Our Special Connection

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Hey guys, I'm continuing my Chax fanfic on this forum instead of on fanfiction.net, as it's much easier for me to upload chapters here instead of having to put them on a computer first.

Story Title: Our Special Connection

Type of story: Medium/Long

Main Characters: Charlie, Brax.

Others: Casey, Ruby, Leah, and more.

BTTB rating: T/A.

Genre: Drama & Romance.

Does story include spoilers: No.

Any warnings: Adult themes. Will mention at start of chapter.

Summary: The relationship between Charlie Buckton and Darryl Braxton is pushed to the limit. Will their love prevail? (Sorry it's not a good summary, it's just what I wrote on the other website. Also I just write as it comes to me.)

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Chapter 1:

This weekend was special, they didn't come around too often. Charlie had the whole weekend off work and was looking forward to 48 hours of stress-free relaxtion. Starting of course, with a long sleep in.

*Bzz bzz* *bzz bzz* *bzz bzz*

Charlie's phone was vibrating, receiving a new message every 5 to 10 minutes. But the text messages went unnoticed, as she continued to sleep peacefully, until something in Charlie's dream had startled her. Her reaction was like she had heard a gunshot, and with that she quickly woke from her dream, breathing heavilly and her heart racing a million miles. Charlie realised she had been dreaming about the River Boys, but in particular, her secret boyfriend Darryl 'Brax' Braxton. The noise she heard was indeed that of a gunshot, as she recalls Brax being shot in the lower leg. Scared that she was still dreaming, Charlie pinched herself. "Ouch" she let out, followed by a giggle, laughing at the fact she had literally just pinched herself to make sure she was real.

The sun shon through the window, almost blinding Charlie as she gazed outside. Charlie turned back toward her bedside table, to see her phone flashing. She grabbed it and read the screen, '12:05'. Gasping, realising the time she had slept in 'til, she continued to read, '10 new messages'. "Wow", Charlie thought, she had never felt so popular before. Without hesitation, she opened her text inbox and smiled to herself. All of the messages had been from Brax. She read a couple, "Ya busy?", "Charlie I know it's your day off, call me.", "Are you okay Charlie? Text back". She noticed they were all saying pretty much the same thing, and skim read the rest.

*Bzz bzz*

The phone vibrated one more time in her hand. Charlie opened the message to see it was again from Brax, reading "C'mon Charlie. I miss ya". "He misses me" she whispered. Charlie smiled at the thought that bad boy, leader of the Riverboys, Darryl Braxton, was sending her these kinds of messages, revealing his sensitive side.

Charlie decided to put the poor guy out of his misery and replied to his text,"Hey sorry, I was asleep. Busy?", and placed her phone back onto the bedside table. Almost as soon as she put the phone down, it vibrated with a new message, "You had me worried. Be there in 10".

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Whilst Charlie was waiting for Brax to arrive she had a quick shower and put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt.

*Knock knock knock" came a noise from the back door.

She skipped over to the door and opened it. Before Charlie could take a good look at who it was standing before her, she felt a kiss on her lips. Pulling away from the kiss, Charlie spoke, "Didn't your mother ever teach you that it's polite to say hello to someone when you first see them?" "Hey you" Brax replied with a smirk on his face, lifting Charlie up onto the kitchen bench and immediately resumed the kiss that Charlie had first broken. This time the kiss lasted. It became more passionate and deepened as time went on. "B-b-bedroom" Charlie managed to say between kisses. Brax took a hold of Charlie's hands and lead her towards her room, when suddenly they could both hear the voices of Leah and Miles entering the house. Brax just stood there and gazed at Charlie, she could see in his eyes that he thought this was the perfect opportunity to tell Leah about their relationship. "No Brax. And quick!" Charlie paniced, as she shoved Brax through the lounge room and into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them and leaning up against it to stop intruders from barging in. "Char...." "Shhhhhh!" The two waited in Charlie's room in silence to make sure they would not be caught. Charlie could hear that Leah and Miles had made their way to the lounge room and started watching a movie. Charlie grunted. With her room being right next door, there was no way she would risk getting caught in a compromising position with Brax.

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Charlie had almost forgotten about Brax even being in the room with her, until he walked up behind her an pinched her bum. Charlie jumped up a little and squealed, quickly covering her mouth before Leah or Miles would hear. She turned around to see her masculine boyfriend standing tall, with a huge grin on his face. "C'mon Charlie, they aren't going to catch us, come here", Brax whispered as he attempted to pull Charlie away from the door. Charlie smiled, but tried to wriggle out of Brax's bear hug, still not wanting to risk getting sprung. "Leah might walk in Brax, I don't want to risk it", Charlie said quietly. "Do you really think, that out of all the rooms in the house, they are going to come into yours? I'm sure they've got better things to do anyway, just like we do aye", Brax replied cheekily.

Succeeding in pulling Charlie away from the door, Brax picked Charlie up by the waist and started kissing her. Brax laid Charlie onto the bed and leaned on top of her, kissing her passionately again, whilst fumbling at the drawstring of Charlie's sweatpants. The kiss got more and more heavy and the two thought they were finally going to do what they wanted to from that moment of Brax's arrival: sex, until... *BANG*.

