KISSES! Lovely people, have we heard the news! Charlie is returning! Out of my friends, I seem to be one of the only people excited about it (most of them are hooked on Natalie) but, my love for CHAX hasn't expired yet so I am more than ready for her return;
Sorry for the late update, Thankyou for your kind words and PMs about my current personal situation. This is the last chapter for this story, I will miss my characters and all of the stories that they went through, especially Georgia because if I am being honest for you guys because I feel that we know each other Haha xx I actually based elements of her personality and storylines my friends, families and my own experiences which is why I am proud that she survived because it gives me strength, that my family and I will survive the troubles that this year has brought.
Even if you have never reviewed before, I would love it more than anything if you could share one for me on this chapter because I would like to say a proper farewell to you all (although, I have already planned more CHAX ff's I know some of you will never read my things again) xxx I love you all and all of your kind reviews- they have given me the strength to continue writing.
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Charlie groaned loudly as she watched the boiling pot overflow. The bubbly water spat out at her tan hands, burning sprays of hot steam into her skin. The fire began to be tempted by the water as it swirled around the sides of the metal pot, hugging the sides with its orange and red streaks.
'Ouch' Charlie muttered, jumping away as some of the water hit her eye
Brax glanced over at his wife; it was a subconscious tendency to check that she was ok whenever she expelled a noise that suggested pain.
'Turn the heat down' Brax told her, chopping up carrot julienne style while keeping a wary eye on Charlie.
She bit her lip and quickly flicked the heat off.
'Wow, this competition is heating up' Matt smiled cheekily, knocking shoulders with Heath who just rolled his eyes and smirked at Matt's goofy sense of humor.
The Masterchef challenge between Brax and Charlie had been going for around ½ an hour, Brax had merrily been preparing some sort of Asian curry, dicing all sorts of vegetables into small pieces while Charlie had been fighting a battle with boiling water, attempting to make pasta and squish tomato's into a paste.
'It looks like blood' Georgia whispered under her breath, glancing at the pot of semi-pureed tomatoes.
'Shut it G' Charlie smirked, re-squishing the bowl of tomato with a fork; strange squishing noises escaped the bowl as the remaining tomato turned into a thick… slop.
'Hunny, you need help' Georgia laughed
Brax laughed loudly 'Callahan, stay back! Masterchef is about winning by yourself' he poked his tongue out at his old friend.
'But family is about helping' Georgia snapped, raising her eyebrows cheekily and intentionally pushing over a bowl of Brax's chopped carrots before jumping up to assist Charlie. Charlie couldn't help but smile, she had missed Georgia especially her witty statements in family situations. She seemed to be the only one stubborn and brave enough to challenge Brax on his just-as-humorous comments. She looped a tan arm around Georgia's slender shoulders and kissed her cheek as she watched her sister-in-law begin to add various herbs to her tomato paste. 'Georgia C, you cannot just help Charlie, this is a very serious challenge' Brax cried, in mock frustration
'Charlie is disqualified' Brax smirked, giving his wife a crooked grin
'Um no, we are the judges' Matt added 'And… we say that Charlie and Georgia are still in the running'
Brax groaned under his breath as he watched his wife and best friend giggle merrily as they reassembled Charlie's mess of cooking.
'30 minutes guys, chop chop!' Ruby exclaimed merrily
Heath was getting bored, he loved his family but this just resembled a bad TV show and he watches enough of that with a young wife who seems to have an obsession with every television show under the sun. He glanced at the cooking scene quickly and suddenly noticed that Brax's sautéed onions were beginning to burn. Brax was tied up with chopping even more vegetables. Heath casually came to a stand and turned the heat off from Brax's fry pan, just as he turned to go sit back down, Matt's voice surprised him 'It seems that team Braxton has expanded- we now have Heath and Darryl'
'No, I was just turning the heat off' Heath rose his hands in defense
'Nooo, Heath help your brother, he is struggling' Georgia pouted at her husband from across the room.
'If they get more people, I want more people Charlie' piped up
'We shotgun Ruby!' The girls called out
'We shotgun….'Brax called out in a panic, it was between the cheeky 20 year old and his young niece.
Matt came to an expectant stand and rolled his eyes as he noticed that Brax hadn't said his name yet. 'Oh come on! Its me or what a 10 year old?'
'I'm 11.' Amber snapped crossing her arms 'Plus, at least I know the different between a fruit and vegetable'
Matt groaned 'It looked like a mango, I didn't realize that it was a sweet potato!' He rolled his eyes as his witty niece reminded him of one of his not-so-impressive cooking days.
'And for that reason, we choose Amber' Brax winked as Amber skipped up to the bench.
Matt sat back down by himself and got out his phone.
1 NEW TEXT
+614507814987
Movie in 2 hours?
X Indi
He smirked at replied
See you there,
What movie?
. Ruby looked up as she saw Matt blushing at the screen of his phone, she jealously bit her lip- who was he texting? Since when did anyone in summer bay make him smile like that?
'Who are you texting Matt?' Ruby asked casually, glancing at him from beneath her long lashes.
'Just a friend, I'm going to the movies later' He answered casually (though secretly he was exceptionally happy that he finally had a friend to hangout with apart from Ruby), slipping his mobile back in his pocket.
Ruby scoffed jealously 'Since when do you have any friends apart from me, you charity case' she attempted to joke- though it came out bitter and snappy.
Matt tensed up at her comment and Ruby could feel everyone's angry stares piercing into her face.
'I can't believe I ever thought I loved you' Matt muttered under his breath, standing up and walking out of Angelos without another word. Ruby bit the inside of her cheek- why did she have to ruin everything.
