Welcome to my new story :)

The first thing I must say is a huge thank-you for all of your support and encouragement. While they may not seem like much, each review, alert and PM is so amazing and they keep me going. THANK YOU!

Here is the first chapter of my new story By My Side.

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"Forget it," Brax growled and Heath took a breath trying to calm himself down. Losing his temper with Brax at any time was risky but doing so while trying to convince him to visit their father in prison was likely to result in a hospital visit.

"I figured you'd say that but he said it's important."

"I don't care what he says and since when does he decide what is important for us?" Brax boomed.

"He told me to tell you that he's had a real good chat with one of your friends."

"Oh yeah, ask me if I care, Heath."

"He said it'll be good for you if you go and see him, he said he only needs five minutes," Heath tried again.

"He doesn't know a damn thing about what's good for me, or you or Casey? Better yet, what the fuck were you thinking going to go see him after all this time?"

"That was my decision mate," Heath told Brax evenly.

"Yeah, and this is mine."

The conversation stilled and neither Heath nor Brax were going to back down.

The topic of conversation had completely floored Brax, after coming home from an early morning surf. Nothing could have prepared him for Heath requesting he go and visit their father.

"I've seen him twice," Heath admitted, he knew this was going to be a difficult conversation and he would rather get everything out in the open earlier than later.

"Then you're dumber than you look," Brax grunted and Heath noticed the volatile anger in his older brother's voice had disappeared.

"Some people say I look like you," Heath deadpanned and Brax huffed.

"He wants to see you and Casey," Heath tried.

"Keep Casey out of this," Brax demanded. It was an order and Heath recognised it as such but that didn't mean he was going to abide by it.

"Again, that's not your choice, mate,"

Once more the conversation fell into silence.

"What are you doing, Heath?" Brax asked as calmly as he were able.

"Delivering a message. Come on, if I can suck it up and go and see him then you can too."

"He's got nothing to say that I want or need to hear."

Brax watched Heath grit his teeth slightly and take a deep breath.

For the second time that day, Brax was not able to prepare himself for what he was about to hear.

"It's about Buckton," Heath told Brax and the silence that followed was deafening.

Brax wasn't even looking at Heath anymore; he was looking straight through him.

Eight months later, Brax was still coming to terms with Charlie Buckton's death, the death of the woman who meant the world to him, the woman who he was going to spend the rest of his life with.

"There isn't anything he can tell me that I want to hear and there is no way, no fucking way I'm going to go and see him for him to run his mouth about Charlie, understand," Brax's resolve was clear and he was almost at the breaking point.

Heath nodded. Talking to Brax about Charlie was dangerous for anyone, including Heath who hadn't given his brother's relationship a chance.

"How does he even know about her anyway?"

Brax still found it incredibly hard to talk about Charlie.

"He was asking a few questions?"

"Why'd he even have questions?" Brax asked, his voice was dangerously controlled and Heath knew, one wrong word would push him over the edge.

"The second time I visited he had questions about you and Buckton."

"What kind of questions?"

Heath exhaled loudly, "Questions that he seemed to already know the answer to, like he was just confirming what he knew."

"And how did he know anything about us in the first place?"

"Because Jake told him," Heath stated and Heath braced himself for the worst.

"What?"

"Someone saw me visiting him the first time, Jake had a go at dad, Jake ran his mouth for a while calling us dogs and stuff, talking about everything that happened."

"And? So what they're buddies, keeping each other warm at night?"

Heath took a deep breath.

"No," Heath began but Brax cut him off.

"How does any of that affect me?"

"I don't know, but now Dad wants to see you and he mentioned Buckton."

Silence took over the conversation.

"Look, I wasn't going to tell you about going to see him, I knew you'd be pissed. But then he mentioned Buckton and even though you hate him, I knew you'd want to know if it concerned her."

Brax remained silent.

"It's up to you whether you go, I'm just the messenger but in case you're wondering, he's changed. He's different to what he was like when we were kids. I wouldn't bring up Buckton for no reason, whatever Jake said to Dad, made him want to see you," Heath finished.

Brax's fists were clenched at his side and Heath knew when to leave him alone.

"Just think about it, will you?" Heath said softly, before leaving Brax to his thoughts.

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"Well you came a lot sooner than I thought you would," Danny taunted his eldest son that afternoon.

