Birthday Surprises

[soph1303]

Story Title: Birthday Surprises

Type of story: One Shot

Main Characters: Charlie, Brax and other various members of the bay.

BTTB rating: T/A

Genre: Romance

Does story include spoilers: No

Any warnings: Minor SC

Summary: The way that Charlie and Brax should have made their relationship public.

Note: For the most part, this one-shot will be pretty much the same as the show. I added some of the extra dialogue because it happened so long ago as a reminder of how that episode went. Except the ending is tweaked to my liking xxx

“You know what would make this perfect?” Brax asked Charlie from his position in the bed, as she got up and wrapped a towel around her body.

“It wasn’t?” Charlie asked, pretending to be offended, as she disappeared from view into the bathroom to get changed.

Brax laughed. “No, if I didn’t have to get up and go home.”

Brax could hear Charlie laughing from the other room. “That would require a place of our own”.

“Yeah, you wish,” Brax joked, before his face turned slightly more serious. “No, all I’m talking about is sleepovers; like me at your place, you at mine…”

“Yeah because your mother would love that,” Charlie pointed out as she walked back into view wearing her underwear.

“Yeah, about as much as Leah and your bosses do,” Brax replied, gesturing in mock frustration as Charlie began to dress herself in her police uniform. “No, no wait, don’t go yet,” Brax pleaded.

Charlie rolled her eyes. “I have to,” she told him severely.

Brax looked confused. “What? I thought you said that you didn’t have a shift tonight.”

“I don’t,” Charlie said slowly as she continued to button her top up. “I have paperwork to do.”

Brax made an indistinguishable noise of surprise, laughter and outrage. “What? Must be pretty important paperwork.”

“Yes it is,” Charlie replied, looking down as she did so; almost as if she was embarrassed even by the thought of what she was about to say. “I’ve decided to go for the detective’s exam”.

Brax raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really?” he asked and Charlie nodded. “Excellent. Excellent. Well that’s, congratulations, I guess.”

Charlie laughed lightly. “I haven’t got it yet,” she reminded him.

“No, you’ll bolt it in,” Brax assured her as she fastened her trousers on around her petite waist. “As long as you promise to wear that uniform from time to time,” Brax warned her cheekily, pointing to her uniform as he did so to emphasise his point.

Charlie feigned a look of mock outrage. “I knew you were only going out with me for one reason,” she told him.

Brax laughed, before beckoning her towards him, turning around slightly to get something out of the bedside table next to him. “Come here, I wanna give you something,” Brax told her.

Charlie flashed him a look of excitement, before jumping onto the bottom of the bed. “Again?” she asked mischievously.

Brax seemed to consider this for a moment. “No, no. Close your eyes for a sec,” he instructed her. Charlie obliged, wriggling down the bed until she was sitting on her legs next to where Brax’s leg was. Brax kept his eyes on Charlie to make sure she didn’t cheat and with one of his hands, reached and pulled something out of a drawer. “Put your hand out,” Brax told her. When Charlie complied, Brax reached over and placed a rectangular box into her outstretched hands. Charlie gave a squeal of excitement as she felt the weight of the box in her hands. Charlie opened her eyes, and looked back and forth between Brax and the box, with wonder in her eyes. “Now, I realise that your birthday isn’t for a couple of days, but…” Brax trailed off as Charlie pulled the lid off the box.

Charlie smiled as she looked down at the contents of the box. “You didn’t have to do that,” she told him, looking up at Brax as she did so.

“Alright give it back then,” Brax told her. “That cost me $19.”

Charlie giggled. “No way,” she told him, and moved her new necklace out of reach, as Brax made as if to grab for it. Using her hands to move her long hair out of the way, Charlie offered the necklace to Brax. “Can you help?” she asked as she leaned forwards so that Brax could reach to help her put it on.

“Yep, I’m great at this bit,” Brax told her as he leaned towards Charlie so that he could fasten the clasp. After he finished, Charlie moved the hair that was caught under the necklace out of the way. Brax inclined himself forwards as he adjusted the necklace as it hung around Charlie’s neck so that it sat right. “There,” he said, as he took his girlfriend’s hands in his.