'Ruby, over the last few days it seems that Matt has been making an effort to make more friends and if you keep speaking to people the way you just spoke to my brother, then sorry hunny… but you will be the charity case' Georgia said
Ruby was then embarrassed, everyone was looking at her with pity- anger rose in her stomach and she turned to Georgia with an irritated pout on her lips. 'I'm not the charity case Georgia, unlike you' the last two words slipped out.
Georgia dropped the knife she was using in shock and it landed on the ground with a loud clatter. She clenched her jaw together and tears brimmed in her eyes. The last year had been terrible, she was still dealing with anorexia and recovering from depression and self-harm, she was strong though and didn't think that she was the "charity case" –as Ruby had stated, though… even through her strong persona, it hurt more than anything to know that that's what Ruby viewed her as… a stupid charity case.
'I'm going to leave' she spoke quietly
'Georgia, I'm-' Ruby tried to apologize
'Save it Ruby' Heath snapped
'Heath' Ruby breathed, hating the feeling that everyone was angry at her days before Christmas.
'No, Heath is right. Ruby your language has been disgraceful over the last few days' Charlie dropped her head, unwilling to make eye contact with her daughter.
'Come on Amber baby, lets go home' Heath grabbed her hand and slung his other arm protectively around Georgia's body. He kissed her cheek and whispered into her ear 'I'll call Matt, check that he is ok' Heath told Georgia whom nodded in response, not daring to speak as they made their way out of the restaurant and towards the carpark. Just as Amber and Georgia begun to walk down the stairs, Heath poked his head back into the restaurant, making sure that Georgia couldn't hear him he gave Ruby a disappointed look 'Get your act together Ruby, you better hope that your comment didn't just take us two steps backwards… we cant afford any backtracking right now' He lowered his head and ran down the steps to catch up to his wife and daughter.
And like any good television show, the BRAXTON masterchef ended with drama.
.
Ruby sat on the couch at home opposite Brax and Charlie. It was the first time that they required their united parenting front. Brax had had experience with Casey though, it felt different with Ruby because he was like her father now and he was genuinely concerned with the way she had been acting to everyone.
Charlie looked down at her feet unsure what to say, Brax slid a comforting arm around her waist and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.
'Thanks' she murmered
'Can I go now?' Ruby asked awkwardly, turning towards the hallway. She twisted locks of her hair in-between her fingers, her lip caught between her teeth.
'Um…' Brax muttered, unsure of what Charlie wanted to say, he gave his wife a sideways glance- Brax wasn't sure whether he should take a lead on the discussion with Ruby or if Charlie would want to hold the front.
'No' his wife stated firmly in a very low thin voice, her elbows resting on her knees, vibrating lightly.
'Mum, I apologized to Georgia- its fine' Ruby crossed her arms across her chest uncomfortably
'No, god dammit' Charlie shouted, startling both Ruby and Brax.
Charlie looked up at Ruby 'Your behavior today and yesterday and… well from the past while has been horrible'
'Mum-'
'No, don't interrupt your mother' Brax stated, placing an arm across Charlie's lap, squeezing her knee supportively.
Charlie couldn't help internally smiling, she liked that Brax was defending her in a serious parenting matter.
'Hunny, what's going on? Why are you acting out so much?' Charlie asked Ruby, her voice softening
Ruby shuffled awkwardly on the couch for a moment before resting against a pillow and allowing stray tears to fall down her cheeks.
'Romeo and I didn't work.' She murmered
'That is a shame but- you don't have the right to take it out on your family.' Charlie responded
'I was just embarrassed, I uh um' Ruby wiped her nose and cheeks to remove the stray teary debri
'I'm alone again, no Xavier, no Romeo and no… Casey' she bit her lip to stop more cries from escaping
Charlie's face immediately softened 'Oh god sweetheart'
'What if he was it for me? What if Casey was the one for me and now he is… now he is gone' Ruby sat up, tearful and a very worried expression marrying her face. Casey had been dead for months and months now but everyone seemed to have dismissed the fact that Ruby was still hurting because of it all. Brax moved off from the couch and pulled Ruby into a hug. This sweet gesture seemed to be the trigger and Ruby broke down into deep emotional cries, Brax's arms stroked her back comfortingly and Charlie watched onwards as the two people she loved most, bonded over the memory of someone whom they both loved. It was a beautiful and intimate moment to observe and Charlie couldn't help smiling because it seemed that this hug symbolized Ruby accepting Brax into her life as a permanent fixture.
'What if he was my soulmate?' Ruby whispered to Brax
'He may very well have been… but that doesn't mean that you won't find a new one' Brax replied, his voice low and husky, a mere whisper.
'What if I can't find anyone?' Ruby sniffled, leaning into Brax's arms
'I did' Brax gave Charlie a small shy smile 'You will too, it just might take a while'
Charlie took a deep breath and placed her hand on the small of Brax's back, he relaxed into her touch and knew that this moment was pure and real.
As the hug separated, Ruby wiped her eyes and surprisingly Brax didn't move back next to Charlie- he remained next to Ruby, an arm casually draped around her shoulders.
'Ruby apart from you being upset with Casey… it wasn't right too-' Charlie stammered over her words
Brax caught her eyes and gave her a soft nod as if to say "its ok"
'I think what your mum means is that- your attitude has been rude and we can't just forget that'
'I'm an adult, I don't have to sit through these discussions' Ruby responded, her voice gentle- she knew that she was treading thinly
'Yeah sure. You are an adult but your behavior is beneath that, act your age' Brax replied
'Matt will get over It, I was just teasing' Ruby defended
Charlie squeezed her eyes shut and groaned under her breath, 'Ruby, you can't just assume that. Matt puts up with loads of your bullshit- one day, he isn't going to forgive you'
'Its not like I hurt the guy, you are overreacting Charlie!' Ruby scoffed, putting her arms across her lap defensively.