The couple stopped kissing and stared at the door. It was obvious Miles and Leah had made their way to Leah's bedroom and closed the door. Both laughed and let out a discusted noise at the thought of what Leah and Miles were about to do.  Brax leaned in once again to continue the romance with Charlie, but she smiled and turned her head, only getting a kiss on the cheek. "Charlie, they won't hear us. Come on", Brax said as he continued to kiss Charlie on the neck. "We can't, not right now. You have to leave while you still can without being seen", Charlie slowly said. Brax felt rejected and gave her a look so she could see he didn't want to leave. "Please, Brax. We can meet up later, okay?" He stared at Charlie, hoping the look on his face would change her mind, but it didn't. "Fine," he sighed, as he picked himself up off the bed, "Ya promise?" he asked desperately. Charlie got off the bed and went up and kissed him on the lips reassuringly. She pulled back and looked into his eyes, where he then embraced her in a tight hug. With that, he checked to make sure the coast was clear, and left, leaving Charlie with a wink and grin, until next time.

[Danni02]

Wow, brilliant first chapter. I cant wait for more

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Chapter 2:

*Later that day, around 8/9pm*

Brax had been thinking of Charlie ever since he left her house earlier on in the day, and was really keen to see her. Angelo's was full and there was no way he would be able to take an early mark to see Charlie. Brax was disappointed, but then thought of a plan which he thought was genius - Text Charlie and get her to come to the restaurant for 'dinner'. Meanwhile, Charlie was lazing around the house, quietly enjoying a movie on the couch whilst Leah and VJ were staying at Miles' house and a friend's house respectively, and Ruby was staying and studying at Casey's. They had all made plans that night because they knew Charlie needed a break from work.

*Bzz bzz*

Charlie's phone vibrated. She suspected it was from Brax as she hadn't spoken or received a message from him for quite some time. 'Come to the restaurant to see me, I mean... to have a drink' the message read.

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Charlie arrived at Angelo's at about 10pm, all dressed up in a fancy new cocktrail dress with her hair and make-up done beautifully. Brax looked up as she walked in and gazed at his girlfriend. 'She looks amazing, as always' he thought, with a massive smile on his face from ear to ear. He was caught up in the moment and didn't realise he was staring, until the noise of Charlie's purse on the bar made him snap back into reality. "G'day... Sergeant. What can I get ya?" Brax asked trying not to smile, but failing miserably. "Just a 'Sex on the beach' thank you Mr Braxton" Charlie replied with a smirk on her face, knowing that Brax's ears would prick up at what she had just ordered. Brax let out a short laugh and got Charlie a Vodka Lime Soda, which was her usual, instead. "Got any plans tonight Sarge?" he asked quietly. "No, not yet", Charlie replied, "Why do you ask?" "I have a new... dessert, that I want ya to try, if it's good I might put it on the menu.." Brax whispered and followed it up with a wink. "Ah yes, sounds good. Lucky too, I have just bought new 'dessert spoons' for home that we can test out. What time do you finish up?" Charlie asked softly. "In about 20 minutes".

Charlie sculled the rest of her drink and stood up, preparing to leave and give herself a head start. "Well I shall see you soon then. Oh, try not to be late" Charlie said. Seeing Brax was pleased with what she had said, she turned around and walked towards and out the door, swinging her hips confidently as she knew Brax was watching.

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*Back at Charlie's house, it is just after 10:30pm*

Charlie opened the door in her light blue silky dressing gown. Brax's mouth dropped and then smiled at how gorgeous she looked. "Wow," Brax let out, "It's probably illegal for me to be thinking about a police officer in the way I am right now". Charlie laughed at his statement and kissed him softly on the lips. "We have the house to ourselves for the entire night. We can do anything we want" Charlie said, kissing Brax on the cheek several times. "How about we watch a movie then?" Brax replied with his trademark grin on his face, knowing that there was no chance of his suggestion actually happening. Charlie called his bluff, knowing he did not want to just watch a movie, "Sounds like a plan". Charlie led Brax to the lounge room couch and put on a DVD. Brax was surprised at what she had just done. He didn't think Charlie would actually put on a DVD, but he was certain she was only doing this to tease him. He went along with it. The couple sat on the couch, Brax had his arm around Charlie and Charlie's legs were sitting over the top of Brax's knees.

They sat there in silence staring at the TV screen, but paying more attention to each other in their peripheral vision. Both understood there were playing this hard-to-get game. The movie continued for what felt like an eternity, but was really only 10 minutes. Neither wanted to give in and lose the game by making the first move. Brax knew he could last a while, but then came to a realisation, 'Charlie is a chick. Chicks like to cuddle up on the couch and just watch movies with their boyfriends. I am screwed' he thought. "Ahhhh, stuff it. You win" Brax stated. Charlie turned to Brax, "Winner!" she exclaimed, pumping both of her arms in the air. Brax was never that easy to beat in anything, but Charlie had a hold over him like no one else ever had. Brax accepted defeat quite easily thought, because he knew that the sex between the two of them would definitely make up for being such a push over.

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her fully onto his lap and began to kiss her. Both moaned into each others mouths as the kiss got hotter and more intense as time passed. Brax moved over on the couch and began to slowly lower Charlie and himself down into a laying position on the couch next to one another. Not once did their lips separate. Charlie's hands were placed on his hip and the other, behind his head, pulling him more into the kiss during every tongue movement. Charlie and Brax were completely oblivious to their surroundings, until they both heard a voice yelling, "Oh my god!"

