Hey all, this is just my x-mas story so don't get too excited, as I am so busy this year and don't have time off until x-mas eve night I'm afraid this years will only be two chapters (the second might be ready to post tomorrow night) but if I can I'll add a third…enjoy and please review.
Charlie sighed as her phone rang "I'm here I'm here," she answered as she hurried up the stairs to Angelo's. Hanging up she sighed as she saw who was standing behind the bar with Bianca.
"At last," Brax said when he spotted her "you'd be late for your own funeral," he added.
"Who asked you?" Charlie snapped and sat beside Bianca "what's he even doing here?"
Bianca sighed as she listened to them bicker "alright that's enough!" she yelled over them "you're both here because I need help with this party."
"Help with what?" Brax asked "you're having it here so food drinks and guests are taken care of."
Charlie scoffed "how about decorations presents and actually getting Heath here?"
"Mention free food and he'll come running," Brax said and turned to Bianca "next please, he chuckled.
"Shut up you moron," Charlie said and pushed his shoulder.
"Hey!" he yelled and shoved her back.
Bianca watched them for another minute before she pushed her stool back and stood up quickly "will you two grow up!" she yelled angrily.
Brax and Charlie stopped and looked over at her surprised at her tone "….sorry," Charlie muttered.
"Uh, yeah…sorry," Brax said rubbing the back of his neck.
"You two are worse than the kids," Bianca huffed and slammed down a piece of paper "just for pissing me off I'm leaving you both to do this together-TOGETHER!" she yelled when they both started protesting.
"It's my boyfriend-your brothers thirtieth!" she snapped "everything will be perfect! So either you two sleep with each other and get it out of the way or learn to get on around us because we're all sick of it" she hissed and walked off. "Cake needs to be collected at six tomorrow and it better be collected by both of you!" she called as she walked out of Angelo's.
Brax and Charlie watched her go in shock they knew they argued a lot but never thought they were bugging everyone else. Charlie sighed and pulled the piece of paper to her, looking at everything on the list she turned to Brax "you get the cake I'll go to the mall and collect the banners and balloons."
Brax slid a beer to her and looked down on the paper "what about the champagne fountain?" he asked.
Charlie looked down on it "I can get it on the way back if you can go get the pictures from the photo place."
"Done," Brax said and walked off "I'm not going anywhere with you!" he called back.
"Like I'd get in that car!" she yelled "god knows what I'd catch with all those bimbos you do have in it!"
Brax walked back to her smirking "aww is someone jealous they're not one?"
Charlie scoffed and stood up "the only reason I would ever be in your car is if I was searching it!" she hissed and walked off "don't forget your half of the list!"
Brax watched her go and chuckled he loved pissing her off.
…..
Bianca had been listening in and heard them agree to take half each, sighing she hurried off before Charlie could spot her that's not what she asked at all…time for the next step.
Going to the surf club she asked John could she have some paper and a pen, sitting down she wrote out all their names and ripped them up- time for secret Santa with a little bit of meddling.
Standing up she walked back to Angelo's and went upstairs "Brax!" she called from the door way.
"Something else you forgot?" he asked walking to her.
"Yeah your secret Santa," she said handing him a name "you're last so you don't have to pick…you know the rules, no swapping, no joke gifts and no telling anyone who you have," she said and smiled quickly "bye," she added and turned on her heels and down the stairs.
Brax unfolded the paper and groaned "why god why?" he muttered as he walked back to his office.
Out on the strip Bianca had run into Charlie "hey!" she called "I forgot to give you your secret Santa," she said handing her a piece of paper.
"Oh," Charlie said and took it from her "thanks…why didn't I get to pick it out of the bag?"
"You're the last to pick so you don't have to pick, you know the rules," she smiled and walked on "I'll see ya at mine for dinner later!" she called as she walked towards her car.
Charlie opened her name and groaned "why is this happening to me?" she muttered as she watched Bianca drive away. Sighing she put the paper in her pocket and went on her walk to meet Jack.
When she arrived at the diner she saw Jack texting "do you ever give that thing a break you're worse than Ruby," she said sitting beside him.
"Just Martha," he said and put the phone down "did you get your secret Santa?" he asked trying to hide his smirk.
"Yeah," she sighed "you?" she asked and smiled as Marylyn placed a coffee in front of her.
