The Mistakes We Make

[Red Ranger 1]

Thanks for the comments, Beezzz, Jarliefan, pembie and Aden Belle.Hope you don't mind me killing Mattie off too much, I just felt the story needed some drama and she seemed the best candidate.Hope everyone likes this one.

CHAPTER 11

Ric clasped Lucas’ hand warmly.“Thanks for sticking around for a bit.”

“No problem,”Lucas answered,“And you know you can always give me a call if you need a friend, right?”

“And you’ll come flying back across the Pacific?”

Ric’s comment had been intended as a joke but Lucas just shrugged.“If you need me to.”Ric gave a grateful smile.Lucas shook hands with Drew.“We should make sure it doesn’t take something like this for us to meet up again.”

Drew nodded in agreement.“I’ll talk to you soon.”

Ric and Drew stood watching as Lucas’ taxi headed off to the airport.Then Ric turned to his friend. “I suppose you’ll be heading off again soon too?”

“Actually, I was thinking of staying.If that’s all right with you.”

Ric was surprised at the remark.“Why is it up to me?”

“Because…I’m staying because of Sasha.”Drew watched Ric’s expression carefully.“It’s just, we’ve been spending a lot of time together recently and I think I’m the only person she can really talk to. And I think she needs someone she can talk to.But I don’t want you to think I’m taking sides or something…”

“Do you like her?”Ric asked levelly.

Drew hesitated.“I think so,”he admitted at last.

“Because…I don’t hate her.I’m not even sure if I blame her.I just…I can’t talk to her at the moment. I can’t pretend that I’m happy that she’s still here and Mattie’s dead.But if you can, then that’s good.”

Drew breathed a sigh of relief before asking his next question,“How are you coping without Mattie’s wage coming in?”

“I dunno, things have always been tight at the garage but recently…”

“Would it help if you had a partner?It’s just, I’ve still got that money from Mum and I’m gonna need something to do if I’m sticking around…”

Ric was aware that Drew’s mother had died of liver failure two years earlier, leaving him a moderate sized inheritance.But he was surprised by what Drew was planning to do with it.“You want to be a mechanic?’Cos as I remember, your apprenticeship didn’t go too well.”

Drew shrugged.“Guess you’ll have to teach me, then.”

When Ric arrived back at the flat, he found Summer and Elizabeth comparing their My Little Pony collections while Cassie dried the dishes nearby, maintaining a close watch over them.“Thanks for keeping an eye on her,”he remarked.

“No problem,”Cassie replied,“Lucas get off okay?”

“Yeah.Drew’s going to be sticking around for the foreseeable though.We’re going to run the garage together.”

Cassie smiled and patted him on the arm.“That’s great.Isn’t it?”

“Well, I’ll be glad to have him around.He’s pretty good at keeping your mind on things.He tends to need watching as closely as Elizabeth does.”

“I think he’s grown up a bit since we were all at school together.”

“Guess we’ll have to see.So what about you?What are your plans?”

Cassie hesitated.“How would you feel if I stuck around a while?”

Ric looked surprised.“Well, that’s fine by me but don’t you have your own life to get back to in Phuket?”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy enough there but…I pretty much ran away from Summer Bay with my tail between my legs ten years ago.It was the right thing for me and Summer at the time but…now I’m back, I feel like I need to stay here for a while.Kind of prove something.”

“Have you any idea where you’re going to stay?”

“Not really.I was thinking I could ask Miles if there’s a room free at the old place…”

“You could always stay here.”

It was Cassie’s turn to be surprised.“Really?Wouldn’t that be a bit weird?”

“To tell the truth, with Matilda gone, I think the place would feel a bit empty with just me and Elizabeth here.I think you’d be doing me a favour.”

Sasha stopped and looked around when she entered the surf club and was relieved to see Drew waving at her from one of the tables.She went to join him, still feeling a bit nervous.“Do we have to be here?It’s just, my sister works upstairs and I’m not too keen on seeing her.”

“You can’t hide from your family forever.”

“That’s easy to say, not so easy to do.I just…I don’t know how I can stop people hating me.”

“Well, Ric doesn’t hate you.”Drew noticed Sasha’s sceptical look but went on.“Really, he doesn’t. He told me.And I don’t hate you.”

“Yeah but you’re leaving,”she pointed out.

