Our Complete Family

[LissaBelle24]

Title of story: Our Complete Family.

Type of Fic: One Shot.

BTTB Rating: G.

Main characters:  Charlie, Brax, Ruby.

Other Characters:  Braxton Brothers, Bianca, April, Darcy, Harley, Charlie and Brax's kids.

Spoilers: No.

Any Warnings: No.

Genre: Family.

Disclaimer: I do Not Own Home & Away.

Summary:  Charlie and Brax had a plan for their family but sometimes things change. One Shot.

 

Our Complete Family

When they met six years ago, they had spoken about their future. They had contemplated where they would go in life, where they would live, if they would get married and how many children they would have. He had wanted five but she already had a daughter so the pair had compromised.

 

Four.

 

Four was there number.

 

Five was including her daughter.

 

They were happy with that.

 

But they hadn’t discussed what would happen if that plan suddenly changed.

 

…

 

Charlie placed the last plastic pink pony into the tub that was tucked under her arm, toys had been spread across the floor all day and finally it looked clean. She couldn’t remember the last time her house had stayed clean for more than five minutes at a time. Placing the tub down she straightened up catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror, she smoothed her shirt over her stomach. They’d managed to conceive again, the baby to complete their family but looking at herself in the mirror, touching her stomach she was surprised to see a small bump; it was early she was only roughly nine weeks; her first appointment with the doctor was two days away. It wasn’t right; she had never shown this early with any of her pervious pregnancies.

 

“Finally, Faith is asleep”

 

Charlie glanced away from her refection to look at Brax who came down the stairs. “Something is different”

 

Brax frowned. “What do you mean? Did one of the girls draw on the walls again?”

 

“No” She smoothed her top over her stomach, so it was pulled tight. “Look”

 

Brax’s eyes widened as he crossed the tiled floor towards her. “You’re showing” He rested a hand on her bump. “This is your fifth pregnancy. Maybe you’re just showing early”

 

Charlie shook her head. “No. It’s something else. I didn’t show early with any of the other girls” Charlie rubbed her stomach gently. “I think I’ll try and reschedule my appointment for tomorrow”

 

Brax could see the worry in her eyes and he gently pulled her into his embrace. “I’m sure everything is fine, Charlie”

 

“I’ll feel better when I know for sure”

 

“Know what for sure?”

 

Charlie looked over at the front door, her eldest daughter Ruby just arrived home. “That the kids haven’t drawn on any of my walls today” Charlie lied, she didn’t want to tell Ruby that she was concerned for the baby.

 

Ruby smiled. “Make sure you check the laundry. Olivia loves to take her crayons in there” She placed her bag down. “Are they all in bed?”

 

Brax let go of Charlie. “Yeah, finally”

 

“How was your night with Casey?” Charlie asked, she knew how much her daughter loved that boy.

 

Ruby grinned happily. “Great, we studied mostly, watched a movie”

 

“That good. Do you think you could watch the girls tomorrow for us?”

 

Ruby nodded. “Sure. Where are you two going?”

 

“We just have a couple of errands to run” Brax said as he glanced at Charlie. “How about an early night?”

 

Charlie glanced back at her reflection once more before nodding, an early night did sound good but she wasn’t sure how well she would sleep. “Yeah. Don’t stay up to late sweetheart” she kissed Ruby’s cheek. “Love you”

 

Ruby looked at her mother with a concerned gaze, she didn’t look too good but she knew better than to press for answers. “I love you too mum. Night Brax”

 

“Night Rubes”

 

…

 

“It says here this is your fifth pregnancy” Dr Nate Cooper read of the chart he was holding in his hands.

 

Charlie looked at the doctor from her place on the bed; Dr Cooper had replaced Sid Walker, the Doctor who had delivered her last three babies. “Yes. I have a sixteen year old” She squeezed Brax’s hand tightly. “Then we have Emmy who is nearly three, Olivia who is nearly two and Faith who is nearly one”

 

Nate looked up from the chart with a smile. “You had your last three close together”

 

Charlie nodded. “We want them to grow up together. This baby…” She placed her hand over her stomach. “Will be our last”

 

Nate sat down on the stool and rolled towards the bed. “And am I correct in staying you have some concerns?”