They smiled at each other for a while. “You don’t really have to go, do you?” Brax hinted. Charlie put the box down on the side slowly, before re-taking Brax’s hands, and leaning over him as to kiss him properly.

***

Ruby sat around a table at the diner, accompanied by Casey who sat next to her, and April and Bianca who sat opposite them.

“So is that all good?” Ruby asked her friends. “Does that all make sense?”

Bianca nodded. “Yes, I will suggest to Charlie that we have drinks down at Angelo’s, but not til 8 o’clock; so that everyone has plenty of time to get there.”

“Yeah, but what if she doesn’t want to go out?” April asked.

Ruby grinned, as she already had this all figured out. “You just use emotional blackmail,” she told Bianca. “Just say that you are desperate for a D&M about Liam. She won’t be able to resist.” Ruby sat back as she said this, looking rather proud of her idea.

“Oh, I’m glad that you’re using my disastrous love life to your advantage,” Bianca reprimanded Ruby jokingly, and all members of the group laughed, just as Colleen approached the table and happened to hear the end of the conversation.

“I’m sorry,” Ruby apologised, though she didn’t really look that sorry about it. “I just really want this to work.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Bianca said, taking a sip of her coffee as she did so. “I’m glad that some good will come of it.”

“You poor thing,” Colleen sympathized, suddenly deciding that her opinions were needed in this conversation. “It isn’t easy being in love with an addict is it? Maybe you and I should form a support group,” Colleen suggested, oblivious to the looks on the faces of everyone seated at the table.

Luckily, Bianca was saved the trouble of answering, as Irene who was passing by the table at that moment, swooped to the rescue. “Eh Colleen, I hardly think that Keith is in the same category as Liam,” Irene pointed out severely as she turned to walk away.

“Well it was only a matter of time,” Colleen said indignantly. “I should have known by the fact that he never shaved properly. Just like Liam.” Colleen said as she gestured towards Bianca, who choked back a laugh, and waved her hands as if to say that she accepted Colleen’s point. Colleen was blissfully unaware of Casey and Ruby chuckling on the other side of the table, as she carried on with her little speech. “A man who either can’t commit to a clean chin, or a full beard, obviously lacks moral fibre.”

Irene made her way back to the table, and tapped Colleen on her the shoulder as she neared the end of her little speech. “Colleen, will you stop harassing the customers?” Irene asked in exasperation. Colleen said nothing, but stared at Casey, whilst stroking her chin, as if stroking an imaginary beard. “I need your help in the kitchen,” Irene told her as she dragged her away. Colleen let herself be steered away, all the while still staring at Casey and gesturing stroking a beard. Casey seemed to find this quite hilarious, and sniggered whilst feeling around on his chin for the sign of a beard growing.

Ruby laughed at Casey’s mime, and put her arm around him before turning to face Bianca and April. “Hey, guys, I really appreciate you doing this by the way,” Ruby told them.

“Oh, no, it’ll be good. She’s been moping around the house for ages,” April assured her.

Bianca turned around to face her little sister, and glared. “I’m right here,” Bianca reminded her.

“So are you and Xave going to come?” Ruby asked April before she could retaliate to Bianca’s comment.

“No, we’re going to hang out with Dex, and trust me, you don’t really want to be around him at the moment,” April replied as she began to stand up.

“Yeah, he has been weird lately, what’s wrong with him?” Casey asked.

April shrugged. “You tell me. See you guys,” she told Ruby and Casey, as she and Bianca got up and left.

“See ya,” Ruby and Casey called after them, before turning to face each other.

***

Charlie sat in her police uniform in the diner, drinking a coffee as she flicked through a magazine. Bianca flopped down in a chair next to her.

“Boo,” Bianca said as she sat down.

“Hey,” Charlie said as she looked up. “How are you?”

“Yeah alright,” Bianca said dismissively. “How are you?”

“Great,” Charlie replied, looking down as she did so, busting her lie.

Bianca stared at her for a moment. “I thought that police officers were supposed to be good liars,” Bianca probed meaningfully.

