AUTHORS NOTE:

Heath's struggle to accept Casey leads to more tension between the brothers.

Enjoy the next few chapters with Heath and Brax's emotional brotherly bond.

Please review and let me know what you think :)

Chapter 23 – Jealousy arises

It was a beautiful sunny day and Heath laid on the couch staring out the window, he wanted to go outside and do something fun. Heath saw Brax run into the kitchen.

"Brax?"

Brax stopped to look at his younger brother. "What Heath?" He asked slightly frustrated.

"Can you take me surfing today?"

"Sorry mate, but I can't I need to look after Casey today." "But…"

"Not now Heath please."

Brax cut him off as he walked back into Casey's room with his breakfast. Heath was still jealous of Casey's special treatment he received from his older brother, even though the young boy was only 2. Heath decided it was time for Casey to get into trouble for a change instead of him.

While Casey sat on the floor scribbling with his pencils in his coloring book Brax had bought him, to teach him to draw and color. Heath took Casey's pencils and scribbled on the wall and warned him not to tell on him. Cheryl walked out and saw the colored wall and pencils in Casey's hand and immediately walked towards her youngest son yelling.

"What have you done, you little brat? Look at this mess!"

Casey started to cry and cowered. Brax walked in to all the shouting.

"Mum, stop shouting at him!" He yelled.

"Shut up Darryl! I won't have my kids drawing on my walls and getting away with it."

"He's a baby, he doesn't know!" Brax shouted back.

"I'll make him know!" Cheryl added before raising her hand to hit Casey, but Brax stood in front.

"I won't let you touch him" Cheryl stood tall and looked at her eldest son.

"Don't you speak that way to me. If you're so bent on taking responsibility for the brat you deal with him then!"

With that Cheryl walked out. Heath smiled at his efforts to get Casey in trouble, soon everyone wouldn't fuss over him and pay more attention to him.

Brax bent down and placed his arm around his baby brother. "Did you do that Casey?" Brax asked quietly.

"I twouble?" He asked.

"Not unless you were naughty and used your pencils to color on the wall." He pointed towards the wall.

Casey shook his head. Brax looked at him confused before he looked at the drawing they were far too neat for a toddlers hands. Brax turned to see Heath at the door way and knew immediately what had happened.

"Heath! Heath did you try and get Casey in trouble?" Brax stood up and walked towards Heath. "Well did you!" He yelled as he grabbed his brother's shirt.

"I might have. It was just a joke."

"Do you know what could have happened to him if I hadn't come in when I did?"

"Well it's not like he doesn't get enough attention, one bad thing wouldn't hurt him."

Brax pulled Heath over to Casey. "Apologize to him."

Casey looked up at his brothers. "Sorry" Heath mumbled to Casey.

"Good, now you're going to clean all that off." Brax pushed him to the floor.

"What!" "Don't argue Heath! Get and do it now!"

"Argh!" Heath moaned and grabbed a sponge and started scrubbing the walls. So much for it not being all about Casey.

Heath continued to act out, trying to get attention. He caused trouble at school and caused grief for Casey at home by taking things off him and pushing him, but all it ever resulted with was Cheryl and Danny hitting him and him being yelled at by Brax. Heath felt so alone. It only ever used to be Brax and him. Heath sat on the lounge, feeling irritated. Casey had kept him up all night again due to his night terrors.

Heath glared down at the small boy cheerfully watching his favorite show on TV and grunted. "Stupid brat!" Casey looked up at his brother and grabbed his leg.

"Arg! Get off!" Heath tried to shake Casey off and became more annoyed.

Heath finally gave a harsh kick, causing Casey to fall off. Brax saw the whole incident and raced over to cradle Casey who was wailing after hitting the floor in his arms. Settling Casey back down and letting him watch his TV show again, Brax glared at Heath.

"I don't know what has gotten into you Heath, but don't you ever kick Casey again."

"I didn't kick him! That brat grabbed onto me! It's his stupid fault anyway he kept me up all night and I'm tired."

"That's no excuse! You know he can't help it." Heath scoffed.

"Get up!" "Why?" Heath asked defiantly. "Get up!" Brax repeated.

Grumbling, Heath stood up, refusing to look at Brax. Brax grabbed Heath's face in his hand. "I am sick of this Heath, Casey is your baby brother."

"So? What about what you promised me? About our better life, but I guess that doesn't matter now, just as long as little precious Casey is happy."

"Do not use that tone with me Heath. You know what I promised you has got nothing to do with Casey." Brax warned. "I want you to apologize to Casey for hurting him."

"You can't be serious? I'm not apologizing! He's nothing but an annoying brat!" Heath snapped. Heath's comment angered Brax further.

"That's it. You get and stay in your room until dinner."

"What?" Heath was stunned, Brax had never punished him before, and maybe he was right in thinking Brax didn't care about him anymore.

"You heard me. Go!" Brax shoved Heath in the direction of his room. Realizing Brax was serious Heath ran off to his room and angrily slammed the door. Brax could hear faint yelling and Heath throwing things in his room.

"Stupid Casey, always getting me in trouble! They don't even care about me! Let's see how they like it when I'm gone!" Heath opened his bedroom window and jumped out and ran down towards the beach.

Brax sat on the lounge with Casey in his lap, he too had been really tired lately, and with looking after Casey he barely got any sleep. Casey kept him up at night with his screaming and if he didn't tend to Casey he was worried what his parents would do. Now that he was older, he felt more responsible and protective of his brothers and there had been something about Casey when he was born that made Brax realize how precious a child's life is and he didn't want Casey to have to grow up being abused by Danny and Cheryl if he could take all his time to protect him as much as possible.

Brax reflected on his actions. Was I too hard on Heath? I've never sent him to his room before. Maybe I should go check on him to make sure he's alright. Brax placed Casey down and headed towards Heath's room. Brax gently knocked on the door before slowly opening it.

"Heath?" Hearing no answer, Brax fully opened the door, only to see an open window and no Heath.

"Arg!" Brax gave a frustrated sigh. "When I get my hands on him…" Brax picked up Casey and walked out of the house to try and find Heath.

After looking up and down everywhere, he eventually became too tired and decided to head back home. Meanwhile after having time to think at the beach Heath realized he had no idea how to survive by himself and decided to walk back home. When Brax returned home, he opened the door to see Heath in the kitchen making a sandwich. Placing Casey down Brax stormed over to him.

"Where have you been? I've been out looking everywhere for you! I told you to stay in your room."

"I went out okay!"

"No Heath. Not okay. What do you think would have happened if Mum and Dad came home and saw you gone?"

"Shove off Brax." Heath went to push passed but was blocked by Brax who was getting incredibly impatient with Heath's behavior.

"You defied me today and took off behind my back."

"So?" Heath retaliated, clearly beginning to feel hurt that his brother he was once close to was admonishing him.

"So nothing. You do what I tell you." Heath grunted.

"You're grounded for the weekend, no going out and no TV. Now go to your room" Heath looked at Brax surprised.

"You…" Heath stopped his reply when he saw Brax's glare as he pointed for Heath to go. Heath ran to his room. "And don't even think about running off this time Heath. I mean it!"

Heath slammed his door and laid down on his bed as a lone tear escaped his eye, it was official his big brother hated him. He had no way out of this. Brax would never care about him with Casey around. He had to make up a plan to remove Casey from his life forever.