Shadow of the Day

[beebee]

I'm with Danni02 ... don't know if I can read all this sadness lol

I feel sorry for Brax ... and Jade too ... can't believe Ruby is being the way she is or that she took Jades card from Charlies grave

I really hope that Ruby doesn't stand in the was of Brax adopting Jade ... I think that everyone, Ruby included, has been through enough!!

Update soon x

[soph1303]

Great update,

It's all making sense now about jade, but poor Charlie for what she had to go through again !!

More soon please

[Inactive User]

Such a amazing and touching chapter you ever had written! So sad

More soon please xx

[mizziette]

Thanks to everyone for commenting

ELEVEN

Ruby and Xavier were all smiles as they sipped their surf club milkshakes walking down the beach. They had spent the entire day together as intended and it was surprisingly present. Ruby put her hand around Xavier’s arm as they walked, leaning her head against his shoulder. ‘I can’t believe you’ve gotten so bad at pool. I totally just smashed you like four times.’

‘Oh come on, I was letting you win,’ Xavier laughed. ‘It’s the first time we’ve played pool together in years. I was being nice,’

‘Don’t be a sore loser Xav, I beat you fair and square,’ Ruby giggled and started walking backwards ahead of him. ‘You’re just lucky we weren’t playing for money, Oh!’

Xavier caught her in time as she tripped over a seated VJ and nearly fell on top of him. His hands on her arms, he lifted Ruby upright. She fell forwards too far and straight into Xavier’s arms. Their breaths mingled, faces awkwardly close to each other. Ruby whispered, ‘Thanks,’

‘I’m okay, thanks for asking,’ VJ waved at the two of them and Xavier and Ruby instantly moved apart and focused their attention on the seated boy. ‘It’s not like you tripped over me or anything,’

‘Sorry VJ, I wasn’t looking where I was going,’ Ruby apologized. Of course she hadn’t been looking, she’d been walking backwards.

‘How’s it going mate? Bet you’re glad high school’s a goner huh?’ Xavier tried to forget the minty smell of Ruby’s breath against his as he changed the subject a little too abruptly.

VJ just shrugged. ‘I guess,’

‘Aw, what’s wrong?’ Ruby could tell by the look on VJ’s face that something was the matter.

VJ shrugged again, ‘I got accepted into a volunteer program with the aquarium, helping with whale research and rehabilitation in the pacific.’

‘But that’s awesome,’ Xavier was genuinely happy for him. VJ had always taken after Elijah, always wanting to help people-and animals-; volunteering was just like him.

‘Mum wouldn’t think so,’ VJ admitted. ‘She’d probably lock me up in the house and never let me out. The jobs going to have me in the middle of the ocean for six months,’

‘I’m sure Leah would be happy for you,’ Ruby smiled reassuringly.

VJ smiled back. ‘Mum’s changed a bit since the last time you were here. Before, she was protective but…it’s more than that…after everything that’s happened, mum worries about me a lot more than she used to. She’d probably have a heart attack before I finish telling her,’

This was the precise reason VJ had put off informing Leah of his plans. He could only hope she wouldn’t take it too badly.

---

Lost memory is hard thing to find, especially, when one doesn’t know what to look for. It wasn’t like losing a sock in the laundry or an ear ring in the grass. Charlie couldn’t just get a magnifying glass and search to her heart’s content. The non-physical entity she had lost would not be found rummaging through the drawers. Charlie knew exactly where these lost thoughts were hiding- in her mind- the problem was, she didn’t know where. Not only that, but Charlie couldn’t pinpoint a solution. How was she to pry out such a thing?

The first few weeks of her handicap- because that’s what it felt like, a handicap- Charlie felt her memories trickle back to her slowly. It wasn’t until April, a good four months afterwards, that the seven missing years flooded back to her in the middle of the night, while asleep. Charlie had woken up the next morning with a full recollection of her life.

