Fatal Attraction

[abbie]

I cant wait You really have me gripped now

[lollypop]

Thank you so much for all the comments!! Here it is chapter 17. Hope you like it.

Chapter 17

The residents of Summer Bay all descended on the beach during the evening to say goodbye to a much loved member of their community. Although, against tradition, everybody had declined to wear the usual black attire and wear bright colours, while wearing a purple flower pinned to their clother. Ruby's favourite colour. It was Charlie's idea. You see to Charlie, her daughter was like a burst of colour on a dark day. Always bringing to a smile to the face of people who needed cheering up. Even when Charlie was living through her darkest days, Ruby was that shining light that made everything glow in technicolour. That's why she had specified that nobody wear black.

This would be the last thing she would ever be able to for her child, she wanted people to remember Ruby in good times, not in bad. That's why the beach had been chosen as the last place that they would say their goodbyes. It was the place her daughter loved the most and Charlie wanted this to be the place where she could come to feel close to her. A place of solace. As she walked down the beach with Bianca and Leah by her side, Charlie gazed out at the ocean. She had made a promise to herself that morning that she would be strong. That she would make this day special for Ruby. But as they day progressed, she could feel her emotions taking over as one by one, friends and loved one's took turns saying a few words about the girl who had been a huge part of their lives.

April walked up and turned to look at everyone standing before her. She was nervous about speaking in front of a crowd. But she silently encouraged herself to do it. For Ruby. "When I first came to the Bay, I didn't really fit in. In fact Ruby was one of the first people I butted heads with", April remembered with a laugh. "But we got passed that. We eventually called a truce and from that moment on, I got to know someone who I admired a great deal", April said with a smile as she looked up at Charlie who was staring at her with tears in her eyes. Her violet dress blowing ever so slightly in the gentle wind. Bianca who was standing next to Charlie placed her arm around her best friend and gave it a gentle squeeze. Knowing that, while it was heart warming to hear people speaking so highly of Ruby, it was also heart breaking.

"You see Ruby was someone I always wanted to be. Strong, feisty, and not afraid to voice her opinions. She taught me to stand up and fight for what I believe in. She was my best friend. She was everything I wanted to be", April said as her tears began to fall. "And I will miss her everyday", she finished. Walking back to the crowd, she fell into the arms of Dex and he held her tight as she pulled herself together. Bianca smiled at her little sister and mouthed 'you okay'. April simply nodded her head and dabbed under her eyes with a tissue. Removing Bianca's arm from around her shoulder, Charlie straightened herself and indicated that she was going to say a few words. Leah asked her if she was sure. Her only response was a nod of the head from her housemate.

Walking up to the spot where everybody else had stood previously, Charlie gazed around at the crowd and smiled slightly at the variety of colour. Everyone had clearly done their best to make this day special. Suddenly her eyes fell upon Brax, standing way back in the crowd. Wearing a white buttoned down shirt, the sleeves rolled up, with a purple satin tie hanging loosely around his neck. He had heard about the ceremony by word of mouth and, remembering Ruby mention her favourite colour over dinner with Casey one night, he decided to honour the young girls memory by donning the purple tie as a mark of respect. This didn't go unnoticed by Charlie as their eyes met.

Suddenly remembering where she was, Charlie snapped out of her trance like state and looked down. Gathering together her thoughts. Gazing back up, she looked around at her friends and she could see them encouraging her with their smiles. Taking a deep breath, Charlie pulled herself together and though about her daughter. "I didn't conceive Ruby under the best circumstances. In fact I conceieved her in the worst way imaginable", she said as she saw people remembering the revelation of Charlie's rape. "At the time I though getting pregnant was the worst thing that ever happened to me. I just wanted it to go away. I thought my life was over", Charlie said as she thought back to her younger self. "But they day Ruby was born. The day I held my baby girl in my arms for the very first time, my life changed forever. Because on that day, the greatest thing that had ever happened to me, arrived into my life", she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Until that very day, I didn't think it was possible to love someone so much that you would literally lay down your life for them. But Ruby coming into my life changed all that", Charlie said as she wiped away a stray tear and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Everyday the love I had for her grew stronger and suddenly, I found that, she was the only thing in my life that mattered. That made sense", she said, her gazing falling on Brax. "I have never loved or cared for anyone as much as Ruby. And I never will again", Charlie said as she broke down in tears. As she stood there, she could feel the hearts of the people standing before her drop at the words they were hearing. A sadness coming over them all.