'For gods sake Ruby! Matt aside- you called my best friend a charity case. She has had anorexia, depression and she used to self-harm. I am so proud of her for trying to get better because I know that recognizing the issue is almost impossible for someone with those disorders because it consumes your life until living in that dark place… is your life. She is not a charity case and I think that you owe her one of the biggest apologies because calling someone like Georgia whom has more innerstrength than all of us something so harsh, is weak' Brax insisted, he removed his arm from around Ruby and edged away from her on the couch.
Charlie bit her lip, she knew that Ruby was acting out and she could tell that Brax was hurting, the Callahan family had been in his life for years and with Ruby offending them… it offended him… that's called love.
'I'll call Georgia and Matt… Ill apologize then' Ruby murmered, not daring to make eye contact with either of the adults in the room.
'No' Charlie said firmly 'You will tell them both directly'
Ruby nodded solemnly.
Brax walked over to Charlie and wrapped her in a hug. She exhaled once his warm arms were around her body. 'You did good' Brax said softly
'I love you' Charlie replied, she knew from Brax's mature attempt at discipline that when Ellie would be a teenager, he would be the perfect father- sweet, sensitive yet knowing where to draw the line in relation to behavioral outbursts.
.
Heath wandered down the stairs, he sat opposite Georgia who was sipping a hot drink while staring blankly at the wall.
'Mocha?' Heath asked
'Black coffee' she replied quietly
'You hate black coffee…'
'I know' Georgia answered, taking another sip from the mug. Her spidery fingers clutching the mug;
Heath didn't know what too say, he knew that Georgia was hiding her hurt from the incident at Angelos.
'Do you. Uh um, want anything for lunch?' Heath asked slowly, stumbling over his words
'I'll have some later' she replied simply
Heath couldn't help feeling his heartbreak a little, because he knew very well… that she wouldn't.
'What's wrong Callahan?' Heath asked flatly, sliding his chair closer to Georgia.
'Life' she responded
'Only if you make it' Heaths voice cracked as her cupped Georgia's cold hands in his own.
A single tear slid down her cheek and she bit her lip suddenly- her sad doe eyes widened and caught Heaths glance in her own.
'I don't want to kill myself anymore' Georgia whispered
Heath's body clenched up, even just hearing those words escape the lips of the woman he loved was difficult to condone.
'I still have days when I want to die though'
Heath nodded uncomfortably, not knowing how to respond to such an intimate topic.
'Do you want me to call your Dr, so you can talk to him?' Heath asked, reaching for his mobile
'No, no, I want to talk to you' Georgia breathed, a small smile growing beneath her tear stained cheeks.
Heath couldn't help feeling a massive improvement, finally Georgia wanted to confide in him- after nights where he would go to sleep, hearing her cry herself to sleep, heartbreaking sobs just vibrating through her body and him not daring to touch her. This was a breakthrough, it may be small but the small ones are the safe ones.
'Ruby didn't mean it… what she said about you being the charity case' Heath said firmly
Georgia reluctantly nodded 'Mmm, I know. I'm not a charity case but it just scares me to think that other people see me that way'
'You shouldn't care about what people think' Heath replied gruffly
'I know, but I do' Georgia admitted
At that moment, they heard a knock on the door. Heath rose to get it and Georgia immediately wiped her bloodshot eyes and sniffed away her runny nose.
'Its me Ruby' a small voice echoed through the door.
Heath immediately faced Georgia, his eyes widening with question.
She nodded 'Yeah, let her in'
Georgia came to a stand and stood opposite Ruby whom looked uncontrollably nervous with the situation.
Heath backed away slowly to leave the two girls alone; he wandered up the stairs to check on Amber.
'Hi' Ruby murmered, a shaky smile on her lips
Georgia forced a smile in response 'Hello'
'How are you?' Ruby asked imitating smalltalk to procrastinate from the real reason of why she needed to talk to Georgia
'Tired and upset' Georgia answered truthfully
Ruby bit her lip at the response; she tucked her hair behind her ears- a nervous instinct that Georgia recognized.
'What can I do for you?' Georgia sighed
'I want to apologize for before… at Angelos, I was just angry and embarrassed and ugh I'm sorry'
Georgia nodded 'Did Charlie ask you to apologize?'
'Yes' Ruby muttered guiltily, staring at her feet.
'Thankyou for being honest, I appreciate that' Georgia said softly
'But... that doesn't mean that its not genuine because it is! I really respect you and your journey…'
'Journey? Sweetheart, depression is not a journey, it's a fucking challenge' Georgia laughed
Ruby smiled 'Exactly, you survived it with the same witty humor and I'm sorry that I disrespected that. '
Georgia winked ' Now, that is an apology that I accept!' she pulled Ruby into a hug and kissed her head amorously
'Don't worry, I always say things without thinking- it's a Callahan trait- you have just spent too much time with us, we have infected you with sarcasm and foot-in-mouth' Georgia giggled into Ruby's ear.
'Speaking of the other Callahan's…' Ruby sighed 'Matt… how is he?'
'Fine, he is still at the movies though. He probably just needs a break- you too should spend some time apart, it will help you value what you have more' Georgia replied.
'Who is he with?' Ruby asked
'Indi, they bonded apparently while Matt was attempting to fix her car' Georgia shrugged dismissively
'Is it a date…'
Georgia shrugged 'I don't know, why do you care?'
'I don't know' Ruby admitted.
.
The day ended. People had cried, laughed, kissed, blushed and more. It was a day of intense pain, love and realization. Ruby realized that Brax is now her father, Georgia realized that she was still in a bad place, Charlie realized that Brax was going to be an incredible father, Heath realized that Georgia needed him more than he thought, Brax realized that he wasn't the only one whom was still hurting over the loss of Casey and Matt realized that he wasn't sure if he was actually still inlove with Ruby.
