As Long As I Have You

[callyha]

Thank you so much guys! The comments are soooo lovely to read and I love reading them and I'm so glad that you are enjoying this. Danni, cb2180, Sarah, Charlie&Brax_lover, Samantha28 (you'll have to wait to find out who the baby's dad is ) and Carina

rape written in chapter, nothing too graphic, but its still in this chapter

Chapter 28

Ruby placed the keys on the counter where Sally would see them when she walked by, and then walked back out of the canteen. She soon found herself in the reception area and lost as to where to look first. scratching her head as she tried to think, she happened to glance out of the glass doors and see the back view of someone who resembled Charlie. Smiling softly to herself, Ruby walked parallel with the windows until she found the door which led to the garden where Charlie was. Approaching her slowly, Ruby nervously took a breath is as she went to tap the woman on her shoulder

"Excuse me" Ruby said as her hand touched the woman's shoulder. Ruby gulped, hoping she hadn't made a mistake and gone to a complete stranger "charlie" Ruby smiled with relief when she saw the woman was Charlie "What's wrong?" Ruby asked, noticing Charlie was in tears "I haven't made you like this have I?" Ruby asked, feeling guilty

"No" Charlie sniffed "Of course you haven't" Charlie wiped her face from her tears

"What is it then?" Ruby asked as she and Charlie took a seat on the bench

"I've never spoken about this to anyone before; well, nothing too detailed -and its just, its harder than I thought" Charlie bit her lip to stop more tears falling

"I'm sorry" Ruby replied "I just, I guess after I was told that I was adopted, something in my head exploded and I just had to find you" Ruby continued "Mum and dad told me that you were fourteen when you had me and that your name was Charlotte. I didn't have much to go on, so actually talking to you right now, sitting beside my biological mother is something I never thought I'd be doing" Ruby turned to face Charlie "There is just so much I want to know. I know dan and Issy are my brother and sister -they always will be - but, I've never fitted in with them, I'm a total outcast and I thought, finding you would help me piece the missing parts together" A tear rolled down Ruby's face

Unsure as to it been a happy tear or a sad tear, Charlie offered Ruby a tissue before she went to speak "I'm an only child" Charlie began "My mum was told she was unable to have children so when I came along, she was unbelievably happy" Charlie smiled at the memory of her mother "She was diagnosed with cancer and that was hard fro me and my dad; we were all so close and the prospect of been ripped apart was horrible. Mum did when I was your age; my dad fell apart and I could barely face any day" Charlie sniffed as she wiped a lone tear from her cheek

"Charlie" Ruby said sympathetically and she placed her hand on Charlie's "I'm so sorry. YOu then lost your dad a few months after having me, didn't you?"

"Yea" Charlie answered. Tears in her eyes made her visabiltiy difficult "I have an aunt, but she lives thousands of miles away now so-"

"What about my dad?" Ruby asked "Been told he isn't a nice man isn't much to go on" Ruby added "Casey has told me that Brax's boss Angelo isn't a nice guy, yet you are with him"

"I'm not with him. I hate him, I just want to get away form him" Charlie snapped, forgetting for a moment that she was talking to a thirteen year old girl "I'm sorry" Charlie said as she realised

"Is that how you feel about him? My dad?" Ruby asked

"Ruby- if I tell you about him its not going to make you feel any better about yourself" Charlie explained to Ruby

"Its not enough" Ruby shook her head "Please Charlie, just tell me" Ruby pleaded

Charlie closed her eyes as a tear rolled down her face slowly. Flashes of that night appeared in her mind; the sights, the sounds, the smells, the screams, the evil grin on his face, the bruises on her arms, the shame. Everything came back to her."I er, I went to beach party with my friends and boyfriend at the time" Charlie began

Laughter filled the night sky as Charlie, Grant, Lola, Ashley and Sadie walked along the beach to where a crowd of kids had gathered, jumping with their arms in the air as the music blared out of the speakers. Lola found Harvey in the crowd as Ashley took Saide and began to dance with her. Charlie held back, her mother had only died a few months back and she felt going out and having too much fun would make her a bad daughter for not thinking about her mother. Grant placed his hands on Charlie's small waist and placed a soft kiss on her lips

"I don't like seeing you sad" He spoke, his voice soft. Charlie looked into Grant's eyes before she looked away to the crowd of her school friends. Grant took her hand and dragged her away from the crowd "Just you and me" He smiled as he put Charlie's arms around his neck and placed his around her. The music was still heard form where they were and so they dance, on their own private piece of sand.