“No, I’m not,”he countered.He noticed that, although her main reaction seemed to be surprise, there was a bit of hope in there as well.“I’m gonna stay here and help Ric run the garage.So, you’re gonna have at least one friend around.”

Sasha smiled slightly.“Do you want to go for a walk?”

Drew smiled back.“That sounds like a good idea.”

Casey loaded the last of his bags into the back of his car and paused, looking around the street outside the flat for one last time.Then he made to get into the vehicle.

“What are you doing?”Dexter demanded.

Casey turned round.His boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend he supposed, hadn’t come near the flat ever since he’d caught him with Sasha.He’d been staying at Indi and Xavier’s place.It was just bad luck for him to come by now. “How did you know I was leaving?”

“I didn’t.I came to pick up my collection of superhero cards.You’re leaving?”

Casey nodded.“Going to the city.You obviously don’t want me around and…”

“And you didn’t think I had the right to know?So I could come round and yell at you or something?”

“All right, yell away.”

Dexter was silent and hesitant for a long while.“Can I have your address?”he asked at last,“And phone number?”

Casey looked at him in surprise.Slowly he scribbled something down on a sheet of paper.“Why?”

“Because I’m angry with you now.Very angry.More angry than I’ve been in my life.It’s kind of new and I don’t do it very often.But I’m probably going to stop at some point.And when I do, I might want to give you a ring.If that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, it is,”Casey agreed,“I didn’t mean to hurt you…”

“Still angry.”

“Okay.Still going.”

Romeo and Ruby were sat at the bar in the restaurant while Xavier poured them mineral waters.“You look like you need something stronger,”he commented.

“I’m not sure if I could stomach something stronger,”Ruby replied,“Why do I have to keep getting pregnant?”She noticed Xavier look away slightly and realised she was being indelicate.“Not that I don’t realise how lucky we are.”

“Place is a bit quiet,”Romeo remarked, trying to change the subject.

“Guess people don’t feel like going out much after what happened to Matilda,”Xavier replied,“And it doesn’t help the whole thing with Dexter, Sasha and Casey, so they’re too busy avoiding each other to come here.”

“How’s Indi coping with all that?”Ruby asked,“Family rifts can’t be fun.”

“Yeah, Dexter’s been camping out at our place because he doesn’t want to go back to Casey and doesn’t want to see Sasha at the farm.Makes for some interesting evenings.”

Before any of them could say anything more, there was a crash from the kitchen.Xavier hurried through and found Indi slumped on the floor, clutching her stomach.“What happened?”he asked anxiously,“Are you all right?”

Indi shook her head.“I don’t know.I just felt this pain and then…aagh!”She cried out in pain again, gasping in shock.

Xavier crouched by her, holding her.“It’s okay,”he said soothingly,“You’re gonna be okay.”

Romeo and Ruby had followed him through.“Is there anything we can do?”Romeo asked.

Xavier looked up at him anxiously.“Call an ambulance.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thank you, Jarliefan, Beezzz, Pembie and Aden Belle!Hope everyone likes this one.

CHAPTER 12

Xavier held tightly onto Indi’s hand as the ambulance crew wheeled her into the emergency department and into one of the examination rooms.Nurse Julie gave them both a reassuring smile as she helped Indi onto the bed.“It’s okay, Indi, you’re going to be okay.”

“I just keep getting this pain,”Indi moaned,“What’s wrong with me?”

“We’re going to find out, okay?”Julie noticed one of the ambulance crew beckoning her from the doorway and went over to him.

Sid came past them into the room and hurried to his daughter’s side.“Indi, what’s wrong?”

“She just collapsed at the restaurant,”Xavier explained.

“I’m really frightened, Dad,”Indi told him shakily.

“Doctor Walker!”called Julie,“Can I have a word?”

Sid went over to talk to her.Xavier and Indi strained to hear the conversation.“Okay, get someone down here,”Sid said at last.He went back to his daughter.“Indi, do you mind if I listen to your stomach?”

Indi nodded and Sid placed his stethoscope against her abdomen.“What’s going on, Sid?”Xavier asked.

Sid looked from his son-in-law to his daughter and smiled.“I can hear a heartbeat.”

“Well, yes, obviously or I’d be dead,”Indi replied, slightly bemused.

“A second heartbeat.Indi…you’re in labour.”

Indi and Xavier looked at each other in astonishment.“I’m pregnant?”Indi asked.

“Very pregnant.”

