Torn

[Guest]

Great chapter I agree with Sarah's post above update again soon

[Melbelle94]

Chapter Eighteen:

Brax walked through the front door of the house with Shay holding his right hand, in her other was a chocolate ice-cream. He knew it would please Charlie, but from the moment heard Shay giggle it was as though it wasn't really about proving to Charlie, it was about Shay, she was just a little girl. Brax knew it was going to be hard but he was seeing Shay in a new light, he wouldn't say he loved her, but he no longer just accepted her for the sake of Charlie. He accepted her because she was her own person.

Charlie came out of the kitchen and smiled in relief at the sight of them together. "Shay!"

Shay grinned as she looked up at Brax. "It's okay to be really happy, and excited, I won't get into trouble here?"

Brax ruffled her hair, he felt her flinch but it wasn't as bad. "Never ladybug, never"

Shay smiled. "Charlie!"

Charlie wrapped the young girl in a tight hug. "How you feeling baby, you're smiling!"

Shay nodded. "I feel better, Charlie. Brax said we can be friends" Shay exclaimed and Charlie smiled.

Charlie pulled her back just a little, brushing the hair away from Shay's eyes. "I love you, Shay. I want you to be happy here"

"Shay's gonna be really happy here. Ain't ya, ladybug?" Brax asked as he approached them.

Shay nodded. "Yes, Brax said we'll be friends and he took me for ice-cream, look Charlie" Shay said and Charlie grinned at Brax.

It was the most she had ever heard Shay speak. "I see. You're really going to be happy here?"

Shay smiled. "Yes Charlie, I'm going to be happy cause you're going to be happy. And daddy can't hurt us anymore; Brax is going to protect us. Can I play with Katie?"

Charlie hugged her tight again. "I'm so happy. Your daddy is never coming back Shay, I promise. Katie is in Ruby's room watching a movie, you can join them"

Shay looked hesitant, she wasn't sure she wanted to step into Ruby's room. "That's okay, I can play out here, can I draw?"'

Brax winked at Charlie. "Come on ladybug, let's go watch a movie" Brax said as he picked her up, Shay giggled slightly. "Ahh, there's that pretty little giggle"

^..^

Brax opened the door to Ruby's room to see her cuddled up under a blanket on the bed with Katie, watching Frozen. They both looked up startled, but Brax saw the different reactions in their similar faces.

Katie was ecstatic, smiling widely at the sight of Shay. Ruby was the opposite, frowning at the sight of her half-sister.

"What's going on dad?" Ruby asked sharply and Brax gave her a look.

"Shay and I are coming to watch the movie" Brax said as he dropped Shay gently onto the bed, mindful of her cast, she bounced a little and giggled.

Ruby chucked the blanket of her legs. "I don't think I want to watch it anymore"

Shay looked saddened by the dislike in Ruby's features. "It's okay, you can stay Ruby, I'll go out there" Shay immediately spoke as she went to crawl off the bed.

Brax sighed as he helped her up. "Why don't you and Shay play with the barbies, I brought you Katie"

Katie nodded. "Me show you Shay, come on" Katie said excitedly tugging on Shay's free arm and pulling her out of the room.

Once they were gone Brax turned to Ruby with a stern expression. "Rubes"

Ruby shook her head. "Don't dad, why? Why can you accept her?" Ruby muttered as she sat down on the bed with a huff.

Brax walked around and sat beside her. "II didn't want to, just like you didn't Rubes. But she's innocent, she's just a little girl who was abused by her dad, the one man whose meant to protect her" Brax paused as he put an arm around Ruby's shoulders, she tried to pull away but he held tight. "I've been angry at her when I should be angry at Grant; you know what changed my mind?"

"Mum threatening to leave us again?" Ruby spat sourly.

Brax shook his head. "No. When I was watching Shay sleep, she had a nightmareshe said the words: I don't want to die. She's just a child, if Grant nearly killed her then I can't be mad at her and neither can you. She's your sister Ruby, you can hate Grant all you like but you won't take it out on Shay"

"But it's her fault mum left! How can mum trust her?"

