Charlie's POV
I was sitting on the beach under my beach umbrella with Zoey in the capsule next to me. It was a nice day, not too sunny, but still nice enough to chill on the beach. Brax was out surfing before starting work and I was on the beach slathering Zoey with sunscreen and watching as she squirmed. "Oh stop being a sook I groaned. Hello, hello" Roo sat down next to us smiling. "Look at her! She's growing up so fast" She looked into the capsule. "Oh Charlie she looks so much like you!" She laughed.
"You think?" I chuckled, looking at my daughter, only seeing Brax's eyes look back at me.
"Yeah! She's you and Ruby all over!" Roo exclaimed, picking her up. "I sometime wish I hadn't given up Martha for adoption...but then sometimes I knew it was the right thing to do, for me and for her" She nods, still smiling at my baby.
"I feel the same way about Ruby...but I was way too young, I had no idea what I was doing and to be honest, I still have no idea what I'm doing" I hadn't spoken about this to anyone before, but I had a feeling Roo knew what I was going through. "How did you feel giving up your baby?" I asked.
"It was horrible, knowing she was going to be growing up with another family, knowing that she'll never call me mum, not knowing if I was ever going to see her again" Roo sighed. "Is everything alright with you Charlie? You know how this town talks...I've been hearing things" Roo revealed.
"I...I don't know. I just don't want to make the same mistakes I made with Ruby...but I feel like I already have. And by doing that I feel like I'm losing Brax...and I don't know what I'd do if I lost him" I replied quietly.
"Charlie...you are doing the best you can, and that's all anyone can do" She smiled. "If you ever need to talk I think I know where you're coming from...and so will Marilyn" She smiled, putting Zoey back in the capsule.
"Yeah I know...but I've got Brax...that's all I need, thanks" I replied, trying to give her a smile before watching her walk off.
"What did Roo want?" Brax asked curiously as he ran out of the water.
"Nothing...just being friendly" I smiled, looking up at him. He smirked before digging his board into the sand and sitting down next to me. "Brax, you're all wet, get away from me" I groaned.
"Oh shut up, you love it" He smiled before placing a hand on my cheek and pulling my lips towards his. He tasted like the sea, like the salt, like perfection. We broke away after a short moment before he stood up. "Well I'm going to have a shower at the gym and head up to work...I'll see you tonight" He leant down and kissing my forehead before kissing Zoey. I nodded and watched him walk off. Zoey was dozing off so I decided to sit back and read a magazine.
"Someone stop him...please, he took my purse!" I heard screamed as a man ran past me with a woman following. I sat up and looked at the young guy with a woman's hand bag in his hand. My cop instincts set into play as I quickly stook up and chased the guy down the sand.
"Call the police!" I yelled out to the woman as I bolted towards the guy. He was fast, but not as fast as me. I sprinted until I tackled him to the ground. He struggled but I sat on his back and grabbed his hands before he could do anything. Ripping the bag off him, I put it to the side as he gave up. "You're under arrest for robbery. You are not obliged to say or do anything unless you wish to do so, but whatever you say or do may be used in evidence. Do you understand?" I read his rights before waiting for the police. The woman finally caught up.
"Thank you so much!" She was thankful. "Anyone would have thought you were a police officer" She chuckled.
"I am...well I was" I mumbled the last bit as Watson arrived.
"Hey Charlie, what's going on?" She asked, handing me the cuffs. I put them on the guy before standing him up.
"I seen him running off with this lady's bag...he's all yours now" I smiled.
"We'll get you to come down the station to make a statement if that's ok?" She smiled before taking the guy up towards the car, me following. Watson and I had a good chat before we got into separate cars and headed down to the station and the guy was put in a holding cell. They got the woman's statement and mine before I walked around my office, smiling. "You miss this place don't you?" Watson asked with a knowing smile.
"More than anything...I just want to be back" I sighed.
"You've got Zoey now....where is she by the way?" She asked confused. Zoey. I left Zoey on the beach!
"Shit! I've got to go!" I made a sudden realization before running out of the station and into my car. I drove to the beach as fast as I could. "Zoey!" I screamed stupidly, knowing she wouldn't respond. The beach was empty apart from a large group of surfers and the surf lifesavers. No sign of her, or my belongings. Brax was going to kill me.