"Yep, and I'm pretty happy with who I got this year," he smiled.
Charlie narrowed her eyes "you know if you got Martha you have to give it back."
Jack chuckled "I didn't get Martha," he said.
Charlie sat back in the chair "I hate who I got," she muttered.
"You're not supposed to tell anyone who you got," Jack said.
"I didn't," she replied.
Jack chuckled "there's only one person you hate out of all of us."
Charlie shrugged "could be someone I secretly hate."
"Okay," Jack said leaning forward "me Pete and Rubes are family so it's not us, Hayls Leah and Bianca are your longest friends-you like their other halves. I know you love Casey and Kyle and your growing to like Heath so that just leaves one person."
"Whatever," Charlie sighed "we going for a surf or what?"
Jack chuckled "we're going."
Later that evening Charlie arrived at Bianca's and groaned when both Heath and Brax's cars were here, it was just supposed to be the both of them.
Letting herself in she walked to the kitchen "hey," she said and leaned against the door.
"Buckton," Heath smiled "come on in we have some time yet."
Charlie pushed herself off the door and walked to the counter ignoring Brax as she passed him "where's B?" she asked.
"Getting dressed…I better go do the same," Heath replied and hurried off "grab yourself a drink!" he called.
"Why are you here?" she asked as soon as he was gone.
"Same thing you are, I was invited," Brax replied.
Charlie sighed and walked to the fridge "and you couldn't have said no?" she asked as she walked back with a beer.
Brax chuckled "you couldn't have?"
Charlie slammed her beer down "this is my best friends house why would I say no?" she hissed "you shouldn't be here!"
"Oh I shouldn't be in my brothers house?" he said and stood up "what gives you more right to be here than me?"
"For starters it's Bianca's house and I've known her all my life," Charlie replied.
"Well done you," Brax said sarcastically.
"Bite me," Charlie snapped.
"Oh I'd do a lot more if I had my way!" Brax hissed.
Bianca walked in and shook her head "at it again?" she asked.
"No," they both said together.
"Yes you were and don't think I didn't hear what you two arranged earlier!" she hissed "you'll do it together or you're both off the guest list. You know what I'm so sick of this," she said and grabbed her bag "you two eat together and learn to be normal civilised human beings we're going out!" she yelled and walked out of the room calling for Heath.
"Look what you did now," Charlie said.
Brax scoffed "it was all you, you were only in the door and you were mouthing off as usual."
"Oh shut up," she said and stood up.
"Will you two knock it off," Heath chuckled as he grabbed his keys "you've really gone and pissed her off, man will you two just hook up and get it out of the way…later!" he called as he walked out the back door.
Charlie looked after him he was the second person to say that today alone never mind what the girls would say to her when she ranted about him. Sitting down she looked over at him "why does everyone tell us that?" she asked.
"I don't know," Brax sighed and stood up "well have fun I'm off," he said and grabbed his keys.
"You can't go!" Charlie called after him.
"Why not?" he asked raising an eyebrow "I don't live here."
"Look they're right-about us bickering all the time," she added quickly when he smirked back at her "I'm sick of it too…why don't we have dinner and try not killing one another?"
Brax thought about it "alright," he said and sat down "foods made anyway," he added.
…..
A while later Charlie stood up and walked to the fridge "we got wine or beer," she said as she looked around.
Brax appeared behind here "is it red?" he asked.
"No, white," Charlie replied.
"Then beer," he said as he walked to sink with their empty plates.
"I didn't know you liked red wine…are anything not from a can," she added as she walked back to the table with two beers.
Brax washed off their plates and walked back to the table "you don't know anything about me."
"Except you're a pain in the ass," she mumbled.
"Well done Charlie you lasted almost an hour," Brax said.
"Oh come on Brax," she laughed "like this would ever work, we're never gonna be friends we're just trapped in the same circle-we need someone to referee us all the time for god sake."
"Aren't you sick of it?" he asked curiously "I mean why can't we just say hello and leave it at that, why does everything have to turn into an argument?"
Charlie shrugged "I know what buttons to press and so do you-we bounce off one another."
Brax got an idea and stood up "I have a plan…come with me," he said and walked to the door.
Charlie frowned but followed him "where are we going?" she asked "and more importantly are we gonna be alone?"