“But I can’t be!I mean…I’m not fat or anything.”

“Have you put on any weight recently?”

“I guess, but…”

“It’s not always that obvious.Been feeling faint?”

“I thought that was just about Mattie.”Indi felt a sudden warm feeling rising up inside her.“Wow.”

“We’re going to have a baby?”Xavier asked excitedly.

“You are indeed,”Sid confirmed.Indi gave a cry of pain as she felt another contraction.“And quite soon from the look of things.”

Romeo and Ruby were sitting in reception when Dexter came hurrying in.“What’s going on?I got a call saying Indi was taken away in an ambulance.”

“We don’t know,”Ruby answered,“Xavier went through with her.”

“Your dad’s in there too,”Romeo added,“Hopefully he can tell us what’s going on.”

Not sure what else to say, Dexter sat down with them.

A woman in uniform came past them and went over to Nurse Julie at the desk.“Hi.Someone called for a midwife?”

Julie nodded.“Yes, Indigo Austin.Room 16.”

Romeo, Ruby and Dexter stared at each other in astonishment.“Midwife?”Dexter repeated.

Indi gave out a loud cry of pain as Xavier held tightly onto her hand and the midwife made soothing noises.“I can’t do this,”she complained,“I can’t have a baby.”

“Come on,”Xavier told her encouragingly,“We’ve been wanting this for years.”

“But we were meant to have nine months to get used to the idea!I’m not ready for this now.We haven’t got anything for the baby, we haven’t got any clothes or nappies or toys…”

“Well, I’ll buy some, okay?The minute we’ve held this baby in our arms, I’ll go out and get it the best nappy and clothes and cot…”

“Oh god!”Indi cried in realisation at the last remark,“Where’s it going to sleep?”

“We’ll kick Dex out.The baby can have his room.”

Indi thought for a moment.“This is actually happening, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is.”Xavier kissed his wife on the side of the head and they both smiled.

Romeo, Ruby and Dexter were still sitting in reception, their worries having given way to confusion. They heard the odd yell of pain coming from the direction of Indi’s room but something told them it wasn’t bad pain.It was good pain.

After a few minutes, Nurse Julie came over to them.“You can go through and see them now.”

Cautiously, the trio walked through into the hospital room.They were greeted by the sight of Indi cradling a baby in her arms, Xavier with his arm round her shoulders, both of them looking blissfully happy.

The three of them stared at the scene open-mouthed.“Woah,”said Ruby at last.

Indi looked down at her daughter.“Pammy, I want you to meet your Uncle Dex.He’s the strange one in the family but we can always rely on him when we need him.”

Dexter raised a hand to wave at his niece.“Hey, little…you.”

“And that’s Romeo and Ruby.They’re Mummy and Daddy’s friends and they’ve got lots of children for you to play with when you grow up.”

Romeo grinned and shook Xavier’s hand.“I guess this is congratulations.”

“Yeah, I’m still getting used to it.”

Ruby shook her head in bemusement.“Well…I definitely didn’t think you’d be giving birth before me.”

Drew and Sasha were walking along the beach when Sasha’s phone bleeped to indicate an incoming text message.She checked it and then looked at Drew, bewildered.“Indi and Xavier just had a baby.”

Drew looked back at her in surprise.“I didn’t know Indi was pregnant.”

“Apparently neither did they.They’ve called her Pammy.”

“You gonna go to the hospital to see her?”

Sasha shook her head.“I don’t think so.”

“Why not?She’s your niece, isn’t she?”

“Well, yeah, I guess but…Dex is going to be there and it’s going to be awkward.”

“Maybe it’s the best time.New baby, people are bound to be happy, they might not mind the black sheep of the family being there.”

Sasha thought this over.“Would you go with me?”

“If you want me to.”

Sasha hesitated and kissed him lightly on the lips.Then she grimaced.“I’m sorry…”

Before she could say anything further, Drew kissed her back.“Don’t be,”he said and she smiled.He took her hand.“Come on, let’s go and introduce this kid to Auntie Sasha.”

[Red Ranger 1]

Thank you for the comments, Jarliefan, Aden Belle, Beezzz and pembie!And hot on the heels of that chapter, this is the last one.Hope you all enjoy the ending!

CHAPTER 13

Casey entered the café with some trepidation.When he’d received the call to go there, he wasn’t sure whether he should feel elated or just scared.He scanned the patrons and saw Dexter sitting at a table, waving to him awkwardly.He went over and sat down opposite him.“You wanted to see me?”

