Cooey lovely readers!

Here is another long awaited chapter! (It follows on from the previous one)

I am flattered by your reviews and love reading them so thank you!

Enjoy! X

Chapter 10: The Pain of Risking Loving her

Charlie found her feet stop as she climbed out of the car when the pulled up at Brax's house that evening. Her feet wanted to move but her heart was telling them she wasn't ready. Just looking at it from the outside brought back a rush of feelings she wasn't strong enough to bare. She couldn't remember specific memories, but she knew it was a place she'd loved and been loved. She knew it was a place where part of her past resided. Stepping in through the door presented a challenge itself. She already felt confronted with her emotions, not realising when her hand leant out onto the car for support. She looked over at Brax who didn't say anything but instead stared at the house with what she could only assume were the same feelings. He looked at that house in a different way now. He'd been confronted with her memories whilst she'd been gone but now she was back he found they were hurling towards him like a tonne of bricks and he was powerless to stop them. Each window he looked at reminded him of a room, which reminded him of a memory, each one he wanted to smile at but found himself saddened by the fact that as he looked over to her, he knew she was thinking the same thing but wouldn't be able to share those exact memories with him. She would be able to remember some things but wouldn't be able to remember each moment they'd shared in that house.

Noticing the exchange, Heath glanced from brax and then to Charlie, whose eyes seemed to have watered as she stared at the house. "You ok Buckton?" he asked sympathetically. She nodded cautiously, her eyes following his hands as he reached out for her bags.

"I'll take them." He said softly, taking them from her grasp.

"Thanks." Charlie whispered softly, it was only as she spoke and got torn back to reality she felt Ruby and Brax's eyes on her, clearing her throat she walked up to the house, her hands lingering on each surface as she walked inside slowly, she felt a warmth deep in her chest as she looked around the living area. Her heart fluttering as she looked down at the sofa, she felt her cheeks redden as she suddenly linked the sudden heat in her cheeks to what had happened on that couch and she looked up at Brax a small, slight smile creeping onto his face as her eyes looked from him to the sofa and he noticed her crimson cheeks.

"You know mum I was thinking maybe we could go up the coast for a long weekend like we used to." Ruby said as she sunk down onto the couch,

Charlie nodded hesitantly, unsure of what she meant, "Um, yeah sure Rubes..." She said, trailing off before she thought of another question, trying to avoid telling Ruby she couldn't remember the exact location, "Where did you have in mind?"

Ruby scoffed, "What do you mean where do I have in mind we only go to one place." She laughed, failing to notice Brax's jaw clenching slightly from where he stood before he moved to the kitchen and boiled the kettle, his mind trying to focus on anything else but Charlie, he couldn't begin to imagine what it must be like for her, not being able to remember.

"Oh, right yeah sure maybe sometime Rubes." Charlie said, lifting her head as Brax walked back in with a mug in his hand and gave it to her,

"You ok?" he mouthed gently, Charlie nodded her head slightly, her eyes averting his burning gaze on her. Heath watched the exchange as Brax looked at her unconvincingly before passing the cup of tea to her in defeat as her eyes looked beyond him, not at him. Charlie drew in a shaken breath as Brax's hand brushed passed hers as he placed the cup in her hands. Everyone in the room but Charlie had noticed how Brax had automatically made Charlie a cup of tea without her having to ask him.

"You guys want a cuppa?" he asked, Charlie's head instantly snapping up as she realised, he'd made her one without asking, but asked Ruby and Heath.

"Coffee please." Ruby smiled sweetly,

"Same mate." Heath replied as he flicked on the TV.

"Mum do you wanna watch a movie?" Ruby asked, turning to face Charlie, "We could watch your favourite?" she offered, failing to register as Charlie's eyes widened slightly. She couldn't remember her favourite movie.

"Rubes-" Brax started gently, only to be broken off by Charlie.

"You know what I'm actually pretty tired I'm gonna head off to bed." Charlie said brashly, placing her half empty mug on the coffee table and placing a lingering kiss on her daughters forehead before heading down the corridor, searching for Casey's room, she sighed as she opened the second to last door, inside looked reasonably unlived in unlike the others and her bags were on the bed. She leant against the door, her palms flat against it as she let out a lengthy breath. this was going to be hard.