Danny Braxton's two escorts waited a few more minutes than necessary before leaving them alone.

Brax had refused to sit once he had been lead into the outdoor visitor's area. He stood; arms crossed and watched as his father sit down.

Brax felt a strong course of hatred pulsing through his body when he heard his father's gravelly voice.

"I wasn't going to come at all," Brax said honestly.

"Nah, I knew you would eventually, time was the only variable. All I needed to do was to mention the C word and here you are. Never thought one of my boys would be running around after a woman. Pretty whipped if you ask me."

"No one's asking."

"So how you been?" Danny tried.

"Are you going to tell me why you wanted me here or did you just want a chance to run your mouth?"

"Well you're smart mouth hasn't changed has it?"

"Well, I wish I could say it's been nice talking to you but to tell you the truth, I wish I hadn't wasted my time," Brax said roughly. He turned and took a step before Danny spoke.

"So she mustn't have been important to you then?"

Brax stopped in his tracks, his father's words completely opposite from the truth.

"You don't know anything about her or me for that matter."

"I reckon you're wrong there, I think I know a lot more about her that you do at the moment."

"Really? How do you figure that?"

"Sit down, Darryl."

Brax didn't budge from his standing position.

"Let me tell you what's going to happen here, son."

Brax scoffed and made no effort to hide a smirk.

"I find it a bit funny you telling me what's happening when I have the freedom to walk out of here whenever I want to and your here for another ten years, at least."

"Shut up and listen," Danny ordered.

Brax had hit a nerve and he heard the anger in his dad's voice.

"You're going to get me out of here," Danny said.

At hearing this Brax laughed harshly, "Really, and why would I do that?"

"You do that for me, I'll find Charlie Buckton for you."

All of the colour drained from Brax's face, his hands gripped the table top and his heart pounded so hard he could feel it through every part of his body and hear it in his ears.

Danny's guards sensed the change in conversation and began to move towards them.

Danny held up a hand ushering them away and Brax looked over to nod to them to tell them they were fine.

"What did you just say?" Brax demanded softly.

"I think you heard me quite clearly."

"You want me to get you out of here?"

"Yes, and in return, I'll find your little girlfriend for you and you can go back to living happily ever after. From what Heath tells me you're a bit hard to be around at the moment."

"I hate to burst this little delusional bubble you've got going on but, Charlie's dead."

"Is she?" Danny asked and Brax hated that he was being sucked into his game.

"Are you sure?" Danny continued sickly, enjoying the torment he was inflicting on his son.

"I found her bleeding on the floor; I watched her life support get turned off." Brax hadn't felt rage like this since Charlie's funeral, he had no doubt that if his father continued, and he would be going to the infirmary instead of his cell.

"Hmmm," Danny nodded.

"What?" Brax asked unable to help himself.

"I'm under the impression that Miss Charlie Buckton is very much alive."

"I heard you and Jake Perovic are buddies now, is that where this is coming from?"

"Not buddies, but yeah, he let it slip."

"Let what slip?"

"That he thinks Charlie is alive."

"She's not," Brax growled. It was hard for him to say, but he knew the truth, didn't he?

"Your friend," Danny taunted, "seems to think she's been put in witness protection, he said that there was no way that his shot killed her. It would have hurt her, definitely, but not kill."

"Nah," Brax said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, it seems pretty farfetched to me too, as an outsider looking in of course, but..." Danny let the sentence linger, he didn't need to be in his son's life the past 12 years to know that at that moment, he was putty in his hands.

"But what?"

"But, Perovic let it slip that he still has a hit out on your woman, he's dead set certain she's alive and in hiding," Danny told his eldest.

Brax was frozen in place.

"Mate, I'm just telling you what I know, what you do with that information is up to you."

"I don't believe you." Brax said honestly but inside he was a mess, was Charlie alive?

"There's only one way to find out for certain, son. You get me out of here, I'll use what I know to get her for you," Danny continued, sadistically enjoying the affect this was having on his son.

"I'll leave you to think about it for a few days, but, I think I'll be seeing you real soon, Darryl. Real soon," Danny said maliciously before he was led back into the prison.

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How was that?

Remember, for me, the response to the first chapter is most important. Please let me know if you want more

Your reviews are most appreciated.

Thanks for reading.

xoxox