Complications We Didn't See Coming

[kathrine french]

Good chapter 

Glad nicole and Ruby want to met Brax

Hope Bianca leave Liam soon poor Bianca 

Update soon ☺

[Ludub]

Great chapter! 

Really hope that Bianca will find the strength to leave Liam. It sounds like she was sexually abused as a child so it would make sense that she's found herself in another abusive relationship. She's never known any different. Poor Bianca and poor April  I love the relationship between Brax and Charlie, and I hope things go well when he meets the girls. Looking forward to the next chapter. x

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

Liked the relationship between Brax and Charlie

Hoping Bianca does the right thing and leaves Liam

Update soon please xx

[LissaBelle24]

Thank-you for all the wonderful replies. Hope you enjoy this. 

Chapter Six

 

Nicole and Ruby startled Charlie as they jumped on the bed erupting in a fit of giggles when she bounced up and down groaning. It was a Saturday morning and as Charlie rolled over to look at the clock she almost had a heart attack. All week they had been dragging their feet when it came to getting up early for school, yet a Saturday morning and they were up at six thirty.

Ruby jumped up and down on her knees. “Mum! Mum!”

“Please let me sleep!” Charlie whined as she pulled the pillow over her head.

Nicole tried to wrestle it off her but Charlie gripped tightly. “Come on, mum. Give me the pillow”

“Can we have pancakes for breakfast?” Ruby helped Nicole pull the pillow away from her.

Charlie squinted at the light. “Girls, it’s really early”

Ruby shook her head. “No it isn’t”

“Yes it is”

“No it isn’t” Ruby argued.

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Ruby, that’s not what we came in here for” Nicole nudged her sister.

Ruby’s eyes widened in realisation. “Oh yeah!”

Charlie propped herself up on her elbow. “What is it?”

“Can Brax come over today please? We really want to meet him” Ruby pleaded as she clasped her hands together, Nicole doing the same.

Charlie breathed heavily. The girls had been hounding her for nine days straight to meet Brax but Charlie couldn’t bring herself to set an actual day. She was nervous. Her daughters were precious and she vowed to protect them. She also wanted to protect her relationship with Brax, not because it was fragile but if the girls didn’t like him then she would have to end it. “Girls…”

Nicole sighed. “Mum, we really want to meet him. Why can’t he come over?”

Charlie chewed on the inside of her cheek. “I…”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Do you think we’ll bite him or something?”

“No” Charlie exhaled as she rubbed her eyes. “I just don’t want to pressure him”

“I thought he wanted to meet us” Nicole accused.

Charlie frowned, she didn’t remember telling them that but apparently she had. “Uh, okay. How about this, I’ll see if he is free tonight for dinner. How is that?”

Ruby nodded her head frantically. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Nicole beamed as she launched herself at Charlie, her arms wrapping around her mother’s body in a tight hug. “Thank-you”

Ruby grinned as she reached for her mother’s phone and held it out to her. “Text him now, please!”

Charlie rolled her eyes as she snatched the phone from Ruby’s hands. She couldn’t deny them the right to meet Brax anymore, she didn’t have a choice. “Fine”

Hey babe. Girls want to meet you. How does dinner at mine sound? – C

Charlie looked up to see the girls both kneeling in front of her fidgeting nervously. They were rather impatient when it came to certain things but the dinging of her phone caught their attention and they scrambled to peek at the message.

Bout time baby, I seriously was beginning to think you’d never cave. Dinner is great. Don’t cook. I’ll bring something. See you at six! – B

“Yes!” Ruby cheered. “Do you think he’ll bring pizza?”

^..^

Brax fumbled with putting his jacket on as he headed out into the kitchen. He wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a tiny bit terrified to meet Charlie’s daughters. She had been so secretive over them that it scared him a tiny bit to think about what they would be like. He wanted to make a good impression which was why he wanted to take them to dinner, but Charlie being her natural self was a stubborn woman and wanted the meeting to take place in the comfort of her home.

“Hey mum”

Cheryl smiled as she glanced up from her book. “Hey mate, are you working today?”

