Chapter 4

Thank s to all for your wonderful reviews, glad you are following my story and enjoying it so far. Please continue to review. Hope you enjoy this next chapter. Sandy

Casey's P.O.V

I hated everything about this foster care, it was all rules. There were four other kids living here, we all kept to ourselves, we all looked as miserable as each other. That day Ms. Fletcher brought me here, I was introduced to the owners, Donald and Elsa Fisher. I was told to treat their home like it was my own home, "we are all one big happy family here" said Mrs Fisher as she looked at the other kids who smiled vaguely. It was as if they were putting on a good front while Ms. Fletcher was present, something didn't seem right about this place.

I was brought up stairs to where I would be sleeping, it was a small room, with a bed, a locker and a press for clothes, and of course no TV. A taxi was organized to collect us from the house each morning to get to school and we were collected from school each evening and dropped back. Other than attending school, I spent the rest of my time in my room. A bell rang for breakfast, lunch and dinner and we were to be seated not more than 10 minutes after the bell rang, if we were later than the ten minutes we were punished. We had to make up our bed, clean our rooms and each of us were assigned to do the bathroom on a daily basis.

I often thought if I committed a crime, prison may have been easier.

Darcy was strolling along the beach with her new puppy whom she had named "Charlie".

"Hi Darcy, Happy Birthday sweetie" said Phoebe as herself and Kyle came from the opposite direction. "Wow, he is so cute, does he have a name?" asked Phoebe. "I am going to call him Charlie" said Darcy with a big smile, dad and Bianca got him for me for my birthday instead of a baby.

Both Kyle and Phoebe looked at each other with a smile. "So you wanted a baby brother or sister then Darcy?" asked Kyle. "I did, but now I have Charlie to take care off and I will be helping Uncle Brax and Ricky with their baby when he arrives, so I suppose that is enough for a fourteen year old to do" said Darcy and of course I nearly forgot I have school, Bianca wouldn't be too happy.

"Anyway, are you both coming to my party" said Darcy. "That's where we are headed" said Phoebe so we can walk you and Charlie back as she wrapped her hand around Darcy's shoulder.

"Hi Dad" said Darcy as they arrived back after their walk, see who I found on the beach as Kyle and Phoebe strolled in behind Darcy. "Just in time you two" said Heath, I need you to blow up these balloons I am all out of wind here and handed the balloons to Kyle and Phoebe. "And try not burst them" said Heath with a big grin on his face.

Brax wrapped his arm around Ricky and gave her a kiss. "How are you feeling now Ms. Sharpe, would you like me to massage your feet?" asked Brax.

"If you could make me a nice cuppa" said Ricky that will do for now. Ricky stood at the back of the couch with both of her hands holding onto the couch and bent down in pain.

"Is everything ok" Brax started to panic, "Is the baby coming?, will I ring an ambulance?" his said looking pale "No, no" said Ricky don't panic they are just Braxton Contractions. "Braxton what?" asked Brax.

"They are called Braxton Contractions" said Ricky who had made her way to the couch at this stage, it is nature's way of preparing your body before the real contractions arrive. "Well if you are in that much pain with these contractions" said Brax, I dread to think what the real ones will be like as he sat down beside Ricky handing her a cuppa.

"Hey everyone, where is the birthday girl" shouted Cheryl on her arrival. "Hi Gran" smiled Darcy as she approached Cheryl and gave her a hug and kiss.

Cheryl turned and looked at Kyle and Phoebe, "so I see you are still with that one" as she glanced at Phoebe. "Yes Mrs Braxton he is still with me, and by the way for about the 99th time, my name is Phoebe not that one" she said with a smile.

"So how is mom to be" said Cheryl as she sat down on the vacant seat near Ricky. "Not too bad, getting a lot of Braxton Contractions" said Ricky as she turned in the seat trying to make herself comfortable again. "It's only a matter of time now" said Cheryl before I get to meet my grandson then, so we better get this party started or we may end up celebrating Darcy's birthday in the hospital while Ricky is giving birth.

Darcy's friends started arriving and they headed out to the back yard to see "Charlie". After about an hour, the party was rocking, plenty to eat and drink and Phoebe brought her guitar and played and sang.