Man, that is one hell of an epiphany!
The next day was Christmas, the morning was a stereotype. Brax woke up early to put presents under the tree (while tripping over a baby toy and therefore waking up Ellie whom woke up Charlie)- Braxton Christmas began at around 5:00 that morning… Heath decided for one year that in their house they would not do a Christmas breakfast, presents, hot drinks and Amber in her new Santa-onesie was enough because Heath knew that his wife was dreading all of the Christmas meals where family would be staring at her as she merely cut up her food roughly- not letting a piece of it touch her lips. Since their conversation last night, Heath decided that supporting Georgia instead of forcing her would be a better way to help her.
Matt was in a good mood when he had gotten home from the movies, the previous night so he decided to decorate Ambers room with fake snow before she woke up.
It was an honestly magic moment in both the households, because although there were underlying issues- everyone just sucked it up for Christmas because family do that… they suck it up on important days so that everyone can enjoy themselves.
'Merry Christmas gorgeous!' Brax kissed Charlie's head as she rocked Ellie in her arms.
'Is it even morning yet' Charlie groaned, nuzzling her head into the crook of Brax's neck.
'Yes, sleepyhead. Its 5:05' Brax replied cheerfully
'Ugh, why did you have to wake Ell up so early' Charlie pouted.
Brax kissed her pouted lips before taking Ellie out of Charlie's arms.
'You know, I am not a morning person' Charlie added
'Yes, which is why I have a croissant, fruit salad, coffee and block of chocolate in the kitchen for you to eat' Brax grinned sweetly, he had purchased the food the night before with the knowledge that Charlie would need to eat before she was in a festive mood.
'Love you' she murmered sleepily, her uggboots squeaking across the timber floor as she made her way into the kitchen.
Charlie sat in the kitchen and smiled at the cute layout of food, Brax had even attempted to arrange the food in a festive pattern. It was cute, really cute. Charlie could feel the goofy grin burning up her mouth- Brax was adorable when he was in a Christmassy mood.
'Thankyou for the food' Charlie drawled out
She could practically hear Brax roll his eyes and grin with excitement.
After their breakfast, Brax invited Heath and Georgia over with Amber so that they could unwrap presents together- since everything that they had been through, it felt strange to spend time apart.
'Brax, who is coming over- I need to know how much food to prepare?'
Brax poked his head into the kitchen and bit his lip nervously; he fiddled with the phone before shaking his hair and flipping it messily in a boyish fashion.
'I uh, we aren't having lunch today…' Brax explained
Charlie placed Ellie in her highchair and wiped her hands on her oversized shirt before facing Brax
'Why not? I had chicken, potato, pudding, ice-cream and even the gravy Heath likes prepared for today' Charlie asked, a slight pout on her lips
'Um… Heath was the one who asked. He uh, doesn't want anyone to have lunch while they are together'
'Why?'
Brax gave a small smile 'For Georgia, apparently he doesn't want to make her uncomfortable with everyone eating while she doesn't'
'But, wont seeing us eat- help convince her?' Charlie questioned, casually stroking the soft dark hair
Brax took a step forward and kissed the top of Charlie's head, gosh his wife was so sweet and considerate yet oblivious to the darkness that still hid in the world.
'It doesn't always work that way' Brax breathed huskily into Charlie's ear.
Charlie nestled into Brax's grip and kissed his neck sweetly, her soft touch forced him to exhale shallow, shaky breaths.
Charlie snickered and giggled into his neck, Brax responded by lightly pulling her away and repositioning their bodies next to the countertop. He stroked her hair out of her eyes and watched as Charlie blushed under his heated glance.
'I miss when you looked at me like that' Charlie smiled lightly, her eyes hiding beneath her thick row of dark lashes.
Brax's eyes widened and he caressed her cheek softly with the pad of his thumb 'What do you mean?', voice low and husky
Charlie bit her lip and placed her hand on top of Brax's 'When we were dating, we had so much time for each other but now, every hour of every day is consumed by other stuff'
Brax nodded guiltily and ducked his head in shame 'With my brothers, Ruby, Georgia…'
'Yeah, but its good consumed though' Charlie insisted 'I like being involved with everything, I just think we need more alone time'
Brax nodded happily, a closed-mouth grin infecting his face. 'Love the idea babe but… It is Christmas today which is about family'
'I know' Charlie insisted nodding with convincement 'But' she added, placing a finger on Brax's arm and swaying her hips suggestively into the middle of Brax's body 'Boxing Day… is just for me and you'
'And Ellie… '
'And Ell' Charlie agreed, shaking Brax's hand in order to finalize the agreement.
Footsteps clambered up the steps and Ruby ran to the door to open it, she was donning an oversized Santa-hat which fell cutely over one of her eyes and a white shirt-dress, no need to dress up for family!
The door swung open and there stood Heath, Georgia, Matt and Amber- all except for Georgia donning an emotionless face. Ruby immediately burst out laughing as she took in what they were all wearing. Heath in a Santa-suit, complete with beer gut and beard. Amber was in a little red dress, green tights and velvet headband as a little elf, Georgia in a Mrs. Santa shirt with leather tights underneath and Matt… in a white shirt and white shorts and white socks with white vans.
'Merry Christmas' Georgia grinned, swallowing Ruby in a massive hug
'For the record, Georgia literally forced us too dress up' Heath added, flicking pieces of his beard out of his mouth
'For the record, I am a piece of snow' Matt added flatly
'I ran out of costume ideas for Matt' Georgia shrugged, releasing Ruby from a hug and eagerly walking into the Braxton household.