Brax chuckled "there you go again you just had to throw that in."
Charlie scoffed "all we have to do is be nice enough to one another until this party is out of the way, they're not expecting us to announce we're so in love with each other."
"I knew you loved me," Brax chuckled as he pulled her onto the beach.
"Yeah love to kill you," Charlie muttered as he pulled her along "where are we going?" she asked again.
Brax spun to face her "have you even done something in your life where you didn't plan it or think about it?"
"You know I plan everything," Charlie replied and pulled away from him.
"Wouldn't you like to do something-even once, something you don't think about you just do it?" Brax asked and started to pull her along again.
Charlie sighed "Brax we're not teenagers," she said as she saw her was leading her to the cliffs.
Brax chuckled again "I'm not a planner Charlie I take things as it comes-hell I bought Angelo's because I was passing and saw the for sale sign. You can't live your life just planning day after day you gotta be spontaneous-take each day as it comes."
Charlie scoffed and rolled her eyes "have you been listening to Casey and Kyle?"
Brax sighed "you're not getting this are you?" he asked and started to walk causing her to walk backwards "you didn't plan to be here with me or what's about to happen, don't think Charlie just do it," he said and turned her around.
Charlie looked down at the water for a moment then over to him "you want me to jump?" she asked.
"No we're gonna jump and have some fun for a change," he said and pulled his shirt off.
Charlie stepped back "well you have your own fun and let me know how it turns out," she said as she walked away.
"Oh no you don't," Brax said and ran after her "you're jumping off this cliff if I have to throw you over my shoulder," he said and grabbed her around the waist.
Charlie tried to pull away from him "you dare and I'll have you arrested for assault!"
"Oh yeah I'm so scared," he scoffed "why do you have to be so serious all the time Charlie? No wonder you're so uptight….lighten up," he chuckled as he dragged her to the edge.
"Excuse me! Up tight?" she yelled.
"Yeah, your always the copper," Brax replied and walked her closer to the edge.
"Well I can't fight crime through my alter ego can I?" she snapped "I am who I am deal with it!" she hissed.
"Yeah but I don't like you," Brax said tightening his grip on her "but I reckon if you did lighten up just a little we could stand in a room for more than a minute without arguing."
Charlie stared at him she'd never been so insulted in all her life, he really was a big idiot "you're a jerk you know that!" she snapped "why would I wanna spend any time with you for anything-go to hell!" she yelled and pushed him…a little too hard.
"BRAX!" she screamed as both went over the side.
After the big splash and a little panic Charlie resurfaced and gasped for air, when she got her bearings she kicked her legs and looked around until she spotted him "you idiot!" she screamed as she swam towards him "we could have been killed!"
Brax chuckled as he swam backwards "yeah but wasn't that fun? Didn't it get your heart racing?"
Charlie reached him and slapped him "my heart is racing! I feel like I wanna throw up! My whole body is shaking! My whole like flashed before my eyes!" she yelled. She was so angry her eyes filled with tears "I should kill you right now!" she sniffed and swam away from him.
"Aww is princess upset she got wet!" he called and swam after her.
"Go to hell!" she yelled as she climbed onto the rocks "and stay there!"
Brax chuckled and followed her, by the time he got back to the top she had pulled off her own shirt and replaced it with his dry one and now sat looking out over the water. Smirking he decided to add fuel to the fire "you know you actually look hot in my clothes."
"Go away Brax," she said shakily and wiped the back of her hand across her face.
Brax sighed and sat beside her "come on Charlie it was a little bit of fun," he said sitting beside her "you seriously need to pull that stick out of your ass."
Charlie snapped to face him "you really are an asshole!" she hissed and stood up "you know nothing about me!" she yelled as she hurried off.
Brax stood up and followed her "what has that got to do with what I did?"
Charlie snapped to face him "BECAUSE MY SISTER DROWNED RIGHT HERE DOING THE SAME STUPID THING YOU DID!" she screamed and hurried off again.
...
Brax let her go he was totally gob smacked he didn't know she had a sister no one ever mentioned her. Sighing he decided to let her go to cool down. Walking down towards his car he ran into Jack coming out of his dads house "alright mate," he sighed and leaned against it.
"Alright," Jack said and leaned on it beside him "what did you do to my sister?" he chuckled "she ran by me muttering you were an asshole you'd gone too far."
