Hello Lovely readers! :)

I am so happy you all love this story; I reckon you'll all like this chapter * nudge, nudge, hint, hint! *

For those of you that read lost then found, I will update next week, I am so sorry for long waits for updates, I just haven't found the time to write which is incredibly frustrating! But I promise, next week I will! X

Chapter 6- Well observed Einstein

Heath stilled as he walked to the front door the following morning. He was a man that never gave up, a man who refused to be beaten. Yet here he stood in this situation, a man who felt defeated. He'd found himself alone in this battle he couldn't figure out if he could win. He found himself longing to tell his older brother, yet a part of him was telling him to hold off; he didn't know why, but if there was anything he'd learnt over the past few days it was to think before making rash decisions, apply knowledge where required and speak when the time is right.

He looked on silently at the all too familiar mess in the living room. The place had become his brothers' bachelor pad for the weekend. Disorganized and messy, but that was how Brax's life had gotten without Charlie, that was how he'd adapted and gotten used to things, and that's what everyone had to accept.

Brax had a Charlie shaped hole gaping in his heart and had tried to squash Natalie into it. It didn't work; Heath knew that, because deep down, despite his brothers' adamancy that he was fine, the mess he walked into at home, said otherwise. It was like a sign, the mess over the floor represented the pieces of Brax's heart scattered aimlessly all over the floor. And as Heath sighed and stepped over it all, it represented a greater issue, no one had the energy to pick Brax's life up and put it back together again, mainly because the only person who could do that was the reason it fell to pieces in the first place. And knowing that person was a mere hour away burned like a furnace in the pit of Heath's stomach. As clichéd as it was, she was literally so close yet so far away.

Brax sighed as he pulled into the driveway that morning. No word of a lie he'd pulled an all nighter at Angelo's. Not doing anything much, just thinking, thinking about Charlie. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't shift the aching pain in his heart. He'd tried with Natalie, he'd truly tried, but he couldn't learn to love her. How can you learn love? How can you learn a love like Brax loved Charlie? How is it possible for you to say someone's name as though you love them when really the name of the person you really love so eagerly wants to spill from your lips.

Slamming the door as he walked into the house, he tossed his keys into the kitchen at full strength in frustration, only stopping as he heard someone swear in pain. Brax chuckled as Heath emerged from the kitchen examining his arm carefully. "Cheers mate nice to see you too." He spat sarcastically as a small speck of blood trickled down his arm,

"So you decided to come back did you?" Brax asked with his eyebrows raised, rolling his eyes as his brother cracked open a bottle of beer with his teeth and sculled it down his throat, as if his absence was no problem to anyone.

"Alright what's got your feathers in a mess?" Heath asked frowning as Brax sat down slowly onto the sofa, his back leant hunched forward slightly.

"Nothing Heath." Brax spat sarcastically "Just do me a favour yeah? When this goes tits up don't come running to me." He spat accusingly, pointing his finger harshly at Heath.

"Geez calm down what's the matter with you?!" Heath yelled, worried by his brothers sudden outburst.

"Heath I'm not an idiot but whatever you've been doing-correction whoever you've been doing stops right now." Brax said, Heath stilled, sure he hadn't been dong Charlie but how the hell did his brother know he'd spent the weekend with a woman.

"What makes you think that? I haven't been doing anyone!" Heath said desperately yet defensively.

"Well whoever you've been with wears Charlie's bloody perfume!" Brax spat angrily, dropping his head into his hands and sighing in anger. He didn't dare look at Heath in fear of the tears that threatened to spill over. The whole house was silent. The only sound to be heard was the faint ticking of the clock in the kitchen. Heath felt a large amount of air leave his lungs at the guilt arising inside him.

He swallowed deeply, "Look Mate…if you really wanna know-" Brax cut him off

"Not really." Brax muttered sharply, shaking his head at his younger brother in disbelief.

Heath rolled his eyes and continued anyway, "I was with dad for the weekend, on our last night we went to some bar and some chicks were there." He lied; sitting next to Brax on the sofa in exactly the same position, chin resting upon clenched fists, elbows on knees.

"How many times have I told you not to go near that dog Heath?"

"I'm big enough and ugly enough to look after myself." Heath deadpanned.

"So that was it, that was your big reason you couldn't tell us where you were going?"

"Yep." Heath replied curtly "If I'd told you I would've got a lecture from you about responsibility and a look from Bianca." He chuckled when thinking about her.

"A look?" Brax asked inquisitively.

"Yeah you know one of those 'unimpressed' looks a lady gives you." Heath said, making Brax laugh.

"Whatever Heath." He muttered before taking the beer bottle from him and downing the rest of it himself. "Where you going now?" Brax asked with his arms in the air as Heath walked out the door.

"Going for a surf." Heath yelled through the window before running down the driveway.

