Liam had just finished his set at Angelo's. He felt good, really good actually. It was a total thrill to be back performing and the best part was that he hadn't fucked it up, proving to himself that there was something of the capable musician left in him. But the buzz dimmed a little when he saw Heath. Heath stood to back of the room, an unreadable expression on his face. Hadn't he liked the show? Liam made his way towards him, stopping a few times to chat with people who had enjoyed the show.

"So what'd ya think?" Liam asked, more than a little apprehensively, once he'd managed to cross the room. He put a lot into his music and he hoped that Heath would like it.

"I hated it." Heath stated, Liam waited for more but that seemed to be all Heath had to say on the subject.

"Well don't sugar-coat it," Liam muttered, wondering why he'd thought Heath's reaction would be any different, "why don't you tell me what you really think?" Just because this was important to Liam, it didn't mean Heath was sensitive enough to see that. Music was like a window to his soul and he was more than a little put out that Heath could dismiss it so easily, not to mention, he was hurt. No, you know what? Fuck it, he was gonna call Heath on this. He put up with a lot of shit from him and just because this was yet another example of 'Heath just being Heath' it didn't mean he should be allowed to get away with stomping on other people's feelings.

"Wanna get out of here?" Heath said suggestively, apparently he'd already moved past the part where he'd completely dismissed the feelings of someone he supposedly cared about.

"No, I don't," Liam said, making no effort to mask his hostility. He was angry now. It wasn't even that Heath didn't like his music it was the fact that he didn't give a shit at all. If it wasn't to Heath's taste, Liam could understand that, but Heath hadn't even really considered it.

"What's your problem?" Heath shot back defensively.

"A bigger one than I thought if you can't figure it out," Liam replied heatedly, before he turned and walked away. He marched down the stairs, heading outside, thinking it wisest to be alone. He didn't wanna bite some poor admirers head off if they came to speak to him about the gig because scaring the patrons off would defeat the purpose of this exercise entirely.

Well shit, that went downhill pretty fucking quick. Heath ran back over what he'd said and it didn't take him long to find the offending words. 'I hated it' probably, ok definitely, wasn't the smartest thing to say.

"Oi Murphy! Wait up," Heath said as he pushed through the crowd of people that were still milling around after the gig. But Murphy didn't stop, in fact he seemed determined to ignore Heath and that was something Heath could not stand. He followed Murphy down the stairs and out the door. "I said wait," Heath stated as he caught up to Murphy just outside the Surf Club. He grabbed Murphy's arm, spinning him round so he had to look at him. "I didn't mean it," Heath said, as though those words excused all the horrible things he said, but Liam wasn't gonna let him get away with it this time.

"Didn't mean what?" Liam asked, this should be good.

"God I love that fire," Heath said reverently, as he looked into Liam's eyes.

"You're unbelievable," Liam said with exasperation, "you did this just to make me angry..."

"Na," Heath said, "it's a good idea though, wish I'd thought of it..."

"So you do hate my music?" Liam was growing increasingly frustrated, but there was something about the way that Heath was looking at him now that didn't allow him to turn away again.

"No, I just hated the show. You were so good and when I looked around at everyone else I could see they thought so too..." That's what this was about?

"You're jealous?" Liam said incredulously, at times he wondered if he'd ever figure out the way Heath's mind worked.

"You're the only person who was there that could blame me," Heath said as he closed the gap between them, "you weren't watching the show."

"You know what'd solve a lot of our problems?" Liam said, as he leaned in slowly.

"What's that?"

"If you just said what you bloody mean." Heath gave him a devilish grin.

"And where would the fun in that be?" Heath teased before planting a daring kiss on Liam's lips.

xxx

Things had been a little weird between Heath and Casey lately and there were no medals for guessing why. But this, this should be perfect to bridge the gap. Some stuff had popped up online about last night's gig and it got Heath to thinking...

"Hey Casey, get your butt over here," Heath called to his sullen little brother. Heath was sitting at the table, surfing the net, on what may or may not have been a legally acquired laptop.

"Why?" Casey said, but Heath was pleased to see that he was doing as he'd been asked.

"Check this out," Heath said as he pulled the chair next to himself out for Casey to take a seat. Casey sat in the offered seat and they leaned over the computer together.

"Are you googling Liam?" Casey asked.

"Yeah," Heath admitted readily, encouraged by the smile Casey was failing to hide. "Look at this shit." Heath scrolled through the pictures on Google images, mischievously delighted by the ridiculousness and randomness of many of the photos.

"Oh my God, click on that one," Casey said pointing to a particularly stupid one. In the photo Murphy was wearing a white suit with a black shirt and tie but that wasn't the ridiculous part. The ridiculous part was the way the idiot's hair was styled sticking straight up from his head.

"Do ya reckon he styled it himself?" Heath laughed.

"I hope not..." Casey laughed in reply.

"Look at the wanker in that one," Heath said pointing to a picture of Murphy in a typical 'scratch your nits' pose. "Who does he think he is?"