[Samantha28]

I love this story! You are a very talented writer!!!

Looking forward to more!!!

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Thanks Danni and Sam for the lovely reviews so far. I'm uploading all of the already completed 8 chapters now.

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Chapter 3:

"What the hell is going on!?" Ruby shouted, as Casey just stood there with his mouth wide open, which made him look simple. Charlie and Brax literally jumped out of the position they were in, and stood opposite Ruby and Casey. "Rubes, w-what are you doing here...?" Charlie managed to spit out. Ruby's mouth joined that of Casey's, her jaw could have hit the ground with how surprised she was at what her mother had just asked her. "What do you mean what am I doing here... What is HE doing here!?" Shouted Ruby, pointing her finger towards a speechless Brax. Brax was somewhat glad that Ruby and Casey had caught them together, so they could find out the truth finally. But the other part of him wished Ruby and Casey had not walked in, because one: they interrupted Charlie and his plans for sex again, and two: he knew Charlie didn't want their secret to be revealed at the moment, and he wanted to make sure Charlie got what she wanted. Charlie was stuck for words, nudging Brax with her elbow to try and get him to step in. Brax was in the same position, he didn't know what to say to Casey and Ruby. "We wanted to tell ya both, but it just wasn't the right time yet", Brax finally managed. "Why didn't you just tell us? We would have, or at least tried to understand. But you lied to us, and Charlie you're always telling me to be honest with you, which makes this so much worse!" yelled Ruby towards Charlie. Tears started to form in Charlie's eyes as she could see the anger in Ruby's facial expression. "I'm, I'm really sorry Rubes. I didn't mean to hurt you. I know I've lied but we had to, for everyone's safety. You can't tell anyone. Please, Ruby." After all the lying Charlie had done, Ruby could not believe she was now asking Ruby to stay quiet, this just angered and upset her more. "I don't believe this" Ruby said as she hesitated, but then left the house to go for a walk. Tears started to slowly creep down Charlie's cheeks, and she titled her head downward. Brax could see how upset she was, and knowing it wasn't the right moment to hug Charlie infront of Casey, he placed his hand on her back and rubbed it softly. As Casey watched his girlfriend leave, he finally spoke, "You guys are unbelievable". As Casey went to leave the house to catch up to Ruby, Brax pleaded to him. "Case, mate, come on. You know how serious it would be if the boys found out I was with a cop. You're a smart kid, we both know it. And we both know this can't get out." Casey squinted his eyes and shook his head, before leaving the house.

By the time Casey had left, Charlie's tears had become more frequent. She knew the day Ruby found out would be difficult, but she had no preparation for this. "Wh, what are we gonna do?" Charlie said softly as she sobbed. Brax's heart was breaking seeing his beautiful girlfriend so upset. Charlie's head was still facing down, tears falling off her face and hitting the floor. Brax gently placed his hand under Charlie's chin, lifting her face up and their eyes met. "It'll be fine Charlie, okay? WE will be fine. I promise ya." The emotion of it all was still too much for Charlie to handle, but she managed a small smile in between sobs. Brax knew he was right. He had to be. He couldn't stand the thought of him and Charlie breaking up. Brax grabbed Charlie by the arms and pulled her towards him. They placed their arms around each other in a tight hug and Charlie buried her head into Brax's warm, buff chest. Casey and Ruby were mad at them, but Charlie and Brax were there for each other, and at this moment that was all that mattered.

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Ruby walked down towards the beach, the more she thought about Charlie and Brax, the angrier and faster she walked. She was so frustrated that Charlie had lied to her. But the thing she was most mad at, was how hyprocritical it was of Charlie to be seeing Brax. Charlie consistently lectured her on how bad Casey was for her, and how she shouldn't get involved with such a troubled boy with an even more troubled family, and now she is dating the most troubled brother! 

Casey finally ran down the beach and caught up to Ruby, who was sitting on the sand throwing little sticks into the water. "You alright Rubes?" Casey questioned. "This is so messed up. My mum, dating your older brother. How could she?" Ruby replied with anger in her tone. "Brax isn't that bad is he? I mean, he doesn't have the best reputation in the world, but he's not as bad as everything thinks he is. Just look at all the stuff he has done for me" Casey replied, trying to get Ruby to ease up on the whole situation. Casey was mad at Charlie and Brax aswell, but he thought of this as a positive thing. Casey knew that the stuff the Riverboys got up to wasn't great, but he realised that if Brax was going out with a cop it could possibly change and improve who Brax was as a human being. Ruby stared out into the ocean, evaluating the whole night's events. "I just can't believe Charlie would do something like this" Ruby spoke. "She was probably just trying to protect you" Casey replied whilst putting his arm her. "Are you really fine about what has just happened? They have been blantantly lying to us, how can you not be mad?" she asked seriously. "Hey don't get me wrong, I am mad that they kept this from us, but surely it's not the worst thing they've ever done, right?" said Casey with a smile, before continuing to speak. "But.... There is something I do agree with them on, and it's the fact their relationship should not be announced to the public at the moment. The main reason the Riverboys get along so well is because they all think the same thing about all cops - that they're pigs. And I know first hand what they are capable of doing to someone who has not been straight with them. Trust me Ruby, it's not pretty". Casey and Ruby sat on the beach talking for a little longer, until Ruby finally understood and accepted the situation. Casey looked at his watch which read '12:15am'. "Oh geez Rubes, it's a quarter past midnight! We should really start to make our way back" Casey said surprised that they had been talking on the beach for so long. And with that, Casey and Ruby walked hand in hand back to Charlie's.

