A Helping Hand
Authors Note: I do NOT own Home and Away. All credit goes to the writers.
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Reviews:
Neena: Neena, your back! Thank-you for taking the time to review, I do know that life can get in the way sometimes. And thank-you for the congratulations, I am looking forward to the new arrival of our family. Feel free to rant all you like, but I hope you enjoy this fanfic and the side of Brax I am trying to bring out.
FrankElza: I do have some interesting ideas, I'm still trying to shape a direction but I am excited to write this one!
Anna: I do have a way of introducing Kyle but you'll have to wait for that. My main focus right now is shaping the story and Chax. Glad you love it.
JS: Charlie's situation is very sad but with Brax lending a hand things might be looking up for her. I am so happy you love it though, I've had this idea for a while but haven't really been able to write it, and then inspiration stuck. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.
FanFiction.79: Glad to see you are interested in this fic. Casey will be making an appearance. I wouldn't completely leave out a Braxton brother ;) I know it seems similar but I promise Charlie and Brax aren't going to fall head of heals for each other straight off. They are strangers in this fic and Charlie is going to be facing some tough times ahead but that isn't to say Brax won't be there for her and that their relationship will develop after all it is a Chax fic!
GillianKearneyFan: I am glad you have taken the time to read this even though you are a Brax and Ricky fan. I hope you continue to read and enjoy!
Gursting: Kyle will be in it, not straight away though. Mainly focusing on Chax for now.
Bella: Glad you love the story. Hope you enjoy this update.
Lazza77: I am glad you think I delivered a new and different idea. Enjoy this new chapter!
Thank-you to all those reviewed, warms my heart to see that you all love the idea of this story. Please enjoy chapter two!
Chapter Two: The Offer.
19th Of December, 2015.
Brax stood in the shower letting the warm water run down his body. He'd laid awake half the night thinking about how he could help Charlie and her two daughters. He knew what it was like to be in a position where nothing seemed possible; he wanted to give her a chance to get back on her feet. He wanted to pay it forward.
Rubbing a hand over his head, he honestly didn't know where to start but perhaps Angelo's, the restaurant he owned was good place. He need a waitress to work a couple of afternoon shifts a week, for the lunch rush, it wasn't a lot, four days a week at the present time until a staff member would leave to have her baby. After that he could consider putting her on full time.
"What are you doing, Brax?" He asked himself out loud. It wasn't how he envisioned yesterday night ending or today beginning.
^..^
Charlie woke up the sunlight coming through the curtain and onto her face, she stretched her right arm out but immediately bolted up right in panic when she realised her girls weren't beside her. Squinting she took a deep breath remembering where she was. The bed was comfortable, there were no birds chirping, no cars speeding down the roads. It was certainly a different wakeup call then she was used to.
Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she breathed loudly through her nose. She didn't understand why he had helped them, why he had offered them a bed for the night. Not once since she'd been on the street had she had someone offered to help her, not even when her girls were younger.
It was insane. It felt insane to trust him when she knew absolutely nothing about him. Charlie knew she had to be wary of him, men didn't offer homeless woman help unless they wanted something in return.
She gathered her clothes off the ground, slipping on a dirty pair jeans and a blue t-shirt. She felt horrible wearing dirty clothes on top of clean skin, the cleanest skin she'd had in ages but it wasn't like she could afford new clothes, she had no money.
"Come on Charlie, time to find your girls and leave" Charlie whispered to herself, she knew there was no point in dragging out the inevitable, even though she wanted nothing more than stay in the warmth of a house.
…
Charlie placed her backpack by the couch, her girls doing the same. She felt bad for waking them up. They had seemed so peaceful sleeping soundly in the single bed with actual pillows and warm blankets. But Charlie knew they couldn't stay like that, that they couldn't stay in the house much longer. Brax had already helped them enough, she couldn't ask for anything more.
"Mum, where is Mr Braxton?" Ruby asked her mother.
Nicole frowned. "He told us to call him Brax"
Charlie sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Maybe he's still in bed. We can't leave until we have thanked him"
Nicole smiled hopefully, her blonde ringlets bouncing on her shoulders. "Maybe he'll let us stay for breakfast. He's nice"
Ruby nudged her. "You can't expect something like that. People aren't that nice" Ruby told her younger sister, brushing the hair back from her eyes. In the years on the street no one had been as nice as Brax but even men like him had their limits.
Nicole pouted causing Charlie's heart to clench as she ran her hand through her daughters blonde ringlets. "Come on, sweetheart. Last night was enough" She told them both. "A meal and a bed for the night was plenty" Charlie stopped talking as the front door opened, the three of them tensing.
"Oh you're awake" Brax said as he entered the house, he was carrying a couple of bags. Looking over at them he noticed the three of them had stepped back at his presence. "I didn't mean to frighten you"
"You didn't" Charlie assured. "We just thought you were still in bed"
Brax shook his head. "I've been up for a few hours. I actually nicked out to get you these" He held a bag each out towards Charlie's daughters.