Brax sighed and closed his eyes "I didn't know man," he said and looked over at him "I dragged her to the cliffs and pulled her off with me."
"You what?" Jack yelled horrified.
"I didn't know what happened I didn't even know you guys had a sister…I'm sorry," Brax replied.
Jack sighed and ran his fingers through his hair ,closing his eyes he turned back to his dads "if she's still crying your dead," he said and walked on "and I don't mean by me!" he called.
Brax sighed and watched him go now it made sense to him why Charlie never went that far out into the water and why she watched Ruby and the other kids so closely when they were out. Hanging his head he sighed heavily-he'd gone way to far this time. Climbing into his car he sat looking at her dads house for a few minutes before he pulled away. He'd have to make it up to her and he needed to make it good.
In Tony's house Jack found Charlie changing into some of his clothes he'd left there "that's not my shirt," he said looking at the black one she had on.
Charlie shrugged and walked by him "it's Brax's it was dry…see ya tomorrow," she said and walked to the door.
"Hey!" he called after her "Brax told me what he did…you okay?"
Charlie stopped and turned back to him "he was an idiot he didn't listen to me when I said no but he didn't know what happened to Emma…I'll be fine," she said and opened the door.
"Charlie!" Jack called and followed her "maybe you should go talk to him-explain why you freaked," he suggested.
Charlie scoffed "it Brax's we're not exactly mates…I don't have to explain myself to him, I'll be fine tomorrow-bye," she called and walked back towards Bianca's for her car.
"You did what!" Bianca yelled wearing the same expression as Jack had the night before.
Brax sighed and ran his hand over his face "I didn't know about her sister."
"Brax," Bianca groaned "are you that stupid? You know when Charlie says no she means no."
"I wanted her to have a little fun with me it's your fault for pushing us together anyway!" he snapped and walked off into his office.
Bianca sighed and stood up when she turned she stopped when Charlie walked towards her-her face said it all she was still upset "hey Charlz," she said cautiously.
"Hey," she smiled "is Brax here?"
"Yeah," Bianca nodded "In the office…why?"
"Look I thought about what you said yesterday and I'm sorry, I know Brax and I are doing your head in and everyone else's but it stops now you've put so much effort into tonight and I don't wanna be the one to ruin it, so for you I'll be on my best behaviour."
"Thank you?" Bianca frowned "uh…Brax told me what he did last night, are you okay?"
"Yeah I'm fine, it's okay," she said waving her hand "he didn't know about any of it…I better go grab him or we'll be late for the cake," she said and hurried off towards the office
Bianca frowned and sighed heavily, upset Charlie pretending to be okay always ended badly.
Charlie knocked on the door and waited him to call out before she pushed the door in "hey," she said sticking her head in are we ready to go?" she asked.
"Charlie" Brax said and stood up "I was giving you time to calm down…I'm sorry about last night I had no idea."
Charlie waved him off "I'm fine…we're doing this list together I don't want anything out of place for B tonight."
Brax nodded knowing well enough to leave it alone "okay…who's driving?" he asked grabbing the list off his desk.
"You are," Charlie replied and walked out the door "the back of your Ute has more room than my car."
Brax followed her and shrugged when Bianca silently asked him what was happening as he walked by "don't worry, we'll get everything done," he said and ran to catch up with her.
When he reached his car he found her sitting on the hood "it's open," he said and pulled his door open.
"I didn't want to just get in," Charlie replied and climbed in beside him.
"There's plastic in the back if you're still afraid you'll catch something," he joked trying to lighten to mood.
Charlie cracked half a smile and pulled on her belt "I think I'll survive," she said.
"Where to first?" he asked as he pulled away.
"Mall," Charlie replied and looked out the window "we can get all the decorations and whatever else we need there first, pick up the fountain thing then get the cake last on the way home later."
Brax nodded as he turned for the mall "do we get to eat in between?"
Charlie looked over at him "you'll have plenty to eat later."
….
Later they were on their way home, Brax looked over at Charlie who hadn't said much all day "can we talk about what happened last night?" he asked.
Charlie sighed she thought she'd ended it back at Angelo's this morning "no," she said "it's fine, it's done, move on."
"I can't," Brax said and pulled into the side of the road "you know for some reason it actually hurts to know I upset you so much."