Heath and Amber both kissed Ruby's cheek before entering and just Matt tried to sneak past Ruby, without having to say hello but Ruby took a step to the side in order to stop him from passing. Matt stuck his hands in his pockets and bit his lip, looking at the floor.
'Hey Ruby'
Ruby forced a smile, she could tell from Matt's not-so-subtle attitude, that he was still annoyed with her from the incident at Angelos
'You look like an albino' She attempted to make a joke, laughing dryly at herself
Matt just shook his head and walked past her 'Merry Christmas' he muttered in a low voice.
Ruby couldn't help pouting, she didn't want to lose Matt, and he was a great friend and had really become an essential person in her life during the past few months.
The family sat around the couch, everyone leaning on each other. It would have been a pretty picture, the entire family all just relaxing together.
Presents were opened until the only ones left were ones from Brax and Georgia.
Surprisingly Brax stood up suddenly, jolting everyone out of their daze and focusing on him, his hands clutched two gifts tightly and he smiled warmly at his family.
'I would like to say Merry Christmas to everyone. I uh… I am incredibly blessed to know everyone and I wouldn't have made it without you. A special recognition to my girl Georgie-C, it is no secret that you have survived an incredibly ordeal the last two years and I need you too know that I love you more than ever- you have always been and will always be my best friend, I am so proud of you and I promise you, that I will be by your side every step of the way because you' he paused and shot Georgia a cheeky grin 'Well, with this massive family always around, you will never be without support. Um, I bought you this present a couple of months ago actually' Brax hesitantly passed a teary-eyed Georgia her present. She tentatively stroked the paper and everyone couldn't help watch as Georgia slowly unwrapped it to find a small black box, she pushed her hair behind her ears and bit her lip tightly before opening the box and gasping. It was a small necklace with a locket in the middle of it; inside the delicately formed locket was a tiny, faded image of two small children. Under closer inspection it could be seen that it was an image of Georgia kissing Brax's cheek at one of her childhood parties, tears brimmed at her eyes as she realized how long ago it was.
'Merry Christmas' Brax mouthed as Georgia silently held the locket upto her chest and gave Brax one of the most grateful smiles he had ever received from her.
After a moment Brax stood up again. 'If this one is for Georgia, I think that we are going to have to do some trading' Matt joked
Brax rolled his eyes 'No, this is actually just for Charlie'
His wife blinked her eyes unexpectantly 'But… what?' she mumbled, having already received a beautiful necklace from her husband.
'Charlie, I present to you… tickets for you, me and Ell to travel too Italy for three weeks in March' Brax handed her an envelope which Charlie could hardly even accept, her mouth still wide open with shock.
'You said to me that you wished we could have more alone time, so I decided to give you three weeks where its just you, me and Ell- we can escape from life and just live as if we were dating again with the same freedom, adventure and… S E X' Brax spelt out causing a loud smirk to escape from Matt. 'as we used to have' he continued
Charlie blushed at the statement but ignored her embarrassment and immediately encased Brax into a warm embrace; this was such an excessive present yet it was so thoughtful and kind. Charlie was so proud to be known as Mrs. Braxton because her husband was the most beautiful, amazing person she had ever met. Charlie came to a stand and timidly wrapped her hands around Brax's waist, her soft lips kissed his cheeks hurriedly and Brax responded by biting his lip and slipping the envelope of plane tickets down the back of Charlie's shorts.
'Lucky girl' Ruby gushed, raising her hands upto her cheeks and grinning jealously at Charlie.
'Well, another Christmas announcement, I am moving out of Heaths house!' Matt grinned proudly
'Finally!' Heath drawled out with a wink
'Where are you going to live, sweetie?' Georgia asked
'Um well- I'm actually going to go back to Sydney to finish my degree' Matt smiled proudly
Georgia grinned at her brother excitedly and she leant over and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. 'Good job' her hushed voice whispered into his ear.
'Well, I was chatting to Indi yesterday and she encouraged me to finish what I've started before getting invested in things or well… people that are never going to work out'
'Mr badass Lawyer' Heath cheered, whistling excitedly
'You have the right to remain silent, anything you do say- can and will be used against you in the court of law' Georgia acted out in an overdramatic voice
'In the court of law with Matt!' Heath added happily.
Ruby nibbled on her lip nervously, tears springing to her eyes for some unknown reason.
Matt blushed and fiddled with the scraps of wrapping paper that lay at his feet. 'Yeah, yeah. Well, I am leaving on the 1st of January.'
…
INFO ON HOW THE LIVES OF THE CHARACTERS PROGRESS (different jumps in time):
Matthew Callahan, Indi Smith (nee. Walker) & Ruby Buckton
LISTEN TO: Punching In a Dream
He tapped the armrest of the car quietly and stared out the window, watching the passing buildings as the car drove onwards. Indi was driving him to the train station, he knew that it would be too hard to say goodbye to his sister if she drove him to the train station instead.
'10 minutes' Indi said
'Huh?' Matt asked, coming out of his daze
'Well, I have just decided to count how long there has been an obvious awkward silence in this car' Indi smiled, crooking her head towards Matt as she continued to drive down the street.
Matt smirked lightly and leant back against the leather-cushioned seat. 'Sorry, I'm just… I just miss people'
'How… did your goodbye with Ruby go?' Indi murmered
'What goodbye' he scoffed under his breath, Indi released a deep breath in response. She knew about how rocky their friendship had been ever since Christmas Eve. Ruby had been trying to reform a friendship but Matt was sick of being offended and ignored by Ruby- he had been hurt enough by the people he loved in life and was sick of forgiving people to then have them be just as rude and juvenile as they were before.
