Hey readers, I thought that because it's been a week I would put on an update. I also thought I'd put a little excerpt of a story that I've been writing, it's pretty much a Home and Away Chax version of Switched at Birth, a show I am absolutely in love with, so here it is, let me know what you think in a review, if there isn't any interest I probably won't continue with it.
Charlie stuffed the letter back into the envelope, putting her head in her hands. How was this possible? How had she not noticed? How had she not noticed that she brought home with someone else's kid? How had she not noticed that she didn't have her child?
A tap on her shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned around to see her daughter, sixteen year old Ria Mae Buckton.
"What's wrong?" Ria signed. When she was three, she contracted meningitis, and as a result, she lost her hearing.
Charlie sighed. "Nothing is wrong." She signed back.
"Mum," Ria signed as she sat down at the table. "Tell me what's wrong."
"I told you nothing. Don't worry." Charlie said as she signed.
Charlie looked at Brax hesitantly, she didn't know if Annaliese was ready to meet him.
"I don't know if she's ready to meet you." Charlie said quietly.
"Look, Charlie, you kept her from me for four years, you're not going to keep me from her any longer!"
"You think I had a choice Brax? I'm not putting Anna through anything that might cause her harm."
"You think I'll cause her harm? I'm her fucking dad Charlie!"
"She doesn't know you Brax!"
"Because you took her away!"
"Like I had a choice, I was in witness protection before I even knew."
Brax ran a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you try and contact me and tell me I had a daughter?"
"My mail, my phone, everything was being monitored by my boss. If I tried to contact anyone, there would be no chance that I would ever be allowed to come back and I couldn't let that happen. I wanted to Brax, I wanted to tell you so badly. I wanted to be with you and raise Annaliese and just be a family." Charlie said, her voice shaking a little.
"What about me?"
"Ruby, you know how much I love you."
"Just leave! You're meant to be my mum, you left me!" Ruby cried.
"Rubes."
"No! Go away, leave me alone, and leave my dad alone!"
Charlie looked at Ruby in surprise, despite the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "I love you, okay? I love all of you. It was a mistake coming back here. I should've known that," Charlie said, her voice shaky. She looked around at her family, who had stony expressions. "I'm sorry." She ran out the door, not looking back. If she had, she would've seen Ruby crying in Brax's arms.
^..^
"Charlie, what happened?"
Charlie sank down next to Ricky on the sand as she looked at Annaliese, who was filling a moat with buckets of water.
"I assume you helped her build the moat?" Charlie asked. "Thank you for looking after her."
"No problem," Ricky said. "She really does look like Brax."
"I know," Charlie sighed. "She was the one constant reminder while I was in WP."
"I can't say that I understand but it must have been so hard for you."
"Thank you," Charlie said gratefully. "You're the first person that hasn't ripped into me."
"I'm guessing going there wasn't a good idea?" Ricky asked.
"You could say that. Brax and I had an argument about him meeting Anna and Ruby pretty much told me to get out of her life."
"Why wouldn't you want him meeting Annaliese?" Ricky asked.
Charlie sighed. "I don't know. I just...Anna has been through so much, I want to speak to her about it, get her used to the idea. This is a big adjustment for her."
"It's understandable Charlie, Brax is going to meet her but she is so sweet I think you're right in wanting her to adjust first."
"I can't believe I'm discussing this with Brax's…. what are you? Are you guys dating?" Charlie asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer or not.
"Yeah, we are. I don't know how long that'll last now that you're back."
"I'm sorry, Ricky. I didn't mean to…."
"He was a mess when you died, Charlie. Ruby as well, they didn't want to keep living. It sounds mean but after the second week I had to force Ruby back into school, I had to drag Brax out of the house literally. I was there, I sat while they talked, yelled, cried."
"I cried every day for a month. I couldn't imagine what Ruby and Brax were going through. I didn't want to do it to them but it was either go into the program or get them killed."
"I think that they would've gone into Witness Protection with you."
"I argued with Joyce about it and he said that it was too risky."
"Brax doesn't care about risk, Charlie, not when he loves someone."
"I didn't get a say! Why won't anyone understand that?" Charlie cried as she stood up. "Anna! We're going!"
