A Helping Hand
Authors Note: I do NOT own Home and Away. All credit goes to the writers.
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This fanfiction is based on Charlie and Brax but I tried to include other characters as well. Please enjoy, and if possible review. Would love to hear your thoughts.
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Let me know if you think this is worth continuing. Note that it won't interfere with my other story as I am going to continue to work on both.
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Summary: Brax felt lonely, holidays always made it worse but this year one homeless woman, Charlie, and her two daughters change everything. Could one helping hand lead to something he's been pining for?
Chapter One: A Helping Hand.
11th October, 2006.
"Roman!" Charlie shouted. "You can't do this"
Roman picked up his black bag. "You were never meant to fall pregnant!"
Charlie placed her hand onto her stomach, seven months pregnant. "You can't walk out on us. I need you. How am I meant to raise this baby and Ruby on my own?"
Roman placed his hand on the door handle, shaking his head. "I never wanted to be a father. You knew that. You were stupid enough to fall pregnant so you can raise the damn child on your own!" He walked out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
The tears ran down Charlie's cheeks as she placed her hand on the doorframe of the kitchen to support herself as she sunk down to the ground, her body heaving with sobs. "Oh god" She murmured.
"Momma?"
Charlie raised her head, her tears clouding her eyes as she looked at her seven year old standing in the doorway of her room clutching her worn doll. "Ruby, oh baby" She watched the tears fell from her daughters face.
"Momma, where's Roman gone?" Ruby walked over, wrapping her arms around her mother.
Charlie rubbed her little girls back. "Oh sweetheart, it's just us now" She cried.
…
21th November, 2011.
"I'm sorry, Miss Buckton but I can't allow you to keep missing rent. You're five months behind. I'm going to have to ask you to leave"
Charlie clutched the front door. "Please Jefferson, I'll get you the money but I can't…my daughters, I have nowhere else to go"
"So you've said but I need the money, I told you last week and the week before. I'm sorry but you have to leave. You have until five tomorrow afternoon"
Charlie closed the front door, staring at the white wood blankly. They'd moved into the small one bedroom apartment around the time Nicole was born five years ago, she'd always been on time with her rent until she lost her job in June. She didn't have anywhere else to go, no one would hire her.
"Mum"
Charlie turned around at the sound of pattering feet, her twelve year old and five year old daughters standing in the doorway. Her heart ached as she looked at them, hope etched in their faces. "I'm sorry girls. Pack a backpack with some clothes and you're favourite belongings" She bit her bottom lip; it wasn't though they had many things to take. "And make sure you grab your warmest coat"
Ruby watched as her mother blinked back her tears. "It's okay, mum"
Charlie shook her head. "No it isn't" She walked across the wooden floor into the bathroom, shutting the door she leaned against it and allowed the tears to floor, she was a failure or that was at least what she felt like.
Present: 18th Of December, 2015.
Charlie Buckton stepped off the bus, hoisting the green backpack over her right shoulder, her daughters stepping off the bus behind her carrying their own backpacks and a coat each. "Summerbay" Charlie murmured under her breath as she looked out at the ocean. It was the place her parents had often talked about before they passed away, they had lived here when they first married, they had always called Summerbay home which was why she was here, she wanted to be in a place that felt homely when the hardest time of year came round again.
Nicole sneezed. "Mum, its cold" She sniffled, her nose was stuffed from the cold she had caught a week ago.
Charlie glanced to her left; her nine year old daughter was quivering from the cool air. Even though it was summer it wasn't a warm night and because all three of them were skinny they didn't have much to protect them from the chill. "Put your coat on, Nic"
Ruby brushed her brown hair out of her eyes. "I'm hungry" Ruby glanced at her mother, her eyes filling with guilt. She hated making her mother feel bad but her stomach was aching for food.
Charlie exhaled as she looked at both girls, she could see the desire to eat in Ruby's eyes and her heart begun to ache. None of them had consumed a proper meal in weeks. This particular time of year was when all they wanted was a home cooked meal with a warm place to sleep. She knew Ruby wasn't fussed about presents and Nicole tried to her hardest not to whine about wanting a toy but Charlie did feel guilty for not being able to give either of them even a small gift. They hadn't had a proper Christmas in four years and this year would be no different "I know. Come on" Charlie held out her hand for Nicole to take.
