2 years later,

Casey was running along the beach, trying to push himself as hard as he could go. He saw Brax coming down the dunes with his board under his arm, watching him closely. Casey started to sprint harder and push himself beyond limits, trying to get better every time. The older brother walked down and watched as Casey started struggling and stood in front of him, hunched over his knees, breathing deeply.

"Do you think maybe you should stop for a bit? You've been training a lot. You're going to push yourself too hard" Brax explained, crouching down to look Casey in the eyes

"I'm fine" Casey wheezed, starting to stand straight to try and prove that everything was alright. Brax raised his eyebrow and nodded, he pointed out to the water that had huge swells invading it.

"Well, I'm going for surf, you coming out too. Or are you too worked up in training?"

Casey shook his head, "Nah, I'm going for a swim. I'll meet you out there"

Brax nodded and sighed before running off into the water and setting out to get past the rather large waves. Casey watched and waited to catch his breath before heading out into the water himself and pushing over the waves. He'd managed to get out to where Brax was a few minutes later and found him sitting on his board. Casey clung to the board and pressed his head down against it, "You right?" Brax asked

Casey nodded "I'm going back in. I'll meet you at home" he said before pushing away from Brax and swimming back into shore.

Brax watched closely, making sure that Casey did make it back to shore. He was worried about how Casey was acting. He'd been in and out of jail for days and then finally got released back out, due to issues and getting stabbed. He thought bringing up the surf carnival would be good for Casey, it would take his mind off things, but now Brax was starting to think that it was going to be taken over board and Casey would end up injured. Because nine times out of ten, that's how things panned out for Casey Braxton, or in fact any Braxton.

Casey ran up to the front door and walked through, puffing and panting. He hunched over the couch and tried to take deep breaths, Heath walked out and chuckled. "Case. I can't believe you're doing that stupid surf carnival again. You're not going to win; you'll be up against Romeo"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence" Casey sarcastically replied, glaring at his brother. Heath chuckled and grinned before slapping Casey's back playfully

"That's what I'm here for little bro"

"I don't want you coming Heath" Casey spat back, his face showing no side for laughing. He was dead serious.

Heath tilted his head back and raised his eyebrow, "Who said I wanted to come watch you participate in the carnival, you're going to lose anyway"

Casey shook his head annoyed, "Whatever Heath. Don't come. I don't need you there anyway" he shot back, before walking off and going to have a shower.

The following day,

Casey sat in the bathroom, throwing up into the toilet, everything in the past few days catching up with him. Brax walked in, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Case, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just nerves"

Brax raised his eye brow and glanced at Casey suspiciously, "You don't really get nerves over these sorts of things"

"Yeah. Well I am now"

"I don't think that you should compete when you're sick. It won't be good" Brax said concerned as he glanced down at his ill brother

"I'm fine. I'm competing" Casey shot back before pushing himself up and standing up in front of Brax.

"I need to get down there soon to train some more"

"Case, honestly. You've trained enough. Just go and do your race"

"Shut up Brax. Don't come if you're going to be like this"

An hour later….

Brax was helping Casey get ready and was painting his number on; "Are you sure you feel fit enough to compete?"

Casey screwed his face up, "Oh what. So now I'm too unfit?"

"No Casey, that's not what I meant. What I mean is, you look really sick, you should just give this year a miss, you know. Try again next year"

"No, I'm going to prove Heath wrong. He thinks his always right"

"Casey, don't listen to Heath. His just being an idiot, come on, let's just pull out"

Casey shook his head and turned hearing someone coming down into their tent. Heath wrapped his arm around Casey's neck and pulled him in to his side cheekily.

"I said I didn't want you to come" Casey retaliated, pushing off him roughly, sending the middle brother stumbling back

"I wasn't going to miss your big day Casey" Heath replied smugly as he recomposed himself.

"Leave him, he was throwing up all morning" Brax declared, shooting Heath an annoyed look.

"Aw Case. You a bit nervous, just pull out now. Save the embarrassment"

Casey just rolled his eyes and ignored Heath, turning around when he heard John Palmers voice spring over the speakers. "Open age, Ironman challenge contestants make your way to the start line for commencement"

Brax walked over with Casey, "Are you sure you feel alright to compete, no one is going to care if you don't. You're sick"

Casey shook his head, "I'm going to prove Heath wrong"

Brax sighed and clasped his hands behind his head, "Don't listen to Heath, his being an idiot"

"I'm doing it." Casey said before walking over to the start line and meeting with Romeo. Brax walked back behind the line and stood with Heath.

"Heath, his doing this when his sick because he wants to prove you wrong, if he collapses. It's your fault" Brax said sternly, annoyed with Heaths behaviour.

The start gun started and all six boys took off in a sprint down to the water, "His a good swimmer, he should be able to make his way to the front during this" Brax said

"Yeah, but look who his up against. He has no chance!" Heath shouted out, Brax shook his head and bit down on his lip

"Would it kill you for once not make fun of him. Have you not learnt one single thing your whole life?"

Heath grunted out annoyed returned his attention back out to the water, quietly cheering Casey on under his breath.

Casey emerged back out of the water behind Romeo, the middle brothers eyes widened. He expected Casey to still be in the water when everyone else was watched as Casey ran back up the beach, grabbing the paddle board as he went back down again. Brax was cheering beside him, shouting out Casey's name. He started seeing everyone around him cheering someone on and felt like he owed it to Casey to cheer as well, well atleast cheer loud enough so that maybe his brother could hear him and find encouragement from him.

"C'mon Casey!" Heath shouted out, Brax turned cocked his head as he turned to face Heath, surprise written all over his face.

"So now you want to get involved?"