Ruby looked at him. "We can't…"
Charlie frowned. "You didn't have to do that. It's too much"
Brax nodded, he understood why she thought that, but it wasn't too much. He wanted to do this for them. If they wanted to make a fresh start in Summerbay then they needed to be ready to accept help. Small communities pulled together to help people. "It's nothing much but I can't take the three of you out to explore Summerbay like that" He blushed slightly when he realised what he said. "I don't mean to offend you. I want to do this Charlie. It's nothing really. April asked if I could drop her at Yabbie Creek with her boyfriend since my brother is busy so I picked up a couple of things while I was there" He held the bag out to Nicole. "Take it sweetheart, please" He pleaded with her.
Nicole bit her lip. "Promise, it's okay?"
Brax nodded. "Yup. I had April pick out a couple of items if they don't fit we can take them back" He held the bag out to Ruby who took it.
"Thank-you" She whispered, opening the bag to peek in. There was a pair of jeans, a grey printed hoddie and a t-shirt, along with a new pair of underwear.
"I didn't pick your items out" He held his hands up in defence. "April picked everything"
Nicole glanced up. "Look Ruby, I got a purple sweater and black jeans, and some other stuff"
Charlie looked at him; she couldn't decide whether to be angry at him or just happy. It wasn't that she wasn't grateful just that she didn't want to be seen as a charity case. "You shouldn't have"
Brax shrugged. "I wanted to" He told her, holding another bag out in her direction. "It's nothing expensive. I just brought you all an outfit"
Charlie glanced in the bag. She did feel rather grateful at the sight of new clothes; it would be refreshing to not have to put on dirty clothes. "Thank-you"
Brax grinned. "You're welcome. You can feel free to wash your clothes and pop them in the dryer. I'll make us breakfast while you do that"
Nicole's jaw dropped. "Wash our clothes and have breakfast?"
Brax chuckled at her disbelief. "Of course, kiddo. I'll whip up some pancakes" He made his way through to the kitchen, knowing that once he was gone they would feel more comfortable to explore their bags.
…
Charlie stepped into the kitchen hesitantly, she was dressed in black long length leggings and blue sweater, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Brax humming to himself as he flipped pancakes. He was so carefree about how he went about things, barely noticing that there were other people in his house that he barely knew. She still couldn't believe that he had left them alone in his house, for a moment she had thought he was crazy.
Glancing over at the sound of movement Brax smiled. He couldn't help but notice how much better she looked with clean skin which he could now see was a natural tanned colour, her chocolate brown hair went down to the mid of her back in loose curls and a set of new clothes. "Did you sleep well last night?" Brax started the conversation off with something easy.
Charlie nodded. "Yes, thank-you, it was wonderful to have a bed for the night"
Brax felt his heart sink that those words. "Good, I wasn't actually sure how comfortable that bed would be. Pancakes are nearly ready. Coffee is hot if you want some" He gestured to the coffee put.
"Thank-you"
Brax waved his hand. "Stop saying thank-you. I wouldn't offer, if I didn't want you to take advantage of what I was offering"
Charlie nodded as she took the cup beside the coffee and poured herself a drink. "Where do…um, you mentioned you had a business…" Charlie moved lean against the breakfast bar, she was trying to be polite, be interested in him as a person. She owed it to him after all he had done for them.
Brax placed the pancake on a plate. "I own the local restaurant, I have to go to work sometime today" He glanced at the clock, he was getting some stock in today, his manager would take care of it but he wanted to double check everything. "If you want you could join me, bring the girls down and I'll cook up some pizzas for lunch"
Charlie shook her head. "Your hospitality for the night has been enough. You've feed us, leant us a bed and clothed us. It's more than enough"
"I insist, if you need…well, I was thinking about it last night, I am looking for another waitress. I mean it's not anything fancy but a couple of afternoon shifts a week"
Charlie's eyes widened. "I couldn't possibly accept" She didn't understand why he would offer her such a position. He knew nothing about her, he didn't know if she was a good worker. "You've done enough"
"No I haven't" Brax told her. "If I can help you out then I will. Charlie, it's a job, you'd be helping me out because I am a person short. It would be good for your girls"
Charlie shook her head. "I need to do that on my own Brax, you can't just offer me a job because you feel sorry for me. I can find a job on my own"
Brax exhaled at the sound of her firm voice. "Where will you stay while you're searching for work? The girls, will they go to school? You need an address to enrol them"
Charlie bit her bottom lip; she hadn't given much thought to school. The girls hadn't been to a proper school in a while; it was hard living on the streets because they were constantly moving around. "It's none of your concern"
Brax shook his head, clearly not agreeing with her as he turned around to face her. "Charlie, Nicole has a cold, you're are all thin and living on the streets isn't good for any of you. Take my offer it's at least an income"
Charlie sighed. "I just can't" She knew he wouldn't understand, he would think she was ungrateful but didn't he see that he had already done enough.
Brax rubbed his head, his eyes meeting hers. "How about a deal then?"
Charlie raised her eyebrow, that wasn't what she expected to hear. "What kind of deal?"