"But I'm not finished yet!" Anna moaned.
"We have to go home and get you some dinner, okay?" Charlie asked. "We can come back tomorrow."
"Okay…" Annaliese agreed.
"How about we get some pizza?" Charlie asked. She turned to Ricky. "Does Angelo's still have pizza?"
"Yeah." Ricky answered.
"Okay. Thanks for looking after Anna, I really do appreciate it."
"No problem." Ricky said quietly.
^..^
"Kyle! Can we put a rush on that rabbit for table five please?" Tamara Kingsley yelled to Kyle Bennett, who was working behind the bar.
"Rabbit only cooks so fast, Tam." Kyle reminded his girlfriend.
Tamara sighed as she walked behind the bar. "Yeah, well, the customer is moaning, and you know what he is like."
"In here every week demanding rabbit." Kyle said.
"Yeah, so could we hurry it up please?"
"It's only been five minutes." Kyle said.
"I know!" Tamara said exasperated as Kyle planted a kiss on her forehead just as someone cleared their throat.
"Umm, hi. What can I get for you?"
"Do you still do the really yummy pepperoni pizza?" Charlie asked, Annaliese half asleep in her arms.
Kyle nodded. "I guess you've been here before?"
"You could say that," Charlie said. "I'm Charlie."
"Charlie…. I know that name from somewhere." Kyle mused.
"Many Charlie's around but I did live in the bay a couple of years ago," Charlie said. "Are you guys working for Brax?"
"I'm his brother. Tamara is my girlfriend. I'm Kyle."
"You're a Braxton?" Charlie asked in shock. "I thought there was only Brax, Heath and Casey."
"My last name is Bennett, but yeah, you could call me a Braxton. How do you know so much?"
"Uh, long story."
"Mummy!"
"Oh my god!" Tamara exclaimed, it was as though she was looking at a mini Brax.
"Umm."
"Who exactly are you?" Kyle demanded.
"I already told you. Charlie."
"Charlie….." Kyle's eyes grew wide. "Are you?"
Charlie hesitated. "Yes."
"Aren't you supposed to be dead?"
"Yes."
"What the fuck?" Kyle asked as Tamara gasped.
"I know. I don't really want to talk about it right now, all I want is one of the nice pepperoni pizzas and go home. I don't need to be yelled at by you guys too. Please."
"You mean, Brax knows you're alive?"
"Yeah." Charlie said as she put a ten dollar note on the bar.
"I'm not gonna yell at you, why don't you stay? Eat here, I'll clear a table." Kyle offered.
"You want to talk..." Charlie stated and Kyle smiled slightly.
"Yeah, you only have to talk about what you want. I'm a little outta the loop."
"I would like that," Charlie smiled. "Thank you."
"Can I get you or the little cutie a drink?" Tamara asked as Kyle walked off to clear a table.
"I'll have a lemonade please." Charlie said.
"Can I have chocolate milk?" Annaliese asked hopefully.
"It's a little close to your bedtime, Anna."
"That's a pretty name." Tamara said as she dried a glass.
"Mummy, please?"
"It's short for Annaliese," Charlie smiled. "She can have the chocolate milk if you have any. Just a small glass, though."
"Yay!"
"So, where have you been all these years?" Kyle asked as he brought the drinks and the pizza to Charlie's table.
"Who are you?" Anna interrupted.
"Anna, this is your Uncle Kyle, I guess."
"Hi Uncle Kyle!" Annaliese exclaimed as Charlie handed her a slice of pizza and grabbed one for herself.
"You want a piece of pizza?" Charlie offered.
"No, it's okay." Kyle smiled.
"I've been in Witness Protection." Charlie told Kyle as she idly picked off a piece of pepperoni and ate it.
"Wow."
"I didn't want to go you know"
"I'm not judging you."
"Thanks. I've had enough of that today, how did you get involved with the Braxtons?"
"Umm...I tried to K-I-L-L Casey" Kyle said spelling out the word nervously, he knew she'd find out.
"I can spell too." Anna told him.
"Wow. I have missed a lot," Charlie said. "So, why? What happened?"
Please review :) Thanks for reading :)