That same morning, Brax had woken up to a tortured scream. It belonged to Charlie. Casey and Heath- who had both still been living there- stepped out of their rooms to pinpoint the source of the scream. Brax, jumping out of his make shift bed on the couch found Charlie easy to locate; in his bedroom. The sight of Charlie’s wailing body, lying in bed crying was paining. Brax immediately rushed and rocked the wailing woman like a child. ‘It’s okay,’

‘I remember everything,’ it had been a good half hour before Charlie had been able to formulate comprehensible words. As she lay in Brax’ arms she couldn’t imagine ever forgetting him in the first place. Beneath her hands was a pregnant stomach, four months gone, and as Charlie stroked it aimlessly, all she could think of was that the little person inside of her held a little piece of Jake.

‘Don’t worry, beautiful,’ Brax would whisper into Charlie’s hair. He gently placed his hand on top of hers on the belly. ‘As far as I’m concerned, this baby’s as good as mine,’

This was the point in history Darryl Braxton had been dreaming of when he woke up one day over four years later, lying in his bed staring at the ceiling in the warmth of December. Brax had dreamed of the day their lives together had really begun. It was the day he had claimed Jade as his own. Funnily enough it had also been the date their second child had been due to be born three years later. Unfortunately, Brax’ first biological child had never seen the world. His fate lay with Charlie’s- stolen from this world too soon.

A few hours later, after Jade had been fed and occupied on her keyboard, Brax found himself as usual, drowning in his own self-pity; something he’d quite taken to doing ever in recent days. Ever since the argument with Ruby, he had been revelling in the comforts Charlie provided more readily and frequently.

For the twentieth time, the adoption papers sat in Brax’ hands ready to be ripped and his hands hovered over the bin. He stared at it and took a deep breath and just before the paper was about to tear, he loosened the grip and moved away from the bin. As usual, he didn’t have the heart. Brax didn’t want to do anything that would make Ruby uncomfortable and at the same time, this was something he wanted more than anything. It was a tough call.

Placing the creased adoption papers back in its drawer carefully, Brax took his beer and sighed as he sat back on the couch. His reputation had nearly caused him to lose guardianship - if it hadn’t been for Charlie’s will, Jade might’ve been with Morag- and now that same reputation haunted him in the form of Ruby’s intolerance.

‘She’ll come around, you’ll see,’ Charlie laid a hand on his shoulder as Brax took a mouthful of his beer. It had been much of the same for weeks since the fight with Ruby. He was torn between two Bucktons, Charlie’s two jewels, one who loved him like a father, one who thought him the bad guy, both of whom Brax loved and considered as his own children.

‘She’s never come around before,’ another swill from his bottle, this time was followed by a deep melancholy sigh.

‘There’s a first time for everything,’ Charlie sat on the arm of the couch, her arm around Brax’ shoulder, so he could lean in. The faint melody of Jade’s piano could be heard in her bedroom.

‘How’re you always so positive?’

‘Because you want me to be,’ Charlie’s answer was blunt. ‘You know, technically, if you think about it, I am you,’

‘I don’t like technicalities, eh,’ Brax knew she was right but he couldn’t admit it. For now, he could feel the tingle of Charlie’s fingers on his shoulder, her breath on his face, her voice music to his ears. Brax could touch Charlie, Brax could see Charlie, and he could even smell the strawberry scented perfume she always wore. Brax didn’t care that he may or may not be losing his mind; those little things were all that mattered.

[Inactive User]

Awesome chapter More soon please xx

[RoRo90]

This fic is slowly breaking my heart, She is actually dead

the love that Brax as for Charlie and Jade is expressed so well and even the love and respect he as for Ruby is portrayed to perfection

I really need Ruby to start coming around soon, because the way she treats Brax breaks my heart, cant she see how good he is with Jade. I really want (NEED) to know how Charlie died, was she pregnant for Brax when she dies? , because you mentioned...

