AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Kyle finally makes an appearance in the next chapter.

Sorry for the late update, late night teaching puppy school.

Enjoy. :)

Chapter 74: Aftermath nightmares

It wasn't long before Heath returned home. "Hey mate, you alright?" Brax asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry I went off before. It was just a lot to deal with ya know."

"Yeah, don't worry about it mate. It was to be expected. We were all riled up and scared."

Heath saw Casey asleep with his feet on Brax's legs. "How's he doing?"

Brax shrugged. "Still pretty scared and upset...He asked me if we would ever forgive him and if we hated him."

Heath gasped and put up his hand. "How could he..."

Brax held up his hand to stop him. "I know. I set him straight about it though."

Brax snuck out from under Casey's feet and gently placed them on the couch.

"Good." Heath replied firmly.

Brax encouraged Heath into the kitchen so they could talk. "I can't image how it would have been for the little guy. He must have been so scared."

"Yeah but Casey's tough." Brax replied.

"Yeah, he takes after you." Heath smiled.

Both boys startled when they heard a yell from the living room and quickly advanced into the room to see Casey flailing his arms around and before Brax could reach him Casey fell with a loud thud. Casey startled awake and stared at his brothers frightened.

"Case, are you okay?" Brax asked as he rushed to his brother. Casey started to cry again.

"I had a nightmare." Casey whispered.

"Hey, it's alright I'm here. Come on, sit up." Brax helped Casey sit back on the couch.

"You wanna talk about it?" Casey shook his head.

"Alright. You talk to me when you're ready." Casey leaned against his brother's chest and felt safe and warm in his embrace.

Heath watched his brothers. "Heath?" Casey whispered as he turned to his older brother.

Heath crumbled, seeing his baby brother hurting so badly and quickly sat down on the couch next to him. Heath was about to place his hand on Casey's shoulder to comfort him, when Casey pulled away from Brax's embrace and wrapped his arms around Heath.

"Heath, I'm really sorry."

Heath eventually wrapped his arms around his brother and replied, "don't worry about it Case. You are what's important."

Brax smiled at Heath and gently rubbed Casey's back. After a few moments Heath turned back to his macho self and pulled Casey away from him. Heath gripped Casey's arms and jerked him slightly as he stared down at him.

"Don't go scaring us like that again ya understand! I'll kick your butt real good!" Heath scolded and pulled Casey into a quick, rough hug before he pushed him back out to look him in the eye.

"And damned if you think we would ever be better off without you! We love ya little bro." Heath told him firmly.

Casey sat and stared at his brothers as they both looked down at him with tough yet caring eyes. Casey sniffed and wiped his nose on his sleeve. Heath rubbed his baby brother's shoulder and stood up from the couch. Brax rubbed Casey's back again and gave his brother a comforting smile, Casey returning it with a weak smile.

It was around 2am when Casey woke from another nightmare. He sat on his bed in darkness, shaking and sweating. He wanted to yell out for his big brothers to come and comfort him, but his nightmare made him believe he was all alone.

Casey crept out of his bed and walked down the dark hall towards the kitchen. Casey grabbed a glass from the cupboard and struggled to pour himself a glass of milk with his bandaged hands.

Carefully grasping the glass Casey walked out of the kitchen but flinched when he heard a noise behind him. Brax had heard a noise and had gotten up to see the kitchen light on, heading towards the kitchen he saw a small shadow in the dark.

"Case is that you?" Brax called out in a tired tone.

Upon hearing a voice, Casey startled and dropped his glass of milk on the floor, shattering it. Casey turned and saw a dark figure approach him.

"Case, it's just me, Brax."

Casey saw his brother emerge from the darkness and feeling a sense of relief, covered his eyes with his hands and burst into tears. Brax quickly ran over to him, jumping over the shattered glass and milk and wrapped his arms around Casey's body.

"Hey, hey, hey. You're okay. Come here."

Brax led Casey over to the couch and the two sat down next to each other. "What happened?" Brax asked concerned.

"I...I couldn't sleep so I came out for a drink, but I couldn't hold the glass properly and my hands were sore...an' when I thought someone was coming at me...I dropped the glass...I didn't mean to make a mess Brax." Casey sobbed.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I didn't mean to scare you. You still thirsty?" Brax asked and Casey nodded.

"Okay, sit tight and I'll get you a drink then we can talk." Casey looked at his brother worried. "Hurry." Casey whispered.

Brax nodded and quickly returned with a new glass of milk and two small tablets. "Here, take these first. It'll help with the pain in your hands." Brax helped Casey take the tablets and take a drink of his milk.

Brax pulled Casey into him and cuddled him. "Now you wanna tell me why you couldn't sleep?"

"I had a nightmare." Casey whispered.

"Why didn't you come and wake me? You know I would have gotten up to help you."

Casey looked down at his lap. "I didn't want to disturb you, you do so much already."

"Case, I could never do enough for you. Now come on, tell me what else is bothering you."

Casey snuggled in closer to his brother to keep warm. "It's just...In my nightmare...You and Heath weren't there and it felt real."

"What do you mean Case?"

"The gun went off when you and Heath tried to save me and I had to watch you both..."