Charlie cleared her throat as she stepped into the room, they both looked up startled. "I didn't trust her at first and she didn't trust me, what you've seen her since we've arrived is a different Shay, she actually talks me" Charlie said softly as she moved to stand in front of Ruby. "It is not Shay's fault that I wasn't here to watch you grow, it was Grant's, they are two separate people and you have to learn to look at them that way, baby"

"It not fair" Ruby murmured as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Charlie reached up to wipe them away. "It wasn't fair that I was taken away from you, but I'm here now and I want nothing more than to stay, and be here for you now. I love you, Ruby. You'll always be my little girl but I need you to try and accept your sister, please?"

Ruby sighed as she tried to wipe her tears away. "I missed you so much, I thought you were dead, but you were with them. I'm not angry at her, I'm angry at Grant but she's a reminder"

Charlie nodded. "But you'll always be reminded sweetie, it will always be there but you have to look past it. I missed you so much while I was gone, but I reminded myself every day that you were safe, you didn't have to suffer through the pain that Shay did, or Katie or I. I need you to try for me Rubes, because I promise I'm not going to leave you again" Charlie whispered.

Ruby crumbled as she leaned into Brax's hug, Charlie moved forward and hugged her eldest daughter as well. "I love you, mummy"

"I love you too, Rubes"

^..^

Authors Note: Please Review! Let me know what you think.

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

Hope Ruby will come around and accept Shay

Update soon please Xxx

[Guest]

Great chapter I agree with Sarah's post above update again soon

[Melbelle94]

Chapter Nineteen:

Ruby stood in the doorframe of the hallway; she was watching Shay as she sat at the kitchen table drawing. It'd been two weeks since the incident where she fled the house, Ruby understood she could now separate them, that Grant and Shay weren't similar. Ruby wanted to give Shay a chance, she wanted to see the side that Charlie and Katie saw.

Ruby wanted to be able to call Shay her sister.

Ruby walked over towards to the kitchen table and slipped into the chair beside Shay.

"Wow. You're good at drawing" Ruby commented and Shay nodded.

"Thank-you"

Ruby smiled softly as took a peak at the drawing in front of her. "Who taught you how to draw?" Ruby asked and Shay shrugged.

"I did. It doesn't make noise, daddy didn't like noise" Shay told her, Ruby bit her cheek to keep herself from saying something horrible so she nodded slightly instead.

"I see. Can I draw to?" Ruby asked and Shay nodded as she pulled a piece of paper out from her book and handed it to Ruby. "Thank-you. I wanted to tell you something..."

Shay glanced up and smiled, but Ruby could see the wariness in her eyes. "Okay"

Ruby twirled the pencil in her hand. "I wanted to say sorry, I didn't mean to get angry at you or say those mean things" Ruby told her and Shay glanced down at the paper in front of her swinging her pencil across the page lightly. "I wasn't angry at you sweetie, I promise. But I am angry at...at Grant"

Shay nodded. "I'm angry at daddy too, he's very bad" Shay told them and Ruby nodded.

"I'm really sorry, Shay, your my little sister, I shouldn't have been mad at you" Ruby said and Shay nodded.

"It's okay, Ruby. I'm not mad at you, I promise" Shay said politely and Ruby smiled thankfully. "Do you want to know a secret?" Shay asked and Ruby raised an eyebrow, her curiosity spiking.

"Sure"

Shay glanced up. "I always wanted a big sister, daddy said I had one and her name was Ruby but I would never meet her cause she was good and I was bad. But he was wrong, I met you Ruby and you're my big sister"

Ruby smiled but she felt a little sick at the thought of Grant knowing about her. "When...uh when did he tell you about me?" Ruby asked and Shay tilted her head slightly.

"When I was three" Shay told her and Ruby nodded slightly. "I like having a big sister, are we gonna be friends?"

Ruby grinned. "How about we be sisters, that's better than friends" Ruby told her and Shay smiled.

"I want that"

^..^

Charlie hopped up onto the table and took Brax's hand, as Nate Cooper walked into the exam room.

She smiled brightly; Charlie had been waiting for the scan since the moment she found she was pregnant. Yes she had one but she couldn't wait to see her baby again, to know the little one growing inside her was healthy. She couldn't stand to go through the pain of losing another child like she had lost Connor.