'Funnily enough it had also been the date their second child had been due to be born three years later'

completely taken a back by this fic, your writting is too good for words

please update soon, eager to read more

[beebee]

It's starting to all come together

Hope Ruby starts being human towards Brax, instead of being a cow lol

Pls update soon xxx

[pembie]

Great two chapters.

I'm abit shocked about VJ's whale research program sounds interesting wonder if Leah will let him do it through.

I can understand Ruby's attitude towards Brax.

I thought Charlie's line to him (You know, technically, if you think about it, I am you.) was really eerie.

[soph1303]

Great update,

This story is rather chilling, but beautiful at the same time !!

More soon please

[mizziette]

Thank you for commenting,

TWELVE

Bianca, while onlooking Liam nursing his beloved guitar back to health, felt the guilt creep up on her. She hadn’t meant to smash the guitar on the floor, she hadn’t meant to smash anything in her room really, but damaging a musician’s guitar had been reckless of her. Bianca hadn’t been thinking, she wasn’t even in the right state of mind on her birthday weeks ago, but

Bianca Scott knew that she had hurt her husband’s feelings.

‘I’m so sorry,’ this was the reason she felt it necessary to apologise yet again.

Liam looked up from the couch where he’d been stringing the instrument back together. He smiled genuinely. ‘How many times do I have to tell you babe, you don’t have to apologise. Everyone needs to vent sometimes. After all we’ve been through; I get tempted to trash something every now and again too.’

But you don’t. I’m the unstable one; I’m the one that can’t handle it. The words went unsaid in Bianca’s mind. Instead she smiled back. ‘I mean it. I really didn’t mean to destroy your guitar.’

‘You didn’t destroy it. It’s fixable,’ Liam reassured Bianca as she sheepishly sat next to him on the couch. ‘Things are going to get better, you know,’

There’s that optimism again. Liam thought her meltdown had been about babies. It had been, but it was also so much more. There was so much in Bianca’s mind that Liam Murphy wouldn’t even suspect of. So much darkness she wanted to expend of, but was too afraid to. Like Charlie. ‘Babe, about my birthday…’

‘What about it?’ Liam continued to mend his guitar strings, barely even glancing up at her. Bianca silently pleaded for him to understand the severity of the impending conversation.

‘Liam,’ Bianca whispered as she touched his forearm. ‘The infertility wasn’t the only reason I lost it the other day,’

This time Liam had her full attention. With his hands still on his precious guitar, he glanced up at Bianca and looked at her properly for the first time. ‘Babe, what is it? You know you can tell me anything,’

‘It…It’s my fault…that…’ Bianca couldn’t get the words out. Every word felt like fire on her tongue. ‘I was…’

‘Bianca, it’s okay. You can tell me anything,’ Liam too Bianca’s hands in his and turned his body towards her. The concern in his eyes was heart-warming.

Faced with the reality of Liam, Bianca couldn’t go through with it. How she to tell this man, the man that she had vowed to spend eternity with, that it was all her fault? How was she to tell Liam about Charlie? Bianca wiped away the serious demeanour on her face and replaced it with a well-practiced smile.

‘I guess I’m still having a hard time coming to terms with my miscarriages.’ Technically not a lie but not the whole truth either.

This was clearly not what Bianca had wanted to tell Liam but he smiled reassuringly anyway. If it was one thing he knew, it was heart-ache. Once years ago and another time earlier this year, they had lost children. The second time, Bianca had been nearly five months pregnant. ‘I know it’s hard, it’s hard for me too. We got each other okay? You can talk to me about anything,’

‘I know,’ Bianca nodded, even though she didn’t. She had chickened out. Instead of dwelling though, Bianca looked at the hanging clock. ‘It’s time again,’

Liam glanced at the clock as well. Placing his guitar on the floor, he stood up and held his hand out to Bianca. She received it gracefully and they went to the bathroom together. ‘Are you ready?’