Dexter nodded.“Oddly, yes.”

There was a long pause.“Er, why?”Casey attempted at last.

“Well, it’s been an interesting few weeks.For a start, Xavier and Indi had a baby.”

That was definitely not something Casey had been expecting.“Really?”

“Yeah, it surprised them too.And they needed the space and I didn’t fancy trying to rent our old place on my own so I ended up moving back in with Dad.And Sasha.”

Casey felt suddenly uncomfortable.“Right.Um, how was that?”

“Well, I spent a couple of days giving her really menacing glares while she shrank away to her room.And then I realised…life’s too short.I mean, literally, too short.And if anything happened to her and I wasn’t friends with her when it happened, I don’t know if I’d cope.So, we started having family meals together and having polite conversations and sharing jokes and suddenly she’s my sister again. And then I thought about you.”

“Look, you shouldn’t fall out with Sasha because of me.”

“I know.So should I fall out with you because of Sasha?”

Casey wondered if this was a trick question.“I don’t know.”

“I mean, all that stuff between you and Sasha was bad and I don’t know if I can forgive you or if I should forgive you.So do you want to go out some time?”

Casey stared hard at him.“I’m kind of getting mixed messages here.”

“I’m nothing if not inconsistent.”

Sasha smoothed her dress down, glancing nervously towards the entrance of Austin’s restaurant.She had done her best to look as respectable as possible but she knew her appearance might not count for much.“What if they don’t like me?”she asked.

“They will,”Drew assured her,“I promise.”

They both stood up as Ric and Cassie appeared and came over to join them.“Sorry we’re a bit late,” Ric noted,“We had to wait for Auntie Roo.She’s babysitting for us tonight.”

Drew cleared his throat.“Ric, I think you and Sasha have already met.Cassie, this is my girlfriend Sasha.”

“Yeah, I think we’ve seen each other about a bit.”Cassie grasped Sasha’s hand.“Nice to finally meet you.”

Sasha managed a nervous smile.“Thanks.”She glanced at Ric.

To her surprise, Ric gave her a brief hug.“Well, you’re pretty brave to take on this one.”He nodded towards Drew.

“Oi!”Drew replied in mock outrage,“I didn’t invite you here to bag me out.”

“No, you invited us here to eat.”Ric plonked himself into a chair and picked up the menu, pretending to scan the contents.He glanced over the top of it at Drew as the rest of them took their seats.“You’re paying, I hear?”Drew nodded.Ric glanced at Cassie.“What’s the most expensive thing on here?”

Drew rolled his eyes.Next to him, Sasha smiled and relaxed.

Romeo was preparing drinks at the bar.Ruby sat on a stool in front of him, casting occasional glances at the unusual gathering.“Sasha’s brave facing up to that lot.”

“I don’t think Ric’s the type to hold grudges,”Romeo answered,“People round here tend to be pretty forgiving.”

Ruby gave an ironic smile.“Which was lucky for us, if I remember.”

“Exactly.Hey there!”

The last was in greeting to Xavier and Indi, who had just entered pushing Pammy in her pram.“Oh, let me look at her!”Ruby begged, peering down at the baby,“Can I hold her?”

Indi looked at her with amusement.“Er, yes, go ahead.”

Ruby lifted Pammy out of the pram.“Wow, you forget how tiny they are.”

“You’ll be getting another one of your own soon,”Indi reminded her.

“Yeah, I guess you’d better have this one back.”Ruby settled the baby in her mother’s arms.

“Don’t get too settled there,”Xavier warned his daughter,“You’re going to be a daddy’s girl.”

“Just because you don’t want to be outnumbered,”Indi retorted.

“Hey, I’ve got two brothers, is it my fault I’m used to male households?”

“I can see you’re getting the hang of this parenthood thing,”Romeo remarked.

“Which is something we need to talk to you about,”Xavier answered,“We’re going to have our hands full with Pammy for a bit so…do you mind managing this place?We’ll give you a fair wage for the extra work.”

Ruby looked at Romeo.“We could do with the extra money with my maternity leave coming up.”

Romeo nodded.“You’ve got yourself a manager.”

Ruby smiled and looked around the restaurant.The past few months had been hard on them but all she could see now was smiling faces.Suddenly, the future for all of them didn’t seem that bad.

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