Nate smiled as she rolled over to the bedside on a stool. "Excited?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes, very"

Nate nodded as Charlie pulled her shirt up a little. "This will be cold" Nate warned as he dropped a gloop of gel to her stomach. "What are we hopping for a boy or girl?"

Brax shook his head. "A healthy baby"

Nate smiled. "Yes, a healthy baby. Let's have a look"

"Will you be able to tell, will you be able to see if it's a girl or boy?" Charlie asked and Nate chuckled at her excitement.

"It's a little early but we might be able to get a clear enough picture"

Charlie nodded excitedly. "Please be good, baby" Charlie murmured as she looked down at her stomach.

"Here we are" Nate said as he started to move the transducer around on her stomach. "We have two little hands, two feet, ten fingers and ten toes" Nate said pointing out the features on the baby. "And I don't think we have a clear enough...oh wait the little one is moving" Nate said as he moved the transducer, swirling the gel around. "Would you like to know?"

Charlie looked at Brax; he could see the excitement in her eyes. He couldn't deny her, not when she seemed to be so happy. "Sure" Brax said and Nate nodded.

"I am 97% sure that you are expecting a..."

^..^

Charlie walked through the door of the front house beaming, her smile reached even wider when she saw Ruby sitting at the table with Katie on her lap, and Shay by her side as they drew. Brax squeezed Charlie's shoulder as he saw them sitting there; he didn't care about that fact that Shay was Grant's daughter anymore. In two weeks he'd been able to bring out a side of her Charlie hadn't known existed. It sounded crazy to even think it to himself, to even say it, but in two short weeks he'd come to a point where he could love her as his own.

"Mummy!" Katie squealed as she noticed her parents by the door. "I missed you" Katie told her as she threw herself around Charlie's legs.

Ruby walked over to the doorway with Shay by her side. "So...how is everything?" Ruby asked and Brax grinned.

"Great"

Katie tugged on Charlie's dress. "Mummy, am I gonna get a sister or a brother?" Katie asked and Charlie smiled.

"Well...its looks like you three are going to have a little sister"

"Another girl?" Ruby giggled as she looked at Brax. "Good luck, dad!"

Brax shrugged. "I don't mind, I think I handle four daughters" Brax said and Ruby rolled her eyes, clearly not believing him.

"Is mum...I mean Charlie, is Charlie, having twins? Two girls" Shay asked, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

Charlie couldn't help the smile that broke out as she moved forward and grabbed Shay in a hug. "You called me, mum!" Charlie cried in happiness. "Oh baby, you can call me mum if you want" Charlie said as she pulled back, Shay nodded shyly but Charlie could see the happiness dancing in her eyes along with nerves. "You're my middle child, okay? My daughter"

Brax moved forward and knelt down to Shay's height, Katie squirmed herself onto his knee causing Brax to steady himself as he looked at the ten year old. "We aren't having twins, Shay"

Shay nodded as she looked at Brax. "Do you have another daughter?" Shay asked and Brax chuckled.

"No ladybug. I was talking about Ruby, Katie, the baby and you" Brax said and Shay looked at him, mistrust in her eyes but Brax just smiled as he reached forward and pulled her into his arms, gripping Katie so she wouldn't fall off his knee. "I love you, Shay. You're my daughter to"

Shay shook her head. "I thought you didn't like me, we were gonna be friends" Shay said and Brax nodded.

"We talked about this, Shay; I said one day we'd be family"

"I thought that would be a long time" Shay said and Brax chuckled.

"We'll your one of the sweetest kids I know, I'm gonna call you my daughter. Is that okay?" Brax asked and Shay looked at Charlie and then at Ruby.

Her older half-sister was hugging Charlie, she loved Charlie like her own mother, and her father was a horrible person. "Shay, sweetheart" Charlie said softly and Shay nodded.

"That's okay, Brax" Shay confirmed.

^..^

Authors Note: Please Review! Let me know what you think.

[Guest]

Great chapter I look forward to more update again soon

[Melbelle94]

Chapter Twenty:

"Brax!"

