Despite not having school, Aria woke up early the next morning and went for a run on the beach. She was on her third lap, when she spotted Andy and made her way over.

"Looking good," he commented with a grin.

"Thanks," Aria replied, "I would hug you, but I'm all sweaty and gross."

"What are you doing later?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that actually; we're having a barbecue for Brax's birthday and I was going to ask if you would come."

"Are you sure it'll be okay?" Andy asked as they walked towards the diner.

"Heath already said that it would be."

With a nod, Andy took her hand and entwined their fingers. Stood at the counter, Aria ordered them both a milkshake and looked up as Leah called her name.

"You wouldn't be looking for a part-time job, would you?"

"What sort of job?"

"It would be evening shifts here, taking orders and bussing tables."

"I'm definitely interested, but I need to check with Brax first."

"Of course, just let me know."

Once they'd collected their orders, Aria and Andy headed over to help set up for the barbecue. Heath had just put the first pieces of meat on the grill, when Brax arrived home and Kyle handed him a beer.

Sat with Kyle a while later (who was playing his guitar), Aria sang along and smiled as Andy wrapped his arm around her shoulders. It was nice; it was nice having her family around her and not having to worry for a while. Of course, she knew that it wouldn't last and was proven correct when Jake walked in.

"I guess my invitation got lost in the post," he said, grabbing himself a bottle of beer and taking a sip.

"What do you want, Pirovic?" Brax inquired, setting his drink aside and standing up.

"I'm just here to celebrate an old friend's big day," Jake told him, shifting his attention to Aria and smiling, "Well, if it isn't baby Braxton."

"Leave," Heath ordered moving to stand beside Aria, who was now blocked from Jake's view by Andy and Kyle.

"Look, the truth is I need a word with your dad and, so far, he doesn't seem to have surfaced."

"Obviously you're not very observant, otherwise you would have seen him around the Bay."

"Pass on a message for me," Jake instructed, "Tell him that it would be a shame for his kids to have to be pulled deeper into his mess..."

Without another word, he dropped his empty beer bottle on the ground and left. Anger radiated from Aria and, after a few attempts at reining it in, she retreated to her bedroom. It was half an hour, before someone knocked and she looked up to find Brax stood in the doorway.

"Andy went home, he said that he'd ring you later," he informed her as he took a seat, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Aria mumbled, leaning over the side of the bed and retrieving a box, "I know that we don't usually do presents on your birthday, but... Happy Birthday."

Aria watched in silence and bit her lip nervously as Brax looked at the first page of the scrapbook she'd made him, knowing that her older brother wasn't really a sentimental person. She didn't expect him to show it off to everyone, it was really just her way of showing that she loved him and appreciated him for everything that he'd done.

"This is amazing," Brax commented, trying to mask the emotion in his voice to no avail and flicking through a few more pages, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Author's Notes: Thank you for reading!