Casey trailed off as he hid his face in Brax's shirt not wanting to relive the nightmare. Brax however already knew what Casey was trying to say. It annoyed him how Jake could have traumatized his baby brother so badly.

"Case I promise you, that is never gonna happen. Heath and I aren't going anywhere." Brax rubbed his hand on Casey's arm and gave him a gently kiss on the head.

Brax yawned and glanced at the time. It was now just after 3am. "Hey, you think you're alright to go back to bed now?"

Casey pulled away from his brother and shook his head. "I'm scared. I don't wanna."

"You know you are safe here with me Case, you don't have to be scared, and you need your rest."

Casey turned away and whispered, "Brax can you stay here with me? Please?"

Brax sighed. "Sure Case."

Brax encouraged Casey to snuggle against his chest as he wrapped his arm around him and placed a blanket over the both of them.

Brax woke up again at 5am and carefully carried Casey back to his bed and covered him up, before using the bathroom and heading back into his room.

The next morning Brax woke up later than normal and walked into the living room and saw Heath sitting at the kitchen table having breakfast.

"Hey you're up late." Heath teased. "Yeah. Is Case up yet?" Brax groaned still tired.

"No why?"

Brax grabbed himself some toast and sat down. "I woke up last night to find Casey in the kitchen. He had a nightmare and went to get himself a drink but broke one of the glasses."

"I thought I heard something last night. Was the kid okay?"

"Yeah, he didn't hurt himself. He was just so scared. He dreamt that he was alone and that we'd died in the gun shooting."

"I could kill Jake for hurting my little brother like that."

"I know me too, but I don't want you anywhere near Jake right now. At least until I know what he's got up his sleeve and we've calmed Casey." Heath nodded.

A few hours later Casey stood in the doorway and rubbed his eyes. "Hey sleepyhead." Heath greeted.

"How are you feeling? You okay after last night?" Brax asked.

"Okay...Thanks for staying with me Brax." Casey whispered.

"Anytime mate." Brax replied and smiled at his brother.

"Won't I be late for school?" Casey asked.

"I'm not sending you today, figured you need the sleep." Brax encouraged Casey over to the table and made him a bowl of cereal.

"You're lucky there Case. Live it up while you can, Brax never let's ya take time off school." Heath joked.

Heath's phone beeped and after reading the message he nodded for Brax to come over.

"It's Matt from the gang, he said Jake and Hammer want to settle thing for good. What do we do?"

Brax sighed. "I'll sort this. Just stay here with Casey." Casey heard Brax grab his keys and looked up.

"Brax, where are you going?" Casey asked worried.

"I just have to fix something. I will be back soon. Heath is staying here with you." Brax said as reassuring as he could.

Casey shot out of his chair and ran to his brother and grabbed him. "No. Brax don't, please. I don't want you getting hurt." Casey pleaded.

"Case don't worry, I'm not gonna get hurt. I just need to fix something." Brax spoke calmly.

Casey let go. "You promise?"

"I promise Casey." Brax smiled.

Heath walked over to his younger brother and rested his hand on his shoulder. "Brax won't be long. Say Case, why don't we sit down and watch a movie, lazy around while Brax won't be here to get on our backs." Heath encouraged.

"My choice?" "Yep. Now go on and choose something."

Casey ran off to choose his movie and left Heath and Brax standing in the doorway.

"Thanks mate." "No worries. Just call if you need anything and please be careful Brax." "Always."

Heath and Casey sat on the couch watching their movie when Brax arrived home. Heath got off the couch and Casey looked at him.

"Just going to get us some more popcorn." Heath told him and walked into the kitchen to meet his brother.

"What happened?" Heath questioned.

"By the time I fronted up to the hangout I saw coppers all over the place. Jake and his whole gang were being arrested for dealing drugs. So they won't bother us anymore."

"You serious? That's great."

"You're telling me. That's some justice for what they done to Casey. How's he been?" Brax asked.

"Fine. He's just been watching the movie." Heath replied.

Brax walked out into the living room. "Hey Case." Brax greeted as he sat down to the left of his brother. Casey smiled, "Heath, where's the popcorn?" He yelled.

Heath came out of the kitchen with a fresh bowl of popcorn. "Right here your majesty." Heath joked as he ruffled Casey's hair before he sat down on the right side of Casey.

Brax and Heath both wrapped their arm around their baby brother's shoulder. Casey felt safe with his brothers on either side of him.

"So Case, you never told us where you were headed when you were running away?" Heath asked. Casey turned to his oldest brother.

"I was going to stay on the beach because that's where you always said was a good place to escape." Casey said looking at Brax.

"You taught him well." Heath smiled. "But we looked there." Brax added.

"I had just reached there when I was approached and..." Brax squeezed his shoulder and added, "never mind, that's all over now. Let's just get back to watching the movie."

Heath turned to Casey and wrestled his brother into a hug. "Turning out like your big bro's huh? Hiding out at the beach." Heath laughed.

"Heath!" Casey protested. "Alright you two, Casey still needs to rest." Brax warned in a playful manner.

Heath released his brother and Casey sat back in his original position between his brothers. "Heath pass us some popcorn will ya?" Brax asked.

Heath leaned over and passed the bowl to Brax who grabbed a handful and placed the bowl back on the table. The three brothers continued to watch their movie for the rest of the morning, feeling safe together as a family.