Here is chapter 48, thank you to all that reviewed my last few chapters, I am writing ahead which is why they are being uploaded quickly plus I love writing this story especially Cooper and Bella I just love them, also I just wanted to say thanks to beebee483 for giving me a funny combined name for them – Cola! Haha so cute, but I definitely need some more ideas and if you tell me your ideas in a review of PM I will pick my faves and let you pick! So get thinking peoples! I am nearing near the big 5-0 mark! EEK, but please keep reviewing so that I can GET there! REVIEW. Dannielle xoxo
[DISCLAIMER/COPYRIGHT: I do not own any of the existing characters or storylines in Home and Away but any characters, storylines or ideas used in this story are strictly copyrighted and are not to be used by any other person/s without written permission of the author of this story. Thank-you.]
CHARLIE POV
No-one had spoken to me since the day at the beach and I was beginning to see the light, Brax and I had still been sleeping in the same bed but it was like he was in another world, he never said a word and was usually out of bed before I woke up. I had had a lot of time to think about what I had said and how I was acting and I could see that I was very out of line. I felt guilty about the horrible things I had said to Bella and I knew that the problem with control that I had with Mckenzie was not going to go away on its own. I pulled up outside the neat office building, I looked over my shoulder to see a sleeping Mckenzie in her car seat, I climbed out and carefully unbuckled her and placing her in her stroller.
I sat in the cool leather chair of the waiting room as I waited for the receptionist to call my name, I gently pushed Mckenzie's stroller backwards and forwards keeping her calm. "Charlie Braxton?" the young girl behind the desk called into the room. I stood up and made my way into the office. I walked in to see a woman about my age sitting in a white armchair, she stood when I entered "you must be Charlotte" she said kindly "ah yeah but call me Charlie" I said "sure thing I am Marissa, oh and who is this beautiful girl!" she said looking into the pram "this is Mckenzie, my daughter" I said as I took a seat in the other arm chair. "so Charlie what have you come to me about today?" Marissa asked "well I am having trouble letting my daughter out of my sight" I said looking into the pram "Okay and what do you think caused this?" she asked me "well my sister in law was being stalked by a guy who attacked her when she was 15 and he kidnapped her and Mckenzie, then he set the building alight with them inside" I said blinking away the tears "ok and what happened after that?" she asked again "well we got there just as the building blew up and we thought they were inside but half an hour later they found Bella and Mckenzie was wrapped in the blanket in her arms" I said thinking back "ok and did Bella survive?" she asked probing for more "yeah, they had her on life support and when we turned the machines off she started breathing on her own again" I replied "strong girl, and what about Mckenzie, what injuries did she sustain?" Marissa asked "she had mild smoke inhalation but Bella saved her life" I said "and how do you feel about Bella?" she asked "grateful but angry at the same time, like if she had of gone to the police maybe this wouldn't have happened" I said looking at my feet.
"the other day we went on a family picnic and I was really mean to Bella and no one has spoken to me since" I said sadly "why do you not trust anyone to look after Mckenzie" she continued "because I don't believe that anyone can look after her like I can, not even my husband" I said shamefully "and how do you think your actions are affecting the ones around you?" she asked "well they are all hurt especially Bella, when I am logical I know that none of this is her fault but every time I think of leaving Mckenzie with someone else I just panic!" I replied "well I tell you what I want you to do, I want you to talk to your family and apoligise, I want you to apologise to Bella and tell her that you never meant what you said, after all she went through a lot more than what you did and she didn't deserve to be treated the way you treated her." Marissa finished, I nodded my head "okay thanks Marissa" I replied as she walked me to the door.
I arrived home to find Brax's car in the driveway, I carried Mckenzie into the house and put her in her bouncer before taking a seat at the table across from Brax "I'm sorry" I said, he looked up at me "what?" he asked shaking his head "I'm sorry for being a bitch" I said, he stretched his hand across the table and grabbed my hand "I know that you're scared but she is safe with us, we will do anything to protect her" he said reassuringly. I nodded "I know, I went to see a psychologist today" I said "oh" he muttered "yeah and she helped me, I know that I have to let her go and although it will be hard I know I have to do it, so do you want to take her for the afternoon?" I asked, a smile spread across his face "yeah?" he asked "yeah, I'm going to go and do some grocery shopping and I will come and pick her up after I have bought it all home" I said, Brax leaned across the table and kissed me forcefully "thank-you" he said, I smiled "you know where Bella is, I have another apology to make" I asked him "ah she is hanging out with Cooper today I think" he replied as he walked over to our daughter and took her from her bouncer.
BELLA POV
We were walking down to the beach, well Cooper and I were walking Natayaliah was running. "so how long were you and Ella together?" I asked breaking the silence as I swung out entwined hands back and forwards "ah about 9 months" he said looking towards Natayaliah "why did you break up?" I asked "she gets really jealous, I was paired up with one of the cheerleaders from my old school and she pushed her down some stairs" he said, my eyes widened "whoa!" I cried "mm yeah she can be a bit crazy, but when she isn't jealous she is actually really fun" he said as we reached Natayaliah "can we go swimming!" she cried jumping up and down, Cooper looked at me and I just nodded "yeah alright" he told her as she pulled her sundress off, I laughed as she pulled on Cooper's arm "COME ON COOPIE!" she yelled excitedly "hang on Tayaliah" he said as he pulled his shirt over his head. I smiled "what?" he asked "nothing" I replied as I took of my shirt and shorts before we were pulled towards the water by Natayaliah.