'You still love her…' Indi breathed, knowing that she had to tread lightly or Matt would shutdown and not want to talk to her
'No, I don't'
'But you want to'
'I can't love her. She takes me for granted'
Indi nodded, she could understand where Matt was coming from. It was always hard to forgive someone but it's even harder to forget.
'Romeo and I forgave each other'
'Yeah, but you guys were well are married… Ruby and I were never even dating, there was limited trust to start with'
'Bullshit!' Indi laughed, accidently honking the horn in the process. 'Matthew, you both trusted each other and… you still do trust her which is why you are so reluctant about leaving Summer Bay behind.'
Matt bit his lip and contemplated what she had said, he did miss spending time with Ruby and he knew that she was deeply apologetic about how rude she had been to him…
Suddenly Matt heard Indi laugh eagerly, her hands shaking excitedly as she stared out the window. Matt followed her gaze and there was Ruby, driving the car next to them. Her tear stained cheeks reflected in the sunlight and Matt couldn't help feeling a boost of excitement. Her messy hair was tied in a loose plait, which hung over her shoulder casually; her big eyes stared at Matt with such love.
'Ruby, what are you doing here?' Matt called out, lowering the window.
The heavy wind immediately echoed throughout the car, making it difficult for the two of them to communicate.
'You never said goodbye' Ruby called out of her own window, tears brimming at her eyes.
'We hadn't even had a conversation in two weeks… I didn't think you'd care' He replied.
'Ugh Matthew! Just pull the car over so we can talk' Ruby replied, her own car swaying over the dividing lines since her attention wasn't exactly focused on the traffic.
'I have a train to catch'
'Matt, please' Ruby insisted, small tears sliding down her eyes
Indi began to slow the car down but Matt placed an insistent hand on her arm and shook his head briskly, he couldn't succumb to her pleas.
'I was inlove with you!' Matt laughed cruelly 'You didn't even care'
Ruby shook her head 'I did care! I still do care! I want you to go…'
'Good because I am' he interrupted
'I want to go with you!' Ruby cried over the overpowering gusts of wind.
Matt shook his head sadly, his shaggy hair falling covering his eyes 'You don't want to come- you just don't want to be alone'
'That's not true, please Matt. I need you' Ruby insisted.
'Ruby, you have never been without a boyfriend, from that Xavier kid to Geoff, Casey and Romeo- you need to find yourself' Matt said back, he couldn't help regretting his words
'I have found myself- I suck by myself- please, you make me better' Ruby replied.
Suddenly Matt felt the car pullover, he turned his head to ask Indi why she had stopped the car but his eyes caught the sign. They had reached the train station.
'What do you want to do?' Indi asked him, nibbling her nails nervously
'I want to… go to Sydney' he answered breathlessly
'I'll miss you…' Indi gave him a hug and a big kiss on the cheek. 'Thankyou for everything, you never took me for granted, I am honestly proud to be your friend.'
As Matt excited the car, his suitcase in tote, he took a deep breath of fresh summer air. Fellow passengers swarmed around him, all eager to catch their trains.
'Matt, I am still here' A shrill voice called out, Matt turned around and watched as Ruby raced up to him breathlessly, her slender fingers grasping onto Matt's toned bicep.
'I can't let this happen' she whimpered.
Matt stroked her cheeks gently and groaned as she leant into his touch.
'I'll make you a deal Ruby. Two years, I am going to continue and complete my degree in criminal law. I am going to visit my twin sister McKenzie, take a break from all of the drama and… on January 1st in two years time, I will come back to Summer Bay and open my own Legal Practice in town, when I get back… maybe the time will be right for us' Matt told her in a husky voice
Ruby nodded reluctantly and stood on the tips of her feet, she leant upwards and kissed Matt's lips tenderly, the sweet taste of cherry from her tongue carried across into his own mouth. Matt rose his hands up and placed them on her back, pulling her small frame closer in-between his hips. As the kiss ended, he exhaled a deep breath and took a step backwards.
'Goodbye Rubz, ill see ya'
'C-can I visit?' she mumbled nervously
Matt winked and gave Ruby a sad smile 'I wouldn't expect anything less'
'Goodbye Matt, you will change the world.
And with that, Matt turned around clutching his bag and he walked towards his past, it wasn't a step backwards though… it was the step that he should have taken- now he was excited to return to the bay because the women he… loved would be there.
Heath Braxton, Amber Braxton & Georgia Callahan-Braxton (**references of self-harm**)
LISTEN TO: You Found me- The Fray and Summertime Sadness- Lana Del Rey
Months had passed, it was July- the weather was cold and constantly raining. Georgia sat on her bed, her head resting against the window as the cold rain tapped against the glass, her oversized grey cardigan was slung over her shoulders casually and Georgia continued to sigh against the window. A notebook rested at her feet as she hummed the tune of Summertime Sadness, Lana Del Rey's husky voice sung a melodic tune through the vintage radio that sat above her bed.
Georgia leant over and turned the page of her notebook, the delicate pages covered in her neat scrawl.
She grabbed a pen and placed it next to the book before standing up and facing the mirror. She still found it difficult to face her own appearance in the reflection. Georgia slowly began to undress, she removed her cardigan and grey cord skirt, the material shimmied down her slender frame, after this Georgia reached up and pulled her oversized white tee-shirt over her head. Suddenly, she was facing the mirror only wearing a pale pink bralette and a pair of pastel yellow underwear- all her insecurities were on show, bones protruding, all the ugliness that Georgia saw was on show. She hesitantly leant over and pulled the scales out from under her bed. Georgia put one foot on the scales and watched as the numbers jumped around depending on the pressure and weight distribution. 24, 40, 11, 22, 37- Georgia didn't want to move her other foot onto the scales, she hated the numbers- they disgusted her. But, something inside her pushed her forward and her left foot timidly slid onto the plastic base and the ticker frayed back and forth through the numbers. Georgia closed her eyes firmly before taking a deep breath and staring at the dreaded number… her weight. 40.1 kg. She didn't show any emotion and stepped off the scales before wandering towards her notebook that still lay on the bed.