“Nah” Brax scratched the side of his head nervously. “I actually have a date tonight”

Cheryl smiled as she placed her book down on the kitchen table. “I didn’t know you had a girlfriend”

Brax shrugged. “She wanted to keep it quiet because of her daughters”

“So she’s a mother” Cheryl nodded as Casey came running in through the back door trekking mud over the tiles. “Casey Braxton, you freeze right there!”

Casey looked up wide eyed as his mother spoke. “What? Oh, hey Brax”

Brax grinned. “Hey mate. You better take those shoes off before mum comes after you”

Casey looked down blushing when he noticed the mud. “Oops. Sorry mum! I’m going back outside”

Cheryl shook her head. “Boys! Please tell me she doesn’t have boys”

Brax chuckled. “Nope. Two daughters” Brax said as he leaned against the bench. “You’ll be home tonight with Case while I head out right?”

“Yes. Of course. I wouldn’t make you take your little brother on a date” Cheryl laughed. “So tell me about her”

Brax smirked slightly. “She’s a cop”

Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Only you would fall in love with a cop. I hope you’re done doing your dodgy deals then”

Brax nodded. He knew his mother had never approved of the deals he had made, he’d tried to explain it was to help pay back the debts Danny had left behind when he went to prison but she still wouldn’t listen. “Yea, I’ve been straight for a few months”

Cheryl smiled, obviously pleased. “Good” She picked up the ringing house phone. “Hello? Hello?”

“Is Brax there?”

Cheryl’s face lit up. “Heath, Heath is that you?”

“Is Brax there?”

“Heath, please talk to me. Mate, you have to understand...”

“I don’t want to speak to you. Is Brax there?”

Cheryl’s face crumbled as the words left her middle son’s mouth. Looking over at Brax she saw the confusion etched in his eyes. “Yes, he is here. I love you, Heath” Cheryl whispered as she held the phone out to Brax.

Brax walked over and took the phone; he kissed his mother’s cheek in comfort quickly. “Hey mate”

“You didn’t tell me she would be home when I called”

Brax sighed. “Sorry, I got distracted. What’s up?”

“I need you to cancel Casey’s trip”

Brax groaned as he rubbed a hand across his face. “Heath this has been planned for months. You’re going to break the kid’s heart”

“I know, I’m sorry. I have to work. Just, uh, just let him know I’ll come down in a few months. I’ll be down for his birthday”

“He turns eleven in six months, Heath. Don’t make a promise you won’t be able to keep” Brax sat down on the arm of the couch.

“I can’t have him come up here Brax. I won’t be home and Teegs has her hands full with Darce” There was a slight falter in his voice. “Tell him I’m sorry and that I will be down for his birthday with Darcy. I’ll spend a whole two weeks with him”

Brax could hear the regret in Heath’s voice. “Alright, I know this is hard” Brax rubbed a hand over his face. “You have to tell Case tho, I can’t tell him for you”

“Okay, put the kid on. I’m really sorry about this, Brax”

Brax nodded. “I know, mate. I gotta go. We miss ya Heath” Brax listened as his brother gave a sarcastic chuckle.

“What you mean to say is ‘We miss you but know you won’t come home because Casey can never know the truth’” Heath sighed. “I can’t lie to the kids face Brax. I can’t hear him speak about dad, ask questions about him...not when I know the truth”

^..^

April rushed up to the counter in the diner, her dark hair swinging wildly behind her from the breeze. She was happy that that house had been peaceful and Liam had offered to take them to lunch. He hadn’t been nasty about it.
April felt wary but happy because when Liam was nice it meant that he wasn’t being mean her or her mother.

“Nanna!”

Irene smiled over the counter at the young girl. “Hey darl, how are you this afternoon?”

“Good!” April grinned widely. “I’m having lunch with mum and Liam”

Irene nodded at the girls’ excitement. “Sounds exciting”

“Hey Irene, how are you?” Bianca spoke as she walked up to the counter, her face was masked with the fake smile that she wore to fool people into believing that she was happy.

“I’m good, love. I’ll be with you in a tick; I just have to take this coffee outside”

Bianca smiled. “Of course”

Liam placed his hand on April’s shoulders turning her slightly around to face him. “Did you just run off on your mother and I?”