"It's called a concision's," Charlie muttered.
Brax sighed "I'm sorry Charlie if I'd known what happened I wouldn't have been so stupid."
"Brax leave it," she snapped "I said it's fine don't worry about it…start the car," she said and looked forward.
"No," he said crossing his arms "I'm not going anywhere until we talk about this."
Charlie pulled off her belt and opened the door "guess we'll be missing the party then," she said and climbed out.
Brax watched her walk around the car and sit on the hood sighing he climbed out and walked to sit beside her.
An hour had passed and neither had spoken except to assure other drivers they were fine after they'd pulled over to see if they were having car troubles.
"I was sixteen she was fourteen," Charlie finally said while playing with her fingers "mum and dad were forever telling us not to go up there."
Brax scooted a little closer to her "you don't have to tell me Charlie, I just wanted you to let me apologise without you brushing it off like it was nothing."
Charlie went on as if he didn't say anything "one day after school-it was a Friday, Pete was minding us. mum had days at the hospital and dad on nights at the station so we had two hours were they overlapped and Pete had to mind us. Since we had no homework Pete said we could go to the beach but warned us to stay away from the cliffs."
"Emma was always up to something she always had to be doing something and that day a water fight with me wasn't enough. She dragged me up to the top and said 'let's do it Charlie, let's get it out of the way now mum and dad will never know.' Charlie sniffed and wiped her face "I told her no and tried to drag her back down but she was determined she was gonna do it-and I was too."
"I started to get scared because I'd never been that close before but she told me we'd be okay if we held hands and did it together, so just to shut her up I agreed. We took off our shoes she took of her chain," Charlie said reaching for her neck "and we jumped."
"Charlie," Brax sighed and wrapped his arm around her "you can stop."
"When we hit the water our hands flew apart, when I resurfaced I laughed I was so excited I'd done it…then her cries stopped me. I turned around and saw her panicking bobbing up and down she was screaming she was caught and something was dragging her down." Charlie closed her eyes and hung her head "when I got to where she was she was gone, I dived under and looked for her when I found her I untangled the rope that was caught on her leg and brought her back up. I got her to shore and John Palmer came running, I was doing mouth to mouth but it didn't work and she was just gone….I cried until the cops pulled me off her so she could be taken to hospital to be pronounced."
Charlie stood up and cleared her throat "that's what happened I've never gone back up there until last night...can we go now?" she whimpered and started to walk back to the car.
"Hey," Brax said and pulled her back to him "I'm so sorry Charlie I didn't mean to drag this all up again."
Charlie nodded and looked down at her hand "I know you didn't ," she said and looked up at him "I still miss her."
Brax smiled sadly and pulled her into a hug "next time I go to do something stupid like that just punch me alright."
Charlie giggled lightly and leaned into him, for once she wanted to be around him. Puling back she looked him in the eye "I'm glad you made me do it," she said seriously "that fear I had is not there so much now."
Brax nodded and smiled quickly "glad I could help."
Charlie giggled and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek just as he turned his head, when she caught his lips she jumped back. Looking at him for a moment she stepped back to him "do you hate me as much as you say you do?"
Brax sighed and pulled her back to him "you see I reckon it's the opposite and don't want to admit it to myself….do you hate me as much as you say?" he asked.
Charlie shrugged "I don't think I do," she said stepping between his legs "I mean this feels alright."
Brax chuckled and slid his hands onto her waist "yeah feels alright," he said and looked at her.
Charlie shook her head and moved closer to him, leaning in she kissed him and pulled back to see his reaction.
Brax slid his hand onto her cheek and gently pulled her back to him, closing his lips over hers he pulled her body closer and deepened the kiss…this wasn't so bad at all.
After a minute or so Charlie pulled back and broke away from him "we can't do this…we need to get back," she said and walked back to the car.
Brax stood up off the car and sighed walking to the driver seat he climbed in "so that's it?" he asked "we just forget what happened here?"
Charlie nodded "I was upset I shouldn't have kissed you please leave it at that," she asked and looked out the window.
Brax opened his mouth to reply but stopped she was upset he shouldn't' have let her kiss him….there's always at the party later he thought to himself and started up the car heading for home…forgetting about the cake they needed.
A/N So what did we think of that?"