 

“Yes. It’s just…well, I…”

 

Brax interrupted when he noticed Charlie was stuttering and staring at her stomach. “We’re a little concerned. Charlie should only be roughly nine weeks and she is already showing and it can be quiet noticeable in certain clothes which we found out this morning. She never really started showing until around fifteen weeks with our girls”

 

Nate grabbed the gel off the shelf as Charlie pulled her top up a little. “It could be nothing but we’ll take a look anyway. You might just be showing earlier as this is your fifth pregnancy. This will be cold” He warned as he placed a couple of droplets of gel onto her stomach before turning the machine on.

 

“What else could cause me to show early though?” Charlie asked.

 

Nate grabbed the transducer and smiled at her reassuringly. “Don’t stress about anything until I have done the scan. It could be nothing” He tilted the screen away from her slightly so she couldn’t see what was happening, it was purely so if he did find something concerning she wouldn’t see it until he told her. “Okay. I am going to take a couple of measurements and make sure everything is going alright. As far as your other pregnancies are concerned were there any complications during the pregnancy?”

 

Charlie bit her bottom lip, squeezing Brax’s hand tightly as she tried to think back. “Um…”

 

“Nothing out of the ordinary. Olivia was breech so they did an emergency c-section but other than that Charlie had smooth sailing pregnancies”

 

“Good. Good” Nate leaned forward closer to the screen. “When did you estimate you feel pregnant?”

 

Charlie glanced at him. “About nine weeks ago”

 

Nate snapped a few measurements. “You’re further along than that…” His eyes went wider. “Umm…” He pulled the transducer away from Charlie’s stomach. “I’ll be right back”

 

Charlie’s eyes widened with fear. “What’s wrong?”

 

Brax saw the panic rising in Charlie and he could only imagine that it was worse than what he was feeling. “Doc?”

 

Nate smiled. “Try to remain calm. I just need to get a nurse” Nate walked out of the room.

 

“Brax” Charlie called his name weakly.

 

Brax moved closer to his wife, holding her hand tightly. “I’m right here baby. Everything is going to be okay”

 

“You don’t know that”

 

Brax lifted her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “Whatever it is, we will deal with it together”

 

“Sorry about that. This is Hannah, one of our new nurses” Nate sat back down on the stool and grabbed the transducer again.

 

Hannah smiled at Charlie. “How are you doing?”

 

“I’m worried”

 

“Here we go” Nate motioned to Hannah. “Can you see what I see?”

 

Hannah grinned, patting Charlie’s leg with her right hand. “I can”

 

“What is it?” Brax questioned, his heart was racing.

 

Hannah turned to the couple. “It looks like you are expecting not just one baby but three. Triplets”

 

Nate turned the screen back towards Charlie and Brax. “This is baby a, b and c. Growing an exceptional rate. You’re almost twelve weeks along”

 

“What? How is that…How is that possible?” Her face paled. Triplets didn’t run in her family or Brax’s. “Are you sure?” She asked weakly.

 

Hannah nodded. “Yes. You’re expecting triplets”

 

“Trip, trip…triplets” Brax’s eyes rolled backwards as he fainted and fell out of the chair.

 

Charlie snapped out of her daze when she felt Brax’s hand slip from hers and she heard the thud of him hitting the floor. “Oh not this again. He fainted when I gave birth to Emmy” She shook her head. “Brax. Brax”

 

Hannah walked around and leaned down to check on him. “He’s okay. Should wake up in a few minutes”

 

Charlie exhaled. “Triplets. Triplets were not in the plan”

 

…

 

Charlie sat on the couch with Faith snuggled in her arms; she gently rubbed the baby’s back as she watched Brax who was drawing on the floor with Emmy and Olivia. She couldn’t imagine what life would be like when the triplets were here, things were already hectic and the plan would be to have one more. One more would have been plenty but three babies; the idea of suddenly having three more babies in the house was making her head spin.

 

“Charlie, are you okay?”

 

“Mama?”

 

Charlie glanced down at Brax and the girls. “I’m fine, Emmy” Charlie smiled at the nearly three year old before turning to look at her husband. “What are we going to do? How are we going to cope?” By the time the triplets arrived, Emmy would be three, Olivia two and Faith one. She would go from having three children to six children under four. It terrified her. She didn’t know how she would cope with that.

