go, and her head in a generally much better place, she felt confident to speak to him.

"I'm pretty good," she said. "And you?"

"Good. See you this afternoon?"

"Yep," Charlie agreed.

Nodding, he went on his way. Charlie moved forward in the queue. Angelo studied her with interest.


Joey smiled when she saw Elijah and Miles approaching the bait shop.

"Off on a guy's day out?" she asked cheerfully.

"Yep," Miles said. "My morning classes are all off on a school trip so I get the morning off. Hooray!"

Joey giggled at his jubilance as she began to organise everything they'd need.

"Have you seen Leah today?" Elijah asked a little nervously.

"We all had breakfast together this morning," Joey said.

"And is she okay?"

"Someone's in love," Miles remarked.

Elijah looked horrified. Joey shot the teacher a look that could kill.

"Miles!" Joey shrieked. "Stop sharing stuff!"

"Wait," Elijah said. "She doesn't know that I know she likes me, does she? And she doesn't know that I like her?"

Joey buried her head in her hands, wondering why Miles seemed so intent on sharing everybody's secrets. He was behaving rather off the wall lately. A lot of people had noticed. More than once, people had caught him talking to himself and even playing chess against nobody. And now his skittish behaviour was causing embarrassment for his friends.


"So, who was that?" Angelo asked as he and Charlie headed back to the car in order to return to the police station.

"Who?" Charlie asked.

"That guy," Angelo said. "Michael?"

"Oh, he's just a friend," Charlie said vaguely, climbing into the passenger seat, still clutching her paper cup of coffee and wondering if she could sneak a visit to the bait shop before they headed back to work.

"And you're seeing him this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Charlie said, feeling a little anxious about all the questions.

She accepted that she was in counselling and people she felt very comfortable with, knew all about her struggles. However, these days, she didn't feel all that comfortable with her former fling.

"How do you know him?" Angelo asked, pulling out of their parking space.

"Just... through a friend," Charlie said vaguely.

"Have you known him long or...?"

"What's with all the questions?" Charlie suddenly asked.

"I'm just surprised that there's someone in this tiny town that I haven't met!" Angelo said, trying to laugh it off.

But he was more convinced of Charlie's affair than ever.


Joey was waving Miles and Elijah off on their fishing trip and feeling rather exasperated when Aden approached with Nicole and Justin.

"What's up?" Joey's best friend asked when he was within hearing distance.

"Nothing," Joey sighed with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter. How are you all?"

"Pretty good," Aden said brightly. "We're going fishing."

Joey raised her eyebrows at Nicole who immediately shook her head.

"They're going fishing," she said quickly. "I thought I'd just make a nuisance of myself and hang out here for my break."

She grinned.

"You are more than welcome," Joey assured her.

She set the boys up on their trip and sent them on their way before hopping up on the counter to give Nicole her full attention.

"Did you speak to that Britt woman?" she asked.

"Yes, actually," Nicole said. "And I think I've sorted everything out. I went to speak to her this morning and she was really stressed because some swimwear designs have been rejected. Then she accepted my help with some new designs. I mean, she still sent me out for coffee and I am taking a bit of a sneaky break but I'm heading back there in a bit to get started. I think I'm finally going to get to do some real work."

"Well done," Joey enthused. "Make sure you show her just how amazing you are, okay?"


Angelo stood outside Michael's house with his camera at the ready. He'd followed when Charlie had headed off to see her 'friend' that afternoon and, sure enough, she'd gone back to the same house she seemed to visit so regularly. Michael had opened the door and welcomed Charlie inside. And Angelo had caught glimpses of both of them in an upstairs room. He had also got it on camera and firmly believed he had the evidence he needed. And he couldn't wait to show it to Joey.


That evening, Joey cooked dinner for herself, Charlie, Leah, VJ, Ruby and Xavier. The teenagers were 'studying' in Ruby's bedroom and VJ was playing video games in the lounge. Charlie sat at the kitchen table, offering to help cook and hoping Joey would say no.

"How was your penultimate session?" Joey asked as she stirred pots.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," Charlie said. "I'm looking forward to it being over though. I actually ran into Michael at the Diner and I thought Angelo's head was going to explode. He was so nosy over who he was."

"What did you say?" Joey asked with a hint of an amused smile.

"I just said he was a friend. He was being really weird though."

They were interrupted by Leah arriving through the door, looking stressed.

"Bad day?" Charlie asked worriedly.

"Elijah is being really weird with me," the Diner owner complained.

Joey groaned and resumed cooking while Leah attempted to analyse what she might have done wrong.


Next time... Elijah shares his secret with Joey and Miles, Romeo freaks out about playing Juliet and Angelo's behaviour becomes stranger...