[Guest]

Wow great few updates

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Thanks Aden_Belle Glad you're liking it Sorry i'm taking a little while to add the other chapters, I have to put all the talking lines in italics.

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Chapter 4:

*Back at Charlie's house*

"They have been gone for ages, what if something's happened to them?" Charlie asked Brax in a panic. Both Charlie and Brax were seated at the lounge room table waiting for Casey and Ruby to return. "They'll be fine Charlie, they've just got to get their heads around it ey?" Brax said whilst wrapping his hands securely around Charlie's. She was terribly worried but still managed a nervous smile. Charlie loved how comforting Brax was, and how he knew how to calm her down. "Just try and relax a bit, they'll be back soon" Brax assured, squeezing Charlie's hands a little tighter. "Thank you" Charlie smiled. "For what?" Brax asked confused. "For being here" Charlie replied. "Oh, right" Brax laughed, "I'll always be here for ya Charlie, you know that". Charlie's mind eased a little as she looked into Brax's eyes to see the genuine care he had for her, and smiled at him. Charlie pulled one of Brax's hands up to her mouth and placed a soft kiss on it. Just as she did so, there was a noise coming from the back door and it flung open. Charlie turned around and Brax looked up to see who it was. It was indeed, Casey and Ruby returning home.

Both Casey and Ruby were laughing and smiling as they entered, but that quickly changed as they walked through to the lounge room to see Charlie and Brax sitting at the table. "Rubes, I'm really sorry" Charlie groveled as her and Brax stood up. "We, um… I think we should talk" Ruby said. "So do we" Casey added looking at Brax. "Ah, sure" Charlie replied, feeling anxious already about the conversation that was going to take place. Brax saw the worried look in Charlie's expression and grabbed her hand to lead them both to the couch to talk. But before they set off for the couch Ruby quickly interrupted, "Um… By ourselves, Charlie. I think it's better off that way". 'Better off that way…. Really?' Charlie thought. Charlie was desperate for Brax to be there with her as they talked to Ruby and Casey, because he would help her through all the tough questions. Brax was great like that, he always knew the right things to say at the right times. "Yeah, um.. Okay then" Charlie nervously answered, the worried look on her face becoming more noticeable. "Hey" Brax whispered to Charlie, "Are you sure you don't want me to stay? I can wait outside for you two to finish if you want?" "I'd love that… But I think we should just call it a night. You should probably take Casey home and talk to him. I'll call you tomorrow okay?" Charlied whispered back. "Yeah, righto. You'll be fine Charlie, but if ya need anything at anytime, just text me" Brax replied with a smile. He gave Charlie a wink before turning to Casey, "Right. Come on Case" and walked out of the house to his ute. Casey kissed Ruby goodbye and told her to call him later, before leaving the house just shortly after Brax. Ruby turned back to face a nerved Charlie. Silence. "Come... Sit…" Charlie finally spoke and headed towards the couch.

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*Brax and Casey driving back to the motel*

The drive back to the motel was pretty uncomfortable to say the least. The lack of conversation was just awkward. Casey had had enough and wanted some answers, "So…", "Yeah.. So…" Brax copied. "You and my girlfriend's mum…" Casey added. "Mm" Brax let out with a sharp grin. Dating the mother of his little brother's girlfriend did sound a bit strange to the both of them, but Brax was too much into the new relationship to care the slightest. "How long's it been going on?" Casey asked. "Ah, about 5 months I reckon". Casey couldn't believe how long Charlie and Brax had kept this a secret. "5 months! Are you kidding! Why didn't you tell me?" Casey questioned again. "Well for one, I don't have to tell ya everything I do, ey. And two, ultimately, it wasn't my decision to keep our relationship on the down-low. Charlie wanted it that way to keep her job safe" Brax told Casey. "Look mate, I wanted to tell ya, and I want everyone to know so there are no more secrets, but it's a lot more complicated than it should be. You know how the boys will react" Brax said almost concerned for himself. Yes, Casey knew exactly how the boys and even the rest of the town would react to the news, and in a little town like Summer Bay it's pretty easy to hold grudges. "Yeah yeah I know. Look Brax, I'm not really that angry about you seeing Charlie and I'll probably be completely over it in a couple of days. But I don't think I can say the same about Ruby…" "Charlie will get her to come around… I hope" Brax mumbled, and the rest of the drive back to the motel was filled with music that wasn't playing very loudly, from the radio.

Their car pulled into the motel car park and they both sat in their seats for a little longer. "Do you love her?" Casey asked, not entirely sure why he had. Brax paused. He didn't have to think about his answer. He had never felt so strongly for a woman before, especially a woman in the police force, who for so long had been 'the enemy'. "Yeah mate, I do" Brax said looking at Casey. That was the first time he had admitted it to anyone other than himself. Brax instantly felt a 'little less tough' telling Casey the truth, as he had never in his whole life told someone he loved them. Charlie's influence was changing Brax and Casey could see that. He loved it. Brax loved it, more.

