I Would Do Anything For You

[LauraPhilly!!]

Story Title: I Would Do Anything For You

Type of story: One Shot

Main Characters: Charlie & Brax

BTTB rating: G/T

Genre: Romance, Drama

Does story include spoilers: Completely unintentional if there are!

Any warnings: One swear word but that's it I promise!

Summary: Brax has broken Charlie's trust and he believes that he has lost her forever. But one terrible night reminds Charlie of what is really important and she finds it in her heart to forgive him.

Charlie walked confidently into the Surf Club.

She smiled as she saw Marilyn and Alf behind the counter.

"How's business guys?" she asked, uncertainly, walking over to them.

Alf shook his head while Marilyn managed to smile back at Charlie.

"To be honest darl, it's not good at all. Ever since…"

Charlie nodded; understanding as to what Alf was referring to.

The three of them looked up as the Surf Club doors opened. Brax walked through carrying a large crate in his arms.

He saw Charlie watching him, nodded at her slightly, and continued to walk on. Charlie watched as he disappeared up the stairs to Angelo's.

Alf shook his head in disapproval as he disappeared through the doors.

"I cannot believe he is still walking around this place! Why the hell is he not behind bars Charlie?"

Charlie shared his feelings. "Lack of evidence Alf, I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure deep down that he knew exactly what was going on but my gut feeling will not stand in a judicial court so…"

"Arah, I know you did your best darl," said Alf, smiling at her. "I just cannot believe he has the nerve to walk around here, knowing what people think."

Charlie nodded in agreement.

"If you suspect anything Alf or if Brax gives you a hard time please just call me Alf," reassured Charlie. "I have no problem sorting out any issues that may arise!"

"Thanks Charlie! Will let you know!"

Charlie smiled and left the Surf Club. She glanced up at the windows of Angelo's. Brax stared down at from upstairs.

They shared no friendly smile or exchange. Charlie merely acknowledged Brax and walked away from the Surf Club.

Brax watched her as she walked away. He had ruined things with Charlie, he knew that, and he doubted whether she would ever forgive him.

*

Charlie's favourite days were her days off.

She had the whole day to just chill out and do whatever she wanted. She could go down to the beach and work on her tan, or she could go for a long jog around the Bay and not have to worry about the pile of paperwork at the office.

Charlie's Wednesday afternoon was working out brilliantly. Like every other day off, she lay in bed until about eleven, cleaned up after Ruby, and then went to her friends' house to get ready to hit the town.

"So what club are we going to tonight?" asked Charlie, as she put on her make-up in front of the mirror.

"JD's I think," said Suzi, smoothing out the creases in her dress.

"It's going to be unreal!" said Elizabeth, grinning excitedly.

The three girls all squealed in excitement and quickly called a cab to take them to the club.

"You girls going on a night out?" asked the taxi driver, noticing they were all dressed up.

Charlie looked at Suzi and Elizabeth who were grinning madly.

"Oh yeah!"

*

Once inside the club, and with the music blaring in the background, Charlie was totally in the zone.

She happily danced with her friends, threw down a few shots, and received more than one wolf-whistle from men who stopped to gawk at her.

"Girls, I'm just going to update my make-up!" she said to them loudly, pointing towards the direction of the bathroom.

They nodded, and quickly returned to dancing wildly. Charlie laughed as Suzi grabbed the hands of a couple of guys, pulling them over to dance with them.

Running into the bathroom, she quickly reapplied her eyeliner and mascara.

She wrinkled her nose as she thought she smelled smoke in the bathroom. Looking through the cubicles, Charlie was shocked to find a young girl smoking in the end one.

"Hey, you can't smoke it! It' illegal to smoke in a public place! I could charge you for that!"

"Take a chill pill lady," said the girl, standing up reluctantly, throwing her cigarette into the bin. "It's not like you're a cop or anything."

Charlie shook her head. If only I were on duty, she thought.

"Well I'll be reporting you to the police anyway! This place will have you on CCTV, there'll be able to track you down and charge you."

"Whatever b*tch!"

After giving Charlie the finger, the girl quickly left the bathroom. Replacing her make-up in the her clutch bag, Charlie went to leave the bathroom, only to be thwarted by the locked door.

"Hey open the door! This is not funny!"