"Wait, wait, look at this one," Casey said, indicating to one of the rock star lying fully clothed and dripping wet in a bathtub. "What do you think goes through celebrity's heads when they pose for photos like that?"

"'Fuck I look hot in this bathtub' I 'spose..." Heath shrugged, making Casey laugh again.

Liam walked into the Braxton's house without bothering to knock. Surely putting up with Heath had earned him the right to do so. Upon entering the house he was met by the sight of Heath and Casey hunched over a computer in fits of laughter, it was good to see them getting along.

"Whatchya's up to?" Liam enquired, interested to know what could possibly be so funny.

"Nothing," Heath said, slamming the laptop closed and turning to face Liam. Well, nothing was more suspicious than nothing, especially when one took into consideration the matching expressions on Heath and Casey's faces. The looks they wore said they were up to no good and were far too pleased about it.

"Yeah right," Liam said, overcome by the urge to know exactly what the evil brothers had been up to.

"What happened to your dog?" Heath asked, almost managing not smile, as Liam leaned over him to open the laptop. What dog? Was this a trick question? But when Liam saw what was on the screen he understood. Amongst the many mortifying pictures on the image search he saw one of himself with a Cocker Spaniel.

"Really? Don't you two have anything better to do than google me?"

"Na," Casey said, "I can't think of anything, this is funny as..."

"Well I'm glad you think so..." Liam returned, reaching out and scruffing Casey's hair, partly because he was glad the brothers were comfortable enough to do this and partly just to annoy him.

"Did you lose your razor that month?" Heath asked sweetly, pointing to a picture in which Liam was sporting a rather full-on beard.

"No," Liam said, determined not to give Heath the reaction he was looking for, "I just thought that beard made me look fucking cool."

"You thought wrong..."

"Righto," Liam said, "I'll bet you've made some tragic style choices too." Liam made a mental note to find some Braxton photo albums when possible...

"I doubt it," Heath said, "but even if I had I wouldn't splash it all over the internet."

"It's not like I put these pictures on there."

"Sure you didn't," Heath stirred, "you love people looking at these hot pics of you."

"So they're hot now?" Liam challenged. Casey was smart enough to see where this would lead and beat a hasty retreat.

"Well, this black and white one's pretty smokin'..." Heath pointed out.

"Oh yeah..." Liam said, his tone inviting Heath to continue the thought, but their conversation was halted there by a knock at the door. Casey answered it. Heath looked past Liam to see Cuntstable Rat Face and Floozy Cop, standing there looking all smug and full of themselves.

"Officers..." was all Casey had a chance to say before Heath was at the door.

"What'd you want?"

"We have a warrant to search the premises," Rat Face said as though that made her God. Heath had no idea what they could be searching for.

"What for?" he said, rather than the 'fuck off' he wanted to say.

"New evidence has come to light in the arson case and we have reason to believe your family was involved."

"That's crap and you know it. Brax has already been questioned and I wasn't even in town when it happened. Tell 'em Murph," Heath said, stepping aside to let Liam speak.

"It's true," Liam said, "we were up the coast together when it happened."

"There see? Now get lost."

"We can't do that Mr. Braxton, we've still got to carry out this warrant." She held the document out to Heath who eyed it suspiciously.

"What's going on here?" Came Brax's voice from behind the cops. Sweet, maybe together they could get these cops to clear off.

"We're trying to carry out this search warrant but your brother isn't co-operating," Ratty appealed to Brax. As if Brax was gonna side with a cop over his own brother.

"What's it for?" Brax asked. The cops ran through the 'new evidence' spiel again.

"Let 'em in Heath," Brax instructed, "we've got nothing to hide."

"I know that," Heath said, "but they can't just rock up here like they own the joint..."

"They've got a warrant," Brax said, his words accompanied by a look that told Heath not to argue anymore.

"Fine," Heath conceded, stepping aside and letting the bitches in. They waited around while the pigs scabbed through all their stuff, and when the slags were done, after finding nothing mind you, they declared that they would need to haul Casey in for questioning.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding," Heath said, "Casey had nothing to do with this."

"Maybe, but that's something we'll need to ascertain at the station," that ice cold bitch Brax was fucking said.

"He's a minor," Brax pointed out, "you can't question him without a guardian present."

"That's true," Ratty piped up, "but you're a suspect so you can't be his guardian in this matter."

"But I can," Heath said, there was no way he was letting Casey go into this alone. It was complete fucking bullshit anyway, Casey wouldn't do anything like this, Brax had taught him better than that.

"Fine," Ratty nodded, "let's go."

"It'll be alright Case," Brax said, "listen to Heath, he'll look after you, he knows what he's doing." Casey looked shell shocked and just nodded at Brax and headed for the door. Muthafucking bitches, they shouldn't be allowed to do this to an innocent kid, Casey wasn't supposed to have to deal with cops, Heath and Brax had worked so hard to make sure he wouldn't have to.

"Tell 'em nothing," Brax said quietly, clapping Heath on the shoulder before Heath followed Casey outside. And today was just another example of how fucking cops have a way of ruining everything.