20 minutes later

Brax hovered outside the door for what seemed like an eternity, raising his hand to knock one minute and then holding back the next. Going to turn the doorknob and them placing his hands behind his back and trying to resist the urge to go in and talk to her. His hand lingered on the doorknob for a moment before he drew it back as he heard someone's voice,

"She won't bite." Ruby smiled as she walked along the corridor silently, her feet making the faintest of padding sounds against the carpet. "Promise." She giggled, patting Brax on the back before continuing down the corridor to the bathroom, nodding her head to him as he turned back to look at her, his hand back on the doorknob. He let out a shaken breath before turning the door handle and opening the door slightly, his breath hitching in his throat as he saw her cradling her bare bump in the reflection of the mirror, her fingers tracing their way across the delicate skin, tears fresh and lingering in her eyes. He thougt he'd been in pain when she died but that felt like nothing compared to the pain he felt now. The pain of knowing she'd been out there, all these months, carrying his child. There was so much he'd felt like he'd missed out on. So much he would have had to look forward to had he known. The pain of losing her didn't come close to seeing the smile on her face in the reflection and knowing he'd missed out for 6 months.

Charlie smiled as she turned and her eyes caught her bump in the floor length mirror in the corner of the room, her hands tracing lightly over her bare skin. The whole situation was still surreal to her, she didn't know how to feel, part of her felt as though it was reincarnated now she had Brax back in her life and part of her felt more lost than last week. The one thing she had to hold onto was her baby. Her smile widened to her eyes as she cradled her bump with both of her hands, the only thing she knew for sure was that this baby was going to be the life of her.

"Oh my god!" she squealed and jumped around as the door clicked shut, quickly grabbing Brax's night shirt from the end of the bed and holding it against her chest, her breathing calming as she saw who it was, her fears of covering up her body no longer there.

"Sorry." Brax chuckled as he leant back gently on the door behind him, his eyes darting elsewhere in the room to resist looking at her, to resist the smile that wanted to leap onto his face at the bare sight of her, the sight he'd longed to see for 6 months, the sight he'd missed so much he couldn't bare to look at now in fear that it would disappear before his eyes.

"I thought you were Heath." Charlie explained with a timid laugh that Brax didn't recognise. Everything about her was familiar but new, she'd changed and he'd changed, they'd changed because of each other and because of their experience that they shared, so why did it feel like they were pushing each other away, even in the slightest of forms.

"You don't have to worry about him walking in here, I'd kill him." Brax said with a blunt honesty that Charlie couldn't help but laugh at, her smile only widening as a grin formed on his cheeks and for the first time in a long time his smile reached his eyes. An unsettling silence rose between the two of them as Charlie's brief laughter ceased and Brax's smile faded. "So, are you ok?" Brax asked anxiously, jutting his head back towards the door, reminding her of the situation with Ruby and her own dim memory.

Brax nodded faintly as Charlie nodded but spoke no words. He found himself recognizing the distant look on her face, the one where she'd evade his eyes, avoid looking at him completely and focus on anything but him. He wasn't sure if she did it out of nervousness of being alone with him or of being honest with him.

"You don't have to lie to me Charlie," Brax said sincerely, peering at her from the short distance that they stood apart. Neither of them knew the boundaries as Brax stepped slowly closer to her. All they knew was that they'd found each other again yet for some reason they both felt so alone.

"I'm not lying." Charlie said, evading Brax's eyes as he stepped closer to her, so close their bodies were almost touching. Charlie found herself closing her eyes, praying he'd step away from her, not wanting to give into him, not wanting to give way to his body. Brax sucked in a quiet breath, his heart beating ten to the dozen as they stood opposite, both melting in the heat that rose between their two bodies.

Brax swallowed a lump in his throat and found the courage to tug on her hand with his left one, both of them noticing yet neither of them saying how they slotted perfectly into one and other, Brax's hand engulfing Charlie's in warmth and hers failing to resist holding his back. Charlie blinked back her tears that wanted to fall as he tilted her head up to catch his gaze with the pad of his right thumb. The mere touch of his hand delicately touching his face sending ripples of shock tumbling through her body. "Yeah you are because you're doing that thing where you look at everything else but me." Brax spoke softly, smiling weakly as she looked up at him with her huge blue eyes, widened with surprise and tinted with love. She loved that he could remember each detail about her, they were both being utterly consumed by something that died when they parted. Love. "It's been 6 months but I haven't forgotten." Brax whispered, his eyes darting between both of hers and drifting down towards her lips that pursed as she swallowed the lump in her throat that arose as she noticed how close he was to her, at how she swore if he edged any further towards her he would hear her heart trying to burst through her chest. Then, as if something switched inside her, she remembered how lonely she'd been for the past few months and how he'd been supported by someone else, someone that wasn't her.