"Mum" Ruby lopped her arm through her mothers. "It's okay"
"No it's not" Charlie breathed, together they walked towards Summerbay knowing it was their next adventure.
^..^
Heath glanced at his girls as they packed the dish washer full of all the dirty dishes, they were whispering to each other about the gifts they would receive this year. Christmas was only a week away; a hard time of year but one he tried to make cheerful for the girls.
Looking at the open front door, he stepped out on the front porch shivering at the cool air, his older brother leaning against the railing looking deep in thought. "What ya thinking about?"
Brax glanced over his shoulder, sighing loudly. "Quiet this year without Case and Mum"
Heath chuckled, it was quiet which was unusual normally around this time of year it was loud because the family was all together. "Peaceful you mean" He joked after a moment of silence.
Brax rolled his eyes at Heath's statement but he could see the fleeting look of understanding in his features. His youngest brother and mother had taken a trip up north to visit some family but were unsure if they would be returning home as his mother was also looking at the prospect of moving.
He felt lonely; everyone had a family except for him. He'd spent the last three nights eating with Heath and his girls. It made him feel as though he wasn't completely alone but it still didn't dull the want inside of him.
"Mate?" Heath waved his hand. "Everything alright?"
Brax downed the rest of his beer. "Yeah. Dinner here next week for Christmas?" He tossed the beer bottle into the bin on the other side of the railing.
Heath nodded slowly, that was a week from now. "Yeah, sounds good. You can cook" Heath smirked, he didn't like to cook but he could. He had to for the sake of his kids.
Brax shook his head. "Nah mate, I cooked last year"
Heath chuckled as he looked back into the house. "April. Darcy. Come say goodbye to your Uncle Brax"
Darcy bolted out of the house, her sandy blonde hair swaying as she threw herself towards Brax wrapping her arms around his waist. "Uncle Brax, promise I'll see you again?"
Brax ruffled the nine year olds hair; he couldn't help but feel bad for her. If someone was saying goodbye to her, she was constantly asking them the same question. The thought of being left terrified her; especially after one of the people she loved the most walked out on her six years ago. "Of course you will. I'll be back for dinner on Christmas. Your dads cooking"
Heath snorted. "Am not"
April nudged Darcy to the side and wrapped her arms around Brax in a brief hug. "See you soon. I think I'm working tomorrow…"
Brax kissed her cheek. "Yup, you are on for the dinner rush" He stepped off the porch. "Don't you two give your old man a hard time" He called behind him.
"Who you calling old?" Heath demanded to know.
Brax laughed. "You"
Heath shook his head as his brother walked off down the road, the darkness consuming him. "Okay, you two. Showers and bed"
April rolled her eyes. "I'm not five years old" She walked into the house. "But I do call dibs on the first shower"
"Hey. No fair!" Darcy shouted, running after her.
Heath shut the front door, the sound of his girls drifting down the hallway. He was thankful for them both; they kept him sane through the hardest times. Even though he didn't want to, he often found himself wondering where Bianca was. He never fully understood why she left him, his only guess was it was something to do with their son; his passing had changed her in ways he didn't expect.
"DAD!"
Heath blinked, placing his beer down on the bench, he cleared his thoughts of Bianca, she was no longer his priority. "April, let Darcy have the first shower. She'd younger and I don't mind if you stay up a little later"
Darcy was standing on the inside of the bathroom, trying to push the door shut; she poked her tongue out at the announcement. "Ha Ha, I get to go first"
April smirked. "I get to stay up later" She poked her tongue back out.
"Hey!" Heath called causing them both to look at him. "You'll both be going to bed straight away, if you don't cut it out" He warned them, they rarely fought but as April got older it became more frequent.
"Sorry"
…
Brax kicked the stick along the path as he walked towards his empty house. He hated how this life was turning out, he was approaching his twenty ninth year, with nothing but a restaurant and house to claim as his. It wasn't enough, he wanted marriage, kids. Love.
