Hey guys sorry for the long wait, thank you for the reviews it means a lot to know that you're reading and enjoying. Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy :-)

Chapter 21

Walking into Charlie's room Brax was met by the sight of her staring into space looking so fragile. As he got closer to her he could tell that she hadn't noticed his presence in the room yet.

"Charlie" Brax said as he walked closer to her

As her head turned, she looked as if she had been a million miles away somewhere else in her mind.

"What are you doing in here, get out I said I didn't want to see anyone" Charlie said, her voice low and weak

"Charlie please"

"Get out" she replied with a bit more force

"No!" Brax replied deciding that he had to try get through to her otherwise this chance would have been a complete waste.

"What?"

"I said no, I love you and care about you too much to let you shut me out like this"

"I don't want you here, just leave me alone"

"Do you blame me, is that it?"

"No Brax it's… please just leave me alone." Charlie said with tears coming to her eyes.

Moving closer to Charlie's bed Brax got a slight bit of hope that he just might be able to get her to open up

"It's what Charlie" Brax asked

Feeling a rush of emotions Charlie's leaned further into her bed and closed her eyes willing away the onslaught of tears that threated to spill.

"Is this to do with the baby?" Brax asked

"How do you even know about the baby" Charlie sighed keeping her eyes closed and trying to keeping her emotions under control.

"One of the doctors let it slip when he was giving us an update on your surgery"

"So much for patient confidentiality"

"He assumed we already knew" Brax explained

"Charlie, please talk to me let me in"

"Aren't we talking?" Charlie asked

"No you're asking me questions and I'm giving you answers"

"I can't Brax, I just can't. It just hurts too much"

"We're not going to get through this if you don't"

At Charlie's continued silence something snapped in Brax, he wasn't going to have her survive being shot for him to lose her.

"Damn it Charlie whatever that's going on in your head isn't going to get better if you don't let us in. Let me in. It's been hell for me and for Ruby and all the people that love and care for you."

Moving closer to her Brax took Charlie's face in his hands and moved it to face him.

"Charlie please open your eyes; just let me know you're listening to what I'm saying"

At his touch and by his request Charlie slowly opened her eyes and let the tears she was trying to hold in spill down her face.

"I know what happened is incredibly messed up but I'm determined not to let it ruin us. I lost you, I stood in a hospital room and listened to a doctor pronounce you dead. In that moment my whole world crashed around me, 9:32pm will always be the time I didn't know how I was supposed to go on without you in my life."

"Brax please just stop" Charlie asked with tears coming to her eyes

"Then you were brought back to me, by some miracle we got given a break, maybe just maybe everything was going to be ok. But then our baby, Charlie I found out in the same breath that I was going to be a dad, that our baby had died. I was in so much pain; I am still in so much pain about our baby. I know you are too so please just let me in, I may have only found out recently but I love our baby so much and I'm mad that we don't get to meet him or her."

"Well then understand this is hard for me Brax, you've only just found out recently. I had time to dream and plan in my head how it was going to be. Us starting a family together, being together as a normal couple with no secrets to hide. I even planned the colour of the nursery…"

"A creamy kinda yellow colour" Brax said

"How do you know?"

"Bianca found the envelope when she went to the house to get some stuff for Ruby. I think the colour would have been nice, you would have got no complaints from me" Brax replied giving a small smile.

Looking at Brax's smile Charlie looked away from him and exhaled the breath she had been holding in.

"He as your smile" Charlie said not looking at Brax

"Who" Brax asked confused

"Our son" Charlie decided to try and talk to Brax about how she was feeling, she felt bad about hearing the way Brax had found out he was going to be a dad and then to be told that the baby had died straight after.

"Charlie"

"No, Brax just let me finish without any interruption. I swear I'm not mad, I saw our baby, our son. I don't know how to explain it or what happened but I met him, he had your smile it so reminded me of you and so did his nose he had your nose as well. His hair it was chocolaty brown, it felt so soft he felt so soft and delicate. Looking into his eyes, he had my eyes. He was so beautiful and I didn't want to leave and I part of me wishes that I had stayed with him."

Not knowing if Charlie was finished or not Brax kept quiet giving her as much time as she needed to talk. A few seconds of silence went by before Charlie found the strength to go on.

"My mum and dad was there and Jack he was there as well. I know this sounds crazy but I know in my heart it was real Brax all of it was real. I wasn't going to come back as soon as I set my eyes on our little boy as soon as I touched him I didn't want to be anywhere but with him."

As the tears began to flow in torrents Charlie carried on talking, her voice becoming more and more emotional.

"I didn't want to fight no more. Brax most of my life I've had to fight and be strong; I'm so tired I didn't want to come back and have to do it all over again. But they told me that it would be alright, they promised me it would be alright but they lied Brax, it's not alright it's never going to be alright. I can't be strong anymore, I feel so weak and exhausted"

"Then let me be strong for you"

"I don't know how to" Charlie replied her voice cracking

"How about we figure it out as we go along, just take it a step at a time. I love you so much Charlie, I promise we are going to get through this. No matter how bad things may get along the way I'm not going anywhere. You can try and push me away but I'm never leaving you, I love you too much to ever walk away."

"I'm so sorry Brax, I know your hurting to but I just feel so lost. When I'm in here on my own I can imagine I'm back there with him. I didn't want you or Ruby or anyone in here because then I couldn't go back there, I would have to face it, I'd have to feel all pain"

Walking towards Charlie Brax put his arms around her and embraced her kissing the top of Charlie's head.

"Shh shh you're going to be alright. We're all going to get through this; we'll just take it one step at a time okay"

Brax could feel Charlie nod her head, a small smile came to Brax's face as he had a glimmer of hope that they may just be able to get through all this together now that Charlie was letting him in.

Leaving Irene's room Ruby walked back to the corridor to find Brax. Looking around she couldn't find him anywhere, she had stayed in Irene's room a little bit longer than intended but she didn't think Brax would leave without telling her. Ruby looked around a little bit longer until her eyes set on Charlie's room. Thinking Brax may have just been stubborn enough to go into her room despite Charlie's request not to see anyone, Ruby moved forward towards her room. The sight that greeted Ruby brought a smile to her face. Brax was lying on the bed with his arms wrapped around Charlie and her head resting on his chest. Ruby took one last glance at the couple on the bed happy that Brax had been able to reach her mum and hoping that they would start to heal from all the pain Jake had caused.