January- 38
February- 35
March- 38
April- 42
May- 40
June- 38
July-
Georgia tried to smile and convince her mind that it was an improvement. She had gained 2 kilograms- it should be making her happy, she bit her lip and hurriedly scrawled the new number next to July.
A sudden knock on the door spun her out of her daze. Georgia quickly scrambled to retrieve her clothing as the knocking intensified.
'Georg, is everything ok?' Heaths muffled voice called out through the hardwood door.
'Uh, one sec' she called out, kicking the scales back under the bed and quickly wrapping her cardigan over her shoulders. Georgia opened the door and gave her husband a small smile.
Heath raised his eyebrow comically 'What's been going on?' he asked, noticing the straps of Georgia's bra which were visible since the sleeves of the cardigan had fallen to her elbows.
'Just doing some jobs' she replied quickly
'Want some help?' Heath winked, placing a finger under Georgia's bra strap, pushing his body into hers.
'Later' she mumbled
Heath nodded sadly, he had missed the intimacy with his wife- he hadn't had sex with her for one year (while she was in hospital) and for the first half of the current year- he wasn't sure why.
'Are you afraid?' Heath asked huskily, sliding his back down the wall until he was sitting. Georgia gave him a confused look and mimicked his actions until she too was sitting opposite him.
'Of what?'
'Me…' Heath stumbled over his words.
'What. Don't be stupid'
'G, we haven't… you know in over a year'
Georgia's body stiffened at his words and Heath immediately felt guilty for raising the topic.
'I just don't want you to see' she whispered
'See what?' Heath asked 'Sweetie, I have seen your body before- hell. We can do it in the dark!'
Georgia shook her head 'You will think I'm ugly, revolting'
'Is this about the weight?'
'No'
'Then what is it?'
'You will hate me'
'I cant hate you' Heath laughed
'You might'
'Promise, I will never'
Georgia slowly pulled up a sleeve and felt her whole body shiver as she showed Heath her wrists. Her beautiful skin was marked with small puckered scars, the reminders of her dark times.
Heath tried not to cry, it was upsetting to see his wife looking so vulnerable and scared, he had seen the marks before, ever since she returned from hospital she had been attempting to hide them from everyone.
'They are fading'
'No they aren't' She shook her head and rubbed the scars that trailed upto her elbow.
'Even so, it doesn't matter- I still think that you are beautiful'
Georgia shook her head repulsively 'You think that these are beautiful!' she whispered, her doe eyes full of unshed tears as she held out her arms.
Heath didn't know what to say; the scars were symbolic of her pain weren't they? Pain wasn't beautiful, pain was sad but it wasn't ugly. Though, these particular scars reflected his wife and she was nothing short of perfection so he took a breath 'Yes, because they are part of you… and you, Georgia are beautiful'
Suddenly Heath heard a loud gasp and he turned his head to see Amber staring at her mother's arms. Georgia immediately hid them in her lap and they both turned to their daughter speechlessly, not knowing what to say to her.
'What happened mum?' Amber asked
'I uh…'
'They are her battle scars' Heath quickly responded
Amber slowly slid over, her small body snuggling with her mother. She reached out a tiny hand and grabbed her mum's arm, 'Who did them?' she asked
Georgia's breath halted, she couldn't lie. 'I did'
'Wh-a-why?' Amber asked, her confused eyes darting between her parents.
'Because, I was sad'
'You had depression' Amber finished
Her mum nodded and gave her a small smile
'Do they hurt?' she nodded towards the scars, barely visible due to Georgia's folded arms, not wanting to display them
'Sometimes'
'Sorry'
'For what, baby?' Georgia asked, pulling her sleeves back down so that the scars were no longer on show
'That you were sad'
'Thankyou'
Heath watched onwards as the two of them discussed Georgia's time in hospital (not as graphic but still covering all of her emotions and progress)
After a few minutes Heath stood up and held out his arms to pull his two girls to a stand.
Georgia looked at Amber strangely before facing both her husband and daughter
'I'm going to go back to work' Georgia said blatantly
'Detective work…' Heath asked, his eyes wide with surprise
'Yeah, I uh think I need it'
He smiled in response 'Amber baby, how does a chicken salad sound for dinner?' he then whispered to his daughter, she wrinkled her nose in response and Heath just merely rolled his eyes.
'Save me a bowl' Georgia said casually
Heath's body froze before turning around; he had the biggest smile on his face- his eyes full of so much emotion and love. 'Huh, what?'
'I'll have some… I'll eat some' she said breathlessly, not wanting to eat but knowing that she would have to try.
'Plus, maybe tonight we can…'
'S E'
'X... actly, exactly right' Georgia laughed
.
CHAX – Charlie Braxton, Ellie Braxton and Darryl "Brax" Braxton
LISTEN TO: oh god, anything!
A few years in the future.
Knock, knock, knock.
'Charlie, this is stupid just let me in' Brax whined, sitting against the bathroom door, his arm sore from constantly hitting at the door.
'One sec' she muttered
Brax tapped his hands together impatiently 'Do you need help?'
'I know how to pee on a stick' she laughed sarcastically
'Ugh, ok! Just let me come inside' Brax insisted
'Noo, 3 more minutes, my man' she replied. Charlie currently sat on the bathroom floor cross-legged, the pregnancy stick sitting on the counter behind her.
