Hey so it's New Year 's Eve, I hope everyone has had a fantastic Christmas and wishing you all a Happy New Year. I hope 2012 bring us all happiness, laughter, personal growth and development and the strength and courage to face those pesky hard times that may come our way.

Just want to say a big thank you for the reviews and kind comments that you have taken time to leave me. Its daunting writing something because starting this fic I was hoping that someone would read and hopefully like it. So it really does mean a lot when I see a review/comment, so thank you SO SO SO SO SO much.

Also thanks for bearing with me cause I know updates have not been that frequent recently, I am trying to keep on top of it but life does seem to like to get in the way. Just a warning I am starting a new class on top of work in January so it may cause an issue to updates not sure yet depends on how much I have to take home with me from class to complete.

Well here's the next chapter hope you enjoy and have an awesome New Year's Eve celebrating xxx

Chapter 12

The wait for news was a long and tiring one. Ruby had fallen in and out of sleep the whole night and into the early hours of the morning.

Brax wasn't able to get any rest as he sat in the waiting room. It had gone deathly quiet in the hospital; all that could be heard were the beeps of patient's monitors and staff walking around checking on patients. A shadow approached Brax but he didn't bother to look up to see who it was. The only person he wanted was lying in an operating theatre fighting for her life.

"Hey" Bianca said to Brax not sure how to approach him after all that had happened.

Not really wanting to communicate Brax just nodded his head and went back to his thoughts. He had been caught up in memories of the last few weeks of being happy with Charlie. Now would that be all he would have, memories of being with the women he loved. The only women he had ever loved. Was this all what it was for, all they had been through to bring them to this moment where he would lose her forever. Life without Charlie seemed to be a lonely one in Braxs mind and heart, he couldn't imagine wanting, being or feeling the way he does for Charlie for anyone else. Feeling more pain in his heart at this thought Brax held back the anguish he wanted to let out. Bianca noticed Brax tense up, it seemed like he was holding so much in.

"She's going to be fine; we all know Charlie's a fighter. She's too stubborn to let this keep her down" Bianca said trying to comfort Brax.

"So you think you know her?" Brax finally pulled his head up but refused to look at Bianca. Instead he kept his face forward looking ahead of him.

"Yeah"

"Well enough to know that you were hurting her by rejecting her friendship, well enough to know that none of what happened with Liam was her fault. With even the facts you shoulda known that she was dragged into that situation as much as you were, but you still decided to end your friendship with her."

"I was angry Brax"

"And after, after you had time to calm down. I told you it was breaking her heart what you were doing and you still ignored it. Best friends have arguments and disagreements but you were willing to let her leave the bay with things the way they were. I know what you said to her earlier, she was in tears on the phone to me."

"Well she defiantly held her own in that conversation" Bianca said trying to lighten the conversation. She knew what Brax was saying was true but all she wanted to do was concentrate on the now.

"Yeah well you deserved it. If Jake hadn't done what he had done we'd have left the Bay by now. You and Charlie wouldn't be friends and as I see it now you aren't. Don't come here playing the distraught best friend when you were willing to let her leave like that."

"Brax, please I just want to tell her how sorry I am."

"Well you better hope you get the chance to otherwise you're going to have to live the rest of your life knowing that she thought you hated her."

At Brax's words Bianca felt the sting of tears

"I was angry and was lashing out" Bianca tried to explain herself

"Yeah well it wasn't fair to take it out on Charlie. You don't get to come here acting the devoted best friend, you dropped Charlie for something that wasn't even in her hands."

Getting angry Brax stood up and faced Bianca.

"You know what just go, I don't want you here."

"Brax please" Bianca tried to plead with him

"No! I'm the bad guy remember and Charlie's the women that got herself into all this bother cause she was so quick to drop her knickers for me."

"I didn't mean it"

"But you said it, you said it and it hurt her. I want you to leave Bianca, you being here right now feels fake. You treated the women I love like an outcaste, your so called best friend"

"Brax I care about Charlie, I really do that's why I'm here"

"Yeah maybe you do but somewhere in all that you feel guilty and that's what brought you here. She was heartbroken that she had lost you as her friend. You know even after the crash, Heath told me he thought you were going to crumble and tell the truth. I asked Charlie to speak to you and make sure you would stick to the story but she wouldn't. She said she wasn't going to force you to do anything, she would have accepted it if you had told the police the truth and taken the consequences because you're her friend. "

"I just need to talk to her; I know we can get past this."

"It's a shame you couldn't get past it before all this happened ay. Just go Bianca, when she wakes up and is feeling up to it then you can see whether your friendship is salvageable. But for now just go home, I know how you've been treating her. Right now she can do without people like that."

"Hey Brax come on" Liam said after hearing what was said

"No, look mate we're friends but that accident was your fault. Bianca knew that, we all knew that. So what was she actually blaming Charlie for? The accident wasn't in her hands; the switch had nothing to do with her. The alibis Heath and Bianca chose to make. Once they were done Charlie had no choice but to go through with the lie. So I'm confused as to what your girl over there was angry about that had to do with Charlie. Maybe guilt that she had hooked up with Heath again which by the way was your own choice Bianca or maybe the fact that Liam was out of town because of your relationship."

"All right Brax I think she gets your point, just lay off her" Liam said trying to calm the situation

"What like she did Charlie. This is pointless I don't have the energy to fight with you Bianca, I'll get someone to call and let you know when Charlie's out of surgery. Right about now I don't want you here."

Turning his back on Bianca, Brax went back to his seat and continued his wait for news.

"Come on babe lets go, he's just angry right now and lashing out. I'll speak to him in the morning"

Liam put his arm around an upset Bianca and guided her towards the exit. Putting her hands in her pockets she felt the envelope she had forgotten she'd taken from Charlie's bedroom.

"Hang on" Bianca said as she made her way back to Brax

"Here" she said as she thrust the envelope in his hands

"What is it?"

"I found it at Charlie's, I dropped some stuff and when I was tidying up I saw this. It had your name on it, I can tell its Charlie's handwriting so I thought….. I don't know what I though really I just felt I should bring it"

"Thanks" Brax said as he looked at his name written on the front of the envelope.

"I am going to make it up to her, and despite what you may think I do care I just got blinded by my anger"

As Bianca and Liam made they're exit from the hospital Georgina Watson made her way to Brax.

"Darryl!"

Brax looked up at Georgina, nodding his head to let her know he was listening.

"Just thought you should know that Jake Pirovic has died from his injury's"

Brax remained silent at the news, just then Ruby began to stir and awaken. At the sight of Brax and Georgina she began to think the worst.

"What's going on, is it mum" Ruby began to panic which brought attention from Morag and Casey.

Putting the envelope into his pocket Brax quickly went to Ruby

"No, no it's about Jake. Georgina was just letting me know he's dead."

"Is there any news on mum?"

"No not yet, but then that's got to be good. She's in there fighting"

"Does it make me a bad person that I don't feel sorry for Jake. I'm so angry about what he's done to Charlie, I hate feeling so angry but I can't help it" ruby said

"Ruby it's understandable that you would feel the way you are, don't beat yourself up over it" Morag said trying to make her feel even an ounce better about the situation.

"I know a mans died but what he done was evil, I know she killed his brother but he was going to kill her and Brax. I just want all this to be over, I need her to be ok."

"Hey Rubes, come on she's come this far. Let not lose hope." Brax said trying to calm her as the wait for news continued.