Looking up towards the sky, Charlie gripped the chain around her neck tightly as she ran her thumb acoss the back of it. The word 'mum' sending a sharp pain through her heart. "Rubes, you will always be my baby girl. And you will always, ALWAYS, be in my heart. I love you", Charlie said as her legs finally gave out and she collapsed to the sand and sobbed her heart out. Bianca and Leah rushed over to her side and they helped her to her feet. Carefully they led her back to the front of the crowd while Romeo, Geoff, Casey and one other local surfer removed their shirts and picked up their surf boards. Walking over to John, Xavier grabbed a hold of the surf board his step father had been taking care of since the beginning of the ceremony.

Romeo turned to a tearful Indi, and Nicole who had returned from the city with Geoff to say her goodbyes to her best friend. He nodded at them to signal they were ready for them to begin the next phase of the ceremony. Xavier walked over to Charlie and stood before her holding the surf board in front of her. It was a custom built surf board, in two shades of purple. The graphics depicted Ruby surfing a wave with a smile on her face and a lily flower, her favourite, tucked behind her ear. Her name was engrave along the side and all the residents had taken the time to write personal messages to Ruby, that were printed onto the board.

Running her hand across the board, Charlie placed her hand on it and a small tear trickled down her face as she glanced at the message she had writtern for Ruby. Nodding her head, Xavier walked down to the edge of the water and handed the board to Romeo and Geoff. Walking around the gathered crowd, Indi and Nicole handed them all candles to place in their sky lanterns. Indi was hesitant as she advanced towards Brax. She wasn's sure if Charlie wanted him to be involved, but figured since he had made the effort she might as well give him a candle. Brax looked up at her and thought about it. Eventually he accepted the candle.

Nicole walked over to Leah and Bianca and handed them their candles, and then she turned to Charlie. As she handed the candle to the mother of her best friend, she gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She could see the sorrow and grief in Charlie's eyes even though the older woman was smiling at her. It was heart breaking. Nicole couldn't even begin to imagine anything happening to George. As a mother, she could understand the heartache Charlie was feeling. With one final glance Nicole walked back over to Indi and everyone watched as Romeo, Geoff Casey and the other local surfer entered the sea carrying the special board with them, as the sun began to set over the Bay.

Back on land, the Bay residents all placed their candles inside their sky lanterns an lit them, keeping a hold of it until it was time to let it go. Once Romeo, Geoff, Casey were out far enough, they released the board and watched as the waves carried it out to sea. At that moment the residents on land, released their lanterns and the sky became illuminated by he gentle glow of the candles flame against the purple and orange background of the setting sun. Taking a step forward, Charlie placed a kiss on her lantern and the released it. Watching as it floated higher and higher into the sky. "Goodbye Rubes", she said under her breath.

As the sun finally set, everybody made their way home. Bianca deciding to return to Leah's to comfort Charlie on what had been the hardest and morst difficult day of her life. Brax watched on as the woman he loved blanked him on her way up the sand. He didn't blame her. If he was in her shoes, he would have done the same thing. It just hurt him that one thing he really wanted, didn't want anything to do with him. Once everyone had left, Brax turned around and gazed at out at the sea at the waves sparkling under the glow of the full moon. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a shadowy figure standing down at the edge of the water.