He knew the second she pulled her hand away he'd lost his moment. He closed his eyes briefly as she stepped back from him and fiddled with her fingers, her hands clasping and unclasping in nervousness, "Brax please don't make this harder-"

Brax sighed as she spoke, "No Charlie I'm not, I'm telling you how I feel." He said honestly, taking her aback slightly. Braxtons never told anyone their feelings, ever. The last time he did that she'd died a short time later, he learnt never to open his heart like that again, to anyone, yet here he found himself doing it again for the very same woman that made him realize the ability to feel something that he'd never known existed until being with her.

"Well please, make this easy and don't." Charlie said, noticing the way Brax's eyes dimmed slightly and dropped at her comment. The brief spark that resided in them now diminished and replaced with a blank look. If she was being honest, she wasn't sure which one she preferred.

"Charlie none of this is going to be ea-." Brax said, instantly stopped as she winced slightly, and her hands fell to her bump. He moved forward as she leant on the dresser for a moment for support until her hand relaxed, "What's wrong?" Brax asked instantly, his hand resting on the small of her back as he face tensed and then relaxed again.

"Nothing, he's- he's kicking." Charlie giggled, taking Brax's hands in hers and placing them on her tiny petite stomach. She grinned as Brax's eyes widened with shock as he felt Charlie's skin move beneath his hand, his mind only just coming to the realization that there was a mini them inside of her.

"That's amazing." He breathed, the glistening tears in his eyes not going unnoticed by Charlie who reached up her hand to his cheek, tenderly brushing his lone tear away before placing her hands over his on her bump, "Does she always do that?" Brax said, clearing his throat as his voice choked, partly because of the overwhelming emotion of happiness he felt and partly due to the harsh fact that as Charlie nodded he realized he'd missed out on a lot these past 6 months.

"She?" Charlie questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I've decided our bub is gonna be a girl." Brax said proudly, his hands still on her bump as she smiled up at him, finally moving closer to him instead of further away.

"Really have you now?" Charlie grinned, a firm smile set upon her face as he smiled cheekily down at her and nodded his head, his hands moving around her waist and settling on the small of her back, his arms, comfortingly around her, both of them contently close.

"Yep, yes I have." Brax said, a small smirk on his face, "And she's gonna take after her mum so I'm gonna buy a rifle in advance to scare off all those boys." He teased, grinning as Charlie hit his arm playfully, he watched as she smiled up at him and shook her head. "I'm sure it's gonna be a boy."

"I'm always right." Brax said smugly, laughing as Charlie scoffed and shook her head again.

"No, he's gonna be a boy and have daddy's dimples." She cooed, resting her hands on Brax's cheeks, laughing as he smiled and flashed his dimples.

"You're wrong." He stated, "Our little girl is going to be gorgeous, just like her mum."

"We'll have to agree to disagree there then." Charlie said adamantly. Their conversation lulled and it was only as Charlie's laughter ceased that Brax noticed how close they were, how his arms had naturally come to settle at the small of her back, his thumbs gently massaging her soft skin. He smiled as Charlie closed her eyes momentarily at his thumbs gently pressing into her lower back in slow circular motions. The feeling of having his hands on her skin like that drove her crazy, it made her realize how much she missed his comfort, and he could tell by the way her head dropped into his chest briefly and her eyes remained shut as his hands moved back around to her stomach, leaving a heated trail of fire on her skin in their midst. Sucking in a breath Charlie spoke softly and pulled away

"I'm sorry."

"Charlie." Brax sighed, going to move forwards towards her. He noticed as he caught her gaze that a few tears ran down her cheeks, he wanted to move forwards yet the look in her eyes telling him not to made his feet stay rooted to the spot he was in. despite his hear yearning to reach out to her.

"Umm…" he trailed off, clearing his throat as he went to speak again, ignoring the tightening in his lungs that constricted his chest. "Extra blankets are in the cupboard." He said, his eyes saddening as she nodded and wiped the remainder of her tears away with the back of her hand, wiping away the remainders of any effect he'd had on her. "If you need anything-"

"I'll find it." Charlie spoke, throwing him a weak smile, Brax shook his head and corrected her,

"Wake me up." He said softly. She nodded her head reluctantly. He bit the inside of his cheek as she looked at him blankly, any remainder of the moment they just shared completely erased by her sudden distance. He nodded silently at her before retreating out of the room, his legs taking him as fast as he possibly could.