Charlie couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips as Brax hovered over her, pinning her arms above her head, he leaned down and kissed her neck lightly before moving to her cheek.

"I love you, Charlotte"

Charlie nudged him with her knee. "I love you too, Darryl" Charlie murmured as she let out a squeal, his fingers tickled her stomach.

As he leaned down and nuzzled her neck he couldn't help but voice the thoughts in his head. "I missed five years of this, waking up to you, touching you, talking to you, loving you. I want you to realise how important you really are"

Charlie smiled at him softly as she lifted her head and gazed his lips. "I loved you every day I was gone, I missed you too" Charlie whispered as Brax crashed his lips to hers, claiming her lips.

Brax pulled away from her and flipped onto his back breathing heavily. "I need to ask you a question"

Charlie glanced over and nodded. "What is it?"

Brax propped himself up on his elbow. "Please don't freak out" Charlie just nodded. "What was Connor's full name?"

Charlie stared at him for a moment, unblinking; her hands grabbed the blanket tightly as she exhaled. "His name was Connor Bailey Bledcoe" Charlie breathed an Brax nodded as he stared at the ceiling.

"You gave him Grant's last name" Brax observed and Charlie nodded.

"I was allowed to name him as long as he got Grant's last name. I knew if I ever escaped it would be easier to change. Shay and Katie chose his name, it helped them to adjust"

Charlie told him and Brax nodded.

"I want you to feel free to speak about him, about your son" Brax told her and Charlie let a tear trail down before she wiped it away.

"Thank-you, I miss him, I love him but I had to keep pushing forward. The girls needed me" Charlie said and Brax leaned over and caressed her cheek.

"What do you think...what do you think of naming our little girl after her big brother?" Brax asked and Charlie couldn't stop the flow of tears. "Oh babe, don't cry"

Charlie sighed as Brax wiped her tears away. "You want to name..." Charlie hiccupped. "You want to name her after Connor? You're very sure she is your going to be your daughter"

Brax nodded. "She is my daughter; they are my daughters, regardless of blood. We could name her Bailey"

"Bailey Grace" Charlie murmured and Brax nodded as he wrapped his arm around her.

"It's perfect"

^..^

Katie jumped onto Brax's lap as he sat down at the kitchen table, pizza on the plates. Ruby and Shay sat across from him, Charlie at his side.

He could tell something was going on; there was a look in Shay's eyes. It made him feel uneasy. He could sense Charlie's tension.

"What's wrong?" Brax finally asked, as he looked around the table. Charlie wouldn't look at him, it frustrated him, he thought they had finally moved past the secrecy that they had finally begun to feel safe. "Charlie, what is wrong?"

Katie looked up from shoving the pizza into her mouth. "Shay had a nightmare" Katie told him innocently.

Brax glanced over at Shay. "Did you have a nightmare, ladybug?"

Shay nodded slightly as she flickered her eyes to Charlie. "Yes"

Brax nodded. "What was it about?"

Shay didn't speak and Katie looked up at her dad. "She had a dream about her daddy, he punished Shay cause mummy was bad. Shay dreams bout it all the time" Katie told him an Brax nodded slowly. "But she won't tell mummy what happened, I nots 'llowed to no either" Katie told him and Brax nodded.

"Why don't you want to talk about it?" Brax asked Shay, the younger girl just shrugged as she picked the pepperoni off her pizza. "You don't like pepperoni?" Brax asked changing the subject for a moment and Shay retracted her hand from the piece she was pulling off.

"I don't want to talk about it, please Brax" Shay begged and Brax looked at Charlie slightly confused, he didn't understand why that had set her off, he was just asking a simple question.

Charlie looked at Shay. "You don't have to talk about anything that makes you uncomfortable, sweetheart" Charlie told her and Ruby nudged the younger girl.

"I don't like pepperoni either" Ruby said with a wink, but Shay nodded.

"I don't like it, it's hot" Shay told her and Ruby nodded, aware that Brax and Charlie were watching her discreetly.

"You know, that sometimes you can get ones that aren't hot" Ruby informed her.