“Funny that,” Charlie retorted. “I thought the same thing about school teachers.”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “Come on, talk to me. What’s up?"

“Just Ruby stuff,” Charlie answered, shrugging to show that she didn’t really want to get into it, and she would much rather talk about her friends problems. “What about you?”

Bianca raised her eyebrows. “Guess.” Charlie gave her a look, which Bianca returned seriously, before both girls couldn’t help but laugh at the situations that they were both in. “You know what we both need?” Bianca asked as she made herself stop laughing.

“Umm, a month’s vacation in Whitsunday?” Charlie guessed/hinted.

“Yes, yes,” Bianca agreed excitedly, sighing dreamily as she considered the prospect, but then shook her head as if to rid herself of the fantasy. “Well, no, because we can’t afford it,” Bianca pointed out sadly. “But how about drinks tonight? We can commiserate with each other over cocktails, whilst looking absolutely fabulous, yet not looking vaguely interested in any man who’s looking at us.”

Charlie laughed lightly. She could see right through Bianca’s pretense about why they had to go out, yet decided to play along and catch her out. Charlie gave a fake sigh. “Yeah, I can’t; I’ve got a work thing on in Yabbie Creek,” she lied, biting her lip as she saw Bianca trying to hide a slightly panicked expression that had appeared on her face.

“What? Can’t you get out of it?” Bianca asked desperately.

“Couldn’t we go out another night?” Charlie asked, having fun as she watched Bianca try to come up with a reasonable lie.

“Well yeah,” Bianca said slowly, as she tried to come up with a convincing reason why they had to go tonight. “But tonight’s special…is two for one pizza.”

Charlie studied Bianca for a minute, trying not to laugh as she watched Bianca squirm. Eventually she took pity on Bianca and smiled, before replying. “I’m kidding I’m free,” Charlie laughed, she paused for a moment taking a sip of her coffee before adding innocently, “besides, I wouldn’t want to miss my surprise party, would I?”

Bianca opened her mouth and closed it several times. “What surprise party?” Bianca stammered nervously.

Charlie laughed, before pointing her finger at Bianca. “See, not a very good liar at all,” she told Bianca who couldn’t help but laugh as she realized that the game was given away.

“How’d you find out?” Bianca asked.

“Well they don’t give out these police badges for nothing, do they?” Charlie joked as she gestured to the badge that was attached to her uniform.

Bianca groaned in the spirit of things, before her face turned more serious. “I mean it about the girl talk though,” she told Charlie. “I really need it.”

Charlie nodded. “Absolutely,” she assured her friend. “You’ll get through this.”

“I know,” Bianca replied. “How do you stop loving someone even though you know that they’re bad for you?”

Charlie thought long and hard for a moment; all though Bianca hadn’t intentionally done it, she had in fact just asked Charlie the question that Charlie had been trying to figure out the answer to ever since she had started dating Daryl Braxton. “I guess,” Charlie said slowly, “you just take it one day at a time.”

***

Ruby looked around happily at the interior of Angelo’s. She had a new black party dress on that she’d get just for the occasion, and she had blackmailed Casey into helping her set up for the party, and now the restaurant was adorned with purple and white balloons and full of people here for the party. Charlie was a well-liked member of the Summer Bay community and nearly the entire town had shown up to pass on their best wishes to the birthday girl. Bianca had just text Ruby to let her know they were nearly there, and Ruby was on the red alert for their arrival. Just then she heard footsteps and hastened to get into action.

“Everyone, she’s coming, she’s coming, she’s coming,” Ruby cried, as she started running towards the bar.

“Hide where?” Casey pointed out; how exactly were they supposed to hide over a hundred people wearing formal clothes in a small restaurant?

“That’s a good point,” Ruby realised and Casey laughed. “Just act like you’re meant to be here everyone. Just chill ok,” Ruby advised. Casey shook his head in exasperation at his girlfriend but complied, along with Miles, Leah and Watson (who was looking most unlike herself in a silvery, sparkly dress), who all took their places at the bar, whilst the rest of the guests milled around the edges of the restaurant. At this moment, Charlie and Bianca entered. Charlie with her hair in a bun, and wearing a white, knee length dress with a crossed back. Bianca with her hair curled, and wearing a red, knee length dress.

