Complications We Didn't See Coming

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Authors Note: I do NOT own Home and Away. All credit goes to the writers.

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Chapter Thirty Five: Labour and Naming.

"Brax"

Brax glanced up briefly from under the hood of his ute when he heard Charlie's voice but turned back once he had flashed her a smile. "What's up babe?" He hadn't seen her all that much and it was nearly lunchtime, he'd dropped the girls at Irene's and then spent the rest of the morning working on his car.

Charlie shrugged as she leaned against the railing a little out of breath. "Oh you know, just about to give birth to your son"

Brax's head sprung up quickly at the sound of her words, hitting his head on the bonnet of his car. "Ouch" he rubbed his head as he looked at her. "Did you just?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes, it's time. My hospital bag is inside the door. Can we make a stop at the diner for a blueberry muffin?"

Brax raced up the stairs of the porch and grabbed the bag pulling the door shut behind him. "Charlie, are you hearing yourself? You want to stop for a muffin, you are about to have a baby"

Charlie rolled her eyes as she walked down the steps. "Trust me, I'm aware of what's about to happen and we still have hours, so let's stop for a muffin"

Brax shut her door behind her as she placed her seat belt on and he raced around to his side of the car, turning the engine on. "Charlie, I don't think we should stop for a muffin"

"I think we should"

Brax huffed as he drove down the road. "Not to alarm you, Miss Calm but you are in labour!"

Charlie smirked at him, it was quiet amusing to see him all worked up. "I'm aware. I might trade that muffin for a burger actually"

"Charlie"

"Brax"

"Charlotte"

"Darryl"

Brax swore under his breath as he turned right, he knew the diner was on the way to the hospital but he still didn't think they had time to stop. "Don't you just want to get to the hospital and have some pain relief…"

"Nope" Charlie shook her head. "I would much rather a burger right now. We have time"

Brax exhaled. "If you say so"

"I do. Now hurry up, I want a burger"

…

"Alright, Charlie, let's get you up on this bed and see how dilated you are" Nate instructed.

Charlie grabbed onto Brax's hand as she climbed up onto the bed, she squeezed hard when another contraction hit her as she tried to adjust herself on the bed. "Oh geez, that's a bit more painful than last time"

Nate smiled at her kindly. "How long ago did your water break?"

Charlie bit her bottom lip. "It semi broke at home while I was in the shower and then it finally broke properly on the way here…"

"In my car" Brax added with an annoyed expression.

Nate chuckled. "I see" He took a quick look his head popping back up quickly. "Do you feel the need to push?"

Charlie moaned as another contraction hit her, her stomach tightening. "I think so. I feel like I could"

Nate nodded. "I can see why you would need to, the baby is already crowning. Have you been in much pain?"

"She made me stop for a burger, what do you think mate?" Brax muttered.

Charlie slapped his arm lightly. "Only when I am having a contraction but they aren't always mega painful"

"Alright, on the next contraction I want you to push. Try not to scream, focus all your effort on pushing and hopefully it will progress quickly"

Charlie squeezed Brax's hand hard. "I hope so….oh, here we go"

…

Charlie stared down at the little baby boy in her arms, she couldn't believe that after ten long years that she was finally holding another baby, her baby. It felt so surreal. He was most definitely a Braxton; it could be seen in his features the moment she first held him in her arms. "We need a name"

Brax was standing beside her looking down at his newborn son; he couldn't believe how well Charlie had done during the labour. She took it all in her stride. And their little man, he was identical to a Braxton, exactly like pictures he had seen of himself as a baby. "Well we have a couple on our list. He looks like a…"

"Mason" Charlie supplied.

Brax smiled, they had been thinking the exact same thing. "Mason is a perfect name for the little fella. The girls will be ecstatic"

Charlie smiled. "They will be. Do you want to give him a middle name?"

Brax took his son's hand in his own, feeling the soft skin under his own. "You want…you want me to give him a middle name?"

"You're his father, and it is only fair. I did name our daughter" Charlie looked down at the little man in her arms. "I must say Mason Darryl Braxton sounds nice"

Brax looked at her. "You want to name him after me?"

"Don't you?"

Brax leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you, Charlie"

"I love you too, Brax" She kissed him back. "We made a perfect little man"

Brax grinned. "We certainly did"

"Would you like to hold him?"

Brax shook his head. "I don't know. I…he's so small"

Charlie giggled tiredly. "He is. He's a newborn" She lifted Mason up and placed him gently in Brax's arms. "You'll do fine, support his head and cradle him close to your body"

Brax looked down at the little man in his arms as Charlie leaned back against the pillows, closing her eyes. "Hi Mason, I'm your daddy" Brax leaned down as if to whisper to the baby. "I'm going to take good care of you. I love you Mason Darryl" He placed a light kiss on the baby's forehead, not wanting to disturb him from his peaceful slumber.

