I will hopefully be able to update tomorrow but apologies if not. I won't be around over the weekend but I'll be back with you on Monday. I hope you enjoy the chapter and that you all have a good weekend. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter Four Hundred and Fourteen

Charlie and Joey woke up wrapped in each other's arms, fatigued but happy from the night before. They were reluctant to start the day ahead but they felt even closer than ever and that felt wonderful.


Alone in bed, Watson awoke full of regret. She lay back against her pillows, full of regret over not pursuing things with Kerri. She thought she was the most beautiful woman she had ever met – and that included Monica – and yet she hadn't been brave enough to take the risk to tell her that. She just hoped there might be another opportunity to gather some courage to do it and that it wasn't too late. Right now, she'd rather feel stupid and be rejected than to never know if she stood a chance.


Leah got up and ready for work feeling more refreshed than she had in a while. Her night might have ended in the usual tears but she'd had fun and it had been good to let her hair down and enjoy herself for a change. She still missed Elijah with every heartbeat but she hoped she could spend more time enjoying the rest of her life from now on without him. She knew she had to start someone and it may as well be today.


After a reluctant start to the morning, Charlie and Joey arrived at Summer Bay House in order to collect Ruby, VJ and Danny and take them to school. They'd offered last night to save both Leah and Kerri the hassle of collecting the kids when they were still on escort duty when it came to their teenager anyway.

"I'll just pop in and get them," Joey offered, allowing Charlie to stay in the car.

Penn watched carefully from the window of his caravan as they kissed each other goodbye. They're only separating for a couple of minutes, he thought sourly. He couldn't stand sappy, happy, loved up people. They made him sick. And the way that Nicole had been fawning all over him these last few weeks since the needle incident, had been making his skin crawl. Things had to change, and they had to change today.


Over at the farm, Indi was perplexed as she stood in the doorway to her brother's room, watching him work out. Her geeky, gawky, never-cared-about-what-he-looked-like-before brother, was lifting weights in front of a mirror.

"What are you…?" she started.

He yelped in surprise and dropped the dumbbell, which was thankfully not very large on his foot. He hopped around in pain until he fell over, onto his bed.

"No girl is worth that, Dex," she told him, trying to hide her amusement.

"There is no girl," he lied, speaking mostly into his pillow.

"I'm just saying that it's not all about looks," Indi said, feeling oddly compassionate.

He turned his head and looked at her.

"Sorry, who do you go out with?" he asked. "And what is his name?"

"I love him for who he is," Indi said. "Being gorgeous helps of course but that's not the point, that's not why I like him. And whatever girl you like, should like you because of you, not because of how you're packaged."

"There is no girl," Dex insisted, returning his face to the pillows.

Indi chuckled and left him to it.

"She's a woman," Dex added quietly.


Nicole was sat at the breakfast table with Miles, Ruby, Danny and VJ when Joey arrived.

"How was girls' night?" Ruby asked. "Or don't I want to know?"

"It was great," Joey confirmed, trying not to let her thoughts stray to hers and Charlie's own private party afterwards.

There were some things that poor Ruby didn't need to know about.

"Was Mum okay?" VJ asked. "Did she have a good time?"

"Yes," Joey assured him. "She did. I promise."

VJ beamed at her. She granted him the hug he knew he was eager for. Danny chuckled, aware of his friend's crush on his neighbour.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Joey asked, coming to sit beside Nicole, who looked tense.

"I'm… struggling," the blonde admitted.

Today, she had both an exam and got her HIV test results. It was going to be a big and hopefully good day. But she was struggling to face it already. Joey put her arm around her. Nicole touched her hand, grateful for the support.

"Are you feeling poorly, Nicole?" VJ asked worriedly.

"Just a bit scared," Nicole explained. "I have some exams today."

"Mum always says that as long as you do your best, that's plenty good enough," Danny piped up.

Nicole smiled.

"Your Mum is very wise," she said.

"Yep," Danny beamed proudly.

They were interrupted by Penn arriving at the house. Nicole greeted him warmly. Miles and Joey tried not to let on that they still felt uneasy around him.

"I came to take you to school," he announced. "Show you some support."

"Oh," Nicole said, surprised. "I was going to go in with Miles…"

"I'd like to take you," Penn insisted.


It was lunch time when Kerri ventured out to get a couple of bits from the shops. She was still feeling rather down over her own private revelation that Watson wasn't interested in her and it was hard to pick herself up again but she was trying.

"This is a pleasant surprise," a male voice greeted her.

She looked up to find Brax, half undressed in a wetsuit and dripping with sea water. He was holding his surf board.

"Hi, Brax," she replied.

If anything, he always seemed to lift her spirits.

"How are you?"

"Yeah, pretty good. The waves out there are amazing."

"I'll have to take your word for it," she grinned.

He looked at her and then out at the water.

"I'm sure there's way to get you on a board," he told her.

"I don't think so," she objected.

"We'd have to be a little creative about it," he agreed. "But I'd love to try. What do you think?"

"Um…"

"Come on," he coaxed. "Give a guy a chance to spend some time with you…"

"I don't think…"

He knelt closer so that they were eye level, taking her hand.

"I'm asking you out on a date," he said, getting right to the point.

Kerri thought of Watson. She looked at Brax.

"I'm not really sure I'm dating material," she said cautiously.

"Nor am I," he grinned. "How about we give it a shot?"


Over at the restaurant, Angelo was in a foul mood. Alf had come in earlier and formally accepted Joey's offered position as bar manager. So Angelo was upset at not getting the promotion he'd had his heart set on and he was making a dreadful noise about it.

But Joey was thrilled with her new employee and Alf had spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know the place a bit better from a more professional angle. They had both been very pleased to get the news that Nicole's test results had all come back clear.


After school, Leah took VJ to the restaurant for dinner as a treat. Seated at a table for two, VJ took a deep breath.

"Why don't you write him a letter, Mum?" he suggested.

"Who?" Leah asked, feigning ignorance.

"Elijah," VJ said, although he knew that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

Leah sighed, unsure if she could talk about her ex-boyfriend with her son.

"If you miss him…" VJ ventured. "You could make contact. You could…"

The guilt of his own communication with the Reverend was weighing down on him but he was determined to plough on, to try and fix his mother's troubles if he could.


Things were tense at the dinner table at home. Indi was out and Sid was sure he had caught Dex writing a love letter earlier that evening. And he was convinced he knew who it was to. He was not happy.


"Well, I don't actually come in here all that often so I just thought I'd come and say hello," Colleen said.

She peered around the restaurant, assessing the place. Joey couldn't help but smile and hope that she would be impressed. Alf chuckled.

"I hear that you've started working here," the older woman said to her half brother.

"That's right," Alf said. "Bar Manager."

Angelo turned on his heel and returned to the kitchen, not wanting to be involved in the conversation. He had desperately wanted the job, wanted more responsibility, more involvement and more assurance that Joey both trusted and liked him. Apparently she doesn't, he thought bitterly.

"Why would you want to do that when you've already got so much going on?" Colleen wondered.

"Because I've got too much going on," Alf explained. "This way I can take a step back from some things and just chill for a bit."

Colleen looked bemused. She turned to scan the restaurant again, spotted Leah and waved. Feeling obliged, both Leah and VJ stood and headed over. Charlie and Ruby arrived just at the same time.


At home, Gina was distracted.

"What's wrong, love?" John wondered.

With Xavier out for the evening, working on the water bottle ban plan with April, he had been looking forward to a cosy night in with his partner but apparently she had other things on her mind.

"Just… work," Gina sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" John asked, although he didn't really want to.

He was the kind of person who believed in leaving work in its place and not bringing it home. But at the same time, one of the things he loved most about Gina was her compassionate heart.

"It's Nicole," she explained worriedly. "She failed an exam today. And she's already repeating the year and I'm concerned about her doing it again."

"Well, maybe it was just one exam…" John mused.