"Excuse me, Sir…Excuse me, sir, you dropped this"
Brax turned around and at the sound of a voice, his eyes studying the teenager standing before him holding his wallet, he patted his jacket pocket almost hitting himself when he realised he was wearing the one with the hole in the pocket. Under the street light he could tell she had slightly dirty hair that hadn't been cut in quite some time, her clothes were worn and clearly to big as they were loose and clearly hiding the fact she was underweight, the purple circles under her eyes indicting she hadn't slept properly in some time. "Thank-you" He took the wallet from her right hand. "I haven't seen you around before. I'm Darryl Braxton" He glanced behind her, looking up the porch of the empty house he could see two figures huddled together. A pang of sympathy spreading through his body.
"I'm Ruby" Ruby offered her name. "Merry Christmas"
Brax exhaled. "Wait, um…" He rubbed his forehead as she turned back to him; he could clearly see that whoever those other figures were, all three of them needed help. "How would you like something to eat?" His mind briefly wandered to the home cooked mac and cheese he had sitting in his fridge from last night.
Ruby bit her bottom lip. "I shouldn't" She murmured, her stomach growling.
"Ruby" Ruby glanced over her shoulder as her mother approached her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Come along, honey. Stop bothering this man"
"Mum, this is Mr Braxton" Ruby gestured to the man in front of her. "I was just handing him his wallet"
"Very nice to meet you, I'm Charlie. Come on, we better get back to your sister"
Brax scratched the side of his head. His head was clenching, looking at the sight of Charlie, he could see that she didn't look any cleaner or healthier then her daughter. "Um, actually…" He glanced at Ruby.
"Mr Braxton offered me something to eat" Ruby whispered to her mother.
Charlie raised her eyebrow at the man before her. "No thank-you" She didn't know the man standing before them, she didn't know if he was a homicidal manic or not.
"Mummy. I...I'm hungry"
Brax glanced down at the youngest of the girls as she grabbed her mother's hand, he could tell from the way she spoke that she was experiencing a cold and it wasn't surprising to see that one of them was sick especially being out in this weather. It was particularly cold this Christmas.
"Nic" Charlie looked down at her daughter. "I know nothing about him. He could be a homicidal manic"
Brax chuckled at the statement causing all three of them to look at him. "I'm not a homicidal manic" He promised. "I have home cooked mac and cheese at home. Cooked it for my nieces yesterday. You're all welcome to join me for a late night dinner" He didn't tell them he had already eaten. He felt bad for them, he could see the desire in their eyes at the mention of food and by the looks of them it was unquestionable that they were homeless and it reminded him of the situation he had been in as a little kid. "Come on, my house is around the corner. Holidays are a time for kind things"
Ruby and Nicole both looked at their mother with pleading eyes. "Please"
Charlie bit her bottom lip, looking back at Brax, she wasn't even sure kindness existed in the world anymore but she had to take a chance for her children right. "Okay" She agreed.
…
Brax dropped his keys onto the bench, he was aware that Charlie had barely let her girls through the front door, her eyes were darting around, it was clear she was uncomfortable. "I'll heat the food up. Would you like a drink?" He called over his shoulder; he was assuming the best way to make them comfortable was to act normal.
Ruby glanced at her mum. "Can we?"
Charlie bit her bottom lip, nodding slowly. "Okay" She glanced into the kitchen, happy that it was an open floor plan, the living room, dining and kitchen all in one space, it meant she could easily keep an eye on him and the girls. "What do you have?" Charlie asked hesitantly.
Brax opened the fridge once the food was in the microwave. "I have orange juice, lemonade, water, hot chocolate, coffee and tea"
Nicole tugged on her mum's hand. "Orange juice, please"
"Me too" Ruby agreed.
"Two orange juices and a cup of tea, if that's not too much trouble"
Brax shrugged. "No trouble at all" He grabbed some glasses down from the cupboard before heading towards the fridge. "Feel free to sit down" He offered, smiling when he noticed Ruby broke away from the group and hesitantly took a seat at the breakfast bar. "Here you go" He sat the orange juice in front of her, the other beside her for Nicole.
Charlie glanced at him curiously. "Why are you helping us?" No stranger had ever offered to help them before; they tended to look at her with distaste and thought she was ruining her children's lives.
"I'm just lending a helping hand. You look like you could use some food and a warm place" He pulled the mac and cheese from the microwave. "I wouldn't be here today if I didn't receive a helping hand. How long have you been living on the streets?"