…..

"Mum!"

Charlie quickly looked up from baby Mason as Ruby burst through the door. "Shh Ruby" She hushed her daughter; she had only just got Mason back to sleep after his last feed.

Ruby glanced at her mother with a sheepish expression. "Sorry"

"You shouldn't be yelling in the hospital Ruby" Brax told his daughter from the seat by the bed, he stood up as Heath walked into the room with Bianca, Darcy, April and Nicole. "Did you run off on your Uncle and Aunt?"

Ruby glanced back at Heath and Bianca. "Sorry"

Bianca shook her head as she moved over to her best friend's bedside. "That young girl is too much like you as a child, Charlie"

Charlie laughed. "I blame it all on Brax. She's a Braxton after all"

"Hey" Heath and Brax exclaimed.

"Ain't anything wrong with being a Braxton" Brax ruffled Ruby's head. "We ain't all trouble like Heath"

Heath nudged his brother lightly. "I'm not trouble" He moved to stand next to Bianca. "So is this my nephew? What's his name?"

"I want to meet my baby brother first" Ruby interrupted as she sat up on the bed beside her mum. "He's cute but he has stuff on his head. He needs a bath"

Charlie giggled. "He'll have his first bath tomorrow"

"That's gross!" Darcy exclaimed. "If he's dirty he needs a bath now"

Heath scooped his daughter up in his arms so she could get a better view of her new cousin. "You little miss didn't have a bath for two days after you were born"

"Why not?" Darcy questioned.

Charlie looked at the newly turned four year old. "It's good for the baby's skin"

April had been standing quietly by Bianca but she repeated the question they had all been wondering. "What's his name?"

"Dad didn't get to call him Sparrow right?" Nicole pleaded with her mother as she got her first peak at the baby. "Because he's too cute to be called Sparrow"

"And mum you better not have called him Gabriel" Ruby wagged her finger at her mother.

Charlie rolled her eyes at the girls. "His name is neither of those"

"Thank-god for that" Bianca muttered causing Heath to laugh.

Brax glared at them. "Do you two want to be kicked out of the room?" They both immediately quietened down. "Better. His name is…Would you like to tell them?" He asked Charlie.

Charlie shook her head. "You can do it"

"Somebody do it!" Darcy moaned as though it was taking forever.

Brax chuckled. "Meet little Mason Darryl Braxton"

"Mason!" Ruby and Nicole high-fived each other.

Bianca smiled at her nieces. "I guess they chose the name"

Charlie nodded. "They did"

"Mason is adorable Charlie, you did so well" Bianca kissed her friend on the cheek. "Now hand him over for a cuddle"

"Hey shouldn't I get a cuddle before you. I'm the Uncle" Heath raised his eyebrow.

Bianca glared at him as if to challenge him into taking the baby from her. "I'm the Aunt"

Heath rolled his eyes and looked over at Brax. "Bet you can't wait to him out in that surf"

"Heath" Charlie slapped his arm lightly. "You're nephew is only hours old"

"What?" Heath feigned innocence. "Never too young to plan for the future"

Brax laughed at his brother as he placed his arms around his girls. "I think I might need to get these two out in the surf first"

"Not me" Nicole wriggled her nose as she moved closer to her mother.

"You can teach me dad" Ruby smiled.

Brax ruffled her hair. "That's my girl"

"When do you get to come home, mum?" Nicole questioned.

"Not for a few days yet. They want to keep us in and make sure we are doing well" Charlie kissed the blonde girls hair. "Looks like you two get your dad to yourselves for a few days. Try not to paint his nails while he's sleeping again"

Brax groaned as the girls giggled. "Way to remind them of that Charlie"

Heath looked away from him nephew who was now cradled in his arms and laughed at his brother. "You let your daughters paint your nails"

"You think I let them? It was more of an attack dad while his asleep thing"

Bianca looked away from the bickering brothers and down at her best friend. "You have it all" She told Charlie.

Charlie smiled contently. "You do to Bee, Heath and the girls, they are your family"

Bianca wrapped her arms around Charlie. "You are an amazing best friend and a wonderful mother. Those kids are so lucky to have you"

Charlie felt the tears rush to her eyes as she hugged Bianca tighter. "If it wasn't for you I never would have had my girl. So instead of me saving you, I think you helped me make the biggest and best decision of my life" Charlie looked over at her family.

Brax was sitting down on the chair with Mason in his lap and the girls crowding around him, cooing over their little brother. She couldn't imagine life without the four of them. Things were utterly perfect.

^..^

Well, what are your thoughts? Read & Review?! Please.

What did you think of the name, next chapter is Chax Family time. (: