As Long As I Have You

[soph1303]

Great update - so glad that you're back, I was worried that this awesome story was gonna get abandoned !!

Glad that Paul took ruby to the hospital and that he's trying to convince Sally that they should stay in Australia !!

So glad that theres nothing seriously wrong with Charlie or bun !!

More REALLY soon please

[totally]

Oh thank you so much for the update... I really thought you weren't going to update anymore, so it is a nice surprise.

I so glad that Charlie and the baby are okay. The moment between Ruby and Brax was really sweet. It was heartbreaking to read when Brax asked the doctor if he got the dates wrong. I really hope the baby is his (biologically as well), doctors can make mistakes.

It is a little insensitive of Ruby's parents to be leaving now, but I get it is up to them. If I were Ruby I wouldn't know what to do as well.

Thank you so much for the update... hope you can update soon.

[RoRo90]

Thank you so glad you are back.... been missing this fic

So glad Charlie is ok... and Paul letting Ruby go and see her was really nice

I hope Sally can see where Paul is coming from and change her mind about New Zealand... Paul is right Ruby would never forgive her

I still hold faith that the baby id Brax's and not Angelo's

please update really soon

[callyha]

Thank you so so much guys! I hope yu like this one...

Chapter 48

Bianca walked happily into the kitchen with her hands behind her back. She walked behind Liam and wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.

"You know" Bianca began "I think a March wedding would be perfect"

Liam spun around so he was face to face with Bianca "March? as in next year?" Liam smiled

"Well, yea" Bianca smiled "We've been together long enough, March is the month we got together and I don't want to wait any longer than we have to" Bianca placed a kiss on Liam's cheek "besides, I'm wanting Charlie to come out for my hen party and I'm sure you'll want Brax at your bucks do"

"Yea" Liam nodded "but, not that I'm not happy that we're getting married next year, why so soon? I mean, Charlie and Brax will probably still be here in two years"

Bianca bit her lip; Liam was still in the dark about Charlie's pregnancy; mostly due to the fact that Liam would assume that Angelo was the father "I know, but I don't want to wait. I want to be Mrs. Bianca Murphy as soon as I can be"

"Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it" Liam smiled "who's organising your hen do then?" Liam asked as Bianca sat herself on the unit

"I had hoped Charlie would, but I don't think its fair of me to ask her to organise it when she has things going on in her own life"

"Okay, last time I checked, Charlie had only just got together with Brax. I'm pretty sure she can handle organising a party"

"Okay" Bianca held her hand up "I'll go round to hers later and talk to her"

~*~

Brax pushed open the door and allowed Charlie to walk in first. He then rushed into the kitchen and made Charlie a drink, which she was reluctant to have "Come on Charlie" Brax handed the glass to her once more "drink it" Brax went to hand the glass to Charlie once more "please"

"Brax, you can't force me" Charlie took the glass from Brax and placed it back onto the table

"I'm not trying to force you" he sighed "I just want to make sure that you don't end up in the hospital again" Brax sat beside Charlie "I was so scared Charlie, I don't want to feel that again"

"I know you don't" Charlie replied, placing her hand on his cheek

"I'm sorry Charlie" Brax bowed his head "I just feel helpless. Until the baby is born, there's nothing I can do" Brax looked to Charlie sadly "I just want to make this as easy as I possibly can for you, and so far, I've failed"

"How have you failed?" Charlie asked

"Carla, Sally, Ruby, Paul, Colleen, collapsing, the house-"

"Brax; Carla has nothing to do with you, that's my thing, so its my fault" Charlie rested her head against Brax's chest "and the rest, that would have happened even if I wasn't pregnant"

"I just think the sooner the baby is born, the better" Brax smiled as he placed his hands on Charlie's stomach "whoa" Brax's eyes widened and Charlie's hands joined Brax's on her stomach "the baby, he kicked" Brax's smiled widened

"Oh wow" Charlie smiled as she felt her baby kick "hang on" Charlie looked to brax "he?"

"Yea" Brax replied "I've decided, we're having a boy first, then a girl" Brax smiled as he kept his hands on Charlie's stomach "thought that would be nice"

"It would be nice, but the baby could be a girl" Charlie smiled

"And if it is, I'll have a daughter I can spoil rotten"Brax placed a kiss on Charlie lips as he continued to feel the baby kicking away

~*~

Ruby sat in her room, looking at the various pictures of her and her friends dotted around the room. She sighed heavily when she reached the picture of her, Brax, Casey and Charlie, taken on the day when Charlie told Ruby about the baby. Rising to her feet, Ruby walked over to the cupboard above her desk. She stood on her tip toes and reached in to grab a shoe box which was decorated in purple and coloured by a small child. Inside was everything Sally and Paul had kept from the day Ruby was born; they thought that one day, Ruby would want them.

Underneath the pink blanket Ruby was wrapped up in after she was born, there was a teddy. The teddy held in its hand a balloon which said baby, the hat it wore was a neutral, pale colour with the point hanging by the side of the teddys head. Ruby held the teddy close to her chest and hugged it tight. A tear rolled down her face as she did this.

"Come in" Ruby sniffed back tears and wiped them away from her face as she looked to the door "hey" Ruby smiled as Casey walked over to her

"Hey" Casey replied "you okay?"

Ruby shook her head "No" a tear fell down her face "mum has made the decision to move to New Zealand and I really don't want to go, but I have no choice. Charlie collapsed yesterday and I don't know how she is" Ruby looked round to Casey "I just, I just don't know what else I can take"

Casey leaned closer and wrapped his arms around Ruby "I got a text from Brax" Ruby pulled away from Casey and looked to him, waiting for him to continue "she's fine, she's at home"

"Oh, thank god" Ruby smiled "did he say what was wrong?"

Casey shook his head "No. But me and mum were going round there tomorrow to help decorate the baby's room and sort some of the other rooms out. Don't suppose you want to go?"

"I would love to go, you know I would. But I think I might be packing tomorrow" Ruby replied sadly as she storked the teddy's head and looked down to it

"What's that?" Casey asked with a laugh

"This?" Ruby held the teddy up and made the teddy look to her and then Casey "this is TeeBee" Ruby introduced

"TeeBee?" Casey echoed, raising his eyebrow

"Yes, TeeBee" Ruby nodded "dad says Charlie bought it to give to the baby when it was born" Ruby looked lovingly to the bear "she bought it for me for when I was born" Ruby ran her hand over the word baby "and I've had it this long. I thought it would be nice to give to the baby when he or she is born"

"That's nice Ruby" Casey smiled

"I thought so. I also thought I'd be around to see the baby been born, but obviously not" Ruby looked back to Casey "things just suck at the moment" Casey nodded and sat beside Ruby, allowing her to rest on his shoulder and cry.

~*~

"I don't know" Charlie said as she carried her drink into the front room and sat on the couch, followed by Bianca who carefully sat beside Charlie

"Why not?" Bianca asked "its one night"

"I know, but Brax-" Charlie scratched her head; she didn't want to tell Bianca she had spent the previous day in the hospital "he's over protective at the moment"

"Why?" Bianca asked "he never was before" Bianca took a sip of her drink before seeing the look on Charlie's face "oh my god. Something happened" Bianca placed her drink down on the table "what happened?"

"I erm" Charlie paused "I collapsed and was in hospital yesterday"

"Charlie-"

"I'm fine, and so is the baby" Charlie quickly said before Bianca got herself into a panic

"So, what happened? and why am I only finding out now?" Bianca placed her hands on Charlie's hands

"Things were going on here before I collapsed, and you and Liam will be busy with the wedding plans" Charlie explained "I didn't want you to worry about me"

"Charlie, I'm your best friend, I'll always have time to listen to you, even if I am with Liam and we are talking about things. I love you and want to help you, don't ever think you can't tell me things or call me at anytime"

"That's the other thing though" Charlie bit her lip "Colleen has made it clear where she stands on me been pregnant, basically I'm a slut" Charlie looked into Bianca's eyes

"Colleen has old fashioned views on everything; sometimes its a nice thing to have, but she doesn't say them right" Bianca stroked Charlie's arm

"Liam, what about him?" Charlie asked

"What about him?" Bianca questioned

"Does he know? I mean, I don't think I have actually been wearing clothes that show my bump off, and I haven't actually told him"

"He's still in the dark" Bianca sighed "he's wanting to get married in March, but I sort of said to him that its too soon"

"Why?" Charlie asked

"That's when you are due" Bianca replied "and I didn't think it would be fair of me to expect you to walk down the aisle when you are about to pop or have a very young baby in the church"

"I said I'd be your cheif bridesmaid, and I intend to stick to my word" Charlie replied "and as for Liam, I'll tell him when I next see him"

"Or I could tell him for you" Bianca suggested "I mean, he'll probably say something he doesn't mean and you'll-"

"Take it the wrong way and get stressed?" Charlie finished

"Well, yea" Bianca smiled "I don't mean that in a mean way, its just, so far you haven't had the best luck with this pregnancy have you"

"No" Charlie agreed "and I don't think its going to improve anytime soon either"

"Why do you say that?" Bianca asked

"Ruby might be moving to New Zealand" Charlie said sadly as she looked to Bianca

"Charlie" Bianca sympathetically said "New Zealand?"

"Yea. I don't want her to go, but its her family's decision. Not mine" Charlie said "if she goes, she'll be there until she's old enough to stand her own two feet which mean she'll be eighteen, and thats five years away" Charlie wiped her face from the tears she had drizzling down her face "I've gone thirteen years without knowing her, to finally meeting the baby I had taken away from me. I don't want to loose her again"

Bianca looked to the distraught Charlie and pulled her close for a hug. Unable to place herself in Charlie's shoes or sympathise with her feelings, Bianca simply let Charlie sob for Ruby and the reality being that she and Ruby would be spilt up for a second time.

~*~

Sweat ran down Liam's back as he headed for Irene's house. Panting heavily as he approached the door, he wiped his sweaty forehead from the beads of sweat that were heading for his eyes. He saw April making herself some breakfast and putting the kettle on before he saw Bianca walk sleepily out of her bedroom

"Morning" Bianca smiled as she pinched April's toast

"Hey" April gasped as she tried to grab her toast back "what time did you get back last night?"

"Why?" Bianca asked as she sat on the counter top

"Liam asked, that's all" April replied

"Oh" Bianca said "I was busy"

"Busy?" Liam repeated "doing what?"

"Talking to Charlie" Bianca jumped down from the counter and walked over to Liam

"And?" Liam asked before kissing Bianca

"she's got a few things going on in her personal life so-"

"Like what?" Liam asked "look, I know she's your best friend and everything, but she barely has a personal life. Angelo was her life and he died in July, we're nearly in November and its like she's forgotten him"

"I don't think Charlie has forgotten Angelo, and I don't think she's forgotten what he did to her, but it seems you have" Bianca retorted

"I know what Angelo did to her, but he was still a huge part of her life Bianca"

"Have you heard yourself?" Bianca asked "one minute you can't believe Charlie stayed with him as long as she did, then the next you have a go at her because she was talking to Brax when we were at Angelo's, and now you're saying she has forgotten about him?" Bianca walked to the door, concious of the fact that Irene and April were still in the house

"I just, I can't understand why you are thinking about protecting Charlie because she is going through all of this hardship" Liam used his hands to emphasise

Bianca shook her head "Charlie and Brax are a couple Einstein. They have been since a few weeks before Angelo died. Charlie is pregnant, but doesn't know who the father is; thats why when Carla was here things were tense, and that young girl who has been hanging around? she's Ruby. Charlie's daughter" Bianca saw the look on Liam's face "and she could be moving to New Zealand" Bianca looked away from Liam and into the house, where Irene and April were stood with their mouths open wide "so you see, Charlie hasn't got things easy. On top of been pregnant with a baby that could be Angelo's, she has you who is giving her a hard time about Angelo, she has Ruby who she has just found only to loose her again"

"I had-" Liam began

"No idea?" Bianca questioned "yea, that's because you think you are the only one who was apart of Angelo's life. Charlie was, and she was the one who wanted to escape but couldn't. Why are you so adimant on Charlie feeling the pain she had when she was with Angelo?"

"I don't" Liam replied "I never knew" Liam shook his head

"Never knew what?" Bianca asked

"About any of this; I knew she hated Angelo, I knew she had a connection with Brax; but I didn't realise it was more than friends"

"What are you going to do about it then?" Bianca asked "you and Charlie haven't ever had the best relationship ever"

"She only speaks to me because of you" Liam said

"Maybe if you go around to her place and listen to what she has to say?" April suggested

"I'll do that" Liam said after thinking for a moment "I'll have a shower, then I'll go" Liam headed for the bathroom whilst Bianca walked back into the house and sat on the couch. Irene and April joined her and sat for a few moments in silence as they let the revelations they had heard sink in.