I was standing waist deep in the water as Cooper chucked Tayaliah to me, she squealed in delight as I caught her partially submerging her in the water. "I wanna swim" she said as she ducked under the water, I waded over to Cooper grabbed my hands and pulled me closer to him before he leaned down and kissed me "EWIE!" Tayaliah squealed as she resurfaced "I'm going to go build a sand castle" she said making her way to the shore "stay where we can see you!" Cooper yelled after her "she is like the energizer bunny!" he said looking down at me "mm yeah well I'm pretty sure we both were at five!" I said as I ran my fingers across his abs. He splashed me with some water causing me to laugh and return a wave his way. He dived under the incoming wave, I looked around waiting for him to resurface when suddenly he flew out of the water behind me and wrapped his hands around my waist. I squealed as he kissed me neck, I flicked some water at him over my shoulder as he turned me to face him, he lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around him "you're insane!" I said brushing some water from his face "yeah but you love it!" he said kissing me, I looked up to the shore to check on Natayaliah who was busy building sand castles when a familiar figure caught my eye, standing on the grassy bank in front of the surf club was Ella watching us in the water. "Come on lets go join Tayaliah" I said nodding to the shore. Cooper nodded and carried me out of the water.
By the time I got home it was 3pm, I walked up the driveway to see Charlie's car parked out the front 'crap' I thought to myself as I wandered through the door. I walked into the kitchen to find Charlie putting away groceries "hi" she said looking over at me "yeah hi" I mumbled grabbing a glass and filling it with water "can we talk?" Charlie asked "uh sure I guess" I said as I took a seat at the table "I just wanted to say I am sorry for what I said to you the other day, I was wrong and I should never have said any of it" she said looking at me "I did cause most of this so you don't need to apologise" I said taking a sip of water "actually I do, you are the only reason that we have Mckenzie in the first place. I didn't mean anything I said, I was just frustrated and I couldn't understand the things I was feeling. I went and saw a psychologist today and she really helped me" Charlie finished "well thanks for your apology it means a lot" I said truthfully.
Later that night
BELLA POV
*Flashback – Dream*
I woke to pain all over my body, blood was swimming around my body as I lay against the cold concrete floor. The wooden door swung open and in walked Ryan, his face plastered with that evil smile. He looked down on me, giving me one last hard kick to the ribs, the pain was sent rocketing through my body, I could feel the air being sucked out of my lungs causing me to cough, I felt the blood hit my hand and I knew I was in a bad way. I looked up at him "what do you want" I croaked "to say goodbye" he said "I am going to leave you and your niece here to burn, it was a very bad idea letting you family know our whereabouts, now you will have to watch your niece die a slow and painful death before you do" he said sickly, he walked out of the room leaving the door open so I could see as he walked across the room, struck a match across the box and tossed it on the floor "bye bye Miss Braxton" he said sickly before turning and running. I watched as the room erupted into flames, I managed to sit up and pull the pocket knife from my jumper as I began to saw against the tight rope. I broke free and slowly staggered to my feet, I limped out of the room and to the nearest wall, the heat was lashing my face and making my eyes water as I stumbled forward "MCKENZIE!" I yelled hoarsely. I could hear a cry coming from the room just across from me, I flung myself across but the door was locked. I gathered all my strength and kicked the door down sending the flames higher into the air as the licked the ceiling, I limped over to the crib and pulled Mckenzie out before wrapping her tightly in a blanket and covering myself with one. I could tell that the place was going to break up soon so I did my best to run to the nearest exit, I heard a loud crash, I turned to see the part of the building I had just come from collapse, I reached out to the door and yanked it open. The influx of oxygen sent the flames roaring causing the whole house to explode, We were sent hurtling through the air and landed with a solid thud on the grass, I tried reaching for Mckenzie but I was too weak and the darkness slowly took over my body.
I woke up with a start, my breathing was fast and irregular and my whole body was covered with sweat. I was terrified and I didn't know what to do, I did the first thing that came to my mind, I reached for my mobile and dialled Cooper's number. I rung a few times before he picked up "hello?" he said groggily "Cooper, I need you" I sobbed into the phone "Bella are you alright" he asked now alert "just please come" I cried "alright I will be there soon" he said before hanging up. I couldn't control the tears they just kept coming, I was so scared, up until now all I remembered was the moment I blacked out but now it was all coming back to me and I didn't know if I was ready to remember just yet. I climbed out of bed and grabbed my dressing gown before heading downstairs. I was wearing my white bra and red pyjama pants but Cooper had seen me in my bra before so I didn't bother to change, I hurried down the stairs and curled up on the couch as I continued to sob holding a pillow to my mouth to quieten the sobbing.
It wasn't long before Cooper was tapping quietly at my front door, I still hadn't managed to calm down but I quickly wiped my face and opened the door, he rushed forward grabbing my shoulders "are you alright?" he asked checking me over "I'm not hurt" I sobbed reassuring him "what's wrong?" he asked nervously "I remembered" I said breaking down "remembered what?" he asked confused as he led me to the couch "when I woke up I could only remember my last few moments of consciousness, the doctor said that I was blocking out parts of my memory, like what happened before I lost consciousness and he said that I would probably regain my memory when my body was able to handle it but I just remembered what happened when he set the house alight and I don't want to remember!" I sobbed as I began to cry harder. Cooper pulled me into his arms and gently rubbed my arms "Bella it's okay, if you are remembering it's because your body is ready. You can handle this" he said reassuringly "no, no I can't I don't want to" I murmured "baby, you are the strongest person I have ever met, I know that you can deal with this" he said wiping the tears away. "mm, please don't leave me tonight" I said pulling his hand into mine "wouldn't dream of it" he replied smiling as he touched his forehead to mine.
So what did you all think? I wanted to show Charlie dealing with her issues and Bella facing hers. A lot of you are intrigued by Ella and I have some interesting (well I think they are interesting) ideas for her but you guys have defiantly given me some more ideas so please don't hesitate to leave your ideas in a review or a PM if your shy. Please review they mean so much to me! Dannielle xoxo