Nicole sniffled. "A long time" She told him when her mother didn't speak.
Charlie sunk down onto the stool beside her daughter. "I didn't mean for it to be like this but when I lost my job I couldn't find another one. Then I lost the house and whatever money I did have helped us live day to day. Now we're here because we have nowhere else to go. This is the only place my parents talked about" Charlie sighed, shaking her head, she didn't understand why she had told him that. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I don't know why…"
Brax placed the bowls in front of them. "You need someone to talk to, it understandable. Why Summerbay?" He asked curiously, of all the places to turn up, why had this town attracted them.
Charlie looked at him, he seemed so easy going. "My parents used to tell me this is the only place they considered home, and I want that for my girls. I want them to be able to go to school, have their own rooms, friends" She blushed. "But to be honest I don't know where to start"
Brax rubbed his forehead, his eyes on the two girls who where shovelling the mac and cheese into their mouth clearly desperate to eat. "How about a shower and bed?"
Charlie's eyes widened. "What?! I think I might have given you the wrong impression"
Brax chuckled. "No. I mean how about…" He frowned. "Look I don't know why I'm offering you this to be honest but I'm a single guy, I'm gone most of the day and night as I run a business in town" He elaborated. "I know what it's like to be in your position. It's the holidays so how about I get you some towels, you are welcome to use the main bathroom and sleep in the spare bedrooms"
Charlie shook her head. "Oh, no. I couldn't possibly except an offer like that. I don't know you, you could be a serial killer or…"
Brax waved his hand, a grin forming on her face. "I promise I haven't killed anyone" He laughed as he looked at the girls still eating; their skin was even dirtier now that he was seeing it in the light and they were clearly exhausted. "You might not what a shower and a comfortable nights rest but I bet they will"
Charlie glanced over at the two girls, her heart dropping at the thought of denying them a chance of a warm shower but she didn't know the man before her. He seemed nice and easy going but it made her wary, yet he hadn't given her any reason not to trust him. "Uh" She looked up at him, seeing his friendly smile. "I, it sounds like a very nice offer, I'd love to take you up on it"
…
"These are the spare rooms" Brax opened the door to the left at the end of the hallway. "This one has a double bed and…" Opening the door to the right. "This one has two single beds. Sorry about the mess" He walked in and picked up a couple of items of clothing. "I thought my nieces cleaned this up when I had them over last weekend" He shook his head. "I'll just grab you some towels. The bathroom is the door right there" He pointed to the one in between the bedroom doors, directly at the end of the hallway.
Charlie nodded. "Thank-you, this is very kind. Girls…" She nudged them.
Ruby smiled weakly. "Thank-you, Mr Braxton"
Nicole leaned shyly into her big sister. "Thankyou"
Brax smiled, his heart pounding, the whole idea of this was crazy but the small smiles on the girls faces made him feel better about his situation. "You girls can call me Brax but you are very welcome. There are a couple of dvds in the nightstand, my youngest niece, Darcy, watches them. The tv though…" He pointed to the box in the corner. "Is a little dodgy, my other niece, April, always complains that I did a new one. So just bang the top of it if it doesn't work" He looked around the room quickly. "Um, alright, that's it. I'm heading to bed, it's been a big day but I'll get you those towels and if you need a drink or anything feel free to help yourselves" He told them.
Ruby and Nicole smiled softly. "Goodnight" They walked further into the room to investigate.
Charlie hung back against the door frame, looking up at him. "Thank-you so much" She whispered as he reached into the hallway cupboard to get some towels. "This…this will mean the world to them; it means the world to me"
Brax passed her the towels. "You're welcome, Charlie" He gave her a soft smile. "If you need anything, anything at all. My bedroom is directly at the other end of this hallway" He turned around. "Sleep well"
Charlie smiled softly to herself as she watched him walk away; she didn't understand how she could meet someone like him. He was so kind and generous. Not like any of the males she'd met before.
^..^
Brax 29.
Charlie 29.
Ruby 16, birthday 10th December.
Nicole 9, birthday 15th December.
Heath 28.
April 16, birthday 28th April.
Darcy 9, birthday 1st August.
Well, what are your thoughts? Read & Review?! Please.