Charlie felt her hand trail up to her mouth as Brax closed the door behind him; the cry that escaped her had a quiet brittle quality to it. The tear that rolled down her cheek bounced of the moonlight that fell in strips through the curtains and glistened in the darkness. She couldn't let go of the pain she felt because that'd be like letting go of the emotion she had towards Brax, yet in her mind she had no right to hold on to him. No right to hold on to what they once had. She felt herself crumbling at being in the familiar house in the familiar town with the familiar beach but the unfamiliar Brax, the unfamiliar space they share between them. She couldn't figure out what it was, what she meant to him. His usually bright green eyes seemed to have lost their glimmer and instead ripped through her to her soul, she couldn't figure out if it was good or bad. And she was kidding herself if she said she couldn't forgive him for moving on, she couldn't forgive herself for crumbling at the gunshots. She couldn't forgive herself for leaving him. She didn't deserve him.

Brax tilted his head against the cool wooden frame of the door as he lingered outside of Charlie's room, his own tears escaping from his eyes, finally coming out. He couldn't help it as he looked at the digital clock hung on the wall and watched the neon green numbers morph into that same green flat line, the faint buzzing echoing in his head from 6 months ago. He couldn't help but let more tears fall as her quiet sobs echoed quietly through the door, yet Brax couldn't find the strength to go back in. He longed to retreat back into the room with her, yet the sudden touch of her skin beneath his fingers seemed to have made his legs incapable of movement. The neon line that encapsulated his vision seemed to overwhelm his body; his hand in hers by her dimly lit bedside haunted his mind and possessed him. A mere few minutes ago he'd held the same hand, felt those same fingers entwined with his, he felt the heat and the life radiate within them, but he still felt just as empty. He felt guilty for attempting to move on without her. It took her living for him to realize the anguish he felt over her death, the risk of the love he felt was the loss that consumed him, and the price of that loss was the grief that anguished him. But the pain of his grief was only a shadow when compared with the pain of risking loving her.

The Following Day

Charlie sighed the next morning as she woke up slowly, the coldness of the mattress next to her becoming all too painfully familiar; it was a dim wake up welcome compared to when she had Brax lying next to her. His absence presented her with a stark contrast to now and a few nights ago. She shivered slightly as the curtains flapped in the breeze, the loose chiffon billowing in the breeze pouring in from outside. Feeling the chill get colder she got up slowly, gently pulling the window too as she slipped on a pair of her slippers lying on the floor at the foot of the bed. She rubbed her eyes slowly as she padded down the corridor. Charlie jumped as she took in the figure that stood in the kitchen; she felt her mouth dry up as she took in his shirtless form, the way his muscles tensed slightly as he leant on the kitchen side,

"You're up early." He spoke huskily; Charlie couldn't resist the smile that adorned her face at his voice, the just woke up tone rippling through it. She used to love that about him, the way his voice cracked slightly when he woke up in the mornings, the way his hair was ruffled in tufts from a nights sleep, except this morning she noticed his hair was distinctly unruffled, which she thought strange considering Brax was usually a deep sleeper.

"You're up late." She replied softly, her hands gently cradling her bump, she leant on the doorframe slightly, pretending not to notice as Brax's eyes drifted from the bottoms of her legs up to her petite face, what she didn't realise was the pain he felt when doing so, the realization that he'd missed the warmth of her body for 6 months, the way her skin used to feel under his came flooding back to him as he took in her form. She so wanted to walk towards him and palm her hands on his chest like she used to, feel his arms wrap around her in the content form they once had, but instead found her feet rooted to the spot, his form sadly reminding her of what she'd lost for the past 6 months.

"I just got used to-"

"Not having anything to wake up to." Charlie finished, smiling sadly at Brax as he nodded before peering at her, confused.

"How'd you know?'

"It's been 6 months but despite everything I still know you." Charlie whispered, echoing his words from last night. She looked up at him cautiously as he nodded slightly, his large frame still leaning against the counter top. As their eyes met Charlie was surprised to see how much pain his eyes bore within them. They looked sunken and he had dark circles lining the rims of his eyes, he too had gained no sleep from last night. Charlie found herself sucking in a breath as Brax's eyes teared into her, it was like he was looking deep inside her, like he already knew how she was feeling, her feelings hadn't changed since the hospital, she was still scared, lonely, isolated. He was still confused, scared, hurt. It was only as Charlie happened to glance down at Brax's hands she knew how nervous and upset he was, the common trait he had of twisting the ring on his middle finger hadn't subsided. He felt his heart ache as she smiled at him weakly, both of them wanting to understand each other but too scared of the outcome of the conversation to speak. Charlie's eyes filled with a glimmer of hope as Brax opened his mouth to speak, only for their trance to be interrupted by the sound of whistling echoing down the hallway.