"I hope so," Gina said. "And she's got that needle stick thing hanging over her. I think she was getting the results from the HIV test today."

John nodded.

"But I'm really worried about that guy she's spending time with," Gina added.

"Yes," John agreed. "I think everyone is. There's just something… wrong about him."


"VJ thinks I should write to him," Leah explained to Charlie, Joey and Colleen.

Alf was off being given a guided tour of the restaurant by a very, very begrudging Angelo, leaving the girls to chat while Leah and her son waited for their food to arrive.

"That might be a step in the right direction," Joey agreed.

VJ beamed at her, proud that she liked his idea. She patted his hand and he looked like he might explode from delight. Charlie chuckled.

"That way it might be like what Watson said last night," the police officer added. "You'll either find your way back to each other again or it'll bring closure. Either way, you'll stop this whole thing from hanging over you."

Leah nodded her agreement, glad to have at least made some kind of decision.

"Just be careful of how you word it," Colleen put in. "You don't want to look desperate."

Leah looked defeated all over again.


Miles was worried as he watched Penn take Nicole out to dinner at Joey's restaurant. The couple were celebrating Nicole's tests coming back clear, setting her free from the anguish and fear from what had happened that day on the beach. But his own concern was far from over and he knew that other people were deeply worried too. There was just something not quite right about Penn and he did not want Nicole anywhere near him. He picked up the phone and quickly dialled.

"Joey?" he said, when she answered. "Penn and Nicole are heading your way. Can you just… keep an eye on her please?"


Colleen had left and Charlie and Joey were both glad. Leah had quickly decided that she wouldn't write to Elijah after all. VJ was deeply disappointed and had sulked back to his table.

"Are you sure?" Joey asked. "I mean, do you really think Colleen Smart is the best person to make that decision for you?"

"I don't want to look pathetic," Leah said firmly. "I just need to work harder at forgetting him. And I need more nights out with the girls."

"Well, that we can arrange," Charlie said. "But I wouldn't forget the letter so swiftly."

Leah nodded but didn't commit.

"But if you want to keep busy, you can help us plot to get Kerri and Watson together," Joey grinned.

Leah laughed.

"Watson did seem to be making a hash of it," she remarked. "But it's very obvious that they like each other."

"I just wish they'd go for it!" Charlie exclaimed.

They all looked up when Nicole and Penn entered the restaurant. Joey took the lead and seated them herself, having promised Miles to look out for Nicole.


At home, Kerri had the television on but wasn't really watching it. She toyed with the phone number Brax had given her, wondering if she should contact him or not. On the one hand, she knew he had a reputation. On the other, he seemed like a really nice guy. And he didn't seem bothered by her disability – but then, a lot of people didn't act like they cared at the beginning and then it became a problem later, when the novelty wore off.

She liked Watson a lot. But Watson didn't seem to like her. So what was the point in waiting around for her? She'd practically offered herself on a plate and Watson hadn't done anything about it. So why was she even hoping? But Brax was very obviously interested. And even if it didn't go anywhere, it was nice to get some attention. What was the harm?


Charlie, Joey, Alf and Angelo were all concerned as they watched Nicole and Penn eat together. At their table, Nicole was just relieved to feel normal again.

"I feel like I can be happy again, you know?" she said, smiling.

"You can't," Penn replied.

Nicole paused, fork halfway to her mouth.

"Sorry?" she said.

"I hate to break it to you, Nic," he said. "But all of this has been one, big game."

Nicole put her fork down, anxiously trying to work him out. The gaze of her friends at the bar intensified.

"What are you talking about?" she asked.

"Why do you think I've been playing the hero since you got pricked by that needle?" Penn asked.

"Because you're a nice guy…"

"I'm not a nice guy," he told her.

She wasn't sure how to respond.

"I put the needle there in the first place," he informed her. "The whole thing was down to me."


Next time… Ruby takes more steps towards independence, Alf starts as Joey's Bar Manager and Nicole struggles in the fall out of Penn's revelation…