Squinting his eyes, Brax just about made out the figure of his brother Heath. Not wanting to bother him, and sensing that his younger brother was working through some stuff of his own, he turned on his heel and headed for the Surf Club. Down by the water, Heath took a swig out of the bottle of bourbon in his hand. A tear rolled down his cheek and using the back of his hand he wiped it away. Glancing down, he looked to the hand made wreath he had made. It was decorated in lily white lily flowers and purple roses with little candles placed in between. Leaning down, Heath removed a lighter from his pocket and lit the candles and placed the bottle of bourbon down on the sand.

Picking up the wreath he walked down into the water and and once it reached his waist, he gently released the wreath into the waves and watched as it floated out to sea. Turning around he walked back up to the sand and picked up the bottle of bourbon and sat down. Taking another swig, he relished the burning sensation. Anything was better than the pain he was currently feeling. This was new for Heath. He wasn't used to feeling such strong emotions for someone. Let alone love. Most of the women he had been with had just been a bit of fun. Now, the only person outside his family he had truly cared for was gone. And he didn't know how to handle that.

He thought about going out and looking for revenge. After all, that was what he was used to doing being in the Riverboys. But something Ruby had said to him a while ago while they had been working on her self defence tactics, had resonated with him. "Violence can only get you so far before you run out of things to hit. What do you do then? Revenge doesn't make the pain or anger go away, it just makes you forget about it long enough to do something stupid that at the end of the day, will just make you feel worse". He hated to admit it but she was right. Heath knew if he went after Brodie that even if he got justice for what happened to Ruby, it wouldn't make him feel any better. So he had held himself back by tearing lumps out of a boxing bag. His bear knuckles weren't too pleased about it, but at least it kept him from taking it out on some poor innocent in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a silver ring. Ruby had left it in his truck the last time he drove her home and he never got the chance to give it back. It wasn't anything majorly special. Just a plain ring. Removing the black leather necklace he was wearing, he removed the pendent that was on it and tossed it away. Making a loop, he tied the ring around it and tightened it and the put the necklace back on. Gazing down at the ring that hung proudly around his neck. It didn't matter how many women came in and out of Heath's life. He would never forget Ruby Buckton. Downing the last of the bourbon, Heath wiped away his tears and stood up. Making his way home for the first time in days.

Leah jumped up from the couch as she heard a knock at the back door. Walking into the kitchen, she opened the door and smiled when she found Irene waiting outside. "Hi, come in. Bianca and I are just having a coffee. Can I get you one?", Leah said as she stood back. Irene entered the kitchen and stopped. "Ah no thanks darl, I just came by to see how Charlie's doin?", she asked. Leah closed the door and gestured for her business partner and old friend to follow her into the living room. Bianca smiled at her land lady as Leah sat down on the couch next to her and Irene sat in the chair next to them.

"So how's she been since the service?", Irene asked the two women who had been with Charlie throughout the entire day. "Honestly, not good", Bianca said with a sigh. "She took herself off to Ruby's room the second we arrived back here after the service. She hasn't come out since", she finished as she leaned over to pick up her cup of coffee. "We've been taking it in turns to check on her but she doesn't want to talk", Leah said looking at Irene who was taking it all in. "Aw poor love. She's been doin it tough for a while, this was the last thing she needed", Irene said frowning at the thought of the pain Charlie must be in.

"She's got no family left. At least not close family. First losing her mum and then Ross. Having Ruby to look after was what got her through all that. I don't know how she's goin' to deal with this. Losing a child, it's like losing a big part of yourself", she said as sat back in the chair. Leah and Bianca glanced at each other as they both registered what Irene had said. Their hearts went out to Charlie. She was a really good friend to each of them and the thought of the pain she was going through was a difficult to swallow. "Do you think she'll ever be able to get through this?", Bianca asked gazing back and forth between Irene and Leah. "I don't know. Ruby was more to Charlie than just a daughter. She was best friend. How do you deal with something that big? Losing something that means that much to you?", Leah said as she gazed in the direction of the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

Inside Ruby's room, Charlie sat upright on the bed, clutching a photograph of Ruby as a small toddler. Tears falling from her eyes onto the photo as she used her free had to clutch at her chest. Wanting desperately for this aching pain in her heart to go away. It was overwhelming and she didn't know if she could survive it. Putting the photo down beside her she reach towards the end of the bed and picked up Ruby's favourite top. It was the same top her daughter had worn the day before she had disappeared. Holding it up to her nose, she could smell Ruby's scent and she gripped it tightly. Holding on to one of the last few things that kept her feeling close to her daughter.