"I knew Charlie was pregnant and that she and Brax were a couple, but I had no idea about Ruby" Irene spoke with shock in her voice

"I had no idea about anything" April said "I never liked Angelo, and I couldn't understand why Charlie was with him. But if she's been with Brax for ages now, it makes sense; she didn't want Brax to get hurt by Angelo" April smiled "but, the baby. Is it Angelo's or Brax's?"

"Surely it has to be Brax's" Irene said "It would kill Charlie if the baby was Angelo's"

"Brax has already said that the baby is his no matter what, but the dates have been confirmed and Charlie say's the baby is Angelo's" Bianca sniffed back tears "she's crushed"

"I bet she is" Irene replied "poor thing"

"How does Charlie know the baby is Angelo's?" April asked

Bianca sighed heavily "when she had her twenty week scan, she and Brax were told when the baby is due; the doctor also told her the date of conception, an Angelo day"

"Poor thing" Irene shook her head, feeling sadden for Charlie "and Ruby?" Irene looked to Bianca "how old is Ruby?"

"I can answer that" April smiled "she's thirteen, fourteen in December"

"Yea, April" Bianca smiled as she placed her hand on April's head "can you give Irene and me a moment alone please"

"Sure" April replied, looking to Bianca and then Irene

"Thanks" Bianca smiled as she watched April leave the house "Charlie hasn't told anyone else about Ruby, I'm the only one she has told" Bianca began "I guess I'm the closest to her, either that or she just had to tell someone"

"You and her are more like sisters than best friends. Don't you ever doubt that Bianca" Irene placed her hand on Bianca's

"Charlie had Ruby when she was fourteen, the same age as April is now, I can't imagine getting pregnant and having a baby at April's age, I don't know how Charlie did it" Bianca shook her head as a tear rolled down her face "her dad told Charlie that she had to give the baby up for adoption, Charlie didn't want to, she wanted to keep Ruby. Anyway, I think Ruby was a couple of months old by the time the adoption was finalized; Paul and Sally Young adopted Ruby in what was supposed to be a closed adoption. It wasn't until the fight at Angelo's that Charlie and Ruby met; ever since then, they've started to build a relationship" Bianca looked to Irene and saw how interigued Irene was becoming, Bianca knew the story was interesting and something you don't really hear about, but she also knew the story was far from over "I've been lucky enough to see it develop over the last few months, and I can see the maternal feelings in Charlie" Bianca smiled "but-"

"Why is there a but? no but" Irene said

"Ruby is going to New Zealand with her parents"

"Oh" Irene replied, before she and Bianca looked to one another in a moment of silence.

[soph1303]

Great update,

Love how charlie has bianca to turn to and ruby has Casey !!!

Really hope that ruby gets to stay in Australia !!

More soon please

[totally]

Great chapter. I loved it. Thanks for some Charlie and Brax private time. I hope everything will be okay with the baby now. Still feel sorry for Ruby. I wonder how it will all play out. Liam was pretty clueless there... I hope Carlie never shows up again.

Thanks for the update! Hope you can update soon again...

[Sazzle]

Very glad you are back and story is continuing!

Great 2 updates and really feel for Ruby and Charlie and hope that Sally settles down and has some trust in Rubes.

Seems like people are starting to find out...hope that this doesn't upset Charlie and Brax too much! Really love them together and hope that they have good things coming their way. I also hope that Brax can still be 'Daddy' but either, or...he will still be filling the Daddy shoes anyway.

Really nice updates and looking forward to more. Thanks

[beebee]

Beautiful update!

I'm still praying for a miracle & the baby to be Brax's, Charlie has been through enough & deserves a GOOD surprise :-)

Please update soon xxx

[Inactive User]

Awesome chapter Hope Ruby better stays in Australia because she belongs with her real mum-Charlie!! More soon please xx

[Spotd1]

Another brilliant chapter! I feel so sorry for Ruby and Charlie! Please update soon! Xx