"Goooood morning!" Heath cooed, kissing Charlie on the cheek as he passed her and pecking Brax on the cheek too, laughing as Brax slapped him round the head and pulled a sickening face. "Cor don't you two look happy to see me" Heath teased as Brax and Charlie stood in silence, their eyes occasionally flickering over towards each others, a light blush creeping against Charlie's cheeks as Brax did so. Heath sighed and slammed the kitchen cupboard door as a sudden repetitive banging sounded on the other side, he held his hand up to Brax who went to move towards the door and instead made his way over, jumping over the back of the couch as he did so.

Brax chuckled as Heath opened the door and as if on cue a gust of wind blew in as a stormy looking Bianca stood on the other side.

"Before you shout-" Heath started, sighing as Bianca instantly started yelling at him.

"Are you going to tell me where the hell you've been!" Bianca screeched, holding her arms out in desperation and looking at him pleadingly, "Not even a phone call Heath a damn phone call." She yelled, throwing her mobile against his chest as he continued to grin slyly at her.

"Hello to you two gorgeous." Heath laughed, ducking as Bianca's hand swiped for his head and her nostrils flared slightly.

"Don't you dare gorgeous me Heath Braxton, you better have a damn good excuse for taking off like tha-" she scolded incredulously at him, instantly stopping as she noticed the lean brunette figure in the background. She instantly dropped her hands from pointing at Heath and they hung loosely at her sides as she stood in utter shock, her voice loosing her as she took in her best friends image. She felt her hand fly towards her mouth as she let out a choked sob, her voice coming out in a mere almost inaudible whisper. The word came out almost as a statement of disbelief than a question, but she still found herself in complete shock, her body instantly crumbling at the sight of her dead friend. "Charlie."

"Oh my god…wha-how?" Bianca asked as she stumbled slightly through the door, her eyes never leaving Charlie as she walked in, as if she were afraid she would disappear and this whole thing would have been an evil play with her mind.

"You can thank me later." Heath said, kissing her forehead gently as she looked at him briefly before her eyes drifted back to Charlie, widening slightly as she spotted the protruding bump underneath Brax's old shirt she was wearing.

"And you're-" She gasped, a tear trickling down her cheek as Charlie nodded at her. Bianca couldn't stop herself as she wrapped her arms tightly around her friend "Charlie!" she whispered, her arms tightening around her friend slightly, it was as though she suddenly felt a breath of fresh air had been breathed back into her life, the person who had torn people apart was back to piece them back together again.

Bianca stuttered over her words, her arms still holding Charlie slightly, "I'm so sorry about before Charlie I…" she broke off, letting her tears let out a choking sob as she looked from Heath to Charlie, a watery smile plastered on her face "What's going on, how-?"

"After I um di-" Charlie stopped at the word she was about to use. She didn't know what to say anymore. The girls stopped in their embrace as Brax's voice sounded in the room.

"Go on say it." Brax said angrily, Charlie's heart dropping as she recognised the tone in his voice. She knew instantly that he hated referring to her death, she knew he too was struggling.

"Brax." Heath said sternly, sighing as Brax pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head at them.

"No go ahead!" He yelled at Charlie, who flinched slightly at the tone in his voice. "After you died and left us all to pick up the pieces." He shouted bitterly,

"Brax!" Bianca yelled,

"Nah lets just all be thrilled and pretend the past 6 months didn't happen yeah?" he scoffed as Heath and Bianca shook their heads at him, whilst Charlie said nothing, because she couldn't say anything, her being there couldn't instantly take away the pain he'd felt the past 6 months, she couldn't deny that and neither could anyone else. She winced as Brax stormed past them and towards the door, his fist colliding with the wall as he walked out of the house, the plaster board braking at is sheer force.

"Where the hell are you going Iron man?" Heath yelled after him, sighing at Brax's reply.

"Angelo's." Brax called back bluntly. Heath stopped Charlie as she went to move out the door after Brax.