She stopped as she walked up the stairs to Angelo's, the whole restaurant in an eerie silence with the only noise to be heard being the distant rumbling of the ovens. She glanced around slightly, her gaze catching on the all too familiar little balcony with the curtains fluttering in the wind. She smiled as she saw a glimpse of his checked shirt, the rest of him obscured from view. That's how Brax liked to be, the distant man, the one you have to look for to find.

He tilted his head up as he heard the patter of tiny dainty footsteps climb the stairs of Angelo's and echo throughout the restaurant.

"We don't open until twelve-" he stopped as he turned around and immediately relaxed back onto the rails of the balcony as he saw who it was.

"Just me," Ruby chirped as she saw him, walking up to him and hugging him tightly. She sighed as her gaze caught the half empty glass of bourbon that hung aimlessly in his fingertips.

"You know for someone who said they'd go easy on the drink you're not doing a very good job." Ruby said, raising her eyebrows at him and wondering what made him backtrack.

"What can I say I'm a pretty impressive guy aye?" Brax chuckled. She knew she was pushing it, everyone knew when Brax was having a drink, on his own it was a bad day, but to Ruby, there was just one too many bad days for her liking. Brax had supported her through everything, he'd saved her from a drug mix up and he'd helped her when Casey went to jail, they were still together but there were times she'd felt lonely and those were the times she had Brax as a parent figure, yet despite his fatherly advice, his rough and tumble cuddles and his calm and composed appearance, she saw what everyone else refused to see. And despite everything they had been through, he barely ever opened up and revealed his true feelings. She'd heard Leah saying he'd broken up with Natalie because he was scared harm would come to her, it was true, but not nearly as true as the fact that he still loved Charlie. His heart belonged to her.

"I just thought I'd drop by…I haven't seen you in a while." She said softly,

"Things to do, people to see." He said plainly

"Like Natalie?" Ruby asked knowingly, sighing, as she got no response. She huffed and took the drink glass from his hands before pouring it down her throat the harsh liquid burning like molten iron in the centre of her chest. She slammed the drink between them, ignoring Brax's gaze resting on her.

"You know your mum wouldn't want you drinking." He said; his gaze fixated on the view ahead of him.

"Well my mum's not here." She deadpanned back, glancing quickly at him out of the corner of her eye. She pretended she didn't notice as Brax as he drew in a sharp breath and let his head hang between is elbows for a few seconds before wiping his face along his shirt sleeve quickly and then regaining his firm gaze out to sea.

"Doesn't make it right." He muttered to her.

"Since when is anything in this world right anymore." She mumbled, nodding her head sadly as she thought about the low morals people had nowadays, the boundaries between right and wrong blurring and fusing into one. She smiled briefly as she saw a man trying to help his girl friend on to a surf board, obviously trying to teach her to surf. "Look how much fun they're having." She said contently, her voice ending in a sigh as she watched them, carefree and full of life.

"I wanted to teach your mum how to surf." Brax chuckled, his eyes lighting up for a brief second as he looked at Ruby. She watched as he his smile reached his eyes for a brief second as the woman slipped on the board, only to look away when the man caught her in his arms, the pair of them all too engrossed by each others company.

"Mum on a surf board…now that I would pay to see." Ruby chuckled, swinging backwards and forwards gently on her heals as he arms held onto the railings of the tiny balcony. She stopped smiling as Brax turned and picked up the bottle of bourbon from the table and this time instead of pouring it into a glass he just sculled it down from the bottle, squeezing his eyes shut as he swallowed it.

"Brax I'm sick of this." Ruby said suddenly, turning to face him with her eyes in a strong stare. She sighed as he gave no response. "She wouldn't want you-"

"Like you said, she isn't here," Brax said, throwing her words back in his face. He stopped and looked at her before swallowing back his tears and shaking his head. His hands sweeping imaginary fluff from the table as his gaze averted away from hers. "It's just been a bad day." H mumbled quietly, dropping his head slightly as Ruby walked up to him and wrapped one arm around his shoulder and rested her head on his other shoulder.

"You're wearing Charlie's bracelet aye?" Brax said, pointing to the Pandora bracelet on Ruby's wrist, she smiled lightly through glistening eyes and nodded gently.

"It was her favourite." She whispered, wiping a loose tear that had long fallen down her cheek. And then twisting the bracelet round in circles on her wrist, her thumb running over each individual unique charm, clinging onto them with each memory flooding through her mind "…Because you got it for her." She added, running an exasperated hand through her hair. She turned her head slightly to Brax as he let out a shaky breath and shook his head to himself.

"It's ok you know…you can cry…grown men cry." She said lightheartedly.

"When I grew up that was never acceptable." A voice grunted from the doorway, Brax shook his head and turned around, looking at his dad blankly, his eyes full of hatred. The right side of his body instinctively shielded Ruby slightly, like a father protecting his little girl.