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*Back at Charlie's house*

"Ruby I'm sorry" Charlie told Ruby for what was probably the tenth time. "I know Charlie, you've said it a kazillion times already. It's still not going to change what you did though!" Ruby said, getting annoyed already. There were a million questions running through Ruby's head. Some were actually good questions, wanting to know all the details like nothing bad had happened. But Ruby didn't let those questions be asked, as she was still pissed off at all of the lies. "I know, Rubes. And I've never felt so terrible having to keep it from you, but it was for the best!" Charlie replied, tears starting to well up in her eyes once again. "Charlie I don't even care about you not telling me! Do you remember how much of a hard time you gave me over Casey? And now you're getting in on with his older brother! It's so bloody hypocritical!" The rage just kept building up inside of Ruby, meanwhile the overwhelming emotion was getting to Charlie. A tear fell from each of Charlie's eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. Charlie understood how Ruby must have felt and began to speak, "I, I.." but Ruby interrupted, "You know what, I can't do this right now… I'm going to bed" and she stood up, grabbed the house phone so she could call Casey, and went to her bedroom.

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Charlie was exhausted. She wished she could have sorted things out with Ruby right then and there so they could move forward, but instead she has to deal with the exact same issue the next morning. Charlie was extremely tired and the tears in her eyes were making that worse. She looked at the clock on the wall to see the time was nearing 1am. No wonder she felt so bad.

Walking over to the lounge room table, Charlie picked up her phone and texted Brax, 'Didn't go well. Wish you were here'. Charlie wasn't sure whether she would get a reply from Brax at this time, but not long after, her mobile vibrated and the new message was from Brax, 'Case is fine. Ruby will be too. Want me to come over?' Charlie so badly wanted Brax to be there with her, to fall asleep in his arms and just forget the whole night's events. But that couldn't happen as it would just make the situation worse in the morning. Brax was getting impatient waiting for a reply from Charlie, even though he had only just clicked send on his text message. He needed to know she was okay before he could stop worrying so much. His phone beeped – 1 new message, 'I do want you to, but you can't. I'll see you first thing. Thank you xxx'.

Brax was most definitely disappointed that he couldn't go back to Charlie's house to be there for her, but in the end it was for the best. He was already looking forward to seeing her in the morning, to give her a big long hug and kiss to reassure her that everything would be okay. Brax typed one more message to send to Charlie for the night, 'Try and sleep well. See ya tomorrow. xxx I love you'. He sat in his bed and stared at the phone and at what he had just typed in the message. 'Should I send it?' he thought. He wanted to. He really, really wanted to. He wanted Charlie to know exactly how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. 'By text message?' he thought, 'what was I thinking'. Brax deleted the 'I love you' out of the message but sent the rest. He placed his phone under his pillow so he would hear it as soon as he got an SMS from Charlie in the morning. He lay down in his bed to fall asleep, thinking and dreaming of his girlfriend.

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Chapter 5:

*The next day, still the weekend (Sunday)*

Charlie had a terrible nights sleep. She tossed and turned the whole night and couldn't seem to switch her brain off. She woke in the morning and lay in her bed peacefully. That exact moment in the morning where you have just woken up is one of the best parts of life, as you're not fully awake to realize your problems outside of your bedroom, in the real world. For just that little moment, Charlie had completely forgotten about the night before. Reality struck when the alarm on Charlie's clock started to beep, which was weird considering Charlie had not set the alarm last night. Shutting the alarm off, suddenly all of her problems were shoved back into her mind, making Charlie dread getting out of bed. 'Whatever happened to my relaxing, stress free weekend?' Charlie thought.

The time on her clock read just past 10am. Charlie grabbed her phone off the bedside table to text Brax, which seemed to now be an automatic habit every morning because of their relationship. Except this time Charlie was not just inviting Brax over to have sex. This time she wanted to be with him as a normal couple would, and talk. There was no denying that at the start of their relationship it was purely physical, no strings attached. But as months had passed Charlie's feelings for Brax had developed dramatically, and she knew she was falling for him, but she had no idea if Brax feels for her to the same extent. Charlie's fingers were still partly asleep so instead of typing out a text message, she decided to call him. It was easier, and this way she also got to hear his soothing deep voice.

*Bzzzz... Bzzzz… Bzzzz… Bzzzz…*

"Mornin' gorgeous. How'd ya sleep?" Brax answered the phone, knowing it was Charlie from the Caller ID. "Heyyy. Yeah good, good. What about you?" "You're lying." "Ugh, how'd you guess?" "Ah ya know, I must have a sense for these kind of things ey." "Mm. So, how are you?" Charlie asked. "Yeah I'm goo… Hey I'm getting another call, can ya hold on for a tick?" Brax asked politely, wishing their conversation wasn't interrupted. He had to answer the other call though, as he was working later in the day and it might be the restaurant. Charlie waited impatiently on the other end of the phone waiting for Brax to get off the other call. "Hey Charlie, you still there?" Brax returned to the conversation. "Yeah of course. Who called? Something important?" "Um, yeah, actually. It was one of the boys from work, he pulled out of his shift this arvo. I was gonna come and see you before I started later but…" "But you have to go in early don't you?" Charlie took over, disappointed because she knew she would have to wait until even later to see Brax. His silence signaled that Charlie was correct, and she sighed. "I've gotta go in to the restaurant now, but do you think we could meet up later, in my break?" Brax asked with hope. "Yeah sure. Well, I'll see you later then" Charlie replied. "Right, sounds good. Cya later." "Bye" Charlie said finally, and they both hung up.