"You stay here in the spare rooms, you'll have an address to enrol the girls in school after the holidays and you take the month to find a job. If you don't, you take my offer to work at the restaurant"
Charlie shook her head. "No, that's worse than the job. I barely know you and your offering for me to stay here. You're crazy"
Brax couldn't help but grin at the small smile that was tugging at her lips. "Charlie, it's an offer and one I want you to take. Your girls would have a home, isn't that what you want?"
"What would you want in return?"
Brax looked at her. "Nothing. I'm lending a helping hand to a family who needs it. The smile on your faces will be more than enough"
"Mum"
Charlie glanced over to the hallway, Ruby and Nicole stood in clean clothes with their hair brushed. She smiled at them, they looked absolutely beautiful. "Oh look at you too" She touched their cheeks as they came to stand in front of her.
Ruby smiled briefly at Brax. "Thank-you again, Mr Braxton"
Brax raised his eyebrow. "I thought I told you two call me Brax. Mr Braxton makes me sound old" He teased. "Breakfast is ready. Why don't you three get settled at the table"
Ruby held her hand out for the stack of plates he picked up. "Let me help. It's the least I can do"
Brax shook his head. "I got these. How about you pour yourself and your sister a drink?"
"Thank-you" She headed to the fridge
Brax smirked at Charlie. "Always saying thank-you, just like their mother"
Charlie giggled softly. "That they are" She took a seat beside Nicole as Brax placed the plates placed the pancakes down, followed by the plates and cutlery.
Brax sat across from Charlie, the seat beside him for Ruby. "Dig in" He told them as he placed two pancakes onto his plate.
Charlie did the same for her and one pancake for Nicole who was covering her mouth as she coughed loudly. Charlie grimaced and brushed her hand over the young girls forehead, checking for a temperature. "You okay, baby?"
Nicole wiped her eyes which had been watering because of her coughing fit. "Uh huh. I'm hungry"
Charlie smiled. "Eat up" She told her as she looked back at Brax. "How long have you lived in Summerbay?" She asked making conversation as Ruby sat down and helped herself to two pancakes.
Brax looked up as he chewed his food looking thoughtful. "About six years. I moved here from Mangrove River which is the town over"
"You moved here because of your business?" Charlie guessed.
Brax shook his head. "No, I actually didn't buy Angelo's until the following year. I moved here with my brother after his wife left him, he was going through a lot of hard stuff and I thought it would be best to get him out of the River, especially since his girls were so young. I brought this house and for the first year we lived together but he got back on his feet pretty quickly and now owns the gym below my restaurant"
Charlie smiled, he was really helpful and she was beginning to see that maybe he didn't want anything from her; he was just helping out where he can. "That was sweet of you. Do you have any other family?"
Brax nodded. "A younger brother, Casey, he lives with my mother. They are up north at the moment. What about you, any family beside the girls?"
Charlie shook her head; she didn't want to think about all the family she had lost over the years. "No, just me and the girls"
"Excuse me, Brax; can I have another please?" Nicole looked at him innocently, sniffling slightly.
Brax glanced over he could see that she clearly thought she would be denied. "Sure kid, help yourself"
"Thank-you"
He looked towards Ruby. "So how old are you?" He asked trying to include her in conversation
Ruby blushed; no one ever thought she looked her age. "I just turned sixteen"
He nodded. "Ahh, the sweet teenage years. How about you Nicole, are you seven?" He guessed, the girl was small and skinny; he couldn't quite make out how old she was.
Nicole shook her head, her blonde ringlets flying around. "I'm nine"
Brax grinned. "Ah, nearly double digits"
"Mr Braxton…ah, I mean Brax, did you really mean it when you offered to let us stay here?" Ruby blushed when she looked at him. "I, uh we overheard you"
"Ruby, you shouldn't listen in on other people's conversation" Charlie admonished.
"It's alright, Charlie" Brax smiled, he could see that Ruby was nervous thinking that he would yell because she was listening to the conversation. "I did mean it. I would feel more comfortable knowing you three are here and not out in the cold. It's up to your mother now to decide what she would like to do"
Ruby glanced at her mother with pleading eyes. "That's a really generous offer mum"
Charlie nodded as she swallowed her mouthful. "I agree, but I don't think we should impose"
Nicole moaned. "But I'd get to have a bed. Say yes, please mummy!" Nicole pleaded, batting her eyelashes.
Charlie looked at Brax who nodded with encouragement. "Are you sure about this?"
Brax nodded. "Yes. I have the room. Just say you'll move in and then you can get started on that better life for you and the girls"
Charlie glanced at her girls hopeful faces once more before looking at Brax. "I'll accept your offer, on one condition…"
Brax raised his eyebrow. "What is that?"
"If there is anything I can do for you, you will let me know" Charlie told him seriously, she wanted a way to repay him for everything he was doing for them.
Brax rolled his eyes. "You could take the job at the restaurant" He pressed.
Charlie shook her head. "Not a chance. I need to earn a job. But I do accept your offer, we'd love to stay for a while at least" She told him as Nicole threw her arms around her mother.
"Yay, we have a home" She squealed with delight.
Ruby glanced at Brax; he was smiling so she smiled back. "Thank-you"
Brax chuckled. "I am totally banning that word from my house" He joked.
^..^
Well, what are your thoughts? Read & Review?! Please.
