I'm baaaaack! I had the best holiday ever, although I am now exhausted and will probably be recovering for weeks! But I will be back to updating every day and when I have a few chapters built up, I have a new fic to post. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Nineteen

John woke up in the morning feeling extremely uncomfortable. Having followed Gina all the way home, he had tried to explain himself but only succeeded in getting a glass of water thrown over his head. He had then had the door shut in his face and so had spent the whole night sleeping outside on a bench, hoping the she would relent and give him a chance to apologise properly.


Charlie woke very reluctantly. The last thing she wanted to do was get out of bed and face the day when she could stay warm and snuggled against Joey's still sleeping form. Fumbling around for the alarm clock, she switched it off and cuddled back up to her girlfriend.

"I think it's time to get up," Joey mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

"No," Charlie lied. "You're dreaming. It's still the middle of the night."

Not quite believing her but not any more inclined to get up than Charlie was, Joey remained exactly where she was.


For what felt like the millionth morning in a row, Romeo sat at the breakfast table with Alf, Marilyn, Miles and Nicole while Jill battled a hangover on the couch. She was actually worse to have around than Mink was and Romeo couldn't help but think that that was quite a significant statement.


A very reluctant Charlie and Joey had just about managed to get into the shower, waking themselves up in their own creative and rather amorous way. Now, sitting at the table with Ruby before they headed to work and she headed to school, both tried to resist pressuring her into telling the truth about Hugo. Charlie was growing frustrated to say the least, knowing that her own daughter was lying to her and could be the key to bringing Hugo down once and for all. However, their relationship was still too fragile to go in too hard. She didn't want to undo all the work they had done over the last few months.


Gina breezed swiftly out of her front door and towards her car, ignoring John as she did so. Her 'boyfriend', if that's what he was meant to be, hurried after her, apologising profusely and trying to explain that 'it wasn't what it looked like'.

"I don't care what it looked like," Gina said. "And I don't care what it was. Quite frankly, I've got

enough going on without worrying about some guy I don't even care about."

He jumped back as she slammed her car door, tearing off down the road quicker than she should.


"No!" Angelo said desperately into the phone. "No! You can't do that!"

Hearing him from where she had been chatting to Watson in reception, Charlie hurried into the office. She winced as Angelo swore at the caller and then slammed the phone down so hard that it tumbled off the desk.

"What is it?" Charlie asked, gathering the phone and checking it was still working.

Angelo sighed heavily and rubbed his temples, landing in his chair. He looked into Charlie's eyes and she could read his heartbreak.

"They've told me we've got to discontinue the investigation," he said.


"Look, I gave you money!" Jill yelled angrily. "What the hell else do you want from me?"

"I want you to be my mother!" Romeo yelled back.

Everyone else in the house had made a swift exit when the argument had started. Jill was annoyed at the way she felt Romeo was always criticising her. And for his part, Romeo didn't understand how she could be so blind as to how her actions affected him.

"I am being your mother!" Jill insisted. "What other mother do you know that would give their son $50,000?"

"I don't want your money!" Romeo snapped.

"I didn't see you rip up the cheque!" Jill pointed out.

"I didn't!" Romeo said. "I gave it to someone who needs it. Someone who's actually been good to me over the last year. Someone a hundred times better than you!"

Jill's eyes darkened as she met her son's gaze.

"Who did you give my money to?" she demanded.

Romeo shifted uncomfortably. She repeated the question but louder.

"Joey!" he admitted. "I gave it to Joey!"


"Fine," Hugo said in a resigned tone.

After a particularly difficult night that had involved lots and lots of pain, he finally had to admit defeat. He'd broken his arm and was in agony and it would only get worse if he didn't get it treated.

"You mean it?" Martha said hopefully. "I can call Rachel to come and help?"

Hugo nodded, although he was desperately afraid they were about to make a big mistake.


Feeling awkward but compassionate, Charlie sat beside Angelo and put her arm around him. She was surprised to realise that he was crying. It was startling to say the least but her compassion only intensified.

"Look," she said gently, rubbing his shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"How will it be okay?" he asked, as if really expecting an answer.

"They can't just let the case go," Charlie said. "Not just like that. We've all worked too hard…"

"That's the point," Angelo said sadly. "They said that we can't keep putting so much time and so many resources into one case. They think the whole thing was doomed from the start."

Charlie sighed heavily and hugged him.


As soon as he found her, Romeo quickly took Gina to one side.

"Look, I don't know exactly what happened last night…" he began.

Gina shook her head, mortified to be in a position where a student felt the need to interfere in her love life. It was embarrassing.

"Romeo, I don't want to talk about it," she said swiftly.

"But whatever happened, I'm positive that it wasn't John's fault," Romeo insisted. "He really cares about you. I mean, I don't really like the guy but that much is obvious. He adores you. I really think that anything that happened with my Mum would have been down to her, not him."


"I just feel like I'm never going to stop being punished for Jack's death," Angelo said, rubbing his eyes and trying not to get too hooked on the feel of being in Charlie's embrace.