Turning her head, Charlie's eyes fell upon a framed picture on the night stand beside the bed. It was of Charlie and Ruby together at the beach. It was a couple of months back. Before the Riverboys had shown up in the Bay and before they had moved back into Leah's. Picking the photo frame up, Charlie ran her finger across Ruby's image, remembering how happy they had been that day. Hugging the picture close to her, Charlie slid down in the bed as the floodgates opened and she broke down. Cluting the photoframe and the top close to her, she mourned for the daughter she would never get back. Grief taking over her as emptiness filled her heart and became her closest friend.

Climbing the stairs to Angelo's, Brax loosened the tie around his neck and removed it completely. Feeling freed from it's restraints. It had been a long day. All he wanted to do was have a few glasses of bourbon and then head home to sleep. As he entered his premises he looked up in dismay at the message that had been left for him. Splashed across the wall to his left in red pain were the words tick tock. Brax knew all to well that this was a message from Brodie and the boys, alerting him to the fact that it was only a matter of time before they carried out their threat that they were going to make him watch Summer Bay burn.

Looking down at the ground, Brax could feel the anger inside him rising. Anger over what had happened to Casey, to Ruby, to Charlie. Anger over the fact that these men were messing with his life and runining any chance he had of being happy. All he felt was anger and suddenly, Brax snapped. Losing complete control of himself, Brax picked up the closest chair to him and flung it against the wall with as much force as he could. Causing it to crack. Turning around he knocked everything off of the tables in front of him in one quick swoop. He upturned tables. Smashed chairs off the ground breaking them apart. Picking up one of the bar stools he flung it against the glass shelving behind the bar causing it to collapse and break every bottle glass on display. Until finally he ran out of steam.

Catching his breath, Brax gazed around at the destruction around him. Anything that could have been smashed up or tossed had been broken. Just like him. Running his hands along the side of his head, he turned his back to the counter and slid down along it until he reached the floor. Bringing one of his legs up he leaned his arm ontop of his knee and surveyed the damage. Realising he had lost control, he cursed himself. This was exactly what Brodie wanted. He wanted Brax to resort back to his old ways. To prove peoples opinion of him right. Brax knew that needed to change. If he were to stand any chance of getting back at Brodie and the boys, he needed to change things around...

...Ruuuuuuuby", Brodie said in a sing song tone, as he coaxed the teen awake. "Rise and shine princess", he said as he stood over her. Opening her eyes, Ruby winced at the throbbing pain in her head, only aggrevating it and making her diziness worse. "Come on sunshine, we've gotta give you you're insulin shot. Don't want you goin into a coma on us do we", he said sarcastically. Walking behind Ruby he roughly grabbed her hand and pricked her finger, taking a sample of her blood and putting it into the BSL monitor. Measuring out the insulin in the pen, he lifted Ruby's shirt and smirked. "This might hurt", he said.

Jabbing the pen into Ruby's stomach he injected the insulin. "Ow", Ruby whimpered as he removed the needle. Brodie laughed at her as he packed everything away. "You're going to be sorry when my mum finds me. She'll kill you with her bear hands", Ruby said, her voice trembling as the tears fell from her eyes. Brodie clapped his hands together as he laughed hysterically. "Finds you...she thinks your dead", he said leaning in to Ruby's face. "Thanks to a little stunt I pulled. They even had a service for you to say goodbye", he snarled.

