Authors Note: I do NOT own Home and Away! All credit to the writers.
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Co-written with PsychGirl25. Let us know what you think. Drop a review.
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Enjoy.
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Chapter Ten:
Brax stood beside Charlie as she welcomed Ross and Elise into the house, Brax had spent the week talking things over with Charlie, she was a mess when it came to the idea of losing her dad to a disease.
"Lottie" Elise exclaimed as she embraced her daughter.
"Mum. I hate that name" Charlie whined as she pulled away from the hug. "Dad"
"I'm sorry" Ross blurted out as he hugged his daughter tight. "I love you, Charlie"
"I love you too, dad. Please don't try and protect me from this. I want to be there for you"
Ross nodded. "I want to protect the kids as well, they don't need to see me like that"
Charlie groaned. "You're their Pa, they'll love you anyway" Charlie told him.
"Dad!"
Brax spun around at the sound of Ruby's voice. "Don't tell me, let me guess. Someone got thrown in the pool?"
Ruby shook her head. "No"
"Someone is bullying someone?" Brax asked.
"No"
"Drew and Chase are digging up worms again and putting them in Sammie's hair?" Brax guessed for the third time.
"No"
"Uh…" Brax started but Charlie whacked him on the chest, Elise giggled.
"You have a lively bunch here, Charlie" Elise commented and Charlie nodded.
"Sure do. It's crazy all the time! You should see mornings"
Ruby stomped her foot. "Dad!"
Brax looked over. "What?"
"Do you want Kyle and Casey to burn the house down? You asked them of all people to handle the barbeque! Geez, Mia would do a better job"
"Snugglemuffin" Charlie whined, linking an arm with Brax, tugging him closer to her. "I'm hungryyyyyyyy!"
"Sungglemuffin?" Jade snorted as she walked into the entry room.
"Yeah, what the hell?" Ruby asked.
"Don't mock my nickname!" Charlie wailed.
Brax grinned. "There's some ice-cream and pickles in the kitchen already"
"I don't want ice-cream and pickles!" Charlie wailed again. "Why can't you figure out what I want?"
"Yeah dad" Jack snickered as he entered behind Jade. "Hey" He greeted Ross and Elsie.
"Hi, Jack is it?" Elsie asked. She turned to Brax. "She wants chocolate sauce and sprinkles on bread, if I am guessing correctly. I craved that when I was pregnant with her"
Charlie grinned. "Yes mummy, you're the best" Charlie told her as she grabbed Elsie's hand. "Can you make it for me, puh-lease?"
Elsie chuckled. "Sure honey, anything for my pregnant daughter"
"Hey does that mean if I get pregnant, you'll make me food?" Taylah asked as she bounced into the room.
Brax went red in the face. "Hell no! You're too young to even think about boys. No dating til your 35!" Brax told her and Taylah giggled.
"Oh dad! You are so funny!"
Chase tugged on Ross's pants. "Can I call you Pa too?"
Ross beamed "Of course, you're my grandson now" Ross told him as he picked up the little boy.
Casey poked his head into the room. "Not to alarm anyone but I think the barbeques on fire" Casey spoke calmly.
"What the hell? Can't I leave you and Kyle unattended?" Brax snapped and Ross put a hand on his new son in-laws shoulder.
"I'll deal with this" Ross said as he tipped Chase over his shoulder, causing laughter to erupt from the six year old. "Come on mate, we can do this"
"Brax?" Nicole asked as she came downstairs on the phone.
Brax glanced up."What, hun?"
Nicole smiled sweetly, causing Brax to sigh.. "Can Mitch come over?"
Brax groaned. "As if I don't have enough drama to deal with. Fine but if you pay Darcy off again then I'll burn your clothes.
Nicole rolled her eyes. "So dramatic"
Brax raised his eyebrow. "I'm dramatic?" He asked in disbelief.
"Yes. Yes you are" Nicole confirmed as she turned to walk back up the stairs raising the phone to her ear.
^..^
"This is so good," Charlie sighed happily as she bit into a piece of bread with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. "Thanks mum."
"No problem sweetie," Elsie said as she sat down on a stool at the kitchen bench. "You never had that when you were pregnant with the other kids?"
"Nah, I craved ice-cream like all the time," Charlie said. "Do you want a glass of juice or something?"
"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Elsie smiled.
"So, tell me honestly, what do you think of Brax?" Charlie asked as she put a cup of tea in front of Elsie. "I know that you didn't really approve."
"Not at the beginning, no," Elsie said honestly as she cupped her hands around her mug. "I could see that he might have been a bit too out there for you, too over the show. But, I can see that you're happy, and you know that's all I ever wanted for you. Especially after Roman died."
"Losing Roman, I can't even explain how that felt," Charlie said. "But Brax is helping me move forward, and the kids like him, they're happy."