"Leave him, leave him." Heath whispered as he held Charlie back, holding her tiny frame into his as she clung onto the back of his shirt, her eyes wondering down the drive, willing for Brax's retreating figure to turn and come back to her.

"Three coffees and blueberry muffins please Leah." Heath spoke as they entered the diner, shaking his head and smiling as Charlie and Bianca cooed over the baby. It was now people would find out about Charlie.

Leah chuckled and finished putting the previous customers money in the till "Three, isn't Rocco too young to be drinki-" she stopped as she looked up and her eyes met the woman who was with them "Charlie…" She gasped, her jaw dropping agape at the sight of her former friend.

"Leah darl, this one is for table 3-" Irene stopped and dropped the plates she was carrying, both her and Leah paying no attention as they smashed over the floor, "Oh my gawd father!" Irene screamed, one of her hands flying to her chest and the other to her mouth as she took Charlie in, the colour draining from their cheeks as they took her in.

Charlie jumped as a voice sounded from behind her, "Stone the flaming crows!" Alf yelled, Charlie grinned at the voice, she'd recognise it anywhere, before she turned around she knew who it was, the same pot bellied, thin white haired man carrying the battered sun hat under his arm was behind her, but as she turned she noticed a woman standing with him who she didn't recognise.

Natalie looked from face to face as she stood puzzled at Leah's tears, Irene's white cheeks and Alf's huge smile,

"Hi…I don't think we've met before." Natalie said cautiously frowning as no one spoke, each of them apart from Heath and Bianca stood with their jaws agape.

"That's because you've been playing dead for the past 6 months haven't you Buckton?" Heath teased wisely, a small smile tugging on his lips as Natalie creased her brows and looked at Charlie.

"Buckton?" she asked, the name ringing two bells, one being Ruby and one being Brax's dead girlfriend Charlie.

"And the penny drops." Heath smiled triumphantly as Natalie's eyes widened.

"Hi I'm Charlie." Charlie said softly, smiling timidly as she felt sudden nerves overcome her as everyone's eyes settled between her and the woman before her.

"Natalie." Natalie smiled back, both of them nodding awkwardly, unsure of what to say now they both knew who the other was.

"Awkward." Heath stated in a high-pitched voice, laughing innocently as Bianca nudged him in the chest "What I'm stating fact!" he exclaimed,

"Mum can I go to the beach with-" VJ's voice called as his voice echoed into the diner, his eyes met Charlie's for a fraction of a second before he yelled, "What the hell?"

"VJ language!" Leah scolded.

"Do you want to explain to me why there is a dead woman walking in our diner?" he asked his eyes widening as he continued to stare at Charlie.

"Son." Everyone turned as a slightly balding grey haired man entered the diner, his eyes settling on Heath, Bianca and then lastly Charlie. Heath felt his lungs constrict him as the man he was trying to protect Charlie from stood feet away from her. He felt his hand instantly fall to the small of Charlie's back discreetly as he hand grasped the back hem of his shirt. He threw a swift glance at her, long enough to notice the colour of her cheeks drain slightly as she realised who the man standing before them was. Bianca didn't fail to notice as Heath put a protective hand against the small of Charlie's back and his jaw muscles flexed as he looked at his father intensely, his eyes burning on him and his lips never parting to speak. Charlie felt her breakfast rise into her throat and threaten to spill on the floor as she looked at the boy's father, her eyes never leaving him, in fear of what she knew he was capable of, and despite Heath being here, she suddenly wished she had Brax. She relaxed slightly as she felt Heath's hand on her back but all she wanted to do was run. Yet her legs seemed rooted to the spot, as if she was overcome with a fear that she'd only ever felt once, the fear that the man stood before her could take her future away from her as he pleased. And she had no control of when or how.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Danny spoke as he looked from Heath to Charlie and Charlie to Heath, neither of them saying a word as the stood like statues in the calm, cold breeze drifting through the diner.

"Charlie."

"She came back from the dead." VJ piped up, stopping as Leah swatted his arm gently and shook her head,

"So you're the famous Charlie Buckton my boys' spoke about."

"We never told you anything about her." Heath spat, his hand hitting his fathers away before Charlie even contemplated shaking it back. "You didn't deserve to know anything about her." He spoke through gritted teeth, his body edging forwards slightly as he made sure Charlie was mainly behind him, creating a shield between her and his dad.