April froze as she looked up at Bianca. “I…”

Liam grabbed her chin and forced the ten year old to look at him. “I am talking to you, not your mother. Did you just run off?”

April glanced down at her shoes though he kept a hold on her chin. “Yes”

Liam glared slightly. “What have I told you? When I take you out in public then you stay with your mother and I. I did not raise you to run around like a wild child”

April shook her head. “You don’t raise me” April muttered.

Liam’s nostrils flared as he looked down at the young girl. “Forget lunch. We are leaving”

Bianca panicked slightly as she looked at April. She could see that her daughter was instantly regretting the words that had escaped her lips as she looked at her mother for support. “Liam, we need to eat”

Liam didn’t respond to her as he grabbed April’s hand tightly in his and pulled her out of the diner. “We are going home”

“I didn’t mean it” April whined as she tried to dig her heels into the ground. “I didn’t mean it. Mummy, tell him!”

Liam pushed April towards the car but his eyes were fixed on Bianca. “Do you have something to say?”

Bianca swallowed. “She didn’t mean it, Liam. She is just a child”

“Who doesn’t have any manners” Liam glared. “If you taught her better then it wouldn’t be a problem”

April wiped her eyes with her arm. “It’s not mum’s fault” April spoke as more tears came rushing to her eyes, the guilt that her mother was now in trouble.

“I wasn’t talking to you” Liam snapped.

“Baby, please, she’s just a kid” Bianca pleaded as she placed her arm around April’s shoulder drawing her close. “She’s sorry, are you sweetie?”

April bobbed her head up and down. “Yes. Yes. I’m sorry”

Liam shook his head sharply. “I find that hard to believe. A little daddy/daughter time and you’ll be a good little girl again”

April sobbed as Liam opened the car door for her. “I’m sorry. I won’t run away again. I promise” April promised as she hugged Bianca’s waist tightly.

Liam grabbed her arm firmly and jerked her towards the backseat. “Get in” Liam spoke sharply as he spanked her harshly on the bottom.

April squeaked as she climbed into the car and sat down before he could strike her again. “I promise I’ll be good” April sobbed.

“Liam. Please”

Liam turned to Bianca. “Get in the car. Now!” He demand was clear before he turned back to April. “Don’t you want to be daddy’s princess again?”

April nodded quickly knowing he was in a bad mood now. “Yes”

Liam smiled tauntingly. “Then you’ll be punished when we get home. Now shut up. Understand?”

“Yes Sir” April sobbed as the door banged shut.

Bianca turned around in her seat, tears rushing to her eyes as she saw the utter distraught look on her daughters face. The tears pouring down her little girls cheeks faster then she could wipe them away. “I love you, sweetie” Bianca whispered quietly.

April looked up, her brown eyes filled with sadness. “I’m sorry, mummy. I love you too”

Bianca placed her hand on April’s knee. “I promise you I’ll get us out of this one day. I’m so sorry I did this to us”

^..^

Charlie came out of the kitchen drying her hands on the towel when she heard the doorbell ring, the nerves that had subsided over the day where suddenly back with a vengeance. Placing the towel down she took a deep breath to calm herself before starting towards the door.

“I got it” Ruby shouted as she stumbled out of the hallway with Nicole right on her heels.

“No. I do” Nicole pipped up as she hurried towards the door grabbing the door handle.

Ruby placed her hand on top of Nicole’s. “I’m opening it”

“I want to”

They both reefed on the doorhandle causing the door to open, they both grinned widely as Brax looked down in surprise.

“Hi Brax!”

Brax smiled slightly at both girls as they bounced up and down on their heels, smiling at him. “Uh, hi girls”

Ruby looked at the bag in his left hand. “Where’s the pizza?”

Charlie shook her head. “Ruby, I don’t think Brax was bringing pizza”

Brax hummed in agreement which caused Ruby’s face to fall. “Not this time sorry. I had other ideas”

“What’s in there then?” Nicole asked curiously as she went to peek into the bag but Brax moved it out of her sight.