Not knowing how long there were away from the rest of the crowd, Charlie began to want to go back. She looked to Grant before she moved her arms from his neck. Grant shook his head and held on to her more tightly, Charlie resisted and tried to breakaway from his firm grip "Grant please" Charlie panicked as the look in his eyes changed "Grant you're scaring me" Charlie struggled more as she tried to free herself from him, but to no avail; he held on to her more tightly, ignoring her pleas for him to stop. He slapped her on the face to try and shut her up, she grasped her cheek as it burn. She felt the sand on her back "Grant no!" Charlie screamed as she tried to stop Grant from removing her trousers and underwear "No!" Grant held Charlie's arm more tightly, Charlie winced in pain

Charlie wiped the tears from her face "He wouldn't stop, and I remember thinking, that no one would know what was happening"

Ruby wiped her own tears form her face "He raped you?" Ruby asked, feeling sick to her stomach

"Yea" Charlie replied, not looking to Ruby in fear of her leaving "I'm sorry Ruby"

"Why are you sorry? Its not your fault" Ruby's mature side shone through "I can see why you didn't want to tell me" Ruby said, her head filled to the brim "But, why did you want to keep me? Surely I would have reminded you of him?"

"You didn't "Charlie replied quickly "I knew there was a high chance of you looking like him, but I knew it wasn't the baby's fault" Charlie looked to Ruby "It wasn't my fault either, by at the time I did blame myself. Abortion and adoption were two things that never ever entered my mind at the time" Charlie continued "The bigger I got with you, the more I wanted to keep you. Then my dad suggests that I have you adopted. I didn't want that, but been a minor, I had no choice" Charlie wiped away another few tears from her dampened cheek "My dad explained everything to me and that's when I realised, I couldn't look after you and give you everything that you needed. I loved you, more than anything I loved you, but sometimes that's. its just not enough"

~*~

Bianca found Charlie sat on the chair in the hall, out front of Angelo and Brax's doors. Spending near one two hours looking for Charlie after she ran out of the canteen. Once again Charlie stared at the doors infront of her; this time Bianca fully knew why she couldn't bring herself to go into either room.

"Charlie" Bianca spoke as she walked closer to her friend "Hey" she smiled as Charlie slowly moved her head round to look to her friend "I was worried about you, you just ran out" Bianca lowered herself down beside Charlie, resting on her knees

"Ruby found me" Charlie replied, keeping her eyes firmly on the doors infront "She asked me about her dad and once I started, I couldn't stop" Charlie shook her head as a tear rolled down her face "She knows I was raped -I don't know if I should have told a thirteen year old that, the look on her face, it was awful" Charlie wiped her face as she realised she could have changed everything between her and Ruby and Sally

"No, Ruby wanted to know the truth" Bianca placed her hand on Charlie's "You just told her that"

"But she has gone from finding out that I was fourteen to finding out she was concieved after something so horrible. No teenager should have to be told that"

"But you had to go through that alone; Ruby isn't alone, she has her family with her. You we're alone and had to cope with it" Bianca explained "You only told her the truth, and the truth does hurt"

"But she's so young" Charlie cried

"So were you, and it was worse for you. You will never forget what happened to you, nothing will ever change what happened-"

"But she knows that that she is the product of-"

"Nah" Bianca cut in "she has a dad, and from what I've heard, he's the best she could get"

"That still doesn't change anything though" Charlie looked to Bianca, the tears less frequent but still very much there

"Come on, we're off for a walk" Bianca said as she rose to her feet and wiped her kness from the bits she had picked up from the ground

"But Brax-"

"Will still be there when we get back. I'm just worried that you haven't seen daylight for nearly two days"

~*~

Heath and Casey burst through the doors of the hospital, taking the woman behind the desk by surprise as she jumped slightly when Heath slammed his hand down on the desk. Placing her hand over her chest, she could feel her heart beating fast, nearly out of her chest.