"You've changed your tone." Danny spoke in an intimidating tone, Charlie noticed Alf get up and walk past her slightly and stand slightly to the side of Danny and Heath, ready to brake up any scuffle. She felt her heart beat rise even more as Heath stepped forwards once, but he didn't throw a punch, he didn't launch an attack, instead his eyes were hard and his tone was blunt as he spoke.

"I've wised up. That's what I did." He said quietly, but loud enough so Danny could hear him. He watched as his dad eyed up the rest of them before settling on Charlie again, winking at her, making her feel like she wanted to hurl up the contents of her stomach before he turned away from them all and walked back out of the diner. Heath knew he was up to something, Danny wouldn't have just walked away like that, either he had something else in the works or he was shocked to see Buckton still walking, either way Heath couldn't stand to see the sight of him.

Brax sighed as he climbed out of the car that afternoon, his head still spinning with thoughts of her. He couldn't seem to make sense of anything, he still wasn't sure how he was supposed to feel.

He stopped as he entered the surf club, the local residents all going quiet as he walked in. "John" he nodded politely as he went to walk over the stairs to Angelo's, stopping as Liam climbed down the stairs and halted in front of him.
"Mate, I didn't expect you to be in today." Liam said slowly, mindlessly playing with the tea towel in his hands.

"Well surprise." Brax said sarcastically, turning back around as the whole place still stood in silence, there wasn't many people in there, mainly staff, but what unnerved Brax was that everyone in there new what he had gone through and only now had they started to care. "Haven't you all got jobs to do?" Brax asked, raising his eyebrows at the staff that each scurried off in a different direction at his words. He should have expected the whole town to catch wind of Charlie's return like wildfire, he should have expected that everyone would have been gossiping about the dead woman walking but it had slipped his mind, he thought he'd have time to think things through in his head before people bombarded him with stares and questions and he thought he'd have the time to look back at the carnage that was his life but apparently life goes on nd we're all expected to move with it, everyone dragging each other through the mud together.

"How're you feeling?" Liam asked, silently cursing himself at the stupidity of the question.

"Brilliant." Brax deadpanned, beginning to move up the stairs, "What about you?" he asked hastily, sighing as Liam followed him up the stairs.

"Sorry, that was a stupid question."

Brax sighed but didn't respond, the pen in his hand tapping against the money books restlessly, he glanced up to see Liam still looking at him. "Are you gonna sit and stare all day or go home."

"We have a restaurant to run."

"Not today we don't." Brax replied snippily and shut the books up. "We're closed. Go home." Brax said and nodded towards the door, he sucked in a breath as Liam spoke again, watching Brax as he still stood behind the bar, pulling a drink out from the bottom shelf.

"Aren't you gonna spend the day with-"

Brax threw the pen across the room in frustration, "God what is it with everyone this morning!" Breax yelled and cut him off, his fist thudding against the bar in frustration as Liam held his hands up innocently. "None of you gave a shit about me last week so why give a shit now?!" Brax shouted, raising his eyebrows as Liam nodded silently, giving up with trying as Brax turned away and began to pour the drink into a shot glass, he sculled it down his throat, the cool liquid stinging but acting as some kind of release to him.

Walking slowly up the stairs of the restaurant, brushing lightly passed Liam who just shook his head at her. She nodded lightly and stood by the entrance, her heart deflating as she watched him down the alcohol in one before slamming the drink on the side in anger. His arms then spread out wide against the bar as he leaned heavily on it, his head dropping into his chest as he sniffed back what she could only assume were tears. She stepped onto the lowered floor and let her heels echo loudly throughout the restaurant, making sure her presence was known.

"We're closed." He grunted as he heard footsteps echo into the restaurant

"I know I can read the sign." Natalie replied, a smile appearing on her face as he finally looked up at her, although it faded quickly again at the look in his eye.

"Well then why are you here?" Brax deadpanned, his eyes piercing her as he glanced up at her for a brief moment before ignoring her again.

"Brax-"

He cut her off quickly, determined not to let her get a word in edgeways. "No don't you start as well." Brax snapped harshly, pointing his finger at her in anger as his gaze burned her to the core. His anger focused on her for a brief minute before he gave up, his wall caving in slightly as she stood before him but said nothing to anger him.

She found her gaze settling on the large dark circles under his eyes and the way even though they were angered; they seemed vacant, empty and lost. She found her eyes trailing down to his lips, his pain-tightened lips that seemed to lose their ability to speak feelings even though she could tell his heart longed to. "You look pretty torn up." She commented, slipping onto the stool in front of him as he swept at the non-existent dust on the bar top. She recognized that motion, how it seemed to control him and keep his mind on everything else but the problems surrounding him.