"And now you're pregnant with twins," Elsie smiled. "And we have the cakes to find out what genders they're going to be."
"Yeah," Charlie said, looking at the two cake boxes on the bench next to them. "I think that having these babies is really gonna cement our relationship, you know?"
"Yeah. When you were born your Dad and I were brought so much closer together. Having children really does change a relationship."
Charlie smiled. She had always been relatively close with her mother but they had formed a stronger bond since Ruby was born. "Mum. I just want to thank-you"
Elise frowned. "For what, dear?"
"For being my mum. I love you" Charlie hurried to wipe the tears away as the emotions started to flow over her.
Elise stood up and walked around the bench pulling her daughter into a hug. "I love you too, Charlie. You're my daughter"
^..^
Jack crossed his arms as he walked out the front door of the house, his brothers following close behind. He knew Nicole was technically older than him but he felt as though he had to do something.
"Oi Mitch. Let's talk"
Mitch frowned as he walked up to the Braxton-Buckton boys. "Uh, what's up?"
Edward looked up at Jack. "Can I?"
Jack nodded. "Sure mate"
Edward turned on a sharp glare. "If you hurt my sister. I'm gonna beat you up"
Mitch smiled at the kid. "Okay"
Joey tilted his head as he jumped of his skateboard. "He's serious mate. If you hurt Nicole. We'll hurt you"
Jack grinned as he punched Mitch in the arm playful but the older teenager cringed. "We are serious"
"Lots serious" Drew and Chase piped up as he stood side by side with crossed arms.
Lucas and Brock just smirked as they saw Nicole at her bedroom window. "Just think one of you against seven of us"
"Brax! Dad! The boys are harassing Mitch" Nicole shouted as she rushed out of the house. "Leave him alone, dorks!"
^..^
"So you boys decided to gang up on Mitch telling him that if he hurt me that you would beat him up?" Nicole asked the boys, her face serious but a smile playing at the sides of her lips.
"You're smiling Nic, I can see it!" Joey exclaimed.
"Because I'm going to make you wish you hadn't been born!" Nicole teased as she started to tickle Joey. He squirmed in his seat and tried to get away.
"Stop, stop!" Joey giggled.
"Only if you promise that you won't hassle my boyfriend?" Nicole asked. Joey nodded and she let him go. "Look, it was a nice thought but I can take care of myself, okay?"
"We don't want him hurting you, you're our big sis." Jack said.
Nicole glanced at Mitch, who took the hint and left the room. "Look boys, I don't know how things are going to turn out with Mitch. We could only be together a short time, but we could be together for years. But I'll be okay, no matter what happens, yeah? So no trying to be all macho around him, okay? I can take care of myself, and if I need your help, I'll ask for it."
"Okay."
^..^
"Holy crap!"
Charlie giggled as she felt Brax jump.
"Charlie!"
"All I did was wrap my arms around you and tell you that I'm hungry," Charlie said, a giggle escaping her lips. "When are we gonna have food?"
"Soon," Brax answered as he put the spatula that he was using to turn the meat down and turned to face Charlie. Tilting her chin up he kissed her, long and hard.
"Eww."
Charlie and Brax sprung apart to see Jade.
"Can't we ever kiss without being interrupted by kids thinking we're gross?" Brax asked, exasperated.
"It is gross." Jade said.
"You won't be saying that when you start dating." Charlie teased.
"She won't be dating! Not until you're fifty!"
"Dad," Jade rolled her eyes. "How old were you when you started dating mum?"
"That's different." Brax said quickly.
"Yeah. Right," Jade said. "I only came out here because Mia woke up from her nap and wants Charlie."
Charlie smiled. "Okay. I'll go up to her now."
^..^
Charlie and Brax placed the cakes down on the table. The long picnic style table was lined with their children. Elise and Ross sat the right end beside Heath, Bianca and Tegan.
"Mum. Come on!" Emily tried to hurry her along.
Charlie smiled. "Patience my girl"
Drew groaned. "But mummy, I just wanna know if I'm getting my brothers"
Brax ruffled his hair. "Maybe your mum and I won't tell you"
Mia huffed as she pouted up at Brax. "I just wanna eat the cake daddy, now pwease?"
"Come on, bro, spill" Heath demanded.
"Tell us"
"Tell us"
"Tell us"
Charlie giggled as the kids started to chant. "Alright. Alright. You are getting…" Lifting up the cake lid. "A brother"
A round of cheers could be heard as they waited for Brax to lift the other.
"And a sister"
"YES!"
"WHAT?"
"NO!"
Mia flung her arms around Kyle's neck. "NO. NO. NO. Me not have a sister. NO"
"Mummy. You meant to have two boys!" Drew demanded.
Charlie turned to Brax who smiled. "They'll be fine"
^..^
Authors Note: Please Review. Let us know what you think.