“Girls, how about we let Brax into the house?” Charlie asked as she placed a hand on their shoulders and pulled them slightly away from the door. “Hey”

“Hey babe” Brax stepped into the house and looked at the two girls who were beaming with curious smiles. “I thought we could make pizzas for dinner”

Ruby frowned. “Make them? Mum isn’t a good cook”

Brax chuckled. “Well I am”

Nicole giggled at his smug look. “Do we get to help?” Nicole asked as she nudged Ruby.

“Yeah we are better cooks then mum” Ruby announced.

“Hey!” Charlie glanced down at her daughter in offence. “I think I’m a good cook”

Ruby shook her head. “Not even!” Ruby told her firmly before turning back to the man in front of her. “So can we?! Can we help?”

Brax nodded. “Yea, I need two helpers and I think it should be you two”

“Good idea. Don’t let mum in the kitchen” Nicole agreed enthusiastically.

Ruby pointed to the bag. “Is that all you brought?”

Brax shrugged. “I might have brought a present”

“You didn’t need to do that. They have enough stuff” Charlie started but Brax glanced up at her with a silencing look to which she rolled her eyes. “Okay. Okay. Sorry”

“What did you bring?!”

Brax reached into the bag and pulled out a dvd, he held it out for them to see and smiled when he saw their faces alight with pleasure. “I hope you haven’t seen it”

“OH MY GOD!” Ruby shrieked with delight.

Nicole jumped up and down. “Yes. Yes. Yes”

“Mum. He brought FROZEN!” Ruby tugged on her mother’s hand. “He brought it!”

Charlie giggled as she saw the utter excitement on the girls faces. “I see. This is going to be a great night. What do you say?”

“Thank you Brax!” The girls chimed in unison as they grabbed the dvd and bag from his hands and sprinted towards the kitchen.

Brax chuckled as he looked over at Charlie. “Think I won them over?”

Charlie smiled. “You didn’t need to buy anything to win them over. They’ve been pestering me about you for days”

Brax grabbed the hem of her white shirt and pulled her towards him, snaking his arms around her waist. “How about a kiss for your handsome boyfriend?”

“A kiss for my adorably cute Riverboy? I don’t know” Charlie teased.

Brax moved his right hand up her back and entwined it in her hair, gently but firmly. “I am not adorably cute. Handsome” Brax pouted.

Charlie giggled. “You’re just proving my point, baby”

Brax crashed his lips to hers in a claiming kiss, the hand in her hair pushing her closer; he nipped her bottom lip lightly to force her to open her mouth.

“Eww”

Charlie used her right hand to push Brax’s chest to make him step away from her. They both blushed when they turned their head slightly to see the girls peeking around the wall.

“Mum, you not allowed to kiss him. Brax is going to cook with us” Ruby said as she marched across the room and grabbed Brax’s hand. “Come on. I want to have everything on my pizza”

Brax let go of Charlie’s waist, winking at her as Ruby pulled him towards the kitchen. “Later” He mouthed.

Charlie shook her head as Nicole grabbed her hand and led her to the couch. “You stay here, mum” Nicole told her firmly as she let go of Charlie’s hand and skipped towards the kitchen.

…

Charlie sighed when she looked at the clock twenty minutes having past; she could hear the giggling coming from the kitchen and couldn’t resist a sneak peak which was why she was standing in the kitchen doorway. The grin on her face and her eyes alighting with happiness was enough to explain the scene in front of her.
Brax was standing in the middle of Nicole and Ruby as they rolled the pizza bases out on the bench, both girls had flour smeared across their cheeks and foreheads while Brax had it in his hair, a thin layer of flour coated the kitchen floor.

“Brax?”

Brax turned to look at Nicole. “Hmm?”

Nicole glanced up from her pizza base, wiping her forehead with her arm leaving around trail of flour. “Do you love mum?”

Brax grinned. “That’s an easy question. I love your mother a lot”

“You have to promise never to hurt her Brax or we’ll have to kill you” Ruby said sternly.

Brax would have laughed at a ten year old threatening him but then he saw the look on her face, it was clear that she was being completely serious. “I promise I will never hurt her”

“Cause mum hasn’t had a boyfriend in a long time and she needs to be loved” Nicole told him.