"Can I help you?" She asked, looking unamused to Heath and Casey

"I'm Heath Braxton and this is Casey. Our brother is in here somewhere" Heath replied as he put his arm around Casey's shoulder

"A Mr. Darryl Braxton?" Heath nodded "Down the corridor, first right, second left and the third door on the left"

"Cheers" Heath gave the woman a thumbs up before he led Casey down the corridor and turning to the right.

"Second left Heath" Casey said as Heath looked to the sign in front of him

"Yea, alright" Heath snapped as he looked to his younger brother, who took a step back "Look, I'm sorry mate? I just hate hospitals"

"Everyone does Heath, not just you" Casey retorted as he shrugged Heath's hand off his shoulder and headed toward the door where Brax's room was. He opened the door and walked in. eath followed close behind and saw the tubes and machines hoooked up to his brother. Bruising on his face, arms and torso were angry and the cuts he sustained were even angrier "Brax?" Casey said as a tear rolled down his face "Brax, its Casey and Heath" Casey continued as he placed his hand near Brax's

"Why you talking to him? He aint gonna wake up and talk to ya, he's in a comma" Heath mocked Casey as he leant against the wall

"Its a coma, and the doctors say talking to them helps" Casey said to Heath as he looked to him

"How does it help? He can't talk back to you" Heath pointed out as he looked to his comatose brother and then to Casey

"Because, its the sound of something familiar. Loads of people have woken up after having family talk to them"

"I don't see how mate; Brax has been laid like that for hours now, he hasn't moved a muscle. No way is he gonna wake up just coz you're talking to him" Heath shook his head, he didn't believe in the pyschosics talking

"Then why are you here Heath? If you think he is as good as dead, why are you here?" Casey raised his voice as he walked over to Heath "You've given up on him. He would never give up on you if you were laying there, fighting to stay alive" Casey shouted as he pointed to his brother, laying in the bed

"Coz I'm scared alright!" Heath shouted back "I'm terrified of losing him" Heath lowered his voice back down to normal and sat on the end of the bed "Brax has always been there, he's had my back for so long, he's looked after you, mum and even me since dad died" Heath scratched his head "You really think I don't care about my brother? I would do anything I could to get him to wake up and to be alright, but I can't look at him like this. He only did this fight to save you and mum - and he could die" Heath punched the bed table "I'd talk to him for the rest of my life; but I just can't look at him like this" Heath shook his head as she glanced to Brax

"Don't talk to him then. Just be here" Casey suggested

"I'll try mate. I'll try" Heath replied as he ruffled Casey hair, watching him as he re-took Brax's hand and sat, staring at him watching and waiting for any sings that he was waking up.

[Danni02]

Wow Charlie told Ruby. Well I guess she would have found out at one point. Loved the little Charlie and Bianca bit. She's such a good friend always being there for her Aww Heath, that was pretty sweet.

Update soon

[Inactive User]

Great chapter Well done Update soon xx

[Charlie&Brax_lover]

That chapter was really cute especially the Braxton brothers scene at the end.

Looking forward to your next update

[soph1303]

Wow great two updates and really well written,

Felt incredibly sorry for both Charlie and Ruby over both updates!!

More soon please

[totally]

That was a really nice chapter, I am glad Charlie told Ruby. I hope they can have some kind of relationship although it will be though. Heath is scared to death to lose Brax, so is Casey, but Heath is hiding it. I feel so sorry for them, for Charlie as well. It sure is not easy for her, I hope she can get a break soon and find some sort of happiness, because she must feel so down at the moment.

Really well done, I can't wait to read more! I love this story.

