Hi again :)

Welcome to my new story all about Charlie and Brax (because if you have read my other fics, Charlie dying is just not ok lol).

Please note this story will not follow the exact storyline of Home and Away but will include most of the events just with my slant on them and in my order :).

The first chapter sets the scene so when you review, hit me with any questions you have.

Enjoy!

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The scotch burned his throat as he took another shot. It was his third or fourth, or it could even be his sixth. It didn't matter.

Casey had given him the heads up at lunchtime.

She was coming back.

Of course she would! Ruby had been in a car accident. Not critical or life threatening but enough to warrant her mother wanting to visit her daughter to see if she was ok.

"How's Ruby?" Brax asked Casey after he had walked through the door after staying in the hospital overnight with Ruby.

"Yeah, she's ok I guess."

"Good."

"Brax, I just thought, you should know-" Casey stumbled over his word but he knew it was now or never.

"What Casey?"

"Ruby asked for Charlie; she'll be here this afternoon."

"Whatever." Brax answered, a one word reply was all he could manage.

"Brax, Ruby wanted her-"Casey felt like he needed to explain.

"Leave it, Casey. Don't worry about it." Brax grunted as he picked up his surfboard and headed out the door.

There had been an unspoken rule the past two years. Ruby didn't talk about Charlie in front of Brax and Casey was not to relay anything he heard about the woman who once ruled his brother's heart.

He only assumed that it would have been the same for Charlie. Ruby and Casey were not to talk about him in front of her.

It had been two years.

It had been two whole years but as soon as he heard she was coming back to the Bay he had turned to alcohol to numb the pain.

The pain that he had thought had gone for good had returned without warning, just like Charlie Buckton's impending visit

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It would be impossible to return to Summer Bay and not see him, it was inevitable.

Yet at the moment, he wasn't her priority.

Ruby was.

Charlie had left Summer Bay two years ago for one reason only. It was the best choice for her. She had tried to convince Ruby to join her but Ruby refused. It was hard but in the end, Charlie had been able to leave Summer Bay and all of the drama, hurt and pain behind. She would be lying if she said it was easy, it was the complete opposite, but it did get easier as time went by.

Charlie hadn't returned to Summer Bay in those two years. Instead Ruby had visited her on uni breaks and they both met Morag for Christmas in the city. Surprisingly, life could go on without Summer Bay.

Charlie was content to never return to Summer Bay until she had received a phone call from Casey that morning.

Ruby had been in a car accident and nothing could stop her from returning to her daughter. Charlie had organised a flight within minutes and then organised for Casey to pick her up at the airport. She'd be back home that afternoon.

Yes, even though she had left, Summer Bay was still considered home.

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As Charlie walked across the air strip nerves began to take hold. In less than an hour she would be in Summer Bay.

She could see Casey waiting for her and her mind was taken back to one of the last conversations she had had with Brax.

"Charlie you can't seriously expect me to give all of that up? Those boys are my family! How can you expect me to walk away from that?"

"I don't expect you to. I just, I don't think this relationship would work if you were still a River Boy."

"I'll always be a River Boy, you can't change that part of me."

Charlie didn't have a response for that.

"Do you know what Charlie? It doesn't matter even if I did leave the River Boys, you would find something else to use as a reason for us not to be together."

"That's not fair."

"Not fair? What's not fair is no matter how hard I try, how hard I fight or how hard I work, nothing can ensure I get to have you in my life. That's not fair."

"I know it's a big ask, Brax-"

"No, no, Charlie, you don't know. I won't ask you to leave your job. So don't ask me to leave my family."

"But I am." Charlie whispered, tears had formed in her eyes.

"Well, you're not gonna like the answer you get."

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Casey helped Charlie with her bags and they began to walk to the car park.

Charlie slowed down when she realised what they were walking towards.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't borrow Heath's," Casey tried to explain.

It wasn't a big deal, not at all but seeing the black ute had shocked her, she wasn't ready for it.

"Casey, don't worry. Thank you for picking me up."