Brodie's comments knocked the wind out of Ruby. Her mother thought she was dead. How would she ever get out of this if Charlie didn't come and look for her? Ruby felt her chances of escaping weaken dramatically at what she had been told. If nobody came looking for her, she might as well be dead anyways. Lowering her head, Ruby burst into tears as the reality of the situation became all too real. Brodie just laughed at her tears. Picking up the insulin kit, he walked out of the room. Whistling to himself as he left the young girl all alone...

*********************

Next Time:

*Charlie and Heath bump into each other on the beach and for the first time ever, they share a heart to heart

*Brax and Jake talk business

*The students of Summer Bay High, build a rememberance shrine in memory of Ruby

*After collecting a bag of Ruby's belongings from the police station, Charlie notices something isn't quite right

*While viewing the remains at the hospital morgue, Charlie makes a startling discovery!

[abbie]

Aww that was just beautiful

Next chapter sounds exciting

[Red Ranger 1]

Sorry I've been away from this fic for a while, I was waiting until we were a bit further along at UK pace.(Seven weeks behind means you miss a lot...)Lots of chapters to catch up on and loved them all, you're really capturing the complexity of the situation.And the complexity of Ruby's love life: Geoff coming back was a surprise.Glad Ruby isn't dead although I like the drama it generated. Looking forward to seeing where it goes!

[Inactive User]

Awww such a lovely and beautiful chapter!

Poor Ruby You can feel her pain when she realised her mother and everyone thought she is dead. And poor Charlie

The preview looks good-can't wait for the next chapter. Update soon xx

[JosieTash]

This has got to be the BEST fic I’ve EVER read !!!!!!!!!! ….. it’s just beyond words SUBLIME, especially …..

 It was a custom built surf board, in two shades of purple. The graphics depicted Ruby surfing a wave with a smile on her face and a lily flower, her favourite, tucked behind her ear. Her name was engrave along the side and all the residents had taken the time to write personal messages to Ruby, that were printed onto the board.

 he looked to the hand made wreath he had made. It was decorated in lily white lily flowers and purple roses with little candles placed in between.

 "Violence can only get you so far before you run out of things to hit. What do you do then? Revenge doesn't make the pain or anger go away, it just makes you forget about it long enough to do something stupid that at the end of the day, will just make you feel worse".

 It didn't matter how many women came in and out of Heath's life. He would never forget Ruby Buckton.

 "I don't know. Ruby was more to Charlie than just a daughter. She was best friend. How do you deal with something that big? Losing something that means that much to you?" ………………………AND.

 THANK GOD !!!! Rubes IS still alive ….. and …………….

 the preview [Charlie makes a startling discovery] !!!!!

[lollypop]

Thank you soooooooooo much for all the comments everyone. I hope to get a handful of chapters done over the next week and a half as I'll be returning to college in about 2 weeks and I won't have as much free time on my hands to update as often as I would like.

Anyway thanks again and I look forward to having you read my next few updates over the coming days.

[LauraPhilly!!]

Omg wow, that was some chapter!

Very sad...I loved the bit with the lanterns! It was a lovely touch!

Brax is going to change...that should be an interesting transition.

It seems to be blaming a lot of what has happened on himself but I don't think he is entirely to blame.

I was surprised that there was no real interaction between Charlie and Brax during this chapter.

I would have thought seeing as they had been quite close before thar Charlie might lean on him for support and reassurance but obviously she is too consumed by her grief, and Brax appears to have his own problems.

I've got to admit that I was a bit apprehensive when I read the spoiler saying Charlie and Heath have a heart to heart.

If Charlie feels vulnerable, she might try to initiate something....which I wouldn't really like!

Building the memorial to Ruby sounds lovely! What a beautiful idea of the students!

About time Charlie discovered that something wasn't right!

Ruby needs to be saved now or she could be killed!

Great job, lollypop! Looking forward to reading more!

Xxxx

[Dingo x]

Amazing chapters.

Aww I feel sorry for Heath

Can't wait until your next update, it's looks great.

xx

[lollypop]

Working towards the next chapter!! Thinking of working through the night if I have to in order to get it done while the ideas are fresh in my head!! Stay tuned!! And thanks for the comments!!