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Charlie jumped out of the shower, got dressed and finished doing her hair and make-up. She hadn't seen or heard a peep out of Ruby since the night before. Ruby was gone, most likely over to Casey's; early in the morning before Charlie was even awake. Classic avoidance. This frustrated Charlie. She wanted everything to go back to the way it was – being able to talk to and trust her daughter, as well as having her relationship with Brax hidden, although Charlie was kind of glad that she was no longer having to lie to Ruby about where she was going and who she was seeing.

Charlie's stomach started to rumble so she made her way into the kitchen to make a light breakfast. She chose to have a small, healthy fruit salad so she wouldn't be full at lunch time. This was because Charlie had thought of a plan to surprise Brax when she went to see him during the day. She was going to put a picnic hamper together for lunch to share with Brax, so they could have some nice and happy time in the middle of the drama that had recently surfaced.

Charlie sat down on the couch in the lounge room with her breakfast and began to flip through a girly magazine as she ate. Every now and then her mind wandered, thinking of things she could buy that would really impress Brax, to put in the picnic hamper for that afternoon. The house was silent; the only noise Charlie could hear was the sound of her own chewing.

*THUD!*

A very loud and sudden noise echoed through the whole house. Charlie jumped and flinched as the noise had scared her. The noise seemed to have come from the direction of the bedrooms. She started to worry, as she hadn't heard anyone enter the house through either the front or back door. The house was dead silent again. "Hello? Who's there?" Charlie shouted towards the hall-way, still standing by the couch. No answer. Creeping through the lounge room, Charlie continued on her way to where the noise came from. She still had her bowl of fruit salad and spoon in her possession. 'How am I going to defend myself with this?' Charlie thought, so she placed the bowl on the ground, thinking she would have more luck fighting with her hands than with a plastic bowl of fruit. She was outside her own room and quickly flung her head around the corner and through the door holding her fists high incase there were intruders. Nothing. Charlie turned around and did the same for VJ's room. Nothing again. As she made her way out of VJ's room quietly, she turned around and screamed, "Ahhh!" There was the 'intruder'. It was Ruby, who was trying to sneak back out of the house without being caught. Charlie gazed at the ground to see school books spread all over the floor. 'That must've been the noise before' Charlie assumed.

"Ruby? What the hell are you doing sneaking around like that?" Charlie yelled furiously. "I…I wasn't sneaking. I just… wasn't being loud" Ruby replied in a smart tone. Charlie knew exactly why Ruby was acting like this. Ruby was still very angry and she wanted to put off 'the talk' about Brax for as long as possible. "Why are you so adamant to avoid me? Why don't we just sit down, talk everything through and move on?" Charlie pleaded, with a bit of an annoyed tone. "Because I'm not ready Charlie! I can't just get over this as easy as you and Brax, and even Casey can! I need time and I need some space" Ruby commented back. "When I'm ready you'll know, but in the mean time we need to have a break from each other. So, I'm going back to Casey's to study more" Ruby said as she picked up the books she had previously dropped on the floor, grabbed her bag and then left. Charlie stood in the hall-way in a daze. She couldn't believe the lengths her own daughter went to, to stay away from her. A flush of sadness had taken over Charlie. This feeling was all too familiar. She felt as though all of her energy had just been sucked right out of her. The only thing that could possibly make Charlie feel better, was the comfort and presence of her boyfriend, Brax.

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Despite the empty feeling that lingered though Charlie, she had decided she would still put together the hamper and go to visit Brax. She was in desperate need to be with him, to feel him, to smell him. Brax just made all of Charlie's problems disappear; every moment with him was perfect.

Charlie rummaged through the cupboard in the laundry and pulled out Leah's old picnic basket and blanket. "Ew" Charlie let out. The whole thing was covered in cobwebs, dust and dirt. There clearly hadn't been any romantic picnics around this house for a while. But all that was about to change. Charlie dusted off the items, walked out and placed them on the kitchen bench and began to look in the fridge for food and drinks. "Perfect!" Charlie said in a pleased high voice, grabbing out a bottle of Brax's favourite Bourbon which was stored at the back of the fridge on the bottom shelf from when Brax had last visited. She put it in the picnic basket along with a glass. For herself, she took the new bottle of white wine that was in the fridge door. That was drinks organized, now for the food. There was a fresh pack of strawberries in the fridge, a pivotal snack for a romantic picnic. There was also an unopened container of French Onion dip that she put into the basket with some dipping crackers. She found some other little nibbles to add in that she found in the pantry. The snacks were sorted. Charlie figured she would stop by the diner on her way to meet Brax and pick up two delicious hamburgers for the main meal. Everything was ready. Charlie's mood had lifted and she was now quite happy and looking forward to her date. Now all she had to do was receive a text message from Brax.

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*At the restaurant*

Brax was due for his break any minute now, as the time was just about to hit 12:30. He thought he would take a longer lunch then usual since he was working pretty much the whole day, and he had a special surprise in store for Charlie when they were to meet up later. Brax had asked one of the cooks to knock up two take-away pizzas, a Meatlovers, which was Charlie's favourite, as well as a Supreme for himself. Brax took a fancy bottle of champagne off the shelf, even though he was more of a beer man, he knew Charlie liked to drink this stuff and if that's what she liked, he would put up with it too. "Billy, I'm out for lunch. I'm not sure when I'll be back" Brax told his barman. Billy gave Brax a nod as he was not game enough to argue with Brax about his extended break.