[callyha]

Thank you everyone for commenting Danni, Sarah, Charlie&Brax_Lover, soph1303 & totally glad you are liking this! I hope this doesn't disapoint

Chapter 29

It had been one week since Charlie had met face to face with the woman who adopted her baby, and things had gone really quiet. Charlie was unsure as the why they had gone quiet. She feared they had heard something they didn't like and decided to keep themselves as far away from her as possibile. Leah, Marilyn and Roo all rallied round to help and support Charlie -Bianca had gone back to they bay one night whilst Charlie remained at the hospital, she told everyone about Sally and Ruby; Charlie had sworn her to secracy over her pregnancy.

Charlie wasn't the only one who spent more time at the hospital; Casey and Heath spent a lot of their spare time there too: Casey would be there first thing in a morning and straight after school, but he sat in the room with Brax, where as Charlie sat in the corridor, looking to the wall which made the waiting seem even more boring. Heath did go to the hospital as well, but just not as often as Casey.

~*~

It was the ninth day after Brax and Angelo had been hospitalized and Brax's room was the one that was full. Casey and Heath sat either side of Brax, not knowing how long they had been with their brother, but knowing that them been there was somehow comforting to him. Heath finally came around to the idea of talking to a comatose person, after Casey had persisted on telling him how much it helped and how much better he would feel. Yet, silence was in the room, only masked by the insessant beeping of the machine which monitored Brax's recovery. Sighing heavily as boredom set in, Heath rose to his feet and walked around the room.

Casey never moved from the position he was in. He kept a firm gaze on Brax's face, waiting for any clue as to him regaining conciousness. His hand lost within Brax's as he hoped to feel movement from one of Brax's fingers, a grasp of the hand or something. Heath looked to his younger brother and shook his head; talking to Brax was one thing, but sitting with him for hours at a time was something he never did when he was awake and moving.

"I'm off to the canteen for some grub, you coming?" Heath asked Casey as he headed for the door

"No. I'm gonna stay with him" Casey shook his head, never losing eye contact with Brax

"He isn't going anywhere Case, sitting here isn't gonna do you or Brax any good" Heath replied, not moving from where he was stood "Just come down for ten minutes"

Casey sighed "Ten minutes thats it" he said as he placed Brax's hand back down on the bed and walked over to Heath

"Sure thing" Heath smiled as he patted Casey on the back, opening the door with his other hand

"I need to phone Ruby actually" Casey said as he led the way to the canteen "I haven't spoken to her since the fight at the club and she stayed here and I went home" Casey continued as he and Heath walked past two woman who walked down the corridor and headed to the two doors. Heath looked behind him and follwed the woman with his eyes, taking in both woman's beauty.

"You don't have to stay with me you know" Charlie said to Bianca ask Bianca sat on the chair, leaving Charlie to lean against the wall

"You really think I'm going to leave you after the amount of things you've just gone through?" Bianca replied "No, I'm staying right here until things sort themselves out"

"But that's just the thing: things will never sort themselves out. Excluding the fact that one of these two is the father of my baby, I have Ruby in my life now. How does she fit into this mess I call my life? I don't expect her to want to live with me, spend every single day together and try and have a relationship straight way" Charlie shook her head; in a short space of time, she had gone from a life which she hated to a life that was just too chaotic for her to cope with. she found herself wishing for the days when Angelo's remarks about how much she drank

"I think the relationship you will have with her now is more like friends. She already has a mother, and I know you well enough to know that you wont want to push Sally aside" Bianca replied

"I never thought I'd see Sally again" Charlie shook her head in disbelief "I didn't stay here, in the Bay as a sure way that I'd one day meet the daughter I gave up"

"I know that Charlie" Bianca replied "I think you are putting way too much thought into this"

"What if I'm not?" Charlie asked "I mean, what if Ruby never wants to see me again? I don't think I could handle hearing those words come from her, but I know I have no right to ask her to stay in my life; I gave that right up the day I gave her up" Charlie looked to the ground in hope of keeping the tears in her eyes "and what if she wants everything to do with me? how do I fit into her life? she had a mum, a dad, a brother and a sister"

"I think you'll have to sort that out when and if the occasion arises. But for now, focus on your baby" Bianca said as she offered a comforting hug to Charlie, who gladly accepted

~*~

Ruby and Sally entered their house in the same silence they had travelled back from the Bay in. Tiredness and shock were mainly the reasons for their uncharacterisic silence. Finding the sofa empty, Ruby lowered herself slowly to the softness that awaited her. She soon turned from sitting to laying down and she closed her eyes, reflecting on the information she had recieved in such a short space of time.