Ruby pursed her lips together in agreement with her sister. “Auntie Bi said so”

Brax smirked. “And I don’t want to mess with Auntie Bi right?”

Ruby nodded. “Never” Ruby told him sternly. “Oh I almost forgot. You have to promise I can have free pizza whenever I want” Ruby told him cheekily.

Nicole rolled her eyes. “Ruby!”

Brax just laughed as he ruffled the brunette’s hair. “I’ll see what I can do” Brax told her as he winked at Nicole who giggled.

…

Charlie snuggled into Brax’s arms as the credits of Frozen played on the tv in front of them, neither adults were watching as they were too busy looking at the two girls who were curled up in an arm chair together with a blanket tucked around them and a big bowl of popcorn in their laps. Nicole was sleeping peaceful with her head rested on Ruby’s shoulder and Ruby was sleeping with her head rested on top of Nicole’s with her mouth slightly open.

“They loved you. I think you completely sealed the deal with Frozen”

Brax chuckled. “They are great. Even managed to threaten me”

Charlie looked up at him, her right hand resting across his chest. “They are my girls for a reason”

“Yeah. Ruby is the complete mini of you. She was stealing my pizza through the whole movie even when I caught her she insisted it was someone else”

“Yep, that’s my girl” Charlie enthused.

Brax run his fingertips through her hair, he was unsure of whether he should risk approaching the next subject but knew it would bug him if he didn’t. “Charlie, I want to ask you something…”

Charlie glanced up an apprehensive look on her features. “What is it?”

Brax swallowed. “Who is the girl’s father?”

Charlie pulled back slightly, shocked at the sudden question. “Uh”

Brax shook his head. “You don’t have to answer if it’s too personal”

“No, I, uh” Charlie paused. “We are in a relationship, these questions do come up”

“You can tell me when you’re ready”

Charlie just smiled. “Nicole is my adoptive daughter. Her father was a man, Roman; we dated for a little when the girls were young. He is in the army” Charlie sighed. “Nicole’s mother didn’t want anything to do with her and I came in when she was so young that I’ve always been around. She doesn’t know that I’m not her biological mother”

Brax nodded. “I see. That explains the hair colour and different personality to Ruby”

“Well they aren’t twins”

Brax raised an eyebrow. “You sure?” Brax teased but he was referring to their ages.

Charlie smirked. “Of course, I only birthed one baby!” Charlie teased back. “No. Nicole is eleven and Ruby is ten”

“Ah” Brax murmured. “And Ruby’s father?”

Charlie tensed. “Well…I don’t want you to think different of me” She would admit to herself that she was frightened that he would see her as a young native girl.

Brax rubbed her shoulder as he pulled her closer. “I would never”

Charlie breathed heavily. “I went to the city with Bianca for her cousin’s birthday party and I got particularly drunk. I slept with a guy that night and nine months later Ruby welcomed herself into the world. I don’t know his name or what he looks like”

Brax chuckled to relieve Charlie’s tense posture. “I’ve had a few of those nights; probably around the same time you did that” Brax kissed her head. “Nothing to be embarrassed over. Let me help you put the kids to bed. I’ll take Nic first” Brax tilted her chin up. “Thank-you for trusting me” He kissed her lightly on the lips.

Charlie sat frozen; she couldn’t bring herself to say that particular night had been a plan made by her and Bianca. She didn’t know who the father of her baby was because she was too drunk to care.

[Guest]

Great chapter

Bianca needs to leave Liam A.S.A.P

Loved the girls hounding Charlie to meet Brax.

Family time was cute too.

Update again soon

 

 

[Inactive User]

Great chapter

I hope Bianca does the right thing and leave Liam for good

Looking forwards to the next chapter Xxx

[Ludub]

Fabulous chapter! Loved this from start to finish!  The relationship between Charlie and Brax is lovely, and I really liked his interaction with the girls. Sad that Heath is so angry with Cheryl and that he feels he can't be around Casey anymore. I really hope that Bianca can find the strength to leave Liam before he does something really bad. No-one should have to live in fear like that. Looking forward to the next chapter x