I stopped watching the show around this time as they just kept writing Charlie as more and more pathetic so I hope you like a stronger Charlie in this and don't mind that it's based on recaps and imagination! Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Three Hundred and Forty Four

"Look, we have to get out of here," Charlie said.

She was eager to escape the farm as soon as possible. She felt vulnerable out here with nobody she actually trusted anymore. Hugo was a dangerous criminal, Martha had turned against her and Eaves and Angelo could be on their way. With Eaves being as dangerous a criminal as Hugo, that left Angelo as her only ally. He was incompetent at best.

"You don't even know if they're coming here or not," Martha said. "If you'd just let us go then nobody has to get hurt. You could head back to the station, we could leave Summer Bay and everything would be okay."

"And my conscience would be ripped to shreds," Charlie replied, pulling her phone out again. "I'm a police Sergeant, Martha. I'm not prepared to let a criminal escape justice. And the fact that you're demanding I do, makes you a criminal as well."

She selected Angelo's number from her phone book and pressed the green button. She froze when Eaves answered the phone.


Joey and Ruby were happily tucking into their food.

"This was a very good idea," the teenager stated, tucking happily into her pasta.

"I agree," Joey said, also enjoying her food.

"Maybe we could get takeout for when Charlie gets home," Ruby suggested. "She's been working longer than is even legal today. She's going to be starved."

"Good idea," Joey said, nodding and reaching for her drink.

"Although, we do run the risk of having her fall asleep in her plate," Ruby giggled.

Joey laughed loudly, causing a handful of customers to look at her. She blushed and returned to her food, mumbling that the imagery had been funny.


"Fuck!" Charlie said, hanging up quickly.

"What's going on?" Hugo asked, still with his hands cuffed behind his back.

"Angelo and Eaves will be here any second," she informed him.

"Fuck," Hugo said, echoing Charlie's previous exclamation.

"Okay," Martha said. "We have to get out of here. Even if it is to the police station…"

"It's too late for that now," Charlie said anxiously.

She moved to the window and peered out into the night, knowing she would feel sick the moment she saw headlights approaching.

"Charlie, please uncuff me," Hugo requested.

The police officer turned sharply around.

"Excuse me?"

"Eaves is going to kill me," Hugo said. "Please give me a fighting chance."

Charlie hesitated. Eaves was definitely out to extinguish Hugo and, having informed her that he had taken Angelo's weapon, she knew that she was the only one remotely able to defend them all.

"I will hand myself into the cops as soon as we've dealt with Eaves," he promised.

Charlie approached him, keeping her face stern.

"If you break your word, I will arrest every single member of your family for harbouring a fugitive," she warned. "And I will do whatever it takes to make it stick."

Hugo nodded mutely. Without any politeness, she undid his handcuffs.


"Why is Charlie at the farm?" Eaves asked for the third time.

His impatience was about to explode. Angelo gripped the steering wheel and focussed on the road ahead of them, taking them closer and closer to Charlie, Hugo and Martha.

"I thought she'd gone home," he lied. "She doesn't usually do overtime these days. She's too wrapped up in her girlfriend."

Eaves raised his eyebrows but would not be drawn onto another subject. He kept his gun pressed firmly against Angelo's head, more than ready to shoot if he made a misstep.

"You're lying," he said. "Why are you lying to me, Angelo?"


Charlie turned back to the window. Her heart began to race as she saw the patrol car pull into the drive. The driver cut the engine but not the lights. They blinded their way through the window.

"They're here," she said.

"What do we do?" Martha asked fearfully.

"You stay quiet and let me take the lead," Charlie told her.


"Get out of the car!" Eaves barked.

Angelo continued to refuse, stalling for time if nothing else.

"You of all people know what guns can do, Rosetta," Eaves warned. "Get out of the damn car."

They both looked up when the front door to the farm opened and a figure stepped out into the night.


Ruby paused midsentence when she saw Xavier enter the Diner with Gina, Tony, Rachel and baby Harry. Joey turned her head to see what she was looking at.

"Just stay calm," she said quietly. "You had to face him sometime and it's better to get it out of the way sooner rather than later."

Ruby nodded but she still felt sick.


"I'm a police officer and I'm armed!" Charlie called out into the night, squinting in the glare of the headlights.

"Same," Eaves yelled back. "And if you don't lower your weapon, I'll use mine. I know you're a dyke and everything but I'm guessing you don't want your colleague's brains all over the car."

Charlie inched forward, not lowering her weapon as she tried to figure out what to do. She might not be Angelo's biggest fan but she didn't want him to die. And she especially didn't want it to be her fault, no matter what mistakes he had made.

"Lower your…"

Eaves' demanded was interrupted by Angelo abruptly tackling him to the floor. Charlie raced forward, ready to charge into the fray and bring the Detective down. Eaves broke away from Angelo long enough to fire his gun at Charlie.


"Hugo!" Martha said. "Charlie told us to stay put."

"I can't!" Hugo replied, continuing to race towards the door. "This is all because of me."

He charged out into the night, leaving his girlfriend panicking on the doorstep.

"Charlie?" he said, reaching for her.

"I'm fine," Charlie said.

She'd just about managed to avoid the bullet, throwing herself onto the ground. Angelo was still battling with Eaves. The Detective broke free from him again and fired his gun. Hugo collapsed onto the ground. Using Angelo and Charlie's shock against them, Eaves leapt to his feet and ran. He wasn't prepared to leave the property and miss his chance to get Hugo once and for all but he knew he had to rethink his approach.

"Hugo!" Martha screamed, racing out of the house and to his side.

While Angelo ran off after Eaves, determined to catch up with him, Charlie hurried to Hugo's side. He had been shot in the leg but so long as he got medical treatment, it wouldn't be fatal.

"Help me get him inside," she said.

Obedient for the first time that night, Martha helped Charlie drag Hugo into the safety of the house. Inside, Charlie attempted to stem the bleeding as Hugo drifted in and out of consciousness. With trembling fingers, Martha phoned Rachel, desperate for help.


"Hello?" Rachel said, answering her phone. "Martha? Martha, calm down. Tell me what happened."

The rest of the family listened in, as did Joey across the room.

"Okay, we'll be there immediately," Rachel promised. "Just keep pressure on the wound and keep him talking."

She hung up.

"Hugo," Tony concluded.

Rachel nodded. Everyone leapt up to make a move. The Doctor picked up her son, hurrying into the Diner kitchen and begging Leah to look after him. Without pausing to give her an explanation, she turned towards the door, running right into Joey.

"Is there trouble at the farm?" she asked.

"Um…"

"Charlie's there," Joey interrupted. "If there's trouble then I need to know."

"Hugo's been shot," Rachel said. "She said something about a dirty cop and… I don't know the details."

"I'm coming with you," Joey said.

Her tone didn't give anyone the chance to argue.

"Ruby, wait here," Joey called, leaving the Diner with Rachel, Tony, Gina and Xavier, dreading what they were about to encounter.


Next time… Eaves is finally captured and Angelo makes a decision he may live to regret…