 

Brax handed a crayon to Olivia. “We’ll manage Charlie. We’ll be okay”

 

Charlie placed a hand on her stomach. “Three babies. Three little babies. This isn’t what we planned for Brax”

 

“I know” He stood up and gently took Faith from her lap, placing her on the floor beside her sisters before he gathered Charlie in his arms. “It’s not what we were expecting, what we planned or what we hoped for but this is a good thing Charlie. We have been blessed with not one baby but three. We will make this work. I promise you” He kissed her forehead. “I love you”

 

“I love you too Brax”

 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ruby came out of the kitchen with a glass of water, her eyes on her mother who looked like she was about to come crumbling down in a matter of moments.

 

“Ruby!” Emmy shouted.

 

“’Uby” Faith held her arms up.

 

Ruby gathered her younger sister in her arms before taking a seat in the arm chair, staring at her mother and Brax for answers. “What’s the matter? Is it the baby?”

 

Brax felt Charlie cling to him tighter so he took it upon himself to tell his stepdaughter. “Ruby, your mother and I went for an ultrasound today…”

 

“Is everything alright?” Ruby panicked.

 

“Everything is fine” Brax smiled. “It’s just we found out your mother is expecting, we’ll be are due to have triplets in six months’ time”

 

“Triplets?” Ruby’s jaw dropped. “You’re having three babies?”

 

Charlie nodded, her hands shaking. “Yes”

 

Ruby stood up from her chair, placing Faith in it before flinging her arms around her mother and Brax. “Congratulations. This is so exciting”

 

“You’re happy?” Charlie questioned. Ruby had been thirteen when they had Emmy, and back then she had been a jealous teenager. Over the years, she had mellowed out and loved her little sisters but she had thought the idea of having more children was crazy.

 

Ruby grinned as she pulled back from her parents. “I know. I know I said I didn’t think having another baby was a good idea but this is amazing. I guess it was meant to be. You never know maybe you’ll have three boys”

 

Brax snorted. “Knowing my luck, they’ll be another three girls”

 

Charlie poked him in the side. “And you’ll spoil them rotten like you do these four”

 

Brax smirked. “You know it”

 

“I can’t believe I am about to become a big sister to three more little ones” Ruby looked over at the three little girls on the carpet. “Are you three excited? You’re going to be big sisters”

 

Emmy smiled. “I am Ruby. So is Livvy”

 

Ruby rolled her eyes and picked up Faith. “You can share my excitement Faith. You’re about to be a big sister” Ruby twirled around in a circle with the little girl in her arms.

 

Brax leaned down to whisper in Charlie’s ear. “See baby, it’s all going to be okay”

 

Charlie leaned into Brax. “You say that now. Wait til you see the bills I’m about to get from babies r us” She giggled when she saw Brax’s face pale slightly as he envisioned all the money she was about to spend.

 

…

 

“Mama, drink” Harley reached for his sippy cup.

 

“Here you go, Harley” Charlie passed the boy his blue cup as she sat down on the chair with Faith.

 

Bianca ran her hands through the boys’ blonde hair. “What do you say to Auntie Charlie?”

 

Harley took a long sip before looking at his Aunt. “Tank-you”

 

Charlie smiled. “You’re welcome sweetheart”

 

“How are you feeling?” Bianca asked, looking at Charlie.

 

Charlie placed her hand on her growing bump, she was almost twenty one weeks and growing rapidly. They had yet to announce to the rest of the family that they would be welcoming triplets into the world and family but after finding out the gender a week ago they had chosen today to reveal the genders and the big announcement of triplets. “I’m fine. Tired”

 

“Tired” Faith repeated.

 

Charlie ran her fingers through Faith’s hair as the little girl snuggled in closer. “How are you doing?”

 

Bianca kissed the top of Harley’s head. “Better. We’ve agreed to try”

 

Charlie placed her hand on Bianca’s arm; she knew how tough it would be for her friend. “You’re a great mother Bee, if you do have another child they will be incredibly lucky”

 

“Oh I know” Bianca winked, laughing.

 

“Auntie Charlie, when are you going to tell us what the baby is?” Darcy plopped down beside Bianca.

 

Charlie smiled, looking around to make sure all the family was around. Emmy and Olivia were napping but they already knew. Ruby was playing cricket with Casey, Kyle, April and Heath. “I think we can do it now, just grab your Uncle Brax from inside”

 

“Okay” Darcy darted off towards the house.

 

“Did you speak to Darce about having another baby?” Charlie questioned.