‘Of course,’ she had been ready for years. While Liam prepared the hormone injection, Bianca exposed her thigh to be prodded. And then, it went in quickly and painlessly.

While Liam administered the meds, he decided to speak to her about something that had been weighing on his mind for a while. ‘I’ve been thinking maybe we should take a little break from this for a while,’

Panic rose into Bianca’s eyes as Liam cleared up. She put her skirt back down to her knee and stood up. Her voice shook. ‘I thought you wanted this. You just said…’

‘I know, I want this more than anything, babe,’ Liam rubbed her arms gently. ‘I just think we need a real holiday without all the stress and pressure. Christmas is soon; just think about it okay,’

Liam kissed her softly on the lips. When he leaned back to look at her, Bianca smiled painstakingly. ‘I’ll think about it,’

Jake Pirovic was arrested, charged and eventually sent to jail for a twenty five year non-parole period as a result of his actions towards Charlie. This meant that he would never see the outside of that large electric fence until his mid-fifties. His entire youth was gone and considering Charlie had lost a great deal more, the judge and jury had both deemed this fair punishment.

Jake had appealed and lost. No jury would guarantee him leniency. Not after the evidence was placed in front of them by the prosecutor, proving not only his guilt but his brutality. And of all this horrific evidence, one thing had surprised him most; one thing Jake had never comprehended until that first trial in the courtroom. The existence of a child was unexpected. But still, Jake was sent back to his jail cell with the unsavoury dignity of a prisoner.

This was the moment he had been waiting for. After two years in confinement with street thugs and white collar felons alike; the weak, the strong, the power hungry and the desperate all locked up in their pens like cattle, Jake was finally getting out. What he had lost in his health, he would gain in freedom, even if only for a little while.

‘Jacob Pirovic, I’m going to make myself very clear to you, if you abuse this privilege, there will be no second chances. You will still be on a probationary release under house arrest; if you remove yourself from the determined residence without consent for medical reasons, I will have you thrown back in your cell so fast you won’t know what hit you, understand?’

The judge was glancing at the criminal sternly. It was a terminally ill prisoner’s right to appeal his sentence; spend his final days in the real world. Still, for Judge Davenport, this was one loop hole he could do without but taking a fair stance was a key element to his job and the defendant had made a good case.

As Jake stood standing while the judge determined his future, he couldn’t stop the smug smile from showing on his face. It didn’t matter that he had a restraining order against the Braxtons, the Bucktons and his daughter. Daughter, that was a strange thought, but Jake didn’t care for children, never had. Revenge had already been bittersweet. All he wanted was his freedom.

It had taken developing heart failure to get him out of jail but Jake didn’t care. He was never going back to that hell hole again if it killed him. He didn’t care that his heart would kill him slowly, as long as he would never step foot in prison again.

With a smile on his face, Jake Pirovic had stepped out of the courtroom for what he hoped was the last time into the empty streets with the corrections officer at his tail. His tie was loose as he breathed in the fresh air and felt the June sun glistening on his skin. It was the first time in nearly two years that he had walked on a sidewalk on a real public street. Jake half skipped in elation as he paraded through the streets breathing in something sweet. So this was what freedom felt like.

The doctors had said Jake would be dead within the year but that had been wishful thinking on their part. Three years after his release on parole, here he was, still alive. His heart, although it limited him, was still beating, albeit weakly. The gradual deterioration of his body frustrated him and left him somewhat immobilised but that was beyond his control. There he was, Jake Pirovic, a man with a death sentence which expired years ago, very much alive.

Jake stared out the window of his rickety little house in Reefton Lakes. Abandoned by his gang, abandoned by most of his family, he was all alone. He figured everyone; including Brax assumed Jake was dead. The cops would have told him of the house arrest. That had been three years ago. As far as the world knew, both the Pirovic brothers were gone for good. Little did they know, that one still lived in a secluded house in Reefton Lakes, stuck in an eternal battle against his failing body