Hello :)
Thanks for taking the time to read and review this story.
Here is Chapter 7 :)
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"It means that if this isn't a game, why are you playing around with people's lives?"
Brax's comment shocked Joyce into silence and instantly Joyce knew what Brax was talking about and where the conversation would soon lead to.
"What is he talking about, sir?" Watson asked her superior.
"He's talking about Sergeant Buckton, Watson."
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"I don't understand, sir?"
Joyce ignored his constable and focussed on Brax.
"Is there something you want to talk to me about Mr. Braxton?"
"I've got nothing I want to say to you, at least not with a witness around."
"No witnesses, I think a conversation off the record is required."
"That'd be about right." Heath added.
"Sir?" Watson questioned, her voice was laced with outrage and uncertainty.
"How could you let this get so fucked up?" Brax asked brutally.
"I didn't let anything happen. I thought I was doing what was best for this town and its' people and most importantly, one of my officers."
"Doesn't seem like it. You seemed pretty damn surprised a moment ago."
"I take it she's safe?" Joyce asked, a confused Watson looked on.
"She is now, no thanks to you?" Heath barked.
"Sir?" Watson asked. It didn't take a genius to follow the conversation but what they were talking about was too incredible to be true. She had been at Charlie Buckton's funeral, at her wake.
"Charlie Buckton is alive, Watson."
"Where is she?" Watson asked, her tone changing completely from Constable to concerned friend.
Neither Heath nor Brax looked as if they were going to volunteer the information anytime soon.
They didn't have to.
Charlie entered the lounge room.
"Oh my God!" Watson whispered.
Charlie greeted Watson with a small smile. These conversations were hard especially when the person was someone who cared for you, who you cared for.
Telling Heath she was alive was not as difficult but Georgina Watson stood before her now, tears glistened in her eyes.
"I'm sorry Georgina?" Charlie began softly at the same time Joyce began to question Brax again.
"Please don't tell me you are using the woman who, not only also has a history with the deceased and was also kidnapped by the deceased's brother as your alibi?"
"I'm not using her as my alibi, she is my alibi." Brax stated as he stepped closer to Charlie protectively.
"That's almost as bad as using your brother."
"Do you think I would seriously have left her alone since I found out she was alive?" Brat spat out.
Fortunately for him, Joyce faltered knowing how intense the relationship between his former officer and Darryl Braxton actually was.
"Are you ok, Sergeant," Joyce cleared his throat in correction. "Are you ok, Miss Buckton?"
"I am now."
"May I ask what happened?"
"Did you know I was being followed?" Charlie asked.
"No." Joyce answered. "I found out afterward. Just so you know, Hayden Lewis is currently awaiting trial and we have almost established a federal case against Hayley O'Connor."
"It doesn't change or bring back the past four months of my life though, does it?"
"No it doesn't."
"You didn't even try to find her, you didn't even check to see if she was okay," Brax argued.
"It would have been impossible for me to ensure she was safe considering the circumstances. At that point we didn't know how big this was! I could have led them right to her?"
"Yeah, that better be the reason." Brax said venomously.
"Don't threaten me, Mr. Braxton."
"I haven't yet?"
"Miss Buckton we're going to have to ask you to come down to the station for questioning." Joyce asked.
"I know my rights and all you have is circumstantial evidence relating to my appearance and the two deaths, and even then we both now it's at the bare minimum. I don't have to go anywhere."
"Well you have sure changed your tune."
"Considering how well your last request panned out, yes I have."
"If I had known-" Joyce began to defend himself.
"Save it, we don't care." Heath said, jumping in before Brax had the chance to.
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"This is only the beginning, Charlie, I hope you know that?" Brax said a few minutes after he had locked the front door.
Heath had left soon after Joyce and Watson had.
"Yeah, I know." Charlie answered.
Brax watched her. She had been through a lot tonight, and he could see she was processing it.
"Can I be honest with you?"
"Always," he said, as he settled on the couch behind her.
"I'm kind of glad you kept me in the dark about Jake Perovic. I don't know if I could have handled it."
"Yeah I figured." Brax answered honestly.
"Not that it would have changed anything." Charlie reassured. "I meant what I said; I wanted things to be sorted out once and for all. I would have stood by you." Brax kissed her forehead to assure he understood.
"Can I tell you a secret?" He asked after a little while.
"Always," she answered with a small smile.
"The only thing they can get me on is being an accessory."
Charlie's eyes widened.
"You didn't-"
"You think I would risk you for that? Trust me Charlie I wanted to, I really did! But, in the end all I could think about was how you are too important for me to screw this up."
"So you didn't- You weren't responsible for-" Charlie whispered.
"I didn't want to risk spending the rest of my life away from you, or disappointing you. I didn't want to put you in a position where you couldn't look at me."
"You're not going to tell me how are you?"
"Not on your life."
"But they'll still investigate you? What if they make a connection-"
"They won't Charlie." Brax was firm and left no room for her to argue with him.
"All that matters is that I have you back and that you are safe. The rest of this shit can sort itself out."
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It was close to midnight when the silence of the house was interrupted with a knock on the front door.
No one in the house had been asleep and the late time had the two elder Braxtons on alert.
Heath opened the door to a plain clothed Watson.
"What do you want?"
"Not you clearly," Watson said dryly. "I know it's late but I wasn't able to get back earlier and I won't get a chance tomorrow without someone knowing where I am."
"Joyce doesn't know you're here?" Brax questioned as Charlie appeared as well.
"No, I'm not here officially."
"Then what are you doin' here?" Heath asked gruffly.
"I just found out a friend came back from the dead, you figure it out."
Charlie stepped forward before Heath could retaliate.
"Why didn't you let me know?" Watson asked Charlie softly, the pain evident in her voice.
"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't for so long, I was scared that I was being followed. Then when I could, I didn't want you to get dragged into anything."
"Didn't you trust me?"
"That's not it at all and if I didn't trust you I wouldn't have told you I was alive."
"Who knows?"
"You and Joyce and the boys," Charlie answered.
"Shouldn't you have police protection?"
"I have Brax, Watson."
"Thanks Buckton!" Heath called from the kitchen.
"Are you sure you being here with them is the right thing, Charlie?"
"I'm positive, there's nowhere else I would rather be."
"Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"You coming here is enough. I don't want you getting into trouble for me."
"You didn't put yourself into this situation. Let me help you?"
"Watson, honestly all I wanted was to come here and make sure that my friends and family are safe which they are. Joyce seems to be taking care of O'Conner and all I want to do now is move on with my life and it doesn't seem like we'll get a chance to start that anytime soon."
"Charlie you know as well as I do that the two deaths along with the history both men had with the Braxton's give us enough reason to investigate them."
Brax and Heath remained quiet.
"What do you want me to say, Watson?"
"Do you think this is the best place for you right now? Honestly? Why don't you stay somewhere else, my place even and if they are innocent you can come back then."
"No."
"Charlie, in all due respect, I think you are using your feelings towards Brax to cloud your judgement."
"Georgina, I am telling you I am not leaving them when the only reason I am here is because of them."
"That's exactly why you shouldn't be here."
"That's not what I meant and you know it! I appreciate your concern. It's not safe for me or anyone around me anyone finds out I'm alive. Once O'Connor is in custody things will be different and I can stay somewhere else. But until then I am not leaving this house."
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I hope you liked Chapter 7.
I hope the Easter Bunny is nice to you ;)
Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)
xoxox