Shay shook her head. "Daddy always got the hot one, then he put chillies on it. Do you like chillies?" Shay asked and Ruby shook her head.

"No. No, I don't like them" Ruby answered and Shay looked up at her.

"Can I tell you a secret?" Shay whispered and Ruby nodded. "I not tell you in front of them"

Ruby glanced at her mother and father. "How about we go to my room?" Ruby asked and Shay nodded as she looked at Charlie.

"Can I be excused?"

Charlie nodded. "Of course, sweetheart"

As Shay headed towards Ruby's room, Charlie glanced at Ruby with a saddening look, a look that made Ruby feel a pang of hurt. "Why does she want to tell me?" Ruby asked.

Charlie sighed. "You're her big sister; she is probably looking to you for guidance"

"Why, she thought I hated her"

Charlie shook her head. "Shay has a hard time trusting people but if she knew about you for all these years, well it's possible that she feels like she should be able to trust you. Just don't push her" Charlie pleaded.

^..^

Ruby entered her room to see Shay sitting on her bed; she was Ruby's childhood toy, a stuffed Rabbit named Floppsie. Shay was hugging it tightly to her chest, as if it was protecting her.

"Hey kiddo" Ruby said softly as she approached the bed and sat down, Ruby was stunned as the young girl threw herself in her older sisters arms and hugged tightly, the tears sliding down the ten year olds cheeks. "What was the secret you wanted to tell me?" Ruby asked and Shay pulled back slightly.

"Promise not to tell?" Shay asked and Ruby nodded.

"Yes kiddo, I promise" Ruby told her and Shay held onto Ruby's hand tightly as she looked down into her lap.

"Daddy got mad at mum...at Charlie one day, cause she yelled at him, she was so loud and she threw things at him. Daddy was so angry but she was pregnant with Connor and daddy was gonna hit her and then he saw Katie. He was gonna punish Katie, I had to stop him..." Shay sobbed and Ruby wrapped her arms around the young girl.

"It's okay Shay"

Shay shook her head. "He was so mean; I got in lots of trouble because I tried to protect Katie. I have nightmares about it, Charlie made him mad and he punished me" Shay sobbed.

"Shay, what did he do to you?"

^..^

[Guest]

I'm glad Shay is warming up to Brax and Ruby I wonder what Grant did to Shay I look forward to more update again soon

[Inactive User]

Great two chapters

Glad Shay is getting on well with Brax and Ruby and warming up to them.

Update soon please Xxx

[Melbelle94]

Chapter Twenty One:

Shay squirmed slightly as she looked at Ruby, she was nervous and the older sister could tell. Ruby could tell that whatever had happened to Shay had scared her and to some extent she blamed Charlie, because she had to take the blame and protect Katie.

"Ruby, please don't tell. Daddy was just really angry at me, he punished me harshly" Shay told her and Ruby nodded.

"Okay, what did he do to you kiddo?" Ruby asked.

Shay looked up at Ruby the tears trailing down her cheeks. "Daddy used to hit me, all the time, he locked me away for days, he didn't feed me properly. Then when Charlie came, he got angrier" Shay told her and Ruby nodded, encouraging her to continue. "He was mad at Charlie, he was going to hurt Katie because he knew it would hurt Charlie, but I couldn't let him. I had to stop him"

Ruby nodded. "You did well, you were a great big sister, you protected Katie" Ruby told her, she wanted Shay to keep talking and she was proud of the young girl for protecting Katie, she was just upset with herself that she wasn't there to protect both of them, that she wasn't there to protect Shay.

"I had to protect her, I'm the big sister" Shay told her and Ruby nodded proudly. "Daddy took me to his study and he beat me, he used his belt and his cane and then he made me eat hot pepperoni with chillies but I had to stand in the corner with my nose on the wall, I wasn't 'llowed to move for two hours" Shay told her and Ruby bit her tongue, she didn't know what to say but she nodded, stroking Shay's hair as she held her.

"He was very wrong, Shay, I'm sorry he did those things to you" Ruby murmured and Shay's body shook.

Shay glanced up. "I have nightmares about the cane, and the belt. I don't like hot food anymore, I don't like to standing still. He did those things to me for two days, he said I had to learn my place" Shay sobbed and Ruby hugged her.

