Heath paced along the corridor for the hundredth time.
"Sit down, you're making me nervous." What was that supposed to mean? How could Casey not be nervous already?
"How long can it possibly take to have a baby?" They'd been here for bloody hours. Even though he had two kids, he hadn't been present at the birth of one, and the other had been a C-section, Heath had no previous experience with this. Casey gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Come here," he said patting the seat beside him. Heath heeded him and took a seat. The hospital was full of people; doctors, nurses, patients, family, friends, all living their lives oblivious to the dramas of the Braxton's. Casey slid his arm around Heath and pressed a kiss to his lips. It felt good, Heath had needed that.
"Everything's fine. Mum was in labour for seventeen hours with Brax."
"Seventeen hours..." Heath repeated in horror.
"Have you seen the size of his head?" Casey said with amusement. Heath had.
"God, poor Ricky..." Heath got up to pace in a show of sympathy for her. Casey sighed.
It wasn't too long after that that Heath's pacing was interrupted again, this time by Brax. He had his poker face on when he stepped from the room, damn him.
"Well?" Heath pressed. A smile lit up Brax's face.
"It's a girl."
"Congratulations," Casey said, and then he actually hugged Brax. Heath was a little more manly about it.
"Yeah, congrats," Heath said sticking his hand out for Brax to shake. Brax took the offered hand, but then he pulled Heath close and hugged him too. Heath couldn't even remember the last time they had done so.
"Thank-you so much for this," Brax said quietly into Heath's ear before he let go, allowing both of them to be blokes again.
"Yeah well..." Heath trailed off. They all grinned like idiots for a few seconds more until Brax spoke.
"Come see her, she looks just like her Mum."
"Thank God," Heath and Casey chimed in unison. Brax tried to throw them an unimpressed look but a smile overrode it. They followed him into the room where Ricky lay in the bed, looking as though she should be exhausted but glowing instead. She cradled a bundle to her chest, everything forgotten for the moment but her newborn child. Heath and Casey approached her quietly, not wanting to disturb her or the baby. Ricky turned a soft smile towards them.
"Come see," she said softly, turning the bundle slightly to show them the tiny face hidden there.
"She's beautiful Rick," Heath said and he meant it. She was perfect and Brax was right, you could see a resemblance to Ricky already. He brushed the damp hair back from Ricky's forehead and leaned in, pressing a kiss to her flushed skin. "Congratulations." Casey pressed close into Heath's side, to look at the baby too.
"Yeah, congratulations Rick, I'm so happy for you, she's lovely."
"Thanks Case," Ricky smiled at him, "and you too Heath," she said, turning her gaze toward him. They shared a look that said it all, both knowing this wouldn't be the same without Brax.
"C'mon, let's give the new family some space," Heath said and he and Casey retreated to the other side of the room.
Watching Brax with his newborn daughter and knowing that he, Ricky and their baby would be together as a family, reaffirmed for Heath that they had made absolutely the right decision to break the law and skip the country.
"We did the right thing," he told Casey. Casey turned his head from the happy family to look at Heath, before he leaned in and kissed Heath on the mouth, with not a care about who might see them. When he pulled back and looked into Heath's eyes, the look on his face was one of total satisfaction.
"Did you ever doubt it?"
The happy scene faded and Heath found himself awake and alone. He was in his cell, it was still dark. The haze of sleep faded quickly, the reality of his life settling on him, but the normal gloom was held mostly at bay by the peaceful memory of the dream. This particular dream was a welcome relief from his usual panicked and blood-soaked nightmares. Sometimes it was Darcy who got shot, and sometimes Casey died. Heath rolled onto his back, finding it impossible not to think about what Casey was doing right now, lying on another bed, in another cell, in another prison. Was he coping? He'd been so fearful of landing back inside. Heath hated the thought of him being locked up. Thankfully, he'd been minus a few of the charges Heath had been guilty of and Heath had made sure to take the wrap for planning the whole thing. Casey probably could've gotten an even shorter sentence if he'd been willing to give Brax up, but of course he hadn't, there was no way either of them were going to take that option. Heath still had another six years of this, but at least Casey would be out in less than two if he behaved himself. Heath hadn't seen him again since that day, but Kyle kept him informed. Their poor brother had two prisons to visit now, and Heath knew it was a lot to expect. Heath had compromised, he hadn't cut Kyle loose like Brax had done to them but he'd told Kyle not to visit him too often, and at the moment they'd come to an agreement of a visit every six weeks if Kyle could manage it. He knew Kyle had a life to live. He'd dumped Tamara ages ago and was with this Phoebe chick he'd known back in Melbourne now. She wasn't too fussed on him having jailbird brothers, and refused to visit so Heath had never met her. Heath didn't blame her. It was degrading to be submitted to the searches that visitors had to go through, and for someone who'd never been on the wrong side of the law it was a humiliation they shouldn't have endure.
Today was one on which Kyle was coming to see him, and apart from that far off release date, these visits were all Heath had to look forward to. But that was hours away. Heath scrubbed his hands over his face, for now he had nothing to do but think. How many times had he played that day over in his mind? As soon as they'd taken Casey to surgery Heath had gone into a complete meltdown. The scale of his epic fuck up had hit him hard and he'd confessed to everything, urged on by his guilt and shame. Shame over his willingness to abandon his child, his mother, his brother, to have what he wanted. And if only he'd kept an eye on Casey, he wouldn't have ended up shot. Or better than that, he should've left Casey with Ricky. How could he have put his brother in harm's way like that? Casey had always had his doubts about the plan but Heath had assured him it would be fine. It was his fault Casey had nearly died, and it was his fault Casey had ended up back in jail. His guilt would've eaten him alive except for the fact that he was paying heavily for his failures now; being separated from Casey was the most effective punishment anyone could've conceived. The only thing that made him feel worse than the guilt was the possibility that Casey blamed him. He'd be justified, but Heath still hated the thought of it. On the rare occasion he let himself think about the day when he'd finally be free again, he both dreaded and looked forward to seeing Casey once more. What would it be like between them? Casey would have four years on the outside without him, and he'd still be so young; his release date was set for just before his twenty-first birthday. A million things could change in that time, if they hadn't already, and that was more than likely. How could he possibly expect that in six years' time Casey would want to pick up where they'd left off? He couldn't, realistically he knew that. Sometimes the blissful time before the escape felt like a dream, and maybe it was better for everyone if it stayed that way. So many people had already been hurt, how many more would there be if they tried to continue their relationship? He'd always said he would do anything for Casey, whatever the best thing for him was. And if that meant letting him go, no matter how much it hurt, then that was what Heath would do.
AN: Originally this story ended differently and Heath's dream was the epilogue. I decided against the happy ending but still wanted Heath, and you guys, to have this moment, I hope it works. Thanks again to everyone for reading :D