"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.

"I escaped jail long term because I was willing to take on this case," Angelo explained. "But I cocked it up. I cock everything up. It feels like… well, pretty much from the moment I dated Belle, way back in 2008, my life has been hurtling down the toilet."

He sighed heavily.

"I had this brief moment of joy when you and I were together but then Jack died and…"

He shook his head and rubbed his temples. Charlie tentatively kept her arm around him.

"And I had this stupid dream that once I was out of prison and solving the human trafficking case, everything would be okay again. I thought I'd have you and people would start to forgive me. But ever since I came back here, I've make one fuck up after another. I mean, even Alf Stewart knocked me out!"

He shook his head.

"Why can't I just stop making mistakes?"

"You can," Charlie insisted.

She moved so that she was looking into his eyes and holding his hands, determined to be a good friend. He might not be her favourite person in the world but right now, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"How can I?"

"Start here," Charlie said. "Take back what's yours. Complete the case and prove everyone wrong. Apologise to Martha and everyone you've upset over the last year. Make things right with people and do things right from now on."

"I can't…"

"Of course you can," Charlie encouraged. "If you try, you can make things right again. I know you can."

He moved in and kissed her.


Rachel and Tony were both utterly floored to come face to face with Hugo, standing in vast amounts of pain in the kitchen of the farm house. They stared at him in sheer disbelief before Tony lurched forward and knocked him to the ground.


"What the hell are you doing?" Charlie shrieked, pulling quickly away.

She felt guilty for not seeing it coming. Angelo's lips had touched hers for a fraction of a second and she felt terrible, like she had cheated on Joey.

"I just thought…"

"You just thought you'd make one last mistake before you cleaned up your act?" she demanded angrily, wiping her mouth with sheer disgust.

Angelo stood up anxiously.

"You were giving me the come on!" he insisted.

Charlie glared bitterly at him.

"You know what?" she said. "I take it back. You don't have it in you to make things right. You really are going to tumble from one fuck up to another. And from here on out, I'm not going to be here to try and help you make things right. You absolutely disgust me, Angelo."

With that, she stormed out of the police station.


"Tony!" Martha cried out as Hugo tumbled to the floor.

"How could you destroy our family like that?" Tony demanded angrily, standing over him and not looking like he was at all inclined to calm down.

Rachel put a gentle hand on his arm.

"This isn't going to help," she said softly.

"But he…"

"I know," Rachel said. "But he looks like he's injured already so maybe we can fix that and then you can tell him exactly what you think of him?"

Tony sighed heavily, his emotions draining out of him. Reluctantly, he extended his hand to help Hugo back to his feet.


"You!" a female voice squawked as she marched towards the bait shop.

Joey, who had been singing to herself and cleaning the floor, whirled around in surprise.

"Where do you get off taking money off a vulnerable kid like Romeo?"

"Taking money off…?" Joey said in bewilderment.

"That was my fifty grand!" Jill snapped. "How dare you take my money?

"I haven't…" Joey tried.

"You've taken advantage of my son!"

Jill moved forward angrily. Joey flinched away.

"If you lay one hand on my girlfriend I will waste no time in arresting you," Charlie said angrily, appearing as if by magic behind them. "And I won't be polite about it."

Jill hesitated. Joey was more than a little relieved. Glaring bitterly at both of them, Jill marched out of the bait shop, muttering something about immoral dykes.

"What was that all about?" Charlie asked.

"Romeo's money," Joey said unhappily.

Then she caught the look in her girlfriend's eyes. She looked like she was on the brink of tears.

"More importantly, what's wrong with you?" Joey asked worriedly.


"He did what?" Joey yelped, leaping to her feet and looking set to give Angelo a piece of her mind.

"I'm so sorry, Joey," Charlie said sadly, shaking her head.

She held onto Joey's arm, willing her not to fly too far off the handle.

"What do you have to be sorry about?" Joey asked gently, sinking back onto the step beside her girlfriend.

"I didn't stop him," Charlie said. "I mean, I didn't realise what he was planning until it was too late and he made contact for like a nanosecond. I'm so sorry."

Joey gazed at Charlie for a long moment, feeling nothing but love for her. Then she leant in and offered a kiss that took her breath away.

"Does that do anything to eradicate the memories?" she asked with a grin.

Charlie laughed and nodded, pulling her closer for another and wrapping her arms around her.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" she wondered.

Joey reached out and stroked her face, gazing into her eyes.

"How could I be mad at you?" she asked. "You haven't done anything wrong."

"I didn't manage to stop him in time…"

"Did you enjoy it?"

"No!"

"Did you want him to kiss you?"

"No!"

"Well then, stop being silly and blaming yourself for things that aren't your fault," Joey told her, tapping her on the nose.

Charlie giggled and kissed her again.

"I love you so much," she whispered.

"I love you too," Joey replied. "Always and forever."


Next time… Alf gives Angelo some home truths, Ruby falls out with Xavier and Charlie and Joey analyse their day…