"You were very brave Shay; no one's going to hurt you anymore. I'm going to protect you" Ruby promised as she kissed the top of the younger girl's hair. "I promise, I love you lil sis"

Shay glanced up at her. "Daddy said I was a brat and I deserved it because I didn't have Charlie's blood, he said your special and he loves you because you're his daughter and your Charlie's daughter to. He said he'd never hurt you. He asked me if I wanted to die"

Ruby tightened her grip on the younger girl. "You didn't deserve any of that and I don't love him, I hate him because he caused you pain, he took my mother away. You're going to be okay, kiddo; we're going to make you feel safe. You not going to leave me, leave us. He was a very bad man, he shouldn't have asked you at horrible question" Ruby promised.

^..^

Ruby hurried over to the couch and collapsed into Charlie's arms, the tears flowed from her cheeks as she squeezed her mother. She'd held Shay for hours, dinner had come and gone, the young girl had cried herself to sleep, wanted to be held. Ruby had finally managed to slip her arm out from under the sleeping girl and she had fled the room to the safety of her mother's arms.

"Ruby? What's wrong sweetheart?" Charlie asked as Brax came out from the bedroom and saw them huddled on the couch.

"What's going on?"

Ruby glanced up. "I promised I wouldn't tell but she's so scared, and I feel bad I wasn't there to protect her"

Charlie pulled her daughter back and wiped the tears away. "Sweetheart, if we need to know then you have to tell us, but you remember that this isn't your fault and I have always been glad that you were safe"

"But she'll see it as a betrayal" Ruby argued as she looked at both her parents, they simply shook their heads.

Brax touched his daughter's shoulder, the child he had raised for five years as a single parent. "Ruby, she will see that you're trying to help, we promise you that"

"I know she partly blames me for what happened that weekend, she didn't come out of study for two full days, Grant only come out to grab a few things once and to taunt me" Charlie admitted sadly and Ruby nodded. "She doesn't talk about what went on in there, but she wouldn't hug me for weeks after. Katie said she saw lines across Shay's legs and arms when they were changing for bed. I tried to ask her about them, but she wouldn't put her sleeves up to show me"

Ruby glanced at her mum sadly. "He whipped her with a cane and belt" Ruby said softly and Charlie gasped in horror, the tears started to roll down her cheeks as she leaned back into Brax for support. "He made her eat hot pepperoni with chillies and stand in the corner for two hours at a time, nose on the wall. I'm sure there was more but she didn't say anything" Ruby said softly and Charlie nodded.

"My poor baby, I contributed to that. I threw things, I shouted, I cursed at him!" Charlie admitted as she wiped her tears. "He came at me, I knew he was going to hit me but Katie must have caught his eye, he went for her...I can still picture it. Katie screamed when he advanced towards her but Shay jumped in the way. She was always so quiet I didn't expect her to shout at him" Charlie paused as she glanced up at Brax. "She told him that Katie wasn't his daughter and that he couldn't punish her, she baited him by telling him that she hated him, that she wished he was dead. It worked, his attention shifted from Katie to her. He grabbed her arm, it was so tight that I could see his knuckles turn white and then he dragged her away" Charlie sobbed.

Brax wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her shoulder gently. "It wasn't your fault, it wasn't Katie's and it certainly wasn't Shay's. What Grant did to you three was horrible, we are going to help our girls Charlie, we are going to get you help" Brax promised but Charlie shook her head.

"I don't want to see a psychologist"

Ruby grabbed her mum's hand. "But Shay needs to, mum, and it would probably help Katie too"

Charlie ran her hands over her face. "Katie was sheltered from it as much as possible. I tried to shelter Shay, but she didn't trust me enough. Grant said things to her when I first entered the house; he told her I would hurt her as well. It took exactly two years for her to begin to trust me, but I was never able to keep her from getting hurt. It was like she had this desire to protect me"

Brax kissed the top of Charlie's head. "We'll take her to see Nate tomorrow, maybe he can speak to her, he can help us to figure out if seeing someone will help"

^..^

Authors Note: Please Review! Let me know what you think.