She now fully understood why Charlie gave her up as a baby; and she agreed, love just wasn't enough for Charlie to keep Ruby and raise her. Ruby found herself respecting Charlie for the decision she made over a decade ago, and grateful to her for finding her such a loving family.

"Mum" Ruby said as she sat herself up

"Yea?" Sally replied as she walked into the front room

"I want to see Charlie again" Ruby said "I can't only go so far with this, and then give up. She's the woman who gave me so much" Sally looked at Ruby confused "I mean she gave me to you guys; she may have had me adopted out and away from her, but she made sure I would have everything that she couldn't give me and the one thing that she knew she could" Ruby smiled "I don't want you and dad to think that now I've found my birth mum I'm going to leave you and live with her, because I'm not. But I would love her to be in my life, and I want to be in her life. I just don't know what as though"

"Ruby, you've only had a week to try and get your head around everything, are you sure you know what you want to do?" Sally replied as she took a seat beside Ruby

"I don' think I will ever get my head around this if I keep putting off going back to see Charlie" Ruby replied "She's probably thinking I want nothing to do with her, we left so fast and haven't spoken to her since. We haven't thought about how she's feeling" Ruby felt ashamed of herself for how she had acted over the last week

"Ruby-"

"I think we should take dad. And Dan and Issy to meet her"

"Dan and Issy haven't got anything to do with Charlie though Ruby" Sally said quickly "Why would Charlie want to meet them"

"Because they are my family and I want Charlie to be apart of it somehow" Ruby replied "Why are you trying to put things down?" Ruby asked as she looked to her mother

"Because I'm scared of loosing you Ruby!" Sally cried "You've met you biological mother and you already have that connection with her. The last time I saw that you had just been delivered and were placed on her chest. The same look was in Charlie's eyes when she looked at you the other week; the look of love, she had that in her eyes on your birth date" tears fell from Sally eyes -the first time Ruby had seen Sally cry

"Oh mum" Ruby said softly as she inched closed to Sally "You'll never loose me. I'm your daughter" Ruby placed her arms around Sally, just as Dan, Issy and Paul came home.

"I told you her liked her; it was just so obvious. And I can't believe they got caught at the back of the bike sh-" Issy stopped talking as she saw Dan and her dad looking into the front room

"Sal?" Paul said as he walked over to his wife and younger daughter "You okay?"

"Yea. Yea we're fine" Sally smiled as she and Ruby pulled apart

"Well, if you're crying and hugging Ruby, you're not okay mum" Issy answered sarcastically as she and Dan walked into the room and sat side by side on the smaller sofa

"Dad, Issy, Dan" Ruby spoke, looking to each person when she said their name "You know that for the last few weeks I've been looking for my biological mum"

"Yea" Paul replied, looking worringly to Sally as Dan and Issy took each other's hands

"I've found her. She lives in Summer Bay and I've spent some time with her. I saw her last week and I want you guys to meet her" Ruby looked around to her shocked family. Their mouth wide open as they looked back to Ruby. Ruby held her breath and waited for a response.

[Charlie&Brax_lover]

Another great chapter!

Ruby and her family are so cute , hope to see more of Charlie and ruby

Thanks for the update ant wait for your next xx

[Charlie&Brax_lover]

Another great chapter!

Ruby and her family are so cute , hope to see more of Charlie and ruby

Thanks for the update cant wait for your next xx

[Danni02]

Great update. I hope Brax is going to be okay. It's so sweet of Bianca to be there for Charlie all the time. Ruby and her family are cute and I know that Charlie gave her up but I can't help but feel she should be with her! I hope they can have some sort of relationship though.

Update soon