 

Bianca nodded. “She is ecstatic about the idea of potentially becoming a big sister again. She has been nagging since you had Faith”

 

“I hear we are making the announcement now” Brax said as he approached the table with Darcy over his shoulder.

 

Charlie smiled. “We are. Everyone gather round” Charlie called out loudly.

 

“Is it time?” Ruby questioned.

 

“Yup. See those boxes over there” Brax pointed to the three large brown boxes.

 

“Oh do one of them contain the gender?” Bianca questioned.

 

Charlie didn’t correct her friend, she just smiled. “Ruby, April, Darcy. Why don’t you open the boxes and find out the gender”

 

The shrieking and shouting was loud.
As the girls ran over and opened the boxes, pink balloons few out of the two boxes on the end while blue balloons few out of the one in the middle.

 

“Triplets?”

 

“You’re having triplets?”

 

“Oh my god”

 

“Three more to add to the Braxton clan”

 

Charlie couldn’t focus on who was saying what but she smiled at their excitement. “The Braxton’s are welcoming triplets”

 

“So that’s why you’re so huge”

 

“Heath!” April smacked him on the back of the head.

 

“Geez dad you can’t say that!” Darcy wagged her finger.

 

“Unless you want to lose an arm” Charlie raised her eyebrow.

 

Heath held up his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Sorry. But seriously…triplets?”

 

Brax grinned. “Yup! Three perfectly healthy babies”

 

…

 

“Can you believe it?” Charlie questioned as she sat in the hospital bed, her three babies lying in front of her. Two perfectly healthy girls and one handsome boy. “They are perfect”

 

Brax kissed Charlie on the head, his finger being gripped tightly by his newborn son. “We have a son Charlie. A little boy”

 

“You didn’t think we would ever get one of those, did you?” Charlie teased.

 

Brax shook his head. “I thought I was destined for all daughters” He looked up when he heard the rustling at the door. “Speaking of”

 

“Hey, sorry we are late. Livvy wanted a long nap today, didn’t you Olivia?”

 

Olivia grinned. “Yup. Daddy, babies”

 

“You want to see the babies?” He questioned.

 

“Yes” The girls chanted.

 

Ruby approached the bed with Faith in her arms. “Oh, look at them. They are adorable” Ruby ran her fingers along the little girl’s cheeks.

 

“Mama” Faith reached for Charlie.

 

“Come here baby” Charlie took her daughter from Ruby’s arms.

 

Ruby looked down at her sister. “You be careful of mama”

 

“Me am” Faith said as she cuddled closer to her mother.

 

“Daddy, what are their names?” Emmy questioned, leaning up on her tippy toes to peak at her new siblings.

 

Brax looked at Charlie who was whispering to Faith. “Do you want to tell them or should I?”

 

Charlie looked up; she could see the light in Brax’s eyes. He was so excited to have three new babies that she found it absolutely adorable. “You can”

 

Brax adjusted Olivia on his hip and pointed to his daughter closest to Ruby. “This little one is Rosie” He watched Emmy closely as she placed a small kiss on the baby’s cheek.

 

“Hi Rosie. I’m Emmy”

 

“You’re little brother is Phillip” He leaned down so Olivia could take a closer look.

 

“Hi ‘Hilli”

 

He smiled at his daughter; Olivia still had trouble with her P’s. “And the little one you are holding Ruby, is Hannah Ruby Braxton”

 

Ruby looked down at the little baby in her arms. “Oh my, you are named after the most awesome big sister ever” She kissed her Hannah’s tiny nose before looking at her mother. “Thankyou mum”

 

Charlie smiled; she wanted Ruby to continue to feel as important as she has always been. “You’re welcome baby girl”

 

Ruby glance at Brax. “Thank-you Br...Dad”

 

Emmy gasped. “Daddy! Ruby called you dad!”

 

Brax crossed the room to wrap his arms around Ruby. “I love you Rubes”

 

Ruby smiled. “I love you too”

 

Charlie stared around the room at her family, her heart filled with love as she cuddled Faith tighter in her arms. Her family was finally complete and the filling of happiness and love filled her heart. Seven daughters and one son. It was perfect.

 

Brax looked across the room at Charlie, she was staring at him. He couldn’t imagine what his life would be had he never met her. “I love you” He mouthed. She had made him the happiest man in the word and together they had completed their family.

 

^..^

 

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