Cheryl sat back and looked on with a smile how well things worked out for her two boys, Heath and Bianca were very happily in love and Bianca took on Darcy as if she was her own kid. For a brief moment she thought about "Casey" the grandson she never knew but as she looked over to see Brax and Ricky, arms wrapped around each other, constantly smiling, she knew the secret was better left buried.

Darcy really enjoyed the party and of course all the gifts, "Thanks Dad and Blanca" she smiled for such a great party, I love you both and gave them a hug. "I think I will rest for a while" said Ricky I am feeling exhausted. "Are you sure you don't need to see a doctor" said Brax with that worried look on his face. "No baby, I just need to rest, have a drink with your brothers and relax" said Ricky before she headed indoors.

"That's me done now" said Cheryl it's time I was heading home. "I will give you a lift Cheryl" said Blanca just let me get my keys. Brax, Heath, Kyle and Phoebe all sat around the fire enjoying each others company. "I must check in on the restaurant before we head back" said Kyle to Phoebe.

Brax and Heath were the last two left outside having their drinks while everyone else were either in bed or gone back to their own homes." What is it like being a dad?" said Brax. "You should have a fair idea, after all you where the head of the house when dad went to prison" said Heath.

"Obviously, it must be different" said Brax, after all you were my kid brother who never listened to me when corrected anyway.

"Not sure what it is like dealing with a baby, Darcy was seven before I even knew she existed" said Heath, but I presume that special connection you make with your baby is forever. "Stop fretting! you will be a great dad and Ricky will be a great mum," said Heath, you are a special couple

"I don't know about being a great dad" said Brax but there is one thing for sure I am never going to be like our dad, I would never put a kid through what we had to go through, I want to be there for my kid from the start..

Casey sat on his bed listening to his music, he heard the bell ring but this time it was rung louder and longer which meant he never heard it the first time so he was ten minutes late for his dinner. He pulled off his headphones and hurriedly put them on the locker only to knock down the picture frame of his mum which shattered on the floor. In order not to delay the time any longer he just ran out of his room and down to the kitchen for his dinner. Donald and Elsa Fisher did not look very happy.

"Did you not hear the bell Casey?" asked Elsa this is third time this week you do know the rules?

Casey stood looking at the floor, "I was listening to my music, sorry" he said. With that Mr. Donald Fisher ex army solider approached Casey with the leather strap, "you know what to do by now boy?" said Mr. Fisher

Casey pulled up his two sleeves and held out his hand's, both palm's faced upwards. Mr Fisher slapped Casey twice on both hands, this was Casey's third time receiving the punishment this week. Casey, held back his tears as he sat down at the table to eat his dinner, his hands were stinging with pain. The other kids all just sat with their heads down and ate their dinner as each of them had experienced the leather strap and it wasn't nice.

After dinner, Casey hurried back to his bedroom to clean up the broken glass on the floor before the Fisher's saw it, as that would result in another punishment for disrespecting there property. He closed his bed room behind him and looked at his hands, pain was radiating through them, he went over to the broken glass and began to pick up the pieces of glass bit by bit.

When he had it all gathered and binned, he picked up his mum's photo and also a piece of white paper that fell from the back of the photo. He opened the paper and written on it was "Cheryl Braxton", Mangrove River, "Darryl Braxton", Summer bay.

Flashback

"Mum come and make a sand castle with me" said 7 year old Casey as he filled up his bucket with sand.

"Ok sweetie" said Nathalie as she bent down beside her son on the golden sand. Nathalie had taken time out from her work and taken her son Casey to Summer bay to the beach for the day. She loved everything about her son, and more important his dad was the only man Nathalie had ever really loved.

"Can we get some ice-cream before we go home" said a tired Casey after his long day at the beach. "Vanilla, Strawberry or Chocolate" asked Nathalie with a smile, "Chocolate Mummy with loads of Sprinkles" said a happy Casey.

End of Flashback

Casey had forgotten about the piece of paper he had attached to the photo that day on his return home from Mangrove River with his grandparents.

He looked at his mum's photo again and wondered to himself was this a sign from his mum did "Darryl Braxton" mean something, was there a possibility he might be his dad.

Casey knew he couldn't continue on living the life he had now, and maybe it was time to make contact with this person. He went over to his school bag, took out an A4 copy book and a pen, he sat up on his bed, put pen to paper and started to write "To Darryl Braxton, Summer bay".