Hello! Welcome to my new story! I really hope you like it. The basic idea is that Charlie and Joey meet on the programme 'Wife Swap', which I used to watch with rather avid fascination, I must admit. It will flit between time and this is the introduction. Feedback always appreciated! And I'm sure it goes without saying but most of the characters belong to Home and Away and the initial concept of the TV show is not mine - it belongs to the people behind the real show. With no further ado, I hope you enjoy it. Love, IJKS xxx

Chapter One

Present Day

Senior Constable Charlie Buckton sat on the sofa, feeling nervous as she waited for her television debut. She and her boyfriend, Constable Angelo Rosetta had been having problems and in order to try and save their relationship, they had decided to participate on a reality TV show called Wife Swap. The idea had been that they would get such a shock with different families that they would learn to appreciate what they had. They wanted to learn to appreciate each other more. And now, their episode was airing. The opening credits rolled and the camera zoomed in on their little house.

"Thirty year-old police officer, Charlie Buckton lives in Summer Bay with her partner of five years, Angelo Rosetta and her teenage daughter, Ruby," the narrator explained.

Charlie and Angelo could be seen walking along the beach together and Ruby could then be seen laughing with her mother. The cameras had followed them around for a whole day to try and capture who they were and the essence of their family life. It had been hard to act naturally around the cameras at first but Charlie hoped she and her family had succeeded. On the other end of the sofa, Ruby was growing more and more excited at being on television.

"Angelo, also thirty, is also a police officer, one rank below his partner. He and Charlie met while working together and moved in together three years ago."

The screen showed Charlie and Angelo at work. Georgina Watson could be seen hiding in the background, not wanting her face to appear on TV. Charlie couldn't help but smile.

"Charlie's daughter Ruby is sixteen years old and studying at the local high school."

Ruby appeared in her school uniform, chatting with her boyfriend Xavier and her friends Annie, Jai, Nicole and Geoff.

"Charlie became pregnant when she was just fourteen years old and has raised Ruby, with the help of her father Ross, a retired Detective," the narrator continued.

Charlie glanced at her father, sitting in the arm chair. He turned pink as his image appeared on screen. Charlie and Ruby chuckled.

"And her late mother," the narrator finished.

Charlie and Ruby held hands for a brief moment. Charlie's step-mother, Morag, tried not to feel left out.

"Further up the coast, live Melanie Carpenter, her female partner, Joey Collins and their housemate, Samantha Darling."

In her own home, Mel watched the screen avidly as she and her family stood outside the house together and waved. Everything had changed after the swap and she wasn't entirely sure how she felt about it.

"Twenty-five year old Mel owns a beauty parlour, bought for her when she was twenty-one in a bid to encourage her to settle down," the narrator explained. "She employs best friend Sam, also twenty-five while Joey, twenty-six, runs her own tour guide business."

The screen showed Mel and Sam at work and then Joey and her best friend, Aden Jeffries, on Joey's boat. On the sofa, the business woman shifted but remained enthralled. It had been Mel's idea to go on the show and none of them had ever known what it would bring them and how it would change their directions in life. Joey hadn't really wanted to do it but as ever, she'd wanted to make Mel happy.

"Charlie and Mel have agreed to swap partners, homes and children to find out what they can learn from the experience," the narrator explained to the nation.

Charlie watched Mel's goodbye to her family with interest. She'd squeezed Sam tightly and passionately kissed Joey. Ruby giggled as she watched Charlie hug Angelo goodbye and kiss his cheek before holding onto Ruby so tightly she'd nearly squeezed the life out of her.

"I didn't want you to forget me!" Charlie told her with a grin.

Ross shook his head and chuckled as he watched each family saying goodbye to each other.

"What happens when the wives take the idea of swapping, a little too seriously?" the narrator asked.

Joey blanched as there was a shot of her and Charlie holding hands and gazing at each other lovingly. Charlie pulled a face when they showed a rather scantily clad Mel leave the room Charlie shared with Angelo.

"And what happens when a teenage daughter discovers that her mother has been betrayed?"

Ruby felt rather proud of herself as she saw footage of herself packing up and storming to Xavier's house in search of refuge from Angelo and Mel. She'd reached the end of the path and given them the finger before Xavier's future sister in law, Martha, arrived to collect her. Charlie couldn't help but snort with laughter. She was very proud of her girl.

Next time... twelve weeks ago, Charlie, Angelo and Ruby prepare to let the film crew into their lives, revealing all about their family dynamics...