Everyone turned around as Charlie entered. “Surprise,” the guests cheered. Charlie laughed, and did her best to look surprised.

“Happy birthday,” Ruby yelled, as she ran and hugged her mother.

“Thank you,” Charlie replied happily, as she hugged her daughter back. She couldn’t help but notice over Ruby’s shoulder, that Brax was standing behind the bar, and that he grinned when he saw her looking at him, and that she was wearing the necklace that he gave her. She couldn’t help but sneek another look at him, as she hugged both Leah and Watson in turn.

*

An hour or so later, and Charlie was feeling more than slightly tipsy. Having fun, she danced to the music alongside her daughter, Casey, Watson, Leah and Miles. Eventually she decided that more wine was needed and she made her way over to the bar where Brax was.

“Is there a cake back there?” Charlie asked, as she leaned over the bar to talk to Brax.

“Well, I’m no Leah, but yes there is,” Brax admitted.

“Damn,” Charlie said, putting her face in her hands dramatically. “That means a speech.” Picking up her glass, she held it out to Brax. “Hit me.”

“You sure?” Brax asked; very aware of how much alcohol she had already consumed that evening.

“Positive,” Charlie decided. Taking the glass from her, Brax proceeded to top it up as he and Charlie continued to chat. Neither was aware however that Morag was watching this interaction, and along with all the other comments she had heard them make to each other and the little sidelong glances, she had started to put two and two together. “I know what I’m going to say,” Charlie told Brax, in reference to her speech. “And you could do worse things than be around to hear it,” she added mysteriously as she took the wine back off Brax, and walked off leaving him intrigued.

*

Charlie stood, surrounded by her friends. Part of her brain was concentrating on the conversations that she was in, but she couldn’t help but glance at Brax, who was behind the bar, every few seconds. It was quite obvious to Morag who was watching the pair, that neither could keep their eyes off each other, and this was something that she was not happy about.

Just as she was about to intervene however, Charlie’s salvation came in the form of a waiter holding a birthday cake. She groaned, whilst everyone else laughed and cheered. Brax took the cake off the waiter, and started walking with it to the table in the middle of the room.

“If anyone sings Happy Birthday, I’m going to walk out,” Charlie threatened good-naturedly, as everyone began to crowd around her and the table.

“If the knife touches the bottom, you have to kiss the guy standing next to you,” Miles called, and started to edge forwards jokingly, before Leah pulled him back. Charlie laughed with everyone else, but Mile’s comment had actually given her an idea.

Brax laid the cake down on the table, and handed Charlie the knife. Charlie winked at him, and discreetly signaled that he was to stay exactly where he was. Charlie blew out the candles to the many cheers of her friends. Taking the knife again, as Charlie cut the cake, she made sure that the knife “accidentally” slipped and touched the bottom in an obvious way. Everyone laughed and booed cheerfully, and Charlie pretended to look disappointed.

“Remember you have to kiss the closest guy,” Miles said tipsily, obstinately sticking to his idea. “Who’s the closest guy? Oh, it’s Brax. Go on, kiss him,” Miles ordered and everyone laughed, obviously expecting Charlie to politely decline; because why would a cop kiss a Riverboy?

Charlie shrugged (she was pretty sure that the amount of alcohol she had consumed was affecting her decision making process, but right now Charlie was too drunk to care), and pulled Brax towards her and kissed him. The crowd cheered and wolf whistled, expecting her to pull away after a quick kiss. However, when neither pulled away and in fact deepened the kiss, the guests started to stop talking and the whispering started.

After continuing the kiss a little while longer, Charlie pulled away; slightly breathless as she did so. Brax kept one arm around Charlie, and hugged his girlfriend close to his chest. Even as she looked round the silent room at the shocked faces of Ruby, Casey and Leah, and the disapproving stares from Morag and Watson, Charlie couldn’t help but smile.

She wasn’t exactly sure what was going to happen now, but looking up at Brax’s elated expression, Charlie knew that whatever came their way; they would face together.

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