"Yeah, what's that look for?" Heath replied back gruffly, getting agitated by Brax's interrogational questions every few minutes

Heath shrugged and returned his attention back out to the water, where Casey had slipped back to fourth position. "His tiring out. Slipping behind. Great, thought he might have a shot"

"Nah, his just trying to save his energy." Brax replied, trying to convince himself at the same time. He knew he shouldn't have let Casey out in the competition and if something happened he'd feel responsible.

Casey felt beyond sick, he felt so tired and so weak, like his body was giving up on him. He struggled to keep paddling when his arms were searing with pain. He knew he'd fallen behind but was so close to catching up and getting into third place. He pushed himself faster and managed to get by the third opponent and onto the shore before lunging out and running up and over the shore break waves.

"Go Casey, c'mon you can do it!" Brax shouted out, cheering and clapping his hands as he watched Casey try and manage to sprint across the sand

The younger brother could see Romeo and another guy ten metres in front of him, but they were becoming increasingly blurry and he struggled to even breathe as well. He started to clutch his hand to his chest when he couldn't breathe and his legs felt like they were about to give up as well.

"Something's wrong" Brax muttered, Heath looked up from his phone just in time to see Casey fall to the sand, the crowd all simultaneously erupting in gasps.

"Case!" Brax shouted out before flinging himself over the barrier and running down the beach, Heath following closely behind him.

"Case" Brax said when he skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees behind Casey who was sitting on his knees, struggling to take a breath. The younger boy turned to the side and threw up, Brax gently rubbed his back before gently leaning his younger brother into his chest.

"Can't breathe" Casey wheezed, Sid came running over along with a couple of other paramedics.

"He said that he can't breathe" Brax said as he was trying to comfort Casey, Sid nodded and sat in front of Casey before strapping an oxygen mask to his face.

"Try and take some nice deep breaths Casey, your lungs are working way to hard at the moment"

"I'm going to be sick" Casey mumbled before lifting his mask off and throwing up again beside him, Sid looked over concerned.

"Alright, we need to get him up under the medical tent. He needs to be checked over and given some fluids. Casey, did you swallow any salt water?"

Casey shook his head and felt his older brothers link their arms under his and pull him up, but everything started to spin rapidly again and his legs felt like they were going to give way. "I can't" He mumbled before falling to Brax's side.

Sid glanced over worried and turned to the paramedics, "Bring down a spinal board. Will have to carry him up"

Casey shook his head yet again, "No, I don't want to" he struggled to say between every short breath

Brax smirked to Heath, "Drastic times calls for drastic measures"

"No" Casey whined before he felt Brax and Heath begin to lift him up, one grabbing his arms and the other his legs. Both brothers carefully walked up the sand, bystanders making a path as they moved out of their way.

"Put him on the bed" A firstaid officer announced, tapping the bed. She un wrapped another oxygen mask and placed it back on Casey's before starting to check his blood pressure. Sid came not far behind with IV bags and equipment.

"I'm just going to insert an IV needle into your hand Casey so I can give you some fluids"

Casey barely nodded and held the mask tighter to his face, "How are you feeling Casey, your breathing getting better?" He asked as he tried to make conversation as he inserted the needle into his vein.

"Sort of" Casey said, his voice muffled by the mask. Heath stood beside Brax and watched as he ran his hand comfortingly over Casey's head.

"Okay, well. Will keep you here on these fluids for about an hour and then if you are able to breathe properly and stand without passing out you can go"

Casey nodded, "Oh, okay"

Sid left Casey under the observation of the first aid attendants, knowing full well that he was going to be okay; he was just exhausted and dehydrated. Brax glanced over at Heath, "Hey why don't you go get us some food"

Heath nodded and left in search of the diner and some good food. Back in the tent Brax was leaning over Casey's makeshift bed. "How are you feeling. Honestly?"

Casey thought about it for a moment and bit down on his lip, "Exhausted"

"Yeah, well. I shouldn't have let you out there and you should have told me you felt so ill. It doesn't help that you've been training so overboard that it didn't pay off because you couldn't finish it"

Casey sighed, "Yeah. Yeah. I know"

"You're nineteen now Casey and I'm still taking care of you like you're five" Brax smirked, Casey smiled and tried to sit up, Brax helped him so he was comfy.

"You know I never really have thanked you for looking after me, like not just today. But since I was born you have always looked after me-." Casey was explaining before Brax cut him off midsentence, smiling to himself.

"Case, you're my little brother. Of course I'm going to look after you"

"Yeah, but there's a certain extent that a brother goes to and you went over it every day. You're like a Dad to me Brax"

Brax felt overwhelmed by the way that Casey was talking, "Case. I wasn't going to let you be the way that Heath and I were when you were little. I didn't want you around all that stuff. I know that it didn't quite work out that way, because of everything that happened."

"At least you were always old enough to take care of us and that we never got put into foster care. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't grow up with you and Heath around" Casey explained, Brax nodded and ruffled up Casey's hair.

"Don't think about that eh? Just think about getting better before Heath and I have to carry you home"

Casey smirked and looked out to the beach, watching the races take place.

A/N: So that brings it to an end! Yes an end! I said at the start that I would stop once we got to the age they are all at now. I hope you enjoyed it! I wanted to get this finished so I could start my new story which I am currently writing on the side. Here's a very small sneak peak ;)

The nineteen year old felt cold, his head was exploding with pain and he could hear the distant chirping of birds, the leaves rustling in the breeze. He slowly opened his eyes; he couldn't remember anything else before waking up. He slowly sat up and glanced to his side, his eyes widening in shock.

"Heath?" Casey muttered before laying a hand on his brothers back.