"Yeah well times have changed old man." Ruby said, rolling her eyes as Danny chuckled at her. She despised him after what he had done to Casey.

"Nice to see you too Rubes." Danny grunted. "How about getting your old man a pizza Darryl? Danny asked, raising his eyebrows slightly, Brax raised his eyebrows and scoffed

"Last I heard dogs weren't allowed in Restaurants." Brax said bitterly. "Now get out."

Danny held his hands up in teasing surrender and smirked. "Hold fire." He said mockingly. He chuckled to himself and began to walk out of the restaurant, his feet scuffing the floor. He stopped as Brax's voice called after him.

"You know you could have called Bianca to ask her if it was ok that you and Heath were going up the coast." Brax said, furrowing his brows and fiddling with the ring on his finger as he looked at his dad. Danny frowned for a second before putting on his poker face and lying straight out to his eldest son.

"She's not his mother." Danny chuckled, holding his arm out and then flopping them to his sides,

"No but she's the mother of his baby and his girlfriend, I reckon she has a right to know don't you?" Brax asked, narrowing his eyes at his dad.

"We were having a good time, must've forgotten." He said simply, lying through his teeth to his eldest son with one place in mind he was heading to now, to find Heath.

Heath opened the door with an almighty sigh as the not –so - pretty face of his father standing on the other side greeted him.

"You weren't with me this weekend." Danny deadpanned, getting straight to the point as he marched into the house.

"Well observed Einstein, have a medal." Heath muttered sarcastically.

"So where were you?" Danny asked, his eyes firm as steel on Heaths.

"Where were you?" Heath asked smartly with a smirk as Danny didn't reply.

"None of your business." Danny smiled, his teeth clenched and trying to keep his calm.

"Ditto." Heath replied, patting his dad on the back.

"Really, because if I were you I wouldn't want to screw things up with Bianca." Danny started beginning to pace up and down the room.

"Don't give me that lecture. You haven't been around for the past 12 years so don't start acting as though you give a rats now." Heath said bitterly, his body remaining unmoving as his father walked towards him in full stride.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" Danny yelled, his nostrils flaring at his middle sons arrogance and sudden anger towards him.

"Or what you'll hit me." Heath asked curiously with his eyebrows raised. "You'd end up back in jail quicker than you could throw that punch though." He teased, his eyes glistening with his own pride as Danny's anger faltered slightly and his eyebrows drifted up in disbelief at his sons' words. "Don't start acting like a dad to me now. Ever since you've been back you've been up and down the coast- so you're still never around are you…DAD." Heath finished, his anger at his fathers secrets and lies overcoming him, the anger at his dad's betrayal and his 'duty' to hurt Charlie simmering at the tip of his tongue.

"I had business to deal with." Danny said plainly.

"Really what kind of business?" Heath asked, shaking his head when a silence filled the room. "Yeah that's what I thought. So don't start digging up my business." Both of the men tore their gaze on each other as a light rapping sound tapped on the doorframe.

"Sorry am I interrupting?" Bianca asked, peeping her head round the doorway.

"No, no come on in." Danny's voice drooled, dripping with sarcasm.

Ignoring him, Bianca stepped in, her eyes set on Heaths, "So are you gonna tell me where you were this weekend?" she asked, her arms hugging her body defensively,

"He was up the coast with me." Danny interjected quickly, surprising Heath.

"Really? How lovely." Bianca said dryly, scoffing in disbelief. Just as she opened her mouth to reply a loud ringing sound filled the room. Heath watched as Danny hesitated slightly, staring at the phone in his hands. Heath frowned, he'd never seen that phone before, and whoever it was, they were calling from a private number.

"Excuse me, gotta take this call." Danny said hesitantly, walking out to the front porch.

"Why the hell-" Bianca started venomously, only to be hushed as Heath clamped his hand over her mouth and held her to him. Quietly he shuffled them over towards the door, near to where Danny was. He moved his hand and held his finger up to his lips; she nodded and leant up against him, both of them silent as they listened to the conversation.

"Heath what the hell is going on?" Bianca whispered against his chest, her hands picking gently at his shirt.

"If you know what's good for you keep quiet ok?" he whispered back harshly, he closed his eyes as she shot him a glare, he instantly regretted what he said, "Trust me, you'll thank me later." He whispered softly, kissing her forehead.

"No, no she isn't." Danny said exasperatingly, glancing nervously back to the house as he spoke quietly to Pirovic on the other end of the phone.

"Well why not? I told you I want her gone!" Jake spat down the line. Danny flinched slightly at the venom in the mans voice.

"Well if you'd had better aim in the first place-" he started smartly,

"You'll shut up if you know what's good for you Braxton." Jake interrupted, his voice sounded almost as though he was growling down the phone.