"That's what you get for threatening me," said the girl, on the other side of the door. Charlie groaned as she heard her footsteps grow fainter.

Charlie looked around the bathroom, looking for something to help her unlock the door.

She suddenly gasped as she saw fire in the bin. As she attempted to put it out, the fire grew rapidly. Charlie screamed as she watched it spread around the bathroom.

She screamed, and began banging on the door.

"Please, somebody help me!" she cried. But Charlie could hear the loud music outside, and she knew that nobody could hear her.

She turned back to see the fire had now almost engulfed the entire room. Charlie sank to the floor as she found it hard to breath.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Charlie could think on only one person to call.

She dialled his number, and lifted the phone to her ear, hoping to God that he would answer.

"Hello," said Brax, his voice sending a ripple of relief through Charlie's body.

"Brax!" she said, straining to speak, as the fire soak up the limited oxygen that remained in the room. "Brax you have to help me! I'm locked in the bathroom in JD's and there's a fire! Nobody outside can hear me! I haven't got much time left Brax, you have to help me!"

"Ok, ok, Charlie I'm coming! Stay on the line Charlie, stay on the line! I'm here ok, I'm coming right now and everything's going to be ok!"

"Brax please hurry, I can't breathe!"

"Charlie stay with me! Charlie! Charlie!"

But before Charlie could reply, she fainted in heap on the floor, as the fire soaked up the last amount of oxygen.

*

Brax felt as if his heart was going to explode as he sped along the road to JD's. Charlie hadn't responded to his cries for at least the last five minutes, and time was not on his side if he wanted to safe her.

Reaching JD's, Brax paused as he saw the crowds of people running out on the street, tears in their eyes, and many of their clothes' stained with ash.

Brax ran towards the doors, and having fought off the fire-fighters, he ran down the smoke filled corridor towards the bathrooms.

As smoke filled Brax's lungs, he coughed heavily, and squinted his eyes as he could barely make out the room around him.

Reaching the bathrooms, Brax gasped as he saw the fire here had still not been tackled. Seeing the sign for the women's bathroom, he began banging on the door.

"Charlie! Charlie, it's me! Can you hear me?"

Unwilling to take chance, Brax threw his weight against the door, breaking it down.

Fire filled the room, making it hard for him to see. Brax managed to make out Charlie's body, curled up in a ball on the floor.

Rushing over to her lifted her into his arms.

"I've got you now Charlie," he promised her. "You're safe now!"

*

From behind her closed eyelids, Charlie could make up people walking around her. On her right, the person never moved.

He had been there since Charlie had woken up.

The other people in the room came and went again every hour or so, but the person on her right was always there.

It was a reassurance to Charlie, knowing that this person was always there. She wasn't even sure who it was but…they were always there.

*

"Charlie? Charlie, can you hear me?"

Charlie blinked a couple of times before opening her eyes, allowing her eyes to adjust to the light.

She looked to where the voice came from, and she smiled lightly as she saw Ruby and Leah watching her anxiously.

"Hey guys," she said, quietly, her throat sore from the smoke inhalation.

"Hey," said Ruby, smiling in relief. "You had us scared there for a while!"

"Yeah I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, what have you got to be sorry about," said Leah. "You have a lot to be thankful for though…if Brax hadn't found you when he did – "

"Brax!" said Charlie, remembering her desperate call to him. "Where is he?"

"Right here Charlie," said Brax, squeezing her hand that he had been holding since she arrived.

Charlie turned her head to look at him and smiled; he was the one who had been there from the start.

"I guess I should be saying thank you," she said, smiling at him.

He shook his head.

"No...you don't have to say anything."

Charlie smiled at him.

"Rubes, Leah, can I have a few moments with Brax please?"

"Yeah of course," they said, leaving the room quickly.

"Thank you," Charlie said again, squeezing his hand. "I really wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"Charlie – "

"No Brax I'm serious! Thank you for saving my life!"

Brax smiled at her, nodding in acknowledgement.

"I would do anything for you."

Charlie smiled at him lovingly. "I know that."

As Charlie and Brax stared at each other, they managed to silently convey how they felt, and where they wanted to go from there.

Brax smiled, and lifted Charlie's hands to his lips, where he kissed them softly.

"I love you," he said, for the first time.

Charlie smiled.

"I love you too."

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