'Do you think it will be positive?' Charlie asked, biting her nails nervously, through the closed door
'Hopefully' Brax replied
'Hopefully? So you want more kids' Charlie asked
'Yeah, I guess- it would be cool' Brax shrugged his shoulders
The two of them sat on different sides of the wall, both full of nerves and completely consumed with excitement.
'Maybe we will get twins' Brax laughed, imagining two tiny tan-skinned kids running around the house.
Charlie giggled in response; she always found it cute when Brax talked about children.
After Charlie's laughter faded, they sat in a comfortable silence. Both secretly counting down the three minutes until they could check.
'Charlie?'
'Mm.'
'Can I ask you something?'
'Yeah'
'You and me together has always been drama from being shot to being kidnapped… if you could, would you go back in time and marry someone else?'
She immediately burst into laughter, her loud gaspy giggles echoed through the bathroom.
'Babe! We have been married for 4 years now- there is no way in hell that I would ever even consider going back and swapping'
'Good' Brax smiled
Suddenly, he heard a creaking of the door and grinned when he saw that Charlie had unlocked the bathroom door. Brax immediately stood up and entered the room; he took a seat on the cold tiled floor next to his wife.
'Thanks' He smiled 'for unlocking the door' a cheeky smile painted on his face.
She shrugged cutely and snuggled her head into the crook of Brax's neck.
'I think we should move houses…' Charlie murmered spontaneously
Brax glanced at her, his eyes full of unexpectancy, 'Why?'
'Well...' she mumbled shyly, her eyes glued to the floor 'If we want a bigger family, we need a bigger house'
'Yeah, but a house any bigger- so close to the bay will be bloody expensive' Brax replied
Charlie nodded, her dark hair falling over her shoulders, 'which is why… I thought we should move to Sydney'
Brax couldn't believe what he was hearing, he would never had expected Charlie to suggest moving away from Summer bay, he didn't mind moving away but it was just shocking to hear it stemming from her own suggestion.
'Wow'
'Good wow… or bad wow' Charlie laughed awkwardly, her hands clinging together nervously
'Um just Wow' Brax admitted
Charlie pouted and slipped her arms through Brax's.
'I love you Brax, I love Ellie and I want to make a family together…'
'We already have a family together' Brax smiled, placing a finger on her cheeks.
'Yeah, but I just want to move away and develop our life somewhere that isn't haunted with shit and crappy memories'
Brax nodded in understanding, he also was scarred by the memories.
"Charlie dropped to the ground.
Brax saw her body collapse in slow motion. Brax immediately pounced onto Jake, his fists grinding into Jake's body. Brax pummeled Jake with all his might, anger exploded out of his uncontrollable body.
'Brax, let him go. It's not worth it. Charlie needs help' Georgia called out
Brax let go at Hammer as Georgia's words sunk in. Charlie, his Charlie needed help.
Ruby was currently crying and holding Charlie's head in her hands. Blood continued to seep through the white lace of the wedding dress. Her eyes were shut and no amount of spoken words would wake her.
Heath stood up and watched Jake run away. F*** he thought to himself. Heath lightly picked up Georgia's slight body and he held her closely to his chest. Her wound was not as serious as Charlie's but she had been bleeding for much longer and the amount of blood loss could potentially be fatal.
Brax felt his hands shake with terror as he attempted to dial 000. He eyed Charlie's unconscious bleeding body and pressed dial on the phone.
Heath- still holding Georgia, walked upto Brax signaling for him to hang-up the phone.
Ruby watched Brax hang-up the phone and place his mobile back in his pocket 'what, are you doing? Charlie, she needs help!' Ruby cried as tears continued to spill down her cheeks
'Rubz, if we wait for an ambulance to come…it will be too late. We need to drive both the girls to the hospital ourselves' Heath explained, his voice was shaking with terror but he was certain that it was the right decision."
Brax shook his head as the horrible memory stung his brain.
'You alright?' Charlie asked
'Yeah, I uh… I agree, I want to move to Sydney'
Charlie slowly smiled, revealing her pearly white teeth, she leant over and pressed her lips onto Brax's, their tongues battling for domination. Her hands slid up his shirt and Brax moaned in delight. Suddenly Charlie pulled away, attempting to steal her lips away, she giggled cheekily against his pressuring lips.
'Brax, wait' she giggled, pulling away.
'What?' he asked
'The stick' Charlie nodded towards the pregnancy stick sitting on the bench. She slowly reached up and grabbed it, holding it in her clenched hand. Charlie's knuckles whitened with pressure and she looked at Brax with worry. 'What if its negative'
'Then we get to have more sex until its positive' Brax laughed, pressing a quick peck on the end of Charlie's nose.
Slowly she opened her hand up and gasped.
The stick glowed and two blue stripes beamed brightly.
.
This is the end, wow. I don't know what to say because I honestly miss this story already; I love every single character, seriously- all of them! Remember when Charlie was forced to go on that horrible date with Ty? Or when Georgia was dying in hospital? Remember when Charlie was in a coma? Remember when Charlie's ex, Joey knocked Brax unconscious? Remember, CHAX? (The first story), this story/sequel has contained so much love for me and I know that I will constantly go back and read it because I know I have improved my writing and I still love CHAX.
Review please, this may be the last time I ever hear from you all but just know, I am planning to maybe write another ff on CHAX, maybe about 2011 ending and Charlie going into witness-protection.
A special goodbye to Georgia because unless I decide too god! Write a THIRD continuation, I will never write about her again and I feel that she should inspire all of you too have strength to push through life and never allow yourself to be smothered with pain, depression, ED's, cutting, anything. If you ever need to talk- I have personal experience with these issues so I would be more than happy to talk things through because alike Georgia realized- you are never alone, as isolated as you feel- there is ALWAYS someone whom cares.
XX I love you all and Thankyou so much for your support on this story and with the personal things going on in my life.