"What do you want me to do?" Danny asked in a hushed voice so no one could hear him, again looking back to the house.

"I want you to scare her-and scare her big time."

"Why not just get it over with?" Danny asked, creasing his brow together,

"She knows' she's not safe at the moment-play a few games, make her think she's safe and then get rid of her." Jake said slyly.

"And if there's any complications?" Danny asked hesitantly,

"You better hope there's not Braxton." Jake said threateningly, his voice slow and deliberately taunting "I want revenge, and revenge is what I'm gonna get. I know you want revenge too." He said wisely, before hanging up the phone.

"Shit!" Heath yelled, punching the wall in frustration.

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on?!" Bianca shouted back desperately, following Heath as he went into his room and swiftly chucked the same clothes he'd taken on his last trip back into his bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"What the?" Bianca yelled as Heath barged past her and into the living room, her hot on his heels. "Where do you think you're going?" She spat, grabbing onto his shoulder and turning him around.

Heath sighed and placed both of his hands on her shoulders before kissing her softly, "Look right now, I've gotta love you and leave you ok?" He said softly, sighing as she nodded anxiously and held her hands over his on her cheeks. She nodded, signaling he had her permission to go, and without another word he left the house, not without crashing into Brax first.

"Woah easy!" Brax yelled, backing against the doorframe as an unfazed Heath ran past him.

"What's going on?" Brax asked, throwing his thumb back over his shoulder as he looked at Bianca.

"He's just taken off again." She said, swallowing the lump in her throat that had arisen and letting out a shaky breath. For the first time, she felt alone.

"Did you two have a blue or something?" Brax asked, walking up to her slowly.

"No, no he just went." She said plainly, frowning as Brax sighed and rattled his keys, walking back towards the door.

"Brax where are you going?" Bianca called as she hurriedly tried to follow him.

"Going to follow Heath. If I go now, I'll still be able to catch up with him." Brax called back before pulling out of the driveway swiftly.

Heath waited anxiously outside Charlie's apartment, begging for someone to answer and hoping it would be her.

"You're ok!" He breathed a sigh of relief as Charlie's slightly shocked face greeted him on the other side.

"Of course I am." Charlie chuckled as Heath's arms encased her in a hug. "What are you doing here?" she frowned as she pulled away and noticed Heath's eyes darting around the apartment nervously.

"Have you been here all day?" He asked anxiously, although slightly comforted by the fact that Danny couldn't have gotten here anymore than 10 minutes before he did.

"Heath?" Charlie asked anxiously as he poked his head into all of the rooms before joining her back in the living room,

Both jumped slightly as the phone in the bedroom started ringing, "You should get that, this can wait." Heath reassured her, she nodded uncertainly and backed away from him, walking towards her room. Heath frowned as a loud banging sound rapped against the door suddenly, the constant booming failing to subside. Surely if Danny wanted to get to Charlie the best way to approach would be discreetly. Slowly he edged towards the door, opening it and letting it swing on his hinges he jumped back, expecting if it was Danny he would hang back out of fear, instead he got an angry Brax storming through suddenly."

"What the hell?!" Heath yelled, anxiety suddenly consuming him as Brax pinned him up against the wall, his eyes wild and his nostrils flared.

"You said you weren't with another woman!" Brax spat, raising his arm to throw a punch. He stopped as his brother looked at him and shook his head, his eyes wide in shock but honest and sincere.

"Don't do it Brax, just stop." Heath said softly, he knew Brax's main source of anger was unearthing from the thought of Heath having the perfect family life with Bianca that Brax longed for with Charlie and betraying her by sleeping with someone else. It was only then Brax noticed the soft echo of someone else's footsteps from the bedroom.

"Heath!" The voice called, panicked. Brax pulled back instantly, his heart hurled up into his mouth. He recognized that voice in an instant. "There was no one on the other line-" Charlie began as she entered the room, her eyes frowning at the phone before she looked up and all of the words entering her mind fizzled out lamely at the figure, the presence in the room.

Everything went silent. The only sound in the room was that of the phone in Charlie's hands falling to the stone floor.

He found himself at a loss for words as she stood in front of him. She had now stopped walking completely, both of them standing barely metres apart.

He didn't trust himself to walk any closer. In fear of his legs giving way, in fear of his body trembling with emotion and in fear of her disappearing. The bare sight of her was enough to make him want more.

Whatever sight he was expecting to see, this was the last thing he'd expected.

Her eyes rested on his and instantly burned through him with a searing heat Brax hadn't felt since the morning she left his house 6 months ago. The passion that existed in the distance between them was enough to knock them both for 6.

Finally Brax found the strength to muster up his almost silent voice.

"Charlie."

Dun dun dun!

I wonder how Brax and Charlie will react?

Sorry to be such a tease and leave it there!

Please review x