On his way back to the motel Brax stopped at the only flower store in Summer Bay. He wanted to be in and out of there as quick as possible because if any of the Riverboys found out about this he would never live it down. The bells on the top of the door jingled as Brax opened the door. The store was empty except for the florist sitting behind the counter. As he walked towards the counter he saw the look on the middle-aged lady's face, it was one of pure shock. She had no idea what the leader of the Riverboys was doing in her shop, and she almost looked frightened that Brax was going to rob her. She didn't say one word as he approached, instead just sat there stunned. "Hey, um… Can I, uhhh, get a small bag of rose petals thanks" Brax asked, knowing he was getting judged. The florist grabbed a bag from off the shelf and placed it on the counter, a nervous smile edged on her face. "That's $14.95 please". Brax handed her a twenty dollar note, "Um, keep the change" he said as he quickly walked from the shop to his Ute and sped off.

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*At the motel*

"Right" Brax sighed as he was about to get busy making the plain motel room look special for his beautiful girlfriend. First of all he put the champagne in some ice to chill. Next he went to the linen cupboard and pulled out a stack of white bed sheets, and covered the dining table, the couch and everything else in the room, except for the bed. Brax took out some white plates, two wine glasses and two candles and set them up on the dining table. He lit the candles, placed the bucket of ice with the champagne on the table, warmed up the pizza and then put both on two separate plates. Brax grabbed the rose petals he had purchased earlier and tore the bag open with his strong hands, spreading the petals on the top of the white sheets he had covered the whole room in, throwing extra on top of the bed.

The lights were dim and there was music playing softly in the background. The mood had been set. Everything was in place and there was now only one last thing Brax had to do – text Charlie and get her to come over. "Hey Charlie, meet me at the motel. B x".

[Samantha28]

Love these chapters... well I love all of them!!!

Looking forward to the other chapters, and more!!!

[CharlieAndBraxLover]

Thanks again Sam I really appreciate the feedback.

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Chapter 6:

As Charlie approached the door to Brax's room at the motel, she started to feel butterflies in her stomach. 'Is he going to like what I made, or will he think it's too cheesey?' Charlie wondered. She has been with Brax for months and right at this moment, is the first time she has ever felt so unbelievably nervous. It was also the first time either of them had organized something romantic that was more than just sex, but showing of emotion, a showing of love. Charlie stood at the door but hid the picnic basket off to the side out of sight. She took a deep breath in and let it out again.

*Knock knock knock*

The sound of the knocks on the door echoed through the motel room. Brax's head jolted up, excited at what was about to occur. Brax had never done anything like this for a girl before. He had really let his guard down when it came to Charlie. He hoped with all his heart that Charlie would adore what he had set up. Making a few little last minute adjustments to some of the rose petals, Brax strolled across the room and stood at the door. He really wanted to surprise Charlie with his whole creation, so he dimmed the lights even more so the rest of the room was not visible.

Charlie raised her arm to knock on the door again as Brax had not answered the first time. Before Charlie's knuckles could connect with the wood of the door, the handle turned and opened. "Hey stranger" Brax said trying to hide his excitement. He stood between the wall and the door so Charlie could not peer through. Their eyes met, both looking equally guilty. "Heyyy" Charlie replied, intrigued by the lack of light in the motel room. "Can I come in or have you got another girl hidden in there?" Charlie asked playfully. "I don't need another girl ey? Especially since you're always hassling me with texts and calls wanting to meet up" Brax mocked, stepping forward out of the door, planting a swift kiss on Charlie's lips before she could voice a comeback. Out of the corner of his eye, Brax could see an unusual large object next to the door. He had no idea whatsoever that it was Charlie's picnic basket. "What's this?" "Well…" Charlie began, "It's actually mine. It's just a little something I threw together to surprise you". "Oh…" Brax let out, not as excited as Charlie thought he would be. "You don't like it do you? I knew I should've…" Charlie spoke until she was cut off by Brax, "No no no Charlie, it's unreal, it really is. It's just…" "Just what?" Charlie asked worried. Brax didn't answer. Instead, he took Charlie's left hand in his right and pulled her into the motel room. He turned the lights up so Charlie could see what he had done, but left them dim enough to keep the romantic vibe alive. "Oh my god!" Charlie gasped, "This is so beautiful!" She jumped up into Brax's arms for a hug. He lifted her off the ground momentarily, before placing her back down and planting a kiss on her lips. "Ah, so you like it then?" Brax asked with a cheeky grin, pleased that his surprise had been a success. "Of course I do, I love it! Who would've thought a Riverboy could be such a romantic hey?" Charlie teased. Brax jolted his eyebrows up and down in one quick motion, the smile still plastered across his face.

"What are we going to do with all the extra food that I brought though?" Charlie asked. "How about a matching romantic dinner on the beach, and a sleepover to top it off?" Brax replied. He could see how impressed Charlie was with him going to all this effort. "Sounds like a plan" Charlie said back. Each of the pair's eyes lit up at the thought of their first ever proper sleepover. Their relationship was now at a whole new level. Only recently had they begun to share important things about themselves. Tonight's sleepover would provide the perfect opportunity to learn more about each other and quite simply, just openly and honestly talk.

