"You Call It Madness But I Call It Love"

Three bad boys have arrived in Summer Bay – but with them comes a gorgeous brunette who catches Charlie's attention.

Who is she and how does she manage to turn Charlie's life upside down?

Forget the CJ storyline that played out in H&A – that never happened.

This is an AU fic of how a very different Joey comes into Charlie's life – as a Braxton!

Get set for a whole new version of Joey – is this woman still one that Charlie could fall in love with?

Or will Charlie follow H&A's plans and fall for bad boy Brax?

There's a reason why the Braxton's have come to Summer Bay and it ain't to catch the best surf waves.

Why are they here? And how does Charlie get caught up in their drama?

Just a random idea for a new fic I had today - I hope you like it!

Chapter One

Charlie stormed out of Angelo's restaurant. She was furious at herself for making a fool of herself in front of her ex-boyfriend.

Charlie had been there at the restaurant trying to prove to Angelo that Darryl Braxton was not a good person to go into business with. She'd accused Angelo that the alcohol he'd been supplied with by Brax was stolen goods but had been unable to prove the case when the alcohol didn't match up to the ones stolen.

Charlie couldn't understand why Angelo was willing to trust the tattooed man enough to go into business with him. She understood that Angelo had had a rough time since Brax and his 'River Boys' trashed his restaurant a few weeks back but she still felt that her ex-boyfriend should have turned to her if he was in that much trouble with his business.

Shaking her head Charlie realized that Angelo never would've listened to her just like he never did whilst they were dating. She wondered how they even managed to be together for the better part of the last eighteen months. Despite how they looked to the outside world, Angelo had never made Charlie happy. Even when she'd confessed she loved him or decided to move in with him there was always something missing from their relationship and if she was honest with herself she had been relieved when he had broken off their relationship a month ago.

Despite their faults as a couple, Charlie was still determined to be friends' with Angelo but when she'd walked out of the restaurant she wondered to herself how the pair of them had ever managed to be in love with each other. Angelo just didn't seem to even be bothered with her feelings when he'd made it quite honest with her that she had no business in his life anymore.

A few hours later that afternoon, Charlie was driving towards Brax's place. If it was possible she was more angry and confused at the surfing 'legend' then she had been earlier that day. After returning home from Angelo's restaurant, Brax had stopped by to drop VJ off at home and asked Leah out on a date.

Charlie had tried talking Leah around to cancel the date with Brax once he had left but Leah had surprised her by insisting how different Brax was to what everybody assumed. Charlie didn't believe her housemate could trust him enough to go on a date with him.

And though Charlie didn't want to admit it to Leah, she sensed that from her interactions with Brax that the man was more interested in getting involved in her life for some reason since he'd befriended Angelo and asked Leah out on a date.

Whilst Charlie could admit that Brax was an attractive guy she didn't trust him and she was determined never to get involved with a criminal again. It had hurt her when she'd come to the realization that the three men she had slept with since arriving in the Bay - Angelo, Hugo and Roman - had all been murderers, and she had promised herself that she would never let that happen again.

After Charlie's father, former Detective Ross Buckton, had passed away, and her relationship with Angelo had ended, the town's Sergeant was determined to do her father proud and make her career her priority.

And getting involved with a 'River Boy' such as Brax was not something she was prepared to do.

Charlie parked her car in Brax's driveway. Though she knew she'd probably be forced to apologise to him for checking through Angelo's alcohol stock for any stolen goods he could've obtained for the restaurant owner, and apologising to him was something she'd gotten used to whenever she saw him, Charlie decided to have a chat with him and see if she could convince him to leave Angelo and Leah alone.

As Charlie walked up the driveway, she wasn't surprised to find him outside cleaning his surf board. She also wasn't surprised to find him shirtless and shook her head at the instant thought that he really was an attractive guy. As Brax turned to her, Charlie's eyes focused on his tattoo across his chest and wondered if there was a meaning behind the words – 'BLOOD AND SAND.'

Brax smirked as he watched the Sergeant walk over to him, "So what brings you all the way to this part of town Serge?"

Charlie rolled her eyes at his demeanour, "I just wanted to talk to you about Leah."

Brax leant his surf board against the house, "A little jealous are we that I asked her out to lunch?"

Charlie scoffed, "Hardly! Look I just want you to realize that Leah doesn't deserve to be messed around. She's had a hard time recently when it comes to her love life and I don't think she's ready to move on to anybody new. Maybe you should re-think going to lunch with her tomorrow."

Brax shook his head as he gazed appreciatively at the brunette, "If that's the case I'm sure Leah can tell me that herself if she doesn't want to go to lunch with me. But it was nice of you to stop by and do the best friend thing by trying to protect your friend from me. I mean that's what this is about...you don't think I'm good enough for Leah and you don't want me involved with her."

Charlie held her nerve, "Maybe that's got something to do with it. Leah's a good person and she doesn't need someone like you in her life messing it up or attempting to be someone they're not. And you know what...the same goes for Angelo too. He might be in some trouble right now but that doesn't mean he needs someone like you helping him. Stay away from Angelo and Leah."

Brax chuckled, "Whatever you say Serge! You may think you can order people around but that doesn't mean I'll play along. Leah's a nice chick...why wouldn't I want to take her out to lunch to get to know her? As for Angelo...he's your ex...start treating him like one instead of treating him like a boyfriend you don't really want to be with. My business deal with him has nothing to do with you. Now if you don't mind...I've got some waves to catch so why don't you go and harass someone else."

Charlie turned away from him, angry that she had let him get to her.

"Oh and Serge," Brax called out to her, waiting until Charlie turned back to him, "I accept your apology for raiding Angelo's alcohol stock thinking that I'd stolen it for him...though next time I'd appreciate hearing the actual words 'I'm sorry' from you a little better."

Charlie grimaced as the 'River Boy' winked at her in flirtation, but as she was about to put him in his place for his actions around her, the pair of them automatically flicked their eyes to the front door of the house as it opened.

"Hey Darryl, we gonna go catch some waves or what?" the woman asked as she announced her presence.

Charlie's eyes widened in surprise as she stared at the woman standing by the front door behind Brax and she instinctively licked her lips as she took in the woman.

The woman was tanned, had long brunette hair, appeared to be a few years younger than the 'River Boy' Brax and despite the distance between them Charlie was drawn in by the stranger's soulful brown eyes.

Clearing her throat, Charlie's eyes also took in the fact the woman was holding onto a surf board and like Brax, Charlie could see that the woman had half a dozen different tattoos covering her body.

The woman was wearing a pair of board shorts and a loose-fitted singlet and Charlie could see several of the tattoos along her arms and one on the inside of her right ankle. Though she couldn't make out what the symbols and designs of the tattoos meant, they had a very similar resemblance to the ones that Brax and his younger brother Heath wore.

Charlie shook her head as she felt some tension between Brax and the woman, "I'll just leave you two to go enjoy your surf together...better hope Leah doesn't catch you two together...the last thing she needs right now is a guy like you cheating on her."

Charlie suddenly frowned as both Brax and the woman raised their eyebrows at her insinuation. Charlie blushed as she realized that the woman was gazing at her in curiosity.

Brax slammed his fists together proudly proving the cop wrong once more, "You got the wrong idea 'bout us Serge...this is Joey Braxton...my little sister."

Joey Braxton?

Who'd have thought Joey could be a bad girl who's joined the 'River Boys' to spice things up in the Bay?

Anybody here already shipping a tattooed and dangerously hot 'River Girl' Joey Braxton finding a way into Charlie's heart?

Or can big brother Brax win over Charlie?

So...to continue this new fic - yay or nay?