'Thanks Nat." Brax scoffed, turning away from her to pour himself another drink,

"You know you can talk to me." She tapped her fingers against the side in frustration as he poured the drink down his throat, his eyes closing tightly and his facial muscles twitching at the strength before he relaxed again and shook his head.

Brax laughed, "What and you'd wanna listen." He commented sarcastically, walking up to the opposite side of the bar and leaning into it. Unbeknownst to both of them, they'd failed to recognize a petite figure lingering on the top step, listening to the conversation.

Natalie nodded in reply, her eyes solemn with understanding beyond thought. "If it makes you feel better…yeah," she said. She waited as he clenched his jaw muscles, she knew that trait, he was thinking about whether to let someone in or not, and Natalie knew that even though there was a slightest possibility he would want to, his pride would get in the way. Brax was definitely a hard person to read, but she was getting used to his mannerisms.

"You're not happy." Natalie said calmly, her voice confidant but inviting him to speak.

"Of course I am, I just-" Brax broke off, pursing his lips and stopping his speech, he struggled to find the words to describe his feelings, he struggled to reveal them to anyone, anyone apart from Charlie, except now he found himself scared to tell her how he felt in case she pushed away.

"Go on." Natalie urged him.

"It's like everyone's forgotten the past 6 months." Brax sighed, running his hands through his hair and clasping them together at the back of his neck. The figure on the stairs found her heart tearing at his words.

"Brax everyone has a way of dealing with things like this-"

He cut her off briskly, "So why is my way seen as wrong?" Brax questioned, his eyes looking pointedly at Natalie,

She shook her head, "Brax no one's saying that,"

"No one needs to." Brax replied, his voice raising slightly in frustration. He sighed as Natalie looked at him with her eyebrows raised, willing for him to continue. "Everyone's lost out on 6 months with Charlie, but I've spent 6 months missing her and losing out on my kid that I didn't even know existed," he said. the figure on the stairs slowly sunk to the floor at his revelation, her legs giving way from underneath her, why couldn't he tell her this?

"That's not your fault." Natalie spoke softly,

"Nah it is," Brax said adamantly, his hands sweeping the dust on the bar top "I told myself I'd never be like my father and abandon my kids, but look what I've done." He said, his own heart braking just like Charlie's who stood overhearing every word he spoke, her lungs constricting further and further.

"You didn't know she was-"

"I promised her!" He yelled, his voice twinging with pain that Charlie couldn't bare to hear as she stood back up on the step, her head leaning back against the cold wall that stood between her and the man she wanted to run to. "I promised her I'd always be there to look after her!" he shouted, his nostrils flaring slightly as he hit the wall in frustration and his palms leant against it, his back curling as he leant further into the wall.

"You can't blame yourself." Natalie said, taken aback as Brax shook his head and scoffed,

"I can." He sighed, sinking down onto the floor and leaning against the wall with his hands hanging loosely over his knees. "We would have been in the city by now, engaged, happy." Brax said, both of them failing to notice as Charlie let out a quiet sob from where she was sitting, she swore she felt her heart drop to the floor and into pieces at his revelation, she was so angry with herself at what was her fault.

"Engaged?" Natalie asked.

"I bought a ring for her, but um…" Brax said softly, tilting his head back and up to prevent the tears that willed to spill from his eyes, the pain of losing her felt like only a glimmer compared to the pain of what could have been and what should have been.

"But Brax that could still happen." Natalie said gently, leaning down in front of him.

"Nah it can't." Brax shook his head, Charlie felt her eyes close as a sudden feeling of loss overcame her "A husband is supposed to look after his wife, be there for her, show her he loves her," he said, still oblivious to her figure at the other side of the restaurant, oblivious to the tears spilling from her eyes. "How can I do that when it hurts me to even look at her?" And that was all she could listen to, she fled from the restaurant the fastest she'd ever ran in the past 6 months. She couldn't bare the pain in his voice and she couldn't bare the dull ache residing in her chest. She felt so consumed with an undying love for him, it felt as though it was killing her.

Aww poor Charlie! Please no daggers at Brax talking to Natalie, it doesn't mean Chax won't get together!

I hope it was worth the wait!

Please review, it means a lot to me :)

P.S. Lost Then Found will be updated next week :D x