Charlie and Brax took a seat at the table in the motel, getting ready to dig into some pizza. "So where did Casey and Ruby go? I saw Ruby earlier and she said they would be studying here" Charlie questioned. "I got a message from Case before and he said they were going for a surf and then to the Diner to study more". Charlie nodded then let out a sigh. "But hey, Ruby talked to ya, that's gotta be a good sign right?" Brax asked after seeing the down look on Charlie's face. "No, not exactly. She only spoke to me because I thought she was someone trying to rob the house" Charlie said. Brax raised his eyebrows at Charlie, confused at what she had just said. He didn't have to say anything for Charlie to realize he wanted to know what she meant. "Ruby was sneaking around the house so she didn't have to talk to me, and I thought someone had broken in, so I went to check it out and Ruby was trying to leave before I caught her" Charlie explained, as she looked downward slightly. "Oh, right" Brax began, "Do you want to talk about it, or should we just get stuck into some lunch?" "Let's eat, it'll take my mind off it" Charlie replied.

Brax opened the pizza boxes and saw a huge smile spread across Charlie's face when she saw her favourite type of pizza, Meatlovers, sitting before her. She looked up into Brax's eyes, her facial expression reading 'thank you'. Brax poured Charlie a glass of wine and was about to pour himself one when Charlie quickly grabbed his hand that held the wine bottle. 'What is she doing?' Brax wondered. "Hold on a sec" Charlie said as she got up and started to sort through her picnic basket. She returned to the table with the bottle of Bourbon that she knew Brax loved and placed it in front of him. He looked up at her with an adoring smile. "Ah, the key to my heart" Brax grinned. He poured himself a drink and handed Charlie her glass of wine. "Cheers" Brax stated, raising his glass. "Cheers" Charlie replied with a smile as their glasses tapped together, and they both took a sip of their drink.

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"I don't think I've ever felt so full in my whole life" Charlie croaked, "I can't believe I ate so much pizza. I'll have to go for an extra long run tonight". "I think I know a better way to work off all that food ey?" Brax winked, as he pulled Charlie by her hand off her chair and onto his lap. "Brrrrax!" Charlie yelped as he kissed up and down her neck, "I want to, I do. But I've had way too much to eat". Brax rose his head up and stared into Charlie's eyes. He was disappointed, but so was she, he could tell. "Ah fine. Whatever you say sarge" said Brax. Charlie felt a bit guilty. Brax went to all this trouble and she couldn't repay him the way they both wanted. "I'm sorry. Lunch, and this whole thing, was incredible and I loved every bit of it. But fat, bloated sex just isn't all that appealing, is it?" Charlie said wisely. Deep down Brax didn't really care, any sex with Charlie was good sex, but he knew it would make her uncomfortable so he reasoned with her. "I guess not. Is it on the cards for later though? I mean, look at all this romantic stuff. The meal, the rose petals, the music, all this was set up by a tough and intimidating Riverboy. By the way, don't tell anyone about this, they'll think I've gone soft" he joked, knowing Charlie wouldn't tell anyone anyway considering the only two people who knew about their relationship was Casey and Ruby. "You, soft? Never" Charlie teased. "That's right, I'm never soft, especially when I'm with you" Brax smirked and followed up with a wink. Charlie laughed at his inappropriate comment about their sex life and then kissed him. The kiss deepened and got more passionate as their tongues explored the inside of each others mouths. The kiss lasted quite a while, before Charlie pulled back. "Mmm, later" Charlie said whilst catching her breath.

Brax smiled and shook his head. He looked around the room and the clock on the wall caught his attention. "****" he said, "It's been hours, I've gotta get back to work". He stood up in a hurry which caused Charlie to do the same, since she was sitting on his lap. Brax put the Bourbon into Charlie's picnic basket and picked up the whole thing. He took a hold of Charlie's hand and they walked out to the motel car park. Charlie and Brax's cars were conveniently parked next to one another. He put the basket in the boot of Charlie's car carefully and then turned to face her. "I'll text you later okay? Bring the picnic stuff with you tonight" said Brax. "No problem" Charlie smiled. Brax gave Charlie one of his signature smiles that never failed to melt her heart. He stepped forward, kissed her once and then turned to the driver's door on his black Ute.

He hesitated, and turned back around to Charlie who couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Brax grabbed Charlie by her tiny waist and pulled her body into his. Her arms flung up and around Brax's neck as their lips collided. Charlie slipped her tongue into Brax's mouth first which caught him off guard. The passion and emotion of the kiss was intense, neither wanting it to end. Both moaned with ecstasy whilst their tongues were rolling around against each others. Brax found it extremely difficult to fight the urge to pick Charlie up and run back into the motel. With one last tongue movement Brax pulled back, "Right, work." He said abruptly, before his love for Charlie got the better of him. He got in his car, shut the door and started the engine. 'Wow, what a kiss' Charlie thought, her heart racing. Charlie smiled at Brax, the butterflies in her stomach feeling had returned again but this time it was the feeling of pure bliss. Brax pouted his lips and motioned a quick kiss action in his cheeky bad-boy way, laughed to himself and then began to drive off. Charlie couldn't help but giggle and got in her car. She played the kissing action he had just done, in her head. 'What an idiot' she thought, 'but that's alright, he's my idiot'.