If Charlie wasn't ready to see the black ute she was nowhere near ready to sit inside. As soon as she closed the door the scent of her previous lover consumed her. Charlie couldn't help but take a deeper breath. Her eyes closed remembering; maybe this wouldn't be as easy as she thought.

"Are you ok?" Casey asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Casey. It's just been a while." Charlie confided honestly.

"Do you want to go drop your bags off first or do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"Hospital please."

The drive to the hospital was quiet; Casey left Charlie alone to gather her thoughts. They had just passed the 'Welcome to Summer Bay' sign when Charlie's thoughts were reminded of her last week in Summer Bay.

"You can't leave Summer Bay, Charlie?" Ruby had scoffed.

"Yes, Rubes, I can."

"You're actually being serious?"

"There is a new police training program starting in a few weeks. It will be based in Queensland but will run Australia wide. It's a great opportunity and I was given late acceptance."

"You're going to leave Summer Bay for your job?"

"Ruby, Summer Bay has only been our home for three years."

"It doesn't matter, it's home. Are you going to leave Brax for your job?"

"Ruby, Brax is a whole separate issue. We don't work and we won't work. I need to get away from here because nothing is going to change."

"You're going to leave me for your job?" Charlie could see the tears in her daughter's eyes.

"No, Rubes, I want you to come with me?"

Ruby had declined Charlie's offer, she'd also given Charlie the silent treatment until a week later when Charlie had packed her bags. Both girls had cried and begged each other to change their mind. Neither did.

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Charlie had relaxed significantly once she had realised Ruby was alright.

Casey had dropped Charlie off and stayed for a little while before leaving mother and daughter alone.

"How long am I going to be in here?"

"Well that all depends on this," Charlie said as she rubbed the cast covering Ruby's leg gently. "The doctor said the earliest release could be just over a week, worst case two."

Ruby groaned.

"You are lucky this wasn't more serious."

"I know Charlie but I will recover faster at home, not here. I hate hospitals. Can't you just go and tell them you're my mother and that you will stay and take care of me?" Ruby asked sweetly.

"I could, yes, would they listen, no."

"I missed you Charlie." Ruby said, it had been their longest time separated yet, a total of 3 months.

"I know, I've missed you too, but I'm here now. I would have preferred it to have been under better circumstances though."

"Thank you for coming."

"Are you kidding, you couldn't have kept me away."

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Ruby had adamantly tried to get Charlie to wait at the hospital and Casey would come and pick her up but Charlie declined. Instead, bags in hand, she called and waited for a taxi before being dropped off at a little motel.

Charlie had managed to survive the day without running into Brax, something that relieved and upset her. But that didn't mean he wasn't able to invade her thoughts. Charlie remembered the last time she spoke to him.

"Now's not a good time." Brax practically growled when he saw her.

"Brax –," Charlie tried, silently thankful that no one else appeared to be working.

"Nah, save it Charlie, I'm busy. We can talk later."

"No, we can't becaus-"

"Charlie!"

"Brax, please?" She didn't feel embarrassed at all that she was begging for him to hear her out. This was important. She didn't want to leave without telling him.

"I don't have time, not now." He growled again before he turned around and walked into the office.

"Fine, have it your way." Charlie turned around and walked out of Angelo's for the last time, tears brimming in her eyes.

Leaving Angelo's that day had been hard and Charlie was reminded of that brutally. She would be in Summer Bay for at least a week, if not more.

How was she going to get through it?

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After a restless night sleep, Charlie looked forward to an early morning run on the beach to clear her head.

Running on the beach was a luxury she had given up when she had moved. She was soon lost in the monotonous rhythm of her jog, the soft sound of the sand crunching beneath her joggers was music to her ears and she had soon worked up a sweat.

She was so lost in the movement that she didn't see the figure heading towards the ocean until it was too late. He was no more than a few hundred metres in front of her but it didn't matter, she'd recognise him anywhere. Charlie's jog slowed to a walk and then she stopped completely. Brax had stopped too.

So much for clearing her head!

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Ok, so that's the start! What did you think?

As this is the start of a new story please please please take the time to review and give me the encouragement I need to keep writing this story.

I would love to know what you think and also do you want to read more?

Thank you for reading :)

xoxox